Dear Santa,

Just thought I would save you some trouble this year (one can never be sure in this economy) I have taken care of myself. Who doesn't need fabulous purple shoes to put some cheer into the season? So just in case I was not on your good list, I found these babies and bought them for myself. Good Luck this week, no one that I have spoken with is ready for you!

Best Wishes,

Susy

CELEBRATING 20 YEARS OF AMAZEMENT

Shawn can still surprise me! This includes a limo ride to a nice restaurant and an great evening seeing the Nutcracker, all dressed up for our 20th!!

"Lots of people want to ride with you in the limo, but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down" Oprah

"Let us be grateful to people who make us happy, they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom"

Princess all dressed up!

Christmas 1994

Jr. Prom 2009

Winter Dance 2006

How is my girl so grown up and how did it happen so fast???

FOR THE PERSON THAT HAS EVERYTHING. . .

O.K. now that we are down to the last days of Christmas shopping, I have found a gift that will fit the person on your list that has everything. I am certain this gift is the one that keeps on giving. Click here and check out this and many more amazing (or disturbing) products!

WHAT IS THE WORLD COMING TO?

Hannah and her friends decided during lunch to go climb some trees. They were having a lovely time until a bunch of 5th graders came over and started whining and carrying on about how these "tree climbers" were hurting the trees! They then proceeded to get their teacher who gave them a lecture on how environmentally irresponsible they were for climbing the trees. What has happened to childhood? I always thought as a kid that large trees were begging to be climbed. I guess now days we would be arrested if we even thought of building a tree house ! (please note that Hannah and her pals were not being destructive, I asked her if they were using chainsaws or something to get such of a response and they were not!) What is going on that kids can't be kids?

AMAZING WOMEN

It is my great privilege to work with these incredible women in the Primary of church.
From the left is Audrey (80), Pat (77) and Delia (74)!
These women serve faithfully and with Christ like love every Sunday teaching the youth of the church. Audrey is my Secretary, she is the BEST! She does spread sheets and keeps us organized ( I am a hard one to organize so she has a difficult job) Pat teacher the youngest class of 4 year olds and is a favorite of everyone. She has an CHARMING sense of humor, and Delia is this beautiful woman who teaches with such faith and love (she brings her guitar in and teaches them songs on the Articles of Faith). These women are each an example to me and I admire them so much! So if you ever think you are too old to teach the youth, ask the students of these women and they will tell you how incredible their teachers are!

Celebrating the 24th anniversary of my 21st birthday!!

This amazing dance co. was @ the Mondavi Center the day before my birthday, so I bought tickets and convinced Shawn to go with me. It was a very fun way to celebrate (a lot funner than my actual birthday when I was partying with the Primary kids preparing for the program on Sunday!) I have to say that partying on Fri 13th with sugared up primary kids is a bit scary and made me feel old!

WHAT IS CREW?

Crew is the latest happenings in our home. It is the "rowing team" that Hannah has joined. A lot of hard work, they practice 10 hours a week. We have warned Braden that when he comes home at Christmas his little sister will be able to take him down! She's got guns!

The first race was held this Saturday on the beautiful Lake Natoma @ the American River, a beautiful spot. We are learning all about this fun sport. One thing I know for certain is that they speak their own language. Do you know what a coxswain is? This is the position that I want if I joint the adult crew. A Coxswain is the boss of the boat, the great thing is many of the women are the coxswains on the men's boats. They SHOUT orders and tell them where to go, they get very sassy and the men actually listen, what a trip! And a bonus, they carry the coxswain out of the boat at the end of the race, what a job!

The women's novice team did VERY well for their first race and they all felt great about their efforts. One thing I learned, if you should fall out of the boat, they row without you and you swim to shore. Yikes!

The girl's loading their boat after the race. They are VERY careful, as each boat is about $30,000.00. We are proud of Hannah's dedication and enthusiasm with this new endeavor. They practice in the Sacramento Port, right along side the HUGE cargo ships coming in and out, that would make me row very fast!

A little Pink for October

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, hence many pink ribbons everywhere. I thought it would be great to hear from Pink herself (I admit I really like her, gorgeous and tough) someday I hope to be tough like this woman. Click here to see her latest and greatest! Karaoke anyone?

I just can't help it. . .

I am in LOVE with this man! Whenever I am having a bad day and need a boost, I will go to my "happy place" which can be found with this man and his amazing words!!
Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Saving the tata's. . .

Just another day in paradise aka work...NOT! This is me "consulting" with Dr. McMahon about breasts. Featured in the "Wellspring magazine" I have had about all I want regarding boobs after sitting in a conference in San Francisco for 8 hours, I am boobed out. But, Breast (cancer) awareness month is coming right up, so spread the word and go see your favorite mammographer!

THAT'S MY KIDS!

Braden wanted to do a video with Hannah before he left for school, so he wrote this song and they sang and played it on their guitars. I told him that I used to be very talented, but the birthing process sucked it all away and he got it all. He is now in Hawaii and we already miss him. How does time fly so fast, it seems like yesterday he came into our world!

DO YOU LOVE IT OR HATE IT?

This is me (in my new "progressive lenses") pondering Facebook

(egg head sculpture in front of UCD library, perfect for this post)

As I am one big ball of emotions sending my first born off to college this week, I am thinking Facebook might be a fun option to keep in touch with him while he is gone. I have really fought the Facebook thing just because to me, it is just one more thing I don't need, but with Braden leaving I may need to consider it, since it is the way these kids communicate anymore.
Here is my list of pro's and con's , please feel free to add to it, the good, bad and ugly:

PRO

1. Makes it easy to appease your inner stalker
2. You can maintain relationships you never thought you could
3. Great distraction to housework
4. You can friend your kids friends (see con #3)

CON

1. Allows you freedom to never get anything done
2. More addictive than crack
3. People you don't like add you as friends, but you don't have the heart to say no
4. It's like a popularity contest, sort of like getting picked last in kickball all over again
   

it's not all bad

Just in case you are wondering about living next door to a frat house. It does have some perks and this is all that I am going to say about that(this picture does not do this boy justice).

WICKEDLY FUN WEEKEND!

We decide to have one last "hoorah" before school starts, so as a family we spent the weekend in San Francisco (on Nob Hill no less) Friday night, we all saw WICKED and all loved it except for Chan who slept through the last half of it, which was fine with the rest of us!

Early Saturday morning Shawn and I went for a walk, one of my favorites, we walked from the Mark Hopkins Hotel on Nob Hill... down and up and down (you know how walking in San Fran goes) to Coit Tower on Telegraph hill. I love walking through Chinatown in the early hours, it is like being transported to China, all of the vendors getting ready for the day with every exotic food you can imagine. My lungs burned and legs hurt when we returned to our sleeping angels!

It is a good thing we walked, because we decided to hit a famous place for breakfast "Mama's on Washington" it always has a line to get into. They are open from 8am til 3 p.m. We only waited about 45 minutes and I can truthfully tell you it was totally worth the wait and we will be returning there again soon! PURE HEAVEN!! It was a hit with everyone! My favorite was their sampler french toast (pictured) 3 different sliced of french toast with fresh berries. Banana, cinnamon and mixed berry french toast (all homemade of course) I hate to think of the calories I consumed there...ALOT!! SOO worth it!

We did some school shopping and then headed to the De Young Museum in Golden Gate Park to see the KING TUT exhibit. VERY interesting. It is mind boggeling to think that we were seeing artifacts over 3000 years old. Go see it before it is gone!

CRAP....IT HAPPENED!!

Not that I didn't see it coming, when I was reading a book,doing computer work or texting (especially texting-my posterity would make fun of me, I am slow and I can't see texting, I basically text like a dork) So today at my eye appointment, I got hit with the news that basically says I AM OLD!! Hello bi-focals or the politically correct term "progressive lenses" (not that it makes me feel better). They tried cheering me up by saying that most people get them between the age of 40 and 45 and I am on the eve of 45.....WOO HOO, Thanks a lot, so encouraging! So, I will be seeing clearly now. I can buy a darling pair of reading glasses @ Anthropologie for when I am wearing my contacts. Maybe I will get a nerdy chain to put on them so I don't lose them-isn't that what "the elderly" do? I am going to the movie now and drown my sorrow in Diet Coke, heck, I might even splurge on something chocolate...that will help! And... I won't need my stinking "progressive lenses" to see the screen!

THE QUESTION OF THE WEEK. . .

DOES ANYONE KNOW WHAT A NUB (NOOB) CAKE IS??

(I PROBABLY SPELLED THAT WRONG, BUT IT IS HOW IT SOUNDS)

I AM PRETTY CERTAIN THAT IT IS NOT A GOOD TERM,

BECAUSE MY CHILDREN OFTEN TELL EACH OTHER THAT

THEY ARE A "NUB CAKE" OR EVEN A "NUB CAKE WITH

FROSTING ON TOP" WHEN THEY HAVE DONE SOMETHING

REALLY DUMB. I WISH THAT THERE WAS A PARENTS

GUIDE TO TEEN TERMINOLOGY SOMEWHERE!!

READ IT AND WEEP. . .

JUST INFORMING YOU OF MY LATEST GOOD READ. BUT HAVE A BOX OF TISSUE CLOSE BY. THIS IS A GREAT BOOK AND BASED ON HISTORY. AMAZING! IT IS A COMBINATION OF HEART WARMING AND HEART WRENCHING.
THANKS TO MY SIS FOR THE RECOMMENDATION!!

Back to REALITY!

Rose, Elise and Hannah
Returning to reality after a relaxing vacations really stinks!!
We consumed massive amounts of chips and guacamole, we swam from morning til night and were waited on hand and foot!

We shopped for silver, candy and other trinkets

We all enjoyed parasailing. Parker and I went together and they dipped us down in the water. We were worried about landing in a bunch of manta rays, because they were everywhere!

Some of us acted a little crazy! I happened to find this ENORMOUS bra on the clearance rack @ Ross (How could I resist $3.00 and hilarious?!) I put it in with the girls things while they were at breakfast, they got a good laugh and then passed it on. They took Parker's i-pod and held it in ransom until he put the bra on and walked through the lobby of the resort @ 2 in the AM. What happens in Cabo should stay in Cabo! The scary thing is that Park was all too willing to do it!

We came home to see Braden and hear of his fun adventures, receive his fun prizes he brought for us and ate StroopWaffles that he brought for us!

REVOLVERS AND RANDOMNESS

Life here at the urban hullabaloo has been busy and random with children coming, going and all stages of in between. Hannah just returned from a fun filled week at girls camp. Her Pal Emma went with her and they had a fabulous time (how could it not be great, their cabin looks over this amazing lake) It is SOOO quiet with 2 children gone at a time!! (Braden will return the day before I return from Cabo, he is having a grand time, worn out, missing home but loving life) Chan has kept semi occupied with swim lessons and skateboard lessons. Parker spent 5 days camping with his Pal Conner and his brave grandpa

Here is the Cabo time share we frequent, I can not wait! I can hear the ocean breezes blowing the curtains back as I type this. I hear silver vendors calling me with their magnificent goods!

I should now be packing for a week in Cabo, but lack motivation. What more do I need than a swimsuit, because we are basically going to escape reality, be waited on hand and foot and RELAX!! A much needed break, I have been working too much and so has Shawn.
OH YEAH!! This is MY target, I took a handgun safety class this a.m. and LOVED it!! Currently gathering advice from Pro's Like my bro in law Evan (aka Range Master) or my gal Pal Tanisha, the gun fanatic on which gun to purchase. I tried several today and had a great time.

Why a gun you ask? Basically because I can. I grew up with a dad who always had a gun and always loved shooting with him when we went gathering wood each summer. I like the thought that it is a right to bear arms, even though I live among many Wacky liberal who would like them outlawed.

After a miserably failed plan to go see some of my favorite people in Monterey over the 4th, we found a very fun "Full Moon Kayak Trip" to take. It was gorgeous, I thought my arms would fall off after the trip (I drew the short straw and had Chan in my Kayak, he was a beast, insisted on dragging his paddle and I thought of drowning him before the trip was over) Other than that, I will try this out again, sans Chandler! Check out available trips and the Sac State Aquatics Center

And my new favorite from Costco Mangoes and Berries. Sort of like Sunshine in a bag!! Dried mangoes, blueberries and strawberries. YUMMY!!

How is that for random?
Now I am off to do laundry, clean house and pack. I will think of Chips, Salsa and Guacamole in mass amounts that will be headed my way come Monday, served by a gorgeous pool boy along with ice cold diet coke,a bit of heaven headed my way soon!!

WAAAAAHHH HOOOO!!!

Let the celebration begin!
The class of DHS 2009 has over 700 graduates and are rated # 721 out of 29,000 high schools. Not bad! A very unique and diverse class!

LOOK! Dry eyes! Only a few tears, but mostly excitement thinking of what adventures are ahead and thought of the many great times behind. I think I will save the tears for when he boards the plane for BYU-Hawaii, then it will all be too real!

The Whole Fam Damily-trying to get a picture with everyone not looking cross eyed or goofy is virtually impossible, so here you have it, the real us!

4 children, moving on to 4 new schools. Braden moves to BYU, Hannah enters into High school as a Sophomore. Parker will bring a whole new perspective to The Jr. High that his sister left ( I am not certain the faculty will know what to think of this change!) Chandler has decided to enter into Parker's Elem. and give English a try. If he does not like the transition, he will return to Spanish Immersion.

Braden and his pal Geoff, they are frantically doing last minute packing after playing all night @ Grad Night. There is a plane leaving for Europe Mon. to take them on a whirlwind tour for 5 weeks. Oh, to be young and have no responsibilities...Sigh! I miss those days!

IS IT JUST ME?

Or did anyone else cry like a baby in UP? Just wondering. If your are pregnant (which I am not) , mid-life (which I am, perhaps even mid-life crisis) or otherwise emotionally impaired..Take tissue with you! Yes, it is a cartoon, but I am a cry baby!

My letter to a friend having a breast reduction

Dear Lilly (name changed to protect the well endowed),

Just a note to show my SUPPORT to you! I hope you will soon feel UPLIFTED and your normal PERKY self. I am certain you will not be a BOOB through all of the pain you must be in. Please don't MINIMIZE how much I think of you, I really appreciate your friendship (I cross my heart)! May you soon have less BOUNCE back in your steps!
Love,
Sue (aka your BOSOM buddy)

So I am off to Ross to find the perfect tiny bra in cheetah print or something outrageous to go along with my letter. What do you think? Of course a yummy dinner will accompany the gift!

Our Whole Earth Day That Wasn't

It all started out as our normal tradition walk to campus and enjoy "Whole Earth Day" aka "Hippie Fest" Just as I was debating in which dreadlock style would go with my tie-dye and tattoo, we get a phone call from one of Parker's friends saying he fell and hit his head HARD and an ambulance was on its way, sure enough, we started hearing emergency vehicles and ran across campus to find our dare devil strapped on a gurney with c-collar and all ready for a ride to the hospital. He and his friends were jumping stairs and leaping over the garbage cans at the bottom and Parker did a face plant on the cement. OUCH! POOR CEMENT!!
Parker pretty much came out unscathed, an impressive goose egg and fracture of his radial head. His biggest upset was that I would not let him go rejoin his "posse" for more fun.

Without a doubt, if we go back to the scene, there will probably be a large dent in the pavement!

Then my sweet senior enjoyed his last HS dance. The group met for pictures at the arboretum (gorgeous spot) The limo picked them up there and they headed to the Sheraton in Sac for the big event.

My boy at his last prom with his favorite mom!

Of course miss social here hung out with her friends and took silly pictures of each other. This picture is the typical teen texter!