Memorial Day in Star Valley- 2010

Star Valley time again! WOOHOO!

My dad always referred to Star Valley as God's Country, and each time we're up there- I learn more and more why he called it that. There is something sweet and peaceful and serene in that valley that makes my heart happy. Maybe it's just that I can "feel" my dad there more than any other place, but whatever it is- I LOVE IT and I love our annual trips up there!

(major picture overload here, sorry!)

I don't know much about clouds and what has to happen in the atmosphere to make them do this, but we ALWAYS seem to have the most beautiful fluffy clouds the entire drive:
Made a stop in Evanston, WY to swap kids and went to the ever-entertaining Wal-Mart. There is always someone or something worth blogging about at that Wal-Mart. We joke that the website www.peopleofwalmart.com probably ALL come from Evanston.
Check out this homemade bumper sticker (duct tape and all!):
Claire and Brenna had fun though in a shopping cart:
This year, we stayed in a new place in Afton- the Mountain Inn Condos. It was a beautiful place, but the stairs to the loft (that 4 of us slept in) were a little on the steep side. That was the only downside to the whole place- it had a kitchen, fireplace, TV, and all the fixings we needed- but the stairs made us way nervous with the little girls. We loved it though, and had lots of fun in there!
Abby & Claire in a tickle fight:
And Claire was being a total goofball on the stairs-
LOVE this sequence of pics!
We hiked up to Periodic Springs again- which is always a fav!
Grandma Diane and the 3 little girls!
Hey, with Grandma D, they are A, B, C & D! :)

The log Abby is sitting on was COVERED in water about 10 minutes after we took this picture. It's amazing to watch the water ebb and flow. I'm always in awe!
We rode bikes, and Mama Crook loved it! See, LOOK!
Janna and I loved our bike ride around the golf course:

and of course, we went to the cemetery...
Mom doing a typical "Jared smile" in honor of him because he wasn't there with us- LOVE it!!!
Cousin Jeremy and his favorite 2nd cousin girls!
Mom and Aunt Cheryl:
Mom had a great idea and picked up some bottle rockets to light off in memory of dad--- he ALWAYS did bottle rockets in Star Valley, sticking them in a fence post, just like this:
You know it's a good thing when the horses in the neighboring pasture take off running! Dad use to always scare the cows away at Aunt Mary Isabelle's and someone would have to go chase them off the highway back in to the field. Oh, memories!
You taught us well, dad!!!

Farewell daddy, until next time...
WE LOVE YOU and are grateful for the legacy you left us!

Oh, happy day!!!

Dating, being a "single mom" isn't fun, in my book.
It's a whole different ball-game when you're
#1- old
#2- when there's kids involved
#3- it's just not the same as when you're 16.
Earlier this year, I had come to the realization that I would probably be a single working mom forever, and I was okay with that. I was admittedly too stubborn to do the whole online dating thing (I think I was too prideful) and I was content with my life as it was.

BUT then, in mid-March (okay, it was Tuesday, March 9th at about 6:18pm), the weekend before we left for our Disneyland trip, I got a phone call.
It went something like this:
Me: Hello?
Cute guy calling me: Hi, is Debra home?
Me: Yes, this is Debra
Cute guy calling me: Hey, this is Jared Munn- I don't know if you know me...
Me: (cutting him off cuz I that's what I do best!) Oh, yes- I know the name! How are you?
Cute guy... Jared: I was wondering if you are free to go out with me on Saturday night?
Me: (totally frozen!) Um, we're getting ready to leave town and have friends coming in town this weekend, but let me figure it out and I can call you back tonight or tomorrow if that's okay.
Jared: Yeah, just let me know.

So, I was trying to figure it out and thought that Saturday would be too crazy with getting ready for the trip and all. I called him back the next day after work and we decided to set a date for the Saturday after I got back from my trip- which was March 27th.

We got back from California earlier the week of our planned date, and I for some reason was thinking about him a lot more than I probably should have been... especially for not knowing someone :)
On my way home from work one night that week, I called him pretending I didn't know what time we set our date for, but truth is: I just wanted an excuse to talk to him! I knew it was at 7:00. We talked for just a few minutes, and it made my day! Yes, I later confessed my "excuse" to call him, and we laugh about it now.

Date night finally came, and since I'm weird, I had my mom take the girls out that night and I just told them I was going out with a friend. I'm not one to introduce guys to my girls- unless I know it's going somewhere. So, they were gone, and I spent far too long primping and re-doing my lip gloss. 7:00 came, and he wasn't there- but he was there at 7:05 and that was good enough because he came to the door with flowers in hand! SCORE! I opened the door and said something like "oh, look at you starting off our date with flowers", and he said "actually, they aren't for you- they're for your girls since I'm taking you away from them for the night".
OH MY- he won my heart right then and there!
So, I went inside and put them in water quickly and we left.

He opened my door (and still does EVERYTIME we go anywhere!), and we started heading to Provo. I was super nervous for some reason, and even told him that I don't know how to "date" and that he should tell me if I'm being awkward. We laughed, but it was so true!

We went to a Chinese food place in Provo that he knew of and proceeded to have the longest dinner of our lives, but I tell you- the time flew by! Once we were sitting down, the conversation just seemed to flow. We pretty much put everything out on the table with questions about our personal lives, like why we both got divorced, what went wrong in our relationships, etc. It was just nice to be so open!

Two + hours later- we left dinner and he then took me to Color Me Mine (LOVE that place!) and we continued to talk about anything and everything while he painted (very detailed) a motorcycle bank, and I painted a funky mug. We painted until they practically kicked us out.
We had an amazing evening and I didn't want it to end.

We left there and headed towards home. We turned into my neighborhood, but he passed my house and told me he wasn't ready to take me home yet- so we kept driving. He had to stop and get gas and we drove on the back roads down to Santaquin and then back. Random, but we just talked and talked and both obviously didn't want the night to end.

Conclusion: Sparks were a flyin'... we had a GREAT first date!!!

This wasn't our first date, but it was our 3rd or 7th or something:
Gosh, he's handsome!

We sometimes do this, but not very often, I promise:
Life really couldn't be any better- he's the BEST thing that has ever happened to me! It amazes me that I was content with being that single working mom, but there is obviously a higher power that knows that I needed Jared in my life, and He put him there for me! I will forever be grateful for that!

Easter- a week early

This year Easter fell on General Conference Sunday, April 4th, so the girls got to wear their dresses to church the Sunday before. Here's some pictures of them looking as cute as ever!

Love these ladies!!!

Disney geeks-r-us!

WAAAAAAAY back in March (at least it's still in the year 2010) we went to Disneyland and had an absolutely amazing time! It's hard not to at that place, I guess, huh? My mom, sisters, their families and me and my girlies went- along with our family friend Adrienne (a co-worker of my mom's that we've adopted in to the Crook-clan!) all made the trek down there!

We stopped in Vegas to pick up the Dallessandros and to see Grandma & Grandpa Carlton and then headed to California on St. Patricks Day!

Three cute cousins playing at Claire's house:
and now we're on our way to CALIFORNIA!
they might hate me one day for this, but my kids (especially Miss Abby) rarely sleep in the car!
cute happy girls waiting for our passes!
Janna made these ADORABLE shirts for the 3 girls! They were SO cute and we got many, many compliments on them- mostly from employees!
Abby & Claire on the Jungle Cruise:
C stands for CARLTON
and C stands for CROOK too!
Abby and I got stuck on the WORST part of the Haunted Mansion (or Handsome Monson, as Claire calls it!!) I was dying!!!
Then this happy little Brenna girl
wanted to go on this ride:
and she wasn't scared at all, but me on the other hand- I've been on it many times and although I love it- I still get SO nervous!!!

But this ride- this one scared the heebie-geebies outta me!

We spent 2 1/2 days there and can't wait to go back (before next March when our passes expire!)

We had to get a little beach-time in since we were so close too:
(Claire didn't "love" the sand at first, if you couldn't tell!)

Happy girls!!!

Brenna's 7th Birthday!!!

Brenna turned 7 on the 7th of February!
This little sassy-pants is such a funny little girl! She keeps me on my toes, but is SO fun to have in our home! She's quite tender and has a very sweet and sensitive side to here, which counteracts the sass! We had a low-key little family gathering with cake and ice cream and presents. That's all I really need for a birthday, and I think she loved it!

READY!
SET!
BLOW!!!!!!!!

Present time!
Taylor Swift CD from Abby:
cute clothes from Aunt Sandie & Uncle Matthew:
a WAY fun game from Aunt Janna & Uncle Jason for the PS2:
and a new build-a-bear dalmation from Grandma Diane:
HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRENNA BOO!!!!
XOXO