Christensen Crew

We're Still Alive!

2012-01-26T20:23:00.000-08:00

We did manage to have some fun ice-skating!

We are still alive and kicking!
After a crazy December (full of regular Christmas stuff, Disneyland trip, multiple ear infections and some other stuff) I was feeling so motivated to start this year off all positive and put the last year behind us. Go figure that January started off with a bang.

In a nutshell;

1. Kidlet #1 got strep throat and started antibiotic #1
2. Kidlet #1 has an allergic reaction to antibiotic #1 and I get antibiotic #2
3. I think Kidlet #3 has an ear infection or strep and take him to the Doctor that is working the Sunday shift. (Said Doctor is a little ((a lot)) weird and has weird conversation skills and I leave feeling totally weirded out!....the ears have "fluid" but aren't infected, and no strep. Good-bye $85!
4. Kidlet #2 has a strange rash that I find out is strep! Start Kidlet #2 on antibiotic #1.
5. Kidlet #2 is very "strong-willed" and doesn't want to take the medicine. Told Bruce I could get #2 to take the medicine and kidlet #2 vomits all over himself and me!
6. Get Kidlet #2 antibiotic #2 (a chew-able) after a few more tries/fails with the liquid.
7. Kidlet #3 is getting worse, take him to see his aunt (a Nurse Practitioner) and find that his ear is now infected!
8. Get Kidlet #3 some medicine!
9. During all of the above there are a lot of extra days off, and extra half-days of school! Aaahhh!
10. Finally a happy ending, everyone has finished all of the above medicines and we are hoping we can stay healthy for month or two; and that school can stay in session!

What just happened?

2011-08-18T14:01:00.001-07:00

Somehow I have un-invited myself (or something) to all of the private blogs that I like to catch up on! If you are one of those people, could you re-invite me puh-leze!
(This includes you Melissa M.!)

Thanks!
valerie(dot)christensen(at)gmail(dot)com

A little catch up

2011-08-18T13:41:00.000-07:00

I have been a lazy blogger this summer, and now summer is almost over! Wow!

We had some fun at the fair,

Did a little swimming,

Had a few campfires,

And #3 did lots of this!

Our Summer Project

2011-06-13T13:12:00.001-07:00

We had surprise visitors up in our porch this spring. The first day we saw the birds building a nest we actually tried to knock the meager pile of sticks down several times and within an hour or so it was all built back up; so we finally had a heart and left the nest alone.

My computer-savy husband put a webcam up for the kids to watch the birds live, and then he figured out how to stream it to the internet and update the picture online every few seconds. (He has a little extra time on his hands; being home from work after having back surgery...that is another story for later!) To watch the live shots go here http://www.bcinvent.com:81/
(The picture will change every 10 seconds. Right now there are 3 eggs and 1 baby. You can also see the father bringing worms back occasionally.)

Just a few minutes ago we noticed that the first baby has hatched! Maybe it is an indication of warmer weather?

Happy Spring!

A Big Birthday for a Big Guy

2011-06-02T17:26:00.001-07:00

(Ok, I really can't call this little man Baby Brother anymore, but I'm still thinking of a great alias that fits his personality.)

He turned 2 last month and I can't believe how time flies. A few little things that make this boy a real charmer:
*He always does that scrunchy smile and says, "Cheese" when he sees a camera
*He is my best snuggler
*He cried every time we tried to get shorts out for him this spring (on the few warm days) until we told him they were his soccer shorts like C-man's and they would make him run fast and kick the ball hard! Magically he put them right on!
*He turns down things like donuts and cake for vegetables! There isn't a vegetable this boy won't eat! ...even red onions that I picked off my hamburger at the restaurant one night.
*He will say "mom, mom, mom, mom..." an insane number of times until I finally stop what I am doing and watch him 1)run fast, or 2)shoot a basket, or 3)ride his bike, or4)kick a ball, etc.
*He gives me a kiss every time I ask!

We are so glad he is in our family!

Our Newest Addition

2011-04-23T13:29:00.000-07:00

Baby Brigham made it here earlier this month! We are so happy he is here healthy and safe; we are also so tired! It is so easy to forget how tiny and precious a new baby is!
Things are going well and (so far) are better than I had planned on with 3 little boys! One big brother is in deep brotherly love with the baby and the other "big" brother pretty much isn't interested at all!

A Spring Motivation

2011-04-01T19:13:00.001-07:00

My sister in law told me about this great site. It has a lot of interesting information. Maybe now that Spring is here we will get a kick-start on our healthier eating.

Another Birthday

2011-03-29T15:21:00.000-07:00

Recently our Angel Baby turned 3
Lots of donuts and balloons
Thinking and remembering
It gets easier each year

Your'e Never too Old, too Wacky, too Wild, to Pick up a Book and Read to a Child!

2011-03-01T14:45:00.000-08:00

Did you remember that tomorrow, March 2, is Read Across America day? It is a day to celebrate Dr. Suess' birthday! When I taught school we always had a big read-a-thon party in class with lots of fun activites! Be sure to read to someone, or yourself tomorrow!

I thought these book lists were great, and a lot of the books are ones that I remember reading!
The Best Books to Read with your Kids
Five Ways to Make Reading Fun
Best Books for Preschoolers

It is Coming Soon!...I Hope

2011-02-15T20:49:00.001-08:00

We are looking forward to
Spring! The warm weather is such a great change!
Leaves and Flowers!!
Playing Outside!
Our new baby brother coming around April 7!
We hope all of these things are coming soon!

A Helpful Hint

2011-01-12T15:09:00.000-08:00

This post is a little random, but I am trying to pass along my excitement over a good deal!
Diapers at amazon.com are a super good deal and you can get them shipped for free! You need to check it out.

Basically you have to sign up for amazon mom (which is free) and then you also buy your diapers on subscribe and save (which means you get them automatically every so often; I set mine to 6 months) After you get the diapers, in 2 days, you just log back in and cancel your subscription!

Also in Parents magazine, Parenting, and American Baby they have coupons occasionally for an extra 20% off! The coupons look like this

Anyway, I won't get boring but it turns out to be like $0.14 a diaper for size 3 huggies without the extra coupon and $0.11 cents a diaper with the coupon! I thought they were a pretty good deal at Sam's club for $$0.18 cents a diaper. Lets just say we are stocking up!

After all of my rambling, here is a site that explains it all!
Gotta love a bargin!

Christmas-time

2011-01-12T14:55:00.000-08:00

Christmas morning we were all excited!

Over the holidays we did some chocolate dipping!

Had a wonderful time with cousins! (Yes, Baby Brother is the puppy in the nativity)

And spent some time at Great Grandpa's Cabin!

We hope your holidays were as relaxing and happy as ours!

Mr. Postman

2010-12-07T19:38:00.000-08:00

Today Mr. Postman brought me my first Christmas cards! (I got 2 today!) That means I better get busy and get mine finished! Dang, so much for trying to be finished by December 1st, oh well, what can you do! You are so lucky to get a little sneak preview at my picture shoot for the card!

By the way, the two I got were very cute! Thanks Carla and Kathy!

Have You Noticed?

2010-12-03T06:00:00.000-08:00

Am I the only one, or have you noticed? The only good clementines are the "Cuties." I have tried other brands from the store and they aren't so good. This year I bought a bag of Sunkist "Smiles" thinking that Sunkist must be good. Nope, not as good as "Cuties." So this December I am renewing my vow to only buy the real "Cuties." Thank You!

First Snowstorm

2010-11-29T03:33:00.001-08:00

This post is officially "old news" as soon as I post it, but...This was the first snow storm (about 2 weeks ago) we had with enough snow to stick! It was the good sticky snow that is perfect for a snowman. My kids could hardly stand it and had to go out side Sunday morning before church in their pajamas for a few minutes to check things out! C-man and dad made our first "6-ball" snowman that they were both quite proud of! I few times I thought I was going to have to go out and heft a few balls up on top, but they got it!

Hmmm..I remember when I was younger winter definitely wasn't this cold!
On a side note, I have no clue why my husband has shorts on?!

You Gotta Check This Out

2010-11-16T21:04:00.000-08:00

I am just passing along an exciting message,

If you have a preschooler who will start kindergarten in 2012 (or after) you need to check out Utah Upstart. It is the free Utah online preschool. It is being tested and researched right now. You have to put your child on the waiting list about a year before they will be 4 or 5.

I put C-man on the list last July and they called this July to tell us we were on the short list and then we found out we were in. The program is really neat and is meant for the children to use independently on the computer. They will even loan you a computer for a year if you don't have one! You can use it while your child does another preschool, or in place of another preschool. Another thing that is nice is that once you are accepted, other kids at your house can also use the program.

The site is Utahupstart.org It is worth checking and signing up, then you can change your mind later if you want!

Kids Know this Stuff?

2010-11-16T20:52:00.000-08:00

C-man is 5 going on 16 I think. He is always saying these things that we can't believe and usually we are trying not to laugh at. (Like every child I'm sure)

The other morning Baby Brother was brushing his teeth (this is his new obsession; any dentist would be proud) and playing in the water at the sink in the bathroom. I was partially encouraging him because it gave me an extra 5 minutes to get ready, but I was saying something about how he was going to use all of the water and the fish wouldn't have any more water in the ocean. I think I even mentioned Nemo and his dad.

C-man was in the other room and I didn't even think he was listening to us when he pops in to tell me, "That couldn't really happen mom, hello, it's called the water cycle!"

I guess I was wrong!

I Wanna Go Back!

2010-10-26T14:59:00.000-07:00

We recently returned from a week sailing around the Western Caribbean! We were pampered and spoiled, and I liked it! I wanna go back!

Our home away from home

What we wanted our room to be like

Mayan ruins in Costa Maya, Mexico

Our little family group that went, plus our new found friend from the Philippines! Thanks to him, we got lots of extra prizes from the cruise ship like flashlights, t-shirts and all of those other goodies that are great souvenirs for the kiddos!

Surprise! I got to have my birthday on the ship! ..and this is what our room really looked like, much less glamorous than the other picture.

It Works for Us

2010-10-05T20:31:00.001-07:00

Thanks to a smart neighbor we started a new conference weekend tradition. Each October Conference for the past few years, I have found a fun and somewhat easy way to rotate the food in our 72 hour kits.

1. Remember to buy the new supplies a few days before
2. While watching Conference, everybody gets to take out the old food from their backpack (and look at all the other cool stuff in there!)
3. Put it all in a big bowl and have special goodies to eat during conference
4. Everyone packs new food into their own backpack for next year!

So far it has been kinda fun and worked out pretty good for us, plus it is an easy way to remember to rotate food.
*Bonus, it is usually case lot sale time!*

Is this going green?

2010-09-28T17:48:00.000-07:00

One Saturday morning I opened the door and found a very large package on the front porch. I went and asked Bruce what big thing he had ordered from Kmart that I didn't know about. He looked out the door and couldn't think of anything it could be so we opened it excitedly. The kids dug through a mile of packing peanuts to find a relatively small Light Saber at the bottom!

I have to admit that I'm not always "earth-friendly." I mean don't get me wrong, I love the earth, and I recycle things that my city recycles, but other than that we only buy special products if they are cheaper than my regular choices and things like that. But I do have to admit that when I saw the shipping for the Light Saber that C-man got, I was a little surprised! I have pretty much assumed that 2 smart college kids at the shipping factory were making bets to see who could package the most ridiculous box! At least it provided us with a few days for good entertainment!

A Few of My Favorite Things

2010-07-19T20:58:00.000-07:00

These are some of my favorite "household" items.

1. ZOUT stain remover
When I worked at ZCMI (a long time ago) in the lingerie department, women would buy this by the gallon, and we were always out of it! I had forgotten about until I saw it recently at Wal-mart! It takes out every stain I've tried! Works great on blood, ketchup and those types of stains. Last time I needed more my Wal-mart didn't have it. I found it at Walgreens though.

2. Finish Dishwasher Tablets
My dishwasher isn't that great and I have super hard water and every other kinds of regular dishwasher powder or liquid leaves my dishes kinda "filmy." These work so much better and gosh dang it they are so much more expensive too! Every once in awhile I buy another thing and try it out and I am always disappointed!
3. Lime A Way
I love to clean my glass shower door with this. It kinda fizzes or something on the hard water and soap scum!

4. Kirby Vacuum
I love my Kirby! It was expensive but worth it! After listening to a few 2 hour plus demos (this was when I was nicer and didn't pretend to be gone when the salesmen come to the door) I really wanted one, but they were selling for like $1200 or something ridiculous. So, we found a new one on e-bay for way less money!

Whoa! I better stop before people think that I have a really clean house or something! Do you have any favorites in your closet?

Lookin Good

2010-07-06T13:32:00.000-07:00

One of Bruce's brothers got married this weekend and I couldn't stop taking pictures of my cute boys in their matching ties I made for Father's Day!

I used this tutorial and my limited sewing skills!

2010-07-06T13:20:00.000-07:00

What more American than cornflakes?
The fourth of July and Uncle Sam?
What's more American than baseball?
I am, I am, I am!And I might add:
Backyard fireworks,
Neighbors and cousins!

Summer Romance?

2010-06-23T21:05:00.000-07:00

The perfect company party; rent out the movie theater for everyone to see Toy Story 3. This eliminates the need for the awkward conversations with your husbands co-workers that you don't even know!

Who doesn't love a movie that is funny for kids and parents!

I have to admit, I got a little teary eyed over this one!

Summer is Starting!

2010-06-08T14:36:00.000-07:00

We have had a busy few weeks and I think things are only going to get busier, in a good way I hope.
Our latest adventure was a weekend reunion in Heber Valley.

4 cousins having much more fun on the air mattress than Bruce and I did trying to sleep on it!

We even had a little lake adventure on the paddle boats! It is amazingly green in the mountains right now.

Everyone was tired and happy on the way home! Actually some weren't happy until they got up from a nap, then things were better!

Happy Birthday!

2010-05-10T19:52:00.000-07:00

Happy First Birthday to the little guy that keeps us laughing!

A Date?

2010-04-29T08:40:00.000-07:00

I think I may be the last one to stumble onto these great websites (Love, Actually and The Dating Divas) about...dating your husband! Around our house dates without kids are few and far between but it is something that we are going to start being better about! If anyone wants to do a fun date with us sometime, give me a call!

**Disclaimer! some of the ideas about dressing up crazy and going to town looking funny seem a bit High-school-ish **

In My Opinion...

2010-04-23T08:42:00.000-07:00

Sorry but there isn't much cuter than these legs in those shorts!

How about something Nice and Cold!

2010-04-01T08:59:00.000-07:00

I've been looking at different ways to do freezer dinners, freezer dinner clubs, and once-a-month-cooking. It sounds like a great idea. It is always nice to have something in the freezer to just pull out for dinner; quick and easy!
This is a great website; Once a Month Mom where they have instructions, shopping lists, and recipes to do once a month cooking.
I need some recipes that freeze well, any suggestions?

Our Angel is 2!

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

This is my newest treasure that my neighbor did for us. It has Jayden's real hand molds so Mommy can always remember.

The birthday party was a bit cold and windy! We sang and ate in the car where it was warmer!

Our Angel Baby turned 2 a few days ago! I can't believe how fast time goes by. We had a little birthday party at the cemetery; but ended up in the car for most of it because of the wind and rain. (The rest of this gets a bit long, but I wanted to tell the story. Every once in awhile some unsuspecting friend at the grocery store or the Pumpkin Walk asks an innocent question like "How many kids do you have?" and they get the "whole" story. Sometimes I don't feel like just saying that I have 2 boys, so I tell them I have 3 and I'm sure they get more of an answer than they wanted! --Oh well huh?)

When I was 17 weeks along with Jayden I started to have some bleeding. My doctor checked a few things and we didn't know the source but the Dr. said that often times light bleeding isn't too serious. So we waited a few more weeks and got more and more nervous. After the course of several days and several special ultra-sounds we determined that it was probably a placental abruption (a spot where the placenta detaches from the uterus wall.) We could never see the exact spot on any ultra sounds but we found out that a lot of women have an abruption and bleeding through their whole pregnancy and are fine.

At 21 weeks I started to have contractions early one Monday morning. We went to the hospital and got all admited. Within a few hours of being there the contractions stopped and nothing had happened. We did find the abruption site and find out it was a boy! There was no dialating and so they sent us home.

The next day we went to the Dr.'s office to talk with him and he was so positive. He wanted me to see a specialist from Salt Lake that would be coming up in about 3 weeks and he told us the baby would probably come early, but not too early. We left there so optimistic! I called Bruce's mom and mine and told them that things would be just fine.

Late that night the contractions started again and we waited for them to just go away. They didn't and so we called the Dr. He told us to come to the hospital if they didn't go away soon. Well, the contractions got really irregular and we didn't want to go to the hospital just to be sent home again. Finally things were getting pretty painful and we went to the hospital.

After being there for awhile and getting settled the nurse came to check me and said that I had started to dialate. Within minutes of that she told us that Jayden would be born and that we needed to start thinking of a funeral home we wanted to work with! I was completely blown away. I still figured that my contractions would stop and we would go home. I think Bruce and I were both in shock. My doctor called within minutes and talked to me on the phone for awhile before he came over.

Without being too dramatic or depressing, Jayden was born a few hours later. We was alive for about 15 minutes in the hospital where we held him, loved him, and kissed him. Our parents and family were able to hold him and we gave him a name and a blessing in the hospital room. My favorite memory was while I was holding him I brushed his forehead with one of my fingers and he scrunched up his tiny forehead that cute way that babies do. Being born at 21 weeks he was just too small to survive and so he returned to his Heavenly Father until we get him again.

We really felt like our Doctor and nurses were the best around and we were so glad we lived close to family. It makes it easier to think that we will be able to see our little Jayden again someday. Having two wonderful boys on Earth makes it a little easier but we never forget our angel baby!

Fighting Heart Disease

2010-03-08T19:39:00.001-08:00

One Saturday Bruce and I were trying to decide where to get some lunch. C-man piped in from the backseat that he wanted pizza at Sam's Club. Since we hadn't had pizza for awhile we gave in. As Bruce, me and Baby Brother shared one piece of pizza, C-man had his own 3-meat pizza.

If you have been to Sam's Club for pizza you know this slice was literally about the size of his head and it was loaded with pepperoni, sausage and lots of bacon! Bruce and I were laughing about the number of fat grams that must be in one slice and commenting on how much of it C-man has eaten.

Out of the blue, C-man starts jumping around on the floor and doing strange things on the bench. We asked him what he was doing. His innocent reply was, "I am exercising so my body can eat more pizza."

(P.S. He did eat the whole piece, but don't worry, it was healthy since he exercised! ;if only it worked that way for me!)

9-Months!

2010-02-23T08:56:00.001-08:00

Holy Cow! A few weeks ago Baby Brother turned 9 months! He was 22 lbs. at his check-up. I forgot how fast babies grow. He is just starting to walk and he has this great little personality. Sometimes I look at him and he has more of the "little boy look" instead of a "baby look." He is such a sweet and happy little guy!

He is in the super-curious stage (unfortunately for the rest of the family!) Let's just keep it between us that in the last few weeks we have found him sucking on the cheese grater, playing in the toilet, sucking C-man's Wii-mote, and eating leftover breakfast that was on the floor under the table; plus a bunch of other things that keep up busy all day long. I promise we really do watch him!

Check It Out!

2010-02-18T09:02:00.000-08:00

The Help is #2 on the New York Times best seller list and the authors first novel! I love it when someone writes a first book that turns into a huge success! So run to your library and put your name on the waiting list for this one!

The Help is about a group of black maids in Mississippi during the Civil Rights era. It basically tells the story of what everyday life is like for them, good things and bad. The maids bravely begin to tell their "stories" to a young white girl who just graduated from college and wants to become a writer. It gets the point across without being too "in your face." Plus it was a fun read. It makes me wonder which character I would have been like had I lived in that time and place!

Just Around the Corner

2010-01-28T19:13:00.001-08:00

Found this idea for a Valentine Chair Backer from "Crap I've Made"

Or these Lovey Bundles from "Kojo Designs"

And a new-sew version of the chair backers from "No Fuss Fabulous"

What a fun tradition! They are pretty much like Christmas stockings for Valentines Day. They might be do-able!

The Final Straw

2010-01-26T14:43:00.000-08:00

Monday was just one of "those days!"
*Baby Brother is getting teeth / not sleeping at nights!
*Bruce is recovering from surgery / on the couch and only walking a few steps at a time with crutches
*I had a headache and wanted a nap!
*I'm supposed to be on a diet and not eating anything good!

Lets just say that when I realized I had washed an entire deck of UNO cards in the washing machine I was practically in tears!
A whole deck makes a BIG mess or the washing machine and the clothes!
The picture only shows the big pieces I could get out by shaking all of the wet clothes out! What you aren't seeing is all of the little bitty pieces that are stuck all over all of the clothes!

I'm better now! I had a nice bath with bubbles, watched a RedBox with Bruce, and had a good night sleep! Thank Goodness for a new start each day!

Our After Christmas Vacation

2010-01-08T10:29:00.000-08:00

Crazy but Fun
Long drive, but good kids
Lots of relaxing and lots of playing
Las Vegas and St. George
Warmer than home,
My whole family together
Mom, Dad..When is the next trip?

What We've Been Up To

2009-12-16T15:28:00.000-08:00

C-man told Santa he thinks he has enough toys. (Wise beyond his years huh!) Although that isn't what he tells me when he looks at the toy catalogs!

C-man wanted to take a few pictures, this one was pretty good!

C-man with the neighbor boys. They would have stayed out all day if we let them!

My baby turned 7 months! He is such a happy guy!

Our "Griswald Family Christmas" moment! We cut down our own tree. There are all kinds of things I could tell about this. Let me just say this one wouldn't have fit in my front room! (A great story for another time perhaps)

When we were all still excited and happy about finding a tree in the freezing cold, snowy mountains! Maybe next year we will have a better idea about what we are doing...or use the artificial tree I (really!) love.

Free Christmas Surprise!

2009-12-09T10:19:00.001-08:00

I love getting stuff free, so imagine how giddy I was this morning when I found out Snapfish was giving away free flip books! (There is $2 shipping, but I'm still counting it as free!) Just go here to find out the code and get to work! The promo only last until December 13. Now I just have to find 30 minutes to get it done! Consider it a gift from me..that you have to pay for yourself!

Ring in Christmas!

2009-12-04T11:05:00.000-08:00

I love Christmas music and I love unpacking the Christmas CD's each year. Nothing says "Christmas is Coming" like belting out a few carols once in a while. I just have to share my favorite Christmas CD with you....Jewel Joy: A Holiday Collection. So if you need some new Christmas tunes, this one is great! If anyone else has a favorite Christmas collection, let me know..we are always looking.

What! My Mouse was Dirty!

2009-11-20T17:58:00.000-08:00

Cleaning Poem

I asked the Lord to tell me

Why my house is such a mess.
He asked if I'd been 'computering',
And I had to answer 'yes.'
He told me to get off my fanny,
And tidy up the house.
And so I started cleaning up...
The smudges off my mouse.
I wiped and shined the topside..
That really did the trick.....
I was just admiring my good work.
I didn't mean to 'click.'
But click, I did, and oops -
I found
A real absorbing site
That I got SO way into it -
I was into it all night.
Nothing's changed except my mouse.
It's very, very shiny.
I guess my house will stay a mess.......
While I sit here on my hiney.

~Author unknown

I found this at Lipstick and Laundry as I was sitting on my hiney wondering why my house was so messy! Hmmm...

Melt My Heart

2009-11-18T08:51:00.000-08:00

Last week we went to the Doctors office for a 6 month old check-up for Baby Brother, and a 4- year well check for C-man. First of all you gotta know I have never been quicker than 2 hours at the Doctor since Baby Brother has been born! They are sooo slow and no matter what time I schedule an appointment someone is hungry, or tired, or bored (including me!) After wrestling and entertaining 1 or 2 kids for 2 hours I usually leave the office sweating, hungry, in a bad mood and with a crying baby.

Well this visit was following the same pattern, plus I was paranoid about my kids touching the toys in the waiting room because there have been so many sick kids lately! C-man knew he was going to have shots and was old enough to be pretty worried about it. He didn't need any at his 3 year old visit so the last time he had shots was when he was 2 and that is a long time ago!

I started wondering how or why I scheduled both boys for the same day! How was I going to hold one kid who was crying and the other to get shots! Lucky for me the nurses must be used to this situation because they just took Baby Brother while C-man was getting weighed, measured and a quick eye test.

After visiting with the doctor for a few minutes, he left and C-man knew shots were coming next. He had himself all worked up and nervous. (Although, I do have to admit I was glad I didn't need any!) The nurses came in and took Baby Brother out and then I sat on the table and they showed me how to hold C-man on my lap; wrap my legs around his, and cross his arms around himself. I felt a little bad for the poor boy and of course he was looking right at the needle as the nurses jabbed those shots in his thighs. He had 4 shots! Then as quick as they came in to give shots, the nurses swooped in with suckers and a T-shirt. C-man was so excited that he got 4 suckers..for 4 shots, and the nurses told him the t-shirt meant he never had to get shots again until he was a teenager! He liked that! He was just getting himself composed when it was Baby Brother's turn.

We laid him on the table and I didn't think C-man was paying any attention at all, but when the nurses told me to hold his hands and they started wiping the alcohol swabs on Baby Brothers legs, C-man started crying and yelling "Don't hurt my little brother! It is going to hurt him! Don't make him cry! Please, Stop!" At this point after a long visit to the Doctors office I started with a few tears of my own!

I'm looking forward to the next Doctor visit!

We Honor You

2009-11-11T10:55:00.000-08:00

Thank You Veterans!

A great book to read today is Flag of Our Fathers by James Bradley

New House

2009-10-30T15:41:00.001-07:00

We may be getting a new house!
It might be blue with a working mailbox.
We can finally have a dog and doggie door,
Plus a vegetable garden with no weeds!

This is a super cute idea for anyone who needs a fall project!
(If anyone makes one, make one for me too!
Check out all four sides at Homemade by Jill
You may be getting a new house too!

Rainy/Snowy Day Plan

2009-10-27T21:04:00.000-07:00

"Organizing is what you do before you do something, so that when you do it, it is not all mixed up. -A. A. Milne

I'm planning on snowy and rainy weather this week.
To be prepared for the next cold wet day I have a plan of how to enjoy the day!
1. Wear a comfy sweatshirt and slippers all day. (And don't worry if people think I look slob-ish)
2. Play my violin for awhile. I passed off book 2 a few years ago, but haven't played much since then.
3. Make cookies! Something C-man and I like to do on cold days. Probably Pumpkin Chocolate Chip; even though Bruce doesn't like that kind. Sorry honey!
4. Make a cool hut in the basement and finally play Pokemon figures with C-man. We basically play Pokemon house with a little "battling," hey, that's how moms play.
5. Read a book during nap time. (I better get one soon..suggestions?)

This post was "homework" from the Travelin Oma blog. Actually it was "late homework" since the assignment was given during the end of October..oops.

**Thanks Kenz, I borrowed your great picture!**

P.S. HELP! I started this post on Oct. 27 but just posted today on Nov. 11. Does anyone know how to make the post show todays date and not the date I started the post? I tried changing the date where it says "post options" but it didn't work apparently.

Pumpkin Time

2009-10-23T10:07:00.000-07:00

One of our favorite scenes, The Keebler Elves!

Baby Brother showing his fall enthusiasm

The classic Yoda photo op!

The Pumpkin Walk has started in North Logan! C-man, Baby Brother, me and my mom ran over on Thursday. The theme is "And now a word from our sponsors!" It is so great to go in the daytime when it isn't so crazy busy. We usually try to go once during the day and sometime when things are all lit up! So come on over to good old North Logan and see the pumpkins!

It is running Oct. 22-27 (except Sunday) from 9 am - 10 pm. I have gone on Sunday and it is kinda nice. Everything is set up but they won't have the witch there or hand out cookies, and obviously the lights and music won't be on.

How Cool

2009-10-20T13:25:00.001-07:00

My mom grew up in one of the fun old houses on Center Street in Logan and she always told me about her neighbor friend who had a secret passage-way in an old fireplace that went to a playroom. How cool!

Well at My Creative Attempts, she and her husband actually built a secret bookshelf doorway! Now I think I want one at my house someday to get to the storage room, or a fun playroom.

My Precious

2009-10-15T19:06:00.000-07:00

We made these Halloween witch's finger cookies tonight! They were easy to make, and would be lots of fun to take to a Halloween party or to the neighbors. I thought it might be fun to add a little green food coloring to the dough (next year.)

They did the trick in the spooky department: C-man really wanted to make them but after I took them outside for the kids he was too nervous to eat one. My neighbor boys wanted to know if they were real fingers...I finally convinced them that they were real "cookie" fingers and they ate some.

Share the Love!

2009-10-09T17:44:00.000-07:00

This is your chance to help someone else!
There is a little family in Richmond dealing with a big issue. Their little girl has cancer.
A friend from high school has set up a fundraiser for this family and little Taylie.
The money will be a big help to the family but I have also learned that sometimes it is just as helpful to know that someone else is thinking about you and acknowledges and supports your hard times!

Here is how it works:
Everyone that makes a post on their blog or facebook page about Taylie will earn the family $2.
Thanks to a kind donor we can easily raise some quick money for this family.

1. Link Taylie's website on your blog with any message that you'd like to about inspiring and helping each other. Then make sure to leave a link to Kylene's blog so people know where to go to enter their information, go to Kylene's blog and let her know you have linked Talie's blog to your blog, that way she knows the money pot is growing...remember each link is worth $2.00.

After the weekend they will count the comments on Kylene's blog and hopefully write a big check out to the Abbott family.

Oh, by the way...everyone who leaves a comment will be entered to win a nice, black Prada bag!

Friends

2009-10-07T07:56:00.001-07:00

Thank You!
I'm lucky to have friends like you!
(You know who you are!)

Bullies!

2009-10-02T08:33:00.000-07:00

This is the first thing I see in the morning.

Six stitches and five days later.

Three words: Early Morning Basketball!

What's for Dinner?

2009-09-16T10:02:00.000-07:00

I'm feeling pretty good today because it is 11:00 a.m. and I already know what we are having for dinner! Most days it doesn't work quite like this at my house. Usually around 3:30 I start looking through the cupboards to see what we can throw together. I call Bruce a lot and have him stop by the grocery store on the way home from work to get a few things. We end up having our "regulars quite a bit: tacos, taco soup, french dip sandwiches, sweet and sour chicken, pizza, and I admit it..cold cereal or oatmeal!

I decided to be more organized and try some type of meal planning. I've planned out meals weeks at a time before and then done one big shopping trip but for some reason it didn't work too well. Does anyone have a marvelous way they plan out menus? Or does anyone actually plan out menus?

I found this idea at littlenannygoat that you should check it out. If only I could think of 30 meals that my family will actually eat!

Calling all Heroes!

2009-09-13T14:33:00.000-07:00

All of the little heroes!

The Superman mask was a little freaky sometimes!

Our cousin the cute little Batgirl

Carter is getting ready for cake!

Holy Heroes Batman! Saturday was C-mans birthday and we had "Super-Hero Training." It was lots of fun and kids in costumes are the cutest! Happy Birthday Spidey!

They grow up this fast?

2009-09-03T17:06:00.000-07:00

C-Man posing for his "first day of pre-school" picture!

The best shot I could get! The training wheels are pushed all the way up off the ground.

C-man has been riding this little bike now for a few summers and has basically mastered as much as you can master on a bike this size with training wheels. He was even starting to pop wheelies! He decided that he would try no training wheels about a week ago. Bruce took of the little training wheels and we walked up to the church parking lot. Bruce ran behind him and he just did it! He didn't fall or anything. He had a few wobbles and needed help on take-offs, but he pretty much just did it! A few days later I told him to go out and start practicing and I would get my shoes and be right out. Before I got out I saw him through the window riding just fine. He just taught himself to start out by himself!

On Wednesday he had his first day of pre-school! He was so excited he woke up at 2:00 a.m. and wanted to know if he was later for school yet! This kid has been watching the elementary bus stop out our front window since he was 2. One day when he was younger he came crying to me. I asked what was wrong and he said "Mom, the bus left me!" The whole family was so excited for C-man's big day at school. Miss Becky is in for a great year!

School Time!

2009-08-23T11:56:00.000-07:00

Every August I start getting excited for back to school time! Then I remember that I'm not going back to school! I really miss the first weeks of teaching school; new kids, new supplies, and new clothes! I still have crazy strong urges to buy stacks of folders when they go on sale for $0.10 and those great kid scissors! I also need new cute pencils and cool erasers for my prize box. I miss the smell of rubber cement and Sharpies! I need to write names on folders and notebooks and label everything! At least C-man is starting preschool in about a week! ..Alas..if only teachers could choose their own hours huh?

Love it!

2009-08-13T15:53:00.000-07:00

I really think this idea is super cute!
But I need one of these

To make on of these for!

It is made from an old men's button up shirt!

6 Years Already!

2009-08-07T10:50:00.000-07:00

Bruce and I have been married for 6 years today!
Where does the time go! Seriously!
Happy Anniversary Honey!
I knew we were perfect for each other when we were dating and you gave me the Snicker chunks from your Snickers Ice Cream!

Your Lucky Day

2009-08-05T09:57:00.000-07:00

I just have to pass on a good deal when I see one; and I have been seeing a lot lately on QVC and HSN. For some reason I now really like to watch the home shopping network if there is nothing great on TV. (That happens a lot it seems like) I just leave it on in the background while I am doing something else at night and believe me, they have lots of stuff I NEED! Who doesn't need a new set of non-stick cookware, or that great necklace, and I am now a Philosophy girl wanna be!

So the Bare Escentuals line is apparently this great make-up line! Now you can try it for free! (Well actually $1.00 for shipping) Just go here and look for the box on the right side that says Free 10-day sample. When you add it to your cart it looks like shipping will be $3.95 but it ends up to only $1.00 in the end.

Now, don't you feel like you have had your shopping fix for the day, knowing you got such a good deal! Me, too!

Domestic Goddess Day

2009-07-23T21:14:00.000-07:00

Today we got a little crazy and decided to make raspberry freezer jam. I'm not much of a "Domestic Goddess." I have canned salsa and peaches before but I've always done it at my mom's house with her help. Let's just say my canning and preserving skills are limited. BUT...I do have a little confidence when it comes to freezer jam! I can make it all by myself and have yet to really mess it up! Go ahead..give it a try sometime.

This is a yummy and easy recipe that I use:
Mix together 2-3 cups sugar with 4-5 Tbsp. instant clear-jel (I get it from Kitchen Kneads)
In a seperate bowl mix together 1/4 c. lemon juice, 1/2 c. corn syrup and 5 cups of fruit. (Measure out 5 cups and then blend it.)
Pour the sugar/clear-jel into the fruit mixture.
Stir well.
Put into freezer safe containers.
Freeze! It's done.

Baby Brother is all ready to help out! He helped by not needing to eat, or have a diaper change!

C-Man helped as much as a 3 year old can help!

We are both ready to go in our aprons!

Our raspberries we picked at Grandmas house!
C-man and I had a few samples while we picked!

You need Karo, Lemon Juice, Sugar, Instant Clear-Jel and probably a Diet Coke!

First mix the sugar and clear-jel together.

Pour the sugar mixture into the fruit mixture and stir well!

Pour into freezer containers! Here is our finished product!

Lick off the dishes and you are really done!

All we were missing is a fat piece of homemade bread to put it on! Hmm..another lesson to learn.

Family Reunion Time

2009-07-09T08:39:00.000-07:00

This was a brief but memorable moment at our Israelsen family reunion...The Zip Line!

Hang on C-man

I am yelling something like "Bruce, be careful!"

I have been going to Grandpa Israelsen's cabin since I was a little girl for a family reunion every summer. Now it just keeps getting bigger since my cousins are all starting to get married and have spouses and kids. We all still have a great time together. The theme this year was EFI (Especially for Israelsen's) so C-man was quite excited that he got a new T-shirt. I taught a little class called "Writing your Personal History in 1 hour." We had lots of other little classes like car maintenance, making candy, budgeting, etc. That was a new twist that we have never done before at the reunion. We still had the reunion classics like Dutch Oven dinner, the zip line, and lots of talking and laughing. Maybe next year we will actually want to stay over in a tent since Baby Brother will be a little older! Aren't families great!

My Favorite Things about Summer

2009-06-29T12:12:00.000-07:00

1. Watermelon is in season
2. Waking up to the sound of the neighbors lawnmower (I really do like it; it just means Summer!)
3. Playing in the water
4. Family reunions
5. Flip-flops everyday!
6. Parades
7. Shaved Ice
8. Hot Dogs and marshmallows cooked over the fire
9. Staying up late
10. Fireworks

Baby Brother's Big Day

2009-06-19T12:47:00.001-07:00

A few weeks ago we blessed Baby Brother at church. It was extra special because he got blessed with his new cousin Edith. (My brother Ryan and s.i.l. McKenzie's new little girl) Unfortunately McKenzie and I both had other things on our minds because we never got a picture of the two together.

We were planning on having all of our friends and family eat at the park but of course when I woke up that morning it was raining. Things got a little crazy for a while because we have 9:00 church, Bruce had to leave for meetings at 8:00 and I was running around trying to get 2 kids ready and clean the house so we could have an undetermined number of people eat at our place.
After a little drama and a lot of help from my sister we made it to church and things were great.

I just love how sweet and precious little babies are. Both babies were great and both blessings were beautiful. (Plus I really like all of the yummy salads that people bring to things like this!)

Big Brother Syndrome

2009-06-13T16:18:00.000-07:00

A proud big brother!

Smile!

C-man and Baby Brother

C-man pretty much loves being a big brother; but I can tell he is having a hard time. It seems like every time he asks me to play Batman or dig in the sandbox I am telling him "I can't right now, I have to feed Baby Brother," or "I will a little bit later." The poor kid is getting no attention and I feel so bad. He is grumpy and doesn't mind anymore. What happened to my favorite 3-year old?
HELP! Am I permanently damaging his self-esteem by choosing to nap instead of play with him? Will he hate me forever? Is there any secret out there to get through this?
He'll forget it all in a year anyway, right?

Oh the Places You'll Go!

2009-06-03T09:34:00.000-07:00

Bruce's baby sister graduated from Sky View last night! Congratulations Maegan!
I hate to admit it but I have a secret confession...I actually like going to graduations! I know it sounds crazy and I do think that they can get a little long; but I still like them. I start getting all nostalgic and remembering my own High School friends and college days and I can't help but enjoy graduation, speeches and all. It is such an exciting time to graduate from High School and move on to a new part of life and then to later graduate from College and feel like you have really accomplished something big!
When all of the graduates started singing the school song last night I couldn't help remembering Mrs. Leatham's sophmore English class. Everyone had to memorize the school song for the first test in her class. (You gotta love Mrs. Leatham and if you remember her purple cowboy boots, you gotta love those too!)
Hooray for good old Sky View High and all the great memories!

Husbands Say the Darndest Things

2009-05-28T18:20:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday we were all still exhausted from getting used to having Baby Brother around. Of course as we all got ready to have a nap around 2:00 Baby Brother decides that it is his time to wake up. So I let Bruce and C-man have a nap for awhile. Then I went down to wake Bruce up and tell him that it was my turn for a nap and he got to watch Baby Brother now. Well he looks up at me and says "Why don't we just watch him together." I think I said "what? " He told me again; "let's just both watch him." I was thinking "ya how is that going to work?"
(You must know that Bruce is the worst person at waking up that I have ever met! We have had several conversations during our marriage that he has gotten in trouble for. When I ask him later about the odd things he says he has no recollection at all. He needs a good 30-45 minutes to wake up before he is coherent.)
Well I figured he was probably half asleep when he told me that answer, but he seemed pretty serious. So of course I am tired and grumpy and so I stormed off to watch Baby Brother a little longer. When I went down a little later to wake him up I told him what he had said and he just laughed; and I got a nap, so we were a happy family again!

I feel like I may need to add a DISCLAIMER!
*Bruce is an amazing dad and a super husband! I am so lucky that I married him! He was in no way harmed during this incident! *

Baby Says Hello!

2009-05-14T18:03:00.000-07:00

What a wonderful Mothers Day present...I got Baby Cannon.
7 lbs. 6 oz.
20 inches
possible red hair
non-cryer
good little brother

I forgot how special it is to have a little baby around.
We are keeping him!

Biggest Loser

2009-05-07T15:50:00.000-07:00

One great thing about being 39 weeks pregnant is that I still don't have to worry about losing weight! It is great to watch people on TV sweat, diet, and exercise like crazy. It's funny how a marathon looks a lot easier when someone else is doing it. For now I'll keep eating my chocolate ice cream while I watch Biggest Loser each Tuesday!

What a Deal!

2009-05-03T21:30:00.001-07:00

Get this "Eco" shopping bag for $0.50 (plus the shipping is free!) and you get a free gift. I made 2 separate orders so I got 2 free gifts; a new pair of sunglasses and a watch! Check it out here. Treat yourself to a cute bag and a free gift! Hooray.

Finally

2009-05-01T13:07:00.000-07:00

Finally, after having this blog half set-up for about 18 months, I am getting around to using it! I sure have fun checking other peoples blogs so hopefully this will work out. We found out a few days ago that we are having our baby on Sunday, May 10th! Mothers Day! Some people have told me that Mothers Day is a bad day to have a baby and some people think that it is a good day! The only thing I know is I am ready to have this baby. I really don't care what day it is! So the baby day is finally in short sight!