A New "Do"

So I was getting really sick of my hair and decided just to change it all up. I was sick of maintaining the highlights as its a pain, and a small fortune. Do you know how many stamp sets I could buy with the money I was spending on my hair?! ;)

So I cut off 9 inches tonight (gasp! I didn't realize I had that much to cut off!) and dyed it a light brown. I think this might be the closest I've had to my natural color in years, but honestly, I have no clue what my real color is at this point. Its really more of a dirty blonde at the roots, but this color works for me.

At work I got some stunned, surprised looks, but everyone all said it suited me very well and as one friend told me...its make me look more together and sophisticated. Cool, I'll take that! As Jake told me, this is his new favorite picture of me.

Dear Blog

Dear Blog,

Yes, yes, I know. You are feeling neglected. However, Blog, you need to realize that so many things are going on and making REAL LIFE busy for our little family. Yes, I know you understand, and that you are all for us having a great time making memories and taking fun pictures so that I can then upload them here for you, Blog.

What is that you ask? What have we been so busy doing that I've been neglecting you so harshly? Well, let me tell you.....

First, there have been the day to day things.

Gardening:

(and earning $$ for allowance!)

Catching up with friends:

(George's going away party)

BBQ at the neighbor's house:

Work:

(no pictures, sorry Blog)

Kandi was promoted at work and now works in the Finance Dept. processing the Accounts Payables. Its a very busy and a bit stressful of a job, but she loves the work and the company she's called home for 2 years now.

And then there are always the funny random things that make us laugh each day and appreciate our funny kids.

This, dear Blog, is what happens when a train goes over a "cliff". Just ask Brady! ;) His track went from his bedroom, down the hall, and then down the stairs...to the demise of all the trains you see here.

Then there have been a few road trips we've taken.

First was to Colorado Springs for Lauren's graduation. Unfortunately we were having too much fun just hanging out so there weren't many pictures. Mainly just the scenery, and a visit to Garden of the Gods for a few prime pictures before it was a massive downpour on us! But, I do have some funny hotel pictures! The kids love hotels, and think hotels are the coolest things ever. Guess we know we'll never have a problem traveling with them!

And this quite possibly (according to the kids) was the COOLEST SHOWER EVER! It was just very cool looking so they kept talking about the shower so much that I took a picture of them with it.

Then it was off to Cedar City so Jake could wrestle in the Summer Games. This was during his warm up, when he didn't know I was snapping pics!

Also, there's been a fair amount of hard work going on at the Phillips house. Jake has lost 34 pounds so far this year, and Kandi has lost 15. Both are committed to healthier eating, better focus on staying fit, and staying active and busy with the kids. However, neither is quite done yet and will continue down this road!

Gwynie has worked very hard on her grades all year long and ALMOST has straight A's. Math is the only grade at a B! We couldn't be more proud of her and her hard work, and dilligence to homework and classwork.

Brady's also been working VERY hard on lecturing to all of us about all the different animals that inhabit this planet. Brady has become quite the Animal Planet buff and can recall endless (and I mean ENDLESS!) facts about all sorts of animals.

The other hard work has been on Kandi's part and can hardly be classified as work, but more of working the creative juices! Kandi will have her very first published card appear in the CARDS Magazine in November! Its very exciting and such a sweet sense of accomplishment for a hobby she's passionate about. But, you can't see the card until December, a month after the book has been out....so there Blog!

So Blog, are you happy now? Of course there are other things that will need to be posted later, like Brady's Kindergarten Program (no pics but video - too dark in the gym!), funny stories and things the kids have said recently, and Gwynie's birthday this weekend! But Blog, I will definately try not to leave a month gap again! Hopefully by that next time I post, you can expect more frequent updates like you've enjoyed in the past.

The Phillips Family

VERY IMPORTANT PLEASE READ ME!!!

I just wanted to share this with you all. One of our field technicians out of the California office sent this email yesterday afternoon. I didn't have to think twice about donating.

Hello all,

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

I am John Croft, a Technician in California, and I am participating in a 24 hour Cancer Dance-A-Thon in Irvine this weekend. Yes, I know I am crazy to dance for 24 hours straight, but I know that it is for a great cause.

I know that Cancer has affected all of our lives in one way or another. Part of the event is to help raise money to support Cancer research and treatment. I know that times are tight right now, but I would like to ask if anyone would like to make any type of donation, even if it is just a $1 or $2 or more it doesn't matter.

You can check out the website http://www.danceathon.org, if you want to learn more. Donations will go to The City of Hope.

For those of you in California, the event is being held at the 24 Hour Fitness Ultra Sport off Von Karman and the 405. It is right across the street from the Irvine Marriott.

You can make a donation online at http://www.danceathon.org/index.php?loadbody=mip&mid=330.

Once again thank you for your consideration

John Croft

With so many people I know that have passed away from cancer (including my co-worker Kurk, and Grandpa Neil), that are currently battling cancer (my friend and co-worker Barb just had breast removal surgery yesterday), or are survivors of cancer (my cousin Trevor's wife Amy and Jake's Aunt Mary), I knew that I had to make some donation, no matter how small or large.

So, I'm certainly not bullying or pushing anyone to donate, but this really caught my attention, and made me want to donate for those crazy people dancing for 24 hours!!! So, if you can spare $1 or $2, it will really add up! It was so simple too, you can use either a Pay Pal Account, or just a debit/credit card. I've been feeling the need lately to be more charitable, and be more active in the giving process so this is a great start for me personally.

Thanks everyone! :)

Sea World

I can't believe it's already been almost 2 weeks! I am so sad our vacation is ending. We have loved spending time with my family and being able to go to Disney World and Sea World. Although I am looking forward to my bed and seeing our pets again, it will be really hard saying good bye tomorrow.

I thought I would get a bit more of our vacation days on here before work and everything starts again! Wednesday the 21st was Brady's 6th birthday, and the main thing he has been wanting to do for ages was go to Sea World. We did that on his birthday (I'll post those pics and Disney later) and had a blast. It was very cold, but we had a fantastic time and saw some amazing shows!

We went to the Dolphin Nursery first thing that morning. Dolphins are my favorite animal, and I'm pretty sure they knew it! They were so playful and kept posing for me! :) This guy here has a leaf that he kept flipping up and catching!

The kids loved the Shamu show, and the Dolphin show had such amazing stunts. The kids loved posing on these little whales!

And so Shae and I decided that we needed to play on them, too! We were going for a whole "riding" them with our hands in the air.

And then of course I had to show my clumsy side....I don't know how I did this, but of course, here is my falling off the whale! I just laughed so hard and the whole family was dying laughing too because they all know me and how clumsy I can be. You would never know I did drill team in high school and college! :P

Brady and the Sea World car

Well, I guess that is all I have for now! I'll leave you with a slide show of several Sea World pics. I have no clue how many we have actually taken this trip...I'm guessing about 300+. I'll let you know the final tally!

I'm Thankful For...

I can't believe the year has gone by so fast! I swear just yesterday we were lighting sparklers for the 4th, or dying Easter eggs! I had to take a minute to list all the things I'm thankful for because this has been a wonderful year, and what better day to do it! :)

And like all the best Top 10 lists...here you go!

10. Pepsi
Hmm...this really seems like it should be farther up on my list! I don't love Pepsi for the caffeine, but for the taste. It can't be Diet though! That just doesn't taste near as good! Nothing tastes better than the cool, thick, rich, syrupy liquid sliding down your throat and the bubbles stinging as they go down....Oh Pepsi...how I love you.

9. Post It Notes

Sure this seems funny, but its true! I love Post It Notes. Even this list was written on a post it! I write To Do Lists, sketch card designs, write grocery lists, and any random thoughts I put on post its. I even stack them on top of each other and check things off or toss them as I finish. I'm thankful for post its because of their size and the small sticky strip on the back...oh and without then we wouldn't have Romy and Michelle's movie!

8. Chocolate
And another that should be farther up on here! What words can describe how thankful I am for chocolate? Instead, I'll leave you with a visual and you can come up with your own words...that is, unless you're not drooling!

7. Sunsets

What's more beautiful than watching a sunset with your loved ones? I love them because each sunset you know you have finished a wonderful day, and even if tomorrow never comes...you know you have lived each of your days to the fullest and loved as hard as you could.

6. Stamping and Scrapbooking
I'm so thankful for this hobby because it's such an outlet for me. Although I'm sure Jake isn't because of how much I spend on it (hehe), but I know he loves that I have such a fun hobby. I love watching my kids look through their scrapbooks, and I love sending handmade cards to friends and family.

5. Authors and Books

How could this be a complete list of things I'm thankful for without books being on here?! I love diving into a great book and spending time in a little fantasy. So, I'm thankful for those authors that pour their heart and souls into their work so that we can enjoy them.

4. Love

Love makes the world go round and is something rare to be treasured like it's a priceless gift. I'm so thankful that I can love and be loved.

This is Jake and I shortly after we were dating. We somehow started a cake fight...I got him bad! August 2000

3. My Kids

So these next three really are tied for my #1!

Gwynie and Brady are the best kids ever. They always make us laugh, and make us so happy. There is an emptiness in the house when they aren't there, and I miss them like crazy. I love those moments when I can watch them sleep, where they are so innocent and I remember when they were babies. So many more things I could say about them!

Yellowstone July 2008

2. My Husband

I don't know what I would do without Jake. He is such an amazing husband, and he's my best friend. A few weeks ago I defined the term "husband" as:

Husbands - Love you no matter what, tell you what you need/want to hear. Tuck the kids in bed, take care of you when you are drunk, laugh at your not so funny jokes, buy your feminine products, whisper sweet nothings in your ear, cook dinner and breakfast, surprise you with treats, rubs your feet, lets you be the "right" one almost all of the time even if you are dead wrong.

And that's pretty much Jake! I couldn't ask for a better husband or father for my kids.

Lagoon Frightmares October 2008

1. My Family

Obviously, this is my number one! No words needed right...

Thanksgiving 2008

And two pics from Thanksgiving!

Gwynie with her newest cousin Sidney

Brady with the marshmallow house he built! Yep, he's rockin that faux-hawk!

Books

For those of you that know me fairly well, you know what a book fiend I am. I love reading, and I know that obsession started at an early age. I remember being in 1st grade, and getting in trouble for sloppy handwriting because I was trying to finish my work early so I could read. That thirst for knowledge, or the thrill of a good book has never released its grip on me. It's always so fun to find friends that I can share books with, or get good recommendations from. It's awesome too, when you recommend a good book and then it gets recommended to someone else. My sisters (Shae and Laci) and Mom will now what I'm talking about...The Black Dagger Brotherhood, anyone? :)

However, the only thing I hate about reading...is waiting for sequels to come out! The anticipation almost stops my heart from beating, and the agony of the months of waiting is torture.

So, I have a lot of books (well series I guess would be the correct term) that are now in the "Waiting" stage. I'm waiting for the next book that will either finish the series, or give you a little niblet to tide you over until another book comes out. Although I'm not a very patient person, at least it gives me something to look forward to! I decided (since I'm home with a sick kid and have nothing better to do) that I'm going to list all the books I'm waiting for here. Mom and Shae, if you see any I missed let me know!!

• Lover Avenged (#7) - Black Dagger Brotherhood Series - 5/5/09
• At Grave's End (#3) - Night Huntress Series - 12/30/08 (yay, its getting closer!)
• Bone Crossed (#4) - Mercy Thompson Series - 2/3/09
• City of Glass - (#3) - Mortal Instruments Series - 3/24/09
• An Echo in the Bone - (#7) - Outlander Series - 3/1/10 (GAH! That is forever away!!)
• Fade (#2) - Wake Series - 2/10/09
• Gone (#3) - Wake Series - 2/?/10 (Another forever away!)

Ok, I guess its not all that bad, a few months right? Plus, I have a zillion that I still need to read... I have a link on the side of our blog that has my "Good Reads" list from goodreads.com. It has all the books I've read (from what I can remember!) and a "to read section" which currently has 88 books in there. So, if you're ever wondering about a good book...you know where to look now!

Also, has anyone ever heard of book trailers on youtube? I head about them from a friend last year, but never really checked them out. It's actually pretty hilarious and kinda cool...trying to describe a book in video in 2 minutes. Some are good, some are not so good...so I leave you with a good one, from a book called Wake. Thanks to Shae for recommending this to me!

Tee Ball and Family BBQ

Here are some pics of Brady's last Tee Ball game!

Jake really loved Coaching and is going to coach again in the Spring!

Pitching to Brady

Brady's trophy and the certificate Jake made the kids - he got Most Determined

On the 14th we went to Jake's brother's house for a Family BBQ with the whole Phillips Fam. We had a fun time and the kids liked roasting marshmallows!

I'm pretty sure Jake was stealing Brady's marshmallow!

The kids and our neices and Great Grandma Lee.
L-R: Abby, Grandma Lee, Brady, Bailey, Gwynie, Hannah
Oh and, we didn't make it out to see the new baby yet, but Brady is still the ONLY BOY on the whole Phillips Family side. Jake's other cousin has two girls and isn't planning on anymore. So, looks like he'll have to carry on the family name!

Gwynie was really enjoying that marshmallow!

Last weekend a friend and I went to the Scrapbook Expo and did the Midnight Crop. We probably did more talking than scrapping, but it was a blast.

Here I am hard at work!


And I had to throw this picture in here....look what I just barely dumped out...EASTER CANDY!! Seriously, we never eat the candy that we have in the house!! It just sits in a basket after Santa or the Easter Bunny, or whoever comes. The only candy we really buy and actually eat are Twizzlers....I could eat a whole bag by myself I'm sure!