Jessi's Little Spot

Some of my favorites...

2011-06-02T14:11:00.000-07:00

I was organizing some pictures on my computer the other day and thought I would post some that made me smile.

I am so happy they have eachother!

Hard at work on Daddy's motorcycle!

I just think this picture is hilarious!

One of the best....

2011-05-26T15:07:00.000-07:00

This week has been a rough one for me. A very good friend of mine lost her battle with cancer on Tuesday, and it has really hit me hard. She was such an amazing, beautiful person. I am not sure why Heavenly Father always seems to take those
ones, but it happens more often then we would like.

Amberly touched so many lives in her short time on Earth. She was so talented, sweet, kind, and just all around fun to be around. She had such a beautiful smile and was so real. I admired that so much in her. She was the type of person you could sit and talk for hours with. We had so much in common and I loved to talk to her about gardening, scrapbooking, our kids, and gripe to eachother about the woes of being self-employed.

She has four adorable little boys and an amazing husband. He is such an example of strength and faith. As Durke and I visited with him yesterday, he was so strong and seemed at peace. He has a rough road ahead of him and I know he will embrace it and make the most of what he has been dealt. Both Amberly and Jason have so much faith. Amberly never let go of hope that she would be ok. She knew there was a plan for her.

I have had so many thoughts this past week. I have resolved to be a better wife and mother. We never know how much time we have and we need to really do our best. We need to fully love and show that love to the ones we care about. I just want to hold my kids and never let go. Each day truly is a gift and we can't waste it.

I've also struggled with feeling so negative about the world. It seems like nothing good is happening. Natural disasters, divorce, death. I am so scared for the future of my children. What kind of a world are they going to live in? The future is looking pretty grim. But just like Amberly, I need to remember that Heavenly Father has a plan, and we need to be faithful and happy and in the end it will all be worth it.

I am so glad that I know that Amberly still lives, and that she is pain free and happy. I feel so blessed to have known her and to have been able to call her my friend.

I really like this song by Randy Houser, it seems to sum up what I have been trying to say.

In God's Time

In God's time
A million years might only be a single day
And everything He does gets done His own way
In God's time

Oh, but no one knows
Not you or me
It might be tomorrow or it might never be
Oh, but don't lose faith
Put it in His hands
'Cause it might be that He might have a bigger plan
Than you had in mind
Miracles happen
In God's time

And in God's time
You'll finally get the chance to hold your baby girl
And all the sudden everything'll make sense in this crazy world
In God's time

And In God's time
You go to sleep and wake up with wings and learn to fly
And you finally meet your loved ones on the other side
In God's time

Amberly, I love you and you will be missed by many.

Hunger Games Cast

2011-04-27T14:07:00.000-07:00

I loved the Hunger Games series and I was so thrilled to hear they were going to make a movie. They just released the leads...what do you think?

Katniss- Jennifer Lawrence

Peeta- Josh Hutcherson

Gale- Liam Hemsworth

I thought they did a pretty good job, now if they can act!

Easter

2011-04-26T19:27:00.000-07:00

Easter was fun as usual. We have all been looking forward to Easter, and weren't let down. The weather could have been a little better, but oh well. We have a long-standing tradition of celebrating Easter with the Gordons. This year we had dinner at the farm and then all the parents hid candy and eggs in the orchard. This is one of my favorite parts of Easter. Then Grandma and Grandpa had put together a treasure hunt for the kids. It was way fun and the treasure was money eggs in the barn. We all got $3. Yea!

Louk thought hunting for candy was the the greatest thing to ever happen to him!

On Sunday, I had to remind the girls and Louk to look for their baskets. Goofy kids. They got some clothes, flip-flops, candy and Tangled. After church we had a little egg-coloring party and watched Tangled.

Louk had to put all of his new stuff on over his pajamas. He especially liked his new rainboots.

These were our votes for the best eggs!

It was another fun holiday, and now we are definitely ready for Spring.

Just thought I would share...

2011-04-22T12:54:00.000-07:00

Durke and I really enjoy reading together. We read on our own too, well I do anyway, but we really like to read together. Right now we are the 3rd volume of the Kingdom and the Crown series by Gerald Lund.

I don't know if any of you have read this series but it is amazing. It is set in Jerusalem and surrounding villages during Christ's life. I have been reading the New Testament along with the books and I have learned so much. These books have taught me a lot and helped me to understand the scriptures and the culture of this time in history a little more. Plus, it sparks some really great conversations for Durke and me. So, if you looking for a way to spend quality time with your hubby read together!

How do you eat your Oreo?

2011-03-24T14:23:00.001-07:00

Oreo cookies are a staple at our house! They are one thing that I have to be sure to never run out of or I get in big trouble! Everyday after lunch Durke divies out the Oreo's, it is such a special time... just kidding. Anyway, Louk has caught on to this tradition and definitely enjoys his cookies. He's a dunker just like his dad, I don't enjoy it so much because then I have to clean him up, and he is usually pretty messy. I had to take a picture of him today though, because he was so dang cute and made me laugh.

I hate tax season...

2011-03-22T15:51:00.001-07:00

and that's all I'm going to say!

Catching Leprechauns...

2011-03-22T15:07:00.000-07:00

On St. Patrick's day Gracie came in from playing outside and asked me the steps to trapping a Leprechaun. I told her to set a trap and put some gold in it and they might catch one. So she built a little trap in her Aunt Joni's backyard who lives next door. A few hours later, Joni came over and said that there were green footprints all around the trap and the gold was gone! Gracie and Abi thought it was so cool, they had to take pictures. What a cute & sneaky aunt they have!

Baby Cole

2011-03-22T14:46:00.001-07:00

I have so many posts to do that I am getting a little overwhelmed, but I thought I would post the most important one for now.

My cute little sis and her hubby had their second son last Monday. He was almost a month early and is a tiny little guy. He has been in the NICU and is working on gaining some weight and getting the whole eating thing figured out. We haven't even got to hold him, but I did get to sit with him for a little while last week and he is so sweet. I just love babies, I could eat them up!

Here are a few pics of the little guy, I'll post some more later when he's home and not looking like he's on an alien spaceship or something.

Love you Jaimie and Chase! Congrats!

Cole Ray Bawden --- 4 lbs. 8 oz. 18 inches long.

Winter Escape...

2011-02-25T16:49:00.001-08:00

Durke and I have been in desperate need of a vacation, so for Christmas we decided to book a cruise. We booked a Mexican Riviera Cruise with Princess and went February 12-19. It was the most amazing trip and one we will never forget! We are having such a hard time adjusting to life again. Here are a few pictures and some of the fun things we did.

Neither of us had ever been on a cruise, so just being on the ship was so great. We ate a lot, sat in the sun, ate a lot, danced, watched movies, ate way too much, and just enjoyed being together!

We saw so many ocean animals and it was amazing. The whales are migrating right now so we saw them almost everyday. When we were in Puerta Vallarta on a small boat we got really close to theh whales. We also saw seals, turtles, and tons of dolphins.

Here are a few pictures of some of the amazing sunsets and views we saw everyday on our ship.

(I have a thing for lighthouses!)

We also got to spend Valentine's on the ship. Our Valentines are usually spent with the kids, so it was quite nice! They made a big deal. We had dinner, went to a show, and dancing. It was great!

We had a lot of fun when we went into the ports. Our cruise stopped at Puerta Vallarta, Mazatlan, and Cabo San Lucas. Those of you who know Durke, know he is quite adventurous so that means I am always doing things that I am not so sure about. We (he) thought it would be fun to do the Zip Line and Rappelling in Puerta Vallarta. It was a little crazy but really fun.

When we first got off the ship, they took us on a speedboat out into the ocean for about 20 minutes to this little village in the jungle, then they put us on these crazy trucks and hauled us into the mountain, THEN we got on mules and rode higher into the mountains, then they sent us on all of these ziplines and we rapelled waterfalls. I couldn't take my camera so these pictures are from the website. It was so fun!

After Puerta Vallarta, we stopped in Mazatlan. This wasn't my favorite port. It was a littler scary, but we still had fun. We had a VERY interesting cab ride and got to play on the beach and shop.

Our cab!

There were some crazy guys cliff diving of this rock for tips. It scared me just to watch! It was so shallow and rocky, I really thought they were going to get killed!

Our last stop was Cabo San Lucas. I immediately fell in love with this place. It was SOOOO beautiful and clean. I definitely would love to go back there soon! We (again, Durke) decided to do the Rhino ATV adventure. It turned out way fun, a little wild, but we had a blast, and the beach was amazing!

After the ride, we shopped in a way fun market and bought all of our souvenirs. They had beautiful clay pots that were handpainted. I bought me a bowl and me and the girls some fun sundresses and bracelets.

We had such an amazing time, and it was really hard for us to come home, but we missed our kiddos and family and it is good to be back. I think!

I suggest a cruise for everyone! It is the best way to travel!!!

I've made a list and now I'm checking it twice....

2010-12-23T15:36:00.000-08:00

Halls Decked CHECK

Christmas Tree CHECK

Christmas Lights Up CHECK

Cards Sent CHECK

Presents for everyone Bought and Wrapped CHECK CHECK

Thank heaven's for Amazon!

Baking, baking and more baking CHECK CHECK CHECK

Christmas Carols sung, stories read, and movies watched CHECK CHECK CHECK

Christmas parties, Dance Recital and School Christmas Program
CHECK CHECK CHECK

Snow CHECK

Yup, we're ready! We made it!

Merry Christmas

Can I put myself in time-out?

2010-11-23T18:57:00.001-08:00

I really need one. Not because I have been naughty, well maybe a little, but because the quiet, peaceful moment of just sitting sounds nice. I have been so overwhelmed by everything going on in my life lately. I am constantly on the go, pick a kid up here, run another one there, this one needs a nap, lunch time, groceries, help in her class, teach this class, and the list keeps going and going. I remember this poem my cute friend Julie gave me

The Girl in the Whirl

By “Dr. Sue” aka Vickie Gunther

Look at me, look at me, look at me now!
You could do what I do if you only knew how.
I study the scriptures one hour each day;
I bake, I upholster, I scrub, and I pray.
I always keep all the commandments completely;
I speak to my little ones gently and sweetly.
I help in their classrooms! I sew all they wear!
I drive them to practice! I cut all their hair!
I memorize names of the General Authorities;
I focus on things to be done by priorities.
I play the piano! I bless with my talents!
My toilets all sparkle! My checkbooks all balance!
Each week every child gets a one-on-one date;
I attend all my meetings (on time! Never late!)
I’m taking a class on the teachings of Paul,
But that is not all! Oh, no. That is not all.
I track my bad habits ’til each is abolished;
Our t-shirts are ironed! My toenails are polished!
Our family home evenings are always delightful;
The lessons I give are both fun and insightful.
I do genealogy faithfully, too. It’s easy to do all the things that I do!
I rise each day early, refreshed and awake;
I know all the names of each youth in my stake!
I read to my children! I help all my neighbors!
I bless the community, too, with my labors.
I exercise and I cook menus gourmet;
My visiting teaching is done the first day!
(I also go do it for someone who missed hers.
It’s the least I can do for my cherished ward sisters.)
I chart resolutions and check off each goal;
I seek each “lost lamb” on my Primary roll.
I can home-grown produce each summer and fall.
But that is not all! Oh, no. That is not all.
I write in my journal! I sing in the choir!
Each day, I write “thank you’s” to those I admire.
My sons were all Eagles when they were fourteen!
My kids get straight A’s! And their bedrooms are clean!
I have a home business to help make some money;
I always look beautifully groomed for my honey.
I go to the temple at least once a week;
I change the car’s tires! I fix the sink’s leak!
I grind my own wheat and I bake all our bread;
I have all our meals planned out six months ahead.
I make sure I rotate our two-years’ supply;
My shopping for Christmas is done by July!
These things are not hard; It’s good if you do them;
You can if you try! Just set goals and pursue them!
It’s easy to do all the things that I do!
If you plan and work smart, you can do them all, too!
It’s easy!” she said…and then she dropped dead.

It seems like we as women have so much expected of us and we are pulled in so many directions. I don't know how to do it all and I surely don't want to drop dead. I have decided that I need to take some time for me or things aren't going to be so good.

I have had a gift certificate for a massage sitting on my desk for over a month and can't seem to find the time to do it, I think I need to make that appointment and schedule one weekly for the entire year.

I feel myself being incredibly grouchy and snappy with everyone around me. I think it is very important to take time for yourself and I am going to make it a goal to do that or I don't think I will have much to give.

A friend of mine had this link on her blog to this great article on the importance of "ME" time. I am going to try to implement some of the things into my life. I think it's important.

http://healthy-lifestyle.most-effective-solution.com/2008/09/10/the-importance-of-having-quality-time-for-yourself

I guess what I am trying to say, is take time for yourself.

2010-11-17T12:31:00.000-08:00

I have had a hard time deciding what recipe to do this time. I have a really yummy butternut squash recipe and a pumpkin chocolate chip cake, oh what the heck, let's go for the sweet and fattening!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cake with Maple Frosting
(Source: Two Peas & Their Pod)

Ingredients:
2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 1/4 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground allspice
Pinch of fresh nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups canned pumpkin
3/4 cup well-shaken buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
Chocolate chunks or cholate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a bundt pan, then dust will flour.
Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, fresh nutmeg, and salt in a bowl. Whisk together pumpkin, buttermilk, and vanilla in a separate bowl. Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until creamy. Add in eggs one at a time, while mixing on low. On low, add flour and pumpkin mixtures in batches, begginning and ending with flour mixture. Mix just until combined, don't overmix. By hand, stir in the chocolate chunks. Spoon cake batter into pan. Pound the pan on the counter to settle the batter. Cook 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean in the center of the cake. Cool cake in pan for 15 minutes. Cool completely before serving.

Maple Brown Butter Frosting
3 cups sifted confectioners sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup milk
2 teaspoons maple flavoring

Directions:
Sift sugar and set aside. Melt butter over medium heat until golden brown. Watch closely so it does not burn. Add butter to sugar, scraping all the butter into the bowl. Add milk and maple flavoring. Stir until smooth.
If too thick, use a splash of milk to thin it out.

Letters to Santa....

2010-11-16T08:14:00.000-08:00

This year for the first time my girls wrote letters to Santa Claus. I thought it would be fun if they could get a letter back. I found this cute website www.freelettersfromsantaclaus.com where you can personalize and print a letter from Santa. I plan to put it in the mailbox myself and let them find it. They are really cute and fun! Happy Holidays!

Soccer

2010-11-15T14:41:00.000-08:00

Gracie played soccer for the first time this fall and loved it. I told her she could only do one extra activity and she chose soccer and not dance. I was very surprised, especially since most of her friends are in dance. It turns out she is quite the little athlete; well we actually knew that already. She is way speedy and competetive. She had a good time and we had fun watching her.

A Very Eventful Fall...

2010-11-12T15:21:00.001-08:00

We have had a very busy and fun fall so far. This is my favorite time of year and I try to enjoy every minute of it before the dreaded winter hits us! I haven't been very good to keep up on what's been going on so here it is in a nutshell!

Latest to Oldest.....

Annual Leaf Clean-up

I heard on the radio last week that the average tree has about 250,000 leaves, as I look at our yard I would estimate about 40 trees, very, very, large trees, so when it comes to leaves I would say we have like 7-8 million! Needless to say when it comes time to rake them all up and dispose of them it is a HUGE job. Last Saturday we stepped up to the task and actually had a good time! We even recruited my cute mom to help.

Halloween

We had a really fun Halloween this year. Gracie was an Egyptian Princess, Abi was a Mermaid, and Louk was a construction worker. Louk was hilarious trick-or-treating. He would get so excited every time we went up to a door, and he would start dancing, it was so funny. We did the traditional door-to-door thing, because Durke is boycotting trunk-or-treating.

Here's a few pics of the kiddos!

Pumpking Carving

It has become a tradition to carve pumpkins every year with the Gordon's(the pumpkins from the other tradition of going to the pumpkin patch... continue reading) This year we added dinner, chili and breadbowls, and watched "How to Train your Dragon".

What a creative bunch we have!

Beck Family Farms
Down in Gunnison, the Beck's have THE BEST pumpkin patch ever, and every year we go down with the Gordon's and everyone gets to pick their pumpkins right out of a humungous field. I also like to get some of their squash and different varieties of pumpkins for my porch. Gracie wanted a tall skinny one, Abi wanted a fat one, and we got Louk "the perfect pumpkin" with a really cool stem. I think total we came home with like 8 different kinds of pumpkins, and had a really great time!

Gracie also go to go to the pumpkin patch with her class on a fieldtrip. I went with her and it was really fun. I think she was most excited about getting to ride the school bus for the first time!

Gardner Village Witches
For UEA, we went up to my mom's for a few days and boy were we busy. We went to Gardner Village to see the witches this year. I hadn't ever been, and it really would have been fun if every other man, woman, and child hadn't decided to do the same thing. We did have fun and will probably do it again, just not over UEA.

The girls had their eyes painted and thought that was the greatest thing that could ever happen to them!

The witch displays are really cute. We had to get a picture with a few.

Hogle Zoo
We also went to the zoo one day and it was just as fun as I remembered it being as a kid. All of the kids were very entertained and the adults were too.

Hope you are enjoying your fall as much as we are!

Family Pics

2010-10-12T16:48:00.000-07:00

Jason Stevens did our family pictures for us last week. I have wanted some nice pictures FOREVER and I am so thrilled with how they turned out. He is such an amazing photographer and already got all of our prints back to us. Here are a few of my favorites...

My Birthday...

2010-10-01T15:05:00.000-07:00

My birthday was this past week and it was a great one. I have such a wonderful husband, friends and family that always make me feel so loved. I got some fun things too; so I thought I would share with you all because it's always fun to do that...

Durke took me to lunch at this fantastic place....

and shopping here...

and bought me these...

What more could a girl ask for?

My cute mom gave me this...

I better get busy!

My grandma gave me this...

Wow, I know. It was hers and she never used it so she thought I would like it. Uh, yea!

I also got some money, cute fall decorations, chocolate, (thanks Kim!), cupcakes, (thanks, Jamie J.) a haircut and color from my sister, and even more.

Thanks everyone for everything and for making me feel so loved!

2010-09-22T10:34:00.000-07:00

Best Zucchini Bread Ever!

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
4 eggs, slightly beaten
1 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 cups shredded zucchini, squeezed dry

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Mix the whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, white sugar, and light brown sugar together in a large bowl. Fold the vanill, eggs, vegetable oil, lemon juice, and zucchini into the flour mixture one ingredient at a time with a rubber spatula. Divide mixture between two greased loaf pans.
Bake in preheated over 65-75 minutes. (Do toothpick test.) Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes.

Miss Abi

2010-09-20T10:37:00.000-07:00

As I was looking over my past few months of entries I felt like I had neglected my little Abi (poor middle child!); so I decided to dedicate this post to her.

She is doing dance again this year with "Miss Brooke". She was a little bummed that she didn't get to do ballet and had to do Jazz, but now she is loving it. I always knew she had a little more shake in her!

Last week, she also started Preschool, well Joy School. A few of my friends have started a little joy school for our kids, they are all really cute and Abi loves having her own friends.

Her birthday is this week, she will be 4 and I can't believe it. She is so fun and adds a lot of spunk (and sass!) to our family.

2010-09-17T11:01:00.000-07:00

Durke and my brother-in-law, Rich, rode in the "dreaded" Lotoja race this past weekend for the third time. For those of you who are wondering what the heck Lotoja is, it is a 206 mile road bike race from Logan, Utah to Jackson Hole, Wyoming; and we both hate it! It is such a long day, and is such a grueling race for Durke that we both honestly dread it! Why does he do it you ask, you got me, but for some reason he keeps entering. I think it's like childbirth, us moms always say "Wow, never want to do that again", but we do!

Anyways, the only good thing about this race is it ends in Jackson Hole; one of my favorite places on Earth. We were able to spend a couple days there and I got to eat at my beloved "Bubba's" so I was happy. We also saw a bear, some buffalo, and a few moose,

and we were able to hang out with Richard and Naloni who live in New Mexico.

It turned out to be a fun trip, and I was really proud of Durke, I have know desire to pedal a bike 206 miles!

Look who's 6!

2010-09-15T07:50:00.000-07:00

Our little Gracie Bug turned 6 Tuesday. She has had a 3 day birthday party, just how she likes it. She stayed with my sister over the weekend while we were on a little "trip" (details later); and they threw a party for her, then when we got home on Monday we had a party for her with the Gordon side, and then yesterday we ordered pizza, popped popcorn and watched her new Barbie movie she got. Spoiled little girl! :) I think her most favorite part of her birthday was getting to be spotlighted in her school class and pass out treats and stickers. She had a permanent smile from ear to ear. It made me happy. Happy Birthday sweet girl!

Lifting Burdens: The Atonement of Jesus Christ

2010-09-07T18:58:00.000-07:00

I found this last night and thought I would share it. Some people who are very important to me are going through an extremely hard time and this made me think of them. I truly believe the things that this video says.

2010-09-07T14:26:00.000-07:00

Taco Salad

1 lb. ground beef, browned and drained
1 c. pinto beans, drained
1 sm. can diced green chilis
1 c. grated cheese
1 sm. onion, diced
1 head lettuce, shredded
1 can sliced olives, drained
1 tomato, chopped
1 sm. bottle Creamy Italian dressing

Toss all ingredients and serve with tortilla chips.

Enjoy!

These make me smile...

2010-09-03T11:13:00.000-07:00

You know every once in awhile when you take a picture and you love it or it just makes you smile. These are some of those. I took these pictures at the County Fair rodeo last weekend.

Gracie and Abi are best friends. I love that and it makes me happy. They play together so well and have so much fun together. Yea, they have their fights and they are doozies, but they really do love eachother. I think this picture shows it.

There's something about a Wrangler bottom that makes my heart flutter, both big boy bottoms and cute little boys' (for different reasons obviously!) Anyway, I had to take a picture of Louk in his because I just had to. I think it comes from my cowgirl roots.

Louk just makes me smile all the time, but he looks extra cute here!

The day finally came....

2010-08-23T11:22:00.000-07:00

Gracie started Kindergarten today, and yes I cried, really hard! I didn't think I would, but when I left her at her little desk and walked out to my car the floods came. I know, I know all you mothers who have done this a time or two, you are laughing, but it really is hard. It is a new step in our lives and it came really fast. Gracie loved it, says her teacher is the best teacher ever, she got to watch a movie and have chocolate milk and cookies! Who wouldn't love it right. I am excited for her and hope she has the best year!

End of Summer Party....

2010-08-23T10:54:00.000-07:00

I have been promising my girls that they could have a party with all of their friends this summer, and last Friday, since it was the last day before school started, was the day! Procrastination! The girls had a lot of fun and told me I was the best mom ever, I call that a success!

We made our own pizzas for lunch, it was really fun and the pizza's were yummy!

Then the girls played on the homemade slip n slide, (thanks dad!) and we played some games.

Then the girls all had snow cones and went home, and I took a nap!

(Abi had so much fun, she fell asleep right in the middle of the party, so she didn't make it for the picture!)

Some things never die....but should.

2010-08-17T14:44:00.000-07:00

So the other morning I was watching Good Morning America because I wanted to watch "The Pioneer Woman" who I love, or if you ask Durke I am "obsessed" with, but that's a whole other story. Anyway, they had this segment on kids "must have's" for back-to-school, and no lie I felt like I was having "de ja vu". Now I know I'm no fashion diva, but I truly think these things are hideous and should stay in the closet, the very back of the closet!

Keds, do you remember these? Yuck!

How about these. I don't know about you, but these things look like a nightmare. I am picturing them all over my house!

Can anyone say "Saved by the Bell"?

And last the best of all...

I don't know about you, but I won't be buying any of these for Gracie, even though she would probably love them, just like I did!

P.S. "Pretty in Pink" is not something that should be gone forever, it is a classic, and perfect for an 80's post.

A few odds and ends....

2010-08-17T14:22:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to post a few things that I have forgotten to post that we've done the last couple of weeks and swimming lessons.

My cute sister and her in-laws were camping out at Palisades last weekend and invited us out on Saturday. I didn't know how much fun Palisade's was. We packed a picnic, which my kids live for, they are all about picnics; played on the paddle boats, braved the greenish, brownish water, and played on the beach. As you can see a good time was had by all!

We also had out kids in swimming lessons this summer and they absolutely loved it. It will definitely be a new tradition. I was a little leery about Abi, she is so stubborn and can be a handful, but she did wonderful. She is a little fish. Her favorite thing was to put her face in the water. I was impressed. Our pool has a fun waterslide and Gracie loved that. Can't wait until next year.

Louk brought home this "Big Boy" scooter a few weeks ago, (as if we need another bike, scooter, wagon, etc. at our house!) Anyway, it has been a big hit, especially with Louk. He absolutely loves to ride with Durke and they make me kind of nervous. They go way to fast, that's why the picture is blury, well I'll blame it on that anyway!

2010-07-29T15:33:00.000-07:00

Revel Bars

My sis-in-law made these yummy chocolate oatmeal bars for our reunion and I remembered my mom used to make them all the time. I found the recipe in one of her old cookbooks she gave me and have been making (and eating) them a lot! They are delicious!

2 sq. butter
2 c. brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
3 c. oats
1 tsp. soda
2 1/4 c. flour
1 can sweet & condensed milk
1 cup semi-sweet choc. chips
2 T. butter

Cream together butter, sugars, eggs and vanilla. In seperate bowl mix flour, soda and oats. Add flour mixture to cream mixture and mix well. Divide dough in half. Press half in bottom of a large cookie sheet. Melt together s & c milk, choc. chips, and butter on stove. Pour over cookie mix in pan. Crumble remaining cookie mix on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 23-25 min. Enjoy!!!

24th of July...Fun!

2010-07-26T10:37:00.000-07:00

I struggle with the 24th of July, because to me it means summer is almost over ; so it is not my favorite holiday. However, despite my dislike, we did have fun last weekend.

On Thursday night we went to the Fairview Rodeo with Durke's family. I told Durke he had to take me to a rodeo this summer, and we are running out of time, so the Fairview rodeo it was. I LOVE small town rodeos and this one was perfect. It really made me want to get on my horse, and run some barrels, but I refrained. (Probably because I don't even own a horse!)

Everyone enjoying the rodeo.

My little cowgirl at heart! I really think she is going to me my horse girl, yay!

Mom & Louk

As you can see the kids all had a really good time!

On Saturday my cute mom and dad came down and spent the day with us. I love when they do that.

We have a tradition of going to the Fairview Parade. Their parade is always huge and I find it really fascinating. It's Fairview for crying out loud! It is also like 10,000 degrees too, but it's still fun.

Girls waiting for some candy!

Louk is always up for a good time!

After the parade, my parents took us out to lunch at the "El Mexicano" restaurant in Mt. Pleasant. *yes, I know technically it says "the the Mexicano" but it was confusing
I'm weird I know. Anyways, if you haven't ate there you must, really you must!

When we got back home we all napped for like 2 hours. Lovely.

That night we went on a bike ride and ran into this dispicable creature.

Gracie about ran over it. It was HUGE and had 9 rattles. Needless to say it freaked me out a little, no a LOT!

We came back and did some fireworks. Always fun. Louk was fascinated with the sparklers.

We had a fun day, hope you did too!

2010-07-22T08:34:00.000-07:00

I have been trying out a lot of new recipes with my family lately. They haven't been real impressed, but I have loved them. They are simple eaters I guess! I thought I would share some of my favorite ones and start doing a recipe a week. Let me know what you think.

This weeks recipe is for Granola. I absolutely love to have granola with milk in the morning, and this one is yummy!

8 cups Old-Fashioned oats
1 small bag craisins
1 cup coconut (more or less depending on how much you want)
1 cup slivered almonds or pecans (again more or less, however you like it)
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1/2 cup water
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. maple extract
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Dried fruit, chopped (optional)

In a large bowl, combine the oats, craisins, coconut, and nuts; set aside. In a small saucepan, combine the brown sugar, water and salt. Cook and stir over medium heat for 3-4 minuts or until brown sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat; stir in the extracts. Pour over the oat mixture; stir to coat.

Transfer to two greased 15-in. x 10-in. baking pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until crisp, stirring every 10 minutes. Cool completely on wire racks. Store in an airtight container. Serve with milk or yogurt.

Las Vegas

2010-07-21T14:53:00.000-07:00

Durke and I took a little trip to Las Vegas this past weekend. I don't particularly LOVE Vegas, but it was SOOOO nice to have some alone time. It made me remember why I love him so much! We had a really fun trip even though it was 115 degrees! The part that made it even better was that Durke had earned the trip at work so our hotel was paid for and they took us out to dinner! Yay.

Speaking of our hotel we got to stay at this beauty...

this is the inside...

I almost felt like I was in Paris! (almost)

We didn't go to a show or anything but we did...

Visit M&M World. Fun!

Ride the Manhatten Express at New York, New York. Scary!

Watched the Bellagio Water Show.

Went to see Eclipse.

Ate yummy food...

(No I didn't take a picture of my food, but I did have Shrimp Alfredo and Salmon. Yummy!)

braved "The Strip" and shopped!

Perfect in my opinion! (Hey I don't get out much so I'm easy to please)

I sadly didn't get any pictures of me and Durke; because we're both to shy to ask anyone to take our picture.

It's been a long time since we had a vacation and we had a great time.

Gordon Family Reunion 2010

2010-07-21T14:46:00.000-07:00

Make a free digital slideshow

Our Gordon reunion this year was very similar to last year, we all had so much fun that we decided to do it all the same again!

We started out having dinner at Ben & Diane's and they set-up the "Homemade" slip-n-slide. The best part was how much Louk loved sliding down it and he even went by himself. Then the kids (and the adults who are basically still kids...) played in the river. Ben & Diane rented the Manti Pool so we all headed over there for the rest of the night.

On Saturday, we headed up to Pete's Hole on the Joe's Valley side of the Mountain. We had yummy food, fished, painted, hiked, road bikes, and played in the boats.

On Sunday, we had dinner and visited.

The Gordon's are a go-getter family and there is NEVER a dull moment. We had fun and love all of you!

Look who's 1...

2010-07-21T14:00:00.000-07:00

Our little guy is 1. Louk has been the best baby and the past year has been so fun with him. He is constantly making us laugh. He has the cutest smile (just like his dad), he is always happy. One of my favorite things about Louk is he LOVES to cuddle and give kisses. What more could a mom ask for right? He is into everything and is a quick learner. We don't know what we would do without Louk.

For his birthday we had everyone over for a little party and BBQ at our house. I really wanted to have a cowboy theme so I made these invitations and my cute friend Sam made the coolest cake ever! My entire family came and all of Durke's. Louk was spoiled rotten and loved every minute of it.

Thanks everyone who came. We love you all!

Fun on the Farm...

2010-03-29T08:45:00.000-07:00

Growing up I never thought of myself as living on a farm, yea, we had horses but I wouldn't have called it a farm. Now, on the other hand, my parents live on a farm, or at least a small petting zoo. Durke had some work up in Salt Lake last week so we stopped by my parents house and Abi would not leave until she got to ride a horse. That's my girl! So we saddled up Wrangler and the girls rode for over an hour, I think I had the most fun though. I was totally in my realm. I didn't realize how much I missed the smell of the barn, or just being around horses. It really is something I love.

My parents also have two little pigs that are hilarious. We had a good laugh trying to catch them. Notice that it is me that was wrestling the darn things, not Durke. He was dressed in his "insurance man clothes" though so I guess I'll let it slide! Abi didn't want anything to do with the pigs, but Gracie climbed right in with me. Not suprising.

They also have a cute little goat. They haven't even named the poor thing. You can tell us girls aren't home anymore. We would have given her a name. I think I might steal it; Durke says no way, do you think I could smuggle it home somehow? I just want it to eat weeds.

Louk was loving it too.

It was a fun day, one we'll have to repeat soon!

100 kids...

2010-03-22T11:54:00.000-07:00

Gracie: Mom, I think you should have 100 kids!
Me: I can't even take care of 3 kids.
Abi: I have a super idea...Dad can help!

"I love you like a frog..."

2010-03-22T07:52:00.000-07:00

Abi: Mommy, I love you like a frog.
Mommy: Do you like frogs, Abi?
Abi: Nope

Recipes

2010-03-19T13:58:00.000-07:00

Here are some recipes that a few people have been asking me for. The little pies were from a Bonko I hosted in August and the Spinach dip was from the Bonko I hosted on Tuesday. They are both pretty light and perfect for Spring,oh and yummy too!

Berry Pie
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 1/2 to 2 cups fresh or frozen berries (raspberries, blueberries or blackberries)
1 (8 oz.) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 (6 oz.) graham cracker pie crust (I used the miniature crusts)

In large bowl, mix together sweetened condensed milk and lemon juice; combine well. Mix in berries. Fold in whipped topping. Spoon mixture into crust. Freeze 5 hours or until set. Let stand 30-40 minutes before serving. Garnish as desired. Store leftovers covered in freezer.

Spinach Dip
1 cup mayonnaise
1 (16 oz.) container sour cream
1 package Hidden Valley Ranch Dip Mix
1/2 cup grated cheese
1 (10 oz.) package frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1/4 cup minced, dried onion

In a medium bowl, mix together all ingredients. Chill in regrigerator 6 hours, or overnight.

Serve with fresh vegetables and/or french bread.

Goal....BLOG!

2010-03-19T10:40:00.000-07:00

So it has been one of my goals for 2010 to keep our family blog up-to-date, and so far I have failed miserably. But I am going to try again! I thought I would start with a little family update.

We have been really busy lately, the only problem is I can't remember exactly what we've been doing. We had a quick trip to St. George with my family and had a really great time. We haven't ever been on a trip with all of my fam and it was nice. We ate well, swam a lot, and enjoyed the warm weather. The only problem was we didn't get to shop much. Durke probably didn't mind.

Durke: Durke's life basically consists of selling insurance and riding his bike. Well he is a very good dad and an awesome husband too. He had his first bike race the first of March. He competed in the Single Speed class and did really well. I love watching him race. He is also busy in his church calling as the Teacher's Quorum advisor. He really loves his calling and has a good time with the boys. I think they are pretty lucky to have him as their leader, he does some pretty fun stuff with them.

Me: I have been busy with kids and work, taxes, and the Relief Society birthday party. I have also enjoyed planning our garden for this year. We are going to do a square-foot garden and I am way excited. Durke helped me build the boxes last Saturday, and the girls and I have started our tomatoes and peppers. I hope it turns out and we can reap a great harvest. I also joined a card exchange group with my cousin and have had fun making cards. I have also been exercising like crazy and have actually been doing pretty good. I am on my way to meeting my goals. One of the reasons I haven't been updating my blog so much is because, like everyone else I know, I am addicted to Facebook. I swore I wouldn't get hooked, but I am. Mostly though I have just been doing mom stuff, which is good.

Gracie: Gracie is growing up so fast. She is so fun! She competed in the St. George race in the 9 and under age group and took 5th place among the girls. Durke was so proud. She was so cute and I had to laugh how competitive she is. She is way excited to do more bike races. She is also LOVING preschool with Lori Schaeffer. We had her Kindergarten registration and assessment. I can't believe my little girl is going to be a kindergartner. She is very excited though and I think she will have fun.

Abigail: Abi is a little fireball and she keeps us all on our toes. We cut her hair short in January and she looks so darn cute. She is loving ballet with her Aunt Brooke and is making lots of new friends. She loves to follow Gracie around and do whatever she is doing. She is my challenge in life, but I love her to pieces.

Louk: This little guy is the funnest kid ever. We all just want to squeeze him. He has been so happy from the day he was born. He is always smiling and he has a way of making people around him happy. He is almost 9 months old which is totally crazy. He's got a ton of curly hair, which is funny because I always knew it would be my boy who got my curls. He is starting to stand up on furniture and he has this funny way of crawling that we call his "wounded soldier crawl". I should try to get a video of it, because it's pretty funny. One of my favorite thing he does though is he gives the BEST kisses ever. There is nothing like baby kisses. He is an eater and is making us bankrupt from having to by so much baby food, but he is still a skinny little guy. Everyone who sees him says he looks like a little man and it's true. We all love our little "Loukey"!

We have been doing really well. Life is good.

Insurance

2009-12-10T11:01:00.000-08:00

I just added some new links at the bottom of the page for the insurance products Durke and I sell. I just wanted to let everyone know what we do and if you have any insurance needs Durke and I could help you out. Durke specializes in life insurance and retirement investing. He also does home and auto insurance. I sell health insurance and Aflac supplemental maternity and cancer policies.

Christmas books

2009-12-08T11:54:00.002-08:00

One of my favorite things at Christmas time is reading Christmas stories. Here are a few that we have enjoyed so far.

Christmas Jars by Jason F Wright

Room for a Little One A Christmas Tale by Martin Waddell

Mr. Finnegan's Giving Chest by Dan Farr

Christmas Orangesby Linda Bethers

What's for dinner...

2009-12-04T10:58:00.000-08:00

This is a recipe that my sister-in-law, Naloni, gave me and my family loves it.

1 loaf french bread
1 lb. hamburger, cooked
1 jar alfredo sauce
Mozzarella Cheese

Cut bread in half long way. Combine alfredo sauce and hamburger. Top with mozarella cheese and place in 350 degree oven until warm and cheese is melted.

I love it because it's simple and it tastes good too!

I love this time of year...

2009-12-02T14:14:00.001-08:00

I love this time of year because of the traditions we have. Traditions are so important to me and I want my children to enjoy them too. Here are a few that we enjoy.

We had a great Thanksgiving at the Gordon's cabin this year. The food was yummy! Diane doesn't do the traditional turkey, but she cooks Turkey Roasts that you can only get at the Moroni Feed plant in Moroni. It is the best turkey ever. I also LOVE the stuffing and apple pie, and oh Aunt Pat's homemade rolls. The guys shot skeet, I did as well and did pretty good for a girl! The rest of the Gordon girls searched the ads for the best Black Friday sells. (See details later!) Durke's cousin Brandon and his family stayed with us. They are always fun!

On Friday, my sister-in-law Kim and I went to Walmart @ 5 am, and then headed to Provo for the good sales. We had a really fun time and I am done shopping! I have a few little things to pick up and one more thing for Durke, but other than that I get to sit back and actually enjoy December for once. I am so excited. Durke and Gracie went to a slot canyon in the San Raphael with Cory (his brother) and his kids. Gracie was a trooper and said she LOVED spending the day with just her and dad. Here's some cute pics.

Then on Saturday we cut our Christmas tree. This is by far one of my favorite Christmas tradition. I will never get a fake tree because I just love how much fun we have finding our own. Last year my tree was HUGE and this year I didn't really have one in mind so I let Durke pick it. He did an amazing job. It is my favorite tree we've ever had. We decorated the tree and the house on Sunday. Gracie is at such a fun age right now. She has thoroughly enjoyed all of the holidays this year and insists on decorating her bedroom too. So she has a cute little tree in her room and a few other things. She makes me laugh.

The finished product!

I really want to simplify my Christmas this year so I can really enjoy it. My kids are little and this is the time when Christmas is still magical for them. I hope I can do it. I set a goal to have my shopping done by December 1 and I did that, now I just can't let all the other things stress me out. That might be the hard part! I hope you all have wonderful holidays!

Miracles do happen...

2009-11-18T11:25:00.000-08:00

I am FINALLY updating my blog! I'm sure nobody even looks at my blog anymore, but for those of you who do here it goes...

Durke: Durke is doing good. He is bumbed that the snow is flying and he can't ride his bike anymore, but I think he will survive. He got a new bike in July, and rode in the Leadville 50 mile race on it. We had a good time. He built it up himself, it is a single-speed. Which means it only has one speed, kind of hard if you're a mountain biker. That is the class he is going to race next year. He's kind of crazy if you ask me. He is loving having a little boy, and Louk sure loves his daddy. They look exactly alike, which makes me happy. Durke is also going back to school Spring Semester. He only has a few more classes for his Bachelors, so he decided to finish it. I am excited for him, but a little nervous. He already works a lot and is in the Young Men's, but I think it will be a good thing.

Jessi: Not much has been happening for me, which is actually a good thing. I am enjoying my kids, and having a boy. Louk is such a happy baby. He is always smiling and he loves to snuggle. Three has been an adjustment, some days I feel like it is a fight to get us all dressed and fed for the day, but I think that's normal. I have been working on Louk's room which is almost done, I will post some pics later. It is a cowboy theme.

Gracie: Gracie started preschool this fall and she absolutely loves it. She has an amazing teacher, who happens to be my dad's cousin. She moved here from my hometown which is kind of ironic. Anyways, she is such a great big sister. Louk adores her, I mean ADORES her. She can always make him laugh and she even knows how to change his diapers. She is such a beautiful little girl. I can't believe how grown up she is getting. It actually makes me kind of sad. She has a ton of friends and wants to have a friend over every day. She had a really fun Rock'n Roll birthday party in September. She loves music especially 80's rock. (This might be my fault!) She always asks if we can jam. She likes when we turn the music up really loud, and we all play in the band. Her favorite song is "Slow Ride" by Foghat. Wierd, I know. She loves to ride her bike, and wants to start racing next summer.

Abi: Abi, Abi, Abi. She is one funny little squirt. I absolutely love her personality; she makes me smile everyday. She is getting so big, so fast. She got a new bike for her birthday and has no problem keeping up with her big sister. We have a hard time keeping her from mauling Louk. She gets so excited she says she just wants to squeeze him. She loves to play with her toys and is always carrying around some random item. She started ballet this fall and is so funny. She is actually very good, and asks if she can go to dance everyday. I am looking forward to her first dance recital in December. It could be interesting.

Louk: Louk is the best baby. He has brought sooo much joy to our family. I decided that boys are WAY easier than girls. He is much less emotional, which is a very, very good thing. He is always smiling, and he loves to sit and talk to me. I love just snuggling with him and playing with him; that is probably why I never get anything done. He is growing fast though and has already been to a few bike races. It's funny how when new ones are born they just fit right in. I can't remember life without my sweet little boy.

We are all doing very well. We have had a few mountain bike races, all of our birthdays, Halloween, and just life keeping us busy; and busy is good.

Anybody want a 2 year old?

2009-07-23T18:17:00.000-07:00

AHHHH!!!! Abi is the sweetest little devil in the world. She can be so darn cute and then the next second be putting all my hand towels in the toilet, or cutting her hair, or painting her own toenails as well as the carpet, her clothes and anything else that might need a touch of color. I really don't know what I am going to do with this child. I have to constantly be watching her every move or else it's trouble. I know they say it's the "terrible 2's" but Gracie was NEVER this rotten. Don't get me wrong, I love her to death, but she does make my life a little more stressful. So about the offer, you can take her until she's like 30, get her through all the rough stuff, and then I'll take her back. Give me a call if you're up for the job :)

I feel like this some days...

2009-07-06T15:02:00.000-07:00

(Click on picture)

No offense honey!!!

Louk Zeb Gordon

2009-07-01T15:33:00.000-07:00

Our sweet baby boy is here and we couldn't be more excited. He was born last Tuesday, June 23 at 7:31 p.m. He weighed 6 lbs. 9 oz. and was 22.5 in. Everything went really good for the delivery, well, as good as labor can be. He is such a sweet baby, and I just love to spend all day cuddling him. He is finally getting his sleeping patterns figured out so that is nice. There is something about a boy that is different. Everyone kept telling me how different they are than girls and I finally understand. There is a certain bond between a mom and her son and I have definitely felt that. Anyway, we are so happy to have Louk in our family. Here are some pics...

Sadie Huish

2009-07-01T10:26:00.001-07:00

Some family friends of ours have been dealing with a very hard trial this past week. Their little girl Sadie, passed away from a very rare form of cancer. She had been battling the cancer for 16 months, and her battled ended last week. My heart breaks for them and for their loss, I can't imagine how they are feeling. Please keep them in your prayers.

I am still alive... I think!

2009-04-23T15:05:00.000-07:00

Hello to anyone who hasn't totally given up on me. I am still alive, just really, really busy, and really, really pregnant! My life has felt like a whirlwind lately, but I made myself a to-do list and update blog was one of the things on my list.

I am definitely in the "nesting" mode of pregnancy. I have organized most of the closets in my house, re-arranged my office, cleaned out the playroom to make room for the nursery, and many other crazy fanatical things.

We are very excited that warm weather is FINALLY here. We have spent as much time outside as possible. I don't know about any of you, but boy was that winter a long one. I really was about to pull my hair out!

This post is probably not going to make much sense, and I already feel like I am rambling, but I will let you know a few of the highlights of our lives.

* It is official. I and my doctor have no idea when this baby is coming. He keeps moving my date forward and it's freaking me out a little. As for right now we're shooting for the week of June 16. My original due date is July 1. We'll see when this little guy really decides to make his entrance. Speaking of the little guy, he has made himself nice and comfy right in my rib cage and nestled on my bladder. How sweet. It's a good thing I already love him, because sometimes I get a little bit ticked off! My sweet sister gave me 2 HUGE boxes of baby boy clothes. Aww how great it is to have such a great sister, and the blessings of sharing. Thanks Jaimie!

* The biking season has officially begun. I'm not sure how I feel about being 8 months pregnant and chasing my husband and two children all over the state for the next little while, but hey if he's happy I'm happy right? We had a fun trip to St. George. We were able to eat out, shop, and swim. I couldn't ask for more right?

* My dad got into an accident on his horse. He was practicing with Austin, my little brother, and the horse and cow collided. My dad crashed into the fence and then the horse landed on him. He broke his femur and hip. He was in the hospital for a few days and now is home recovering. That was quite a scare, but I'm glad he's going to be ok. We have spent some time up at my parents with him.

* We had a great Easter. It's a family tradition to go to Durke's families farm and to have a BBQ. They have a really cool orchard on their farm and the adults hide like 50 bags of candy, and then we have a little hunt. The kids love it, but I think the adults have more fun. We also played kickball and baseball out in the field. A good time was had by all. We love Easter in our family. Maybe because it's a sign of Spring, and that winter is on it's way out.

* We have been hiking quite a bit. The girls really like it and there are some really cool canyons down here with water falls and cool arches. It's really fun, and it's about the only exercise I get.

* I am the enrichment leader in my ward. Tough, but I guess someone has to do it! :) We just did a big ward party, and we did a County Fair theme. It turned out really fun, but it was a lot of work. We had all the typical fair games, cotton candy, popcorn, raffle tickets, dinner, the whole works. If any of you are looking for a fun ward activity, give me a call.

Anyhow, if you are interested in what's going on in my life and are still reading, thanks. I pledge now to do better at posting. It's one of those things if you put it off it seems like a really big thing. Here's a few pics. Have a good day.

2009-02-11T08:47:00.000-08:00

We're having a baby boy and we couldn't be more excited. I think Durke is still in shock, he said he didn't think we had it in us, but I knew better. I knew it was a boy from the very beginning. I better get started buying blue, because all I have is pink!

Not sure if I'm ready for this....

2009-01-21T08:46:00.000-08:00

Gracie has started to want to do her own hair, and this is the result. Isn't it lovely. Boy can the girl accesorize! I don't have the heart to change it, because she is so proud of it, so she goes around looking slightly ridiculous. Everyone who sees her says "ooh, I love your hair"! So that makes her want to do it even more. Hopefully this is just a stage, a really fast one!

Our new puppy...

2009-01-16T15:33:00.000-08:00

For Christmas all Gracie asked for was a "real" dog. Durke has been dead-set against getting a dog since we were married; but one day he came home and said "come look at this". He had found a litter of Aussi pups for way cheap and he said we should get one for Gracie. I was truly amazed, but jumped at the chance so we loaded the family in the car and headed to S.L. When we saw this cute little puppy there was no turning back. We told Gracie that Santa told us we could get a puppy, but we had to pick him up ourselves because he can't carry puppies on his sleigh.

The girls named him "Jake" and I am not sure why, but it does seem to fit. He has been so much fun and we all love him to death. He goes skiing with Durke, watches movies with Gracie, and hangs out with me in the kitchen. Abi's still not sure that she loves him, but she pets him sometimes.

Anyways, something to post about I guess.

Louk...

2009-01-09T08:21:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was 4 years since my brother-in-law Louk was killed in an avalanche in Ephraim Canyon. It's always a hard day and we still shed some tears. It's been a very hard lesson for all of our family, and we still miss him everyday.

I wanted to do a little tribute post to him. Louk was one of the most amazing guys I know. He touched so many lives. Him & Durke were the closest of brothers and best friends, and losing him has definitely made an impact on Durke and our whole family. He was always making us laugh and we still often laugh about the funny things he did or said. He was such a big guy, but a teddy bear really. He loved the little kids in our family, and boy did they love him. One of my favorite memories of Louk was right after Joslynn (his little girl)was born I would watch her, and everyday he would come down at lunch (we lived in the apartment just under theirs, and he would ask if I had any treats, and then hug and kiss on the girls. (Gracie & Joslynn).I wish my kids could know their Uncle Louk, because I know they would have loved him too. We miss him so much.I am so grateful for the plan of salvation and to know that we will be with him again.

Christmas 2008

2008-12-30T09:46:00.000-08:00

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Secrets....

2008-12-29T15:56:00.001-08:00

Well, we're letting you in on a little secret we've been keeping for a few months now. We're having a baby! We wanted to surprise our families on Christmas so we haven't been able to tell anyone and it's been driving us all crazy! I am due on July 1st, and am 14 weeks right now. We are very excited and hoping, praying, crossing our fingers that it is a little boy, but whatever we get we will be thrilled. Durke's says because we want a boy so bad we'll get a little girl, but hey at least I'll have a lot of clothes.

Time flies when you're having fun...

2008-12-10T15:27:00.000-08:00

Well, I think we've been having fun anyway. I looked at my blog today and realized I haven't posted anything since November 19th. Ugh! I'm becoming one of those once a month bloggers that make me crazy! (Sorry if you are one of those :) We have been so so busy, as I'm sure you all have been too. Even the people I talk to regularly I haven't talked to in a while. I'll chalk it up the happy holidays.

We had a great Thanksgiving down in St. George with my family. The girls loved staying in the hotel as usual. I think we could go to the Willowcreek Inn here in Ephraim and they would think it was a wonderful vacation. Durke got to ride his bike, after much whining and complaining about the rain, I finally had my prayers answered and the sun broke through for a few hours. Whew! I think we were both going to go crazy if he didn't get his ride! I got to ride horses with my girls, eat yummy food, and do the crazy Black Friday thing with my mom and sister. I think it's safe to say it was a great time had by all.

Last weekend, we went up to Salt Lake and rode "tracks" with the girls, went to the lights at temple square, and out to dinner. This wasn't quite the magical holiday tradition I had always remembered. Our girls were crazy, tracks was packed, and there were more people on the temple grounds than live in our entire town. I told Durke I've lived in Ephraim for way too long, too many people give me anxiety. Needless to say, it was good to be home and we can mark that off our check list of "Christmas musts".

In the meantime, I have finished my Christmas shopping, Hooray!;threw a Bonko bash, husbands and all, (boy am I glad that's over), went to my sister's baby's blessing, and a bunch of other things. Now on to Christmas cards!

I hope you are enjoying the holiday season. Here's to January and life slowing down!

I thought this was hilarious!

2008-11-19T08:03:00.000-08:00

Funny conversation...

2008-11-07T15:14:00.000-08:00

Gracie: Mom, what does it mean to "make sense"?
Me: Well, it means that you understand it or you think it's true.
Gracie: Laughs
Me: Why is that funny?
Gracie: Because it makes sense.

Mom Moment:
I ran me a much needed bath this morning and I really just wanted to soak. I had been in all of 30 seconds and in comes Gracie and Abi. Needless to say I didn't get to soak all by myself, and it was anything but relaxing. Oh well, chalk it up as a fun memory.

Picture Tag

2008-11-06T14:42:00.000-08:00

I am finally getting around to the 4th picture in my 4th folder tag. I have kind of checked out of life lately, but I am finally getting around to the really important things! :)

I smiled when this was the picture I found. It was like 3 years ago and Gracie was so little. We were making sugar cookies and I was being brave and letting her have fun. We have flour everywhere, but it was fun. Isn't she so darn cute!

Time...

2008-10-28T15:19:00.000-07:00

I have been thinking a lot lately about time and how precious each moment we have on Earth is. Yesterday we watched some of our friends bury their one-year old little boy. It was one of the hardest things I have ever seen let alone for them to be going through. I feel so sorry for them. They had so little time with their sweet little boy. I am so grateful for the knowledge we have of the plan of salvation and forever families. I know that this is what is helping them through this difficult time.

On Sunday in our Relief Society lesson there was a quote that has been on my mind; it is from the May 2008 conference talk that Elder Ballard gave, it was from the author Anna Quindlen, she said: "The biggest mistake I made (as a parent) is the one that most of us make...I did not live in the moment enough. This is particularly clear now that the moment is gone, captured only in photographs. There is one picture of my three children sitting in the grass on a quilt in the shadow of the swing set on a summer day, ages six, four and one. And I wish I could remember what we ate, and what we talked about, and how they sounded, and how they looked when they slept that night. I wish I had not been in such a hurry to get on to the next thing: dinner, bath, book, bed. I wish I had treasured the doing a little more and the getting it done a little less."

I am starting to understand what it means to "live in the moment", and how important it really is. The most important thing we do in our lives is our how we treat those we love and the relationships we cultivate; not how clean our house is, or what we make for dinner, or how cute our house is decorated, or all the other things that we spend so much time worrying about.

I don't want to have any regrets when my kids are old. I want to remember all the little things, and I want them to remember how much I loved them. Because we never know how long we have here, I guess my challenge to you all is to live in the moment and enjoy all the little things in your lives that make it great.

I love Fall!

2008-10-21T11:38:00.001-07:00

Fall is my favorite time of year. I love everything about it. I love the colors, the coolness in the air, the smells, pumpkins, leaves, hunting season, the food, the holidays everything.

I also love the fun things to do in the fall. We have started a few fun traditions with our families. Last weekend we went to Herriman's Pumpkin Festival with my family. My girls had a blast. It is targeted towards kids, but we had fun too. The girls got to dress up in their Halloween costumes and they thought that was great. They had a costume contest, some fun games, lots of candy and some fun blow up toys. It was way fun to be with my family. We also love to go to the pumpking patch in Centerfield with all of the Gordon's. It seems like a lot of you have that same tradition but it's a great one. The girls had a great time finding the perfect pumpkin and I think we found some fun pumpkins. This year on Halloween (Durke's birthday) my parents are coming down, and the girls are way excited. We usually go to the Halloween carnival at the elementary school and go trick-or-treating. I think Durke and I like that part more than the girls.

I also mentioned that I love the food! I love anything made with pumpkin. Pumpkin pies, cookies, dinner-in-a-pumpkin, my mom's pumpkin roll, and any other yummy dessert I can find.

This is by far the best time of the year, I hope you all enjoy the season!

2008-10-09T12:14:00.001-07:00

Take the Quiz and Share Your Results!

2008-10-07T07:22:00.000-07:00

My dad's birthday was on Sunday, and I wanted to wish him a happy birthday then, but I am a little slow. I don't get to see my parents often enough because they live in Salt Lake and I hate it. My dad and I have always been really close and I think the world of him. He has always made me feel like the most special daughter in the world and he thinks I am perfect.(Little does he know!) He would do anything for his kids and does. He has taken all over the state doing high school rodeo and sports and him and my mom are our biggest fans. He spent countless nights out in the barn teaching me all that he knows about horses and I cherish those times in our lives. He is so cute with my girls, and they love him to death. Dad I love you and think your the best. Happy Birthday!

Abi's 2!

2008-10-07T07:01:00.000-07:00

Abi turned 2 last week and had a great birthday, I think! We had all of the family over again and my mom brought a really cute pinata. We made her a cute Dora cake and she was way spoiled. Some of her favorite gifts were her cute car from my parents, her princess castle, and her new Scooby Doo movie. Thanks everyone for spoiling us so much in September. Happy Birthday Abi! We love you sweetie.

Cash Louis Bawden

2008-10-06T07:23:00.000-07:00

My cute little sister and her husband had their baby! We were able to go and stay with them for a few days and try to help her out, although I don't know how much we really helped. He is so darn cute, I wanted to steal him. Here are some pics. The girls loved him I think it might be time to add a little boy to our family what do you think?!

To be or not to be...

2008-09-30T09:58:00.001-07:00

Trendy... I have been battling with myself over the whole stretch pant trend. At first I thought there is no way I will ever where those; I left that behind in elementary school! But, my mother-in-law gave me the cutest outfit for my birthday which included gray stretchies and a cute black sweater-dress. I am actually wearing it today, and I kind of like it. So if any of you Ephraim ladies see me around town and think I look goofy just know I gave in to the craze! I feel a little like a "teenie-bopper" but hey it beats feeling old and matronly like I usually do! So I guess the question for you all is to stretch or not to stretch!?!

Busy, Busy, Summer!!!

2008-09-19T15:12:00.000-07:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Hi everyone:

I have turned into one of those bloggers that never blogs. I have had good intentions, but that was all it was, intentions. I feel like we have been running since the first part of August, and I haven't really gotten anywhere; we have done some really fun things though. This is going to be a catch-up post.

The first part of August, Durke did an the Leadville 100 Mountain Bike race in Leadville, Colorado. He had been training all summer for this race and he was really excited. We were able to stay in Vail at a really nice resort for a few days and had a really nice vacation. The Leadville 100 is a 100 mile mountain bike race at the top of the rockies. The race starts at 10,200 feet and climbs to 12,600. The cool thing about this race is Lance Armstrong raced in it too. Durke thought it was pretty cool that he got to ride with him. Durke did really good and finished in 9 hours 50 minutes, and he got a really cool belt buckle. We both love Vail, and were able to spend our anniversary there, and we were able to spend the week with Durke's sister Naloni and their wonderful family. We love you guys!

When we got home Durke's cute sister Joni was married to a really cute guy, Casey Thomas. Their wedding was beatiful and it was nice to be able to see all of the family. I don't have very many pictures of the wedding, but I did post a few that I had. I do have some funny pictures of us all re-decorating the wedding cake. It was the ugliest cake before the Gordon girls got to it ( I can say that because Joni thought so too), but we worked magic and it was beautiful in the end.

Two weekends ago, Durke did his final race of the season, the LOTOJA. For those of you who don't know what that means it is a race from Logan, Utah to Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Get it? Lo-to-Ja...anyway it is a 206 mile road bike race, and Durke did it in 12 hours 45 minutes. He did this race last year, and our brother-in-law Rich wanted to try it. Durke always says he doesn't like this race, but I'm sure it will be an annual thing for us. I really don't get why he puts himself through the pain, but I guess it's his thing. We stayed in a really cool hotel in Jackson for one night and hurried home.

We have also had a few other things going on, Gracie started Joy School and turned 4 years old. She had a really fun birthday party with a lot of friens and family. We made her a princess castle cake, it was definitely a family project. I think everyone had a little part in the decorating including my sister's husband Chase, and Durke. She was very spoiled, but she deserves it! We love you Gracer-Racer. We also sold our truck, had fun at the county-fair, and I've canned 12 quarts of peaches, 8 quarts of salsa, 6 quarts of tomatos, and 8 jars of jam.

We hope things have slowed down a little bit for our family and we hope all is going well for yours.

I hope we both make it through 2!

2008-08-28T10:17:00.000-07:00

Already this morning Abi has "given my cell phone a bath", thrown 2 very passionate temper-tantrums, dumped a full glass of water on my bed, and went potty on the bathroom floor (we're starting to potty train)! I have blow dried my cell phone, put Abi in "time-out" twice, soaked up as much water out of my mattress as I could, mopped the bathroom floor for the second time this week, and screamed into my pillow! I really don't remember Gracie being this hard. I hope it doesn't get worse with each child, because Durke and I want a few more and I don't know if it really could get any worse!

5 Years...

2008-08-13T15:30:00.000-07:00

Durke and my anniversary was last Friday on 8-8-08. We celebrated in Vail, Colorado and had a great time. As I look back over the last five years it has been pretty amazing. Just like everyone we have had our ups and our downs but we are so much better for all of them. We have grown so much through the hard times like losing Durke's brother, starting a new career, and all the stresses of having our own business; but I am so thankful for those times. We have also had two beautiful little girls that make us so happy, and lots of laughs and great memories. I have enjoyed watching Durke this past year as he has done so well in his bike races. He is so strong and motivated, I hope that some of his talents can rub off on me. He is such an amazing man and I am so proud of him and all of his accomplishments in work, sports, and being a dad and husband! He is such a great guy, and I am so blessed to have him in my life. Thanks babe, I love you.

Memory Tag

2008-08-03T18:36:00.001-07:00

I thought this was such a fun tag, so I thought I would join in! Leave a comment on our blog of a memory you have had with/of one of us. It doesn't matter if you've known us for a short time or you've known us forever... just let us know what you remember!! Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many memories people come up with. It's fun to see the responses. Ready.... get set.... leave a memory!!!

Pictures, pictures, pictures...

2008-07-22T08:23:00.000-07:00

We finally got out girls pictures taken, it's one of those things I have had on my mind to do forever, but I always procrastinate. The girl that takes them for me was moving, so I had to get them done and I was sooo happy with them.

Our summer fun...

2008-07-14T10:32:00.001-07:00

We have had a fun and busy summer so far. We have been camping, to all of Durke's mountain bike races, stayed at my families for a week to help my dad after he had back surgery, played with friends in the water, to the splash park by my parents house, BBQ's, to the lake, and tons more. We hope you are all having a fun summer too.

One word Tag

2008-07-14T09:26:00.000-07:00

One Word Tag...
1. Where is you cell phone? Abi
2. Your significant other? Durke
3. Your hair? Gracie says it's "wazzy!"
4. Your mother? Beautiful
5. Your father? Handsome
6. Your favorite thing? Family
7. Your dream last night? Forgettable
8. Your favorite drink? Strawberry-Lemondade
9. Your dream/goal? In shape
10. The room you're in? My office
11. Your children? Happiness
12. Your fear? Lonely
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Brazil
14. Where were you last night? In-laws
15. What you're not? Loud
16. Muffins? Chocolate
17. One of your wish list items? House
18. Where you grew up? Riverton
19. What are you wearing? P.J's
20. Your TV? Off
21. Your pets? Lost
22. Your computer? AFLAC's
23. Your life? Busy
24. Your mood? Fine
25. Missing someone? No
26. Your car? Parked
27. Something you're not wearing? Shoes
28. Favorite store? Tai Pan
29. Your summer? Too Fast
30. Like someone? Natalie
31. Your favorite color? Black
32. Last time you laughed? 5 minutes ago
33. Last time you cried? unknown

Lost turtles and too much water!

2008-06-27T09:33:00.000-07:00

We've had what I'll call a "different week". For the most part it has been pretty normal, except for a few minor glitches. On Wednesday, Gracie and Abi were given a little box turtle. They were soooo excited. This is the first time Dad has given in and said they could have a pet. We made it a cute little home outside with sand, water, and a large supply of lettuce. What more could a turtle ask for really? We made sure he was secure and couldn't escape before we went to bed, but apparently he could. Yesterday morning he was gone! We searched all day for him in every bush, in the river, at the neighbors, but according to Gracie he is "no-where to be found". We are quite sad, so if you live near us and happen to find a lost turtle, please let us know:)

The second crazy thing that happend is our basement flooded. A sprinkler valve that is right outside a window well, broke and started filling the basement with water. Luckily we found it pretty quickly, but it still had put a lot of water in one of the bedrooms downstairs. We spent all of Wednesday night cleaning that up.

Anyhow, I hope you have all had a great week and enjoy the weekend.

I do have a little creativity in me...

2008-06-27T09:22:00.001-07:00

Here are a couple little projects I have been doing this week. I am not creative at all, but I thought these were cute and decided I would share. We actually made similar treat bags in Stamp Club last week, so I can't claim the idea for myself; that was Addie, but I did add my own touch. The black and white card is one of my sister-in-laws bridal shower invitations. I don't make cute things very often so this is quite an accomplishment. I still have a long ways to go!

AHHHHH!!!!

2008-06-20T07:41:00.000-07:00

I think I am going to go crazy. Mosquitos have taken over Ephraim and I think their headquarters are in my yard. I counted 37 mosquito bites on me and probably few dozen more on each of my kids. I told Durke my chances of getting West Nile are growing very quickly. I am up all night scratching, and it is literally making me crazy. I have tried everything under the sun to try to keep the little pests away but to no avail. Please, please, please tell me if you have any secrets to keep the little bloodsuckers at bay!

100 Things about me...

2008-06-05T08:22:00.001-07:00

Thanks to Addie... here's everything you ever wanted or maybe didn't want to know about me!

1. My full name is Jessica Marie Gordon.
2. My maiden name was Crane.
3. I was born on September 28, 1982.
4. I am the oldest in my family.
5. I have a little sis named Jaimie; she's 22, married and pregnant with her first baby boy.
6. My little brother's name is Austin, he's 17 and 6'4" tall.
7. I am way close to my parents and I love them very much.
8. I grew up in Riverton, Utah.
9. We lived on 5 acres with a horse barn, arenas, fields, a pond and lots of animals. I loved it.
10. I grew up riding horses nearly everyday.
11. I miss that. I hope that my girls will be able to ride someday too.
12. I competed in the National High School Rodeo Association. My events were barrel racing and poles.
13. I used to train horses during the summers.
14. I would like to compete again.
15. Even though I rode horses, I never considered myself a "cowgirl".
16. I graduated from Riverton High School in 2001.
17. I came to Snow College all by myself and I'm glad I did.
18. I have two cute little girls named Gracie Pearl and Abigail Marie Gordon. I love being a mom.
19. I am married to Durke Gordon and I am one lucky girl.
20. We were married August 8, 2003 in the Manti temple.
21. I sell Aflac insurance.
22. I love, love, love any kind of flower.
23. I also love lighthouses.
24. I have the greatest in-laws in the world, I am so glad to be part of their family.
25. I had a tumor on my thyroid in college and had to have it removed.
26. I worked for the the President, Michael Benson, while I went to Snow and loved it!
27. I drive a white Pontiac Grand Prix. Durke brought it home to me right before we had Gracie.
28. While I was in high school and college I bought a black Ford Escort. I loved that car. My sister drives it now.
29. I bought it myself.
30. I would like to one day be an aerobics instructor or a personal trainer.
31. I am a clean freak.
32. I love to vaccuum.
33. I am a homebody.
34. My great grandma, Pearl Patterson is my hero. I hope to be just like her.
35. I used to be a bookworm, I still like to read quite a bit.
36. My last read was "The Host" by you know who:) I really like it.
37. I love old country music. Wierd I know, but I think it comes from my dad.
38. My family wasn't active in the church until I was ten years old.
39. We were sealed in the Salt Lake Temple in December 1993.
40. I love to travel.
41. I love shoes, and I have a ton of them.
42. I have broken both of my arms, and as of last week 2 fingers.
42. I am the enrichment leader in our ward right now.
43. I love to cook and would love to cater some day.
44. I have always wanted to be a mom and a wife.
45. Some places I would like to go are: Europe (we are probably going next April), New York, Tahiti, Brazil, Church history sights, and New England.
46. Some places I've been are, Mexico, California, Oregon, and Washington. Not too many!
47. One of my favorite vacations was up Hwy 1 on the Pacific Coast.
48. I am addicted to blogging.
49. I love to get the mail. Durke thinks this is really wierd!
50. Half way, are you bored yet?
51. I am a perfectionist.
52. I am very un-cordinated. I think I gave all those genes to my sister. You're welcome, Jaimie.
53. Except for Durke, I would say my best friend is my mom. She's the greatest.
54. I don't really like to talk on the phone.
55. My favorite restaurants are The Roof, Olive Garden, Red Lobster, and Chili's.
56. I like to work in the yard.
57 I love my parents barn. It has a lot of wonderful memories for me.
58. I fall down all the time.
59. I love summer BBQ's.
60. Some of the jobs I have had are: secretary at the middle school in Riverton, sweeper at the same middle school, in-bound call center(this was the easiest job ever!), I trained horses, taught swimming lessons, worked at Sanpete Community Training with handicp children, secretary at Snow college, and now Aflac.
61. I really like to play board games. Durke hates it though.
62. I hadn't ever ridden a motorcyle until I married Durke and I really like it.
63. I want to have a lot of kids.
64. I am actually really shy.
65. I have a little confession, I love General Hospital and I faithfully watch it everyday. Pathetic I know. It's my weakness, but don't ever tell Durke.
66. When I was younger, I used to dream of going to Harvard. I didn't quite make it, but that's ok.
67. I really like camping. My family always had a nice 5th wheel trailer that we stayed in, Durke likes to roll his sleeping bag out on the dirt; we compromise and stay in a tent. I am still working on him to get a trailer; someday maybe, hopefully!
70. My hair wasn't curly until I was 10 and it is very much controlled by my hormones. When I am pregnant it isn't as curly.
71. One of my pet-peeves is women who say they love being pregnant. Come on that is such a lie. People won't think less of you to tell the truth. It's the longest 10, yes 10 months of your life.
72. I am a list person. Ask Durke I make a list for everything! Grocery lists, to-do lists, packing lists, want lists, Christmas lists, you get the drift.
73. My favorite color is black.
74. I also really like brown, red, and green.
75. I think I was born in the wrong decade. I would have been perfectly content with living in the 50's. I just like being a housewife; cooking, cleaning, sewing, and taking care of my family. I hope none of you are too feminist, you probably think I am crazy!
76. Some of these are getting a little strange, but maybe I am a little strange though. Aren't we all?
77. I am a hopeless romantic. I really think love should be like it is in the movies.
78. I don't drink soda pop. It gives me a belly-ache.
79. Spring is my favorite season.
80. I love shopping for Christmas and I usually start in July.
81. My most embarrassing moment was in college. I was on a date in Provo, and we went to the Red Robin at the Provo Mall for dinner. When we were leaving I was talking to my date and accidentally went out the fire exit. The alarm starting buzzing and lights started flashing; the people who worked their were in a panic. My date and I ran. It was really bad!
82. I get stressed really easily, but I am pretty good at hiding it.
83. I hate confrontation or tension. I will do almost anything to avoid it.
84. I am really scared of open water, like lakes and oceans. I hate not knowing what is under there.
85. Durke and I talk about everything. It is on of my favorite things about our relationship.
86. Another pet-peeve of mine is when people burp; especially women. It is so rude and gross.
87. I love the zoo. I always have; I think I get more excited than my kids.
88. Durke introduced me to mountain biking, and I love it. (As long as we're going downhill!)
89. I think it would be fun to be a wedding planner.
90. "The Wedding Planner" happens to be one of my favorite movies. I also like Dirty Dancing, Top Gun, Enchanted, anything real mushy.
91. I think Matthew McConnahey? is one the most attractive men on the planet.
92. I love a good rain and thunderstorm.
93. I tried out for Miss Riverton twice, and it was the scariest thing I have ever done.
94. I like to go to the dentist. I love the feeling of clean teeth.
95. One of my favorite splurges is a one hour swedish massage from the day spa where my sister works.
96. My hair is shorter now than it ever has been.
97. Wow this is getting really hard!
98. One of my very favorite things is to cuddle with Durke and the girls in our bed in the mornings. It's one of those things I know I am going to really miss when they get older.
99. I can't believe you made it this far!
100. I am so glad to have the life that I have. It has made me the person I am today. Thanks Addie for making me think about myself; that doesn't happen very often.

Now I tag, Melissa Zuber, Angeline Coleman, Julia Stallings, and Janille Olsen. It's fun, promise.

Ouch!

2008-05-30T08:25:00.000-07:00

I have had what we'll call a "rough week". On Wednesday night I had a typical Jessi moment! We were at Durke's bike race in Draper, and we were sitting on the bleachers; which were made of cement. My parents were there and Niki's boyfriend Kelly. Abi being her typical handful self, was pulling off her pants and her diaper so I went to grab her and somehow fell. (I was wearing some high sandals which may have had something to it. Durke has since outlawed me from wearing anything over an inch!) I started tumbling down, down, down. Luckily Kelly grabbed my leg and stopped me as I was headed into the 3rd roll. I think he may have saved my life! Anyway, I was pretty beat up, I had blood all over, on my knee, my toes, my arm, my leg, but the worst thing were my fingers. I went to the doc yesterday, and apparently I have 2 joint fractures. My fingers are huge and black and blue. I didn't get a chance to take my wedding ring off before my fingers swelled up like a balloon, so it is stuck. I have been really nervous, because Durke says they may have to cut it off, if my finger doesn't go down (my ring, not my finger:). That will be a sad day! Here are some pictures!

5 of your favorite things....

2008-05-23T08:05:00.001-07:00

I thought it would be fun to list 5 things you have recently came across or bought that you love or has made your life better or easier. If you read this consider yourself tagged and post 5 of your favorite things. Have fun! Hopefully we can all add some of these things to our lives to make them a little easier and a little sweeter too!

1. My new Tart & Tangy stamp set from Stampin' Up. This is the funnest set, it is so versatile and great for summer cards; and I have used it a ton! (I didn't make these cards, but I wish I had!)

2. Edemame- This is my new favorite snack & it's way healthy. Edemame is a young soybean still in the pod. It looks a lot like a pea and is grown in Asia. Katie Justeson introduced this to me at Supper club last month, and my family loves it! (even my girls) You can find it with the frozen vegetables; just boil it for three minute, sprinkle a little salt on it, and enjoy! (Note: don't eat the whole pod, just the inside; I made that mistake the first time, and trust me it's not very good:) The greatest thing about this is it's way healthy, so enjoy!

3. My new Colbie Caillat cd Addie gave me. (Thanks Addie, for keeping me up with the music trends, if it wasn't for you, I would be such a music dud:) Her songs are so fun and they put me in a good mood.

4. The Swivel Sweeper- My mom gave this to me for Mother's Day, and I absolutely love it! (Thanks mom you're the greatest!) It is a cordless vaccuum, that picks up anything from anywhere. With two little girls, it has made my life much easier. They're $30 at Shopko, or Target. Get one, I promise you'll be glad you did!

5. Suave Kids Cowabunga Coconut Shampoo/Conditioner. I know I am a little weird, but this is the best kids shampoo I have found. It smells so good, and it makes my girls hair really soft and easy to comb. Plus it's cheap, all the better!

6. Okay, so I have to add one more. If you're a "clean freak" like me, you'll appreciate this website. http://www.flylady.net/ Check it out, I promise you'll like it.

I can't wait to see all of your favorites.

Tag Time!

2008-05-13T10:53:00.000-07:00

Both Gracie and Durke were tagged, so here's a little bit about two of my favorite people...

All about my cute husband

2008-05-13T10:05:00.000-07:00

What is his name? Durke Zeb Gordon

How long have you been together? We will have be married for 5 years on 8/8/08. (A little crazy huh!)

How long did you date? We dated for about a year and were engaged for 3 months.

How old is he? He is a halloween baby and will be 29 this year.

Who eats more? Durke eats more treats, but we actually eat about the same. That's pretty bad!

Who said I love you first? Durke finally told me he loved me when he asked me to marry him. He had a little bit of a committment problem or he will tell you he is so committed he couldn't tell me until he knew for sure. I think that's kind of sweet though.

Who is taller? Durke is 6' I am 5'3.

Who can sing better? I don't know that I have ever really heard Durke sing, but I definitely don't sing very well, so he probably has me beat there.

Who is smarter? We both have our strong points, when it comes to insurance and fixing things Durke is a genius, but everything else I am! :)

Who does the laundry? I do. Durke wouldn't even know how to turn on the washer or dryer. He could wash them by hand with a washboard though, he learned that on his mission to Brazil.

Who pays the bills? I do.

Who sleeps on the right side? Durke does.

Who mows the lawn? Me, me, me. At least I have a riding lawn mower!

Who cooks dinner? I do, but Durke can make a mean french toast!:)

Who drives? Durke

Who is more stubborn? Durke will say me, I will say Durke and neither of us is willing to budge:)

Who kissed who first? Durke kissed me at his parents cabin. It was very romantic.

Who asked who out first? This is a long story, you'll have to ask me if you are interested. I ended up asking him out first.

Who proposed? Durke. He took me up the canyon and made me close my eyes, then he had a dozen roses and for each rose he told me a reason why he loved me and wanted me to be his wife. It was definitely his romance peak, he has had a little bit of a struggle trying to top that.

Who has more friends? I think we're the same.

Who is more sensitive? Hands down me. He is a pretty sensitive guy though.

Who has more siblings? Durke has seven and he is the youngest boy. I have 3 and I am the oldest.

Who puts the kids to bed? We both do.

Who wears the pants? Nobody. We both think this is a ridiculous saying. We both respect eachothers opinions and make decisions together.

I am so glad Durke is my husband, I love him so much. He makes me a better person, and I am grateful for that.

I now tag Jen Jensen, Brandy Elegante, and Tasha Peacock.

Gracie's Pics

2008-05-13T09:54:00.001-07:00

2008-05-13T09:21:00.000-07:00

8 Things about Gracie:

1. She was born on September 14, 2004 at Gunnison Hospital. She weighed 6.5 pounds and had a ton of black hair.

2. She is my little social-lite. I have no idea where she got this characteristic because Durke and I aren't very outgoing, but she could make friends or talk to anyone, and she does. She used to call every old lady or man we saw Grandma or Grandpa and then proceed to start a long conversation with them. It was a little embarrassing, but she seemed to make friends and to make their day.

3. She loves to ride her bike. It's in her genes, compliments of her daddy. He is always so proud of her when she "rides so fast" or leaves a really long skidmark in the driveway. The funny thing about her bike is it isn't a pink one with flowers on it, but a blue one with flames and Specialized stickers all over it.

4. Gracie hates snow. She doesn't like to be out in it, for it to touch her, and she definitely hates sleigh riding. Needless to say, this winter was very long.

5. Gracie loves my dad. They have always had some sort of a connection. A lot of this love could be from the fact that he spoils her rotten and she couldn't do anything wrong in his eyes. My parents live on a little farm with horses and all kinds of animals, and they do High School Rodeo with my little brother. Gracie can usually be found with Grandpa out in the barn feeding the horses, or tagging along to the rodeos. She is starting to become a pretty good rider. Durke and I aren't sure if she'll be a bike racer or a little cowgirl. We'll have to see.

6. Gracie has a ton of friends. She loves to play with them. Some of her closest friends are Abi, Joslynn, (they are like sisters), Phoebe, Chance, Colby, Mariah Cherry, and many others. I hope she is always as good at making friends as she is now.

7. Gracie talks a lot! Sometimes we have to say "Gracie, it's time to be quiet now." That doesn't sound very nice, but you have no idea how it gets sometimes. She not only talks to us, but she'll talk to anyone about anything. She always seems to pick the meanest looking person and starts talking to them, and they always smile. She has a gift of making people smile.

8. Gracie is a very special little girl, and we are so blessed to have her in our family. I love you Gracie.

We now tag Kayson Jensen, Kiara and Ace Elegante, Keldon Stallings

Happy Mothers' Day!

2008-05-10T14:33:00.000-07:00

I found this cute poem and thought I would share it.

What is a Mother's love?
It is something that is very, very special.
It is something that no one can really explain.
It's something that is made up of much deep devotion, joy, pain and sacrifice.
It is endless and unselfish and it endures whatever may come.
It is full of hopes, dreams, tears and pleasure.
Nothing can ever destroy it or take that special love away.
It is very patient and forgiving.
A Mother's love is a lifelong commitment to selflessness.
More often than not, it requires much more giving than receiving.
But it is something that is given with delight, gratitude, enthusiasm and much satisfaction.
A Mother's love never fails or falters even though the heart is breaking.
It is always believing when all the rest of the world is condemning.
A Mother's love is a splendored miracle that man cannot understand.
It is something that cannot be measured, for it has no beginning or no end.

I have been thinking a lot about what I have learned since becoming a mom and how I have changed, and I think it has been a lot. I thought I would share a few.
1.I have learned that a kiss from mom really does make "owies" all better.
2. I have learned that I am not quite as patient as I thought I was, and it is actually something I need to work at.
3. I have learned what it looks like at the wee hours of the morning and how to stay awake really late.
4. I have remembered how fun it is to just play.
5. I have learned what and how deep true love is.
6. I have learned what it really is to sacrifice; sleep, the last cookie, your favorite show, time, and so much more.
7. I have learned that sacrificing so much somehow makes you feel good.
8. I have learned there is such thing as love at first sight.
9. I have learned how exciting the world can be.
10. I have learned how much I love being a mom.

Dandelions or Sunflowers?

2008-04-29T12:46:00.000-07:00

Much to my annoyance, dandelions have been popping up everywhere in our yard. I cannot tell you how much I despise dandelions; probably because every Spring they take over our yard and it seems as if we spend the entire summer trying to keep them at bay. Gracie, however, loves them! Everytime she sees those little yellow demons popping up she says "Mom look at the beautiful sunflowers!" and then proceeds to pick as many as she can for me to put in a vase and put on display in the house. Today, I was digging up a few from my flower bed and she was traumatized that I would kill the flowers. You are probably wondering where I am going with this. . . After Gracie's and my conversation about why I was killing the dandelions/sunflowers, I started thinking how nice it would be to have the heart and mind of a 3 year old. To look at everything and everyone for the good that is in them instead of the bad. They seem to be able to find joy in everything. When or where in our lives to we lose that? I have decided to try to look at the world more as a child does, I am willing to bet it will make a big difference. So my point is enjoy the dandelions!

Peter Pan Syndrome

2008-04-17T09:03:00.001-07:00

Do any of you ever get really sad when you think about your little ones growing up? I 'm sure I'm not the only one having issues with this. I just love my little girls so much; I love when they cuddle with me and Durke in the mornings, I love when they climb up on my lap, or fall asleep in my arms. I don't ever want them to get big, and not want to hug me anymore, or even worse get so big that they move away. That sounds like the most horrible thing ever. I know that all stages of life are probably fun and we can learn a lot, but I am selfish and I never want Gracie and Abi to get bigger than they are right now.

General Conference...

2008-04-07T07:48:00.000-07:00

I love General Conference. It is so nice to be able to have our leaders speak to us. I don't know about you but it seems like every time I feel that one or two talks are just for me; this conference was no different. I loved Elder Ballard's talk to the young mothers. It gave me a little boost of energy to keep going. Motherhood can be very difficult and sometimes it does feel like we're doing it all alone. It is so comforting to know that Heavenly Father knows how we feel and is there to help. I also liked the little bit to the husbands, boy am I going to use that against Durke! I also really liked Elder Russel M. Nelson's talk and when he said "Do not try to control your children. Instead, listen to them, help them to learn the gospel, inspire them, and lead them toward eternal life." What great advice for all of us parents. President Monson is so amazing. He is so sweet and such a great example. I hope you all enjoyed conference too.

My little princess...

2008-03-31T08:51:00.000-07:00

My grandma gave Gracie this little hair wrap a few weeks ago. She loves to wear it, and I think she looks so cute. After her bath, she struts around the house and says "Ooo, look at the pretty princess". I need to film it so I can use it as blackmail in the future, but for now I think it is pretty cute.

Happy Easter!!!

2008-03-24T09:33:00.000-07:00

Easter is one of my favorite holidays. I love Spring, coloring eggs, watching how excited the little ones are when they finally get to hunt for candy, and I really love being the Easter Bunny. When I was little I always looked forward to my new Easter dress. I thought these two looked so darn cute, I had to post this picture. I hope you all had a fun Easter weekend too.

Durke's Bike Race in St. George. He did great and we had a lot of fun!!!

2008-03-04T14:03:00.001-08:00

I thought this was hilarious...

2008-02-26T10:36:00.001-08:00

Abi had just ate lunch (a pb&j sandwich) and I was getting her in the bathtub. She had her hair in a whole bunch of rubber bands and when I took them out her hair looked like this. I just thought her face was so funny. This made me smile, hopefully it made you too.

Hey everyone, I finally did it...

2008-02-26T10:35:00.001-08:00

I have had good intentions for about six months of getting my blog up and running, and... here it is. Once I figured it out it has been really fun. I hope now I can keep on top of it. I look forward to your comments and I have really enjoyed looking at all of yours. You creative little women you. Hope to talk to you all soon...