Top Ten Google....This!

I love checking the things people have googled to find my blog.  Here is the top ten for 2012.  

How can I reclaim my family room?

If you have small children in your home, you can only reclaim your family room if you have a basement and you lock them and their toys in it.  Cut a hole in the door for food.

Should you live in Utah if you are a moron?

Yes.

What are the key milestones for the constellation program?

This seems to be the problem with the constellation program.  They didn't have any key milestones.  My husband worked on it for four years and accomplished nothing.

Where should a non-lds live in Utah?

In Park City.  It is the most non-lds place I found.

Should wives work?

No.  Being a wife is a full time job.

What things are relentless?

My kids, Kim Kardashian, missionaries, Obamacare, Zombies.

When to end nap time?

Never.  If your kids will nap....make it happen for as long as possible.  The only exception to this rule is if it prevents your kids to go to bed at night.

Can non-lds still love Utah?

I think some can.  I've only met one person that has gone back there on purpose.

How can I piss off my nabor?

If you are talking about your neighbor....you can piss them off by parking in their spot, letting your dog pee on their tires, getting drums, smoking under their windows and feeding squirrels.

Have you had a terrible experience with swapping partners?

I have never swapped partners.

What is it like living in Utah?

It's like living in another country and you don't speak the language and everything you do is wrong.

CURRENT TOP SEARCH:

How to survive Obamacare?

We are surviving Obamacare by....starting an exercise program and eating cleaner so that we don't get sick and NEED to use our health care.  We're eating out less and putting the money in the bank to help pay for all of the cost increases that will accompany this.  We're increasing our Vitamin D, C and B vitamins so that we're healthier.

Can I marry my sister?

No.  That is just wrong!!


Come back Tuesday for my word, theme song and goals for 2013!!

Review Extravaganza: Dreams Come True

Have you been following along as I recap the year?  I hope you've enjoyed it as much as I have and haven't rolled your eyes at me once.  I get a lot of eye rolling here at my house so it's nice to know that I'm accepted for my quirkiness here.  If you just rolled your eyes....don't tell me, just carry on.

I'm joining Emmy Mom and her gang of friends to recap the last three months and to have five wishes goals for 2013.  As some of you old long time readers know....I live for the beginning of the year and love making New Years Resolutions!



OCTOBER

I discovered that I'd accidentally been stalking an Italian Flag Thrower.

I heckled a Democrat.

*October was a sad month here in Denver....there aren't very many happy posts*

NOVEMBER

We went on a whirl wind Florida vacation!

It was a Thanksgiving we'll never forget!  FRANKENTURKEY!

DECEMBER

I was a rockstar....for one night.

I added TOOTH FAIRY to my Linked In resume.

I was a cake judge at a Chocolate Festival.

I took my daughter to The Nutcracker for the first time.

The guy in front of me in line at Target was having a 50 Shades Christmas.

My husband got the sweetest gift from our son.


Connie's Five Goals for 2013

• Finally lose 20 pounds and not find it again. (I've hired a health coach.)
• Complete at least 20 items on my Foodie Bucket List.
• Read 40 books. 
• Knit something I can wear without being embarrassed.
• Teach my kids to tie their shoes.

And now an announcement!!  I will be blogging The Bachelor: Sean complete with drinking game.  I will also be stalking looking for Sean when I visit Dallas in March.  Subscribe if you don't want to miss it.  

Can You Hear The Bell?

I intended to recap our last week of Elfcapdes today but I learned to knit yesterday and now I can't stop.  I've taken a little break to post (and go to dinner with my family) but I really have no desire to tell you about what the elves did before they went home.

I do want to tell you that we had a great Christmas!  The kids ended up with 4300 new LEGOS and lots of clothes.  Mama got a new Keurig, frying pans and my favorite perfume that Keith first bought for me on our honeymoon 8 years ago.

What I really want to tell you about is the gift that Alex gave to Keith.  But first....some back story.

While iKeith and I were living the dream....singing with A Great Big World; Uncle Robert was watching the kids.  He decided to rent The Polar Express movie and Alex was enthralled!  He talked about the film for days after.

December 14th, I brought my boy home from school and cuddled with him on the couch.  I was avoiding the news at all costs and turned on ABC Family....The Polar Express was on.  We watched it together as I clutched his hand.

The kids have been making us presents for a few weeks and putting them under the tree.  We received special notes and art projects but there was one special gift that would touch our hearts.

Keith was the recipient of this gift and Alex was anxious for it to be unwrapped.  It was a small bell on a green piece of yarn.

Alex explained that he gave the bell to iKeith because he knew that he believed and could still hear the bell.

I saw a tear in Keith's eye.  Yes, Alex....your Daddy believes.

At one time, most of my friends could hear the bell, but as years passed, it fell silent for all of them.  Even Sarah found one Christmas that she could no longer hear its sweet sound.  Though I've grown old, the bell still rings for me, as it does for all who truly believe.
~The Polar Express

Have Yourself a Fifty Shades Christmas

I have a sweet post up right now about taking my daughter to The Nutcracker.  I'd love for you to read it and share the love with me.  I also gushed about her here too.

I didn't intend to post twice today, but I just got back from a last minute trip to Target and I had to show you what the guy in front of me bought for his sweetheart.

Let me start by saying this guy was NO Christian.  Oh no....he was more, Carrot Top than Christian.

I hope his lady has a great Christmas and enjoys her presents.

Yes...I did stealthy take this picture.  He had no clue....

Her First Nutcracker

I saw The Nutcracker for the first time in 2005 when I was five months pregnant with Alex.  I was mesmerized and thought to myself that I couldn't wait to take my child to see it when they were old enough.

Very soon, I had a daughter....every little girl dreams of having a daughter to dress up and take to the theatre!  Tea parties and shopping! Oh my!

In October, I invited my friend Heather and her daughter Abbie to share this special milestone with us.  We bought our tickets and waited patiently for the day to arrive!

The Ellie Caulkins Opera House is a beautiful venue! It's very regal....dark red seats and the beautiful ruby red curtain that holds all of the excitement behind it! We all felt so grown up and proper.  Okay...I did.

It was so fun to see all of the little girls dressed up and some of them had their American Girl dolls with them.  There were a few little boys too.  I'm sure they were not having as much fun as we were!

Mallory loved The Nutcracker!  She enjoyed the music and thought the ballet was beautiful and sat enthralled through most of it.  I was so happy to share it with her and I hope to make it a yearly event and invite more friends each year.  I wish I'd had the chance when I was a little girl.  It is just so magical!

Have you been to The Nutcracker?

Gratitude {6}

In September, I read Daring Greatly by Brene Brown.  Like her other books, this book changed my life! One overwhelming message for me was this.

Don't squander joy.

There had to be something from each day that I was grateful for.  Once I took the time to look for them, I saw them like bright lights in the dark.

At that same time, I started to blog my gratitude moments on Sundays.  You'll notice that I feel off the posting wagon in October.  Life got busy but I've still been noticing the joy.

The other day, it occurred to me that when I started to really be grateful for things like my husband and my kids' teacher and acknowledge these gifts in my life....more blessings and joy poured in.

I told facebook the other day that I feel like I'm living a charmed life.  I've had an amazing year!  I've traveled from coast to coast, I've made amazing friends and had fun with them, I've been invited to several really entertaining events in Denver because of my blog, I sang with my favorite band and I judged a cake competition.  Last week, I even won some Chocolate Balls from Leslie Gail's Mom TV Show!

If you do nothing in 2013....do this:  Embrace the Joy!

************************

Mini Me

She was the very best surprise I've ever gotten.

And possibly the cutest baby I've ever seen.

She's an old soul and wise beyond her five years.

She's helpful, kind and generous to a fault.

She's so much like me.

She's loving, but angers easily...sometimes holds a grudge.

She's so much like me.

She likes things like she likes them, and don't touch her stuff!

She's all about Hello Kitty and drawing.

She's serious and funny....makes me laugh everyday.

She's vindictive and naughty...makes me want to pull my hair out!

She loves chicken nuggets, My Little Pony and being a Kindergartener.

Her brother and whoever isn't on red at school are her best friends.

She's my cooking buddy, shopping companion and snuggle bunny.

She's my daughter!

We went to The Nutcracker yesterday.  During intermission she discovered that she had 15 emails, 25 facebook likes and a voice mail.  And then she re-applied her lip gloss. 

I'll tell you more about our adventure tomorrow.

Review Extravaganza: Super Awesome

Ah Summer.  I think we had a great summer and we crossed off most of our Summer of Fun items but iKeith gave me a hard time because we didn't cross off everything.  It hurt my inner over-achievers feelings so I banned him from the last ice cream hurrah!  That'll teach him.

Joining Emmy Mom and her friends to re-cap July, August and September.




JULY

My sister came to visit.  There was much shenanigans such as Bobbi's boobs bringing all of the local boys to the pool, we broke stuff at Target,  we saw a pay phone and Magic Mike, Keith got us loaded and took us to Target.  ALL OF THIS IN ONE POST PEOPLE!  Also.  Lots of Target!

We spent the 4th of July at Mile High Stadium (i will always call it that) watching the Denver Outlaws play and we saw the super fan!  And we saw awesome fireworks.

My super awesome paper planner came in the mail.

I made a list of things that suck.


AUGUST

We celebrated two years back in Denver by renewing the lease on our crappy apartment.

My red neck in laws came to visit. We had a party!

I discovered that I worried for nothing about holding Alex back another year.

I finally got to tell you about the app that my husband made!

I retold the story of Norman the Mormon, right before we saw The Book of Mormon.


SEPTEMBER

I found Jesus.

I let you all know about something crazy that happened in my hometown.

I answered the burning question....Are You Better Off Than Four Years Ago.

My daughter took a page from my book and planned an amazing birthday for me with the perfect theme.  She's five.  Love that girl!

I continued my tradition of buying myself SHOES for my birthday.

My favorite singer formed a band with his best friend. A Great Big World!!


If you like what you see....subscribe!  

Goodbye

If the world is going to end tomorrow.....I just want you to know that I love you and goodbye.

Countdown to Christmas: Hug a Tree

Week three of the super fun and exhausting holiday season is over!  I feel like I'm on a runaway train speeding towards Christmas and the breaks are out.  I'm looking forward to the Kindergarten holiday parties being over and Christmas break beginning.

 Our elves have been a little subdued this week.  I think they are anxious to go home and sleep in their own beds.  

They had a great time zip lining across the living room.

Mallory was thrilled to find out that she'd been invited to a classmate's house for a Gingerbread Decorating Party!  They spent a couple of hours eating pizza and attaching candy to adorable little houses.  Later that night, Mallory would awaken at 2am with a horrible stomach ache because she hid her house in her room and then ate half the candy off from it.

Saturday morning, we found the elves hiding place pretty quickly.  They needed to spend some time with Jesus.  I completely understood.

What a friend we have in Jesus!

I had big plans for Saturday night!  I drove to almost Kansas to a Christmas Party with some of my best internet friends....many that I'd never met before.  We exchanged cookies and had a white elephant exchange.  You have not fully experienced a white elephant gift exchange until you've stolen a sonor g-spot detector (if you don't know what I'm referring to...email me) and then had it stolen from you and ended up with a sweet cinnamon candle with Penguins on top of it.  This did actually work out to my advantage because iKeith collects Penguins and now I have one less present to buy him.  Click here for my Cherry Tassie recipe.

Boobs and Crack

Sunday, we decided to finally get our Christmas Tree!  We found an adorable little lot in a putt putt gold course that is closed for the winter.  It was interesting to stumble around the course (i kept tripping on the raised surfaces) and find the perfect tree.  I loved it so much....I hugged it.

I got great mail this week!  My BFF Jessica sent me a present of some of her favorite things.  I think I'll call her White Oprah.  

The kids woke up this morning to find total shenanigans!  The elves got tangled in the tree AND got into the pantry and laid out a bunch of pop tarts for the kids breakfast.

What did your elves do this week?

My Favorite Christmas Memory

The beautiful and skinny Mama Kat has a great list of writing prompts this week and I'm feeling chatty so I decided to tackle TWO of them. I'll also be posting my weekly Countdown to Christmas and Elf Shenanigans later today.


Share a favorite Christmas memory

My senior year of high school was much different than I expected it to be. Over the summer, my Dad had been in a horseback riding accident.  He was too injured to return to his job and he was going to school to start a new career as a flight instructor. 

A few weeks after school started, my car was on it's last leg, so I got a job at a local auto parts store as a parts delivery driver and right before Christmas I had gotten my first loan from a bank and bought a 1979 Ford Mustang.  Money was tight and I was paying for all of my own expenses with my little paycheck.

I hated that I was being forced to be an adult a year too soon and I'm sure I sulked around a fair amount of the time.

I wasn't expecting much that Christmas.  My parents had started selling things to raise money to pay bills.  My piano was gone and so was my sister's horse. We had the basics and that was enough for me. 

I was amazed beyond belief when I opened a small box and found a a ring with a sapphire stone inside.  I remember crying because I didn't think I'd be able to get a class ring!  We'd looked at them once and when I realized they were over $200 I knew I'd have trouble saving that much.  Somehow, my parents had scraped enough money together to get my ring.

I'll never forget that day.

List the top 9 things that bring you joy

1.  Holding hands with my children
2.  Planning a trip
3.  Seeing my children happy
4.  Watching my husband get excited about something
5.  Winning 
6.  Riding roller coasters with my family
7.  Eating Chocolate Covered Orange Sticks
8.  Laughing at my son's jokes
9.  Watching my daughter do gymnastics

Around the World in 13 Hours

At the end of the third day of our vacation we moved from the Universal Studios area to the Disney Area and we spent a little more money on our accommodations.  I did get a great deal through Expedia and we loved staying at The Disney Caribbean Beach Resort.

We woke up bright and early and headed to EPCOT!

Our first stop was Spaceship Earth and Misson Space.  The kids loved going to Mars and that we each had a job to do.  We would revisit this ride 13 hours later right after I slammed a beer in England and I'm happy to say that I did not throw up!

We had a great time walking from country to country and the kids really enjoyed getting their passport stamped at each destination.  We love to travel and they now have more ideas for where they'd like to go.  Too bad their Dad has no desire to leave the country.

We had lunch in Mexico at the San Angel Inn.  It was a unique experience and the food was great!

I really enjoyed Germany, because my children are part German and we're planning a German Christmas.  I really just liked the beer.

Keith surprised me with dinner at Chefs De France in France.  I was so excited because I love all things French!  Fries, wine, cheese, Julia Child and saying Oui*!  Click here to see what I ate in France.

Soon it was dark and time for the IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth.  We were looking for a good place to watch the fireworks when we saw a roped off area right at the entrance.  Keith asked what that area was for and the security guard asked if we had a Chase Credit Card.  We did and found out it was a VIP area for people with that card.  Being in Debt FOR THE WIN!!

It was such a long day and I could barely walk back to the bus for the short 10 minute ride back to our Pirate Room!  What a great day and a fantastic surprise for the kids when we returned to our hotel.  More about that another time.....

*Do not google the word Oui.  It's a naught magazine for men.

Other posts about Orlando:

Universal Orlando
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter
Take Offs and Landings

Heavy Heart

I sat on the floor and read The Gingerbread Baby five times this morning.  Mallory's classmates are such good little listeners and gave me their full attention.  A couple of them have the sniffles and one likes to eat her buggers but hey....I get hungry in the morning too.

I usually go grab coffee after centers because there isn't much time.  But today....something told me to go home.

I sat down at my computer and the first thing I saw was that there had been a shooting in Connecticut  At an elementary school.  In Newtown.

My heart raced and I tried to email my friend Laura.  She has two kids in that school.  I had to find out if her kids are okay.  Her email is from her old blog and it boomeranged back to me.

Then I remembered that we have a mutual friend and she has actually visited Laura before and she must have her number.

Luckily, Jennifer had her number and found out almost immediately that they are safe but that her son....saw something terrible.

I broke down crying when I returned to school for Mallory.  A friend hugged me and I lost it.

I have so many questions and feelings. I think I'm going to need to medicated from now on....my kids are no longer safe anywhere, except in our home and even that's not a guarantee.

Right before I walked into Alex's classroom to volunteer for his centers, I found out that the children that died today, were Kindergarteners.

You have got to be kidding me!! 

I read The Gingerbread Baby five more times and resisted the urge to hug all 25 kiddos.  I couldn't wait to get my family home and lock the door.

Then I stress ate a half a tin of butter cookies.

Tomorrow, life must go on and I don't want to live in fear every minute.  I also don't want to raise fearful children.....but how do I do that and keep them safe?  I'm sure we're all asking each ourselves the same questions.

Until I get some answers, I'll just be praying for the community of Newtown and hoping they heal.

Countdown to Christmas: Chocolate Festival

I'm joining Liz from Sugarplum Creations every week to recap what my crazy little elves have been up to AND share what we've been doing for the holidays.  My kids have now spent a ridiculous amount of time learning about Hanukkah and Kwanza so I hope this week they get to learn about SANTA!



We had a super fun week that started out with Vincent and Poe bringing the Christmas Jammies! This was the day that I found out that Alex actually hates sock monkeys and that the decal is too scratchy. For the record, Mallory loves her sock monkey jammies which is a huge relief after what happened a few years ago. (if you click on that link you will see that this is my 3rd year linking up with the amazing Liz)

Mallory is a budding fashion designer and talked to Poe all day about making her a dress.  It's obviously a BIG job for a little elf to make clothes so they did the next best thing.  Barbi is no longer naked!  I wish they would have made me a tin foil hat.

this is all iKeith's handywork. he even glued on bling!

Over the weekend, we were VERY busy!  We had the second annual LEGO Holiday House Building and watched Army lose to Navy for the 11th year in a row.

The next day was THE day I'd been waiting for!  The day of the Holiday Chocolate Festival at The Broadmoor in beautiful Colorado Springs.  I judged the cake competition and it was one of the most fun and interesting experiences of my life.  To read more about it click here.

The next few days, the elves were messing around in my kitchen.  They just love it in there!

My mixing bowl was full of broken candy canes.  I think they were trying to turn the mixer on with the hook part of the cane and they kept them breaking off.

I deeply regret leaving the flour out! What a mess!

We have another fun week planned and I'm sure there will be more shenanigans!

What did your elves do this week?  

Disclaimer:  Some Moms are getting a bad rap for using elves at Christmas.  This is starting to feel like another Working Mom vs. Stay at Home Mom situation and I really don't want to see it come to that.  The things my elves do....takes minimal time to set up, five to ten minutes to clean up and just requires a calendar and some great ideas to execute. My budget for the elves is $50 and this includes the jammies I buy every year.  Call me an overachiever if you'd like but I believe this is time well spent.

Are You Stuck In The Pick Up Line?

Dear nerdy tech folks who are clicking over from the twitter.  This post is NOT about picking up chicks.  I'm so sorry to disappoint you.  

Are you a Mom with kids in school?

Do you spend half your life in the school parking lot or pick up line...waiting to pick up your children?

Do you arrive at school extremely early so that you can be first in line and get the heck out when the bell rings?

I have the perfect item for you!

It's a Car iPad iPhone Stand/ Laptop Desk/ Steering Wheel Table!  There is even a hole for your coffee/tea/martini hot chocolate.

It's like a dream come true!

This could also be the perfect gift for your ex-husband that lives down by the river homeless friend that lives in their car.

Gifts for my Friends

I've been doing a little cyber shopping this week and although I haven't found many gifts for my actual family members, I've found a few things for my friends.

Bobbi is not just my friend, she's also my sister. She's a massage therapist and has the most incredible stories of men that can't keep their stuff under the towel.



I saw these and immediately thought of my friend Heather.  It's either this or Kegel Balls.




This is for any of my new Colorado friends that move here for our lenient new law.

 

 Oh...look I found something for our friend Alan.  A Zombie Pin Up Calendar!

Pure Joy

If you had told me six years ago, that I would be happier than I've ever been in my life; I would have told you that you were crazy.  When that little boy was put in my arms I thought my heart would burst out of my chest and I thought that was the happiest I could be.

I had no idea that it would do this on a regular basis for the rest of my life and that I would look into his eyes and feel so much love.

Two weeks ago, Alex had a tooth that started to come loose.  It was uncomfortable and I babied the heck out of him...feeding him only soft food or cutting his pizza into tiny little pieces.

Last week, he rushed out of his classroom, excited to tell me all about his tooth falling out at school and his trip to the nurses office.

I was so happy for him!  He was so proud of himself and I couldn't wait to put him to bed so that I could play tooth fairy.

I'd like to thank the school nurse for providing the tooth holder on a string.  Without that thing I would have never found his tooth under his pillow!

He wrote the tooth fairy a note so that she'd know to look in the box.  And he asked his Dad to please go to bed early so that he wouldn't scare off the fairy! Keith tends to stay up late working on the computer and Alex was concerned it would prevent her from showing up.

Alex got $2 from the tooth fairy and a tiny heart shaped note that said it was nice to meet him finally.

Pure Joy is the only way to describe what happened the next morning.  I feel so blessed to be this little boy's Mom and to provide a life that brings him so much happiness.  Being a Mom is the best job I've ever had!

Keep an eye out on The Rookie Foodie...my post about judging the chocolate festival will be up soon.

Countdown to Christmas: Crash Landing

Again this year, I'm joining the ex-pageant queen and baby making machine known as Liz at Sugar Plum Creations for her Countdown to Christmas!

This is where I will discuss all things Christmas and Elf related. But it's not all elf business. There are so many exciting things coming up on my calendar that I can hardly contain myself!

 

If you have a weekly wrap-up post you should link up with us.  I love seeing what other Mom's are doing with their families because it's the best way to steal get ideas.

The first idea I stole this year was from Jessica at I finally Did It!  She had let it slip that she was having a North Pole Breakfast so I decided to do that too.  Our elves crash landed into our home on December 1st.  Note to you Mommies that let your elves arrive after Thanksgiving...you are jumping the gun and setting yourself up for disaster.  You CAN NOT maintain the magic for more than 24 days.  It's a proven fact.

A little tip if you're using the Starbucks Frapachino containers for your breakfast.  Try to drink the coffee beverages a few days before so that you don't have to slam two of them the night before.  It makes for a long night.

A few hours after the elves arrived, Cindy Lou Hoo came to me with questions about a craft store we like to go to.  I thought the Christmas spirit had gripped her hard but it turns out that she was questioning a label she found on Poe's ass.

Damn Kindergarteners learning to READ!  I concocted an elaborate story about how some elves have their Mom's names sewn into their clothing because they can't carry drivers licenses and yes, Poe's Mom named JOANN is from Hudson Ohio. EDITED:  The kids now think that JOANN is Santa's girlfriend, which would make POE Santa's illegitimate son.

One dark and stormy night, they got into the tape and accidentally taped themselves to the entertainment center door.

Mallory soon decided that she was going to start writing to Poe because I told her that Santa emailed me and said that they had learned to read.  She has mastered the spelling of shenanigans.

According to my friend Christina, one bag of mini marshmallows doesn't fit in the sink.  If you put them in a hot tub on the stove...you can re-use the marshmallows and they don't get toothpaste on them.

I had been complaining about our lack of mantel for the third year in a row.  And wouldn't you know it....those elves heard me and solved our problem!  EDITED: I knew I was forgetting something.  See the pencil that Poe is holding?  He was eating it...because that's what elves do.  They EAT pencils.  Keith was kind enough to gnaw on it.  Totally his idea!

I could feel that the elves were going a little stir crazy....we've been having unseasonably warm temperatures and they love snow.  I just didn't know that they were going to go a little nuts!

Free Santa

You may recall that last year, I had a little trouble with a certain elf named Cheryl.

It led me to boycott all Mall Santas!

What I learned about Mall Santa is that he is not FREE.

See this picture?  I took it illegally and the reason that it's blurry is that Head Elf Cheryl was in the process of tackling me to the ground trying to prevent me from photographing my own children.

I'm here today to tell you that some Santas are FREE.

If you live in the Denver Area, I have three FREE Santa's for you to visit.

Larimer Square

next to Cry Baby Ranch

Saturdays 10am-7pm

Sundays 11am-6pm

Paulino Gardens

6300 North Broadway

Denver, CO 80216

December 8 & 9th

11am-3pm

Bass Pro Shop

Now-December 24th

Mon-Fri 3pm-8pm

Saturdays 10am-8pm

Sundays Noon-5pm

Note:  If you are here to tell me what a terrible person I am for denying Mall Santas of their livelihood  then you should just move on.  I heard it all last year and I'm not changing my mind.  I still think Mall Santas are impostors and must be stopped!

I Was Born to be a Rockstar

I went with the spanx that looked like a giant onesie.  I decided taking my dress off to use the restroom was a pain and I didn't want to deal with that.  Then I discovered that reconnecting the two pieces of material requires a headlamp and cirque du soleil moves. As my luck would have it...I have moves like jagger.

I also didn't expect that I wouldn't be able to feel my feet and sneezing would cause permanent nerve damage.  Why don't these things come with warning labels?

This post isn't really about spanx.  Wearing that contraption was just a small part of my transformation yesterday.  It's not a coïncidence that I chose a nail polish called Fishnet Stockings either.  I had a feeling that something wondrous was going to happen to me and I had to look the part.

The party was inside a large hanger at the Wings Over The Rockies Airplane Museum.  There were airplanes and jets surrounding us and it made for a bit of an eerie atmosphere.  It was a very unique place to have a cocktail party with a live band!

Soon after we arrived, Keith's boss found me and told me that he had shared the whole story with Ian.  I asked if I should be worried and if there was added security because of me.  He said, no and that he was going to bring Ian over to meet me.

He hugged me after Dan introduced us and I felt weak in the knees!  We talked for a while about his music and how he and Chad came to decide to form a group together.  I told him what his music means to me and that my kids love it and sing his songs all the time.

I was so excited when they started to play for the group!  I stood right in the front and sang along.  And I danced.  I danced like no one was watching and I was the only one in the room.  For this short amount of time, I wasn't someone's mom....I was a groupie and I enjoyed every moment!

They announced the next song was the last one and they asked me to come sing with them.  This was the moment when I was thankful that I hadn't thrown my spanx on the stage because how awkward would THAT have been?  Plus...someone would have had to cut me out of them.

I took my spot next to Chad and he asked me if I could sing.  I told him I sing a little in the car and that he should have asked me that before he called me up!  I sang.  I sang like I didn't know the words and like no one was watching.   Keith ran up at the end and joined us!  It was such an amazing moment and I'll never forget it.



I know I professed my undying love appreciation for Dan (Keith's boss) last night but I just want to say again...Thank you!  I think you must be my fairy godfather because you've helped make so many of my families dreams come true.

Ah ha ha....I was born to be a rockstar! 

I woke up this morning with memories of a great evening and so happy to be back to my regular life.  It's a great life and my kids think it's pretty cool that their Mom sang with Ian and Chad.

Twinkle Twinkle, Little Lights

I always thought that my first time being on the news would be because I was being interviewed about a crime or a natural weather disaster.  Then I moved away from Greeley and I figured I'd never get my chance to be on TV.

Last night, my family and I were invited to attend the Blossoms of Light at the Denver Botanic Garden and to be VIP guests for the flipping of the switch! FOX31 was there and aired it live.

You can see two and a half of us in the video. Mallory was terrified of being on television. I think what she's really afraid of is that she'll be discovered and turned into another Honey Boo Boo.

Blossoms of Light is really beautiful! They gave us HoloSpex glasses to wear that turn the million lights into amazing snowflakes, reindeer or snowmen. I actually preferred to see the lights without the glasses.

Keith and I even got a rare picture together!

The weather could not have been better; not too cold.  The kids thought the lights were magical, and as they ran from tree to tree, they declared it the best day of their lives.  I can see us adding this to our family holiday traditions!

You should also be aware that there are a few places to purchase hot chocolate and cider and at a certain place on Friday nights, you can have a little something added to make it into an adult beverage.  You can also purchase a bag of roasted nuts.  I passed on this lovely snack because I didn't want to draw the attention of Denver's squirrel population. I have learned my lesson!

If you live south of Denver, you can view the Trails of Lights at Chatfield, located at C-470 and Wadsworth.

I Really Want It Right Now

I wrote most of this post before I went on my trip and then forgot to post it.  Little did I know that there was a VERY good reason for this.  You'll have to read to the end to find out why.

You may recall a few weeks ago I told you that Ian Axel had joined forces with his friend Chad and they formed A Great Big World.

Their album dropped yesterday on October 30th and it's fantastic! Just six songs and for sale on iTunes for just $5.94, I think you'll enjoy it as much as I do.

I know you're dying to know....my favorite song is Rockstar. Each time I listen to it I think about my kiddos and the fantastic futures they have in front of them.  I love uplifting and positive music and this fits the bill!  

Side note: After listening to the album 5000 times, my new favorite song is I Really Want It.

Thank you Ian and Chad for a great album.  And come on already!!!  Come to Denver!

So that is the post I wrote a month ago.  Early Sunday morning, I opened an email from my husband that had been sent the night before while I was fast asleep.  It was the invitation to the Double Encore Holiday Party.  I've been waiting for this invitation for weeks to discover where it would be this year and to know the time so I could finalize my babysitter.

Imagine my surprise and delight to discover that A GREAT BIG WORLD is playing the holiday party. 

I started jumping up and down and silently cheering because it was 5:30am and my kids were asleep.  And then I started to cry.  Have you ever cried because you were so happy and excited about something?

So...this Saturday night, I'll be with Ian and Chad and listening to their music in person! 

Universal Orlando

Universal Orlando has two sides.  Islands of Adventure and the less fun side.  This side is more about movies and although it does have rides (and roller coasters), it also has a faux New York and Hollywood street.  My kids were not very impressed with how real it all looked.

I was very impressed that faux New York had a real Starbucks and I went there to drown my sorrows in a Cranberry Muffin and a Chai Tea Latte.

Side note: We visited this park on the day after the election.

We did perk up however, and enjoyed helping make a movie where we found our new family motto.  And we're....Movin On! We also enjoyed a Simpsons ride that almost made me throw up, a Shrek show, the E.T. ride, and our favorite of all..... Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem!

Look it's Edith! 

This is where I embarrassed my entire family because I hadn't been taking full showers in our crappy little hotel.  Gru has to do a body scan on the group of us about to ride and he shined a spotlight on ME and said that I hadn't showered.  Mallory was mortified!!

We did have a very good meal in faux New York.  Louie's Italian Restaurant doesn't look like much from the front.  In fact, it looks like a tiny pizza joint on a real street in NYC.  This is a counter service restaurant which means if you purchase the meal plan and/or a butterbeer mug, you can get your discounted meal/drinks here.

It is a really authentic looking place with excellent pizza!  Alex gave it two thumbs up!

Click here for to read about what I ate and drank at Universal City Walk.

Perfect Moment: Cuddles

Yep, I'm that Mom.

I miss my kids when they are school and I live for breaks!

I loved last week.

We didn't do much....just ran errands, went to the library and hung out together.  The kids slept in and stayed up a little late.  Sometimes I do like going without a routine.

I thought about this one morning, all day today as I missed my little boy.  Then I was reminded that Lori from Write Mind Open Heart celebrates perfect moments once a month and I knew I had to share.

Alex woke up early one day last week and shuffled out of his room with this favorite blanket.  I was working at my computer in the quiet apartment and he climbed into my lap just like he used to do when he was a couple years younger. He rested his head on my chest and cuddled with me for 30 full minutes!  Six year olds don't do this much anymore....or so I'm told.

I had to capture it on my phone so I could remember that moment.

What's My Name?

Ever so often, the kids get ahold of my cell phone and try to call their Dad.

It's usually to tell him to bring home pizza because the smells from the kitchen don't smell good.

Side note: if they don't stop complaining...I'm going to serve Hamburger Helper every night.

They also like to bug Siri with a bunch of questions that she can't answer.

Side note: Thanks to Siri and President Obama I now have TWO pat answers for questions I want to avoid.

• That is under investigation.
• Would you like me to search the web for that?

Over the weekend, I was sending an email to myself (you don't do this? It's a great way to remind yourself of things) and I saw that my nickname in my address book was....strange.

Keith thought I'd been hacked!

Yeah....I'd been hacked alright, by a mastermind named Mallory!

Tomorrow...another vacation post.  All about Universal Orlando, the less fun side.  

FrankenTurkey

Gratitude turns what we have into enough. ~ Melody Beattie

It was just going to be the four of us for Thanksgiving this year and iKeith was going to smoke a turkey again and he hates leftover turkey.

I happen to LOVE leftover turkey sandwiches with cranberry sauce on white bread.  YUM!

I went to the store on a Sunday afternoon which is ill advised.  It's the church crowd all dressed up and smelling like mothballs.

There were numerous older gentlemen standing around the frozen turkeys, painstakingly looking at lists which I'm sure had very detailed instructions on them.  I don't even want to think about what happens if they bring home the wrong turkey!

I really didn't want a frozen turkey.  I'm not afraid to spend a little bit a cash on my turkey to get a fresh bird.  Which is obvious by the amount I paid for last years organic, happily raised, gently killed health food store turkey.  See...two years ago,  I tried to embrace my inner tree hugger and then I realized that bitch is crazy!

Bygones.

I was looking for a 10 pound turkey and I didn't care how it was raised.  And I was in a hurry to get out of the store with my extremely full cart.

The closest I found was a 7 pound fresh bird for $18.  SOLD!

Fast forward to Wednesday night when Keith was preparing his brine.  I was enjoying a little Charlie Brown and Cabernet.  Keith came over to the couch and informed me that our turkey was missing a few things.

Things like wings, legs and a heart!

I ran to the kitchen because I had to see this for myself and I had to avert my eyes.  It was so terrible that I decided against sharing a picture of this sad, sad bird.  There are no words to describe it.

Our turkey was a quadruple amputee!

I was puzzled and my husband was concerned that I've been hitting the bottle a little too much.  I mean, how else does a Martha Stewart wanna-be like myself come home with a turkey like this.  I went through the stages of grief pretty quickly, especially when our daughter disolved into tears because all she wanted for Thanksgiving was a turkey leg.

Being the amazing father that he is....Keith ran to the store to search for turkey extremities!  It was much like running to the store on Christmas Eve looking for a Tickle Me Elmo.

He came home with two thighs and 20 little turkey drumettes.

And now we had a FrankenTurkey!

Yesterday, we could laugh about it.  I decided it really is true.  God never gives you more than you can handle.  My sister pointed out that I should be careful who I share this story with because some people might say we are racist because our turkey only had white meat!

A Republican Thanksgiving?

Say it isn't so!

Disclaimer:  I do not mean to offend quadruple amputees, real racists, liberals and tin men everywhere.  I also mean no harm to old people and controlling old bitties that make lists and beat their husbands.  My apologies to Martha Stewart and blondes for making them look bad on Thanksgiving.

And a big thank you to God....for not giving me more turkey than we could handle! 

Amen!

I told them...if any one of you looks at the camera, NO PIE FOR YOU!