Stephanie's Adventurous Life!!

Makeover Time!!

2012-01-14T20:30:00.001-08:00

So I know for a fact that I am NOT Martha Stewart, but I decided to try my hand at a little makeover project of my own. I haven't "re-done" my bedroom in several years and I was getting tired of the same old bedspread in purple & green. So after much deliberation I decided to change it up and go for a new look. The problem is that I am the cheapest person and wanted it on a D.I. budget but have it look like a million bucks....I don't ask for too much. So I asked many people's opinions and thought, "Hey, I can do that!".......I was naive and much more confidant in the beginning. So here are my before and after pics of my projects. I still have some "tweaking" to do and am open to hear opinions on what to change. See what happens when I go crazy with a can of spray paint for the very first time...

My little shelf that was green and I painted it teal. Wow color!

My frame and a few little knick-knacks I found or made.

My top shelf. This was the hardest thing of all. So any suggestions to make it look better? I thought of maybe a garland or something.....

My mirrors I bought years ago and gave them a new coat of paint.
What do you think of the different colors? Yay or nay?

Old bed with new bedding. Too busy?????

As you can see I have attempted to be the next HGTV star but am seriously doubting some of my choices. I need validation people! jk Let me know what you think?

EaSt CanYoN BaBy!!!

2011-06-25T19:52:00.000-07:00

My sister Julie & her family recently invited me to go camping with them at East Canyon. Of course I was excited to go! I never go anywhere, let alone anywhere fun. I had a great time hanging with the coolest cats around. Me, Julie, and Cass drove up Friday night where we met up with Tucker & Rick. We immediately hit the pool....it was freezing!! We spent the rest of the night stuffing our faces, talking around a campfire, and having a good time. I love spending time with my awesome niece & nephew, Cassidy & Tucker. For some reason they haven't reached the stage where they are too cool to hang with their dear old auntie! I don't give them much more time before they realize I'm an old tag-a-long and ditch me. So I will enjoy the time I have with them before they grow older and forget me. jk

We woke up Saturday morning and started our day off with an intense game of Truth or Dare (we were wasting time waiting for Rick to get back and fix us breakfast). It was funny to see Tucker talk in an Italian accent, Cassidy dancing on the picnic table, and was topped off with the can of biscuits exploding and scaring the crap out of us. I guess you had to be there. After a heart attack on a plate for breakfast (it was yummy) we headed for the pool for a lounging day of sun.

After the pool me and the kids headed to play some shuffle board, took a walk, and headed back to play some volleyball. Tuck & I had a blast!!

The night ended with a community picnic an Rick once again cooking us a yummy dinner.

After dinner it started getting windy so we rented a movie and settled in for the night....sunburns and all. Fun times!!

Thanks Long Family for letting me be a part of your awesome family for the weekend!

Love you guys!

EaRThFeSt!

2011-06-25T19:36:00.001-07:00

Oh, to be young again! I recently got to experience this sensation when I went to an outdoor concert with my youthful niece & nephew. We went to Salt Lake City to EARTHFEST! It was an outdoor concert with about 8 bands playing in a 6 hour period. Some were local bands and some were more famous/popular bands, like A-Yaz, Cobra Starship, Boys Like Girls, etc. We were there mainly to see Cass & Tuck's favorite band ALL TIME LOW. My cute niece Chelsea and her friend met us there.

One of the local bands lead singer was from my gym so I felt semi-cool that I knew the singer of a band.....we sweat together in Body Pump (sounds cooler than it really is). So as Tucker and I STOOD through 5 hours of bands and rowdy teenagers (Cass ditched us to hang with the cool kids...jk), we spent our time sweating, eating shaved ice, laughing at people dancing, crazy moms who thought they were still 14, and taking pics of the two of us.....

As we were waiting for All Time Low to come out Chelsea got a text saying that she had just won tickets to meet the band backstage. She got to go and meet the guys and get a picture signed. Cass & Tucker were jealous! Then they finally came out and the crowd went wild!!!!

This was Tucker's first concert ever and he got to see his favorite band!

He was Rockin' Out!!! And I think he loved it!!!

I was so glad I got to spend this day with my favorite people and the best part.....stopping at Arctic Circle for a Moosetracks Shake on the way home.

If you haven't had one, I highly recommend it!

LuCkY dAy!

2011-03-26T18:48:00.000-07:00

Is there anything better than being Irish??? It's the one holiday that singles out ONE heritage and lets you party! That's right...I'm Irish! And proud of it! I mainly like it because my mom cooks a yummy Irish cuisine (we get it once a year) of corned beef and potatoes & cabbage with dark Rye or Pumpernickel bread. The rest of the meal consists of "American" food, such as broccoli, jell-o, and salad...all of which just happen to be green. Therefore, they MUST be Irish! It has become a tradition for the Long's to come over to share in our festivities. They are also the only other people I know who like to eat as much as we do. So everyone dressed in green and this is what happened.....

Awww......precious family moments......

Then this happened.......What the...????

Only at the Haacke house!

Julie didn't come alone either...

silly family = funny moments!

Until next year.....

Birthday Time Again!

2011-02-19T18:29:00.000-08:00

Much to my dismay I have aged another year. I am not happy about it for I am starting to feel my age more & more every year. But I have to write a little something about how the people around me made me feel special for one day and not so depressed about getting older.

My birthday celebrations began on Friday the 28th when I showed up at work to a yummy lunch with cake & ice cream, a nice card with a gift card in it from all my co-workers. They were so thoughtful to do all that for me. On Saturday I got up early and Julie & Cass came to pick me up for a "Girls Day Out". We started with breakfast out (yum) and spent half the day shopping 'til we dropped. Julie bought me the cutest tops so I can feel sassy & stylish....and young.

When I got home I was immediately off to Dustin's & Heather's to celebrate with Halle & Torie (since we all share the same B-Day). I knew that Halle loved Justin Bieber so I had made her a t-shirt at work with hers & his picture on it that read Halle hearts Justin. Then I got her a heart shaped necklace with his picture in it. She put it on and loved it.

I can't believe that my little birthday present,

Torie, is now 18 years old. Time just flew on that one...

Me & Torie Me & Jana Me & Mom

I had to leave before cake & ice cream to meet my parents, the Longs, and Candace (+ cute kids) for dinner at Texas Roadhouse. After we waited for freakin' forever (over an hour) we finally got seated and I threw the diet out the window and ordered my food deep fried. Calories don't count if its your birthday. We all totally stuffed ourselves and had a great time shucking peanuts and tossing the shells on the floor.....you can do that there, its allowed. Ryker had a great time in the long wait with Cass & Tucker. They spent the time dancing in the waiting room.

After dinner the group broke apart and Candace & I met Torie, Steven, Jamie, Jana, and Mike at the bowling alley. We played a competitive 2 games where I lost out to everyone, including Ryker. We had so much fun but before too long I knew my busy day had started catching up to me and I was ready to end my day of celebration. I got home around midnight and found a surprise waiting on the counter. There was a balloon (from Mike), a party hat (from Jamie), and a chocolate cake (from mom). So what could I do except put on the hat and eat some cake.

I have the best friends and family in the world!!! They let me be the center of attention

(with Halle & Torie) for one whole day. I hope they know how much I appreciate everything they did for me. They all Rock!!!

P.S. Thanks Candace for the kick ass boots! I love them!

Bringing in Twenty-Eleven!

2011-01-01T20:53:00.000-08:00

Its sad but true but the last few years my New Years Eve has been pretty lame and boring. I usually spend them at home alone (tear). So this year I wanted to do something fun that was safe and didn't cost any money (hey, I have my priorities). So when my sister Julie invited me over to her house I was like "Heck Yes!"

I made some yummy bean dip and she made Cafe Rio ( I can die, its so good) and we spent way too much time oinking it out and stuffing our faces. To work all that food off we headed for the basement and a silly night of Wii. We played Dance Party 2 and.......let me add in here how much I HATE to dance, have no coordination, and basically suck at it......but I decided to be opened-minded and try it. IT WAS SO MUCH FUN!!!!!! I loved it! I never ever thought I would say that but it was a hoot and nobody cared that I looked like a dork. The best part was getting Rick, who hates dancing more than me, to get up there and shake his bootie! We danced till we could dance no more, played some Wii bowling and archery to pass the time.

Then we got ready to enter in the new year. So we bundled up to head outside. Rick may or may not have made some "homemade" fireworks and I think we were all a little nervous to see what would happen if he were to light the "alleged" fireworks. Some fireworks were lit, there were some loud booms, and a large divet was left in the lawn....but it was fun! The neighbors had a firework show and we stayed outside to watch till we decided we liked it better inside where we wouldn't freeze our butts off. We all wished each other a Happy New Year, and me, Tucker, and Cassidy headed for the basement to watch Despicable Me. By 2:30 in the morning we could no longer keep our eyes open and off to bed we went.

It may not have been the most exciting New Year's on record but I had a blast! I got to spend it with people that ROCK and we had tons of fun. What more could you ask for?

Celebrating the Holiday!

2011-01-01T20:26:00.000-08:00

Let's start this new post with a past due wish for a Merry Christmas to all who may read this. I hope you had a wonderful holiday celebrated with those you love. I start every blog off with my usual saying, "I can't believe how fast time goes by and its that time again for (enter appropriate holiday in here)." But if you can believe it Christmas has come and gone and we are ready for a new year to begin.

Since the Haacke Family Clan has grown & grown over the years (around 60 people) we decided to try something new. It has been harder and harder to cram all the people into Grandma/Mom's little house and we feel like we can't move. Plus we can have a party and never even see some people because they have escaped to spacier areas where they can breathe. To solve this dilemma it was decided to have Christmas at the church. Everyone seemed on board and I thought it would be so much easier and less work for me.......little did I know. The thing with having a "destination" party is that all the supplies, food, gifts, games, decor, and set-up.....have to be TAKEN to supposed destination. We went the night before and set up all the chairs and tables and were there bright and early the next morning to decorate (as much as you can decorate a room made out of a basketball court). My mom & I had made all the 12 kids a "movie themed" basket of treats and I though that they would also be great to fill in space on the tables as decoration. We had a yummy meal of pulled pork, ham, meatballs, stuffed mushrooms, salads, veggies, and treats, treats, and more treats.

We didn't want to just sit around staring at each other ( since we actually had the space to do so) so my sister, Joni planned some fun games. We played "Minute to Win It!" and it was a blast. Everyone had a chance to sign up for the game of their choice and they had 1 minute to complete the task. The kids started and had to shake all the ornaments out of a tissue box tied to their back. Tucker's was the best because someone taped over the whole in the box and he shook & shook and nothing ever came out. I guess you had to be there but it was hilarious!

The next game each person had to take a box and, without touching it, they had to fan an ornament across the room to the center and keep it there. It was pretty funny to see all the different methods that were used by each person.

Then we played the cup challenge where you had 1 minute to make a cup pyramid and take it down without once knocking it over. Each person kept trying & trying but nobody could complete the task. Then along came Margie & Ryan (they tag teamed it) and they did it!

The final game was where each person had 1 minute to get 10 ping pongs in 10 glasses by bouncing them. No one could do this but it was fun to see people try. The best part of the games was sitting around laughing and having fun watching everyone try the games. There was teasing and hollering going on, but we all got to see each other and have a fun time together.

I love Christmas! Its a lot of work and it comes & goes so fast. But it really is the best time to spend with those you love to eat and be merry. I wish it could last all year round (minus the disgustingly cold yucky weather that it brings) and we could keep the lights up and the trees and eat yummy treats.

ThE liGHt pAraDE!

2010-12-04T19:36:00.001-08:00

I'm such a nerd when it comes to festive / holiday stuff. I love the holidays! So when I heard it was time for Bountiful to have their light parade...I was so there. I just had to convince someone to go with me. So I asked the elderlies (my parents) to go and the Long family (Rick, Julie, Cass, and Tuck). We bundled up for the cold and waited to see all the lights........

Let's just state right off the bat....this is Bountiful, Utah not New York City. The parade lasted 10 minutes max. There weren't many people in the parade, nor were there very many people in attendance. But it was still fun. Tuck and I stood right out in the street to collect all kinds of candy, we even got toothbrushes. Tuck yelled "Hello, Ladies!" to the local beauty queens. And we tried to get every one to wave to us....we were VICTORIOUS.

The local paper even took our picture.

Before we knew it it was time to see the big guy himself.....Santa. As he went by he points right to me and says "NAUGHTY!" He then tells Cass & Tuck they were "Nice" this year. Whatever Santa! Way to single a girl out! And....how did he know!!!!!

Anyway, we had fun at the light parade and went on to stuff ourselves at dinner. My kind of night!

Getting Ready for Christmas...Peacock Style!

2010-12-04T19:28:00.001-08:00

As I was getting out all my Christmas decorations this year I decided I was tired of the same old stuff. I've done my room in purple for the last 5 years and thought it was time for a change. So I headed off to craft store heaven (Hobby Lobby) to see what new things I could find. As I was shopping around I saw this teal blue peacock and I knew I wanted to use him....but how. So I thought I could put him on top of my tree instead of a star. To my surprise I found all kinds of peacock items to use, and in the right colors. I had so much fun finding things and trying to figure how they would work together. Below are my results. It may not be the most "Christmas-y" themed room but it is festive and I love it!

I had a glass jar and a plain green wreath in my closet. I decided to see what I could make...

Baby Smallz is Here!!!!

2010-11-29T20:02:00.001-08:00

My little nephew decided it was time to make his debut to the world today. Gavin John Tenney was born at 2:05 am to his proud & excited Mom (Candace) & Dad (Brett), along with awesome older brother, Ryker. He could hardly wait to enter this world that he made mom & dad rush to the hospital where he was ready to get the party started ASAP. He came with a full head of hair, big hands & feet, and a dimple in his cheek.....just like his brother. His parents are so happy & pleased that he is healthy and came to them in perfect condition. He will be loved by his parents, grandparents, aunts & uncles, especially by one particular "great" auntie!!!!!

ThE SpOOks cOmE OuT!

2010-11-05T20:43:00.000-07:00

Do I look like I'm scared for my life???

Nobody wants a Zombie on their shoulder, but I had one following me around on Halloween night.

Once again it is that time of year....Halloween! A night for fun costumes, great food, and candy. I decided to try something new this year and make a thing called Cake Balls. They were cute and a lot of work, but really yummy. I made three different kinds: Red Velvet, Chocolate, and Carrot. Check them out:

I also made my cheese ball into a "Frankenstein" of a sort. And my typical bean dip made to look like a spider web. We even named our food fun names like: Witches Stew, Eyeball Chili, Brain Soup, Mummy Dogs, and Fried Frog Legs. I think I tried every one and they were YUM-O!

Before I knew it Woody & Jessy & Bullseye showed up from Toy Story. They kept posing for pictures and saying "CHEESE!" Just one more! They were stinkin' adorable!

Along came the Big Bad Wolf with his Little Red Riding Hood (Kelly & Andrea). He had a great time scaring the crap out of the little kids. Pretty soon Octo-Mom was around with her massive scary lips and pregnant belly (Hint:It was just Candace & Smallz).

Halle had a great time trying to catch the "Old Bat" until eventually she scared herself and started crying. She has a great laugh and smile though. Grandma/Mom had a great time spooking out the kids and some adults too.

Jamie turned into a Zombie at midnight (take that Cinderella). He said that you can only count your outfit as a "Halloween Costume" if it has blood on it. I guess mine didn't count then. I only had hairspray and blue eyeshadow.

I decked myself out as an '80's chick and went back in time. (Technically I was a child in the '80's so it made me feel not so old). I rocked the spandex, the neon colors, and the big bangs. Madonna ain't got nothin' on me!

So Halloween has come and gone and we quickly move on to another holiday. But we will always have our memories of this night.....

and the pictures to prove it.

Julie's Birthday Dinner!

2010-10-18T21:19:00.000-07:00

This is a totally random blog about the Cheesecake Factory. For Julie's birthday I was invited to join her & her family and go out to dinner. We went to the Cheesecake Factory. Can you say delicious? Dinner was good but who goes there for the food...its the dessert that wins the prize. We indulged and all split the red velvet cheesecake, the Oreo, and the Turtle. I could have licked the plate....I think Cassidy actually did. Yum Yum! Moral of the story: I hope Julie had a great birthday (she deserved it) and always save room for dessert.

Kids and Rainy Days!

2010-10-18T20:57:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I once again had the privilege to spend a few days with my best buds Cassidy & Tucker. While their parents went on a week long hunting trip, I spent the week being a fill in "mom". I always love when I get to be with these two kids. They not only make me laugh, but they make me happy to be with them. On one of our days it starting storming pretty bad so we decided to have a photo shoot (plus were were really bored). Below are the results of one stormy afternoon and a digital camera......

On one of the nights the weather was clear, I had a spur of the moment idea to run to the Kaysville Pond and take pics of the sunset & the kids. I should have planned better and gone earlier because we ran out of sunlight. But I still love some of the pictures at dusk. (FYI: For some reason I have no individual pics of Cass, I know I took some)

These two kids are awesome and they put up with their crazy aunt who makes them have photo sessions. I just want proof that they were at one time willing to spend time with me, for when they get older & too cool, I will have evidence of it. (Ha Ha) Cass & Tuck - YOU ROCK!

Sister By Chance....Friends By Choice!

2010-09-12T17:45:00.001-07:00

So its time for another blog victim...I mean, another loving blog "dedication". This time I want to wish my big sister Julie a Happy Birthday!! I love the idea of writing a little something nice about someone I love and look up to. So here goes....

My sister Julie is awesome!

But what kind of sister would I be if I didn't post some pics of her growing up?

All kidding aside, I think my sister is one of the best people I know. I think having a sister like her was one of the best things that could have happened to me. She's someone who will let me cry on her shoulder, laugh with, confide in, and have complain sessions. There are so many things that I love about her. I wanted to write a really creative paragraph that makes people laugh and cry, but I'm not the creative one. I make lists, so here is my list of

"25 Reasons Why I Love My Sister (in no particular order):

1. She loves me! (haha)

2. She's very forgiving

3. She's a great cook

4. She's very smart - more than she thinks

5. She's very creative

6. She shares her kids with me

7. She's always there for me and doesn't judge

8. She respects me and I respect her

9. She listens to me

10. She has a wicked sense of humor

11. She's addicted to Diet Coke

12. She makes awesome salsa

13. She does my hair for me and makes me feel pretty

14. She'll jump off the high-dive at the pool

15. She'll dance the Electric Slide

16. She's always willing to help

17. She's a great example

18. She takes me on vacation with her

19. She hangs out with me by choice (go figure)

20. She lets me cry on her shoulder

21. She has a great smile

22. She can be hypnotized

23. She's very outgoing

24. She loves her family & will do anything for her kids

25. She loves me...did I say that already?

I realize some of those things were cheesy and my list could go on & on, but those are some of my favorite things about my sister Julie!

It was nice growing up with someone like my sister - someone to lean on, someone to count on....someone to tell on! Having a sister like her is like having a best friend I can't get rid of because I know that whatever I do she'll always be there. And I hope that she knows that its the same for me. She can always count on me, to talk to, to listen to her, to be there for her.

Julie has the best little family. I hope her family realizes what a great wife & mother they have. I know that my sister will do anything for her family. She always wants the best for them and worries for them. And loves them with all her heart! They are so lucky to have her. She is the best example of what a mother should be. I only hope that if I have kids that some of her mothering "mojo" rubs off on me. She is a great example to follow.

Anyway, the point of this whole blog is to tell my big sis Julie "Thank You!" Thanks for always being there for me through the years. We share our past, now lets look forward to our future together. Have a fantastic birthday and remember, you're not getting older, you're just getting another year closer to looking like mom. (Just kidding sis!)

Luv Ya Sis!

Celebrating With Cake!

2010-09-12T17:09:00.000-07:00

I was trying to think of a creative way to celebrate Candace's birthday this year. I was going to be really mean and do a whole "You're Old" theme. But then I remembered that I'm older than her....so what does that make me...ancient?? My first idea was to make a cupcake tower but I couldn't figure out how to make 30 cupcakes fit. So I decided to have it spell how 3-0 with a candle for each one. I decorated them in colors I know she likes: black & red. It was really fun and I think she liked them enough. I especially loved embarassing her when we all sang to her at the family picnic. At least she had a cute helper to blow out all those many many many candles.

I'm NOT 30.....I'm $29.99 plus tax!

2010-08-31T18:41:00.000-07:00

Finally the day has arrived where I can tease my best friend & niece Candace about hitting a birthday milestone. Candace has reached that awesome time in her life where she is almost to the top of that "hill" where she is turning 30!!!!

I think she is really 18...with 12 years of experience. She's the oldest person I know...that is younger than me.

Candace and I have been great friends since we were small children. I have so many memories of her throughout my whole life. We would always get the same Christmas presents (in different colors) every year, we had the same dolls, and as we grew up over the years we found we had many many other things in common. Candace was the cutest little girl with white blonde hair, a quick smile, and outgoing personality. She grew up loving animals, babies, movies, drawing / art, and at one time was obsessed with the New Kids on the Block. She loved to play outside with her friends and idolized her older brother Dustin. We were always friends & family but as we got older our friendship grew......

As we became teenagers we found more & more things that we both loved to do. We loved going to movies, listening to music, reading, going on vacations, and eating out. We both developed a love for the band 'NSYNC & boybands, and were annoying girls that were obsessed with them. We loved (and still love) to quote stupid / funny lines from movies to each other and make fun of embarrassing moments we each had....she always had more than me. I have many to share with you all, so ask me next time you see me.

But here's one in particular that I especially like: We went on a cruise and on our layover in Atlanta, Candace walks into the bathroom. She looked around and wondered what all these men were doing in the womens bathroom, then she realized she was actually in the MENS bathroom. She comes walking out with a red face and I laughed my butt off. I could have stopped her before she went in...but I didn't! That's how our relationship works. And that's the great thing about being friends with someone over many years...you have tons of dirt on each other.

We love goofing off when the opportunity presents itself and you will always find us laughing our heads off over something. We have tons of private jokes and team up against people to tease them mercilessly (sorry family). There are so many things that I love about my friend Candace: she is funny, caring, smart, has a great laugh, is witty, has a beautiful smile, pretty eyes, is outgoing, loves chocolate, and likes to hang out with me (go figure). I hope that she always stays such a strong independent silly awesome woman!!!

When Candace met Brett I was so happy for her. She truly fell in love at first sight with him and they are so great for each other. I love that he loves her for what a fantastic woman she is.

Before we knew it they were starting a family and Candace's life would become even better. She became a mom to little Ryker Bean. She is the best mom in the world! She loves that kid to death and is raising him to be such a great & funny kid. He definitly gets his silliness from her.

Pretty soon they will be adding to their little family with baby Smallz (in December). I'm so happy for her that she found a man to love, who loves her so much. And will be sharing all her talents and awesome traits with her children. She is a great wife and mother and I know she loves it.

I love that Candace is my best friend! I love that I can call her anytime and we always have things to talk about. We can see each other and call a half hour later and still manage to talk for another hour about random dumb stuff. I know that she always has my back and wants the best for me. She is honest with me when I need it, and sometimes tell me what I want to hear, when I need that too. Only best friends tell each other useless information and don't care. She is the one I can tell secrets to and I know the best time she can make me cry...is when she makes me laugh so hard. A true friend is the person who no matter how you treated them the day before, still keeps their promise to stand beside you the next. She truly is one of the best people I know and am privileged to have in my life!

I love ya Soupie!

Happy "not quite old yet" Birthday!

P.S. Stop being younger than me already!!!

Once Upon A Bean!

2010-08-11T18:00:00.001-07:00

Another year has gone by so fast and my little nephew Ryker is ready for another birthday. I had to take the time to dedicate a small blog entry to honor this sweet boy. Ryker will be turning three years old in the next few days and I cannot believe how fast he has grown. I can remember the day he was born and the first time I saw him as his "Great" Aunt Steph. I remember when I first held him that he was wide awake and looking around, like he was wondering "What is this strange place?" To this day he still looks around and tries to figure things out, how they work, and how they are built. He had always been a very curious boy since the very first.

The second thing I noticed when he was born was his adorable dimples. There is something about that smile of his combined with the dimples that prevent me from saying no to him or not smiling myself. They are seriously irresistable.

The third thing I remember about him when he was first born was his bright blue eyes. They are so blue and you can see his emotions in his eyes at all times. He has "Smiley" eyes.

The fourth thing I remember about him was that the first time I held him I knew I loved him. I may only be his auntie but I adore this kid and will do anything for him (any time, any place, any where). He will grow up knowing he his adored and loved very much.

Ryker has the best parents in the world! I think it is so great knowing he is growing up in a home where he is so loved and cared for. I don't think Candace & Brett could have had a better kid. I know that Candace's life revolves around this boy and she is constantly teaching him, reading to him, singing with him, and playing with him. He is so lucky!!! He is the light of his parents life and a soon-to-be Big Brother.

Ryker is a typical boy. He loves trucks, cars, tractors, planes, helicopters, motorcycles, and anything with wheels. He loves dirt, sand, jumping, swimming, and playing. He loves his shows on tv: Super Y, Sesame Street, Sid the Science Kid, Dragon Tales, Curious George and don't forget the movie Cars. He loves his "blankie", his golf set, and his stuffed animals. He loves playing with his cousin Halle and they laugh and run around together. He has the sweetest voice and likes to sing Sunshine, ABC Song, Itsy Bitsy Spider, and Wheels on the Bus. Ryker loves cookies, brownies, ice cream, popcorn, cereal, ravioli, and pretzels. This kid has great taste!! He loves all his grandma's & grandpa's because they all spoil him so much. He adores his mom & dad.

Ryker has had many nicknames since he was born. We started calling him Bean while still in his mommy's belly. From that came Beanie-Boy & Beans. He is also called Stinkin' & Baby.

Since Ryker started talking he has been trying to say my name. It started out as "Seppie" and has since evolved to "Steppie". My favorite thing to hear is when he says my name and then goes "Hi, Steppie!" We have this little game where I go "Ryker.........HeBeeJeeBees" and he laughs at me and does it back. Ryker's favorite thing about me is my truck. He calls it "MY Steppie's green truck". He has adopted it as his own and loves when he get to ride in it. Sometimes I think he tolerates me for my truck and cries when IT leaves. That's ok though. It makes me happy to make him happy and if riding in my truck does that....then so be it!

I am so lucky to be an Aunt to such a great kid!!! I hope he grows up knowing I will always be there for him, to spoil him, teach him, and listen to him. And to give him "goodie" bags to take home, and ride in my truck, and make tents with. He is a sweet, silly, smart, awesome boy and I love him. Happy Birthday Bean!

LeT FrEEdOm RiNg!!!

2010-07-07T18:32:00.001-07:00

I can't believe it already the 4th of July. My how times fly!!!! Like we do every year we head up to my sister Gayla's house for BBQ and fireworks...the best combo in the world!!! I was especially excited this year because my friend and niece Sarah was in town with her 4 cute kiddies. I hadn't seen her in forever. We had Torie and Josh show up, Kelly plus his kids, The Long's and friends, most of Gayla's kids (minus Chris), Tracy, me, and Grandma & Grandpa.

We ate yummy BBQ of steak and chicken, salads, chips, fruit, rolls. We broke into the desserts!!! Can you say YUM!!!!! Donuts, fruit pizza, cookies, and "Bird Seed" ( its a Haacke thing). After that feast some decided to work out by playing football.......or tossing the ball around a little. Cass and Josh just had more fun seeing who could catch or toss it the weirdest or most creative way. There were many other pictures I could have posted (aka blackmail) but I decided to be semi-nice.....this time!!!!

I hadn't seen Sarah and Chris' kids in forever, and I have never seen baby Davis. He was so stinkin' adorable. I just kept taking pictures of him smiling. So enjoy the photo montage of little man Davis.....

My favorite pic is when he totally crashed on Aunt Chelsea (with butt sticking out and all).

Then Steve, Rick, Tucker, and Hunter started on the fireworks. It was really fun this year because there may or may not have been some questionable firework action going on. There were two other families in the Cul-de-Sac (which we have aptly named "Cul-De-Sac of FIRE!!!!") who were also letting off fireworks. It kind of turned into a war, back & forth between them all. Who could let off the loudest, the longest, the highest fireworks. It was way fun! Tucker kept yelling "WHAT!" like a thug to them. It was hilarious! Then Davis Highschool's fireworks began. We couldn't hear the music this year so Sarah serenaded us with her version of "Proud to be an American" and I attempted to be Neil Diamond and sing ""We're coming to America". I probably sing it better if you ask me. Ha Ha!

Fun times + Great Friends & Family + Yummy Eats + Fireworks = Happy 4th of July!

MeMoRiAl DaY wEEkeNd!!

2010-06-27T12:03:00.000-07:00

Over Memorial Day weekend I had the pleasure of entertaining two of my friends: Cassidy & Tucker. Their parents went to their cabin for the weekend and the kids chose to stay with me. Because of the holiday plans, I made them come along with me as I drove Grandma & Grandpa around to the different cemeteries. It may not have been the funnest of times, but I think the kids got a kick out of finding all their ancestors. I think Cass found that there are atleast 4 or 5 generations of her grandparents in one cemetery. We also had fun trying to find the oldest headstone in the cemetery. I think the oldest we found was around 1829. When we got to the cemetery up by the temple (to see Kyler's grave) they had a bagpiper there playing music. It was so peaceful. Then the kids and I got silly......

And Grandma & Grandpa got silly too....

What made it the most fun was to be together.

To get the grandparents & their grandkids together, spending time, and being silly.

After the kids went home I hear this knock on my door and its my mom telling me to come downstairs. When I get there my dad showed me a box full of all his old stuff. The first thing I pull out is a pair of old red basketball shorts. They were my dads from when he was in highschool (around 1950). I decided to try them on to see if they would fit....and they did!!! So I pranced around modeling them for my parents as they laughed at me. Then I pulled out my dads old Air Force uniform and hat. I was musky and starchy, but I tried it on anyway for fun. I can't believe my dad used to be so small or so young. I even found sand in the hat from when he was stationed in New Mexico. It was fun that my parents came & got me so I could be a part of their walk down memory lane. And I found out so much more about my dad too.

WhAt hAppENs iN vEGas BAbY!

2010-04-26T19:42:00.001-07:00

I wrote a little of our adventure to Las Vegas in my previous post. But I feel my blog needed more "visual aid" to portray how much fun we really had. Whenever you get a few girls together in a new city...watch out! Since Cassidy is only 16 we had to keep the trip PG-13 rated, which was fun because besides the drunks, weirdos, and smokers.....Vegas is a blast!

There are so many things to do........

Guess who we ran into, of all people? That's right...Elvis" (plural). They took the time to take their picture with the coolest people on earth! (It only cost Julie like $2-what a great sister!) Julie and I started a tradition of trying on silly glasses everywhere we go. This year I got my 2010 glasses and I have a pic from our last trip with my 2005 glasses on.

We spent one night of our trip in the arcade at the Excalibur. We played racing games (I won), skee-ball, and Cass played Guitar hero. Julie & I just had fun trying to mess her up.

We went to the outlet mall just down the strip.

We found this great hat shop where we went wild.

We tried on everything....and bought nothing!

When we were planning Cassidy's birthday vacation we went through many different ideas. We wanted to go to San Diego, possibly Texas, or New York City to see a Broadway show. Since we couldn't afford that we stayed in the New York New York Hotel & Casino and went to see Lion King. I couldn't believe the puppeteers and the effects. And their voices were amazing!
I thought it was amazing and I loved it!
Our hotel may not have been in the original city but it was pretty darn close.....

except when you walk outside its warm and people are nice.

On another night of our trip we went back to the Excalibur to see the Tournament of Kings. Its just like Medieval Times, minus the drunk guys (who were hilarious). We were assigned to sit in the "dragon" section which meant we had to cheer for the bad guys and boo the good guys. Our guy lost but we were the coolest one out there so I say we win! Afterwards we took a taxi to the Bellagio to see the fountain and the strip at night.

We ended up spending half a day by the pool, which I loved! I think that is one of my favorite things to do, sit by a pool in the warm sun with a cold drink. I could have sat there all day, but we were in Vegas and had things to do!!!! One of the main things I wanted to see was the Venetian Hotel. I think it is so beautiful! I love the architecture and the details. I want to live there in that palace amongst the naked people on the ceiling & the gondoliers (jk).

Besides running into our friendly Elvis' we also saw Michael Jackson, Captain Jack Sparrow, Superman, Wonderwoman, Spongebob, and Blue Man Group.

Last time we were in Vegas we took out pics with these statues outside of the Monte Carlo Hotel. We're keeping the tradition alive.

I could go on and on about all the little things we did & saw in Las Vegas, all the different people we saw, and different accents. It truly is the most diverse place on earth. It can also be extremely entertaining to us country folk (ha ha). Best part of my trip....spending time with my sis and my niece. They are two of my best friends and I will always say yes to any adventure they invite me along to. What happens in Vegas.....a really great time!!!

ThE dAY cAssIdY hAd A biRtHDaY!!

2010-04-14T17:18:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again to brag about my cute niece Cassidy Jade Long.....its her birthday (or was....I'm a few days late). This year she hit a milestone....she turned 16!!!!!! Not only is she getting older and more mature but now she can drive (watch out drivers of the world--jk). To celebrate this grand event we went to Las Vegas over spring break for some Fun in the Sun!

There are so many things that I love about Cass!! I love her smile, her laugh, her silliness, her personality, her fashion sense, and the great girl that she is. She always makes me laugh and I love spending time with her whenever I can. She's always ready to pose for a picture, dance, burst into song, and be a great friend . She truly is a beautiful soul!!!

When we headed for the airport we all happened to be wearing our Aeropostale hoodies. So we decided that out gang name would be "Wenches in Hoodies". So world....beware of us!!! I love that I got to spend these few days with two of my favorite people. My sister Julie and my awesome niece Cassidy. I think we make a fantastic trio!

Cass and I decided to go on the roller coaster at our hotel. It was so much fun!!!!! We put our arms up and screamed our heads off the whole ride. I loved getting the chance to do that with her. So of course we had to have a picture to prove to people.

One of the things I loved about our trip was seeing Julie and Cass spend some time together having fun. I think it is so great that Cass has a mom that loves her so much. There aren't many moms that would take their daughter on a vacation for their birthday. I loved being witness to the awesome relationship that they have. I hope that Cass always knows how much she is loved, cherished.....and spoiled (jk).

I love my sweet & funny Sass-A-Cass! Or Cass-A-Daquiri.

Or Cassi-Wassi-Doodle All The Day. Or Cass-A-Dilla.

(Some of my pet names for her)

I love that she's not only my niece but my friend! Every year I write that I hope she never outgrows hanging with her old aunt. I truly hope that it never happens. I hope she always lets me be part of her life. That she'll always talk to me. I have loved all the years I have had the privilege of watching her grow and getting to be a part of it. Here's to many more years (I hope) of watching her grow into a young lady and a great person.

Luv Ya Babe!!!

EaSTeR EgG FuN!!

2010-04-04T21:28:00.000-07:00

Its Easter time again at our household, and you know that means.......The Easter Egg Contest! This year we all got our ideas rolling a few weeks back. I think the competitive factor was high this year and everyone wanted to win. We had a small "smackdown of words" via facebook. We all wanted to win add we all had some great ideas.

But before the competition could begin we started off with dinner and treats. Of course, we had potato salad (its not Easter unless dad gets his potato salad). Whenever we get together it turns into a photo session and here are some pics of a few of my buds:

We have also been cleaning out my mom basement and we decided that Easter was the perfect opportunity to get rid of a few "treasures". So we loaded up the garage and had a "sale" and let people take what they wanted. I think people had more fun playing with all the old clothes and hats. Jamie is a character and such a good sport to try a few things on and model them for us.

So it begins.....we didn't have as many entries this year as in the past but everyone tried to bring their A-Game. Candace and I teamed up again this year to try and reclaim our title. We had planned to do Michael Jackson (in all colors). But I had accidentally thrown away a key piece to our design. So we kind of got messed up and didn't do our best. The idea was still funny though. Grandma did a cute frog. Joni, Kara, and Jannette did Peter Pan, Tinkerbell, and Captain Hook. So creative!!! And Josh did a silly Stewie from Family Guy. What a creative bunch!!!

Rick, Julie, Cass, and Tucker did the band KISS. They came prepared with a stage and everything. They raised the standard for next years contest.

All in all, it was a great day (but very cold).

Everyone had fun and that's all that matters at Grandma's house right?

The Celebration of Tucker "T-Man"!!

2010-02-12T17:54:00.000-08:00

Another year has gone by and my friend/nephew Tucker is another year older. I can't believe how old this kid is getting and how fast he is growing. Pretty soon he will be taller than me and a teenager. He turned 12 years old and I wish I could go back in time to when he was my little buddy. At the same time I love that he is getting older. He is truly one of the best people that I know in my life. And that is why he gets a birthday "Tribute". (Plus he asked me if I was going to)

He loves his guitar lessons & guitar and his I-Pod Touch.

He loves facebook and his friends.

He loves Dr. Pepper.

He loves Spanky's and Firehouse Pizza.

And he loves Hollister.

And I'd like to think he loves hanging with me. (Ha Ha)

Tucker truly is the funniest kid to be around! He constantly makes me laugh and says the darndest things. Whether he's dancing around, telling me something silly or dressing like a "gangsta" he makes my life an adventure. I went over to his house one day and he opened the door dressed like a thug and says, "Welcome to my crib." It's things like that that make me love him more.

Tucker is also a great son and brother. He has a family that loves him so much. A father to take him to Nascar and a mom who is his #1!!!! They spend a lot of time together, whether on vacation, hunting, or goofing off. There is constant laughter in their household. They are all truly great and he gets to be part of that. What a lucky kid!!!

Tucker is a pretty cool brother. Like all siblings they have their times of bickering, but for all those times there are twice as many times of laughter and love. I love spending time with both Tucker and Cassidy because they are 2 great kids. And when there are 2 of them it means twice as much fun! These are two silly kids!

He is also the sweetest kid. If I am ever feeling bad or sad he always has a kind word. He always tells me: " Stop putting yourself down!" He's my personal life motivator. If I have a choice I never turn down an opportunity to spend time with him. I feel like a better person being around him and his family. I feel like I'm part of something.

Some of my favorite times are when him & I are in the car and we sing to Linkin Park or to the radio. Then we make up names for people or words to the songs. Or we play "mini-van" flick (our game). There is never a dull moment.

Tucker is the best kid! His parents should be so proud for raising such a sweet, silly, fun kid. I hope he will always stay close to me. But as he gets older I know my days as his friend will dwindle as he becomes a teenager. So I'm just going to cherish the time I have and hope that he will always know that his Aunt Steph will be there for him. And that I love him. And I love when I can fill in as a "2nd mom" whenever needed. He's the BEST!!!!!! Love ya, kid!!!

ThE jAnUAry GiRLs!!

2010-01-30T20:21:00.000-08:00

Birthdays are a time of celebration! But it does mean that you become one year older...and who wants to get old anyway??? I think that most people....eh, most women, want to stay young all our lives. We are still looking for the cure for the common birthday. As I get older I get more and more upset with my age. I do not like getting older. So I decided to adopt a life's philosophy to make me feel better: "Growing old is mandatory, but growing up is optional."

I also have many people around me to keep me young. And two that share my birthday with me. My two cute nieces Torie and Halle will always be around to make another birthday more bearable and fun. They are the cutest girls ever! Torie is a junior in highschool and likes to read, watch movies, hang with her BF, sing, and listen to music. Halle is a bundle of energy who loves to paint, draw, watch Sesame Street, and loves Tinkerbell. They are my January Girls!

I have also learned through suffering through so many birthdays that the calories don't count on birthdays cakes. And birthdays are nature's way of telling us to eat more cake. So I allowed myself a piece of cake and some ice cream (both of which are still in my fridge and taunting me). Halle loved blowing out her Tinkerbell cake and I think loved eating it even more.

Dustin and Heather got me a cute cupcake. It was so pretty I didn't want to eat it. And the best part was that it came attached with a large diamond ring. Talk about bling! So now I have my checklist: Got the cupcake, got the ring......got the man??? Well, I'm still working on that. Maybe someday my prince will come....and show up on my doorstep ready to whisk me off to somewhere exciting, and we ride off into the sunset, and.......
WOW, I need to stop watching romances.

I celebrated my birthday first my taking the day off from work. I then knew we were having people over so I scrubbed the kitchen floor, cleaned the bathroom, and vacumned. I then went to Halle's birthday party to wish her and Torie the best birthdays ever! Then my mom and I cooked a yummy dinner. My sisters Gayla and Joni came over (they were going to a play with the parents) and Rick, Julie, Cassidy, and Tucker came as well.

Gayle gave me the cutest apron ever! It had bling and said "Domestic Diva". I love it! Joni gave me a giftcard to Target which is awesome. And Julie and family gave me Happy perfume and some way cute earrings. My mom and dad gave me the cutest purse that I have been stalking at Kohl's. They also gave me the cutest coat! I am so blessed to have so many people in life who care about me and are willing to share my birthday with me.

Rick, Julie and kids babysat me while the others went to the play. We then played Truth or Dare which was funny. Cass had to smell all our feet and had to bark like a dog whenever anyone said the the "and". We dared Tuck to eat Seuarkraut, which he wouldn't do. But I'm such a wuss that I asked for Truth every time. Then we ate yummy cake and ice cream. It wasn't the most excting birthday but it was fun.

My mom is the best! She still manages to make birthdays special. And I know that I am older and should outgrow that, but I still love it.

So now I'm another year older and wiser (no laughing). And I am so grateful for so many things and people. I love you all!!! But I think the true secret to staying young is to live honestly, eat slowly, and LIE about your age!

New Years Resolutions.....

2010-01-02T17:18:00.000-08:00

I'm not the kind of person that normally makes a New Years Resolution. I always feel like it setting yourself up for failure. But this last year I accomplished more than I ever thought I could.

Last July I told myself that I was going to get healthy and make a huge change in my life. I gave up my favorite things in the world (pepsi and treats) and started a lifestyle change in my eating habits. I also started exercising, which I hadn't really done since highschool. The first few weeks were the hardest I had ever had. I never knew how much I relied on food to get me by. But as the days went by and I actually started to see results I knew that I had done the best thing for myself. I never knew I could actually have that much self-control to stick to it for the last 6 months. So now here I am....52 pounds lighter and much happier.

So now that I know that I am able to see something through I want to try to make a resolution and make it happen. I couldn't decide what I wanted to change the most in my life this year, whether I wanted it to be about me or others. So I decided to not make just one large resolution, but many small ones......

I want to be a nicer person. I want to be un-selfish and do for others, to help when its needed. I want to make more friends. I want to visit places and do new things. I want to learn to not be afraid of stupid things, like snow & dating (random, huh?). I want to open myself up to people and not hold back, to not keep it all in and be closed off. Does that make sense? I want to be a "new" me that is more adventurous and fun. I want to a person that someone would love and want to be with. I want my family to be healthy and happy. I want the best for them all. I want to "Pay it Forward". I want, I want, I want....wow, I need to work on that. I guess I should say instead, " I would really really like for.....".

I just know that I can BE better. So if any of you have any more ideas for me to make this happen then please feel free to write and give suggestions. I just hope that I can do these things. I guess we'll see. Let's see if I can make this new year one like I've never had before!

Its Christmas Time!!!!

2009-12-29T17:56:00.000-08:00

Can you believe that Christmas has come and gone already??? It seems like we wait forever for it to finally get here, then all of a sudden its over. I love the Christmas season (minus the snow). I love the lights, the decorations, even the shopping. I always put up my tree the day after Thanksgiving so the season can last longer. We even had out lights up BEFORE Halloween! So here's a few pictures I managed to take of my holiday...

I got to cookin' like I always do (extra hard this year considering I'm not supposed to eat this yummy stuff anymore). I made yummy pecan tarts, gingerbread cookies, and pretzel/rolo goodies. Then I made gift bags of popcorn with seasonings to give away. It all looked so good, I hope it tasted good too.....

So every year we try to cram as many people into out house as we can. I don't know why we do this and not move to a bigger venue, but whatever. So with everyone in the living room, I try to find people to hand them their gifts. It is pretty crazy!!! Then the wrapping paper fights begin and it becomes a mad house. One thing though...I wouldn't change it for the world. This is my family, I love all the craziness and mayhem!! What would I do if I didn't have this to drive me mad?

Its fun to see people you don't get to see often, but its hard because you don't get to really visit and sit & talk much. I can't believe how large this family has gotten in the past few years. We were missing some people too. I'm just so happy to welcome new people into this wacky family and to get reacquanted with others who've been her awhile. I just don't like the clean-up afterwards. Where are my helper elves when I need them?

So my sister Christy gave everyone a Million-Dollar bill as her gift (they were fake). People got such a kick out of them and Tucker ended up with like $5 million I think. If only......

I'm so thankful for so many things. I have a great family, my health, a home, a job, etc. This Christmas was a great one and I appreciate all that I was given and thank everyone. Christmas has now come and gone, and now we begin a new year. I hope it is full of fun and adventure, and all good things for me & my family. I love you all and wish you a very Merry Holiday and an even better and joyous New Year!!!

WHaT I'M thAnkFuL fOr.....

2009-11-26T21:03:00.000-08:00

I can't believe that another year has gone by and it's Thanksgiving again. There are so many things that I am thankful for in my life. My number one: my family. They are always there for me, supporting me, loving me. What would I do without them?? I'm also thankful for my health, my home, my friends, a job, movies & music, hugs & kisses, and ice cream (ha ha).

Just like every other year we had many come to dinner. I think we ended up with around 23 people that came for dinner and a few more for dessert. We stuffed ourselves with turkey, stuffing, potatoes, ham, yams, green beans, vegetables, and jello (not me...its gross). Then we ate even more when we had pie for dessert....all my favorites.....pumpkin, pecan, caramel apple, chocolate cream, and cheesecake. I love having family here but I sure do hate the clean-up.

For some reason (I'm mean) I like to get pics of people while they're trying to eat. There's something to be said about a picture with a fork in your mouth or food on your face. I just like catching people unaware and putting the pic on the internet.

Little Cathan loved the pie. Grandma Gayla couldn't feed him fast enough.

The little kiddies had a lot of fun running around and playing on the stairs with Uncle Josh. The stairs became a new toy to them. After all of their fun they were so tired they needed a rest on the floor.

Seeing Thanksgiving come and go is kind of bittersweet for me. I love this Holiday so much and look forward to it. But then all of a sudden its over and we quickly move on to the next holiday. I just wish we could spend more time on the things we're thankful for. And spend less time at the stores.

HaLLowEeN cAmE & WenT!!

2009-11-01T19:54:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year again, the time where we can dress like freaks and its okay with society. I actually love Halloween for that reason. I love any reason to dress up in a totally random character and be that person for one night. I couldn't narrow it down to one costume this year so I had a costume change half-way through the events. I rented a costume for Halloween night but in the meantime I had another costume....as the devil. On Friday night before Halloween I was invited to Jamie & Taime's place for a party. So I donned my Devil-Lady costume and off I went....

I met up with my Zombie-brother Kelly where he got a little "close" with someone at the party. I think they make a great couple and I heard it could be serious.

I put on my costume for work on Saturday morning. When I got home to prepare for the next party, I met up with a tame kitty that I like to call Mom.

Ryker was our first Trick-or-Treater of the night. He came as a cute Train Engineer. He just liked all the candy that was put in his Thomas the Tank bucket. Then all kinds of people showed up....we had Vampires, bunnies, monkeys, clowns, and pirates. We don't discriminate at our house...everyone is welcome!!

Candace the Pirate-Godess!

I changed into my Bat-Girl costume when the party started. I have never worn a "real" costume before so I was excited to be a Super-Hero for one night. I was a little self-conscious of showing a tiny bit of skin(my arms) but no one knew it was me anyway...Duh, I was Bat-Girl!!!

Cupcakes I made with body parts.They were yummy...I heard.

All my buds!

This is the pics of the A-Team. We can take on the world with our unique abilities. We can control all things Bat, Redneck, Vampire, and Train. Who else in the world can offer that in one crew??

I love spending this crazy night with my family eating yummy food and treats. Such great times!!

IT'S PUMPKIN TIME!!!!!

2009-10-27T21:36:00.000-07:00

Do you know what the best thing to do is on a cold and snowy night a few nights before Halloween?

You need to make a big ol' pot of homemade chili to heat you from the inside out to start then carve a few pumpkins. Since it was so dreary outside, my mom and I decided that tonight was THE night. We cleared the table off and let the carving begin. I am not a, shall we say, creative type person. So instead of making my pumpkin cool or scary...I made it cute! I carved flowers and polka dots. What can I say, I'm such a girl. To make matters worse I pulled out the paint and made it colorful too. My mom knew what she wanted but couldn't carve her pumpkin so I did hers for her. They both turned out pretty cute if I do say so myself.

We are not the most artistic or talented of pumpkin carvers, but I had a great time spending time with my mom and that's what makes it a great memory to share.

Ryan & Janette's Wedding!

2009-10-10T19:09:00.000-07:00

My nephew Ryan married his beautiful Janette last night. They went through the temple that morning and had a luncheon at their church that afternoon. The reception was at a place in Sandy called Noah's. They reserved the large baquet hall and it was so beautiful. They served a mexican feast and authentic mexican drinks (YUM!). After dinner the dancing began.

Ryan & Janette started the festivites off by groovin' on the dance floor. Then they grabbed their parents for a dance. And took turns dancing with their new in-laws.

The floor was then open for anyone to dance. Cassidy, Julie, and Tucker headed for the floor to "Get Down". Cass took Ryker out to dance and he didn't know what to think, but he did it. I eventually headed out to the dance floor to dance with my two best guys....Tucker and Ryker. Let me just say one thing: I DO NOT DANCE! I have zero rhythm and make a fool of myself but I had so much fun dancing with everyone. I danced with my cool nephew Jared, with Cassidy, with Candace, and Joni even got my mom out there for the Macarena. The dancing went on until late in to the night.

In the Mexican tradition they do this dance where the bride & groom stand on chairs, join hands, and make an arch. Then all the women in the room take their shoes off (better traction), grab hands, and dance around the whole room and under Ryan & Janette's arms. It got really crazy when it was the guys turn. They got faster & faster going around the room. Chairs were overturned, and people had to hold on to Ryan & Janette so they wouldn't fall. But it was so much fun to be a part of and learn about their traditions.

Another tradition they did was when people pin money to the bride and groom for a dance. It was so cool to see all the money pinned on them as they danced around the room with the people who love them. My favorite was watching Ryan dance with his guy friends.

Ryan & Chelsea took me up to the top floor of the reception center. The cool thing aboutNoah's is that its a center that can have multiple uses. It has a requetball court, karaoke, a movie screening room, 2 billiard rooms, and an ice skating rink on the roof. Chelsea liked the billiard table ('nuff said).

This was the funnest wedding. I had such a great time and loved dancing with my family and taking pictures of everyone. But most of all, I am so happy for Ryan and Janette. We are so excited to welcome her in to the family with open arms. Congratulations to them and best wishes for a wonderful future.

Can Anyone Say CORN MAZE????

2009-10-07T20:28:00.001-07:00

You know what is so great about fall coming on? Not the cold weather and not the getting dark really really early, but the fun of a good old CORN MAZE!!! We decided that we were tired of doing the same old boring stuff and thought a corn maze would be a fun adventure (thanks for the great suggestion Taime). So me,Tucker, Cassidy, Kelly, Jamie, and Taime trecked all the way to the land of Syracuse to see what we could do for some fun.

When we got there they had this cardboard cut-out of Jason and some of the group thought it would be fun to get "attacked".........guess they're into that kind of thing.

Side Note: I made them do it!

We decided to start on a journey into the maze and see where it would lead us. We started in one maze and our goal was to make it to the bridge that connected to a second maze. We made it (eventually) after many wrong turn, circles, and dead ends. We crossed the bridge and entered into the "Edward" Maze ( I will explain below) and tried to find the exit. After wandering for what seemed like many many hours (20 mins.), we found out that the exit was back on the OTHER side of the bridge. How were we supposed to know that I say???

We finally made it out after about an hour and a half. We Survived!!!!!!! What was cool about this maze was that it was cut into the heads of the guys from Twilight.

That's Right!

We walked around in Edward Cullen & Jacob Black's heads. Jealous??? (jk)

Outside of the maze they had all these cool home-made slides made from haystacks and tubing. Once again I watched everyone do it while I sat on the sidelines and took pictures with which to blackmail them.

It's what I do best!!

I loved watching the sun set over the corn stalks. It's so beautiful and majestic. But my favorite part of it all was who I spent the time with. I love getting a group together and having fun. We worked as a team to get out of the maze and had a great time doing it. My family is the best!!

Me with Tucker, Kelly, and Cassidy

Family Pictures!

2009-10-01T20:27:00.000-07:00

So here's some pictures from our Haacke family picture day. The day actually turned out to be a dreary, cloudy, rainy day. I was so worried about how the pics would turn out. I think they turned out pretty good. This was the first time we've had almost everyone in one place in 7 years. We were still missing a few people but we had most everyone present.

Check them out:
All 12 children

Cute pics of Mom & Dad

Group photo of everyone

The way our family REALLY is...Wacky!

Girls vs. Boys

(Majority rules with the girls)

2009-09-26T19:53:00.001-07:00

My nephew Ryan is getting married to the cutest girl!!! To welcome Janette to the family we decided to throw her a bridal shower. I found out that her colors for the wedding were going to be purple, black, & silver.....and I went a little over-board with my color scheme for the shower. I seem to pick a theme and then go wild, I'm crazy like that. My first idea was one I heard from my sister & I decided it sounded like a fun and unique idea. I went out and found some cute scrapbook paper and made a wedding cake out of pieces of paper folded into pie shaped pieces. You then fill them up with candies and at the end of the shower they can be your party favor to hand out. It turns out pretty cute but Ihave to say it was a lot of work.

Check it out:

My next order of business were the invites which I did in the same colors. In a funny twist of fate they were similar to the actual wedding invitations. I then decided that I wanted to have a dessert party, no food, except yummy fattening goodies. I called in the troops and sent out my orders for the best desserts. We had mini cheesecakes, dessert pizza, macaroons, and eclairs. I pulled out my chocolate fountain and we had a chocolate "bar" of treats to dip (pretzels, marshmallows, graham crackers, fruit, and gummi bears). Last but not least we had sherbet served in the peels of real fruit. For example, we had coconut sherbet in a coconut shell. Can you say delicious?????

As we were eating Joni received a "pretend" phone call from the bakery who was making Janette's cake. Joni had to tell her that they could no longer make her cake and that she was going to have to do it herself. So in front of everyone, and with no recipe, Janette had to "create" a cake. It was really funny to see her add ingredients from scratch. Then we had her set the oven, time it, and decorate the cake. She added frosting and a bride & groom of Anakin Skywalker & Padme. The cake was only about an 2 inches thick and had very little taste but it was a lot of fun.

We then opened all the gifts and the best part was seeing Janette get embarassed and start blushing when she got a few "sexy" presents.

We gave everyone the opportunity to write down why they would want to be a part of our crazy wacky family. We got all kinds of reasons: some serious, some sweet, and some downright funny. Whenever she needs a reminder she can pull those cards out and read how crazy & silly we really are.

I am so excited for Ryan & Janette. I wish them love and best wishes as they start their life together. We are so excited to welcome her into our very large but very loving family. Congratulations!!!!

FaMiLY piCtURe dAy!!!

2009-09-13T20:48:00.000-07:00

So I had this crazy idea that we needed to get the family together and have a new family picture made. My idea was great, but I never realized how much work it would end up being. That's the problem with having an immediate family that adds up to around 50+ people I guess. So I planned for September because I knew Sarah & her kids would be in Utah. Picking the date was hard because what day is there that everyone can come? So with my friend Heather giving me the idea to do it on a Sunday (no one had work), the date was set. Next on the list: photographer. Who knew there we photographers out there who didn't work with large groups over 12? Apparently the answer is: everyone I contacted. So I finally found a girl that actually lived 4 houses away and she said YES. Hooray!

The final step: find a park to have pictures taken. Once again, who knew how hard it could be. Once again.....very hard to find a park available or that would fit that many people. After weeks, lots of phone calls, and many location changes we decided to head to Barnes Park in Kaysville.

I thought all my stress was coming to an end, but when I woke up on "the day" I looked outside to see the dreary cloudy weather. Let's just say I said a few choice words, flicked the weather channel on, and stressed till I got a stomache ache. I finally decided that there was nothing I could do so I said to myself, "Suck it up, put on your big girl panties, and get over it." The overcast day actually turned out ok and pics were taken.....the world did not end. And we moved on to what we do best......eating. It was a great day spent with family and that made all the stress worth it. Thanks everyone!!! All the family

Cute little kids!
Jamie being silly!
Me & Tucker "cheesin" it!

(More pics to come soon)

GiRLs nIgHT OuT!!!

2009-09-10T20:27:00.001-07:00

I just wanted to write a little memo about the fun time I had last night. I decided that with all the stress caused by life, work, and kids that us girls needed a break. So for Candace & Julie's birthday gift I bought tickets for us to go see a play. We left the kids at home and Candace, Julie, Jana and I left for our

"GIRLS NIGHT OUT"

(said in a powerful voice with an echo).

We decided that we had to eat before the show so we went to Mimi's Cafe, which none of us had ever been. It was very yummy!! I left the diet behind and ate some good old food. Soon it was time for the show to begin so we headed over to Desert Star Playhouse to see SNOOTY & THE BEAST.

I love the plays at Desert Star because they are so funny. They always change the name of the play and "tweek" the storyline to make it hilarious. They usually make it modern and add little jabs at "Utahn" slang or way of life. I laughed my butt off. It seems like they try to make each other laugh on stage. Besides the humor the actors are really talented.They come out after the play and do a little singing bit. If you ever get the chance you should go and see one of their plays just for the experience.

I had a great time with my sisters & niece/best friend. I highly recommend that we make "Girls Night Out" a more common occurence just so we can leave the stress behind and have a night of hilarity. There's nothing better than laughter.

A dAy At thE ZoO!!!

2009-08-10T20:20:00.000-07:00

So we got the crew together and went to the zoo. Many of us had not been in years so we were excited to see all the changes and new animals. I came with Jana & Torie where we met Brett, Candace, and Ryker-Bean. Then Kelly came with his cute girls, Alyssa and Lara. Soon Jamie & Taime were there as well. I love getting a group of people together for a day of fun.

Animals here we come......
I had heard they had some new baby animals at the zoo. The baby giraffe was only 11 days old and so dang cute. We also saw a baby white leopard that I wanted to bring home. The zoo is expecting a new baby elephant any day and its a big deal because they haven't had a baby elephant in years & years. I was a little disapointed because they got rid of a few animals, like the polar bears, lions, and hippos. Sad!
So our wild & crazy group more than made up for all the empty cages we saw. My brother Jamie is so funny and I can just say, "Go climb in that tortoise shell." And he will!!!! Or "Go pose on that statue." And he will!!!! He always makes me laugh.
Ryker loved all the animals! I think we all had just as much fun watching this "little animal" as we did the actual ones. He's so animated all the time, which is so cute.
Candace begged me to get her picture taken with the hairy man. I was like "okay, whatever." I think she had a crush on him, I say...let's not ask questions. (jk Candace) All in all, it was a great day!

LiFE iS An ADveNtURe!!!!

2009-08-05T17:51:00.000-07:00

Last weekend my sister and her family invited me to go to their cabin. I wasn't sure I was going to be able to go because of work but at the last minute I found someone to work for me. We left Friday night for our weekend in the wilderness. We got to the cabin around 10:00 pm and went to bed soon after for our early morning hike. I was excited for it since it was dark when we arrived and I would get to see nature at its best and see the sun come up for the day.
So we got up around 6:15 am the next morning and set out on our hike. The pics above show how pretty it was there. No signs of other people for miles and miles. It was so quiet but that's what I liked about it. We hiked up the mountain with Rick navigating and looking for signs of animals. As we were hiking we heard a bull elk calling out to warn others that we were coming. It sounded so close to us. We hiked for a little while longer, stopped to rest,and headed back to the cabin for a hearty breakfast. Yum!!!!
After breakfast we decided to go out on the 4-wheelers. Let me just say that I have never in my life been on one so I was kind of nervous in the beginning. Cassidy promised me that she wouldn't "get me dead" and I believed her. So we set off to Bug Lake. The video below shows me on the 4-wheeler behind Cass and we come upon Tucker who has stopped in the middle of the road. You can hear my un-ladylike scream in the background as she swerves around him.

I was so amazed at how confidant Cass & Tucker were on the 4-wheelers. They we like mini Evil-Kneivels on them. They were standing up and peeling out. They would do swerves on the rocks (which scared me to death the fist time). I was very impressed with them because even though they were having fun they were safe. I think they slowed down just for me. But I am the first person to admit I am a wuss/scaredy-cat and the slower the better for me.

When we reached Bug Lake Rick asked if I wanted to learn to drive. I was very unsure and was going to totally wuss out. I had zero confidance that I could actually do it. But I think my family knows me well and encouraged me to try. So I tried it.......and loved it!!!!!! Like I said above, I like to go slow. I think the kids learned this as I went on many rides with them and was always the last to arrive. They would tease me and say, "We've been waiting here for hours." I never dared to go above 25 mph. My philosophy is this: No thanks,I choose life!!!!
Over that day and the next I made Cass & Tucker go on many rides with me. I even got to take out my own 4-wheeler. Tucker liked to ride up ahead and hide from me in the brush. I could never find him. He was a pro. This kid is the best! I had the best time hanging out with him. He is always so silly and kind. He always encourages me to try things and tells me to have more confidance in myself. He makes me laugh and I am so thankful to have him in my life.

Thanks for the fun weekend Tuck!

I love my niece Cassidy. She is the sweetest girl! She always makes me laugh with her silly antics. As you can see in the pics she always has to pose when I'm taking her picture. I can't believe how grown up she seems! I love having talks with her about girl stuff and love that she is my friend as well as my niece. You're the best in the world Cass!

The kids took me up the mountain to see a great view of Bear Lake. We had to go up a steep hill with trenches down one side. Cass was patient with me going up, going very very slow. At the top is the prettiest view of all the mountains and Bear Lake. I made the kids pose for a pic with me so I can always remember these moments they share with me.
I scared myself to death on the way down. I started going into a trench down the side but as I went to apply my brakes I accidentally pressed on the accelerator. I ended up going right into the ditch. I made the mistake of putting my leg down on the ground to stop myself (rookie mistake). I thought for a second that I had broken my leg. Luckily I got out of the ditch in one piece and my leg is only slightly sore. I think I scared myself more than anything. I didn't let it hinder me and rode the 4-wheeler on back to the cabin. I could seriously see getting addicted to 4-wheeling. I had a great time. Besides riding all over the land we also had a lot of fun at the cabin. Rick taught me to shoot a bow & arrow. I was very surprised to find that I actually hit the target on my first try. That was a big moment for me (jk). We sat around and played a bunch of fun games, watched dvd's, and goofed off. But what I liked best was that we didn't watch the time & we didn't have a schedule, we just relaxed, ate good food, and had a lot of fun. I hope they invite me back another time because I had a great time with Rick,Julie,Cassidy, and Tucker. Thanks for the great memories!!!

Summer-Summer-Time!!!

2009-07-26T11:35:00.001-07:00

I have had the great privilige to be around to enjoy a few summer festivities thus far. I think that summer may be my favorite season for many reasons. I love the weather(HEAT!!!!), I love the sun, I love being outside, I love playing in the water, and most of all I love sharing fun times with people I love. I'm so glad I get to spend time with my family!!! Here's a few pics of some of our Summertime fun!!!

We went to Gateway mall and ran around in the fountains (above). Halle & Ryker seemed to like them. It was fun to see their faces when the water came up and surprised them. (Note: there will be no pics of me in swimming gear posted for anyone to see). They had just as much fun going up & down the stairs (below). They are both getting so big.

We have spent a few days at the pool so far this summer. Halle & Ryker seem to love swimming. Their favorite thing is to jump off the side of the pool into someone's arms. They're just so confidant that someone will be there to catch them. In the times we have been swimming we have had Heather's sister & nephews, Jana & Torie, and Cassidy & Tucker come with us. I think everyone has enjoyed the pool and had a good time...minus the sun burns!!!

In between swimming days we celebrated the 4th of July (see blog from before). That was a fun day at my sisters where we stuffed ourselves with goodies, watched the "Culd-a-sac of Fire!", and generally picked on each other. Good times!!!

The next great event to come up was Pioneer Day (its a Utah thing).We celebrate this with a large parade on Main Street. People go crazy setting up their chairs the day before and sitting in the heat for hours. We had a group of us that went that night: Grandma & Grandpa, Me, Tucker, Kelly & Kids, Jay & Tammy, Takara, Heather & Halle. We sat under a large canopy with our cooler of cold drinks and snacked on "Bird-Seed". It was a great time minus the few moments where I almost took on a lady for stealing our spot (remind me to tell you all about it). jk

All the kids loved running out into the road to catch candy, Halle liked dancing to the music, and Tucker liked all the cool cars.

After the parade we went to Grandma's house for pancake breakfast...for dinner!

The next event was a family reunion at my cousins's house. Reunions aren't really my thing because I don't really know the people I'm related to. Let's just say that its my mom's "thing". But it was fun! They had a large pool to swim in and good food. That's enough to make me happy. Here's some of the pics

(more to come).

When its all said and done...this summer has been pretty fun so far. Nothing fancy going on, no vacations, nothing but spending time with family & friends. I sometimes think that it can be more fun than anything else!

I'm sUcH a GeeK aBoUT mY PoTTeR!!!

2009-07-11T20:15:00.000-07:00

I am the ultimate geek/nerd when it comes to Harry Potter. I have been waiting forever for this movie to come out....and finally the time has arrived! Yes, I will be going opening day (no laughing please). This is the only thing I have been looking forward to this summer. Because I am so excited I am blogging about it.....since I have nothing else going on in my life. So now you must all suffer because it is my perogative to write about my "dumb" show. I have even changed my blog background for the occasion (I told you I was a geek,and well....bored!)

I can't wait till Wednesday! THE END.

AMERICA the BEAUTIFUL!!!!!

2009-07-01T17:34:00.001-07:00

So guess what time of year it is again?I can't believe that the 4th of July is here all ready. It seems like it was so recently that we celebrated this holiday. I love Indepenence Day for many reasons. My number one reason...BBQ! There's nothing in this world like a charbroiled hamburger or hot dog.Yum! Other great holiday things are parades, fireworks, flags, summer, and family. Also, its the best time to wear your good old red, white, and blue.

But the best thing about this holiday is what it represents, the reason why we celebrate. Its so awesome to live in a free country! We truly are the "Land of the Free".The United States is the only country with a known birthday. I thinks that's pretty cool. You have to love a nation that celebrates its birthday with family picnics, potato salad, and s'mores. You may think you've overeaten--- but I call it Patriotism!

God Bless America!

HaPPy FaThER's DaY!

2009-06-12T20:01:00.000-07:00

Cornell Haacke - MY DAD!

I believe that Father's Day is such a great holiday. It gives us the opportunity to thank all the fathers out there who we love. It also gives us the chance to apologize for being such bratty kids. Any man can be a father but it takes someone special to be a dad.

My dad is the biggest source of strength in my life. I remember being a little girl and perceiving him as this all-powerful, most important, funniest, strongest guy. He took care of my needs and provided for all us kids. He was there to guide me through my growing up years.

I know that I have taken him for granted in the past but I do realize what a blessing he has been to me and my family. If I searched for years & years I would never be able to find someone as hardworking, caring, or funny as him. I have so much respect for him.

My best memories of my dad are the one's where we tease each other. He has always teased me about his beloved Davis Highschool, about sports teams and players, about my driving, etc. I remember when I was little I would always ask him if I could do stuff (when mom always said NO!) He always said YES!

To this day he still teases me about the times when mom and I go shopping. Everytime we come home he asks us, "How much did you spend this time?" and we always say,"You'll never guess how much we SAVED you."

Who is the person who can always make me smile? Even when I'm mad at him? Even when he makes me cry? Even when he makes fun of me or laughs at me? He is one of the people who has always been there for me, one who has always loved, cared and provided for me. He is one of the two most important people in the world to me. Someone I LOVE with all my heart. He is my friend, my hero, but most importantly he is my.....DADDY!!

I love you dad!

Relax! I'm Just Here For The Cake!!!

2009-05-16T18:23:00.001-07:00

So my sister Jana just celebrated her 50th Birthday.Candace and I felt that we just couldn't overlook this occasion so we decided to "Welcome" Jana gently into her 50's. We made our plans on our drive home from California a few weeks ago. We knew that our first order of business would be the guest list. And the guest on the top was none other than the

Grim Reaper.

We wanted to make her a cake but went through many ideas before we settled on this one. The tombstone read: "Here Lies Jana's Youth". We felt it was perfect. At it was a fun opportunity to be Martha Stewart.

We thought it only fitting that she be welcomed home with her own graveyard.
Mr. Reaper followed her around for a while but quit when he wanted some cake. He has his priorities you know.

Jana was adorned with her very own "Mrs. Half A Century" Sash and Tiara. She wore them with pride.......or because we made her. We posted signs up throughout the house. Some read: If you were a car you'd be an Antique, What doesn't Hurt must not Work, Over the Hill: It's all down hill from here, and Old as Dirt! (To name a few)We ate a fabulous dinner of pizza and salad but soon moved onto more important things like presents and cake & ice cream. Candace gave her a cool digital key chain full of pics of her grandkids and kids, and she got a gift card to Texas Roadhouse. Then she settled in to feed the grandkiddies the good stuff: Ice Cream.

I think my sister Jana is great. She is so funny and kind. We may have teased her about her age with this party but we mainly did it because we want her to know that we love her and want her to have many more birthdays....

we can't wait till she turns 60!!!!

LOVE * KINDNESS * CARING

2009-05-04T14:39:00.000-07:00

Joyce Haacke...My Mom!

I just want to take a minute to write something about my mom for Mother's Day. The occasion for Mother's Day is extraordinary to all of us. It's a time to love, kiss, and hug the most precious creation--our mom!!!!

I want my mom to know that I love her so much. That I appreciated knowing that her arms were always open when I needed a hug. That her heart understood when I needed a friend. That her eyes were stern when I needed a lesson. And her strength and love has guided me through my life. I think we are all greatly influenced by our mothers. I know that my mom remains a great source of inspiration for all of us. I think we all grow better in SUNSHINE & LOVE!

My mom is the most splendid woman I have ever known. I have met many people in my life,but none who are more refined than her. All that I am or ever hope to be I owe to my mother. She is my friend, my confidante, my cooking companion, my fellow bargain shopper, and my biggest fan. I am so thankful to have her in my life, she deserves the highest honor that I can give.

I love you mom!!!!!

"Mother's hold their children's hands for a short while, but hold their hearts forever."

If It'S nOt FuN, You'Re NoT doINg iT RiGHt!!!

2009-04-13T21:28:00.001-07:00

Spring Is Nature's Way Of Saying

"Let's Party!"

Easter Sunday is always a fun day at Grandma's house. There is yummy food to eat, Easter bags to decorate, Easter egg hunts, Easter egg "decorating" contest and, best of all, family to share it with. I love any day where family comes over and we visit and play.

The little kids enjoyed an Easter egg hunt in the backyard. I think Joey and Ryker benefited the most, but the adults had a good time too....picking on each other. Then the "decorating" contest began. Who knew that such a simple contest could cause such competitiveness in all of us? Candace and I had been brainstorming ideas for a week because we were determined to win. We went through many different ideas (Twilight, Harry Potter, Narnia, etc.). But when the time came we decided to go with The Wizard of Oz. We had fun deciding how to decorate them, making her ruby shoes and the tin man out of tin foil....

Josh made Bert & Ernie using jelly beans for noses.

Joni made "Egg-ton John" and his piano.

Pretty flashy!

Tucker made Albert Einstein and Ozzy Ozbourne. Don't ask me how he came it with those particular two people, but it was funny nonetheless.

In the end, Brett and Kelly "judged" and decided that Bert & Ernie deserved 1st place ($5.00 prize) and Candace and I got 2nd place. We each won $2.00 in an egg. Oh, yeah!!!!

So the moral of my Easter day tale is......

"LIVE & WORK BUT DO NOT FORGET TO PLAY, TO HAVE FUN IN LIFE & REALLY ENJOY IT."

CASSIDY IS TURNING 15...CAN YOU BELIEVE IT????

2009-04-05T20:58:00.000-07:00

CaSSi-WaSSi-DoodLE

All-ThE-DAy!!!!!

My niece Cassidy was born on April 7th. I remember the day she was born and going to the hospital to see her and hold her. I remember thinking that she was so small, cute, and sweet. I loved the days we got to babysit her and we would have so much fun teaching her big words like rhinoceros, Czechoslovakia, and so on. She would constantly entertain us with her silly antics and drama. I had no idea that she would grow into the beautiful girl that she is now.......

Through the years Cassi would keep us laughing with her cute personality. She would talk to anyone (literally), dance, sing, pose, and say "my name is Cassi-D!" I loved watching her grow tall and into a young woman. I loved the days when I got to babysit her and we would make up funny names for ourselves, go shopping, or watch movies. She has always been an adventurous girl who will try anything or do anything goofy. Cassidy's confidence and outgoing personality are one of my favorite things about her!!

I love that she is not only my niece but my FRIEND!!!!! I know that I can always talk to her about anything. I love that we can go and do fun things like concerts, movies, shopping, and just hanging out. Some of the best days I have are spent with her and Tucker. I only hope that she will continue to value our time together as much as I do.

I hope she knows how much I love her and treasure her. She is so sweet, smart, & funny and I laugh so much when I'm with her. She truly has been a blessing in my life.

Love Ya, Babe!!!!!!!

A DAY IN THE PARK WITH BEAN!!!!!

2009-03-19T17:38:00.000-07:00

Today I got to spend the day at the park with Ryker and Candace. We took a loaf of bread and fed the ducks and geese. Ryker just laughed at all the greedy birds. But I will admit that as they got closer and closer, they made me nervous. We managed to get most of the birds to come over to us.

Ryker had so much fun running around,watching doggies, and being silly. This kid never fails to make me laugh. I love that I get to see him more now that they are back in Utah. I love to spend time with my friend Candace. Even when we spend the day relaxing on a sunny day at the park. I love lazy days!!!!

LeT's bE GReeN!!!!!

2009-03-17T21:21:00.000-07:00

There are two kinds of people in this world:

The Irish and those who wish they were!

St. Patrick's Day always seems to be a big deal at our house. We always make the typical "corn beef and cabbage" dinner and invite family over. Here's some pics of the cute kids that came to enjoy our
GREEN DAY!!!

Halle is so sweet and cute, always smiling and funny. Ryker is a little character and so smart. He loves to sit and stare at the fish in the tank. I think babies are so fascinated at this age with all things. It is so cute to hear them talk to each other in their "baby talk" that only they understand. They also have the best moms around to teach them cool stuff. Lucky kids!!!

Cassi and Tucker....what Dorks!!! But they are my Dorks and I love them!!!! I can always count on them to make me laugh. These pictures are typical for them. They are also the sweetest kids ever! I'm so lucky to have all these wonderful people in my life.

A best friend is like a four leaf clover,

hard to find and lucky to have!

EVERYONE MEET MY FRIEND T-MAN!!!!

2009-02-09T17:50:00.000-08:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY BEST BUDDY TUCKER!!!!!!

My nephew Tucker was born on February 11, 1998. From the first time I held him in the hospital I knew that he would have a profound effect on my life.

I babysat him from the time he was a tiny baby and he was such a little chunk that I called him my "Buddha Baby". To this day I still call him that (sometimes). I loved the days I got to watch him because I knew he would make me laugh and give me hugs. My favorite time was nap time because we would go lay on my bed and he would look up at me with his cute brown eyes. You don't know how many times he gave me the "sad eyes" and I let him get away with something.

To this day we are so close. I don't care how old he gets, I want him to be friend forever. My favorite times are when I spend time with him and his cute sister Cassidy (don't worry Cass, you'll get your tribute in April). Whether we just hang out, go shopping, goof off, make jokes, or play the Wii (Tuck and I like to compete against each other).

I want him to know that I think he is the coolest, kindest, goofiest, smartest, funniest kid I know!!!

He makes me laugh like no other. I have been truly blessed to have him in my life. And I hope he always knows that I've got his back and will love him unconditionally.

I love you Kid!!!!!!!

FaMiLy bY BLooD....FRieNdS bY CHoiCE!!!

2009-01-20T19:22:00.000-08:00

This is my friend Candace!!!

She is my best friend and niece!!! (I give her no choice). We have so many things in common its not funny. I have never met anyone yet who can read my mind like she can. We always joke that we think the same things at the same time but she just says them faster than I can. There is no movie quote that we can't say to each other without some memory about it to make us laugh. We could probably talk for hours about nothing (literally). I miss her so much now that she lives in California but I think we are closer than ever sometimes. No one talks on the phone more than us. I have so many fun memories from over the years that I would have no room to write (usually at someone else's expense), but just know that there are some good ones. She's a great person and I just wanted to tell her that I think she is awesome!!!!

Candace and I sporting country

western wear for the masses

This picture

describes us

to a "T".

(Cheesing it up)

Shhhhh......We only

tried to break in that

one time

Just know that these pics were taken years ago and cannot be held against us now!!!!

We MaKe tHIs LoOk gOOd!!!!

2009-01-18T19:47:00.000-08:00

My family and I had an eventful New Year's Eve...if you call stuffing our faces with food and playing board games an eventful night. The great thing about my family is that we can make anything a good time. We played the game "Would you Rather....". The game called for us to hold a pickle under our nose for 2 minutes without touching it. (Sadly we were not creative enough to come up with this idea all on our own.) This was followed by my brother Kelly acting out any name or action we called out. I called out "dance like Tina Turner", which he did with a little too much pleasure. Jamie also let us draw a mustache on his face and wore it for the rest of the game. It was fun had by all I think!!!!

A little useless information about me!

2009-01-06T19:05:00.000-08:00

Things On My To Do List (not in any particular order):
1. Travel the World
2. Get a better Job
3. Buy a home
4. Get married & have a family
5. Lose weight

5 Favorite Snacks:
1. Chips and Dip
2. Sweet-Tarts
3. Beef Jerky
4. Pop (Pepsi, Sunkist)
5. Anything Salty

5 Jobs I've Had:
1. Perfect Party
2. Gordon's CopyPrint
3. Super Target
4. Janitor (for like 2 days)
5. Babysitter

5 Things I Would Do With A Million Dollars:
1. I'd buy me a modest home that's ready to move that's fully decorated just the way I like it!
2. I'd pay off all the bills for any family members that I like and deserve it. Pay off their mortgage or student loans. Maybe buy some a new car.
3. Buy my mom a maid service to clean out her basement and keep the place clean forever.
4. Get a personal trainer to motivate me and harass me to lose weight. Trust me when I say that it is literally the only way it would work.
5. Travel the world and bring my loved one's with me. Ya'll better be nice to me if you wan't to come.

5 Things that made me laugh this week:
1. Candace! That girl is hilarious. We can quote movie one-liners at anytime or any place.
2. Justin Timberlake as "the dancers" on SNL. It is truly the funniest skit.
3. My brother Jamie and I harassing our brother Kelly on his myspace page
4. Playing board games on New Year's Eve. Would you Rather....game is way fun and I highly recommend to anyone.
5. My brother's Tracy and Kelly and I making fun of Batman and the wayhe talks in Dark Knight. Not funny to anyone but us! He just sounds so fake and dumb.

The Birthday Girls!!!

2009-01-06T15:52:00.000-08:00

I can remember the day that my niece Torie was born. On my 14th birthday I sat at home alone waiting to hear the news. Around 10:00pm I got the call. Torie Mariah Gull was born and I always knew I would share something with that sweet little girl. Having the same birthday we shared parties and a bond. To this day if we do something or say something that we both do then we say "it must be a birthday thing". I love Torie so much, she's my 1st shared birthday gift. Then this last January we welcomed another girl to our club when Halle Savage was born. She's Torie's niece and my great-niece. She's such a beautiful little girl, always smiling and never sitting still. I love my birthday girls and love that we have a birthday that we can share. I hope that we will always choose to be in each other's lives this time of year. Love ya girls!!!

Aunt Steph and Ryker

2008-11-25T17:39:00.000-08:00