March

So here are the events that happened in our home during the month of March. Enjoy. This is the start of a beautiful friendship. To date, Brenna has now had three black eyes. The sad thing is, she has one right now, and I don't even know how she got it.

Jessie had her first Band Concert and played really well. After waiting for three years, it was finally time for Jessie to start learning how to play the flute. The band did an awesome job this year. Jessie really enjoyed every minute of it--even the early band classes weren't that bad. She did so well that she was first chair. Way to go Jessie. We are so proud of you. Jessie turned 11 years old in March. I can't believe she is that old. It seems like yesterday I was in the hospital with her and telling my mom to "shut up and let the doctor do his job". I think when you are in labor you don't have any control over what you say. Jessie has turned out to be such a joy to have in our house. She LOVES music, especially the piano and the flute. She is also a great helper around the house--diapers are her specialty, even though she doesn't like to change them. She has really taken to cooking and baking. I love it when she says, "Mom, what is for dinner tonight? I want to make it so you can go sit down." I think everyone should have a daughter like that!! I love you, Jessie.

When the kids have a birthday, I go eat lunch with them at school and them we have lunch recess with them. The kids all love to have me and the younger kids come to school. They like to show off Kaden and Brenna to their friends.

Jessie with Brenna

Kaden and Jessie

What you have missed because I haven't blogged Part 1--January and February

February--

Okay, for some reason I can't get this blogging thing down. I get all my pictures loaded, but they are never in the right order, and when I try to move them around, they won't change--they stay in the order they were downloaded. (If anyone knows how to help me move the pictures around once they are downloaded, please let me know. I also don't know how to get paragraphs to show up on the blog. Help, what am I doing wrong??) So, You will get February before January, unless you want to scroll down and check out what happened in January first.

MEAGAN TURNED 6

Meagan had her 6th birthday in February. She was so happy to be turning 6 and had been counting down the days for months!! Meagan is so much fun to have around. She is always laughing and having fun. She is such a sweet little girl. We are so blessed to have her in our family. She is truly a miracle and we are so grateful to have her here with us. So, here are just a few pictures of her happy day.

Blowing out the candles--again pictures aren't in order. Meagan and her yummy cake.

Meagan and all her presents.

Being silly after opening a present.

Meagan and Mom eating lunch at school on Meagan's birthday.

January--

Jason and Logan had their pinewood derby. This was Logan's first year participating and he came in second place. He was so excited.

Kaden LOVES baseball. He LOVES his helmet. He LOVES his glove. He LOVES the baseball. Whenever he gets a chance he gets his helmet on (backwards) and goes around the house with a glove on one hand and a ball in another ready to play ball with whom ever will play with him.

BRENNA TURNED ONE!!! Our little Brenna turned one. I can't believe it. She is growing up so fast!! She loved opening (eating the wrapping off) her presents, but when it came to the cake, she didn't like sitting on the table in front of all of us cheering her on to dig into the cake. It took Kaden to show her how yummy it was before she would even touch it. After we got her in her highchair, she couldn't get enough cake. What a cutie!! WE are so happy to have her in our family. She makes us laugh constantly.

Brenna is ready to go play in the new snow that fell on her birthday.

OH, BABY!! I AM IN HEAVEN!!!

Last year we planted a strawberry patch on the side of our house. We were told to pick off all the blossoms so the plants could grow strong that first year planted. I was so sad. I wanted stawberries that year. SOOO this year rolls around and about a week ago I saw strawberries starting to grow. I got so excited and told Keith we had strawberries coming. I couldn't wait to eat the first bright red strawberry of the season. Well, as I was waiting for that one strawberry to be ready to eat, Keith beat me to the punch, ate it and then told me how good it was. He didn't know I was waiting to eat it myself. My disapointment didn't last long though, I got my first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh strawberry of the season today. AND THEY TASTED SOOOOO YUMMY!!! There is nothing like eating frest out of the garden strawberries!! I can't wait to make jam and have desserts with my strawberries, that is if they make it to the kitchen before I eat them all.

Pay-it-forward winners are...

Well, the pay-it-forward giveaway is over, and since there was only three people who left a comment on my blog, all of you are winners. Just remember, now it is your turn to pay-it-forward. So, congrats to--- Sarah, Nicole, and Jennilyn. Just send me an email with your address and look for something in the mail from me this next year--hopefully sometime this summer. Thanks for playing.

Hold on to your chair!!---Happy Easter

So, I thought I would suprise all of you and post twice in one week. (Someone must have slipped something in breakfast this morning. Just don't get use to it.)

We had a good Easter. On Saturday, we decided to blow out our eggs since not all of us like the hard boiled eggs. The kids had a really fun time seeing how much egg they could get out in one big blow. As you can see, Jessie was really excited about the big blob she got all at once.

Later that night we dyed the egg shells. It was a different experience for the kids. The kids had fun dunking the eggs and keeping them under the dye since the egg shells float. It was so fun to watch Brenna get into the action. It was really fun to see the differnt colors the kids came up with.

Kaden with his mouth stuffed with marshmallow bunny.

Brenna, Jessie, Kaden, Logan, Meagan, and Jason with their baskets.

We had regional stake conference, so we didn't have to be at church until 10:00. It was really nice not to be rushed. Although, if we would have been thinking, we would have given Kaden his basket AFTER church. I think he was afraid that we were going to take away his basket and he wouldn't get any candy, so he was stuffing his face as fast as he could. What can I say, like mother, like son--don't mess with our candy--your likely to loose a limb!

We hope you all had a great Easter. Yes, the candy and Easter bunny are fun, but i am so grateful to our Savior Jesus Christ, and for His love and sacrifice for me. I am grateful for a time that we can ponder His life, the events that led up to His death, and His death and resurection. I know He lives, and for that I am truly grateful.

Who's checkin us out??

Well, I haven't posted for awhile. Yeah, I know I am a slacker. What can I say--six kids, potty training Kaden, and we have decided to homeschool Jessie and Jason next year so I have been spending a lot of time trying to get ready for that next year. It is harder to get ready for homeschooling than I thought. There is so many books to look at and choose from. It is a good thing I have a sister and a friend that can help me out along the way. (--No lie, it has taken me 30 minutes to write this short post. I have had to get leave the computer at least six times to see what kind of trouble Kaden and Brenna are into. The last one, Kaden went potty by himself and Brenna had to watch. I guess I should be glad he is running to the bathroom everytime he needs to go.) So, to see who is still has faith that I will eventually post again, I am hosting a pay it forward giveaway. Here are the rules: This is a pay it forward giveaway where the winners promise to host a giveaway and "pay it forward". I entered this giveaway on another blog and actually won, so now I am "paying it forward". The winners will receive something homemade from me within the year. (That's the promise everyone gives.) I hope to be able to get them out before the summer is over--I know what I want to make, but need to get thru the rest of the school year before I take on anything else. Typically, this pay-it-forward giveaway says that the first three people to enter are the automatic winners, but I'm taking a cue from my benefactor and saying that I will pick randomly. So, next Wednesday morning, April 15, 2009, one week from today, I will pick radomly three winners. To play, all you have to do is leave me a message. Just be willing to pay it forward if you win! If you have played before, feel free to play again. It is a great way to share your talents with others.

High School Tag

Fill this out about your SENIOR year of high school! The longer ago it was, the more fun the answers will be! At the end, choose 10 people (or more) to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it's because I want to know more about you. IN YOUR SENIOR YEAR DID YOU...

1. Did you date someone from your school? No

2. Did you marry someone from your high school? Nope

3. Did you car pool to school? Yes, with my dad.

4. What kind of car did you have? I didn't have a car.

5. What kind of car do you have now? Mazda van, Ford "Party Wagon" 12 seater van, and a Ford truck.

6. Its Saturday night...where are you now? With my husband and kids watching a movie or playing a game.

7. It is Saturday night...where were you then? Senior year?...hanging out with Jenni, Genevieve, Lori, Lesa, Candise, Allison, Kolette, Carillisa, and sometimes with all our guy friends.

8. What kind of job did you have in high school? I only worked during the summers at the Payson Cherry plant sorting cherries. My last year at the plant, I got to be the night secretary. (it is good to have connections--office work is sooooo much better than sorting cherries!!)

9. What kind of job do you do now? Full-time mom, full-time wife, taxi driver, doctor, cleaning lady, and the list goes on. I wouldn't have it any other way, though. I love it.

10. Were you a party animal? No

11. Were you considered a flirt? No

12. Were you in band, orchestra, or choir? choir, baby. We had the best time in choir! --I was the teachers pet--got away with everything :)

13. Were you a nerd? I didn't consider myself a nerd, but you never know who did.

14. Did you get suspended or expelled? No

15. Can you sing the fight song? There was a fight song with words? Maybe one of my fellow dons could help me remember the fight song.

16. Who was/were your favorite teacher(s)? Mr. Keck, choir, Mrs. Roach, English, Mr. Francom, biology.

17. Where did you sit during lunch? sat in the lunch room most days.

18. What was your school's full name? Spanish Fork High School

19. When did you graduate? 1994

20. What was your school mascot? a Don

21. If you could go back and do it again, would you? I had fun while it lasted, but I like my life right now. I do like keeping in touch with my high school friends, though.

22. Did you have fun at Prom? Yes, we went golfing and my date broke an iron that didn't belong to him--pretty funny.

23. Do you still talk to the person you went to Prom with? No

24. Are you planning on going to your next reunion? Probably not. We are not planning on taking a trip to Utah this year.

25. Do you still talk to people from school? Yes.

26. School Colors? Red, Black and White

Now I tag: Carillisa, Jenni, Genevieve, Lori, Amy, Amber, Jennilyn, Staci, Becca, Candise, and any one else that would like to do it.

Midwest Winters

You know it is cold when at 6:30a.m., the expected high for the day of 11 degrees, has come and gone. Tomorrow's high is suppose to be 1 degree. I think the next few days call for long johns, a warm fire (thank goodness we have a fireplace!!), and hot chocolate. But the cold doesn't stop the kids. I can tell you right now the minute the kids walk in the door from school they will want to go play in the new snow and five minutes later when they come in frozen they will want some hot chocolate. Honestly, living in the Midwest, I have realized that winters back in Utah are a piece of cake to endure compared to the winters in the Midwest. The wind goes right thru you like you weren't even there. No matter how many layers of clothes you put on, no matter how warm your coat, gloves, or hat is, you still freeze. I often wonder how the pioneers handled it. How did they stand the cold when they had to be out in it for such a long time? For the Mississippi to freeze, it had to of been really cold for a long period of time, and there they were crossing the plains in that freezing, bone chilling cold. I don't know if I could have done it--I like to be warm. Needless to say, I can't wait for Sunday, the start of a heat wave, when it is forcasted to be 30 degrees and climbing up to 33 by Thursday. I will have to pull out the shorts and tee-shirts.

My Husband, Keith

I got tagged by Nicole so here it goes.

1. Where did you meet? We met at Snow College in a Calculus class.

2. How long did you date before you got married? We dated for about four months, engaged for two months and got married.

3. How long have you been married? 12 years, 25 days, 10 hours, and 46 minutes. Wow, time flies when you are having fun!!

4. What is your favorite feature of his? Most definitely his smile and his eyes!!

5. What is your favorite quality of his? He is a very hard worker. He is always looking for ways to serve and help others. He is wonderful with me and the kids and always tries to be the best father and husband he can be.

6. Does he have a nickname for you? Yes, Neena. About 10 years ago, we babysat for Keith's cousin so they could go to Hawaii. The youngest was about two years old and every time he tried to say my name he said Neena instead. Keith thought that was cute and ever since he has been calling me Neena.

7. What is his favorite food? Growing up it was his mom's pork chops, rice and gravy. Now it is Pasta Carbonara--or anything else Italian that he makes. He makes GREAT Italian food!!

8. What is his favorite sport? His favorite sport to watch is football and his favorite sport to do is hunting.

9. When and where was your first kiss? Our first kiss was just outside my apartment just after a date.

10. What is your favorite thing to do as a couple? We like to have date nights at home. We put the kids to bed and then have dinner and watch a movie.

11. Do you have any children? Yes. Six. Jessie--10, Jason-- 9, Logan-- 7, Meagan--5, Kaden--2, Brenna--9 months.

12. Does he have a hidden talent? He can sing, even though he says he can't. He even tries really hard to sound horrible so no one can hear how he really sounds. The only time he sings normally is at church. FHE and the Happy Birthday song are a different story all together. He also has a talent of being able to fix anything.

13. How old is he? He is 34 years old.

14. Who said "I love you first"? He did.

15. What is his favorite type of music? He likes to listen to country, rock, and Italian music.

16. What do you admire the most about him? I admire his ability to fix ANYTHING--you name it, plumbing, wiring, drywall, cars, columns, and the list goes on!! He is always thinking of some way to fix something or to solve a problem. I admire his love for the gospel and his testimony of the gospel. I admire the way he always makes the time to fulfill his responsibilities as a father, husband, employee, and priesthood holder.

17. Do you think he will read this? Maybe. He usually doesn't read our blog, but he knows I am doing this, so he just might read it to see how I answered the questions.

I am going to tag: Jenni, Carillisa, Amy, Candise, Staci, Jolyn, and anyone else that wants to do it.

Here are a few pictures of Keith.

Keith tearing down sheet rock after the tub over flowed from Jason's "swimming lesson".

Keith and the kids on the train at the zoo.

Keith holding Brenna in the hospital.

Keith and the kids in Nauvoo.

Keith fishing with Kaden.

Keith, Jessie, Jason and Logan with the fish they caught earlier that day.

Keith and his brothers, David and James. Keith with Kaden and Brenna. Keith playing with Kaden. Mr. Fix It working on our columns. With the help of a few men from our ward, Keith was able to tear down our old columns and put up new ones in their place. He did such a great job. They look Fabulous!!

First Day of School

I am a little late on posting the first day of school. But what's new, I post when I can, right. Our kids started school last week. They were all pretty excited to go back to school and see their friends. I think they were more excited than I was. I always knew my older kids were GIANT helpers when it came to helping with the younger kids or doing their chores, but now that they are in school, I am really noticing how much they helped out with Kaden and Brenna. I hope you kids have a great year!! It is really different sending Meagan to school. I was just thinking about how it seemed like yesterday she was entering this world six weeks early with complications, and how we got thru it and now she is a little spit fire. She has waited for this day for a very long time. Before the school year started last year, she was telling people that she gets to go to school. What she would leave out is that it wast't until next year. Well, that year has arrived and she has already established herself as the teachers helper, made new friends, learning new things, and is loving every minute of Kindergarten. Logan is in second grade and gets to be the big brother this year. Kindergarten thru third grade have lunch and recess together. He will do a great job watching out for his little sis. Jason is in fourth grade and Jessie is in fifth. This year they have a split class. It has some fourth and some fifth graders in the same class. Jessie and Jason were lucky enough to be put in the same class. So far it is working out really well. They have a really tough teacher and I am glad they are in there together to give support and help each other.

Ballingall Park and the Ottumwa Historical Museum

Jessie has been begging me for a very long time to go to the Historical Museum. In third grade, they learn some of the history of Ottumwa and they take a field trip to the Museum and Ballingall Park, which is just outside the building. So today was the day. Jessie packed a lunch for us, all by herself, and we were off. It was a GREAT day for a picnic. The humidity was way down, there was a slight breeze, which made it very comfortable. I would never have guessed that it was 81 degrees outside. We had a really fun time. Jessie and Jason had been here before with their third grade class, so when we went into the different rooms, they had to tell me every thing they learned. I was quite impressed that they remembered so much. During our picnic two trains went by. Kaden was so excited to see the trains that he stood up pointing at them making sure that I didn't miss them. After that, I had a hard time getting him to sit and eat.

Eating our picnic in Ballingall Park.

Brenna chillin out.

The kids by the fountain in Ballingall Park.

The train engine in Ballingall Park. The park is just outside the building that has the museum and the train station in it. Meagan noticed that Jason and Jessie were telling me about the different things we saw, and wanted to have me listen to her, too. She would point things out and then tell me about them. The first thing she pointed to was the oil lamp. She told me that they would us this lamp when the electricity would go out. (We have an oil lamp that we have had to use on more than one occasion because our electricity has gone out. It is really fun eating dinner by lamp light!!) This was a replica of the milk wagons they used to deliver the milk. It was used on a t.v. show--I can't remember which one. Kaden saw this little milk wagon and wanted to get in it so badly. You can see by his face he really enjoyed it. When I took him out he cried for ever. It was a good thing we were the only ones in the museum. These are the desks in the one room school house. Grandpa K. told Jason about how when he was little they would dip the girl's pigtails in their ink wells. (naughty Grandpa) Even though Grandpa didn't go to school in a one room school house, I can see that it would be really easy to dip pigtails in ink when the table top is hooked to the back of the bench. The kids thought of the Little House on the Prairie show when they saw this. Jessie really liked this section of the museum and had the camera at the time, so she took a picture. She liked that it showed how hard women worked and that her hands were the proof of that hard work. This picture doesn't do the hands justice. Me and Brenna in front of a old John Deere tractor. We love John Deere!!