The Sorensen's

Merry Christmas 2010

2010-12-20T20:05:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas from Omaha, Nebraska!

Brrr it’s cold here right now.

We were spoiled with a fairly mild summer and long fall, but now Winter is here and it is very cold!! I think I am ready for a big snow storm. Last Christmas we were snowed in and it was GREAT!!

This year has gone by so fast. We have been very blessed with health and happiness. The picture was taken in Park City, Utah this summer as we celebrated my parents 50^th Anniversary.

Here is what we’ve been up to…

Megan turned 5 in April and was very excited to start Kindergarten. I was thrilled as well, although it was a bit tough to get into my own routine. One that didn’t involve dragging Meg along or making sure she had play dates lined up. She would ask me every night what we were doing the next day. She transitioned very well into Kindergarten. She loves it and is doing very well. We have only had one bump (so far) and that was when she got stitches. She and her friend were playing with bungee cords in the back yard, stretching them from one end of the slide to the other and it slipped out of her friends hand and hit Megan right between the eyes. She was very lucky! The first thing she said to me was, “I DON’T WANT STITCHES!!” She knew right away, maybe it was all the blood. Anyway, she didn’t want to go tot school because everyone would stare at her. Megan is so funny and is a delight to have around. She keeps us on our toes as we try to remind her who is boss! J

Jenna is 8 and was baptized in September. She is in third grade and absolutely loves her teacher. Jenna loves to draw, listen and sing to Taylor Swift and is constantly wanting to play and have sleepovers with friends!! She is going to give us a run for our money as she gets older. Drama is her thing. Funny that she has always seemed to be dramatic, but as she gets older the dramatic events become even worse!!! I am not sure we’ll make it to the teens. Jenna has really improved with her school work and loves to read. She has continued to be the peacemaker in our family (at least when she wants to be). She is so sweet and is a great big sister.

Tyler is 10 ½ and continues to surprise us with all that he does. He loves school and fortunately he has never struggled much. He is in EY (Excellence in Youth) Program in school that challenges him in Math and reading. Earlier this year (end of 4^th grade) was inducted into the NEHS – National Elementary Honor Society. They meet once a week and plan activities and service opportunities to do for the school and community. Tyler is 100% boy. If it’s a sport, he needs to watch it and play it. This year he played outdoor soccer. He’d love to play tackle football, but the league here only has games on Sunday. Tyler loves cub scouts as well and has almost earned his Weblos badge. He is a great kid and we love to have him around.

Justin is doing great! He too had a bit of an exciting year. He was given a more challenging calling at church which takes up a lot of his free time (EQ Pres). He does a great job at it. He also had the opportunity to change jobs this year. He was at Deloitte Tax for 3 years. He is still doing tax work, but it is at a company called Gavillon. No more busy season for him (US). YEAH!! During his time off between jobs (2 weeks) he was playing soccer and tore his calf muscle. What a way to spend his vacation before starting the new job. He was on crutches for 2 weeks and he will tell you they are not any fun. Then he graduated to a walking boot which he wore for a few more weeks. He is all healed up and doing great!!

Kari, (I can’t write about myself in 3^rd person) I am doing well too! Still staying busy with my church calling. I have done a “great job” adjusting to being home with-out Meg!!!! I will say that I am not as productive with out her here. Who would have thought, no kids = less productivity. I don’t understand it, but it’s true. I have been working more though and I am sure that has a lot to do with it. I have also started a new hobby….quilting. I made a denim quilt in August and now am working on three surprises for Christmas. That is the main reason why I haven’t gotten Christmas cards out this year. Too many things on my plate I guess. Oh well. I love my life.

We are so blessed to be alive. We have wonderful friends and family in our lives.

Thank you to all of you who have been in our lives at one time or another. We truly love you and miss you (if you are away).

We love the gospel and our Savior Jesus Christ.

Please keep in touch!

Justin, Kari, Tyler, Jenna & Megan

8316 Decatur St.

Omaha, NE 68114

402-572-6581

justinrs@cox.net

Happy Halloween 2010

2010-11-04T14:11:00.001-07:00

Happy Halloween 2010

The kids on Halloween. We had three days to celebrate. Too bad I only got one picture. Tyler dind't know what he wanted to be until my mom sent a package with the Hershey's bar costume in it. We were so glad we could end our search for his costume. Jenna's costume continued to evolve. First it was just a Vampire, then it became a Princess Vampire (with teeth), but in the end she decided on Princess Vampire (without teeth). Megan's costume was the easiest... Jenna had been a cat a few years earlier and we had it all!!

Jenna and Tyler posing with their pumpkins.
Not sure why Tyler's face is so contorted (silly boy!).
They had a lot of fun carving, but not so much fun cleaning out the seeds.
Megan did not want to carve her little pumpkin.

Tyler's pumpkin. Not sure what it has written on it.

Jenna's pumpkin. I love her pumpkin's eyelashes. Such a lady!

SPOOKY!!!

My First Quilt

2010-10-15T12:42:00.001-07:00

My First Quilt!!
I can't believe I finally got around to using my old jeans. I have had this tote full of old jeans, both kids and adult sizes just waiting for the day when someone would inspire me and help me to get this accomplished. My mom surprised me and bought some red bandanna material which went well with a pair of Jenna's jeans that I wanted to use the pockets and designs on the bottom of her pants.

Here is the center of the Full size quilt. I arranged the designs from the Jeans and pockets so we could use the pockets if needed.

Here is a close up of the binding, which I lOVE!!! Thanks to all my friends who helped me with this. You are truly inspiring.
Now...for the next project. Tyler wants one made out of football teams.
We'll see what fun I can have with that one.

Horses vs. Cats

2010-10-01T19:41:00.001-07:00

My friend, Brenda, took us to see her horses. It was a nice stable out in the country on a gorgeous night. Inside she showed us where the horses stay and how to take care of them. She got out her horse, Maggie. The girls are shown here brushing her.

She was so big. It's been a long time since I've been around a horse and this is the first for the girls. They were a bit timid at first, but warmed up as time went on.

They are getting a lesson on how to clean out her hooves. They declined the offer to help.

Since the girls were afraid, I had to show them how it was done. It's been some 20 years since I've been on a horse. It was fun, but very intimidating. I may have to go try that again soon. I was reminded of an experience in which a close friend (whose name I will not say) had a very comical yet scary experience on a horse some 20+ years ago in which she was riding on the side of the horse along a trail. The saddle was falling off.

After Jenna saw me doing it, she got the courage up and let Brenda lead us around the arena. She was a bit scared, but I am so proud of her for doing it.

Next, we went to the neighbors to see Eli. Eli looks just like Black Beauty.
Long mane. Hairy feet. Absolutely gorgeous!!

Then the girls decided they were done and ready to go find all the cats that were in the stables. I am not sure how many there were, but they were in heaven.

Jenna took this picture of a mother cat who was hiding with her little kittens.

I found one and Jenna was able to hold it briefly. It was so adorable. Almost made me want to take him home. Almost...

Jenna took this picture while I was off riding Maggie.

Megan's Uh-Oh!!

2010-10-01T19:21:00.001-07:00

The day after school pictures...Megan was outside playing with her friend. I was in the basement and heard Meg crying. It didn't seem like an urgent cry, so I didn't rush up. But when it continued to go on, I decided to go up and find out what was going on.
I reached the top of the stairs just as she did. She was covered in blood from head to toe.
The first thing she said was, "I DON'T WANT TO HAVE STITCHES!!!!!"
She and her friend were playing with a bungee cord. They were trying to stretch it from one end of the slide to the other. Megan was hit when it slipped out of her friends hand. She had a welt where it wrapped around her right eye. She is so lucky it didn't hit her in the eye.

It was pretty obvious that she needed stitches, so I took her to my work (and our pediatrician) just to be sure before devoting my next 3 hours to an ER. Sure enough we needed them. We headed up to Urgent Care and got "ZAPPED." It's a gel that is used to numb in certain places instead of using needles. It takes about 45 minutes to work, but SO worth it. It was a much more pleasant experience. 3 stitches and 1 1/2 hours later, we were on our way home.
The picture above is the day I took them out. She was so proud because she didn't cry like Jenna did when I took her's out. Ha Ha!! Silly girl.

The scar should continue to disappear....I hope.
Jenna has a similar scar,but hers is in the middle of her forehead and is really hard to see.
They both got 3 stitches on the forehead at the age of 5.

Jenna's 8th Birthday and Baptism

2010-10-01T18:48:00.000-07:00

Jenna's 8!!
It's hard to believe she is this old. She is such a joy to have in our home. Her personality and fun nature makes our home such an interesting place to be.

Jenna and Justin before her baptism.

Jenna's Cake
She loves LPS (Little Pet Shop)Jenna's friend Lily made some confetti and dumped it on her head.

The girls ate pizza, made sun catchers, painted rings and had cake and ice cream.
Lots of fun when crafts are involved. It was so fun!!

Jenna got her ears pierced. She is showing off her new earring holder. It was filled with earrings. Now if only the 8 weeks would go faster so she can change them.

Jenna's best friend Abbie

Thank you Jenna for 8 fantastic years. We are so proud of the choices that you make and the sweet girl you have become. You are such a great daughter, sister and friend.
We love you so much!!

The First Day of School - 2010

2010-08-12T07:29:00.001-07:00

The First Day of School

I can't believe it's here. The kids were excited, although the older ones wouldn't admit it.

Tyler starts 5th Grade with Mrs. Houser.

Jenna begins 3rd Grade with Mrs. Lima

Megan starts Kindergarten (yes I said it!) with Miss Salisbury

Megan was so excited to start school.
Here she is standing in front of her locker.

I think Megan was ready for me to go. She just sat down, put her drink next to her and started to work on her puzzle. For those of you who know Megan can attest to her "fussy-side." Well, she did not show it at all today when dropping her off. She was a CHAMP! No fussying. No clinging to my leg. No tears. I on the other hand could not get out of the school fast enough! I have been so excited for this day and now it has finally come and I am sad.
On to life's new adventure....

Temple Square

2010-07-20T14:14:00.000-07:00

After our adventure in Park City, we took the high road and went through Salt Lake to get home (to Provo). I am not sure my kids have had the Temple Square experience so we decided to take advantage of where we were and do it. It was a hot day and the kids didn't last as long as we would have liked, but we did it.

Megan is being the example and posing for a picture. This is so not like her. She (as you will see soon) is not one for getting in and smiling without some tears.
Here we are resting in the shade and having a snack.
I love the flowers all over Temple Square.
They are so beautiful!!
Here is Justin giving Megan a pep talk. As you can see she is not willing to sit close to her sister for this picture. She was hot and hungry. We tried to explain if she would cooperate, we'd be done a lot sooner.

Summer 2010

2010-07-19T14:24:00.000-07:00

We took our usual trip to Utah, but this one included a few special events. The first being my 20th High School reunion. Unfortunately I don't have any pictures (I didn't want to carry my camera around with me). It was so much fun seeing so many familiar faces. Although Justin didn't particularly enjoy it, I still had a great time and do not regret attending!! The second big event was to celebrate my parents 50th Wedding anniversary. They did not want a big party, but instead wanted to get us all together to spend a few days in
Park City, Utah.

Since we were able to get everyone together, Dad took some pictures of us all. A professional came later to take the "real" pictures, but these are the ones my dad took.
My family
Bert & Sherice's Family
Brent & Kim's Family
All the grand kids with Mom & Dad
I love this silly picture. It was the best!!!

These pictures are of us at Jordanelle Reservoir. We had 3 jet skis which were lots of fun. It was a beautiful day on the lake.

The water was really cold, so Megan enjoyed watching the others from the shore. Ashree took her on a the jet ski, but we couldn't get her to go out again. Too Cold!Tyler swimming with his cousins: Shelby, Madison, and McKenzie.
Nanie and Papa hanging out with Meg in the shade.
Justin and Ashree being pulled by Brian (Justin's cousin). Great times!!
Justin getting Jenna ready to ride.Braxton celebrating victory. Hannah was pitched off!

We stayed in some condos there in Park City.
Here are some random pictures of the fun had by all.
Waking up with cousins readily available was awesome!!
Jenna and Megan sitting with Shayla.Breakfast!
Nice face Ash!!Bert and Sherice making Pancakes.
We did all the cooking in Mom & Dads's condo because it was the biggest. We split up the days and took turns cooking.Megan loves her cousins. She wouldn't leave Housten or Brennon alone.
Here she is getting loves from Housten.Bert with two of his beautiful girls, Madison, 11 (left) and Shelby, 9 (right)

We went to the park to play soccer and volleyball.

One night the girls went to see Twilight: Eclipse at a special preview (awesome by the way) and the boys stayed back and had ribs. Tyler Loves Ribs!!
Here is another picture of them all eating such a "manly" meal!!The kids loved the pool. They would have gone swimming 24/7 if we'd let them.
The start of the pool pictures:
Megan and Brennon in the hot tub
The "Bun-head" table is ready!!!
This is our favorite game.
Tyler wanted to have a ping pong tournament, so he recruited the players, made a bracket and saw it through.
McKean was the champion.
Tyler wanted to have a ping pong tournament. He signed up the players, made a bracket and saw it through to the end. McKean was the winner!

Megan's Preschool Graduation

2010-05-18T13:28:00.001-07:00

Maplewood Preschool Graduation
May 14, 2010

Megan was so upset. She wouldn't put on her cap or go up and sing with her class. We tried to get her all excited days before. Having her sing her songs for us. Telling her how great she would do, but starting an hour before she was hysterically crying. (Could have been partly that she fell asleep and had a nap, which she usually doesn't do) I felt like I had to force her to get dressed, do her hair and get her in the car.

Her teachers, Deb and Vikki, knew she was having a hard time and when they got all the other kids positioned on the stage they noticed that Megan was not up there. Deb came and pulled her from me and had her go sit with her. Here Deb is telling her that she will not make her go up there, so they just sit and watch the kids sing. Then Deb tells her that maybe she could go up and get her piece of paper (Diploma) because that isn't scary.

She did it!! She's not wearing her cap, but she is up there participating. We were thrilled.

It's hard to believe our baby is done with Preschool and on to Kindergarten.
Good work Megan!!

Megan is 5

2010-05-11T10:50:00.000-07:00

I almost forgot to post pictures of Megan's 5th birthday!

Every year the kids get a very special birthday breakfast!

I can't believe she will start Kindergarten next year. What will I do with my day? No one to ask where we are going? And where after that? And after that? She is always in the know!

That made doing the Pinata a little difficult. I was scrambling at the last minute to clean out the garage so we could hang it by the garage door opener.

She was so excited to pick out what "toy" she could put on her cake. I was very relieved she decided on this because originally it was supposed to be a castle cake.

We upgraded Meg's bike too! She was riding around, on two wheels, on a little bike. She needed this one since she has really grown. She is almost as tall as Jenna!!

We love you Meg! You are so much fun to have around. You keep us busy and laughing.

National Elementary Honor Society

2010-05-06T13:34:00.000-07:00

Tyler was inducted in to the National Elementary Honor Society on May 4, 2010. This is the first of this type of program for our district in the Elementary schools.
Tyler and Justin (his mentor) holding his certificate and showing his medal.

Membership demonstrates outstanding Scholarship and Responsibility and a commitment to excellence in Leadership and Service.

The National Honor Society Pledge
As a member of the National Elementary Honor Society I pledge to:
Be a strong student, achieving the most from my education;
Demonstrate Responsibility, showing enthusiasm and working hard in all that I do;
Learn the skills of Leadership, practicing them in all aspects of my life;
Be of Service to my school and community, showing that I care;
And be a role model for my peers, helping us all to achieve our best.

Great job Tyler!! We are so proud of you.

Happy Easter!

2010-04-07T12:16:00.000-07:00

In our Easter outfits! I bought Tyler new blue pants, but they were too small.
I sure wish he'd stop growing. He is sporting a new tie (not a clip).

The "goods" the Easter Bunny brought! They were each set up with their own Jump Rope, a book of sorts (Tyler got Diary of a Wimpy kid and the girls got coloring books), candy and a little stuffed animal. They just can't seem to get enough of them.We hid eggs for the kids in the backyard. Basically because there is more room and we thought it would be harder for them to find.

Dinner was at Jammie and Daniel's instead of Grandmas because of her broken arm. :(

Jammie did a great job with dinner and getting all 144 eggs stuffed and hidden. Minus the 7 we couldn't find. We are pretty sure the squirrels took off with them. We found an egg in the neighbors yard all broken. Thieves!!

All the cousins after we have found the eggs. Such fun!

Ian, Brandon, Megan, Jenna, Mya, Andrew and Tyler.

Happy Birthday Tyler!

2010-04-07T11:51:00.000-07:00

Today is Tyler's 10th birthday.

All he wanted to do was invite his friends over for a football game.
So, we invited 9 friends and had a PARTY!
After cake and ice cream the boys went in the backyard and played football. At half-time they came in for presents and a Pinata. The second half was not as eventful. I think they were tuckered out. It was the easiest party to plan and carry out. Plus, there was NOT any screaming or fighting. Tyler is in the back on the right getting in on the fun!

A few days later we had the family party. Here is the cake Tyler helped me make. At first he wanted a cake with C3P0 on it, but then he made LEGO's:
Darth Vader's Tie Fighter
and decided he wanted it on his cake. What a relief!!

2010-04-07T11:37:00.000-07:00

The Omaha Children's Museum
My kids love coming here. Today they had "The Construction Zone". It was lots of fun and we were able to stay busy for hours.

We do not know the little boy in this picture. He heard me calling the kids to come and he wanted to join us. Jenna loved it!
This is a play area they have upstairs for some added exercise.

A tire structure the girls had a good time climbing on.

Jenna and Megan shopping for some produce in the shopping area.

Sledding

2010-03-11T10:10:00.001-08:00

Justin and Jenna trying out the sled run we made in the backyard.
We love our yard in the winter. It makes for some fun times.

This one is of Tyler and Jenna. The edges of the run are not as deep yet, but they are supposed to go along the fence line and not into the fence. One year Tyler went UNDER the fence. I am not sure how it happened. He was ok fortunately.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2010-03-11T10:08:00.000-08:00

For Valentine's this year we made heart pancakes and tied them red. They didn't look too appealing, but they sure tasted yummy! The kids loved it. Or maybe it was the little pets they got that they loved.

I love you guys!

I am so grateful for my children. They are so much fun to have around. They make me laugh, they make me cry, but most of all they make me proud.

HIDE!!

2010-03-11T09:57:00.000-08:00

I love when the kids can play without the help of electronics. They had such a fun time making the forts and playing house. I wish they would have fallen asleep. That would have made it even better.

They played for quite some time, but it never seems long enough for the mess it makes.

Oh well...

Go Cougars!

2010-03-11T09:40:00.000-08:00

Thanks to my parents for setting us up with some Cougar Gear! We love them!

Poor Jenna thought hers made her look FAT!

Where does a 7 year old get that kind of thoughts?

Christmas pictures

2010-03-11T09:35:00.000-08:00

I am so late with Christmas pictures, but decided to put them up anyway...

Here are the kids Christmas morning.

We have the tradition of spending the night at Grandma and Grandpa Sorensen's with all the Aunts, Uncles, and cousins. We look forward to spending lots of time together.

They couldn't wait to get in and find the goods.

Tyler got his wish...a new Wii game and dart board.

He had several things on his list and he did end up getting several more.

Jenna got the coveted Zhu Zhu Pet.

It was the hit of the day!!

Megan and her babies! :) She loves her baby stuff.

Our little Momma!

I love this picture of Jenna! I think it's how we all felt.

It was snowing so much that we opted to spend another night at Grandma's.

Here is what it looked like outside...

It was a crazy amount of snow. I don't remember how much exactly, but I do remember we didn't go anywhere for days. In fact the snow just barely melted and it's March 11th.

This is my sister-in-laws house. The battery died before they could take one of my house.

Happy times! It would have been even more fun had we had my Dad's snowmobiles. :)

Merry Christmas 2009

2009-12-08T12:13:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas from the Sorensen's

This year has gone so quickly. The kids are busy and I guess so are we. We have been blessed throughout this year and pray the Lord continues to guide and direct us in our daily lives.

Last year I think I started with the youngest, so this year I'll start with the oldest. Oh, that is me! Yikes! Well, my life has been good this year. Health is a great thing and I am very grateful for it. I am still staying busy with the kids activities as well as my own. :)

I work at least 16 hours a month to keep up my nursing license. I love my job!

I am also staying busy with the typical household jobs and activities that I enjoy (scrapbooking, bunco, etc), and also church callings. I was called to be Primary President in May. I am still adjusting and trying to do a good job.

Justin is doing well. He's stayed healthy as well this year despite a little back issue last month. He twisted a vertebrae in his back that required some PT. He keeps busy with work and is doing a great job supporting us and making sure we have all that we need. He is now working with the 11 year old scouts. I wonder if he'll still be there when Tyler is 11.

Tyler is now 9 and a half. He enjoys reading, math and all sports. He is very active and keeps us on our toes! He played football, soccer and baseball this year. He continues to do well in school and enjoys the EY (Excellence in Youth) program at school. It challenges him a little more than the classroom. He gets to do more difficult activities. This past week he had the opportunity to participate in a spelling bee. He was so excited. This year was only practice, so hopefully he will be as excited next time.

Jenna is 7 and our "little hopper". She is always moving...for those who have seen her when she is excited, she jumps repeatedly and/or shakes her hands. It's her way to show you that she is happy! She loves animals and wants to be a vet. She is also doing well in school and has finally figured out how to read quietly by herself. I love when they discover that reading is fun!

Megan is the ruler of our home, even at 4 and a half. She is a lot of fun and has the cutest personality. She is always making us smile/laugh. She loves her cousins and her friends and is constantly asking where we are going. Preschool is fun too! She loves to go. Her favorite activity has been doing Perler Beads (We call them "melt-a-beads"). She does them daily and loves to take them to her teachers and friends. We have done so many this year that I decided to decorate our tree with them.

With all that, I'll close this Christmas letter and hope you and yours is happy and healthy.

We wish you a Merry Christmas!

With love, The Sorensen's

Broken...really?

2009-11-04T13:27:00.000-08:00

Well, it all happened one evening. Megan was at the neighbors playing with her friends RJ and Autumn. She'd been gone about 30 minutes and there is a knock at the door. It's my neighbor, Rod, holding Megan who is crying. He says, "She and RJ were jumping off his bunk bed. She says her leg and arm hurt. She won't squeeze my hand, but I don't think it's broken."

I carried her to the kitchen (where I was in the middle of dinner) and put her on the counter. She sat there crying and cradling her arm. I gave her Motrin and an ice pack. She sat there for about 15-20 minutes while I finished making dinner. She seemed ok, but still moved around very carefully. By the time Justin got home and we ate dinner (total of an hour), she was almost all better. I was convinced we were going to go to the Urgent Care and have an X-ray.

Justin thought I was crazy.

We went and I started to doubt my decision, as she was acting normal with some guarding of her wrist. We got to the office and had the X-ray done. I knew the tech and she let me look. I should have been a radiologist because I pointed out the fracture. Hee hee!!

Distal Radial Fracture or Buckle Fracture

So sad...my baby has a broken arm. I was so relieved when they brought in a splint. No hard cast for us. Although Megan threw the biggest fit that lasted about 10 minutes!!

"I AM NOT WEARING THAT!!"

My nurse friends tried to bring in stickers and special tape to help to decorate this ugly black splint. Still...she was NOT going to have it. She thought she would look "weird". How does a 4 year old know that? I finally said, "If you don't wear that, we'll go to another doctor and he'll put one on that you won't be able to take off. This one we can take off when you have an itch and to wash." That did it. She complied and now that the 3 weeks are up, she doesn't want to take it off. It smells and I am ready for it to be done. She needs to find her independence again and begin to WIPE herself!!!

Here we are at Skateland PlayDaze the day after. She stuck around me for the first hour. Doing the mellow stuff. Then she ventured off and went on the jumping toy and down the slides. Thanks MOTRIN!!

I never thought she'd actually do this! She's nuts!

Halloween 2009

2009-11-03T12:35:00.000-08:00

Happy Halloween!

This year we all dressed up. I think that is a first for us.

The kids Trick or Treating at Grandma Sorensen's. Jenna looks a little possessed, but really she is a happy witch.

Justin was "Static Cling". Kari was "A basket of Laundry".

Tyler as a baseball player.

I love when they chose things that don't take any thought or money!!

Jenna as The Wicked Witch of the West.

Her eyes even say that. She really got in to her part for pictures this year.

Megan as the good witch.

She was so excited to be out of the house because she had been sick for 3 days and missed 2 Halloween parties.

Kitchen

2009-10-14T12:10:00.001-07:00

The tile is done!!

This is after the grout.

Just don't notice the yellow floor...I hope that goes soon! :)

Here is the before....

Here is the after...

Here is the new (almost done) back splash! We still need to grout, but have been busy and Justin hasn't felt well the past few days. I have had several requests to post this, so here is where we stand.

I love it! I am so glad I was able to talk Justin into turning the squares to the diagonal. It took A LOT of work. No wonder "Tile workers" charge an extra $1/tile to do this.

Doesn't it look amazing!?!

The grout will be dark like the tile. I can't wait for the complete project!
Next...demo the wall in to a bar and then replace the floor!!

Cottage Cheese Happens!

2009-10-14T11:53:00.000-07:00

This is what happens when the cottage cheese container is dropped with the lid off!

It's even up to the ceiling.

Megan loves cottage cheese and will eat it most days.

Megan took this picture herself!

Sleeping buddy!

2009-09-20T19:54:00.000-07:00

Megan was upset that my mom (Nanie) had gone to the store without her. Although she was asked many times if she wanted to go with her. Papa was there to console her. She snuggled right up to him like she always does and managed to fall asleep. He claims that he was not asleep, but this picture is proof that he was. I am not sure how she stayed asleep in this position, let alone with the snoring in her ear... hee hee!!

We love our Papa!!

Jenna's 7

2009-09-10T19:30:00.001-07:00

It is hard to believe that Jenna is seven. She is growing up too fast. She is a perfect addition to our family. We adore her...even her "Drama" moments. Justin tells her we will enroll her in Drama and how she will be able to support us with all the money she makes with the "drama". Jenna loves to draw and read. She is growing up to be a beautiful young lady who is aware of other and kind to everyone. We love you Jenna!!

For her birthday she wanted a party with several of her friends. This party started at school as we gathered up the crew and walked home. What fun!!

Here they are decorating their cupcakes!

Every birthday we make them special pancakes. It's such a fun tradition.

For the family party we did a pinata. It was a beautiful ice cream cone. It took lots of hit, but when it finally broke Uncle Daniel showed us how they do it in Mexico.

The Snake!

2009-09-10T19:24:00.000-07:00

Tyler and Megan decided one day they wanted to go hunting for crickets in the back yard. Tyler got all geared up with plastic baggies on his hands. But along with those crickets he found a snake. I am so impressed that he actually caught it.

They kept it in the ice cream bucket with grass, crickets and anything else they thought he would need. Tyler poked holes in the top so he could have air (how thoughtful). The following day while they were at school, it crawled out. Hooray!!

Summer Camping

2009-08-04T20:02:00.001-07:00

We went camping this past weekend to Memphis State Park here in Nebraska. Who knew there was a Memphis, Nebraska? Anyway, it was an Elder's Quorum Camp out. We decided it had been too long since we'd gone (7 years).

About 9:45pm it started to sprinkle. Uh-oh!! Everyone hurried in to their tents and it began to Pour!! Lots of thunder and lightening. Unfortunately, our tent (that we borrowed from some very generous friends) had not had it's seams sealed (they had not yet used it) and it dripped on us. Water came in through the rain-fly and through the zippers. We had puddles everywhere! Tyler and Megan had it the worst. Their bags were quite wet. We finally got to sleep after 1:30am. Waking up every so often of course. Then up for good at 6:30.
Surprisingly everyone was quite chipper.

Breakfast was very yummy! Donuts, bacon, pancakes, eggs, fruit...
couldn't ask for anything more!! Notice the bacon Megan has stuck in her teeth. What a GOOF!

There was little turtles, little frogs and BIG frogs or toads. We found one that had been squooshed on the road. It was pretty cool. Anyway, the kids and adults had a great time fishing on the lake. I think everyone that wanted to was able to catch at least one fish.

Tyler and Justin

Scott and Tyler showing the food chain...little fish gets eaten by BIG fish!

Jenna and her primary teacher Maquel Welch hunting for little snails.

Jenna came home with a handfull.

Scott graciously holding the fish that Jenna caught. He's a true fisherman! Me holding Megan's fish. (Mommy doesn't touch fish) Never has. Even as a kid my dad always faked the hold for me :)Scott showing Bennett the fish.

Daniel and Brandon showing off their fish!Thanks to everyone who made this camping trip a success. It was so much fun! Now we can go out and buy our own tent and this time plan around the weather!!

Trapping a Bunny?

2009-07-28T19:30:00.001-07:00

I found the kids out this morning rigging up this contraption...a block's box, a twig, and some veggies. They found a bunny in the yard (which is VERY common in Nebraska) and they decided they would trap it.

There is a twig holding the lid up in place. Inside is a leaf of lettuce and some carrots. They are convinced that the bunny will go in to get the food and move the twig therefore closing the lid to the box and trapping the bunny inside. What a great idea!! They positioned it next to the bushes in the front yard and we then left for a few hours to run some errands.

They were so excited to come back to see if they had something. Tyler and Jenna very quietly crept up on the box. Tyler hurried and closed the lid since he was sure there was a bunny inside. NOPE! No bunny. They were very disappointed. They said that some of the food was gone. Probably one of the pesky squirrels. I am glad they had fun.

Happy Birthday to Me!

2009-07-28T19:23:00.001-07:00

I had a lot of fun this birthday. I copied an idea that my Aunt Sherry had. Whenever she answers her phone on her birthday, she says, "Happy Birthday to me!" It is so much fun! The responses you get are hilarious. It was especially fun for me because I don't have caller-ID, so I had no idea who I was saying it to! Try it!! I dare you ...

Megan and I taking a bite out of my yummy ice cream cake. It was Cookies and Cream. What a nice surprise from my hubby!

Vegas Baby!!

2009-07-02T13:17:00.001-07:00

It's hard to believe the vacation that I have looked forward to for so long has come and gone. My two friends from high school and even before (Jennie in orange and Kari in blue), decided we would take a "GIRLS VACATION".

The first day we spent much of the day traveling to Vegas, but had just as much fun there as we did IN Las Vegas. I picked up Jennie in Santaquin, UT and Kari in St. George. We checked to our hotel, The Luxor, then hit the strip looking for discount tickets for a show.

We found tickets for Le Reve. It's written by the same guy who does Cirque De Soleil.

IT WAS FANTASTIC!!! It was like gymnastics, acrobatics and diving all rolled up into some very fit individuals. Amazing strength. We weren't allowed to take pictures during the show, so this is a picture of how it looked at the end.

The Las Vegas strip at night is so neat! Here is the view of New York, New York.

When we got back to the hotel and got ready for bed, Jennie realized that she had forgotten her toothbrush. So she improvised...yes, it's a cotton swab with toothpaste!!

This is the picture of INSIDE the Luxor! It was really cool although we never got used to the elevators that seems to be running on a diagonally.

Here is the outside of the Luxor. Pretty cool with the transformer on the outside of the building.

On our last night, we hit the outlets on the north side of Vegas. My good friend Suzanne (who lived in Omaha previous to moving to Las Vegas) met us to go shopping then to dinner. We went to The Cheesecake Factory. We had a lot of fun visiting and filling ourselves full of food. We then went back to the hotel and watched some of the festivities going on inside the casino part of our hotel. It was most fascinating!

Me and Suzanne! Miss you Suzanne. Thanks for spending some time with me.

UNTIL NEXT TIME...WE WILL DO IT AGAIN!

Spring Break

2009-04-27T18:40:00.001-07:00

For Spring Break this year, we (my parents and I) decided to go somewhere instead of hanging out at home some more. Justin is busy at this time every year, so using my parents time share, we got a condo at the closest place to Omaha... Panora, Iowa! I know you are intrigued. It was very nice and cold of course, but it was a different place and we had a blast!!

One of the perks of our stay was the kids got to enjoy some crafts. These bowls hold all the colors of the rainbow in sand. The kids chose their picture and began creating.
The did a very good job!

Crafting with Nanie!!

We took a trip to Des Moines, Iowa to visit the Science Center. WOW!! What an amazing place. The kids had fun for hours. This is a giant blow dryer holding a beach ball in the air.
Here is an area where the kids could make paper airplanes and then shoot them off.
Megan was convinced that the more tape she used the better it would turn out.
Jenna getting ready to shoot hers off.
BUBBLE BAY

A day at the Bowling Alley
STRIKE!!

JENNA WINS!!

~Megan is 4~

2009-04-20T18:51:00.000-07:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MEGAN!!

It's hard to believe my baby is four. She is growing up so fast! Megan is the center of attention most days and keeps us on our toes with her fun personality. Megan is very much like her brother, but best friends with her sister. They play so well together. We love you Megan. Keep smiling!! Here are a few pictures to show off her "days" of celebration.

For breakfast the kids get pancakes made in the shape of their "new" age.

Megan's measurements: 42" Tall (91%) 40 1/2 lbs (85%) (She will be taller than Jenna soon).

Enjoying my Papa. Nanie and Papa came for 3 1/2 weeks. We had so much fun.

One of Megan's favorite birthday gifts. She loves to color!

Megan had Thumbilina on her cake. Perfect for our little princess.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TYLER!

2009-04-04T20:24:00.001-07:00

It's hard to believe Tyler is 9 years old. He is growing into such a gentleman. Tyler is a lot of fun to have around. He keeps me on my toes. Tonight we were playing a game online (trivia-type stuff) and he did better than I did. He is so smart. Recently in school he has qualified for the "Youth in Excellence" program. That will start in 4th grade. I am so proud of him. I also love that he gets along with his sisters so well. They play together for hours, which is soooo helpful. I am slowly training him to be our babysitter. Today my mom and I left to the store for about an hour (my dad was here, but not here if you know what I mean) and Tyler called because Jenna had gotten hurt and he wanted to know what to do. He did a great job taking care of the situation. Love you Tyler!!

What a waste!

2009-03-22T14:17:00.000-07:00

So, the other night, Justin and I got together with some friends and went to dinner and a movie. That is always fun and pricy, but we try to do it every so often. We had a fantastic dinner at Outback then headed to the mall for a show. We didn't know what to expect and it started out good. Creepy, but good. Then the end...it was awful! Spaceships?? Don't spend your money to see this movie. Knowing was not worth paying movie theatre price.

Tooth Trauma!

2009-03-14T18:45:00.001-07:00

Jenna has had this tooth that has been loose for at least a month. It just hangs to the center and seems to be very stubborn. We have tried several different ways to get the tooth out. It was "just stuck".

It looks like she has already lost a tooth on top because the tooth is so far to the middle. It's the strangest thing I've ever seen. She is one tough cookie. We spent about 10 minutes trying different ways to get it out. Mommy trying. Daddy trying. Jenna trying. NOTHING!! So we gave up and decided it would come soon enough. I was amazed because it was so loose. She would move it with her tongue as she talked. GROSS!!

Then...she went downstairs and was playing with Megan and I guess there was an accident. Megan happened to pop Jenna in the mouth (somehow) and the blood and tears began. It was tough to get the blood to stop. I kept her calm and gently applied some pressure to try to stop the bleeding. I decided that it was now or never to try to get that troubled tooth out.

It took no effort at all. Out it came.

Thanks Jared for your words of wisdom. Wish you were closer.

(Jared is a good friend of mine who is a Dentist in Utah)

Giddy up Daddy!

2009-02-18T12:54:00.000-08:00

One evening activity at our house. The kids love playing on The Daddy Horse. This time I just happened to have my camera close by. It is sure to make you smile. The girls are so cute!! Jenna seems to have a constant smile on her face as she is waiting for me to take a picture, not film her.

What an Invention!

2009-02-09T11:06:00.001-08:00

Who invented these?

Tyler and Jenna came home from school with these "straws". I don't know if they have a name or not. I have never seen them drink hot chocolate so fast! The picture was too cute not to pass along. I think they look a lot like Harry Potter.

Our American Idol

2009-01-31T18:19:00.000-08:00

Our American Idol....Megan loves to sing. Sometimes instead of talking she'll sing it to you. I am not sure what exactly she is singing about other than she mentions her cat. She is so much fun. We love you Megan.

Tyler's Hidden Agenda

2009-01-12T11:05:00.000-08:00

For Christmas we got a Wii and with that came rules. Mainly for Tyler. Being 8 he enjoys playing games and watching TV. So we put a few rules into place... One is that he has a time limit, but if someone (in our family) wants a playmate on the Wii that time doesn't count against his time. He has become very creative in how he attempts to manipulate that rule.

One day Jenna was going to go play at her friends house and as she is leaving the house Tyler says, "Jenna, I would have thought you would want Lily to come over and play bowling. You know how much fun Lily has when we bowl!"

Yesterday the girls were going down to watch a movie and Tyler says, "I thought you'd want to play with that thing we got for Christmas since you can watch a movie any time."

Today Tyler is telling me about his Family Home Evening. It's on Sharing. He wrote it himself. He talks of the Glenn family (not sure where that name came from) and they got an XBOX for Christmas. Tommy was playing and when his sister kept asking to play he would tell her "just five more minutes." Tommy's parents told him to let his sister have a turn. What would you do if you were Tommy? I asked him what his activity would be and he said that since there are five of us and only four can bowl then we'd be able to practice sharing by all taking turns. How GENIUS!!!

Oh...Megan!

2009-01-08T18:46:00.000-08:00

Oh... Megan! She is so funny the things that she says and does. I had to blog this because I just read a cute story on Michelle's blog. A few days ago, after the kids had been playing together for 2 long weeks, the girls were downstairs playing so nicely when Jenna starts crying and Megan comes up the stairs. Justin says to her, "Megan, why is Jenna crying?" Megan says, "I was mean to her." (At least she in honest) Justin replies, "Well, you can go back downstairs and play nice or you can go to your room." Megan continues through the dining room (heading to the hallway) and replies, "I go to my room. And NOT shut the door."

Another cute thing: Yesterday Megan was at my sister-in-laws house (Jammie) playing with Brandon (2yrs). After being there for about 20 minutes Jammie calls to tell me that Megan said something funny and she had to call me before she forgot. Apparently Megan wanted to play house and she says to Brandon, "I'll be the Mommy and you be the Honey." Huh?? Where do they come up with these things??

Christmas Morning

2009-01-02T19:45:00.000-08:00

OH CHRISTMAS TREE...

It took almost three hours to go through it all.

Megan asked Santa for "lots of Barbies". She got Barbies and a Princess Tea Set. She was very pleased. All Jenna wanted was a Webkin. She didn't care which one. Santa had it easy. I think this is the first year she actually got what she asked for. Hooray for Santa!!

Tyler wanted a Nintendo DS with the game Pet Dogz 2. But his Daddy had to break the news that Santa wasn't going to bring a Nintendo DS because Santa knew that Mommy and Daddy had already bought a big present for the family. So when Christmas morning came, Tyler saw Pet Dogz 2 for the Wii. Tyler figured it out.

WE GOT A Wii!!!!

Justin and I got a few accessories to go along with it for us...

Mario Kart and Guitar Hero.

Here are a few highlights of the day...(I failed to get pictures of the entire family playing the Wii).

What a beautiful Princess! She wore these accessories around for days.

THE WEBKINS FROM NANIE! THEY WERE SO THRILLED!!!!

'Twas the Night Before Christmas...

2009-01-02T19:25:00.000-08:00

'Twas the night before Christmas ...

For Christmas Eve we spend the night at Grandma & Grandpa's house with all the cousins. We have done this 3 or 4 times and the kids love it. We love this time even though we don't end up with much sleep. Here are the kids in their new PJ's.

*Megan, Tyler, Jenna, Ian, Brandon, Mya is in bed*

To help us remember what Christmas is all about, we watch Luke 2. It was also a great way to help settle them down to go to bed. Although not much can help when you know what is coming the next morning.
I think Tyler had it the worst. He was up 5-6 times. In the end I think Justin and I ended up with 3 hours sleep. Of course it's only one night and it's just as exciting for us!! Our family stayed in the big bedroom in the basement, so each time the kids had to get up to go to the bathroom, we had to shield their view of the tree, so they couldn't see anything until everyone was awake and ready. It was pure torture!!!

Merry Christmas

2008-12-10T13:03:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas to all our family and friends! I did send out a few Christmas cards, but didn't include my usual Christmas letter. Instead I decided to do it on our blog. This year has once again flown by. It's hard to believe that we are another year older and wiser of course. We continue to be blessed by the Lord in our lives. We enjoy being together in our home and have lots of fun together as a family. We miss our family who are not so close to us and our friends who have moved away (or are away). Now to update you on what's going on here in Nebraska.

Let's start with the smallest... Megan is three and a half. She started preschool this year (twice a week). It was a rough transition for her, but after about 2 months, she is doing great. No more clinging to mom's leg or crying. Now when she she asks, "Where I go after nigh night?" I say preschool. She gets excited and says, "With Miss Cheri and Miss Rose?" She has been in speech for a year now and doing wonderful. She loves to play babies, barbies, color, and play animals with the other animals in our house (her siblings). She keeps us smiling and is a pure joy to have around.

Jenna is 6 and finally has lost her two bottom teeth. The first one she pulled out herself and the second came with the help of her fork while eating dinner...oops! That was a painful one (it was not quite ready to come out). Jenna is in First grade and doing great. She enjoys reading and loves to draw and color. Jenna started gymnastics this fall and loves it.

Our oldest is still a Football fanatic. Tyler is eight and a half and lives for Football. It doesn't matter who is playing or what is on Sport Center, he's there listening and soaking in all the information there is. Tyler played Soccer in the spring and Football in the fall. He does very well at both, so it will be interesting to see what happens in the future. Tyler is in the 3rd grade. He's doing very well in all his studies and continues to amaze us with his memory. I wish I would remember that he's right most of the time when he throws stats at me. Other than playing football or watching football, his other favorite thing to do is play "animals". If you come to the house and hear lots of barking, don't worry we didn't cave and buy a dog, it's just our three little rascals acting like dogs.

I am staying busy with all the kids activities of course, but I am able to get out of the house and work a bit each month. Children's Physicians has been very good to me. I work 16 hours a month and enjoy the perks that come with that (free advice). I enjoy working out at 24 hour fitness, scrapbooking with friends, girls night out and hanging out with my family. Church continues to keep me busy as well. I play the piano in Primary, the Organ (every 6th week) and am the cub scout leader.

Justin is working for Deloitte Tax and enjoying it. He seems to keep a good work/life balance which the kids and I appreciate. He has loved playing soccer in the spring and fall with some friends on a local Catholic league. His church calling is still the Executive Secretary. He is a great help to me and the kids love their daddy!!

During this holiday we hope you enjoy this holiday season and wish you lots of peace, love and most of all JOY! Keep in touch!

Happy Fall!

2008-11-25T12:29:00.000-08:00

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

It is definitely fall here in Nebraska. I would even venture to say it is Winter some days. I have been ambitious making our Christmas cards this year, so to go with that I always put in a picture of the kids. I apparently I waited too long since it was cold and windy both days that I took the kids out. I promise I only made them suffer for a brief amount of time.

While you're up...

2008-11-11T12:49:00.000-08:00

While sitting here at the computer, doing my relaxing in the afternoon thing, Megan says to me..."While you're upstairs, will you get me a snack and a drink?" Justin says she is taking control. I say she is just letting me know that when I do go upstairs, she'd like a little refreshment. It brings a smile to my face every time she does this. Especially when I have no immediate plans of going upstairs.

Another funny thing Megan as been doing now for quite some time is asking where we are going. It usually happens when she is in bed. "Mom, where I go afer nigh nigh?" I'll tell her preschool and she responds with..."with Miss Cheri and Miss Rose?" I say, "Yes". She then says, "Mom where I going afer preschool?" And on and on. Justin thinks I must go go go all the time and she is becoming accustomed to being 'on the go' all the time. It really isn't so.

Rod Works!!

2008-11-09T18:59:00.001-08:00

Justin and I have been working on fixing up our home. I guess you could say we are updating it. We recently painted the dining room a nice "red". The room isn't done yet because we need to knock down one of the walls, so two of the four walls are done. I have wanted to get something on the wall but really struggled with what I wanted exactly. I was in Utah in the summer and discovered a fun store, Rod Works. Thanks to a loving mother, she sent me the rod and believe it or not I got it done. I can't take all the credit since the idea came from Rod Works and my brilliant cousin, Julie...here is What I did!! I am feeling ashamed now because had it not been for my husband and his skills with a level, it wouldn't have been so perfect.

The pictures were taken by Justin this Summer while back packing the Wind Rivers in Wyoming.

A Dance with Aurora

2008-11-03T12:21:00.000-08:00

I know you need to turn your head (I couldn't figure out how to change it), but I hope you enjoy this clip of Megan dancing. She had just finished watching Sleeping Beauty and was dancing to the song at the end of the credits. At first she didn't know I was filming her, but you see that as she notices me she starts to show off a bit and get a little more dramatic. I love the head movements.

Halloween in Nebraska

2008-11-01T14:33:00.001-07:00

Happy Halloween From Nebraska!!

This year we went to hang out with some friends of ours (Strohbehn's, Norlem's, Decker's, and Vaterlaus's). We had a great time. Lots of chili, chips, hot dogs (for the kids, right?) and the usual condiments.
It was really hard to wait to go trick or treating this year. With Day Light Savings, it didn't get dark until 7:00. Is that how it was at your house? Tyler's bag was full before we knew it and Justin ended up pocketing it so he would have room for more. I guess he did the same for Jenna too. I bought several bags of candy to give out here before I realized that we weren't going to be home. Now I have candy coming out of every crevice and cavity.

The kids were so excited this year. It sure is more fun the older they get and that they can use their imagination in deciding what they want to dress up as.

Tyler for example decided on being a slice of Pepperoni and Ham pizza.
His original idea was a puppy dog. After "little" search I told him that I couldn't find any costumes for puppies for big kids, so he needed to think of something else. Plus, I thought he was a little too big for that idea anyway.
This costume is very fitting for him because he'd eat pizza everyday and twice on Thursday. It was an interesting and fun costume to make. It was definitely one of a kind.

Jenna wanted to be Hannah Montana from the very beginning. She got a CD player with Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus CD's for her birthday in August, so she has grown to love her. The hair was quite an ordeal because Jenna has a lot of hair on her own, so getting it to stay on was quite a trick. She was very excited to have make up put on (mascara/eye shadow/blush). She looked adorable. I made a microphone for her (out of a wooden spoon covered in foil and black tape), but when it came down to taking it that night she wasn't interested.

Megan was "Ariel Princess". Her original idea was to be Miley Cyrus. I was game for that, but had no idea where to find a brown wig. I tried to convince the girls to switch. Jenna be Miley and Meg be Hannah, but Jenna wouldn't go for it. After several weeks of thinking I was going to have 2 Hannah Montana's, Megan decided to be Ariel. We went shopping that very night (not for the costume) and guess what she found... an Ariel costume and it was on sale!!
Isn't she adorable??

This is a picture of the girls eating BOO BUDDIE treats that I made and took to Jenna's party. They were a hit! Chocolate pudding/oreos and whipped topping with two mini choc. chips for eyes in the cool whip. You should try it!!

Pumpkin Trouble

2008-10-27T19:21:00.000-07:00

During our trip to Vala's at the beginning of the month, the kids each picked out a pumpkin. After the first 3 days, Megan's little pumpkin started to get nibbled on so we brought it in the house. The following week Jenna's pumpkin was split open and seeds scattered all over the steps. Then were dragged throughout my house.

This past Sunday I started watching the last pumpkin, Tyler's. The squirrels have eaten a hole in the bottom and one in the top. One squirrel was inside for quite some time and came out all wet.
There were about 4-5 squirrels taking turns and fighting for a turn inside the pumpkin. It was very interesting and very sad at the same time. Usually we carve pumpkins for Family Home Evening the week before Halloween. This year, we didn't have any pumpkins left to carve.

I was worried the kids would be upset because they were being eaten, but I guess they figured this was a fun way to "FEED THE SQUIRRELS".

TOFW

2008-10-27T11:49:00.000-07:00

This past weekend some friends and I were able to go to Deseret Book's "TIME OUT FOR WOMEN". It was a fantastic meeting. Not only did we get a day and a half out of the house, but we got to do it with friends and family to laugh and be uplifted.

If you ever get the chance to go, GO!! It was amazing.

The musical talent was out of this world. Jenny Oaks Baker was phenomenal. It was rumored that to see that kind of performance from her would have cost $200. She was amazing. Of course the name Kenneth Cope says it all. He was the main musical performer and he also gave his "ins and outs" to his songs. It was very spiritual. The last performer we had was Cherie Call. I had never heard any of her songs, but she was excellent too.

There were several speakers as well. First off was:

Ardeth Kapp

She spoke to us Friday night. What an amazing woman. She talked about our communication with our Heavenly Father as well as our communication with others. Alma 7:11

CHARGE YOUR BATTERIES!! (by doing the following)

1. Thoughtfully ponder - listen to the spirit

2. Earnestly Pray - Talk in prayer

3. Carefully prune - What we make time for in our lives and what we can cut out.

4. Wisely Plan - plan with a purpose. "What do we want to have happen" It takes patience.

Saturday Morning:

Mary Ellen Edmunds

I have a soft place in my heart for her because she is a family friend. My favorite over all!!

She spoke about being a peacemaker in our relationships.

"The Prince of Peace is the only one who can heal our hearts".

Don't be contentious; it's the opposite of being a peacemaker.

Avoid contention - slow to act; slow to speak

"Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me"

She has an amazing way of making you laugh one minute and cry the next.

Wendy Ulrich

Sin vs. Weakness

God is the author of weakness and Satan is the author of Sin. Our response from weakness should be humility.

PONDER - prayerfully

PRIORITIZE - which one to work on first

PRACTICE - Work at it.

PROP - ask for help from others.

PATIENCE

Sin CAN be eliminated from our lives but Weakness CANNOT (in this life).

The rest of my notes were very scattered, but all the "presenters" were very good. It was a very uplifting meeting.

Future Pro Football Player

2008-10-13T18:58:00.000-07:00

Tyler has developed a talent for Football. I think his life revolves around it. I really don't have to think about it...it is an obsession. He always wants to watch it and instead of watching cartoons in the morning, he'll watch Sports Center to find out how the games went the previous night. He remembers stats, he knows how plays for who and what their records are. Amazing!! Here are a few pictures of his latest game. Of course I didn't have my camera out and ready on the first series of plays where he ran for a TOUCHDOWN!! Oh well!!

Tyler wants to play in the NFL some day, but worries about playing on Sunday's. I told him that we'll worry about that when the time comes.

Here he is trying to catch a pass and then pulling a flag. This particular game was one for the books. Mainly because it was win #1. We aren't quite sure why, but all the other teams seem to be twice the size of ours. The boys probably don't spend practice chasing bugs and ripping on anothers flags off.

Jenna and Megan are watching in amazement as another group of girls play on the track with an ample amount of "Build a Bear".

Vala's Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-06T12:01:00.000-07:00

Here we are at Vala's Pumpkin Patch. Justin's work has their Fall party here. We love it! There never seems to be enough time to accomplish all of the many fun activities. This year we decided to do more than we ever have before. I guess the fact that our kids are older and more tolerable of multiple activies helped. And there were NO STROLLERS to push. This picture was taken after roasting Hot Dogs over the fire and several s'mores. YUMMY :)

The Kids drove tractors.

We took a train ride all around the farm. Jenna got to toot the horn when we were all done. She thought that was pretty cool.

This year we discovered a "Trampoline". It was so much fun. The kids would have stayed there longer if we would have had time. There were two separate tramps. One for kids 1-6 and one for the older kids. I think the parents had as much fun as the kids did. I am sure we'll head here first next year.

This was my favorite...The Peddle Cars. You could ride up to four on a car. Justin took the girls and Tyler and I drove one. Well, Tyler handled the steering and I was the speed. Since my steering wheel was only for show, I decided to speed us up and try to catch up to Justin and the girls. I guess I should have taken into account my 8 year olds inexperience with driving. We hit the retaining wall as we turned a corner...oops!! We had a blast!

The Hayrack Ride

We met up with some friends who invited us to go with them on the Hayrack ride. This was some ride. It took us way up in the pumpkin fields. After lots of dust and bumps, we made it to the top. Here people can get out and pick their own pumpkin from the field. We came home with three big pumkins and three itty bitty ones. You can guess who picked those out... Megan.

In this picture: Tyler, Cory, Megan, Jenna and Kaylie

Tag

2008-10-05T20:29:00.000-07:00

8 TV Shows I Love to Watch:
1. Grey's
2. LOST
3. CSI Las Vegas
4. CSI Miami
5. CSI New York
6. Biggest Loser
7. HGTV
8. Rachael Ray

8 Things that happened yesterday:
1. I worked
2. Went to Tyler's soccer game
3. Cleaned my kitchen
4. Put laundry away
5. Went to Tyler's soccer game
6. Finished a book
7. ordered Pizza
8. Played Foos ball

8 Favorite Places to Eat:
1. Olive Garden
2. Chilis
3. Subway
4. El Azteca
5. Cheesecake Factory
6. Chipotle
7. Stokes
8. Outback

8 Things I'm Looking forward to:
1. Christmas
2. Beating Justin at Foos ball
3. Time out for women (2 weeks)
4. losing 15 more pounds
5. cooler weather
6. Catching up on Scrapbooking
7. My kitchen remodel completed
8. Bunco

8 Things on My Wish List.
1. No more fighting between kids
2. To lose 15 more pounds :)
3. A new and bigger car
4. Fall
5. A clean house 24/7
6. My ironing to be done
7. Hawaii again
8. To see my family again soon

8 People I tag:
1. Jenn
2. Nancy
3. Laura
4. Jenny
5. Lindsay
6. Tysen
7. Kerolann
8. Megan

Megan's First Day of Preschool

2008-09-21T18:38:00.000-07:00

Megan was so excited to go to preschool. She is going to the same school that Tyler and Jenna attended, so it wasn't a new environment. Megan does really well once she gets past the shock of Mommy leaving her. She fusses for a minute and then has a great time. Why do kids do that? It doesn't make me stay. I just smile as I walk down the hall knowing it's all for show and will stop before I get to my car. Silly girl!! Not having any children with me for 2 1/2 hours is a strange feeling. It's amazing how many things I can accomplish...

Dining Room meet paint

2008-09-18T19:32:00.002-07:00

So shortly after we moved into our home, my dad came to help us piant. He was working on the ceiling and spilled a bucket of white paint on our carpet. If you look closely, you can see his hand prints. He did a great job getting it out of the carpet, but obviously not the wood floor. We are currenly working on finishing the dining room.

The beautiful blue/sunflower wallpaper is gone and a new color is on the walls. Soon we will knock out part of the wall (on the right) with the "cut out" window in it. That will be a bar. We've started the kitchen too, so I'll get those pictures in soon. As soon as we can get new counter tops in.

Our New Living Room

2008-09-18T19:32:00.001-07:00

So after living in our home for 6 years we finally decided to get rid of our carpet and refinish the hardwood floor that was hiding underneath. We never imagined they would be in such great shape. I love them!!
Why would anyone cover them. Of course, it was probably done in the 70's.

Our Family Oct. 2007

2008-09-15T18:53:00.000-07:00

Our friend took these pictures for us (Thanks Danielle)!!

Megan - age 2 1/2 years

Jenna - age 5 years

Tyler - age 7 1/2 years

Fun at the zoo

2008-09-12T12:46:00.000-07:00

What a great bunch of kids!!

Jenna posing for the camera.

The kids got out of school early one day, so Grandma Atterton (Nanie) decided that we should all go to the zoo. She was in town visiting, but leaving soon to go back to Utah. We love it when she comes to visit. "It's always fun when Nanie comes, when Nanie comes...HOORAY!!" It was such a beautiful day, so we decided to hang around this little spring and take some much needed pictures.