THE BEST LAID PLANS.........

Sometimes our best laid plans don't always go.......as planned! We were going to go to the movie "Emma" on Friday night but Tony was shopping for his gun (Father's Day present) and didn't get home till late so we decide to just go to dinner at the Sizzler and then come home and watch a DVD. We walked to the Sizzler (after all, it's nearly in our backyard) had a delicious steak and made plans to go target shooting Saturday morning. We got up, Tony went to mom and dad's to build a railing in the garage so it will be easier for dad to go outside without help. I stayed home and cleaned house and did laundry. When Tony was finished, we called some of the boys to see if they wanted to go target shoot with us. We waited for Colby while he and Krista purchased a new 22. They met us at the house and we picked up Chris Floyd and went to a very nice shooting range south of Nampa. It was so much fun blowing up cans and bottles. It rained on us a couple of times and we had to get back in the truck and wait it out but we managed to go through a few boxes of shells. After we got our fill of mayhem we went home and cleaned up and drove into Boise to see the movie we had planned on seeing Friday night. We picked up Krista and she went along as our chaperone (LOL) It was a very enjoyable day and the movie was very interesting. I learned somethings about Emma that I didn't know. She endured a lot of hardships and trials as did all the early Saints and I have a renewed admiration for her.

THANK GOODNESS IT'S FRIDAY.....TGIF

Yay! It's Friday! It was a short week because of the Memorial Day Holiday but still seemed like a long week. It was very busy and stressful, especially yesterday! I had to terminate 3 employees and that is always difficult. When I see how hard it is for some people to get a job and then keep it because of a bad attitude and laziness, it really makes me appreciate my parents and the good work ethic that I learned from them. ANYWAY, tonight Tony is taking me to the movies again. When we were in Utah for my nephew Jon's wedding, we saw "Emma Smith: My Story" advertised on the billboards and we wanted to see it. Well, it's playing here starting tonight so my dear sweet hubby said he's take me to it. What a man, what a man, what a mighty good man!! I'm excited. Check out the trailer: http://www.emmasmithmovie.com/ If ya don't go to it at the theater, I'm sure we'll buy it when it comes out on DVD so you can borrow it. That may be several months from now but the offer is there. LOL

BEFORE AND AFTER

I came home tonight after work and it looked like rain so Tony got out the edger and I mowed and we beat the storm. After we were done I thought it looked so nice that I needed to do a before and after shot of our home! (Like I need another excuse to blog) Anyway, for those of you who haven't seen our home....it was totally scary at the beginning. We bought a repo and it was a disaster. With a lot of hard work and TLC we turned it into a lovely residence. We appreciate it so much more because we did a lot of the work! Check it out!

BOUGHT ANOTHER BLOODSUCKING BOOK!!

I found the 3rd book at B Dalton in the Karcher Mall. I had looked at Booknook and Costco but neither had it. I am really enjoying them, a bit juvenile but hey, I'm a young woman in an 50 plus old body! (They make me feel young again) LOL .... Princess and Krista, you would really like them! (I think you would anyway) Most people I talk to that have read them like them. Deedra is reading them now and Michelle is going to read them as soon as she finishes. Krista has read at least one. Anyway, if your needing something to do, it's a fun way to pass some time.

ANOTHER FEW DAYS SUCKED AWAY!!

I've finished the 2nd book in the Vampire series! Dang Heather! What have you done to me! I can't put them down! Gotta go to the bookstore tomorrow at lunch and try and find the 3rd. My ironing is backing up, the bathroom's need cleaning, I've got sewing to do and my hubby is getting neglected! They just leave me "thirsty" for more! LOL

SHE STRIKES AGAIN!!!!

Yep, you guessed it! Heather's at her digi scrapping again! I just get to liking the look and..... BAM... it's gone!! Oh well, guess my blog won't get boring! I have to look twice to make sure I signed into the right place. The joy's of having a daughter who set up the blog so she has access! It's fun! You go girl! I like the changes. See what you can do with a watermelon theme ......

MEMORIAL DAY 2008

We had a nice Memorial Day celebration at Lyon's Park here in Nampa. We had planned a weekend at the cabin to start with but after Dad broke his leg we opted for a picnic in the park on Monday. It was fun and the weather was perfect! After about 3 hours of eating, visiting and playing, the clouds started to build, the air cooled and the wind picked up so we packed up and all headed for home. It was a lot of fun. The kids wore themselves out (I'm sure) the big boy's played basketball, the girls basically visited and kept their eyes on children and us older people just relaxed and enjoyed watching kids play. A very nice day all in all. The following is a slide show of our picnic party!

Memorial Day 2008

Indiana Jones : Norton Review

Ok, 1st of all Chris called me and told me not to waste my money but we had made plans with the Hendricks to go so we did. We found it entertaining most of the time but it did lack a good story line. It went from being a good adventure flick in the 1st three to a science fiction film in the 4th. It had a few cute lines but all in all Prince Caspian was much much better!

FRIDAY NIGHT DATE !!

We went to dinner tonight (Ok I didn't need that....I look like a linebacker in this pic) but afterwards we went to "Narnia" and it was awesome! We loved it as much as the 1st film. The character's are wonderful! (AS expected) We fell in love with the dwarf and the mouse! It definitely gets a thumbs up from us! Let us know what you think if and when you see it.

Finished My Book.....Thanks Heather!

I finished the book Heather gave me for Mother's Day ("Twilight") and have moved on to the sequel. For a fictional book, they are pretty darn good! I've started the 2nd ("New Moon") and it is as intriguing as the 1st. They are making Twilight into a movie and it will be out in December of this year. Remember Robert Pattison, AKA Cedric Diggory from Harry Potter. He plays Edward (the main vampire in the book) It looks pretty good. Check out this sight:http://twilightthemovie.com/ I think it looks fascinating ! Do I have any takers? I may have to FORCE Tony to go with me! LOL

GRANDPA NORTON'S HOME

Tony went to the airport tonight to get Mom and Dad Norton and the Haverfields! Grandpa was a bit uncomfortable and in some pain on the flight home but is glad to be back in Nampa. Be sure and go see him and wish him well. We are glad to have them all home.

YES...I AM DEPRESSED.....

Whaaaaaaaa! I really thought David A. was gonna make it! I have cold sores from stressing! I will just have to take heart in the fact that HE WILL CONTINUE TO GO FAR!
I need chocolate! There goes the diet!

I'VE TURNED INTO A GROUPIE !!!! YIKES !!

I can't wait to get home to watch AMERICAN IDOL tonight! I've become a groupie and I'm totally wanting that little adorable David Archuleta to win! He is so dang cute! I just wanna bring him home and mother him! What's up with that? Tony just laughs at me cuz I get so excited when I hear him! Well, don't know if he'll be the next American Idol or not but in my book, he's definitely the winner! GOOOOO David!

HAVE YOU HEARD THE NEWS???

Oh yeah! We are gonna be grandparents again! I heard from Chris this morning. Minor chit chat. "How's the job going, how hot is it, how's Princess, how's the puppies etc etc...."
Then he calls me again around 4 this afternoon to let me know he and Princess are gonna have a baby! She just took a home pregnancy test! Been feeling a little strange, missing Aunt Flo ....you know, the usual signs! Well, it was positive and Chris has called me 3 times since the 2nd call this afternoon!! Can't tell me he ain't excited! We are thrilled! Gonna have to change my stats again! YEAH! # 23! We are looking forward to you too!

TRACI'S BIRTHDAY

The Kid's wanna help!
Thanks Mom and Tony!
We went to Traci's Sunday evening to help her celebrate her birthday! (29th I believe, wink wink) We had cake and ice cream and enjoyed watching the kids play a game!
Happy Birthday Traci!

JILL'S BABY SHOWER

Below are the pic's from the baby shower I had for Jill last Friday! We had good food, good company and good weather. The three made for a great day! The pictures say it all! Thanks to all of you for coming!

KATIE GAVE US A SCARE!

We are again reminded how fragile this life truly is. We were preparing for bed when we got a call from Chris. He said Katie was being transported to Mercy via the ambulance. Tammy was with her and would we meet him there? We rushed to the hospital where we waited for 45 minutes before being allowed to go back and see her (one at a time) Tony went 1st and he and Chris gave Katie a blessing. I went back after another 15 minutes. The nurse said she had the seizure because of a virus that caused her to have a high temperature and consequently the seizure. They took a UA, blood and a chest xray. Her temperature was coming down slowly and she seemed to be improving so we left at 11:45. Tammy will update us all today. Please keep them in your prayers.

CHECK OUT THE BLOOMS!!

Chris and Princess, I wanted you to see what the flowers looked like that you sent me so this is for you.... The lillies are opening up now and WOW !! They are beautiful! There are pink, yellow and orange so far! There are still a lot of them that are not open yet so I believe I will be enjoying them for a while yet! Thank you so much!

A BIG HEARTFOOT THANKYOU! LOL

OK, this may be gross and probably no one wants to look at my feet ....but I wanted to show you what arrived today from Jeff and Christa and Jon and Heather. My DC couple sent me a pair of J.Crew flip flops. They are so cute and comfy!! Thank you from the bottom of my feet!! They will look great for my Luau's!
My AZ. couple sent me a book. A fictional love story about a vampire! Evidently, one of Heather's favorites for the year. I'll give you my thoughts on it in a week or so. Thank you from the side of my neck or heart or whatever Vampire's go for! I appreciate you all so much.

IT'S GONNA BE ONE OF THOSE DAYS!!

It started out OK. Slept great last night (but as usual, there could have been more of it) but I managed to get to work 10 minutes early this morning. Pulled the messages off the machine, took care of some data entry etc....THEN....Nancy called and said she was sick and was staying home! Had to call Ann to see if she would come over and deliver payroll. She said she would send Sally so I could go and do it. Guess I'll be putting in a long day. I'll have to stay an extra hour and a half to close up. Just hope Nancy is better by Friday. I have the day scheduled off for Jill's shower and sure don't want anything to interfere with that.

MOTHER'S DAY ICE CREAM SOCIAL !

Below is a slide show of Mother's Day. We invited all the kids living in the area to come and enjoy root beer floats, peanut butter cookies and one another's company! It was a big success and everyone except you who live in Utah, Washington DC, Arizona and Texas, were here. We wish you could have all come! We miss you all so much!

Check out my Slide Show!

SPREADING THE LOVE !!!

I had a wonderful/productive Mother's Day yesterday. We went to church and enjoyed a beautiful service. Afterwards they gave us flowers (Merigolds) to plant so Tony (the wise man that he is) got flowers for the ladies we visit who are not active and we went to their homes after church to deliver them. We enjoyed a nice visit with them and in doing so got our Home/Visiting teaching done. (We're partners....it's wonderful) We then came home to have a simple lunch of scrambled eggs and pancakes. Two of the sister's we visit came to our home to deliver some homemade chocolate chip cookies to thank us for helping them move. We invited them to stay and eat with us. It was fun and we had a great visit with them as well. We then rested up a bit and at 6:30 all the kid's in the valley came over for ice cream floats and cookies. We had an enjoyable time visiting and playing games. It was a great day. All we can say is we miss the kids who are not here in Idaho with us! I took a picture of the beautiful flowers and things I got from my Stewart kids. Thankyou all so much for making my Mother's Day, WONDERFUL! I love you all!

WANT YOU ALL TO KNOW!!!

We just want you all to know that Grandpa Norton is in the hospital due to a broken leg. As most of you know he and mom are back east with Bob and Joyce. He was riding bikes with Peter (Lona's husband) when he came around a turn and encountered some walkers. He swerved to miss them and hit a pretty good sized pot hole. His bike came out from under him and the rest is history! He is awaiting surgery (tomorrow) when they will have to go in and put a rod in his leg and repair the rest of the damage. Please remember him in your prayers.

THIS IS FOR YOU JOYCE! HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

As most of you know, Joyce and Bob are not only our relatives but our neighbors as well. (and good one's I might add) Well, this past Tuesday they flew back to Pennslyvania to visit Lona their youngest daughter. Mom and Dad Norton went with them. We are picking up their mail in their absence and guess what??? A beautiful flower arrangement was deliverd to Joyce for Mother's Day from Kim and Joel. I guess I'm just gonna have to enjoy it while she is gone! It is beautiful Joyce! I'll try to keep it alive in your absence. In the meantime you'll just have to enjoy the picture! Happy Mother's Day to you, Lynn and my wonderful mother. We love you all!

HEATHER'S AT IT AGAIN!!

Hi all. Like my new background? Well, wish I could say I did it but I can't. Heather get's bored and since she set me up to blog in the 1st place, she has access to my account and can change it when the mood hits her! (Guess it hit her again) It's nice to shake things up a bit so when my background changes, you'll know Heather is at it again! It's nice cuz I don't have Photoshop and she does.
So Heather......"YOU GO GIRL"

What a nice Surprise!!

I got a beautiful bouquet of flowers today from my Norton girls! I had just delivered payroll and hadn't been back to the office more than 10 minutes when Melissa, Tammy, Krista, Michelle and Deedra came in with the grandkids and a huge bouquet of the most beautiful fragrant flowers for Mother's Day! I was thrilled! It's so nice to get flowers at work. (Makes the other girls jealous) he he

I even got comments from temps the rest of the afternoon about how pretty they were. Thank you girls and Rachel too. Wish you could have been here with the delivery. You are all wonderful! I love you all!

IT'S HUMP DAY.....WHOOPEE!!!

Wednesday's here already! If your a stay at home mom, it may not have the same meaning to you as it does to us out of the house working moms (then again it might) but I'm glad the work week is halfway over! Looking forward to our Wednesday evening ritual....mowing the lawn! Yes, I love to do that. Get's me outside to enjoy the beautiful weather we are now having! Tony's getting ready for the big Father/Son campout this weekend. The back room is full of camping gear at the moment! Traci's asked me to come out Friday night to work on some Christmas items! (You can never start too early with this size of family) Should be fun and I'm looking forward to that too! Life is soooo busy but it's great to be alive and to enjoy all we have been blessed with.

ANDREW'S BLESSING

Isabel, Sophia & Caden

Andrew

We got up early this morning and went to Kuna with mom and dad Norton to Andrew's blessing. He was adorable in his little white tux (tails and all) and he was a perfect little angel throughout the meeting. His father gave him a beautiful and moving blessing. You can tell they are so happy that this sweet little spirit has joined their family. Caden's Proud.

We went to Traci and Jason's afterwards for a breakfast brunch. It was a great way to start our Sabbath!

Ellie's Soccer Game

Tony and I had a chance to sleep in today and what do I do? Yep, I got up and blogged! I'm hooked! Now it's going on 10PM and I'm at it again! Hopeless!
We had a light breakfast and then went to work in the yard, garden, and shed. We are cleaning out some things and getting organized. We took a break at 11:15 and went to Ellie's soccer game. I'm not sure whether they won or lost but it's all about the snacks afterwards and sportsmanship! He he...It was fun and such a a beautiful day. We stopped in to drop some lawn chairs off with Stillman (so I got another baby fix) and then went home and finished up! Then we went to "IRONMAN" Really good I might say! Well, we enjoyed it. It was a fun end to a busy day! Good thing was, we both stayed awake! Miracles never cease!

Friday Night Date......

After a hectic week we decided to have a "Date Night". We called mom and dad Norton and invited them along. We went to Qdoba's ! Mmmmmm, can you say Burrito? It was delicious! I have left over's! They are HUGE! Question is, "Can I get to it before Tony does?" (LOL) Actually, I think I'll let him have it .... two reasons, 1st: It looks better on him. He wears burritos better than I do. AND 2nd: I won't have to make lunch! Yeah!

After dinner we called Miz and Alisha to see if we could go over and visit them and their new little one. They were on their way out so we went to Scott and Jill's (which was the plan but we didn't want to get their too early) and then Donna, Jack and Jason came over. We had a great visit. I got my 2nd baby fix for the day but I fear we wore Jill out.

Andrew, the shopper....NOT!

Lunch Break with Traci, Sophi and Andrew

Traci came over at lunch yesterday with Sophi and Andrew. I hadn't seen Andrew for several days. They change so fast when they are babies. We went to my favorite store (Macy's Outlet) and Andrew laid in his stroller peacefully just looking at all the racks of clothes that were eye level for him. He got fussy after 45 minutes. Typical boy, doesn't like to shop! (LOL)

DOES HE EVER SLEEP ??

Little Jayden is so alert for a newborn! His little eyes are open everytime I see him.
Guess he doesn't want to miss anything!

What a difference a couple of days makes!

Scott sent me some new pictures of Scotlyn last night. I had to share ! Her swelling has gone down and she looks so peaceful and beautiful. Scott says she sleeps and eats! Awhhhh, a typical girl! How sweet!

Things are lookin up here at work!

Yay! I got 2 more hires at Omnipure this week! That helps my poor attitude! Besides, the client there is always so nice and complimentary to me. I sure like her. She's a great HR person. I think I can make it to Friday now ! :)

THE WEEKEND CAN'T GET HERE SOON ENUFF !

I'm tired!! What a week this has been ! Work has been very busy (and stressful I might add) and of course the birth of 2 new babies on Monday, hospital visits, home visits, phone calls, emails, etc etc.... and of course keeping up with the work at home. With what little time we've spent there so far this week we've managed to get the lawn mowed, laundry done and things picked up (best I could do is just pick things up, the actual cleaning will have to wait) Tony and I have had a hard time getting up the past two days! We have vowed to rest up tonight! We are gonna have some homemade chicken soup and just veg out in front of the TV. My sister and brother in law (Donna and Jack) are traveling from Montana to Boise as we speak so we have to be ready for a good visit with them. Oohhh, it's great to be busy! If it would just melt off the pounds, it would be so worth it!