WACKY WESTWOODS

I'm too young for this...

2012-01-29T16:13:00.002-07:00

This last Friday the 5th graders had their Maturation program....when did this happen? When did I have a daughter old enough to be in 5th grade going through the "growing up and liking it" class (that's what it was called in my elementary school).

I've talked to her here and there about different things she heard. Such as hormones making us moody. Yesterday she and her team lost their basketball game and she was so upset and was crying. I told her it was fine and that their team still did great. She said "Your right Mom, I'm just being moody." She is recognizing she can change her attitude, I hope it lasts through the teen years. :)

Now to work on my moodiness ha ha.

I have to write this down so I won't forget it. Angela shared with me a story about Andrew. Her daughter is in the same class. She said they were talking about being strong and Andrew said that girls can't be strong their girls! I guess all the girls glared at him and Mr Smith told Andrew he should rethink what he said. I can just picture that which makes me laugh :)

Happy Chinese New Year

2012-01-23T14:17:00.001-07:00

I love it when there is something to celebrate. So since it's the Chinese New Year today we made paper lanterns.

And fortune cookies. These turned out better than the last time. I tried a different recipe though. I feel like I don't shape them very well, I guess one can always improve. I also want to try and create one huge fortune cookie (like the size of the cookie sheet) for Kevin. Maybe for Valentines :)

Here is the list I came up with for the fortunes:

Confuciussays: If you think you're going to sum up your

life on thislittle bit of paper, your crazy.

Confuciussays: You are not illiterate

Help!I am being held prisoner in a Chinese bakery.

It’sabout time I got out of that cookie.

Youwill receive a fortune cookie.

Ignore previous cookie

Emotions can be sweet and sour....so can your meal :)

Sorry,your fortune is in another cookie.

Yourparents love everything about you,

butthat doesn't include your messy room.

THATWASN’T CHICKEN!

Eat me!

Put me down and give your mom a hug

for making fortune cookies!

And thanks to Mr Yoshida we will have sweet and sour meatballs tonight.

Happy Chinese New Year

I'M DONE!

2012-01-18T22:10:00.002-07:00

Tonight's the night....I quit.....I'm done! I thought I could go a little longer but not after today. It's been coming for awhile, about a few weeks ago I thought "I can't do this anymore" but I stuck it out a little while longer.
Okay so maybe I'm being a bit dramatic. But, tonight was the last time.....to nurse a baby. Ever since he got his teeth he has been biting me. At first it wasn't so hard but now....OUCH!!! He thinks it funny the cute little stinker. I figure I've been nursing or pregnant for about nine years. I'm ready to move on to the next phase. Will I miss it......maybe, but not the biting.

This is why I love Sundays!

2012-01-15T15:31:00.003-07:00

On Sundays my kids play more with each other than other days. I think it's the rule that no games or TV shows can be watched unless it's church related. Today as I was in the kitchen I heard the kids talking about marriage. I peeked at them and saw them acting out a marriage between Jacob and BriLynn. I snapped the picture with the kissing. Funny funny!!! I reminded them that brothers and sisters don't marry each other ha ha. It made my day....I remember doing pretend weddings when I was younger....aw the memories. My first pretend husbands name was JW.

Blog Givaway

2012-01-07T20:38:00.003-07:00

My friend Nat is having a giveaway on her Craft Cousin blog. Check them out :)
http://crafting-cousins.blogspot.com/2012/01/food-nanny-rescues-dinner.html

We Won the Battle

2012-01-03T19:53:00.000-07:00

BriLynn has been potty trained for a year or so now and every time she goes number 2 she wants US to wipe her bottom. We figure it's time she does everything by herself, she's three. We have showed her plenty of times how to do it herself so when she yelled for us tonight we told her she needed to do it herself. She stayed on the toilet for a half an hour to 45 minutes. The whole time screaming for us. Man kids can throw tantrums. She finally did it and I'm happy to say that the only little bottom I'll be wiping now is Jonathan. I must say I did throw a little tantrum myself and told Kevin he should take all the kids to the church with him tonight. Yeah....I lost that battle. Oh well...here's a cute picture of my boys...well two of my boys :)

Birthday Boy's

2011-12-30T14:45:00.000-07:00

Ya know I worried that our boys wouldn't like to have a birthday on the same day but it doesn't seem to bother them in the least. I think the four years apart helps. When they each open gifts we don't hear "hey, I wanted that".
This year they both thought a sonic cake would be cool. I looked up his head online and this is how it turned out.

Happy Birthday boys I'm so thankful for each of you. Our family wouldn't be the same without you two!!!

Christmas Poem/story

2011-12-23T15:34:00.001-07:00

The Bishoprics wives were asked to speak this Sunday for Christmas. It's actually a fun time to speak. Plus I'm thinking that not many people will be there ha ha. While writing my talk I came up with a poem.

Twas the day of Christmas and allthrough the house

The children were hussling and busslingabout

wrapping paper scattered all over thefloor

The little ones fighting and whiningfor more.

The stockings once hung with a greatdeal of care

Now lay on the floor, the loot takenand bare.

The children once nestled now up beforedawn.

The parent so tired and starting toyawn

When what to my wondering eye's did Ifind

a cute little baby so gentle and kind.

He spoke not a word but went straightto his play

Reminding me why we celebrate this day.

Danika, Andrew, Luke, Jacob and BriLynn

Come and see Jonanthan, his cute littlegrin.

When you see the baby what do you thinkof?

It reminds me of Jesus and all of hisLove.

A baby in Bethlehem lying in a manger

To him we should never be a stranger

He loves us so much he paid for oursins

So we can return forever with him.

This day as you play with all of yournew toys

Remember the one who brings us greatjoys

The wonderous little baby so littleand mild

We celebrate his birth , the holyChrist Child.

I love this story by Jack Smith. It's called Pattern of Love. I cry every time I read it.

I didn't question Timmy, age nine, or his seven-year-old brother Billy about the brown wrapping paper they passed back and forth between them as we visited each store.

Every year at Christmas time, our service club takes the needy children in our town on a personally conducted shopping tour. I was assigned Timmy and Billy, whose father was out of work. After giving them the allotted $4 each, we began our trip. At different stores I made suggestions, but always their answer was a solemn shake of the head, no. Finally I asked, "Where would you suggest we look?"

"Could we go to a shoe store, sir?" answered Timmy, "we'd like a pair of shoes for our Daddy so he can go to work."

In the shoe store the clerk asked what the boys wanted. Out came the brown paper. "We want a pair of work shoes to fit this foot." Billy explained that it was a pattern of their Daddy's foot. They had drawn it while he was asleep in a chair.

The clerk held the paper against a measuring stick, then walked away. Soon he came with an open box. "Will these do?" he asked. Timmy and Billy handled the shoes with great eagerness.

"How much do they cost?" asked Billy.

Then Timmy saw the price on the box. "They're $16.95," he said in dismay. "We only have $8."

I looked at the clerk and he cleared his throat. "That's the regular price," he said, "but they're on sale for $3.98, today only." Then with shoes happily in hand the boys bought gifts for their mother and two little sisters. Not once did they think of themselves.

The day after Christmas the boys' father stopped me on the street. The new shoes were on his feet, gratitude was in his eyes. "I just thank Jesus for people who care," he said.

"And I thank Jesus for your two sons," I replied. "They taught me more about Christmas in one evening than I had learned in a lifetime."

HAVE A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

A thing of Beauty

2011-12-14T11:15:00.001-07:00

So today I was in the kitchen and looked out in the backyard to see this.

A ton of little black birds. It was so fun to watch them. Here is one up close and one I took when they were flying away. A thing of beauty.

I did the DARE program growing up and I didn't know they changed it. I don't know if it's different in every school but ours now does the NOVA program. It stands for Nurturing, Opportunity, Values and Accountability. This program is AWESOME! I'm so impressed with what Officer Bird has taught the students. They all got these cool wolf shirts. The story behind the wolf is that we each have two kinds of wolves within us. One is nasty and bad. The other is kind and good. Which wolf is the one that will live? The one you feed.

Danika and the other 5th graders graduated from the NOVA program last week.

As I was saying....

2011-12-09T09:45:00.001-07:00

What comes to mind is Mushu on Mulan saying "my little girls all grown up and savin' China".

Danika had her Christmas Orchestra Concert last night. I'm amazed at what thee teachers have taught them. She loves to play her violin and I'm thankful for the program. I have signed her up for Piano lessons at the University. She starts at the beginning of the year, so we'll see how she does with both.

Andrew got his Wolf badge last night for Scouts too. It was a busy night. I think it's fun that the Mom's get pins because you know we are the ones to help them finish up :) He will be turning 9 at the end of the month...sigh, as I was saying, growing up fast.

Just on a side note....I was asked to speak in church Christmas day. We are talking about traditions and of course Christ. What Christmas traditions does your family do that strengthens your testimony of Christ?

Man, I don't remember that!

2011-12-05T21:31:00.001-07:00

Tonight our FHE activity was watching home videos of when the kids were younger. I'm sad to say that I don't remember a lot of it. Their childhood speeds by so fast and I can't hang onto it. Do you ever wish you could freeze time? I love to watch them get older but it's happening so fast. Sigh....I'm so thankful for the technology we have to capture those fleeting moments of love and laughter.

Stop that rhyming now I mean it!

2011-11-29T13:33:00.001-07:00

Name that movie?
I wanted to share some gift ideas. My friend Lacy posted some and I am always looking for new ideas so I thought I would share some as well.

I'm giving out these candy tins for Christmas. I got the idea while I was in Missouri. They had their Super Saturday table out. You can get the tins at specialtybottle.com. The cost depends on how many you order (because of shipping). I called around my family and we ordered 65, so the cost was 1.33 per tin. Anyway you just wrap Hersheys nuggets in Christmas paper, tie with a ribbon and voila.

I have a saying I put with them:

People are a lot like chocolates
You are never sure whats inside
They're covered with a protective shell,
And you must see what they hide.
Some folks seem to be very smooth,
While others are soft and sweet,
Still others can be quite nutty,
But having Friends like you is a treat.

If your kids want to give their friends something for Christmas, this would be inexpensive, just attach the poem to a candy bar.

These notepads are at square one printing for 20 cents each. Just add scrapbook paper to the top paper and wrap it around to the back and it makes a cute (very inexpensive) gift.

Wanna hear the corny poem I came up with for this one: I'm planning on giving these to those I go visiting teaching to in January

A new year's upon us,
the old one is through.
So here's a note pad,
to jot a thought or two.
A new year's resolution
for you to pursue.
Don't worry if you fail,
I always do.

I love to come up with poems to go along with gifts. Here is what I did for the month of November. (It was a mug that had a hot cocoa packet and a microwave popcorn bag in it) We had the mugs already and so to do this for those I go VT to and Kevin goes HT to, was only around 2 bucks.

Leavesare falling all around

Thedays of Summer gone.

Timefor a little R&R inside

Nomore laying on the lawn.

Hotcocoa and some popcorn,

Amug to hold it too.

Sitback and enjoy it knowing

thatwe have thought of you

I told you I was corny. I usually come up with a new poem every month. Kevin says I should compile them all and publish them. I wonder if people would even be interested.

BriLynn turns 3

2011-11-26T19:59:00.001-07:00

We had BriLynn's birthday at Grandma and Grandpas house. It was fun to have all the cousins there to celebrate with us. We took video of her opening gifts and blowing out the candles but these ones show her excitement. I can't believe my baby girl is 3. I remember coming home after the ultrasound and telling Danika she was going to have a sister. She was so excited. We were a bit nervous since we felt we were missing a boy so we knew we weren't done having kids after she was born.

Dora is her favorite, so I made a Dora cake. I think it turned out good for having left the instructions as to what colors and tips to use at home. I had made it when Danika was three as well, so I was happy to use it again since cake molds cost quite a bit.

Ahh BriLynn you brighten up our home with your contagious smile and laughter. Happy Birthday Baby Girl We Love you!

Ummm.. I disagree

2011-11-20T08:54:00.001-07:00

I have seen so many friends talk about the Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey. I was curious about it so I borrowed it from my friend down our street. I love self help books. I remember when I first started having kids, I was constantly reading books about how to discipline in love. Anywho...I was happy to know we have already been doing the things he suggests. I'm really enjoying it. Given...I'm only a little over halfway through the book but, so far so good....all except for 1 thing.
I can't get over all the negativity about Credit Cards. I believe it's wise for those who use CC foolishly to cut them up and get rid of them. I know that he says 75% of airline miles are never redeemed etc.etc...I've read that but I see what has worked for us and I don't agree with it.
We use our CC like a debit card. As soon as I make a purchase I take it out of our checking account, just like I would a debit card. We pay it off every month (because it's already out of our checking account, of course I match the #'s first). We have never had CC debt, we don't pay late fees or any other penalties because like I said, the money is already taken out to pay it off every month. The difference is, at the end of the year we have over two hundred dollars in cashback to use for Christmas. Whereas, the interest from the bank would be umm...two bucks? umm....2 bucks to 200 is a big difference. I feel like I'm using the CC company instead of them using us. Make sense?
We have been doing this for the last six years or so. We don't use our CC for emergencies...that is what the rainy day/emergency fund is for. We don't buy frivolously either. Like I said before, we use it like a debit card. So that's my disagreement, thoughts anyone?

Feelings

2011-11-14T21:16:00.001-07:00

My feelings have been on the surface this week. My thoughts first turn to a family that just lost their mother. I do not know the family very well. I've just known them through the scouting program, but I can't imagine the heartbreak they are going through. You are always reminded how precious life is when these kinds of things occur.
Second, today I was awarded the Volunteer of the Year award for our school. I don't deserve it as there are so many that have helped me in my duties as PTA president. I don't need to be recognized, they do.
I got a book from my sisters called Side by Side. It's about helping your spouse in their church calling. I was reading last night how the load of a calling can be lightened by others doing their jobs. This works in everything. A mothers load is lightened when her children pick up after themselves and so on. My load is lightened by those willing to support me in my duties. So, thank you to all who lighten my load.

11/11/11 Party

2011-11-12T22:14:00.001-07:00

I thought it would be fun to throw an 11/11/11 party for the kids. I let them invite 11 friends, there were 17 kids total. Thank goodness again for my neighbor who helped with the kids. That and the nice weather so they could burn off some energy outside.

Every time I said 11 in the story I made up they would pass the prize. Like the left and right story for Christmas.

Doing a word search to find eleven, 11 times.

Jumping on the tramp 11 times

Doing 11 jumping jacks. Watching BriLynn try to do it was so stinkin' cute!

The prize after completing the treasure hunt that had 11 clues. Well...except the I love you cake, that was for Kevin :)

Maybe next year I'll do a 12/12/12 party since there won't be a 13/13/13

A day of bonuses

2011-11-07T20:19:00.003-07:00

Yesterday in Relief Society a girl had mentioned that we should focus on the good stuff and our blessings. I'm going to try doing that...

My morning started out great. Got the kids and hubby out the door by 8. The three little ones were still asleep so I could shower. Bonus one (a quiet shower...so nice and rare). I got the kids fed and dressed, did some laundry then dusted the house. As I do my housework I like to listen to the radio. There was a contest, the 11th caller would get a prize if they answered a question correctly.
I was the 11th caller and here was the question:
How many players can be on the field in Football? Uhhh...yeah I'm not a big football fan. The DJ said "I'll give you a hint. 11/11//11 is coming up."
Well I get to choose a tie or woman's necklace at a local store for free. Bonus 2! Good way to start off a day.

I headed shopping to Smiths because I LOVE the play land the kids can go to. Shopping with one is much easier than three. The baby fell asleep in the cart cushioned by all our coats. Bonus 3.

In the afternoon I watched my friends kids. It was a half a day of school so I had my six and her four. Danika called from the school and asked if a friend could come play. Lets just say I'm not cut out to have 11 kids 10 and under. A 5 month old, a 7 month old, 2 two year olds, 2 four year olds, a 6 year old, a 7 year old, an 8 year old and 2 ten year olds. My neighbor, a 13 year old girl came over to play. She helped a lot with the kids. Bonus 4!

Sure I had to clean my two year old and her sheets since she had peed the bed this morning, a kid got their fingers slammed in the door, kids snuck green sugar sprinkles and made a mess in my pantry, had to clean mud off my carpet and floor, a kid got whacked with a bat, had to clean up flour from a two year old jumping on the flour can, found marker on my wall, and the list could continue but...I'm going to focus on the bonuses that happened.

Bring on tomorrow :)

She can be taught!

2011-10-30T16:50:00.001-06:00

This will be sort of random but I'm super excited about what I learned today. I was craving pumpkin chocolate chip cookies today but unfortunately I didn't have canned pumpkin. I called my neighbor to ask her if she had some. She did but she said she also had a small pumpkin I could use to make my own. Huh....I've never done that.....well we have pumpkins that we got in Missouri. She told me how to make my own pumpkin puree so I got to work.
First of all I had to ask which child would be willing to give up the pumpkin they decorated. Thankfully Jacob though cookies were more important than a decorated pumpkin on the doorstep. He claims they are all "his" cookies and said he would share.
While cleaning out the pumpkin I was going to throw the seeds away and Kevin mentioned I should roast them....yet another thing I've never tried. Who knew throwing salt on pumpkin seeds and baking them would be so tasty. The kids think they taste like popcorn.

Here is the pureed pumpkin, I'm so proud of myself :) I'll definitely be doing this with the other pumpkins instead of just chucking them.

Now for the finished product.....yummmmmmmmeeeeeeeeee

I wanted to also mention something funny that happened last night. It was the adult session of Stake Conference. I was busy mowing the lawn and getting carrots our of the garden and Kevin was on the roof fixing some shingles. We didn't have time to eat before it was time to go.

When we got home we hurried getting the kids bathed and in bed. After I was finished feeding the baby I came downstairs to find a candlelight dinner on the table. AWE So sweet! I love my hubby! Even a frozen burrito is romantic in candlelight he he. Well the mood lasted up until the kids started showing up one by one oohing and ahhing the candles. They were upset that they never got dinner with candlelight. While BriLynn was at the table she got a little to close and singed her hair. Burnt hair is pretty nasty smelling. We are just glad her whole head didn't catch fire.

So tonight we will have our family dinner over candlelight. I'll cross my fingers that no one gets hurt :)

Just Crazy

2011-10-28T22:42:00.000-06:00

Crazy hair day was on Wednesday. Danika was pretty bummed because the plan was to use red hair coloring all over her hair. After looking at the bottle it said to not use on light blond hair so we didn't take any chances. Can you see the pumpkin face on the back of Lukes head?

Tonight Kevin and I went to an annual party of our friends. It was super fun and we played a bunch of "minute to win it" games. Can you guess our costumes?

Hope you all have a Happy Halloween!

The Trip

2011-10-25T13:00:00.001-06:00

We usually stop and get a hotel on the long drive there but Kevin wanted to make it the whole way. We left at 5:30 Friday morning and we arrived at 4:30 Saturday morning. I can't believe he was alert enough to make it. Thank goodness for books on CD! The kids did really well, I'm always so nervous but they always do great. Thank goodness for DVD players too :)

Here are the events of the week...not necessarily in order.

We helped Kevin's Aunt and Uncle move into their new home.
We played some tennis and went and looked at the devastation left behind from the tornado that hit Joplin. It's amazing to me that only a block away from the tornado's path the homes are fine but those in the direct path were completely destroyed.
Kevin helped put in a fireplace in their backyard. I have video but the video doesn't seem to want to load. Anybody else having problems? I haven't been able to upload a video for so long, I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong.

We went to a Discovery Center in Springfield. It was the coolest place! They had so much to do you could easily spend the whole day discovering things. Some highlights were the static ball, a giant bubble machine, the newsroom, and the high wire bike.

We went to Texas Roadhouse...I had seven tokens that were for a free kids meal with a paying adult. With Kevin's Brother Matt, his wife Kristine, Karin, us and Mom and Dad we had enough for the seven kids to get free kids meals. SWEET! I don't know if they do this every Tuesday and at every Texas Roadhouse but it was a kids night. They had facepainting, games, chalk to color the floor, etc... it was a total bonus that all that was going on.

We went to a pumpkin patch and picked out pumpkins. Grandma had ordered fun faces to use on the pumpkins. I found a perfect gourd that I made to look like a character from Veggie tales. Can anyone guess who it is?

The last evening there, the adults went out to eat which was really nice. It was also nice that we had finished dinner before we got the call that BriLynn had locked herself in the bathroom and couldn't get out.

Family...isn't it about time.

2011-10-23T09:47:00.003-06:00

We had a great trip to Missouri. As I haven't had time to go through all the photos yet, I'll just post one of Grandma and Grandpa with all the grandchildren. It's always so sad to leave, although, according to Andrew we will be moving there in 4 years. Grandpa says he'll count down the days :)

Gotta love kids

2011-10-12T21:23:00.002-06:00

Our conversation tonight before family prayer:

Kevin: (irritated voice) Danika, stop talking we are about to say the prayer
Me: Look at how nice Andrew is folding his arms and is quiet
Danika: Boys are always better than girls.
Me: No thats not true
Luke: Yes it is
Me: No it's not
Luke: Well Daddy is better than you
Me: No he's not
Luke: uh huh, cuz he's the Bishop
Me: Yeah...well I'm the Bishops wife.

We have a puppy

2011-10-04T09:15:00.003-06:00

Thanks for your comments gals. I know there are others who have troubles far worse than mine. It's just always nice to vent it out now and then.
Things did end happier than they began. We took the kids to a family fair held at the court house. You can't go wrong with free face painting, cotton candy, pop and Creamies!

How can you not smile bringing home a cute puppy? Get this....she doesn't shed and she's potty trained. Oh and she doesn't chew my shoes, she just tries to wear them.

Can I Vent for Sec?

2011-10-03T13:00:00.001-06:00

Sigh....I feel like things are piling up.

The weather doesn't look so great for the carnival this week which means we will be inside the school. I'm a bit bummed since I wanted to avoid it being crowded. I'm going to stay positive about it though....either way it will be fun for the kids and that's what it's for.

Conference for me wasn't spiritual. yeah...umm.. at all. When you have little ones fighting with each other, it's hard to listen and feel the spirit.

I also haven't been as supportive as a wife as I should. For Example:
(door bell rings a couple times at 4:30 AM yes AM, I had just gotten to sleep after feeding the baby)
Kevin changes into some jeans (he did have other sweat pants on thankfully..that would have been awkward ha ha)
I tell him "It's time to move"

The phone calls at 7 in the morning or 10:30 at night I'm fine with but I'm finding it hard to find a positive spin on the lack of sleep last night.

The kids slept outside in the tent Friday and two wet the bed. Unfortunately they were sleeping on top of two other sleeping bags so that leaves four sleeping bags that need washed. I can't use my washing machine, the tag says to use a front loading washer.

We are leaving for Missouri next week and I'm not looking forward to the 20 hour drive with six kids.

I need to get the lawn and garden taken care of before the colder weather hits but I don't have the energy. You know picking all the tomatoes, carrots, onions, squash and fertilizing and mowing the lawn. Just thinking about it makes me want to cry.

Speaking of crying, baby's awake. I guess the cow needs to be milked.

Yep...venting does help. But I'm still tired!

Gee Thanks

2011-09-19T09:52:00.002-06:00

This last weekend was a lot of fun. I got to spend time with my twin, my mom, my other two sisters and sister in law at Time out For Women. I took Jonathan with me since he is still nursing. Here is a conversation I had with my twin sis Susan.

Me: I'm so excited, I had two people ask me if Jonathan was my first baby.

Susan: Really? Couldn't they see all that gray in your hair?

Good feeling gone...gee thanks sis ha ha.

Well that was nice

2011-09-14T08:44:00.006-06:00

Last weekend we went to Ryans Place park to play. We didn't know River Heights Apple Days was happening but it sure was nice. They had a bunch of things for the kids to do for FREE :) There wasn't huge lines which was great. The Army was there also giving the kids free name/dog tags. Afterwards we played at the park. We may have to find out when it's happening next year to go again :)
Jonanthan's face in the bottom picture sums up how it went.

Schools in

2011-09-06T10:16:00.005-06:00

I have to admit that it has been nice to get on a schedule with school being in. The kids love their classes and teachers. I feel like things with the PTA are going well also. We had around 25-30 parents at the last meeting which is the most I've ever seen in my six years being a member.
Here is their first day of school picture.
Danika is in 5th grade with Farmer, Andrew is in Mr. Smiths 3rd grade class, and Luke is in Mrs. Ballams 1st grade class.

Jacobs first day of Preschool was today. He was sooooo excited. His teacher visted us a few weeks ago. She gave him a puzzle piece to decorate and a bag that says "Jacob's sack about Me". He put five things in it that he liked (his blanket, his monkey and puppet monkey, his hexbug and a notebook calculator book he got out of the mommy and daddy buck store.)
He was all smiles as I dropped him off.
Notice Andrew and Jacobs shirts. Ummm...I wonder what they like to play?

Family Pics 2011

2011-08-25T11:04:00.008-06:00

I wanted to get family pictures taken since we don't have Jonathan in any. I'm so grateful for my friend Amy. She does such a great job, doesn't charge much and gives you the disk to make as many copies as you want. LOVE HER! Thanks so much Amy!

I love Mother she loves me, We love Daddy yesiree
I love brother, he loves me.

We love sister yesiree

They love us and so you see...

We are a happy family (your singing it now huh? he he)

What was I thinking????????

2011-08-22T22:16:00.002-06:00

I have a saying in the kids bathroom that says "Insanity is when your mind says no, but your mouth says sure I'd love to."
Well I'm sure "I'd love to" wasn't in my answer but I still said yes none the less. I just hope I can handle it all.

Three children in school (the homework battle begins), a son going to preschool three days a week. A two year old who swears she's Dora and a five month old who nurses and is just learning to eat. Oh did I mention he is still waking up two to three times a night... ugh. A husband who is gone every Tuesday, some Thursdays and all day Sunday. Taking care of the lawn and garden. Making meal plans, Fixing meals, shopping. Paying the bills, visiting teaching, preparing music time in primary, doctors visits, dental visits, orthodontist visits (you get the picture). Cleaning the house, doing laundry, making sure the kids get attention from Mommy and everything else that comes along. Well that doesn't seem to be enough... So I'll just add on PTA president. Yep...what was I thinking? Oh yeah...I wasn't.

Prepare yourself

2011-08-08T15:40:00.008-06:00

Don't say I didn't warn you. This is a bunch of pictures from some of our recent activities.

Swimming lessons.

Fun painting

Water fun with friends at the park.

Fun at the cabin.
Notice Danika's poses ha ha

Cute Cute Boys!!!

Fun visiting Grandparents. This is my Grandma Steele, she is turning 94 this month. She was snapping beans when we got there. Just an amazing women!

Just having fun being together

I'm amazed how fast the Summer has gone. Only a few more weeks till School begins (sigh)....I'm missing the kids already

A lot of firsts!

2011-07-28T17:05:00.006-06:00

My baby is 4 months old....sigh...as I was telling my friends yesterday he has been such a fun and happy baby that I actually entertained the idea of having a seventh. That thought quickly diminished as the other kids started fighting. I couldn't decide which one to post so I'll post both.

Here is his first time trying a pickle. He actually liked to suck on it after the first taste.
And his first time with cereal. He has been waking up every two hours through the night so I thought maybe it was time for solids....it didn't help, he is still waking up a lot through the night.
I read this idea in a book and thought it would be fun. To do smores with mini marshmallows over candle light. The kids had fun. Of course many started on fire he he.

Life Lessons

2011-07-17T11:23:00.004-06:00

Yesterday was eventful. As we had packed up from camping up at our ward campout we decided to drive around and find a small hiking trail. We found one that lead to Rosy's mine. Sounds interesting eh?

Clue #1: Those coming off the trail said it was "a hard hike" (They were scout age)
Clue #2: They also mentioned you had to cross through water three times(their pants and shoes were soaked)
Clue#3: It was a 3 mile hike with 6 SMALL children
Clue #4: We had two small water containers
Clue#5: Jacob just had sandles on
Clue #6: Kevin and I were running on probably three hours of sleep
Clue #7: NO BABY CARRIER

Poor Jacob thought we were headed to Treasure Island (from a Dora video). He was all sorts of excited on the way up. After finding that there wasn't any treasure there he was pretty bummed.

Ummm...what were we thinking?

I just took this picture, BriLynn is still recouping today.

I have to say I'm proud that we made it the whole way and back. We were all wet and tired but I think it made us stronger as a family. Sure made my arms stronger too from carrying one child on my shoulders while another in my arms. I guess that old saying "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger." applies well this time :)

Proud Momma

2011-07-11T11:47:00.004-06:00

Danika sang in church yesterday. She did such a great job. I on the other hand made many mistakes on the piano but thankfully no one noticed. I don't know why I sign up for these things, I guess I hope that if I do it enough the nervousness of performing in front of people will go away. No luck so far. I'm pretty sure I'm more nervous playing the piano than I was dancing for a crowd in college.
We took a video later while Kevin's parents were listening on the phone but alas it won't upload.

This picture will though... I'm all for free stuff so when my neighbor told us about free meals at Chick-fil-a on July 8th, I was all sorts of excited. You could wear a cow hat that would get you a free entree or if you dressed fully like a cow you could get a combo meal free. I had my costume planned out but that day I got mastitis (I think the only other time I've had it was when I nursed Danika) I didn't feel up to making costume so we just wore the hats. BriLynn loved the cows. She hugged them many times.

Blah....

2011-07-01T15:10:00.006-06:00

Ever felt like not doing anything? There are so many things I should be doing (like making my meal plan or cleaning) but I don't feel like it. It's one of those days that the kids have probably watched more TV than they should but I need some down time.

Here are some pics from the last month.

BriLynn wanted to be like Mommy. What can I say, I'm a cheapskate and won't pay the 40 plus dollars it is to highlight my hair. So my sister comes over and does the 6 dollar cap kind at wally world. You can't tell but BriLynn has plastic wrap on her head for her cap.A little FHE fun.

Guess who's three months!
This little guy is growing too fast. I love his pose in this, it looks like he is cheering for himself.

I thought it would be cute to take a picture comparing Jonathan's feet to Kevin's.

We took these pictures to see if the kids looked like us. BriLynn and Jonathan are not in them but what do you think?

Newest addition

2011-06-23T09:25:00.003-06:00

I'm so excited we have a piano now. The keyboard that we had was awesome. The damper peddle wasn't working and a song I played needed the lower keys that the keyboard didn't have but it was a great piano. I think the kids will miss the demo songs....me...well... not so much. One gets sick of a song played over and over again. The best part is we got this for FREE (insert smiley face....a big smiley face) It's in great condition, all it needs is to be tuned but even now it doesn't sound bad. I'm also excited because it can be locked so the little kids don't bang on the keys during FHE like they could on the keyboard. I know it's silly to post about a piano but I'm just super excited. Whats wonderful is that we were able to give the keyboard to a friend who didn't have anything to practice on. Just goes to show that one persons kindness can be felt my many.

A bit early I know

2011-06-16T20:56:00.003-06:00

I have to say Happy Fathers Day to my WONDERFUL, FABULOUS, HOT hubby. He is such a good Father and I couldn't have asked for a better eternal companion. He is such a great example to me.

I get people asking me how I'm doing with Kevin being gone all the time but he has it harder than I do. His calling could be a full time job. He is gone a lot and not just physically. He ponders a lot at home and when I ask him what he is thinking about, he of course can't tell me. It seems as soon as the kids go down he's finishing up letters that need to be written or other stuff. I have a greater respect for all "ward fathers".

Happy Fathers Day to all the Fathers out there! Thanks for all you do!

B is for Baby

2011-06-02T17:05:00.001-06:00

I can't believe our baby is two months old. He weighs 11 lbs 8 oz.

The doctor says he is perfect. He is in the 50th percentile in everything, which surprised me since he seems a bit chunky....a very cute chunky of course.
I had to share these photos I took today. The kids crack me up. They dressed up like this to look like spys but I told them since it was B day they could be a Boy Band. Danika didn't like that idea ha ha. Of course BriLynn wanted to get in on the show.

I highly recommend making these bubble wands with kids, we had so much fun. You can find out how on the summer idea site I posted earlier.

Cool huh?

Summer is here!

2011-05-31T14:31:00.003-06:00

The kids kicked off summer with a gathering of friends. There was about 25 kids here. Can you say crazy! Most of them were Danika's and Andrew's age so it wasn't that bad. Now if I had 25 two year olds here I'm sure I would have pulled my hair out ha ha.
I hope to focus on keeping my kids entertained and happy this summer. They are only little once. I want them to have fond memories of Summers at home. I started a blog of Summer ideas for kids. summerideasforkids.blogspot.com. If you have any ideas of fun crafts, games, activities etc. you have done with kids please share.
Here is a picture from our "A" day.
Their paper craft Animals turned out cute. Even BriLynn had fun coloring and putting it together. Thats the struggle I'll have, keeping kids between the ages of 2-10 interested.

Bridger Rocks!

2011-05-25T16:04:00.003-06:00

Chopper Five and Nadine Wimmer came to Bridger Elementary today. The kids spelled out READ with their bodies on the cement. They were one of three schools chosen to implement a reading program. From what I've heard it was a program the LDS Church chose to do and provided the volunteers. My friend said that they want it to become a world wide program within three years. The kids really loved seeing chopper five touch down at their school. I'm not sure when it will air. Nadine said that it would be either Wed. or Thurs. of next week, it will be fun to see them on the news!

Ahhh

2011-05-08T16:57:00.004-06:00

First of all I wanted to share this cute picture. Jonathan is starting to smile more which is fun and I love this onsie that my Mother gave him.There is also a bib that says "Little ladies man" which is adorable too.
Danika has enjoyed playing her violin and we are so proud of her. This is her with her friend Scott at their last performance of the school year.On this Mothers day I'm thankful for my Mother and Mother in law. I'm also thankful to be a mother. Tomorrow Kevin and I will have been married for 11 years. It has flown by so fast! He is the epitome of a husband and father. Love you sweetie!!!

Blessing, Derby and Silliness

2011-05-01T21:12:00.005-06:00

We blessed Jonathan in church today. He was such a good baby. I often wonder if it's just me or if every mother worries that their child will cry during the blessing or have a blow out (babies can be really loud with that). Once again Kevin did a wonderful job. I'm grateful for a wonderful Priesthood holder in our family. (Not to mention a hot one) Shh don't tell Bishop I said that ha ha. I believe Jonathan is our caboose. With the other children I would feel like someone was missing. Jonathan completes our family. Look at this handsome hunk in my Moms arms.

Also this last Saturday Andrew participated in his first Derby. He was so excited. They did six heats. He won first on three, second on another than fourth on two. All in all out of 25 cars he was in the 7th place.The boys thought it would be funny to put goggles on the baby.
This little girl can melt my heart one minute than make me want to pull my hair out the next. She is in that independence stage and "no" is one of her favorite words right now.

I didn't say I told you so!

2011-04-22T08:57:00.003-06:00

Ever since we have been married, Kevin has played with his wedding ring. He likes to throw it in the air and spin it on tables.
The first incident of him loosing it was on our honeymoon. The plane was descending and he was throwing it around and dropped it. It rolled to the front of the plane. It was embarrassing as they passed it back row by row to get to us.
Another time we were at his parents in Missouri. He threw it up and it went behind the refrigerator.
Last night we were in the kitchen and he was throwing it around. We heard a ding ding then silence. We figured it went on the carpet. Well after hours of him searching, he finally found it. It had bounced underneath a drawer. I don't think I'm going to complain about it because in the process of searching, my fridge and stove got pulled out and cleaned. The couches were all moved and carpets vacuumed.
I think I may have to start throwing his ring around...yeah.. in the laundry room.

Oh how I love these guys

2011-04-19T21:50:00.004-06:00

Do they drive me crazy?...sure Do they make me want to scream?....uh yeah, sometimes. Do they bring me joy?.... OF COURSE!
I'm never in need of someone to hold the baby, everyone loves this little guy. I can't believe he is already three weeks old.

Just Wishing...

2011-04-12T15:08:00.002-06:00

Do you ever feel like you can never accomplish what you want to? I have so many things running through my mind that I want to do but I can't manage to do them all. One of those is checking Facebook comments. There are to many....it takes so long. I also like to comment and check everyones posts on their blogs. There's just not enough time. I think it's time I prioritize. I've started just going on Facebook to wish friends Happy Birthday and then logging off, that has helped. So I may not be on to check blogs as much. I do love to see what everyone is up to but it does take so much time away from my kids. As I'm typing this poor Jacob has asked for a drink and what do I say "Just a minute."
Just wishing I had more time to do more.

One Week Old

2011-04-04T10:38:00.006-06:00

I can't believe it's already been a week since Jonathan joined our family. He hasn't been the greatest sleeper at nights but hopefully that will change. It would also be nice if your body just remembered the whole nursing process too. Man I forgot how sore you can get.

It's fun to see the difference one week makes. This is the picture I took of him in the car seat for the first time heading home from the hospital. This is today in his crib. I was lucky to get it while he was having a good dream :)
This weekend was perfect. Staying home with the family and listening to our church leaders. I figure I'm in parenting 601 he he.
This week the kids have Spring break too so I don't have to worry about getting them up and out the door which is nice. They like to have picnics. I'm so glad it's warming up so they can get outside and have fun.

HE'S HERE

2011-03-29T09:03:00.003-06:00

A picture before delivery
Jonathan Brandon Westwood: Born March 28th at 1:17. Weight 7lb 9oz and 20 inches long. Things went great. We arrived at 8:30 to check in. I got all hooked up at around 9:30 and then our little guy arrived about four hours later. It was the fastest induction for me. I knew at around 1 that I was ready to push and I told the nurse. She checked me and said "Yep, I'll get the doctor." I laughed and she said "try not to laugh, he's coming". A push and a half later and he was here. He is wonderful and we are excited for him to be a part of our family.Okay so I hope I don't sound horrible but when they put him on your belly right after delivering I'm thinking "Please clean him up and then hand him to me." It is great to see them right away though and the doctor and nurses were impressed with how pink he was.

First picture with Ma and PaI think this face is funny.
So Thankful for Kevin's parents. They are so wonderful! The kids are super excited that they are here. Not so excited about the rule they have of no kids under 14 allowed to visit. Even siblings. I guess the rule will be in place till next month when all the flu cases reduce.
Thank you for all your well wishes. I appreciate your friendships!

Mixed Feelings

2011-03-27T10:42:00.002-06:00

Nervousness....Excitement....Joy....Overwhelmed...and then add a dash of scaredy cat and you have me in a nutshell. Tomorrow will be a great day. I know it will be a happy day but I'm still nervous all the same. You would think after having delivered five babies before it would be no big deal but it still scares me all the same. It's amazing what our bodies can do. I'm sure if I don't post pics of our angel tomorrow I'll do it Tuesday. :)

Mental Breakdown

2011-03-22T21:31:00.002-06:00

I feel like my emotions are out of control. One minute I'll be happy and then the next a nagging, ornery mom. I feel bad, I'm sure my kids feel like they are walking on eggshells. Tonight I had to apologize to the kids. They looked broken and my heart ached as they told me I wasn't being a nice mommy. I told them how my hormones were all out of whack and that mommy would try better to control my emotions. The nice outcome from those little fights are the making up part. We all had a good talk on how we can all do better to have a happier spirit in our home.

Later as I was putting Lukie to bed we were talking about how the baby will be here in six days. Then he asked "the question"

"Mom how do they get the baby out of your tummy"

I already had this conversation with my eight year old a few weeks ago.
I didn't expect my six year old to ask. He took the information better than the older two, he didn't seem shocked at all.

Danika's 10th Birthday

2011-03-20T18:52:00.003-06:00

I can't believe my little girl is 10. She went around this morning mentioning to everyone she is now "in the two digits". We love you Danika, you may be getting older but you'll always be our little girl. BriLynn kept putting the candle back in to get more frosting.

St. Patrick's day fun

2011-03-17T17:08:00.005-06:00

So of course I had to have a Leprechaun run across the kids lunch. I attempted shamrock rolls. I just rolled out the dough and cut them out with a cookie cutter. I couldn't bring myself to turn them green. It's kinda like green milk, I wouldn't be able to drink it.
The kids still got a kick out of the toilet water being green. Personally I'm looking forward to the grasshopper mint fudge cake I made for dessert :) I went to Kevin's work and tied some balloons to his truck and wrote "I'm LUCKY your mine" on it. It was spur of the moment but I thought it would be fun.
We went up to the University for a fun experiment the physics department did. They dropped 20,000 bouncy balls from a helicopter 100 feet above a parking lot. The kids got 38 balls.

What do you do when your nine months pregnant?

2011-03-13T19:11:00.003-06:00

Why you paint your room of course...silly. We have wanted to paint our bedroom for awhile now. It was the last room in our house that we needed to paint and it's finally done WOO HOO. What do you think? We don't have any pictures up yet, we were too tired last night. We finished moving everything back in around midnight. My feet were hot and huge and I looked like a balloon. Definitely had the cankle thing going on. I'm glad we were able to do it now for painting with a new born doesn't sound fun at all. Now hopefully I can find some curtains to match.

Things that make me Smile!

2011-03-10T16:07:00.004-07:00

First and foremost
She is doing great. So far she hasn't had an accident at all today (I know I just jinxed that) and it's four in the afternoon. After the first two days I was ready to quit but I'm glad we stuck with it. Here are some pictures of the kids at their dance assembly. Sorry they are so blurry, our camera doesn't take the greatest pictures from afar. Poor Danika was suppose to be with her friend Chris but something happened and she was paired up with someone else. She said she was really nervous. It was funny to watch the kids, they didn't touch each other. I guess 4th grade is the cootie stage. Luke was dancing with his friend Kepler, they were so fun to watch.
Our little cowboy :)

I have only one thing to say

2011-03-03T09:01:00.003-07:00

I HATE POTTY TRAINING!

Hate is a strong word and my Mom didn't like us to use it. I do the same with my kids, I like them to use the word dislike instead. I really do HATE potty training though. It's no fun. This is number five that I've potty trained and it doesn't get any easier. Ive read books and tried different tactics but it still depends on the child. Seriously potty training has to be one of the worst parts of parenting. I don't have teenagers yet so that may change. I hope day number two goes better. We are going to a "Potty Party" at a friends so hopefully that will help in things. Wow sorry, I guess I had more than one thing to say.

HAPPY 6TH BIRTHDAY LUKE!!!

2011-03-01T11:02:00.013-07:00

Thanks for all your encouraging words from the last post. I felt so good after reading them.
Our little Lukie Ookie is six today. He is such a happy boy and we are so blessed to have him be a part of our family.

The day he was born. He was our biggest baby weighing in at 9 lbs 4 oz.

His first birthday...he really wanted the cake.

Two

Three

Four

Five

And six. We went to his class today to celebrate. We got to tell them all the things we love about him. We showed pictures and he told about all his favorite things. In this picture he is calling on his classmates and then they say something they like about him.
While they are saying it Mrs. Hadfield writes it on his crown.

He wanted a batman cake and this is the best I could do.

I was a bit bummed out this morning as I learned that the toy we had bought him online wouldn't get here today. We ordered it on the 22nd and it was to be shipped out priority 3-4 days (plenty of time). What makes me upset is that they didn't even send an email to let us know it was back ordered. I should have called a couple days ago but I'm blaming my lack of memory on pregnancy brain. Oh well, we got him something else and I think he will be excited when it comes. Just an extended birthday surprise right?

Confessions of an average mom

2011-02-25T09:47:00.002-07:00

Today the inadequate bug has hit my home. It all started while looking up different blogs. It's amazing how many blogs there are out there. I usually only check my friends blogs but (since the kids hadn't woke up yet) I figured I had some time to mosey onto some different sites.

One has tons of amazing crafts they created
Another has gourmet meals
Professional photos on another
Homeschooling Moms that seem to do it all or
Moms who have written books

When I read them it makes me think....man I don't do any of those things...man...I don't do anything! Then I think...I need to be more creative, inventive, crafty, organized, patient, etc (the list goes on and on)....it gets one down and tired just thinking about all the areas where improvement is needed.

I need to remember that we are all in different situations. I'm comparing myself to others which only leads to feelings of inadequacy.

I'm doing the best I can and that is all my Heavenly Father asks of me.

Four Times Four

2011-02-23T21:31:00.003-07:00

I was tagged to do four times four:

Four places I go:
1.Store (again and again and again!)
2.Elementary School
3.Church
4.Library

Four Favorite Smells:
1.Babies skin (clean of course ha ha)
2.A good smelling Cologne on my hubby
3.Rain (not so much after when it heats up, the neighbors have a dog he he)
4.Anything baked...mmmm bread and cookies :)

Favorite TV shows/Movies
1.ULTIMATE GIFT! A good show, I'd recommend it if you haven't seen it.
2.Any movie or show cuddled up with my hubby
Man I can't think of anything else. I don't watch any TV shows on a regular basis anymore. Unless you count the news.

Four Recommendations:
1. Spend time playing with your kids, they grow so fast. (I'm sure all you Moms know that)
2. When your having a pity party, don't invite others just grab some chocolate HA HA (When I'm having one I start thinking about all my blessings and it kicks me out of it fast)
3. Forgive yourself
4. Praise more today than yesterday (this is a sign on our bathroom mirror, I need a daily reminder)

Now I get to tag four:
1. Nat
2. Jessica
3. Kristy
4. Amy

Spoiled Stuffed Animals!

2011-02-21T20:49:00.004-07:00

For Christmas the kids got Webkins from Grandma and Grandpa Westwood. The idea came about that it would be fun to make them bunkbeds. The stuffed animals that is. So thats what we did as an activity for FHE tonight. We made them from the leftover wood we had from finishing the basement. Kevin cut everything and the kids sanded and nailed them. (Taking the kids to the Home Depot and Lowes classes really helped out in that area). It was pretty cold outside and I said to Kevin, "Doesn't it make you feel good to know your freezing out here (the garage) for a bunch of stuffed animals?

We didn't have enough time to paint them but thats the next step. Then we thought for another FHE we could have the kids learn to sew some mattresses and blankets for them. Only two of them are pictured here. Danika's bed for "Sugar" (a Koala bear) is on the left. She just wanted one bed but notice the ladder. We sure don't want any stuffed animals getting injured while getting into bed ha ha. Spoiled stuffed animals.

Just Reminiscing

2011-02-17T22:13:00.002-07:00

Tonight I was on YouTube (Kevin was gone playing tennis) so I was watching some clips from some of the shows I loved as a kid. Most of the shows I love are about dancing. I really miss dancing. They were just clips but I was a bit surprised at some of the content. I guess as a kid I didn't think much about it but now as a parent I'm more aware. I remember Kevin and I getting War Games to watch. We both remember watching it as kids. We turned it off after five minutes because of the language and threw it away (we had turned in coupons from a cereal box so we didn't pay anything for it).
Have you done that? Looked back at things you watched as a kid and think...man I'm not letting my kids watch that. It scares me for what is to come. What are my kids going to be watching. PG movies aren't like the PG movies I watched growing up. I'm positive things aren't going to get better either. Just turning on the TV and flipping through channels there are so many suggestive things. I guess all I can do is teach them and hope that they choose whats right.

Valentine Fun

2011-02-11T08:51:00.003-07:00

I loved Valentines Day as a child. The anticipation of who would give you what kind of valentine and what it would say. You always looked so much deeper into a meaning. If a boy gave you one that said "Be my Sweetheart" you took it as they really liked you and wanted to go out. I can see my kids doing that. It's become a nightly thing for Andrew to tease Danika that Chris loves her. Then Danika teases back that Brittney loves him. Ahh the memories. I wanted to share something fun I found. My friend made these cute candy cane suckers on her site and I wanted to try them. You can check out her blog on the side bar, it's under Healthy Food Should Taste Good. I tried to add a link but it wouldn't work. This is how they turned out.
Thankfully my sisters had a box of candy canes from Christmas they let me have. Thats not something you find easily this time of year. If you want to know exactly how to make them check out my friends site.
I'm attaching a succor to these bags of cookie cutters for the kids teachers.

Growing up my Mom would always have a valentine on our plate for Dinner. I've continued that tradition but also do it for breakfast and lunch also. I know what I'm making for breakfast and lunch but I still need to think of a fun idea for dinner. If you have any ideas I would love to hear them. Since Valentines is on a Monday this year, the hubby and I are celebrating on Saturday. We are going to the American West Heritage Center for dinner and a magic show, should be fun. Have A Happy Valentines!

LOOKIE LOOKIE

2011-02-08T20:47:00.003-07:00

Look who got glasses.
A few weeks ago while in Sacrament I saw Andrew squinting a little to see the numbers posted for the songs. When he said "Mom, is that 128?" and it was 133 (or something like that) I knew he needed an eye exam. It was so exciting to see him recognize things such as the sign above the fridge that says "Thou shalt not weight more than thy refrigerator" he said he couldn't read it before. I remember what it was like when I first got glasses. It's like a whole world opened up.
He is already asking me about contacts. I can't see an eight year old wearing contacts but maybe some do. I was in seventh grade when I first got mine.
Well I guess wishing didn't work. We were hoping the kids would get my teeth and Kevin's eyes. I've never had braces or cavities and he's never had eye problems. Oh well, we sure think he looks handsome.

Anyone notice BriLynn in the picture again. I swear the girl can hear when I click the camera on. She's a little ham :)

PARTY PARTY PARTY

2011-02-07T15:23:00.004-07:00

When I only had one or two kids I would throw parties all the time. I LOVE to decorate with balloons and get games, prizes, etc together. Well I've noticed the more kids we have the less parties I throw. I remember throwing a Fourth of July Party for Danika when she was two....what two year old is going to remember that? It may be that I'm getting older and tired but I don't throw as many and I figured before I had the baby I better do something. I didn't want to leave any of the kids out so I had them each invite two friends, (well except BriLynn, because I now know that two year olds really don't care). I figured that would be 13 kids total. It was a bit different trying to entertain the range of ages from 4 to 10 but I think it went well. Here are some pictures. It was warm for the first little bit for them to go outside and play. Our next door neighbors showed us this game and the kids love it. You pair up, blow a cheese ball with a straw and see how many you can get in your partners mouth. The one who gets the most wins.

We did a maze, colored, played bingo, had a heart hunt and competed to see who could pop a balloon the fastest by sitting on it.
And of course decorated and ate valentine cookies.
I have to say I was really sad for Andrew. Neither of his two friends showed up. I had talked to one of his friends parents and it sounded like they were coming. I had written on the invite to call if they weren't able to attend. Just for this reason, I could have had him invite someone else. I was heartbroken as he was sitting looking out the window waiting for them. I kept giving him suggestions of others we could hurry and call but nope...he didn't want anyone but the two kids he invited. I felt horrible. He warmed up after a couple games and participated but I know he was really hurt. I still feel sad just thinking about it.

Nothing to report

2011-02-03T20:47:00.002-07:00

Wow I didn't realize how long it's been since I last posted. Well there's really nothing new to report. We are still alive. So far no sickness here (knock on wood) and I've kept my goal of making homemade bread every week so far. To bad I can't get out of the habit of making cookies. I don't know what it is about pregnancy but I crave baking cookies. I've also put away 8 freezer meals. I would love to have a months worth of frozen meals by the time the baby arrives. Does that sound crazy? I told my sister Susan that and she said I was a rare breed.

These are the joys of parenting!!!

2011-01-24T21:55:00.005-07:00

What was so funny is she was doing this for a minute or so before I grabbed the camera. We are so mean just to sit and laugh but we couldn't stop, it was hilarious!

Who doesn't love the sound of children laughing. We got this game for Christmas from Kevin's Brother Matt and his wife Kristine. THANK YOU! The kids have loved it, and I have loved watching them play it.

Look who got braces

2011-01-20T16:33:00.004-07:00

Andrew got his braces on yesterday. He was really nervous but he was such a trooper. The orthodontist was really impressed at how he never complained. I think they will only be on for six months. I'm amazed that out of the seven kids in my family NONE had braces. Eyes were another story. We have already had a expander on Danika and now braces with Andrew. I just hope the other kids teeth come in nice and straight....wishful thinking I know, but one can always hope.This is the picture I took before he went into the Orthodontist. I love the flaring of the nostrils and BriLynn wanting to be in it.
And after. You can tell better in this one how sideways that front tooth is. We needed to fix that and move it closer to his other front tooth for the others to come in more properly. My baby has braces (sigh).

Tell me you've done it too

2011-01-18T21:32:00.004-07:00

Tonight was wonderful. The bishopric and their wives were invited to the etiquette dinner the young women and young men put on. It was a nice "date" night with my hubby. I wasn't going to go but the second counselors wife said she had a babysitter and didn't want to be the only wife there, so I decided to go. Ummm..all the babysitters would be at the activity so what to do.... I ask my nine year old to babysit. When I asked her she was more than willing to watch the rest of the kids. Tell me you've done this, left your oldest to babysit. If so, how old were they when you left them? For how long?
I got a movie earlier for them and they watched that while I was gone. Things got started late so after the dinner I looked at the time and it had been an hour and a half. I called home and this is what she said, "I already put BriLynn to bed and the boys and I are playing a quiet game."
My joy was overflowing he he. When I got home she had told me she had the kids play a game to clean up the popcorn they had since she knew I wouldn't like seeing the mess when I got home. Can you say angel! Really do we need to call for a babysitter anymore when we have one at home? Sure she is young but she's responsible.

Tonight when Kevin had come home he mentioned he was going to say a few words before the dinner. I asked him what he was going to say, and he thought it would be something about being virtuous, lovely, of good report or praiseworthy. So those of you who know me, know I love to come up with funny quirky things. This is what I came up with. He embarrassed me by sharing it with the group.

The 14th article of faith

We believe in being polite, clean, proper
and keeping our mouths closed when we chew;
Indeed we may say that we follow an etiquette code
- We chew all things, we swallow all things,
we have tasted some nasty things
and hope to be able to digest all things.
If there is anything healthy, delicious,
scrumptious or good looking,
we seek after these things.

I wanted to add something like:
If there is anything nasty, allergic, or blackened we seek not for these things.

I could have also mentioned stuff about proper sounds at the table but I decided to steer clear of that one.

Happy etiquette everyone.

Random

2011-01-17T20:06:00.003-07:00

I have to jot this down because I know I will forget and I think it's hilarious.
On Sunday I was in my dress and we were ready to have breakfast. I accidentally dropped my fork and it hit my dress. I had to get a rag and wipe it off.

So Andrew asks: Mom, why aren't you wearing your foo foo?
Me: My what?
Andrew: You know that foo foo thing you wear to cover your dress.
Me: Oh the moo moo dress ha ha

Thanks for your comments on the last post. It's amazing how pregnancy can put you on an emotional roller coaster.

On another random note we are trying a program on our computer to limit the time the kids spend on it. It's only a two week trial and so far it's working great. Kevin said he could write a program to do the same thing. We set how much per week they are allowed. This last week it was three hours. They each have their own password to log on. I love that I don't have to say "times up". If they use all their time in one day then it won't let them log back on. Mommy doesn't have to be the big bad wolf since it's the computer telling them they can't play anymore he he.

Lonely

2011-01-16T11:06:00.003-07:00

Most Sundays are fine but today for some reason I'm really missing my hubby. Even as I sit here and type this tears are coming to my eyes. I'm blaming the hormones. Maybe it's that there has been more screaming and tantrums thrown this morning. (breath)....okay I'm feeling better already. UGH...Jacob's screaming now, good feeling gone :(

I've got it!

2011-01-14T13:39:00.003-07:00

I never made a new years resolution and after an enlightening relief society meeting on Wednesday night I think I've got it. We were discussing nutrition. I have always taken my role as a mother and wife as a "job". Now this may sound silly but it gets me in the mood to do those mundane tasks aka laundry we do as mothers. I feel that if Kevin has to go to work and perform to the best of his ability in his field. So should I. My payoff is the many blessing given by a loving Father in Heaven. Anyway...as I was listening to the sister talk about nutrition she brought up our bodies being like temples. I've heard this since I was in young womens but it struck me that I am responsible right now for not only my body but my children as well. I need to do better at increasing certain things in our diets. I have always felt I have done a good job. We rarely go out to eat (maybe once or twice a month, and thats without the kids) and we only drink pop on special occasions. I make sure we have a vegetable with every meal and I've stopped buying sugary treats like fruit snacks.
I'm not perfect and I know that this will take some time but I am going to start increasing the fiber and fruits in our diets. I also want to decrease the amount of sugar consumed. I like how she referred to sugar as "the new drug for our society" Sugar is in everything. I hope I can stick to this. If any of you have fiber friendly recipes please send them my way.
One thing I'm going to start with is making wheat bread. This recipe is so simple and my kids love it. I may start making it weekly like Kevin's aunt. She does it every week for her family of eleven.
Yummy Wheat Bread

3 Tbs yeast
3 Tbs vital gluten
1 Tbs salt
1/2-1 cup wheat germ
1 cup honey
2/3 cup oil
6 cups hot water
6 cups+ white flour
6 cups+ wheat flour

Instructions:
1 Preheat oven for 200 Combine in bowl first four ingredients.
2 Combine in the mixing bowl honey, oil and water.
3 Add six cups flour to the mixing bowl; mix well. Add yeast mixture. Start timer for 12 minutes. Add 6+ flour till the dough cleans the sides of the bowl (I find it's quite a bit more flour). Continue mixing until the 12 minutes is up. Divide dough into four loaves and place in 4 oiled and sprayed bread pans. Place loaves in oven and set timer for 20 minutes
4 If loaves have risen to just above the rim after the 20 minutes turn oven to 350 and bake for 20 minutes. Check for doneness by tapping and listening for a hollow sound; add five minutes if necessary.
5 For softer loaves, immediately turn the bread out of pans and onto a damp kitchen towel. Spritz with water. Allow them to cool and then slice or freeze.

I also want to make homemade granola more often.

8 cups rolled oats
1 1/2 cups wheat germ
1 1/2 cups oat bran
1 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup finely chopped almonds
1 cup finely chopped pecans
1 cup finely chopped walnuts
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
3/4 cup honey
1 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups raisins or sweetened dried cranberries

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment or aluminum foil.
Combine the oats, wheat germ, oat bran, sunflower seeds, almonds, pecans, and walnuts in a large bowl. Stir together the salt, brown sugar, maple syrup, honey, oil, cinnamon, and vanilla in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then pour over the dry ingredients, and stir to coat. Spread the mixture out evenly on the baking sheets.
Bake in the preheated oven until crispy and toasted, about 20 minutes. Stir once halfway through. Cool, then stir in the raisins or cranberries before storing in an airtight container.

I'm sure it will be baby steps from here but I feel I'm on my way to making my family healthier.

Changes

2011-01-11T09:05:00.004-07:00

Since we will have a new little one in 11 weeks (wow that sounds like a short time) We needed to do some rearranging. We had the three boys in one room and it was cramped. We decided to moved them downstairs. Jacob now has his own room till the baby comes. We moved the toys into his room also.It makes bed time so much nicer. I was worried about putting Luke and Andrew downstairs but they love it. We had to move the guest bed into the office. It actually looks less cluttered than it did before which is surprising since a bed is now in there.
It's amazing how moving things around makes thing feel newer (do you know what I mean?) We had talked about moving before Kevin was called to be the Bishop and so I guess moving things around makes us feel like we are in a way. So while moving the boys we rearranged the living room. We will be buying a new set of bunk-beds this weekend and then we will have six beds for the six kids. I still feel cramped at times, especially when I see things like buckets of clothes piled high in the garage. We are running out of places to put things. Our neighbor offered us his home, it's bigger than ours. He wants to get into a home with less stairs (his wife just broke her back slipping down them). It's funny how much Kevin has entertained the idea. Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful we have the rooms we do. I remember sharing a room with my four sisters when we lived in a government trailer camp. I can't imagine seven kids in a three bedroom trailer but we did it.

Jr Jazz

2011-01-09T09:38:00.005-07:00

This year we put Andrew in Jr. Jazz. His first game was yesterday and he loved it. He had so much fun with basketball, a lot more than he did with soccer. (Plus it's cheaper, and you get a jersey. With soccer you have to buy all the gear.) So we probably won't do soccer again with him. Here are some pics I took at his game. This is Luke with a flag he made to cheer on his brother. It says "go Andrew".
This is blurry but if you look through the two kids in green jerseys you'll see a leg and arm sticking out. It was right after a basket was made and Andrew was excited.
His team the Hawks.
Our cute player.
He didn't pick his jersey number but Kevin thought it was cool that he got Deron Williams number. Lets just say Daddy likes that his boy is playing ball.

On a side note: I didn't think I would like having church at 1. I'm a morning person and I like to have the rest of the day. I didn't want to wait around all day for church to start. But, I'm finding that it's nice. I get to sleep in and I don't have to rush. I think it will be nice for when the baby comes too. What is your favorite time for church?

A new kind of patch

2011-01-06T09:34:00.004-07:00

With Andrew turning eight he is now going to cub scouts. He is super excited. Seeing the price tag after buying all the "stuff" they need, I wasn't as excited. His first meeting is tonight. He has been glued to the Wolf handbook. After sewing on the patches to his shirt, I'm ready to buy the sticky stuff to put them on. Atleast the Lowe's patches gave me some practice ha ha.It will be fun to see him get some new kind of patches.
On other news, the van is officially gone. The family that was buying it gave us some money down and we held it till they paid the rest. They came and got the title and keys last night. Kinda sad, we had it for five years. Lots of memories.

It's Great to be Eight

2011-01-02T18:26:00.003-07:00

It's hard to believe that I have two kids that have been baptized. Do you ever feel like your younger than you are.
It's neat that those in our stake are baptized in the Logan Tabernacle, such a historic place. I know Andrew will remember the date too since it was the first day of the year. I worried about doing it on the first but after hearing that nine are scheduled for this coming Saturday I'm glad we did. It was a beautiful day full of the spirit, family, and friends. Look at these handsome boys!It was pretty warm with the humidity from the water so I look like the state puff marshmallow man. It took awhile for the swelling to go down.

I did the same thing I did at Danika's baptism and had those that attended write their testimonies while Andrew and Kevin were getting dressed. I love that he can open his baptism book and read through them anytime to help his testimony grow. We were going to have the luncheon at our home but we decided to scheduled the church instead. I'm glad we did, I can't imagine this many people in our house. Thank you to everyone who came and supported Andrew on his special day. Now I can relax for two more years till I have to plan the next baptism luncheon, invites, book etc. Oh wait...I guess there will be a baby blessing before that. Snap.

Happy Birthday Boys

2010-12-30T19:03:00.008-07:00

Today was full of craziness. Good craziness. I decided a little while ago not to do a birthday every year. I love to throw parties but it can be a lot. Plus with us having three in March, two in December and one in November it puts them really close together. I decided I would do it every four years. When they are four, eight, twelve, and sixteen. Those are big birthdays for them anyway. At eight your baptized. At twelve you graduate to YM and YW. Then at sixteen you date and drive. On the off years they can have friends over but I'm not going to plan a big party. Well unfortunately we didn't really time things right and had Jacob and Andrew four years apart on the same day. Oh well, every four years it will be crazy. Plus I only have to decorate for one day ha ha. I have a twin sister and I know how bummed I was to share a day at times so I didn't want the boys to feel like they were gypped from having their "own" party. Cake and all. What's funny is they both wanted the same cake. So I ended up doing two Ben Ten watch cakes. I think their omnitrix cakes turned out fun. We had Jacobs party first. We played bingo and duck duck goose (one of Jacobs favorite games). They liked the heavy heavy hangover part for the gifts.

The four year olds were tame compared to the eight year olds. Man they were wild. For Andrew's party they learned how to make Ninja stars out of paper then had a contest to see who could throw the most in a basket. Then they played pin the ninja star on the ninja. I'm surprised Andrew didn't want me to make a ninja cake since he likes ninja stuff so much.

They had a good time and thats all that matters. I have to add this picture because I think it's so funny. We gave Andrew left handed junior clubs for his birthday. We got a great deal while we were in Missouri. I love his reaction. Kevin is excited to take him out with him come Summer. To end a fun day of birthdays we also got an offer on our van WOO HOO. Happy Birthday Andrew and Jacob, we love you!!!

Just my thoughts...

2010-12-26T13:15:00.003-07:00

I have had a hard time this Christmas season. It's nothing awful, just blah feelings. I love the spirit of Christmas and the reason for the season. I just worry about my kids.

Danika found out a few months ago about Santa. She kept it from the other ones and has been getting them excited. I love it because she is more thankful for the things she received this year knowing where they came from.
Maybe our first problem was that we didn't have the kids write a letter to Santa. This may have avoided some of our issues. I just didn't want them to think that whatever they write down they would get. We had asked them which I figured would be the same but you know how kids change their minds weekly if not daily. Plus some of the things they asked for were not even an option. Andrew told us he wanted an IPhone. "Yeah right...Mom and Dad have a pay as you go phone and your seven!"

So our issue is... that a couple of our kids are complaining that they wanted what another sibling got. I think it is so ungrateful. I had to sit and remind Andrew about the story of the Christmas Orange. Some kids get nothing for Christmas and here he is with so much and he complains. After that I didn't hear anything more about it.

I worry that they feel entitled instead of grateful. It's calmed down a lot but yesterday we had crying over gifts. I told Kevin I was ready to forgo presents all together next year. Really...who's birthday are we celebrating? Who is the one getting the gifts? I'm sure we won't but I'm tempted. I want them to give more than receive. To be grateful.

I know we will try some different things next year but if you have any thoughts or ideas on how to help children feel grateful instead of entitled, I would love to hear them. I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas. Thanks for reading my babbling.

All at once

2010-12-20T15:42:00.004-07:00

I don't know if you have heard this, but I've heard that people pass away in three's. I swear thats how it goes with problems too.
We came home from a wonderful Christmas party at my parents this weekend (of course I forget to take the camera) and find that the dishwasher is having problems. The heating coil won't turn off. If the door is not shut it won't go on but if it's shut (not even turned on) it will heat it up. So I'm on the phone for an hour on hold trying to get someone at Maytag. There is someone coming to check it out tomorrow.
Then I go upstairs and open the blinds in the boys room and find that their is water damage by the window. (What??? it's a new window, maybe it's a bad seal?) I call the company and they are coming next Monday. Then we go to Andrew's orthodontist appointment. He tells us that he will most likely need braces at two different times. Yikes.
It's frustrating when things happen at once but I just think, "the house hasn't burned down from the dishwasher and no one was hurt", "the window stuff should be covered by warranty" and "sure braces are big chunk of money but it would be a lot more without insurance."
I feel like I dwell too much on the negative sometimes. So that will be one of my new years resolutions, to see the positive even in negative situations.

I wanted to share this quote. It has been going through my mind this season. It's helped me see past the worldly things that force their way into my life. To focus on what's important.

Receive it,
Feel it,
Just to know God loves you,
The gift is to be felt continually day by day.

Have a Merry Christmas!

Where's ???

2010-12-15T21:31:00.008-07:00

Our camera isn't the greatest when it comes to zooming so I'm sorry these pictures are blurry. You'll have to play Where's Waldo or in this case Danika, Andrew and Luke. I took them at thier Christmas program.
Danika is pretty easy to spot in front. Andrew isn't as much, he is on the right by the wall in the middle.
I took this picture because Danika is helping Colby move his hands to the songs. I'm glad they have an opportunity to help out the handicap children. It's a good experience and she enjoys doing it.
Now Luke is the toughest to find. He is on the 2nd row down under the H in the sign.

The next picture is from Danika's Orchestra performance. They also performed tonight at the High school and did a fabulous job. I'm impressed at how much they have learned in such little time. They only started taking lessons at the end of September. Way to go Bridger bears! I'm a proud momma what can I say. I tried and tried to upload a video but it's not working :(

Holiday Greetings

2010-12-12T11:40:00.003-07:00

Today I'm at home sick with the BriLynn and Jacob who are also sick. (Yucky head colds, tis the season) While the others were at Stake Conference I watched Mr. Krueger's Christmas with littler ones. I didn't know if they would pay attention but they did. Jacob is asking if he can watch it tomorrow. My favorite part is the end when the narrator says:
"I love you. Thats what Christmas is all about.
Klarrisa said it to Mr. Krueger, Mr. Krueger said it to Jesus
and Jesus in so many ways said it to all of us."

Isn't that beautiful! I'm always in awe when I think of the Love our Savior has for us.

Christmas Letter and Card 2010
Sorry it's not the clearest, I just took a picture of it.

Twas a Few Weeks Before Christmas

Twas a few weeks before Christmas and all through our home,
not a child was sleeping, they were up writing this poem.

The stockings were flung on the couch with great care,
'cause Santa forgot to bring us a chimney last year.

With Mama in maternity, Dad in his suit.
With another on the way, were gonna need some more loot.

Then what to our wondering eyes should appear,
but a crying child, "are you hungry my dear?"

More rapid than eagles for dinner they came,
I whistled and shouted and called them by name.

Now Danika, now Andrew, now Jacob and Luke.
On BriLynn and Daddy, come get what I nuked.

As we bowed down our heads and gave thanks for the food,
We hoped the burritos would lighten the mood.

We had messy faces and little round bellies,
That shook as we laughed like bowls full of jelly.

A wink of Kevin's eye and an ache in my head,
soon gave us to know, it was time for their beds.

But we heard them exclaim as we crept out of site,
HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO ALL, AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT!

May the Lord bless you and your family this Holiday Season.

Love the Westwoods

PS Sandra really does make home cooked meals.
PPS We rarely have frozen burritos.

Good bye van, hello humongous!

2010-12-07T19:23:00.001-07:00

With a baby coming in a few months we figured it was time to find a vehicle that would fit us all. Our van is only a seven passenger. I'm sad to have to sell it. It really has been a good vehicle. If you know anyone who is looking for a van let them know. It's a 2004 Dodge Grand Caravan. It has 82,300 miles. We are asking 7500 but are negotiable. It was a rental car when we bought it five years ago so we are the only personal owners.
As for our new car it's a 9 passenger 2005 Yukon XL. A 9 passenger Yukon is hard to come by, they don't make as many bench seats for the front as bucket seats. We wanted one though just in case we are to have a number seven. My max is seven :) It's HUGE!!! Notice the tennis ball hung. I know when to stop when that hits my windshield ha ha. We did ourselves a huge injustice by looking at newer Yukon's. They were super nice but after figuring we would have a payment of over 700 dollars we came down to earth.Good bye van you will be missed.

To grandmothers house we go...

2010-11-30T20:48:00.005-07:00

Thankfully we didn't go through snow though. We headed south on I70 since we heard a storm was coming. It was clear sailing except for wind. On our way back we hit a little snow while on I80 but nothing to what we saw when we got home. We missed all the craziness of the schools and businesses closing. It's amazing to me that we were wearing jackets a few days ago. We got to Kevin's parents house Wednesday afternoon and it was in the 70's. Now we are FREEZING. I'm so grateful for our neighbors that shoveled our driveway while we were gone. I love our neighbors!
Here are some pictures of the fun we had while in Missouri.
The kids had lots of fun with their cousins. They especially liked Grandma and Grandpa's hot tub. (I couldn't get in...sigh))
Jacob and Luke playing with Molly. Their cousins dog.

Danika and MaKayla climbing trees
Andrew and Joseph playing in the trees.
Breakfast, Thanksgiving day. Tables were already up from pie night before. His parents have a Pie night the night before Thanksgiving. A chicken pot pie and shepherds pie are made and everyone brings their favorite dessert pies. I don't know about you but I never have room for the pie on Thanksgiving day so I love it. Definitely keeping that tradition!
The kids put on a little skit on Thanksgiving. They were so cute, and did a good job.
I must say I'm getting in the Christmas spirit. We put up our tree today, the lights are all on woo hoo.

Happy Thankbirthday

2010-11-25T17:39:00.006-07:00

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We had a yummy dinner and it was great to go around and say what everyone is thankful for. The kids have loved being around their cousins and Grandma and Grandpa.
This year BriLynns birthday landed on Thanksgiving. We had some pies so we decided instead making a cake we would use pie instead. It was an ice cream pie, the best of both worlds right? Happy 2nd Birthday Beautiful BriLynn.

A Birthday nap with Grandpa

Once there was a Snowman

2010-11-21T14:20:00.002-07:00

The kids were so excited to get outside and build a snowman after church today. I must say I was really impressed with how fast they made the balls. All I helped them with was to put them on top of each other. Which took us a few minutes, they were so heavy. Great snow for snowman building. Then they decorated it and ta da.

Say Cheese

2010-11-18T21:11:00.003-07:00

Kids crack me up

2010-11-10T08:13:00.003-07:00

I love it when all the kids start dancing together. I pulled out the camera last night and recorded this. I'm pretty sure they won't be doing this together when they get into High school ha ha. Three things to point out
1. Notice the flower in Luke's mouth. (I don't know where he got that from.)
2. After Luke dances with Danika he starts dancing with BriLynn behind the other two.(so sweet)
3. Jacob head banging as he comes in and then whacking his head on the counter. (I know I shouldn't laugh but I do every time I see it.)

Something more uplifting

2010-11-08T11:45:00.004-07:00

Sorry the previous post was such a downer. I re-read it today and thought...man am I depressing or what? So I figured I better do something else. Thanks for your comments though, true friends will listen to your ramblings.
It's amazing how hard 'ol whats his face works on you to keep you in that mood though (I like to call Satan that cause ya know cause he doesn't have a body ha ha). These past few days he has been working on me to make me feel like a horrible wife and mother.

The smile on this little ones face says otherwise.
Can't believe my baby is going to be two this month. Speaking of baby...I get to find out what the baby is on Thursday. At the last visit the doctor thought it might be a boy but she wasn't sure. I guess we will see if she was right.

Maybe...

2010-11-06T21:19:00.004-06:00

This is going to be a venting post so if you don't want to hear it just click out now....just wanted to warn ya.
Being pregnant brings so many emotions to the surface. I swear when I'm not pregnant I usually never cry or get so dramatic. Lately I've been extremely moody.
Tonight I snapped at Kevin and afterwards felt extremely awful. Have you ever done something that you feel that saying sorry just doesn't cover it. After I thought about how hard he is working and all the pressure he has with his calling. Here he has a moody wife, just icing on the cake right? There are many times I feel like he's physically here but not mentally because he is thinking through things with the ward. The poor guy has so much and I want to help him but I can't.
You hear about those wonderful women who never complain. I can't say I'm one of those. I have found myself getting upset easily. For example, when someone calls during dinner and Kevin has to come back to cold food.
I guess I feel like the time with his family isn't respected. Luke said to me the other day while Kevin was at meetings "Daddy is always at the church". It's been an adjustment for them not to have Daddy around as much.
He works so hard and I love him. I know for me, I will try harder to be supportive. It's so hard not to take the burden from him but there's no way I can.
Maybe eventually I will be one of those women who don't complain. Maybe..

Yuckies and Yummies

2010-10-31T09:56:00.003-06:00

We had an eventful Halloween this year. We went to some stores and to the Whittier Center for their carnival. After all the running around we thought the kids were just tuckered out (clue 1). They went trick or treating up our street. Then we headed to the Trunk or Treat. Andrew was the only one who went around to get candy. The other kids sprawled on the floor behind our chairs (clue 2). Kevin started to take the other kids out to the car and Luke threw up on the outer door of the church. Great place right? One open door and one more step and he would have been outside. Anyway to end the day we had three kids throwing up. You know it's a nicer bug when they only throw up once or twice and it's done. This was the case with this one. We stayed home from church. They woke up happy and excited to eat their candy.This is the Principle at the Elementary school. I love that he dresses up! Can you guess who he is?
The neighbors were outside and took a picture of us before we left to go to the stores.
How to train your dragon to sleep ha ha. As I said, the kids were tuckered out. Hope you all had a wonderful Halloween!

These are a few of my favorite things...

2010-10-26T11:46:00.003-06:00

I love my in laws. I grew up thinking I wouldn't (you know the stereotypical of a mother in law) They are so kind and loving. Yesterday we got a package from them. Kevin's mom had made each of the kids a trick or treat bag. I wish I was as good at sewing as she is.The kids were super excited. As am I...the bags will be much easier to store than those pumpkin buckets. Now onto the kids schools pictures. I always opt out of buying the ones at the school because they are so expensive. I do buy a class picture for memory sake. I wanted to show the difference between their class picture and then the one they took at JCPenny. I always use their 7.99 coupon. You get 2- 8x10's, 2- 5x7's, 4-3x5's, and 16 wallets. It is of one picture but you get to choose from all the ones they take (which is about 15). The ones taken at the school are on the right.

Can you see the difference and why I like to get it taken elsewhere?
These books are one of my favorite things. My mother kept one for me while I was growing up. I still have it, it's fun to look through. There are pockets to keep awards, art work and report cards. You write who your friends are, what you want to be, your signature (which is fun to see how it changes) and more. I have one for each of the kids except for the one incubating he he. If you are interested in them you can find them at harrietcarter.com. Type school in the search. They are only 5.98 and they come personalized.
Another favorite of mine is finding kids sleeping in fun places.

Oh how I love Halloween

2010-10-23T13:00:00.004-06:00

Some friends of ours have a yearly Halloween party. This years theme was super heroes. We didn't want to be the regular super heroes you think of. There were some pretty wacky costumes. You could make up your own super hero also. Kevin was such a good sport. I know he hates dressing up but he knows how much I love to go to these parties. We went as Word Girl and Captain Huggyface.
We had an awesome time. We were put with another couple (We were with Matt and Erin McNiel. They used to be the Greenfield ward so we knew them). We were sent on an "amazing race". We all had cameras and were to take pictures along the way. This was a clue that went with the next photo.

Oh golden arches, here we come, it's time for a small snack.
A Happy Meal is what you'll eat, don't have a heart attack!
Only one can do this task, you'll take it for the team.
Be sure to take some pics of this for fun, or so it seems.

Being pregnant and knowing that fries (my fav food) come in a kids meal, I offered to scarf the Happy Meal.Those eating there got some pretty good laughs. WORD UP! ha ha
So what are you going to be for Halloween?

Ahh much better

2010-10-21T08:54:00.003-06:00

We got new windows installed in our home yesterday. The first thing Andrew said was "Wow I can see outside."
I promise I did clean them. Just not as much on the outside. We have had condensation and mold on some of the windows. I guess they were not sealed properly and they let in so much cold air in the wintertime. We hope to see a major improvement. I love how they look. I took a before, during and after picture. Maybe you can't tell the difference but I can. I especially love the new sliding glass door....it slides ha ha. The last one you had to jerk hard on to open. The guys were amazing! There were only two of them but they replaced 10 windows and 1 sliding glass door in five hours.
On a sad note we had to take our car in the shop. They told us that if they replaced the part they thought was causing the problem, and the check engine light didn't go off then we would need a new transmission. WHAT? That van has less than 80,000 miles. Is it just me or does anyone else have a hard time trusting auto mechanics?
Well we picked it up and so far so good. I'll be saying a silent prayer every time I drive it though (that the light doesn't pop on). We have to buy a new vehicle soon that can seat at least 8 so I hope nothing else happens till we sell it.

A great getaway.

2010-10-16T21:57:00.004-06:00

It seems like you learn more and more as you take trips together as a family. Well this last weekend we went to Fairview to Kevin's Grandparents cabin. Here are some pictures of our fun getaway and the things we learned.

Oopsies and uhh ohhs:
-Get directions on how to get gas fireplace to work. Space heaters and oven do okay for heat but the fireplace would have been nice. (It got pretty cold at night)
-Bring more than one binky. The one we had was lost the first night we were there. Weening from that away from home is not the best idea.
-Prepare to come home to four loads of laundry.
-Bring another pair of shoes for kids (a few fell into the water and got wet).
-Probably not a smart idea to take five small children on a hike up a steep mountain (tough terrain refer to pictures)
-Don't leave a seven year old with a BB gun. (It's broke now)

WOO HOO's and How fun:
-Kids actually survived while being away from the computer and video games. (Although it's the first thing Jacob wanted to do when we got home)
-Food always tastes so much better when your in the mountains.
-Watching your daughter catch her first fish at the same place you caught your first fish (while pregnant with her) is an awesome experience.
-Hiking as a family brings a sense of closeness.
-Little things like seeing a ton of sheep being herded across the road can be so entertaining for kids and Mom.
-Watching your children's excitement at hitting a pop can with a BB gun is priceless.
-You never mind eating a burnt smore when it's made by a child.
-Spending time in the outdoors with those you love is very peaceful and wonderful!

A pictures worth a thousand words

2010-10-12T21:29:00.004-06:00

Just to make sure you don't think we are neglectful parents we had put BriLynn to bed fully clothed.

No backing out now!

2010-10-07T15:53:00.002-06:00

I have to post this here also because not all of my friends are on Facebook.

WE ARE EXPECTING #6

I am due March 30th. Luke and Danika's birthdays are also in March. What can we say we like that month. The doctor took a peek and she ventured to say it was a boy but she was uncertain (you know how the umbilical cord can get in the way). Anyway thats our latest news. We are excited and are now looking for a larger vehicle ha ha.

Silly Girls

2010-10-03T21:18:00.001-06:00

Anyone else see the similarities?

Happy and Shocked

2010-09-26T12:56:00.006-06:00

So for you of those on Facebook you already know this, sorry.

I love a challenge. After hearing that the first three to sing the songs correctly in the Mayceys songs of savings contest would win, I figured it was a long shot but why not give it a try. There were a few songs I didn't know so thats where my sisters helped out. They, like me, love to figure out song titles.

I emailed Mayceys to ask who won a few weeks after I posted it on my Facebook account. I never received a response so I took it off my Facebook page because lets be honest...it was embarrassing ha ha. If you have no idea what it is that I'm talking about you can still see some of the entries on You Tube if you type in Songs of Savings. I would post it again but I deleted it from the computer (like I said, it was embarrassing). I kinda wish I wouldn't have. Last week I got an email, this is almost two months after it was done. The email said I had won and to look for the gift card in the mail.

I think it's funny that my previous post was about food. Mayceys case-lot sale is coming up and I know right where that 100 dollars will be going.

Sometimes it pays to make a fool of yourself!

Food Food Food

2010-09-21T10:29:00.004-06:00

I just wanted to share something I learned this last Saturday. Our stake had a Emergency preparedness open house. Now I had felt like we were pretty prepared. I didn't know exactly what I had in food storage but in my mind I felt like it was a years supply. We added up everything we had just in cans and buckets. I found (according to church suggestion) we only had enough grain to feed 1.6 people for a year. Man that's it? 483 lbs is what we have and the church suggests 300 per person. We have enough sugar for a little over two people. Don't even ask me about the fats and salt category ha ha.

I think I'm going to try a method I heard about and then I'll feel more comfortable about being prepared. I'll continue to increase those other supplies but at least I'll know I have meals for a year to feed my family. Plus it's stuff I know I'll use.

Maybe you guys have heard of this, it's called the 19x19 method of food storage. If you multiply 19x19 what do you get? 361. Enough meals to last you a year. Find 19 recipes that your family can stand to eat 19 times in a year and you have a plan for your food storage. I can already tell you I have stuff to make spaghetti 19 times :) Woo hoo thats one meal down, 18 to go. So maybe this isn't exciting to you but it's a simpler way to me of getting a year supply of meals. Let me know what you think. Oh and no that is not a picture of my food storage above...although that would be nice.

Updating

2010-09-18T18:55:00.003-06:00

I don't feel like our house is old by any means, but there are a many things I would love to change. Since Kevin got his calling we know we will be here longer so it's time to update. Well first things first...we ordered new windows and they will be done in about a month. You can put your hand next to any window in the wintertime and feel the breeze of cold air. This should really save on our heating costs.
This next weekend the front steps will be resurfaced with cement (the rain has created lots of divots). Poor Kevin started doing it today but it was setting up so fast. Luckily our neighbor across the street is a cement guru and so we are paying him to do it.
While at Home Depot today there was a front loading washer and dryer on discount since it was the floor models. Oohh they looked so nice, I would have loved to get them. The ones we have now we have had for 11 years. Kevin got them from a professor of his at CEU. He heard we were getting married and offered them to him since he was getting new ones. Those babies have got to be over 25-30 years old. I'm the type that thinks "wear it in, wear it out, make it do, or do without." So until they die I'm happy to use them.
After those improvements we will have to start saving up again for more projects. It seems like a never ending list. Tis life eh? We have to continue to improve or "update" ourselves. Now I'm not meaning botox ha ha. Our investments for these improvements are increased by prayer, temple attendance, scripture study etc. Just a little though from me to you he he.
This is off the subject but I took these pictures of Danika the other day. She picked up a big dragon fly and it wouldn't let go of her.

Going Crazy

2010-09-13T09:26:00.003-06:00

We have been having issues with our internet for weeks but I haven't been able to get on for days. There is a tech coming today so hopefully things will get better. It's sad how we get dependent on these things.
This last weekend was really fun. I went to Time Out For Women with my two older sisters, Mom and sister in law. I felt bad that my other two sisters were not with us. The theme was about Hope. I wrote a huge list of things that I hope for. I won't bore you with the whole list but I knocked it down to a couple important ones.
I HOPE that my testimony in my Father in Heaven and the Savior continues to grow.
I HOPE that my children will gain strong testimonies.
My list ranged from spiritual things to temporal things like (I HOPE to always have ice cream in my freezer.). I think that with everything I wrote down if I have a strong testimony, many of the things like "HOPE to be a better wife and mother" will fall into place.

Yaa and Yuck

2010-09-07T08:23:00.005-06:00

This is my twin sister Susan.....yeah she is usually this silly ha ha.

This last weekend we went to Duchesne for labor day. It has become tradition for all of my siblings to get together. You can be ousted from the family if you don't attend ha ha.
Kevin's cousin asked him if he would perform their wedding ceremony on Saturday, so my sisters took the kids Friday. (He was really nervous but he did a great job). It was a quiet night without the kids. We sat down to watch a movie and the phone rang six or seven times. It seems like it's constantly ringing and it's always for Bishop Westwood. Poor guy has so much to deal with. We are going to need to start turning off our phone for family night to get some peace.
Anyway...I was worried about heading to Duchesne in the first place because there was a stomach bug going around my sisters family. Well we ended up getting it. Poor BriLynn was the worst. It's so sad to see a baby dry heave. She just cries and looks to you as if she is thinking "Mom why can't you do something!". My two older brothers got it also. I'm amazed at how contagious things can be. Yep the cold and flu season is upon us.
On a happier note, the kids got spoiled with candy and toys. There were lots of games planned. My sisters had the theme of a Luau. Here are some pictures of the tiki pinata.
Next year I'm in charge and I think I'm going to do a Carnival theme.

The hoarding of candy. Four of those hoarders are our kids. I think it's funny that I'm the baby of the family and have more kids than any of my siblings.

Lunch notes

2010-08-31T18:39:00.003-06:00

Tis that time again to send notes with the kids in their lunch boxes. I found another site and thought I would share. It's at http://alenkasprintables.com/lunchboxnotes.shtml

While looking at sites I found this blog. This girls husband makes her lunch and puts a note in it. He is a comic book artist. How cool is that. If you have time check it out. http://lunchnotes.blogspot.com/

First for everything

2010-08-24T09:03:00.005-06:00

So this is going to be all jumbled but oh well...thats how my mind is some days ha ha. Luke's first day of Kindergarten was this morning. He was so excited, I can't wait to hear how it went. He is going to Mrs Hadfield. Andrew and Danika had her also. She is an amazing teacher. I love to volunteer in her classroom. She is very organized and the kids know whats expected of them. The summer after Andrew's kindergarten year she let me take home a ton of the little chapter books they had worked on home with me. I had just asked her where I could get some and she let me use them and bring them back after the summer. She is super nice. Man how did I get old enough to have three little ones in school????
Speaking of getting old, Kevin turned 33 yesterday. I have to show a picture of the cake because I was telling Mary about tootsie roll roses. They are super easy to make and I think they are pretty.
I love Jacob's puffy cheeks! My sisters came over to have cake and ice cream and were surprised that I had made it all from scratch. Right down to the coconut pecan frosting.

Now as for the glass. I didn't realize that we have had the curio since 2004 (found out from Fishers when I called) so I guess it's lasted quite awhile without something happening with little kids around. Just a sad sad sight though. How can I stay angry when afterwards I get this.
The kids felt really bad about it.