Happy Birthday Jonathan!

Today is Jonathan's 35th birthday. He is such an amazing man.. I love him for so many reasons. But, I will just name a few here. I remember the first time I met him, his eyes were what attracted me to him. They still are, those beautiful dark brown eyes. I still get butterflies when I know that I am going to see him. He has a strong testimony of Jesus Christ and the gospel. He has the desire to be a better man. He loves me and tells me regularly. He loves being a father. We balance each other out so well. He is so passionate about what he loves. He does not sit on the fence. He champions other peoples causes when he believes in what they are doing.. Okay, there are a few reasons why I love this man so much...
HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABE!

warm weather here I come

Tomorrow Jonathan and I will be taking a nice relaxing trip and flying to Phoenix for Jonathan's birthday. We will be there for Easter weekend. I am looking forward to lots of things. The easter pageant will be at the temple grounds. I can go to the Mesa temple. I haven't been there since I was a youth doing baptisms. I am so looking forward to just sitting in the sun for long hours and baking. I am tired of always being cold.... It will be nice to see my dad and his wife Adrienne. Plus, I get to spend time with one of my favorite cousins Emily and her husband Timmy. I haven't been away from my kids for almost a year so, I am looking forward to the relaxing and pampering and being with my husband.

Church ball

So, I thought I was done refereeing for the season. I put my uniform away and was sad that I would have to wait until November to do it again.. Surprise!!! I am not done. They have asked me to officiate for church ball. I did a game on Thursday, a game on Friday and four games today. That is right, 4 games. Yes, my legs are weak but I am feeling really good. I love the exercise and it is a little more laid back than high school ball. (I didn't do any games for elders, otherwise I would worry.) I also have been told that their are tournaments and camps for different high schools through out the year that I can referee. So, maybe this will end up being a year round thing. That would be awesome. I love the exercise. I love the sport. As my partner told me today, "it is your time to shine."

American Idol Junkie

So, I do not watch much television at all. In fact, I think that the only TV that I watch on a regular basis is the series Medium. This changes when American Idol comes on. I look forward every year to the new season of American Idol. I LOVE this show... I absolutely love it. I am so excited when Tuesday comes and look forward to it with great anticipation. The last few weeks it has been Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. So, tonight at 7:00 I will be watching my American Idol and voting for my favorites which are really hard to choose this year because they are all so amazing. But, I really love David Archuleta from Utah. I also really like Jason Castro and Brooke White. Anyway, so call me silly or whatever but, I LOVE this show. Anyone else like it too?

Fun with the Smiths

So my sister Summer and her husband Jesse came over for Sunday dinner. It was a blast. They are both so much fun to be around. We decided to play tag in the house. Well, they played and I took pictures. They are both like 2 big kids... My kids love being around them. They are known as the "cool Aunt and Uncle." Here are some silly pictures from today....
No playing ball in the house!!
Jesse and Devin lost the ball in the trees
They are so cool!!
enjoying fine conversation, food and wine. (juice)

3 magical ingredients

Since Monica has lived back in Utah, she has taught me many useful cooking skills and tips. But, I think the one that I have used the most comes from 3 ingredients. Olive oil, kosher salt and pepper. These 3 ingredients will make almost anything taste good. For instance, I cut up some zucchini in spears last night, put these 3 ingredients on it and cooked it in the oven for about 20 minutes and now my kids eat zucchini. I put this on roasts, fish, potatoes, any type of vegetable that you roast. I have used it on diced sweet potatoes and broccoli. It is amazing. Olive oil brings out the true flavors of dishes plus it is a good healthy oil. This is now a staple in my kitchen. So, if you have a hard time getting your kids to eat your veggies, try this.. It worked for my family.

The season is over and just beginning

Well, I refereed my last basketball games on Saturday. It was some tournament games for girls. I am both sad and relieved that it is all over. No more crazy fans and coaches yelling at me.
My next adventure will be to play in a womens basketball league for our stake. That should be a blast. They won first place last year for Springville. Although, I am a bit nervous. I haven't actually played on a team since high school. Man, that has been like 16 years. I have coached and I have refereed but haven't played for a very long time. I have been dreaming about it. But, they turn into nightmares. Like, I have the ball and start dribbling down the court but can't remember how to dribble and look silly and everyone laughs. But, I will do it. It should be great fun, even if everyone laughs.