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Monthly Archives: October 2006

Happy Halloween!!

October 31, 2006 at 12:34pm

I love this day.

I love that it’s not a total holiday, like a day off from school/work, but just a fun kind of regular day. You go about your routine, just a little fancier than normal. Fun fun fun.

I just got back from a little trick or treat party at Sophie’s preschool. So cute.

Big plans today of carving a pumpkin and making lanterns to set outside.

Big plans of eating way more candy than I ought to.

Good stuff.

And just for fun…some pics of the kids from last Saturday at their school’s fall festival. They don’t get to dress up at school- this was their only chance besides tonight. Good news is, the light was pretty good for photos in the afternoon as opposed to at night! :)

Goatcarebear Twoheaded Twoheadedback

Franklin is THE goat this year. I made that costume when Shelby was a baby, and goshdarn I’m going to get my time and effort’s worth with that costume! :) Sophie is a Care Bear. She loves herself in that. Shelby and Matt decided to be a two-headed person. I think they are hilarious. Especially from behind.

They’re wearing Dave’s old pants.

Just kidding. This whole costume cost me like $5 at the Goodwill. I like that! Way better than the effort that goat costume took… :)

Posted in old blog

by Shannon Montez

13 comments

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October 31, 2006 - 2:49 pm Hilary Erickson - LOVE the two headed person. I was trying to figure out Franklin -- til' you said what he was. LOVE the goat. Nice job mom.

October 31, 2006 - 9:31 pm Lisa - You almost had me there with the comment about those being Dave's old pants! LOL The kids look great, and check you out making that goat costume!

November 1, 2006 - 11:24 am Maureen - ROFLBMO over the Dave's pants comment! What a GREAT costume! Love it! And that goat could not be any cuter.....so cool that you made it! And Sophie is a sweet care bear!

November 1, 2006 - 12:43 pm Katie - lol, too funny!

November 1, 2006 - 3:34 pm Kari - I am bummed we missed you at the carnival. You're kids look so cute. I love getting time/money out of costumes. We've used a frog and a bunny costume 3 years and counting.

November 1, 2006 - 5:42 pm Julie - LOL...I'm sure Dave appreciates your comment. I love the two headed person outfit, very clever!

November 1, 2006 - 7:56 pm Danita - Great costumes and cute kids! Sounds like you did some fun things.

November 1, 2006 - 8:26 pm Tina - Love the two-headed costume! Genious!

November 1, 2006 - 11:09 pm erin yamabe - great costumes, and the one with the two-headed person is genius!

November 3, 2006 - 7:48 am Lindsay - I love the costumes! Halloween is such a great holiday. Too bad your kids don't get to enjoy the at-school Halloween party. That was my favorite day at school. What is this world coming to? But at least they got a carnival.

November 4, 2006 - 9:22 am kent - Oh no - not the goat again!! :-) You should do a layout with each of your kids in that costume. Love the two headed person idea. They actaully stayed together the whole time?? So cute!

November 8, 2006 - 5:12 pm kellidarr - Love the two-person costume!! So cute and soooooooo clever!!! thanks for sharing:)

November 11, 2006 - 4:33 pm jamie - omg- such cute costumes!!! good job mama!

Can I just say

October 19, 2006 at 4:25pm

Ljt how excited I am to have these guys here?!

My brother Layne, his wife Jami, and their little dude Trenton moved out here several weeks ago. It has been SO COOL having them here! With just one kid, they’re free to come over and play games with us until late in the evening, just putting the little guy to bed in the other room. And it’s way easier to trash talk during games with your brother than when you’re playing with some other couple.

Trenton is beyond adorable. I love getting to play with a little nephew. I realized I’ve never lived near my own neices or nephews. It’s really fun having a baby to play with, but someone else to change the diapers!

And the babysitting. Man. It’s so nice to be able to trade babysitting. At least for me…it’s a four for one deal! I’m all over that.

I could go on and on. They are fun. I’ve really missed living near family. I’m so happy to have them here with us. It’s one of the coolest blessings I’ve ever received.

Posted in old blog

by Shannon Montez

13 comments

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October 19, 2006 - 5:50 pm Jami - Oh man, you stole my idea for a blog post :) I'm glad you're not getting sick of us. Game nights two days a week with us might be more than some people could handle!

October 19, 2006 - 7:42 pm Hilary Erickson - That is SO great, I miss having family here.

October 20, 2006 - 5:53 am Andrea - Lucky. Can I join? Maybe Keith and I will move out there to join the party. : )

October 20, 2006 - 4:06 pm Julie-Jami's mom - Wow, you guys are lucky! I'm miss those guys so much. Although Layne is super hard to beat at 'Cities and Nights'. I think Ron is enjoying beating me...

October 20, 2006 - 5:14 pm Jami - Mom- I'm the one who's been winning these days :)

October 21, 2006 - 2:28 pm april - how cool! we're getting ready to move "home" to Houston and I'm excited about being closer to family. wonder which family members we can talk into game nights and babysitting if we ever get pregnant?! ;)

October 22, 2006 - 7:09 pm Laurissa - Shannon, I'm really dumb, but I honesty just realized (after reading your blog for about a year) I didn't have to have an account to leave a comment so here I go--- Wow, you're so lucky! I am VERY jealous. I hope you enjoy every minute (especially the four for one babysitting!)

October 23, 2006 - 10:48 pm erin yamabe - that is very cool:) what a sweet photo!

October 24, 2006 - 7:33 am Lindsay - I have said this before, I am jealous of your party. So to assuage my envy, Jeff and I have been looking at med schools in Northern Cali. We all miss you guys but we are glad you have each other, I guess...

October 24, 2006 - 11:55 am Mindy - Shannon, I want so bad to say that I am so happy for ya'll, and I am, but I am a little jealous, too. Jealousy stinks. Even though I don't love playing certain games (the long, strategic ones--guess I'm not smart enough or something), I just wish we could be there to all hang out together. And the switching babysitting---heaven. Honestly, I am glad you guys have each other. We know how nice it is to have family around when you haven't for a long time. Enjoy it.

October 24, 2006 - 1:05 pm Katie - What an adorable family : )

October 24, 2006 - 1:32 pm Jessi - Very cool, Shannon!! :)

October 27, 2006 - 4:36 pm kent - Glad you are having fun with your family. THAT is why I havene't heard from you - you are having too much fun!

Hi.

October 16, 2006 at 12:46pm

Me again.

My parents were here for the weekend. It was so fun!! We went to the pumpkin patch, the beach, ate out, basically, just hung out and had a good time. Finally had that lunch in Chinatown that I’ve been trying to do for years now. My mom made us a Thanksgiving dinner yesteday. YUMMY!! Nothing like having your mom cook for you. Something about it is just really nice. Maybe I’ll post some pictures. Someday. When I’m not too lazy to unload my camera. But I didn’t take most of the pictures. I’ve found that carrying around my big ol’ camera is harder than everyone elses’ little point and shooters so I’m letting everyone else take the photos for once. Kind of nice!

I’ve been trying really hard lately to work of this last 10 lbs of pregnancy weight (that sounds so much better than flab, don’t you think?) and my grand total is…. 2 lbs. Up. I’m hoping it’s water weight or something. And they say that muscles weigh more than fat, so maybe I’m just bulking up. Right. :) But no matter what, I feel better when I work out. Not just physically, but emotionally too. I just feel stronger. Like a better person. Like I’m in control of my own life and making things happen. So whatever. That benefit is so much more important than a number on a scale. Anyone want to join me? Challenges? Ideas? Anything? I’ve never actually been on a diet/tried to lose weight before, so this is all new to me. I didn’t want to face it before, but since the baby is now almost two and a half, it’s time. :)

Posted in old blog

by Shannon Montez

6 comments

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October 16, 2006 - 2:55 pm Hilary Erickson - Haha, I hear you. I haven't lost a POUND Nada. Nothing. I'm ready to cry it off... So far, I am doing 90 minutes of aerobics, etc. on TV and 90 minutes of walking. I am doing smaller portions, and not eating after 7 pm. What's your big plan?

October 17, 2006 - 8:51 am Mindy - Get a puppy!! I lost two pounds this week without even trying (though that's the kind of weight that will jump back on in no time). I browsed through my Mom's Weight Watchers stuff a few months ago and I've lost about 7 pounds or so loosely following their points system. Fewer calories, lots of fiber, "deductions" on your total points for exercising. I guess it isn't rocket science--less in, more out. I would highly recommend the WW "Smart Ones--Bistro" meals. They are yummy and nutritious, and I will often throw one in the microwave when I am tempted to go get fast food. Wal-Mart sells them for the cheapest price. Good Luck! Glad you had fun with R & D. We miss you.

October 17, 2006 - 11:53 am Lindsay - Throw your scale out the window! But honestly, despite my hatred of them, I wish I had one because I seemed to have a better handle on my weight. I feel stupid even saying anything but we all have our personal goals. My is my "Marrige 10". I am still wrestling with that. My only serious advice is as Mindy said, eat less and move more. The eat less part is what kills me. I keep praying that I will wake up one morning hating sweets, which are my downfall. So far it hasn't worked- what? I have to practice self control? Regarding the move part- once I made it a habit to exercise, I can't go without it without feeling like a slug.

October 17, 2006 - 12:08 pm Jami - My goal is no milk chocolate. Only dark. It would kill me to cut it out all together. It's kind of a lame goal.

October 18, 2006 - 7:59 pm Shaunte - I am a blog-lurker. More times than you will ever know I wonder if you are INSIDE my head. LOL! I had to comment on this one. I busted my butt working out 90 minutes everyday for SIX freaking months and GAINED weight. Muscle...or so they say, I just wanted the scale to show lower numbers...I totally gave up. After a weekend vacay, and seeing myself in the hotel mirror in a swimsuit, I am ready to try again. I don't know the secret, but if I figure anything out I will share.

October 19, 2006 - 1:48 pm Julie - I am so with you, although I have more than 10 pounds of baby weight (yes...that sounds sooo much better than flab...and my baby is 3 1/2!!) to lose. Yesterday she said, "Mommy your butt jiggles...it is funny." and then laughed hysterically. I wish I shared her enthusiasm. When Jeff got home, I told him what she said. She then proceeded to lift up my shirt, point to my "flab" and say, "Mom, you have a baby in your belly...it is big...ha ha ha ha ha". Maybe that's all the motivation I need. =)

I’ve been away from the blog…

October 3, 2006 at 5:26pm

And the reason why is that I’ve been too busy WINNING things. Who has time for blogging when there is winning to be done?

See…it all began with the chili cookoff/pie baking contest at church. Dave had decided to enter his mom’s famous Avocado pie. The pie that, back in the day, won them the first microwave in the neighborhood in a Betty Crocker contest. He was fully expecting to win. I hated to show up empty-handed, so I whipped together a chili recipe found in my Better Homes and Gardens cookbook. You know, the red-checked one that everyone has a copy of in their kitchen and has for generations. So I guess you could say I used an old family recipe. Only my family didn’t invent it.

Long story short, everyone wins a prize. For instance, Dave’s Avocado Pie won "Best Lime Pie." He won a rubber spatula. Me, on the other hand…as the prizes were going out, I became convinced that I wouldn’t get one. First of all, I had the audacity to show up with the chili in a pot. Not a CROCK pot, just a regular old pot. That’s practically grounds for disqualification at a church function. And I sent it with Dave, who was pretty sure he forgot to tell anyone that I made it. But lo and behold…last name read…was mine. OVERALL BEST CHILI. Yes, folks. That’s me. I’m practically worshipped at church now. AND I got an apron. A handmade (with love) apron with chili peppers on it. I am the champion.Chili_2

You think that experience would be enough winning for me. But I hadn’t had enough, apparently. Last weekend was the triathalon. I mentioned it here before. It was an event that I got all excited about, talked some friends into it, then proceeded to chicken out for a month or so. But then my sister-in-law Jami, fitness guru and runner extrodinaire, moved here and got me off my butt. So I put in a good month of training. Which, shouldn’t be enough, but miraculously, it was. I really enjoyed the whole experience. Even though I could’ve done without the lake moss in my mouth, I would do it again in a heartbeat. And wouldn’t you know, I won 366th place. Which isn’t last place. Which was what I was shooting for. I figured out if I could shave five minute off my total time (which was 1 hour 29 minutes, BTW) I would’ve been in the top half. That’s my goal for next year…top half finish. But I’m happy with how I did this year. Finishing, not last, was my goal. Goal accomplished. Here’s the pic. I had to change it to black and white so you can’t see how shockingly red my face is. Jami, pictured with me, took 18th place. She probably could’ve won the whole darn thing if they had marked the course well enough so she didn’t have to stop and ask the runner behind her where they were supposed to go (which runner, by the way, was WAY behind her, as Jami ROOOOCKS at running! She was so far ahead of the pack there was no one to show her the way- I hope I’m not embarrassing you, James!) :) Race

If you look real close, you can see my winner metal around my neck. Everyone got them, but that’s because we’re all winners, I guess. :)

Posted in old blog

by Shannon Montez

18 comments

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October 3, 2006 - 8:43 pm Moriah Bettencourt - Hey! Goooooooo YOU! I can't believe you did a triathalon.... I'm so not worthy to even post on your blog! LOL Cute apron you chili making goddess!

October 3, 2006 - 11:51 pm Hilary - That triatholon metal is neat and all... but that APRON... wow. That's all I can say. Wow.

October 4, 2006 - 8:38 am april - That's AWESOME, Shannon!!! "Not last" is way better than most of us do, and the fact that you've already set a goal and plan to be there next year is HUGE. You ROCK!! :) So proud of you!!

October 4, 2006 - 8:42 am Jami - I am just SO proud to be related to you (through marriage) :) (P.S. for the records: I'm pretty sure that if I didn't get lost, I wouldn't have "won the whole darn thing," maybe just cut off 30 more seconds.......:) )

October 4, 2006 - 9:14 am Mindy - Shannon, way to go! Seriously. I am so happy for you that you finished the triathlon!! AND that you did it with Jami. Fun. Can I just say that I was cracking up at the whole chili contest thing? Don't underestimate BH&G cookbook, baby. It's one of my favorites. I will be so disappointed if you don't wear your apron to make that special chili next time we see you guys.

October 4, 2006 - 11:26 am Lindsay - Wow Shannon! You are awesome- I am so proud of you! I think Jeff and I need to move to San Jose. I feel that we are missing out on way too much- I want to be part of the party. You mentioning the cooking contest reminded me about your newly redone kitchen. You definitely need to post pictures of the "laboratory of delectable cuisine."

October 4, 2006 - 4:05 pm Joanna - Whohoooooo for you, Shannon!! Way to go!!

October 4, 2006 - 8:06 pm Danita - We are totally impressed here in Kaysville! Love your celebrating 366th place. That you did the tri at all is so worthy of celebration (and a cooking master, too!). Way to go.

October 4, 2006 - 8:55 pm alison - Woo-hoo!!! SO happy for you, dude! and FYI..that's the only cookbook we own...

October 5, 2006 - 10:14 am ali - Congrats on teh triathalon! What an accomplishment!!! Congrats on the chili win too! Ü

October 5, 2006 - 3:41 pm kent - SO cool!!! Whoohoo! You are amazing! A very well rounded gal!

October 5, 2006 - 11:32 pm erin yamabe - wow! congratulations to you!

October 6, 2006 - 5:54 am Julie - I'm so happy for you Shannon! I am singing "We Are the Champions" in my head...

October 6, 2006 - 3:10 pm AmyG - awesome on finishing the race - that is so cool!!! congrats on the chili cook off too!

October 7, 2006 - 6:42 pm Mike - You stud closet athlete!! Welcome to the CPT!!! (Caldwell Pain Train) no more excuses from you. We can still get you signed up for June 25 in Idaho.....

October 8, 2006 - 11:35 am melissa deakin (momteacherwriter) - hey shannon! congrats on both of your wins! completing a triatholon is amazing! so wonderful for you! i used to run and i did a few races (just running) before having children and i remember before my first race, my goal was the same as yours...to not be last. (i wasn't)and i guess i always think about the last finisher... how do they feel? did they have the same goal as us and not achieve it? i guess this is my big philosophical thought for the day...what is the last finisher thinking because we all know someone has to be last.

October 8, 2006 - 1:34 pm Julie-Jami's mom - Shannon! Way to go! Triathlons are kind of fun in a weird sort of way! Jami's talents didn't come from me...

October 25, 2006 - 8:13 am maggie Holmes - good for you! a triathalon -- amazing!! and i would love to try your chili!! :)