A Homemade Christmas

Well it was an idea, you know "Little House on the Prairie style" Home Made Christmas. I think the Engel's gave each other things like homemade dolls, doll clothes, soap and a nice loaf of bread. Rich thought it would be lame and too much work. Well ya, but that was the idea to teach the true meaning of giving at Christmas time. To put our heart and soul in a gift. The blood sweat and tears that the Chinese do to make the things we find at Walmart.

Well let's just say I compromised and did some homemade and some Chinese Walmart style. I have to give a shout out to Amazon, their elves saved the day!

So Santa's Elves leave jammies under the pillows of good little boys and girls on Christmas Eve at the parent's request. Homemade jammies were received indeed (but they were not made by me, some of Santa's Helpers made them and not the one's from China).

The Bonus was my dearest friend Tammy had some jammies made for me to match Rileigh and Nellie's. I WAS SO GIDDY WHEN I OPENED THE BOX.
Rileigh got a sweet skirt that was indeed made by yours truly. It is a funny story that must be told. When my Mom's Mom passed away in 1998 and the family cleaned out her house I requested my Grandpa's ties. Grandpa Rulon Mansfield had passed years prior. They had had four children and 20 grand kids and who knows how many great grand kids, so my Grandpa had tons and tons of men's ties. I remember them hanging on the back of his bedroom door. I'm sure that most were given to him over the years from his huge family. He was a super fun Grandpa and took us Camping lots and always laughed at me when I would cry.

So when I was first married I had come across a Better Homes and Garden Magazine and there was a Christmas tree skirt that was made of men's ties, SO CUTE! So for the first few years of our marriage that was our tree skirt. I remember our first Christmas the year 2000 the tree, a fake from the same grandma, Ilene Mansfield. The tree was literally a quarter of a tree in the corner of our mobile home and the tree skirt was so cute and worked perfectly.

So just recently I came across a blog and the men's ties were used as a girls skirt. So Waaa La I pulled the old tree skirt out the the Christmas Decor boxes and added some elastic band for a waist and sewed the skirt seam closed. I think it turned out pretty cute but the best part is the memory behind the tie skirt.

When the kid's woke Christmas morning they found coal from Santa. They were not so good this year. Ha ha! Chocolate Coal! Funny Santa.So in the words of Sandra Lee, it was a "Semi-Homemade" Christmas!

We got a new addition to our family, her name is Puppy Nellie. She is such a good little puppy. This is her favorite new game to play a puppy, so cute!
I just have to mention nothing was broken in the making of this Christmas celebration. Last year two of Logan's presents were damaged by Rich. One plane ended up on a snowy roof Christmas morning and his remote control car was taken into a snow bank, got too damp and was broke within hours of being received. Sometimes I think we forget who the real kids are at Christmas time. Rileigh thinks we need kid presents for Dads!

Tired Santa!


P.S. This was going to be the Whitemyer 2010 Christmas Card. Titled:
May you find "Peace" this time of year! We will! Love the Whitemyer's


Rich and I thought it was a little creepy and voted not to use it.

Thanksgiving 2010

In hosting Thanksgiving at our house this year I actually got out the camera and took some flicks!

Grandma Whitemyer came over and made pies with Rileigh on Thanksgiving Eve.

Logan's Version of the Mayflower, he read us the 1st grade version about Thanksgiving at Dinner.

Three Turkey Tired Men...

Also some pictures post Blizzard of 2010. Whoo was it a doozy or what?

Thankful Givings

To this I am Grateful...

October 31st 2010

I am starting to think I get more out of these Holidays and fun events then the kids do. This month I tried the infamous "Dinner in a Pumpkin." It was horrible to eat but fun to make. Logan helped me and we had a blast putting it together. IF there were pictures, which there are not, you would see a slopped over punkin' with brown slime leaking out the bottom. The comments for the recipe kept saying how hard it is to "cook" the pumpkin. In other words soften the pumpkin. So I started my pumpkin an hour before I put in the inerds in. Needless to say it was overcooked!

I made my first ever Pumpkin Roll with Superb Results, if I must say so myself! No pictures either, but I swear it was awesome.

We had mummy dogs on several occasions through the month per numerous requests, So Fun! I think my favs are Pumpkin Shakes, Pumpkin Pie and Spice Pumpkin Candles. Oh I cannot get enough of the Pumpkin Spice smell so yummy and makes me all warm and fuzzy on the inside.

The Ultimate end of the month Festivities were not going to get spoiled by a little rain. No Sir-ee, No Maam...

tRiCk-OR-tReAtInG!!!

Rileigh was a pretty Snarky Witch! She could pull the perfect faces. A little too mean I think for Grandma Whitemyer!

Logan was a Zombie Skate Boarder, it was Pure Awesomeness!

At one point the lady bug was in a pile on the kitchen floor not wanting to participate at all. Then when she did figure it out she ran over put on the smashed Lady Bug and was running out the door for some Candy. She would say "Treat" at all SIX doors that we came upon until Mom called it quits in the pouring Rain.

Rich was a Sushi Chef along with Sushi Chef Barb who made dinner that night. It was a fun night and I need to take waaaaay more pictures I am slacking.

Witches Night ka ka ka ka ka ka kakkle!

The Whole Witchy Gang!

September {and then Some}

So the first day of School is like playing dress-up for me. I get so excited to get the kids ready with all new school supplies all the way down to new shoes.

Rileigh has Miss. Foster and she is SUPER Cute!

Logan Has Mrs. Shaw and she is Super Sharp and cute too!

This was Gertie on the first day of school...

This was Nellie on the first day of school...

I turned the BIG 35 this year and with that my Mom turned ** on the same day. So since we share a Birthday and Nicole's is just less than a month before ours, we took the opportunity to have a Girl Get AWAY. This needs to go down in the Record Books, we have never done this before. My Dad got us a room at Little America, it was fabulous. My Mom and Sister snuck ahead and went to "Hatch's Family Chocolates" to get the hook up for the late night Chocolate CrAvInG! They got to meet the little people off of TLC's show "The Little Chocolatiers." I met them later at Gateway. I had to go see my Grandma Colleen, who was recently was put in assisted living. So My Dad and I met them later to eat dinner and walk the stores at Gateway. It was so nice to do with my family and not have SIX kid's running around or interrupting.

That night we got "to go" dessert and ate in our room and ordered Eclipse on Pay Per View. My Mom and I passed out from our Chocolate High before the movie ended. It was Nicole's first time seeing it! Then that next morning we took two hours and had a relaxing breakfast at Little America, of course. We shopped and walked the stores at Gardner Village. It was "Spook"tacular and Pure Eye CandY!

So September 30th was Rich and I's 10th Wedding Anniversary! We toyed and kidded with each other on what we were getting each other and what the plans would be. So I got asked, did I want something or did I want to go somewhere? I have emphasized that I love surprises! Oh Boy, was it a surprise. He got me a some new wheels...

...and the chair (read the words on it) is the location he took me to to stay the night. That's right, we stayed at the US Forrest Services' Yurt. It is located up above Snow Basin. The silly husband of mine knows I love camping and Mtn. Biking and staying Frugal. So all together he put this great trip together. I must say it was super fun and will be one of those things we can say, "Remember that one time we stayed in a Yurt for our Tenth Wedding Anniversary on a moldy mat in 40 degree weather!" If it were not for a fire pit and wood burning stove we would have froze to death I am sure of it. It was so fun and planned out so well by my cutest husband. We got in two rides had a nice Breakfast at The Oaks and did a third ride.

P.S. Rich got some new wheels too, this story is to be continued. What I will say is I think it needs training wheels with some pedals and Rich prefers a real engine with a leather jacket. We'll see who wins. If he wins then he has to fulfill his end of the bargain that was agreed on between he and I. Ka ka ka (That is my evil laugh)!

The Birthday Extravaganza X 3

So my Three Freckles all celebrated Birthdays in the last week. It has been super fun and exciting at our house. Can I just say Christmas in August!

For Logan and Rileigh's 7th Birthday we went to Lagoon. It was Rich's first time ever. Weird I know, he took the day off work and we made a day of it. I refused to wear the fanny pack and since we left Nellie and stroller with Grandma we were hands free. Therefore no camera with tons of pictures. I did manage to get a couple off of my phone.

Rich came up with this idea to throw them on the ride Wicked first and then they couldn't say no to the scary ones. It was brilliant, because for the rest of the day Rileigh was willing to ride everything. Well, almost everything because when Logan wanted to ride some with Rich he was just barely too short and Rileigh was just right. She did not even want to ride those rides. Rich kept saying it's not fair, poor Logan. Maybe next year he'll be tall enough for ALL the rides!

That night Rich was sponsoring a car for Winterton Towing in the Demolition Derby at the Davis County Fair Grounds. So Rich and Logan voted to leave Lagoon and go watch cars smash each other. Rileigh asked me later, "when did we vote to leave Lagoon? I did not vote." It ended up being fun in the end watching the Winterton Boys tear it up and prove their motor skills. Super fun way to end the night, we did not get home until midnight.

Sunday we had family over for dinner to celebrate all three kids' birthdays. Rich and Rileigh picked out a pinata for the festivities and they settled on Sponge Bob, YAY! If you know me you know I hate Sponge Bob and cannot stand to hear it in my house. So beating Sponge Bob with a bat was a grand idea! Then you add 5 kids, a bat, a blind fold and Rich = pure chaos. It was tricky / stressful and fun all at the same time. My Dad went and hid behind the protection of Gerties Kennel, it was super funny!

Featured below, Nellie with blue ring on leg as a highlight to the outfit!

Nellie Mae

Nellie Mae was born August 24, 2008 at 6:49 a.m. weighing 7 lbs. 11 oz. and was 20 inches long. To us she was a little package of miracle! We had anticipated another baby for quite sometime and waited for this baby to come into our family for longer than planned. BUT, we don't get to plan these things and we are so blessed to have Nellie in our family. She was a perfect baby and we can see that she is going to be the perfect toddler, ha ha! She is very stubborn and has a mind of her own.

Nellie got her name from Rich's Great Aunt Nellie Mae. During the pregnancy I was a little nervous thinking that once again Rich and I would not agree on names. So one night at dinner his Mom mentioned her Aunt Nellie Mae. I stopped her and had her repeat it and instantly knew I loved it. Of course Rich did as well. It fits her and she also goes by other names such as Nellsters, Nearl and Nell. Nellie talks a lot for her age and says a lot of words. She is so sweet when you hand her something she says, "Thank you Momma." She knows all her animal sounds and shows you all her body parts when you ask her. She jibber jabbers away at times and always has something to say. Lately her jibber jabber has sounded as though she is saying, "Momma I kick but." Not even kidding it "sounds" just like that. So we all walk around saying, "Yes, we know, Nellie you kick but!" ha ha! Her new game is do to a Happy face and then Sad Face and back and forth she will show us, Happy, Sad, Happy, Sad. When you ask her how old she is she will hold up both hands with index fingers extended right at her mouth, TWO!

Nellie's favorite things are Dora the Explorer, the girl loves her some "t" that is what she calls t.v. She will sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star with me, so stinkn' cute. She loves to be out side, go for walks, picking rasberries and wearing her bike helmet. She loves, loves, loves water. She likes to play in her kitchen out the back door with buckets of water. She loves shoes of any kind and clomps around the house with any family members shoes on. So funny story, just last night I went to put her to bed after her bath she insisted on putting on these Dora shoes. So I put them on her and she ran around for a bit. After prayers I went to put her to bed she would not let me take them off. So as I type in the wee hours of the morning the shoes are still on her feet in bed.

She adores Rileigh and always wants to be were Rileigh is. She will walk around the house yelling "Rieeee." She spends a lot of her time in Rileigh's room putting all the small stuff in her mouth. Did I mention that her favorite food is dog food. Another one of her favorite places in the house, the mud room taking in some protein for the day.

She is so smiley and super fun to be round and always has us cracking up over something. I cannot believe she is going to be TWO, she has grown up way too fast for me. We love you Nellsters, Happy Birthday!

Logan Wallace

Logan was born August 18th, 2003 at 9:19 a.m. he weighed 5 lbs. .5 oz and was 17 inches long. He was the second one born and had been breach for the the majority of the pregnancy and made it so I could not breathe. I had several boy names in mind throughout my pregnancy such as Ethan, Graham and Trae. Rich and I could not agree on a name for two weeks so the poor kid did not have a name. Every day we went into the NICU the nurses would give him a new name. Rich had him named Elijah for two days. Originally Rich wanted Richard Wallace IV and me, not so much. So we settled on Logan Wallace. Logan, UT being were Rich and I met and at the time we were living in California so it was a pretty uncommon name in those parts. He is definitely my Logan Boy and from the get go I got to be rougher with one kid and more delicate with the other. He loved to be thrown on the bed as a toddler and in pillow fights with Dad, the rougher always meant more fun and the more giggles we got out of him.

Baby boys as preemies struggle more so than girls and he was always a step behind his sister. However he too was never ventilated or incubated in the NICU, he did however have to be on oxygen during his feedings because he thought it would be too much work to breathe and eat all at the same time. So he would stop breathing and set off all sorts of alarms and turn blue. He was born with a twisted foot so he did get some physical therapy from a very cute lady every now and again. He moved to three different beds in the NICU he got so big near the end of his stay they got him a full size crib, it was silly. Once he was able to come home at ten weeks he was a chunk with a feeding tube in his nose, it was hilarious and the local pediatrician we went to in town laughed and said take that thing out. The night we took him home Southern Cali was engulfed in wild fires and I will never forget the smell outside and the ash all over the cars in the parking lot, it was weird.

Logan was a very laid back baby and was on the perfect schedule as was Rileigh, it was perfection. Except from 5 o'clock on, they were an ornery bunch to hang with. So I would put them in the stroller and we would walk. Rich was working and going to school at night so the days were soooo long. My neighbors called me the walking girl because some days we went on four walks. This was Fall, Winter and Spring in Southern California it was bliss. We had two kid swings on the front porch and some nights I would sit out there and push them until they fell asleep. Logan walked soon after Rileigh, at 14 months he was into everything and climbed everything. He has always been a little spastic and I have to blame it on the fact that I was always a little more playful and rambunctious with the little guy, we have had some good laughs.

Logan has been my cleaner kid when it comes to his room and keeping it up. When told to do his chores and then he is free to play for the day, he is done within minutes and out the door for the day. He is pickier than ever these days with his clothes and would wear the same thing everyday if I let him, just for the fact that it is a DC t-shirt and baggy shorts. Thankfully they are dark in colors as to not show the filth! It will be interesting getting him to wear different outfits to school each day. I did take him school shopping and hopefully that will help with picking clothes to wear daily for school.

He has done very well in school with Kindergarten behind him and on to First Grade. He is a pretty good reader but his best qualities are his social skills, the kid has made some friends and I mean friends from all over. The first week of Kindergarten he came home with notes from other mothers requesting that their child would really like to play with Logan some time and could I give them a call to set up a play date. I just like to credit his great personality and he super fun spirit that makes him so fun to be around from me, he gets it from me!

So this last year we took him Snow Boarding and he was instantly addicted and has done very well for himself to the point of us saying "Okay, Logan do some runs with Rileigh and we will see you in a few." This summer he has gotten into skate boarding and begs to go to work with Rich to clock in some hours of work then to skate. He negotiated his old man into $2 an hour to save up for a DS then he finishes up the day in the skate park. CIK Skate is in the adjoining building. he gets pretty frustrated at learning specific tricks and has the older kids working with him and teaching him new tricks to work on. Then he comes home and practices into the night. He got a Mtn. Bike this year and is waiting for his Dad's arm to heal to hit the hills!

Logan you are a super fun energetic kid to be around and we love the company minus the whine. (There is a lot of whining these days). I think we have spoiled him rotten and need to fine tune some things with the kid. I love watching you play and giggle with your sisters and never tire of that in the least. I get asked occasionally if you can have a brother ha ha! Love you Logan and am so proud of the MAN you are becoming. Love you, Mom

Rileigh Ilene

Rileigh Ilene was born at 9:18 a.m. on August 18, 2003 weighing in at 4 lbs. 5 oz. and 16 3/4 inches long. She was the first one born and was head down for the majority of my pregnancy, hence the large stretch marks on the left side of my upper hip! Her name came from an old College neighbor of mine who happen to be a guy from Canada. I loved Rileigh for a girl and it was like one of ten names on the girl list. Rich knew how much I loved and adored my Grandmother, my Mom's Mom who had passed in 1998. So while discussing names with family it was Rich's sister who put together Rileigh Ilene Whitemyer.

Rileigh did very well considering she was premie. She was never ventilated or incubated just hung in the NICU for 7 weeks. She did have some reflux that prevented her from keeping her feedings down and prevented her from gaining enough weight to go home. Rileigh was the "BIG" sister and got to go home before her brother by three weeks. She was kind of a cranky baby at times and Rich always said, "the Squeaky one gets greased," so once Logan came home she for sure got the majority of the attention.

Rileigh progressed a bit slower than your typical baby but was always a step ahead of her little brother. I honestly think by about 18 months they had caught up physically to where they should be compared to the average toddler and those crazy growth charts the doctors use at each and every visit. For a short time Logan and Rileigh shared a crib and Rich called it the two headed monster. Rileigh walked at 13 months and from then ran and refused walking and just ran every where she went. With running would come a lot of falling, Grandma Thatcher even questioned if something was wrong with her because she would fall all the time and was so bruised up. Rileigh was a thumb sucker and the verdict is still out if she may or may not still enjoy a good thumb sucking these days. When checked on in the wee hours of the night there is no thumb sucking but I think to soothe herself to sleep there maybe some. She does still sleep with her rag of a blanket which is a huge danger to her health ha ha!

Rileigh is the person in our family to go to if you ever lose anything she knows where it is and responds with, duh! She is a miniature version of me in so many ways. I honestly remember my mom telling me that one day she hopes I have a daughter like myself and sure enough I did and now I know why my Mom is crazy, I drove her crazy. Rileigh is the type of personality that when she wants something she wants it NOW! So we struggle with this, oh and when I ask her to do something she wants to do it LATER! We struggle with this even more. Like keeping up with the cleanliness of her room, watch out it is a MESS! She is getting smarter with age and even more conniving. Once again can be good and not so good. She is my right hand man, we enjoy each others company a lot, so I like to think. She is always up for what ever I want to do and vice\versa. She was my running partner, her on a bike me on foot. She is craft partner and an amazingly talented one to boot.

She is my day planner and reminds me on numerous occasions of things I forget or need to do. She is my babysitter, my maid and my friend.

I cannot believe she is going to be 7 years old, where has the time gone. It freaks me out a bit, I mean a lot. I look so forward to the future with her and watching her do the Rileigh things that she does. Her dad calls her Earl and thinks it is a great nick name. She is very excited for 1st grade and just today got some new jeans for school. She has become very opinionated about the taste of her clothes these days, but not as much as Logan that kid is even more opinionated about clothes. So good luck to Miss. Foster a brand spanking new teacher and graduate of college. Rileigh was told by her Kindergarten teacher Mrs. Lake who the teacher was and who the student is. She had to be reminded to back off and to let Mrs. Lake teach. I love that story it kind of makes me laugh a lot on the inside. My little control freak, in time it may be a good thing ha ha ha!

I love you Ri and am so proud of the sweet little girl you have become and am going to miss you when you are going to be gone at school allllllll day. Nellie is going to be so bored without you. Happy 7th Birthday my Ri Ri!

June Calendar of Events

So June came and went in a flash of an eye. It started cold and wet and we all thought we were being cheated with this joke of a Utah SpRiNg! So now here we are in the heat and humidity of what is one of the great 4 SeAsOns of Utah...

My Sister had her Baby June 6th, baby Driggs he is so cute and we are so excited for another boy in our family!

We ended the season of Coach Pitch Baseball for Logan and the DiamondBacks. Pictured below Coach Rich

Logan did really well and made some big improvements this year. All with the help of hanging out with the Lindley Family, it certainly did not have much to do to the fact that his Mom and Dad were his coach's. The Lindley's were a huge help with Tyson as back-up coach and little Ashton swinging those balls out of the baseball park which inspired Logan to do the same, pictured below.

We had a lazy day at the Bowery hanging in the nice cool stream. Nellie got right into it and would've floated on down stream if I would have let her. Logan and some friends were off for a little too long and I had to go look for them before they made it to the Weber River! These are the summer days that I love the most.

We are doing Utah History Field Trips and first off we ventured to the Dinosaur Park for the day with the kids. It was great weather and good to feel some heat. We picnicked and took in all the sights and sounds that the Dinosaur Park has to offer. The kids still love digging for Dinosaur Bones and Nellie growled at all the life size Dino's throughout the park. It was so funny!









Second field trip was out to Antelope Island. We started at the visitors Center that in all my young years have never been too before. It was pretty educational and I learned things I had forgotten or did not know about Antelope Island.
So when we pull up at Antelope Island to pay there is a flashing sign that says "The bugs are BITING, BITING, BITING." It was flashing this. So I thought it's a pretty windy day we are good, right? No, when that wind stopped for just a minute or two on our way back to the cars sure enough they were BITING, BITING, BITING... and OUCH!
The kids walked to the water and took a quick dip, SALTY!
I chose to stay in the car therefore I have no pictures of this great adventure...
Next stop is Promontory Point to see where the trains met from East to West!

Than my spur of the moment event...Wasatch Back!

I was asked to fill a spot three weeks prior to the race...yes I am an idiot!

So I had actually put one foot in front of the other at a jogging pace the day before I was asked to participate and it felt so good I did a rock solid 25 minutes...wahoo! So when asked to join up I was like ya why not???

So training consisted of filling my face with nothing but good healthy food and trying to run for longer periods of time and up hill with each run.

My first leg was 3.4 miles in the heat of the day, it was so bloody hot, let's just say my personal goal of no walking went out the window on my first leg, I was a little disappointed with myself at that point. Then my second leg was 7.0 miles and at 1 a.m. middle of the night run, running to Henefer. It was like 50 degrees out and I hate running in a jacket let alone a freakn' reflective vest. So at like mile two I am trying to take my jacket to my shoulders and run with it there. That lasted 2 seconds so I managed to get it off and was running, running, running this whole time and then what do you know I hit the shoulder of the road and totally biffed it ha ha! But at least no cars were near. So now I am fuming mad and I just kept running I look down and my pants are torn and my knee and hand are bleeding so I chucked my jacket into the farmers field and booked the last 5 miles with no stops and met my goal in time too, wahoo, I was proud of me, no walking!
My last leg was 6.?? miles and it pretty much sucked too with the heat of the day in Midway. I ran/walked as best I could everyone on that leg was run/walking and pacing each other.
In the end it was so fun, great group of ladies and I met some new friends/neighbors and I would totally do Wasatch Back again and again...just with more training next time!

Van #2 Megan Whimpey, Laura Wheeler, Heather Lucero, Holley Haag, Courtney Wallin and Myself. Super fun group we had to tell about ourselves in 500 words or less to get to know each other, it was a good time with these hot momas...



Running into exchange #8 in Huntsville

Oakley Fair Grounds...look at those Mtn. Green Momas!


The End...



Rich decided to do a surprise camping trip! I was so excited because I had dropped a hint or two that I wanted to go camping. The man can't keep a secret to save his life. He blurted out that we were sleeping in a Teepee! Then he thought it would be funny to mention in Down Town Ogden. I was like Oh He** No I am not sleepn' in no teepee with three kids in Down Town Ogden. But he had a good surprise for us for sure it was a little hide-a-way called Fort Buenaventura - pure bliss and beautifullness righ smack dab in the middle of Ogden. Well west of the tracks and it was soooo Not Ghetto-tastic!















The kids fished for two solid days, canoed, rode bikes to Riverdale and back twice and loved sleeping in a Teepee - Way cool. We served up some awsome dutch oven with the Volcano. "Put it in a Volcano, it will cook anything." We s'mored it up and had a rip roaring good time! Thanks Rich it was a splendid surprise!


HaPPy SuMMer!!!