Jr. Grizz

Dax will be playing Jr. Grizz basketball every Saturday until the end of the year. Seriously, the kid has incredible athletic skill. It was fun to watch him at practice, but even more fun to watch his game yesterday. I was surprised to see kids actually make baskets - his team won 38-12.

Happy Halloween!

YESTERDAY

Dax in his school's Halloween Parade. Parents came and watched their kids parade around in their costumes. Dax didn't ever look like he was enjoying himself. He must have been taking his role very seriously.

Arrgh...

Dax asked me if I was going to work like that. When I told him I was he then asked if I was going to come to his parade dressed like that. When I told him I was he said, "Cool mom." By the looks of this picture I can only wonder if he was having second thoughts.

TODAY

Jill - Gary Oaks, Dax - Pirate, Jace - Scooby-Doo

This afternoon was pretty fun. Justin and Jill had to work so the boys and I went and visited all the grandparents. This was the first time Jace had worn his costume and this is the only picture I got of him smiling AND wearing the hood.

Grandpa Ray took the boys around his neighborhood and Grandma Pauline took the boys around hers. I am glad they did because it started to really pour later on. By the time we got home the kids had already had their fill of candy so we just ate dinner and handed out treats. Later, Kristy and Logan came for a visit and the boys were able to enjoy their sugar high together!

Halloween Fun - Work

We had a fun day at work today. Since Logan High went to playoffs (football), the students and faculty were let out of school at noon.

We had a costume and pumpkin decorating contest and I think the students had a blast. It's nice to let your hair down every once in a while and let the kids see that we can have a good time. They came up with some very interesting pumpkins and I had to wonder when the last time (if ever) these kids had carved pumpkins. We truly are their extended family and times like this make me appreciate that I can be a positive part of their lives.

Pappou & Yiayia

For starters, I don't think it's fair that when you finally grow up to appreciate the older people in your life, they are gone. I would loved to have had the opportunity to get to know my grandparents. I would have so many questions for them...

In 1912, my pappou "Gus" immigrated from Greece and my yiayia "Matilda" immigrated from Austria. This was the same year the titanic sunk.

Me (1 yr), Pappou (75 yrs)

Me (5 yrs), Yiayia (70 yrs)

Yiayia's father was a coal miner and he had immigrated before yiayia, her mom and her sisters. Since Price was a mining town, this is where he settled. Pappou's family sponsored him to move to the U.S. because of his age (18) and his smarts. He went to California to join a cousin (who turned out to be a crook), then to Nevada to work building railroads (hated the snakes), and then to Salt Lake City selling vegetables on the street corners. In SLC, he met some other Greeks and eventually he and his new friends decided to go down to Price to make a living working in the coalmines. Working conditions were horrible...

After a short time in Price he became pretty well known for his wit, personality and work ethic. He was told about a confectionery in town, which he later came to own. Shortly after that, he hired, courted and married my yiayia! It was 1920, he was 26 and she was 17!! Then came 13 kids...

Centruy Cafe (once the confectionery)

1992 Platis/Hvala Reunion - Park City

In order of age: Bessie, John, Helen, Nick, Vange, Connie, Mary, Tom, Paulette, Paul (my dad) & Dean
George passed away in '75 and Chris was unable to attend

I spent quite a bit of time with them when I was very little but after we moved to Canada, I only saw them once a year. I remember certain things about their house in Price: the ginormous table and sink in the kitchen, the patio and fire pit (fireplace) in the backyard, the playground near their house, and getting to eat whatever I wanted at the cafe (I also got to sit at the bar and play music on the jukeboxes).

This is me helping yiayia with dishes in her big 'ol sink! I would have been 3 - Jace's age.

Pet Peeve #17 - Republican Recruiters

Please tell me I am not the only person that thinks this is wrong...



Pet Peeve #17 - Mitt Romney called my cell phone tonight

Are you a republican - blah, blah, blah. I hung up. Even though it annoyed me that I got the phone call, it was rather satisfying to hang up on him.

Why is it so dim in here?

I consider myself a pretty bright person. I catch on to most things with ease and have a natural ability to identify problems and solutions to new ideas. I am also pretty good, once I understand the basic concept of an idea, to simplify and improve upon it. When I am presented with something that I cannot wrap my mind around I typically run whatever it is over and over in my mind until the light comes on.

I am waiting...

Mom & Jace

Justin and Dax are away for the deer hunt until Wednesday. This gives me an opportunity to spend some alone time with Jace. Tonight we colored Halloween pictures and watched Cars. He looks so serious when he colors. When I was done with my picture he said, "Good job mom, that looks incredible." Sweet!

2010 Pumpkin Walk - The Magic of Animation

For the past several years, my family has enjoyed visiting The Pumpkin Walk. The year's theme was "The Magic of Animation" and my boys really enjoyed seeing some of their favorite movie characters made from pumpkins.

This year we decided to avoid the crowds and instead of going at night, we walked through it during the day. While you miss out of the sweet smell of burning pumpkin and seeing nearly 500 pumpkins lit up at night, it is still amazing to see what some people can do with pumpkins.

I took several pictures, one of each display, but have only posted my favorites...

For more information, you can visit their website here: http://www.pumpkinwalk.com

Happy Birthday Marie!

Today was my mom-in-law, Marie's birthday. Justin, the boys and I were able to spend the afternoon with her and Dave. We met at the Pumpkin Walk and then went out for dinner. I was actually quite surprised that, since their oldest grandkid is 18, neither of them had ever been to this fun annual event...

Marie is a great mother-in-law. She is not like the typical, nosy, interfering beeotch of an in-law that often hovers over many women married to the "perfect" son. In fact, I would have to say that from the very beginning she has been appreciative (of passing the torch, so to speak) and sympathetic (of my eternal plight) and she certainly agrees with me that Justin is a one of a kind! Ha... Justin actually inherited many good qualities from his mom.

Here are a few things that I love about Marie:

• She's a tender-heart - if there's a tear to be shed, you can bet that Marie and I are the ones shedding them. Whether they are happy or sad moments, things that we witness together or people and events we talk about, if it has to do with our families or those that we love and care about, we tend to become a little emotional. I love sharing these moments with her.

• She loves her kids NO MATTER WHAT. Seriously, this group could frustrate, embarrass, and drive the most stable person insane, but she just rolls her eyes, laughs and says, "OH GIVE ME STRENGTH".

• She loves family time and goes out of her way to make sure everyone is happy, taken care of and having a good time.
  

• She has made wonderful traditions for her family. The Miller Family Classic, Christmas Eve, Pumpkin Carving, Back to School Backpacks are a few that immediately come to mind. Maybe we will add the Pumpkin Walk to this list.
  

• She is an active grandma. Marie spends quite a bit of time with her grandkids. She is a great example to them and I appreciate her for the effort she makes to see them and the fun things she does with them.
  

Thanks Marie for your love and support. I could not have asked for a better mother-in-law.

Gimme a break...

My sweet hubby made the family some chicken noodle soup tonight. Yum! Great job on the noodles hon.

Masked Man

On my way to work the other day a motorcyclist pulled in behind me. When I checked my rear view, I was shocked to see the following face: I was listening to some intense music at the time and it made my hair stand up on end. I told myself not to make eye contact, but I just couldn't resist getting a closer look... When I had to stop at a light, the guy rolled up next to me and gave me the "how you doing" nod. It was creepy...

I have seen these masks in the store before and right up until that moment I thought they were pretty cool looking. Maybe I'll get one for myself... nothing like a bad ass in a Ford Focus.

Dax - 1st Grade Photo

I am so proud of this kid. While he can be rambunctious and sometimes a downright turd, he is also a sweet, caring, sensitive little boy.

Likes: cars and trucks, Star Wars, lightsaber fights, family, 4-wheeling, school (mostly), Jason Aldean, country music, Queen, super heroes

Dislikes: chicken, taking medicine, sleeping in

What a handsome little man.

Book Review - The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

I read the first couple of chapters of this book over and over before it finally took hold of me on Friday night. Since then, most of my spare time has been devoted to reading it. Murder mysteries are not my specialty, so I don't have anything to compare it to.

I will say however, as I get older I find myself becoming somewhat touchy about overly descriptive and somewhat gruesome content that leaves nothing to the imagination. Music, movies, books... Still, I will probably go on to read the other 2 books in this trilogy.

Trilogy?
As I was getting close to the end of the book, I was expecting closure between the main characters but was disappointed. Boy was I surprised (and somewhat disappointed) to find there are another 2 books: The Girl Who Played with Fire and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest. I guess I'll have to wait and read.

Pet Peeve #16 - Clock Watching

Lately I have not been able to sleep. My mind won't shut off and I can't figure out what has me feeling so anxious. Last night I was able to get to bed at a decent hour, but just ended up tossing and turning. Could it be the season and darkness coming so early in the evening? Maybe it's the overwhelming feeling I have at work... Whatever it is, it has brought to mind yet another pet peeve of mine.


Pet Peeve #16 - Clock Watching

I am sure everyone has experienced it. 11 pm, 1 am, 1:45 am, 3:00 am... 3 and a half hours before I have to wake up. 4 am, 4:10 am, 5:30 am, just one more hour before I have to wake up. 6 am, 6:30 am, alarm and snooze button, 6:40 am, snooze button again... 7 am, I HAVE to get out of bed. 8 hours of tossing and turning with minutes of sleep here and there... How annoying!

Beans & Wieners

OVER BEANS & WIENERS





Jace has an incredible vocabulary and understanding for a 2 year old. Here are a few things he said to me this week:

"Mom, the carpet looks horrible."
Yes, he is right. This is the time of year that I get out the heavy duty carpet cleaner and get my carpets looking decent for holiday visitors.

"Look mom, the sky looks so wonderful."
We were laying on the couch waiting for the sun to come up. Since I have been off work, he has managed to get up EVERY DAY before it's light out. This particular morning the sunrise was truly wonderful.

"Amazing."
I don't remember what was so amazing other than his use of the word...

"Mom, what do the ghosts feed the monkeys? Boonanas! Hahaha..."
We have a Sesame Street Halloween video that he loves to watch. This is one of many Halloween jokes he has been telling.

Book Review - Thidwick the Big-Hearted Moose

I love Dr. Seuss books. The story, the rhyming and the illustrations in this book are wonderful. What a surprise ending...

Writer's Block

Well, I have been sitting here for the past hour with writer's block. I have gone through my pictures, I have gone through my filing cabinet, I have walked around the house looking for something to blog about. Nothing, I got nothing...

I can tell you this though...

Kalamata olives, crackers and cheese, and red wine make a wonderful late night snack!

Dax the Acrobat

Seriously?

Bits & Pieces

• I am so proud of Dax. According to his teacher, he is doing very well in school. He is quiet, polite, gets his work done and of course, is a funny kid to be around.

• Happy Birthday to my Aunt Julie! Although I don't have memories of her when I was little, I do have many memories of her when I was older... One funny one in particular. We took a trip Rigby, and her and I decided to raft the river? I remember thinking how cool she was when we were panicking in the raft and I asked her if it was normal that there was so much water in the bottom of the raft and she said, "I don't think it's water, 'cause I just peed my pants!" Too funny. I'll have to post a picture of that when I find it. I also like her laugh, it's sort of an "yuk" when you get her going.

• I made homemade oreo cookies tonight and they were delicious. Jace wanted to eat his with a fork...

• I hate being sick. Thankfully, Justin and Jace aren't feeling too good themselves and I haven't had time to feel too sorry for myself.

Happy Birthday Tim!

Things I love about Tim:

• goes out of his way to talk to me at family events
• loves my kids
• he has a good sense of humor
• he introduced me to LOST
• I haven't ever heard him say a bad word about anyone
• shares his birthday cake with me every year
• likes toast? - this is one of my favorites
  

My Brother is Scared

Dax drew this picture today. Seriously, how cute is this?

Pumpkin Carving

This is one of my very favorite family activities. Every year we get together with Justin's family to have lunch and carve pumpkins. It is fun to see how creative the kids get with their pumpkins. I think the best time is had by grandma and grandpa!

Guilty Pleasure - Hidden Objects

I love hidden object games. You can download an hour trial of hundreds of these games here: www.bigfishgames.com

I have heard that, like Sudoku and crossword puzzles, games like these keep the brain stimulated and healthy. That is how I justify this guilty pleasure!

You say it's your birthday...

So sweet, so innocent. Such a long, fulfilling, beautiful life ahead of me... not much has changed in 42 years!

I fink I'm comen down wif somefin...

OLSEN Monster Mash

HAVE A FUN, SAFE AND HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

Providence Canyon

The boys didn't want to get out of the truck this afternoon, so we decided to take a ride up Providence Canyon. We drove up to the quarry and Dax wanted to get out and see how high he could climb...

This reminded Justin and I of a time about 7 or 8 years ago (maybe longer) when we went up camping with some friends of ours. We camped overnight and on one of those evenings, we took a couple of tractor tires up to the top of the quarry and rolled them down this same "hill" that Dax wanted to climb. It was a blast!

On our way back down, we noticed several tires laying in the trees. We promised the boys a trip back up on the 4-wheelers and maybe our own adventure rolling some tires!

And I thought they slaved...

Ok, I have never been one to bake, just ask my kids. I'll cook up a nice gourmet dinner, but you can bet your butt we'll be going out for some Dairy Queen afterward because I don't do/make dessert. Why? I think it's because I always saw what a pain it was for my mom and dad to bake. The mixing, rising, layer after layer, sifting, scalding, browning, measuring, pinching, beating, kneading, and then the clean-up... no thanks.

Well, I thought I would try making some cinnamon rolls to cure this craving I've had. I thought that maybe if I made them I would not want to eat them (no, I am not THAT bad of a cook), but to bronze them and put them on display since I don't bake things very often.

Guess what? They were relatively easy, I only had to call my mom twice, my house smelled marvelous and they tasted... DIVINE!

Cinnamon Rolls

I can't even think straight... I am craving some cinnamon rolls! Anyone have a quick, simple recipe that might include items I already have in my cupboard? Seriously, I think I might die...

Patio Prints

I have always thought it would be fun to pour concrete somewhere in my yard and then let the kids hand print the cement.

Well, we did it... in the summer of 2008, we poured a cement patio out back and let Jill and Dax leave their mark before the concrete dried. I had to push Jace's hand in myself because he was only 5 months old.

The last couple of summers my kids have enjoyed seeing how much their hands have grown. I personally like the little piece of history/art in my backyard.

Sweet Boys...

Dax reading to Jace last night before bed.

I left the room for just a few minutes after we read tonight. I guess my little guys were real tired! Even Frodo was pooped...

Bit & Pieces

• WOW, only 30 days left

• Ordered Trans-Siberian tickets

• Seriously, I have THE BEST kids ever...

• Husband ain't so bad either

• I love watching Dax read to Jace...
  

• I cannot believe something "blog worthy" didn't happen to me today, hence the "Bit & Pieces". Maybe something did, I am just way too tired to pull it from memory

• That was weird, my internet just crashed and came up again. I thought I was in luck and could post something more interesting tomorrow for today

• Jill made me drive around a block on main street yesterday because she thought she saw a mannequin in a store window move. Turns out, it was just a saleslady

• I am special... I have to be to work at an alternative high school

• When I drove home from work this afternoon I thought I saw a big, hairy Sasquatch in our public pool. I wished I had my camera. Maybe he will be there tomorrow
  

Mock - yah ing - yah bird - yah...

OK, so the whole time I was reading Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins, I would sing a little tune in my head... and still a day after finishing the book... I sing this little tune in my head!

Dax kept asking me what I was singing and why and I told him we would have to watch the movie sometime. Do you think a 6 year old is too young to see Dumb and Dumber? Seriously, this movie can still make me laugh when I think about it, and I have to say this is definitely one of my favorite scenes!

Book Review - Mockingjay

Dang. From chapter to chapter, I had a hard time putting this book down. Well written and an easy read. Nice escape...

Pet Peeve #15 - Hole #7

Hole #7 at Logan River Golf Course is a long par 5, especially for women.

While it is a beautiful hole with open fairways, cattails on both sides, a beautiful little stream breaking it up and a nice large green, it is my most hated hole. And not for the openness, or the cattails, or the fact that I have to lay up with my second shot to get over the stream, but for...

Pet Peeve #15 - Stupid Tree

No matter what... no matter where I am... no matter who I am with...
I almost always hit my second shot, usually my third, into this tree.

I always joke that someday this tree will no longer be standing there because I am going to hack it down in the middle of the night!

Fairways & Greens

Justin and I were able to get out and play a nice round of golf. It was so quiet and peaceful and the best way, I think, to spend a Sunday afternoon.

After the disastrous first nine, I was hesitant to play the back nine. Thankfully Justin convinced me that since I was all warmed up and couldn't possibly increase my score, to just keep on swinging. I am glad I did because like any golfer knows, one bad hole (or nine in my case) does not mean all bad holes. I took 13 LESS strokes on the back!

Logan River is such a beautiful golf course...

The Hills are Alive!

Today we went 4-wheeling with my in-laws, Dave and Marie. It was such a fun time together and the scenery was just spectacular! It had only been a couple of weeks since Justin and I had been up to Franklin Basin and what a difference in color... We went up both Steep Canyon and White Canyon which are off the main road from Franklin Basin.

Steep Canyon. Same dam place we always go. This is also where we went with Matt and Kristy. It gives you a nice range of terrain, from flat and easy to steep and rocky.

White Canyon. Justin and I have never been here... until today that is. It was an awesome trail with a lot of water and narrow trails through tall pine trees.

It was such a beautiful day and even more so to share it with family we love.