Time for an update

So it's been awhile since I've updated what's been going on with all of us.....just to warn you now, this may get a little lengthy, but I'll try not to ramble too much. So, Gary's Grandpa Bagley passed away. We are all saddened by it, but we are also grateful that he is back with Heavenly Father and his beloved wife where he is not suffering anymore. So the weekend before this last weekend, Easter weekend, the kids had their spring break and were out of school Friday through Monday. It turned out to be good timing because the veiwing was Sunday and the funeral was Monday. So it wasn't the greatest Easter weekend ever, but we did all get to spend a lot of time with family and see many relatives that we just don't ever see anymore. It was really nice to catch up with everyone and see how everyone is changing and growing in their families.
This last Friday, the 17th of April, my oldest child, Sierra, turned 11 years old. She is growing up so fast and becoming a such a beautiful young lady! I cannot believe how grown up she is becoming. She is such a big help and is so talented in so many ways. I'm so lucky to have her in my life. I don't have many pictures from her birthday this year because we had a girl's day out on her birthday. I took her out of school early and my sister Amanda, Sierra and I all went to lunch together. After lunch we ran to Chesbro Music and got a new book for Sierra and her violin, then we went to D.I. We were there for at least an hour. Amanda and I just kept picking out clothes and more clothes for Sierra to try on. They have the best selection of jeans in women sizes for the best price, so needless to say, that is where we go first for Sierra's clothes anymore. We had a great time there and found lots of cute clothes for Sierra. We then headed to I.F. to go to Kohl's and Sam's Club. Again, found some great deals at Kohl's and Sierra actually has pants and some new clothes that look really great on her. Saturday, Sierra and Grace had Dance Festival for part of the day. Naturally they both did great! Afterwards Sierra went over to her friend's house and ended up staying the night there. Sunday was a pretty nice day. We all went to pickup Sierra, then we headed to Rexburg to pickup my dad's snowmachine from a friend's house and take it back and park it in his shop. We visited there for a little bit. My cousin had brought back from Texas pictures that my mom had sent her mom through the years. It was fun to look through those again. We did a lot of laughing at what we used to look like! Then we headed home the scenic way! Any of you who know Gary knows that he doesn't like to take the same or most direct route anywhere! It was a nice Sunday drive with the family. When we got home, I finally finished my dishes and then started working on making homemade pizzas, breadsticks and fruit pizzas for Sierra's family birthday dinner. It's been a good weekend. This week is supposed to be nice weather and I'm so glad the spring is really here. I really need to work out where I'm going to put my garden and getting the lawn covered in the weed n' feed that I have. I'm so excited to get to spend more time out in the beautiful weather. I'm also thinking of all the deep cleaning I need to do in the house too. All in good time I suppose. One other thing that I'd like to update you on is that I've lost 11.2 lbs in the last 4 weeks!! Woohooo. I didn't do real great this last week with my weight loss, but I'm still losing and I'm so motivated to keep it up, thanks to all the wonderful people around me, cheering me on. I hope all is well with everyone and I will try to keep up a better for you and for me.

Pics of my new front room and couch!

Okay, here are the pics I promised! First of all, thanks to our friend, Travis, for being so helpful to us in buying our couch. The one we ordered was here yet, and we needed a couch for this weekend because we had friends coming over to stay with us. So Travis let us take the one on the showroom floor home so we had our couch. Thank you Travis. If anyone is looking for furniture, Oakridge is Rigby is the place to go!!

The next person I'd like to thank is our awsome neighbor Matt. He came over and helped Gary move all the pieces of the couch from the pickups to inside our front room. Thank you Matt, we love having you for a neighbor! I would also like to thank my brother-in-law Garin for showing up at just the right time so that he could help Gary move all of the furniture around the room till I decided how I liked it best. Love you Garin!

So here is one end of my couch...................

Here is the middle of the couch..............

And here is the other end of the couch! It is so big! It's also very comfortable. We spent a lot of time on it this weekend and we are very happy with it. So now we get onto some pics of my finished room......okay, technically it's not finished. All of the white trim is going to be replaced in the next couple of months. Gary is going to bring home a few of his tools for me so I can start making some of the trim for the room. I can't wait to start that project, I think.

So there's my front door/entry way and piano.

There it is from another angle.

See all the room we have to walk between the couch and the wall. It looks worse here in the picture than it really is. But the couch does take up most of the rooom.

There is my accent wall. I really do love these colors that I put on the walls. I think everything in here just goes so well with all of it. I love to be in this room now. Also, you guys should check out my other blog and check up on my weight loss goals that are happening.

A sneek peek

So I have been painting my front room in anticipation of the new couch that is coming this weekend! I'm so excited! Also, in the following weeks, I will be attempting, with Gary's help, to make our own trim and crown molding to hang up in there too. Slowly, but surely, I'm going to get my house updated.

So many things to do, so little time...

So my calendar is quickly filling up! Agh! I love it and hate it at the same time. I love being busy and having lots of great stuff to do, but I hate not having more flexibility with my schedule some days. I knew that with my kids getting older this was going to happen, but it's not really my kids that are making my schedule more hectic. I've got all sorts of new responsibilities in our ward, which is great. But I'm feeling a little bad that I have to make my kids miss out on activities this summer because I'm too busy. On the other hand, they are young enough that they'll have plenty of opportunities to do summer sports and what not. I am really excited for all the opportunities that are presenting themselves to me this year. I can't wait to get to learn and grow with the Young Women and share all sorts of wonderful experiences with them. I get to still be on the Activities Committee, which I love, love, love! Plus we have a ton of Family Reunions this year, which will be lots of fun....I always look forward to these. Then there is any camping we can fit in between all of that. It's gonna be a great summer. I really hope I can kinda keep up with my blog and share with all of you the craziness that my life is destined to be this year.

Who wants to be the next Biggest Loser?

So my genius friend had an awsome idea for me today. I've just started working out with one of my good friends and we have it planned for a couple times a week while still working out by ourselves on the other days. We really wanted to get more people involved, but that is hard to do with lack of space, number of kids, etc. So my other friend, Brooke(who is the genius) told me we should do a Biggest Loser Couples, but the couples being friends, neighbors, family, whoever you choose to do it with. So we are putting the word out there to our family and friends that if you are interested try to find a partner to do it with you. We would like to start it officially by the 23rd of March and go until the 1st of June. Each "couple" will put $10($5/person) into a pot and in the end, the "couple" with the highest percentage of weight loss will get the money. We'll set it up so that every Monday everyone will check in and post their percentage lost that week on this blog or one that we'll set up. No one will have to reveal what their weight is unless they want to. If you are interested, please let me know! You do not have to live by me to do this.....to my friends and family that live far away, you can be involved too. Let me know if you are interested!!

Got the message loud and clear

Alright, alright, alright! I hear ya all! I will definitely be paying some bills off, but I'm also seeing exactly how far my money will stretch. I will definitely keep you updated on what I all I get to accomplish with my extra money.

Ok, new subject! So I got a call a little while ago from the Stake Girls Camp Leader and Gary and I both were asked to go have a little visit with the High Council on Sunday......I wonder what they could want......Hmmmmmm. I'm kinda excited! I love Girls Camp and would love to be involved with it. As long as it's not in the same capacity that is was 4 years ago! I was a cook for Stake Girls Camp and that was a lot of work. I'd like to be more involved with the girls if I get to go this time. This situation I will also keep you updated with. Our meeting works out pretty nice, since we have to be at the Stake Center just after that anyway for Grace's Baptism preview. I can't believe Miss Grace will be eight this year and getting baptized. I just wish Gary would get his act together so he would be able to perform the baptism. Oh well, in due time. I'm pretty sure that this is one of those things that is supposed to help me with my patience.

Another subject! Last night was Girl's Night Out and I had a blast! It is always so rejuvinating to just get out with the girls every once in awhile. They are all just so funny and keep me in stitches! Thank you ladies for being my friends! I love all of you!

Now off to the rest of my day.......

What to do.....

So we found out we're getting a really nice tax refund back this year and I have so many ideas, as always, on what to spend it on. Gary already has about 1/2 of it spent in his head and told me I could have the other half to do whatever. I am having a really hard time trying to decide, do I just spend it on things that I want/need....like I'm looking at buying a new couch and a new computer to replace the one Gary destroyed or maybe another freezer so I can store more dinners and food. Or do I pay bills and all that boring stuff and end up with very little left over to play with. Every year it seems that I end up doing the 2nd one. I really do need a new couch....we've never had a brand new one....and a new computer would sure make my life a lot easier, Gary's just doesn't cut it for me anymore. I don't know, what do you guys think?