The Hollywood Insider

Halloween 2011

2011-10-31T23:54:00.000-07:00

Athena, Batgirl and Luigi totally scored major poundage of candy this year. I am trying to get them to sell some of it back to their dentist at $3 per pound, but I don't think I am going to convince anyone.

Girls Night Out/Rachel's 11th Birthday

2011-10-31T23:41:00.000-07:00

11 years ago Rachel was born on October 24th. She is such an enthusiastic, friendly, fun, smart, strong girl and has been since the day she was born. We are so happy that she was sent to be ours. This year she decided she wanted to invite a few friends to a "Girls Night Out" to celebrate her birthday. We got pedicures and went out to dinner and then came home for cupcakes and presents. The girls had a great time and felt so grown up. I can't believe that my little Halloween baby is almost in junior high. I made Rachel promise that she will always like me and never be embarrassed to be seen with me and never think I'm lame. She promised, so I guess the next few years will tell if she was sincere or not.....Happy Birthday Rachie-Roo! Thanks for being born.

Vacation during an Economic Downturn

2011-10-31T15:17:00.000-07:00

We haven't been immune from the financial downturn as I'm sure you haven't either. Lance's hours were cut significantly when he started working on his new TV show and we've been scrambling ever since. I had wanted to go to Southern Utah and take my kids to see a play at the Tuachan outdoor amphitheater for Fall Break. I figured it was impossible to do it but a few great things happened that allowed us to go. I have a friend in our ward that owns a condo in Mesquite and she offered to let us stay there for free. My parents generously offered to pay for our play tickets and VOILA, vacation on a dime (well, more than a dime.) It was a quick, rainy trip. The drive was long and included me getting pulled over for speeding between Las Vegas and Mesquite (the usual.) Thanks to Jackson's friendly personality, I got off with a warning. We hit all the hot spots, the St. George Outlets, Cafe Rio, Nielson's Custard and Smashburger, and the St. George Temple and visitor's center. We even went to Deseret Industries to buy blankets to keep warm during the play and I found a bunch of great deals on children's clothes. We took the girls to see Grease and they loved it. Thanks to my parents and my friend Yvonne for making it possible. And thanks to Lance for staying home and working so we could go in the first place.

Little Guys Preschool

2011-09-15T19:18:00.000-07:00

My friend Tara and I decided to do a co-op preschool with Jackson and her son Trenton for this school year. We did it last year with four boys. It was pretty wild. This year the other two boys are old enough to go to "real preschool" and so it is just the two of them. They are SOOOOOO CUTE together!! On this particular day we talked about Community Helpers and they made Police Hats and badges. They ran around arresting me for the rest of preschool. When Tara came to pick Trenton up, it got really quiet upstairs as we chatted. We came to check on them and they were underneath Rachel's bed playing Candyland. Adorable. We remembered another time last year when it had gotten quiet upstairs and we went to check on them and they were drawing with markers all over Rachel and Allie's dresser. I guess our little guys are growing up.

Creative Endeavors

2011-09-15T19:08:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure what it is, but lately I have felt the urge to learn new skills. I took a photography class and learned that f-stops, shutter speeds and depth of field are things that my little brain has a very hard time understanding and that the cost of equipment is something that my checkbook has a hard time funding. So, I decided to give my mind and wallet a break and take a class to learn how to make cake lollipops. This class was MUCH easier and the lollipops turned out pretty cute (at least my kids thought so.) Now, I'm taking a sewing class and learning how to make quilts. I'll keep you posted on how that turns out (seeing as how "sewing" was a four letter word in my house growing up.)

First Day of School

2011-08-19T12:07:00.001-07:00

Whew! This is the first chance I've had since Wednesday to get anything done around my house. Who schedules 8 activities in one day???? I've been running around like a crazy person the past few days. Here are a few pictures of the girls on their first day of school. We made a breakthrough this year, Allie didn't cry even once on the first day of school. Progress. The girls got off to school in their Justice outfits, feeling very fashionable. I don't remember even knowing about brands and labels until about the middle of Junior High. They insisted that the just HAD to have outfits from Justice to be able to go to school and hold their heads up. Kids these days know WAY more than I did at their age and it kind of scares me. After they left, Jackson and I were sitting on the couch and he looked up at me and said "It's just you and me now, mom." Yep, it's just me and Jackson. Now I just have to figure out how to keep him from destroying my house without the girls to help me monitor him.

Epic Summer Vacation Pics

2011-07-13T20:51:00.001-07:00

We just finished a FOUR-WEEK vacation. I don't think I've ever been able to say that before. The day after school got out, we welcomed my brother and SIL Shelley and their three girls to our house. We went with them for two days to Disneyland. I remember now why I always say, don't go to Disneyland in the summer. The words hot and crowded don't do justice to how hot and crowded it was. It was fun, and often annoying and sometimes embarrassing--like the time Jackson was getting his picture taken with Goofy and when I finished taking the picture, he reached up and slapped Goofy across the face. I guess I don't wonder why that guy dressed up like Tigger snapped a few years ago and beat up a guest.
At the end of the week, we all drove to Vegas where we ate swam and ate several more times. Then we drove to SLC where we spent the next three weeks at my parent's house. Lance had been working in SLC since May 1st so we were extremely glad to see him again. Here is a list of some of the fun things we did so my kids can read it, appreciate it and stop saying that they are bored:
Memory Grove
Temple Square
The Mayan Restaurant for Morgan's Birthday
Thanksgiving Point Dinosaur Museum and Petting Zoo
Hiking the Hidden Falls Trail up Big Cottonwood Canyon
Lagoon/Lagoon a Beach Water park
Fourth of July Celebration, BBQ and Fireworks
Gateway Discovery Children's Museum
Tour of Sweets Candy Factory
Veteran's Park
Cars 2 with Daddy
Several sleepovers at Uncle Jim's house
Several Sunday dinners at Granma's house
Morgan's Baptism and luncheon
Grandpa's Birthday/Retirement Celebration
Dinner at Hires with Grandma and Grandpa
Mom getting to have a sleepover at Krista's house
Mom getting to learn how to dip chocolates
Farmers Market
The Pie and Yogurtland

We are so thankful to Grandma and Grandpa who made our trip possible. I know we were loud and oftentimes obnoxious but we are so thankful for you allowing us to stay at your house, use your washer and dryer and eat all your delicious food.

Is Allie getting Baptizes?

2011-04-18T13:59:00.001-07:00

As you know, Allison turned 8 in March. Her birthday fell just a few days after the scheduled Stake Baptism they do once a month in our stake. So, Allison got baptized on April 9th, the next available date. Grandma and Grandpa M. and Uncle Boyd came for the week to help celebrate and help get ready for the big day. We went to Disneyland, the new temple visitors center, out to dinner at our favorite Cuban place and Allison got to have a special afternoon with Mom and Grandma to pick out shoes and jewelry to go with the beautiful white dress Grandma had brought for her from SLC.
Allison looked beautiful in her dress. Just before we left for the church, Grandma and Grandpa S. arrived along with Aunt Jill and Jamie and Uncle Dave. They brought accessories to go with Allie's dress and she looked like an angel. We went to the church and had a wonderful program put on by the Stake Primary and Allie took the plunge. She was so happy afterward. She was then confirmed by her Daddy. It was such a great experience for our whole family. Jackson kept asking all day "Is Allie getting baptizes?" "When will I get baptizes?"
After the baptism family and friends came back to our house for a celebration dinner. Everyone ate, talked and we had a great time. Thanks to everyone who came to support our family that day. We are so thankful to have Allison in our family and we are proud of the decision she made to get baptizes.

8 is GREAT

2011-03-15T13:41:00.001-07:00

Yesterday Allie and Lance had their 8th and 41st birthdays, respectively. Allie was so excited to open all her presents and had her birthday cake and dinner all lined up weeks ago. She has even talked about what she wants for her NEXT birthday several times if you can believe it. Because of the church policy regarding stake baptisms (and the fact that they actually enforce the rule in this valley,) she will not be getting baptized until April 9th. We are so lucky, happy, and grateful to have such a beautiful, feisty, loving, smart little girl as part of our family. Lance had a great birthday with the day off work, lunch at Rubios- followed up by a trip to BestBuy for electronics. Thanks to all of you for your presents, calls and good wishes.

Daddy-Daughter Dance 2011

2011-03-02T10:45:00.001-08:00

Lance took the girls to the Daddy-Daughter dance at their school last Friday. They always get excited to get their hair done and put on fancy dresses and go dance the night away with their dad. Our Stake President was at the dance as well and commented abouthow he was impressed with Lance dancing with two girls at the same time, one on each arm.

Mackenzie turns 4

2011-02-21T15:58:00.000-08:00

We went to San Diego a few weekends ago to help celebrate Mackenzie's fourth birthday. We left after school and arrived FIVE AND A HALF HOURS later. Remind me not to leave at that time EVER again. We had fun staying at Jamie and Dave's house. The Princess Party was so much fun for the little girls. Mackenzie is growing up so fast. Wasn't is yesterday when she was born?? Thanks for letting us help celebrate your birthday girl!

Jackson turns 3

2011-01-17T11:03:00.001-08:00

Lots of Presents

A trip to see the new Elephant Exhibit at the LA Zoo

"Pupcakes with Sparkles" (translation Cupcakes with Sprinkles)

A Cheeseburger from Five Guys

Equals one happy Three Year Old!

Thanks Grandma and Grandpa!!!

2011-01-05T10:25:00.000-08:00

Thanks so much to Grandma and Grandpa for letting us crash at their house for two weeks at Christmastime. We had so much fun! I know the kids will have fond memories when they are grown up.

Christmas Eve @ In N Out

2011-01-05T10:22:00.000-08:00

We decided on the non-traditional option for Christmas Eve Dinner. We went to In N Out. Mmmmmm.......delicious.

Christmas Eve @ Temple Square

2011-01-05T10:17:00.001-08:00

We decided to go to Temple Square to see the lights on Christmas Eve. I was planning to go after Christmas when it wouldn't be as crowded but Lance informed me that it wouldn't be the same after Christmas. So we packed up our kids and got them as warm as we could. This was when I realized that the coat that I bought especially for Jackson to wear in SLC had been left behind in California. We improvised and kept him as warm as possible. The lights were beautiful and the kids had fun seeing them with their cousins.

A Visit from Santa

2011-01-05T10:13:00.001-08:00

After the Nativity Pagent, there came a knock on the door, and can you guess who it was? SANTA!!! He brought presents for each child and talked to each one individually. It cracked me up when each of my children got onto Santa's lap and they totally forgot about their greedy two page Christmas Lists. When Santa asked them what they wanted for Christmas, they shyly and quietly said "books." WHAT???? What happend to the Ipod Touch, the Wii games, the DVDs, games, jewelry, clothes........??????

Nativity Re-enactment, Madsen Style

2011-01-05T09:53:00.001-08:00

When we were kids, my parents used to dress us up on Christmas Eve and read the story of Jesus' birth from the Bible. We did it this year with all of our kids and it was so cute. I think that Jesus' actual birth was much quieter and spiritual, but we did the best we could with 9 kids under the age of 10.

Introducing Joseph and Mary

One Wise Man

An Angel with wings and a Shepard's Wife (yes, we have taken a few liberties)

Baby Jaguar's parents asked if she could participate. She added a few rejoicing howls.

And one narrator who feels she is too grown up to dress up and pretend

All gazing at the Baby Jesus. This brought back fond memories of my childhood.

From Mom and Dad

2010-12-14T16:57:00.001-08:00

Girls, we couldn't fit this in the car for the trip, so this is one of your presents when we get back, new bedspreads and pictures for your walls. We hope you like them! Love , Mom and Dad

Christmas Traditions

2010-12-14T16:44:00.001-08:00

Every year growing up we went out as a family and picked out a Christmas Tree together. This is the main reason why I don't break down and buy an artificial tree. I love the memories it brings back to go out and pick out a real tree and the smell of it in the house when you come home at Holiday time. I must admit that it is a much less freezing cold activity to pick out a tree in Southern California than in Utah. We picked out a cute tree this year while the kids ran wild in and out of all the other the trees on the lot. I couldn't get Jackson to stand still for 2 seconds to take a photo. Next, we always go see the lights at the temple every year. This year, instead of driving 4 blocks to see the lights, we had to drive 35 miles but as usual, the lights were beautiful. The only problem was that it was POURING RAIN the whole time we were there. Oh well, you can't have EVERY day be sunny, can you? We shouldn't be greedy.

Christmas Photos 2010

2010-11-29T18:36:00.000-08:00

My "go-to" photographer, Lindsay, moved to AUSTRALIA this past year. Seriously, Australia?? I found a friend here in our ward who takes photos as a hobby so I asked her to shoot some of my kids for our annual Christmas photos. She did a great job and got some cute shots and was WAY more patient than I would have been.

Vasquez Rocks

2010-11-07T20:55:00.001-08:00

We took the kids to Vasquez Rocks, a county park about 20 miles from our house. We took a picnic lunch and did a little light hiking after that. The kids LOVED IT. Jackson was so cute. He kept saying "I like this place Mommy!" over and over. We tried hiking to the top but I got too scared with the kids so we got to the top, almost. The climb down was a bit trickier than the way up. I guess we have deprived our kids of having an outdoorsy lifestyle with my strict "NO CAMPING" policy. Maybe we should make a few exceptions??? We'll have to see if I can find any campgrounds with showers, flush toilets and beds.

Allie's New Glasses

2010-11-03T16:05:00.001-07:00

About a month after school started, the kids came home and told me that they had eye exams at school. I didn't really think anything of it until I got a letter in the mail a few weeks later that said Allison didn't pass her exam and that she needed to be taken for a comprehensive eye exam. We did that last week and sure enough, Allie is far-sighted. On Saturday she and I went to pick out glasses. These are the ones she liked the best. Doesn't she look cuter, smarter and older?

My Little Monsters

2010-10-30T21:15:00.000-07:00

We have had a Halloween extravaganza at our house this weekend. On Friday, we had the school Boo Fest, the big carnival the school puts on every Halloween. I got the kids dressed and took them outside our front door to take some pictures. As I turned on my camera, I heard a woman's voice coming from the inside of our neighbor's house. We couldn't actually see her voice; just hear her directing our every move. "Stand up kids. Sit down kids. Take one of each of them by themselves. Have the little boy stand on the step. Make sure they are all smiling, etc. etc. " This is why Jackson is looking off in another direction with a puzzled expression in some of the shots. The kooky lady was talking to us the entire time, and we couldn't actually see her. We escaped and went to the carnival where the kids (not the mom) had a blast.
Today, Rachel had a costume party at one of her friend's house. IN PALMDALE. Lance took Rachel and Jackson. From what Lance said, they didn't have that great of a turnout for the party. Perhaps because Palmdale is 35 miles away from where all the kids you invited actually live??

Allie's entire class went to a musical version of Click, Clack, Moo. It was really cute. It was only an hour so the kids paid attention and laughed the whole time. Note to self: take the kids to more plays. It is fun.

Tonight was our ward's Trunk or Treat. WOW! People told me that our ward takes the fall/winter holidays very seriously. They weren't kidding. It was a Trunk or Treat to beat all Trunk or Treats. The activities committee must have been planning it since the day after Halloween last year.

I think that's it. Whew! I'm tired! And it isn't even Halloween yet.

Rachel's 10th Birthday

2010-10-25T10:21:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that my little Rachel turned 10 today. It doesn't seem like it has been 10 years since we brought her home from the hospital to our little apartment in West LA. It seems like yesterday that Lance would take her for drives to the airport to try and get her to go to sleep.
We are so happy to have Rachel be a part of our family. Here are a few of the things that we love about Rachel:
• She does everything with enthusiasm: School, Piano, Singing to the radio at the top of her lungs, and even fighting with her sister.
• She is almost always happy. Take it from someone who has a "glass half empty" outlook on life, it is refreshing to have someone around who looks on the bright side of things.
• She is very friendly and helpful.
• She loves little kids.
• She is a great big sister.
• She loves everything about the gospel.
• She is a nice person. In a world of not so nice people, she stands out.
I feel very grateful to be Rachel's mom. I have seen her grow from the fattest, cutest baby into the beautiful girl she is today. Happy Birthday Rachie-Roo!

Lombardi Ranch

2010-10-10T20:21:00.001-07:00

For years now, Lance and I have taken our kids up to the mountains to go to a Halloween Festival. We get up early on a Saturday, jump on the 10 Freeway and drive over an hour to get there. Since we moved, we found out that we have Lombardi Ranch about two miles up the road from us. They have a great Halloween Festival every year complete with petting zoo, train, hay AND pony rides (which, sadly, Rachel has grown too big for,) corn maze, live country music bands, crafts, and of course millions of pumpkins (well, perhaps not MILLIONS, but a real lot.) The kids had a great time. Who knew that we live just two short miles away from farm country? Our LA friends tease us that we do, but we didn't think it was actually true until yesterday.

San Diego Zoo-Fall Break 2010

2010-10-10T20:13:00.001-07:00

The kids and another distant "cousin."

Rachel sporting her new haircut, Jackson sporting his adorable dimple, and Allison, her cute smile.

The kids had the entire week off of school for what is called "Fall Break" in these parts. We never had a "Fall Break" in the LA Unified, so this was new for us. I didn't really want to spend all week home alone with the kids so we called Aunt Jill, packed up and went to San Diego. Our Arizona cousins were there being watched while their parents were on a cruise so, bonus, we got so see them as well. We went to the San Diego Zoo on Friday. Here are the pictures. Can you tell which ones are the monkeys and which ones are the kids? We'll let you decide.

Detroit 187 Trailer

2010-10-04T10:52:00.000-07:00

Lance is working on a new show called Detroit 1-8-7. For those of you who aren't down with the cop lingo "1-8-7" is police code for "homicide." The show is about homicide detectives in Detroit. Someone kindly pointed out to me recently that in Detroit, 1-8-7 isn't actually the code for homicide like it is here in LA, it's a totally different number (how in the world would you know this?) I asked Lance about the "scandal" and he told me that the creators of the series totally know that 1-8-7 isn't the code for homicide in Detroit but that the title was catchy so they named it that anyway. Why does Lance always have to work on shows that people love to analyze and point out the flaws?? Anyhoo...the third episode, which airs tomorrow night at 10:00 on ABC, will have his name in the credits. So have your remote and your magnifying glass ready and you'll be able to see it.

It's a good, solid show. I like Michael Imperioli, even though I never watched a full episode of the Sopranos. I would recommend that you check it out. One a side note, I overheard Allie telling someone that her dad works on a show called Detroit 6-8-2. I have no idea what that is police code for......maybe it's homicide????

Detroit 1-8-7

2010-10-04T10:47:00.000-07:00

Park City-Summer 2010

2010-09-08T09:14:00.001-07:00

My mom and dad rented a condo in Park City for Labor Day Weekend this year. Everyone was able to come except for Lance (working) and Ava (with Kristie.) Except for those two exceptions, the entire family stayed together in the condo all weekend. The kids had so much fun playing (and occasionally fighting) with their cousins. They got to swim, go on walks in the mountain air, go down the alpine slide, do craft projects, play board games, eat great food and hang out with grandpa and grandma. The adults got to shop at the outlets, go to Swiss Days, play pool, visit and eat tons of yummy food. Thanks to G&G Madsen for such a fun weekend.

1st Day of School

2010-08-12T10:18:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's that time of year again. Here in our new school district, school starts about a month earlier than in LA Unified. I can't really complain. Rachel will be starting 5th grade and Allie, 2nd. The morning started out well and then took an ugly turn (see below)

Allie: Mom, which shoes should I wear?
Mom: How about the black slip-ons?
Allie: No, I'm going to wear my new tennis shoes.
Mom: Are you sure honey? The black shoes will look better with your outfit (inside her head, mom is thinking "if you wear the black slip-ons we will avoid the major tantrum you will most certainly throw if you have to put socks on.")
Allie: No, I'm going to wear my new tennis shoes.
Mom: OK Allie.........go get some socks on......... (mom steels herself for what she knows is about to come)

5 minutes later, and about 2 minutes before we have to leave to go to school:

Allie: Mom, these socks are bugging me, I don't want to wear these shoes.

Mom: Allie, there is no time to change your shoes, you are just going to have to get used to the socks.

Allie: THESE SOCKS ARE BUGGING ME!!!!!!!! I WANT TO CHANGE MY SHOES!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (repeat this about 50 times while crying hysterically)

Mom: Allie, there is no time to change your shoes, you are just going to have to get used to the socks. (repeat THIS about 50 times while each time the voice gets louder)

Mom: Get your butts out here and let me take your first day of school pictures!!!!! NOW!!!!!!!!!

If Allie's face looks like she has been crying in her first day of school pictures, it is because she was. She would be crying hysterically and I would point the camera her way and growl, SMILE! She would smile and then go back to crying hysterically. She cried almost all the way down our street to the stoplight. Lucky for her teacher she calmed down on the walk to school and hopefully she has a great first day of school.

I think I'll sit down right now and have a hot fudge sundae.

Take Me Out to the Ball Game????

2010-08-08T00:05:00.000-07:00

Snacks purchased before the game: $15
Dodger Tickets: $50
Parking at Dodger Stadium: $15

The look on the face of the woman sitting in front of us when one of the kids dropped their jacket on top of her head and she stood up, yelled at us that our kids are out of control, and moved to another seat: PRICELESS

Some Serious Bed-Head

2010-08-06T10:58:00.001-07:00

Someday, he might even be able to give Ross a run for his money. He is not quite there yet, but he might be in line for the throne.

San Diego-Summer 2010

2010-08-02T17:54:00.000-07:00

We took the kids to San Diego for a few days before Lance starts working again. We stayed at grandma and grandpa's house. The cousins came over and the kids swam in their community pool all afternoon. We had a great time seeing old friends (friends that we have known for a long time, not elderly ones.) We got to see Grandpa's work at Jack In the Box headquarters and have lunch with him. Jack actually has his own parking space right in front, but he wasn't there when we were so we didn't get to see him in person. We visited the remodeled Mormon Batallion Visitors Center, which I would highly recommend to anyone. We had lunch at Lucha Libre, a gourmet taco shop that Lance had seen on Man vs. Food. Yummy! It was a great trip. We had lots of fun.

SLC-July 2010

2010-07-10T19:00:00.001-07:00

Because we finally get to enjoy the same freedoms as other US citizens now that we no longer manage an apartment building, we decided at the last minute to go to SLC to visit my family over the Fourth of July. We stupidly decided to get a really cheap hotel room ($23) in Vegas and drive there after Rachel's piano recital at 8:30 PM on a Sunday evening. BIG MISTAKE. Let's just say that the Imperial Palace isn't "Imperial" or a "Palace." There was a nightclub right outside our window that played thumping techno music that made the beds vibrate until 4:00 AM. I remember looking at the clock at 3:05 listening to a techno version of "I just died in your arms tonight" and thinking that this is what hell will be like. We got up and showered (and yes, there were foreign hairs in the shower) and drove to SLC. My parents were so gracious to let us land on them at the last minute. We had so much fun at their house visiting with family, playing with cousins, eating way too many hamburgers and lighting fireworks in the driveway. We had so much fun that it almost helps me forget about the Imperial Palace.

Techno Savvy Kids

2010-07-10T18:50:00.000-07:00

I remember the first computer class I ever attended, IN SIXTH GRADE!!!!! Kids these days have electronic devices in their hands before they can walk. I wouldn't be surprised if some ultrasound technician, doing an ultrasound sometime in the future, records a fetus playing GTA from inside the womb. My four-year-old nephew, upon seeing my mom's new cell phone said, "Grandma, I like your Samsung." He's FOUR for crying out loud. Jackson loves playing Tetris on my iPhone. He loves it so much that he starts yelling out "TETRIS! TETRIS!!! in the middle of sacrament meeting most Sundays. It makes me so proud.

Growing Up Way Too Fast!

2010-06-19T20:51:00.000-07:00

We were ready for church last week and I looked at all three of our kids and I realized how grown up they are looking. Rachel just completed fourth grade for crying out loud. Allie is so tall and skinny I have trouble finding pants that don't slide right off of her and Jackson is talking up a storm. My favorite thing that he says is "I wuv you Mommy!"

Shoes

2010-06-19T20:49:00.000-07:00

Jackson loves to put on everyone's shoes. I think it's funny. Lance says it is funny as long as he stops doing it before he becomes a teenager.

Vegas Baby

2010-06-19T20:43:00.001-07:00

It finally happened. All the stars aligned and we got to take a family vacation. Lance finished up on LOST, the girls got out of school and we don't have to manage an apartment building anymore. YIPPEEEEEEE! We drove to Vegas, stayed at South Point and had so much fun. I didn't take that many pictures because I didn't feel like dragging my big camera around in the hot sun. So, all pics were taken on the iphone hence, not the usual quality. I think we decided to make this an annual trip. If you stay during the week, you can get great hotel rates. The kids are mostly interested in swimming and every casino has its own pool. It is not too far to drive in a few hours. The only drawback it that it is hotter than hell, but if you go in June even the temperature isn't too bad.

The Weather Show

2010-06-01T17:12:00.000-07:00

The first grade class at Allie's school put on a play last week called "The Weather Show." It was all about a lady who was looking to purchase an antique barometer. It was so cute to see her up on the stage singing "A Quest, Quest, Oh Yes! A Quest, A Quest for the ancient barometer!"

Daddy-Daughter Dance

2010-05-18T19:34:00.001-07:00

My girls got to go to a dance at their school with their daddy. They both had so much fun. They got all dressed up and I did their hair. Lance had arranged to come home from work early so he could escort them.

We FINALLY made it to the Zoo

2010-05-18T19:26:00.001-07:00

The Los Angeles Zoo is definitely a step down from the one in San Diego. People have actually carved gang signs into the bamboo growing outside the Asian animal exhibit. That is SO "LA." However, Jackson didn't mind. He LOVED seeing all the animals. He got so excited at each exhibit that his enthusiasm was contagious. Lance actually had half a day off from work so he joined us until 11:30. We take what we can get these days.

Rachel goes GLEEK

2010-05-13T08:45:00.000-07:00

Rachel joined the school choir about three months ago when we moved to our new house. They just put on their end of year concert/play last week. It was fun for me to see her up on the stage singing her heart out. If you know Rachel, you know two things 1. She loves to sing. and 2. She is dramatic. Show choir is right up her alley. You better watch out Rachel Barry!

Happy Mother's Day to all Moms out there

2010-05-09T10:36:00.001-07:00

WILD Boy + Bike + Hill X Distracted Mother =

2010-05-07T10:09:00.000-07:00

SAD BABY & MULTIPLE DIRTY LOOKS FROM PARK PATRONS

Girls Weekend 2010

2010-05-06T16:07:00.000-07:00

Every year I have the pleasure to be invited to my dear friend Krista's home for Girls Weekend. Krista has two sisters (who have also become my dear friends over the years) and they each invite their friends and we go to Yuba City and RELAX. We get pedicures and massages. We go shopping and we eat ourselves silly. Krista's parents have the most AMAZING house. Krista's mom has the Jolly Green Giant of Green Thumbs and her yard is what I picture when I think of what the Garden of Eden must be like. I had so much fun. It is nice to relax from everyday life and spend some quality time with kindred spirits.

Meet the Dunphys! - Modern Family

2010-04-23T21:15:00.000-07:00

You MUST watch this show. It is HILARIOUS!!!!! It airs Wednesdays. It's laugh out loud funny most of the time.

A couple more pics from the trip

2010-04-20T09:30:00.001-07:00

Church History Museum

2010-04-20T09:25:00.000-07:00

My SIL Cara told us about a children's exhibit that they have at the Church History Museum across from Temple Square in SLC. So after we went to see The Little Chocolatiers we stopped at the museum. The kids had so much fun. I would recommend it for little kids especially. Note: Jim doing the Coy Turtle in this shot.

The Little Chocolatiers

2010-04-20T09:19:00.000-07:00

I am a Reality TV junkie. I will freely admit it. I have been watching The Little Chocolatiers on TLC. It is about a husband and wife who happen to be little people who happen to have a chocolate store in the Avenues in SLC. Well, when I decided to go to Utah for Spring Break, you know I just HAD to go see them and try and get a picture with one of them. When we got to the store, I did talk to both of them but I was too embarrassed to ask for a photo shoot. So when Jim heard about it, he has no shame, so he asked if we could get a picture. The lady of the house was very nice and allowed us to snap a picture with her. (I wish Jim and Shelley had a trick that helps you not look pregnant in pictures but let's face it, they aren't miracle workers.)

The Great Easter Egg Hunt of 2010

2010-04-20T09:16:00.000-07:00

Every year, I hear about the Easter Egg Hunt that my mom hosts in her backyard for the grandkids. We have never been able to attend until this year. I brought all my plastic eggs and a bunch of candy with me. My mom had a ton of eggs and candy at her house. Put both together and you have an Easter Egg Hunt where the kids get so many eggs that they stop looking before they have found all their eggs. Everyone's basket was full to overflowing. So much candy, so much fun.

The Coy Turtle

2010-04-20T09:09:00.000-07:00

If you know me, you know that I am not a fan of getting my picture taken. It has something to do with the double chin I am sporting these days. My brother Jim and his wife Shelley told me about a trick that I will pass on to you. It is called "The Coy Turtle." Apparently this move has even been discussed on Oprah, so you know it has to be legitimate. It feels really dumb while you are doing it but I think it actually helps. You stick your neck out as far as you can (like a turtle) and tilt your head down and sideways at the same time (like a COY turtle) This move is supposed to help eliminate (at least in the picture) a double chin. I'll let you be the judge.

Intensity

2010-04-20T09:01:00.000-07:00

I asked my brothers to pose for a picture I could use to make my mom's yearly scrapbook calendar and this is what I got. Right before I snapped the picture, Jim yelled "Intense faces!" and this was the result. When I looked at the picture, I said "Wow, pretty intense" and they looked and said "That's not intense, these are intense" and they both whipped out their driver's license pictures where both look like the pictures you see after the police have caught a serial killer.
Somebody else took this picture of Shelley and I think it's pretty intense too so I added it to this section.

Bailey's 1st birthday

2010-04-20T08:56:00.000-07:00

While in Utah we got to help celebrate my niece's 1st birthday. Bailey is too sweet. She liked me right away and every time she saw me, she would whisper "Hi!" This includes multiple times each visit. My kids loved her too much. And I mean too much because they loved her so much they almost sent her to the ER several times. I guess they don't know how to love without hurting.

Spring Break 2010

2010-04-20T08:46:00.000-07:00

I got brave this year and decided to exercise my newfound freedom from apartment management. I took the kids to Utah by myself. In the car. By myself. It was quite an experience. Allie only asked about 10,000 times on the way there "How many more miles before we get there?" Jackson was pretty good, all things considered. He had to be ejected from one restaurant before I realized that it would be better to eat all of our meals in the car where he was imprisioned in his carseat and couldn't run laps around the dining room. I was extremely happy to see my parents house on day 2 of the trip. More to follow....

LOST Boy

2010-03-23T18:12:00.001-07:00

40-7 Birthday and Visit from Grandma and Grandpa

2010-03-22T10:10:00.001-07:00

Grandma and Grandpa M. decided that they wanted to come to visit for Lance's 40th and Allie's 7th Birthdays and to see our new house. We had a fun visit with them. We picked them up on Saturday at LAX and drove to Orange County to meet Grandma and Grandpa S. Jamie& Dave and Jill's & Robert's families at the new Cafe Rio. It was wild with all the kids but fun to get everyone together. On Sunday we went to church and then Allie got to open her second round of presents and have birthday cake. On Tuesday we went to Lego Land in Carlsbad on the hottest day of the year so far. The kids had fun and the adults had a sort of fun. Lance wasn't able to go with us because he had to work but we took a picture with Lego Dad as we were leaving. After Lego Land, Lance's sister Jill invited us to her house for dinner to celebrate Kyle's birthday while we waited out the traffic. We got to see G&G S. and cousins again which was a bonus. On Wednesday, we recovered from Thursday and didn't do anything. We did try and make fish and chips because it was St. Patrick's day and we are Irish. Not a good idea. We set the smoke alarm off in our house and the fish was still raw in the middle. Not my best cooking day. On Thursday G&G had to go home. We went to In N Out for an early dinner and then to the airport. What a fun visit. After we dropped them off, Allie said "I'm not even going to cry this time because I know we are going to visit them for Spring Break."

Language Arts Award for Rachel

2010-03-22T10:04:00.000-07:00

Rachel got an award this month for achievement in Language Arts. We are so proud of her. She loves her new school and new teacher and is very enthusiastic about the things she is learning and doing in fourth grade.

Sunday Morning-Before and After

2010-03-08T15:36:00.000-08:00

Rainy Day Zoo

2010-03-08T13:41:00.000-08:00

Lance and I have been trying to plan a family outing for the past month. Every week, Monday-Friday we have had sunny, beautiful weather and every Saturday, it pours rain. This past Saturday, we took a chance and drove to the LA Zoo even though rain was in the forecast. I told Lance, let's just have faith that it will all work out in the end. It rained all the way there but when we arrived, the sun broke through the clouds and it looked like it would be great weather for the rest of the day. I felt vindicated. However, we got up to the ticket booth and the lady behind the counter told us that on rainy days the animals are allowed to go into their nighttime habitats if they want to and they we probably wouldn't see many animals, not to mention the fact that the tram wasn't working (dealbreaker for Aimee.) Needless to say, we didn't go to the zoo. We left and went to the "Rainy Day" zoo, aka the Natural History Museum. Jackson didn't even know the difference, he thought he was seeing real live elephants and giraffes. We had a great time at the museum, as always. Rainy Day Zoo worked for us. Jackson thought he was seeing real elephants, lions and zebras and if we squinted, we thought so too.

Cars

2010-02-26T18:26:00.000-08:00

Jackson has become obsessed with the movie Cars. He watches it daily, sometimes twice daily (like today for instance.) I checked on him during his nap today and this is what I found.

Extreme Makeover, Young Women Edition

2010-02-24T08:27:00.000-08:00

Rachel went to Activity Days for primary yesterday where the Young Women in the ward had a "Salon Day" for the younger girls. They put on makeup and did their hair and nails. You can't tell from the picture but she had blue glitter eyeshadow and mascara on. I had a glimpse into the future when I saw Rachel walk out of the room tossing her hair and strutting her stuff.

Poor Jackson

2010-02-22T12:03:00.000-08:00

This is what happens when you have two older sisters. He is like their live dolly and their trained monkey.

Krista in the House

2010-02-18T12:06:00.001-08:00

Our friend Krista came to visit us this past weekend. She and I were roommates at the University if Utah. She wanted to see our new house and I asked her to help me figure out how to finish decorating it. Krista has a Martha Stewart flair that I don't have.

She even sat with our kids during sacrament meeting while Lance and I gave talks. She was able to keep all three of our children inside the Chapel for the entire meeting. This is a feat that hasn't occurred since the birth of Jackson. I invited her to come live with us. For some reason, she said no......

I guess we made the right decision.....

2010-02-12T13:21:00.000-08:00

We worried that moving the kids out of one school halfway through a school year and putting them into a new school would be a bad idea. However, Allison got an award yesterday at their new school that proved our therory to be incorrect. Her teacher thinks she is doing great in her new classroom and Allie now has a certificate to prove it. We are very proud of her and we are glad that she is adjusting so well to her new school.

Smokes

2010-01-31T15:22:00.000-08:00

My dad and brother have asthma. Lance had asthma as a kid. Lance's sister Jamie and his dad have notoriously weak lungs when it comes to broncitis. Rachel had asthma when she was a baby and now Jackson has asthma. He has to have nebulizer treatments twice a day and sometimes 8 times a day when he gets a cold. We call the breathing treatments "smokes" or "smokies" because when the nebulized air comes out the end of the tube it looks like smoke. I can see why people look at me wierd when I tell my 2 year old "Hey, Jackson, let's go get your smokes." Normally he freaks out when you try and use the mask on him but this time he thought it was cool and left it on, so I snapped a picture.

The J-Man's 2nd

2010-01-15T19:33:00.001-08:00

My last baby turned 2 today. In the past few weeks he seems like he has grown so much. We all think he has been the cutest baby ever and we are sad that he is leaving babyhood behind. Here are some of the reasons why we love our 2 year old:
He has started trying to put sentences together.
He has huge, over the top tantrums that are pretty funny if you are in the right mood.
He gives big hugs and kisses on command.
He thinks ALL animals say "MOO."
The girls' new school is across the street from a park and he actually thinks they play there all day long. He constantly asks me "Allie, park?" "Rachie, park?"
He makes the funniest faces. If he thinks I'm not paying enough attention to him, he will say MOMMY! When I look over at him, he is making a funny face.
He loves his daddy. The first word out of his mouth in the morning is "Daddy?"
Allie has a Sleeping Beauty action figure that he calls "Honey." He knows the names of all the other princesses like Cinderella and Snow White. His sisters have tried to teach him her name but he insists on calling her Honey.
He is OBSESSED with Caillou, who is a 4 year old and still bald Canadian pre-school cartoon. He will watch that show all day long if I let him. It is literally the only way to get him to sit still.

That darn dimple. When he flashes it, it can melt your heart.

I think it's safe to say that Jackson Ross has been a giant blessing to our family. We all adore him.

House?????

2010-01-08T14:47:00.001-08:00

We finally did it. We have been married for 10 years. We have lived in Los Angeles and been apartment dwellers for all ten of those years. We watched ALL of our siblings get married and purchase houses while we were priced out of the market. For people with the Stubblefield/Madsen luck combined (a lethal combo, trust me) it took a global financial crisis to get us into a house, but we finally made it. Home prices in Santa Clarita, a suburb of Los Angeles, were finally low enough for us to be able to afford to purchase a home. If you notice my choice of words, I didn't say that the home prices were low, just that they were low ENOUGH for us to get into the market. We have quit our apartment managing gig and moved to the 'burbs.
The past two weeks in our new home have been the freeest of my married life. For the first time, I don't have a paying job. When the phone or doorbell rings, I know that there is an excellent chance that I will actually want to see or talk to the person at the other end. The only people I have to answer to are Rachel, Allie and Jackson, my new bosses.
Every time I pull into a store, I find a parking space that is actually close to the store. I haven't been in a traffic jam once in two weeks. It seems like everyone who lives in this valley is friendly (seriously, everyone standing behind a cash register says "have a wonderful day" when you are finished with your transaction.) People talk to you, smile at you and say "Hi" for no reason. I feel like I am in culture shock.
About 10 times every day Jackson looks at me, puts his little hands in the air in a gesture of questioning and says "Mommy, house?" I then say "Yes, Jackson, this is our new house." Jackson then claps his hands together and shouts "Hooray New House!!" I wholeheartedly agree with Jackson HOORAY NEW HOUSE!

Christmas 2009

2010-01-05T13:17:00.000-08:00

Santa came through again. I wasn't sure if he would come due to some last minute naughtiness on the part of the kids, but no lumps of coal were delivered and there were plenty of packages left under our tree. After we opened our presents and ate a big breakfast, we started the big push to move as much stuff to our new house as possible. It was a wild and crazy day.

Last Sunday at Greenfield

2010-01-05T13:14:00.000-08:00

We decided to stay at Greenfield until after Christmas. I posed the kids in front of our last Greenfield Christmas Tree in their Christmas outfits. I remember when we put Rachel in front of our Charlie Brown Christmas Tree when she was a newborn baby. Time flies.

LGHTS!!!!!!!!

2010-01-05T13:09:00.000-08:00

We went to see the lights at the Los Angeles Temple as we do every year. The kids love running around and seeing all the beautiful lights. They don't put up as many lights as they do at Temple Square in SLC, however all the times I remember going to see the light at Temple Square, it has been so cold that all you want to do is get back inside. So, we are happy to trade a few (million) lights so that we can walk around in light jackets and enjoy the ones we have here. Jackson kept screaming "LIGHTS!!!!" the whole time we were there. He gets so excited.

Christmas Card Photo Shoot

2009-12-16T18:58:00.000-08:00

I arranged for a photo shoot for Christmas cards this year with my friend Lindsay. It was with great fear and trembling that I arrived at the park with my three well dressed and perfectly groomed children. I knew it wasn't going to be easy to get a good group shot with Jackson and his two year old oppositional defiant disorder. But I never thought it would be as hard as it actually was. There were several times when both Lindsay and I had to stop and catch our breath from the antics it took to get Jackson to do anything besides roll around in the dirt. Thanks to a talented photographer we got some great shots. We never did get the perfect group shot for the card, but put three individuals together to make a cute card.

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree

2009-12-15T09:22:00.000-08:00

We debated whether or not to get a tree this year. I saw scenes in my head where Jackson would jump from the couch to the top of the tree, taking it down with him. This hasn't happened, thankfully. He has broken at least 4 ornaments so far. The tree is smaller than we normally get but I think it turned out pretty well.

Knotts

2009-11-19T19:14:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we went to Knottsberry Farm with Lance's parents and the California Cousins. Every year in November, Knottsberry Farm honors veterans and they get in free and they can bring guests for a discounted rate. Lance's dad was a marine years ago when Lance was little. This was our second year being invited to go with Grandma and Grandpa to Knotts. The kids had so much fun. The park wasn't crowded so they could ride their favorite rides as many times as they wanted to. The only sad part of the day was when Uncle Dave lost his iPhone on Montezuma's Revenge.

Is it too late?

2009-11-18T08:50:00.001-08:00

Is it too late to post pictures from Halloween when it is almost Thanksgiving? Needless to say, I haven't been on the ball lately. We had a fun Halloween at Aunt Jamie and Aunt Jill's houses. Lance forgot our suitcase so we had to borrow a few things but it was fun, the kids got tons of candy. Isn't that what really matters?

Rachel turns 9

2009-10-27T09:48:00.000-07:00

Our family caught the first wave of the flu season this past week. I was out for the count for several days. Jackson followed up with pneumonia. Allie stayed home several days with fever and Rachel stayed home as well. My parents were here this week for a vacation and all they got was nursemaid duty. Despite all the illness, we celebrated Rachel's birthday on Friday and Saturday . My mom made her a yummy cake. We ordered CPK takeout, Rachel's favorite. She got tons of presents from aunts, uncles and grandparents. The best part for Rachel was that she got to go to Magic Mountain for the first time. Lance took her and they spent the day standing in long lines going on extreme coasters. We are so grateful to have Rachel as part of our family.

The Next Barefoot Contessa?

2009-10-27T09:42:00.001-07:00

Sometimes I am a bit of a control freak in the kitchen. So I decided to actively try to control my inner control freak and let the kids do a cooking project where I just let them do it and not try to direct them too much. They made Halloween cookies and they did turn out well. Will they make it on the cover of Martha Stewart Magazine? No, but give it a few years.

Movie Night

2009-10-05T17:48:00.001-07:00

We have started a new tradition at our house...Friday Movie Night. The first movie up...The Hannah Montana Movie. Not as bad as I thought it was going to be. First treat...Microwave popcorn mixed with M&Ms. Next week...Nightmare on Elm Street. Do you think that would be too scary? OK, maybe we'll watch The Wizard of Oz instead.

Middle Child Syndrome

2009-09-17T17:06:00.001-07:00

I'm no psychology major (oh wait, i am) but I think somebody wishes she was the baby again....

Sorry, Jack

2009-09-16T06:40:00.000-07:00

I took the kids to Jack in the Box drive-through for dinner last night on our way to meet Lance in Santa Clarita to look at a condo we are interested in purchasing. I asked the girls what they wanted to eat and Allie replied, "I want a cheeseburger with In-N-Out Sauce." I started laughing and told her that they don't have In-N-Out sauce at Jack in the Box. She had to make do with a plain cheeseburger. Grandpa Jim, can you talk to Jack and ask him if he could borrow the sauce recipe for us?

Are you being naughty?

2009-09-12T11:45:00.000-07:00

I was working on the computer today when I realized that it had gotten very quiet in our apartment. I called out "Jackson, are you being naughty?" He yelled back "YES!" When I went to look for him, this is what I found....Don't tell Rachel, it was her toothbrush he had in his mouth.

First Day of School

2009-09-09T11:21:00.000-07:00

When I was single, I used to think Christmas was my favorite day of the year. Now that I am a mom, I have changed my mind. The first day of school is my new favorite day. Let's just say it has been a long summer. Lance, Jackson and I took the girls to school today. Rachel got the teacher she was hoping for and was excited. Allie didn't get the teacher she wanted and so was a bit more apprehensive about the whole thing. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they both have a great first day so that we won't have to peel Allie off my leg tomorrow like we did today. I just got Jackson down for a nap and now I'm going to pour myself a Diet Coke, turn on the DVR and watch me some reality TV. Project Runway, here I come!

Sundays

2009-08-31T10:58:00.001-07:00

Everyone always looks their best on Sundays. It is the only day of the week that I can get it together enough to style everyone's hair. Because we were actually early getting ready for church yesterday (this hardly EVER happens) I took a few pictures. The one of Rachel made me look twice. I felt like I was looking into the future. She looks so grown up in that shot. I'm hoping that it was just a trick of light and camera. I'm not ready for such a grown up girl!

Munchkins, Monkeys & Mice

2009-08-31T10:47:00.001-07:00

Allie attended a summer ballet workshop. The theme of the workshop was The Wizard of Oz and she had her performance this weekend. She danced the dual role of munchkin and flying monkey. As part of the workshop the ballet students made all the props they used for the performance. They made headbands with ears to represent the flying monkeys. After the performance Allie commented that the ears on the headband made them look more like flying mice. She was right.

Pioneer Trek 2009

2009-08-18T16:01:00.000-07:00

I sort of felt like a modern day Pioneer as I loaded up my Honda Pilot to make the 700 mile trek across the desert to Salt Lake City, Utah. We kissed Lance good-by and started off. Since I moved to Los Angeles 10 years ago, I haven't had the opportunity to drive to Utah and back in a car with three kids, by myself. It wasn't too bad on the way there. Jackson didn't scream that much, unless he was awake. We met up with with Lance's sisters Jamie and Jill who were also driving to Utah without their husbands so I wasn't afraid of blowing a tire or having engine trouble. The only semi-scary incident was in Fillmore where Rachel stepped into a mud and hornet infested patch of grass. Luckily, she didn't get stung, just dirty. We finally made it to my mom's house and I was SO GLAD to be home at last. I hope that is the closest thing to a pioneer trek that I ever have to experience. We had a fun-filled two weeks and then loaded up again and drove back to Los Angeles, this time with my mom with us to help ease the pain. The following posts chronicle our adventures.

Pioneer Trek 2009-$2 Tuesday

2009-08-18T15:53:00.000-07:00

Thanksgiving Point is so much fun, when it isn't 2 dollar Tuesday. We decided that we were there trying to save money on 2 dollar Tuesday along with about 2 million other Mormons. We went to the dinosaur museum and the children's gardens. The kids loved both places and I only felt like running from the building screaming about 20 times. Do you notice a 2 theme in this post? Oh yeah, it was also about 200 degrees outside.

Pioneer Trek 2009-TRAMPAPALOOZA

2009-08-18T15:48:00.000-07:00

If you like to jump on trampolines, or if you like to tire your kids out so they go to bed really early, JUMP ON IT is the place for you. Located in Lindon, UT they have about a billion trampolines all lined up next to each other so you never have to stop jumping if you don't want to. You probably will want to after about an hour because you will be all sweaty.

Pioneer Trek 2009-WATERPALOOZA

2009-08-18T15:43:00.000-07:00

We found two really fun places in Utah County, The Lindon Aquatic Center and the Lehi Aquatic Center. I don't think these places even existed when I lived in Utah County many moons ago. They both have lazy rivers, water slides and places for the little babies to play in ankle deep water. My kids LOVE the water so these were some of their favorite days.

Pioneer Trek 2009- PIE FEST

2009-08-18T15:33:00.001-07:00

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My sister in law Cara helped plan most of the fun we had on this vacation. She knows all the haps in Utah County and informed us of half price specials, and fun activities we never would have known about except for her. She invited us to their house for PIE FEST 2009. This was a potluck dinner where everything we brought had to be in pie form. We ate a feast of pies from The Pie Pizzaria, and Marie Callenders. Our arteries will never be the same. After Pie Fest, we went into their back yard where my brother Grant had set up an outdoor movie theater and we watched Kung Fu Panda on the side of their house after it got dark. Brave Cara invited all the girls to have a sleepover at their house. So much fun.

Pioneer Trek 2009-Park City

2009-08-18T15:22:00.001-07:00

My parents and I took the kids to Park City to the Outlets so we could pick out school backpacks and school shoes. We had marginal success finding what we were looking for.
Next we went to the Alpine Slide at the Park City Ski Resort. Last year we tried the Alpine Roller Coaster and it got mixed reviews. Rachel, Allie and I LOVED it. Grandma and Grandpa HATED it. My mom thought she was going to die and I think my dad did too. They weren't really going to DIE because the car is attached to the track. I think it's fun to FEEL like you are going to die when you KNOW you aren't really going to. This year we decided to try the other attraction there in PC, the Alpine Slide. Grandma declined to try it, even when I offered to stay with Jackson. I guess the memories of the Coaster were still too fresh in her mind. We all liked the slide. My dad says he didn't, but I know that deep down, he did. We got snowies afer the ride. My dad poked a hole in his and got pink juice all over his white shirt. I tried to get a picture of it but he wouldn't let me.

Pioneer Trek 2009-Crown Burger

2009-08-18T15:02:00.001-07:00

The night before we began our journey home Jim and girls came by to say adios. We went to Crown Burger for dinner. If you haven't tried a Crown Burger while in SLC, you are missing out. I highly recommend them. We had Jackson who refused to sit in a high chair crawling all over the table. A soda got spilled and my brother Jim had a small meltdown. I saw my old friend George who owns the place and he gave the girls ice cream cones on our way out. Good times.

As a side note, I have eaten many hamburgers in my lifetime. It seems like when I go home I eat more than usual. For those of you planning a trip to Utah, I would like to share my favorite hamburger places in Utah, rated on a scale where 5 is REALLY GOOD and 1 is AWESOME.

1. In N Out- You might be saying to yourself, that there isn't an In N Out in Utah but I heard that there is one in St. George. So, if there is one, then the In N Out wins this constest, hands down.

2. Hires-Next to In N Out, the Hires Big H is the best hamburger out there. Sometimes I think it might even beat In N out but, for now, I'm putting it in the #2 position.

3. Crown Burger- They put pastrami on the actual crown burger and I don't like pastrami so I just order the cheeseburger. Very delicious.

4. Five Guys, Burger and Fries- I ate there for the first time this trip and I LOVED IT. No wonder Barak Obama goes there for lunch. There is a long list of things you can order on your burger and you don't even have to pay extra. They also tell you where in Idaho their fresh french fries came from that day. I don't know about you, but I always like to know where my fries came from.

5. Training Table- Training table has always been one of my favorite places to eat since college. How cool is it to pick up a phone at your table and order your meal? The mushroom swiss burger is SO GOOD! If you ever order it, ask them to cut it in half because it's very messy eating. Also, if you like fries, they have the BEST fries and mayo-barbeque dipping sauce ever.

Pioneer Trek 2009-Fillmore, part 2

2009-08-18T14:58:00.001-07:00

We stopped at the same gas station in Fillmore UT on the way home to LA as we did on the way to SLC. It was still hot. There were still wasps in the muddy grass. This time Grandma stepped in them instead of Rachel. We stayed at the Excalibur in Las Vegas and got up early the next morning to get out of the Excalibur in Las Vegas. I guess there is a reason why it only cost $35 a night. A big thanks to my mom for putting up with all the screaming and seat kicking that she experienced on the way back. She is a real trooper.

San Diego, Here we come!

2009-07-12T15:22:00.001-07:00

Jackson and Luke. Someday we can use this picture for blackmail purposes.

Jackson hearts Confusius

This is where Jackson slept each night. Kidding!

We tricked Jackson into thinking a pool with no water is fun. It's much safer that way.

Allie with her cousins Luke and Kyle. The kids heart the trampoline and so do the moms! You can zip them inside and know that they are contained for a few moments.

Since we live so close to Vegas, we thought it would be a good idea to teach the kids early how to play blackjack. Tanner taught the Bekah and Rachel how to play with loose change. It was funny to hear them talking about "poker faces" and "taking a chance." They sounded like mini-adults.

Grandma and the girls.

Grandpa and the babies.

The kids and I took a road trip to San Diego this past week. The Idaho branch of the family was in town and since we hadn't seen them for quite a long time, I drove down so the kids could see their cousins. We had fun swimming, jumping, eating, guitar heroing, fighting (a little) and having a great time! I meant to take many more pictures than I acually did. I was too busy making sure that Jackson didn't fall down the stairs, off the trampoline, into the pool, off the dining room table, run out into the street, eat dog food etc. that I didn't take as many pictures as I would have liked. Thanks to Jill for letting us crash at her house. Thanks to Lance for taking one for the team and staying behind to care for the other 90 children we are responsible for in the building we manage. I'm so glad we were able to get away and join the family for a change.

Driving Holes in her Temple

2009-07-12T15:11:00.001-07:00

What is different about Rachel today? If you can't tell from the before and after pics, she got her ears pierced at the mall. She has been asking to do it for the past few months and I finally got around to taking her. She is so excited and has been stopping people in the street to tell them about it. On another note, I just about DIED when I got up to the cash register to pay. There was a sign in the window at Claire's advertising "FREE" ear piercing with the purchase of a starter kit. Well, I though to myself, how much could a tiny pair or earrings cost? I was thinking $15-$20 tops. WELL, let's just say that it cost quite a bit more than I thought it would.

Happy Birthday to You, America

2009-07-06T08:22:00.000-07:00

Today I heard Allie singing "Happy Birthday to you, America. You live in a Zoo, America. You look like a monkey, America.....etc. I thought it was pretty funny. We had a quiet 4th of July this year. We had a BBQ and hung out by ourselves until 5:00 pm when we took the kids to the Long Beach Aquarium. They loved it, and Jackson was suprisingly good, sitting in his stroller for almost the entire time. Then we came home and made S'mores on the grill and lit sparklers. HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA

Let's Get Outta Here!

2009-07-06T08:02:00.000-07:00

We took the kids to Las Vegas for a quick road trip. We stayed at the SouthPoint hotel and casino, which I would recommend for it's large, new rooms and it's off the Strip location. It has a bowling alley, swimming pool, movie theatre, nasty buffet and a Bingo room. Everything you could ask for in a Vegas resort.
My 1/4 Irish children looked like they needed to be taken to the Emergency Room for sunstroke each time we took them out of the air conditioning and into the heat of Vegas.

We stopped at Calico Ghost Town on the way into Vegas. We could only take the heat for about 30 minutes. Fortunately, it only takes 20 minutes to see every thing there was to see so it worked out fine.
I don't know if Cigar Store Indians...I mean Native Americans are still PC but we took a photo anyway.
We climbed up to the top of the hill and this is the view of the Ghost Town from the top.
Rachel and Allie at the Bellagio garden.
Get me OUT of this stroller!!!!!!!
Bellagio garden again.

We had so much fun packed into 4 days. Lance hadn't gone on an official vacation for 2 years and it was great for him to get away. We might have to make the quick trip to Vegas a yearly tradition.

School OUT

2009-07-06T07:53:00.000-07:00

The last day of school was WILD. We were running between school parties and plays, trying to keep Jackson in his stroller and not screaming. I can't believe Allie has finished Kindergarten.
Allie and her partners in crime....I mean friends.
Rachel at her end of school party.
Rachel starring as a "tabloid reporter" in her school play.

Boys are Sure Different than Girls

2009-06-13T12:59:00.001-07:00

Jackson LOVES making messes. You can't tell from the pictures, but there is chocolate milk spattered all over the wall behind him as well as all over his shirt and mine. He kept slapping the tray of the high chair and laughing, spattering more milk to a wider radius. The more I screamed "STOP IT JACKSON!!!!!," the more fun he had. I was laughing, crying and yelling all at once. As I was taking the pictures, he picked up his half-eaten string cheese and hurled it at me. And then he laughed some more. Rachel and Allie never did things like that. Naughty boy.

Me and My Shadow

2009-06-13T12:45:00.001-07:00

Jackson follows me around the house like a stalker. When I close the door, he cries and puts his little hands under the door to reach me. He does it all day long. Poor little guy, it makes me feel sorry for him a little bit but can I have some privacy please?

My Beautiful Fairies

2009-06-10T14:23:00.000-07:00

Another dance recital has come and gone. This time the girls were woodland fairies. They were so excited to perform their parts in the ballet and they were so cute. They got to wear makeup and that is always exciting when you are a little girl. I can't believe how grown up they are both getting.

Float Like a Butterfly, Sting Like a Bee

2009-06-10T14:18:00.000-07:00

Jackson looks like he is a prize fighter this week. Rachel's nomination for Babysitter of the Year has been rescinded and I can't take a shower without putting Jackson in his crib for safekeeping. I'm getting tired of hearing all the "you guys should think of better ways to discipline your children" jokes already. How do you get a black eye from a COUCH for crying out loud?