Donor of the Year...

Awhile back Marcus was honored by the Utah Idaho Kidney Foundation as their "Donor of the Year." We attended a meeting where he was presented with a plaque and we met a few famous people...Utah famous anyway. Jake Garn presented Marcus with the award. He used to be a senator and also has been to space. Getting the award from somebody like Senator Garn meant a lot to Marcus I think. We also attended a Candle Light Walk last Friday honoring living donors at Library Square. Marcus was asked to speak on living donation. They honored some amazing people that night so for Marcus to be involved with that was kinda cool.

Last year when Marcus and I decided we wanted to help Juan and his family, we never imagined it would turn into what it has. I think the awards, speeches, interviews and hoopla is finally done...which is really nice. I know Marcus is glad to be done with all the attention. He donated his kidney to help Juan and HATES getting all this attention and being told how great he is. We both would like to think that what he did was what anyone would do given the situation. I am a firm believer in organ donation. To learn more about organ donation go here.

My New Bathroom...Kinda...

I found this awesome site a few weeks ago when I was working...okay, pretending to be working. I have to confess my love for this blog!! It has given me soooo many great ideas that I want to try. I decided to start participating in the DIY day she has every week. Maybe that will help motivate me to get off my lazy butt and get all my projects going that I can't seem to find the time for. I could spend hours and hours looking over all the past DIY day posts...that is if Christian and Emma could cook, clean, do their own laundry, etc. etc. Hey, a girl can dream can't she?!

Marcus and I started this project months ago. We kept putting it off or were too busy to finish, but we are finally finished...mostly. We need to touch up the walls where I made him take the towel racks down, but for some reason we got more of the paint that is the ExAcT color and brand of our current walls and it doesn't match. So painting has to wait. I know the anticipation is killing you...let you wait no longer...

My old bathroom:

I've always loved my bathroom and when we were looking for new houses a few months ago, I kept comparing every bathroom to mine. I just wanted to spruce it up a bit and give it a more personal touch. It's nothing huge, but I love it!!

Appearing for the first time...my new bathroom!!!

I came across a blog awhile ago where they added a frame around their bathroom mirror...I would love to give credit where it is due, but I couldn't find that site again; believe me, I tried...So we spray painted the molding with some black textured spray paint and then used liquid nails to glue it to the mirror. I LoVe it.. I'm debating whether or not to paint the white cabinet on the wall black to match everything else...or it might be too much black if I do. For now, it's okay.


Marcus hung curtain rods up, but now he refuses to ever hang curtain rods in the house again. Whatever. :)
I have a new obsession with black spray paint. It's my new love. I bought some candle sticks at the Dollar Store and spray painted them black. They look much better then I thought they would.

My tub is usually covered in bath toys...no, not mine. It's so much easier to bathe Christian and Emma in my big tub then in theirs. Taking the picture made me have to actually put the toys away.

Marcus built a shelf in the toilet room and then I used more spray paint to make the frames match. I like this setup much more then the metal shelving before.

Now I want to redo the hall bath, but I have far too many projects either all ready in progress or that need to be done before I get to that room.

One project down, way too many to go.

I'm A Big Kid Now...

Christian started his last year of preschool last week. It's so hard to imagine next year he will be off to Kindergarten!! He loves school and his teacher.

He is such a poser!! He will never let me just take a normal picture.

There he goes..he wasn't even sad or hestitant. He was like, "Okay, Mom..bye..you can leave now."

Little Miss Emma Catherine also started her first day of school!! Their daycare does a toddler program that Christian did when he was two also.

This is how excited she is to be going...

But then I told her there would be cookies..

Emma loves it!!! Her teacher Miss Stacie is awesome!!

Can you believe how big she is?! Where did my baby go??

This was when I picked her up...she was all ready to go.

Aren't they just the cutest??

The next two pictures are just stinking adorable!!

Hopefully their love for school will last a long time!!!!

On a totally different note, Emma is potty trained!! My two year old loves me!! I no longer have to change nasty diapers; that chapter is closed...for now anyway.

Peachy...

Last week I decided to do something I have never done before; I made homemade peach jam. It was definitely a learning experience. I only had Emma home with me; Christian was at his first day of preschool. Emma watched a lot of Dora that day. I set out to do one batch and ended up making 35 jars of jam. It took me all stinking day!!

I had to call my mom to figure out how to peel the peaches...I'm not smart, I know.

They were so slimy and icky to cut into pieces. It was actually quite gross.

I was a bad judge of how many peaches to cut, which might explain why I did 35 jars.

I got smart after the first batch and moved the burning, hot, sticky liquid into a bigger pan so I didn't get burned...again...and my stove unit may never be the same again.

I don't have all the official equipment for canning, but I made do. I only burned myself a few times and said a couple of cuss words..but if no one heard me, it doesn't count, right? RIGHT?!

My biggest gripe about the whole thing was how big of a mess it made. i tried to clean up as I went, but it didn't work. While one batch was processing, that was my "I really am not ignoring my daughter all day. Let me play with you for 20 minutes Emma before I ignore you again for 45 minutes" time.

Oh the yummy goodness that finally made the whole thing worth it.

My next project is redoing the doll house for Emma that has been in the basement collecting dust for the past couple of years. It's taking me A LOT longer then I initially anticipated.
I am also working on making blankets to donate to the Women and Children's center for a Personal Progress project. So if you have any extra material, yarn or batting you have just sitting around, give me a holler and I would love to take it off your hands. Or even better, if you want to help me tie some, I may reward your hard work with some yummy jam!!

Family Reunion 2009

We had a family reunion back in July. I have been too lazy to post pictures because it takes so stinking long to upload pictures, but I finally gave in to peer pressure.

We went down by Duchesne for a couple of days. I'm not a camper, but it wasn't too bad. There was a river right by where we were camping. It was fun for the older kids; Emma wanted to be a big kid. I couldn't take my eye off her for a minute or she would run right down and try to get in. She's naughty that way.

Christian, Koby and Kasen playing in the water.


Christian has gotten over his fear of the water. I guess that is a good thing.


Monica, Christian and Kasen going down the river. I really stunk at steering the raft.

Jessi trying to clothes line herself.





She thought we were trying to kill her...notice she is the only one who did that. DUH!!


Monica and Christian floating along.


Cheeseball!


Marcus cheats at every game we play. I couldn't even reach the ball.


Christian loves his life jacket. He wore it the whole time we were there. I did make him take it off to sleep. I'm horrible, I know.


We tried to convince Taylor that it was 100+ but she wouldn't take off the scarf. That's Taylor for ya.


I tried many things to distract Emma from the river. We were blowing bubbles and she loved chasing them.




The water was FrEeZiNg!!! Emma didn't care, but holy crap!! I did!!



We do a family reunion every year around my grandpa's birthday. He died five years ago and we have been getting together at least once a year ever since. Most of the Walker clan lives in Vernal; only a few of us were smart enough to leave. I kid, I kid...Vernal's awesome. Where else do they have a big green dinosaur that they dress up or decorate for every holiday and occasion?
Most of the family were there at some point. It was fun to hang out and I even learned how to make a Waa-dinger. (don't ask.) We look forward to going again next year, but who ever is in charge, please don't reserve a camping spot right by the river; the sound of it made me have to pee a lot. :)

Busy...Busy...Busy...

One new niece + one new sister in law + meeting another soon to be sister in law + one trip for stitches + one week of every member of the family being sick at one point (Christian, Emma and Marcus all down at the same time.) + putting Emma in a toddler bed + new bed makes Emma think no more naps + one family reunion + Young Womens + house projects + trying to redo a doll house + working + being a mom who tries to keep it all together = no time to blog.

We are all still alive and staying busy. I have lots of stories and pictures to share...just not enough time in my day. Maybe when we get back from our next adventure of taking the whole fam damily to Lava Hot Springs, I will sit down and share some of our fun summer adventures.

Summer Fun...

We went jet skiing up at Pineview last week. It was a perfect day; weather was perfect, no melt down from kids; lots of yummy food.

Christian and Emma feeding the birds. They would chase them with the bread and get mad that the birds would fly away.

Nerds...plain and simple.

Bigger nerds.

Me and Marcus on the jet ski. I wouldn't let him drive. Last time I did, he dumped me off.

Christian and Marcus riding around. Christian didn't really know what to think. He wanted to go for ride so Marcus took him out. While they were riding, Christian said, "Hey Daddy, I have an idea. Let's go slower." He was really weary of the whole idea.

Emma absolutely loved riding the jet ski. She thought it was always her turn. Christian freaked out when Emma went on it.

Jessi and Marcus going out. For some reason I didn't get a picture of Taylor on the jet ski. Both girls had a great time.

Emma ate so much sand; it took days for it to go through her system. She loves eating sand; nasty girl.

Christian is not going to drown. He is extra prepared.

Last year at the lake Christian was afraid of the water and didn't really want anything to do with it. This time, we couldn't get him out. He had on his life jacket and would just hang out all day in the water. He was making me nervous with how far out he would go, but he loved it.


We had a great time playing. We were all exhausted when we got home, but well worth it. Hopefully we can go again soon.