Kansas City...

Our trip to Kansas City was INSANELY fun!! I posted tons of picture in hope that it would help capture the best moments. Sadly the best moments were things pictures couldn't do justice...like the ambiance of the jazz musicians at dinner and the live band at awards night and the crazy drunk lady dancing with us girls (I'm still laughing about it...)

I won't be offended if you don't read everything I wrote...It is purely for journal sake.


Wednesday: On our flight over there...

Our flight attendants were hillarious...they were telling jokes and the toilet papered this guy who was DEAD asleep. Right after I took the picture he totally started drooling...we were laughing so hard watching him...good entertainment.

After we landed we had a personal chauffeur waiting with our name on a sign...what?? This is the beginning of our spoiled rotten vacation.

Got to the hotel and were greeted by this guy...totally a scene from a movie...I've NEVER stayed at a hotel like this.

Thursday: Lookin' snappy for his first day of meetings.

Couldn't resist... we were lovin our time together.

While the guys were at meetings they took all of the wives on a 3 hour tour of the city. 60 year old lady tour guide and everything...I was amazed at the historical feeling of the city...loved it. This was what amazed me most and my picture doesn't do it justice...the black blob on the bottom left of the picture is a grand piano...kind of gives you an idea how HUGE the place is. It is the 3rd largest train station in the world.



Liberty memorial...underneath the building is where they have a museum of WWI artifacts even a HUGE tank.

This is one of the mansions in Hyde park...which was where the millionaires of early history built homes...

That night we went to the Mavericks hockey game.

Friday: Girls day to relax...it was severly cold outside and didn't know what I was going to do...this was my view off my deck. What you don't see is the blizzard behind me. It was 11:30am and I hadn't dared go out to get breakfast yet...but then my hunger insisted and I got brave.



So this was me 10 minutes later.

On my way I took a picture...Just look at this statue...he proves my point!



After breakfast I spent some time in Barnes and Noble relaxing my time away. Then went back to the hotel to cuddle in my bed with a good book.

Friday night we had an olympics themed dinner with chaise lounges set up with TV's everywhere. While everyone else got sloshed on drinks from the open bar we were loving our Shirley Temples (Cherry Sprite) About as fancy as we got. After dinner we got together and played scum with most of our office until well into the night...I won!!

Saturday: It's tradition in our office for our Agency manager to tak the guys to Bob Jones Shoes. It's the biggest shoe store in the US. So while they did that the girls went shopping in the plaza and then went here...

Kansas city is known for it's BBQ. For experience sake...we HAD to (twist our arm) stop. We went with a few couples from our office...it was a TON of food!!!

After lunch we headed here...it was only 12 miles away. We learned a lot we didn't know...what an amazing place.

That night we had the awards night dinner in the Grand Ballroom with the all the agencies...cameras would not of done this justice at all...it was incredible.



The food could seriously have been straight from a magazine. I know...we're crazy for taking pictures of it...but you wouldn't have believed me.

Appetizer

Crab stuffed prawns with papaya sauce...yum

Mike hates seafood and loved it.

Salad with mozzarella balls and roasted tomatoes and shittake mushrooms...yum

After the salad we had a spoonful of Red wine and pear sorbet...not my thing

Petite Filet mignon with stuffed crab ravioli with sweet potatoes...finished off with holladaise sauce and the 'Mrs. Doubtfire carrot'.

Most of the Incredible people from our office...missing about three couples. They were off dancing already. These are some of the most incredible people that ever existed. I got to know most of them really well and love them and can't until our next trip together.

The big eagle trophy?? We won agency of the year...woo woo!!

They also announced the next trip planned

2011 is Florida ...every other year they go outside the US...

Anyone who qualifies 2012 will go 8 days to AUSTRALIA...WHAT ????

After the week we had we were all beat tired. We slept most of the flight home... it took 45 minutes on the runway before takeoff because of the snow. They had to totally de-ice the plane.

My favorite part of flying...because of the storm the clouds were beautiful.



Now we're home I feel like I need a vacation after vacation to relax...2011 I can't wait for you.

Food for thought...

I went to High School with so many of you. I don't know how many of you remember seminary as vividly as I do. My senior year I had Bro. Hank Smith. I know some of you were even in my class. Seminary that year was completely set apart from any other year. I don't know if you think of him the way I do, I think I was close to him because he was good friends with my brother before he passed away and reminds me of him...still. So on with the story...

I was at the library the other day...I like to listen to books on CD and was looking for my next victim. I came across a cd by Hank Smith and I did a double take and wondered if it was THAT Hank Smith. It was. SCORE!!! Got home, listend to the CD which was incredible and googled (later in his talk he called it our 'google and thumim' I laughed) him.
First website...from Deseret book and he has this out...which I checked out yesterday and will listen to TODAY!!




And this...the first I found...



And this...who is next on my list




So another search found him speaking at EFY IN ST. GEORGE the NEXT WEEK....Seriously? I was going crazy...so I called the YW president (who I visit teach) and asked what it would take for me to go and they were short leaders and offered me a ticket!!! WAHOOO!!!





I got to speak with him as he walked in...He is still the smiley faced, infectiously happy person I remember.

This is the introduction to his talk...which is the entire purpose of this post
I don't usually go 'testimony builder' in my posts but this concept hit me so hard and I've been on a spiritual high since.

Hank Smith
Break up with the World. The world offers enticements and temptations that are difficult to leave behind. The strength you’ll need is found in a steady relationship with the scriptures and feasting on the words of Christ.

He talked about what it meant to break up and gave some awesome break up lines, he talked about his own break ups, and told of a day in seminary that his students put things on the board that were 'worldly' like TV shows, clothes, movies and challenged them to give up somthing that they liked but was hindering their spiritual growth. What I remember about that is that he said..."You'll know exactally what it is because your mind will go exactally to it and then you'll have the 'NO! not that!' reaction. He then talked about the Lord asking Abraham to give up something and Abraham offering many many things willingly but the Lord said 'No, I want the one thing you didn't offer because it's the hardest thing to give up...his son Isaac. Bro. Smith said "The Lord knew he would do it...Abraham needed to know Abraham could do it. The Lord asks of us things that are hard but when we show him we'd give up anything then we're on the right path.

Then he quoted...

“The greatest decision I ever made in my life was to give up something I dearly loved to the God I loved even more. He has never forgotten me for it.” Thomas S. Monson Liahona May 2003

This is the biggest thing I remember about the whole thing (this will be in my house on a wall somewhere)

Pride is in the 'er' You begin the pride cycle when you have to be 'smart-er' 'skinni-er' 'fast-er' 'rich-er' It's okay to be smart, skinny, fast, rich. It's when you have to do it bett-er.

"Help our children...escape our culture’s obsession with comparing, competing, and never feeling we are “enough.” Jeffrey R. Holland Ensign May 2007

Powerful huh?? Get his CD's. You'll love them...your teens will love them...I know it!!!

Boys night

My boys adore my brothers like crazy! Isaiah is really close to a couple of them Spencer being one. We had Uncle Spencer over one night and Isaiah asked if they could have a sleepover sometime. They saw him again a few days later and Spence planned a killer boys night at his house...my boys had waaaay too much fun! Like stay up til 3:30am fun...I could NOT believe Isaiah stayed up that late! I could never make it that long.

The night was still young...



Don't know what time this was...Joshua's still awake so it must have been before ten. I hope.


The next morning...Joshua is totally mad and didn't want to smile...he just got told it was time to go home.



There's something so endearing about this picture to me.


Lucky boys to have such incredible uncles! I love my brothers as much as my boys do.

For all the ladies...He's single!
He owns his own home too...look he's even awesome with kids ;)
(nothing like your little sister trying to hook you up on her blog...I do what I can)


Just a week or so before that two of my brothers and Mike played Mario Bros. on the Wii until 4 am!! What is the fascination? Three grown men playing mario laughing as hard as they were woke me up and actually made me smile hearing it. It was fun until the kids woke them up bright and early three hours later. Haha.

Vay-cay-she-on...

Mike and I are going on Vacation!! For Mike's company convention in big ol' Kansas City, Missouri. Okay so it's not the tropical, crystal clear waters you hope to see when going on a couple's vacation but it's all expenses paid...I'm not about to complain. As pathetic as is sounds it's our first vacation together flight distance away. As much problem as I'm going to have finding something to do with my time for 5 days without children I think I might get along okay.

We have a formal event the last night we're there.

I have a dress very similar to this...my worry is that it's not quite formal enough?? What to you think??


Anyway I'm in need...of something that's not prom dress puffy but in the 'sleek/classic' category. Kind of like...

If anyone has something they've used for a cruise etc. laying around that they would be willing to let me borrow or a suggestion of awesome places to look here in this town of such a variety of EVERYTHING then you'd be on my list of favorite people!!

style...

Am I the only one who feels completely out of the loop of STYLE??

Am I being 'momified'?

I had to go meet a professor at the college yesterday and I wasn't looking 'mommy' but my hair was back, no jewelry. I had make up on, cute sweater (at least I think it's cute) and boots (under slightly flared jeans). Got there and looked around and thought "whoa, these guys might nominate me for 'What's Not to Wear.'

I think I'm doing okay but seriously feel lost for the tapered skinny jeans with high heels gettup like...



Or wearing them with Ugg boots like...

and frumpy, no figure, oversized sweaters



And short boots...I don't get them...



and I can't figure out my hair when everyone else's looks like...



Seriously I've seen some of the cutest girls with bangs like that but I wouldn't ever dare!

And colors like...



I've seen a lot lately and look so cute on other girls but really I don't think I even think of colors people put together. Black sweater, red shoes is about my extent of color combo.

I think I need some of these girls that pull stuff like this off to show up at my door and give my closet a make over! I feel thrity years older than college kids.
I want to feel trendy yet the styles are so out there to me...I don't think I can get away with mustard/gold yellow?! The colors are weird to me, but maybe I just have NO fashion sense at all. I see people that I think look adorable and then try it myself and cringe.

What's my problem??

So all you trendy ladies, yes you, I want to know how you keep up on style.

How you pull off such awesome outfits and spectacular hair!! All the time!

Good Morning....

Every year gets earlier and earlier...they used to sleep in a LITTLE. I'm sure that won't change for the years to come either. Bright and early we got going. Had to wake Joshua up...man that boy is a deep sleeper. It took him a LOOOOng time to finally grasp that SANTA had come. When he caught on he jumped out of bed and passed me as he raced Isaiah down the hall.







This was Isaiah's big gift...He wants to play really bad but didn't want to ask for that instead of his helicopter so Santa wrote him a letter explaining that he wanted him to have it and that he will have to practice hard (hey a little help from Santa couldn't hurt) this is the series of events...







Can't wait to start practicing with him.

These are my form of indoor entertainment/energy getter outter ;) They've been a hit. They've REALLY been bouncing off the walls all day.


This was the prized possesion of the day...it's even fun to me.


I made my own gift...take it into your own hands and you won't ever be disappointed. Not that Mike ever disappoints but I wanted this picture and didn't want to pay the price for it. Can't wait to get it hung...it's going to be the center of my FAMILY wall coming soon...Mike by the way did a great job as usual. Just another reason I love him.


Made the boys super capes. Joshua wanted it on right away and ran away from all the unwrapped presents down the hall yelling 'supermaaaaan'


After breakfast Santa led us on a hunt for a surprise gift...that sneaky Santa. Throwing in things we weren't supposed to get.


Hope you all had as wonderful a morning as we did. It was even better after my belly was full...very full of baked french toast and maple bacon. Now that it's almost dinner time I'm looking forward to the smell from the crock pot that's been teasing me all morning. Texas pulled pork sandwiches. Yum!!!