Welcome 2008

As New Year's Eve approaches tomorrow, I am reminded to make my new resolutions. This is proving to be a little difficult for me this year and I don't quite know why. Maybe I'm getting to a point in my life where I know my resolutions have to start meaning something to me. I'm getting to old to say silly things and then not do them.

2007 was a very difficult year for me. Hard because I finally had to face some demons that I had been shuting away in a closet for a very long time. I know many don't know that I have been battling depression since I was a teenager. And it was only this year that I finally did something about it. I saw someone, got put on what I call "crazy pills" (that's just my term for them) thought I was doing better and went off the crazy pills without consulting my doctor. Bad idea. That seemed to put me in a spiral in which I felt out of control, more out of control than I usually feel. So I am back on the 'crazy pills' and doing much better. Here is where I think I get tripped up. I seem to get consumed by what other people have. A new car, new house, great decorating sense, well dressed, well dressed kids etc. I let what I have get affected by what I think I don't have. My sense of gratefulness gets affected by a distortion in my mind. So in an effort to take back my happiness I am resolving to be grateful every day. With my 'crazy pills' in hand. I promise to my husband not to go off them again.
In sunday school today our teacher was talking about a talk that Elder Eyring gave during general conference. He spoke of how Elder Eyring made a clear choice to acknowledge the Lord's hand in his life every day. Well so am I. I am making a choice to acknowledge the Lord's hand in my life everyday and to write it down or maybe to post it. I am choosing to be happy. I now realize that is a choice I have to make every day. I can't just assume I'll be happy. I have to make it happen.

I am choosing to put my kids at the top of my list this year. Meaning, taking the time to play, to get down on their level. See it from their eyes. Be childlike myself. And if the clothes don't get cleaned that day, well then they don't. (that is really hard for me to do)

I am going to follow and read the study guide for sunday school and delve into the Book of Mormon with both feet. I have never done that before. (i know, i know, shame on me)

I am going to enjoy every moment with Nick. I will make date nites a must. Even if we just go get a ice cream and watch a movie we already have. (trying to save money this year too) If anyone has any fun cost effecient date ideas i would love them.

I WILL continue to go to the gym. I know this sounds weird but I find peace there. Even when I'm being pushed to the point of almost passing out it brings me a peace that I am improving me by improving my health. I feel stable when I'm there.


Our Bishop talked today about teaching our children the habit and privilege of paying our tithing. He said to give them oppurtunities to earn money so they can learn that eternal principal. And I was inspired. We teach our children so many other things, I think we forget that one. So as Nick and I work hard to pay our tithing I will work hard to teach our kids to value it as well.

So as 2008 arrives I hope you all have a happy and peaceful New Year and that your resolutions and dreams inspire you to make your lives the best they can be.
-Rachel

Christmas and leading up to it

So this post is a little long. Here is my recap of the few days leading up to Christmas and the day itself.

The Saturday before we went down to San Diego to my aunt Judy's house for a Christmas get together she was having. My aunts entire family was there and it was so nice to see family. Since I wasn't seeing mine this year.


Here is Aunt Judy helping Nico decorate cookies. The curly blond is my cousin Brian's little boy. How adorable is he.

sydney in front of the fire.

Nico got up in front of everyone and sang a christmas song for them. It was so funny. I didn't think he would do it.
Santa came to the party to say a quick hello. When I was a little girl and would go to my grandparents house they would have Santa come. And this is the same Santa I saw as a child. It was a special treat to have my kids sit on the same Santa lap I did. And it brought touching memories of my grandmother who I dearly miss. It was a great night. We had a great time.

Here is my Aunt and all her children. She has 8 kids. 2 Sons in law, 1 daughter in law and 6 grandkids and 1 on the way. Love the Pugmire bunch.

Sunday in our Christmas dresses. I love both of them. But Sydney's almost brought me to tears. I have a thing for pretty dresses. And I drool over them. I found Syd's on line and I love, love, love it. They make it in pink with green and the girls might get them for easter.
Cheese!!!!
Christmas Eve. Nico and Grandma Ardi. We go over to Nick's mom's house every year.
The grandkids singing carols waiting for Santa.

Nick, Sophie and Santa. LOVE her crying again.


Christmas morning. My kids waiting patiently. They woke up at about 6:30 and we held them at bay until about 8.

Syd loved all her gifts, so did Nico.

Sophie and daddy opening gifts.
All she cared about was the M&M's.

The after shot.

Santa brought us a Wii and guitar hero. Nick is addicted.

10 Years..... Don't they go by in blink

Tonight I was going through a box in Sophie's room and came across some pics of Nick and I 10 years ago when we first started dating. They make me feel old. You know it's back when you look at them and think how young you looked. Where did 10 years go?

So here they are.........



This is 1 month after we started dating on the 4th of July. Nick's grandpa Don made this for us with some pics he snapped. Notice how this was at the start of digital cameras and photo printers.
Magic Mountain for my 19th birthday.
And last but not least.... Sorority Formal. Vicki, this one is for you. So what is my hubby wearing on his hands first of all. He looks like Mickey Mouse. He looks like he has something in his eye. As does Mark, Vicki's date. And Why is Vicki on a ladder above everyone else and where are my shoes?

Does anyone else have pics like this? If so I want to see them. Post all your early dating pics.

Knott's Part II

So Nick and I went back to Knotts Berry Farm yesterday by ourselves so we could ride the big kids rides. Sorry no pics, I didn't even take my camera, It's pointless because Nick wouldn't pose if I begged him. But I have to tell you about our experience there.

For some reason since I've had kids I get motion sickness. When I was younger I could ride roller coasters all day and not get sick. So not the case now. So I came prepared with my dramamine. But it was not match for the twisty roller coasters. They got the best of me. But I kept trucking along because I knew how much Nick loves them. And I did all right until the last one. Now I didn't hurl but Nick said I was an unhealthy shade of green and he would feel bad if he made me go on anymore.

So we opted for the log ride. Now I don't know how many of you have been to Knotts at Christmas but the one ride the decorate for the season is the Log Ride. However to say that their decor pales to Disneyland is an understatement. They have elves on this ride, but their elves are possessed and creepy. The music is creepy and the decor is layed on top of the original ride. So riding through there you feel like you are in a cheaply made horror film and the evil elves are going to come to life and attack you with their paint brushes and cooking untensils. And their hands are $.99 mittens they stuffed and taped with duct tape. Then once you get past all that you enter Mrs. Claus's kitchen. Mrs. Claus is a old discarded department store manequin that Knotts probably found in a dumpster and they dressed her up to look like Mrs. Claus with the creepy elves. Then you pass a giant Santa flying over a lit up village like the one I have in Sydney's room.

Last thing we did was go on the wooden roller coaster, because I thought I had recovered. That is "THE WORST RIDE I HAVE EVER BEEN ON, EVER". We sat in the back car and I thought at multiple points during the ride that we were lifting off the tracks, Nick thought so too. That ride made everything hurt like I've never felt before. The little chest I have was throbbing by the end. I feel sorry for anyone more endowed than me who rides that ride. It gave Nick a headache. My trainer had worked me hard yesterday morning and every muscle he worked just ached by the end. And the ride lasted like 20 minutes or something like that. NEVER AGAIN!!!

Regardless of all that, I really did have a great time. Nick and I need to get away like that more often. I need that alone time with him.

We ended the day by buying our kids a BIG, HUGE TRAMPOLINE for Christmas. I can't wait to see their faces when they see it. We went to a party last Saturday night and they had a new trampoline there and our kids didn't get out of it. It was a sign.

Saturday Fun

Yesterday we had a flurry of parties to attend. In the morning we had our ward party, which was breakfast with Santa. We had a birthday party in the afternoon. And another Christmas party that night. It was a pretty busy day to say the least.

Sophie slid down the slide for the first time and loved it at the birthday party.
Syd helping her sister.
Nico swinging on the zip line.
Nick put together a footbal game with all the boys there to Celebrate Christian's birthday
Whee!! Thank you Jennie for the pics.

Nico and Santa

Sydney with Santa, and my favorite shown below.....
Sophie in hysterics with Santa.

Knotts Berry Farm

On Tuesday we took Sydney out of school and took the kids to Knotts Berry Farm. Every year from Thanksgiving until Christmas cop, fire, and military get two people in free and all other tickets for $13. So it only cost our family $26 to go. And you can use it as many times as you want. Nick and I are hoping to go next week just us, no kids.
Linus and Lucy came and found my kids and gave them both big hugs. They tried to get Sophie but she started screaming.

This drop thing was the first ride we went on. Look at how happy Nico is and now look at the next picture.

Hysterical screaming to stop the ride because he wanted to get off. It was that embarassing crying and screaming where you're like "who's kid is that?"

Nick is with Sophie and I wish I could have gotten her face. She was laughing hysterically. She loved all the rides.
Nico and Sophie, Sydney was too tall to ride on this ride.
Love this pic of the kids. They posed themselves and told me to take the picture.
This is the only picture where Nick was making a semi-normal face.
Me and the kids. Do you like my hair? I still am waiting to get the salon pics from Laura.

This kid won't go anywhere without her plug. She is actually smiling behind it.


Flying high. Nico didn't scream on this on

The log ride. I can't believe they let us take Sophie on this ride. It has no restraints and you drop hard and fast. If I had been startled and let go Sophie would have gone flying out of the log. The picture they take was so funny I wish we would have bought it, but we just couldn't justify the money for one picture.

If any other couples want to come next week let me know. We would love some fun company to ride roller coasters with us.

Tag, I'm it.....

Post these rules of "tag" at the beginning of your blog. List 6 facts, habit or obsession about yourself. At the end of the post, you must tag 6 people and post their names. Go to their blog and leave them a comment letting them know they have been tagged and to read your blog for more details.

1. I love to vacum. I know I'm a little odd. It is so refreshing to me to pick up a room and then vacum it. I feel like it is clean at that point. A room has to be vacumed to feel clean to me. I vacum usually every morning to start the day and after dinner to finish it. It doesn't always happen that way but I try to. I also love my vacum. I have a Kirby. Nick says it was the biggest waste of money but I disagree. It's the vacum my mom has always had. I feel attached to that brand. And it does everything.

2. I don't like to cuddle. I am not cuddly in any way. I get hot when my kids climb on me and wiggle in my lap. I don't like Nick getting close. I have to sleep far on the other side of the bed. If he tries to cuddle with me in the middle of the night I will instantly wake up and shove him off. I feel smothered. I don't know what that means, maybe I need some help.

3. I love, love, love strollers. I am crazy about them. When we go to Disneyland one of my favorite things to do is check out everyone's strollers. I know every brand and what they cost. And I try to get a new one whenever I can, but only high end strollers. The next on my list, a MaClaren Twin side by side. My favorite single brand is Peg Perego, I have two.

4. I make killer homeade tacos and enchiladas. I learned after I got married, from Nick's mom. Whenever I make them my family devours them. There is never left overs. The enchiladas are labor intensive but worth it. Sydney, who is my pickiest eater eats over 6 tacos in one sitting. Let me know if you ever want to come over and join us for a chow session.

5. I love to leave town. Whether it's just going to State Line for a night or two or going to Europe with Nick for three weeks. I love to do it. It doesn't really matter where we go just as long as we're together as a family.

6. I snore. I snore loud. Nick says I snore like a man. I didn't use to snore but ever since I was prego with Sophie I have snored. Nick says it's so loud it wakes him up every night out of his deep sleep. And if he's in the family room and I'm in the bedroom he can still hear it. I feel bad but not really, it doesn't wake me up. I suppose I should go see my doctor about it before I start waking my kids up.

So there's my list, making this listmade me realize that maybe I need some help.

Anyway I tag, Marissa, Vicki, Danielle, Jayme, Natalie and Priscilla