Here is the Diva. Actually, mostly she is still quite sweet, but this is one night at Young Women's and she had had it. She wanted me to pick her up so badly, but I was taking pictures. Boy was she MAD! Luckily we had some M & M's for a treat that night and she settled down quickly into a sticky mess. Still no walking, but tonight she made huge strides in her progress. Lizzy had a Creamie and Hazel would try a couple semi assisted, semi not assisted steps and she was getting more and more confident each time. Lizzy said 3 hours a day for training and she will be walking in one weeks time. I think I am just going to send her to boot camp Scherbel instead.

Realizing that many of my posts are about my James, I need to even the playing field. Since Zachary is at school everyday I rarely have time with just him and me. He is the life of any party. Everyday after school he has planned play dates with friends. Not just one, but most of the class, and always at our house. We arrive home and moms will call, is so and so there playing with Zachary? No i will say, and soon we will discover the master planner was at it again. For a long time all of the neighbor kids were walking to school and he would join them, soon he was avoiding it, when you ask why? He doesn't want to walk with a mom. One mom was walking her daughter up everyday and that was too much for him. There were many times he has walked alone, just to avoid it.

Zachary is good at everything he tries. Since he is an old kindergartner, we decided this year he could do more extracurricular activities to fill in possible boredom. He is currently swimming on a swim team, playing soccer, baseball, taking piano lessons, and going to school. His energy never runs out. His passion never runs out. He lives for sports. I was able to attend a basketball game with his the other night. The Jazz were playing the sonics. I got to sit with him, just us. We were high fiving every point and play that went our way. His passion was so contagious that I was ready to go out to the Fanzz store and pick myself up a jersey!

This is a picture of Zachary and his makeshift golf hole. He is putting it into a sideways cone.

Happy Birthday James!! This is James' birthday lunch at the coveted "CARLOS JR." James has known where he would be going for his birthday lunch for a long time. That is one thing about him, once he has decided something, it does not change. I wish I was more like that... Anyways he was certain that he would order the portabello mushroom burger as he has seen on many ads, but once we arrived, a cheeseburger was just fine. James crawled in bed with me yesterday morning and cuddled up as he always does, but couldn't stay for long...he needed to go and change his calendar to April. Serious business.

Family members came over for pizza and cake. James went to Baskin Robbins to pick out his cake, when he was able to choose out any of the 31 flavors for his ice cream cake...he answered, unwavering "vanilla."

What is it about a good deal?

What is it about a good deal? I have been thinking about this a lot, on different occasions...but I the other day, I decided I could need help...

Lets back up though, really, think about it. When you are shopping somewhere like Nordstrom Rack, Ross or HomeGoods...it is a little bit different than other places. First of all, you would never take your hands off your cart with merchandise in it. All of the sudden, instead of fellow shoppers, everyone around you become competitors. What do they have in their cart that is a better deal? I find myself peeking into carts or following someone that looks like a much more experienced deal finder than myself, who often times is just not patient enough and ends up spending more for no reason.

So...we have been looking for a coffee table for our house. Most of our furniture is hand me down or from DownEast Home with a few scratchs. I like it, I feel like the better the deal, the more I value it. So, usually after the weekly movie night, Cory and I would stop in and look around. We have had very good luck at this store since we moved a year and a half ago. One sectional, 2 rugs, a kitchen table, 10 dining chairs, a buffet.

We were not having much luck in the coffee table department.

So, on the day of our YW New Beginnings, for those of you who do not know what that is, it is a big event for all the YW and their parents. There is a program and a few talks, refreshments, decorations, the whole kitten kaboodle. So, needless to say, this was a busy day, I had already been to the wardhouse twice to set up and was making a "quick" run to Costco for a few last minute "necessities." Walking down the aisle I spotted some ficus trees down at the end. I have been wanting one, but just never found the energy to pick one up, also, they are expensive for a fake plant! Sorry for the tangent, so I see the ficus trees, decide that they would look great behing the pulpit in the RS room that night, so I put on in my cart. I turn around, and there it is, a marked down coffee table. It is the display one only left, so I know that I have got to act fast. I find an employee for mor information.

The table is dark wood, has four drawers, storage always gets me. As an added bonus, the top opens up and it has a hidden leaf, so the top gets bigger for games, puzzles, food, whatever. Regularly $350, which, FYI i would never pay for a table for the basement. I find out it is marked down to $80. WHAT!!!??? I need it now. So, since I have a flatbed now, lets get 2 trees, right?

I am lucky I only had Hazel. Finding room for all of the stuff was an absolute joke, I drove home with the tailgate held down with twine. So, once I was home I had to have little Zachary help me get it out. He was dying! It was pretty heavy.

Deals make me crazy. It looks so good...even better because it was only 80 buckaroos!

James Hoops

this is a test...

Potty Training a Puppy

Our family has been completely engulfed in potty training our surprise from Santa Claus this year, a little yorkie. Her name is Daisy Dolores by Katy's terms, and Day Z by Cory's. Either way, she is a hard core rapper, just like Jay Z. Moving along, potty training a puppy is even more challenging than a kid because there are not diapers, and you sure don't love them as much as your child. Plus, you are cleaning the carpet all the time. Megan and Jake experienced this while we were on the cruise, bless their hearts, they babysat her. We didn't understand why a 2.5 pound animal could s__t 12 times a day...literally. Disaster. Recently we realized there had to be something wrong. We took her to the vet, one fecal sample and a day later, the diagnosis was in. GIARDIA. It makes total sense.

The whole point of this was to let you know how this has affected the whole family. James sometimes puts her leash on and hooks her to a doorknob so that she will not run off into a corner and poop.

Today, Cory took the kids to TGI Fridays for lunch. The placemat had a place to draw your pet. Excited that they finally have a pet, the boys dove right in. Zachary proudly showed his masterpiece to Cory.

Zach: Dad, do you know who this is?

Cory: Yeah, it is Day Z.

Z: I know, but what is she doing?

C: What is that??? (looking at a suspicious brown blob on the picture)

Z: She's pooping! (laughing hysterically)

Potty training a puppy...a family affair.

James' prayer tonight...

"please bless President Monsen that he will do a good job prophetting us"

"please bless President Hinckley that he will be safe in heaven."