Book Suggestion

Anyone have a good book suggestion? I am wanting a fun, easy, entertaining book to read while I'm in London. Suggest away!

You Know Me....

So, as many of you know...I am quite the fitness fanatic. Many of you may tire of hearing about what I'm doing to stay in shape or what race I just ran.....BUT for those of you who care (or are intrigued) and are looking to change up your own physical fitness routine--check-out my new blog: KeyShapeFitness

I have become part of a fitness team--the Beachbody Fitness Team. I am now incorporating P90X into my regime and am loving the results! If you are interested or just slightly intrigued, check-out my new blog. This is a way for me to share my love of fitness and health with others. If nothing else..I hope to encourage someone out there to make a change in their physical activity and get into shape!

New York

THE BIG APPLE RUNDOWN:

I'm back (and have been for several days) but I just haven't gotten around to posting about the BEST trip ever! I didn't want to post, because that would be admitting the trip is over and done..and I am sad all the hype and planning has finally come to an end, and all I'm left with is memories and 400+ pictures! (That's what I get for taking my new camera and making everyone pose for me)!

I stole pictures from Natalie's blog, because she edited and made them all cute....(thanks Nat!)

We caught a red-eye (which I now understand the real meaning of 'red-eye') out of Salt Lake on Wednesday at 11:20 pm. We were all too excited to take notice of the time. We arrived in New York at 5:15 a.m. and hopped in a taxi and headed to Manhattan. It was too early to check-in to our hotel, but they took our bags for us and we were able to freshen-up in their bathroom. (Freshen-up means put on our t-shirts we had made for the Today Show. It was Leslie's 30th birthday (a.k.a. Lou Lou) so we surprised her with 'embarrassing' t-shirts and posters!

It was a hit! Al Roker kissed her on the cheek, Ann, Meredith and Matt came and chatted with us and we even had our several minutes of fame on the Today Show. (It was my second time!) When we returned home from our trip we all re-watched our silliness:)


Instead of visiting the famous Empire State Building, we were told to do the Rockefeller Center instead or Top of the Rock. The view was amazing; especially since we had beautiful weather! (Oh, did I mention we had PERFECT weather the entire trip!) Top of the Rock is amazing; plus you are able to see the Empire State Building!



Thursday afternoon we went to the David Letterman Show. A neighbor of ours has connections and scored us VIP seats! It was amazing! I loved seeing what happens during commercials. Dave is hilarious and I couldn't believe we were there and part of the show! They had to split us up into two groups, so Lou Lou, Rachel and I were sitting together. We were laughing the entire time; not because it was funny; but because we couldn't believe we were there! Surreal.

And of course...who can forget to mention BONO. Oh yes. U2 was the entertainment! They played one song for the show and then did another number just for the audience. It was better than being at a concert because were on the 3rd row. I think Bono's sweat flicked onto my cheek;) U2 is amazing and timeless; how lucky they were there!


After Letterman we strolled along Times Square and found some food. We wanted to be authentic the entire trip and not eat at any chains. We succeeded and had the absolute best luck with our food. (Probably too much food, but New York is known for their delicious dishes...and we didn't want to leave any of it out.)

Our heads hit the pillow after 24 hours of pretty much no sleep. We woke up Friday morning bright and early to get a start on the day.

FRIDAY
We took the Subway to Canal Street where we bought purses, jeans and other knock-off items. It was fun to shop and go at our own pace without having to worry about kids and husbands! We had lunch at a quaint Cafe in Soho and then caught our Hop on Hop Off bus back to our hotel to get ready for the evening.

Hop On Hop Off Bus


Waiting for the Subway


"SHREK" was amazing! We all loved it! It exceeded our expectations...and I would recommend it to anyone who is going to New York.


What else do you do at midnight in New York? Certainly not sleep if you are given the chance...we headed to Serendipity to get some dessert. If you've seen the show "Serendipity" then you know this restaurant is famous. (It is also featured in the movie "One Fine Day" and I'm sure many others). People wait in line 3 hours to be seated at this famous little spot; we waited 20 minutes at midnight! The dessert was unlike anything I have ever tasted (and larger than should be allowed!) They are famous for their 'Frozen Hot Chocolate'; which was absolutely divine!


SATURDAY
We caught the subway to Ground Zero to visit Rachel's cousin and see where the World Trade Center had been. It was fascinating to see how 'real' people with families live in New York. Let's just say Ikea must do well in the Big Apple! You have to learn to live in super small spaces...(I was humbled and realized I have way too much space to complain about!)

We stopped at the 1/2 Price Ticket booth to pick-up show tickets for later that evening. We all had different shows we wanted to see; but some of us had seen them already. So, we eventually agreed on the "Little Mermaid".

We then visited Century 21 (not the Real Estate Company) but a HUGE discounted department store. After we'd had our fill of shopping we took the bus back to Central Park. We hired a little bike tour to peddle us around the park.


Dinner was a hot dog stand. That's a must when visiting New York. (We tried to eat at a yummy pizza place, but it was too busy for us to make it to our show on time. The "Little Mermaid" was great and we followed it up with some real dinner! The night was still too young at that point...(only 11:30) so we decided Serendipity was just what we needed [again]!

Dinner on a stick:)


SUNDAY
Our last day. We utilized our bus tour and went through Harlem and saw other parts of Manhattan we hadn't been to yet. Lunch was at Carnegie Deli (the biggest sandwiches I have ever seen. Seriously, ridiculous). After lunch we split up and half of us went to Ellis Island and the others took a ferry to Staten Island.



We rushed back to our hotel to catch our limo (yes, limo) to the airport. Our bags were bulging, bellies too and our eyes were longing for some good 'ole fashioned sleep. We said good-bye to the Salsibury Hotel (perfect location and huge suite that fit us all!) I personally slept the entire flight home.

The entire time I was away I didn't worry about my kids at all. Chad was busy with work so Kye and Kelly were so fantastic to take my kids for three days! They even took them on a small road trip to Cedar City to be meet up with my parents to celebrate my dad's birthday. (Seriously, what aunt and uncle do that? Only my brother and his wife. They love my kids and my kids adore them!)

Thanks to Chad for funding this little getaway. He's such a sport about my girl trips (even if the guys get together and gripe about how much $$ their wives are spending:)

I have such wonderful friends who make getaway so enjoyable. Thanks to everyone for going along with my wild idea of taking a New York vacation; it wouldn't have happened without all of you...and it wouldn't have been as amazing without each one of you!

Happy Birthday to Pa!

(he's probably going to kill me for this picture; but we all died laughing the night this was taken......)

My Dear Dad turns 60 today! (March 4th) That seems so old to me, yet he is still so young and energetic. My Dad is one of my best friends. (I think a lot of people feel that way about him). He is easy to talk too and so much fun to hang-out with. He has always been my number one fan (and I have always been a huge fan of him!)

I asked Carsen what he loves about his Pa and he said, "When we karate fight." My Dad isn't the type of grandfather to just sit on the coach and watch the kids play; he's down wrestling with them and playing. I don't think I know of another grandpa who loves and fully enjoys his grandkids as much as my Dad does. He would rather be with his 'best buddies' than doing anything else...He will call just to talk to Myka and Carsen (almost every day).

My Dad is a true mans man (nothing 'metro-sexual' about him.) He is an avid hunter, fisher and story-stretcher:) My Dad tells the absolute best stories! He thinks every little boy (and girl) should own a gun and loves to take his grandkids fishing, hunting, camping and anything else that involves dirt and nature. My Dad is a 'goer' and always has some outing planned--and gets excited to get going on that outing. (Growing up we would leave for Lake Powell at 4 in the morning because my Dad couldn't sleep he was so excited!)

I love my Dad and wish way too often he lived closer so we could get together for just the little things. Growing up my Dad and I had a special day every year called, "Spoil Keysha Day." (Some may argue this was everyday; but let's be honest....we all know I was never spoiled:) My Dad and I would take the day off of school and go do whatever I wanted to do. We went golfing, shopping, out to lunch, and just spent the day talking and doing things with just the two of us.

I love you Dad. I hope you have a special 60th birthday. I will be thinking of you and wish I could be with you to celebrate this special day!

I Love....

HOORAY! The end of February is finally here. (Good riddance LOVE posts!) I over committed myself to the 'daily LOVE' posts. Funny thing is, I really thought about it everyday; but I just didn't take the time to do it. There are just too many things that I LOVE. Which is why February will not be the end of my LOVE posts. I am going to make a point to focus my blog more on random things which define who I am, people who influence me, and what I enjoy. So stay tune for more of my LOVES throughout the coming months. (Just not everyday!) I left out so many people and things that I LOVE....so I want to make sure they know of my LOVE for them....

As for now...I LOVE that I leave for New York in five days!

I LOVE....Visiting Vegas

Day #21 (Wow! What a lapse in posts! I bet you thought I've fallen out of LOVE, but the truth is I've been preoccupied, but thought I had better resume my LOVES because I have quite a few left that I really want to do before the months end.)

I LOVE visiting Vegas. HUGE emphasis placed on VISITING. I LOVE coming here to visit my parents, but I am not sure I could live here. I LOVE all the fun thing to do in Vegas (so different from being home. Five days flies right by!) I LOVE the climate (this time of year). I LOVE the time difference (getting up at 4:00 am to join my Dad at the gym feels like I get to sleep-in! Plus, Myka goes to bed at 6:30 pm here!!! Wahoo!) I LOVE my parents entertaining my kids! I LOVE the food....(lots of BBQ because the weather is so nice)! And my Dad makes the best popcorn! I LOVE just sitting around in the evening and not feeling like I need to be doing laundry, cleaning or other boring chores! I LOVE how my parents are so laid-back and let my kids destroy their house! (I bet they are so glad when we finally get out of here.)

Chad and his buddies were busy doing this (81 holes of golf in 3 days). Boring.

I didn't feel like being home alone for 3 days with 2 kids, so I hopped on this:

and headed here to visit the 'rents for five days:

I LOVE vegas for their parks! Amazing parks. My favorite park is in Aliente, which we visited almost everyday. It was great being about the only ones there (maybe it's because we arrive there about 9:00 a.m. With the time difference the kids are up by 6 and by the time we do breakfast and all the morning routine we are looking for something to do by 8:30).

Aliente Nature Park is incredible! Ducks are everywhere around the pond, and the kids loved feeding them crackers.

Myka and Carsen's favorite part was the sand pit. It's set-up to be like a Dinosaur Quarry and you have to dig for Dinosaur bones (or just eat the sand if your name is Myka).
(not my photo)!

Before visiting the park we had to stop at our favorite store to pick up some necessities for digging:

Have you been to this store? It's fantastic! I can roam around in there for at least 45 minutes finding things I don't need, but how can you pass them up for only $1. I've found fabulous jewelry there and I always stock up on hair elastics, gift bags, coloring books and piece-of-crap toys that entertain the kids on plane rides. This time we bought shovels and buckets for the kids to take to the park.

Look at this beautiful park! It's magnificent. The weather has been beautiful! I parked my rump on a bench and watched the kids run around. Huge plus with this park is it's gated--and--the slides have gates around them too so I don't have to worry about Myka falling through a side rail. And, the ground is made-up of that soft surface so when the kiddos eat it while running they don't get scrapes.

And of course I LOVE Vegas for my favorite shopping destinations.

One in particular is kind of ridiculous, but so dear to my heart. I found this store about 3 years ago and HAVE to visit it every time I am here. (If my parents ever move I will still fly here just to visit this store). It's super stylish clothing for a cheap price (however, this time I was here I thought the prices seemed higher). Here's the ridiculous part; one dressing room for everyone! Yup, it's like a girls locker room back in Middle School. Everyone just undresses and goes to town. AND to make matters worse there are mirrors lining the dressing room. The dressing room is the absolute worst part about this store, but it's all worth it to me! I laugh every time I go in there, because people just don't care...so why should I? (Uhmm...maybe because my underwear is very different!)

And one of my last Vegas LOVES is In-n-Out Burger. Oh yeah! Chad told me they are putting a couple in the Salt Lake area and quite honestly, I am not too thrilled. Eating at In-n-Out is a treat, not an everyday routine. I wait patiently for my visits to Vegas to indulge in the delicious burger, fries and chocolate milk shake. I enjoy the scarcity of it. My kids love this place too!

I LOVE visiting Vegas and look forward to my quarterly visits! Tomorrow I go back home to reality (and snow) but I'm ready. It's fun to visit, but always wonderful to go home!

I LOVE....Sweats!

Day #16....I LOVE sweats! There is something comfortable and familiar about a pair of sweats. I have a closet full of clothes, yet I find myself wearing my same sweats over and over day after day....(I did receive a cute pair of pink sweats for Christmas which I am trying to rotate in with my other sweats). I am not one to hang-out at home dressed-up, but I also don't wear my sweats out and about too often (there are some occasions when a quick WalMart run at 9 pm on a Saturday night is sweat-worthy). I see nothing wrong with wearing sweats out and about, but changing out of my sweats is my excuse to get dressed for the day, and then when I return home those comfy sweats are right back on! I LOVE being comfortable (Chad would beg to differ...I probably have way too many 'uncomfortable' items of clothing in his eyes!)

My niece Katelin was staying with me last week and she had her own take on my sweats. One afternoon (I was wearing my sweats of course) she looked at me curiously and asked, "Are you still in your pajamas?" I had to laugh at her observation!

I LOVE my comfy sweats!

I Love....Cleaning!

Day #15...I LOVE a clean house (and don't mind cleaning)...BUT...with two little munchkins running around all day, keeping my house clean feels like a never-ending project. Which is why I LOVE these cleaning products; they make my life much easier.

This little beauty (The Magic Eraser) is the reason for today's post. Myka decided this morning before church that my walls were a coloring book. I could hear her in the office talking to herself and I thought she was sitting at the little desk coloring. The coloring part I got right--just not where I though it was. Thank heavens for the Magic Eraser--the little sponge whipped that crayon right off the wall. (Of course there is the downfall to this product; it tends to take a bit of paint off the walls too...but I'm willing to deal with the paint loss as long as my walls don't have crayons on them!)

You know those sticky little messes left all over your floor after meal time....gone in a little swipe! This Don Aslett mop was an infomercial purchase back in the day when Myka was a little baby and I would wake-up in the middle of the night to feed her. I had nothing else to do [while sitting there for 40 minutes] so I would usually watch QVC or TLC. Fabulous find! I even bought my mom one and insisted she buy my sister-in-law one as well. This is much better than the 'Swiffer' because you can throw the microfiber cloths in the washing machine and re-use them over and over again. Plus, it really cleans the floor quickly and efficiently (and without a lot of residue-leaving products)! I LOVE QVC and Don Aslett!

These three dusting products go hand-in-hand. I LOVE them! I seem to be attracted to dust-producing furniture, because I always see dust. The Method dusting spray (found at Target) along with the Guardsman dusting clothes (found at Bed Bath and Beyond) are a match made in heaven. They clean my wood furniture so well! I have all black bedroom furniture, and they leave my room sparkling clean (for about 7 days).... I constantly have little fingerprints all over my computer desk and kitchen table, and these perfect cleaners wipe them away in an instant!

I LOVE the little swiffer duster for those in-between jobs when I just want to do a quick 'surface' clean.


Last but not least, I LOVE Clorox disinfectant wipes. So simple, yet so effective. These are great for cleaning up little messes or wiping off door handles, countertops and other surfaces. Plus, they smell so fresh and clean.

****On that note...anyone know how to get gum out of carpet? I found a nice little wad of gum in my basement last night, and I am trying to find the best way to get it out before I start putting too many chemicals on it. Darn kids!

I LOVE....MY Valentine!

Day #14...I LOVE my Chad. I LOVE him because he has a wonderful sense of humor. I LOVE him for his ability to make me laugh even when I really don't want too. I LOVE his ambition and determination. I LOVE the example he is to our kids. I LOVE watching him be the best father. I LOVE his LOVE for golf (not really, but that seems like a nice thing to be supportive of). I LOVE having him as my best friend. I LOVE how he LOVES me just the way I am!

Happy Valentines Day!

I LOVE...Friday!

Day # 13....I LOVE Friday. There is just simply something different about a Friday than any other day of the week; I think it's the anticipation of the weekend to follow. Hooray for Friday! (But once Friday is over it seems like the weekend zips by and before you know it Monday morning has arrived! Yuck). So for now, I'm savoring every moment of my Friday!

Why do you LOVE Friday?