Our really good friends from California, Ben and April, are the kind of people that once you become friends, you are friends with them for life. We met when Greg and Ben were in law school together and now we consider them as part of our family. They are two of THE most talented people that I've ever known ... TRULY! So, tonight, in honor of their upcoming visit to our house, I am paying tribute to them and giving a little plug for their businesses.
April runs her own jewelry business and makes beautiful pieces that are like art. You can find her things on Etsy or on her website which is suaviloquy.blogspot.com. She is also an AMAZING cook, hostess, writer, mom, wife and friend. Thanks April for always inspiring me to try new things or think out of the box.
Ben, or "B-Rock" as we like to call him, has an entrepreneurial spirit. A few years ago he started his own company and been very successful. Now he and a friend have a new "brain child" as April likes to call it, and appropriately it is called Top Rock Star. Top Rock Star is a social networking site where aspiring musicians can upload their work and have it judged by their peers. Every month a cash prize is given to the winner in each genre. That winner then advances to the finals, which takes place every six months. It only costs five bucks a month and you can upload as many songs as you like. If you are a closet rock star, try it out.
So, there you have it ... my Ode to "B-Rock" and April! Thanks you two for being such incredible friends! We love you guys and can't wait to see you and Thomas!
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Sunday, July 20, 2008
America's Favorite Game
We decided to take the kids to see a St. George Roadrunners game last night and ended up having one of the greatest nights together! I'll admit that baseball isn't one of my favorite sports to watch, but hey, it's an American tradition, right? We started off with the absolute must at a baseball game ... a hotdog and peanuts! Then we HAD to have some ice cream! And then by the about the 4th inning we needed a pretzel and some some cold water. And then towards the end of the 7th inning, some M&Ms and even more bottled water. What can I say? Snacking is part of the whole experience, isn't it?
We had SUCH a fun time! The kids thoroughly enjoyed everything about it. It was "Star Wars Night" so there were characters there to greet the kids and sign autographs. Then there were the Roadrunner Mascots, which provided lots of entertainment. Plus, as you may or may not know, my Josh LOVES to boogie. So every time there was music, he'd jump out of his seat and jam out. By the end of the game, he had quite a few of his own fans!
I love these three people with all of my heart! I cannot imagine my life without them. And even though it was something as simple as going to a local baseball game, it reminded me of how grateful I am that we're a family!
Josh at 10:00 at night ... having the time of his life!
Kate in her "I'm so cool" pose!
We had SUCH a fun time! The kids thoroughly enjoyed everything about it. It was "Star Wars Night" so there were characters there to greet the kids and sign autographs. Then there were the Roadrunner Mascots, which provided lots of entertainment. Plus, as you may or may not know, my Josh LOVES to boogie. So every time there was music, he'd jump out of his seat and jam out. By the end of the game, he had quite a few of his own fans!
I love these three people with all of my heart! I cannot imagine my life without them. And even though it was something as simple as going to a local baseball game, it reminded me of how grateful I am that we're a family!
Josh at 10:00 at night ... having the time of his life!
Kate in her "I'm so cool" pose!
Beating the heat
In St. George there's only a few things you can do to beat the heat ... stay inside, eat tons of ice cream, drink lots of Diet Coke and get wet. So, the other day the kids and I invited Kaylee and Kam down for a little backyard fun. We blew up our $15 pool, put it underneath the swingset slide, tied the hose to the top and TA-DA ... we had our own waterslide! I admit, it looked a little hokey, but by the kids reaction you would have thought I'd taken them to Six Flags. They had tons of fun and had a good laugh when even I attempted the slide. YIKES! We had a water balloon toss, drew with chalk, ate lunch outside and then that was enough of the heat. I sent the kids downstairs to play and quickly fixed myself a nice big, cold Diet Coke. AAHHHH! Thanks Kaylee and Kam for a fun day!
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Summertime Fun!
So far we've had a fun summer, although I must admit that I'm counting down the days until fall. (The 108 degree weather will do that to you.)
Kate and Josh just finished swimming lessons, which was extra fun since their Aunt Melanie was the teacher. They loved spending some extra time with their auntie and learned a lot. Thanks Aunt Mel!
Then we celebrated one of my favorite holidays - the 4th of July! I love it all ... the parades, fireworks, red, white and blue, but admittedly, one of my favorite things about the 4th is THE FOOD! Not much can top a BBQ hamburger, corn on the cob, diet coke and ice cream. This year was especially fun because all of my siblings and their families gathered at my mom's house for a day of fun. We had brunch, went to a parade, had a BBQ and saw fireworks. Perhaps the best part of the day was the giant water fight that we had. It felt like we were kids again. The boys were up to their old shenanigans - scheming of how they could get the girls, including Nana, but we had a great time! Thanks for a great day! It was fun to be "home" again to celebrate together!
Kate and Josh just finished swimming lessons, which was extra fun since their Aunt Melanie was the teacher. They loved spending some extra time with their auntie and learned a lot. Thanks Aunt Mel!
Then we celebrated one of my favorite holidays - the 4th of July! I love it all ... the parades, fireworks, red, white and blue, but admittedly, one of my favorite things about the 4th is THE FOOD! Not much can top a BBQ hamburger, corn on the cob, diet coke and ice cream. This year was especially fun because all of my siblings and their families gathered at my mom's house for a day of fun. We had brunch, went to a parade, had a BBQ and saw fireworks. Perhaps the best part of the day was the giant water fight that we had. It felt like we were kids again. The boys were up to their old shenanigans - scheming of how they could get the girls, including Nana, but we had a great time! Thanks for a great day! It was fun to be "home" again to celebrate together!
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
What? June is over already?
Alright, alright! I know I'm way behind on my blogging. Even Greg said to me tonight, "I looked at your blog and it's been a month." How did this happen? What, you ask, have I been doing for the entire month of June? Honestly, I'm asking myself the same question. So, let's take a look back at the "Hardman Happenings" over the past few weeks. I'll try my best to keep it brief since I've let the whole month pass me by.
To start off, we headed to SLC to attend my nephew's baby blessing and then the kids and I stayed up for a week of fun. My mom's birthday was the 2nd, so my sister and I surprised her with tickets to "Good Things Utah." We are HUGE fans of the show and could hardly contain our excitement! We had such a great time at the show, going to lunch and of course, shopping the afternoon away! Thanks girls for an amazing day and DeDee, thanks for keeping Kate and Josh for me.
While we were in Salt Lake, we went with Greg's family to the "This Is the Place Park" and had a great time! The kids thoroughly enjoyed it and I think it gave them a small appreciation of how lucky we are. But the best part was spending time with Grandpa and Grandma, Aunt Kerilyn, Aunt DeDee and their cousins! We don't get to spend near enough time with them, but when we do, we always have a fun time. Thanks everyone!
The rest of the week was spent shopping, going to the movies with Nana, sleepovers with Nolan, going to a parade with Aunt Amy and Uncle Casey and the highlight for Kate ... getting her ears pierced. I'm still surprised that we let her do it, but I guess you've got to say "yes" once and a while, right? We had a very fun week, but we were ready to get back home to see our dad.
Since coming home, we have spent our days crafting with friends, going to the library, swimming lessons, playdates, building "huts" in the basement, swimming at the new rec center, and afternoons at Jumpin' Jacks. We also finished Josh's first season of t-ball and got Kate started on piano lessons.
Like most moms during the summer, I find that I spend most of my days making sure jobs get done, fighting keeps to a minimum, sunburns are avoided and hopefully everyone had a little fun along the way. Some of my fondest memories of summer are those when I just spent time playing with my brothers. I don't recall having to be entertained or carted about to various activities, although I'm sure we did that, too. I just enjoyed being able to PLAY. So, I've tried to keep a balance of structured activities while still allowing them to just be kids. Aaahhhh, the wonderful days of summer.
Now, with that being said, how much longer until school starts? (just kidding ... kind of) Actually, one of the reasons why I can't wait for school to start is because I know that the summer heat is closer to ending. Anyone who knows me really well knows that I HATE the heat. Why do I, of all people, live in the desert? Good question. I guess it's for the other 9 months of the year that are gorgeous. Some people say, "Think Spring!" Not in my house. We say, "Think Fall!"
During June, we also celebrated Father's Day, our 17th Anniversary and TODAY ... my hubby's birthday! All 3 occasions have given me reason to pause and consider how lucky I am to have Greg in my life. He is, without a doubt, an AMAZING dad/husband and my best friend! I love him with all of my heart and can hardly believe that we've been together for 17 years. Thanks Gregor for the amazing adventure and I look forward to all that we still have to share together.
So, there you have it ... a brief look at the past few weeks. I'm hopeful that I'll be better this month, but I can't promise anything. Hey, at least I'm honest, right? Happy Summer everyone!
To start off, we headed to SLC to attend my nephew's baby blessing and then the kids and I stayed up for a week of fun. My mom's birthday was the 2nd, so my sister and I surprised her with tickets to "Good Things Utah." We are HUGE fans of the show and could hardly contain our excitement! We had such a great time at the show, going to lunch and of course, shopping the afternoon away! Thanks girls for an amazing day and DeDee, thanks for keeping Kate and Josh for me.
While we were in Salt Lake, we went with Greg's family to the "This Is the Place Park" and had a great time! The kids thoroughly enjoyed it and I think it gave them a small appreciation of how lucky we are. But the best part was spending time with Grandpa and Grandma, Aunt Kerilyn, Aunt DeDee and their cousins! We don't get to spend near enough time with them, but when we do, we always have a fun time. Thanks everyone!
The rest of the week was spent shopping, going to the movies with Nana, sleepovers with Nolan, going to a parade with Aunt Amy and Uncle Casey and the highlight for Kate ... getting her ears pierced. I'm still surprised that we let her do it, but I guess you've got to say "yes" once and a while, right? We had a very fun week, but we were ready to get back home to see our dad.
Since coming home, we have spent our days crafting with friends, going to the library, swimming lessons, playdates, building "huts" in the basement, swimming at the new rec center, and afternoons at Jumpin' Jacks. We also finished Josh's first season of t-ball and got Kate started on piano lessons.
Like most moms during the summer, I find that I spend most of my days making sure jobs get done, fighting keeps to a minimum, sunburns are avoided and hopefully everyone had a little fun along the way. Some of my fondest memories of summer are those when I just spent time playing with my brothers. I don't recall having to be entertained or carted about to various activities, although I'm sure we did that, too. I just enjoyed being able to PLAY. So, I've tried to keep a balance of structured activities while still allowing them to just be kids. Aaahhhh, the wonderful days of summer.
Now, with that being said, how much longer until school starts? (just kidding ... kind of) Actually, one of the reasons why I can't wait for school to start is because I know that the summer heat is closer to ending. Anyone who knows me really well knows that I HATE the heat. Why do I, of all people, live in the desert? Good question. I guess it's for the other 9 months of the year that are gorgeous. Some people say, "Think Spring!" Not in my house. We say, "Think Fall!"
During June, we also celebrated Father's Day, our 17th Anniversary and TODAY ... my hubby's birthday! All 3 occasions have given me reason to pause and consider how lucky I am to have Greg in my life. He is, without a doubt, an AMAZING dad/husband and my best friend! I love him with all of my heart and can hardly believe that we've been together for 17 years. Thanks Gregor for the amazing adventure and I look forward to all that we still have to share together.
So, there you have it ... a brief look at the past few weeks. I'm hopeful that I'll be better this month, but I can't promise anything. Hey, at least I'm honest, right? Happy Summer everyone!
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