So... I decided to go private. I know, how annoying. I tried my best to invite everyone, but if there was an over site or I don't have your email address or if you are just now finding this, please don't be shy. Leave me a comment with your email address and I'll promptly add you. Don't worry, the comments are not published on this blog. I hope to hear from you soon.
My new blog address is : http://www.littlemissfancy.blogspot.com/ - come on over.

An Update

To all of you who have been sitting on the edge of your seats and waiting with baited breath and to the rest of you who really couldn't care less but will read on anyways, a quick update...

We've had 3 different offers on the house but unfortunately they've all been contingent on the buyers selling their house first (yeah, good luck with that!) We were under contract with a family that wanted to buy our house and possibly rent their house to family but as we got closer to closing date it looked as though that ideal scenario wasn't going to work so Thanksgiving week we ended the contract. We go in spurts with people wanting to see the house but we've decided we wouldn't go under contract again with any contingencies - we're snobby like that:) My new goal is to have the house sold by my birthday (March) so we're hunkering down for the winter. I'm good with everything so far. Darren travels about every other week and as long as the kids are in school it's okay. They were off track for 4 (that's FOUR!!!!) weeks during November so the traveling took a tole on me and the kids. Darren was out of town for 2 of the 4 weeks that the kids were off track and by Thurs. night of the last week when Darren came back into town he came home to a wife rocking in the corner of the bathroom with the lights off and door locked...think Carrie meets Edward Scissor Hands - seriously! I'm happy to report that the kids are back in school and Darren is home for a little while so life is good. Life is VERY good. Other then that not much else has happened. I'm REALLY excited for Christmas (I'll tell you why later) and enjoying what is most likely our last Utah winter. Thanks for sticking with me friends, more posts to follow, promise:)

It's Beginning To Sound A Lot Like Christmas...

Evan was coloring during church and drawing various Christmas pictures. He had already drawn a Christmas tree, a Santa, a star and a present when he asked Darren what else he could draw for Christmas....

Darren: "How 'bout you draw baby Jesus and Mary?"

Evan: "No Dad! I want only Christmas things!"

(Nice. You can guess what our FHE lesson was on the following night)

Our ward had a Christmas party this past Saturday "Breakfast with Santa". Before Santa made his appearance the MC was talking about gifts and asking what gifts we might give to the Savior to celebrate His birthday. Ryann was quick to respond "gift cards".

Just spreading the Christmas love:)

1 Word
1. Where is your cell phone? Charging
2. Where is your significant other? work
3. Your hair? blah!
4. Your mother? nervous
5. Your father? business
6. Your favorite thing? laughing
7. Your dream last night? weird
8. Your goal? patience
9. The room you're in? 2nd kitchen
10. Your fear? evil
11. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Ireland (40th b-day baby)
12. Where were you last night? home
13. What you're not? fake
14. Muffins? Cranberry orange
15. One of your wish list items? blackberry
16. Where you grew up? Irvine
17. The last thing you did? cleaned
18. What are you wearing? pajamas
19. Your TV? on
20. Your pet? disaster
21. Your computer? frustrating
22. Your life? busy
23. Your mood? happy
24. Missing someone? family
25. Your car? clean
26. Something you're not wearing? Make-up
27. Your summer? LONG
28. Love someone? always
29. Your favorite color? red
30. When is the last time you laughed? Heidi
31. Last time you cried? awhileago

I {HEART} Shady Bard

I love music, you know I love music, so when I hear something I like - I mean REALLY like - I feel a deep need to pass it on. Allow me to introduce...

Shady Bard

My new favorite song: Torch Song (Wendy - you know how many times I've listened to this already:) Check them out and let me know what you think. Enjoy.

What A Day

Yesterday started off like any other day...wait, let me start again. Yesterday was going to be a very good day. It was the last full day before the kids went off track for the next 4 weeks so I was going to make the most of the day. I had planned a trip to Gardner Village, lunch at Archibald's and a stop by a few home decorating stores...yeah, a very good day in my book. I was just about to get in the shower when Ryann comes in and tells me it's "dripping water in the hallway but she'll fix it." Okay, thanks....WAIT, what?! I go to see that the smoke detector in the hallway has a steady drip. Of course this happens when Darren is out of town. I call him and he tells me to leave it and he'll check it out tomorrow when he gets home. "Are you sure?" I put the bowl under the drip and immediately another drip starts from my bedroom door. 5 different leaks later I'm on the phone with our home warranty dept. and they say it's a roof leak and it's nothing they can help me with. "But it's yellow - YELLOW water people!" The bowls are quickly filling so I get the number of the plumber and he tells me it's probably the roof. Again I tell him the water is YELLOW - it looks as though I'm collecting pee samples in my bedroom - do you sense the urgency?! He "assures" me it's plain water that's seeping through my insulation thus becoming yellow... yeah, whatever. I'm getting no where fast with this route so I call my home insurance and they schedule a team to come out that afternoon - meanwhile elephants are peeing in my attic! I keep an eye on the rising levels of water and dump and switch as needed. The team comes a little early (yea!) but I'm still in pajama's, no bra and skipped brushing my teeth (dude!) but I didn't care. One look at the mess and he tells me it's the swamp cooler. "Did you winterize it?" DUDE!!! We know nothing about swamp coolers other then it was going to be the first thing to go. I swear you could hear crickets chirping as I stood and stared at him with the word idiot across my forehead. The two guys head up to the attic (first we had to find the access, again idiot) and they find that it was in fact the water line to the swamp cooler but it wasn't because we were idiots, the pipe was damaged and it would've happened eventually. (preferably after we sold the house...I did not just say that!) We got the water shut off, after another fun game of hide and seek, and then the clean-up began. They started ripping out piles of insulation in the attic and tearing out baseboards in the hallway and master bedroom so they could set up industrial fans to blow air into the walls the dry out the drywall. The guy said that normally the water is concentrated in one spot but in this case it seemed to take a little water in a lot of different directions. "You don't see that too often." Of course not, allow me to introduce myself. If it's going to happen to anyone, anywhere...well, you get the picture. 5 hours, 3 men, 1 destroyed house later I am now living with 15, count them 15!!!, industrial fans and 2 dehumidifiers in my house going 24 hours a day for 3-5 days! They are so loud it sounds like you're on the tarmac at the airport. You can't hear anything else within 10 feet of them and when you have them surrounding the bedrooms both upstairs and downstairs it makes for a very noisy home.

(the carpet is ripped up and some of the padding was taken out, the baseboards were ripped out and some of the door casings...LOVE IT!)

(my babies)

Anyways, I'm not thinking I'll show the house for a while... Oh, and don't think I didn't notice that the very week Darren starts his new job this happens... it seems to be my luck.

(p.s. I have another 2 guys here this morning, 8a.m. ugh, and he tells me it looks as though some parts of the ceiling might have to be taken down...N.I.C.E.

A Very BIG Thank You

To my family and friends in California fighting to protect marriage with Proposition 8…Thank you. Thank you for standing against opposition, holding your ground in this battle, for I know it is a battle you’re fighting down there. I’ve heard stories of attacks, egging and vandalism and I can’t imagine the courage it takes for you to push forward.
The Apostle Paul prophesied of “perilous times” in the last days (2 Tim. 3:1), and he warned, “We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Eph. 6:12).
From early on we knew this day would come, this day when we must set ourselves apart and stand as disciples of Christ against evil in very public ways.
“I am one who believes that the situation is far from hopeless. I am satisfied that there is no need to stand still and let the filth and violence overwhelm us or to run in despair. The tide, high and menacing as it is, can be turned back if enough…will add their strength to the strength of the few who are now effectively working. I believe the challenge to oppose this evil is one from which members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, as citizens, cannot shrink.” President Hinckley
You are not alone in this fight. The Lord knows of this struggle and He will guide and protect you. My heart is filled with gratitude and admiration for your courage and faith. To my sister Wendy, know that I am so proud of you. I know you are out there literally pounding the pavement trying to get the word out any way you can and I am cheering you on up here. I know the hours you have spent on this and I can’t tell you how often I get choked up thinking about you and your courage. Your girls will know what you did and what you stood up for and that even when times got hard you choose the Lord – there is no greater lesson that you can teach them. To the rest of my friends and family, I pray that you will have peace in your heart and that the Lord will sustain you through these troubling times. Thank you for your example.
Isaiah promised, “In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near thee” (Isa. 54:14).
The Lord Himself encouraged, “Wherefore, be of good cheer, and do not fear, for I the Lord am with you, and will stand by you; and ye shall bear record of me, even Jesus Christ, that I am the Son of the living God, that I was, that I am, and that I am to come” (D&C 68:6).