Devanie.com

Nathan’s boss made him take  a personlity test and I think they hit it spot on.

FYI… sound like me? ~Nathan

Achiever

Your Achiever theme helps explain your drive. Achiever describes a constant need for achievement. You feel as if every day starts at zero. By the end of the day you must achieve something tangible in order to feel good about yourself. And by “every day” you mean every single day—workdays, weekends, vacations. No matter how much you may feel you deserve a day of rest, if the day passes without some form of achievement, no matter how small, you will feel dissatisfied. You have an internal fire burning inside you. It pushes you to do more, to achieve more. After each accomplishment is reached, the fire dwindles for a moment, but very soon it rekindles itself, forcing you toward the next accomplishment. Your relentless need for achievement might not be logical. It might not even be focused. But it will always be with you. As an Achiever you must learn to live with this whisper of discontent. It does have its benefits. It brings you the energy you need to work long hours without burning out. It is the jolt you can always count on to get you started on new tasks, new challenges. It is the power supply that causes you to set the pace and define the levels of productivity for your work group. It is the theme that keeps you moving.

Competition

Competition is rooted in comparison. When you look at the world, you are instinctively aware of other people’s performance. Their performance is the ultimate yardstick. No matter how hard you tried, no matter how worthy your intentions, if you reached your goal but did not outperform your peers, the achievement feels hollow. Like all competitors, you need other people. You need to compare. If you can compare, you can compete, and if you can compete, you can win. And when you win, there is no feeling quite like it. You like measurement because it facilitates comparisons. You like other competitors because they invigorate you. You like contests because they must produce a winner. You particularly like contests where you know you have the inside track to be the winner. Although you are gracious to your fellow competitors and even stoic in defeat, you don’t compete for the fun of competing. You compete to win. Over time you will come to avoid contests where winning seems unlikely.

Responsibility

Your Responsibility theme forces you to take psychological ownership for anything you commit to, and whether large or small, you feel emotionally bound to follow it through to completion. Your good name depends on it. If for some reason you cannot deliver, you automatically start to look for ways to make it up to the other person. Apologies are not enough. Excuses and rationalizations are totally unacceptable. You will not quite be able to live with yourself until you have made restitution. This conscientiousness, this near obsession for doing things right, and your impeccable ethics, combine to create your reputation: utterly dependable. When assigning new responsibilities, people will look to you first because they know it will get done. When people come to you for help—and they soon will—you must be selective. Your willingness to volunteer may sometimes lead you to take on more than you should.

Analytical

Your Analytical theme challenges other people: “Prove it. Show me why what you are claiming is true.” In the face of this kind of questioning some will find that their brilliant theories wither and die. For you, this is precisely the point. You do not necessarily want to destroy other people’s ideas, but you do insist that their theories be sound. You see yourself as objective and dispassionate. You like data because they are value free. They have no agenda. Armed with these data, you search for patterns and connections. You want to understand how certain patterns affect one another. How do they combine? What is their outcome? Does this outcome fit with the theory being offered or the situation being confronted? These are your questions. You peel the layers back until, gradually, the root cause or causes are revealed. Others see you as logical and rigorous. Over time they will come to you in order to expose someone’s “wishful thinking” or “clumsy thinking” to your refining mind. It is hoped that your analysis is never delivered too harshly. Otherwise, others may avoid you when that “wishful thinking” is their own.

Intellection

 You like to think. You like mental activity. You like exercising the “muscles” of your brain, stretching them in multiple directions. This need for mental activity may be focused; for example, you may be trying to solve a problem or develop an idea or understand another person’s feelings. The exact focus will depend on your other strengths. On the other hand, this mental activity may very well lack focus. The theme of Intellection does not dictate what you are thinking about; it simply describes that you like to think. You are the kind of person who enjoys your time alone because it is your time for musing and reflection. You are introspective. In a sense you are your own best companion, as you pose yourself questions and try out answers on yourself to see how they sound. This introspection may lead you to a slight sense of discontent as you compare what you are actually doing with all the thoughts and ideas that your mind conceives. Or this introspection may tend toward more pragmatic matters such as the events of the day or a conversation that you plan to have

Nathan Stout

Here we GOOOOOOOO!

August 1,2,3

Devanie headed to Las Vegas for The Cookie Lee Convention catalog Launch Fall Winter 2010.  Nathan was going to bring the kids but decided it would be much easier to get things done at home and take care of them at home than at Circus Circus or on the Vegas strip for 2 days.  I sure missed them, But Jenni Golightly and I had a BLAST!

I rocked it with Cookie Lee and husband CEO John Lin in Las Vegas at the Mirage Hotel and casino. I Rocked the runway twice for Promoting to Team Manager and Senior Team Manager!!   It was really fun!  Jenni took some pictures.  The last night we danced with Cookie in the JET nightclub!  I followed Jenni’s car with a pop up camper trailer on it on the way home. Stuck in torrential downpours & hail in Beaver, UT not leaving McD’ss for a while.

Aug 4,th

The fridge went out on us.  We lost everything in it.  Got the repairman out $250.00 the cooling unit surged and needed to be replaced as the outside freezer did the same thing!  we juggled food back and forth trying to keep anything alive!!   ‎3 days away from home, Nathan had a Hell of a time with EVEYTHING Fridge freezer, garbage Disposal, kids, sprinkler parts and 1 to home depot $100 later would have been cheaper to pay the guys coming to lay the sod, and NOW HE IS OFF for 3 days and I am right I the middle of all of it. I woould love to clean the garag…e LOOKING TO GIVE AWAY 2 girls bikes aprox 5 yr old, 7 year old sizes FREE

Having trouble with preteens too much fighting. . When will the sibling fighting stop? how can I make it stop?

 I just got a Tax statement for my little squeaky shoe business saying I owe the Utah Tax comission over $$$ 15,094.00 WHAT???? I have paid them the $29.00 in tax I have collected I think they totally screwed something UP!!! Guess I’ll be going to jail soon. Better get ready to help Nathan with the kids! That will …be the last time I get a tax id number for a little business.!

If i learned anything in Las Vegas at Fasion Week in the Nightclub it is that I’m SHORT! compared to ALL the Cookie Lee girls out there that evening! I maybe found 1 girl at my height MOLLY A.

Aug 6

Zach was just runing around saying, “I Love You Mommy” over and over, a minute ago he hit me in the head with a rolled up poster knocked my hair clip out and expects me to play a game with him on the Nintendo.

The Garage is CLEAN!!! as organized as I can get it these days, and I’m heading down to the cool basement to play Super Smash Brothers with Zach and Aurora. The out to BK with Shanas Family for dinner. Last Chance to see them before they leave us =( ( She was to busy to show up)  It was out MOST EXPENSIVE family dinner at a fast food restraunt EVER over $34.00

Aug 8

PEWH!! It smells like vacuume belt burning rubber in here. Yet another appliance needing fixing! I guess I shoudl make the roombas get back to work, it’s very hard with a 3 year old and 4 year old to keep all the little bits off the floor though. It’s the KIRBY belt that fried and of course we don’t have extras so eBay will be providing those in the next week or 2.

It’s a busy day getting everything done before kids starts school and getting back from my trip I have 3 people wating on Cookie Lee and have to contact loads more.

Aug 10

Aurora climbed up on the big potty BY HERSELF!! today!!! wohoo! shes got the “pee pee on the potty” down everytime, but we go in for empty #2 trips about 6 times and when I finally give up she has an accident. I’m trained now to put a pull up on afte the second ” I have nothing” on the potty now!

Aug 11

They are OFF TO SCHOOL TODAY! Sadness, my babysitters are gone. So we are going to the movie theater to see curious george, then to the spash park. we did all kids of bike repairs on Sierras bike. we just needed to “slime the tires” but we got the never flat innertubes and put those in. Daddy is a genious! the bi…ke will last 1 more year we think. its already seen better days.  The Bike was replaced!! she came home with 3 blisters and the tires are too hard to move Best part is it fits me well too!!! so I got a bike in a way.

Aug 16

Happy Aniversary Nathan, happy Birthday DAD, Happy Birthday Aunt Shana, Happy Birthday Uncle Jorge, happy Birthday Camillle Neighbor, and Happy Birthday Kathleen from High School!!!

 ‎2 Dozen Ultra Long Stem Roses, and wonderful heart shaped Mylar Bolloon Boquet was delivered to my door. He’s the Sweetest! and he says he would marry me again and again and again.
Happy Happy Day!

Aug 17

Today I. Drove kids to school, Played Chutes & Ladders, Picked up 2 repairs, Visited a freind, Kids had a playdate, Made Tacos, Drove to Irish Dance, Booked a Home Show, Talked to a friend, Played Polly Pockets, Watched some Micky Mouse Clubhouse, Made 5 Sippy Cups, Changed 1 poopy, Ran to the bathroom 5 times, Made H…omemade Chicken Salad Wraps and the Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies are in the oven.

Aug 18

Did Laundry, Fed the ducks, Played Tag, Knocked on a freinds door, made sandwiches for lunch, off to get an ice cream cone, run to the boutique, make a jewelry exchange, get a new cookie lee sign up to place her order, meet kids after school, make dinner play LEGO CREATION with the whole family see if it’s any good!, t…uck them in bed check up on my eBay auctions, and??? I’m sure there will be 100 things in between.

Tooth Fairy Test.
Our 9&11 y/o learned the tooth fairy turth. Grandma was watching them 1 had loose tooth. Hailey asked g-ma if the tooth fairy was real grandma said, you can test if you lose a tooth, the tooth fairy doesn’t come and your tooth is still there then talk to your parents. grandma gave us the hea…ds up,  she tested. If she’s smart enough to trick her parents she’s old enough to know!

Aug 22

Holy Cow! Nathan Just linked all of our digital pictures to our big frame. There are some amazing old shots that make me wonder where those babies went and how glad it is all documented because brains like mine forget such events. Thank You Nathan.

Aug 23

Goin’ To the Zoo, Zoo, Zoo!. . .how about you? you? you? You can come too, too, too, we’re goin’ to the Zoo, zoo, zoo.

Aug 23

After a busy day with the kids  Nathan took over for a few hours

Heading to Salt Lake City tonight Dinner with the Cookie girls & Cookie Lee’s Husband John LIN the CEO of of Cookie’s Business. Gonna have some Pizza at Settebello, and discuss the new catalog and hot topics of the day!

Aug 24

WE GOT GRASS we have been working on fixing up our Rock garden and flowerbed since March!  it’s taken months to get the rocks moves, tilling, sprinkler system fixed up, a company out to clear and level, a skidloader to spread the soil from the flower bed across, and finally This week we got SOD Grass is spread and it looks great and will only get better(we hope)

Aug 26th

Headed To the ZOO again.  This time with Candace Howes and Tana Bennett  two of my good buds in Utah

Aug 27

Aurora Started really riding her little training wheel bike today.  Sometimes she needs a push so after I was done I sent Zach out to give her little nudges.

Took the 2 littlest to a garage sale for clothes for Aurora.  This lady posted she had brand new kids quality clothes So I drove over an hour to get there.  I got to trade jewelry for clothes!  We scored!!  Then on the way home we were driving past our local aquarium.  Spent a Long part of the day withZach and Aurora at the Aquarium! great Day!  It was naptime, but we had a lot of fun, we had a lunch with all the wooden painted fish decor, then saw Octopus, Sharks, penguins, Aurora petted the Sting rays and LOVED it!  Zach was terrified.  Aurora also loved petting the starfish, sea urchins and horseshoe crab, Zach was terrified.  The Seahorses we super cute!  I got some great pics!

Aug 28

I was planning a wonderful Family day we were going to spend the day at home working on tagging our outgrown clothes for a Consighment sale so we could all make a fwe dollars I knew it was going to fill almost and entire Saturday so I planed for it.  Good thing I did becasue I was the only one really working on it!  Stinkin Lazy Hailey ans Sierra  I woudl have let them split the $200 profit, bit now it looks like nathan and I get to put it in the bank!  nathan came in and helped for a while.  Hailey did a pinch, Sierra used the computer to enter about 5 items and missed some bits of info that would have helped sell the items better so I wouldn’t let her use the computer anymore and she threw a fit for the rest of the day.  So when it was time to go out and have dinner and See some cute pictures of the kids hailey had to stay home and babysit instead of Joining Nathan and I.  it was horrible how bad they all were. 

 ‎92 items, hung, Tagged, Sorted, bagged for the Layton JBF Sale. http://www.jbfsale.com/layton

Hoping to make a few dollars Gymboree and Childrens place items $2.00 to $4.50 SETS!  Total $300.00 amount we will get back if it all sells $200.00 the rest will be donated to Guatamalen families.   I was planning on doing more this week but not so sure I want to anymore.

Aug 29

Zach is giving a Talk today in Primary. Nathan prepared his talk about The miracle of Jesus when he fed 5,000 with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish. He actually printed out 5,000 people on 13 pages, the picture of Jesus talking to the group the 12 baskets left over, and the bread and fish we are working as a family to h…old it up. 19 pages. I think it will stick in the kids minds to actually see 5,000 people.

Aug 30

I wrecked the garage today! Left the back of the van up. I just celared everything out of it except the 2 kids and their carseats, and was hustling out the door to the LAST day My stuff was in The Sparrows Nest Boutique, Knocked the stucco archway down so it was droopy and scratched up the bakc of the car even more! Ugg!

Aug 31st

Laundry, DONE, Garage cleaned & swept DONE, Lawn sprayed with weed killer DONE, Baptizm dress SOLD, Kids lunch DONE, Girls Bedroom TO BE DONE.(again~when they get home) Rocking Horse Assembled DONE.

September 1st

we got these toys from the Dentist today

Haily had 2 fillings doen and did grea t without any relaxing oxygen up her nose, she was very numb after and could barely move her lips to talk when i took her back to school after her rootbeer float from wendys.  Aurora was supposed to have fillings done, but there is no way she will do it without sedation.  looks like we may be putting another baby to sleep for dental work!

 I’m barely managing a monthly post but I am getting as much in as possible when I do.  Here are highlights.

End of June was Lay family Reunion!!  SOO fun, No major family Hiccups, just some good clean fun!!!

Sister MaryAnne wasn’t going to be able to make it to the family reunion. . .2 days before the event my wonderful husband Nathan used his sky miles for a ticket from Georgia to Salt Lake so she could drive out with us. (Birthday present for me ) at Round Table Pizza meeting room We Surprizingly Showed MaryAnne off!! …It was an Excellent Reunion, Molly and I teared up :.) All 7 Siblings and Mom & Dad were there!!!

1st of July Had a nice date day with Nathan. grandma Lay watched the kids while www went to see Twilight Eclipse, and went to the mall to get ZAGG skins put on the iPad and my 3G my touch phone at the mall, had my rings inspected and cleaned, shopped at Gymboree are at Sbarro shopped at charlotte russe, and topped it off with yog…urtstop for frozen yogurt with fresh raspberries on top. Made it back in time to tuck kids in bed.

2nd of July Sierra was in a parade for irish Dance.  We have never gotten so much candy or toys and popsicles a t a parade as we did in that one!!!  She had fun and we had piles of candy and frisbees to give to  her at the end of the parade.

July 3rd (becasuse 4th fell on a sunday)  Party  we spent at Aarons and Alices, we did waterballoon sling shot fights, ( My fingers smelled like over 200 rubber waterballoons, too bad noone else in the house can tie them like I can!) and many attendees got all decorated in their glow stick attire.  of couse we lit up the sky  and had a blast.  we have learned that Aunt Suzie is NOT allowed to play with fire.

 The 5th of July Monday a neaby city had their parade, bouncy castls, a mini train, Nathan brought the kids to it.  I was able to set up a cookie lee table and sold $700 and talked about 8 people into hosting shows.   I have 5 booked and will be doing follow up calls this week.

I have been selling Cookie lee jewelry for 3 years and recently had my first few home shows where I GIVE AWAY. . .$50 pre selected COOKIE LEE JEWELRY to YOU and to each of your Attendees that arrive on time! I give away about 10 bags of jewelry at $50 Retail EACH at each SHOW. My Last Hoste…ss also earned $150 in free jewelry from her friends purchases!

July 7th  Making Homemade Butter! with the kids, took about 1 hour.  Prayer tonight, 3 year old Aurora wanted to say it, as she always does, when I usually help her she gets started by saying, “Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for our blessin’s,. . . what comes next?”, Then I help her along trying to get her think for herself. She was stumped in the middle and needed help and wispered to… me, “I don’t know the magic words.” We’re Crossing our fingers that our Magic Words work!

July 8th Aurora was diagnosed with Seasonal Allergies and an ear infection tonight along with needing steroids and inhaler for possible Asthma breathing issues. Uuugh and right before I leave with my husband for the first time for almost a Week! we are trying to use the 4 day medicine, and the nebulizer treatments aren’t completely necessary, but why now? this is the 5th ear infection in 9 months!

July 9th Aurora went to bed 1t 11:30PM was up for a few minutes at 6:30 but slept again until 9AM =) I’m loving medicine! She hasn’t slept throught the night in 8 or 9 months!

July 10th LayDBug Boutique Today at SAMS CLUB IN LAYTON Scentsy, Winder Farms(free samples) Cookie Lee, Pink Lady Creations, Watchbands, Dress Up stuff and MORE!!  I did not stay. . .I dropped off my jewelry boutght some scentsy and left to help with yardwork then went nack to clean up and donate to the Childrens Miracle network.  by the end of the day I posted this to my Facebook account  So we head out for 6 days sans kids at 5 AM and I still know there is a TON to do to get ready, but. . .I’ve been so busy all day I just want to rest and facebook for a few minutes. Am I allowed?

july 11 left for MICHIGAN  Without our kids for a week!  Left the kids in Grandmas tender care. No worries. Planning out my week in Michigan going to take tomorrow OFF! Then think of what to do next. Vacation!!! Aaaahhhhh!!!

July 12 Just went swimming. . .alone. . .so peaceful and relaxing No just sitting in the cool sunshine. . . Not a bit of stress or worry here. Great day! Considering taking a nap before Nathan gets out of business meetings. Then off to dinner and movie despicable me.

Came down with Bronchial phumonis on the trip felt and sounded HORRIBLE!  had to take meds to feel better  But enjoyed it without

July 16th  Loving my vacation!!! Lots of free time, new movies will have seen 4 by tonight. Went to Belle Isle Detroit, spent a day on tour with an agent. Got to know the area.

July 17th Ah!! It was a great VACATION! No Kids, no worries, just walking phuemonia, uti, headaches, voice problems, other than that… We got to go into Detroit to Belle Isle Look it up!, went to see a casino,once you have see one you have seen them ALL. no gambling. went on a Field Trip with the, “GO GREEN FOR JESUS.” Gro…up Saw the worlds oldest aquarium, it’s closed. Saw 4 Movies 2 in one day!     

   

July 19th Back to normal. Only today I pulled weeds My arms get all cut and itchy and I have to stop and shower before I can finish and I can’t weed in long sleeves it’s already too hot!

Exotic Vanilla
Amaretto
Bubblegum
…Taj Mahal
Raspberry Danish
Grapefruit Berry
African Mahogany
Juicy Peach
Spiced Grapfruit
Banana Flower
Christmas Tree

I’m finding another hobby, trading Jewelry for Scentsy so I can sell it on eBay but I only want the rare scents so I can make more money off them and I have to buy them at clearance prices since they are older.  Not that I need another evening hobby, i’m just addicted to selling.  I should just start couponing again.  you know if you have a fmily of 6 and each meal per person coests $1 3 times a day you would have to spend  $558.00  We don’t have a budget that can accomodate that.  let alone vacations or fast food!  So I really should coupon again.  Or stop buying jewelry so fast, replaceing it, let it sell out, buy some groceries and rebuild my stock slowly

   

 

         

   

      

Splash water Park  with Alice and Aaron, Joe and Suzie and Shana and mark,  Chuck e Cheese pizza in the evening  Grandma and Grandpa s and Danand Kathy were there too.  We gave Grandma and Grandpa their cristmas presents   Pictures from Chuck e cheeses,  Nathan and I, Zach and Sierra and Hailey and Aurora   they turned out pretty darn cute for a sketchbook!!. Home around 9:30

   

    

   

   

June 7th
Just got 5 new shirts at KOHLS Not super sale but SUPER CUTE now I have more than 3 shirts I will enjoy wearing.  My friend Jenni and i like to have late girls nights at kohls and get out non kid mommy free shopping done.  Love that!

June 8th
Nathan left for Connecticut  again 5 day this time. He’s being missed.

June 9th Overwhelemed
Looking for ANYONE that wants a slice of my world. I’m giving away pieces.  I have wayyy too much going on right now. and without hubby, I’m passing out jobs  

Off to the Cairo, Then a Kids Movie Theater Day, Then skipped the Zoo, then  skipped 3 btqs to pick up checks! wooo…..

June 10th Zach’s Dentist Visit

They put him to sleep in my arms and I cried.  (maybe it was the over $2,000 dentist bill looming that pulled me apart)  Anyways he was soo cute right before he fell asleep he was moving his head in circles saying, “I’m dizzy. I’m Dizzy.”  The receptionists and hygenists were all smiling and pointing at the cute  little spinny guy.

He needed more dental work at 4 than I have had in my life! unless u count braces

JUNE 14th Dino Park and haircut
I took all 4 kids to Dinosaur Park in Ogden.  We met Aaron and Alice with Ethan and Landon.  Our day Started with Alice sadly forgot her camera so I took over 100 pictures that day. =)  I was happy to do it.  As we were walking to the entrance Aurora walked ahead of us and her foot fell into a grid drain gutter her shoe fell into it and she was sad and stuck,  I raed to help her up and out her shoe was reachable and there was no water or garbage in the drain!  Thank heavens!  We got Aurora brushed off and she delcares, “I was Just Joking You!”  like she had done it on purpose and was just kidding with us that she fell in and it was a trick she had planned on   silly little 3 year old!  We spent the day playing chasing her and taking pics with dino bones and replicas and playing on the playground.

CHOPPED MY HAIR OFF  I was at about 19 inches maybe more. Now it’s just past my shoulders instead of getting stuck in my armpits =0) Plus is has layering to it.  and i can scrunch it to curly easily and it looks cute!

June 16th Movie Wednesday
We got passes this summer every Wednesday the kids and I go to a movie with jenni and her kids it ended up costing 50 cents a show and some of them they hadn’t seen so it seemed worth it!  I’m not sure which one they saw since I am writing this on the 4th of July with local neighbor firewoks blasting offf around me since it is Sunday and fireworks are going off on the 3rd and 5th this year.  I missed this day becuase I wen to set up a Boutiqe I had for 5 days  straight by our local Walmart.

June 19th
Set Up freinds at a “Saturday Boutique” in the morning and got to play with the family the rest of the day.  went to the church in the evening with jenni Golightly to  a movie in the park with. The church friends, kids, Jenni and kids, munching a snow cones & popcorn. Brother Bear was the movie of the night.

June 20th Fathers Day
This year for Fathers Day Nathan got some paper ties from the kids from Primary.  we got  him lense cleaners for his glasses I know whoo hoo! but it’s what he asked for.  We had a Huge Family BBQ at our place for the guys since they had one for the Moms on Mothers Day.    We spoiled him with 3 Willowtree Statues 1 with him and a kid, 2 kids and a single, now there is a dad and 4 kids made in stature that represent dad and his kids   we also got him Galaxy Bars  malteasers and Neurophen Plus Shipped directly from ENGLAND!  =) what a treat!!

June 21st My Oldest turns 11 today!
Happy 11th Birthday hailey  You are growing into a beautiful Young Woman 1 more year of Primary, You are old enough to babysit your siblings at 10 but at 11 we are a little more trusting in your ability to do that.

You got a Cell Phone so we could call you when you or you can call us when you are babysitting.  Daddy Splurged and got you the best new T-Moblie MyTouch phone really very cool internet, applications with awesome games, full taxting keypad, genious button, you talk it listens, and you under stand yours better than I understand mine and theya re the same phone, i must be getting OLD!

We took you out to Family Fun Center with Anthony, Madeline, Melissa and Katlyn K., we played Pin the tail on the cat, had strawberry shortcake and played in the FX effects room with lighting fog machines and music!  then you got your first silly bandz silicone shaped bracelets and your friends each got a pack to start trading with you.  what fun!!

June 22nd Devanie’s Birthday
Do I HAVE to parent on a day like today? Aurora is making me pull my hair out today. It doesn’t seem fair.  I mean, it’s my birthday, and if I had a job I would be taking time off. What about this parenting job? tee hee!!

I decided i was going to have a chuck E Cheese birthday.  We found great coupons on the Apple juice packages, we had extra tokens and cups from the last trip and durring the weekdays they DOUBLE your tokens so if you coupon is worth 100 tokens they double it to 200!  So all the kids and Nathan spent the day with me at chuck E Cheeses.  Jenni and her kids came too!  We spent maybe $30 and it included 4 drinks a pizza, and 400 tokens that lasted about 2-3 hours!  =)  good dirty fun!

FOR DINNER I always want Olive Garden.  For my birthday Dessert/Cake I wanted their Torte’ di Chocolate, it’s a chocolate thick cake, with creamy chocolate inside with white chocolate cream saucce and fresh strawberries, thankfully I got one!  Sounds like they took it off the menu!

Nathan got my and myTouch Cell phone with a Genius button and I REALLY LIKE IT!  Texting is way easier on it than my old blackberry!

June 23rd  Gearing Up for Lay family Reunion
Heading to Lake Tahoe in the morning. Everyone near Reno Carson, please rethink getting over to Joanna Crows on Sunday for a party!  Dayton, Virginia City, Carson City,  Lake Lahotan, Lake Tahoe & Family Pictures by the dozen.

Sister MaryAnne wasn’t going to be able to make it to the family reunion. . .2 days before the event my wonderful husband Nathan used his sky miles for a ticket from Georgia to Salt Lake so she could drive out with us. (Birthday present for me ) at Round Table Pizza meeting room We Surprizingly Showed MaryAnne off!! …It was an Excellent Reunion, Molly and I teared up :.) All 7 Siblings and Mom & Dad were there!!!

I got to take the babies on a preschool field trip with a few neighbors to the movie theater we got to go upstairs and see where they play the reels of movie film, get popcorn behind the counter, watch 4 short films, eat popcorn and drink sprite, they gave them posters, a piece of film, rulers, pencil etc goody kit. It was a fun day.

After failed attempt last year using the back corner of our house bad soild and wierd weeds we made an over $2,000 Raised Garden bed in the back yard!  I’m excited to be using it.  I know we will not get the 30 # of Strawberries like we did last year with the transplant we only got 50 of maybe 150 bushes we had.   we also got 1 piece of broccoli. and the tomatoes were green I think we got 2 before it started getting too cold,and the ones we tried to save to turn red on their own, rotted before they could.

So this time, Tomatoes are in Topsy Turveys, we already have 2 tomatoes even after a few freezes took parts of the plants.  We have radishes, carrots, broccoli, zuchini, lettuce, peas – one laready made a pod and 1 pea, corn, green onions, cilantro, 50 strawberry plants, 1 watermelon plant, califlauer, and maybe one other thing.  Ther is still room to plant more and I think I planted TOO much cilantro.  I may have to pull out some plants and share them with the neighbors.  I think we will need MORE peas, lettuce and we will pick the carrots small and replant some in a few weeks.

This year we

Had to get a couple of these.  but she did get happy and run around for a while.

Aurora is allergic to the mixture of bugspray and sunscreen.  Maybe it ws just the aerosol bugspray for sensitive skin or the SPF 30 of thekind we normally to SPF 50 of but i put them on together nad the Entire day she had bubbly welts all over her hands arms feet  and face.  She said it was itch and hurt.  Good thing I was going into the ENT for Sierras Tonsil removal check up that day so we could talk to the alergist quickly to to find out it was “Contact Dermatitis” some kids have allergies in their noses, eyes, etc she happens to have allergies with her skin. so now we need to test everything er put on her.

Every Year our school 3rd graders have an “Economic Fair”  They spend the entire year working hard behaving well, doing special things for the teacher etc earing “nickles” they are green paper nickles they hold onto and by the end of they year they have between 80 and 250 nickles to SPEND on items at the fair.  items may include, popcorn, slushees, pop, candy, magnets, friendship bracelets, pencils, school supplies, etc. 

Each kids gets to price their own items at 5c to whatever 1 nickle to maybe 25 nickles each. In the past we have made Play Dough and let the kids use a cookie cutter to pick their scent, color and make a shape.

This year earlier in the year a boy in class sold Sierra a pensil with lanyard string taped in a row, then hot glued to the top twisted tightly but flat and then  taped at the tip that has 12 strips of string but the tip tape doesn’t stick to the pensil, just the string.  they are called “TWISTY PENSILS”  when  the tip is twisted and moved up or down the pensil the lanyard string makes all kinds of cool “spyrograph” geometrical shapes.  They really are very cool.  So we spent many evenings making 25 of these ‘Twisty Pensils” and she sold them for 50c each 10 nickles each.

I also gave her about 45 Cookie Lee incentive rings that I just wanted to be rid of. She sold those for 12 nickles each. 

I brought the kids in to help Sierra, mainly she wanted us to comein and help her SPEND her nickles, she was getting them so fast and didn’t have enough time to get what she wanted.  We left the place with 2 10 packs of capri suns 6 cans of soda, some really nice magnents, lots of candy, a slushie, some really high HP(hit Point) Pokemon Carrds – Her favorite!, some glue sticks, friendship bracelets, bouncy balls, parachute men,  and she sold all but 2 of her rings and left with maybe 6 pensils, She made $$$$.  It was pretty neat!.  fun to be a part of and help her spend all her green paper nickles in a hurry before the bell rang. we actually started just throwing handfuls at the kids desks for 1 item   it was FUN! Zach was thrilled with his treats, we are still drinking the drinks a week later, and it’s something Sierra will probably remember forever.

I didn’t have any boutiques today and Zach wanted to play with his cousin Ethan last week so we made a date to play Saturday.  so today we played.  We met at chuck E cheese for lunch at 12:30 We had 200 tokens for 10 people, we ended up getting 200 more because we had a good coupon and all of it lasted 4 HOURS! and I still have some in my purse for a day when the kids are pulling my hair out at home since Hailey and Sierra are out of school til August 11th. 

So instead of getting Theme park passed I told nathan we would do all kinds of other things like The Zoo, Parks, Chuck e Cheese, Bikes and scooters at parks, Day Camp, Irish dance camp, Fun Center, Maybe even hiking.  I mean, after all we have great mountains around us, and we did just go to Disneyland, taking it easy with the money will come in handy for our trip to Nevada for Family reunion and our trip to Las Vegas in Aug for cookie lee Fashion Week new catalog unveiling   Plus we still need to find someone to wat 2-4 kids for a week while we take our Cruise to the bahamas!  Any takers?  We can split them up!

After Chuck E Cheeses we all came to our house for Movies, swiming pool out back, slide, chatting etc.  We are planning a trip to the Zoo this week.  Nathan is out of town Tues-Fri it’s gonna be a crazy week, appointments, etc.