Funny Thing...

Well I was so excited to see the new episode of Grey's on Thurs. but believe it or not, it is still on my DVR waiting to be watched! At about noon on Thursday, I got a call from Patrick that he needed to be up in Salt Lake by 9 am Friday morning!! YIKES! (for a meeting for work) And despite the fact that my kids were a little sick, we decided to all take a road trip up there! (they weren't too sick!) Since it was such a fast, and last minute trip, we weren't able to go and see everyone up there. But we did have a good time visiting our wonderful friends, The Frankowski's, in Herriman. Kym and I of course had to hit my old favorite stores up there, Roberts and Quilted Bear. Man, I miss those stores. And Patrick and Chris did guy things, like watch movies and go to lunch. It is so nice to see our friends agian! We sure miss them! Our boys had a blast playing with their old friends and jumping on the trampoline. Thanks Chris and Kym for letting us crash at your house at the last minute!!! We had fun playing Guitar Hero and Mau (sp?) late into the night! We came back to Vegas Sunday night, and was I glad to get back to the nice warm weather! I'm not so used to the cold anymore. It was a little of a shock to have to wear a jacket everywhere we went! I even had to dig out winter clothes for my boys to go, cuz I had already packed them away for the year! Can't wait for another trip up there! Hopefully I'll have more the 3 hours notice next time though!

My light at the end of the tunnel...

The knowledge that there is a new episode of Grey's on tonight is what will get be through this day! I have 2 sick kids, and I am so stinking tired, and I have a TON of laundry to get through! So this is what I'm looking forward to today....finally a new Grey's will be on. It's been so long, and I have missed it. So you will all know where I will be tonight @ 9, either passet out in my bed or watching Grey's...no worries, it will be DVR-ed if I fall asleep!!

It's official....

So if you read my previous post about a Cafe Rio possibly being built by my house, then you will remember that I was skeptical of it because I hadn't seen a sign for myself. Well I was over in that shopping area last night, and saw a glimpse of a sign that said Cafe Rio!!!! WhooooHoooooo!!!! Patrick and I drove by a few times to make sure, and it is now confirmed that, YES they are building one so close to my house! We are excited!! It was hard to see the whole sign, because the wind had blown most of it down, so I don't know when it will be opened, but you can bet we are going there for dinner as soon as we see it opened!!!! :)

Happy things

I have been having a bad day for the past few days and been really discouraged about a few different things. So I decided it might be good to make a list of all the things that make me happy. Very "self-help" of me, I know! So here we go....

There are of course the obvious ones, my husband, kids, and family, the gospel...so I'll get a little more specific.

I love.....

~Fresh clean sheets on my bed

~Talking on the phone to a friend or my sister or mom

~Going out to eat, then I don't have to clean up! :)

~Springtime, because its not to hot, but not cold either

~Gerbera Daisey's

~Red things, especially red things that I can decorate my house with

~Scrapbooking, totally a stress relieaver for me

~Hearing my kids sing, even if it's the wrong words to the song

~Laughing at a great story someone is telling me

~Finding something that I really want on sale for a steal!

~Conner's crazy curly hair!

~my cricut

~hot fudge sundaes

~pork tacos from Cafe Rio

~Going to Costco and getting everything on my list for under $100 (that is a challege!)

~"Washing machine" kisses from Conner (those are a bit slobbery!)

~"sticky" kisses from Brayden (that is a game we have where we kiss each other with "super sticky" kisses, that way they won't come off!)

~Back scratches from Patrick

~Hearing Conner say in his prayer to "please bless Jesus"

~Listening to Brayden as he tells me what he has learned in preschool or primary that day

~my kitchen sink when it has all the dishes out of it

~cleared off counter tops

~getting a call in the middle of the day from Patrick just to say "hi and I love you"

~new episodes of Grey's Anatomy (hopfully coming back soon!)

~Pedicures

~Cherry Sprite from Sonic during happy hour, so it is only half price :)

~finding pants that are long enough for my freakishlly long legs

~being in my pj's

~Watching my babies grow up

~going on trips

~my new (kinda I got it in September) bed

~my Scentsy

~Seeing family members who live far away

~Clorox Wipes (those are the best invention EVER!)

"When you are discouraged thinking all is lost... count your many blessing name them one by one.... Count you many blessing see what God has done!"

First soccer game!

Today was Brayden's first soccer game, and man, did he have fun! That kid sure can run fast! (he is in the white uniform, and is #4) He was running all over that field chasing the ball, but was too nice and let the other kids kick it. The age group that he plays in doesn't keep score, but if they did, our team totally dominated! We scored so many goals! Right at the end of the game, one of the little girls on our team was generous enough to kick the ball in the other team's goal. It was very cute watching all the kids running around playing. They really didn't know what was going on! Patrick had a good time coaching as well. Bradyen thinks that it is cool to have his dad be one of his coaches. He calls him "Coach Dad"!

This is Brayden at practice the other night, he was learning to dribble the ball down the field.

Here are they are ready to go to their game. Conner doesn't want to be left out of anything, so he had to be in the picture too.

He is so cute and all grown up looking in his little uniform! Go #4!!!

It's so fun to watch him run all over to get the ball. He really doesn't know what exactly to do yet, but he'll figure it out soon. He loved it! He especially liked the treats at halftime and after the game. I love that he is old enough now to do things like team sports!!

Rumors...

Many of you may know of the goodness that is Cafe Rio. While living in Utah, Patrick and I were, I guess you could say, "frequent diner's" at this wonderful establishment. Meaning we ate there like once a week. It was just down the street from our house, how can you NOT eat there?!!? So when we moved to Vegas, that was one thing that we REALLY missed, no more Cafe Rio, the closest one being 1 1/2 hours away in St. George. And don't think that the thought never entered our minds to take a quick trip up there for a little "Rio" as we call it. So one day after living here about a month, Patrick had been driving somewhere for work, and as he is sitting at a stop light, sees a wonderful sign....it said "Cafe Rio Coming Soon". What a wonderful day!!!! (I'm pretty sure angels were singing that day!) Vegas was a great place to be after all, because now it too would have a Cafe Rio. So there was much rejoicing when it opened up last summer. The only down side being that it was about a 30 minute drive from our house. Sad, but we will make due, 30 minutes is better then 90 to St. George right?!?
So now I am hearing rumors (yet to be confirmed with my own eyes) that they are building a Cafe Rio by Costco. FYI, Costco is only 10 minutes from my house!!! I got this info from a fairly reliable source (someone Patrick works with and lives close by there). However, today while at Costco, I drove around to see for myself, and didn't see a sign announcing such a wonderful event. So I'm a little skeptical. This would be so awesome to have one close by again! It's our favorite place to eat. Even for our kids. If you ask them where they want to go, many times it will be Cafe Rio, and if you even suggest it...well you had better go there, cuz it's a hit with them. Conner talks about going there anytime you suggest going out to eat. Can't beat the free kids quesadilla's they have! Oh, and pork taco's...yummy! Now I wanna go there for dinner tonight!

Recipe...

Okay, I guess that would have been a good idea to post the recipe too, but MaLaan, you totally should have this recipe already! These are a Shumate classic!! Anyways, here it is, and just so you know, I'm eating one as I type it! YUM!

Aunt Cherie's Home Made Oreo Cookies (aka proof that Jesus loves us!) :)
2 boxes Devil's food cake mix
1 1/2 cup shortening (hey I didn't say they were good for you, I just said they were YUMMY!)
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla

Mix together and roll into small balls. (I use my Pampered Chef cookie scoop so they are all the same size) Bake @ 350 for 8 min. Cookies may not look done, but be careful not to over bake them. Cool for 5 min before removing from the pan.

Frosting: (the best part!)
6 oz. cream cheese (softened)
1/2 c butter (softened)
1 lbs powdered sugar
1tsp vanilla
a little milk if needed

Mix and frost between cookies.

I also have found that if you let them sit in the fridge before you shove them in your face, they are even better! Enjoy!!

My addiction...

Many years ago, while visiting my wonderful Aunt Cherie, she made us all some home made Oreo's. They were sooooooo yummy!! Pretty much everyone was instantlly hooked on them. I recently made a batch, and the addiction to them still haunts me. You can't have just one! And I fear that there may be something wrong with my children, because they don't like them! Shocking!! How can that be possible?!? Probably because they are so used to the cheap ones that I buy from the store for them, that they don't know what a truly heavenly cookie should taste like. They usually get to enjoy the $.94 cookies from Wal-Mart. And while they think those are great and all, the home made Oreo's are just about the best thing ever!

Friends for the weekend!

Our great friends, and former neighbors in Taylorsville, came to Vegas to visit us this weekend. We had TONS of fun!! They have kids the same age as ours, and they just played and played till they ran out of energy! We went to the fun Dinosaur Park that is close to our house, and all the kids loved that. Melissa is my partner in crime when it comes to crafts and scrapbooking, so we went to craft and scrapbook stores, and did some of our own too. She helped me make a beautiful clock, that when I get a new house, I will proudly hang in my living room. Patrick and Morgan went to the ESPN Zone for dinner and watched the college basketball finals there one night. They also took advantage of the wonderful weather and went golfing on Saturday morning.

Patrick and I have become huge fans of Guitar Hero on the Wii, however, we discovered it to be a whole new ball game when you have someone else to play it with. We rocked it on the guitars late into the night. It was a blast!!

We also went to the Bellagio to watch the fountains one night. They are super amazing if you have never seen them! There is also a garden inside the Bellagio that is just awesome!! These are just a few pictures. Everything is made of flowers! There were frogs, swans, ladybugs, etc. all made out of flowers. It smelled SO GOOD in there!

Brayden and Bailey have been great friends from the start, so it was only fitting that they pose for a picture together! They are so cute!!

We had so much fun with our old friends! Hope to see more of you come our way!! There is always something fun to do in Vegas!!!

One year, can you believe it?!?

So today marks one year since we left our cute little house in Utah and all our friends and moved to Vegas! In some ways, I really can't believe that is has been a year already. It seems weird to say that we have lived in Vegas for a year now, but at the same time, it seems like such a long time since we were in Utah. It has been a long, hard, and trying year, but Vegas feels like our home now, even though we really miss everything in Utah that we loved. Once we move into a house of our own, it will be even better! We have an offer in on one, but there are other offers in on it as well, so I don't know what will happen. I'll keep you all posted. Thanks to everyone who has given us so much love and support this past year. We have grown so strong from this experience. I really don't know how some of you have moved multiple times, from state to state...it was killer!!! I'm NOT moving again anytime soon once we buy a house, at least not if I can help it!

Easter!

Happy Easter everyone!! Hope you all had a good Easter Sunday. Our boys woke up nice and early to go on an egg hunt. Which since we had to be to church by 9 am, wasn't so bad. They had so much fun running around finding eggs all over. Brayden was such a great big brother, and was helping Conner find eggs and put them in his basket. Then Brayden would run off and find some more for himself.

Here are the boys in their Easter outfits that Grandma Shumate bought for them. They looked so handsome to go to church!

This is Brayden proudly showing off his new Lego Star Wars shirt he got in his Easter basket. For those of you who don't know, Brayden is obsessed with Lego Star Wars on the Wii. He is pretty good at it for a 5 year old. He gets very excited when I am going somewhere, cuz if he is staying home with dad, he knows they will get to play Lego Star Wars while I'm gone! He loves all things Star Wars!

As for the rest of life... things are busy as usual. I have been busy house hunting. Hopefully we will be in our new house by the beginning of the summer. It's so exciting! Patrick has been very busy with work, so I have been narrowing down the houses, then I will take him back to the ones that I like. Conner is doing pretty good with the whole potty training thing. He still gets so excited every time he goes, it's kinda funny! Brayden and Patrick are getting ready to start soccer next week, so that will be fun! We are loving the beautiful spring weather here! It's so great!!!

Victory!

Yesterday Conner FINALLY decided it was acceptable to go pee and poo in the potty! He has been doing pretty good so far, just a few minor accidents. We are defiantly still in the beginning stages, but I'm just excited that he WANTS to use the potty. I have totally resorted to bribery, and I don't even feel bad about it at all! I took him to Wal-Mart, and let him pick out a few small toys that he can earn when he goes potty! He can also earn a piece of candy, or "monies" as he calls it. (there is a pile of pennies, nickles, and dimes on the counter for him to choose from). So every time he goes, he gets to pick something. Brayden however is having a hard time with all that. He thinks that he should get something too, not just his little brother, nevermind the fact that he has been totally potty trained for over 2 years now! So I have bribed him that I'll buy him some new Star Wars underwear if he wipes his bum AND washes his hands EVERY TIME he goes potty! (it has been a bit if an issue that he hasn't been doing it!) :) So the bribes are working just great so far....hopefully they will continue that way! This is a picture of Conner with the first toy he earned by being a "big boy"! It's a blue motorcylce, and he is very proud of it! And I'm so excited too!!!! P.S. I really hate potty training!

Soccer mom!

Well I signed Brayden up for Soccer the other day. So I will litterally be a soccer mom! How scarry is that?!? He is so excited though! Patrick is going to be the assistant coach for his team, and Brayden thinks that is very cool. Patrick took Brayden to buy a Soccer ball and some shin guards yesterday, and Brayden had his first lesson in how to play soccer. He is actually pretty good at it...for a 5 year old at least. Patrick played outside with the boys for a few hours teaching them how to kick the ball, how to stop it, and how to NOT use your hands. Every time one of them used their hands, Patrick would make them put their hands in their pockets. That was pretty funny to watch them run around with their hands in their pockets trying to kick the ball. Conner is going to be sad when he realizes that he's not old enough yet to play on the team with his big brother. He thinks that he is going to play too! Hopefully he'll be happy to just play in the backyard with his dad and brother! I have no idea how to even play soccer, there is way too much running around for me, so I'm glad that Patrick is able to teach the boys a thig or two about it. But both Patrick and I are so excited that our kids are getting old enough to play sports!

First-timers...

So after many request from various sources....I have decided to create a blog. I do occsionally blog on my myspace page, but not everyone can get to that, so here is another one. I'm still figuring it all out, so hang in there with me, I'll get it eventually. Since Patirck is so very busy with work, I (Melissa) will probablly be blogging on here. Just so you don't get confused as to who is writing....
So life here in Vegas is busy. Today we started out our day by taking a ride in Patrick's new truck. It's his new company truck that came along with his promotion to Area Directer, and the boys have been going CRAZY waiting to take a ride in it. So this morning, Patrick took the boys for a ride to the gas station for a donut before he left for work. That was the highlight of their day, and it was only 8:30 am. How could the day get any better?!?
The kids and I went to AZ this weekend, as most of you reading this will already know, and had a ton of fun with my family. We went to see my big sister and her hubby from Houston. We all went to the Grand Canyon, and the boys thought that was very fun! My sis also annouced that she is pregnant with her first baby....and we are all VERY excited for them! I wish she lived closer so I'd be able to see the cute little baby when it's born.
Anyways, I'll get to working on figuring out this blogger thing, so check back occasionally to see what is up!