Memories in the Making

Preschool Trip to the Humane Society

2012-01-11T21:08:00.002-07:00

So this year I am doing a co-op preschool with my sister and we are having so much fun. This week our theme was pets and we had a field trip at the Human Society. It was so nice when we went. It wasn't busy so we had plenty of time to hold some cats and pet some dogs.

The Human Society had a little presentation for our group. A worker talked to our children about different pets and then brought in a few animals for them to pet. I was able to capture a few pictures with the rat when I remembered I had a camera on my phone.

Then the worker brought in her own dog that can do tricks, and had her dog do them for the us. It was so cute to see the kids laugh when the dog "played dead".

Then she taught our preschoolers pet safety so they could prevent getting bit by a dog or scratched by a cat.

It was a fun trip me and my boys loved it. We fell in love with a big gray, lop-eared bunny. In fact, me the anti-pet person called back to see if the bunny was still available and someone had adopted it. So sad but at least it saved me from having a new pet.

I Need to Vent....

2012-01-11T20:51:00.000-07:00

Okay so this is not me in my situation today.

But it was the best I could find online.

I can't post without a pic.

Typically most things that bug me come and go but this one I had to blog about. Today I was at my mom's visiting with my sister. While visiting, a car pulled over in front of my mom's house. That isn't too unusual because she lives on a somewhat busy street and there is a church across the street. So random things with traffic happen.

A few minutes later I noticed the woman was coming up the driveway. I went out to meet her and she informed me she had run out of gas and would not be able to have someone come help her for a few hours. I asked if she would like us to help her push it over to the curb because it was somewhat blocking my parents driveway.

She was afraid that it would be ticketed or hit so she wanted to know if we could try to maneuver it to the church parking lot. It wasn't too far but certainly not a quick step or two but I told her my sister and I would be happy to try.

With the help of my sister we pushed and shoved getting the car rolling. Slowly it moved and we started coasting in the right direction. As we pushed it toward the parking lot I noticed a car parked in the lot. Inside was a man and woman talking. I said to my sister in a very loud voice, "What the heck! I can't believe that guy is watching us and has made no effort to come and help." My sister told me to lower my voice or he might hear me. I said, "Good!"

Anyway I helped the lady and her three young children get to their home so they didn't have to walk or wait in the cold and all was fine. But I just HAD to blog about how bugged I was at the callous attitude of this man. How he could sit in his nice warm car as a woman with three young children had two women help push her to safety. There now I feel better that I have blogged that and I can let it go.

Abstract Art

2011-10-21T12:54:00.001-06:00

My kids love crafts. We decided to paint pumpkins. Here are the results:

Elijah enjoyed mixing the colors. He ended up with a blue-gray color.

I should have taken a before and after picture. This is the beginning of painting time when Elijah was all clean.

David just liked making his pumpkin colorful.

Once again David is giving me his silly faces for the camera.

Lexie did try. This is supposed to be a vampire.

If you know Lexie this is a typical face she pulls when having fun.

Anna took a lot of time on her vampire. Good job Anna.

Here is the first picture with the teen's true feelings about having me take her picture.

This is her pleasing me and giving me a smile.

It's Autumn Time!

2011-10-19T21:40:00.000-06:00

I absolutely love the fall. The colors, the scents of the season, the cool crisp air. Today we went outside and raked leaves upon David's request. He wanted a big pile to jump in. I couldn't help but think of Charlie Brown as I made a giant pile for the boys to run and jump in to.

Here is David, Elijah and their cousin Lizzie enjoying the fresh raked pile of leaves.

I had to post this picture because of David's silly face. He now makes these silly faces when I tell him to smile for a picture.

I love, love, love seeing my little ones have such fun.

Mr. Fearless himself. We live in a cul-de-sac and Elijah and David would get a running start from the other side of the circle so they could get full momentum before they jumped in.

Finally a real smile! What a cutie. Note the outfit. His costume came in the mail today and he was so excited. Needless to say there will be no surprise as to what his costume looks like this year.

Preschool Fieldtrip

2011-09-29T14:35:00.000-06:00

Our first preschool fieldtrip was to Discovery Gateway. It was a perfect day to go. There was hardly anyone there so the children had a great time playing.

My boys are all-boy. Most of the time was spent in the construction zone.

Johanson Family Reunion

2011-07-19T17:03:00.000-06:00

The highlight of my summer was my family reunion with my siblings and parents in St. George. I love spending time with all my family. My children love their cousins. They spend from sun up to sun down playing together.

Thanks to my brother Joseph we got to go boating. My favorite place to boat is Sand Hollow. The water is warm and we spent the entire day there. Note to self: Have boys wear old swimming suits. I can't get the red dirt out of their suits.

Seminary Graduation...Way to Go Emily!

2011-05-25T09:47:00.001-06:00

Wow. I never knew how stressful it would be to get Emily to the finish line of school. On Sunday was Seminary graduation. We were all holding our breath as she pushed to make up her tardies so she could graduate from Seminary. I am so proud of Emily for graduating.

She not only graduated from seminary, but in order to fit Seminary into her schedule she had to take early morning seminary. I remember trying to do that my senior year and dropping out and taking it during the day because it was just SO hard to get up that early. I noticed some of her friends were missing from the ceremony. Which means they didn't have the stamina to push through the four years so they could graduate from seminary. Which is just another witness of what to me of how much dedication it took for her to finish seminary.

I was a bit teary-eyed as they handed her, her certificate. I am so blessed to have the privilege to be her mother. I know by paper she is my stepdaughter but there is no way she is a step. She in every way is my daughter. Steve and I married when she was only 5 and she has lived with us most of her life. So she in every way is my daughter.

While I was sitting there during the program my mind flashed to a picture I remember of Emily when she was about 8. This small little girl was standing with her hand on her hip and she had a look of determination in her eye. Although her body was small and skinny, it in no way does describes her spirit. She is strong and immovable.

My mind also reflected on a time when she helped Sadie. It was when Sadie was in 3rd grade there was a boy that walked the same way they did on the way home. Often he would say cruel and crude things to her on the way home. One day Emily was walking with Sadie. This boy made crude and cruel comments to Sadie. Emily (her being in 6th grade) stood up to that bully for her sister. She let him know he could not talk to her sister that way. And if he didn't stop he would have her to deal with.

This small girl had great courage. The boy probably could have beat her up but her determination saved her sister and after that Sadie was not bothered again by the boy. She had more strength and courage than someone three times her size.

That is the young woman I see as Emily is growing up. She is growing up to be a beautiful woman. Emily's mom is completely inactive and lives a life opposite to our standards. Yet Emily has made the gospel her number one priority. She has found friends to pick her up so she can go to church on her mom's weekends. When we have counseled her she has tried to live our standards at her mom's too. Often if we counsel with Emily, she will follow our counsel. She has had many opportunity to choose a life opposite to the gospel but she has found her testimony and stays true to it. I am so, so proud of her.

Yard Work

2011-05-13T13:06:00.000-06:00

Yesterday we worked on the yard. My boys love to help. So I bought a shovel just their size. David had to complete the outfit with his hat and my gloves. He is such a cute guy.

Through Elijah's Eyes

2011-05-10T09:16:00.002-06:00

Out of my six children Elijah is the first who ALWAYS wants to come with me when I leave. It can be a bit frustrating because he takes his own sweet time and often I am in a hurry. Yesterday was a perfect example. It was rainy and I had a couple quick errands I needed to get done. It was a simple stop to the post office and pick up a couple things at the grocery store.

I tried to sneak out the door but Elijah caught me. So we were off to do my errands. It had been raining all day. As I pulled into the parking lot of the post office I knew what Elijah's first thought would be when we got out of the van. It would be to try and jump in any puddle he could find as we entered the post office. So I told Elijah we would not be jumping in puddles today. We had to stay dry.

Elijah did the best he could, but he just couldn't resist the puddle as we got back to the van. He got in one good splash with both feet. Frustrated with his damp pants I put him in the van and headed to the store. In that moment I had a thought that altered my attitude. For a moment I thought about what the world around was in Elijah's eyes. How he perceived this moment. It wasn't a list of errands to do. It was an adventure to be had.

There were puddles to be jumped in. Cars and people to see. Things to explore everywhere. So what if we only had two items to pick up at the store. You should always use the big, cool car shopping cart. Size didn't matter. Just make the most of every moment.

I am glad I had that change of heart. Rather than being frustrated as I tried to maneuver that huge cart, I was able to take Elijah on a drive around the store. He loved being able to pretend he was the one driving. He loved looking at all the different things to discover at the store. I had these few moments to spend with my little boy who loved me and thought the world of me. I, not him had the privilege of having him with me. I will have to try and make more of the small moments I get with my children every day.

FHE Song Time

2011-05-04T10:53:00.001-06:00

You can't see them very well. But those are bluebird wings.

Last week I was songs for FHE. I decided to make props for the song "In the Leafy Treetops". My boys loved it. I definitely need to laminate them though before they are destroyed.

Stop and Pick the Daisylions

2011-04-19T15:12:00.000-06:00

Today the sun was out! I made a goal with my sisters to increase my exercise to 5 days a week. I decided to take the boys on a walk. So it was early afternoon, we ate lunch and headed out. I searched and searched but I couldn't find my double stroller. Where did it go? Then I remembered my sister took the boys to Wheeler Farm last week. So she must have it in her trunk. Darn it. I had a goal to keep and I did not want this to stop me.

Then I remembered our old rickety red wagon. I loaded the boys and we were on our way. Pulling is definitely harder than pushing. But it would give me a better workout.

The wagon is lower to the ground than the stroller. So David could see all the dandelions growing and he would have me stop so he could pick "flowers" for me several times along the way. I told him several times they were dandelions but he would forget their name and call them daisylions. I decided that word was too cute to keep correcting so we called them daisylions. It would be far too soon that he would remember they were really dandelions and his cute word miss-pronunciation would be gone.

It's a little scary walking in the afternoon. There are lots of dogs and they like to bark at us. We only encountered one dog that was loose. It was a tiny little black dog but it was keeping it's territory safe. We had our trusty sticks in case the man-eating-dog got too close. After our walk we took my beautiful bouquet of flowers home and put them in water. Too bad they are obnoxious weeds. Dandelions are very bright and cheerful.

Body Art

2011-04-19T14:46:00.004-06:00

So I am trying make a real effort to focus more on my children. I find my days filled with cleaning, running kids here and there and the many other demands of the day. Yesterday was cold and rainy and we had to stay inside. I decided I would pull out the finger paints.

With so many things to do I thought I could try and start the kids playing and I would get something done. But I came back to find Elijah covered in finger paints. He found his body was a much better canvas to work on. What will he think of next.

I think he enjoyed clean up more than the painting itself. He was so covered in finger paints I didn't want to put him in the tub. Then I would have a big mess in the tub to clean up so I let him sit in the sink and get all clean. He loved that.

David What Are You Doing?

2011-04-07T20:53:00.000-06:00

So today Elijah and David were jumping out on the tramp while I was fixing my hair. Anna was in the kitchen and would look out the back door every so often to make sure they were okay. After a few minutes I heard Anna yell out the door to David that he needed to put his pants back on. I was quite surprised to hear her say that since David was fully dressed when he went out plus the wind was blowing in a storm so it was chilly outside.

I waited a minute to hear what was going on and again I heard Anna tell David to put his pants on. I came out of the bathroom to find out more about the situation. "Anna, what is going on?" I asked. "I don't know I just looked out there and David is jumping without his pants or underwear on." Anna replied.

Anna then went out to help David re-dress himself. When she came back in I asked what happened. Anna said she asked David why he had taken his pants and underwear off. David replied to her question by saying "I had to go to potty. Oh I mean they just fell off."

David has learned at such a young age to try to lie when he thinks he will get in trouble. David has tried before to pee outside and I have told him how animals go to the bathroom outside but people go potty inside. So hence he tried to cover his tracks for the pants issue because he knew I would be unhappy. We live right next to the school. Our backyard fence shares the same fence as the school plus it is chain link. So I am lucky that the school children were not at recess when this happened.

April Fool's Day...

2011-04-06T13:06:00.003-06:00

(I'm not this mean)

I don't know where my fun on April Fool's Day began. Perhaps a few years ago when I decided to pull a great joke on my mom. I have a younger brother who is now 16 but at the time was in 5th or 6th grade.

I called my mom and told her the principal had been trying to get a hold of her. Because Josh had pulled a girls pants down in school and he was suspended. If you know my mother she is quite dramatic. Her reaction was priceless. She was very upset but I told her it was April Fool's after just a minute. I'm not that mean.

In my house I have been known to put salt or vinegar in the milk. Once I made oatmeal for my kids and put WAY too much salt in it. Then when my kids went to take a drink of milk to get rid of the taste they found I had salted their milk too. And we can't forget Oreos with toothpaste in the middle. What a mean mom I am. Needless to say I steered away from food this year.

This year I was very sick the day before April Fool's and thought I would forget it all together. But believe it or not my kids are disappointed if I don't do something to them.

Now this post is going to get a little long winded because I have some pre-April Fool's Day info I need to ad. A week or two before April Fool's I was at my mom's house with Sadie. I thought of a great gag to pull on Sadie for April Fool's. I told her I had a wicked idea. She asked me what it was and I was about to tell her because I thought I was being too mean but she said to do it anyway and not tell her. Remember she gave me permission otherwise I wouldn't have done it.

I am only going to list my top two pranks I did that day. I had several others but they are just simple things such as salt in the toothbrushes (Don't try garlic powder. Tried that last year and you can't get the taste out.) Or glue in the toothpaste tube.

And by the way a fake pile of poop looks fake so don't waste your money on it. I am not saying use real but I wasted the .77 on it and put on the floor of one of the bedrooms. I was hoping Lexie would come across it while doing her job and be grossed out. But it didn't fool her. I hate it when my joke is a flop. If you want to go for the real look you bake brownies and mush them into a pile. It looks much more realistic and I will be trying it next year.

My Favorite April Fool's Day Gag this year:

Okay if any of you know me and my family you know Sadie's top item of humiliation is our big white van. She has reassured me her popularity rank would be much higher if we drove a $30,000 car.

But I told her it was my life long dream to drive a big out-dated van with squeaky brakes. I had always hoped I could drive a vehicle that could be mistaken for a UTA bus. Seriously though my van is far from my dream car. But it works, we all fit and it's paid for. And it has air-conditioning.

So I bought a big yellow poster and wrote in huge letters SADIE'S TAXI and taped it on the side of my van. I then parked in front of the school and waited for the dismissal bell to ring. Oh by the way I had my radio set to start playing the Barney theme song once she came out. After the bell rang I didn't see her. I waited as the children poured out of the door but no Sadie. My phone rang, it was Sadie. This is how the conversation went:

Me: Sadie?
Sadie: Mom?
Me: Yes?
Sadie: Mom what is on the side of our van?
Me: What are you talking about?
Sadie: Mom I can see our van. What is on the side of our van?
Me: Oh nothing really.
Sadie: Mom I can see it
Me: Where are you?
Sadie: I'm just inside the door. I can see our van and I am not coming out. I will walk home.
Me: Oh Sadie. You said I could pull my April Fool's joke on you and this was it.
Sadie: But mom I had no idea THIS was your joke. I would have never had you do that. I am not coming out. I think I'm going to start crying.
Me: Oh Sadie. I will take the sign down. Just come get in the van.
Sadie: Even if you take the sign down I am walking home.
Me: Fine. Bye
Sadie: Bye

Is this then end of my story? Oh no. So I went home and waited ten minutes or so and then I reattached the sign and went to find Sadie. Now I am not completely heartless. I wanted to catch her when she was by herself so she wouldn't have to suffer complete humiliation.

When I found her she was walking home with two boys. So I stopped and took the down the sign before I picked her up. However I did have Barney blasting away. She didn't hate me for the Barney song. So all was good. And by the way the boy who was walking home with her told her that she had a very funny mom. But she reassured me he wouldn't feel that way if it was his mom that did that to him. All in all I still had fun pulling that off.

April Fool's Day Joke #2:

My sister Caroline and her husband Jacob currently live with us. Long story about that but this post is long enough so I will just stick to the story at hand. I had Anna and Lexie get a few empty soda cans and tie them together. Then I had them tie them to a string and attach it to their car underneath where it couldn't be seen. Later I asked Caroline if they noticed our joke and I had a good laugh when she told what happened.

They backed out of the driveway and heard a noise. Then they heard it again. They pulled over and Jacob got out and checked the car. He even kicked all of the tires to see if something was loose. No obvious problems so he got back in. They started to drive and once again they heard the rattling. What the heck? Then almost simultaneously they looked at each other and said AMY!

All in all it was a good day. But next year I will be better prepared. Most of my jokes were very lame because I was so ill.

Discovery Gateway...A Great Investment!

2011-03-27T15:44:00.001-06:00

Lexie got to bring her friend Kyla. They must have had a good time because I never saw them until the end. They were off in big-kid land having fun.

This year I split a 6 month pass with my brother in law and it has been awesome! My sister and I headed there on Friday. I knew it would be a very busy day but we always have so much fun. I will definitely need to buy another pass next fall. I realize these pictures were taken at home but I forgot my camera and I couldn't blog without a picture so I took them later that day at home.

It's Like Riding a Bike

2011-03-11T15:39:00.000-07:00

So as of this week I now have a bike to ride. It is totally old fashioned and comfy. I never quite understood the saying... it's like riding a bike until now. I haven't ridden a bike for years and the whole peddling thing came right back. But oh my gosh, biking is hard. It wasn't until yesterday I found out that if you travel East to West to my house it is a steady incline the entire time.

And I could barely make it home after my first ride. But I am excited to start riding. I developed plantar fasciitis after having Elijah. If you do not know that term it is simply means I damaged the tendons on the bottom of my feet and it can be very painful to do any activity that requires a lot of time on my feet. So for exercising that narrows the choices. I already swim and now I can bike too. I am sure I will have biking adventures to blog about as I tackle this new feat.

Random Silliness

2011-03-11T15:38:00.001-07:00

So I had to add these pictures I took of the boys the other day just being silly. And as you can see I have a nose picking-booger eating problem with Elijah. It is really bad and I can't get him to stop. I tell him to stop it every time I catch him doing it but it just makes the problem worse. He tell me it's yummy and does it more. I have thought maybe if I ignore it, it will go away. Any suggestions?

Room Makeover

2011-03-01T14:25:00.000-07:00

We decided to buy new bunk beds for Anna and Lexie and use their old bunk beds for Elijah and David. The bunk bed arrived on Saturday and Anna put them together all by herself. She is becoming quite the handyman (handy-woman) that is. She has been a big help to Steve with all our home improvements we have done this month.

The girls also got new bed sets. Cute, aren't they.

To complete their room I made a matching valance (hope I spelled that right) out of the extra bed skirt in their bed sets. Then I used the top sheets of their bed sets to make the curtains. I am revealing a family secret as I make this post. And that is I have always hated top sheets and therefore we hardly use them. Most of the time the sheets were pushed to the bottom of the bed and I would have to pull all the blankets off in order to make the bed. Therefore the top sheet was eliminated.

Had to add this darling pic.

Christmas...Better late than never

2011-02-18T10:16:00.003-07:00

Every year the children act out the Christmas story. I thought I would post a few pictures of them in their costumes.

You might not be able to tell that Lexie is an angel. Perhaps a modernized angel with that bow.

Elijah was supposed to be a sheep but refused to wear any costume. Later he played the part of Jesus as a young boy. He thought he was supposed to be in the manger.

He wouldn't get out of the manger. He definitely liked that part.

David was Joseph this year with his cousin Katherine as Mary

What a cute Joseph.

Sadie has moved past the costume age but we had to post a picture of her. Unfortunately Emily and Anna were with their mom this year. We missed them.

2011-02-18T10:10:00.000-07:00

So the other day I was busy getting dinner ready. David called from downstairs for me to come. I told him just a minute. I continued on with dinner and when I called everyone David didn't come. One of the girls went to retrieve him and this is what we found.

David's 4th Birthday

2011-02-18T10:06:00.000-07:00

I regret that I have neglected my blog for so long. I thought I would post a few events that have occurred since I last wrote.

In January David turned 4. Can I just say I love this age. David gives me hugs and kisses daily and tells me he loves me. I wish I could keep him at this age. On his birthday we had a great day at Discovery Gateway. He had fun with his brother and cousins there. I am so glad he FINALLY had his birthday. It was a long year waiting for it to come as everyone else in the family celebrated their birthdays.

Journal Days 10, 11 & 12

2010-10-21T07:46:00.001-06:00

Day 10 - A photo taken over 10 years ago of you. Oh, to be ten years younger and fifty pounds lighter. This was our engagement picture.

Day 11 - A photo of you recently- Seriously? Do I have to? I am still working on getting the ambition to lose the baby fat. And yes my baby is almost two.

Day 12 - Something you are OCD about- Boy these are tough questions. Perhaps this is not an OCD thing but just quirky. I do not share my blankets when I sleep. We tried the shared blanket thing when we were first married and I hated it. So since the 2nd month of our marriage Steve and I have always had our own blanket.

Day 7, 8 & 9

2010-10-19T21:04:00.000-06:00

Day 7 - a photo that makes you happy

Day 8 - a photo that makes you angry/sad- Okay I had to put this for my sad picture because I am enjoying each phase as we grow out of the "baby" phase and onto the next phase. But I am sad how quickly my little ones are growing up.

Day 9 - a photo you took- I decided to post a picture that Sadie took because almost every photo I post is one I took.

Journal Day 4, 5 & 6

2010-10-10T13:18:00.000-06:00

Day 4 - My Favorite Book:

If you know me, you know I don't do much reading. I just have too many things going on, reading is last on my list. So there is not a lot of books to choose from. But without fail I always love to read this book to my girls every year just after Halloween. I love reading about their little cabin in the woods during the seasons. I love Laura's simple Christmas and how happy she was and hope it will help my children realize they don't need a big Christmas to be happy. So it may seem silly but I would say this is my all-time favorite book.

Day 5 - My favorite quote. Don't have a lot of those either. But I would say one of my favorite quotes is one said in Steel Magnolias "That which does not kill us, makes us stronger."

Day 6 - 20 of My Favorite Things: These are not necessarily in any order
1- Stephen's Mint Hot Chocolate
2- Finding ways to save money when shopping
3- Watching Perry Mason at night
4- Snuggling with my little boys
5- Playing games
6- Spending time with my sisters
7-Going on a date with my husband
8- My pillow
9- Being able to sleep in
10- Fall- Everything about it!
11- Pink - any shade
12- Yummy food - preferably made by someone else
13- A clean kitchen
14- Salt City Candles
15- Driving by myself - when it is completely quiet and I can just think
16- French manicures
17- Drinks. I love beverages. My all-time favorite was a Pina Colada (non-alcoholic of course) I had in San Juan, Puerto Rico. It was to die for.
18- Fun socks
19- Spending one-on-one time with my kids
20- Weekends

Day 2 & 3

2010-10-07T14:36:00.002-06:00

I knew I would get behind.....
Day 2 - Favorite Movie....Oh my goodness. Another really hard one to pin down. I can't say just one. So I narrowed it down to two.

Lord of the Rings....I like all of them but I would say the final one is my favorite.

Notting Hill....I just love that show. I like almost anything Hugh Grant is in. I love his dry humor.
Day 3 - Favorite TV Show. Right now I am lost because I no longer have my LOST to watch. That was my favorite TV show of all time. And now it is over and I keep surfing the TV trying to find something to replace and I have had no success yet. Does anyone have a great TV series to recommend?

Blog Journal Day 1 - My Favorite Song

2010-10-05T10:32:00.001-06:00

My favorite song:

Is that a fair question? There are so many, many songs I like. But if I had to narrow it down to one it would be More Holiness Give Me (Hymn #131)

I would say that song best describes my journey here on this earth. I love the Savior and am always striving to return to Him. I love the melody and it's reverent pleading to our Lord. The song fills me with a sense of peace and an added measure of strength as I am striving to live righteously on the earth.

Blog Journal for a Month

2010-10-05T10:26:00.001-06:00

I have been so bad at posting on my personal blog. I ran across this from my friend Angie's blog and am going to try and follow this blog journal she is doing. Hopefully it can help me think outside my "mommy" box.
Here are the topics for each day:
Day 1 - your favorite song
Day 2 - your favorite movie
Day 3 - your favorite television program
Day 4 - your favorite book
Day 5 - your favorite quote
Day 6 - 20 of my favorite things
Day 7 - a photo that makes you happy
Day 8 - a photo that makes you angry/sad
Day 9 - a photo you took
Day 10 - a photo taken over 10 years ago of you
Day 11 - a photo of you recently
Day 12 - something you are OCD about
Day 13 - a fictional book
Day 14 - a non-fictional book
Day 15 - your dream house
Day 16 - a song that makes you cry (or nearly)
Day 17 - an art piece (drawing, sculpture, painting, etc)
Day 18 - my wedding/future wedding/past wedding
Day 19 - a talent of yours
Day 20 - a hobby of yours
Day 21 - a recipe
Day 22 - a website
Day 23 - a youtube video
Day 24 - where I live
Day 25 - your day, in great detail
Day 26 - your week, in great detail
Day 27 - my worst habit
Day 28 – what’s in my handbag/purse
Day 29 - hopes,dreams and plans for the next 365 days
Day 30 - a dream for the future

Painting at Preschool

2010-10-03T17:02:00.000-06:00

I am having so much fun teaching in David's co-op preschool. Last week the children got to paint and use foam stamps. Elijah enjoys the learning activities too. As you can see he got carried away with the paint. It's amazing what he can do in just a minute while my back is turned.

Family Reunion

2010-10-03T16:58:00.000-06:00

Something we enjoy every summer is family reunions. This year we went to Wyoming for my husband's family reunion. We had fun hiking to a geiser. One of their family traditions is a money dig for the kids. David thought he was rich when he had a cup full of change.

Pioneer Day Parade

2010-08-15T15:53:00.001-06:00

Okay I really have to work on taking more pictures. Luckily I took a few of my kids with their cousins. Lexie loves cousins.

The night before we went about 9:00 pm to find a place and it was packed. I couldn't believe it. Next year we will have to go really early and hang out so we can find a great place. It is also hard saving a spot for about twenty people.

Sadie is going to kill me for posting this picture. She basically had time to get her clothes on, brush her hair and head out the door. By the way the boy in the picture is my little brother.

Rule number one when going to the parade find a place in the shade. We were in the shade and toward the front so it was great.

Toward the end Elijah was done. He kept trying to lay down on the ground, silly kid. Family fun.

Wheeler Farm

2010-08-01T11:09:00.001-06:00

I decided we needed to visit Wheeler Farm last week. It has been so hot I tried to get their early but it still wasn't early enough. It was very hot but we still had fun.

Elijah has found a new talent. He has learned to climb. Wheeler Farm was a great place because they had lots of things for him to climb on.

David enjoyed seeing the calves. One was just a few weeks old. So cute.

There is a great big tree that is perfect for climbing on and had great shade. Lexie loved being able to climb so high.

There was this one chicken that Elijah loved chasing. He tried to catch her but was not fast enough.

Summer Fun...Church History Museum

2010-08-01T11:02:00.001-06:00

This summer I have been trying hard to take the kids on outings at least once a week. It has been so hot I have had to come up with ideas that keep us from getting hot. Last we took Trax downtown to the Church History Museum. It was David's first time on Trax and he loved it. He loves Thomas the train plus his dad takes Trax every day so being on Trax was a big deal for him.

We went to The Church History museum. The kids loved the activites. They got to dress in Biblical costumes and be part of the nativity scene.

Elijah found a new way to have fun with the bean bag toss game.

Lexie enjoyed coloring paper dolls. It was a fun day.

Steve's Official Graduation!

2010-07-18T16:12:00.001-06:00

What an awesome day! It was one of the best days ever. I can't explain how much admiration and love I have for my husband for completing his bachelor's degree. It was a LONG hard battle but he did. Despite life's hardships and obstacles he finally was able to finish one of his greatest goals in his life.

Steve's mom and sister were there to support Steve at his graduation. After the graduation Steve's mom took all of us to ice cream. She also decorated the house and had some great banners hanging at our house, telling Steve what great job he did. I love his mom. She is a wonderful woman.

This is part of my family that came to support Steve. I love having a supportive family. They are the best cheerleaders and friends anyone could ask for. That evening everyone came over to celebrate. We played games and laughed and talked about what a great guy Steve is. Could you have a better day than that? Way to go Steve!

4th of July Weekend

2010-07-07T10:32:00.000-06:00

I loved having the 4th be on the Sunday. We were able to celebrate Independence Day the entire weekend, rather than just one day. On Saturday we watched fireworks at Murray Park. I wish I had gotten pictures of that. It was so fun. I just loved having my children snuggled up next to me as the loud booms went off. There is nothing better than hearing your children ooh and ah at the beautiful fireworks.

On Sunday we had a BBQ with Grandma and Grandpa Colbert. I had to miss out on that one. Lexie was sick and we stayed home. But we got to watch a movie and hang out.

On Monday our family's big tradition is to have a big breakfast in the park, have an Independence Day devotional and then play until the afternoon.

The weather was perfect and we played and played until Elijah couldn't stand it anymore and needed to be napped.

That evening we BBQ'd at my sister's house and then watched her fireworks and watched the kids with their sparklers. It was a busy, exhausting day but very fun. Man I love the 4th of July. And I love this country. I love being able to reflect on how blessed I am to be in this country that God has preserved for my family. I am very blessed and am thankful for those who have fought to keep this country free.

What will He think of Next?

2010-06-27T13:01:00.000-06:00

We were making a craft using pom poms and Elijah found a better use for them.

Growing Up Too Fast...

2010-06-27T12:44:00.002-06:00

I had to take a minute and capture my children when they were all clean and ready for church. Those moments don't happen too often.

Just Because ....

2010-06-10T14:18:00.001-06:00

What a cute kid. Just wanted to post this picture because I love 'Lijah's facial expression in it.

Our Family Vacation

2010-06-10T13:53:00.001-06:00

May was a wonderful and ver busy month for us. The Wednesday before we had to leave for our vacation Steve submitted his final paper. On Thursday he received it back with a pass. Which means he was done with school and has his bachelor's degree. On Thursday he met with the computer programming supervisor and was officially offered the job of a junior programmer. On Friday we finished packing and left for our family vacation.

This was a big milestone for our family. We have had lots of campouts or family reunions. But never an entire week of vacationing. And my children were going to Disneyland for the first time.

My only regret is somehow the memory card was missing from my camera and I was not able to get tons of pictures. So I had to try and capture some of my favorite poses.

I had to post a picture of the teacups. David and Elijah hate any ride that goes up and down. But they love being spun round and round. So we took several turns on the teacups. I don't have many pictures of the girls because they wanted to take off and ride the bigger rides.

I regret to say that this was one of the few shots taken at Sea World. Everyone loved petting the bat rays. And everyone got wet from Shamu. Steve and I enjoyed the shows but the girls were off to try the roller coasters. They had never been in a roller coaster that lifted you up through an elevator before. By now my feet were really killing me.

Our vacation was just over a week long and we loved it. I am bummed that I have no pictures from our two trips to the beach. The water was freezing but my girls and Steve waded out in it to catch some waves. I am hoping we can go back in August to enjoy the ocean. It was a bit exhausting to go Disneyland for two days, Sea World for a day and sandwich in a couple beach days in between. But we had to squeeze in every minute of fun we could.

He Did It!!

2010-06-01T17:33:00.002-06:00

Well folks Steve did it. He finished school! I will post more later but just had to announce the big news officially that Steve is done with school!

Pinch me...I Must Be Dreaming!

2010-05-14T09:10:00.001-06:00

Things are just too perfect right now I must be dreaming. After 11 hard years (I am only counting the time we have been married in his schooling equation) Steve will finish his bachelor's degree next week! At work he has a a position just waiting for him to finish his final project and he will be an official computer programmer.

With many blessings and much effort our family will be taking a trip to California next Friday. Yes folks we get to go to Disneyland and Sea World. That in itself is a dream come true for my children. We get to spend a week in California! Lets hope the weather warms up so we can enjoy the beach. I can't wait to blog about that.

Easter Fun

2010-04-05T11:08:00.000-06:00

Easter was fun, as always. Too much candy, too many eggs but lots of smiles. The Easter Bunny visits our house on Saturday. Saturday is our day of colored eggs, baskets and bunny. Sunday is our day focused on the Savior.

As you can see from the pictures Elijah's face was always messy. He was always able to find candy lying around that he could get into. David loved the egg hunt. We have this huge, untamed yard and it was perfect for egg hunting. Thank goodness we are re-doing our yard this spring. Although I have my doubts because Steve is so busy finishing school. On the bright side, this is the last spring Steve has to be busy studying!

Conference set a special spirit to Easter. It was touching to listen to the Apostle's voices and hear them bear testimony of the Savior and his love for us. I love Easter and being able to reflect the sacrifice Jesus made for us. It reminds me of all that our Savior did for me. And my purpose here on Earth.

Kiki

2010-03-14T14:17:00.000-06:00

Last year we adopted two cats to help with the voles who keep ruining our yard. Kiki is our orange tabby. The family loves Kiki. She will let the kids do just about anything to her. She came right over and laid in Elijah's lap. I was shocked because eventually 'Lijah get too rough and starts grabbing her fur and mauling her. But this day we were outside she just wanted to be around us and get her lovins'.

An Angel Among Us

2010-03-14T14:09:00.001-06:00

I feel bad that I don't blog about my other children enough. A perfect example is Anna. She just quietly goes on growing up before our eyes. She is a hard worker and a great helper. As all our children she has some issues we work through but she is such a great girl. At school, all of Anna's teachers love her. She is quiet and works hard in class to get her assignments done. She loves her little brothers and is always a big help. What an angel!

Beauty is Pain

2010-03-14T14:05:00.000-06:00

Well this last week Sadie had braces put on. Her mouth has hurt so much. They don't warn you about that. If teenage mood swings weren't enough. Just add constant pain to it. It has made me appreciate the days with just the teenage mood swings. Poor Sadie her mouth has finally stopped hurting so much.

Photographer In the Making

2010-03-11T12:01:00.000-07:00

One of Sadie's favorite hobbies is taking pictures. This is one she captured from our deck.

More Elijah.

2010-03-11T11:55:00.000-07:00

How can I not post these pictures?

You Win

2010-03-11T11:53:00.000-07:00

What is it with Elijah and sinks? Rather than fighting it, I let the boys play in the sink. You would have thought they were at the swimming pool. If you attempt this at home have several large towels on hand.

Spring is on It's Way!

2010-03-04T09:41:00.002-07:00

This may not be here just yet....

But it will be soon because this is already starting to happen to me....

Which means soon these will be blooming....I love tulips!

The Guessing Game

2010-02-28T12:50:00.002-07:00

Who me?

One of the hardest parts of being a mom is trying to figure out what is wrong with my little guy. Last week he had tubes in his ears and I was hoping it would solve all of our grumpy issues. But I am reluctant to say it has not. Elijah has been not sleeping well this week. Every night he has woken up at least twice. Sleep deprivation is so hard for me. I feel like a zombie all day and I have no patience when I am tired. I just don't feel like a very good mom when I am so grumpy.

This poor boy just has not been a very happy camper. I finally broke down and took him to the doctor to see if he was still having ear issues but they were perfect. So we get to play the guessing game. Is it his ears still hurting from the surgery. Maybe he is teething. Maybe he is coming down with something. Maybe he is just simply a grump. I know that is not the issue because the rare days he is feeling great he is a delight. I will be so happy when he can communicate and tell me what the problem is.

Are You a Michael Buble Fan?

2010-02-26T10:18:00.005-07:00

I rarely listen to music. The only time I have a chance to listen to music is in the car. And I think it is pure torture to add music to the chaos I already have in my van with my children. However I have found Michael Buble. My girls are so happy because I actually like some music they like.

I love his music! I don't know what it is, but his songs always bring a smile to my face and make me want to dance. His lyrics are captivating. His slow songs are moving. He is a modern-day Frank Sinatra.

I am sad to say I will not be attending his concert next month. I just couldn't justify spending that much money on myself. However when he comes in concert again in a year or two I have to go. I have watched a few of his music videos (can you believe it?) and he looks like a great entertainer.

I would say my 2 most favorite Michael Buble songs are Everything and Save the Last Dance

Never a Bad Hair Day

2010-02-19T09:57:00.003-07:00

I realize I write most my posts about my boys but I do not want to neglect my girls so I am going to try and write more posts about them.

Some things in life just aren't fair. One of which is Sadie's hair. Seriously, I don't think she has ever had a bad hair day. She would say she has but I have never seen it. Oh wait, she did look a bit rough when she came home from Girls Camp but I don't think you can count that. Anyway I think Sadie is a beautiful girl and always does a great job fixing her hair.

Valentine's Day Baking

2010-02-19T09:52:00.003-07:00

Usually we are at Grandma's house on Sundays. On Valentine's we spent the day at home. It was nice to have some extra family time. My kids loved baking cookies and frosting them. Everyone was a big mess by the end. However the cookies were delicious. I love sugar cookies with yummy buttery frosting.

Hopefully this will work

2010-02-19T09:11:00.005-07:00

Poor little Elijah has had so many ear infections. Our doctor loves us because we keep him in business with our many office visits.

This morning bright and early at 5:30 am we went to the surgery center so he could have tubes put in his ears. I certainly hope this works.

Surgery is not fun, especially for a baby. Last night he couldn't eat past midnight and I am sorry to say he woke up just before 3 am and couldn't fall back asleep. It is going to be a long day. But the surgery was successful, no complications. The doctor found a lot of infection in his ears. No wonder why he woke up last night. He is such a happy little guy, considering all the pain he has had to go through.

No More Long Phone Calls

2010-01-28T23:44:00.001-07:00

The other day I had an extra long phone call. When I got off this is what I found.

Laundry...It just got harder

2010-01-28T23:41:00.001-07:00

Elijah has started climbing into the dryer while I am doing laundry. David has decided to join him. Luckily their faces and hands were clean so they didn't dirty my new clean batch.

The Creative Juices are Flowing

2010-01-28T23:33:00.007-07:00

I am so proud of myself. I started and finished TWO craft projects this month. Usually I start something and it sits half done in a box somewhere.
First is our FHE Chart. Thanks to my friend Mandi I have darling vinyl lettering. And thanks to my sister-in-law Erin I had a cute FHE Chart design to copy. To make my chart cute I needed a wood plaque. There is this great place called the Wood Connection. My plaque only cost me 6.00. What am I saying actually buying that plaque cost me a lot more because they had all these darling displays of wood decor you could paint. This is the one I chose and finished to put on my shelf in the kitchen. It has been YEARS since I have been able to start and finish a craft project on my own.

My Baby is 3!

2010-01-28T23:29:00.003-07:00

It's hard to believe my little boy turned three this month. He gets cuter everyday. I am so glad our family was blessed with this little guy. I can see his baby face looking more like a little boy. Time is passing by too quickly. Love you David.

Here Comes Trouble

2010-01-07T10:46:00.003-07:00

I just had to post this "typical" shot of my boys. Always busy and always together. They are best of friends already. They do cause mischief and lots of messes but they are so fun. They are really quite the pair.

Doing the Dishes

2010-01-07T10:39:00.005-07:00

To help with boredom I thought I would let Elijah wash the dishes with me.
In the first picture things are going well. But if you look at the bottom of the picture you will see he is standing on the edge of the cupboard and was on his way to climb inside the sink.
He has also found he can climb the toilet in the bathroom and then sit inside the bathroom sink and turn on the water. Oh the fun days ahead.

Give Thanks

2009-12-02T07:26:00.003-07:00

This picture may seem a little odd but it's the only one I had taken over Thanksgiving that had a good amount of family members in it. This was taken on the Thanksgiving morning hike.

Thanksgiving is such a great holiday. It is a holiday focused on family and remembering the things we are thankful for. This year we spent Thanksgiving in St. George with my side of the family. It was so fun! Nothing real fancy happened. It was just great to hang out with family and taking a minute to relax and not have to focus on the "have to's".

As always our feast was delicious. The cousins played for hours on end and we spent many hours playing games. The babies toddled around and the adults laughed and had fun. It was a great day (or should I say weekend). I have much to be thankful for.

I am grateful for my family. I am grateful for the gospel. Those two things are an anchor to me throughout life's storms. Without them I would be tossed in turmoil in this world of uncertainty. But thanks to the gospel and my family to depend on I am prepared for what life throws at me.

Lexie is 9

2009-11-14T21:36:00.006-07:00

Lexie really, really wanted moon sand for her birthday.

Lexie having a lot of fun at Classic Fun Center for her birthday

Lexie with her two best friends

It baffles me that Lexie is 9. That means in one year she will be 10. How does time fly by so fast?

Lexie has always had a special place in our family. She was the first child for Steve and I to have together. She bridged our blended family.

Lexie is a cute, funny, unique little girl. She loves to have fun. She loves to look forward to events, especially holidays. Lexie loves to be creative and loves any art project.

Lexie is an awesome swimmer. She has passed all the levels of swimming lessons and has started the swim team at Gene Fullmer. Lexie likes school and always does well. Lexie often times gets overlooked being a middle child but she certainly is not forgotten. She is a a very special girl in our family. We love her very much.

My Baby is 1 Today!

2009-10-26T09:06:00.001-06:00

I can't believe my baby boy is one today. Time flies when you are a parent. Elijah is such a joy to our family. Life could not be imagined without him. From the moment he was born he has been his unique, fun little self. He is just a happy guy.

Just in time for his birthday he has started walking or I should say started taking steps. He can take about 5 steps before he falls down. He is persistent. I give him a couple weeks until he starts running.

Also just this week he learned how to go down the stairs. We discovered that new talent yesterday when he was downstairs and no one had put him down there. My biggest challenge these days is making sure the girls have put the lid down on the toilets. Elijah loves the bathrooms!

On the Move

2009-10-13T12:00:00.008-06:00

Elijah has taken off! He is anywhere and everywhere. Elijah discovered he liked crawling under the baby disc better than playing in the baby disc.
He can balance and stand without holding on to something but no walking yet. He also has learned to crawl the correct way. For awhile he would lake on his tummy and pull himself along with his arms. Then to get momentum he would push with his foot. It looked like a hard upper body workout. But he is now on all four. One thing is for sure if there is a cramped place in the house that looks like you might be able to fit in, Elijah needs to check it out. In this photo Elijah had crawled under his crib and wasn't quite sure how to get out. He kept bonking his poor head as he tried to crawl underneath.

Homecoming

2009-10-13T11:25:00.006-06:00

It's hard to believe Emily is dating age. In true teenager form Emily was asked to Homecoming just days before the dance. She scrambled to get things together for the big night. Emily and I don't seem to speak the same language so I am never clear of her plans and I was left clueless how the evening was supposed to go.

To make a long story short Steve and I ended up being their double date. It sounds a lot worse than it was. We casually entered the dance several couples after them and sat on the side enjoying apple juice and cookies as they danced.

I have to say I am so proud of Emily's modesty. That night there were so many girls who were scantily dressed. I asked myself, "Where are their mothers?" Emily shone along with the other girls that were modest and were examples of latter-day saint young women.

Afterward we accompanied them to Applebee's for dinner. We offered to dine separate but they wanted us to eat with them. I think they were actually happy we ate dinner with them because it helped the conversation flow. It was Emily's first "real" date. Although she was not thrilled with us accompanying them she was a good sport. I am proud of the way she handled things.

One in a Million....

2009-10-05T12:08:00.002-06:00

Life has been so busy I have not had time to post on my blog. So today I promised myself I would. And I thought I would start of with my amazing husband. I am so lucky to have such an awesome guy!

Steve has been going to school for a LONG time! I don't count before we were married. So just since we have been together he has been plugging along for 10 years. It is really hard to go to school when you have a big family.

Steve just passed another big test! For the past five years I have been saying he has about two years left to get his bachelor's and I can officially say he has less than a year to go! I notice I am using lots of exclamation marks but this is a big deal in our life. I don't know what life is like to have a husband who goes to work and comes home to the family.

Besides school he always dedicates his time to our family. I noticed he spends every extra minute he has taking care of our family. He is always helping with the children. He really is a great dad. He also is very thoughtful. He makes it a point to give me one night a week to go do whatever I want. He knows I have the children a lot and wants to give me a break.

So there you have it folks. I am married to the sweetest, most loving, most amazing guy.

Bear Lake Family Reunion

2009-08-31T09:59:00.014-06:00

I am blessed to be married into such a great family. We were able to go to Steve's mother's family reunion last week at Bear Lake. It was so fun.The first night the family went to dinner and a play. I was able to enjoy the dinner but had to miss the play due to baby 'Lijah.

At the playhouse there was this fun horse swing that was made from tires.

The next day was water day! The kids just loved to play and play in the water. You could wade way out into the water before it got deep. It's amazing how many hours of fun sand will give you. The water was a little cold but once you got used to it, it was fun to play in. There was a sand castle building contest. This is one Sadie, Emily, their cousin Nick and his friend Chris worked on.

This is David enjoying the sand castle building contest award. It was a big ice cream shaped lollipop. David earned the award for not stepping on the castles.

We stayed at a KOA in a little cabin. Little cabin means log room with beds and electricity. You bring you're own bedding and there is a community bathroom/shower. It is definitely a step up from sleeping in a tent. David loved it. He called it his house. I forgot to get a picture of it but it was so much fun.

Finally I was able to snag a picture of Anna.
She is always missing at picture time.

Each year there is a pinata and a money dig. So my kids go away with pockets full of candy and coins. But I love spending time with the extended family. They are a happy, positive, welcoming group and I love them. Thanks Donna for making it possible for us to go! I was stinky about getting very many pictures. Better luck next year.

This is Steve's parents.

Museum of Natural History

2009-07-18T19:29:00.010-06:00

By the title I thought this place would be boring. It was so fun. They had a lot of interactive displays. Everyone was entertained including David.
The frog exhibit was awesome. They had so many species. Plus some fun props to take pictures on. Also Sadie loved these pictures the museum had that you looked at to try and find the frogs, then you could press a button which would light up where they were. Fooled me every time. I couldn't see one.
This was a big fish tank with frogs in it. You could stand in the middle where there was a hole and look through.They had live bugs to look at. Yuck! But still great for the kids. They even had this cute theater the kids could play with bug puppets.
Upstairs they had a big room with dinosaurs to look at. It is amazing such giant creatures once roamed the earth.
Upstairs there was also a big square-thing that was filled with sand and water that the kids could feel the sand between their fingers and form shapes with. My teenagers loved that. We ended with the fossils that you could find by brushing the sand off. Elijah loved the sand (maybe he wasn't supposed to sit in it).

Cousin Week!

2009-07-17T08:30:00.015-06:00

My brother lives in St. George and him and his five children came up to SLC for a week. It was great! We planned something fun everyday while they were here.

The first day we went to Discovery Gateway and spent over three hours there. My kids had so much fun, except the teenagers. However towards the end they got to explore the Gateway for awhile so it turned out great. I will have to post a picture when my sister emails them to me. I forgot my camera (hate that).

Day two was spent at Liberty Park. This is a nice big park with a water area for when it's hot.

Some of our cousins digging in the sand at Liberty Park

My brother Shane burying one of the cousins in the sandDavid coming down the slideCutest baby ever!Lexie enjoying the water part of the parkThe teenagers being bored (as usual)

On Wednesday we headed to Big Cottonwood Canyon. Loved it! I decided our family has to visit the mountains at least twice a month. It is so beautiful up there. Also it's cooler than in the valley and the kids had so much fun. We also promised to go fishing after visiting the lake. We could have stayed a lot longer but we forgot bug repellent and the mosquitoes were loving it.

There is a walking path around the lake at the top of Big Cottonwood. David loved the little prairie dogs (I think that's what they are called) that were everywhere. And the big rocks to jump off of.

Sadie took this picture. I love it with David and cousin Katherine's reflection in the water. They tried to see the fish in the water but just couldn't.

Me and my sisters and my mom. They are going to kill me for showing this picture because all of us are looking a bit "rough" but I sure love my family and enjoy spending time with them. I had to include this photo.

Thursday was bowling day. It was so fun. It certainly was not about the score when you have 10 kids but we loved it. Once again I forgot my camera.

By Friday I was exhausted! We had plans to do something but I couldn't. I was warn out from all that fun and so was Elijah. He hadn't had a good nap schedule all week. But we still ended the week with a bang because that night was the ward campout. Next year we need to plan another cousin week, it was so much fun!

Meet Misty and Kiki

2009-07-17T08:17:00.005-06:00

Sadie and Misty
Cousin Katherine and Kiki

After much thought and prayer our family finally added two new cats to our family. We are right next to a school and we have a terrible vole problem. If you don't know what that is, it is a rodent. Very similar to mice but they make shallow tunnels all over your yard and will ruin your garden.

This year it is particularly bad since we are the only family without some sort of pet. And we needed a long term solution because we are going to re-do our yard this fall or next spring.

My children were very excited to get two pets in the process. I don't know why cats get such a bad reputation. They have been the easiest pet I have ever had. They do have to be outside because I am allergic but the maintenance is awesome. We have tried dogs and it has been a full time job. I am very happy with our decision.

Our cats are still very young and we are conditioning them to outside so we don't know yet how they will be at catching all those voles but I am crossing my fingers.

Sweet Sixteen

2009-07-11T00:49:00.004-06:00

Emily turned sixteen in June. Can you believe it? I can't. I am just too young to be raising teenagers. Emily spent her "real" birthday with her mom. So we celebrated her birthday on an "unofficial" day.

We tried to celebrate her birthday the day after her official birthday but it was a big flop. It was rainy, we went yard sale shopping way too long and she tried to birthday shop at Jordan Landing but couldn't find anything she liked. We knew the day was a bust.

You only turn sixteen once so we had to do it right. So a few days later Steve got off work early and took Emily to Mimi's Cafe for lunch. After that the family went bowling. And for dinner we had one of her favorite's, Hawaiian Haystacks. The day seemed a lot better.

Heavenly Father sure knew what he was doing to have Emily be the oldest. She gets tired of our lectures and constant worry but over-all she just does things right. When we ask Emily to do something we know she will do it. She is boy crazy and definitely silly but she sticks to her standards and beliefs.

One thing that really impressed me is a boy asked Emily out on a date for Sunday. She was at her mom's when the boy called. Even though she could have easily gone out with him, she turned him down because it was on Sunday. How awesome is that? She is always doing what's right even when we're not there.

Emily really has a testimony of the gospel. She is being raised by our family and her mom and both are completely different lifestyles. Emily chooses to follow the gospel.

I am blessed to be her mom and I love her. I think she is a kind and loving person. I am very fortunate to have such an easy-going, like-able and just all-around great daughter. Although she is my step-daughter, I certainly don't think of her that way. She is my daughter and I am so happy to have her in our family.

Girls Camp

2009-07-04T17:21:00.010-06:00

Our ward always has Girls Camp early in the summer. I have been trying to come up with something witty to say but my mind just draws a blank. I think the pictures speak for themselves. I wish I would have taken a before picture as well. Day one they looked so refreshed and ready to go.

When I saw them they were tired, dirty and sunburned. But they had a great time. I am so thankful for their leaders who serve so diligently. My girls will not understand or appreciate your sacrifices until they are mothers and have families of there own. But I am thankful and I understand so THANK YOU!

Can't Live with Em'....Can't Live without Em'

2009-06-20T00:01:00.003-06:00

That has become the theme for our home since Sadie has begun her pre-teen years. Last week Sadie was off to Oakcrest. I say if you want to start the summer right you should start with a week at camp.

Sadie left on Monday and was to return on Friday. On Thursday we received a letter from Sadie saying she was having a good time but was terribly homesick. She said how much she missed us, especially me.

Sometimes you need to hear those things when your little ones reach teenage years. Because most the time you think they are counting the days till they are old enough to move out.

I was glad when my little girl came home. She really is such a sweet girl. I think the two of us clash so much because we are so alike.

I couldn't end without saying how unfair it is that Sadie and Kylie look so good in this picture. This was taken when they got off the bus to come home. I always looked like I needed to be hosed down before I got in the car after camping.

Boys + Water =

2009-06-13T23:01:00.009-06:00

I Love Rain

2009-06-12T09:52:00.004-06:00

It has rained for almost a week. I have enjoyed the wet weather. I love thunder and lightning. David and I sat outside watching the gray clouds roll in and the lightning in the distance. We liked counting until the thunder boomed. And then the big drops started pounding down. It makes my home seem cozy and safe. And who doesn't love a cup of hot chocolate when it's cold and gray outside.

It also let me put my garden and yard on pause while I caught up on some much needed house cleaning. I was able to not feel guilty that I wasn't weeding or working on our very neglected yard. And I didn't have to water the garden once this week. After a good dose of rain my garden takes off. So I am glad I was able to enjoy a week of cool weather before the summer heat kicks in.

Thank you Anna!

2009-06-12T09:23:00.003-06:00

This morning I was not feeling well. I had a bug of some sort that was making my tummy upset and other things we won't mention. Well I asked Anna if she would help with Elijah a little bit.

I must have fallen asleep on the couch because the next thing I know Anna is waking me up telling me she has to go to school. But she put me at ease letting me know she changed the boys diapers and had got David his morning cocoa. I asked where Lexie was and Anna informed me she helped Lexie get ready and Lexie had already left for school.

Anna left for school and I looked around to discover she had started a movie for David and Elijah was well equipped with a basket of toys. I am so blessed to have such wonderful children. Thank you Anna for taking care of you mother. You are such a sweetheart.

Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde

2009-06-05T10:01:00.008-06:00

Dr. Jekyll: David is the sweetest little boy. We love his little crooked smile, his spontaneous hugs. His curious mind that comes up with things we would never imagine. All the cute things he says and does leave us doting on him. He is such a joy to have in our family.Mr. Hyde: It seems terrible two's is an understatement for this stage in life. If David is tired, not feeling well or doesn't get his way, look out because here comes trouble! If only there were any easy way to make it through growing up. Poor guy, life can be so rough (for all of us).

A Little goes a LONG way!

2009-06-05T09:47:00.005-06:00

Just an FYI a little bottle of children Vick's Vapor Rub goes a long way.

You can cover your entire body with it.
It works as a great paste in a baby's hair.
If you mix it with eyeshadow it makes a pretty paste you can spread over your body (which is already covered with it)
Plus there is enough to you can leave it in mysterious places for your mom to find.

Can you guess what David was up to this morning? Always an adventure with this little guy.
**By the way, washing it off, even with soap doesn't get that slimy feeling all the way off.**

Random Acts of Cuteness

2009-06-01T09:10:00.006-06:00

I was looking over my pictures and thought I would post a few of my favorites of Elijah.

New Do!

2009-05-27T11:03:00.005-06:00

Before.....

After.....

What a pain

2009-05-24T10:52:00.011-06:00

Poor Emily. No she does not have a jaw breaker in her mouth. On Friday she had all four wisdom teeth pulled. Poor thing. The bottom two were growing in sideways so the doctor had some tricky work to do. After Emily 's surgery was finished she was pretty out of it in the van on the way home.

Her mouth was very numb and she was very loopy. She would try to talk to me and I couldn't understand a word she was saying. She resorted to writing her questions down because she couldn't get any words out. This is a picture after two days recovery. What a trooper.So Emily has had a hard weekend with her teeth being pulled and baby 'Lijah had a hard weekend with his teeth coming in. We found his first tooth Friday night. And he is working on his second. He has been a sad little guy. Fever, loss of sleep (for both of us). I can't wait for that second tooth to pop out so he can find his smile again. Life is hard for our little baby. And life had been hard this weekend with all this business with teeth.

Principal's Pride

2009-05-24T10:49:00.003-06:00

This week Lexie earned a Principal's Pride Award for moving up three levels in reading. Way to go Lexie! We always knew she was smart.

The Drama

2009-05-21T08:26:00.011-06:00

Our lives have finally slowed down a little. Three of my girls were in plays and they just finished their performances. Lexie and Sadie performed at the Sugar Factory Playhouse with the West Jordan Youth Theater.

Lexie was Rah-Rah Goobah. For all of you who don't know what that is, it is a stuffed rabbit that comes to life in Dreamland. Lexie has been taking a jazz/cheer class. It sure came in handy for this part. She was great.

Sadie was part of the "Dreaming Sea" and a Viny-Villan. Her part was small but she really shone. I am so glad my girls were able to participate in this play. There were a lot of kids who tried out and they were very lucky to get a part.

Anna landed the main part in her 6th grade Shakespeare play, Twelfth Night. She played Viola. I must say she did a great job having to memorize so many lines. I think her being only 12 and taking on such a big part was awesome. I would say she almost played in a foreign film because Shakespeare's wording is so foreign. I am so proud of all my girls and their talents. Good job! (Sadly I forgot my camera and didn't get a picture of Anna in her costume.)

Lost without Lost

2009-05-15T09:58:00.014-06:00

Last night Steve and I watched the final episode of Lost this year. I am in mourning because next year is the final season. I have truly loved this tv series. I love sitting down with Steve and watching this show so it makes me so sad that it will be ending next year.

It took me I think an hour to go to sleep last night because I was baffled by the episode. I have to give a big thanks to our friends Jeff and Heidi for getting us hooked. If you are not a fan yet you can get it at the library. Just commit yourself to watch the first two episodes and after that you won't be able to stop.

Lost is the perfect word for this show because you are always lost at the end of an episode. Nothing happens like you thought it would. The show is anything but predictable. And just when you start to get answers they open a whole new series of questions. You think the title is chosen because this plane crashes on an island and the people are lost but the title means so much more.

Sweet Little Chubber

2009-05-07T16:00:00.008-06:00

Elijah is such a delight. He is really the sweetest little baby. He loves to smile and laugh. Last week was really hard and on Saturday I noticed Elijah pulling at his ear. I took him to the doctor and he had ear infections in both ears. I knew he hadn't been feeling well all week but had no idea he could be so sick because he is so happy all the time.
By the way he had his 6 month check-up yesterday and Elijah is up to 19 pounds. Only six more pounds to go and he and David will weigh the same amount. What a big boy!

Favorite Things

2009-05-05T08:35:00.004-06:00

Yesterday I was doing the mom taxi thing and was thinking as a I drove. Noticing signs of spring that I love. Which led to me to think of other things I love so I thought I would just list 10 of my favorite things I like.

Lilac bushes- Big bursting lilac bushes. They are so pretty in full bloom, not to mention the fragrance.
Tulips- They come in so many colors and there are so many of them around town right now. They make any day brighter.
Chocolate Milk- Love it. Have to have a cup every morning with my vitamins.
Showers- The warm water waking me up. The soapy smells and the way I feel after.
Cool breezes. I love the fresh crisp air against my skin.
Cranking up a great song in the car by myself. I love little drives and thinking but when a great song comes on you have to crank the radio. I don't think anyone should listen to Def Leopard's Pour Some Sugar on Me if it's not at least cranked to deafening level on the radio (yes I love that song).
A child's giggle. Nothing makes me smile more than to hear one of my kids laughing whole-heartedly.
A clean kitchen. I love it when everything is in place. The counters are sparkling. The floor is swept and mopped and nothing is out of place.
Quiet time. I do love to listen to the radio but I love quiet time all by myself to think. And when the children are in bed and the house is quiet. I love those moments.

Good Times....

2009-04-30T13:40:00.003-06:00

Okay so life is not all doom and gloom. If you read my David Daily on the right hand side of the page you can understand my last post.

In fact yesterday was a pretty good day. We went to Wheeler Farm. The weather was perfect. It was warm with a little breeze to keep you from getting hot.

All the baby animals were out. The workers at Wheeler Farm let us pet some baby goats that were one week old. They also had lots of calves. There were two little older calves that would come right up to the gate and let you pet their soft coats. David loved feeding the ducks and geese.

Funny how we each have our own outlook on things. My sister Rebecca was there and at lunch she commented on how walking around made her want to have a farm. She could imagine having a cow and a pig and maybe some chickens. I said , "really?" I was just thinking to myself how much work it would be and how stinky it was. We are sisters but think so differently. I don't think I ever want to own a pet let alone take care of an entire farm.

The other really fun thing that happened yesterday was I went and picked up Steve from Trax. David came with me. On the way home we passed Gardner Village and a train passed over head. David loves trains. We took the route home by Sugar Factory so we could watch the train. Steve had his window rolled down and the conductor waived to us. In fact he blew his horn for us. David was in heaven. We drove along with the train up until we hit 2700 West. It really was so cute. The train blew it's horn when it passed a road and David would say "What's that? Choo, choo?" We definitely have to do that again. Funny how the best things in life are free.

I give in.

2009-04-30T10:30:00.002-06:00

I have decided I cannot be a homemaker and mother. In trying to do both of these rolls I am failing at both. So I have quit I am no longer a homemaker just a mother. At least I can feel I am succeeding at one thing.

So if you have to kick your way in. If you come over don't ask for a drink because we probably won't have any clean dishes. In fact we probably won't be here because we will be on an outing somewhere so I don't have to look at my messy house.

Do I sound like I am venting, yes I am. My house is crumbling. It has been a hard week. Elijah is sick and David is bored. So the combination is a recipe for disaster.

Today....

2009-04-28T15:01:00.002-06:00

So today I really wanted to re-clean the kitchen, scrub the bathroom and dust and clean the living room. However when David starts the day off whining I know I am in trouble. This morning it took me over an hour to get ready because the two boys were taking their turns at crying or whining.

Finally I gave in. I bagged trying to clean the house this morning. I packed up and went on a walk. It gave us the break we needed. I enjoyed a half-hour of no crying and whining. The fresh spring air. And we walked on my new favorite route.

If you walk on the other side of Old Bingham there is a road that says DEAD END. The house on the corner has a goat or as David calls it a sheep. So we always look at him. Then we went all the way to the end of the road where there are two horses you can get right next to.

Then Lucy Jackman told me about a little pathway you can take at the end of the road which will take you to the next neighborhood. So I tried it and lo and behold there it was. It was just what we needed to make it through our tough day today.

I really wanted chocolate but Steve took the van and I wasn't able to indulge my craving. Although the day is not over yet so I just may need a little something.

Never a dull moment...

2009-04-20T10:33:00.007-06:00

So this morning I was going to bathe the boys. However I decided I would take a quick shower first. I was slow this morning and hadn't done it yet. Well I always leave the door open and put Elijah in the hallway to play so I can hear what's going on.

I heard David talking to Elijah and peeked out to see what was going on. All I saw was flesh and black. David quickly ran off when I saw him.

Covered with soap I showered as quickly as possible so I could try and control the damage. When I got out this is what I found. And what was David's response? "Look mom, pretty." As he pointed to the black lines all over his body. I can be thankful it wasn't permanent marker. Most of it came off in the bathtub. Boy am I in trouble when Elijah is mobile too. I better end here before some other "David adventure" begins.

Mommy's Little Helper

2009-04-15T20:35:00.002-06:00

Yesterday I was making breaded chicken for dinner. The kind that you dip in egg, then the breading and cook it. As I was cooking it Elijah was getting very fussy. So I hurried as fast as I could to get the chicken done and throw it in the oven.

I then rinsed my hands and took Elijah into the bedroom to feed him. Ten minutes later I returned to continue on with dinner. It was then that I saw David sitting on the kitchen counter where I had been working.

He had taken the eggs and cracked two open. Luckily it was only two. One of which had made it into the bowl and the other all over the counter and him. David looked at me with his big eyes and said "Eggs." The joys of mommy's helpers. I couldn't help but laugh at the whole mess and go clean him up.

Baby Blue Eyes

2009-04-13T20:32:00.006-06:00

My baby bug! He is so fun. Today I was sick and just lounging around while my girls helped take care of Elijah but even with being sick I found myself just enjoying my little sweetheart. He is such a delight. When he smiles, he smiles with his whole body. Who could have ever imagined that being a mother would be so wonderful.

Birthdays are the Best

2009-04-13T00:08:00.003-06:00

Another year has flown by! I had such a fun birthday this year. My birthday was on Saturday. With the Easter bunny coming on Saturday and our family Easter party I got to celebrate my birthday on Friday.

It was so fun! Steve got off work early and let me have a day for myself. First I went to lunch at Sweet Tomatoes with my sisters, my mom and my grandmother. Mmm, soup, bread and salad. It was delicious. I don't get to eat there much because Steve doesn't think it's a real meal. I mean no meat and potatoes, who would even think to make such a restaurant.

After lunch I went shopping for me, a rare thing. My mom and I went to Kohl's and found just what I was looking for. I came home with a big bag of outfits to choose from. What could be better than new clothes!

I came home for just a short while and then we went to dinner at Red Robin. The Blue Ribbon Burger was the best. And almost all my siblings were there and my parents. I love sitting around laughing with my family.

So a big thanks to all those who helped me celebrate and a BIG THANKS to my husband for watching the kiddies so I could have a day for myself. (I noticed I used a lot of exclamation points but anyone who knows me, knows I would have said those things with a lot of enthusiasm)

Eggs, eggs and more eggs!

2009-04-13T00:03:00.003-06:00

Oh my! I don't know which had more paint on it, the egg or David. It was definitely David. This year I boiled 9 dozen eggs! Each of my kids had to have a dozen eggs to dye. Then for our family Easter party my activity was to have the children paint eggs with acrylic paints. So I have boiled eggs coming out my ears! If anyone would like some boiled eggs just call or maybe I will drop some anonymously on your doorstep.

Easter

2009-04-12T23:49:00.003-06:00

Easter is becoming one of my favorite holidays. Last year we watched "The Testaments" and had a little testimony meeting afterward with our children. I knew I wanted us to do that again but I wanted to do a little more so my children would reflect on the Savior for more than one day.

So I decided we should go to Temple Square. I am very proud of myself because we actually did it! Being a mother of six any outing is a huge ordeal and usually I chicken out. However I wanted us to go to Temple Square and be surrounded by the beauty and let some of the spirit there soak in. And it worked. We walked around and spent over two hours there. None of the kids complained and Sadie even said she had a good time. We didn't have any earth shattering testimony builders but it just felt good. During the drive home we spontaneously started singing songs as a family. Fun songs like, Row, Row, Row your Boat and other fun round-songs. It was the best.

Today we watched "The Testaments" movie again and had our testimony meeting. It is one of the most spiritual times in my life to listen to my children express their feelings of our Savior. It is a moment all of us are pulled close to Heavenly Father and reminded of our purpose here on this earth. I am grateful that I am blessed to have moments like that every so often which gives me a glimpse of what eternity will feel like.

General Conference

2009-04-05T23:06:00.005-06:00

I am sad to say it was hard to hear even one talk this year during General Conference. My girls were as well-behaved as they could be but it was so hard to focus. Aside from the chaos I was able to feel the spirit. I could feel the Holy Ghost testify that President Monson was a prophet of God while he spoke. And especially while the choir sang "We Thank Thee Oh God for a Prophet" and showed pictures of President Monson.

The day is coming much faster than I want that my home will be quiet. That I won't have children to hush and tell them to listen to the speakers. I must remember that and use the time I have teaching them and loving them before it is gone. (Photo taken this morning while watching General Conference)

Keeping the Right Perspective

2009-04-05T22:27:00.009-06:00

The other day my teenager was complaining about how we never get to do anything and how deprived we are. And it got me thinking, are we? My list of "wants" is a long one, but am I deprived? I should say not. We have a home to live in that is clean, safe and comfortable. We have never had to go hungry. The Lord has always stepped in and given us what we need. I have been given an abundance of blessing throughout my life.

But the biggest wealth in my life is my family. I get to be a mom of six children. Would I trade that for an extra car or a yearly vacation? Never. There is not one thing I could buy that would make me happier than when I hear one of my children giggle or see them smile. There is no material thing that has given me the fulfillment and satisfaction I get when I see one of my children overcome a trial or succeed in school or develop a talent.

I am rich. When I go from this earth I will have an endless supply of memories. I am grateful for the riches in my life. As hard times fall upon us I find myself on my knees thanking my Heavenly Father for the blessings that sometimes I have taken for granted. Prayers of wanting a better paying job have turned into a prayer of thanks that Steve has a job. Pangs of envy for a bigger more beautiful home have turned to prayers of thanks that we have a home that we can afford. I am very rich. (Photo: This is an old photo. In fact I was six months pregnant with Elijah and we are missing Emily in the shot. Not to mention we added our cousin Ali. So as soon as I can get a better photo I will post it)

Yes I was the Guinea Pig....

2009-03-28T22:03:00.008-06:00

A food co-op what's that? My friend told me about it. It is a large group of people who have gotten together to order food from distributors in large quantities so you can get a discount on groceries. I love a good bargain so I went to their website http://www.crossroads-u-c.org/cfc/. I asked my mom and husband about it they had heard of it too. But no one had ever tried it. Hmmm, well there is always the first time and I was willing to be the guinea pig. A share of food was only 23.00 so we ordered two shares since we have a big family. So we got the food, and the big question is, was it a great bargain? No in my opinion I don't think it was.

When you order a share you know what meat you will be getting. And they tell you a quantity of fruits and vegetables but not what they will be. If you like an element of surprise when you shop then this is for you. I took a picture of what I got in one share. Maybe some of you use a lot of lemons when you cook. Or perhaps a nice lemon makes a good snack (just kidding) but we rarely use them. And now I have to plan some meals so I can use up my 12 lemons. And I am not a big fan of tomatoes but I now am the owner of 12 beautiful tomatoes.

And the meat... on the order form it sounded like a good quantity but when I got it, my first thought was, that's it? Maybe my husband only picked up half the order because the meat packages seemed little .The other problem to with the meat is we are cutting back on our red meats and trying to eat more poultry and fish. Both of which were not on the menu (except you did get a couple pounds of chicken legs and thighs). I mean what am I going to do with chicken legs and thighs? I have become pampered and prefer the boneless, skinless chicken breasts. With my price matching and frugal shopping I have come to the conclusion that I won't be using the food co-op again. But apparently this co-op works for a lot of people. When Steve picked up our order he said the line was really, really long. And people had lots of shares they purchased. So it must be working.

Sweet Ride...

2009-03-26T12:55:00.011-06:00

So a year and a half ago we were blessed to get this van. Now I know what you are thinking and the answer is yes I am too young to be driving one of these babies. But they are a sweet ride. My daughter would say otherwise. In fact she would rather walk a block than to have us drop her off in front of her friend's house or at school.

About a year and a half ago our car died. It had given us everything it had and wouldn't go anymore. We didn't know what to do. I was pregnant and the plan was to not have me work but we needed a car. We didn't have room in our budget for a car payment. But we had to have transportation.

We started looking and nothing was looking too great. We wanted something that would last and yes we needed a big car because we had five kids and one more on the way. Steve's dad had us look at this van. My first reaction no way. That is a box on wheels. I am too young to be caught dead in one of those. Never, ever had I imagined driving a van like that. But then we got inside.

Heaven! So much space. If the kids got too out of hand I could send them to their corner of the van. And the trunk was so roomy I could fit an apartment in it (or have a great yard sale weekend).

So I think of our van like our house. Don't judge it by the outside because the inside is so nice. And my daughter will grow out of her teen years and realize our van is not the cause of all her social embarrassment. I feel very blessed to have our van.

Let the Bargains Begin

2009-03-22T15:47:00.010-06:00

The weather is warming up and that means yard sale season has begun. Hooray! I love yard sales it's my favorite hobby. You can find the best stuff at the cheapest prices. It makes it hard to buy anything at the D.I. because you can get such a good deal at yard sales. So if you are new to yard sale shopping here are my tips.

1. Shop the east side. I always shop 700 East or higher and 9000 South or further south. KSL classifieds is the best place to find yard sales. The newspaper has a few. Map out your route. If you need something do a search for that item and try to hit those yard sales first. Example: baby clothes. Hot item and you want to try and get there first so you can have the best selection.
2. Shop on a budget. Don't just take a pile of cash. If you only have 10 dollars, take 10 dollars. Which brings me to my next tip.
3. Shop with small bills. I don't like to haggle a lot so if I have lots of one dollar bills I will pull out a couple and offer what's in my hand. Make sense?
4. Plan ahead. I always have a mental note of what I am wanting most. Such as, baby clothes, camping equipment, maybe a food processor. That way if I have something in mind I just won't blow my little bit of cash. And I won't be so shy to offer a lower price.
5. Get rid of stuff. If you buy something to add to your home try to get rid of something. Otherwise you will be over-run with clutter.

Where Much is Given....

2009-03-21T09:54:00.016-06:00

Being a mom has been one of the greatest blessing in my life. There is nothing that has taught me more or brought me closer to my Heavenly Father. I didn't understand that until Steve lost his job several years ago. I had to work full time and Steve became Mr. Mom. I thought I would love the break. Steve would have to deal with the fighting and crying and other stresses I had to deal with. But I hated it. I found my job empty and unfulfilling. I dreaded every day I was not able to be home caring for my children. All I wanted was to quit and get to be a mom again.

Since then I try to be grateful for the trials and stress that come with raising my children. I have learned that my attitude plays the biggest part in my role of being a mom. Unfortunately I am not perfect yet. I still complain and wish trials didn't come my way. I still clash with my teenagers far more often than I like. I have days that I want to run away after hearing crying and fighting all day long. But I wouldn't trade it for anything in this world. My family is my greatest gift and blessing. I am here on this earth to learn and grow and it's just part of the package.

Because I am a mother, I hold God's greatest prize.
And he expects great things of me witha task such a size.