Our New Kitchen!

Our kitchen (minus the tile backsplash) is done and I absolutely love it! I love how the cabinets turned out and how much space they have. I have so much room now, I even have an empty cupboard although I am sure it won't be long before I have found something to put in there. And after hours of searching through warehouses of granite, picking out several slabs only to have to start again (Love ya Aaron), getting several bids, and going back and forth of what we were actually going to do- I love my granite countertops. So, after all the time spent, miles driven, steps taken searching out granite slabs, drawer styles, colors, ... the list goes on, my kitchen is in and I am enjoying it all. Does this mean I actually have to cook in it? Can't I just enjoy the view?

Plus, not only did I get a new kitchen, I also had fun redecorating! Too fun and very spoiled!

Adam got his wolf!

We are so proud of Adam. He worked hard all year and with the help of his awesome scout leaders he was able to earn his Wolf in Scouts. Way to go Adam! Keep up the good work!

Create

I came across this while reading another's blog and thought it was amazing.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhLlnq5yY7k

I spend a lot of time looking at other blogs and thinking how creative they are- Sewing this, revamping their latest DI find, making something wonderful out of nothing, cooking wonderful meals for their families- and I think "I wish I could do that." I don't know how many times I tell myself that I am not creative, or I can't do that. But no more! I can do that! I am a creative person! It may take some time and practice but I will do it!

So for my first project with a new attitude.... revamp the kids bathroom. Complete with a new paint job on the bathroom vanity. Wish me luck!

Hawaii vacationing with my honey

So Aaron and I dropped the kids off at Randi's house (Thank You!) on Thursday morning and made our way to the airport to hop a plane to Oahu for 2 days and then make our way to Kauai for the remainder. We were so excited to meet up with our friends Jared and Kirsten Waite from Colorado and spend 10 glorious days in the fun and sun of Hawaii.

Here are the highlights of our fabulous vacation:

While in Oahu, we visited the Polynesian Cultural Center. The PCC, as they call it in Hawaii, was awesome! I would, however, forgo the lunch buffet and spend more time going to each of the "islands" and participating in the many activities there. The final luau was spectacular and would definitely recommend going if you have never been before. The lu'au dinner was only okay and not really worth the money but I guess we pay for the ambiance!

I got a "tattoo"

Aaron and Jared learning to play the ukele.
Pearl Harbor was very sobering. We took the tour that involved watching a movie about the events of that day then took a boat ride out to the USS Arizona Memorial. They built it right over the sunken Arizona and you can still see part of the ship below.


After two days in Oahu, we jumped a plane again to spend the remainder of our vacation in Kauai. What a beautiful, green place! I am officially in love with Kauai! On Mother's Day, Aaron and I took a drive up the North coast and found the Kilauea lighthouse and then drove down to the South coast for dinner and entered through the tunnel of trees. When we saw the Monkey pod tree in Old Town Koloa I immediately thought of Adam and how much fun he would have climbing and playing in this tree. Roy's Poipu cuisine is by far THE BEST restaurant I have ever eaten at. The filet mignon was "like butter" and the macadamia nut crusted shutome was delicious. If you are ever in Kauai, I absolutely recommend it!

Kilauea Light houseMonkey Pod Tree
Eating my free Mother's Day ice cream from Lapperts.

(I still think Baskin Robbins in better.)

Enjoying dinner at Roy's


On Tuesday we spent the day back up on the North shore and visited Queen's Bath - could have skipped this, and Tunnel's Beach. While snorkeling with Kirsten, we came across 4 sea turtles. They were floating in the water and almost looked like they were flying. So, I am following one of the sea turtles and I turn around and low and behold I spot a....SHARK! Did I mention that this same scenario is always in the back of my head every time I go snorkeling? So, I flipped around and yelled to Kirsten there was a shark. She spotted it too and we booked it out of there. (Play "Jaws" music here). We grabbed our guys on the way out and headed to the shore. When we got to shore I went up to the lifeguard tower and told him I had just spotted a shark. Here is how that went:

"Hey, I just spotted a shark out there while I was snorkeling."

"What did it look like?"

"Like a shark, it was gray, and had three lines on the side of its face."

"Those were gills. Did it have stripes on its back?"

"No, I don't think so. I didn't really stick around long enough to find out."

"Oh, that shark is a white tipped reef shark and lives out there and is harmless. That is cool you got to see him."

WHAT? That was unreal. I guess I should have taken Aaron and Jared over there to see the shark as well. I guess next time I encounter a shark in the water, I will have to look and see if it has stripes on it's back. Seriously, who is going to take the time to look for that? Unreal!

Here a picture I found online of a shark like the one I saw. Tell me you would not be scared if you saw this too! As I was google-ing Reef Shark in Tunnels, Kauai I came across several videos that people took of the reef shark while snorkeling in Tunnels. Pretty cool!

Kipu Falls is another must see spot. It comes complete with a waterfall, a swimming hole, and a rope swing. Aaron and Kirsten were brave and jumped off the 20 foot cliff into the water below. I, on the other hand, stuck to the rope swing which was scary enough for me. So much fun! Just a tip: When you are getting your gear out of the trunk of the convertible mustang, make sure you do not leave the car keys inside as there is no trunk latch in the car. (Love ya Aaron!)

Taking a helicopter tour of the island was so amazing! What a beautiful island! And to be able to see the Ne Pali coastline and fly into the volcano and see the weeping wall... no words can describe.

We also took a ride up the Waimea Canyon on the back of the Harley. Waimea is the "Grand Canyon of the Pacific." Magnificent! At least until I got off the wrong side of the bike and burned my leg on the muffler - OUCH! At that point, after 6 hours on the back of a bike I was done- beyond done!

I feel a little like Dumb and Dumber - Although Aaron looks great on the bike.

Kayaking up the Waimea river was one of my favorite activities we did. What a blast! We kayaked up to Secret Falls which is a hidden waterfall up the river. There we swam in the pool underneath the waterfall. The water was freezing but after kayaking and hiking to get there, it felt great! When we were done, we returned to our kayaks and made our way further up the river where we found another spot to swim that also had a rope swing (not as cool as the one at Kipu falls) and a cliff to dive off (Much less scary than the cliff at Kipu Falls). So when we had been at the second place for a little while up comes more kayakers and they get out. One "woman" proceeded to undress down to "her" bathing suit which was a string bikini. "She" turned around and I discovered "she" was a guy. What a sight! I think he was in the middle of the "change." Good times on the Waimea River!

If you want good, calm, clear snorkeling spot, my favorite was Ke'e Beach. It is the farthest beach you can get to by car. The water was crystal clear and it was so calm it was like swimming in the pool. The fish there were amazing and we even saw sea turtles again - minus the shark!

Last but not least, is the mention of the Hawaii Shave Ice. I cannot even count how many times we stopped and got this yummy treat! The combination of the shave ice and the ice cream underneath- my mouth is watering even as I type.

So, needless to say, Aaron and I had a fantastic time laughing, eating, playing, exploring, and swimming in Kauai. I love the Hawaiian islands and can't wait for the next time we can go back. Thanks Jared and Kirsten for coming! We had so much fun!

Why am I exhausted all the time?

Yes, that is pee on the floor - in front of the toilet? Hmmm...

Need I say more? Just to preface, the house was picked up and cleaned earlier this morning and the sad thing is that Adam hasn't even made it home from school yet. Calgon take me away!

The Love of our Savior

I came across this website while reading another blog. It is a great and powerful video of the life and sacrifice of our Savior.

http://sonofmanproject.com/

DisneyLand Vacation

Even though I am now 31 years old I still cannot contain my excitement as I walk through the gates and round the corner to step onto Main Street in DisneyLand. I love it! Especially when we take our kids there.

We spent the last week in March enjoying the California sunshine at DisneyLand with our family. We had a great time! We visited DisneyLand and California Adventure for 4 days, one day at Universal Studios (Abbi hated every minute of this park), and even found time to go to the beach. Alex loved the Madderhorn (the only roller coaster he could ride) and especially loved Playhouse Disney. Aaron and I enjoyed watching him get all excited when Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Handy Manny, the Little Einstiens, and Winnie the Pooh came on stage. He sang and danced with them and had a great time. As for Adam and Abbi, they unanimously agreed that California Screamin was their all-time favorite ride. I liked that one too plus the Midway Mania (a new Toy Story ride in California Adventure.)

Aaron and I loved spending time with the kids at DisneyLand. It was a fantastic vacation and like always came to an end too soon. Here's to looking forward to the next family vacation where ever that might be.

My Birthday celebrations

Last year for my 30th birthday Aaron took me on a trip to San Diego with a side detour to Vegas to see Phantom of the Opera. It was an amazing birthday and I told him he would have a hard time topping last years but, he did it! Birthday's in our house always go on for about a week and mine was no different. It started last Friday when some great friends and I took off to spend a weekend relaxing, eating, shopping, watching movies, staying up late, talking and giggling at a condo in Midway. We all had a great time and have decided to do it annually and call it a "mom's retreat." When I returned home on Sunday, Aaron had cleaned the house, made the kids clean their disastrous bedrooms, and even did several loads of laundry. What a guy! Then on Monday, the night before my birthday, Aaron handed me my present (neatly wrapped in a piece of scrap paper that he found on the desk in the office.) Inside were 2 tickets to "Wicked" for Wednesday night. He completely surprised me. I had mentioned in passing that I wanted to go and he picked up on it. He found us 2 tickets and drove clear to Syracuse to pick them up. So, now I had that to look forward to. My actual birthday was spent shopping in the glorious sunshine and eating lunch with Aaron at Goodwood. We had never been there before but it was delicious!

Now on to "Wicked." This play is absolutely amazing! If you ever have the chance to go - take it! I sat in awe the entire time with the fabulous music, the costumes, the scenery, and the actors. Can I go again? Truly one of the best.

So my birthday week is coming to a close but not before the family party on Sunday where we will hopefully be celebrating in my newly remodeled kitchen. The granite is supposed to come in on Saturday and that will be the final piece in putting my kitchen back together. I will post pics as soon as it is done. It should turn out great!

Okay Aaron, so you out did yourself again. Thanks for an amazing birthday!

While I'm blogging

As I sat here updating my blog, I hear "mama" and turn around to find this:

After I finished laughing I realized I needed to share the laugh with all of you. Can we call this a "blackmail" picture for when he is a teenager? I think so!

And the Award Goes To.....

Aaron Marshall and the Marshall Group for the Large Sales Team of 2008.

On Friday, Aaron and I attended the Salt Lake Board of Realtors "The Stars are out Tonight" awards gala. Aaron was up for the "Large Sales Team" award and they won! We were so excited! Aaron and his team worked very hard last year and it paid off. They closed over 170 transactions with Aaron completing over 140 of those. I am so proud of him. He works extremely hard and has been very successful in his career. Thanks to his team: Christy, Cori, Robyn, Jessica, James, and Jeannette for their hard work and dedication as well. We couldn't do it without you. It was a great night being able to celebrate with the team. Way to go!

Aaron and his awesome team

Aaron accepting his award