Things we only dream about this time of year....

Ireland would be behind the boat all day long if we gave her the option.

Sheridan - the beach bum.

Chris loves clearing a wake.

Tarilee's newest love...surfing.

Chillin' in a secret canyon.

Ireland found new boyfriends...

Ireland spent her weekend with the world champion wakeboarders.  She was the official 'rope girl'.  Check it all out at:

www.alliancewake.com/article_gallery.php?id=4458

My baby turns 7

Since she could say the word, her favorite color has always been blue.

After 20 minutes of shear panic she finally took the 15' plunge.

She would love to have a furry animal in the house, but, like peanut butter, she's allergic.

WILL EAT... even at 40 mph

Spent days searching for bugs this summer.  What a nerd.

This morning Sheridan woke up and said "Mom, I really feel like I'm 7 now"  I said, 'hold up, not until 11:45 a.m. will you be officially 7.'

I have 2 neighborhood girlfriends, Corrine & Nanete.  2 years ago, Sheridan, in her infinite wisdom, realized that they were not necessarily 'her friends' and so it would be okay to play with them on Sunday.  Each Sunday she'd end up at either house - often both.  She got very comfortable with them and by last Christmas she was asking them what they would be giving her for Christmas.  1 month later when she turned 6 again she asked about her present.  We were horrified and embarrassed when we got word of it and explained to her that it was very inappropriate to ask people for gifts.

It's been months since she's spent time with either Corrine or Nanete.  Yesterday, 'birthday eve', she made her way to both houses armed with a more politically correct statement, 'Did you know that tomorrow is my birthday?"

As a mother I am...

a really cool one or a terrible one... for removing my daughter from school on 2 different occasions so that she could go snowboarding.

More of us....

I think this is the best picture of Chris & his boys!

I can finally re-live the Christmas Season

Each year we attend 'Brunch with Santa & Mrs. Claus' at the country club.  

Sheridan is getting REALLY good at this stuff which means mom can cut back on micro-managing.

This was taken the day we saw Santa.  By Christmas they'd trade dresses.

She's been hired!  Chris generally pays my niece, Emily, to wrap gifts for him.  The job is now Irelands.  Chris must be on NET 30 because she asn't seen payment yet.

For some odd reason Dec. '08 was an exhausting month for me.  I didn't sleep well and felt overwhelmed almost every day.  By the 25th I had a cold and just wanted to sleep!  Now that it's over I am SO relieved.  My goal for '09 (in addition to eating more fruits & veggies) is to do what it takes to enjoy the month of December.  

wait a minute.... there's my problem.... I failed to eat fruit & veggies in December '08.

Happy Sushi Year Eve!

This year we had 65 friends for New Years Eve Sushi.  64 indulged while I opted for a "Pizza Bender" from Italian Village.  Unfortunately, my camera didn't leave this table so I have pictures of the 12 wing nuts in the corner.  It was an attempt to keep the other 53 safe.

She doesn't get out much....

Hard to tell but Adam's belt buckle (the one in pink) reads 'Happy New Year - meet me in the elevator' in scrolling lights.  We'll leave the 366th night of '08 at that.

Santa Caved....

Daddy did his best to clear the White Christmas
Now we're doing all we can to avoid the EMERGENCY ROOM or bloodshed in general.

Us...

We LOVE torture so we took family photos twice.  These are actually the 2nd sitting.  Our 'photographer' is trying to locate the first set on his computer.  And now he is requesting we take a THIRD set.  I am picky but very content with what we have.  Apparently the photographer thinks we can do better and is asking us to take them AGAIN at a new location.  I think he loves seeing me suffer.  Good thing he's cheap... I don't pay full price for ANYTHING.

Award & Reward

Ireland received an award for her entry (pottery) into the state wide Reflections Program

Because we're so proud of her accomplishments we bought her a new set of ...

And 1 week after this fabulous reward we received a call from Principal Baker.  We are not a violent family, however, Chris and I do carry Swiss Army knives. (The knife contains the best set of tweezers a girl could ever have.)  Well....Ireland took her knife (a gift from daddy) to school and had it in her desk, showed enough kids to draw attention to her desk and the teacher had no choice but send her to the office.  Possession of a weapon carries a 10 day school suspension along with a few days at some 'special school'.  Thankfully, Ireland didn't pull the knife on anyone and the Principal let her walk.  Although, she did say, she's keeping the knife in her office until the end of the year as 'EVIDENCE'!

On this day we gave Thanks...

The Roth girls at Grandma Betty's house

With my sister, Mailee and my mom, JoAnn, at her house

The cousin's at Grandma Jo's

Keeper of Pie

Fast forward 10 minutes... completely SICK of pie

Chris and his 'EX'

Last spring Chris pulls up on a Harley and says, “it’s this or a girlfriend”.

mmm…..I gave it a 15 second thought. He must realize a Harley is far cheaper than any girlfriend could possibly be. I knew it was a rhetorical question so I shook my head, rolled my eyes & refused to ride on the back until he took the Harley “motorcycle course”.

Then a couple week ago he throws an ad on KSL.com and sells the Harley! Money ahead. I was puzzled. Our Harley friends & fellow neighbor ‘riders’ were in shock. One thing about Chris....he's always thinking... the ride time in a Utah winter is slim to none - the economic crisis isn’t going away soon - there will be some desperate Harley seller in spring.

I was just relieved he wasn’t opting for the his 'alternative' suggestion.