12 days of Christmas...luckily not like the Office!

Last year I was talking with my sister and was wishing that someone would do the 12 days of Christmas to us...and this year someone is and I LOVE IT!! It is so much fun to anticipate what will come every night. And even though they aren't big things it is something fun to look forward to. It really has brightened up my days especially amongst a baby who has croup, a 4 year old who keeps bugging her brother and a 3 year old who keeps having break downs and LOVES saying NO!! I hope Santa still comes to our house this year.

So THANK YOU to whoever is doing the 12 days of Christmas to us...it is a lot of fun and is really making this Christmas special for our family. And sorry Brad keeps trying to peek!

Abby's Dance Recital

As many of you know I am not much of a girly girl and would have been consider more of a tom-boy growing up. Well as you can see below my daughter is very much a girly girl. She gets mad at me that I don't wear earings or more jewelry. She tells me when I look cute and when my outfits look good...which unfortunatley isn't that often. She asks to put make-up on everyday and has been wearing ONLY dresses for about a year now. Yes, she is a girly girl! And even though sometimes I don't get it and wonder where my tom-boy little girl is...I would have to say I actually like dance. Her recitals are so cute and I love how excited she gets to go to dance each week. I also think she looks way cute with her curled hair! So with a daughter like Abby I think that I might become a little bit more girly!

Abby before her recital...I love those curls!

During her performance...she really is one of the best in her class!

The family after the performance. Ben eating his cookie, the third kid gets lots of treats...he sure is lucky!

Truly Grateful!

Something that has been a hard lesson for me to learn in my life is letting people know how I am really feeling and what REALLY is going on in my life. For some reason I feel that if I hide everything, I can be in control. It is hard for me to open up and show some weaknesses. Due to this tenacy, I often feel alone, bitter and that nobody cares about me.

I have been shocked lately that as I have been forced to open up and let people into my life how much love and support I have recieved. And not only that but how much generosity there is in the world.

So I have finally realzied that people can't help you if they don't know what is going on. So I am grateful...for how hard it is for me to do...that I have been able to open up and let people into my life. I have never felt so much love, support and I have been truly blessed!

So this is a THANK YOU to all of you who have not only listened to me but blessed me this past year! You have changed my life and I feel truly blessed! There are little miracles happening all around me and it is through all of you that they are happening!

Happy Halloween!

I love halloween and this year was no exception. I love all the fun things that are going on. We had fun at our trunk-or-treat, trick or treating at Foothill, visiting family and just dressing up. Brad was excited to dress up this year and tried to pull off the Micheal Jackson look...I am not sure it worked and we think he might look more like Weird Al Yankovich...you be the judge!?! I have always wanted a little pumpkin baby and this year Ben was the perfect one!

Abby was the cutest cheerleader and kept asking Kathryn...former East High Cheerleader...to teach her all her moves. Also since she was a Utah Cheerleader we decided to go to the Utah game. It was a lot of fun and Abby kept trying to copy the cheerleaders. The kids did great during the game because they ate all their Halloween candy which they would have been doing anyways!

Happy Birthday David!

It is David's 3rd birthday today and he seriously is the cutest kid ever! We celebrated yesterday when Brad could be home and he just ate it up. He was so excited to have the attention on him and just smiled all day long! He has really grown up this past year as he has moved from a toddler to a little kid! He is a great kid and I love how he is sensitive, sucks his thumb-like his mom did, can play for hours in his room with trains, planes and cars and he loves to snuggle! I couldn't ask for a better little boy and I hope he knows how much I love him. Happy Birthday D-boy!!!

Discovery Toy Party!!

Discovery Toy Party!

Thursday, October 22, 7-9pm and/or

Saturday, October 24, 10am-Noon

at

Joan Creer's Home

*Educational, Durable and Engaging toys and games for ages 0-13 yrs

*Remember Christmas is just 10 weeks away!!

*Everyone is invited...Bring a Friend or Family member

I will also be doing a booth at the Farnsworth Farms Pumpkin Festival on Friday night, Oct 23 and Saturday night, Oct 24 from 5-8:30pm

This is a fun festival where they have a pumpkin patch, a hay ride, face painting, dinner, and they show a movie at dusk on a big screen! It should be a lot of fun and you can visit me!! So come everyone!!!

It is located at 11228 South 700 East in Sandy, Utah

Murder She Wrote plus Magnum P.I...Is there anything better?

I am sitting here in front of my T.V. with a big smile on my face because come on guys what is better the Murder She Wrote and Magnum P.I. in the same show??? And to top it off I have chocolate covered pretzels to snack on...yum!! Today is a going to be a great day!!

Having fun and educational!

Obviously, I am a little obesessed with Discovery toys lately. But they are a lot of fun and I especially love how they are educational. All of them have numerous functions and are teaching my children without them even knowing it. I mean I almost feel guilty I didn't have some of these while Abby grew up.

The Measure up cups are the best example. They are not only fun to stack, but they help children with pattern sequences, the animals get biggers as the cups do, the number is on each one and it also tells you where the number is on the clock. Not that the kids even notice but it is helping them be familiar with it. They are also volumtrically correct. Seriously they are cool cups and all three of my children love to play with them. Pretty Cool!

My Favorite part...Northern California

I know way too many pictures but the last 5 days were my favorite and we drove up the coast on Highway 1 and camped. The coast was gorgeous and I loved all the small towns and we ate some delicious clam chowder. The Redwoods were huge and gorgeous and then we went to Crater Lake which was very blue and beautiful.

The first night we camped at a gorgeous spot that was wooded and was on the ocean. When we told Abby we were going to California she of course thought Newport and really wanted to play in the sand and ocean. So she did, it was freezing but she loved it!!

One night because the boys left the food out we were attacked...not by a Mountain Lion but racoons! They got our marshmellows before Monty got his courage up to scare them away. Thanks Monty for sacraficing your life for us!!

Notice the deer in the back. There was a lot of wildlife. We were eating our breakfast and they walked on by.

The Redwoods were amazing and we were even able to drive through one. They really were huge and gorgeous.

This was our second camping spot...right in the middle of the forest. David was great on the trip because when he fussed we just told him to suck his thumb!! I love that thumb!

My social Abby met some new German Friends at our campspot at Crater Lake. Yes they have already sent her a postcard and really enjoyed her company! My little social butterfly!

Crater Lake was gorgeous and very, very blue.

Well our trip ended with the Utes losing to Oregon so that wasn't great but it turned out to be a fun trip and I wish I could go back!

I am a bad mom!!

Ok before you all say no you aren't....I am...I took my kids to a NFL Raiders game in OAKLAND!! I actually am debating about posting this but my husband will make me...I am such a bad mom! This was one of those moments when I am not sure how I got there and I never really thought about it before and REALLY regreted it after...I am forsure blaming this one on my husband, it was his birthday and he wanted the family together and Brad and Monty said when will we get a chance to go to a MNF game?? We didn't have much money but of course we found CHEAP tickets the day of and so I said whatever and thought it would be just like any old football game just bigger right, wrong!! This was very different and yes we were the ONLY ones not dressed up all black like we were going to kill someone and the only one with kids!! But I guess in the end it made a good story....and years from now when my kids are in gangs, swearing, smoking and they are a HUGE Raider fan we will know why!!!

Abby got her face painted as a Raider butterfly and this actually very nice guy wanted to get a picture with her! Surprisingly enough Raider Fans are very nice!!

What a great family picture I will cherish it forever!!

What are Raider games known for, Tailgating, so Brad and Monty convinced me of going hours early! Yes that is us sitting in the middle of BBQing and drinking Raider fans and we are eating our P&B sandwhiches, pringles and juice boxes. We were a sight!

Abby getting her face painted!

My Raider butterfly...anyways we didn't stay the whole game obviously...we all realized it wasn't the best place for kids...or even us...but it was definatley an adventure and just an FYI for all you out there...Don't take your kids to a Raiders game!!

Our Football Road Trip!!

After a LONG summer we were in desperate need for a vacation and so my husband suggested we go to the San Jose Utah game and then drive up the coast on Highway 1 and go to the Oregan vs Utah game the following Saturday. I have wanted to drive the coastal highway for a long time so I was in and of course Brad went for the Football games. Even though it ended up being very much a BOYS trip...we went to a Giants Baseball game and a NFL Monday Night Football game...details to come...it still was a lot of fun and I love Northern California!! Brad's brother Monty came..of course for the Football games...but he helped a lot with the kids and expenses...Thank Monty!

We did a lot on this trip and since there are A LOT of pictures I think I will do several blogs to post it all. The first stop was San Fransisco and luckily the UTES won. I didn't go to the game, stayed in the hotel with the kids. But we spent the next day in San Fran...what a great city!

It was Sunday so we decided to hit the beautiful Oakland temple. The kids loved it and and there was also a gorgeous view of San Fran!

Of course the highlight of San Fran was seeing the Golden Gate Bridge. Since Brad was little he has always loved that Bridge and had been telling the kids about it for weeks! They were excited to finally see it.

This is Monty, Brad's brother who for some crazy reason LOVES baseball...we aren't big fans. He had never seen the Giants play at AT&T park and I told him if he pays we will go so he found way cheap tickets after the game had started...because seriously people who can last a whole baseball game and we went. It was actually a beautiful stadium looking over the water. And so yes Monty is slowly brain washing our children to like baseball.

The best part was after the game all chidlren 12 and under got to run the bases and of course Monty had to help them and so we went down on the field and ran. It was pretty cool!

The last stop of the day was Pier 39 to see the Seals and have some yummy clam chowder! Even the kids liked it...it was delicous!

Discovery Toys!!

I have been waiting for 2 weeks for a new cord to my computer so I can blog about a great trip we took. Unfortunatley no cord yet so I decided to blog about my new adventure. I have become an educational consultant for Discovery toys!

I am very excited about it because Discovery has great toys, that last forever, are well priced and to top it off they are educational. I got into it because a few years ago my mom and sister bought some Discovery toys and have loved them! The kids always love to play with them and they have lasted. We have wanted to buy more and never could find someone who sells them. So I did some research and decided to join since I can earn some free toys for my kids for Christmas...and who doesn't like free toys...and I need them!

In the next month or so I will be throwing some parties so if you are reading this blog get excited because you will probably be invited! Don't roll your eyes...there is no pressure to buy but they are great toys. And if before then you are intersted on either buying some toys, coming to a party or hosting your own so you can earn free toys for Christmas just let me know. It really is a lot of fun. You can also go to my website and check out the toys and order www.discoverytoyslink.com/lauraball.

Well I hope this lasts since I am excited now but we shall see and stay tuned for some cute pictures of our U of U Football Road Trip!

I could just eat him up!!

He is so cute and I just love him!! Benjamin is 5 months old now and weighs about 14 lbs. I can't believe how fast the time flies by. He is sitting up, grabbing at things, staring at food and laughs and giggles all the time. He is the thing that keeps me going right now in my crazy life and he can always make me smile!

Boating....Love it!!

Have you ever seen a cuter baby? I know it is hard to believe but he actually doesn't mind his lifejacket even if he can't even smile in it! But one of our families favorite things to do is to go boating. The kids love just hanging out on the boat and of course I love to waterski!! It has been a great summer and we have been boating lots. We are hoping to go a few more times before the season ends but since I blew my back out last week we will see if we get on the water again!

Creer Family Reunion

We had a wonderful Creer Family Reunion this year and were able to go to Caitlin's cabin in Smith and Morehouse. We all had fun and loved playing at the river, petting the horses and riding them, going to the lake, playing games, eating yummy food, campfires, some good talks and of course nothing is better than the Creer talent night. I never knew we had so many hidden talents!! I want to thank Caitlin's family for letting us use their cabin there were many memories made!

The whole family except for Daniel (taking the picture)

The boys minus Harrison who is too big for cute pajamas.

The lonely two girls in the family...they will be good friends.

The babies....who all did well during the trip.

Abby loves to ride horses.

David of course wouldn't get on without me but once he was on he loved it. And look how beautiful the country is up there! What a great weekend!