ThE HaPpIeSt PlAcE oN eArTh

Hooray for Disneyland! Matt and I decided to take the kiddos plus Zack's best bud Ryan to Disneyland last week for two days of memory-making. Mission accomplished.

Here they are, waiting in line to get into the park. They are a TAD bit excited, in case you can't tell. Even Matt!


All the boys, just after going on our first ride, Pirates of the Caribbean. I loved how they added Jack Sparrow to everything. He looked so real that it was slightly freaky.


Z and D at California Adventure near the enormous ferris wheel. I like this picture. Pure HAPPINESS.


Dylan was chosen for Jedi Training! Awesome! He was TOTALLY into it and VERY serious about learning all the moves and fighting Darth Maul. Such a cool show!

Graduate of the Jedi Academy. Happy.

Dylan, Zack and Ryan waiting in line to go on the Toy Story ride in California Adventure. It was WAY better than I expected! Loved it!

Dad and Dyl waiting in line for Grizzly Rapids. We got SOAKED.

Dylan saw this on the trash can and said to me, "Why does it say waste please? They want us to WASTE? You're not supposed to waste. Wasting is bad!"

Proof that I was there.

We survived!

Mom's Weekend Away

Last weekend I took a little road trip over to good 'ol St. George, Utah...better known as "Utah's Dixie." Some old college friends and I had planned to spend the weekend talking and laughing, and that's just what we did! Some of us had not seen each other for (*gasp*) over 19 years, so it was beyond wonderful for everyone to reconnect again.

We're planning on doing it up bigger and better next year, and I was elected (yay) to be the planner for an unofficial Dixie College Music and Theatre reunion for folks who went there for 1987-1990-ish. I am already looking forward to seeing these friends and even more next year!

The gaggle of girls! Top L to R: Lisa, Me, Shelly, Marlo and Heidi
Bottom L to R: Erin and Lanette. I love these ladies!!


The Fine Arts building. I LIVED here, and loved every minute of it.


Shelly and Erin, ready to re-create the re-creation of the falling down the hill scene from The Princess Bride. "Oh my sweet Westley...what have I done!!" Ahh, good times. Good times.


We got lovely matching pedicures. Any guesses as to which foot it mine? Hmm?


We visited the Dixie College campus. Ahh, the fountain! This is Lisa and her sweet little one, Isabella, taking a stroll.


The Wedge! We had to visit the old E-1 apartment, where all the (*ahem*) magic happened. Oh, if these walls could talk! Well...perhaps it's better if they DON'T. (Matt and I had our first kiss in this apartment, way back in 1990. It was delicious. And still is, thank you very much.) The owner of the apartments, who also happens to be Matt's cousin, happened by and let us in to see the old place. Not much had changed. They DID paint over all the stars in Lisa and Erin's room, which is probably a good thing.


Out to lunch at the Pasta Factory!


I am already looking forward to next year! It can't come fast enough! I had a great time, and I am eternally grateful to Matt for still loving me even though I completely abandoned him for Fathers Day to have a get-away. Now THAT'S a good man!

If I Didn't Love Her, I'd Definitely Hate Her

My friend Rebecca and I embarked upon a journey this weekend. Pregnancy photos. I thought it would be fun to take them, and she just so happens to be really beautiful, really photogenic and really pregnant. Check, check, check. (I looked like a cow when I was pregnant. Seriously. I mean it.) I also managed to take a few cute pictures of her adorable family along the way.

Do you think I should ASK her, before I splash her lovely, smooth pregnant belly all over the internet??

Nah. I'm sure she'll forgive me if everyone makes really nice, sincere comments :)


(See? I told you she was beautiful :)

My Mother Taught Me Better Than This

I am a poor, poor thank-you note writer.

My mom is amazing at it. She writes thank you notes to everyone. She'll send a thank-you note for a thank-you note. She made us all sit at the kitchen table, the day after Christmas, and write thank you notes to all of our relatives for our Christmas gifts. All the while we moaned and groaned about it. (Dear _________, thank you for the _____________. I really like it. I am going to use it for ____________. Love, Nicole. Next note: Dear _____________, thank you for the __________________ ... you get the idea.)

I should have been paying closer attention, cause the minute I moved out, the note writing STOPPED. My sister Jess is great at writing thank you notes, but as far as I know, she is the only one who got the thankful gene. (Sisters, please correct me if I am wrong.) It's not that I am not thankful for all the wonderful things I receive...I am just bad at expressing it in writing, sealing it in an envelope, addressing it and putting a stamp on it.

Lately, I have gotten a few thank you notes. Two from my dearest Auntie Mace. I love her with all my heart. She sent me notes thanking ME for sending cards to her here and there, just cause I love her (I am good at random expressions of love, not really something you would consider as a 'thank-you note' in my book.)

And just this week, I have gotten two unexpected thank you notes. This silly one was a doorbell ditch from two of my voice students, Bria and Jamie:
(It says "thank you for being awesome" on the back. I have never had a note thanking me for being awesome. It feels pretty...well...awesome.)

And this one from Brooke, one of my Primary kids. Sweet and wonderful.


I love to receive them, but I need to be better at WRITING them.

My mother would be so proud.

Brynley Sue

It's good to have friends with daughters! With all the beautiful trees in bloom right now, I couldn't resist snatching Brynley and taking pictures of her. Such a beauty!

Lots more to do - I am still editing.

Which one is YOUR favorite?

Word to Your Mother

If you need a good laugh, check out my friend Mindi's blog HERE.

Money back guarantee if she does NOT crack you up! (Well, not really, but check it out anyway.)

HaPpY UnBiRtHdAy To YoU!!!

For our first Primary Activity Day of the year, we had a Happy UN-Birthday Party for all the kids. We had a great time, and a wonderful turnout. 76 kids! We encouraged the kids to bring friends to the activity, and I saw several kids I didn't know, which is great. They are a wonderful bunch of little missionaries.

Goody bags and mini-cupcakes for all the kids at the end of the activity.


This was one of the four stations. We started with everyone together playing limbo, dancing, and doing the hokey-pokey. Then we separated them into groups and had four activities...a balloon stomp, pin the bow on the present, musical chairs and bingo (pictured below).


All the presidency dressed as CLOWNS!! Sue really went all out. She looked fantastic (and only a little scary.).


Yep, this is me. Being a clown. Attempting to conquer my childhood fear of clowns after seeing Poltergeist as a kid. The movie It didn't help much, either. Baby steps...baby steps...


(Below)Isn't this the coolest Primary Presidency you have EVER seen?? Top L to R: Nicole, Angie and Karen. Bottom row: L to R: Sue and Monique. I love these ladies!!

I am nose-less in this picture. I like me better with the nose. The kids kept wanting to squeeze it or poke it.
(In case you were wondering, we are doing jazz-hands.)


Angie (my 3rd counselor. Yes, we have a humongous Primary so I get THREE counselors! All the other Primary presidents out there are totally jealous.) did all the decorating. A fantastic job! Loved her green wig. For some reason it reminded me of Gwen Stefani. She is so adorable! Angie, not Gwen. Well, Gwen is cute too, but I am talking about Angie.


Here's the D-man, playing around before the activity started. Good times.


Karen, my 2nd counselor. SO fun and cute!! She is rockin' those pig tails.


Sue (1st counselor) and Monique (music leader) getting all clown-ified before the activity.


Another great activity! Now we can breathe a little until the next one comes in May.

I LOVE Primary!

One Short Day in the Emerald City...

Let me start this post by saying this: If you have never seen the musical Wicked, you must go see it. If you are a fan of musicals, or even if you are not, you will love it. Save your money, sell your car, eat beans and rice for a month, but make plans and GO SEE IT.

For the past two years I have been the choir director for a small choir in a charter high school in Fresno. My friend Rebecca is a teacher there, and she is also the accompanist for the choir. Yesterday we were fortunate enough to go on a reward trip with 20 or so of the elective students to San Francisco to see a matinee performance of the musical Wicked. I saw it for the first time in Los Angeles nearly two years ago, so this was my second time seeing it. I loved it just as much, if not more, than the first time around.

At the last minute we had three extra tickets, so Rebecca brought her daughter Olivia and Olivia's friend Ryann. I could have brought Zack, but he was out of town (drat!) so I immediately thought of my voice student Danielle. I've been teaching her for 2 years. She is a great singer, and she LOVES theatre. She was the perfect choice! She was thrilled beyond words to come with me to see the show.

Before the show we spent some time at the infamous Pier 39. This is me and Rebecca with our girls - L to R: Olivia, Ryann and Dani


Dani being goofy in one of the shops on the pier.


Rebecca lookin' HOT!


The boats on the pier. We got lucky - we'd had days of dismal rain before this trip, but the musical theatre Gods decided to give us a perfect day for our trip.


The seals, lounging on the pier. They are SO darn cute.


Dani, checking out Alcatraz. I love this photo!


Olivia, looking out at everything there is to see. Beautiful girl!


Here we are on the bus. Notice the lovely seat covers on the right, that just match the lovely shade of blue in Rebecca's eyes. We totally planned that.


Wicked!! Me (notice my Elphaba-green scarf? Nice. I was way more suble than some folks. I actually saw some ladies with witch hats on.) with my daughter for the day, Dani, outside the theatre before the show.


The kids were super well behaved, and all enjoyed it. It was a great experience for them, and I am happy that I was able to be a part of it!