My trip to California: Part 1

My trip has been SO much fun and it's only been one day! My parents picked me up last night from LAX and took me straight to my favorite restaurant...Don Cuco. I got my usual meal and then we headed home to spend some time with my siblings. They are all growing up so fast!

Today I spent more time with my family, did some homework, and packed up for Carpinteria. This afternoon, my little brother took me off roading in his sweeeet truck equipped with a custom sound system, freight train air horns, and a siren. We had so much together, it's not often that I get to spend one on one time with my brother.

Later that evening I was able to have dinner and spend some time with the Williams. I loved being able to relax and spend time with everyone and especially see my sweet baby niece Abbey (practically for the first time). She has gotten so big since the last time I saw her. Hopefully they will be able to make a trip up to Carpinteria so I can see her again before I head back to UT.

After dinner I went home to finish up my homework, spend some time with my cousin Jaymi, and help my sister babysit our cute friend Ethan.

After a long and eventful day, I am more than ready for an even longer nights sleep :)

p.s. to my wonderful husband: I miss you so much and I wish you could be here! I love you and hope you are having so much fun with the boys...try not to have too much fun without me! I love you!

Weekend Project!

Brandon is the best husband ever! I always tell him how much I love doing crafts and different fun projects but it's just such a pain to dig through a bunch of cardboard boxes in the back of our closet. So he decided that we should turn our spare room into a craft room. I was so thrilled to get started on this project! We cleaned everything out of the room, reorganized the closets, did a few creative crafts and redecorated.

What do you think of the end result?

My wonderfully organized craft shelf...I made the damask paper holder :)

Some water colors I painted and hung with black ribbon...

This used to be an ugly blue cork board but a little ribbon and a few pictures spruced it right up!

Some of my shoes that still don't fit on my shoe rack...

Brandon's Corner ;)

The End

---------Sprout Update---------

My Dad

Happy Father's Day Dad!!

Things that remind me of you Dad: building block castles, hard work, always giving 110%, M-Field, political chat rooms, random phrases being shouted about the house, blue oatmeal, role model, pink lemonade, broadening my horizons through classical & rock music, amazing support system, sitting in Burger King for hours just talking, Webers, Hollyweird, late night trips to Vons, steak outs (namely that peeping Tom we called the cops on), fun adventures in the valley, Don Cuco, making me do things I didn't want to do that ended up being very helpful, always knowing which of my friends were real friends, net nanny & TV guardian, work boots, playing name that song/artist for a quarter, hotel pools, Vegas fight scene, supercross, monster truck shows, sports games, concerts, inspiration, gas, church, yummy BBQ, falling asleep in the middle of the bed waiting for you to come home from work (I don't remember that but I've seen pictures), your awesome Halloween costumes, great movie recommendations, painting your toe nails rainbow colored when you were drugged up after tearing the ligaments in your leg, camping, hiking, shooting, and tons tons more fun!

Thank you so much for all that you do Dad! I love you and can't wait to see you on Friday!!

Love,

Renee

Success!

Last Saturday Brandon and I decided to plant a little garden on our front porch. I was really worried that it would be too late in the year to plant seeds but we did it anyway.

The packet said the flowers would sprout in 7 days...well needless to say, on the seventh day this is what we found...

Little sprouts!!!

A Mother's Sacrifice

Please help if you can!

Chloe, Safiya & Carol Decker

Carol's Story
Carol Decker is a young mother of two beautiful girls, Chloe and Safiya. Last year, Carol was rushed to the hospital for an emergency c-section for Safiya. Due to complications during her delivery she lost her arm, both legs, and her eye sight. Her miraculous progress has left Carol and her husband with high hopes. There is a 3 day silent auction held for the Decker family from June 14th-June 16th to help pay for Carol's medical bills. All of the items in the auction have been donated and 100% of the profits from the auction will go to the Decker family. For more information about Carol and the silent auction, please visit her blog.

Memorial Day Fun

This Memorial Day was such a blast! Brandon had to work Memorial morning, of course, so while he was gone Danika and I watched YouTube videos for a few hours...trying to entertain ourselves until something better came along...Though I have to admit, my tummy did hurt from laughing so much!
After Brandon came home from work, we took Cameron and Dottie to the duck pond by BYU to feed the ducks! They had a blast! From the very moment we got out of the car Dottie was shouting "beebee ducky! ah hold it!!" Brandon is a little sucker for her sweet face so he caught one of the ducklings for her to hold while Cameron and I explored the mountain side, fed the ducks, and played with the turtles.

Cameron feeding the mama duck...

Brandon had to try and loosen Dottie's grip a few times...

Dottie giving loves...Cameron's turn holding the little guy...

I think Dot ate more bread than the ducks...

Little monkey girl...loves climbing trees just like me!

Dottie pants, just barely bigger than the ducks!

After the duck pond, we dropped the kids off and headed to a matinee showing of X-Men: Origins

Then it was off to dinner at Shoga (the best sushi place in Utah!) It's right at State & University, between Hello Yogurt & Outback....MMmmM! If you go, order the Shoga Special Roll, it's my favorite!

Hidden Treasures

So mom just sent this funny picture to me and I had to share...

I don't know about you, but when I was kid I would always want to be the first to open the cereal box so I could get the prize inside. C.J. and I would always fight over who got to open the box so mom implemented a rule. "You cannot dig into the cereal box for the prize, you have to eat the cereal and if the prize comes out in your bowl...it's yours." Well needless to say, bro bro and I would go through a box of our favorite cereal, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, every few days.

Well now that I'm a little more grown up and moved away from home, C.J. pretty much dominates the cereal. And this particular box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch held a very special prize...

A GIANT piece of Cinny Toast Crunch!!! Isn't that AMAZING!

So many of you probably thought it was either something awesome like a diamond ring...or something disgusting like a cockroach. And you are all probably thinking I'm retarded for making a post about a piece of cereal. But I don't care because I think it's one of the coolest things ever. Great find little bro. Love you lots :)

My Mother's Day

Dear Mom,

I hope you have the most fantastic Mother's Day. I wish I could be home to celebrate your special day with you. I hope you know that no matter where I am, I love and appreciate all that you have done and continue to do for me. You are the greatest mother anyone could ever ask for and I am so proud to be your daughter. You have taught me so many priceless lessons throughout my life and I hope that some day I can pass those lessons on to my children and be an example to them as you have been to me. I know that I am a better person because of you. I love you Mom.

Dear Mom,

I hope you are having a wonderful Mother's Day! I wanted to let you know that you have made such an impact on my life for the better. I have always known that you have sacrificed a lot for me, but only over the past few years have I been able to see a lot more that you have done to guide me to where I am today.I am so proud to be your son. No wonder why Mother's Day is at the start of Spring because no matter what storms come, a loving mother can always bring light and happiness. I love you Mom.

Another Post for the Girls...

HaPPy 21st BiRTHDay PaNTSy, MeLiSS, & HiL!

(Pants & Hil at the Hare Krishna Festival '09)

(Pants & Melis on their way to CA '08)

This month is three of my best girls birthdays...all within a week of each other.

Ashley PANTS on the 21st

Melissa QUINCY on the 23rd

Hil PHIL on the 27th

Pants and Hil just celebrated their birthdays with a dance party last night and Melis is on her way to California to celebrate at Disneyland with her family! (I'm so jealous)

Happy Birthday GiRlS!

Hope you have the best 21st ever!...just try to pretend it's not finals week ;)

Finals are HERE!

Finals have officially started and I am officially a big, fat, tired, blob of stress!

I know I shouldn't be! And since I'm not in a rush to go home this year...I have all week to pace myself but I'm already behind schedule. Two of my exams are schedule soooo ready or not, here they come! My first scheduled exam is on Tuesday from 11am-2pm...right in the middle of my work schedule, great!! And my second scheduled exam is on the last day of finals from 8PM-10PM!!!!!! WHYYYYYY?! This is the same day that my ridiculously difficult term paper is due! My other three finals will be taken here and there as I see fit.

Why do I let this time of year get so hectic? I've done it every three months for the past three years. You would think I'd be used to it by now! Well come Spring/Summer term, I will rock my finals and be happier than a clam...why, you ask? Because I'll be GrAdUaTiNg! WOOOOO! And all in three short years :)

Ok, I'm getting ahead of myself...Lets just hope and pray that I'll get at least an A on all of my exams...ok let's be serious...focus focus focus...philosophy, psychology, infant development, marital relations, LDS perspectives...here we go! GAH!

Someday I'll come to the realization that finals are finals, a grade is a grade, I did the best I could and that's all that matters..........maybe next semester!