Perfect combination.

All the kids in bed. House picked up. I'm ready to watch american idol and savor one of my absolute favorite treats, texas sheet cake ala summer haught (the haughts always save some for me whenever they make it because they know it is my favorite and they really just couldn't find a more appreciative recipient. and by the way summer, you outdid yourself this time. It is THE BEST I have EVER EVER tasted FOR REALSES, as rachel would say). Are you english majors cringing after those last few sentences? ha. I'm a punctuation rebel. I'll admit it. Anyway, back to the story. I realize I haven't taken my dietary supplements today (remember on the goal/to do list). I thought them a perfect combination. Maybe the supplements will offset all the damage. smile. And by the way. I dare you to find a better supplement then these by DoTerra. I mean, I pretty much think that my cellular vitality is off the charts. smile.

I am so proud of myself!

Finally, I made homemade bread, and it was not only pretty but delicious. I have been wanting to make all of our bread and finally I am ready to go. Pretty good for a first try huh?

All bagged up and ready for the freezer. I just need to get a food slicer, so I will be a real professional.

My Grandma was so impressed. smile.

Speaking of my Grandma, isn't she so cute? I hope when I am 90 I will be as nice as her. Now when anyone says something unkind in our family we ask, "Would Grandma say that?" She absolutely can not say an unkind thing. All she does is tell us all day how smart, beautiful, and fabulously talented we are. I aspire to be just like her.

P.S. Wait until you see the other things I am whipping up in the kitchen. I have been going to the cooking classes at Dottie's Bosch center. I have my family singing my praises every night. It's a good thing.

****Date Changed

The date on the post below has been changed to Friday morning and Friday night. I forgot that I am tying quilts for Humanitarian aide both Thursday morning and night. Remember my long goal/ to do list. smile. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Have you heard of doTERRA?

How about essential oils?

Are you looking for an amazing business opportunity?

doTerra is a new company that was formed with the intent to produce the most pure and potent essential oils in the world. It succeeded.

One of my best friends Teresa Harding first told me about this company a year and a half ago before it's official launch just last October. Her brother in law David Stirling is the president of the company. She was so excited about it and knew that this company was going to be hugely successful because of the integrity of the people starting it and the integrity of the oils. She wanted me to jump right in with her and help start the business. I was too swamped with photography jobs at the time and then I got pregnant and was useless. She has held my place for me on her team all this time until I was ready to get involved. She didn't waste time though. She now has the largest organization in the company and is hugely successful herself. I am so proud of her. Dave teases her and tells her she is "doterrin' it up." Her husband and kids have a better one. They call her a DoTerrorist. ha ha.

But here is the great news. Teresa is coming to Phoenix! woo-hoo.

If you are interested in learning how to use essential oils, come to my house on Friday morning at 10am (children welcome) or Friday evening at 7pm.

If you have been hit by this crazy economy and are looking for an amazing business opportunity, stay for the 8pm informational meeting on Friday night.

You know why this is an amazing business opportunity? How often do you get the chance to be on the top tier of a company that is just starting that is going to be hugely successful. You'll see what I am talking about at the meeting.

If you can't make it to either of these, Teresa will be here until Saturday and we can make arrangements.

To give you an example of what the oils can do.....just today Jacob woke up without a voice. I gave him lemon and frankincense a couple of times and tonight it is just fine. He also has been managing his asthma by putting a blend of oils called breathe on his chest every night. He also relieves his headaches and sore knees and ankles from sports with a blend called deep blue. Rachel has had bad acne for a year and we have tried everything, including antibiotics. Then I heard that the oil Melaleuca will clear it up. She has been using it for a week and her face has never looked better. I can't get over it. I was such a skeptic. The oils aren't a miracle cure for all things. They aren't a replacement for medical care when needed, but they sure can help you be more self sufficient instead of running to urgent care for every little thing. They aren't anything new. They have been around for thousands of years (think of the gifts the wise men brought to baby Jesus). They are a natural way to treat our bodies ills, and improve our health. That is why the company's name is doTerra. It means "gift from the earth." So come learn more. They may be just what you need to lower your health care costs, or the means to help with a physical ailment you have. Teresa first started using essential oils after she learned that they stopped her niece's seizures that she had been having for two years, and the doctors had tried everything to stop them. ARe you intrigued? I am. I can't wait to experiment on my family. smile. Next, on the list. Dave's acid reflux. He can't take the medicine that he used to use (that worked) because they just found out that it lessens the efficacy of his heart medicine that he has to take. It is really fun getting to play doctor. smile.

email me and let me know if you are coming asap at heatherives@yahoo.com. You are welcome to bring others of course. I can't wait.

Oh yah, and check out the company for lots of info here.

Rachel's 80's makeover

A few months ago the young women at church had an 80's party. I had so much fun turning Rachel into a me look a like from high school. I hadn't ratted hair in a long time. How about those pegged jeans, and pink shimmery lipstick? I wanted to scan a picture of me from high school but I can't get my scanner to work. Maybe later. I wouldn't want to deprive you of a good laugh.

FABULOUS DARLING!!!

so much for the simple life.

Does your to do list/goals look like mine?

EVERY DAY-do diet, work out, drink 8 glasses of water, pray on knees, read scriptures (catch up on my Book of Mormon reading schedule. I am only a month behind. ah.), make healthy meals, take dietary supplements. Have hot cereal ready for my kids for breakfast every morning. stick to my budget (after i make one).

do visiting teaching, organize garage, call....(insert the names of at least 20 people who are on my mind), sell van and motorcycle, finish work on house, hang pictures and curtains, start working on DOTERRA (a new business venture), returns to numerous stores and people, Pull weeds.

have special time with each child (i.e. play board game, go on walk together, read together, play tennis, shop, cook etc.) Keep up family goals of visiting the elderly once a month, going to the temple with older kids every 3 months, no sarcasm in family. Talk kindly to my children, treat them lovingly and with respect. Scriptures and prayer as a family every night. Do family home evening lessons from the gospel principles book.

THINK BEFORE I SPEAK!

Share my love for the gospel of Jesus Christ. Always carry a copy of the Book of Mormon to share with others. Work on my calling at church, and on that talk I have to give. Tie quilts for humanitarian aide. Volunteer at the high school. Help friends who have been on my mind. Have my neighbors over for dinner. Invite new people at church over.

schedule all those appointments for things like the dentist, orthodontist, doctor, parent teacher conferences etc., get a pedicure with my grandma. print my pictures and scrapbook (i am only 4 years behind. smile).

oh yah... be a better wife. That is a whole separate to do list.

Do I dare say I am photographing again???? Do laundry and the never ending cleaning. Never mind, just schedule the cleaning lady. ha. Read all the books in our library cabinet that I haven't yet. practice violin. Teach myself cello and viola. Start piano lessons again?

Repent, and try to do better after I yell at my kids and i'm mean to my husband, and don't make dinner, and watch t.v. all night instead of all the good things i should be doing.

Here's to another day of trying the best i can.

our lovin' weekend.

Saturday morning Jacob called me from his room, telling me to come and see how cozy he and ammon were. They were all snuggled up in his bed, and Jacob was sharing his baby blanket (yes that he still sleeps with. smile) with ammon. Of course, i ran to get my camera. They were too cozy and cute to pass up.

I continued the tradition this year to take the girls to a romantic ballet on Valentine's day weekend. This year we went with friends!

Note to self. Next time feed the kids before we go. Here is Lizzie crying after the performance because she is so hungry. She then cried after we ate because she ate too much. sheesh.

I love this picture because of the black and white with splashes of yellow throughout. Isn't that cool. Not even planned. smile.

After church on Sunday we went on our annual (3rd year running) trip up to Flagstaff to sled with the Nielsens. We visit Sunday evening, and sled on the Monday holiday.

Here we are singing away to "scripture scouts". If you haven't heard of the scripture scouts, they are so so awesome and I highly recommend them. They can be found at Deseret Book.

The weather was so beautiful up there. Jacob made Rachel take pictures of him, Tatum and Preston snowboarding off jumps. They thought they were pretty cool.

What did Dave and I do for Valentine's day? That is none of your business. smile.

Hope your weekend was filled with lots of love too!!

good things about today

1. I was so inspired by watching "the biggest loser" (my family's favorite show), that I went to the gym first thing this morning and did two classes. A power step, and a pilates class. I have never done two classes in a row before. I felt quite proud. It felt a little bit like a last chance workout. So when I got home I had a "weigh in". I had gained three pounds. ha ha. That's why I need to keep this up. I have been eating pie, ice-cream, cookies etc. for every meal. Rachel was on a chocolate chip cookie making kick for a week. We were all sick, but she perfected the skill. I wish I had one right now in fact.

2. The rest of the day, I spent a lot of time snuggling my baby. Of course, that is what I do every day. He is such a snuggle bug.

3. I had 4 cavities filled. Ok, so it is a good thing that it is done and over with.

4. This next one is good and sad. We may be moving this summer. Could be Korea, Germany, or Cocoa Beach Florida. But that is a whole other long story that I can't even think or talk about for two weeks when we know for sure.

5.My hubby took me out to dinner because I was craving the little chimis and rootbeer from that mexican restaurant that is next to the movie theatre. REally, really, those two items are the best there. Plus they are so so nice at this restaurant. The best service. And yes, I had a dessert. The flan was so delightful.

6. I talked to my Grandma and she is coming to visit again for two weeks. "SICK" -that's what Jacob said when I told him. The new way to say that something is super cool. I just hope that "sick" in the real meaning isn't a premonition of how I will be feeling this time. Last year when she came to stay I found out I was pregnant and went into the hospital with kidney stones the first day she was here. Then I struggled with Nausea the rest of the time. She is anxious to meet ammon and "play with the kids" she told me on the phone. The woman is almost 90, and she can't wait to play with my kids. Man, I love her.

7. Last but not least......Marlene Fenton dropped off a cheesecake for Dave, for helping her. But he's asleep, and it's been over 4 hours since my last dessert. I think that might just be the perfect end to this day. Especially if I eat it while watching wheel of fortune. I am obsessed with Wheel of Fortune lately. I love tivo.

PS. Nancy, if you are reading this.....I forgot to call you today to see if you did your assignment. You better have or kill kill kill (mrs. hannigan voice). love ya.

PPS. If you think I didn't have any bad things about today, you are mistaken. Like all good husbands, Dave let me vent about the negative and then took me out to dinner to lift my spirits. Thanks my darling. You are a good thing about every day. Except when I am mad at you. smile.

What were the good things about your day? Pray tell.

see teri, you're a natural.

Teri kept apologizing the whole photo shoot that she wasn't comfortable in front of the camera. You would never know from the pictures. Am I right, or am i right?

i love this one.

love it.

30 looks good on you teri!

So, all you ladies who are embarrassed in front of the camera.....just give me one hour with you and I will show you just how incredibly beautiful you are!!! (at any age i might add)

Rachel's new boyfriend

I bet you can't help but smile when you see this picture of Jaron. Is he the cutest thing you have ever seen? His family just moved here from Hawaii, and we love them all. Rachel has fallen the hardest for this handsome boy. He came over yesterday to give her a hug and jump on the trampoline. Now we have one more reason to love Hawaii. Mahalo, and ALLLLLLOOOOOHHHAAA!