My Personal Top 30 Fave Things About Erin!

Happy Happy Birthday Erin, Dear. Happy days will come to you all year.

Ok so if you haven't guessed my sister's birthday is coming up. Tomorrow to be exact, and she is going to be the big 3-0! I figure it is ok to tell you that, since she has made a huge deal of it herself. For her birthday she went to New York with her friends, LUCKY!

Anyway, I thought I would tell you 30 things about her that I love!

1. She is always Singing.
2. She is always dancing.
3. She taught me how to shave my legs.
4. She is an excellent mom!5. She always shared her clothes with me, even if it was the last thing she wanted to do!

6. She introduced me to Abercrombie and Fitch (before it was ever in Utah).

7. And even earlier she introduced me to Girbaud Jeans.

8. She taught me how to put on lip liner and lipstick. I think she did a pretty good job! :)

9. She is always happy.

10. She can't go a day without a diet coke.

11. When it is cold she can't go a day without a Starbucks hot chocolate.

12. She was a cheerleader in Junior High and High School, and even in college, and she still has the same energy today that she had back then.

13. She is a great dancer.

14. When she had friends over, she always included me, and still does to this day.

15. She instilled my love of playing loud music on the radio and singing along even louder.

16. She has great style!

17. She is classy.

18. Her house is always clean. (and she has a 2 year old. Very impressive)

19. She is a great friend, I would even dare say she is the best!

20. She always knows just the right things to say and do when life isn't going your way, or even when it is, whether it be flowers, a card, or even a simple phone call.

21. She is a "glass half full" person.

22. She is a great cook and an even better baker and she isn't afraid to try new things.

23. She talks really really fast, a trait that we share!

24. She is Christlike.

25. She is a wonderful wife.

26. She appreciates the simple things in life, for example, all she wants to do on her birthday is go for a bike ride.

27. She is one heck of an Eponine. Saturday morning chores were never dull with a good Broadway soundtrack in the CD player.

28. She loves to make up dances to songs and then somehow she would persuade us all to perform them for whoever was around, whether it was our parents, boyfriends, friends, etc. . . (she even got our brothers to participate). Sleigh Ride by the Carpenters will forever be a tradition, I think. 29. She loves nothing more than to spend time with her family.

30. And the best thing of all about Erin, is that she is MY sister, and for that I am the luckiest person in the world!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Peanuts and Cracker Jacks!

Well, it is officially Mike's favorite time of year again. With thirsty Thursdays ($2 beers, not that we participate, but it so much fun sitting the stands with those that do), all you can eat Tuesdays- $1 hot dogs, although again I don't participate (I think baseball season would be so much better if I liked HD's), and heckling, cheering, heckling, cheering, and so on. We LOVE Bees baseball in our house and our reasons are 3-fold.
#1 They are the official minor league team of SLC. Support your local teams!
#2 It is just fun to go to a baseball game, eating your sunflower seeds, and peanuts and hot dogs and churros and kettle corn and, well you get the point, and enjoying the warm spring and summer nights.
AND. . .
#3 Mike's most favorite reason being that the Bees feed in to the Angels. Mike is the HUGEST Angels fan and if we are lucky, we sometimes get to see Angels players playing for the Bees! When a major leaguer gets injured, they like to keep them playing during their recuperation, so they drop them down to the Minor team, and lucky for us, we get to watch them play.
This is D. Brown. He is one of our faves to cheer for! He will look up and wave or smile at least one time every game. I love it that the players don't feel like they are too good to interact with the crowd. D. BROWOON! (His last name always seems to come out as 2 syllables when I yell it, so that is what I imagine it would look like spelled out!)
My friend Jacy has on two occasions managed to score "suite" seats! (pun intended). They really are great seats and it is great that we can go inside if the weather is chilly (unfortunately it was both times). We still had so much fun, thanks Jacy!
Tickets are actually really inexpensive. You can get student rates, or it is fun to buy the outfield seats and take blankets and just hang out. It makes a great date night or FHE. And if the kids get too bored or rowdy, you don't feel bad leaving because you didn't spend a fortune.

I don't think anything represents the American Past-time better than this. (The Diamond, not the bee).

I am thrilled that I have a husband who loves activities like these, even if he has to practically drag me out to the field, he knows I will thank him for it later. We always end up having a blast!

And as if watching it is not enough, we have to get in our time at the batting cages as well. I have actually gotten pretty dang good!

Go Bees!/Angels!

Memorial Day Weekend

Happy Late Memorial Day to you all!

Memorial Day always brings around the same traditions in my family. On Sunday, we always head to the Provo Cemetary to visit my mom's family. We have done this for as long as I can remember. It wasn't always the experience that is is these days. As kids I just remember it being a way too long drive, and then an even longer wait at the cemetary while the adults shared stories about the ones we were visitng. Then we had to walk through the whole cemetary and all we wanted to do was go the park, have a picnic and play.

These days, we appreciate it a little more and we are able to join in on the stories that are shared. Even if we didn't know the visitees, we love to listen to stories about them and learn new things every year. This is a couple that I did know, and I knew well. This is my Great-Grandpa Ed and Great-Grandma Hazel (my mom's grand parents). These two were so spunky! And they always had popscicles in their freezer, saltine crackers in the pantry and piles and piles of golf balls and golf clubs in their basement. That kept us entertained for hours.
This is Brooks' first experience with the cemetery. My poor sister told us that she sat down with him and told him where we were going and that we don't step on gravestones because it is disrespectful. Well, Brooks is 2 and I am sure the only thing that registered in his little head was "step on gravestones". Good effort, Erin, but he was going to do it anyway. And heaven forbid you stop him.
On Monday, we usually get together for a little BBQ, and some games. Although this year the games didn't happen, we still made hamburgers at my parent's house.

And last but not least we went to hang out with Mike's family. We sat outside talking for a while, but soon it started to get dark and while the boys were outside throwing hatchets at a big log, I know, don't even ask, the girls decided to go in and watch a movie. We watched P.S. I Love You. I had never seen it before, and unfortunately, I still haven't finished it (thanks, Mike), but I was such a cry baby through the first half. It was good, but I couldn't stop crying. It is a good thing Mike came in when he did, or I would have probably dehydrated myself. I do want to finish it though. Maybe a night when I am feeling really tough!

All in all it was a good weekend. No work on Monday, and time to relax and hang out with the family.

I Have the AWESOMEST Dad!

About two weeks ago, my dad biked a century bike ride. It isn't really a race or anything, but it is quite the accomplishment. It is a 100 mile ride that starts at the Utah Fairgrounds and you ride out to Antelope Island and then back to the fairgrounds. CRAZY! I am so proud of him and I know he has really been working hard to be able to do this ride. Way to go, Dad! We love you!

This is my Dad and my nephew, Brooks right after my dad finished the ride.
And this is Brooks waiting for Dad (Papa, to him) to ride by. It was a really hot day and they had popscicles for the riders when they finished, but they couldn't stop the friends and families from getting their hands on a couple, too. Brooks' looks delicious, doesn't it? You can't see it, but it was dripping down his arm and on to his shoes and pouring down his chin all over the front of his shirt. (Refer to top pic). Man we love this kid!

It's About Time!

Well, it finally happened and I have to say, honestly, I had my doubts! And it definitely doesn't help when both parties are commitment phobes, although I think she got over it faster than he did. Spencer and Stephanie, two of our great friends FINALLY got married. They had been dating for about 4 years, off and on and off and on and, well you get the point. Anyway, they finally did it! Kudos you two! We love ya!

Spencer's friends and Halo competitors and mountain biking companions (although I think Steph now holds that position) and just about anything else that guys do together, these guys do it.

(L-R Danny Diehl, Dave Jeppson, Spencer Randle, Mike, and Matt Metcalf)

The girls posing for a quick pic (L-R Jacy Diehl, Stephanie Randle, Me and Melissa Metcalf)
I just thought this was so cool. It is an ice sculpture/flower vase. Pretty cool. I have to admit I was tempted to lick it, but I held back.

CONGRATS TO THE RANDLES!

It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday

OK, so I have to tell you about my drive in to work this morning. I was flipping through the radio stations at jet engine speeds because I was so sick of the same old Shane Co commercials, or lame radio morning shows, and I remembered the new station that sometimes gets me in a great mood (especially to face a Monday morning). So "Movin' 100.7" is where I landed and what a great time to land. The song playing on the radio was none other than good old "MotownPhilly"! Wow! Nothing takes you back like a little BoyzIIMen!

I am sure the people stopped in traffic next to me thought I was some crazy girl that forgot to take her meds this morning. I was singing and dancing in my car, just wishing I had a copy of cooleyhighharmony in my car with me at that very moment. Then I started having all sorts of flashbacks.
If you were a devoted child of the 90's like I was, then you remember the episode of Full House where Stephanie does the dance at her jazz recital to none other than the above mentioned song that started this whole thing. Man, the drive to work this morning felt like I was driving back to 1991. Holy Cow! The memories! I think I could probably go on for days, but I will just sit quietly at my desk for now and reminisce in my own head.

I would like to know, what are some of your favorite memories of the 90's?

And always remember "2 Legit, 2 Legit 2 Quit!"

Mike's First Post

Here is my attempt at a blog post- and I am only doing it because I have the pictures to support it. On Monday we went to the Jimmy Eat World/ Paramore concert- and let's just say it was one of the best concerts of the decade! Except for the fact that we were that group of old people rocking out at the top of the nose bleed section, we had a great time. Who would have thought that on old 90's band would attract so many 13 year olds?

Paramore was good, but then I really like those female fronted rock bands (we saw Evanesence at this same venue just a few months ago). Then came the highlight- Jimmy Eat World is just one of those bands that you can sing along with every song, bang your head like you were a teenager again, and come away from wanting more.

After the concert we waited for Matt while he battled it out at a gas station rest room- then played guitar hero until the wee hours of the morning at Steph's parent's house. Great fun.

Anyways- so there. Now Paige can say that I don't contribute any more!