SURPRISE!!!!

This weekend was the BEST!!

Saturday afternoon, Darin went to run a few errands and came back with my car cleaned and this beautiful bouquet of flowers!  

What a surprise!  

But, it didn't end there!

That night Darin said we were going on one of our "Alphabet Dates" -- the letter "N."  

He said we were going "NO WHERE and doing NOTHING."

He told me to dress "nice" and he went to pick up our "nieces" to babysit.

As we were leaving, my mom called to see if we could stop by really quick to help her with her table for a dinner party she was having (I've known about her "dinner party" for a week now).

When we got to her house, Darin knocked on the door--which we NEVER do, and I thought it was so weird, but didn't think much about it.

Then, mom took me in to the dining room, but the table wasn't set.  I asked if they were eating at the kitchen table and she said yes.  (I also thought it was weird that she took me through the dining room to get to the kitchen, but didn't get suspicious of anything)  When we went into the kitchen I heard.... 

"SURPRISE!"

A bunch of my friends from my ward popped out from behind the couch!  Biggest surprise EVER!!  I didn't suspect a thing!  Looking back, there were a lot of things I should have caught on to, but it never added up in my head!  

Mom planned the CUTEST party EVER!!!  I love doing parties and this was better than ANYTHING I could have ever planned!!  The decorations were AMAZING, the game was so FUN, the food was DELICIOUS, and the company was FABULOUS!!  

They did a "Hollywood" theme, but instead it was "HAYLEEWOOD."  So clever!  

Mom made a game "How well do you know our star."

She had really funny questions and it was a lot of fun!

My sister made this awesome cake!  It is like the "walk of fame" stars you see in Hollywood!

So cute!!  Thanks Heather!!

Look at all these decorations!  I know that Kristy helped a ton with all of the decorations!

Thank you Kristy!!

These two!  LOVE them more than ANYTHING!!  Great planners!!

Ok, look at that food!  If you think it LOOKS good-- it TASTED even better!!

Mom even had a photobooth!!

How do I look as a blonde?

The kids even got in on the action (after the party was over---yes they stayed up WAY past bedtime).

Thanks again mama-c-ta!!  You are the BEST!!!

Thanks to all my fabulous friends for coming!  Such a fun night!!

Thanks one more time to EVERYONE who helped out!

(Especially mom, dad, Darin, Heather, Kristy, and Laurie!)

Turning 30 isn't too bad when you've got such great friends and family!!

Happy Chinese New Year

We had a few cousins over for a little Chinese New Year celebration.

We started with a little lunch.

We had chicken, rice, pork wontons, beans, and yummy lettuce wraps.

Next we made Chinese drums.

Then we had a relay race using marshmallows and chopsticks.

And we had a little dragon parade.

Happy Chinese New Year!!

40 before 40

1. Get a family photo by professional photographer (Busath or Amanda Castleberry)
2. Go see the “Up” house
3. Go to Disneyland again
4. Go on a zipline
5. Do the iFly
6. Learn to fold a fitted sheet perfectly
7. Replace the upstairs doors and a new front door
8. Go to La Callie
9. Go to the "Roof" on Temple Square 
10. Buy a new or refinish my current kitchen table
11. Participate in a triathlon
12. Golf an actual 9 holes
13. Write in wet cement
14. Try Waffle Love
15. Refinish the basement (New carpet and paint)
16. Go on a vacation with just Darin
17. Sing Karaoke
18. Go to NYC
19. Go to the Spiral Jetty
20. Do temple work for an ancestor
21. Take a photography class
22. Go to Japan
23. Run another half marathon
24. Learn to play a song on an instrument other than the piano (like the ukulele) 
25. Do another day of service
26. Read 40 books—including  Jesus the Christ
27. Grow out and donate my hair again
28. Try 10 new restaurants 
29 Go the gum wall in Washington 
30. Go to Cafe Galleria in Midway
31. Host a Murder Mystery Party
32. Make Handmade Paper

33. Go to a "Fish Spa"
34. Ride the “Polar Express” again
35. Dye my hair
36. Go to the Great Salt Lake Shorelands Preserve
37. Step on Darin’s coat going over a puddle
38. Roast Chestnuts on an open fire at Christmas
39. Go to an escape room
40. Be diaper free!!  All kids potty trained!

#27 Relearn how to do a back-flip on the trampoline

I FINALLY finished my 30 before 30!!

With less than two weeks before turning thirty, I finally got the nerve to do a back-flip!

It has been more than FIVE YEARS, since I did one last!

I'm not sure why it took me so long--but I'm glad I did it!
After 1 day of practicing, I can even land on my feet again!  

30 before 30

I made this list over 3 years ago.  It has changed a little, but it has been SO much fun to have this list!  I am so proud of all I have accomplished and all the FUN I've had!  

Here's to turning 30 in TEN days!!

1-Take the kids to Disneyland                                                 
DONE HERE
2- Run a ½ Marathon                                                               
DONE HERE
3- Have another child                                                              
DONE HERE
4-Do the Dirty Dash or some kind of Mud Run                      
DONE HERE
5- Go to the Festival of Colors                                                
DONE HERE
6- See “Wicked”                                                                      
DONE HERE   
7- Make a food using one ingredient I've never heard of.       
DONE HERE
8-Go to “The Forgotten Carols”                                              
DONE HERE
9- Master a song on the piano                                                  
DONE HERE
10- Buy new kitchen cabinets                                                  
DONE HERE
11- Get new living room furniture                                           
DONE HERE
12- Read a classic novel                                                          
DONE HERE
13- Do a DIY project                                                               
DONE HERE  and HERE
14- Do a day of service                                                            
DONE HERE
15- Go to the Hill Field Museum
DONE HERE
16-See the 2 headed lamb at the Daughters of Utah Museum
 DONE HERE
17- Invent a new recipe                                                          
DONE HERE
18- Do SOMETHING with our cement pad.                           
DONE HERE
19- Take the kids to the beach                                                
DONE HERE
20- Try a new food (a fig perhaps)                                          
DONE HERE and HERE
21- Try at least 3 new restaurants                                            
DONE HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE
22- Update the main bathroom                                                
DONE HERE
23- Make a quilt                                      
DONE HERE
24- Finish my Personal Progress (for the 2nd time).  
DONE HERE
25- Get new bedding for bedroom .    
DONE HERE  
26- Try a challenging recipe                      
DONE HERE and HERE
27- Re-learn how to do a back-flip on the trampoline
DONE HERE
28- Write a children’s book (just for my kids)
DONE HERE
29- Go on an over-nighter with just Darin        
DONE HERE
30-Go to a show at Tuacahn                           
DONE HERE  


And, I know it may be unusual, but I loved this list so much, I made a 40 before 40 list--and I'll be posting it soon!!

Saying goodbye to our tresses!

Lindsay and I cut and donated our hair.

I am not emotionally attatched to my hair at all.  But, I was a little to Lindsay's.
I wanted to back out on cutting her hair at the last minute, but Lindsay said,
"No, mom.  Let's share my hair!"

Love that little sweetie!

Here is a picture of Lindsay and me before:

Lindsay during...

(My sister, Heather, cut her hair--Thanks Heather!!)

And after!

And here she is sending it in the mail!

Alphabet Dates-- M Date

After a long break, we started up our "Alphabet Dates" again.
It was MY turn to plan M.
On MONDAY we went to Hill Aerospace MUSEUM.

We came home and had a MOVIE MARATHON while we ate M&Ms.
For dinner, we invited the MORMON MISSIONARIES over of a MEXICAN MEAL

including MOCK MARGARITAS .

This is pretty much how Andrew looked the whole time--he LOVED it!

I thought this was a cute picture of Matt and Lindsay.....

....until I saw Andrew in the background!
He ran past those ropes in a hurry!

The date was MARVELOUS!

#22 Update the main bathroom

My least favorite bathroom has been our “main bathroom.”  It is the one that most people use when they come to our house, it is my least favorite layout of the three, it is the smallest, and I haven’t loved the way it looked.

I thought the improvements we did when we first moved in were big improvements but I still wasn’t sold on it.  I gave myself a budget of $40 and decided to update it one more time.  This time, I am REALLY happy with how it turned out.

Here is how the bathroom looked when we bought the house.

Yes, that is CARPET in the bathroom!

Here is how it has been for the past 4+ years.  

We ripped out the carpet and added tile.  We switched the toilet with the master bath, got a new shower curtain, towels, and we painted the medicine cabinet and cupboards black.  I thought it was better but didn’t LOVE it.

Here is how it looks now.

I got rid of the huge bulky medicine cabinet and put up a white mirror.  I painted the cabinets and light fixture white and got a new faucet, new hardware, towels, and shower curtain.  I also added the shelf with and changed to plant on the toilet. 

One day, I would still like to “gut” this bathroom, but for now I am REALLY happy with the change!

Be a little "BUTTER"

3 times a year the young women and young men in our ward have a "fireside."  

(I think we are supposed to call them something different now, but I can't remember what).

They rotate to the different members of the bishopric and it was our turn.

Darin and I spoke about making goals and trying harder to become better.
We did a lot of analogies with butter, and had them shake their own butter.

After the devotional we had rolls and 5 different kinds of butter.  We did cinnamon honey butter, cilantro lime butter, raspberry butter, blackberry butter, and garlic butter.  I think the cilantro lime was my favorite.  

I made 84 rolls for 13 kids--and we only had ONE roll left!!  I was glad they liked them!!

Sure LOVE this group of kids---I especially have a soft spot for these girls--they were my Beehives and Mia Maids when I got released.  Now they are MiaMaids and Laurels!!  Love them!

 

Sunday Best

Valentine Video!!

We made a funny little valentine video!  Hope you enjoy it!

Aunt DeAnna

Last week my aunt DeAnna died.  Her funeral was amazing.  I learned a lot, laughed a lot, and cried a lot.  She was one of the most amazing women I’ve ever known.  Truly.  Amazing.  She is everything I aspire to be.  She is an incredible mother and her goodness has passed down to her wonderful children.

After the funeral, a friend came up to me and said, “Can I please be adopted into your family?” 

  How lucky I am to call these wonderful people “family.” 

Stop and look and you will find 

Exactly what you have in mind

For there will always, always be

The very things you want to see

If for the good you look each day 

And with kind words you choose to say

How nice it is! How kind you are!

Those things you'll find both near and far

If on the other hand you choose

To see the bad, then you will loose

For soon or late you always find

Exactly what you have in mind

- DeAnna W. Packer