I saw mommy kissing Santa Claus

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

(this picture was not staged...Seriously. Thanks Amy.)

Tis the Season...

My Camden at Grammy's house last week.

What we've got going and coming....

*Tiled new kitchen backsplash (finally)

*Nutcracker with extended fam

*Dinner at Aunt Phyllis' (we bought at auction last summer, it'll be AWESOME)

*put door on master bathroom (finally)

*Jack G. came over and fixed an electrical problem- what would we do without good friends!

*Cute cousin's baptism

*patched a nice hole in my livingroom wall

*new dishwasher- mine died 3 days ago and my kitchen is a WRECK!

*quick trip to Portland to pick up my brother for a visit

*cleaning appointments every morning (so grateful!!!)

*quick trip to Cheney for DVR meeting

*mutual

*Ward Dinner

*Visit teaching

*painting furniture (wait till you see!)
*birthday lunch with my girlfriends

Is Christmas coming? You'd never know with all the running we are doing around here.

Maybe I can do a little shopping this weekend. We'll see.

Merry Christmas.

Look Who's Thirty

My Birthday was on Saturday. I don't feel any different.

Besides 30 is the new 20, right?

Thanks to all the fun and generous gifts I recieved.

I'm gonna go shopping all for me, muhahahaha.

(Nat made a special gift to go on my van. Guess who's gonna take it off....)

FOR SALE:

Just a few things for sale from our office.

(NOT the baby- he's MINE.)

Finished.

GREYHOUND IS DONE.
Yup, finally. I'm sad to see the money go (little as it was the last couple of months), but the stress I won't miss. Especially since the Holidays are coming up, and with that you get:
"the passes are closed?! So the bus won't go?!"
"whaddya mean you can't refund a non-refundable ticket?"
"I don't have any money, can I borrow your cell phone to call my dad in Arkansas to tell him to send me some cash?"
"I've been on the bus for 2 days and I wanna know where the nearest bar is."

Greyhound broke their contract with me and gave me 30 days (which ended yesterday). It's due to the economy- a bad excuse to cut commissions for the 3rd time this year and get rid of some agents and give those ticket counters to another agent for a lower rate. At first I was angry and upset, but now I've made peace with that horrible company and I'm ready to move on.

We cleaned out our office and realized we have acquired a ton of office equipment. If you are reading this and need ANY thing for an office. Email me and tell me. Chances are I have it sitting in my garage and will make a quick sale. Anything from desks, 4-in-1 printers, and filing trays- you want it, I got it.

So, I'll be embarking on a new venture: Cleaning homes. I will clean just about anything, and I also have gift certificates for that hard to buy for person this christmas. Spread the word, and I'll be eternally grateful.

Vaya Con Dios.

My new adventure:

I'm going to do me some cleaning. If you're interested send me an email. I'd love to rustle up some business.

Post note: Mitch made this postcard for me using his SUWEEEEET Photoshopping abilities. Isn't he super talented!

Deal makers

So I'm getting pretty freaking good at couponing. I wish i took a picture so you could see all the great deals I'm getting. I'll do that next time. Went to Albie's last night to spend coupons: got 101.00 worth of food, spent 32.00. Yup pretty awesome.
Last weekend we had a birthday party for my grandma at the Hermiston Bowling alley (pretty HICKTOWN huh?) It was GREAT. We paid 10 bucks a head and we got a huge conference room complete with all you can eat salad bar, pizza, and bowling for 3 hours. It was great fun. All the old people could visit and all the cousins aunts and uncles teamed up and had a little competition. The kids played in the arcade room too. I recommend using it if you got a little reunion or indoor party you need to throw. Maybe bowling alleys in TC have similar deals.
My bowling score stunk!

Playing Catch-up

Playing Catch-up with blogger. 2 weekends ago I got to go to AZ for a fun quick trip to visit Kate and her family and shop. So much fun! Thanks Kate.
Last weekend, we had our annual family apple juicing party. We made close to 80 gal of juice. Love it!

Jack sitting in the apple bin.

Wash bin and chopper

BIL Beau at the "squisher"

Free ride from Grandpa

Dershie

Me and Brady

Twins shopping in AZ

Cool bro-in-law doing his job. Protecting our country.

Me and Vince at Mesa Temple

Busy weekends, and it's nice to be home. We have the cold around here and now are fighting it off. But we should be up and around soon!

ps- HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY TALENTED SIS JEN. ALWAYS BEEN ABOVE AND BEYOND AMAZING. CHECK HERE FOR HER BLOG.

Phoenix Trip

I just got back from visiting my sister in Phoenix. I loved it. It was so much fun. Here's a few picts of some stuff we did. She decorates her cute little house so well and is super talented. Thanks Katie and Dan for letting me come and steal your weekend, guestbed, time, and food. I love ya. Want some inspiration go here:
http://vinylvineyard.blogspot.com/

EDIT NOTE: My blogger is messed up and I cant post pictures. I'll try later so check back!

Need a little laugh?

Today I'm stalking my favorite blogs and it seems everyone is having a hard day. I just thought a pick me up would be in order. Watch this gal she's funny.

click here

(I was referred here by a special roommate who holla's from Sunny San Diego. Yay Ash!)

more to come

Tonight is our ward Luau. Its gonna be a doozy too. Survivor themed and great food. That and other things I'm in charge of are making it so I can't blog. Stay tuned, Monday I'll give an update of all the fun stuff.
In the mean time check out some of my fav blogs
Peace out.

My little sis
The Pioneer woman
The best music blog on the planet
Woman eating for 3
PTO Prez
Super mom
Coupon City
Funny cousin

First Day

Cam's first day of First Grade:
Fun
Recess
Name Tag
New Lego/Star Wars Teeshirt
Hot Lunch
Mrs. Wright
Flagpole
Crossing Guard
Reading
Color Crayons
He had a blast, ready for the rest of the year!

Yay for Schedules

This summer has cruised by. I had a baby at the beginning of it so that made it go super fast as I've been preocupied with him. I am sad to see summer go, but SOOOOOO looking forward to schedules again. Camden will be at school all day and I'm we will have regular nap times again. YIPPEE. Can't wait.



This was the one thing I painted this summer. Sad I know. I refinished it for the family auction and I think it turned out pretty cute.

FULL WEEKEND>

This weekend was the Mathews family reunion. We love this weekend every other year, we have so much fun and eat such good food. We did lots of activities: Fun run 3 mile race, swimming, kayaking, bread making class, Amazing race, Auction, newlywed game, temple sessions, ice-blocking, and much more. We were constantly going and had such a blast. Thanks to those who worked so hard! We are sure proud to be Mathews.
Go here for a more detailed version

Yes, It do.

This is Jack's new favorite saying now. When him and Cam get into arguments it's so cute to hear his side: "Yes, it do."

Where does the time go? I'm sitting down to post now or I'll never get it updated. I've gotten to do some pretty cool stuff lately and I need to brag. Here's what we've been up to:
*Trip to Rexburg- Ambassador Alumni Training, and Ed week. I also meet some of my roommates there every year and we act like no time has passed at all. This year Amanda (Granby, CT) and Ashleigh (SanDiego, CA) came to play. We missed you Bean, and Jillie.

Roomies chillin at Ricks. Yes Manda, I'm better at the "hold-your-own-camera" thing.

Mom and me at "new" Craigo's. We have the same eating face.

Me, dreaming I played, in the Hart Gym.

Amanda and Me at the Rexburg Temple.

Quick weekend to Leavenworth, WA for cousin Levi's wedding. Thanks mom, for watching the boys so we could go. I'd never been and its a cute little Bavarian town to tour. Mitch even had a Bratworst. How could he not.

Mitch loving on the Goat. Across from our hotel at Leavenworth, WA

Sorry for the Pit shot.

Riiiiiiiicollaaaaaaa
Dapper young men at Levi's wedding (Mitch, Damon, Rich)

We got another busy week. Family reunion (mathews), Katie comes into town for quick weekend, and Umatilla County Fair week. Will post more picts later!
WORD.

HOT, HOT, HOT

LBT (Little Big Town, cuz we're tight) is AWESOME. It was one of the best concerts I've ever been to. They played all my favorites and in the encore they even played "Life in a Northern Town". We sat 2nd row middle, and I could watch the singers mouth move as they rocked hardcore. They are a really chill band and they even sound GOOD live (ya know how some bands really don't?). We had a great time and spent the night with one of my roommates from college Jill and her family. The only thing was the weather was so stinkin' hot that night that me and Brady and Mitch sweated like pigs and that's why I'm not posting a picture of me standing in front of the stage. I'm wet up and down the front of me-but thankgoodness for MOBEs. It kept Brady close and asleep all night.
We drove home the next morning and set up for the ward party-which was a success too!
I'm looking forward to this weekend and Ricks Education week with some of my hometown gals. See ya on the flipside.
peace.

busy week

Cam and Brady

This week will be CRAZY! Seriously.

Tuesday: BYU-Idaho Picnic Party at the Mathews house (my in laws) Hosted by me! I guess there are close to 80 people showing up. Its gonna be awesome!

Thursday: Mitch and I are making a short trip to Caldwell Idaho for the county fair there. Yes we love fairs but really just to see my favorite country band LITTLE BIG TOWN. Then hang with one of my favorite Gal overnight.

Friday: 24th of July Ward Party. One word: Busy.

Saturday: Birthday parties for peeps we know.

Have a good week- this one is going to go by FAST!

last weekend

Quick note and pictures:
-We blessed Brady in church on Sunday. Mitch did wonderful. Always so neat to hear what he blesses each boy with.
-Afterward had a super good dinner! It was great to have both sides of our family hanging out together.
-lots of activities over the fourth. But we are so exhausted at the end of the day, that Cam and mom are the only ones who made it to the backyard to watch the fireworks.
We definitely had a great fourth of July!

(I'll be at my mom's girls camp this week helping out with food. see y'all when I get back.)

8 Weeks

Brady is 8 weeks old. Here he is being a trooper at the Dust Devils game we went to over the weekend (I don't know what happened to my camera). We are blessing the B-Boy on Sunday, and most of our family will be in town. I can't wait.

Have a great 4th of July!

Fresh Summer

Locals go
here
for some great info on
UPICK Blueberries

We love em around here!

My Civic Duty

I'm going to cut to the chase...

I do NOT want Planned Parenthood in my neighborhood, and 60 feet away from my children's elementary school.

This was the issue last night at the city hall planning committee meeting. Kim and I went to support those against it. But I didn't realize it was going to be such a HOT issue.

Please hop over to KIMS blog to read all about it.

However I did something I thought I'd NEVER do and that is raise my hand and voice my opinion. I walked calmly up to the podium (Brady in my arms), state my name and address for the record, and with my voice quivering told everyone how I felt. For me that was the scariest thing I've done EVER. Scarier than getting on my 2 year old unbroke arabian horse for the first time. Scarrier than bearing your testimony in stake conference. Scarrier than having an emergency c-section. I kept to the point: that my children attend the elementary school and I was already worried about the saftey of them walking across Court street, and I didn't want the added danger of a conterversial business being right next door. I also said there are plenty of buildings in Pasco to utilize and they didn't need to be in the one next to this school and my neighborhood. I urged the council to vote against the permit and said thank you and sat down.

Mom you would've been proud.

Afterward I felt so empowered! I was on a high, I wanted to go fight some more fights, run a million miles, or scream from the top of my lungs! Kim and I settled for a diet Dr. Pepper at my house venting to Mitch. It was a great night.
As for the permit. We won't know for another month. I'll keep you updated. Pray for us, that this horrible "non-profit" business will not win over the hearts of the people who make these important decisions.

June update

Everyone go out and buy a surge protector!

Every time the electricity goes out (and its been a lot in my neighborhood lately), our router shuts down and Internet goes off. Mitch doesn't have time to power it back up and so my blogs are neglected for a week or more. Finally its back on and my life can continue.

A few updates for y'all:


Couple of weekends ago us girls made a trip to the Farm Chicks Antique show in Spokane. We had a ball and bought too much stuff. So much that the back of the van was packed and I sat on the floor on the way home. Good finds though!





Cam graduated from Kindergarten this past month. He is sure glad to be done, not that he hates school, he just loves to play and swim in the pool with his cousins and summer couldn't come fast enough.

Some of my close friends were pregnant this year too and we got the babies together and have a little mommy brunch. Its so crazy how fast they grow. Brady is in the middle. He is 6 weeks old on Thursday.


Brady with his cousin Elyse.

Jack is getting so big. He has learned how to count numbers, recognize some letters, sing, and tease Cam to get what he wants. We can't believe how smart he is- and he always has a dirty face. ALWAYS.




And this summer we have been "re-vamping" the yard. Mitch has been bringing home plants and trees like crazy. He has learned that it is hard work to do shrub beds and plant them. So if you drive by our house and see a bunch of plants still in their pots sitting along the house, squint your eyes and pretend they are already planted. Now our yard looks great doesn't it?





Mitch and Darcie say "Hi".

Have a good summer!