Sarah Sings

 I know it's been forever since I updated the blog, but I wanted to post a video clip of Sarah singing a solo tonight.  It was for a stake young women's meeting recognizing the girls who earned their medallions this year.  Bret played the piano for her and I thought she did an amazing job.  The song is Savior, Redeemer of My Soul.  It's from the movie 17 miracles.  (Sorry the video is so grainy.  I had to convert it to a file that blogger would upload and in doing so it became grainy.) I'll also post a few other pictures.

 Sarah going to prom with her friend Preston.

 We had a wonderful time at Walt Disney World in January.

 We've added 6 new chicks to our household.  These little ladies will be ready to start laying in 6 months, about the time our other chickens are winding down their laying.

Scrubbing Bubbles Review

I was happy to join a program called SheSpeaks that allows you to try out new products and then review them online. The first product they sent me to review was the new Scrubbing Bubbles® One-Step Toilet Bowl Cleaner.


The kids were so excited when they saw it. My 10 and 12 year old both wanted to have it in the bathrooms they are assigned to clean. I decided to put it in our bathroom so I could see how it works. My kids set it up in less than a minute and before I had even read the instructions.

The product works great and I will most likely be picking one up for each of my bathrooms. I haven't priced it at the store yet, but I'm watching for coupons on it.

Kid's Pictures

Last month I was excited to win a photography session from Smile A Day Giveaways' blog. The photo shoot was with Kim of Corrigan Photography. Kim was so nice to work with. We decided to meet at the Amphitheater in American Fork and it is a beautiful spot for pictures. I took Anna and Andrew for pictures since the other kids had recently had their pictures taken and updated on our wall. Here are a few of the amazing pictures Kim took. (I know I'm probably biased, but I thought they turned out great!)


This bunny was kind enough to stop and pose for a picture.


This one is probably my favorite photo ever of Andrew. Thanks Kim!

Washington D.C.

We recently had the opportunity to take Jenna and Addison to D.C. with us. Bret had meetings most of the time, but the kids and I were able to see and do quite a bit. We walked around most of monuments, took a trolley tour, got a personal tour of the capitol (if you are going to D. C., email your senator for a tour. It's part of their job to help constituents when visiting D.C.). An intern from Senator Hatch's office took just the three of us on a personal tour. It was great and we didn't have to stand in any of the long lines.





A and J in front of the White House. This guard was every bit as ornery as he looks.



Standing in the very center of the capitol and D.C.

Girls in Braces

Here are some pictures of the girls in their new braces. Jenna is thrilled to have braces, Sarah isn't. We got Sarah the clear ones since she is starting high school this year. Sarah just needs one year in them, but Jenna will have them for two years. We chose an orthodontist close to our home and the girls can actually walk to appointments after school. (That may be my favorite part of the whole thing).



Jenna is starting with just four brackets on front.



Sarah got the full set.


Sarah with braces. The clear ones are awesome!

Book Review: LOVE FOOD & LIVE WELL

I was excited when I was asked to review "LOVE FOOD & LIVE WELL". I was intrigued by the idea of being able to eat foods you enjoy and still be healthy. I really dislike diets that focus on deprivation.

The author of this book, Chantel Hobbs, lost 200 pounds and has kept if off for years. She has two previous books out ("The Never Say Diet" and "The One-Day Way") and in September of this year she's coming out with another book, "Walk Strong, Look Up". In "LOVE FOOD & LIVE WELL" she shares some advice that has helped her not only change what she looks like, but how she feels about herself and food.

Chantel has an 80/20 rule that she discusses in the book. She suggests that 20% of the time you splurge on foods you love (like birthday cake and other celebration foods). The other 80% of the time you choose foods that will deliver maximum fuel to your body. I love the idea of focusing on foods that will help your body be healthy and give you energy. It seems to me that anytime you try to avoid foods, you end up eating more of the foods that are off limits. This idea of finding the best fuel for your body helps you focus on positive changes.

Chantel educates the reader about calories, basal metabolic rate, carbs, protein and fat. After discussing foods and nutrition she moves on to discuss the importance of exercise and interval training. The book has a few recipes and great exercise information and pictures of how to correctly do the exercises.

I really enjoyed Chantel's writing style. She's very down to earth and knows what she's talking about. Her stories through out the book were engaging. She talks about a conversation she had at the gym with an attractive, thin woman. The woman told her she ate a piece of chocolate a day. Chantel was surprised and asked how she had the will power to only eat one and not the whole bag. The lady seemed surprised by the question and responded that if she ate them all there wouldn't be any for tomorrow. That idea of moderation and not deprivation is the theme of this book.

You can find this book at amazon for $13.59 or check it out at your local library.

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.

Way too long...

I can't believe it's been so long since I posted anything. Here are some fun pictures my brother Jeff took while he was in town.




Jeff told us to act silly for this one. Bret lost his balance and really did fall backwards. I was impressed my brother was able to get the shot.


We didn't get around to getting pictures of the youngest two. I guess they'll get to go first next time. My brother definitely has an eye for photography. These were all taken in my parent's backyard when we were together for a picnic. Like for Jenna's picture, he just had her stand close to the house. I would have never thought of that.