Whidden

9.23.2008

Tag~ your it:)

I was tagged through email with this, but I thought I would put it on my blog and would like to tag anyone who wants to join in the fun
Who are you? Hit forward and place an X by all the things
you've done and remove the X from the ones you have not.
This is for your entire life!
This is for Andrea
(x) Skipped school

(x ) Gone on a blind date

( x) Watched someone die

(x ) Been to Canada

( x ) Been to Mexico

( x) Been to Florida

(x) Been on a plane

(x) Been lost

(x) Used a GPS

(x) Been on the opposite side of the country

( ) Gone to Washington, DC

(x) Swam in the ocean:

(x) Cried yourself to sleep

( ) Played cops and robber

(x) Recently colored with crayons:

( ) Sang Karaoke

( ) Paid for a meal with coins only

(x) Done something you told yourself you wouldn't

(x) Made prank phone calls

(x) Exercised today

(x) Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose:

(x) Caught a snowflake on your tongue:

( ) Danced in the rain

(x ) Used a Palm Pilot:

(x) Written a letter to Santa Claus:

( ) Been kissed under the mistletoe

( ) Shaken a movie stars hand

( ) Watched the sunrise with someone you care about

(x) Blown bubbles

(x) Gone ice-skating:

( x ) Watched a sonogram

( x) Been skinny dipping outdoors

(x) Gone to the drive-in movies

1. Any nickname? no

2. Sisters name? Jennifer and Stephanie

3. Favorite drink? Pepsi....Strawberry lemonade...

4. Tattoo? I wish

5. Body Piercings: my ears

6. How much do you love your job? A lot

7. Birthplace: SLC, UT

8. Favorite vacation spot? Hawaii

9. Ever been to Africa? No

10. Ever eaten cookies for dinner? yes

11. Ever been on TV? Yes the news:)

12. Ever steal any traffic signs? No

13. Ever been in a car accident? Yes

14. Drive a 2-door or 4-door vehicle? 4

15. Favorite salad dressing? Café Rio creamy tomatillo

16. Favorite number? 11

17. Favorite movie? The Count of Monte Cristo

18. Favorite holiday? Christmas & Halloween

19. Favorite dessert? Too many to name, I do love eclairs...

20. Favorite day of the week? Sunday

21. Favorite brand of body wash? Bath and body works, warm vanilla sugar

22. Favorite Toothpaste? anything REALLY minty

23. Favorite smell? Bleach, chlorine, or fabric softener

24. What do you do to relax? take a bath, lay in a cold room under the covers

25. How do you see yourself in 10 Years? taking on a fifteen year old girl, who will probably love boys:)

26. Furthest place you will send this message? Canada

27. Who will respond to this the fastest? all of you dang it!!!

These are Ben's answers

( x) Skipped school

( ) Gone on a blind date

( ) Watched someone die

(x ) Been to Canada

( x ) Been to Mexico

( x) Been to Florida

(x) Been on a plane

(x) Been lost

(x) Used a GPS

(x) Been on the opposite side of the country

( ) Gone to Washington, DC

(x) Swam in the ocean:

( ) Cried yourself to sleep

(x) Played cops and robber

( ) Recently colored with crayons:

( ) Sang Karaoke

( ) Paid for a meal with coins only

(x) Done something you told yourself you wouldn't

(x) Made prank phone calls

(x ) Exercised today

( ) Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose:

(x) Caught a snowflake on your tongue:

( ) Danced in the rain

(x ) Used a Palm Pilot:

(x) Written a letter to Santa Claus:

( ) Been kissed under the mistletoe

( ) Shaken a movie stars hand

(x) Watched the sunrise with someone you care about

(x) Blown bubbles

(x) Gone ice-skating:

( x) Watched a sonogram

( ) Been skinny dipping outdoors

(x) Gone to the drive-in movies

1. Any nickname? Solo Flex, Benjamin Bunny, ghost, splite, Benner

2. Sisters name? Gina, Leah

3. Favorite drink? Cream soda

4. Tattoo? wouldn't you like to know

5. Body Piercings: none that I can show

6. How much do you love your job? Too much

7. Birthplace: Kelowna, B.C. Canada

8. Favorite vacation spot? Hawaii

9. Ever been to Africa? No

10. Ever eaten cookies for dinner? yes , breakfast, lunch and dinner:)

11. Ever been on TV? Yes at a hockey game

12. Ever steal any traffic signs? No

13. Ever been in a car accident? Yes

14. Drive a 2-door or 4-door vehicle? 4

15. Favorite salad dressing? Olive Garden Italian

16. Favorite number? 9

17. Favorite movie? Rudy

18. Favorite holiday? Christmas

19. Favorite dessert? Angel food cake

20. Favorite day of the week? Saturday

21. Favorite brand of body wash? water

22. Favorite Toothpaste? what's toothpaste

23. favorite smell? Fresh baked buns

24. What do you do to relax? video games, watch movies

25. How do you see yourself in 10 Years? out of debt

26. Furthest place you will send this message? Canada

27. Who will respond to this the fastest? ??

9.21.2008

What happends in Vegas, SHOULD stay in Vegas.

Ben and I were able to go on a really quick weekend to Vegas. To celebrate Ben passing the interview for Target.

So a quick flight to Vegas, ended up being not so quick, I often forget what it is like to travel like a "regular passenger" and being subject to long delays and sitting the airport for hours, (I have had to do that as a flight attendant, but it is different when you are getting paid:)

So after a mechanical problem and a 3 hour delay they found a new airplane and we were on our way.

We stayed at Tresure Island, super nice hotel, and really fun. We walked the strip and check out some of the hotels we had never seen and ended up at Bally's to watch the Vegas show 'Jubilee'. It is the old vegas style show girl show, yes topless, some of the time and after the first few minutes you almost forget.

We ended up getting a bit to eat at the Paris Hotel which is another really neat hotel.

I did think the buffet's were going to be cheap, I do remember they used to be cheap, not so much anymore, minimum 16-17 dollars for breakfast and lunch and 18-25 dollars for dinner, PER PERSON!!!!

Treasure Island had the best buffet and Luxor the worst out of the buffets we tried....(only two:)

Ben had a great time playing poker at the Excalibur hotel, they have these really neat tables, that are all computerized and you don't have a dealer, so it goes so much faster, I won 20$ off the penny games, yes they have 1 cent games for us cheap-os.

Ben was up 90$ and then ended up breaking even due to me winning 20 $. So much for the world poker tour for Ben.

We also went to see the Titanic exposistion which was REALLY cool, Ben kept teasing me as we were going to buy our tickets in was in the very back of the Hotel and it was quiet and not a soul in site, he kept saying and look at the crowds rushing to see this, well what else can you do if you are not going to drink, smoke and gamble???

If you ever get a chance to go and see it, you should, it was very humbling and interesting. All of the artifacts they have collected over the years, and all the stories of passengers and their circumstsances and how they ended up on that ship.

And what happens in Vegas should stay in Vegas is true, what a CRAZY place, just a list of things we saw, and Julie I wish so much I had the guts to take pictures of some of these people:)

Gay cowboys, really gay cowboys....Don't get me wrong I have friends with that lifestyle, but there was something about them that made me want to giggle....

Someone loose 900$ at the Craps table in one hand...

Trannies as we heard them referred too...

Satan's helpers, I will post the photo....

A lot of miniskirts and the most cleavage I have EVER seen in my life.

SO stay in vegas, please don't leave, leave my little Saratoga Springs out of the running.

Thank you very much

Thanks to my Mom for watching the kids, I could hear frustration in her voice a few times, it was so fun and some of the things I did not hear or say while I was in Vegas....

Please stop doing that,

Get down,

Eat that all gone please,

GO TO BED,

What is going on here?

Please pick that up,

Please stop DOING that,

No, we can't buy that,

What I did get to do in lay in bed until 10:00 am, go to bed at 2:00am not because I was up, tucking someone in for the fourth time....

I got to eat my food and not share it all,

I used escalators instead of elevators.

I didn't have to pre-board:)

I almost got first class,

I didn't bring coloring books:)

I only brought one bag..

I am glad to be back, it is funny how you miss all of the other stuff so fast....

9.16.2008

Stuff

Ben belongs to a softball league with a few guys in our neighborhood, it was really fun to go and visit with some of the other mom's and let the kids play and run around.

The girls playing in the dirt, I think when you are little getting dirty is a requirement;)

Kessler at the game, he is at the stage of wanting to touch everything and put it in his mouth.

Cooper and Bauer cheering their dad on...

Bauer at swim lessons, playing with one of our neighbors friends, he is so funny and I swear has the cutest smile;)

Kessler like I said wants to get everything:)

Bauer and Sophie, he loves Sophie, he for a while called her "Soapie" she is so cute with him, she baby-sat him the other night and he asked me in the morning where she was, as if he automatically inherited a new sister overnight:)

This is Lanie, she is Sophie's sister and she is one of the funniest kids I know, I keep telling her mom, if she decides to get rid of her, I would love to be first on the waiting list. She is this little girl with the BIGGEST personality....thanks for coming swimming with us:)

9.10.2008

!!!!Good news!!!!

So some of you know Ben works for Target and is currently a (assistant store manager) or ETL as they say at Target. He had interviews on Monday for a Store manager position (STL as they say at Target).
HE PASSED....yeah for Ben. Way to go, I can't even describe how stressed out he was when he found out 4 weeks ago that he would be going to interview in Minneapolis, MN. Ben has been on pins and needles ever since. This last Monday he had 2, 30 minute interviews with Senior Target leaders and he felt like the first one went really well and the second one not as good. So he had no idea what to think. They also told him only 50% pass, and there were 40 people interviewing.
I posted some pictures of some of the studying/research he has done over the last 4 weeks, I messed up a few pics where he had his head on the desk just trying to soak it all in.

~Swim Lessons~

The kids started swimming lessons again, Alivia is in level 3 and Cooper in level 2 and Bauer is just playing.

I love swim lessons, it is one of the really weird things about me, that I love the smell of bleach/chlorine so I can sit next to the pool all day.

Last year Bauer had no interest in going in the water, this year on the other hand, he will sit at the edge and play, he actually splashes the people who walk past (watch out:) only when I am not looking:)

Ben was off Tuesday night, he actually was out of town in Minneapolis for an interview for Target, and was able to meet up with us after his flight got in, just having a little fun with the kids to blow off all of the stress he has been under.For those that are not familiar with the Lehi Legacy Center, they are laying in an area where a big huge tiki pot? fills with water and then tips over and splashes, it is really fun and these are the pics of them waiting and watching it tip over;)

9.08.2008

Canada Whidden's

We have had a great week this last week and has it been busy.

The other Whidden's, that's why we are known as the Utah Whidden's they are the Canada Whidden's. They came to visit from Beautiful British Columbia.

Here are some of the events that took place mostly the kids played, played and played some more. Having a new friends around is a lot of fun.

The kids loved sliding down the stairs on an old crib mattress and Julie (my sis-in-law) got some great pics.

They also took Cooper to the Dinosaur museum at Thanksgiving point. Thanks again guys:)

Julie and I were able to go shopping and I showed her some of my favorite stores, and introduced her to Cafe Rio. (truly who wouldn't do that:)

We also went to Boondocks, we refer to it as Chuck-e-cheese on steroids:) This picture cracked me and Julie up because Ben's legs looked so crazy sticking out of the car like that;)

Ben and Jared were able to play tennis on the PS3 and we had a great time playing poker (Texas hold em') out on the deck.

The kids and uncle Jared had a great time with the dress up clothes. This picture of the boys cracked me up it was all coincidence, they had the same shirt on, one of the little boys is a neighbor Jake;)

Also this last pic, we were able to take them to Chuck-a-Rama for lunch and Jared was so impressed all the food for 22.00. We were off sitting in a corner and this group of men were there when we got there, and we there, when we left. I loved this because they were having the best time just visiting and having a "guys night out" except it was a Chuck-a-Rama in the middle of the day. (they don't need the party seen, been there, done that:)

We had a great time and I hope the Canada Whidden's don't need a vacation from their vacation.

I couldn't ask for a better sister-in-law we are so much alike and we crack up at everything. We have had some good times, and have more to plan.......

8.30.2008

Bear-ly Lake

We were able to go to bear-ly lake (as Alivia calls it??)

My mom's good friend has a cabin she lets our family stay at.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU!! I am not really a tent person, o-kay!!

It is so pretty up there and the kids love it. We went on 4 wheeler rides, played on the beach, (or played at the Ocean as Cooper refers to it)

Cooper sat in the same spot digging, splashing and just having a good time for about 2 hours.

Alivia loves to make mud cakes, which she likes to throw at her mother.

Bauer just loves to play who ever and where ever he will join the crowd.

The only downside, but still fun was both of my sisters and some of you know have been fortunate enough to adopt.

Jennifer has adopted 3 and Stephanie has adopted one and has adoptions date set for the other two.

The really neat thing is, when I was pregnant with Alivia and after I had Alivia Jennifer found out she would be getting a little girl born 5 months after Livi, and then Stephanie ended up getting a little girl. So the pattern was set. I had a boy, Jennifer adopted a boy. Stephanie got a little boy ( in foster care you don't get to choose, who, what or when just the age range)

I had another boy and yes both sisters got boys.

So now my mom after YEARS of no grandchildren has 10 grandchildren under the age of 5.