New Years Resolution!!

The year 2011 is just about a day away...have you made your New Years Resolution? Do you make the same ones year after year keeping it for only a few months before you slide back into your old and comfortable ways?

Maybe you said you would finally quit smoking!

Well I don't smoke so that one won't work

Maybe you said you would lay off the sweets because you know all that sugar is so bad for you.

OK, I can cut back but give up chocolate...NEVER

What about drinking, is that what you are giving up?

Not a problem at all...I don't drink!

What about Pop...did you say that in 2011 you would give it up?

Seriously...everyone knows not to get between me and my diet coke!

How about getting a little more exercise?

I shed the same 25 pounds every two years and always gain it back. My elliptical has cob webs!

So...after looking back over the years and seeing how many times I have said I was going to do this or that only to fail after a few months it got me to thinking..... Maybe I need to dig a little deeper for something with just a tad more meaning. And this is what I came up with.

In 2011 I will not give others the power to tick me off.

 OK I really wanted to use a different word because it would have a stronger sound but decided it just wasn't right for a family blog.
I am going to look for the good/positive in every situation. Or at least I am going to really try. Each day we each face situations that can really get under our skin. Be honest...some days we just want to yell at someone and on really bad days we just want to punch them. But being raised in a reasonably civilized society we have to refrain from such behavior. So instead we let it boil inside of us, carrying around this seed of anger or frustration all day long...NOT GOOD!

Being upset is a choice. We can just as easily (OK maybe sometimes it is not easy) choose to be happy, and see the positive. Yes, I know it will take some practice and I will probably fail a few times. OK..I work with the public so I will probably fail more than a few times but.....I am going to do this.
I will seek out the good in everyday frustrations. I will smile and be kind when others are being nasty. I will turn the other cheek and hope that in doing so I can stand a little taller knowing I am doing all I can do to be more positive, happy and cheerful.

Happy New Year everyone. Wishing you all love, happiness, and good health. Here is to getting all that you need and some of what you want!

Merry Christmas

I just love holidays...and I really love the ones when all of our children can be together. They all have such different working schedules, and have extended families they also need to spend time with, and our daughter Kendahl is away at college in Washington State and our son Brandon was gone for 2 years serving a mission for the church that when we can have them all together at one time it is such a joy!!

Here are just some random pictures from our family Christmas. I bought Scott a Wii game system for Christmas so if you see a few pictures where you think...hmmm...what ARE they doing??? Playing the wii is what we are doing...we had a lot of fun...and of course I am taking the pictures so I ma not in very many...but I kind like it that way :)

opening presents....

and more presents....

Ok, OK...I know...enough of the open presents pictures. But with 6 kids, 2 son-in- laws, and 3 grandchildren (3 were not with us that day) it does take a long time to open presents.

My husband Scott and son-in-law T. If you know anything about college football in Utah you know that BYU and the U of U are big rivals. My husband is a BYU fan (blue) and my son-in-law is s "U" fan (red) but they managed to pose for this picture with Scott actually touching the  Uof U license plate cover I got for T. He did go and wash his hand afterwards though...LOL

Sometimes these big holiday events can just wear you out. Scott is giving our grandson Jaxson a little love as he took his blanket and crawled up on the sofa for a little rest.

My husband  and I decided a few years back that trying to have a holiday dinner just never seemed to work out. All but one of our children are grown and on their own, 2 are married with growing families of their own and with all the extended family members we just got tired of trying to make the dinner thing work. So we decided to do a holiday breakfast each year. And on Christmas we all get together early fro presents, breakfast and Christmas bingo. I have one prize wrapped for each person and then a grand prize. We have so much fun playing g and it is now a tradition our kids look forward to. We also do breakfast on all the other holidays so our children have time to go see other family members later in the day for dinner and they don't feel so rush trying to run from house to house and eat a little here and there.

Looks like Natalie was one of the first to win something.

looks like our son-in-law Johnny won something too! Keep trying girls you are bound to win something soon.

Not sure if that is love Brittany is giving to Johnny or if sh is trying to hurt him...LOL. Jaxson seems to be enjoying his truck in the background.

Paige loves to have her toe nails painted so her prize was a new set of nail polish with decals. She looks pretty happy about it.

Nicole....

Brandon......


After the bingo was over everyone went home for a nap, or to visit other family members and then they all cam back for ham sandwiches and goodies and to play the new Wii....I have never laughed so much as I did that night. What fun we all had trying to keep up with Michael Jaxson as everyone danced to his moves!

Our daughter Kendahl was able to come home from college in Washington for Christmas and we were so happy to see her.

Brooklyn was so glad to see her Auntie Kendahl!
I have to say this one of the best most fun Christmas's we have had. I love our family and cherish each moment we get to spend together!!

Merry Christmas!!!
2010

The Beautiful Place Where I Get To Work

Let me ask you a question. Each day when you pull up into your favorite parking spot at work what are you thinking? Is it...oh my gosh I don't want to be here, or is it time to go home yet, or maybe you are thinking that you are going to be stuck inside a concrete building all day and you may or may not have a window to look out of...well not me. I am one lucky girl.

I work at Gardner Village. With it's beautiful pathways, quaint little shops and great place to eat you will find it an amazing shopping experience that will excite all your senses.

On any given day I am greeted by a beautiful mama duck and her growing babies looking for some bread. I might be greeted by Snowball the beautiful BLACK cat that roams Gardner Village making new friends and camps out at the  Christmas shop when he needs a nap. In the spring there are robins making nests and laying beautiful blue eggs and last year right next to the candy shop one of the mama ducks made a nest and filled it with 15 eggs. I checked on her everyday to see how she was. There are spring flowers of every kind and the fish in the pond are so big and beautiful. I can't resist bringing extra bread to work to feed them all.

But in the winter there is another kind of beauty and here it is......

The pond was frozen and the ducks had been ice skating...LOL

The beautiful covered bridges are a great place to take a break and feed the ducks and fish!

During the day when the sun shines on the snow it looks like someone scattered diamonds everywhere!

This is Anastasia's Attic where I am the manager. It is an amazing store with a feeling of magic and old world charm. And if you look real close you might even see a fairy, that is AFTER we give you a little magic fairy dust.

During the Christmas holiday season you will find Elves peeking out from almost everywhere. They are sneaky little rascals!

I just love this gingerbread house!

Looks like these two are having fun and will need some of that hot cocoa!

This is Angie Long (President of Gardner Village) she and her brother Joe Long (CEO of Gardner Village) took over the daily running of the Village when their Mother Nancy retired. Nancy started it all as a hard working single mom with little money but a whole lot of guts, backbone and determination. Guess we also need to add imagination as well. Her vision started  over 30 years ago and today Gardnevr Village is one of the most visited historic sites in Utah.


As this year comes to a close and I am looking back at all the things I have to be thankful for I will count Gardner Village as one of my most wonderful blessings. I am not only fortunate enough to have a job I love, and work with people I love but I get to do it in one the most beautiful and magical places Utah has to offer...yep as I said before...I am a lucky girl!!
Merry Christmas!!