{ For Fun }

Answer the following with only one word.

1. Where is your cell phone? .................nowhere
2. Your significant other?.......................preparing
3. Your hair?....................................done
4. Your mother? .................................wonderful
5. Your father?....................................productive
6. Your favorite thing?..........................Family
7. Your dream last night?......................quiet
8. Your favorite drink........................... water
9. Your dream/goal?..............................travel
10. The room you're in?..........................clean
11. Your children?.....................................sleeping
12. Your fear?...................................Failure
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years...........successful
14. Where were you last night?...................here
15. What you're not?.............................cold
16. Muffins......................................bran
17. One of your wish list items?.................baby
18. Where you grew up?...........................bc
19. What you read last........................Blogs
20. What are you wearing?........................clothes
21. Your TV?.....................................off
22. Your pets?...................................None
23. Your computer? .........................Essential
24. Your life?...................................full
25. Your mood?...................................calm
26. Missing someone?..........................friends
27. Your car?....................................clean
28. Something you're not wearing?................coat
29. Favorite Store?..............................target
30. Your summer?.................................wet
31. Like someone?................................family
32. Your favorite color?.........................blue
33. Last time you laughed........................today
34. Last time you cried?........................dunno

That was a waste of time eh!! Hope everybody is having a great day!! We got alot done here went to the temple this morn, mowed, did some yard work, got ready for tomorrow, D took Kolt fishing yesterday and today no fish though but they had fun, got our vechiles all clean, trimmed some trees, got the house clean. So it was a productive day for us all!! Have a great Sunday! Can you believe its June tomorrow this year is flying by !

{ Flashback Friday }

flickr img
So today is a lot of short questions I thought that would be funner then just a random short question:

What is my favorite food and why? I love foods that make me feel good after I eat them so that would be chicken, fruit, veggies, smoothies, stuff like that- love healthy food {I know I'm

weird }

What food will I never eat? Why ? Not a fan of raw food or stuff like sushi although I've never had it and don't really plan too. I don't like fried or greasy foods at all I get sick and a wicked stomach ache if I eat foods like that.

What food would I like to try? I would love to try different foods from different countries countries.

What is your favorite ice cream? I'm not the hugest ice cream fan {I love frozen yogurt} but blue bunny cookie dough ice cream is so so good when we were in Florida we had it all the time and sadly we can't get it here {probably a good thing ha ha}

What is your least favorite ice cream?? I don't like the fake looking, weird colored ice cream except I do like black licorice kinds.

What does 1 dozen eggs currently cost in 2008? $2.49

A loaf of bread? $2.89 {for the good whole grain kind} But I usually make bread anyway.

A gallon of milk? $ 3.29

A litre of gas? $1.26 today {disgusting eh!} {thats really why I bought a new big stroller so I can hitch up the pony when it climbs even higher j/k but maybe we all should go back to the horse and buggy eh!}

How much does it cost to go to a movie theatre? $8.50/adult $7.50/kid {I only know cause we went to Narnia a couple weekends ago otherwise we usually wait and go to the cheap theatre or wait for the dvd!

Who do you look like more your mom or your dad? I think my dad as I've been told anyway--

Who do you act more like your mom or dad? I lean more to my dad but a mix of both I think!

What is something that brings a smile to your face? I love watching the kids play with D and watching them have fun and laughing makes me happy, I think the times we have fun together as a family all of us and just us makes me smile because I really feel blessed to even be a family and to see my kids laughing and healthy and happy makes me happy.

What is something that always makes you feel sad? I can't stand it when children are mean to other children like bullying in schools or just on the playground or just to each other anywhere, it makes me so sad. I hate to see child knocked down in esteem and growth as much as physically. Abuse and racism and people in general judging and being mean to others just because of what they are or what they look like etc makes me so sad and sometimes a bit angry!

If you could go back in time, what time period would you choose and why??

I would love the early times like late 1800's early 1900's frontier kind of times gone with the wind times around there just seems exciting to me {no worries of BPA in my bottles or cans of food {ha ha} for real it was a simpler time a harder time but a happier time I think. Just different from our day.

What would you never wear in public? Probably my PJ's no offence to those who would I just wouldn't

Describe your favorite smells? I love a freshly bathed lotioned baby, I love the smell just before and after it rains, love the smell of fresh bread, brownies, okay baking in general smells great. love the smell of play dough and cucumbers {at the same time ha ha} it reminds me of kindergarten for some strange reason, love the smell of salt city candles the yummy ones like snowfall, pinacolada, love the smell of coconut in general but coconut sun screen is yummy, love the smell of coffee {see below} love the smell of gas {I know weird but I do}, I love the smell of tar too {it reminds me of the boat docks my dad worked at where his commercial fishing boat was and we always went there when we were younger. There are lots of others but for now thats good.

What is your favorite flavor of gum to chew? This will sound weird but I love Cinnamon vanilla gum from Starbucks { its actually an after coffee gum I don't drink coffee obviously but I love the gum {I do love the smell of Coffee though it reminds me of my grandma when we were little and would stay at her house }

What is your favorite chocolate bar? I don't really eat them but if I did it would be a big Turk probably

Okay that's probably enough but that was kind of fun give it a try! Years from now it will be fun to read over and see the answers.

So have a good weekend I hope we'll finally get our garden planted, do some fishing we hope anyway kolt has wanted to go for awhile guess we'll see, some family stuff and hopefully good weather!

Hope everyone has a great weekend! Make it a memorable one!!

Life is full of beauty. Notice it. Notice the bumble bee, the small child, and the smiling faces. Smell the rain, and feel the wind. Live your life to the fullest potential, and fight for your dreams.”

ps excuse the ugliness of my blog I haven't had time to fix it just playing around with things and need to fix it bad!

{ Thankful Thursday }

So thankful for a view like this and a morning like this the sun is out everything is so green and full its beautiful ! My neighbors were going to cut down all there trees and I was so sad and told them please don't ! They said I caused quite a discussion in there house between D and I . I'm so so thankful they didn't do it!! So thankful my yard is full of these lilacs I love lilacs. Doesn't this picture make it look like you can smell them?!{Yes he needed a haircut!} I'm thankful this year Kolten is loving Soccer and developing some sweet mad soccer skills ha ha!! He told me he likes it better then baseball I think its just because he's moving fast all the time in soccer no down time! But he is enjoying both! {Notice the whack job the girl who did his hair managed to do! He looks military ready? Oh well he still looks like a stud ha ha} I was not very happy because we have family pics next weekend I'm hoping it starts growing really fast!!

I'm just thankful that the sun came out again and the kids are back to having fun and not so much whiny, now that alone is a big thankful moment!! Here are some more pics from over the last couple of days of the monkey!! I think summer might be here! Have a great day!Make it an awesome one!

My new favorite picture of the week!

{ Me Thinks Monday }

Wow another week crazy rain all week. My kids are so ready to get out and do something and are practically bouncing of the walls. But right now all is quiet and they are all having a good much needed nap so thought I'd jump on here and do a post.
We did some fun things this weekend I went to town with Kolt but he he wanted to come home as soon as we got there then he wanted me to buy everything, so really it wasn't a break for me and really he should have stayed home and had a nap! Oh well live and learn right! I got my stroller though my little sister came to town and dropped it off. So excited D put it together and I love it!!! Can't wait for it totally clear up so I can get outside for now they had fun playing in the big box the stroller came in !!

Yeah for ebay and my sister in law for taking care of all the ordering and getting it here, my mom for picking it up and my sis for bringing it to town nice to have family who help out and I sure appreciate it!!

D and I went to a wedding reception sat night that was so nicely decorated {simple, yet classy I really liked it!} and we got to see some friends we haven't seen in a long time. After that we ran to the adult session of stake conference it was so good to be able to sit and listen no struggling with the kids to occupy them and we even got to hold hands and sit together that rarely happens anymore so it was nice. D had to speak early Sunday morning to the men so he was kind of preoccupied until he got his talk done with, but I'm sure he did an amazing job he always does. Sunday we went to stake conf which was a broadcast and my kids were so tired that it was hard to hear and we ended up in the hall alot.
But I'm sure it was good I got one phrase out of it that I can remember and maybe how I was feeling yesterday I really needed it, it was "have a house of ORDER" we are all trying aren't we!! The other thing I remember was smile and read my scriptures for at least five minutes a day so I got more out of it then I thought! Another highlight of the day was meeting CASSIE a fun, cute girl I've "met" through my blog it was so fun to meet her in real life. Nice to have friends that you've never met but share feelings and thoughts and get advice from its a blessing. I really enjoy it and the people I've met through my blog and can't wait to meet some more.
Then yesterday evening we went to a friends house for dinner it was nice to sit and talk and enjoy dinner together and let the kids play downstairs. Rebecca is a great cook too, so many talents that girl has. But we really enjoyed our time there relaxing and catching up and the kids had a lot of fun playing too. Nice to get out of the house.
So nice weekend despite the rain.

ME THINKS

So I've been thinking about the normal life things like being a better mother, trying new things in hopes that something will work great with the kids. Some you win, some you don't. Always trying is what counts right. We all just want our kids to grow up to be respectful, honest, happy, obedient hard working people right and we hope and pray that what we do everyday will produce that. Some days are harder then others but I think about it alot. One of the talks sat night was so good it got me thinking again about the things that matter. She said her son was playing soccer in the rain so he was drenched and muddy and jumped in puddles and then came into the house and she said her first thought was "ahh your on the floor your getting everything dirty and muddy etc. Then she says that thought passed and she said " WOW looks like you had so much fun I'm so glad !! etc. But you get the point sometimes its all in the reaction. What really matters the muddy floor??or my child had fun, felt good, came home uplifted and didn't get the what are you thinking clean up the floor, get your muddy clothes off. I want to be better at enjoying the minute and less worried about the dishes, the floors etc what matters in the long run? The children and how we treat them and make them feel is what matters the very most.
---------------------------------------------------
I'm reading The Story of The Martin Handcart Pioneers right now and I found this quote on marriage that I love written by {a newlywed pioneer named John Jaques}:

"Marriage is a wonderful thing, the wonder of wonders. It is a veritable garden of delights, of felicities unspeakable, a perennial fountain of the most exquisite sweetness, happiness, pleasures imaginable, a land of enchantment. The riches and honors of the world are nothing in comparison with it."
{ I read it to D and he says sounds like Anne of Green Gables to me ha ha Typical }

I just thought that was beautifully written. Although our days are filled and sometimes we hardly see each other D is my best friend and my favorite time of the day is just before we fall asleep talking, laughing and getting caught up on the day. Love it. Learning from each other, growing together, working together and building something that will have a lasting strong relationship from now through eternity takes a lot of work but so so worth it. Our happiest times are together now matter where it is.

"So much has been given to me I have no time to ponder over that which has been denied."

Helen Keller.

Hope everyone has a great week. Make it a good one.

{ Flashback Friday }

pic courtesy of flickr img

Question :
{ In random form today}
WHAT WAS I DOING 5 YEARS AGO?:
I had been married six years and Kolt was a year and half then, we had just got back from Uof S in Saskatoon and D was working on his Masters Thesis end of his degree.

In our family my sil Melissa got married, my sister Dawna got home from her mission to Wisconsin. So it was a good year getting back into real life after university and being high rise boardwalk property managers while living in Saskatoon.

SNACKS I LOVE:
-fruit
-granola with yogurt
-tortilla warmed up with apple slices/a little pb
or with nutella and a banana

I LOVE:
my church, my husband, my children, my life

5 THINGS ON MY TO DO LIST:
-get a grad present for some H.S grads
-make supper
-send some new pics to my grandma
-finish soccer pictures of teams
-figure out how to get my new stroller here it finally came I'm so excited YEAH!!!

5 THINGS I WOULD DO IF I WERE A BILLIONAIRE:
- get a new house, at least a bigger house
- get all our food storage
- get a boat
- give some to my brothers and sisters and parents, friends
- save it for future and school for kids

5 BAD HABITS I HAVE:
- I drive to fast.
- I have to have a clean house before I go to bed
- When I'm nervous or upset I move my feet together or swing my legs really bad like cross them and move my leg
-I have to many junk drawers
- My running commentary in church if D is sitting beside me, so since he is in the bishopric I've been pretty good for awhile ha ha!

5 PLACES I HAVE LIVED:
-all over BC, S. Alberta
-Deseret Cattle and Citrus Ranch, Florida
-Rexburg, Idaho
-Logan, Utah
-Saskatoon, SK

5 JOBS I'VE HAD:

-chamber maid

-teachers assistant for about 7 years all over

-DQ, subway etc

-Boardwalk property managers Regal Towers in saskatoon showing apts, putting together leases, collecting rent, evicting people, taking customer complaints, the things we do to get through university!!

-IHC child development care center in Logan

- {as well as many other jobs!!}

6 THINGS PEOPLE MAY OR MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT ME:
-I grew up in my early years with an outhouse and no electricity when I was very very little.
-I have moved 29 times in my 32 years.
-I have never cooked with oil meaning fried with it ever in my married life, hate the smell of it and the unhealthy ness of it! I Hate all greasy foods, and when I eat it if I do I get sick {I know I know its physiological }
-I love to read histories, and pioneer stories, real life biographies and I just love to read in general {authors like anita stansfield, racheal anne nunes, claire paulson, betsy brennon green, nancy allen campell, dean hughes, Jack Weyland, etc love them!! } I read when I'm on my treadmill and can go forever with a good book!!
-I used to sing and act in plays all the time growing up when I was 10 I was Dorothy in the wizard of oz in a community play and won awards and went around singing at all a lot of places.
- I took math 9 two times and failed, I'm not a math person but I know how to write a check and balance the checkbook even if I use my fingers!! I moved a lot when I was young and a math teacher told me in grade 11 if I wanted to do good in math I needed to go back to grade 3! So I don't know math very well and I can't sew! But I can do a lot of other things! I was a good speller and I loved Biology. But I had to work hard to get decent grades, didn't come easy!

Well have a great weekend! Mine will be rainy but hopefully the sun is shining somewhere out there!!

“One day your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure its worth watching.”

{ Thankful Thursday }

flikr img.
Thankful {pouring rain} Thursday beautiful we need it. I'm thankful for the rain. I went for an early, early run this morning in it, it felt awesome! Thankful for the time to think and feel ready for another day.
flikr img.
I'm thankful for my little girl who loves to help me bake bread {or whatever this week it was bread} I really love that time together. We practice counting or while its mixing I get her to do her abc's. My baby girl is growing up and its hard to think of her going to preschool in the fall. She is so fun and feisty~!

I'm thankful for this boy and his funny faces - his laughter, his help, his insight in life. His love of learning he loves to learn new things, loves soccer and baseball. The fact that he has a better memory then me is scary he is 99% right so no point in arguing with him. Its crazy to think of him getting so big. Does anybody or everybody worry about how there kids will turn out in this scary world? We do the best we can but its really scary.

I'm so thankful for good music. I love music {all kinds of music}. I LOVED American idol this season it was so awesome. The changes like having an instrument, and it was just a bunch of fun people. For the first time since the beginning of AI I didn't care who won both were so deserving. Both won in character, the examples and the talent alone -- both have AMAZING voices. It was great to see an LDS {two of them loved Brooke too } in the top ten, good examples for all we stand for and the lives we live. Can't wait for thier CD's! { Funny thing I was on the computer before AI started here and went to read Betsy's blog and she spoiled for me lol!! She is about 2 hours ahead of us and they already knew who won. I was shocked a bit that David A. didn't win I really thought he would. But realized when I watched it later that either way they both have an incredible future ahead and both are great guys!! But thanks Betsy for spoiling it for me ha ha}
I'm so thankful that I finally got my sister in laws grad present from BYU-I to her its been weighing on my mind sitting around waiting to be put together. I even had some "scrapinspiration" when making her card simple, fast and done!! BTW Does anybody have any great grad gift ideas for high school graduates now we have that to think about??

So thankful for a life of living, of loving, and of laughing. There are so many things to be enjoyed, so many things to learn from our tears and trials, pains and joys, and so many oppurtunities to help others. {Something to check out in giving and serving and developing a habit and I love the challege. Think about it.} Have an awesome day!

"The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”

{This should be the Me thinks for this week ...}

flickr img.
Because I can't stop thinking about it and I can't wait until Monday to write about it. { And its pouring rain outside anyway. }So in reading the ensign (from this month) the other day I found something that brought tears to my eyes because after struggling to put my kids to bed this paragraph from Elder M. Russell Ballard's talk jumped out at me and stayed with me so I want to share it- it says :

"{Author Anna Quindlen} reminds us not to rush past the fleeting moments. She said: "The biggest mistake I made {as a parent} is the one that most of us make.... I did not live in the moment enough. This is particularly clear now that the moment is gone, captured only in photographs. There is one picture of {my three children} sitting in the grass on a quilt in the shadow of the swing set on a summer day, ages six, four, and one. And I wish I could remember what we ate, and what we talked about, and how they sounded, and how they looked when they slept that night. I wish I had not been in such a hurry to get on to the next thing: dinner, bath,book,bed. I wish I had treasured the doing a little more and the getting it done a little less."

We only have so much time with them sometimes I know I get caught up with the dinner, book, prayer, and scrip, bed routine. Instead of taking moments that will really matter so I don't have to look back someday when they are grown and say I wish I had.... But its hard to do sometimes in the now. When its been a long, tiring day!

SO
put perfectly by someone out there, another so true writing:



Why I love being a mother?

It makes me do things I would otherwise never have courage to do.
It makes me see things from a smaller, more innocent perspective.
It makes me more confident in my decision making skills.
It makes me rely on faith and promptings in a way I have never known.
It makes me stick to my guns, and stick up for my kids.
It makes me see how lucky I am to have healthy, happy kids.
It makes me appreciate my own mother more than ever.

Why do you love being a mother?

{ Adoption }

We dreamed of you long before
You came into our world.
We dreamed about adopting
a little boy or little girl.
We didn't yet know when or
where or even if or how,
But we knew the child
we dreamed about
would come to us somehow.
The ocean of adoption has a
rough and tumble tide,
But we jumped into the water
knowing you were worth the ride.
And even though the journey
had some sad and stormy weather,
The prize was worth a million storms
when we were all together.
It's difficult to dare to dream of
becoming a father or mother,
When you can't control your destiny
and need the help of others.
That's why you're such a miracle-
you found us and we found you.
We dared to dream,
we dreamed of you.
We dreamed...and YOU came true!
--Karen Burniston


{I found this poem and love it ! Just wanted to share} We feel so blessed with our three beautiful miracles, and can't wait for another one to join our family when the right time comes.














" When you were placed in my arms, you softly slipped into my heart."

{*Check out r house she is such an advocate and voice of adoption good things are happening everywhere for adoption! }

{Me thinks /Weekend fun}

Well another long fun weekend Friday was so hot I took the kids to the park and after the kids jumped on the tramp with water and enjoyed the day playing Kolten said it was the best day of his life ha ha!! So it must have been pretty good! On Saturday I took Kolt and Lauren with my brother and his wife Kristyn and there kids to see Narnia Prince Caspian so so good we just finished the book so it was fun for them to know what was happening and hear them tell there cousins {fun for me to know they were actually listening}
Then after that we went skeet shooting out at the Ranch so fun !! That was a long night next time we'll be getting a babysitter but it was still alot of fun! The kids sat in the burb most of the time watching a movie but the other half they were playing in an old foundation and the pond so they still had fun it was just hard to keep them all happy for so long but well worth to go shooting I have a nice big bruise on my shoulder from the kickback! Sunday D's brother was put into there wards Bishopric so we went to there ward and then to their house for dinner. Sometimes in a large family its nice to have just a few of us get together doesn't always have to be everybody it was nice to just talk and my sil is a great cook too so it was a nice relaxing afternoon. Awesome fun though so it was a great weekend. { Only problem is my kids are so so grouchy today beyond grouchy actually} Have an awesome week!!!

Masen just chilling in his chair with a water bottle and some food aahh!! He was so cute just chillin!!

Lauren actually learned to ride the trike she does things on her own timetable and this weekend she decided she wanted to do it!






I know its hard to see us but I love the scenery from the ranch its so pretty!!

Check out the gun smoke!

This one makes me laugh because the angle looks like I'm shooting at D if you enlarge it our faces are pretty ugly!!

I love this picture of D !!!!

"ME" ... Tagged by Cassie So this is me thinks for today:

Two Names you go by:

1. MOM

2. chris, christal

Two things you are wearing now:

1. Jean Capri's

2. flip flops and a short sleeved hoodie

Two of your favorite things to do:

1. Spending time with my family

2. early morning runs since its nice now!

Two things you want very badly at this moment:

1. All the laundry and weekend mess cleaned up by someone else besides me oh and the dishes and the floors and good naps for the cranky children

2. A vacation

Two of my favorite pets:

1. none

Two people who you think will fill this out:

1. Dawna

2. Tasha

Two things I did last night:

1. went to bed at 7 and slept all night I was so tired!!

2. Went to my brother and sil's house for dinner in the afternoon

Two things I ate today:

1. Red river cereal

2. Tomato and basil on a flatbread

Two longest car rides:

1. That would have to be 5 days across the states to Florida!! That is a long trip! But fun to see about 20 states along the way there and back!

2. That would have to be the drive back from Florida three months later ha ha!!

Two Favorite holidays:

1. Christmas by far the feeling the giving the service !

2. Thanksgiving probably i love the smells of fall and the feel of family!

Two Favorite Vacations:

1. Our water ski/ lake vacations every summer at Echo lake or Ty lake! So relaxing and love the water boat and Knee boarding/water skiing!

2. PEI with D in 2005 so fun! We camp rented a car and drove all over cape Breton, Halifax, Pei Anne of green gables all that fun!

Two Favorite drinks:

1. I love cold water

2. V8 /Smoothies my kids favorites too I just love stuff that feels like its so good for me!

{ Flashback Friday }

Question today is What is your favorite hymn?
{That's not really flashback but more my preference I guess. So hard to pick just one I have so so many but this one is one of my favorite hymns and since I really want to get outside cause its beautiful out follow this link and read the words. What words to live by. How better off the whole world would be if we followed each word of this hymn. D's uncle wrote the music to this hymn to so it's a special hymn to our family a personal link I guess? I love the scripture that goes along with it too in
John 13" 34-35
"34: A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love another, as I have loved you, that ye also love one another
35: By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

I just love hymns that make me want to do better and make me ask questions like why can't we all be nicer? why do we judge? how/who can I help ?? We are all so different and all unique but the biggest problem in this world is judging others and discriminating against our differences, or one feeling better then the other instead of just loving everyone for who they are no matter what there is good in everyone sometimes you have to look hard but there is. Being happy for others instead of judging or really getting to know others, there struggles, happiness etc.
{I saw a man with earrings everywhere and tattoos up and down his arms and chains yesterday riding a bike towards town which is about 20 min driving and I thought oh he probably got his license taken away??? Then I caught myself and thought how do I know I just judged him by the way he was dressed and looked maybe he just was going for a bike ride WHO knows?? It was a good lesson for me}
I love a hymn that brings a memory with it I remember singing at age 9 at my grandmas funeral and a cousin who died on her way home from Ricks in 95"God be with you till we meet again" and it always brings tears to my eyes remembering, there are so many great hymns. I love music!! What is your favorite hymn?
Anyway have a beautiful weekend ! Make it an awesome one.

{ Thankful Thursday }

I'm so thankful this week is almost over j/k but its been a long week really busy. Yesterday was a crazy day running here and there and trying to get Masen's birthday stuff done. I'm surprised I got everythng done add that with PMS ing and a collapsed cake and all things considered it went just fine. Happy kids and smiling faces and the excitment of watching Masen open his gifts made it all worth it. So today I'm doing thankful thursday with pictures from yesterday. So here goes:
I'm thankful my kids get so excited over being able to pick their own choose of breakfast birthday sugary cereal because we usually only ever have cheerios in our house {mostly cause its the only kind all three will eat} so its a special treat they get happy over simple things and I love the the enthusiasm. {Really I think he was excited about the panda on the box and the frisbree thing in it }








I'm so thankful kids can find the simplest thing like a tupperware container and turn it into a boat or wagon or whatever.




























I'm thankful the cake turned out cute for like 10 minutes I saw the picture on someones blog sorry can't even remember where and thought that it looked easy and cute. {Ya well should have left a comment asking what kind of cake they used oh well next time I guess} It stayed upright enough to get some pics before it collapsed and became a "cool" according to kolten sunken ship that got cannoned the kids thought was cool so I guess it wasn't a complete flop right???{ secretly I was so bummed cause I have a tendency to like things to look just right}



















I'm thankful my kids all get excited over each others gifts and all share the gifts {mostly nicely} I like this picture because it shows kolts addiction to all things soft in this picture he said "oh I like it its even softer then mine" He has a big dog too. {heaven forbid ha ha} Anybody know how to get a six year old over a sucking problem ??










I'm thankful Masen can multi task - play and eat nice eh! Looks disgusting but he ate all the cake and licked off the animals. He just loves animals real and plastic he always has to have something in his hand. So cute.

I'm thankful for the family that came to have dinner and cake with us grandma and aunt alley showed up just before dinner and it was so fun to have them too as well as aunt Dawna and Mont and "diidii" {kinlee} the kids loved it and Kolten was a little more convinced it was actually a birthday party {even though I forgot the balloons}









So I'm thankful for my family this week always but especially this week. Thankful for a husband who cleaned up after the party and mopped the floors, did the dishes and let me sleep when I feel asleep exhausted putting masen to bed, for my sister for always supporting us and loving my kids so much they adore her ! For cousins, parents, grandparents for the love they all show our family it means so much to have love within the family and to know that they always care about you no matter what! Have a great day.


Other things may change us, but we start and end with the family.-- Anthony Brandt

So I made Orange Chip Cake and everybody loved it {I got it from Heather} It turned out really good of course next time I wouldn't use it to make a pirate cake lol how depressing I totally would have made another one if I had had time!! Anyway passing it on :


ORANGE CHIP CAKE
Yellow Cake Mix
6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
Orange Juice
Red food coloring
Prepare cake mix as directed substituting orange juice for the water. Add a few drops of red food coloring for orange color. Mix in chocolate chips. Pour into 9 x 13 cake pan and bake as directed. Frost with homemade chocolate frosting:

HOMEMADE CHOCOLATE FROSTING
3 C. powdered sugar
1/3 C. cocoa
1 cube butter
1 tsp. vanilla
milk (to desired consistency)

{ 2 years old today }

Happy Birthday Mase!! I can't believe my baby is two today. What a two years its been ups and downs, fearful, long, wonderful and full of miracles!

Let me start from the beginning. In august of 2005 we got our papers to start number three adoption we had our little Lauren who was one by then and we weren't sure how long it would take having 2 children already. {of course you never know what a birthmother is looking for but.. } we felt like the time was right to put in our papers so we did the mounds of paperwork, homestudy, interviews and more paperwork and documents all done and in with our profile and approved by Dec. In march we were asked to tell our stories and bring in our photo albums and talk to a group of birthmothers deciding whether to place or parent. We had done these classes before and both times had resulted in telling someone we know about them and the birthmother placing with that couple. SO its really, really nerve wracking to do a class especially when your profile is out there too. Totally overwhelming we felt good about the class and I remember thinking about a young girl there that wow that baby would look like Kolten. Well a week later on April 12 we got a phone call that we had been chosen by THAT BIRTHMOTHER our Chelsie. I guess we had done a good job on our presentation? It happened to be the same day that my sister had her baby and the coincidence is that she told me she was pregnant the day we called to have the adoption packet to start again. What a day it was and to find out that the baby was due on MAY 14 less then a month from the time of our face to face and once again 9 months from paperwork to placement how blessed and rare that is in adoption. In meeting her and her parents it was wonderful as with our previous two there is almost an immediate connection a feeling of having known these girls before and when we were finished crying, talking, hugging, laughing and talking again, we felt good and that all would be alright {we knew from the beginning that it was a high risk placement because of the birthfather and his family} But after attending the temple and the little miracles along the way we knew this baby was meant for our family. On May 14th Masen was born healthy and strong 7 lds 3 oz on Mothers Day of that year what a mothers day gift. There is nothing harder then knowing your baby is born and having to wait for a couple of days for placement those times are full of anticipation, fear, hope, prayer and excitement and so many phonecalls and wondering what he looks like. So the high risk placement came into effect because Masen was born on a weekend we needed papers to be signed by the judge to be able to take him from the hospital and it so happened that the judge was on HOLIDAY for two weeks so there were decisions to be made regarding who takes the baby home. We felt with all our heart and after lots of prayers that we would risk it and continue on with placement instead of risking our dear birthmother taking the baby home and changing her mind. But another miracle happened when just before placement a couple hours before the LDS family services lawyer ran into the judge having the papers and got the right signatures. We bawled because it really was a miracle and already they were calling so many things about this adoption a miracle {little did we know the trials that would come and miracle after miracle would happen} We were so relieved ! We had a very special and spiritual placement it was very beautiful and Chelsie was a rock. {Did I mention she was also our caseworkers niece so that made it even closer to home for our caseworker} Very powerful placement.

Here we have 10 days after placement and those ten days passed and we thought all would be just fine so we worked on our paperwork so we could be finalized and sealed} Masen was a wonderful, happy, strong, beautiful baby. In august of that year we were sued {thankfully another blessing was that they didn't know who we were so they sued LDSFS saving us a whole lot of money} for the first time which would be the first of three times of wondering if our baby would be taken from us, of wondering who was watching us because there was information that shouldn't have been given to the other parties but was somehow making it there from somebody in our town?? Very unnerving. We did find out who it was and it was taken care of they disappeared mysteriously j/k as if}. But it was a horrible, horrible time full of tears, prayers, worrying. In my heart I think I knew that there was no way the birthfathers family could win, but it was the thought that somebody wanted our baby. The baby that was a part of our family that I got up with every night, that we fed, loved, played with, bonded with, cared for and loved. Who had a mother and a father and a brother and sister who were now apart of a family. Imagine someone trying to take your baby.

This case was a case that the head and top adoption authorities were interested in the outcome so all our paperwork and documents went to the head government adoption workers. Crazy to think about now. We had so many miracles that I can't even write them all or this would be more of a novel then it already is! But we were definitely blessed and watched over and Heavenly Father was watching over us and knew this boy belonged with our family and what a blessing he is to us. All our children all. So now he is two and all that is behind us. We were sealed in December of the same year he was born which was a beautiful and spiritual day and to know that he was forever ours was such a feeling I can't even describe. I guess really only those who have been through it know what I'm talking about. {we were sued twice after that too} So you can imagine how hard that was too, he was ours not only now, but forever.

Fast forward to today I have a boy who loves to run, play, laugh, escape {he has a guardian angel I'm pretty sure after the times he has escaped across the highway or stood in front of a truck within 2 seconds} and the things he has eaten or put in his mouth yeah he is watched over. He loves animals especially dogs and horses. He loves his sister and brother and anything they have or do he wants to have or do too!! He loves his dad like a big addiction he cries when he can't leave with him. He is a busy busy boy but he it tenderhearted and full of life. I know he loves me and I love how excited he gets when he gets out of nursery and says MOMMY MOMMY look!! and shows me what he learned or colored that day. He is smart and funny. I love him so much and really can't imagine life without him as part of our family.

I am so blessed with my three beautiful, fun, good kids. I know of course I would love to be pregnant someday but I know that these children were meant to come to our home and that my Heavenly Father loves me and hears my prayers and just had another plan for our family. I can't imagine it any other way. Happy 2nd BIRTHDAY My Masen boy!!! I love you.

{ Me Thinks Monday.... }

I hope everybody had a fabulous Mothers Day! Sunday was good I got breakfast in bed from my boys. The cutest card from Kolt, and new sheets, duvet, duvet cover, and bed skirt from D so you know what that means whole new bedroom makeover cause the old don't match the new!! So I'm excited to redecorate {somehow I don't think D thought of that ha ha} But I'm excited for new, fresh, bright and clean. Our bedrooms are my least favorite part of the house. I love my kitchen and living room but have never had bedrooms I love so, if I start somewhere someday I might get something nice done.
Anyway on Sunday we went to my parents house with some of my sisters and brother Soren that was a nice surprise we haven't seen him forever so it was fun to hang out with him! We had a nice BBQ and DQ ice cream cake it was just nice to talk and see each other. After that we went to D's parents house and had dessert {again ahhhh} It was a nice day just being with family and enjoying the time all together. Pics to come.

Kolten Funny: "Mom I have to hurry and find a spot to hide {darting here and there} Soren's going to count to 7000 so I have to hurry !!! {Totally had a good laugh on that one so funny think he had a bit of time to find a spot.}
Lauren Funny: Mom: "Lauren you need to clean you room before we go."
Laur: Oh for HEAVENS SAKES mom. {ha ha where did that come from}

The only bad thing about yesterday was when the boys {cousins} had poor little Lauren smothered under couch cushions and were jumping on her. We could hear the screaming upstairs so went running downstairs to find all the boys on top of the cushions with her underneath. I started crying, she was crying. They could have really hurt her and the sad thing is this is the second time they've done it. So D took those boys and sat them on the couch and had a few words to say lets just say the adults all were not very happy so that was a sad few minutes. Lauren is the only girl around that age and they sometimes aren't nice to her. Boys in packs sometimes don't think of nice rational things to do. Anyway it was a good day except for that episode. That's my baby girl don't mess with her! Things like that make me livid I can't stand it when kids aren't nice to each other. /Okay onto the topic of today's ME THINKS........
-----------------------------------------------------
This week I've been thinking alot about having a home where there is peace, love and harmony and what makes a home that way. I read an article a girl wrote about a session at BYU womens conference this year she stated it perfectly. Got me thinking about the things that are important in raising happy, well balanced, respectful children. The things that we need to do better, we do them already, but doing them better and making them stronger more pronounced and more important in family life and making more of a personal effort to be the kind of family we want to be now and forever.
The speaker spoke about the 5 fundamentals of family life they are:

1.Family Prayer
2.Family Scripture Study
3.Family Home Evening
4.Family Dinner
5.One on one time

"These are the 5 most important things we can be doing with our families. Each of them create an opportunity for teaching and learning. We need to think of our children in terms of the future.
Are we hoping our kids will grow up to be star athletes or dancers? Probably not. WE are hoping they'll be good, service oriented people, hard workers, dedicated parents, loyal spouses, etc.
So, the things we should be doing with them now are the things that will lead them to become what we want them to become in the future. We need to stay home more and more and work to create teaching and learning situations so they will know how to grow up and be good people.
WE can create learning and teaching situations when we have lots of family time together whether its working in the yard or hose, eating together every night, and having important discussions as we do these things. We also need to teach by example...be the kind of people we want our kids to be."

Recently { I saw an idea in a old ensign} and we started doing an "I noticed moment" after dinner with the kids. It goes kind of like "Kolt, I noticed you helped your brother put on his shoes and that made me so happy to see you do that... and on to each of the kids, because I needed something for them to go to bed with positive, happy, thoughts about themselves instead of the negative that ends up happening sometimes at the end of a long day. They love it and I've seen a difference in them helping each other and being kinder, softer with one another.
I hope this is a good reminder of what we all need to be do in raising our families. In creating healthy habits and a home where love and harmony and peace can be. {because my house can't be the only one where the kids fight and bicker right??}

Hope you all have a great week. make it a good one. keep it simple.
A quote from Sister Hinckley:
Children rise higher when they are treated with respect. Use courteous and respectful language when you talk with your children and others... You don't teach a child not to yell by yelling. We cannot expect to be respected if we treat others in demeaning ways."
{Yes good thing everyday is a new day!}

{ Flashback Friday }

Finally found some time to get this done today D has been gone for three days so things have been busy and tiring and it SNOWED, Rained and was pretty dark most of the day so we had to find lots of entertainment today ANYWAY....
Question: Tell about all the places you have worked.

This might take awhile ha ha actually I really have worked a lot of places and learned a lot from all of them some good, some bad {and some that I never wish to re live again!! }

1. Motel as a chamber maid.


2. Subway
   
3. Driving Tractor baling for D's Dad
   
4. Atkins a Clothing store doing retail
   
5. IGA grocery store in the bakery


6. Dairy Queen {for too long}


7. Deck Wench {really thats the name} My dad had a fishing charter business off the Vancouver Coast so I was the cook, cleaner, PR, entertaining make sure everybody was happy person { except I wasn't happy. I didn't like it much. I missed the rest of my fam, my college roommates but I got an education in catching fish even a sting ray or two, and little shark and alot of cod! I made a lot of money but it wasn't the best job I've ever had! But actually scanning in these pictures I miss the water, the scenery, I learned how to cook out there, I can say I've driven a 40 foot yaht caught all sorts of fish and actually I do like to fish surprised?? Remember these pics are freshman 15 right after my first semester of Ricks way back in 95 so keep that in mind ha!}


8. Elementary Schools as a teachers assistant working with special needs ages preschool to grade three {I've worked with Autistic children, downs syndrome, cerebral palsy, learning disabled children, ADD kids, {Been in a closet for 4 days out of the week with a 4 year old autistic child who screamed alot and I had to control the tantrums and teach him everyday in the stairwell of the gym going up to the stage yeah not my favorite job either was happy when I was moved to another student thats for sure!! }


9. In Logan, UT I worked at IHC in there Child Development center where the workers drop off there kids for there shift from 6 weeks old to 5 years old. Loved it but it was only part time so I did 3 jobs for a awhile!
   
10. Fred Meyer in Logan hated it.
    
11. Logan High School in there special ed classroom it was a horrible, nightmarish job seriously I have nightmares to this day sometimes it was crazy! Like for example restraining a 300 lb handicapped 16 year old who is thrashing and biting and screaming or who stripped naked in the high school cafeteria. Try being that aid. Those are the moments I try to forget ever happened. I couldn't quit because I was the only one working full time to put D through USU, he went to school all day long and worked at a Dairy midnight to 4 in the morning plus all the homework in between. Those were the learning, growing supporting, no money, living on love days. Probably the hardest time because it was the first few years to wanting a baby so bad, being on Clomid and working jobs I hated, but it made us stronger.
    
12. Anderson Seed and Garden in Logan my favorite job there loved it!!


13. And then back home I worked at the Elementary School again until I got my dream come true and that was to finally stay at home and be a MOM. My all time favorite job hard, rewarding, not so rewarding sometimes 24 hour, 7 days a week, 12 months a year job!!! Wouldn't trade it for anything!!

Now that's a long list eh there's probably more I can't even think of!!

Here's me taking a break, listening to my music on the old walkman wow that sounds so old!! You can't get far enough away from everybody when your living on the ocean so this was my getaway music, sun and sittin in the zodiak at the front of the boat!

Next one is me driving the boat with the guests and my dad up top checking things out! Long ago days beautiful though eh!!

Happy Mothers day to all you awesome girls hope you have a great day and know how important you are {whether you are a mom, or are patiently waiting and wanting to be a mom, or celebrating your mom }

God could not be everywhere and therefore he made mothers. ~Jewish Prov

{I have this plaque hanging in my living room that I won from Heather and I love it. It says::}

HERE'S TO GREAT WOMEN:

May we know them

May we be them

May we raise them

{ Thankful Thursday }

I love Thursdays it really gets me thinking about my week and about what is coming up. I really am so thankful for so much and feel so blessed for all that we have. Thankful for where I live, thankful for a house, however small it is, it's our house with lots of laughs and lots of love. Thankful that we have food to eat. How sad is it that there are food riots in other parts of the world, people being killed just because of a rush to get food. Or cyclones wiping out whole parts of countries their lively hood, there homes, food and families. Makes me so appreciate that I was born where I was to the family I was and how trivial our trials and unhappiness are sometimes when we start looking around.

1. I'm really Thankful for a son who leaves little notes around on my door, beside my bed, under my pillow saying "I love you mom and dad you ar the best" in his best writing and spelling. I love it. But gone are the days of spelling words out so the kids don't know what we are talking about. The other day Kolt went and got a piece of paper and a pen and spelled out the word we had said it was to funny!! Love that kid he is the biggest sweetheart ,charmer, smarty pants ever!!!

2.Thankful that my new stroller will be here soon cannot wait to be able to run with the kids and have them stay strapped in. So excited my sil is an ebay wiz and did all the paperwork for it I just have to pay her and wait for the stroller thanks so much Kristin you are the best!!!

3. Thankful that on my run yesterday morn early the dog that chased me didn't bite me I WAS SCARED! Believe me I was saying my prayers He was a creepy dog with a horrible bark! I run on main roads because I used to get craps and pains and pass out a few times because of my cysts, and obviously for safety reasons. But it is so nice to be able to get outside again. Nothing like pushing yourself and nothing like fresh crisp air, good music love it!

4.So so thankful for MOTHERS my mother in particular has worked so hard for us, listened to us ,trusted us, taught us to love the scriptures, to keep a journal, to love family history {I'm getting there}, temple attendance, and to be honest, hard working, respectful people. What a blessing it is to have a mother who loves the gospel and lives it, and teaches through her example. I learn so much from both of my mothers, my mother in law is incredible she and my father IL raised nine children seven of which have been married in the Temple, six of them served or are serving missions they have an amazing family. My MIL is one of the sweetest, caring, most beautiful women I know inside and out. She always has positive, loving advice for us when we need it and I appreciate and love both mothers in my life so much.

5. Thankful for a fun group of moms we had in our parent preschool group we had this semester it was a lot of fun to get to know a lot of new moms and really enjoyed our classes together. Its so nice to be around other moms and learn from them. We are all different and that's the beautiful thing we learn from each other, appreciate hearing people stories what works, what doesn't. It was of course a lot of fun for Lauren too she loved it and looked forward to it every week. Yesterday was our closing party and we went to the fire station and had a potluck snack and took pics it was fun.


Masen has a little to much food in his mouth he was stuffing cookies, cereal, muffins anything he could get. You'd think I don't feed the poor boy!! Pretty sweet picture eh ha ha!! Check out those full hands!!

Lauren actually smiled for the camera so I had to share ! Rarely happens for me!

So much to be thankful for that's for sure for big things, for small things, for the things that matter and for the things that don't.

When you are a mother, you are never really alone in your thoughts. A mother always has to think twice, once for herself and once for her child.
~Sophia Loren


Each day of our lives we make deposits in the memory banks of our children.
~Charles R. Swindoll

{How important our actions and reactions are. Love this quote because its so true what we do now shapes a child into the adult they will become.} It's hard sometimes eh?

Well have a great day make it a great one!! kids are up so gotta get off this thing!