True miracles...

“Love works in miracles every day: such as weakening the strong, and strengthening the weak; making fools of the wise, and wise men of fools; favouring the passions, destroying reason, and in a word, turning everything topsy-turvy.”
Marguerite De Valois
Working in the NICU has made me a bit of a fool...The last two days I had the privilege of taking care of a true miracle. I love having a new perspective on life, and my career. I am blessed...

BACK to school...

For both of us...

A WICKED Day 5...

DAY FIVE... WOW! What a great end to a fun spring break. We went to see Wicked. LOVED it!
Wicked is about a land where animals talk and strive to be treated like first-class citizens, Munchkinlanders seek the comfort of middle-class stability, and the Tin Man becomes a victim of domestic violence. And then there is the little green-skinned girl named Elphaba, who will grow up to become the infamous Wicked Witch of the West, a smart, prickly, and misunderstood creature who challenges all our preconceived notions about the nature of good and evil. I posted a few fave quotes in my words of wisdom.
Wicked was by far the BEST play I have ever seen. Totally appropriate for kids [ 4 and up] and the grown-ups loved it. I highly recommend seeing it. If you need someone to go with, I want to go again;) We loved it so much, we are thinking of planning a trip to L.A. to see it again.

We had great seats...The 2 1/2 hours FLEW by...

WE LOVE WICKED!

We are blessed to have had such a great weekend. Thanks for everything mom! Thank you Dad for watching D3{"dearest Momsie and Popsical"}. Sam and Sybelle for watching tink. And last but not least, LISA for having an "in" and getting us such great tickets!

Spring Break...Day 4

Off to Salt Lake City...

First stop.

If you have never eaten at Moochie's, it is an absolute MUST! These cheesesteak sandwiches are close to the real deal.

Then we were off to ...

WE PLAYED IN THE OCEAN...

Under the Sea 3D transported us to some of the most exotic and isolated undersea locations on Earth. Allowing us to experience face-to-face encounters with some of the most mysterious and stunning creatures of the sea.

I would pay to see it again if given the chance.

Ashlyn forecasted the weather...

Walked on the moon...

Went to mars...apparently turned into an alien;D

Went swimming at the Hilton . Ashlyn loves to swim. She could care less that we did not go to San Diego for spring break as planned. She loved our trip to SLC just as much... They have swimming pools in the hotels. That is what matters the most to our little fishy!

After swimming for a few hours we went to eat...

Great gourmet burgers. Fun modern place.

I loved that we did things out of our "norm".

After dinner we picked up dessert at PF Chang's{great wall of chocolate- yum!} went back to the hotel, dived into dessert then, dived into the POOL again!
Great Spring Break day 4!!!

Spring BREAK...Day 3!

CLEANING!

Hey...It can't be all fun ;p
Notice...no toys on the floor! Yippee!
Getting ready for a yard sale or D.I. One of the two.


Forecast

Today
Mostly Cloudy
High 57°
Low 38°

Tomorrow
Partly Sunny
High 60°
Low 42°

Sunday
Mostly Sunny
High 67°
Low 46°

Monday
Mostly Sunny
High 72°
Low 49°

Tuesday
Mostly Sunny
High 76°
Low 50

76*. Can you believe it? Too bad it is one week late...

SpRinG BrEAk...Day 2

What a great day...despite waking up to 8" of snow.

Welcome to "SPRING" in good ol' Utah.

I think this photo says it all. One half winter one half spring.

{this photo was taken in snowless Sandy}

We started our day at the Living Planet Aquarium in Sandy. The girls had a great time...

{what a cute group of girls}

After soaking themselves in the Stingray pond...

We HAD to get new shirts at the new Nordstrom Rack.

After our unexpected shopping trip, we attempted to go to lunch at the Mayan...No such luck.

Closed for lunch.

We headed to T.G.I.Fridays. Had fun & ate way too much!

After lunch, we ended our day at Jordan Commons megaplex...

Great movie!

{a little more violent than i expected}

We had another great day with our great friends!

Bring on Spring break days 3-5, and the sun that has been promised to me :p

Enjoyin' Spring break..Day1

What to do on a miserable snowy first day of spring break?
Answer: Get pampered...
I HAD to get my haircut and Ash needed a trim, so we ended up at Season's Day spa. I have had my appointment for 4 weeks. I felt a little guilty about scheduling an appointment on the first day of spring break. However, this girl is so good you schedule around her, not vice versa. When I woke up this morning I was faced with the dilemma of... What to do with the child home from school? So, I called and got her a last minute appointment. While I was having the newest grey covered, Ash was totally pampered. She loved every minute if it. She even talked all of us into cutting bangs. This is a HUGE deal for both of us. Don't get me wrong...I love bangs on kids...just not on the kid who hates things on her face! This ought to be interesting. She feels so grown up, and now really looks 12 not 8. I finished up my with my hair, then was off to some much needed waxing when I found Ashlyn surrounded by spa workers who were trying to convince me "this girl needs more pampering". Ashlyn was really into this spa thing at this point and was asking for all kinds of treatments. So, we settled on "twinkle toes"

The pampering comes to an end...

Results....Darling twinkle toes! The result....Happy Mom...Happy Daughter!We had a great afternoon. We both look great and feel great too.

Bring on day two!

Happy Birthday Sybelle!!!

Today is my mother-in-law Sybelle's birthday. She is an amazing person. She can do it all. Ashlyn aspires to be like her....so should every girl. Sybelle is a great cook. She makes the worlds BEST freezer jam. She is famous for many items from her kitchen...All made with love.

She is very dedicated to everything she does.

We are so blessed to have her in our lives.

Thanks Sybelle for all you do!

The DiVa party...

Front row L-R -Rose, Leah.

Back row L-R- Ashley C. Nora, Alisha, Ashlyn, Ashleigh H. Sarah, Emma and Kelsey


Racks and racks of Dress-up. Real Dress-up, with real High heels. Total Pampering with Mani's and Pedi's, complete with any Color of Nail polish that Sparkled with Glitter. Ten great Friends to share it with. Fun Music. Very large Catwalk with a large wall mounted TV at the end to watch yourself on. A full blown Fashion show emceed over the Karaoke machine. Tea party complete with Pink hot cocoa & darling Cupcakes. Wonderful Gifts. Oh, to be Princess for the day.



Sometimes i wish i was eight again....

It really is a girl thing!!!!!

This sums up our day....I will post the festivities later.

Good bye sweet Gus...

{Dad Blackham and Gus}

Our sweet Uncle Gus passed on to be with is darling wife Lulie. My Sam's full name is Samuel Angus. He was named after this amazing man. We are sad for our temporary loss, but thrilled for those who have gone before.

Angus Udell Blackham

The mortal life of Angus Udell Blackham came to a peaceful conclusion on March 18, 2009, due to complications associated with Parkinson's disease.

He was a beloved husband, a devoted father, grandfather and great-grandfather, a patient teacher, a loyal friend and a valiant disciple of Christ. All who knew him were better as a result of that association. Udell (as he was known in his early years) was born April 16, 1926 to Angus L and Mary Berniece Christensen Blackham. He spent his early years in Ruth, Nevada. He married his "Sweet and Lovely," Lula Belle Bamgartner, on June 5, 1946, in the Salt Lake City Temple.

Their marriage was blessed with six children: Patricia (Merlin) Fish of American Fork, UT; Kathie (Alfred) Adams of Lindon, UT; Valerie (Douglas) Whitaker of Provo, UT; Udell (Pheobe) Blackham of Alpine, UT; Laurel (Dru) Nielson of Fairfield, CA; and Marshall (Nikki) Blackham of Houston, TX. Their posterity to date numbers 100.

After graduating from White Pine High School in Ely, NV, Angus (as he was known for the balance of his life) served in the United States Navy. He later graduated from Brigham Young University and then received his Masters and PhD in Chemistry from the University of Cincinnati. He accepted a professorship at BYU in the Chemistry department where he worked for over 40 years, specializing in the field of Organic Chemistry.

The hallmark of Gus' life was his ability to accept all and love unconditionally. Countless people were the recipients of his kindness, generosity and understanding. Two scriptural references provide an appropriate description of his character, "A [man] in whom there is no guile," and "I the Lord love him because of the integrity of his heart, and because he loveth that which is right." His affable nature especially endeared him to his children and grandchildren. He was quick with a wink and a smile, abundant with praise and possessed a delightful sense of humor. He served faithfully in many capacities in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, including his service as a Bishop and twice in the Philippines as a missionary with Lulie as his companion. Their influence is still felt there through the Livelihood Assistance Foundation, an organization they established to promote self-reliance by teaching life and employment skills.

His wife, his parents and a sister, Mary, preceded him in death. He is survived by a brother Sam (Sybelle) Blackham, a brother-in-law Lee (Maxine) Bamgartner, and his entire posterity.

Because of his love and commitment to the people of the Philippines, the family suggests, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Livelihood Assistance Foundation, 1632 S. 200 E., Orem UT 84058.

Not for the faint of heart.....

I warned you.... Pretty gross, huh? This is what we ate: Green eggs and ham with shamrock and blarney stone pancakes. Not the best looking meal.....Ash enjoyed it :/

Happy St. Patty's day!!!

Ashlyn wants you to notice her earrings!

I love to see the TEMPLE...

I'll go inside one day...

We enjoyed our tour of the Draper temple. Ashlyn loved the baptismal font. She asked if President Monson would let her be baptised in it. So sweet!

Draper Utah Temple celestial room. {Amazing chandelier}

I wanted to stay there all day....

We went with mom and dad Blackham, my sweet niece Morgan, and my new "niece" Brinda and her fiance' Danny.

We are grateful to live close to so many beautiful temples. I loved that Ashlyn was able to experience the beauty. It is a little funny though...her fave room was the brides dressing room! What a girl:) Ashlyn looks forward to doing baptisms for the dead and getting married in the temple. She wants to build a house by the Draper temple so she can see it every day!(me too) She calls it her great Grandpa Archer's temple.

Temple pics courtesy of LDS.org :)

Life is so boring.....NOT!!!!

I wish i knew what boredom was.

Bad, Bad,Bad....

I promise there will me a new post tomorrow! Life is so crazy!

All I Have To Say IS...

I am SO happy! One down six to go.....
Thanks, Mom and Dad for watching Ash so we could go together and then celebrate after.

You have GOT to be kiddin'...

Today I found MY FIRST GRAY HAIR! All i had to say was....You have got to be kidding! I am blaming it on school sucking the color right out of my head. I pulled it out and prayed that six more won't come to the funeral. Please pray for me and my hair....I think i am going to lose it! Not my hair, just my sanity!

Eight....

Here are the Rules:
1) Post rules on your blog
2) Answer the six '8' items
3) Let each person know by leaving them a comment


8 FAVORITE TV SHOWS
1. Grey's
2. Lipstick Jungle
3. American Idol
4. Lost
5. Housewives of the OC
6. Scrubs
7. Closer
8. Saving Grace



8 THINGS I DID YESTERDAY
1. Bought the wrong NCLEX book
2. Went to BYU bookstore(unsuccessfully)
3. Studied
4. Had a mild anxiety attack
5. Ate take out (thanks Sam;0)
6. Bought finishing touches for the bathroom
7. Drank a diet Mt. Dew! I know---BAD!!
8. Walked out of Great Harvest because the "kid" didn't wash after taking out the trash! EEK!


8 THINGS I LOOK FORWARD TO
1. Ashlyn's Baptism
2. Graduating
3. Days off
4. Single piece of Dove dark at the end of my day!
5. Dates with Sam
6. Sunday dinners
7. GIRLS NIGHT OUT!
8. Bedtime


8 FAVORITE RESTAURANTS
1. Tepanyaki
2. Carrabba's
3. Chili's
4. California Pizza Kitchen
5. Zupas
6. Café Rio
7. Happy Sumo



8 THINGS ON MY WISH-LIST
1. Health
2. Organization
3. Happiness
4. Cleaning lady(I stole that one..thanks Tiff, great idea)
5. To be a stay home mom
6. More hours in the day
7. Girls trip
8. School was DONE!



8 PEOPLE I TAG
1. Heather
2. Lisa
3. Natalie
4. Anne
5. Caytee
6. Sybelle
7. Marianne
8. Katie
And everyone else!!!

Bummer....

Phil Says "Six More Weeks of Winter!"
Phil's official forecast as read February 2nd, 2009 at sunrise at Gobbler's Knob:

Hear Ye Hear Ye
On Gobbler's Knob this glorious Groundhog Day, February 2nd, 2009
Punxsutawney Phil, Seer of Seers, Prognosticator of all Prognosticators
Awoke to the call of President Bill Cooper
And greeted his handlers, Ben Hughes and John Griffiths
After casting a joyful eye towards thousands of his faithful followers,
Phil proclaimed that his beloved Pittsburgh Steelers were World Champions one more time
And a bright sky above me
Showed my shadow beside me.
So 6 more weeks of winter it will be.

My Monday Must HAVE......

Crystal Light Focus. Yummy! With JUST the right amount of caffeine. I am pleased to announce I have only had 4 diet Cokes or diet Dr. Peppers since Jan. 2ND. I feel so much better!This drink is my new friend. Many of you know, I have Crohns' disease. I constantly worry about my digestive health. Soda pop makes me feel very...um, icky. I didn't make the association until I went off pop. I have often wondered if it was my Crohns'. Now I know. No pop.. No icky feeling. I can now understand what being in remission feels like. Thank you Kraft foods for this pick me up!
Now, if I could just look like the girl in the ad :)

What a GAME!!!!!!!!!

Waiting for our counter top...

Friday, we drove to Murray to pick up our new counter top, and needless to say, it wasn't ready. It was ready the day before, then it was damaged and had to be repaired. Please bear with me as this story has many layers...We were told before we left home the granite would be ready in 1 hour, so we headed north. Stopped and had a nice lunch before picking it up. When we got there it was not ready! They had only 10 minutes warning that we were coming, not the hour and a half they should have had. Big surprise. The sink was not set yet. As I walked through the shop I watched them place the pink sink holder stuff (i am sure that is the correct word) in. I also should mention I had a nightmare the night before that the sink fell out and broke in half. At this point the sink is hard to find, and I could not replace it! As you could guess I was totally freaked out about "giving it 10 min. to set" Really? A heavy under mount porcelain sink being held only by a few little dabs of pink sink holder stuff???? We were told to go to lunch (which we already had done), and come back in 10. I am anxious to see my new counter top, but it is upside down :( I could see the particle board and the bottom of my sink....I am freaked that there is not enough "pink stuff" holding the sink in. I know these are professionals, and i am the niece of the owner, and the cousin of the manager, but this did not keep them from damaging it before!!! OK, I know accidents happen, but.....I have waited too long to get this bathroom finished. I wanted it perfect! What would I do with an expensive polished under mount hole cut in a perfect 15" circle of charcoal mist granite. If the perfect 15" sink was broken? It might just take another 3 months to find another "perfect sink, faucet, and granite". Those who really know me know this is not an exaggeration! "please, just put in more "pink stuff" I never asked, I am not brave that way. It caused me a lot of stress the rest of the day. Sam kept telling me over and over, that these guys do this all the time...... Did my dream come true? Stay tuned...


We decided to drive and "find something to do". We drove up state street, turned down Williams Ave. to see Grandma and Grandpa Jaeger's old house. Then, headed back up state street where we found the beginning of the UTE parade. Parades and traffic can be a bit of a pain, so Sam quickly got out of there! (GO UTES!!!) Ash then asked if we could go to the president's house (the state capitol.) It looks a little like the WHITE house right? She is so cute!

That is the perfect thing to do while we wait! I have never been, that I remember, and it is free!

I love the front doors!It seems someone has a sense of humor.

We called this the YODA marble.

After touring the capitol, we decided to go carefully pick up the counter top. As we drove down capitol hill, we noticed we were right in the middle of the U of U parade. Oh! Help us. This entire time I am worrying about the sink falling out and breaking, and Sam is stressed about being in the parade detour. All of this made for a joyous 40 minute-yes, it took 40 min to get to Murray from down town. While stuck in the traffic, I decide to call my cousin Dustin, to ask if the counter has been sealed. He tells me," It doesn't take long, just have them do it when you get there." OK! Again, I am not brave enough to ask for what I want, just like wanting more pink stuff! I figure this allows more time for the "pink stuff" to set. I will wait. After the fun car ride we arrived still married, and anxious to see our "master piece." I stay in the car with the back door open, waiting for Sam to run in and have the sealant put on. 20 minutes later the worker found the sealant. All this time I didn't know what was going on. Too scared to see. I am imagining Sam in the shop trying to figure out how he is going to tell me that my sink is broken, then... Out he comes caring my counter top. It is still upside down and I cannot see it, but the sink is in place. Whew! The worker is a little hyper, running around sliding on ice! I am thinking it is a miracle my sink and granite made it at all in his hands. A bit of a bull in a china shop, I think. Very nice guy though! He ended up saving us later. He helps Sam place it in the back and, says he is going to get the back splash. At this point we have been sitting in the car with the back open for 25 minutes, waiting for all the pieces. He runs in and Sam follows...... 10 minutes later, Sam comes out to tell me he'd DROPPED my back splash and needs to "fix it". Are you freaking kidding me! What a day. 10 minutes later, all pieces were in the back of the pilot and yes this was 45 minutes total with the back of the car open, with all twelve dome lights on.... You guessed it, the battery was dead! What more can go wrong? Hey! It is me, a lot more could go wrong. It took another 10 min to find jumper cables. I know Mom, I should have had them in my car. OOPS! The hyper worker flew around the corner in his car, and saved the already interesting day. The car started without any trouble! YEA! That is when Sam noticed we were almost out of gas! Again, are you freaking kidding me? We can't turn the car off now, it wont start unless it charges for a while! At this point I am laughing, so hard I almost peed myself! Sam is not entertained. He is so upset that 1- the cables weren't in the car 2- I had my cell phone plugged into the car charger (I still think it was all the dome lights;) 3- we didn't fill up before now. I am sure my stress had something to do with his sour mood also! We drove in silence, making it home on fumes and a prayer. Sam's mood lifted when he saw this.........

Don't you love it!!! We had a flood a "while" back, and were forced to remodel. This is the first partially completed project. Hey, I am human. Full time nurse, full time school, full time mom, most time wife. It takes a lot of time to do these things, RIGHT??? Okay, probably not this long. At this rate I might have the rest of the house done by 2010!

Now, I just need to find a way to tell Sam that the paint isn't "quite" right!

Wish me luck!