Wednesday, May 5, 2010

I is for Immunizations



These pictures that Ethan took of Lily getting her 6 month immunizations are in the running for Lily's ABC book entry under the letter I - I is for Immunizations

Or C is for Cry?


More like S is for Scream.

Narnia Legos


Melodie made these legos on her own, I was very impressed. Corey was reading the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe to her and I thought she did an amazing job making these legos so she could play along.

we have the Wardrobe


The white witch and her sled



She also made the witch's Ice Castle, but I couldn't get it to upload. I'll try again later. She made the White Witch's hair out of a kneaded eraser.

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Melodie and Kacey

Well, I uploaded pictures from my camera! We'll start with a story from Melodie's birthday in December 2009. First, some background...

Our family's first encounter with Webkinz came one day, I think in 2007, when Melodie came home from a friend's house - they had gone to the store together and she had bought a Lil' Kinz white rabbit. Her name was Kacey. Melodie and Kacey had something special. We could all see that. She was Melodie's pet. Kacey came with us everywhere, from trips to the store, a hike to Timpanogos Cave (above), to the Dinosaur Museum, and Kacey also waited in the car until church was over. For a time, I also was asked daily by Melodie to assist Kacey in waving to her as she passed by our house in the bus on her way to school, and then post Kacey in the window to wait for Melodie's return. It was really cute. They had something special.

Then, in June 2009, during the week in Park City with Corey's family, one day Kacey was left by the swimming pool and was never seen again. Nothing at the lost and found. Nothing turned in during the following weeks when we called to the resort. Melodie was heartbroken. We could all feel her pain. I went to Hallmark and fye to see if I could find another little white rabbit for Melodie. They told me I'd have to wait until Easter when they get shipments of white rabbits. Still, I kept checking the stores when I was in the area. I found one in November 2009, just in time to present to her on her birthday December 12. I was so excited to see her face. And I was so excited to have caught a picture that captured the moment.
Melodie is convinced that it is the same Kacey, cause it looks just like her, even the slightly offline level of the eyes. (I had a good eye when I was looking at the rabbits :) ... I got to know Kacey too.) Melodie says Kacey was found by someone and sent back to the Webkinz factory where she was washed and repackaged. It's nice to have Kacey back in the family.

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Kristi Approved - Live the Life

Well, time keeps ticking. I haven't been taking pictures or scrapbooking like I want or need to, but I'm going to get there. It's not that I don't have the time for it, right? Cause you make time for things that are priorities to you, right? Last month I set some real goals for myself after I read this BLOG POST on Kristi Approved - "it's not about time, it's about YOU". I need to make the time in my day for the things that are important to me. That being said, last night I spent a wonderful hour reading to the kids. I've been going to bed consistently at 11:00 for the past 3 1/2 weeks (that's a big miracle!) - I've been eating healthy, I've been exercising, I'm feeling really good. I'm on week 4 of Life the Life, which is a lifestyle program that I learned about the night before our 11 year anniversary last month. I knew I wanted to do it, and I already was doing most of it, but the program presented itself in a fool proof way which took out the guessing work. That in itself has kinda been a revelation to me, that you don't loose pounds, you remove them. You don't have to guess what the scale will say, you can know what it will say if you follow the path that will get there. That being said, since I started Live the Life, I've consciously removed 2 pounds a week. I started at 145 on Feb 20, at the end of week 1 I was 143, end of week 2 141, end of week 3 139, and when I weigh in this Saturday I will be 137. At this rate I will reach my goal by my birthday next month! That will be a good birthday present to myself. Life the Life has a 7 day free trial/challenge if you want to try it, or feel free to ask me any questions.

As a side note, I really have done quite a few things to loose weight, since I've had so many pregnancies which have given me so many opportunities to do so. Growing up in high school and such I was always size 12, always considered myself a stocky soccer player. I would jog occasionally after Kid 1 Joe and Kid 2 Mel were born, but was able to get back to size 12 pretty easily. Then after Baby 3 Ethan was born and after watching a home video of our vacation to Disneyworld that we took when he was just 1 month old, I was so embarrassed to see myself in the videos. I did not know I looked like that, and when I saw it I did not like it. Sure, the baby was just a month old, but I hated those pictures... that was not me. So that's when I decided to try a program - my sister in law Nancy gave me a book by Marilu Henner, and she also introduced me to Body for Life. Following those two programs, I was able to get to size 12 and then those pants got smaller, lo and behold I was amazed to find out that I could be a size 4/6. I was amazed. So after Ethan and again after baby 4 Hyrum, I got down to size 4/6 and 125 lbs. I was eating in the Marilu Henner "Total Health Makeover" style of food combinations, but that didn't work as well after Wesley, probably cause food combining just wasn't a practical way to live. Anway, after pregnancy #5 and baby Wes was born, I still have 10 + pounds on. I did a half marathon after baby 6, Abigail, which I thought would fix any weight problems, but I still had 15 lbs after the half marathon. Then I did P90X, which made me strong, but it was really intense and I knew I wouldn't be able to keep up that pace forever. Then pregnancy #7, and this time after Lily was born, I was stuck at 155 for a while, then after doing a TOPS thing with my mom and Beka, I got to 145, but then I got stuck there too. So I've been so pleased to see progress these past 4 weeks. Really excited to get below 140, and excited to reach my goal of 125! Live the Life is really working for me.

Friday, January 29, 2010

Butter on the Couch


It's 9:00 at night. The kids are downstairs trying to beat the monster castle of Bowser in world 8 of Super Mario Brothers. While most of them are down there, I was nursing Lily and Corey was working... all was calm, all was bright. Unbeknowst to us, Abi had two cubes of butter, playing with it like playdoh on the couch. We had finished dinner, the kitchen was all clean, and with the other kids downstairs playing, I am pondering to myself why these little ones always find a way to cause mischief. Silly kids. So I just finished scrubbing two sofa seats. Luckily none of it got on the carpet. (Or maybe I just haven't found that little corner yet...) It definitely could have been much worse. We'll see after they dry if there are grease stains... They were couches that were given to us though. Glad we have hand me downs for the kids to ruin instead of nice stuff. :)

Monday, January 4, 2010

Mice and Fajita Seasoning

Well, we have a mouse, possibly mice.

Last week with the kids out of school, we weren't in a rush in the mornings and so we were able to have scripture reading at breakfast everyday. Now schools started again, but I'm determined to keep up the scripture habit, so I woke up the kids early at 7:00 for hot chocolate and scriptures. After we were done, I was talking with the kids and behind them I saw a little mouse scurry from the pantry around the desk and then under the door of the bathroom by the garage. (He was probably wondering what we were all doing up so early? He wasn't expecting us - we're supposed to still be in bed!) Someone was in the bathroom, I thought it was Mel, so I thought she'd see the mouse and scream. But it was Hyrum, and he wasn't facing the door, so didn't know he had a visitor. I unlocked the door and went in - the poor child was exposed wondering why we were all barging in on him, then I said there was a mouse, and he hurried and shuffled out of the room with his pants around his ankles. We looked around, but the mouse wasn't in there - I'm guessing he was able to squeeze through the vent holes?

So I've spent the morning and afternoon trying to do a thorough cleaning of the pantry, I've been taking some of the big food storage items downstairs and trying to find more clues as to where our little visitor escaped to. As I was cleaning downstairs, I found quite a few mouse droppings which I didn't find any of in the pantry... I also found lots of little wood and cardboard shavings and also what I think is a little mouse hole. I'm going to have the kids help me clean and search more when they get home. Anyway, today as I was moving things up and downstairs, I put Lilian in her little jumper swing that hangs from the door frame of the pantry. During one of my trips downstairs Lilian started screaming. Abi and Wes were both now down with me, but they've been going up and down like I have been. Anyway, I ignored her cries for a few minutes as I finished a task, and felt bad about that after I went up and saw why she had been screaming. Apparently before Abi came downstairs, being the good little mother that she is, she decided she should feed Lilian. Looking around the pantry that had so many choices had now become available to her and were within her reach, she logically chose the Fajitia Seasoning to feed to Lilian, and had shaken out a generous amount onto Lily's jumper swing tray. Lily had some seasoning on her face, stuck on with slobber around her cheeks, chin and hands, screaming "This does NOT taste like Milk!!!" Yes, a little too spicy apparently. Poor Lily, sorry I left you out around Abi. I have to watch Abi - she's always trying to feed Lily pretzels, bread, and raisins, or whatever snack I've given her. I'm glad she likes to share, such a thoughtful toddler.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Halloween Pictures


I took Hyrum and Abi trick or treating. I just LOVE Abi's cute little face in the picture above - such a cute cheesy smile! Her Aunt Beka calls it her Chicken Run smile. Joe, Mel, and Ethan all went with friends from school. So that leaves Wesley - what did Wesley do for Halloween?

That's his Batman costume on the ground. We really tried to wake him up, several times, but that kids needs his sleep. So he slept through the whole thing. He woke up after the other kids were home and was sad that he didn't have any candy, but they all shared with him, and then he was happy.

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Coyote Trail in Draper's Corner Canyon


On Friday Nov. 6th the kids didn't have school cause of Parent Teacher Conference weekend, and since it was a nice warm day I bribed the kids with a lunch at Chuck-a-Rama (they love the dessert buffet) if they'd endure a little hike in the mountains. (Corey was working, so I took all 7 kids by myself! Aren't I brave?!)


I'd seen the trailhead before after going to the temple, so it's been on my list to go check it out. It wasn't steep at all, so it was perfect for the kids. We walked for a half hour up and then a half hour back.
They were surprised to come over a slight bend and see the temple! ...I pointed out that we did just drive by it before we parked...

Can you see all three temples? (click on the image, and then click on it again to magnify it...)

We stopped after Abi started walking funny and seemed to have hurt her right foot/ankle. I think she and Wes would have kept on going otherwise. Now the older kids... they were moping from the start. Shouldn't that be the other way around?

Here's where we turned around after I made them let me get one last photo - Joe is in the back with his stick turned Harry Potter wand.

Then I thought I'd see if the kids could get a non-blurry shot of me too. Ethan did a good job on his first try! It's nice to have myself documented every now and again - someday to be used as proof that I was alive and a part of their upbringing. And here below is how my return hike started and ended, with Lili wrapped on front and Abi going piggy back...
It's not really that bad if you have a kid in front and back to balance each other out. :)

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Look What My Kid Can Do

It's ironic, a bit unfair. I always wanted to be flexible, to be able to do the splits. I had dreams about it. I've always admired gymnasts, dancers, and yoga enthusiasts. Well, my little Melodie is on her way. Check out these limber joints -

Foot behind head

Toes to hair

Splits

She makes it look so easy. (Sigh) When I see her I start to recite Brian Regan (Funny Video Here!) - "This woman in a soothing voice: 'Simply take the bottom of your right foot and place it on the small of your back. Now take your left leg - throw it around your neck like a scarf, and breathe!' " (I love Brian Regan!)

Crazy Hair Day

Four Crazy Hair-do's (Can't do too much with the boy's hair. I told them it would grow back, but none of them would let me give them a reverse mohawk. Maybe when they're in high school...)

My kids love it when it's Red Ribbon Week, cause that means Crazy Hair Day is coming!


I think it's one of their favorite days of the year. We tried to get some volume in Mel's hair by putting velcro hair curlers in it - It was very tangled when she got home!

A Stress-Free Neck

I wish my muscles were this relaxed...

I don't think it looks very comfortable though. :)

Playing with Cups!



After seeing this on another blog, I put party cups on my shopping list. I came home with 150 cups and then me and the kids had a fun time stacking...


They are loud when they fall!


After the older kids came home from school, they wanted a turn. We made it on the counter to see how high we could get - didn't quite make it to the ceiling, but almost! Maybe we'll buy a few more bags of cups! :)
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