H-town Gills

2011-10-08T14:30:00.000-07:00

I JUST GOT A GUITAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!take that all you math geeks,geezers, and most importantly take that justen bieber fans!!!!!

the angle in side of me

2011-10-04T18:17:00.000-07:00

oct.4 already. about UN KNOWINGdays till HALLOWS EVE(halloween).im going to be a zombie.give me a z give me a o. give me a m e a bbbbBRAINS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!candy for breackfast,lunch,and dinner!!!!you did not here it from me!!!

Vegas Vacation

2009-06-27T18:32:00.000-07:00

So thanks to the wonderful economy this year, a real vacation is out for our family. So we decided to take a Vegas Vacation. We went down to the strip, where I haven't been in years! Showed the kids all the exciting hotels and did all the free stuff the strip has to offer. Well, not all of it, but we went to the Botanical Gardens at the Bellagio, we saw the lions sleeping at the MGM, went to M&M world and paid way too much for colored M&M's and ended up at Coca-Cola. The last time I went to Coca-Cola world, they had a long line of fountains with sodas from around the world. It was great, but since that was probably 11 years ago, they figured that giving away all the soda for free probably wasn't cost effective. So now you have to buy it! It wasn't bad though, $7 for two trays of 16 different sodas. We sat at a table and Michael had the list of where each soda was from and then we passed them around and took sips. The kids had fun, Michael was a great MC and the sodas weren't that bad. With the exception of one from Italy and one that Michael didn't tell me what is was and just let me drink it, because it was a watermelon soda and he thought that would be funny since I don't like watermelon! Despite the heat and the traffic, it was a pretty fun day. And we really felt like we were tourists! And what trip to Vegas would be complete without a stop at Macayo's for dinner. Still a pretty cheap place to eat and we couldn't drive down Tropicana without stopping.

Zak at Coca-Cola World

Soda from around the world

Matthew and Jeffrey found Sonic

Matthew looking cool by the Nascar

Olivia doing her best "Vanna"

Classic Olivia

Jeffrey showing us the frog

Jewelry Lady

2009-06-25T20:26:00.000-07:00

So I am now officially a Premier Designs Jeweler! I started my jewelry business a week ago and had a great show! Premier Design is a great company with a great product. Plus I don't have to make or cook anything! The jewelry is great and the people are even greater! I would love to get my business started with a bang! So if anyone is interested in hosting a party, open house, or catalog show, just leave me a comment and I'll find ya! I promise not to be obnoxious about it but I just want to introduce as many people to Premier! Plus, who doesn't love to play with jewelry???

Piano lessons anyone?

2009-05-29T18:39:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to get the word out that I'm teaching piano lessons again. Let me know if you are interested or know anyone who might be. Thanks!

The Newest Mrs. Cecil

2009-05-17T18:54:00.000-07:00

Saturday, May 16th, my baby brother Tyler got married! I know! He married a cute girl named Kinzee. I forgot my camera at the temple and the luncheon, but did manage a couple cute pics at the reception. The sealing was beautiful and it was so great to be in the temple with my parents and all my siblings. The reception was in Natalie's backyard and it was pretty warm until the sun went down. All the grandkids looked so cute and they all just ran around and played in their cute clothes. Jeffrey stayed close to the chocolate fountain and had about a thousand strawberries. Zak didn't wander far from the food table where there was plenty of crackers and grapes. Olivia was mesmerized by Kinzee in her beautiful dress. It is hard to believe that my baby brother is married. Poor mom and dad are all alone.

All the girls, Brynlee, Olivia, Attison, Sydney and Decatur

Zak entertaining himself with a slinky

Me and my boys!

Zaky enjoying the food table!

Sleepy Little Bunny

2009-04-12T17:49:00.000-07:00

We had a great Easter weekend in St. George. We got there on Saturday and spent the day with Cameron on his 7th birthday. We took all the kids to Jumping Jacks and I realized that I am way too old and out of shape to jump with the kids! I am so sore today after trying to carry Zaky all the way up the high slide. (He loved it by the way!) But I thought I was going to die! Anyway, we had a great day and went to church Sunday morning to hear my awesome father-in-law give an amazing talk on the Atonement. My wonderful mother-in-law Diane, who always outdoes herself on holidays had a yummy dinner. Unfortunately, dinner was the same time as Zaky's nap. Poor Zak couldn't decide if he was more hungry or sleepy. So enjoy the video because I finally figured out that I can take video on my camera!

Sorry Katie

2009-03-20T20:12:00.000-07:00

This post is for Katie, who is the only one who commented on being sick of my previous post over a month ago! Well, Katie, I guess I'll get everyone else up to speed. I do have a good excuse for not blogging as much. I went back to work at the end of January for the first time inn 3 1/2 years. I feel very fortunate to have been able to get a job with the state of the economy lately. I'm working about 25 hours a week but starting in April I'll be working 32. I am working for an OB/Gyn office again which is my favorite. So needless to say, keeping up with work and the kids has been quite a challenge. But I do like my job. It's a great place to work and it's nice to talk to adults for a change! I do miss being with my kids during the day, but it's been working out well so far.

Michael is still working on the City Center Project. Again, another blessing that he is working on one of the only large projects that haven't been shut down. He's doing well and will hopefully journey out by the end of the year! Yeah! He's also been a great help with me going back to work and has been so supportive.

Matthew is doing well in school, as always, and has started soccer again. I love spring soccer because the weather is so nice! He's playing on a new league with a new coach so it's been interesting. He is playing defense and got chosen to be captain the first game of the season. He is glad to be playing again and I'm glad to be watching him again!

Livvy is still dancing and loving every minute of it. The next couple of months have quite a few performances and recitals so I should have some more pics to post. She has also developed an interest in tumbling so we're going to try to do that over the summer. She is doing well in school and we only have a little drama every day so I think I can handle that.

Jeffrey is very nearly potty trained! It's been a long time comin' but he's doing really well. He likes going to the sitters and thinks he's going to school because he gets to take a backpack. He is excited to be old enough to start playing soccer in the fall! They get so big so fast!

Finally to Zak. He is 15 months going on 5! He loves to play with the big kids and is a climber. His favorite place is to sit on the dinner table or to climb on the computer desk which he is doing at this very minute so it's taking me forever to type this post! But he has such a fun personality and is such a cute boy!

Hopefully soon I will post more pics but I wanted to catch everyone up. I do spent a lot of time on Facebook (sorry I know) so you can catch up with us there too!

Martha Stewart

2009-02-22T10:27:00.000-08:00

Many of you who know me know that I was in the bathroom when they handed out craftiness and decorating sense. But we found an awesome sofa and it has thrown me into decorator mode. Michael is wondering what has gotten into me. I even bought new towels and am decorating bathrooms! I've never done that! So I absolutely love my sofa and my poor children are getting sick of "No Jumping!", "Get that Pop-Tart off the sofa!" and on and on. But from someone whose majority of furniture came from others, its exciting to have something new! You'll all have to come over and sit on my new sofa!

Slow Tag

2009-02-13T21:13:00.000-08:00

I'm finally getting around to the tag that I got from Alisha. I'm spending more time Facebooking than blogging. Anyway her tag was to #1- go to your pictures, #2 - pick the 4th folder and #3 - pick the 4th picture and tell about it. So here goes...

I was hoping to get a picture that no one had seen yet, but this is what came up. It had been forever since we had a family picture and this is the first professional picture with all of my kids. My friend Sarah Goodsell took this picture in the desert behind her house. We hiked a little ways and found these cool rocks. It was cold and overcast but we had an hour window between the rain and the overcast clouds ended up making great light. Anyway, these are my four children and I loved the way Zak was holding on to his big brother. I think this picture really captures each of my children's different personalities!

So now I get to tag 4 people: Natalie, Michelle, Cami, and Deana

Conflicted

2009-01-30T12:28:00.001-08:00

I may be a late bloomer but I am now addicted to Facebook. I've been finding so many people there and have been having a blast re-connecting with my youth. So Facebook has been taking me away from blogging. I apologize to my Facebook/Blogging friends as you may see some of the same pics. Anyhoooo...

My kids were on track break since Christmas and just went back to school this week. It was a long 5 weeks! But we did take the opportunity to go out and visit my 92 year old Grandma Cecil. I am so glad I was able to get some good pictures of her with my kids. They are so fortunate to be able to know their great-grandma. Even though she has a hard time with some things, she remembered all my kids names. Considering she has so many great-grandchildren, that is a feat! She has lived a wonderful life, the majority of it on her own. My great-grandfather Cecil passed away when my dad was a teenager so she raised 3 boys on her own, she lived on her own until recently and I have always admired her independence. She now relies heavily on a caretaker, but can still get around and has a good memory. I am so grateful for her and her life and her example and love that my kids have had the chance to know her.

A little update: I started working part-time this week for an OB/Gyn on the other side of town. It's been good to get out of the house and do something I love for a little bit, but the downside is that I've been exhausted! Hopefully I'll get used to this new schedule and it won't take my time away from the hobbies I have grown to love! Oh, and my kids too :)

Flash Way Back

2009-01-17T14:24:00.000-08:00

Thank you to my sister-in-law Jordon who tagged me in her flashback post. I'm a heckuva lot older than Jordon so my flash-back took a little longer since I had to scan in pictures. Digital wasn't invented back in the 80's. Also, I should apologize ahead of time to Katie, Alisha, Kristen, and Natalie who are also included in the flashback. Hope I'm not embarrassing you too much! So let's take a stroll WAY down memory lane....(Sorry about the scans) These pictures are in no particular order.Me and Alisha waiting for the bus to Burkholder Jr. High. If I remember right, it was 8th grade Valentines Day and we were showing our true Valentines day colors by wearing black. We thought we were pretty cool. Love the bangs!
Back in the good old days the YW/YM got to take trips. This was our ward trip to Disneyland. We are all in line for the Matterhorn. I'm not sure exactly when this is, maybe Katie or Alisha will have a better memory.

Graduation from Basic High School in 1992. Good times, good times...

This is a slumber party at Alisha's house I'm guessing 7th or 8th grade. I can only tell from the big bangs and perm.
I had to include this one just cuz it's so funny. This is Michael (my husband) and my sister Natalie at Homecoming 1991. I won't go into details to protect the innocent.

In the winter of 1990 the Clark County School District began girls soccer. My brothers all played so I figured I'd give it a shot. I wasn't very good and I warmed the bench an awful lot. Our coach was the boys football coach and I thought he was too mean to be coaching a bunch of girls. So needless to say that was my first and last season. I'd much rather be on the sidelines cheering than on the soccer field.

I must say that me and my kids had a good time dragging out old pictures. Olivia keeps asking about what I was like when I was younger and so I got to tell her some fun stories. I am so glad that I still keep in touch with some of the people in the pics. It makes me feel not so old! I'm not going to be mean and tag anyone, but, whoever can dig up the best old pics, I dare ya!

New Year, New Pics

2009-01-03T18:00:00.001-08:00

While Michael and I went out for New Years, Matthew, his cousin Dallin, Olivia, and Jeffrey had their own party. They watched movies, ate lots of candy, popcorn, and soda, and stayed up past midnight. They also got poppers and those little firecrackers and went outside at midnight to let them off. Michael and I got back around 11 and went to bed, too tired to stay up. But not the kids, they partied till well after midnight. A bunch of party animals!

This is a bunch of empty Coke bottles, candy wrappers etc. etc.

This is just a cute picture I caught of Matthew and Zakary. They were watching a movie and Zak just crashed on Matty's lap. What a good big brother.

Zakary's new favorite place. Everytime the fridge gets open, he runs and tries to sit down inside the fridge before it gets shut. He sits there and smiles and laughs like that is the best seat in the house. Actually, it probably is.

2008 Top 12

2008-12-31T14:28:00.001-08:00

Thanks to my good friend Claire who tagged me in the top 12 of 2008. I have no idea where to start so I am going to start at the bottom and work my way up. 2008 was a long year for me so here goes....

12. Zakary came into the world officially in 2007 but I did get to start 2008 with my last little Gill in hand. He is such a sweet addition to our family. He is always happy and loves to play. He was a great baby and came at a time when our family needed him most.

11. In April I was released as YW President. I didn't think I was ready to be released, I loved that calling so much, but I am truly thankful for the inspiration of our bishop who knew when the time was right far better than I did.

10. (WARNING: COPIED IDEA FROM CLAIRE) We did get to take two trips to Disneyland in 2008. The first came in May and was so last minute that I didn't even know until that morning that we were leaving that afternoon. My mom decided to take the kids and I to the happiest place on earth, since we were having a rough time. Then on a much happier note, we ended up getting to go to Disneyland for FREE in November and went just with our little family. It was a great trip, everyone had fun, and how many people can say they did Disneyland for a family of 6 for under $150 (including gas and food)!! Thanks again Claire, we owe ya!

9. I read, or re-read for that matter, all 4 Twilight books, went to the Book Release of Breaking Dawn with some great friends for a super fun girls night out, then went to another release party, this time the premiere of Twilight with another good friend, got the Twilight soundtrack, saw the movie again. So in summary, this was the year of Twilight for me! (And I can't wait for the next movie in 2009!)

8. We moved to a bigger house! We were so glad to get out of our 3 bedroom townhouse and into a 5 bedroom house in a real neighborhood. It was another blessing in disguise when we found out that we got to stay in the same ward! We love having more room and a yard which our kids are enjoying fully now that the trampoline has been added!

7. We also got a newer car. We got the same Dodge Caravan but it was 2 years newer and a lot less money so that was a good thing.

6. I quit working part-time for Deseret Women's Healthcare, went back part-time and had my hours cut completely before Christmas. Just temporary of course and I'm sure 2009 will see me back working there again!

5. Michael started working on the City Center project. We were so worried about him working there because it is so big, has so many workers, and has had a lot of injuries and deaths. But another blessing came our way when the economy started to turn sour and several other big projects and thousands of carpenters found themselves out of work. Thankfully City Center was too far into construction and did not or will not shut down. So we are guaranteed work until the end of 2009. And the project Michael is working 0n is a lot smaller and a lot safer since he is the safety guy!

4. I got in touch with several long lost friends! Thanks to the wonderful world of blogging I have re-connected with some good friends and their families. Hopefully 2009 will see more old (sorry) friendships renewed!

3. Matthew turned 10, Olivia turned 6, Jeffrey turned 3, Zak turned 1 and both Michael and I turned 34. I hate that everyone is getting older! But I'm so glad my kids are growing, learning, developing personalities and talents, staying healthy!

2. The last two kind of go together but they had to be separated or it would make for a super long one. In 2008 my husband decided to start living his life truthfully and to stop pretending which caused some major changes that I wasn't prepared for. We had a rough few months and he even moved out for a time. But thanks to answered prayers, he moved back in on July 1, 11 years to the day of our engagement. We celebrated our 11th anniversary in September and are continuing to learn new things about each other and through our trials, our marriage and family have been strengthened. I would not choose to re-live this year or experience any of the tears and heartaches again, but I can now look back and see how much I've learned and how much better things are.

1. I fell in love with my husband again. Actually, a more accurate description would be that I found out how to truly and deeply love him in a way that I never had before. My husband is a wonderful husband, partner, friend and father. He is a good provider and he knows and understands me better than I know myself. I am so greatful for the best of times and worst of times that 2008 brought and look forward to leaving those things behind and moving on to a new year full of love, peace and happiness.

Sorry those last two were so sappy but they had to be included. So now the tagging continues with Katie, Alisha, Deana, Natalie, Jordon, Sara, Sarah, Carmen. The reason why I chose so many is because this was a great opportunity for me to contemplate and think on this last year. The good and the bad and it's made me more ready to tackle the new year head on!

Memories

2008-12-29T13:44:00.000-08:00

First off, thanks to my wonderful husband for the new camera! (Katie, I got my new camera, hope you got yours). Of course I didn't get it until AFTER the Christmas morning festivities, but that's okay. We had a great Christmas. The kids of course got everything they wanted and then some. We opened presents, had a nice big breakfast and just relaxed all day. We did go see Bedtime Stories, which I highly recommend! It was a great family movie and the kids loved it (the adults did too!) So here are a few pics from the Gill Family Christmas 2008.

We debated about asking Santa for either a Wii or a trampoline. Thankfully Santa decided on a trampoline. The kids love it and they get to be OUTSIDE! Especially considering the fact that my kids are on track break until the end of January, the kids outside idea works well for me. Thanks Santa!

We do live in the desert right?

2008-12-18T14:02:00.000-08:00

As I've been looking at everyone's blogs, you all sound so excited for the snow! Well, I'm not! There is a reason we live in the desert and it's because I HATE snow and wet and cold. All of which we had yesterday! But I put my Grinching aside because the kids were so excited. I have lived in southern Nevada most of my life and I have never seen this much snow! They even cancelled school today! I'm sure CCSD has never had a snow day before. Because of the aforementioned desert-dwellers, my poor children were very ill prepared for the snow. Not a mitten or glove to be found. But that didn't stop them. They put on several pairs of pants, shirts, and socks and headed out to get freezing wet but had a blast. I bet if I tried hard enough, I might remember what is was like to be a kid! So thankfully this time the camera had batteries and I got some great pics of what is probably a once in a lifetime snow in Henderson!

Busy Blustery Day

2008-12-18T13:57:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday Olivia got to perform in her first parade. The Henderson Children's Parade down Water St. She had a great time despite the fact that I forgot her tap shoes and it was hurricane force winds outside. Olivia is our true performer and no matter the situation she will put on her performance smile and make the best of it. She has been dancing all year and loves it, plus she is pretty good. Later that afternoon she had a show and of course my camera ran out of batteries just as I was about to take the first picture. It was cute and she had so much fun. I'm sure I'll be posting tons of Livvy dancing pics so stay tuned for that!

December Boys

2008-12-18T13:52:00.001-08:00

Both Jeffrey and Zakary have birthdays one week apart in December. Go figure that one. Anyway, it was so crazy this year and for some reason I got no pics of Zak's birthday. What a terrible mom. (Actually the pics are on my husband's iphone and he hasn't figured out how to put them on the computer yet) So my two little boys are 3 and 1 respectively. This year has gone by so fast and I can't believe I no longer have a baby! Zak is walking and just wants to be big. He is so playful and loving and loves to play with his older siblings. Jeffrey is so a typical 3 year old boy. He causes me great stress sometimes, but he is sweet in his own way. Happy belated birthday to my two little men!

Merry Christmas

2008-12-15T20:18:00.001-08:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Non-Traditional

2008-11-29T17:17:00.000-08:00

This year we broke ALL the rules and for the first time in 11 years of marriage, my husband and I did not have Thanksgiving dinner with either of our families. It caused quite an uproar, but we decided it was time for our family to start our own traditions. So this year we also started something new and went OUT for Thanksgiving dinner. It was fantastic. I didn't spent all day in the kitchen. We took it easy, stayed out of the rain, took naps and around 4:00 went Black Angus for our dinner reservations. We got all dressed up (Jeffrey was confused that we weren't going to church because he was in church clothes) and ate out. Olivia and I had the Turkey feast with all the fixins and it was way better than I could have done. Matthew had a cheeseburger, Jeffrey had Mac -n- cheese, and Michael had a big fat steak! Sure is was non-traditional, but it was also very nice and no one had to do the dishes!

Happy Birthday Grandma Cecil

2008-11-26T15:56:00.001-08:00

My mom has always lived her life for her kids, and now she lives her life for her grandkids. It was mom's birthday Nov. 25th and she decided to throw herself a birthday party at Pump It Up. Obviously it was more for the kids than her, but she truly gets her joy and happiness when she sees her family happy. All 6 of my siblings, their spouses, even a new future spouse, and 17 grandkids had a blast! We jumped, laughed and ate pizza! Not a typical 50-something grandma's birthday, but so typical for my mom. We love you Grandma Cecil and all that you do for your family! Happy Birthday!

Matty the daredevil

Zak pushing Owen around

Grandma trying out the big slide

Daddy and Zak on the big slide, Zak didn't like it very much. Soon enough...

Quick Trip

2008-11-26T15:38:00.000-08:00

Zak trying to walk!

Daddy and Jeffrey

Me, Matty and Livvy before Thundermountain Railroad

Matty trying to be cool in front of the Buzz ride

The castle all lit up for Christmas

Every trip we have to take pics in Mr. Toad's car

Livvy and Belle (Matty wouldn't get in the pic cuz she's a girl)

Again, she's a girl

Thanks to a good friend we took a quick day trip to Disneyland. We got up early and headed out. The weather was great and for a Saturday it wasn't that busy. We hit California Adventure first and rode the Toy Story Mania ride. Jeffrey loved it and it was well worth the wait. We didn't have to wait on any other rides so we got to do quite a bit in the morning. Zak did great, Jeffrey was a little squirly and scared, Matthew was bored with the kiddie rides, and Livvy apparently is our roller coaster queen. She screamed and giggled on every ride. On Thundermountain Railroad (my favorite), she had her arms up and laughed and squealed the whole time. I was cracking up! It's always fun to do things as a family and especially when we get to do them for cheap! Thanks Claire and next time we'll all go together!

FANtastic Movie!

2008-11-21T10:06:00.000-08:00

My good friend Claire and I got to go to the Twilight Premiere last night. It was so much fun and so crazy. We had terrible seats, in the third row, so by the end of the movie our necks were pretty much done for. But despite all the craziness, the movie was SOOOOOO worth it! I thought it was great. I am totally going to see it again in a couple weeks when I can get a better view! I was a nerd and wore my Twilight t-shirt, but I certainly wasn't the only one. It was funny to be in a completely full theater with all the young screaming girls! Makes ya feel either really young or really old. But I'm not going to get into all the dirty details for those of you who haven't seen it yet. But even if you haven't read the books, it's worth it! Hope you all enjoy it as much as I did and plan on doing again! Thanks Claire for coming all the way from Bakersfield for our super girls night out (and for the Disney tix - but that's for anther post!)

Mars VS. Venus

2008-11-14T18:09:00.000-08:00

As most of you can tell, I'm a "Twerd" (translation: Twilight Nerd). I love the books and am counting down the minutes till the premiere of the movie on Nov. 20th! Unfortunately, my husband does not share my excitement. So for all of your husbands who might feel the same as mine, I thought these two images were awesome! The countdown can't go fast enough!

Thank You Sarah Goodsell

2008-11-10T17:08:00.000-08:00

Just a quick HUMONGOUS thanks to Sarah Goodsell for taking our family pictures. They turned out so good and she did such a good job! We got to combine a hike and family pictures in one outing! If you want to see how truly talented she is, click on the Sarah Goodsell photography link in my list, or go to her blog at goodsellphoto.blogspot.com. (Matthew thinks this sounds like a commercial for Sarah's photography, and it probably is!)

Told Ya I was Behind!!

2008-11-03T13:33:00.001-08:00

Things have been so busy that I had to do three posts in one day to get caught up! So this is the last one with some random pics for your enjoyment!

These are the only pics I got of Michael's birthday. I made him a cake on his birthday and then the boys and I went and met him for lunch. Zak and Jeffrey loved seeing daddy's work and sharing lunch with him! We love Daddy! (And I love my hot construction worker!)

The next pics are of Olivia's dance performance at the mall. They got to wear their costumes and dance to some fun Halloween songs. She had so much fun. Livvy takes performing very seriously. Her good friends Brooklyn and Sarah are in her dance class and they had fun dancing together! I look forward to many more dance performances!

Cute girls!!

Chillin at Grandma Gills house.

The Big 1-0

2008-11-03T13:20:00.000-08:00

I can't believe Matthew is 10! It seems like yesterday he was this cute, fat, little chunky baby, and now he's so grown up! We were in St. George on his birthday and we went mini-golfing. Then Grandpa Gill fixed Matty's favorite dinner, tacos (the best tacos ever!) and Sunday, his actual birthday, Grandma Gill made her famous Call pancakes, another of Matty's favorite. His birthday is actually continuing today since we were out of town. So Happy Birthday Matty!

Halloween-St. George Style

2008-11-03T13:12:00.000-08:00

With the wonderful Nevada Day 3-day weekend, we decided to head up to Michael's parents in St. George. The kids got to go trick-or-treating with their cousin Cameron and Uncle Brian. Of course it was great weather. The kids even swam! Swimming and trick-or-treating in the same weekend, what's up with that?! The kids got tons of candy and we tried to leave it at Grandma Gill's house, but couldn't get out the door without it! Diane put together a great Halloween dinner before we left. She had eyeballs (meatballs), witches hats (calzones shaped like witches hats), spider dip (7-layer dip with spider-web sour cream), and fingers (breadsticks). The kids went trick or treating and Jeffrey said "Happy Halloween" to everyone instead of trick or treat. Olivia had to be the first one to get candy at every door and poor Matthew had to help keep his eye on Jeffrey. He's quick! We had a great time. Thanks Grandma and Grandpa Gill!

For All You Vampire Fans

2008-10-23T18:38:00.000-07:00

The Southpoint Casino is having a Twilight Movie Premiere party on Tuesday November 18th. For $25 you get in to the pre-party at 6:00 and then see the movie at 7:00. I'm totally there!!! If anyone else wants to come along you can buy your tickets at the southpoint website starting next Friday, Oct. 31. I'm sure it will be crazy, but it sounds like super fun! Let me know if you want to go and we can get as many people together and make it a serious girls night out!

Fun Trip

2008-10-23T14:22:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I thought it would be a good idea to take Matty, Livvy, and Jeffrey to the dentist! So here I go to the dentist for 3 appointments and pushing Zak in the stroller. Insane right? Right! It's so worth making several trips to the dentist instead of having to deal with everyone at the same time. Livvy and Matty had been before, so they are pros, but this was Jeffrey's first check up and it went exactly like you think it would. a 2 1/2 year old who won't open his mouth, who screams and cries everytime the hygienist even came close to him, whose diaper leaked and had to walk around in wet pants and who has a mouth full of cavities and has to go to the pediatric dentist! What fun! Notice the picture of Jeffrey with not 1 but 2 suckers in his mouth, thus all the cavities!

Where to begin?!?!

2008-10-23T13:58:00.000-07:00

It's hasn't even been a week since my last post, but we've been busy so here are some pics of what the Gill Family has been up to.

I was finally able to get some better pictures of Matthew our soccer star. Last game he played defense so he didn't have to do as much running! It was a great game, they lost by one point but scored 3 goals in a matter of 5 minutes during the second half. The weather was great and I can't tell you how much I love watching him play!

On Sunday we had our monthly Cecil family dinner. This time it was at Todd and Heidi's. Heidi always goes above and beyond, even being 8 months pregnant. We had chili, cornbread and made homemade rootbeer. She even made sugar cookies and had all 16 of the kids decorate them. So the pics are of the decorating fun! Jeffrey is wearing the red mask for some reason.

Saturday Date Night

2008-10-18T20:55:00.002-07:00

Just so everyone doesn't think that my husband and I always go out on these wonderful, hip, exciting dates, this post will prove you all wrong. Tonight our date was exciting trip to Target with a stop at the Starbucks for hot chocolate. Anytime we can get away, even just for an hour, is worth it. Thankfully Matthew is old enough and responsible enough to babysit for a little bit. So we were able to take off for an hour for some time away. It's important to try to find time to be together, even if it's at Target. We got a chance to talk and hang out and I must admit, Target WITHOUT kids is even better!

In Honor of my 50th Post!!!!!

2008-10-17T20:07:00.000-07:00

What were YOU doing 10 years ago?

10 years ago I was....
1. Very pregnant with #1
2. Working at Green Valley OB/Gyn
3. Worked with my friend Lesa whom I still work with! (She's the best)
4. Just had our 1st wedding anniversary
5. Lived in 1/2 of the Botkins house RENT FREE in Henderson (so did not appreciate rent free)
6. Looking forward with excitement and uncertainty about being a mother

10 years later I am...
1. Still a little uncertain about being a mom when my 4 beautiful children shout "MOM" 24/7
2. Can look forward to never being pregnant again!!
3. Still working with Lesa, being a mom of 4 busy children, teaching piano lessons, anything else???
4. Loving my husband way more than I did 10 years ago
5. Unfortunately 10 years older. (Ditto Katie--mid 30's ick!!)

SOAP BOX

2008-10-15T10:35:00.000-07:00

I enjoy my little life. I try to keep my family safe and happy. I live in a shell. I don't watch the news cuz it stresses me out. I don't read the newspaper, but I do check headlines online daily. It sucks paying so much for gas and groceries. And I'm sure all the politics, recession, financial crisis all sucks too. But other than that, I don't let the outside world affect me too much. Until yesterday... I went to 7-11 for my Diet Coke fix and I had to pay, get this, $1.28 for a Big Gulp. Not even a Super B, just a regular old Big Gulp! I swear it wasn't that long ago that it was .89 for a Big Gulp and $1.06 for the Super B, with tax! I debated about not even getting the Big Gulp on principle alone, but I was super thirsty! So I want to know which candidate is going to lower the prices of Big Gulps! Those are the issues that affect me daily! Am I right or am I right?!?

Crazy Costumes

2008-10-13T19:45:00.001-07:00

Our ward celebrated Halloween a little bit early for some reason. We had our trunk-or-treat last Friday. It started at 6:00 and we were at Targay at 4:30 rushing to get costumes and candy. Talk about last minute. Thankfully Zak had the super cute giraffe handed down from his cousin Noah. Matty was creative and made his own Zombie Skater costume (by himself I might add). So luckily we grabbed the last Buzz and found a goth pirate for Livvy. And finally it is starting to feel like fall! Hopefully I'll get to post more Halloween pics from actual Halloween. Having it early just means eating candy longer!

Busy Weekend

2008-10-05T09:35:00.000-07:00

We had such a busy weekend I just decided to lump everything into one big post. So enjoy all the pics and I'll try to remember everything!

It all started on Friday, Livvy's birthday was earlier in the week but we did her party on Friday since there was no school. She had fun and I only had a little headache after 6 screaming girls for an hour and a half!

Later that night Livvy and her friend Cora got to dance with the Foothill Dance Team during the halftime show of the football game. They had so much fun but were not entertained by the game, every 10 seconds they kept asking when it was time to go down to the field for their dance. Unfortunately my camera takes crappy pictures at night so I didn't get any of the actual dancing. But trust me, it was so cute to see all these little girls dancing on the football field. I swear Olivia is 6 going on 16! Matthew and his friend Noah came to the game and were so excited but honestly I'm not sure why they were so excited since they didn't pay attention to the game either!
On a side note, I remember not liking high school football games when I was IN high school and I like them even less after, well, I'm not going to say how long it's been...
So now to Saturday morning- Michael and his friend Neils went for a hike through the mountains from Henderson to Boulder City. It was about 7 miles and thanks to Neil's GPS, they went mostly off trails. It was a nice cool morning and they got sprinkled on for most of it. It took them about 4 1/2 hours but it only took me 10 minutes to drive to Boulder City to pick them up! Hopefully they can get some good hiking in before the weather turns too cold. I love the desert!

So after a mostly relaxing afternoon, we headed out to Anthem for Matty's weekly soccer game. It was absolutely perfect soccer weather, just warm enough with a cool breeze. This was their toughest game so far and the first half was pretty rough, but they picked it up in the second half. Matty even took a shot on goal. Matty is an awesome soccer player and he is so fast, that no one beats him! Both Michael and I are a little hoarse from so much yelling but don't worry, we were yelling positive things! Go Lightning! (Matty is #5 in the blue uniform, my camera takes crappy action shots, sorry)

Finally after all the busy-ness, it was time for some adult time. Michael and I got a babysitter and went out to Quinn's at Green Valley Ranch to see his friend's band play. I wasn't expecting to have a good time, but it was so much fun! The band was a little loud, but we did get a chance to visit and hang out with friends during the band breaks. For those of you who know me, I'm not much of a "party animal", but we were having such a good time all of a sudden it was 1:00 in the morning and we decided we had better head home. We had a great babysitter and the kids had a good time with her. I love my husband and it is so fun to get out of our normal routine and do something fun and let loose! We had a great weekend and am definately ready for a quiet Sunday and a nap!

September 27th 1997

2008-09-27T16:38:00.001-07:00

11 years ago today Michael and I were married in the Las Vegas Temple. I can't believe it has been 11 years! It doesn't feel like that long, but it seems like I can't remember my life without him in it. Michael and I met in elementary school, he was a grade younger than I was. We grew up in the same stake, went to the same high school, had each others dad's for teachers, but it wasn't until the time was right, 2 years after his mission, that we met up again in the singles ward (cliche I know). We dated for 3 weeks, got engaged, and were married 3 months later. I knew he was "the one" when I heard him sing and play the guitar. We have had our share of ups and downs, but through it all, I love him more now then I ever thought I could. I knew I loved him and wanted to spend eternity with him 11 years ago, but time and life has taught me that I didn't fully understand how deep love can go. So here is a list of 11 reasons why I love Michael Scott Gill...

11. He has a great laugh
10. He has an amazing voice
9. I love his lips (I kissed him first for the record :)
8. He is a true friend
7. He is true to himself
6. He's HOT!!!
5. He is a wonderful father and loves his children
4. He respects me
3. Did I mention how HOT he is??
2. He works hard and sacrifices so much for his family
1. He understands me better than I understand myself and despite ALL my insecurities and shortcomings, he loves me anyway.

Michael, I love you more than you know and count this year as a new starting point for the rest of our lives.

Second Generation

2008-09-26T12:43:00.000-07:00

This month Olivia was chosen as a Positive Panther in her class. She got to go during lunch to have pizza with the principal. She got a certificate and got her picture taken. The reason this is significant (other than the fact that I'm so proud of her) is that both Michael and I were Positive Panthers at Galloway when we went there. Back then (I'm so old) we got our pictures in the newspaper. I don't think that's the case anymore, but I went to see her get her award and I told the principal that she was second generation. She thought that was great. I love that we still live in the same area, that our kids go to the same school as we did, and that I always run into people I know! Henderson is home!

Who Woulda Thought?!?

2008-09-22T12:19:00.000-07:00

We actually found something fun and FREE for the whole family to do in Vegas! Suprise! Saturday we went to The District at Green Valley Ranch. On Friday and Saturday nights they show movies outside by the carousel. It was a great night, the weather was perfect, and it was way fun! They have free popcorn and we just brought water and candy. We sat on blankets and watched the movie. The kids had fun and it was even fun for Mike and I. We'll definately have to do it again while the weather is nice. Check it out!

The First Day of School (FINALLY!!)

2008-09-15T12:08:00.000-07:00

The kids are in year round school and they are on Track 1. Which means that they start later than everyone else. Generally I enjoy that they get a little break, but I was sooo ready for them to get back in school! They started at Fay Galloway this year which is the same school that both Michael and I went to. Olivia was so excited to start 1st grade and it was so fun to pack her lunchbox! Matthew was indifferent. I guess that's a good word to describe a 4th grade boy. So here are the traditional 1st day of school pics. Just like last year, Jeffrey had to be in all the pictures. He wanted me to pack him a lunch and wanted to wear his backpack when we walked them to school. I got a picture of Livvy in her line but when I tried to take Matty's picture in his line, he wouldn't turn around. I guess he's finally reached the age where he is embarrassed by his mom! How sad! I hope they both have a great year!

The Tagging Continues!

2008-09-10T19:51:00.000-07:00

Tagged 8's...
8 Favorite shows
-Grey's Anatomy
-Cash Cab
-What Not to Wear
-The Office
-Friends
-Alias
-Biggest Loser
-Ellen (prior to her marriage, now I don't watch her just to prove a point)

8 Favorite Restaurants
-Claim Jumper
-Cheesecake Factory
-Cafe Rio
-Mimi's
-Chili's
-Macayo's
-Red Robin
-Pizza Factory

8 Things that happened yesterday
-I got to sleep in!
-I realized how lucky I am to get to see my husband every day.
-Jeffrey went potty in the toilet!
-I made my bed!
-Got a Big Gulp
-I cried
-Finished Breaking Dawn for the third time (I'm a nerd!)
-I watched Ever After (Love that movie!)

8 Things I look forward to:
-Matthew and Livvy starting school (Thank you Track 1)
-My 11th anniversary
-Cooler weather
-Peace in my home
-Going back to school myself
-Saturday soccer games
-Getting our backyard planted
-Eating outside

8 Things I love about Fall:
-Cooler weather! (I agree Katie)
-All the birthdays
-Soccer season
-Candy corns
-Soup
-Great Harvest Pumpkin bread
-pumpkin chocolate chip cookies
-Shorter days

8 Things on my wish list:
-My husband was always happy
-An island getaway with my hubby minus kids
-Moonlight Sun actually getting published (being a nerd again)
-My kids being healthy, happy and constantly learning
-I didn't have to think about money
-A maid
-I wasn't so lazy
-To be everything I want to be

This was a lot harder than it looks! 8 doesn't seem like a huge number. So here continues the tagging...Alisha (aren't you glad I found you), Carmen, Natalie and Jordon. Have fun!

Sleeping Beauties

2008-09-10T13:28:00.001-07:00

I caught Jeffrey sleeping in Zak's crib with him
Zak didn't like the idea of sharing very well.

I was lucky to catch this moment...Michael holding Zak and both of them asleep! I thought it was so precious. Father and son both just so darn tired! Of course as soon as I snapped the picture they both woke up, but at least I got it.

Long Awaited Haircut

2008-09-06T12:21:00.000-07:00

BEFORE

DURING

MID-WAY MULLETT

THE END

So after months of trying to convince Matthew to cut his hair, he finally decided that now was the time. With soccer season starting it was getting too hot with all that hair! So hope everyone, grandma's especially, are happy with his new look.

Details

2008-09-02T15:38:00.001-07:00

So I've had some requests for additional details on my previous post so here are the juicy details:

Most of you know that I worked in OB/Gyn for a long time. A few years ago Celine Dion was living in Lake Las Vegas during her big show at Caesars. So somehow she got hooked up with the doctor I was working for and my doctor asked me to stay late so that Celine and her sister could come in for their "woman exams" after office hours. She was very nice and even had to help translate for her sister who only spoke French. So because I was helping the doctor in the room during the exam, I have seen much more of Celine Dion than anyone but her husband should see! So there ya go! Hope you enjoyed it!

I Finally Got Tagged (Thanks Nat!)

2008-08-29T18:05:00.000-07:00

Thanks to my sister for tagging me! So this is supposed to be 5 things you may not know about me. So here goes...

#1 - I cannot stand watermelon, even the smell makes me nauseous.
#2 - I've seen more of Celine Dion (literally) than anyone I know (if you want to know the story, I'll tell you)
#3 - In college I went was set up on a blind date with a guy we called "Blinkie" (His parents were polygamists but he wasn't)
#4 - I shower in the same order every day
#5 - I've held a real live gall bladder in my hand during a surgery in Mexico. (Another good story)

So now it's my turn to tag...Deana, Katie Frehner, Michelle Scott

Caboose

2008-08-29T17:55:00.000-07:00

Last but certainly not least is Zakary Finn. AKA Zak or Zaky or Zak-attack as Jeffrey likes to say. Zakary is the sweetest baby! But he is not satisfied with being a baby. He was crawling at 6 months and pulling himself up and cruising along furniture by 7 1/2 months. I know one day soon he is just going to stand up and take off running. He loves his older brothers and sister and is not happy with just mom (unless he's eating of course). He loves to play with his siblings and is always more entertained by them than anything. I was hoping he would be my baby but he's ready to be big. He loves to hear music. Today Michael pulled out his guitar and Zak came from the opposite side of the room and sat still waiting for him to start playing. As soon as he started playing, Zak started to bounce and dance and he never took his eyes off his daddy. I am so excited for every day with him and I can't wait to see the kind of personality he will develop. I never expected to have 4 children, but can't imagine my life without any of them. I always knew someone was missing and Zakary has completed our family.

Matthew Tod

2008-08-19T14:37:00.000-07:00

Matthew is 9 1/2 and is such a good kid! He is very creative, he's a deep thinker, and he's very smart. He does so well in school and excels at everything he does. He is a good athlete and a good big brother. He is a natural leader and is a good example for his friends and younger siblings. There was definately a reason that Matthew came first. He is such a good helper and there are days that I am so glad he's home! I feel like a put a lot of pressure on him sometimes being the oldest, but he seems to take it all in stride. He is very sensitive and I think that helps him to be sensitive to others. Matthew also likes to do projects and is always coming up with ideas for projects or money-making schemes. My favorite money-making scheme was he wanted to write songs for $1 each, including lyrics. I think it was more if you wanted music to it. Anyway, Matthew is such an important part of our family and I am so greatful the Lord sent him to our family.

New Location

2008-08-19T14:32:00.000-07:00

So over the weekend we moved to a bigger house. We were stepping on each others toes in our townhouse. So now we are in a much bigger house with 4 bedrooms, a playroom, and a yard! Yeah! (Sorry I'm not the best photographer, but it was too hot to take a better pic!) So come and see us at 422 Shamrock Drive!

Grill Master Gill

2008-08-10T18:35:00.001-07:00

My wonderful husband has developed a love and talent for grilling this summer. He's not satisfied with merely grilling burgers or hot dogs. No. He's taken to marinating steaks with a rub (yum yum) and even can jazz up chicken. Tonight we had chicken stuffed with peppers, onions, and cheese all wrapped in bacon and grilled. It was super yummy. It's nice to have him cook once in a while. We know when he cooks it's going to be delicious. I have the best husband ever! Love you Michael!

Memory Game

2008-08-08T20:42:00.001-07:00

So I've seen this on a few blogs and I thought it looked fun. I was adding a memory to my friends blog and then added a few more. When you start remembering things it's funny how your brain starts remembering more!

Heres what you do:

1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember!

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you.It's actually pretty cool (and funny) to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you.

Finished - Twice

2008-08-08T17:22:00.000-07:00

So I finished "Breaking Dawn" and thought I would share my thoughts. For those of you who haven't yet finished, don't read this post. I don't want to give anything away. So the first time I read it I wasn't quite sure I liked it. But on the second reading, I liked it much better. I think this book was more fantasy and less real than the other books. I think it ended well and I feel like I'm done with my vampire fix. I do think this book was much more adult and don't think the younger girls should read it just yet. But let me know your thoughts!

Spotlight - Olivia

2008-08-08T17:14:00.000-07:00

I decided to spotlight Olivia next. Today was her graduation from kindergarten and I can't believe she is almost 6! Olivia is my girlie-girl. Surrounded by all brothers, she is not just merely a princess, she is THE princess. Olivia is very friendly and very social. She has no problem making friends. Even when she was a baby and just learning to talk. She always had a smile for a stranger. Her kindergarten teacher commented that she had the biggest smile on the first day of school and had a smile on her face every day since! Livvy is a lot like I was when I was younger, so we butt heads occasionally. She does her own thing her own way. She is a very good helper and a good big sister. More like a little mother than a big sister. Livvy loves dancing, dressing up, and playing with her younger "sister" cousins. Olivia is very concerned about everyone else and worries about her family. She is a sweet addition to our family and we love her very much!

Girls Night Out

2008-08-08T17:11:00.000-07:00

Last week I actually got a chance to get out of the house with just the Girls! We went to Marie Callendar's for pie, but some of us got a monster brownie sundae! Then we headed over to Border's for the Breaking Dawn release party. It was so great to just be out with the Girls. We had great conversation and didn't feel too old at the release party. Thanks to the wonderful hubbies who took care of the kids while us girls got a well deserved break. Who's up for round 2! I am!

Found this car in the parking lot! It was priceless!

New School

2008-08-01T09:33:00.000-07:00

With our move coming up, the kids had to change schools. I was sad for them to leave Smalley, it's been such a good school. But the house is zoned for Galloway so we went over there this morning and got them all registered. I hadn't been there in years and walking into the front office was like walking back in time. The school has changed a lot since I was there so many years ago, but the memories are still there. My kids are now excited to go to the same school that mommy and daddy went to. It is fun to have a new generation of Gills as Positive Panthers!

Spotlight

2008-07-31T11:00:00.001-07:00

Jeffrey got dressed all my himself! His shirt and pants are on backwards, and the pants are too short, but he did it and he was so proud!

My boys playing together!

I love blog-hopping and getting ideas! I saw a blog where she spotlighted each one of her children in a different post. I thought that was so good so I am going to start with JEFFREY.

Jeffrey is 2 1/2 and is a ball of energy. He was a very good baby and was always very active and excited to play with his brothers and sister. He has developed quite a personality. He is a troublemaker and can be naughty, but he knows how to sweeten things up. He has this cute face, this big green eyes with long eyelashes, and chubby cheeks. When he knows he's in trouble, he looks at me with that face and sometimes it's hard to stay mad. He's done really well adjusting to his little brother Zakary. And I love that Zak is getting old enough that they can actually start to play. Most often the play results in Jeffrey laying on top of Zakary or trying to share his fruit snacks. But I think Zak loves it. Jeffrey loves to watch movies, especially Toy Story or "my Buzz and Woody" as he calls it. He also loves to snack. Today I came downstairs to find him eating my Costco size bag of chocolate chips. He said, "Mommy, these are my favorite!" Lately Jeffrey has been coming up and giving me kisses on the cheek or saying, "You're my best friend." I love my Jeffrey and even though he can be a challenge sometimes, I look forward to every new challenge with him.

Oops!

2008-07-30T15:58:00.000-07:00

So I'm retarded! Breaking Dawn gets released August 2nd which is Saturday. So the release party at Borders is Friday night the 1st, not Thursday. So plans are still the same, just one day later. Sorry for any confusion, I am just slow.

Breaking Dawn

2008-07-29T09:45:00.000-07:00

I decided to make the Girls Night Out in conjunction with the "Breaking Dawn" release party. We're going to meet at Marie Callendar's on Stephanie at 9:00 for dessert and then go over to the release party at Borders. I'd love everyone to come. Put the kids and husbands to bed and let's go have fun! Call me or let me know if you want to carpool out there. See ya Thurs! Go Edward!

Girl's Night Out

2008-07-28T15:25:00.000-07:00

So I am in desperate need of a Girl's Night Out. There are a couple of serious chick flicks out. "Mama Mia" is out now and "Sisterhood 2" is coming out next week. I'd like to get a bunch of girls together to go see a movie and get some dinner or ice cream or something. Let me know if you are interested and I'll try to get it all arranged!

Really?

2008-07-25T18:06:00.000-07:00

You Are Aurora! (A.K.A. Sleeping Beauty.)

Thoughtful and loving. Authority figures probably have been sheltering you all of your life. Thankfully you're a very tranquil person who is content with what life has given you, but secretly you want to know how the outside world works.

Which Disney Princess Are You?

Yeah, I don't know about this one. Aurora is Sleeping Beauty right? So that would mean that I actually get to sleep a lot? Although it would be nice to take a nice long nap once in a while.

The 4 C's (or my attempt at being creative)

2008-07-17T08:31:00.000-07:00

1. Crawling - So Zak has decided to crawl, earlier than any of the other kids! He's 7 months now and is not content unless he's moving around. So much for hanging on to my last one, he's the most anxious to get big like his big brothers and sister! Where is the fairness in that, my baby is getting big!

2. Crying - You may be confused by the label for the picture. Jeffrey is 2 1/2 and is definately got the terrible thing down. He was crying while I was getting the camera for this picture, but in true Jeffrey fashion, he stopped when he saw I was taking his picture and put on his sweetest little smile! Little stinker!

3. Cute - Livvy just finished her first tap class and loved it. We tried soccer, but she is a dancer at heart and takes it so seriously and does pretty good. So there will be more pics of her dancing then trying to play sports. I was a girly girl when I was little so I guess I shouldn't expect anything less of Olivia.

4. Creative - Matthew got his first guitar this month and started a class. He plays for hours every day and has started writing his own songs and music. For a 9 year old, he does pretty good. He writes his own lyrics then puts the few chords he knows down and puts it all together. Notice that he's even growing his hair out like a true rocker. I thank my awesome husband for his guitar talent and for sharing that with Matthew. Hopefully someday Matthew can play the guitar while Olivia sings in a ward talent show or something. (We can have dreams right?)

Courthouse

2008-07-08T08:57:00.000-07:00

Over the July 4th weekend the Cecil Family went on a reunion/vacation to the Courthouse Inn in Junction UT. It is actually a renovated courthouse and in the first pic is Sydney and Jeffrey playing judge in the real judge's desk with gavel and everything. In case you haven't ever heard of Junction (I never had until last weekend) it's about 35 miles north of Panguitch. It's a small town with 1 gas station/mini-mart and 1 grocery/convenience store. Anyway, we had a blast and I actually remembered to take lots of pics! We rode 4-wheelers and barbecued, made s'mores, lit fireworks (even a few illegal ones, thanks to Uncle Brandon) and just hung out. The weather was great and it was nice to get away from the Vegas heat for a few days. Anyway, thanks to my mom for always getting a wild idea in her head. This one turned out great! Enjoy the pics!

Good News

2008-07-01T12:24:00.000-07:00

No one wants to look at a blog that is boo-hoo and depressing all the time so this time I actually have good news to post! My husband was gone for 3 weeks and officially moved back in yesterday. Which is huge and significant because today is the 11th anniversary of our engagement. We crossed a huge bridge and I am so grateful that the Lord answers prayers. Not in the way or in the time that we want them, but He gives us the answers exactly when we need them. And that is exactly what happened. Not that I expect everything to be perfect all of a sudden, but it's definately a step in the right direction. Thank you, thank you, thank you for all your comments, concerns and prayers. I have definately felt them and it has given me great strength to know how much love and support I have. We're taking off this week for a fun family vacation with ALL the Cecil's (32 of them to be exact including 3 infants) so hopefully I'll remember to take some pics and can post a much more fun post next time! Thank you again! I have such great friends and family!

Breaking Dawn

2008-06-27T13:03:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited about Stephenie Meyer's finale to the Twilight Series. I know it's cheesy and adolescent, but I love them anyway. Plus I just figured out how to add a countdown to my page so I am so proud of myself! If you haven't read them I recommend the series as a good escape. It's not intellectually stimulating, but a nice break from reality. Let me know if you have read them and what you think!

Sorry

2008-06-16T07:09:00.000-07:00

To all those who saw my last post, I want to apologize. One thing you need to know about me is that I am not good about keeping my feelings and emotions to myself, I have to get them out and my blog seemed like a good place to vent. But no one is going to keep looking at my blog if it's all depressing and boo-hoo. And I certainly didn't do it for sympathy but more to explain why I have been a little different lately and to explain the rapid weight loss. (The stress diet works, but I don't recommend it!) Anyway, I found a better way to vent in a website called LDSJOURNAL.COM. It is an online journal and it has saved me! I can get on and put my thoughts, fears and worried onto the computer, instead of having to write them in a book. So I am including their website. I highly recommend it. You can turn your online journal into a hard bound book, you can also link it to your cell and send text entries. I didn't figure that part out yet, but it sounds cool. Anyway, just wanted to reassure you that my blog will no longer be depressing, so keep looking!

Uncertainty

2008-06-13T15:55:00.001-07:00

I don't know if blogs are just for good news and happy stuff or what, but my life right now isn't full of happy stuff so sorry if this is a depressing post. My husband and I have decided to separate after 10 1/2 years of marriage. Hopefully this is a temporary thing and we can work out our issues and get back to a normal, happy life. I am trying to find positive things in this and to look for blessings. So here is what I've come up with. First, I am so greatful for my testimony and my faith. My Heavenly Father has helped me so much and has given me strength to go through this trial. I know the Lord doesn't give us anything above that which we can bear, so I am so greatful for the atonement of my Savior and the strength that gives me. Second, I am so greatful for my family. They have been a constant source of help, support, caring words and love. I could not go through this without them. Third, I am greatful for the support and love from the members of my ward and from my friends. I am not used to being the one who needs help and I appreciate everyone's willingness to help, even if I don't accept it as well as I should. I appreciate all the thoughts, prayers and caring words. They mean so much to me. Right now I have Hope, and that's about all I have, and I hope its enough.

Life.....

2008-05-30T15:44:00.000-07:00

Funny how life never turns out like you expect. Things happen to remind you to always stay on your toes! So life has gotten in the way of blogging and I haven't posted in forever! So here is a quick update...Zakary is almost 6 months old! Time flies way too fast. Jeffrey is redefining the terrible two's and refuses to potty train. Livvy has entered into the dramatic girl phase. Everything is an argument and inevitably ends up with her crying. I have to remind myself that she is only 5! Matthew just finished baseball and did really well since this was his first year playing. He is a good boy and a great big brother. I couldn't do it without his help some days. We went to Disneyland a couple weeks ago. It was super hot and super busy. So I didn't even get any great pics because I was just trying to keep cool. But the kids had fun. I'm always amazed at how resilient kids are. I wish I was as resilient sometimes. I'm trying a new positive outlook so I'll let you know how it goes. Here are a few pics of the kids. Nothing too exciting, enjoy!

Release

2008-04-20T16:33:00.000-07:00

I'm posting with mixed emotions today. I got released as the YW President after serving for almost a year and a half. As hard and as time consuming as that calling was, I loved it. I loved working with the YW, associating with them and learning from them and their testimonies. It was so busy and I think I'm greatful for the break, but I will miss the YW terribly! I think I may crash some of their activities. At least I got out of Girls Camp (again). I will miss the sisters that I served with, they were the best. I hope I can continue the association with them. But the church is about change and I'm ready. Now I get to play the piano in Relief Society. Yeah for being behind the piano, boo for having to sit in relief society after years of YW and primary!

Shade Party

2008-04-13T17:05:00.000-07:00

I discovered Shade clothing last year and fell in love with it! They have tons of layering stuff and lots of cute styles, even swim suits! I'm hosting an open house on Thursday, April 17th from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at my moms house, 1525 Roping Reed Ct. I'd love to see everyone there!

New Used Car

2008-04-12T14:20:00.001-07:00

So this is a ultra-posed pic of our new used van. We had a nightmare of a week at a couple different dealerships and finally got a newer, cheaper van than the one we have. It's pretty much the same van that we have now, except 2 years newer, a different color, and a lot cheaper. I loved my old van and was so glad to get another one! But there are way too many silver Grand Caravans out there so Mike is going to have to get some new stickers to put on it so I can stand out a little! So when you see a silver van with Alkaline Trio stickers on it, wave at me!!

Embarrassing Past

2008-04-04T09:34:00.001-07:00

Okay, I must admit it. I was a huge New Kids on the Block Fan. 15 years ago (yikes!!), I had posters all over my room and actually saw them twice in concert. I admit this embarrassing past becuase they are reuniting 20 years after they started. It makes me feel so old, but brings me back to the hey-days of New Kids. My husband can't believe that I liked them then, and still like them now. He's kind of the music-Nazi of our family. I even have some of their songs on my MP3 player. Anyway, I felt that after all these years, I could grow up and admit an embarrassing part of my past, which will now become part of my present since they are recording a new album! Is my life that boring that I can get excited about a new New Kids album? YES!!!!

Happy Easter

2008-03-24T11:07:00.000-07:00

I'd like to say we had a nice quiet Easter, but it actually was quite crazy. On Saturday we went to the park, wind and all, with Mike's family. We had lunch and did an egg hunt for the kids. Sunday was hard because we have 9:00 church, so instead of hiding eggs, we asked the Easter Bunny to hide the kids baskets instead. It worked out pretty good. I bought all the stuff and hard boiled a bunch of eggs, but the coloring never happened. Oh well, there's always next year. I ended up spending all afternoon in the kitchen making treats and dinner. We had the traditional ham, despite the fact that I don't like ham. But my family does, so I just get rolls. But that's okay. The sacrifices moms make! Anyway, with all the Easter stuff, we had to remind the kids that we were celebrating the Savior's resurrection and life. Candy and eggs are good, but it's more important to focus on our Savior. I think next year we'll try to do that a little better.

Picture Perfect

2008-03-16T15:09:00.000-07:00

Matthew has been taking lots of pictures lately. He gets an idea for a picture in his head and then takes a pretty good picture. Here are a couple of shots he took this week. I think we have a future photographer in our family!

Boy Vs. Girl

2008-03-06T13:32:00.000-08:00

I haven't posted in a while because to be honest, it's been pretty boring around here! Today Olivia and her cousin Sydney decided to dance to "Bella Bella Dancerella." Jeffrey just wanted to join in and dance and dress up too. Notice in the first picture that his shirt is a picture of a tough guy with SICK muscles. Then he wanted to dress up on top of it! I love how kids do whatever they want, without stereotypes! But trust me, he is all boy!

Thanks Rachel

2008-02-16T17:58:00.001-08:00

Thanks to Rachel I have a much cuter blog. It's still in the works, but Rachel can work wonders! I know she's made the rounds and I appreciate her taking some time to help me figure out this new world! Thanks again Rachel!

Anti V-day

2008-02-14T08:54:00.000-08:00

My husband is the luckiest guy in the whole world today!! Why? you ask? Well because I HATE Valentines Day! Please no flowers, candy, etc., etc. I think it's ridiculous to celebrate love one day a year. I went to the grocery store last night and literally every man in that store was walking out with flowers or balloons. Come on! Where's the thought! Cheap flowers and balloons from Albertsons to show someone how you feel? Give me a break! Anyway, enough of my tirade on V-day. I love my husband every day, not just one day a year!!!!!

No Sick Days

2008-02-07T17:36:00.000-08:00

I truly love being a mom but there are some days when you wish you could call in sick! Today was one of those days. Not that it was anymore hectic than any other day, crying babies, troublesome 2 year old, know-it-all 5 year old, laundry, dishes, messes, etc., etc.,. All you moms know what I'm talking about. Anyway, one of these days I will call in sick! I just don't know how. Any advice???

Zakary's Blessing

2008-02-03T13:22:00.000-08:00

Today we had Zak's blessing and it was so nice. Michael did a great job, as always, and it was so neat to have so many of our family members there. I had to save 3 whole long pew's to fit everyone! Jordon and Kyle also blessed Attison today so it was a family affair. I am so greatful for Michael and his priesthood and the love he has for his family. I also am so glad that all of my brothers, with the exception of 1 in the mission field, we're there and able to help. Matthew caught Zak in a good mood and this is our first picture of him smiling! Check out those dimples!

Boring

2008-02-01T10:46:00.001-08:00

This blog thing is new to me and I feel like I have to post something exciting everyday. Well not that much exciting happens to me, I'm quite a boring person. The kids are doing good and we're trying to get into a schedule. We will be blessing Zakary on Sunday and look forward to all our family being there. Jeffrey is adjusting to being a big brother and his favorite new phrase is "Just a minute mom". I wonder where he picked that one up. Mike is working harder than ever and I appreciate everything he does for his family.

Nap Time

2008-01-29T17:06:00.000-08:00

Getting used to 2 little ones has been a struggle, especially since Matthew and Olivia went back to school and I don't have my helpers during the day. But today rocked because I got both boys to take a nap at the same time! (Notice that Jeffrey is in my bed, not in his - I was trying to avoid them waking each other up!) Thus starting the blog today since I actually had an hour of quiet. I'm not expecting it to last, but am grateful for it nonetheless! I love being a mom!

Giving In

2008-01-29T13:51:00.000-08:00

I'm finally giving in to the blogging world! Please check me out and post stuff so I don't feel stupid!