Spring Cleaning

I have been in a major Spring cleaning mode this last week. Growing up we ALWAYS did a big Spring clean. I remember dreading it as a child. But, I would now like to thank my Mom for teaching me the importance of this BIG task. Don't think you can Spring clean in one day.....maybe one week! I can't believe all the garbage I have thrown away. What a great feeling it has been. I am still Spring cleaning as we blog:) today has been blinds, windows, until it started to rain. I don't know about you, but rainy weather makes me want to clean even more. Last weekend my dear friend came over and we did my entire kitchen, took everything out of cabinets and cleaned away, then reorganized everything. It is much more fun to do it with a friend. I owe her big time! Let's just say that I don't look at all like this lady when I clean, but I wonder what it would be like to wear heels and a dress. Hmm.....I will have to try that. NOT! Well I hope that this will motivate some of you to Spring clean and get rid of junk like me. It really does make a difference and feels good to get so much accomplished. So happy cleaning!

Blogging? What's that again?

Hello, hello I know that I have been HORRIBLE at blogging. I really feel like I have had NO time. I promise that I will update this week on what we have been up to. I am going to make my blog private so look for my invite. Email me and let me know if you would like to be on my list. We are all doing well here at the Allred household. We hope all is well for all of you! Happy Blogging!

Happy Birthday Babe!

Happy Birthday Babe! I love you so...............much. Thank you for being such a wonderful husband, father, and most of all friend. I love the way you make me smile:) You make me so very happy! I am so blessed to have you as my husband. You always make me feel so special and treat me wonderful. I could not ask for a better husband or father for our children. You are a very hard worker and I appreciate ALL you do for our family. I appreciate your STRONG testimony and your willingness to serve in the gospel. You are an example to me. I appreciate your patience, love, kindness and ability to overlook my weaknesses. You are an AMAZING man! I absolutely adore you, and am proud to call you MINE! Happy Birthday Babe! I love you more today than yesterday.....................

My Birthday Week..........

Wow! what a week I had. Let me tell you how it started. My sweet friend Diana called me a few days before my Birthday and asked me if i wanted to go to Oprah! Well who doesn't want to go to Oprah. So that is how I started off my Birthday. We were able to go downtown Chicago and stay overnight in a GREAT Hotel. It was awesome! The Oprah show was about the Dr. Suess book Horton Hears a Who! Well the movie is coming out on March 14th and so we were lucky enough to preview it the night before the show. It stars Jim Carrey and Carrol Burnett and Steve Carell. It was AWESOME! your families will love it! Then Those stars were on the Oprah show. We were on the 3rd row center stage. Most of you watched it today.(did you see me?) It was a great show. Thank you so much Diana for such a great time! I love ya! Here is our hotel room. These were the most comfortable beds ever......we slept very well. I love the decor.

I have never seen so....many pillows on a hotel bed..I felt like I was right at home. I LOVE pillows.

This is us waiting in line at Oprah....bright and early...6:30am

Gotta have the Harpo picture!

Now on to the rest of my Birthday celebration. Can I just say that I have the BEST friends EVER! I love you all so much. Ruth was not able to make it last minute, poor little Lili was sick.I missed you Ruth! We went out for some Mexican. None of us were really keen on the place, but they had GREAT guacamole!

We celebrated Taunacy's Birthday as well. Happy birthday T-Ho!I couldn't think of a better person to celebrate with.

I had to talk Jill into letting me have a picture with her. She is pregnant and does NOT like pics of herself....I would kill to look llike her when I am pregnant. she only has like 4 weeks left. What is she talking about!

Now on tho the best part....Desert!
Have you EVER seen a piece of cake this big? No, I did not eat it myself. We all shared one piece. It was YUMMY!

Thanks again everyone for a wonderful birthday! My friends for being so great. I don't know what I would do without you! You are the BEST. To my sister's and sweet Steph for the sweet birthday blogs. I love you!

Look at those EYES!

Last week was quite the week at the Allred house. Lets just say that I thought the week would NEVER end. Ellie was home most of the week not feeling well and we all know what that did to me! I really do lover her, she just requires ALOT of attention and as my sister Tara says, she is my ticket to Heaven! We still are not sure what is up with her stomach issues. I have to take her back to the doctor by next week if we don't see some changes in her stool. I was called the BUTT doctor last week. I had to keep a diary on Ellie and boy was it FUN!!!! I thought it was frustrating making Ellie take her medicine, well try giving that girl an enema. I thought we were going to kill each other. After about an hour and a half I finally got done with the enema and ellie stopped crying and said, "Mom, I didn't even feel that". That made me want to you know what.......Then Gracie got pink eye and woke up twice in the night because she couldn't open her eyes. This picture is not at her worst. To top everything off. I got a call on Friday about 11am saying that we were having a preview on the house in 1hour. I was FREAKING out! My house was a MESS with a crazy week and all. I frantically started shoving stuff hoping that I would remember where I had put everything. In the dryer, washer, dishwasher, oven. Did I say oven? My friend Stacy came over to get the kids out of the house and helped me run through and pick up so I could clean bathrooms, vac, dust in less than 1 hour. I have never sweat so bad in my life................anyway, I got it done and the next day, Taylor had some friends over and she was pre-heating the OVEN for pizza.....I smelled something and remembered ALL the stuff that was sitting on my counter that I shoved in the oven for the showing......MELTED PLASTC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YUCK!
what a pain to clean out. Moral of the story.....keep up with your house and don't get behind like I did!

Happy Birthday Diana

Happy Birthday Diana! These photos are not in order (dang it) but I thought we would take a trip down memory lane of the last year of knowing each other. I can't believe that I have only known this girl for 1 year! I feel like I have known her FOREVER!!!! I love ya!
Thanksgiving time!
Our AWESOME trip to New York.....
Max and Laura from GREASE.......................
Diana, Me, and Jill at Christmas walk.............

This is actually the first time that I met Diana..Her Birthday last year, a few of us took her out to dinner to get to know her. She had just moved into the ward.............. This was when I REALLY got to know Diana. We knew we were suposed to be friends! We had a blast together and had alot in common. She LOVED my fart machine!
A lunch date...............................
TOFW trip..............this was another great time together!
Last but not least, the TEETH!!!! This picture of Diana will always be in my mind. We have had more laughs over these teeth. She has them with her at all times. And has brought them out many times such as lunch dates, just driving down the road in the car....now that is the funniest thing ever to see people look at her throught the window as she is driving. She just looks at them and smiles with these BIG teeth! Diana, I am so glad that we have become such good friends in such a short amount of time. I look at all the fun things we have done this last year and want to thank you for being such a great friend!!!! You are such an example to me. You are always happy and always have a smile on your face. You are a wonderful mother, a wonderful wife, you are a wonderful friend! I hope you have the best Birthday ever!

I love music....

I love all kinds of music, but I really love Country Music. I love the lyrics. They always tell such a meaningful story. Music has always been a big part of my life. Starting at a very young age, I remember singing in church with my brothers and sisters. Singing in talent shows and all kinds of things that my Mom could get us into. Then as I got into my teenage years i was even in a band. Growing up my Mom always had music playing and I remember it making me feel happy. I find myself doing that same thing with my children , as we clean the house. The fun music helps us work faster and have fun! While on Sunday mornings the soft music helps us feel a bit calm and have good thoughts. It really is amazing what music can do, and how it can affect us. I see the joy that music brings to my children as I see them singing ALL the time rather it be at the piano or to Hannah Montana. They truely have a love for music. So I would like to thank my Mom for that. Thanks for starting something that has brought so much joy to our lives! What are your thoughts about Music?