The Christensen Family

I wish I were a baller

2012-01-28T23:33:00.000-07:00

...Not really, just an old school song that came to mind. Tonight I heard a girl say, "come on Chris Cross" to her kid and I though, "yep. I am old." In my childbirth class I refer to my CD player as a boom box and I get giggles. Also, I noticed that I dress like I am 45. Not that all 45 year old dress "old", but I am so not trendy or stylish. Although, I wish that I were. I also decided tonight that it is probably a good thing that I am fat, because if I looked good in most things that I tried on, we would be in a bad way. I would have a full closet, bare cupboards and a p-ed off husband. That tangent is over, so on to my baller- Zac.
I signed Zac up for a 4 week, once a week Basketball skills camp to get him involved in something. I have felt impressed that he needs his own time and space and opportunity to excel (or is it accel?) So this was a start. He liked it for the most part. He didn't care to go the 3rd week and only was glad to go the 4th week because Steve and I went to watch him that week for a while. He was saying that he wants to do karate again. I vote for swimming. I am think Michael Phelps. Do you know his story? Pretty cool. It was also great that little Christian signed up too, and we shared rides and they had a friend there in each other.

Line-dribbling. Cool shoe reflectors.

Zac and Christian

Waiting in line for a drill. Happy to entertain us.

The pictures aren't that great, but here are a few.

Brian Regan

2012-01-28T23:12:00.001-07:00

I know that I have talked about Brain Regan before. I was first introduced to this comedian's stuff at hospital orientating when I started at Timpanogos Regional. I was laughing so hard at that meeting that I was embarrassed. He is on Netflix and Youtube. In Fact, I show his ER bit in my childbirth class to get the endorphins flying, and it's a good segway into talking about pain.
We have kept an eye on his tour and saw that he was coming to Utah. Steve said that he went to get tickets for us but it didn't work-out. That was a bummer, but come to find out, he really had bought us tickets and was saving them for a Christmas gift surprise. Yea! That was fun to find in my stocking.
The show was Weds, 1/25/12 at Abravanel Hall. Our show was at 7:30pm.
It was a smooth night. Everything went easy peazy. Kristi watched the kids, which is perfect because they know her well, and apparently they were good for her and went right to bed. (Last time we had a date, we hired someone else for the job and they all but told us the kids were hellians and that put a really sour cap on the evening for us.)
We ate at Biaggi's that we ate at several years ago and also about 5 years ago in Indiana. The food is amazing Italiana! So delicious. We did not hold back, we even sandwiched our entree with an appetizer and dessert.
After dinner, we actually had plenty of time. We walked up to Abravanel Hall and waited for about 45 minutes for the show to start. The place is really nice, clean and comfortable. We had great seats.
Before Brain Regan, another comedian came on that was funny and then when Brain Regan walked out, I swear I wanted to stand and shout something, like "we love you!". But, um, I didn't. He was on stage for about an hour, and Steve and I agreed that we never stopped laughing or at least smiling. He was great. My favorite bit was probably about the motorcycle or the cobwebs . We noticed that nothing he did was old stuff, not that I would have cared. I just think he is hilarious. It was great. We walked back to the truck and had a nice drive home. I looked at the pictures and watched him on my camera, and we just talked about how dang fun that was.

Good times. It was a great date, and I loved my company.

In the truck in the parking garage in Salt Lake. About to eat some awesome food.

After eating. We are in the restaurant- stuffed and happy. At Biaggi's

Abravanel Hall pic

The view from our seats

Hilarious Dude

Classic

Hardware Ranch

2012-01-21T20:11:00.000-07:00

MLK Jr day we headed up to Hardware Ranch, near Logan, Utah. It is an Elk Ranch, where the DNR feeds the elk as they are driven off the mountain in the winter for food. Yes, they could make it just fine without help, but this keeps them out of Cache Valley in people's yards and off the roads. There are a lot of elk up there. At the time we were there, there were about 120 elk.
It was cold, 19 degrees. We were basically dressed for it. It was a good trial-run for sledding, if it ever snows enough. We did find that our feet got cold...Might have to get some wool socks for when we go sledding/tubing. The little boys did the best- very happy to be there- despite the cold. The rest of us enjoyed it too. 40 minutes was long enough out there though.
The drive there and back was nice, thanks to red box and the scenery after we were north of SLC. Logan is very beautiful. If they had any jobs, it would be a nice place to live. I love the 4H/country feel of that part of the state.
We were in the van about 5.5 hours for our 40 minute adventure in the cold to see the Elk. Steve and I want the kids to love the outdoors and try to make efforts to make that happen for them. In a time when it's easier to watch TV and play video games, the outdoors sometimes takes work.
I think this trip was worth it, if you are a Utahan, make sure you dress well if you are headed there.

BO

2012-01-15T21:44:00.000-07:00

That's right BO, aka body odor. Jenna is 8 and a half years old. The other morning when I woke her up for school, we were chillin' in her bed and she casually said that her pits were stinky. I laughed and said, "what?" I figured she had read it in a book or had seen it on TV or something. I said, "are you sure?" She raised her arm, and I took a sniff, feeling sure that I would smell nothing, and then wam! B.O.! I am not talking about terrible BO, but definitely BO. I smiled and shook my head.
What! I googled "when do little girls start having underarm odor?" I got back some stupid opinions, and then came across a credible website from the American Academy of Pediatrics, and it said that girls hit puberty between 8 and 13 years old. CRAP! I am not ready for this. She is not ready. I know that it doesn't mean that other stuff is just around the corner, but I figure I better get that book that I was saving for when she is 9, a little sooner.
It is ironic because we were just talking in the YM board meeting the other Sunday about girls (12-14 year olds specifically) and BO. We were talking about the deodorant debate, and also how being smelly is hard on the child socially. It didn't even occur to me that Jenna would be dealing with this soon. Geez, I have said it a hundred times. I was so naive pushing out babies, thinking that I can do this. But this parenting business is serious stuff! There is a funny line off of Marley and Me that says something to the effect that "why didn't people tell us that this would be hard" (talking about parenting) and she answers, "they probably did,but even if we had listened, we would have just thought that they we miserable and negative people". So true!

Wisdom teeth

2012-01-15T21:24:00.001-07:00

Why are they called Wisdom teeth anyway? Once they erupt does it mean that you have reached an age where you are more wise and mature? I am not sure, I think that I have had mine 12 or so years, and they were nothing but trouble. I didn't notice any advantage, except that the gap between my front 2 teeth did tightened up, but other than that, just a nuisance and a safe harbor for cavities, as of late. The past 3 dentists have told me "they are going to cause you trouble down the road...," well we are down that road, and out they went this weekend.
On Monday, I called and asked it there were any opening for my teeth to come out this past Friday. They said they were booked, but would put me on a cancel list. I was somewhat relieved because I didn't want to worry about it all week. In fact, we had planned a trip to Moab and on to Blanding over the long weekend, where I actually had a Friday off and Monday too. Thursday, however, the dentist's office called and some wise soul cancelled their appt, and they could get me in for 5 fillings and 4 wisdom teeth extractions. Oh Joy! I said OK and Steve was fine to oblige. -Knowing it needed to be done since my appt in October. Plus he got plenty of PS3 in over the weekend.
Kristi was even available to watch the little guys while Steve went with me to the dentist. I tried the NOS, frankly because Steve is a fan, Jenna did great with it, and I was anxious and thought that it might help. Within a couple of minutes, I started to giggle and tingle. Weird! Then a bit later, I became a cry baby. I am not talking about bawling, just streaming tears. It was like the post partum blues all over again. "Why am I crying?" After all my numbing injections, I decided that NOS was for the birds or whoever else liked feeling that way. Within minutes, I was no longer streaming tears and could tolerate listening to the country music in the background without crying. It was a good experience for my childbirth class. Funny, I know. It hasn't been that long since I had Gage, but I was experiencing pain and anxiety and did use some relaxation techniques. Mostly deep breathing and progressive relaxation. The problem is that when I would relax, my mouth would relax and he would say, "you are closing on me again." I also squeezed the heck out of Steve's hand.
He filled 5 cavities on the left and then pulled the wisdom teeth, the whole thing start to finish was an hour and a half. The dental hygienist did a pretty good job numbing me, but on my left upper, I was feeling him pull it out, so he gave me another shot that seemed to do the trick, unfortunately that made my left nostril, ear and eye lid numb too. I looked like a stroke victim by the time we were done. Never mind how I felt. I felt like a character off of Planet of the Apes. The girl asked if I wanted to look in the mirror. I said, "No!"
Steve did a great job taking care of me. Once we got home, I had to be changing that nasty gag-me gauze and passed out cold on the floor in the bathroom. I came to and realized what had happened. "Steve!" He found me and was not happy to find me on the floor only having been out of his sight for a couple of minutes. I crawled, hands and knees, to the bed. Steve took off my shoes, placed ice packs on my face, and he checked on me every 10 minutes for a while, I know.
The rest of the day was a blurr. The dentist gave me the big guns. I took a full dose twice maybe and a half of a phenergan, and no wonder people get addicted to that crap. Sleep away the day and the night, the pain and responsibility.
I am glad that I have a good husband that can handle things well. Saturday was better. We ran to Walgreen's, and I decide that I wasn't quite ready for any type of errand, running or otherwise. So I went back to bed and later ate Zuppas for dinner. I love Zuppas soup and the Big Bang Theory.
Today was better even still. No more narcs needed. The Motrin is doing just fine. I have been up and doing stuff, and feel about human again, just with 4 less teeth. Hopefully we will have fun and be productive tomorrow to make up for the otherwise blah-zae weekend. I am relieved to have it done.

Our Christmas 2011

2011-12-31T22:47:00.009-07:00

Steve insists that this Christmas season was one of the best ever. I cannot disagree, but I thought that the time slipped away awfully quick. I feel bad because we didn't follow through and do the 12 days of Christmas like we had hoped. Also, I wanted to go to Kmart and pay on someone's layaway, but didn't. I didn't get cards mailed, and I didn't do neighbor gifts or anything for my buddies at work.
However, we did watch videos on Christ's birth, although the volume was up so high to hear over a crying and whining, overtired 2 and 1 year old. (The church has a great website with short clips that are ideal to watch as a family. They are only 2-4 minutes long and normally kids can handle that. They really are beautiful videos. We also decorated Gingerbread houses and paid for a van behind us in line at JCW's, and Zac thought that was terrific Christmas cheer. We baked cookies together. We watched the Grinch, Rudolf, and the night before Christmas, we watched the Polar Express. Our Elf on the Shelf, Frisbee, came back this year too.

Yearly Steve's Aunt Mindy hosts a Christmas Program in her home. The extended family comes in Sunday dress, we have dinner and present our talents for each other. I will enjoy it more in 8 years when I can listen to the musical numbers and not chase and shush small children. But in 8 years we will be more largely responsible for the talent and that may be a problem, because as it stands, we are not a talented family in terms of music (or otherwise). Lissa's and our kids sang jingle bells as a group, and it was very cute, indeed! Jenna also read a nice Christmas story. After that the other cousins went, playing the piano, singing and playing the violin, etc. We left as our kids started to melt down. It really is a special tradition.
We did go to Grandma's Santa party that was very cool! This is also a yearly tradition that used to be at Steve's Grandma's but has moved to Mindy's home as well. This party is a bit more chill than the Christmas program because Santa will be there, and who can contain such excitement?! Grandma does have Santa come. He is prepared and knows, by memory, a little something about every child that sits on his knee. That is very impressive because there are a lot of children there.
Everyone sings, "Santa Claus is coming to town" and he comes in the door, booming, "HO HO HO!" It is very exciting, even for me. I loved it. Trev was sure to get his attention right away and inform him personally that he wants a Dinosaur. He was cute. When Jenna sat on his knee, he said that she should clean her room and be a good girl. When Zac sat, he said that he was keeping his eye on him, especially. (Maybe this really was Santa!) Trev was thrilled to sit with him, and Gage cried- classic for a baby/Santa encounter.

Grandma with Santa

That night is a wonderful, thoughtful and, in a word- loving- thing that grandma does for the children. She loves all of her children, grands and great grands, this is her night to be matriarch and show love in a playful way. A wonderful tradition too.
We went to Lissa's the Friday before Christmas, because we are real party animals, actually we just like to hang out with each other and we like to eat! We had finger foods and the kids did a gift exchange that was cute. We also played games. Noteworthy is that we played the "What" game, made famous in the family by Zac and Jenna. Kevin, the game show host, quizzed us on Trivia.
It was all quite fun. I know that things wouldn't be nearly so fun without small children around.

Christmas Eve day, we ate like royalty (who loves junk food). That evening we watched Polar Express and read The Night before Christmas. The Polar Express is about believing, and our kids do believe in Santa. That night, after midnight, at about 1am, Steve went to check on the kids and found that Zac was awake in bed, so excited he couldn't sleep. It also took Jenna a while, with extensive back rubbing, to settle in. As a result, we (Steve and I) got to bed after 2am. Because of this anxiety at first, they slept in till nearly 8am from exhaustion waiting for the morning to come.
It was such a great Christmas day, although we threw responsibility to the wind and allowed ourselves to just enjoy being together. No rushing around, no yelling, no time constraints, just us hanging out as a family, putting together new toys, playing and enjoying each other. It was really wonderful. Later that afternoon, Steve's family all came over to our place and ate ham, and played trivia games.

As per usual, I missed my family and was homesick, but technology and Steve's I-pad that is a work-perk made it better. I saw and talked to Buddy's family, my mom and my dad and Regina on and around Christmas. It is so much better when I can actually see their faces. They were again so good to us. Buddy and Carrie even put a bug in Santa's ear that Jenna wanted an American Girl Doll and saw that it was delivered to our house from the North Pole. Jenna loves it! We are so lucky to have family that cares so much for us. We are indeed loved and come from good people! :)
I am also grateful for Jesus and his love for us, every one! Merry Christmas!

FastKarts Go Karts

2011-12-19T21:34:00.000-07:00

Back in May I won a totally free GoKart FastKart party package for 8 people! That was pretty amazing that I won through DBG on facebook.
The party, including 40 laps, would expire at the end of the year. So I booked the party for the weekend after Steve's birthday.
Steve and I, Lissa and Christian, Kevin and Anna, and Anna's brother came. Jeff had to work (boo).

When we first got there, it was a little intimidating since my experience with go karts, I am pretty sure, is none. But once I watched for a while, I got excited. We signed waivers and chose a racing name, mine was Go Mama Go. Then we watched a video on GoKart rules and etiquette. We then put on our complimentary head sock (see picture of us looking like a group of jovial bank robbers), and our helmet and gloves. We look like real professionals!
The first 5 laps are the qualifiers to determine your pole place/starting place in the 15 lap heat. I was the first one out of the pit in the first race. I hooped and hollered and frankly thought that I was kiilin' it, but both times I finished sixth. I was a bit reckless and despite a loss, it was not bitter.
The first heat, we raced as a group with 2 strangers, the second heat it was just our group which was super fun.
The highlights for me were going fast, sliding around corners, crashing into Kevin and just generally feeling a little wild and letting loose. It was so nice to not worry about the kids and to be a kid myself.


The Destroyer, Bionic, Captain Bob, Crazy Bull, The Vizz, Go Mama Go, and Anna

1st Destroyer, 2nd Bionic and 3rd Captain Bob

I am certain that everyone had a great time. I knew the 2nd heat that I was behind, so I pulled out the camera to record some sweet footage. Makes me smile!

Reality of Christmas pictures

2011-12-19T20:42:00.001-07:00

It has been a tradition since Jenna was a baby to dress up the kids in Christmas jammies and take their picture by the tree. It is getting harder, and instead of too much yelling, I just accepted the reality of things at our house. Things just don't always go as planned. Gonna have to roll with it and let these little farts have fun, like kids are supposed to. So their pictures reflect our kids. Smiley, restless, busy, and happy....for the most part. Enjoy.

Steve's 33rd

2011-12-19T20:20:00.002-07:00

I received a small and unexpected bonus at work the day before Steve's birthday. I immediately thought that I would buy him the PS3 that he has been waiting for over a year. I was so excited that I spilled the beans. Then I proceeded with anxiety about spending the money on that, and not something else more practical...blah blah blah. I finally took a deep breath, loaded up the kids and headed to Best Buy. The kids were so excited and knew daddy would love it. The kids were even pretty good in the store, which is a good omen.
After that, I still didn't have a cake yet, and Steve would be home soon. Our beaters broke, so I would need to get beaters and a cake mix. Alas, my friend had an idea to get a dozen donuts and make a cake out of them. So with a few candles poked in the donuts, there it was-a KrsipyKreme cake.
He did like his toy and his cake. Thanks to Lissa, we went child-less to the Texas Roadhouse and ate a great dinner. Steve even sat in the birthday saddle for the Birthday YeeHaw. Yes, you read right. He was not a stick in the mud. We had a nice dinner and enjoyed each others company.

I love you, babe. Happy Birthday!

"My Earlies"

2011-12-19T20:14:00.001-07:00

To give him credit, he is not calling his ears his "earlies" much anymore, but for a while that is just what Trev called his ears. I am not sure why.
The other night Trev was in his room for bed, not sleeping and entertaining himself. He called out "help!" Steve opened his door and he was just standing there, he walked into the kitchen and said, "cause I need milk". OK, I took his cup, but looked twice at him because he had big wads of paper packed in his ears. I took them out and noted they where from a book that he must have scavenged from under his bed, ripped it and placed little pieces in his ear. In fact, little enough and far enough in there, that we couldn't get it out with noble attempts.

Let me back up and tell you that Trev has been weird with books. He went through a phase when he would chew the edge off a book and shove it up his nose, the wad would be expelled with a hardy sneeze or tweezers. Other times, he just went ahead and ate the book. Many of our board books are mangled from him. Hence the reason that he must have "scavenged" this book, because if he is bored, I know the books will suffer. So he doesn't have any in his room anymore.
Our ped clinic has after-hours, so I took him in. He was so excited to go in. He must have talked a mile a minute in the van. Jenna came too. She said, " Do you think that he is talking loud because he can't hear?" That was funny. Maybe he was extra loud, and he surely was excited,
The MA said to him, "did you put paper in your ear?" He said, "no, it's trash!"
The doc got it out. Trev left the office with a heavy head and slumped shoulders. The ear digging wasn't that fun. Do I think he learned his lesson? Probably not.

Oh Trev!

First Grade Program

2011-12-19T19:54:00.001-07:00

Last Thursday was Zac's First Grade Christmas Program. The night before, he advised me that he should get up early and not be late for school, and also that he should look "his Sunday best". This must have made an impression on me because I actually did have a bad dream that he was very late for school and he was devastated and there was no one to blame but me. Anyway, he woke up on time and happily got dressed and looked very handsome. He posed in front of the tree for a picture.

Once I arrived, he spotted me and was happy to have an audience. In fact he was definitely wound up, to the point that the child next to him appeared to be a near dead zombie due to his lack of animation (let's face it, that kid was well-behaved in comparison.). After it was time to sing, he settled in which helped my anxiety, and in fact grew bored and migrated to the bottom stair. Also note that in the 30 minutes his shirt also became untucked.
I love Zac and his energy most of the time. He did pretty good, I think. I could tell that he was very happy to have Steve and me there. What I love is that when we come to watch him he looks right at us. He is truly putting on a show for his mom and dad. That is kinda cool and very sweet.

Tree and Temple lights

2011-12-12T14:11:00.000-07:00

This is an ornament from our first Christmas.

The tree is up and decorated. The kids were so excited to decorate the tree, we did it Wednesday after dinner. The kids liked seeing all the ornaments, especially ones that they made or ones from when they were a baby. The did a great job.

We watched Christmas Vacation and ate caramel popcorn.

We went to Temple Square to see the lights. We actually didn't fight the throngs to see all of the lights, it was sooo crowded and frigged despite our layers. The kids said they had fun though. Afterward we went to eat at Bucca Di Pepos. The food made the trip. The kids were really well behaved, it was one of those times that makes you think, "maybe my kids aren't so bad. We will try this again." :)

It's beginning to look a lot like....

2011-12-07T19:34:00.000-07:00

CHRISTMAS!

So far, we...
Have watched Elf and eaten Steve's famous carmel popcorn.
Picked out the tree in freezing weather.
Have the tree in place and the lights on.
Have watched Charlie Brown's Christmas.
Put up the Gingerbread wall cling (year 3 of this one- now that is quality)
Have read some Christmas books.
Drove around looking at lights.

More fun to come. It's a good time of year.

The tree, about to take off the netting.

Yes, Jenna is a great sister.

Mischief maker

2011-12-07T13:23:00.001-07:00

Gage is growing up. He went from baby to toddler. He is my little mischief maker, that I love!

Little climber

Steve and I were down stairs, when we came upstairs, he was chillin' in this chair. So proud of himself.

Cute, drool and all.


In my purse

Leaves

2011-12-07T13:14:00.000-07:00

I sometimes feel urgency to not be a slob. Nevermind that there are other portions of the property/house that need attention, it was the leaves that were yelling at me last Monday. Steve was home, and so I went out and started raking the front yard. As I raked, I recalled raking in my youth, and that Buddy and I would jump in the leaves. Isn't it a mandatory activity to do as a child?- Jumping in a pile of leaves?

After the raking was mostly done, the kids came out and helped make a massive pile. Then they jumped. It was fun.They helped put the leaves in bags/the trashcan when they were done. In a week's time the temperature has plummeted. Bring on the snow, we are ready for snowmen. They won't be leafy snowmen, however there may be dog tokens in the snow. Oh well.

Breaking Dawn

2011-12-05T21:07:00.001-07:00

This was one of those experiences that still gets me excited and giddy. I loved the movie, and I love the books. I realize that there are some haters out there, but I loved it. No questions, no buts, totally enjoyed the movie! Especially the end!
Liss got tickets for us, reserved seating no less!, the day they were available to buy. We went out, as per tradition, to PF Changs, went and shopped a bit, and headed up to AF for the movie. Yes, it was the midnight showing and yes, of course, we made shirts. It was so much fun with Lissa, the perfect person to go with. Thank you, Liss!

Possibly the cheesiest pic ever.

YES!

Fans

Halloween

2011-11-25T16:44:00.001-07:00

What a great Halloween this year! It was a lot of fun. For starters, my talented neighbor let me raid her closet of Halloween costumes that she has made over the years. She does a great job. Jenna was a witch. She didn't want to be an ugly which, just a witch. Zac was Zac-ula, full with face paint on trick or treat night. Trev was the cutest pirate ever. Gage was the cutest pumpkin ever.

We went with Lissa's and Christian's crew to their neighborhood to start, then we hit our neighborhood. By about 6:30 more lights were turning on, and it was hopping. After our neighborhood, we went to see Grandma. We hit Taco Bell on the way home, and ate in front of the TV and watched a spooky Scooby Doo and handed out candy to a few straggler trick-or-treaters. It was a great night. The weather was perfect. The next day, it was so cold and ugly. I am glad that the kids could have a fun night! I had a good time with my family. I love this time of year.

Halloween Party

2011-11-11T19:31:00.000-07:00

The Saturday before Halloween, we had a party at Lissa's. I love her house for parties. It is always fun and comfortable. The kids had a great time, and we adults played Ticket to ride and visited after feasting on creepy food. The food was festive: mummy hot dogs, worms and eye balls, bones, and best of all witch's brew. (Julene did a Halloween party with the kids a few years ago like this and they still remember it.) The witch's brew is awesome. The dry ice and apple juice in a cauldron is a real hit for the adults and the kids. Thanks Liss for the pictures and being a gracious hostess. We love the Diaz family, and it was great that Jeff and Kevin and his family could be there too. Happy Halloween!

The Marvelous Wonderettes

2011-11-03T14:58:00.002-06:00

For my Birthday, Dad and Regina sent out a gift certificate to the Hale Center Theater in Orem.
I used a portion of the gift to buy tickets to see The Marvelous Wonderettes last week. We made it a girls' night. I went with my friend, Erica. We had Mexican first, then on to the play. Can it get better than Chips and Salsa and good company and terrific entertainment!?
It was so good. The actresses were so talented. I laughed a lot and was very impressed. I remembered just how much I love the theater. This theater is very small and intimate. The audience sits on 3 sides of the small, centered stage. After the musical, the actresses were outside for us to meet. They were famous to me!
Thank you to Dad and Regina for a great night out!

I am excited for the next play. I think that the big kids, and Steve and I will go to the Christmas Carol next month!

2 wheelers

2011-11-01T16:19:00.000-06:00

At the end of October, Jenna got on her bike and took off on 2 wheels. This is a big deal because she had tried this summer, and it seemed like it was going to be next year that she learned. She had me come outside and watch her, and to my delight she was cruising, confident and pleased with her self! Yeah Jenna. Zac then insisted that his training wheels come off, 2 days later and tad-ah- he is riding too! He got it! I am proud of both of them. It is another incident that proves to me that with the right tools and encouragement, and a little instruction that the kids will get it in their own time, some things I just cannot make them do. You can either ride the bike or fall. I am glad they are riding and smiling!

Go Jenna!

Trev was surprised to see these off the bike!

Zac, happy to ride!

So at 6 and 8 they are finally riding a 2 wheel bike and loving the freedom and accomplishment of it. Good job for some determination.

128 pounds for $11.94

2011-10-24T23:40:00.003-06:00

That's right! We bought 128 pounds of pumpkin to carve up and create this past weekend. The kids all picked the pumpkin they wanted at Winco. (I just love that their pumpkins are 9 cents a pound!)

Jenna and Zac duplicating their pumpkin's face. L to R: Trev's, Jenna's, Steve's, Zac's, Mandy's

Steve did his traditional happy, fun face. I did the cat that has become a tradition. I carved Trevor's. He really wanted to play with the knife, but had no interest in the guts again this year. He thought bugs were going to come out and kept calling the seeds, "beans". He mostly watched TV while we carved, but he did join me at the end to watch and poke. Jenna and Zac were both very pleased with theirs. They did an awesome job. They had minimal help, just a little gutting help is all. They drew their own faces and carved their pumpkins themselves too. I sat Gage in the chair and showed him the pumpkin and the inside, and he loved it. He probably sat there 20 minutes- touching it and licking it, occasioally chewing it and eventaully throwing it on the floor.
It was fun. The end result was fun to see on the porch. We roasted the seeds this year too.

We also made caramel apples last weekend.

Barnyard Boo, Chili and presents

2011-10-16T22:33:00.001-06:00

Sounds like fun! We celebrated Gage's birthday on Saturday. We went to Barnyard Boo at Thanksgiving Point. What a great place. There were animals, little games, a hay ride and pony rides. It was a hit. It wasn't too crowded, and the weather was perfect. The kids did really great. I think that they had a good time. When we can spend 2 hours or more somewhere with the kids without someone having a terrible melt-down, we have done well. (Mind you that sometimes the melt down is my own.) When we got back in the van, Gage was asleep in 5 minutes easy.

Barnyard Boo, ready to go in

Yell if you are excited!

Trev with Kaiden. "Kaiden is my Best friend" (in Trev's words)

Zac especially liked feeding the animals

This is the best way to holla hoop!

Loves her baby brother!

After we got home, Steve was elbow-deep in chili- making. He made some chilli a few weeks ago, and it was so delicious. He made it again- 2 big pots. We also had grilled cheese with Grandma Sycamore bread. Also hot dogs and mac and cheese, some grapes and throw in some Fritos- it was the party meal! I made the cake. Jenna helped with the fence. The kids and I cleaned while Trevor napped before our guests arrived.

With Pa and Regina's card we were able to get bibs, sippy cups, a Raffi CD, 2 pair of shoes, the barn toy that was obviously a hit, and all the decorations. Thanks Dad and Regina.

With Ma's card, we were able to get Gage his forward facing car seat, now he is traveling safely in style! Thank you!

Lissy is loved by all my kids....and me. This shirt says, "Only my Aunt understands me"

Reagy has always loved Gage.

Jeff came down earlier in the afternoon, and Liss and her crew joined us at about 5pm. The chilli was very good and a real pleaser. (24 hours later, we may have 3 servings left is all!) The kids all played very nice. Noteworthy was that Gage didn't have any melt downs the entire night. He was just happy-go-lucky. I think he had fun!
Thank you to all that wanted to be here and sent presents and cards. Thank you to Lissa and Christian and their family that I know loves us. Also, thanks to Jeff for the pillow pet and for your company.

Gage's Birthday

2011-10-16T21:35:00.002-06:00

I can hardly believe that Gage is already a year. Was it really a year ago that he was just so new? It only takes a few days to feel like you have known them forever, and that life is hard to imagine without them. Time has sailed on. Time sometimes goes by in such a hurry, that it becomes a blur to me. That is one reason why I love pictures. It helps me to remember. Looking at pictures of my kids and Steve really brings me joy. In a year's time, my baby boy has grown up. It is so true that babies don't stay babies long. Rock them while you can!

He can walk and talk.
He can make a kissing noise and blow kisses. He likes to play peek a boo.
He says "Thank you" and "Love you" (they sound the same). He says "mama" and "dada" and occasionally it sounds like he is saying "Zac". He is repeating more and more things.
He is a great eater and has been from early on. He is still nursing. It's my thing that I do to compensate for being away some days at work. It's my time with him, and we both love it.
Anyway, he is trying to keep up with Trevor and is adored by Jenna and Zac who are always good to him. He loves his mommy and his daddy. He is always happy to see us.
He kind of growls at the dog in a playful way.
He is a magnet to the stairs.
He loves to play with his daddy.
He loves the park, esp the swing.
He loves french fries and almost any fruit, especially raspberries and grapes.
He is now forward facing in his car seat. He looks so big and has become more demanding now that he can see me.
He is at least 23 pounds and has at least 8 teeth... which reminds me, he needs a well visit!

"St Fun"

2011-10-02T23:14:00.000-06:00

When we lived in Indiana, Steve's family flew to Florida, and we drove and met them in Destin. It was a great time. We talked last year about going back, or as a more realistic alternative, going to Disney this fall and renting a house. Well the year passed, and there were not enough funds for Destin, Disney or a beach house. But, we still wanted to get together. In fact, Steve considered having a reunion shirt made that said, "We couldn't afford Destin, so we came here" or something that that effect. We did get together, and with Christian's connections, rented a sweet house that was way underpriced and had a great time in Sunny Southern Utah.
The house had a grill, a pool, a basketball court, enough comfortable beds for all, big tvs, and lots of fun extras, like a park across the street, castle and princess beds to play on and sleep in, and a fusbol table to boot. It was very nice. We were there Sunday night thru Thursday morning. We had 3 full days, and we were all assigned a day or some portion of the day to plan.
Sunday: Jenna and Zac rode with Lissa and Christian. Kevin, Anna and Hayk rode with the rest of us in the van. We caravaned down with Lissa and Christian and Jeff. The vehicles were loaded, and we left Orem around 3pm. We arrived about 7pm. We ordered pizza when we got there and cranked up the cooler because it was hot in St George.
Monday: We played catch, some kick ball and had Carne asade meat that Christian made for lunch- that happens to be one of my favorite things ever to eat. We also swam. I even was able to lay out for a time and read! Amazing, I know!

Uncle Kevin. Who, btw, has a wicked can opener!

BFF

Daddy + kids= throwing!

That night, we had an Iron Chef. That was really a fun activity. Liss and Christian, Kevin and Anna, and Steve and I were the teams. We had 2 chicken breasts and 10 dollars to buy ingredients to prepare two meals for our 3 judges. We had 1.5 hours to shop and 1.5 hours to prepare. The $10 was a challenge and although it was initially annoying, it ended up making it more fun. We had to be creative and frugal. The meals were all unique from one another and very good. Christian and Lissa won and rightfully some. Mamita gave them the recipe to a soup and an other pasta dish t hat I loved. I still need to get the recipe. Anna and Kevin's food looked good too. Steve and I had fun and presented food that really was food that we like and eat. Tex/Mex and Italian. The judges (Scot, Julene, and Jeff) were fun and generous. The kids were somewhere during all of this. Occasionally crying, but safe and fending for themselves. Somehow those 6 chicken breast seemed to feed us all.

Tuesday, we went to the park across the street and played. The kids had fun. The big guys played some kickball. We also played with some waterballons.We had delicious sandwiches for lunch on french bread and the kids swam a lot. Liss also had a fun painting craft for the kids.
Lissa and Anna and I went to Target that night and had some respite from the chaos and spent a little fun money. Book #3 of the Hunger Games.

Kick ball

Bubbles!

"here kitty kitty!"

Lissa's sponge painting fun!

Wednesday, we went to a public park with a splash pad. We have been here years ago. It is an awesome park! It was nearly the last day that the water would be on. It was hot enough that the kids played in it and had a great time. There was also a sand volleyball court the kids played in. There was the awesome playground equipment too. Somehow Gage slept. We threw the Frisbee and played a little 3 man kickball. It was fun. We could have stayed there a while, but hunger got the best of us.

Brandon and Steve throwing football

We headed home, ate and swam. That night we went to the Cracker Barrel. The food was sooo good. The kids as a whole did awesome. It was a good time! That night I stayed up late, reading.

Thursday morning it was time to clean and pack. We loaded up and headed home. Jeff still beat us to Orem, despite a flat tire as he was pulling away. The kids were over tired, and it was sure a long drive home. But we made it. The kids had a great time with the cousins! Jenna said, "It's not St George. It's Saint Fun!" So funny.

2 peas in a pod. Love them. Trev and Kaiden


Dry cereal and Tangled- aren't they cute? 9 of them 8 and under!		Left to Right: Zac, Gage, Reagan, Trevor, Jenna, Roman, Hyak, Kaiden and Christian.

Thanks to Liss for the pictures. I was careful to pack my camera, but did not bring the battery. Ugg.

"That's not my cat!" by Eric Carle

2011-09-24T21:39:00.003-06:00

A few weeks ago Trevor became somewhat obsessed over this book. He just loves it. .

Trev is 2 years and 6 months old.

School Carnival

2011-09-24T21:37:00.001-06:00

School is now into full swing. Things are settling into a routine. I am no longer lost with just the 2 little ones at home. I got used to that real fast and enjoy the time with them in the mornings and early afternoon.
When the kids come home at 2:50, they like to veg for about a half an hour, then it's on to chores and homework. After that, it's time for dinner, and the night time routine. There are often break downs from fatigue and a long day. I keep thinking we need to get the kids enrolled in something...girl scouts, tumbling, art, swimming, karate...something...but when is there time, energy, or patience?
Oh well, we'll figure it out.

Last week was the school PTA carnival. The kids were so excited. They scraped up money, and were happy to spend it on games, treats and popcorn. We could only stay a while before my childbirth class, but they had fun.

And he's off....

2011-09-24T21:10:00.001-06:00

Gage started walking last weekend. Now it seems to be his preferred mode of transportation. Oh, they grow up so fast. He will be 1 year old next month! Yeah Gage!

He is getting the stairs... going up...but is pretty chicken to go down. Don't his legs look long?

Now, that is a cute bum!

Happy Birthday Zac

2011-09-03T22:01:00.000-06:00

Zac's Birthday is Aug 29th. He went with Steve hunting over the weekend, and then his birthday was Monday. I was so pleased that I was off. While he was at school, the little guys and I went and got a few things for Zac. Zac is not particularly hard to please. He is pretty grateful and excited about any gifts, but I still wasn't sure what to get him. He likes baseball and camping. He likes guns and video games, but he isn't way into any one thing. He doesn't have a favorite toy, a favorite movie or a favorite game really. When mom came to visit in July she brought puppets, and he was surprisingly into his monkey. So, I thought that I would get him a pirate puppet. I asked Jenna what she wanted to get him, and she said a "treasure map" because they like to pretend they are hunting treasures together. So that is what he got: a laminated map that cannot be ruined barring scissors, a puppet and a night out- Bowling and dinner with Lobsters.
I hope that he had fun. I think that he did.

We had been talking about going to Fat Cats bowling for his birthday for a little while. I debated on taking some of his little boy friends, but he really doesn't have many yet. So I thought we would just take him and Jenna. I was unable to pin down a sitter, so when I tried to talk him out of it because I didn't want to take the whole crew, he protested, saying "can't we all just go as a family? You can hold Gagey, and Daddy can help Trevor." So, "of course we can go, Bud!" was the response to that commercial. We met Steve at Fat Cats in Provo. We were just about the only ones in there at first. The kids did great, really. Once the 1 game was over, we all had enough. The timing was perfect- Near meltdown, but still holding onto smiles. It was fun. I was the best bowler, but Steve won, no surprise. He pulled ahead at the end to win. (I still think it would be fun to be on a bowling league with some friends.)
Anyway, after that, we let Zac choose where we would eat. He debated between Olive Garden and Red Lobster! What can I say, he has good taste! He knew that this occasion was better than McDonald's or Betos, even Chuck-a-Rama. He couldn't resist the idea of shrimp, and so we splurged and went to Red Lobster. It was not Florida quality seafood, but it was good. The kids were really pretty good minus occasional outbursts and belching. Plus, the service was nice, and they were good to the birthday boy.

After dinner, we came home to blow out candles before bed and promised cake for breakfast (oh what's the difference between that and a donut?). It was too late and we were too full for cake and icecream after dinner. I had the kids close their eyes while I got set up to have a "special visitor" sing Happy Birthday. He loved the puppet! Yay!

Also thank you to all the family that send gifts and cards and spoil him rotten. He was a happy boy!

Cart Walkin'

2011-09-03T20:00:00.001-06:00

Gage is now 10 days shy of 11 months. In no time he will be walking, and this will be old news. Just because we think it's great and gush over every milestone...here he is. You know you love it too!

Zac, the Archer

2011-08-29T13:41:00.000-06:00

New Camo, a 2-day hunting trip with dad, and shooting a bow.

This is happiness for my boy, Zac.

Does life get any better for a boy?

Happy 6th Birthday today!

Bow Hunt- Cedar Mountain

2011-08-29T13:05:00.001-06:00

Zac earning on Jackson's bow. That is Jacskon and Trevor in the background.


Jackson has been hunting since he was a little thing! He is 10 now.		Look at Zac's "man" stance.

In the blind. I was told this was awesome for the boys. Zac may have ruined it's effectiveness with his flatulence.

Zac's grouping

This deer needs antlers!


This is the way to camp!

Steve hasn't been hunting in a long time, esp with his best friend on his favorite mountain (maybe Blue mountain is his favorite, either way...). This last weekend he went down to Cedar. He took Zac along for the first time. They met Trevor and Jackson there and set up camp. They spent Friday and Saturday night. From what I gather, they had a great time hunting, tooling around in the hills in the pick up, getting rained on, hiking, good eating, and shooting the bows and BB gun. Even though they didn't get a deer, they said it was a great time. I am glad that Steve has a hobby and a friend that "feels like home".

Wrapping up Summer 2011

2011-08-26T21:05:00.000-06:00

It was a good summer.

We went to different parks to climb and swing through the summer. Jenna did an art class on Thursdays in Lindon at a great place. We would play to kill time while Jenna was in class on this grassy knoll. Here is Trevor cheesing it. I love this picture!

Our babysitter, Kristi, has been with us since February. She is very creative and the kids love her. Truly! This is a pic of the treasure map she created for the kids to find treasure by following riddle-type clues. They did lots of these creative type adventures this summer including hunting in the rainforest to rain and thunder music with bamboo spears!

This picture is just a day at lunch this summer. Disheveled and enjoying no "have-to's".

The big kids did swim lessons. We went to the Lindon pool this year for lessons. I thought that last year's lessons in PG were better, but the kids had fun and did well. Zac is not quite deep-end bound, but they are very comfortable in the water!

We like Geocaching, but this day was a busted trip. We were in Blanding in the mountains, and I entered the coordinates in wrong on the GPS and well, it was a wild chase. We ended up finding jumping cactus and no treasure. We thought we would bomb the GPS unit in the Reservoir, but come to find out it was operator error, that and a jiggly battery.

Jenna and Thomas feeding the ducks

TR and the Goose

Zac, the Farmer

Jenna, forever the animal lover

Nathan, Tommy and Zac- fun boys

Zac feeding the pygmy goats

My good friend from NV came up to visit family (and for Jenna's baptism), and we were able to hang out for an afternoon at Wheeler Farm. I had never been there. It was a good trip. Of course, it was good to see my friend and her kids! It was a great place for the kids to see animals and enjoy the outdoors and enjoy their fast friends. They had fun.
A couple of weekends ago we went up to Strawberry Reservoir to play in the rocks and water on a Saturday afternoon. The kids threw rocks and the dog swam. Zac swam too because he couldn't resist despite the freezing water. Trev stripped down and lost his balance and went under, so I went in too. Later he said, "Mommy you rescue me? Thanks!" It was a wet ride home.

Crawdad- dead on the bank, still cool to see up close.

Nearly Naked


"It's freezing!"

It was a good summer. I think we sprinkled in a lot of fun in with work. There is so much to do!
Now on to Fall. I love fall. Farmers Markets, Pumpkin Patches, jeans and T shirts, changing leaves, carving pumpkins and more birthdays!

Back to School Fall 2011

2011-08-24T14:24:00.000-06:00

Monday night was back to school night. Steve took the big kids while Kristi stayed with the little guys because I was at work. When I got home, Steve, Jenn and Zac arrived shortly after. They were so excited and had McDonalds hot and ready. I swear that I was almost as excited as them. I liked school, except 6th grade, and so I was excited for them. Plus, I have to say that getting them into a routine, especially Zac, does wonders for him.
The first morning of school was quite different than last year for me. For starters, I am not pregnant! Also, Steve is now home until 7:40ish before he heads to work. But besides those things, the sadness wasn't there. In fact, I was just very excited for them and almost giddy after they left. I thought that having just 1 was hard and each additional child was harder, but when you go from 4 to 2, it feels like cake. As a matter of fact, I have been a little lost. I made a list of stuff to accomplish while the big kids are away. We may even tackle story hour tomorrow for the first time since moving here. Plus a McDonalds run just got significantly cheaper for lunch!
Anyway, last year, it occurred to me that they were really growing up...riding the bus and all, but this year I was just happy to send them on their merry way. They are confident and love school. Zac's K teacher moved up to First Grade this year, and so he has her again. That is really great! She loved him and was very accepting about his perpetual motion. Jenna has a new teacher, of course, and likes her. She said that she made a new friend too, Olivia, and was thrilled that she was able to play with Robyn at recess even though they aren't in the same class.

I am excited for this school year. I get a little nervous about keeping up with their spelling words and homework each night (yes, people, 1st and 2nd graders have homework!). We did OK with this last year, but Jenna had her fair share of failed spelling tests because of lack of practice. Jenna is a smart girl, but she has to work harder at it. Zac picks up things lickety-split but hates to sit down and write anything. It usually is a frustrating time when it's time to do homework. Steve and I have to trade off be we lose patience. I have a schedule in place that may or may not work, also I am just going to be working M/F and then Thurs nights, so I will be home more to keep things running somewhat sane at the homestead. It always looks good on paper, I am often times lacking follow through!

So here are Jenna and Zac just before school. They were both already up and at 'em at 6:30am.They were already dressed including shoes. They hardly ate breakfast because of excitement and nerves, Zac basically bounced to the bus stop. They both had a great day. I hope they continue liking school!

Gager- on the move

2011-08-13T23:27:00.000-06:00

Tupperware, eating, his family, crawling, swinging, toilet paper, bath time, doing the dishes: the loves of his life.
Gage Thomas: a love of mine.
10 months today. What a busy body! Love you Gage!

Ma Time in Utah

2011-08-13T23:05:00.000-06:00

Mom flew out Aug 3-9. She was supposed to get here the night of the 2nd and ran into trouble with her flight and had to spend the night in Chicago. I am glad that she came anyway, it would have been easier to shrug and say, "I tried". She starts her school year pretty soon with the biggest enrollment in the preschool ever, and she has a new boss, so I appreciate that she came despite the responsibility that she left back there. I was very happy that she came for a visit and to be here for Jenna's baptism. Like she said just tonight, "A baptism isn't something that comes every year like a birthday..."
It was a big deal and very nice to have her here too.
Of course she is gone back home now, but the first day that she was gone, I looked over at the passenger seat and missed her in the van. She is my friend. I missed her there with me, running around with the kids.
My friend asked if we did anything fun. I replied, "we tried!" Between the need for errands and meetings (the baptisms and Roman's blessing), tired kids, need for naps, a little work, and how times flies, we didn't do all that I had hoped.I wanted to go swimming and go to the Farmer's Market and spend an hour at the Quilted Bear, but hey, you can't have it all. We did shop a little, albeit with 4 kids. We did eat well, as always when we get together. We did have sunshine and the highlight of the entertainment was the Dinosaur museum...and watching Twilight with mom after the kids were in bed.

At the SF Splash Pad

Hi Ma

Trev, who was very possessive of Mom

A puppet Show

Even caught in a blink, this is happiness!

Sand table

"Oh Dear!"

The kids had a great time with Ma and so did I. Thank you mom for coming and loving us so much. I enjoyed you and love you!

The newest Member

2011-08-13T22:04:00.002-06:00

Preparing for Baptism.
We have been having FHEs on baptism on and off since January, knowing that Jenna would be baptized this year. Our home teachers have had lessons, we have encouraged conversation about the Holy Ghost and, of course, Jenna learned about baptism in Primary. The Primary also had a great "Baptismal Preview" Program too in early July. The problem is that we don't always make Primary because of traveling and illness and stressfulness, we don't always do FHE for the same reasons, we don't always have the Spirit in our home because there is fighting and irritability and fatigue. We are imperfect people, trying to prepare a little girl for something perfect. Thankfully the Lord doesn't expect perfection on our own. He knows that we need the atonement. Sheww! In the end, Jenna was interviewed by the Bishop and found "ready" for baptism.

A few weeks before her baptism, while the little boys were asleep and Zac was awake but quiet downstairs, I put some acoustic hymns on the CD player and laid out on the counter every picture that I had of Jesus. Most were clippings from the Friend and some were cards that I had received or bought along the way. I sharpened every colored pencil I could find, gave her a piece of paper and asked that she look at all of the pictures and draw a picture. She chose to draw something original instead of try to duplicate a picture. It was quiet in the kitchen as she worked quietly. As she drew, she said over her shoulder, "Mom, is this the Holy Ghost that I feel?". It made me smile, and I said that "yes, the Holy Ghost does make us feel good." It was just a sweet moment that I didn't know would happen, but I am grateful for. It was an uncommonly quiet time in the house and she could feel peace as she listened to that music, looked at pictures of her Savior and did something that she loves, drawing. I am grateful that she was blessed to feel that peace. Anyway, we used that picture for the cover of her program.

The Big Day
The day that Jenna was baptized was really a great day. That morning, I panicked that she didn't understand the gravity of the event. I wondered if I had failed her. I think of my 9 year old Primary class in Kentucky full of true and noble gospel scholars and shook my head. But, no one really understands what a big deal it is and what a responsibility it is at first, do they, especially at the early age of 8? Line upon line, we learn things. We don't have to be scholars, we just need to have faith that Jesus is the Savior, that God lives and that the Holy Ghost is real; know what it means to repent and then be baptized. That much she is getting and so it was a go.
We went to Steve's youngest cousins' baptism that morning which was great for her to see and feel.

Before changing into her jumper

Perhaps a favorite of mine. Jenna and daddy.

At 2:00 we arrived at the church. The two little ones were struggling a little. We had to wake Trev from his nap, and Gage was suffering from separation anxiety, or anxiety that we may be separated, and was cutting 2 teeth- he was needy too. But Jenna was a little angel in her white jumper awaiting her program and baptism to start. She was so beautiful and happy and surrounded by sooo many that love her. Scads of supportive relatives, friends, teachers, leaders, her babysitter, and of course her mom and dad, even my mom flew all the way from Indiana.

The inside of the Program

Her program was very nice. It was nice that no one else shared the program, it was like her special day. Mom brought the dress that I received my first communion in when I was a second grader, and it fit her very nice. She thought she was very fancy and quite liked the 1988 dress with puffy sleeves.She was pretty in her new shoes and flower in her hair. Even her ear rings seemed to sparkle a little more.
Let me tell you that it was a tender and special moment when she came up out of the water. She was beaming with joy. Jenna was so beautiful. Her countenance shone and her smile was pure joy. What a testament to me. I hope that I never forgot the feeling I had as I looked at her coming out of the water. I hope that she remembers that good feeling too.

Jenna and Grandma Great

Jenna and her Primary Teacher

Grandma Julene, Me, Jenna, Maw

Showing Grand dad her new scriptures

Calvin and Jenna were both baptized that day. Calvin is the last of the grandkids, and Jenna is the first great grandchild to be baptized.

The program was beautiful. From the opening prayer to the closing prayer it was very special. I am so proud of Jenna and grateful for the gospel in my life and all the rich blessing that it brings. I am especially grateful for family. Little angles watched and entertained the boys, for that I am still very grateful. Thank you to all that helped us, especially the Merrel's and Kristi!
After her program we had cake and frappe with some nuts and butter mints at our house. Simple, easy and quite a hit. Who knew that Costco cake and some sherbet, sprite and berries could be so good?

Jenna and Aunt Lissy who spoke at her program about Baptism.

Jenna and her cake

Great to be Eight!

2011-07-31T23:11:00.000-06:00

Last Tuesday, Jenna and I went to DI alone and shopped for an assortment of tea cups, saucers, pitchers, and even scored with a unicorn center piece. We picked out 3 lady-dresses for dress-up and a grab-bag of jewelry. She picked out a curtain that would serve as a tablecloth, and we were ready for a tea party. She invited 3 girls to the party yesterday. They came dressed up. We made fans... very apropos. They also did a headband craft. After that, the girls picked jewels to wear and donned glittery eye shadow and lipstick. They were ready for high tea. They each helped set the table. At this age, they just love that....setting the table, pouring the jelly beans, arranging the strawberries, contributing to the fanciness of it all. They sat to their water, juice or milk and indulged on animal crackers, wafers, jelly bellies (perhaps the favorite), strawberries, raspberries and cake- pinkies up, of course.

Then Jenna opened her presents and the girls went home. It was fun! They all got along great, they giggled a lot and shared very well. They were just "dawwling, darling!" as they fanned themselves and giggled. I enjoyed Jenna very much, and her friends are such good and fun girls.

Yesterday afternoon, Aunt Lissy wanted to take Jenna to get her ears pierced. When Jenna was a baby, she had her ears pierced, but they grew shut after taking them out. Jenna has talked about getting her ears pierced, but thought that she would be too scared. Aunt Lissy gave her just the courage she needed. Jenna was a bit nervous. She reports that, "yes, it hurt!". After she was done, she cried a little, but only after she smiled at the earrings in the mirror. She is feeling quite fancy now with no complaints! She is quite beautiful if you ask me. Thank you, Aunt Lissy!

Today, was actually Jenna's birthday. We went to Church and she said, "I loved church today!". They, no doubt, sang to her and made her feel special. Then we came home and Steve cooked up her meal request. We all ate well! I am still full. Jenna ate so much shrimp that she was too full to eat her mashed potatoes with gravy, that is a big deal! Later, we had cake and ice cream, and she opened her gifts. This year, the toys she loves are LPS (Littlest Pet Shop, duh!) and Barbie.
We headed to Grandma Teacups tonight after cake, and they all sang to her and spoiled her there too!
Jenna seemed to have a great birthday weekend. She was so pleasant and appreciative. I am thankful to be Jenna's mom.

Happy Birthday, Jenna!

The Grotto

2011-07-21T13:24:00.000-06:00

Last Saturday we went for a hike to this beautiful waterfall. The kids were kids and love to explore and ~~disobey~~ explore some more. I am glad that they love the outdoors and water and rocks and dirt. It was a great shaded hike with this beautiful waterfall at the end. (only 0.3 miles). This is truly a beautiful place to live.
The water was snow melt and putting your feet in for too long would make your legs ache. It was cold! No wonder the kids wouldn't get under the falls.

This was an ideal hike, and we are happy to have our second hand kid pack for Gage. It makes it so we can do this stuff.

Blanding for the Fourth

2011-07-21T12:55:00.001-06:00

Blanding is THE place to be for the fourth. They have a great celebration there. It's small town America.
We left after I got off work on Friday the 1st at 7:45pm. We crossed our fingers and took the truck for the 5-6 hour drive. We needed the bed of the truck for bikes, the dog and the cooler. No DVD player and traveling while it is getting dark is risky with little ones. Trev did well to look out the window for "an-muls", but proved to be himself as he fought sleep after 8:30. Even Jenna broke down in tears because she was so tired but couldn't sleep. We stopped off the road and fed Gage that was fussy, and the kids practiced peeing in the bushes. We arrived at 12:45am.Gage and I went to the All-night softball games at 2:45am. The games were entertaining, and apparently the tourney filled up with teams quickly. Gage fell asleep, and then we went back to Steve's parents' house. That was the point of the wee-hour excursion- Get him to sleep.

Saturday we went to Cottonwood Wash, hoping that there would be some mountain run off, but it was bone dry. It was a nice and short adventure made worthwhile by the nice scenery and the finding of a toad. I was as excited as the kids to find the toad and was too chicken to catch him. Steve caught him for Zac. Zac squeezed the pee out of him several times. No warts noted.
After lunch, we went to Blanding's new pool The slides are awesome. They have life jackets available, so the big kids explored and had a great time.
That afternoon, Steve's extended family started to trickle in from the Lake Powel trip. That means more good food, games and visiting.
Sunday we did not prepare well for church, and so while others went top church, we went to the 4th reservoir to throw rocks. It's so very pretty out there. The weather was perfect. The dog swam and the kids got their feet wet.
For lunch, Julene's Navajo friend, Gloria came over and made at least 50 fry-bread. I think that Julene makes great fry bread, but having them authentic was a treat. I thought the bread had a funnel-cake quality, and I loved it. Lunch was great- Navajo tacos.

That afternoon, Julene planned a version of the amazing race. We broke into groups and raced all over town, counting things at different places like, "how many picnic tables are under the pavilion at the North Chapel?". It was fun. Steve has the advantage of growing up there, and our map of attack worked well. Steve and I won. At least in our minds. :) That evening we went to the 3rd Reservoir to let the dog swim and we brought the camera this time. After dinner we went on a mountain ride- One if my favorite things to do in Blanding.

Monday was the fourth, and Blanding celebrates the 4th on the fourth. The day started for us with a 5K. Steve has been training/running at the gym for months now. I signed us both up in a moment of delusional thinking. So, yes, I "ran" too. Even though, I am pretty sure I did no exercising in the entire month of June aside from mowing the grass. Steve nearly met his goal for his first 5k, just shy by 42 seconds- if he had a watch on, he would have made it. I finished in 37 minutes and 25 seconds. I was pleased that I finished and wasn't last. It was a good motivator. Steve and I plan on doing another one in October. There were 12 or 14 of Steve's family that ran, some of which did really great.
After that, we got ready for the parade. Because Liss was home with a new baby, we didn't get the traditional picture with all the grand kids on the couch with their matching shirts... Next year. The parade was fun, but seemed exceptionally hot, maybe because I was more aware with a baby this time.

We skipped the booths this year, but still had some chicken-on-a-stick that Kevin grabbed for us. Instead, we ate lunch, played corn-hole and listened to Ryan on his banjo, which sparked my desire again to play the guitar. I took the big kids to the pool for an hour or so to let them enjoy free swim, that was shortened by a little guy that caused a pool-evacuation because he vomited. The cousins noted that of all the kids at the busy pool, Zac was the last to get out. I mean that, the very last.

Before dinner, Zac and I ran out to watch the barrel racing. I like that it feels nostalgic, and I think of home. The suppressed country-girl inside of me loves it. Lots of kids raced, and while it is cute, it is not as exciting as the adults racing. We stayed about an hour and went home.

That night was the fireworks on the hillside. We go just a bit early, play with glow bracelets, and listen to the band play. The fireworks are always impressive, and just when you think it's the grand finale, there are more! Our kids enjoy the other cousins (they are all actually Steve's cousins). They are so good with the kids!

Tuesday, Steve was able to go fish with his dad and Kevin. They didn't catch much, but half the fun for Steve is just going. We didn't do much the rest of the day aside from visiting as things settled down. We stopped at Grannie's and she was sweet to give us the blanket that is on her lap that she made years ago. I love afghans. We headed out by about 4pm. On the way home, we stopped at Wingers and ate with Kevin, Anna and Hyke.
We were again happy to be home that night.

Back to Utah

2011-07-19T17:00:00.001-06:00

June 6, 2011. Day 1 back home.
We were on our way early. It is always hard to say goodbye to mom. I see her standing on her deck waving. She is surrounded by green grass and hanging flowers. I see her with toys all over the deck and in the yard. I love her, and she loves my kids.

We drove for 130.5 miles and stopped in Mount Vernon, Illinois. We had McDonald's for breakfast and had the kids play at the playland while I fed the baby. The kids were very entertained by their new goodies from Buddy (Jenna got a Fur-real cat that was awesome, Zac got a transformer mask). Stop 2 was in Kingdom City, Missouri at 413.3 miles. The kids played at an outdoor playland. Trevor bit Zac and left a mark. Zac dumped a bucket on Steve at the playland that had some water in it. We had ham sandwiches and got some cheap gas and were back on the road. After we were back on the road, we thought, "Please nap on this next leg of the trip". Stop 3 was in Independence, MO. We went into BassPro, and I fed the baby. We all walked around in Bass Pro. It was a good stop. Finally, we stopped for the night in Topeka, Kansas to complete our 633.9 mile day.. We went I70 home almost exclusively for this hotel. It's a Holidome with a huge slide. We stopped here on the way to Utah a few years ago, and it was a lot of fun. The pool was so freezing. It literally felt like ice water, but there was also a good sized hot tub that was not that hot, so Trev and Gage and I played in there mostly while the kids went down the slide. Steve and I even went down the slide. It is pretty fun! Trev said in his deep 2 year old voice. "This is awesome. I happy!" For dinner, we ordered pizza. That night was not the best. Gage was feverish and continued to not co-sleep well. Jenna was in bed with Gage and me. At 2:40am he climbed up on Jenna and wanted to play. Trev had some trouble settling in, but ended up sleeping well. I did see him in the wee hours of the morning get up, run to the table and grab something and lay back down. I was too tired to care what it was. I was just relieved that he quickly seemed to go back to sleep. In the morning, we saw that it was a piece of pizza. We really party hard!

Day 2: Started off with McDonald's...can you tell we were getting lazy? and fatter? We were better eaters on the way. Anyway, McDonald's forgot the milk. It rained quite a bit on the first leg.Our first stop was in Salina, Kansas at 119 miles at Rolling Hills Wildlife Adventure. We have also stopped here before and had great experiences. It is essentially a Zoo, but better! The weather was great. The Tram was fun. My favorite part were the red kangaroos- all excited and jumping everywhere. Jenna said her favorite was the boa constrictor. Zac said it was the giraffes. Trev said the camels. Steve liked the scary noises the lions were barking at each other. The kids all got stuffed-animal snakes at the gift shop, and I got a visor. I am glad that we budgeted for this stop, and we all had a great time.
On the road again after a few hours. The kids all napped (small miracle). We then stopped at Wakeeny, Kansas after 241.0 miles. We got McDonald's and Gas. Zac had his first Big Mac ever.
Stop 3 was another one of my favorites, in Limon, Colorado. It was a small town with a great playground at an elementary school. Gage ate, the kids played, and we got gas. Back at it, and stop 4 was in Golden, CO. We drove around everywhere sick of fast food and couldn't decide what sounded good. Things were not going so hot as the baby bawled, and we were on the hunt for something to eat. We settled on Wendy's and they forgot something in the order. The kids barely ate, and we even skipped the pool that night! I was up a lot with Gage that night.

Day 3. Almost home! The next morning we had a luxurious breakfast that daddy made us courtesy of the Hampton Inn breakfast nook. We were on the road by 6:51am. Our first stop was Rifle, CO 177.3 miles in to the day. We stopped at a McDonald's playland and let the kids play, and I fed the baby, and we grabbed a few Red Box movies. Our 2nd stop was in Price, Utah- 405 mile in to the day. Hooray- we are close, but had nearly 2 more dreadful hours to go. This is where we all melted down, and the kids stopped listening and started fighting and whining with reckless abandon.. We went in to Walmart and did calisthenics, bought some chips to go with the Subway sandwiches and then spent the rest of the ride home crying off and on. After 488.9 miles, we made it to Orem, Ut in one piece and grateful to be home!

The trip was a success overall. No accidents. No troubles.

We saw 44 state license plates.
We saw raccoon, deer, rabbits, prairie dogs, coyotes, antelope, cows and horses, skunks, squirrels, turkeys, mules, ducks, geese and tons of birds, and other domestic things and all the zoo animals.
We used the GasBuddy app for gas along the way and loved having the technology of the GPS units, especially to find fun places to stop and let the kids stretch. Steve did a great job planning and budgeting for the trip. He thought of everything, and I mean that. He put a lot of time and research into the trip to make it a fun road trip for all of us. Love you Steve, and thank you!

We are there- Indiana Summer Vacation 2011

2011-07-16T23:32:00.001-06:00

Sunday we arrived in Madison. It was nice to be on Hwy 7. We went straight to Buddy and Carrie's new house for Mason's 10th birthday celebration. Their house is beautiful, just outside of town not far from where I grew up. They had a cookout with friends and family. We played an entertaining game of pick-up baseball with a wiffle-ball bat, kids sized gloves, a tennis ball and paper plates for bases. Boys vs girls ages 2-52. Mason, the humble All-Star, was genuinely shocked and amazed that Aunt Mandy caught his line-drive. Playing ball felt nostalgic.
Gage was passed around by many and loved by all. It was so good to play and visit. Seeing Buddy's kids was so fun. Kids grow so much in a year's time. Of course, mom and dad were there too. I love my parents.
We gave Mason a Jimmer shirt. He liked it. Apparently he is cool in Indiana too among Catholics.

Monday we woke up top a house full of kids. Mom babysits Buddy's kids in the summer. We had donuts for breakfast and got ready to go to Papaw Donn's for swimming. We napped. We went to Mason's summer league baseball game and watched him pitch some and catch some, just like his daddy did. Dad was there too to watch. Meatloaf for dinner. Yummy how mom makes it.

Tuesday (was our 10 year anniversary) Mom made 50 pancakes and 3 pounds of bacon and there weren't leftovers that I remember. We went again to Papaw to swim. Our friends from Kentucky came up to see us that evening. We went to the Downtowner for dinner and had massive cookies for dessert. We walked along the river and visited like old times. It was so nice to see them. It was hot and muggy, but the kids had so much fun playing in the tainted riverside.

Wednesday: Steve and Mason went out to stock the cooler with "refreshments" as they were called all week. We messed around at the house until George came to visit the grand kids. Everyone was spoiled with $10. By 2:30 we had a late lunch and naps before headed to Dad and Regina's new place. We got there about 5:15pm. Talk about an outdoor haven! They loved the creek! Cool water, living things. rocks, sticks and adventure. I would like to say they would stick around but I honestly couldn't say that. They probably would have wondered along that creek as far as it would take them if we didn't give them boundaries.
The older kids loved the creek and Trev loved blowing bubbles. It was great to see Dad's side of the family and his new house. It fits he and Regina perfect!
After dad's, we got a couple of movies. After Trev FINALLY fell asleep, we watched "Just Go With It" and ate popcorn.We stayed up way too late.

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Thursday: I was up early with Gage. It was 4:35am MT. We went o McDonald's and to the car wash to detox the van from the trip out.Later in the morning, Aunt Donna came to visit for a bit before we took on the Dollar General sore with 7 kids ages 8 months to 10 years. They all spent their $10 on water games and other junky treasures. We went home and ate. (Steve ran and got Chinese from his favorite Chinese restaurant in 3 states for the grown-ups.) After lunch, the grown ups filled a total of over 75 water balloons and set up the slip and slide and water games.That was truly so much fun. I think the kids will all remember that!
For dinner, we had ham for dinner and corn on the cob. Mason had another game, but we skipped because of the record heat and opted for blizzards instead.
Trev struggled falling asleep again. We watched "The Dilemma" and ate chips and salsa for our late night snack. Did I mention that I gained a good 5 pounds?

The boys love Uncle Steve!

An all-time favorite picture!

Friday: I slept in! Thank you Steve! Buddy and Carrie took the day off. We had a big delicious breakfast. We sunscreend the kids, changed our clothes and headed to Papaw's again with the whole gang. My cousin came too with her kiddos.Carrie miraculously got Gage to sleep at the poolside, and we enjoyed time visiting and playing with the kids. Cannon balls, watermelons, can-openers, ball-catch off the board, "Jack-pot", dive sticks, animal rescuers, water guns, beach balls, hand stand contests and throwing kids. shewwww. That was fun.

Grannie and Gage

Jenna and Bailey- fast friends

After that, Buddy and Carrie took the big kids and spoiled them to the core. Steve and I enjoyed just the 2 little kids and Rally's chicken wings. Yummo!
For dinner, we all met at Tapatio Mexican restaurant. Mom and dad and Buddy and Carrie and all the kids came.I thoroughly enjoyed that

Picture courtesy Jackson

. Afterward we went to see Aunt Donna at the hospital for a badly broken ankle/leg from a fall on Thursday. We went back to mom's and packed and visited. We were in bed by midnight...Zac still managed to pee the bed.Saturday" WE said our goodbyes and left town by 7:22am. That went way too fast!

Road Trip to Indiana

2011-07-16T22:17:00.001-06:00

Steve's boss at works marvels that we drove 1700 miles to Indiana with 4 small children. I am not sure why, beacuse he has 8 kids. We may be brave to traverse the counrty with our crew, but we haven't totally lost it!
J/k, go ahead and procreate...we just can't handle anymore.
Day 1: Anyway, the drive to Indiana was planned to start at 7 am on Friday, June 3rd. Jenna missed the last day of school, but didn't seem upset. In fact her and Zac woke Steve and me up at 5:30am, and so we were loaded, got breakfast and were on our way by 6:30am.
Northeast Utah is gorgeous. We went through Heber Valley and onto Wyoming that morning. After 203 miles, we stopped in Rock Springs, Wyoming for calisthenics and to feed the baby. We also filled up the tank with gas. That was mandatory for stops, whether we needed more gas or not...That is mostly because "what if by some miracle all 4 of the kids were asleep, and we needed to hit the road hard?" If there was less than a half tank of gas, it would be a shame. They all seem to wake up when we exit.
At 360 miles, we stopped at a super small town called Eagle Mountain, WY. Population 194. We stopped at a new, small elementary school to play and eat lunch.The town was lined with sandbags; they must have been expecting a flood. The kids thought this was a great stop until Jenna's head got in the way of the merry-go-round. They did have a good stop there. It was the kind of stop that makes it so I come along on these journeys.
The 3rd stop of the day was 580 miles into the trip. We stopped in Sidney, Nebraska. There is the Cabella's headquarters and a duck pond out front. I fed the baby and the kids explored with Steve. Zac and Jenna chased the poor ducks. This was the first stop where the weather was getting warmer.
The last stop of the day was at 704 miles- North Platte, Nebraska. We stayed at the Hampton Inn. Which to me is the "new" Holiday Inn. We swam in the pool. At first, Trev was not a fan, but it didn't take long until he loved the pool! Gage did good in the water as long as I was holding him close.
We ordered food from Runza, the order was wrong, which happened to be the rule with larger orders as opposed to the exception. Gage was a total bed hog, and we realized that night that bringing a pack and play for the baby may have been worth making adjustments in the van for. Because he is such a mover, I worried all night that my pillow barrier would not be enough to stop him from rolling onto the floor. He didn't fall on the floor the entire trip, but at the expense of my good nights rest. Wait, I haven't slept well in years! Trev slept on the floor because he too is a thrashing sleeper that needs his space.

Day 2:
Rise and shine and on the road again!
Our first stop was at 180 miles, in York, Nebraska. The 2nd stop was 381.9 miles into the day, at Stuart, Iowa. Finally, a new state, a cute town, and a great park! The kids swang, climbed, and chased a squirrel up a tree.Stop 3 was at mile marker 504 somewhere in Iowa. The baby ate, and the kids stretched. We met some nice folks from Canada at the rest stop there. We liked their accent: They said that they had traveled "aboot 5400 miles!". The final stop was in Galesburg, Illinois, 650 miles into the trip. We were looking for a Dairy Queen per my request, but we got slightly lost despite the GPS unit. We ended up at a McDonald's on a Saturday night were all the local senior citizens were having dinner and got a great show of disobedient, disheveled kids eating ice cream sundaes. At McDonald's, it is worthy to note that Trevor thought that he saw uncle Kevin and was certain that it was him.
The Final stop of the day was in Bloomington, Illinois. It was a 730 mile day.
We stayed at a Hampton Inn again. We swam in the pool that must have been the loudest environment of all time. There were several 11- 12 year old girls there for a softball tourney, and they were squealing in the worst acoustics ever. We literally could not hear each other talk. But the kids had fun. The room had 2 beds plus a couch that pulled out to a bed. That was nice! We all slept better that night.

Day 3:
We slept in on day 3 because we didn't have as far to go. We showered and enjoyed the breakfast there. Hamptin Inn waffles are awesome. Gage nearly ate an entire waffle on hos own. We opened Grandma's box that she prepared for us. That was so fun and thoughtful. The best part of the box was the travel bingo. We got a coverall minus seeing a pig, even though Steve says he saw some in a livestock trailer while I was sleeping. We saw a surplus of silos and even saw a house on fire that the kids thought met the "firehouse" criteria.
Our first stop of the day was in Edinburg, Indiana after 209 miles on the road. Woopwoop, I am starting to get real excited now, because it is familiar. I know that we are getting close to home. Plus, I love the Edinburg outlet, I even went in the Nike outlet briefly to experience the shopping Mecca before I fed the baby. We had McDonald's- they did not get our order right either. Then we headed for "home", almost to Madison. At 262 miles, we were at my brother's new house in Madison, Indiana. The total miles for the journey to Madison from Orem, Utah was 1704.7 miles.
The ride out was fun. We did the ticket thing again. They passed up a ticket at most every half and hour and were able to exchange that for a snack or a toy. The treats were all suprises that I had bought from the Dollar Tree and happy meal toys and junk food that we had hoarded for months as we planned for this trip.

The kids all did well. I would say that the toughest part of traveling is when they fight sleep, especially Trev. He would get so miserable that he would cover his head to help shut out any stimulation. It was both comical and pitiful.

Moms and Muffins

2011-05-30T21:14:00.001-06:00

This past Friday was "Mom's and Muffins" for Zac's class.
Mrs Heaps is Zac's teacher this year and what a perfect match. I love her energy, structure and tolerance and even love for Zac and his perpetual motion. She told me that Zac reminds her of her grandson, and even though he is always moving, he is a good student with a good heart.

They sang songs, had a slide show, and milk with muffins for us to enjoy. It was a nice little, casual program. Zac seemed to sing right to me. I love his smile. Yay Zacy on a great year.

Tee Ball

2011-05-30T20:49:00.001-06:00

Tee ball.

This is Zac's first year of T-ball. He had one practice and his first game was Saturday morning. The practice was comical because this was a lot of the kids' first experience with t-ball- running bases, knowing what to do with the ball, batting and deciphering between football and baseball. The kids all flocked to the ball from their various positions.
The game was fun. I have to say it's easy to get in to- I have a competitive spirit. I loved cheering for the kids and seeing them do well. It was a lot of fun. No tears, just fun. Zac was a scrapper and did really well. He was a good little teammate too. All the kids were great. Oh, it's fun to live vicariously through your kids..is that it, or is it just that you like to see them be good at something and having fun with friends and using their bodies? Probably a little of both. Either way, I had great fun in my camp chair. The kids did great watching too, which has been my reluctance to enrolling the kids in stuff. I imagined Trev running into the field, the baby crying and Jenna off dancing around somewhere or climbing a tree. Luckily, the baby did great at the practice, and although Trev had to have a ball and glove of his own, he wasn't terribly disruptive, and Jenna played on the playground within earshot. It was fun to get out. The game was even better because Steve came and Uncle Jeff, plus we tried out the sweet Go Pod. I am going to love the Go Pod this summer!

Team Huddle with Coach Paul and Coach Ryan

First Base- "throw it to me"

"What's up Coach?"

Lovin' the GoPod for the baby. It's like a camp chair for Gage!

7 months

2011-05-16T21:55:00.002-06:00

Bath Baby Gage- 7 months

Gage is 7 month now. What can I say, I love my babies. I love his cuddles. He is rocking on all fours, and tonight he was skooching along on his belly. He'll be crawling in no time. But, no rush to grow my baby.

Happy Day for me!

2011-05-16T21:42:00.002-06:00

Friday, May 6th, the secretary at work brought flowers back to me, and I thought, "What is this?". It didn't dawn on me that they were for me at first. I ripped open the card, and, sure enough...to me, from Steve: "Happy Mother's Day". That was so nice, I managed to get them home, the vase only tipped once, and I only cussed them a little. The lilies and carnations in the bunch are still alive and pretty. So very nice to be loved.
Saturday was Derby day. I managed to pick the worst night of the month to go to Orem's walmart that I already hate because the lines are sooo long. I don't even try to take the kids anymore, it's just a break-down waiting to happen there. Anyway, I went the night before Mother's day. It was so packed that I opened a coke in checkout and was nearly finished by the time my stuff was scanned. I do love Coke! Saturday night I put away groceries and stayed up late getting some stuff squared away from my class (tell you later about that). I woke up Sunday morning and Steve was out of bed and the kids were up and at 'em. That, in itself, is nice that I wasn't invited. Then I awoke from drifting to 2 very cute kids, a 5 and 7 year old to be precise, that were followed by their daddy who held a tray of breakfast. Ah, breakfast in bed. Scrambled eggs that they cracked, toast, fruits (even bananas that Jenna hates and Zac loves) with cut up strawberries, yogurt, a wine glass of milk and a beautiful flower and folded napkin. They were all smiles and so proud. They had made cards and gifts at school for me. I love how pleased they were, and I love that their daddy made it happen. After I was full as can be, I went back to sleep until 10! We missed church and with 4 small kids, that is a gift in some ways! It was just such a nice day. I enjoyed my family. Zac said, "Maybe when it is Children's Day, you can serve me breakfast in bed." Trev told me a few times "Happy Birthday!", until he got it right! Gagey would smile and slime my face with a slobbery kiss...and I love that from my baby!
Love them!
PS: Happy Mother's Day, belated, to all mommies. What a hard job! Love you, MOM!