Spanish Forks and Spoons

Trip to Sunny Nevada

2011-05-30T15:54:00.000-07:00

The weekend before memorial day, we went down to visit my Uncle John and Auntie Mo. We had a GREAT time. The kids swam in their pool, played with their dogs, roasted marshmallows and generally got spoiled. We also went to my Uncle's drag race time trials, I got to ride in his dragster, and I got to take an awesome bike ride with my aunt. It was a great weekend. Here are some pics...

Auntie Mo and Uncle John, trying to stay cool before the start.

Our oldest son, chillin in the golf cart at the track.

Uncle John and his dad's (my grandpa's) namesake.

Me riding back in the dragster.

The kids in the pool.

This is what our baby does when he sees a camera and you say, "Say Cheese!" Squinty eyes and big open mouth. It's soooo darn cute!

The kids found a geocache on the mesa with their dad.

One of the kids' favorite things was riding to the time trials in the motorhome. They thought that was SOOOOOO coool!

At the track...earplugs in place.

My honey taking pictures of Uncle John.

Two cuties in the dragster.

The boys playing football with their second cousins.

The cutest baby around if I do say so myself.

Happy 10th Birthday Kiddo! Video Game Party and BBQ in Nevada

2011-05-30T15:35:00.000-07:00

Our second son turned 10 this month. He had quite the extended celebration. We were going to be out of town on his actual birthday so we had his party with friends a week early. He wanted a video game party. So I made a XBox video game controller birthday cake. HERE'S THE LINK to my other blog on how I made the cake. It turned out great and he told me I should be on one of those cake decorating shows. It was fun to make and I could really get into that sort of thing, but alas, no time.

The party was complete with pizza, soda, licorice, video games, glow necklaces, and fun. He had a great time. Fortunately he has a small group of friends so it wasn't too crazy. I can't believe how grown up he's getting.

Then we went down to visit family in Nevada while dad had to do some work there on the actual birthday weekend. They made his day special by having a BBQ, bonfire, and singing happy birthday to him. What a lucky boy...2 parties.

Then finally, Nana and Papa came over the evening after we returned and gave him their gift and shared some Peach Pie with us (this pie was the special request of the birthday boy). It used up the last of my frozen pie filling I made from our peaches last summer. I just hope our trees end up producing this year so we can make more.

Here are the photos from his many celebrations...

XBox Controller Cake made by his mom (me)...he was stoked!

Playing video games, TEAM 1

TEAM 2. Glow necklaces included.

Lego Rock Band...They Rocked!

The Birthday Boy getting ready to blow out the candles.

The Party-goers

Mom decorated like an arcade in the basement.

Great Aunt Linda's strawberry cheesecake bday dessert.

On the actual Birth Date...Yummy dessert!

Grannie & Papa weren't there but sent a gift...

or two. Thanks Grannie and Papa.

relaxing by the bonfire

Back at home, day 3 of celebrating, gifts from Nana & Papa

Thanks Nana and Papa

And special request, Mom's Peach Pie.

Black Belt Test

2011-05-30T11:06:00.000-07:00

After 3+ years of Martial Arts, our oldest son tested for Black Belt. He passed and we are very proud of him. The journey doesn't end here, however. It's only the beginning. He hopes to earn his second degree black belt in another 3 years and see where life takes him from there. His Master, Master Royal West, is an 8th degree black belt and was one of the earliest, what we now call mixed-martial artists, to do full body fighting on TV in the 70's. Martial Arts has increased our son's discipline, maturity, respect, and obedience as well as developed many other aspects of his physical and spiritual characteristics. Great Job! Here's a slideshow of his test.

Easter 2011

2011-04-25T16:41:00.000-07:00

The only thing that could've been better about Easter weekend was the weather. If it wasn't so darn cold and rainy, we could've had our annual picnic out on West Mountain instead of indoors. But we had fun anyway.

We started with a little face painting, but only one kid wanted it. But she makes a darn cute bunny.

Then we did an Easter craft...blew out the center of raw eggs and made egg animals.

AND made confetti eggs (hollow eggs filled with confetti).

We played games indoors instead of the usual frisbee, bb guns and kite flying out on the mountain.

The egg creatures and confetti eggs. See if you can spot the Frog, 2 Dogs, the female Deer, the pig, the chick and the peacock/bluebird (and 2 plain confetti eggs).

The beginning of the egg hunt.

Hunting eggs in the drizzling rain in the backyard.

Baby boy loved shaking the eggs. So cute!

Confetti egg smashed on my head by my son.

Easter Sunday Morning

We got to make it an extra special church service by going to my brother's baby's blessing. This picture was taken outside of us afterward.

Spring Break 2011

2011-04-19T15:24:00.000-07:00

While dad went back to work for the first time since his surgery, the rest of us had a little "stay"-cation for Spring Break. It was great! We did something fun every day. Of course I forgot my camera everywhere we went, but I had my cell phone cam...not as good but got the general job done.

On Monday we couldn't get going until after noon, but we went to an indoor rec center and went swimming with some neighbors. It was a great place and great fun. Our poor little baby boy was terrified of all the noise, people and water for the first hour and just clung to me burying his head in my chest. But then he really warmed up and had a grand time.

Then we went home and I taught my daughter how to ride a bike. She picked it up quickly.

On Tuesday we had some old friends over and the moms went out to lunch. It was fun to catch up with them.
On Wednesday we dropped dad off at work in Salt Lake City and headed over to the Planetarium. We saw a show on Black holes and explored the exhibits.

Then we met dad for lunch at the Lyon House Pantry on Temple Square.

After that, he went back to work and we met up with some other old friends at the Church History Museum. They had a special exhibit for kids upstairs but we also enjoyed the other parts.

Finally, we walked over to the Church's Conference Center and took a tour...ending up on the garden terrace roof. It was a good full day.

On Thursday we took it a little easier and went to see a movie. We saw "Gnomeo and Juliet." It was cute. The theater we went to has $3 tickets and $1-$2 drinks, snacks, and popcorn. All of us got in and got popcorn and drinks for a total of $20. NICE! Then we even got 2 free boxes of candy because of a mixup with the seating (you choose your seat on the computer screen at the box office, but I guess some of us chose the same seats at the same time so we let them move us.)
On Friday we dropped dad off at work again in Salt Lake. Then we drove over to Branbury Bakery and had donuts together before heading off to the Tracy Aviary where we spent the rest of the morning. It was an expensive hour and a half, but worth the educational value and experience. The kids enjoyed the birds and especially enjoyed getting to feed them.

Then we went up to my sister's house north of Salt Lake to spend the afternoon with cousins. On the way home, we stopped at Taco Amigo for dinner (one of dad's and the kids' favorite fast food places) and then let the older kids camp out back in the trailer.
On Saturday we wrapped up the week with a backyard campout...hot dog roast in the fire pit, games, and of course smores (ending with the kids sleeping in the trailer again).

It was a great Spring Break (now I need a break)!

Thoracotomy and Double Lobectomy

2011-03-28T16:08:00.000-07:00

We've had some crazy things happen health-wise. And through it all, we've seen the Lord's hand. We know HE loves us and watches over us and has been laying the foundation for this miracle for years. He knows all, sees all and guides and directs the faithful. He put into our lives the people who could help us and make this miracle happen. From my brother, to the specialist, to the surgeon and helpful family, neighbors and friends. God has provided all.

We found out on the 3rd of March that my husband had a mass in his right lung (we had seen it on an earlier CT in November but were waiting for a second one to see if it would grow or go away). They thought it was about the size of a peanut. My radiologist brother expertly and quickly read the CT for us (thank you!) and advised that we get in to see a specialist.

At this point, we were reminded (via a third party mention of the doctor's name on facebook) of a specialist in Pulmonology who my husband had served in a Bishopric with 12 years ago. This specialist wasn't taking any new patients, but when we called, he quickly scheduled and appointment for us the next business day. Because of his connections and time as a doctor and the capacities he'd worked in, this specialist took care of everything from that point on. We saw him on a Monday, he preformed a bronchoscopy on Thursday, he called with biopsy results (all non-cancerous, thankfully) soon after, and scheduled an appointment with the best surgeon the following Tuesday. We KNOW that the Lord put this man in our lives so long ago to be the trusted, guiding hand at this time.

So Thursday, March 17th, (St. Patrick's Day), we arrived at the hospital at 5:30 am and began the prep for surgery. I kissed my husband and saw him wheeled off to surgery. It was a long day and a long wait. The surgery took 9 hours. It turned out that the rare carcinoid tumor was much much larger than expected. The middle right lobe of the lung had completely collapsed and grown abscesses and pustules. The lower lobe had tumor branched out into/onto it and there was a lot of scar tissue amongst all the lobes of the right lungs. The surgeon upon opening him up didn't think he'd be able to save any of the right lung. But he worked really hard for 9 hours and was miraculously able to save the upper right lobe. We thank our Father in Heaven that this man was sustained, guided and directed during the surgery.

The recovery at the hospital was tiring and difficult but again, the Lord blessed him to progress in his healing faster than expected and he was discharged from the hospital on Monday night. Each day has gotten better since. While we were in the hospital and the first days home we couldn't have made it through without help from our parents and family. Our moms selflessly served hour upon hour...making food, taking care of kids, buying things at the store, etc. We feel so blessed to have both parents living close by.

There are so many other seemingly small things that the Lord has blessed us with during these last few weeks we are in awe. Most of all, we are humbled by the sacrifice our Savior Jesus Christ made for each of us and the suffering he endured as he atoned for the sins of all mankind. We know we are loved.

Getaway!

2011-03-11T15:42:00.000-08:00

Before the impending surgery of the following week, we took a little overnight trip to a resort in Midway, UT. I had a book signing at a conference at the resort so we were able to capitalize on the conference hotel room rate. The next morning we went into Heber and had breakfast at Chicks...an old diner there. It was great to get away. I can't thank my mom enough for watching the kids and waking up with the baby to feed him through the night.

School Spirit Week

2011-03-09T15:39:00.000-08:00

The kiddos love school spirit week...days where they don't have to conform to ALL the uniform rules. I missed taking pictures of sports jersey day and decades day which bums me out, but I got a few of the other fun days. Enjoy!

Crazy Hair Day - ELECTROFIED!

SILLY!

Hat Day

getting baby bro in on the action

Meeting Great Grandma

2011-02-28T15:36:00.000-08:00

I took our sweet baby boy to finally meet his great-grandma on my dad's side. He snuggled right up and was the perfect little boy. We got to visit with his grandpa, my dad, too.

Kyukido Tournament February 2011

2011-02-28T15:28:00.000-08:00

Our boys are getting better and better at Kyukido (a mixed-martial art). They participated in a tournament and did very well. Our oldest is on track to get his black belt in May and our younger son just advanced another belt. Here are some pictures from the tournament.

6 months Old Already

2011-02-20T16:41:00.000-08:00

Our little baby boy is growing up far too quickly. I miss his snuggly stillness as a tiny baby...he's adorable now, but a little more inquisitive and wiggly. I took these photos to document his 6 month stage. If you'll notice, I did trim his hair up.

Nana's BRRRRRthday Party

2011-02-06T16:51:00.000-08:00

My mother-in-law's birthday is at the beginning of February and every year now, it's become tradition to bundle up and roast hot-dogs, smores and play in the snow. Creating memories is fun, even when you're cold. Thanks, Nana and Happy BiRRRRRRRRthday!

Happy New Year and Happy Birthday

2011-01-15T09:58:00.001-08:00

We can't believe our little girl is growing up so fast. I made this birthday video/slideshow as a tribute to her. We played it at our family birthday party. It's long (8 min) so beware. :-)

New Year's Eve 2010

2011-01-02T10:19:00.000-08:00

We celebrated New Year's Eve 2010 our traditional way...

With Family
Take-Out Chinese Food for Dinner
And TONS and TONS of games and snacks
The Traditional SHOW put on by the kids & cousins (every act has to end with them falling off the back of the couch in some way...pretty hilarious)
Ending with the midnight countdown

Good times! HAPPY NEW YEAR ALL!

Coming Soon...A Christmas post.

2010-12-26T10:18:00.000-08:00

All our Christmas pics are on my hubbys computer. This post will have to wait til I extract those. Stay tuned.

2010 Family Portraits

2010-12-15T10:31:00.000-08:00

We finally got our family picture taken. I didn't think it'd happen. Even though my husband was a photographer, he seems to dread doing our own family portraits. No need to stress, Honey, they turned out well.

Thanksgiving 2010

2010-11-29T10:11:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving was full of the usual...good food, lots of family, and games. Thanks to all the hands that prepared it.

We are thankful for many things. It was a good year for us. We have employment, a good house in a good neighborhood, a healthy adorable family, and nothing to complain about. We are truly blessed.

Great Grandpa enjoyed some playtime with the baby.

The Chefs cooked up a mighty feast.
Great Grandma took her turn enjoying his smiles as well.
Many games were played (on various devices...even eventually on the old fashioned table itself...without electronics).
And relaxing was done. What a nice day!

Halloween 2010

2010-11-01T20:10:00.000-07:00

This year we carved pumpkins as usual...

Dressed up and trick-or-treated even in the cold and rain...
Here's our soldier

And our Chinaman and Ninja

And our Zookeeper and two little Monkeys
The whole crew
Then some fun halloween party games

And the day before, we had a little adult party...how to host a murder party...with some neighbors. It was fun. Note the crazy makeup...gotta love it.

Fall Activities

2010-10-29T19:31:00.000-07:00

Warning, long post. This fall has been full of fun. Our second son participated in his first Pinewood Derby. He opted for a car he loved rather than a fast one. He still uses it with his little army guys.

Our oldest son graduated to his red belt in Kyukido at the end of September. He's gotten really good and has progressed so much in just 3 years. He has one more belt before he goes for his black belt. Good job, buddy.

We took a family hike to The Grotto in October...baby boy's first hike (not walk).

And ended it with a picnic. What a lovely fall day!
The next week we took a little trip to St. George for some book presentations but enjoyed some outdoor time too. It was beautiful.

We even were able to visit some friends and give their kids some books. What cute little guys.
And then our little girl lost her first tooth over Halloween Weekend. She was so excited!

3 Months Old Already

2010-10-28T20:54:00.000-07:00

Boy, time flies. Today our baby boy turned 3 months old. I snapped some pictures of him in my bedroom this afternoon. He's such a doll! Enjoy...

Baby Blessing

2010-09-09T16:40:00.000-07:00

On September 5th, we were able to bless our baby in Church. We were so glad to have both sets of his grandparents there, many aunts and uncles and even some great grandparents. Thanks for coming! Here's a photo and a little slideshow of pictures his daddy took.

First Day of School and 1 month old

2010-09-08T15:32:00.000-07:00

I'm a little late with these pics but better late than never. The kids started school on August 23rd and it was the smoothest start EVER! What great kids. They all seem to like their teachers and are getting along great overall. Thank goodness.

Our oldest is in 7th grade, the next one is in 4th grade and our little girl is going all day now to 1st grade. I would've had a whole day to myself in a quiet house...but we changed that when we added baby #4. He's worth it though. See the photo I took of him at 1 month old below.

Summer coming to a close

2010-08-21T13:32:00.000-07:00

Well, as I've been holed up in the house with a newborn, the kids have done a few more things to wrap up their summer. The boys participated in a martial arts camp. The youngest was even able to rise up a belt rank (it wasn't an option for our oldest). And then Dad took the kids on a hike to "The Y" on Y Mountain one morning. Other than that, they've filled their days with friends and fun. School Starts this Monday...we can't believe another summer is gone. I'm actually sad to see them go back to school (it kind of means more organization and work for me to do...lessons, homework, carpools, schedules....)

Turning 12...Turning Point

2010-08-04T13:23:00.000-07:00

I can't believe we have a 12 year old child already. But this boy couldn't make us more proud. He's so smart, loving, responsible, caring, honest, faithful and dependable we couldn't ask for more. Thanks for being such a great son!

Celebrating with friends at JDawg's followed by a movie. Thanks, Dad, for taking on the 12 year old birthday party and a car full of 12 year old boys while mom was home with the 1 week old baby. Fun times!

That night we had the family over for some presents, cake and ice cream...a short but sweet celebration.

And here's our boy all suited up. Very handsome. This is the Sunday after his birthday...after he'd been ordained to the Priesthood. It was very nice. We couldn't be more proud.

The Birth

2010-08-03T13:15:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos from the baby's birth...

Whew! He made it!

Ahh! Now he can relax.

Mommy and son.

Daddy and his new little boy.

Wow! 4 kids now. Happy family.

Dressed to go home from the hospital. July 30, 2010

New Baby Arrival

2010-08-02T08:48:00.001-07:00

We welcome our new baby boy to the family. Born on the 28th, of July at 4:10 pm, 7lbs 14oz, 20" long. He's an angel!

These photos were taken by Rhett Olson Photography

Father & Son Hike

2010-07-11T19:11:00.000-07:00

Our oldest son went with his dad on his first backpacking trip ever. They were ambitious and tackled a three day hike in Death Hallow. Both boys had a great time and my husband now has a new hiking buddy. Enjoy the slideshow.

See a larger version here (click on the little icon in the lower right corner of the video and watch it full screen)...YOU TUBE VIDEO

Or watch the smaller size here (but you can still click on the 4 arrows icon in the right corner to watch larger) ...

Hot Air Balloon Ride

2010-07-11T18:31:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday we were able to help my mom check something off her "bucket list." She's always wanted to ride in a hot air balloon. Even though the ride was short and we were tethered to the ground (not really rising above 100-150 feet), it was great. I even climbed into the basket, which was tricky at 37 1/2 weeks pregnant.

Make-A-Wish Foundation

2010-07-11T18:22:00.002-07:00

Our oldest son's best friend was able to have a wish granted. He has a degenerative muscle condition. But without going into details about that, I'll just share some pictures from the party where his wish was granted. We went up to the Make-A-Wish Foundation Building in Salt Lake and had a great time celebrating. He wished for Star Wars Lego Sets. And boy did he get it...along with a million Star Wars characters to deliver them. It was a great experience.

Happy Father's Day!

2010-06-20T07:00:00.000-07:00

We love our Daddy O! Happy Father's Day to you. Thanks for all you do for us.

Music in the video is by Frances England and is entitled "Daddy O." Perfectly fitting. If the above video doesn't work, view it here...
Happy Father's Day Movie

Faith

2010-06-19T22:30:00.000-07:00

One of the Young Women in my ward asked me to write down what faith means to me and how I know I can trust things to work out. Here's what I gave her.

FAITH

To me, “faith” is an action word. People often refer to it simply as “believing in something you can’t see.” It is…but it is also so much more.

If you have faith, you believe so strongly that you cannot help but act in a way that follows that belief. What you DO shows what you BELIEVE! I was tested on this often in my growing up years and still am. Sometimes I am not perfect in my actions, but I am always trying.
Faith is also one of the great Gifts of the Spirit…each of which we are told to seek after. Through my patriarchal blessing, I feel very grateful to know that I have been given this spiritual gift and I have strived to always keep it. I know if I don’t put it into practice (ACT on it) I will lose that gift. I also know, EVERYONE can have the gift of faith if they seek for it and act on it.

I have been given certain trials of my faith, as all of us are. It seems to begin with little trials here and there as we grow in spirituality. I’ve learned that Heavenly Father won’t give me anything I can’t handle. I have faith in that promise…I’ve lived that promise. Through Him, all things are possible. As I’ve put that belief, that faith, into action during each trial, God has proved his promise to be true to me. I learn from my past experiences and try not to forget them as I encounter new more difficult ones.

So now I can trust in God and have faith that the next time something tries me in my life, He will be there. All I need to do is SHOW my faithfulness by not doubting, but by having a perfect brightness of hope.

I know God loves me and each one of His children. He will not leave us alone. We may walk off and leave Him…but He will not be the one to walk away. May we all have faith in Him.

Baby Boy doing well...

2010-05-28T13:02:00.000-07:00

Went for a follow up ultrasound today to make sure my placenta had moved out of the way (it was too low in our 20 week ultrasound). The news was good...it moved clear. We also got a cute profile picture of our little boy's face. I think he has our middle son's nose (whose nose that is I don't know...not mine or my husband's). They said he'd be a good sized baby...already measuring to be nearly 4 lbs. At this rate, the smallest they think he'll be is 8 1/2 lbs...just like my first was (and that wasn't an easy delivery on my small body). Let's just hope this time isn't so tough. At least he'll be a strong healthy boy from all estimations. Less than 9 weeks left now...hard to believe.

Turning 9 already!

2010-05-24T10:00:00.001-07:00

I can't believe how fast they grow up. Our son wanted a Laser Tag birthday party again this year. So we did the cake, dinner, a game and presents before taking all the little boys to play Laser Tag. On his actual birthday, we gave him a new bike and then went camping as a family. It was very fun!

Music Recital

2010-05-07T09:50:00.000-07:00

Our 6 year old daughter has been taking music lessons in the "Let's Play Music" program. This was her second year in the program. They first start out learning the solfeg (do, re, mi, etc.) and rhythms and intervals on a small set of bells and also learn to sing and match pitch. The second year this is expanded and they also start learning piano. I'm amazed at how much she has learned and she loves it. Here are a few shots from the evening.

Pupil and teacher.

His First Art Show

2010-05-01T09:39:00.000-07:00

Our 3rd grader participated in his first art show this Spring held at BYU. His teacher selected his Middle Eastern Art to display. There were samples from students in many media and many grades. We were quite impressed. This piece (his is right above his head) started with the student's name in Arabic done in glue and then the students made other designs around it. Covered it once dry with foil and burnished it down then rubbed with stain. He was proud of it. We are glad the art teacher is exposing them to so many styles of art.

My Niece the pig, found guilty

2010-04-26T21:13:00.000-07:00

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

My cute little niece made the news.

Spring Break 2010 Slideshow

2010-04-13T09:47:00.000-07:00

We took the week of Spring Break and traveled down to Southern California. We had earned a free day in Disneyland for doing a day of service, so we happily used it. And fortunately my Aunt and Uncle allowed us to stay with them only a few miles from Disneyland. It was very generous of them. Then we went to Legoland the next day. We'd advise going a week other than a Spring Break week. The kids had fun but the lines were far too long (an hour wait for even the tiniest ride). The Lego Mini-Land was by far the most impressive thing of the day. And each of our kids had saved up money to buy a set of legos at the end of the day...even our daughter. We traveled to stay with my cousin and her family and had a great time visiting with them. The next day we spent at the beach with my cousins and then traveled down to the San Diego area the day after that. We ended our trip with a visit to the USS Midway aircraft carrier, the Mormon Battalion Visitor Center in Old Town, the Windan Sea Beach, and the San Diego Temple. It was a wonderful trip. Here's a slideshow of it.

Easter 2010

2010-04-06T09:33:00.000-07:00

On the Saturday before Easter, we always have a picnic and egg hunt with family usually out on West Mountain. This year, however, the rain/sleet of the morning prevented any prolonged outdoor picnic. We kept all but the egg hunt indoors at Nana and Papa's house. We still had a good time.
Dying the Easter Eggs.
A perfect indoor activity.
Ahhh. Which Color to choose? Our daughter LOVED eating the boiled eggs later through the day.
Some Rice Krispie chocolate dipped easter eggs.
The egg hunters with Nana (the race starter).
The start of the egg hunt...traditionally done with a red bandana.

Trying to warm up the day with a sunny flower.

Then on Easter Sunday, the kids woke up and found their baskets and found that it had snowed 7 inches. It looked more like Christmas than Easter. But we still had a great day enjoying LDS General Conference together indoors. (Unfortunately, our youngest ate WAY too much candy that day and got sick that night from it...lesson learned).

Martial Arts (Kyukido) Belt Graduations- Again

2010-03-25T09:22:00.000-07:00

The Boys both graduated Martial Arts Belts in March. They had to show sparring skills and their forms.
Our oldest son is in the red sparring gear, above.
Our second son here is in the navy blue sparring head gear.

Congrats kids!

Kyukido Tournament

2010-03-08T09:15:00.001-08:00

Our 2 boys participated in a Kyukido (Martial Arts) tournament a week ago. Our oldest didn't score as well as he had hoped, but as you can tell from his sparring opponent, he was a little shorter (therefore, the 2 point head kicks were out of range for him, but not for her). He did really well though in sparring and forms. He was within a tenth of a point of the other 2 opponents. Our youngest son had a great time...winning the sparring competition and coming in second in forms. It's a little surprising that he won the sparring seeing as how he'd close his eyes when kicking or getting kicked. Notice the shut eyes in the picture...funny.

Our boys with their friend after the competition.

Catching up on Scrapbooks

2010-03-02T11:01:00.001-08:00

Well, I just finished digitally scrapping the years 2006 and 2007 for my family album and all the kids' albums. Only 2 more years to go and I'll be caught up. I love digitally scrapping...I reuse layouts, I just pull in the photos of specific kids for their specific albums. I save so much time. I don't know how much cheaper it is in the end, but it works well for me. I print out the finished page on 8.5x11 photo paper at a photo printing place (just bring them all in on a CD). Then I put them in page protectors and in scrapbook albums. The kids love looking at them. Here are a few examples.

13th Anniversary Trip

2010-02-17T09:05:00.000-08:00

We were able to take a short trip down to Vegas over President's Day weekend for our 13th Anniversary. It's been a wonderful and full 13 years. So, 3 (and a half) kids, 1 dog, many many apartments, 3 homes, and many experiences later...here we are, stronger, closer, and more in love than ever. Happy Anniversary (Feb. 15, 1997)

Getting ready to go see the Cirque du Soleil show, "KA". It was really really really good.

Outside our hotel, Planet Hollywood (where we had 2 free nights, yea!)

At one of the Hotel Pools...yes the weather was warm enough...ahhhh!

At Dinner at Bahama Breeze...one of our old favorites we first ventured to in Michigan while living there. Too bad there's not one in Utah yet. Someday maybe.

The view from our hotel window.

Hair accessory giveaway

2010-01-31T12:52:00.001-08:00

So I'm blogging about this because it provides another entry into a giveaway. I think my daughter and I would always enjoy more hair accessories. So click here and enter...

http://katelynandco.com/blog

Another Baby on the way! Oh my!

2010-01-28T19:56:00.001-08:00

Believe it or not (we hardly do), we have another baby on the way. We're due July 28, 2010. We should find out in March whether it's a boy or girl. But for now it's healthy and we're waiting out the morning sickness.This is a video of an ultrasound at the beginning of January.

New Year's 2009-2010

2010-01-01T11:29:00.000-08:00

We spent the New Year as we usually have, with Nana and Papa. Fun was had by all.Yummy homemade pizzas.
There was even a goofy "Photo Booth." It was hilarious!
The kids and their cousins all put on their annual "Show" for the adults.
Midnight celebrations. HAPPY NEW YEAR!
I wasn't even sick that night...miracle.

Then on New Years Day we all went bowling together like we always do. It was fun.

Grannie's annual Gingerbread House Building Night

2009-12-27T11:20:00.000-08:00

Grannie and Papa invited all the grandkids from around here to their apartment to build gingerbread houses. We did this every year growing up, so she's keeping the tradition alive for our kids. We all love it.
Building houses.
Grannie and Papa making the icing.

Grannie reading stories to the girl grandkids (needed a little entertaining).

Christmas 2009

2009-12-26T11:02:00.000-08:00

Here are some pictures from Christmas. It was a wonderful and enjoyable time.
Our little "Angel" for the Nativity Play on Christmas Eve at Nana's house.
Half Angel, with Uncles and Great Gma.
The kids writing their note to Santa.
The note says, "Dear Santa, Thank you for coming to our house. The cookies are for you unless you're on a diet. In that case, feed them to the reindeer." (The carrot was supposed to be for the reindeer)
The kids on Christmas Eve and the traditional "Stocking Photo."
The kids opening the book that I made them to announce the arrival of their newest sibling. Yes, we are expecting and are due in July.
Our oldest was the most excited!
Christmas morning, the kids waiting to come see what Santa brought.
What Santa Brought... Legos for the Boys...

And "Pets in my pocket" for our girl (who LOVES animals).
Santa even brought dad a few things...
And mom a few things.
Ooooh, and an ipod!
A fun game.
Gifts from Nana and Papa...

The rest of the day was spent playing and having fun with family.

Trip to Overton

2009-11-28T19:33:00.000-08:00

We went for a fun trip to Overton after Thanksgiving and had a great time. Thanks to one of our favorite Aunts and Uncles. It's always a fun time with them. Our little girl LOVES Auntie's animals (a little too much sometimes). And my husband and I had a great time going for a bike ride there too.

Halloween 2009

2009-10-31T19:52:00.000-07:00

We had a fun Halloween. It wasn't too cold which was nice. And we had fun dressing up. I was the wicked witch of course, then we had a Dorothy, a mad scientist, and an Ewok. Thanks to dad for taking fun pictures in the field. What a good little actress Dorothy is. She's so darn cute.

Martial Arts (Kyukido) Belt Graduations

2009-10-15T19:26:00.000-07:00

The boys both moved up a belt in Kyukido in the Fall. It's been a wonderful sport/hobby for them. We love how it develops the mind, the body, and their spirits.

Disneyland September 2009

2009-10-01T18:52:00.000-07:00

We were able to go to Disneyland for a whole week at the end of September 2009 (it was the kids' first time there). It was a wonderful family vacation and a wonderful time of year to go. We wore everyone out, but all had a great time.

First Day of School...At a NEW School

2009-08-17T12:11:00.000-07:00

Our kid's first day of school was more traumatic than it was anticipated to be. Here's why....

Last Spring we checked into the charter schools in the area because we felt our kids were missing out on some vital parts to their education in the traditional public school here. We preferred that our kids didn't miss out on instruction in the arts (art class & music classes) which have been stripped from public schools here. We also desired the opportunity for them to have leveled reading, spelling and math classes (where they are taught according to what level they are on and not according to what grade they are in). And finally, we are a fan of school uniforms (especially for those middle school years). We found a charter school (K-8) in the neighboring town (10-15 min drive) which had great scores on testing and all the things we felt our kids were missing out on. We talked to the kids and they agreed that they'd like to go there. We tried to get in, but ended up being put on a waiting list. Well, the Monday night before school started (on Wednesday), we got an email saying that all 3 of our kids had gotten into the charter school off the waiting list. We prayed about whether or not to go ahead and make the change because we knew this would be quite the upheaval...because it was not what we were expecting to do and it was such short notice. We felt it was the right thing even though it'd be hard for a bit. So we broke the news to our kids over pancakes the day before school began. There were quite a few tears and fits from our oldest, who's going into 6th grade, and our middle child was slightly worried about it. Our youngest didn't really care because she was only beginning school in kindergarten. We had to rush out and find school uniforms that day and go to the new school and meet teachers etc. Many prayers and a lot of tears later, the first day of school arrived and the kids were sent off. They each had an alright first day, but our oldest broke down in tears again that night. We kept praying and our prayers were answered...the kids are now adjusting and even enjoying the new school. Our oldest is still having a hard time with certain things, but he loves his band class (he chose to play the baritone after many tears and fits about having to be in a music class). We see improvements each day and just pray that they can adjust and thrive quickly.

We haven't downloaded the good individual pictures we took at the house that morning yet. But here's one in front of the school sign. Mr. Frown had a smile on his face until we got to the school. Poor kid. He's moved schools 4 times in 6 grades.

Taking our kindergartner out to her favorite restaurant after her first day at school. It was nice to have one happy child in all of this.

Some summer camping

2009-08-15T11:30:00.000-07:00

We were able to go out in the trailer just a few times this busy summer. Here are some pics from going to Strawberry Reservoir and to our Ward campout.

We rode the little raft out on the choppy water a bit. The kids loved it.

Dad watching the banana boats cook (you slit open a small part of the peel from tip to end, scoop out a 1/4 section of the banana all the way from tip to end, then stuff with chocolate chips, marshmallows, close the peel back over the banana, wrap tightly with foil then bake in coals for 5-10 minutes). YUMMY!

Eating banana boats and ice cream (thank goodness for a freezer in the trailer).

Yum, banana boats.

hiking near strawberry reservoir

Coloring book fun at the ward campout.

goofy boys

playing with the wood for the fire

playing with friends

Happy 11th Birthday

2009-08-10T12:01:00.000-07:00

Our oldest child turned 11 years old on August 4, 2009. I can't believe we have an 11 year old. We had a small dinner with the grandparents where we gave him his birthday present...a mountain bike (which he loves). Then on his actual birthday, I threw him a Mega Size Video Game Party. He invited some friends, they played video games projected onto an entire wall of our living room, ate pizza, snacks, soda and finished off with cake and ice cream. They all had a fun time and all it required from me was a little set up...my kind of party. I tried to stay out of the way so they could be as boyish and goofy as they wanted (I'm not a fan of the group boy antics at that age). I took our daughter downstairs and just left the door open to monitor from afar.

The Busiest Summer on Record

2009-08-09T16:56:00.000-07:00

So, I can't remember the last time I posted to our family blog. Being a Young Women's president, a mom, a wife, and an illustrator has made this one of the busiest summers of my life...and our family's life. My kids are in no way bored or ready to go back to school. They said, "We haven't even had a real summer yet." I think they're referring to those lazy days when everyone swims at the pool, relaxes, eats out on the back porch every night, and stays up late to play outside. We haven't had much of that. Besides swim lessons, I took my kids to the pool once and we went to a lake at a family reunion and one close by another afternoon. We all are feeling a little jipped at the lack of summer we've had. In the meantime, I've been illustrating 3 books, going to YW camp, youth conference, weekly activities and other meetings. We try to squeeze in some good old family time as much as possible but we just feel a little lacking in the whole lazy summer department. BUT...

We have been very happy to have been able to go camping in our trailer once, go to a family reunion for a few days at an awesome place near Bear Lake, celebrate summer holidays with family, a baseball game and go to swim lessons and lego art classes. Even though we wish there were more days of summer left before school starts in a week and a half, we feel blessed to have been able to do all that we have. Here are a few pics...(my facebook album has more...send me a friend request there and you'll stay even more up to date...lol)

The Hansen family reunion at Bear Lake.

during my first olympic distance triathlon

after finishing my first olympic distance triathlon

Orem Owlz baseball game

Lego City after loving the lego class

Mom, me and my sister at my sister's in-law's cabin

Floating on the River

the cowgirls at the Spanish Fork Rodeo

The kiddos and cousins at the Rodeo

Baptism

2009-06-12T17:32:00.000-07:00

We can't believe our youngest son is 8 already. He was baptized by his dad on June 6, 2009. It was nice that his best friend could be baptized the same day as well. We were also very glad so much family could come, especially his Granparents from Indiana who are serving a mission out here in this area right now. Thanks for coming everyone. We missed those of you who couldn't.

Kids at the Studio

2009-06-12T14:16:00.000-07:00

I took the kids over the new studio today after having a J-dawg for lunch. They hadn't seen it yet. We took a few shots with the great natural light. Here is one of each of them.

Saturday Morning Hike

2009-05-17T08:43:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, while Julie was at Super Saturday, I took the kids (and Zoe) up Rock Canyon for a morning hike. The canyon was buzzing with people (it was like hiking in LA) but we had a great time. The kids love to explore all the little side trails, throw rocks in the water, and stop to pet every dog that walks by.

Here are a few shots from the hike I took on my iPhone.

Pre-Easter Hunt

2009-05-01T15:45:00.000-07:00

The weekend before Easter, I took the kids to a very snowy egg hunt/pancake breakfast hosted by our old real estate agent, Kenny Parcell. Despite the weather, they had a great time and even saw some friends there. It was cold but we dressed warmly and the hot chocolate warmed our toes.

Master bedroom and bath remodel

2009-03-26T14:22:00.000-07:00

Ever since we moved into our house, we've been dreaming of redoing our bedroom and master bath and actually buying a bedroom furniture set (I was tired of using crates as bedside tables after 12 years of marriage). We had pretty grand dreams. But a bit of practicality creeped in and we considered our options. We decided to get the most bang for our buck. So, after 3 years of dreaming, scheming and a bit of saving (money is always an issue of course), we began to remodel. Here's what we are doing...

Here are some pictures of what it's looking like so far...just baseboards and furniture (and of course decorative touches) left.

-Bathroom counter, lighting and knobs (we would've loved to have bought a whole new vanity cabinet, had the faucet come out of the wall, put in a grand bathtub and a separate glass tile shower...but...)

-Bedroom floors, Bamboo Flooring (we got what we wanted there, lumberliquidators for $3 per sq. ft and installed ourselves) and a rug (someday)

-Paint (Rhett wanted lighter than this, I wanted a shade darker in the bedroom...we stuck to the middle road there)
-Furniture (not pictured but on it's way...will post when it comes)

Ready for Mother's Day?

2009-03-26T09:09:00.001-07:00

I just thought I'd let everyone know, I'll be signing my latest book (that I illustrated) "The Happiest Mommy Ever!" (written by Alice Furniss and published by Deseret Book) at many locations in the next month before Mother's Day. It's the perfect gift for any mom out there...young or old. I had so much fun illustrating it and was able to put in a lot of personal things...I used my daughter as a model, a few scrapbook photos of my own were referenced from when I had my first baby and when he graduated preschool, my wedding photo, and there is even one of my little kids' baby footprints in the book. It's a sweet story about finding out what makes mom the happiest mommy ever. I couldn't be happier with the way the art and design turned out.

Here's the schedule of signings...

Saturday, March 28th 12noon-2pm : Seagull Book in Spanish Fork, UT (on Main street)
Saturday, April 4th 6-8 pm; Ladies Night at the Deseret Book at University Mall in Orem, UT
Saturday, April 18th 10 am; Juab County Library
Saturday, May 2nd 2pm: at the Purple Cow bookstore in Toole, UT

Happy Mother's Day!!!!

Or if you can't make it, go purchase it online here...

Literacy Day

2009-02-23T23:08:00.000-08:00

Just so you all know, I'll be presenting (about illustrating children's books) at the Spanish Fork City Library's Literacy Day on Saturday, February 28th from 2-4pm. It's on Spanish Fork Main Street and Center. Come on by!

Valentine's Day Adventure

2009-02-14T13:44:00.000-08:00

At dinner last night, I asked the kids if they wanted to go climbing. They were a little apprehensive at first, but all finally relented. I got Julie and A to come along as well and we made it a family adventure. The boys didn't quite trust the equipment at first, but by the time we left J was able to get to the top with no fear. S did well; I look forward to taking him more in the future. His light frame will be great for climbing. Julie climbed a few walls and even A did a little bouldering. And yes, even fatty got in on the action thanks to an auto belay device. I've included a few pictures. If you want to see them all go here and use the password "OlsonFamily".

Belt Graduation

2009-02-05T14:33:00.000-08:00

Our oldest son graduated up another level in his Martial Arts training (Kyukido- combination of Taekwondo, Judo, and JiuJitsu). Here he is receiving the new belt. Next up, Green belt, in just a few months.

A LIttle Press for my first book

2009-02-02T14:29:00.000-08:00

If iyou already read this on my professional blog, sorry. But read on if you didn't see this there.

So, after nearly 8 years on the market, the first picture book I illustrated got some major TV publicity just last week. Our local morning TV talkshow featured it for a few seconds. If you skip ahead to the 3 minute 11 second mark, you can see the little blurb. I didn't see the show that day, but plenty of friend have told me about it. So I had to share! (too bad they don't mention the illustrator...oh well, this will sell books anyway). You have to wait through the short commercial first though.

Or you can go here to see and read about it...

VIDEO PRESS

Science Fair and Temple Open House

2009-01-31T14:35:00.000-08:00

We've been busy this past month. But we've enjoyed the adventure. Our oldest son participated in his second science fair and won an honorable mention (which he was proud of). He tested whether or not the color of water would have an effect on the evaporation rate. Conclusion...In a controlled heat environment (microwave) NO. In sunlight, YES, the darker colors evaporated faster due to their absorption of the sun's light rays.

We also were able to attend the Draper Temple Open house. It was absolutely beautiful and it was so special to have the kids in the temple with us. Someday we hope to all be there together again. What a great opportunity for us to share. I hope it inspired them all to live worthy to enter it again one day.

Temperature Inversion...Yuck

2009-01-20T07:12:00.000-08:00

For the last 3 days (and probably the next 3) we've been in an infamous Utah temperature inversion. The warmer air traps the colder air down in the valleys and along with it...smog. It's been pretty unhealthy for anyone to be outside. This is what it looked like this morning. Now, this isn't all pollution of course but during the day, the haze barely lifts and you see a brownish fog blanketing the valley (especially if you drive up above it and look down). Our oldest I think is suffering the effects of the air quality. He has asthma and a lot of allergies to outdoor things. I allowed him to go sledding yesterday and he was out for about 2 hours. I think that was a bad idea. Today he's coughing and not doing so well. So even though I'm sick of snow, I'm praying for a storm to come through to clear the air.

Happy 5th Birthday

2009-01-17T18:56:00.000-08:00

Our youngest asked for a "High School Musical" Birthday party. It turned out great. And she loved it! We made pom-pons and pennants, played memory game with the HSM characters, and High School Musical Chairs. I can't believe our baby is 5.

Happy New Year...a little late

2009-01-17T18:46:00.000-08:00

Every new years day we go bowling with my husband's family. This year, my hubby couldn't come along though...he was really sick. Poor guy had to spend New Year's Eve and day in bed. It's a fun tradition though, just once a year.

Happy New Year!

Sledding

2009-01-17T18:39:00.000-08:00

Over the Christmas Break, we were able to do a little family sledding (I think we're all sick of the snow now though). Our dog Zoe loved running alongside the sleds and playing in the snow. The kids didn't last horribly long though. The hike back up the hill was too much for the little legs after a while.

Happy Birthday

2009-01-14T20:12:00.000-08:00

My baby girl is 5.

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-24T20:08:00.001-08:00

A Family Tradition

2008-12-24T10:19:00.000-08:00

In my house growing up, we always made gingerbread houses every Christmas Holiday Season. I've slacked on continuing that tradition with my own kids a bit. But this year, my parents are living in Salt Lake as they serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (serving in the Church's welfare department). So they had all of their kids and grandkids living here in Utah come to their apartment for dinner and to build gingerbread houses. The apartment was full of 12 grandkids (not even half of the grandkids they actually have) and adults, and love, and laughter. Thanks, Grannie and Papa!

Her First Nutcracker Ballet

2008-12-24T10:15:00.000-08:00

I took our youngest to her first Nutcracker Ballet. She knew the music well and a bit of the story from watching the Barbie Nutcracker movie. But I wanted her to see the real thing. She loves music and dancing so I knew this would be right up her alley. We had a wonderful time together and she even lasted until it ended at 10pm. She's proud of her Nutcracker ornament we bought there. She wants her daddy to take her next year so he can enjoy it too. Hopefully he can enjoy it simply because he's there with her. You've got a year to prepare, daddy.

A Long Post of Pre-Holidays

2008-12-23T10:11:00.000-08:00

We missed posting some of the pre-holiday photos. So here are some from Thanksgiving until Christmas. So this'll be a long post.
My boys got to go to author of Fablehaven, Brandon Mull's house to get some books signed for cousins and their own books signed. Brandon is an acquaintance of mine through my author network here. It was nice of him to allow the picture in his flour covered grubbies. He was helping his wife with pies and rolls that morning (the day before Thanksgiving).

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving at Nana and Papa's house as usual. A day full of food, puzzles with Great Grandpa, dice games, guitar hero, and video games.

And we had a wonderful Family Home Evening visit to Temple Square to see the lights. It was beautiful and it really helped us all focus on Christ a little more this season and how blessed we are.

Gallery Debut

2008-11-22T14:27:00.000-08:00

My hubby had his first Gallery show opening on Friday night for a juried photography show. All the pictures had to be taken with a Holga camera. He got 3 pictures in (the 3 on the bottom row). Some of his professional photographer friends only got 1 in. He's awesome! We went to dinner first with a few other of his photo pals and then went to the Gallery.

Invention Convention 2nd Grade

2008-11-22T14:23:00.000-08:00

Our middle son had to make an invention for school...he came up with this all on his own and his daddy helped him build it. It's a moving/rolling teeter totter. It worked really well actually (until the cheap particle board seat got slammed onto the ground and split off). His favorite part of making it was screwing on the wheels. Good Job buddy!

Our Jack-o-lanterns

2008-11-22T14:20:00.001-08:00

Now that Christmas is almost here, I'm finally posting pics of our Halloween pumpkins (one even has braces). It was fun. The little ones of course don't glow but they are actually the only ones still on our kitchen table. We'll say goodbye to them after Thanksgiving. Wow! Time Flies!!!

New Things

2008-11-16T14:52:00.000-08:00

Well, these past few months have brought on some new things in my life...

1. Youngest child in pre-school 3 days a week and music class one day (means time at home is a bit quiet)

2. My 2 oldest boys are in school all day and are getting more and more responsible and reliable.

3. I signed with an agent in New York to rep me in the illustration world.

4. Since signing with said agent, I've contracted 4 jobs and have the possibility of another big one.

5. And...just today I was put in as the new Young Women's President in our ward at church.

Life is definitely going to be busy but I have been so blessed. I admit I am a bit overwhelmed at the prospect of taking over the YW reigns at church...but they are a great bunch of girls and I have good counselors to help out. Now hopefully, I can just keep everything balanced.

Juggle those balls. Juggle. Juggle. Juggle.

Date Night Surprise!

2008-11-15T14:27:00.000-08:00

My hubby and I were out last night and spotted my latest book on a main display table in the mall at a bookstore. It's called Christmas Love and it's a really wonderful story. Makes a great gift. Anyway, it was fun to see one of my books actually out on display and not tucked on a shelf.

Holga Photography show

2008-11-14T11:17:00.000-08:00

Well, my talented hubby made it into a juried photography show exhibiting only photos taken with a Holga camera. The show starts November 21st with an artists reception and goes through December 17th in the SAANS Gallery in Salt Lake City on 173 East Broadway.The gallery is open Monday through Friday from 10am ‘til 6pm (sometimes closed for lunch from 1 to 2). They are sometimes open Saturday afternoons, and they are available anytime by appointment. Reach them by phone at 801.328.8827. Just one of his images is on this picture of the advertising postcard. Can anyone guess which is his? Come to the show to find out. He'll be there for the opening reception on Friday the 21st of this month.

Storytime

2008-11-07T22:18:00.000-08:00

Just a little announcement...I'm doing storytime tomorrow November 8th at 11am for all the kiddies in the Children's Book Illustrator Exhibit at the Springville Art Museum. Come on down...

http://sma.nebo.edu/calendar/events.html

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-31T19:23:00.000-07:00

Ginger SNAP

2008-10-27T16:30:00.000-07:00

Sunday my little girl and I made gingersnap cookies and Pumpkin Cream Cheese dip. Yummy Yummy! Except when she licked the beater coated with only shortening. Eeeww! But the end result was delicious.

Waking Up

2008-10-23T08:45:00.000-07:00

Most mornings things go like this at our house...I get up early and go to the gym to exercise. Around 6:30 am our oldest wakes up, makes his bed, gets dressed and goes downstairs to make his breakfast. Usually he's already practicing the piano by the time I come home from working out around 7am. He's a very responsible kid. He's not particularly happy in the morning, but knows what's expected of him and does it. I'm very grateful he's so good.

Then around 7:15 or 7:30, down rolls our 2nd child. Still in his jammies, usually groggy, not happy. He runs to the couch, jumps on and buries his head under the back cushion. I coax him out and remind him that he has school and needs to get moving. He'll slowly get his breakfast (or proudly make himself oatmeal) and then slowly eats it. Then comes the hard part...getting dressed. It takes him a while to get up the stamina to go back upstairs, get dressed and make his bed. I've told him many times, just get dressed and make your bed before you come down and then you don't have to go up again. I nearly always have to send him up another time after that to put on socks and brush his teeth. He's not a morning person. He gets that from his daddy. It almost makes you feel sorry for him because he looks so sad to be awake.

Then, around 8, our little girl wakes up. She's usually quite happy and snuggly and cheerful in the morning. Most of the time, she'll just knock on the wall by her bed above her head (which connects to our bathroom wall), to let us know she's waking up. Often, I'll knock the same rhythm back to her from my side where I'm getting ready for the day. Then finally she'll come in our room laughing...hair all a mess. I love her cheerful morning face.

So, the other day, she did something out of the routine. We were actually all upstairs...she in bed, us in our room getting dressed, the boys in their room picking up dirty clothes. All of the sudden we hear...

"COCK-A-DOODLE-DOO! COCK-A-DOODLE-DOO!"

The rest of us converge on her room and peek in, slowly opening the door. There we found her, covered in her blankets, hiding, waiting for us to discover her. We could all hear her giggling under the covers. Even our little groggy guy couldn't help but laugh along. As we quietly walked in, she threw back the covers and said "BOO!" All of us had a great laugh together. She made our day.

So after having family prayer right there in her room that morning, we were off to school, work, etc. and were all happy. Thank you, little Rooster!

Changes Changes

2008-10-13T17:16:00.000-07:00

So, this week we've had a few changes around here...

1. My hubby sold his motorcycle (I'm not too sad about that b/c it means he's more safe and we have more money in the bank). He did it to finance a new camera for his photography passion...the EOS 5D Mark II

2. My son moved up to yellow belt. After only 4 months in martial arts, he's moved up 2 belts.

3. My office is finally refurbished, refinished, USABLE!!!

Kyukido movin' up

2008-10-08T12:51:00.000-07:00

Our oldest just graduated up to yellow belt in Kyukido martial arts. He's only been taking since June of this year and he's already moved up twice. Good job kiddo! He actually gets the belt at his next class...not at the test. He did well though. They have to remember everything from their previous belts (Forms, Defense moves, definitions) and then they add on to that to move up each time. This time he had to remember a 24 step form along with his 12 step form. good thing he has a good memory.

NEW FAUCET

2008-10-08T10:56:00.000-07:00

Well, I finally got my "new" soap dispenser installed that I received for Mother's Day. I ended up having a plumber install it along with a new faucet he was installing (it came with no instructions so my hubby agreed to my hiring a plumber friend to do it). i got the faucet on ebay for pretty cheap and it's not a name brand or anything. But it looks good and I like it a lot better than my old one (which was falling apart). YEA!

Happy Birthday to Me!

2008-10-01T16:11:00.000-07:00

I turned 32 on September 26th. It was a event filled week. On the 23rd I went out to dinner with some friends to celebrate my birthday and one of theirs. It was my first time to the Cheesecake factory. It was delicious. I highly recommend the banana cream cheesecake. YUM!

Then, on Friday (my bday) my friends brought me lunch from Bajio, I received flowers from a neighbor and movie tickets, a yummy cookie bouquet from my favorite Aunt, spice bread from another neighbor, balloons and a wii fit cover from a friend, and a cool potted flower from a friend, and an awesome long sleeved running shirt from the in-laws.

Friday night we loaded up the trailer and went camping as a family. I made a peach pie the day before to enjoy for dessert on my birthday since I'd rather have pie than cake. We lit a match as a candle and the kids and hubby all sang to me. We had a good time hiking and enjoying the beautiful fall leaves. My hubby got me a great heart monitor watch to help me make my exercise more effective and the kids made me cards.

Saturday the celebration extended by going to lunch with one of my best friends and going out with my hubby that night to enjoy some bands at a local park. Thanks so much EVERYONE! I feel LOVED!

BYU FOOTBALL IS AWSOME!

2008-10-01T15:58:00.000-07:00

My hubby's brother works for the BYU Football "Corporation" now and gets 2 free tickets to every game. He has to be on the field filming, so he gives them out. Sadly my hubby missed out on the UCLA blowout the week before this game against Wyoming. He was lovingly supporting me at my art opening at the Springville Museum. But this one was just as big of a blowout and fun b/c we were able to go together.

Crazy Hair Day and Not so Crazy Hair Day

2008-10-01T15:53:00.000-07:00

So the boys recently had crazy hair day at school and this is how it turned out. My oldest...wearing a girls wig...my other son not adventurous enough to allow anything but spikes.

Then my little girl told me on Sunday that she didn't have crazy hair but beautiful hair and a new dress and that she needed a picture. What a girl.

Seeing RED

2008-09-18T19:29:00.001-07:00

Well, I didn't want to have to take the time to do it but now I'm glad that I did...I CANNED TOMATOES. I like canning peaches much better (sweeter smelling and less acidic on the skin). But our garden produced a ton, A TON of tomatoes. There are still a lot of green ones left on the vine. But after an afternoon's work, I canned 13 jars.

Watch out Zack, Here comes your replacement

2008-09-18T16:04:00.001-07:00

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Hiking the Y

2008-09-14T18:40:00.000-07:00

Daddy took the Boys with Papa O. over to hike up to the Y on the Mountain east of BYU. It was a great way to start the day in tribute to BYU's big win over UCLA (59-0) Saturday afternoon. They had a great time...they just regretted that they didn't bring Zoe (our dog). They thought dogs wouldn't be allowed...turns out the sign said dogs allowed...but on leash only.

I was getting ready for my art show opening at the museum that afternoon. The family came over to see me there after a quick wash up from the hike. The boys hated it, but my little girl didn't want to leave.

Dance to Heart's Content

2008-09-12T16:35:00.000-07:00

My daughter is quite dramatic and VERY girly. Too bad her little neighbor friend is also a bit girly...because he's a boy. As they dressed up and danced around the room singing at the top of their lungs, she said, (in a very dramatic voice), "I am a princess dancing and dancing and I'll dance to my heart's content." I think she's seen a few too many Barbie Princess movies.

My Little Brace Face

2008-09-11T21:26:00.000-07:00

Poor Kid...our oldest had to get some braces today. He has a dental underbite and some crowding. He has just 6 on top and 6 on bottom. His back teeth line up with each other, but it's the frontal set that needed reshaping. Even though he's smiling here, he's not too happy about this. His teeth are already sore. I tried to promise him he'd get used to them and his teeth would too. I said, "At least you don't have to try and relearn how to play the French Horn." I had braces put on after 3 or years of playing the French Horn and had plenty of cuts and scrapes on the insides of my lips from trying to play after getting braces. But I still feel for him...sorry buddy!

My last TRI of the year

2008-09-06T16:01:00.000-07:00

My hubby and I did a little triathlon (sprint distance) today at the Alta Rec Center. It was only a 400 meter swim, a 9 mile bike, and a 5k. This was the same triathlon I did last year in my first triathlon effort. I did do better this year than last but didn't quite hit my goal. I would've liked to have finished 2-3 minutes faster than I did, but at least it was 3 1/2 minutes faster than last year. Here are my stats...

Total Time: 1 hr 14 min 13 sec
I placed 4th out of 29 females 30-34 (my age group)
I placed 20th out of all 135 females participating
And I placed 63rd out of a total of 238 participants on race day

This was my fourth triathlon ever. It's been a fun road. Maybe I'll see some of you on it...because as tough as it is, I still have a long way to go before I've hit my limit.

Here we are...tough guys...showing our numbers (145 & 146)

Kite Fest 2008

2008-09-06T15:46:00.000-07:00

Our city held a "Kite Festival" this year up by the reservoir on the mountain. It was in response to the finally trying to go a little greener by: establishing a trash recycling pick up for residents, having a "SEGWAY" store in town, and putting our reliable, crazy wind to good use with wind turbines (see earlier post). We met the kids and Nana up there after our triathlon this morning. It was pretty cool. The kids had a good time and we all enjoyed the colorful kites. It's amazing that a flying piece of cloth can put a smile on your face. Apparently us triathletes missed the flying octopus kite over the lake. We just heard the stories.

First Day of PRE-school

2008-09-03T08:10:00.000-07:00

Our youngest started her first day of preschool today. She will go 3 days a week this year for 2 hours each time. She was so excited to get ready and get her picture taken. She had no reservations about going with the neighbor in the carpool. It helps that it's the same preschool place as last year.

My baby is growing up! :-(

Look who's 34!!!

2008-08-27T11:31:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to my hubby (August 24th). He bought himself all sorts of presents this year... motorcycle (and accessories), iphone (and the calling plan). So I had to try to do something that'd surprise him. For our date the night of his birthday, I worked out for his really good friend from high school (and his wife), to meet up with us for dinner. My husband kept changing his mind on where he wanted to go eat so I kept having to secretly call his buddy and give him the new location. His buddy couldn't meet us until later than we'd scheduled the babysitter, so I suggested we go to the gun range and shoot a bit first (something I knew he'd like to do). When we got to dinner at CPK, his buddy texted me to let me know they'd be 5 minutes more. So I just kept stalling with the menu trying to decide what to get. They showed up and the surprise was complete. It was a great night. No pics though. Here's one of the cake with 34 candles on it. (His mom made the cake b/c no one makes german chocolate cake like his mom)