Newscaster....

A BIG shout-out to Sydney! Wooo Hooo - Congratulations!

Sydney auditioned to be one of the morning announcement commentators. The school holds try-outs for reading the announcements on tv. everyday to the whole school. She said a lot of students tried out, but only 7 made it. Sometimes they read, sometimes they do little skits, etc. She said on Thursday she got to wear a Chef hat - her name was "Chef-rolet."

Now she goes to school early a couple days a week to take her turn. She said it's really fun, and we're super proud of her for being an awesome student.

Go SYD!

Salty & Sweet...

For years now I've had issues. I know you just thought, "DER" to yourself. Don't deny it.

But the one I'm talking about is my Salty & Sweet habit. I've gone through MANY phases of these. I'm sure most people who have been around me can tell you the one I was on at the time.

Today Del took me on a trip down memory lane. He filled a bag with some of my favorites.

It started when I got pregnant with Matthew, and progressed from there.

With Matt I craved HOT pickles. We were living in Mesa at the time, and we'd drive home to the Gila Valley a lot. We'd have to stop at the Chevron in Globe to pick up a pickle. Del would have the windows rolled down, as he couldn't stand the smell of them. We found a gallon jar of them at our local Costco and I ate the entire gallon within 2 days. It cured me. Haven't touched one since.

I usually didn't go through the phases until AFTER I gave birth to the babies.

With Bug it was Whoppers and Sunflower Seeds.

Travis was Fritos and Crispy M&M's.

Sydney was the one that made me REALLY balloon - Ruffles and Circus Peanuts.

Rylee was KitKats and I think just plain old SALT. I would dip my finger in it.

See.... ISSUES.

Rylee's First... AND Second....

Last week after we went to the San Antonio Temple - I helped Rylee pull out her first tooth. She didn't feel a thing.

Last night she lost her 2nd tooth.

She thinks it's pretty cool that she can drink with a straw without opening her mouth. Soooo easily entertained. (mini-me)

New Teeth, New Stadium, Old friend....

Friday night Del and I drove to Dallas.

Eric was going to be there this weekend for the BYU vs. OU Football game in the new Dallas Cowboys Stadium. What a perfect opportunity to get my permanent teeth in that I've been PATIENTLY waiting for for the last 6 months. Wooo Hoooo! No more swallowing temporary teeth, or wearing a hillbilly bob retainer with a tooth attached. Phew! Thanks, Eric!!

He called a few weeks ago and asked if we wanted to go to the game while we were there for the teeth-fixing, since he had a couple extra tickets. We figured what the heck. Can't say we've ever been die-hard BYU fans, but it would be fun to see the new stadium, and if BYU happened to pull off the upset, it would be pretty dang fun to watch.

First thing Saturday, we went to Eric's brother-in-law's dental office to get my shiny new teeth. They're sparkly. :) Yay - I can eat chewy things again.

After the quick dental appointment we went to Lucas where my friend Angie lives. We met when we lived in Virginia, and we've seen each other here and there over the years, but I couldn't wait to see her new house and cute family again - AND her cute little pregnant-with-her-6th-child-self. (She's an over-achiever.) We had a great time touring her adorable farm house and catching up. She inspires me in sooooo many ways. Love her like a sister.

After we left Angie, we went to the Stadium in Arlington. It looks like a spaceship. The red shirts out-numbered the blue by at least 10 to 1. It looked like a home game for Oklahoma. They even drove a sooner with horses across the field as the players were coming out. I bet Jerry Jones was hemorrhaging somewhere.

The massive jumbo tron is 60 yards long. Sooo stinkin' HUGE!

We sat next to my sister-in-law, Tosha, and her sister.

Meet the REAL Alexa Nugent. (Remember - I borrowed her identity for the Camp Pendleton Mud Run.)

Alexa and Tosha cheering on BYU. Cute sisters.

Sadly we had no BYU attire to sport for the game, but at least Del's t-shirt was blue. :)

It was sooooo much fun! I might just become a BYU fan after all. Maybe. I guess if my kids go there or something. A few years ago I went to a Women's Conference at BYU. I saw a poster at a campus eatery that said, "Friends don't let friends have facial hair." It cracked me up. OK fine, I'll work on it.

Happy Thursday!

- Warning - this is gushy, and maybe a little boasting on my part - so read at your own risk. You've been warned.

Today I went shopping with my friend for a new couch. She also helped pick out fabric for some curtains in the kitchen. Wooo Hooo! Just doing my part to stimulate the economy.

We met up with Del for lunch since we were in his neighborhood, and as we were leaving he said "Happy Thursday!" I played along and said something like - "yeah, you too."

What I didn't know at the time, was that when Keri and I made a quick trip to the little girls' room before leaving the restaurant, Del had slipped something in my purse as it was sitting next to him on the bench. I had no clue a foreign object was in there - my purse is the black hole.

When I got home and went online to chat with him about how our shopping excursion went, he asked if I wanted to video chat. I said sure.

As soon as he saw me, he said "Happy Thursday!" AGAIN. This is not Del's usual demeanor - he was PERKY. If you know Del at all - I don't think he's ever been accused of being PERKY.

I said back to him, "Happy Thursday, yourself!" He was smiling and said, "Oh, you haven't found it yet."

I'm totally confused. Then the light-bulb went on. Del's doing this new thing. LOVE it! - and I have to say he came up with it totally on his own, which is even better. Every Thursday he's doing something sweet for me. Last week I got a list of "20 Things I Love About You." It was a fun surprise to find in my email. He's a funny man - I love his sense of humor and his huge heart. This might embarrass him, but here's the email -

I just want you to know how much you mean to me. I know we have, had, and will have rough patches, but I honestly believe that they will help us become stronger. One of the quotes I read, I don't think I sent it to you, is that adversity is what makes marriages stronger. You can't grow together if life is always easy.

Kristin, I love you very much, even if you do look like your Mom, see invisible zits, and invent smells that aren't really there.

20 Things I Love About You:

I love the way you play rock em sock em robots to crack your elbows, except when you accidentally (maybe purposefully) smack me in the process.

I love that you're a hot Thatcher babe that married down to a guy from Pima.

I love that you eat Ruffles and Circus Peanuts, or used to, and it makes me grin thinking about cleaning out 3 different grocery stores in the area to get them.

I love that you get all teary-eyed when you think about your kids.

I love that you are a smart ass, that you find humor in most things.

I love that you care what you look like.

I love that you're up for anything once, well I love that you're up for most things once, some things I don't love so much. ;-)

I love that you stick up for Travis.

I love that you tease Matt about girls.

I love that you see me in Bug.

I love that Rylee is you.

I love that Syd has your sense of adventure, not scared of ANYTHING.

I love how you play the piano in your head, except when you're tapping it out on my head in your sleep.

I love how you love the good stuff, not the cheap stuff. Even if it causes me heartburn.

I love that you love the Savior and have a Testimony.

I love that you "get" eternity.

I love that you dance like a wild woman and make your kids laugh.

I love it when you hold me, it makes me feel safe.

I love that you make me want to be more than a farmer in Pima, even if I whine about it all the time.

I love that you love me, through everything, you love me.

See, and 20 was EASY to come up with!

I love you Kristin, thanks for saying I Do.

Del

(No, we don't have anything against PIMA OR FARMERS - don't get offended! We LOVE farmers - I hope my girls marry one - I did!)

So - back to the video chat.

I started looking around the desk for a post-it note or something - opening up all the drawers, etc. He gave me a hint and said he gave it to me at lunch. I picked up my purse and looked inside - a little white box from JARED. (The Galleria of Jewelry - we all know the commercials.)

Del said it represents the journey through eternity, all rolled into one. (What the sales clerk said.)

Here's the definition from Wikipedia:

For someone who's been married for many years, a Journey Pendant can remind your loved one of the times you've had. The life you lived, the bad and good times you've spent together and the many more to come. Again, each of the graduating diamonds show how strong your love for her became and will become in the future.

Anyway - had to share how sweet my husband is. I know I'm spoiled. I know there aren't many husbands out there like mine, and I'm eternally grateful for him. He's an awesome father and husband, and we're soooooo lucky to have him in our life. I love you. I love you. I love you.

Love,

Kris

Round Rock Donuts....

Today I hit my 30 lb. mark in weight loss since I started running in March. Wooo Hooo! It's amazing what a little exercise will do. Watching THE BIGGEST LOSER from my couch didn't pay off as much as I thought it would.

To celebrate, I'm going to Round Rock Donuts to get a bag of donut holes and a Diet Coke. (The latter cancels out the former, so it's like it didn't happen.) :)

Hope you're having a fabulous hump day.

Rylee's Video for Daddy...

I've been trying to clean up my computer to make more space - it's been running really slooooowwwwww.

I came across this video of Rylee talking to Daddy. He was on a business trip to Ireland at the time, and it was his first long trip away from home. He was there for SIX WEEKS. It was terrible - we all missed him badly - but not as badly as he missed US.

You would think traveling all over the world would be glamorous and exciting, but if you don't have a loved one there to share it with, it's not that fun. I had the kids to occupy my time, but he only had books, in an empty hotel room. Not very fun.

We're glad his traveling days are over, except for the occasional trip to California. I think Brazil is next for him, but hopefully it won't be for six weeks. YUCK.