Little kid bare feet

I love to take pictures that much is already public knowledge. It annoys my husband and after a few shots Tanner has had it as well. Madisen could go all day if I had the time. This past few months, as I have been scanning all our past pictures I have noticed that most of my favorites have one thing in common...bare feet. So here are just a few. 

Heading to L.A.

This is the kids throwing darts to pop the balloons to win their "super awesome prizes" The three grown men in front of them went away empty handed and dazzled by Madisen popping two of her four balloons and Tanner coming away with three out of four popped! Yes they are that cool!!!

Me, Tanner and Madisen on the pier 

Well the time had come to gather our belongings a head out to L.A. where we would spend the night in a hotel room and fly out the next day to start our 7 days in Hawaii. Sunday morning we loaded our suitcases, yes there were alot of them, into the car and we headed out tho what we thought would be four and half maybe five hours in the car if we didn't have to stop more than once. Well things didn't really work out that way. About 15 minutes from Baker, CA we parked on the highway for about an hour and a half while the California highway patrol cleaned and cleared away a car accident. My kids thought it was really cool to see a helicopter land on the street and then take off again. Needless to say the 4-5 hours turned into 7 1/2. We finally got to L.A. and got checked into the pretty scary hotel room for the night. The kids having been in the car all day were restless so we drove a few minutes to Santa Monica Pier where they kicked butt on the dart game and came home with really "super awesome" prizes. We had dinner at California Pizza Kitchen which was really good and then it was off to bed because we had one more day of traveling before we reached our final destination of Kauai, Hawaii. 

ALOHA!!! (Almost)

Let the countdown begin!!! That's right after about 7 months of planning we are only a few days away from a much need vacation to Hawaii!!! This time we are taking the kids and have so many fun things planned. I will post pictures when we get back and fill you all in on the details. But for now I have lots to clean and pack! (I wish you all could see me, I can't stop smiling!)

Short notice

So tomorrow, Wednesday 17th, I am having a grocery smarts coupon class at my house at 6:30. I started using this website and system about three months ago and am surprised every time I go to the store and save as much money as I spend. Last week I went to Vons and spent $59.79 for 43 items and with a savings of $86.76. That averages out to $1.39 an item!!! Everyone is welcome and bring your friends!! If you need my address you can e-mail me and I will give you the info and directions!!! 

My funny kid!

Tanner is on track break this week. The other day we went shopping to get a few t-shirts and a couple pair of shorts for summer and he chose all his own clothes. It was a little scary for me to let him loose since i am a total control freak about what my kids look like in public. And Erin thanks me for this since she gets all my super awesome hand-me-downs. Anyway he came over to me in the girls department all excited and holding a pair of plaid shorts with a t-shirt that actually matched and two other t-shirts that had these two sayings on them, "Dad thinks he's in charge" and Sorry girls, Mom says no dating." How funny is that?!! Oh and the the plaid shorts and t-shirts were on the manikin.

We went to dinner the other night at Marie Calanders. When we were all finished and walking out to the car I notice Tanner had some french fries in his hand. I thought he just grabbed a few off his plate as we walked away from the table. he stuck them in his mouth and we continued walking to the car, which I had parked really far away for who knows why, and I look back behind me to checked that the kids were still close and Tanner had more french fries in his hand and is eating them. Come to find out he had put all the fries left on his plate in his pockets!!

Yesterday he was in the office and I could here him playing with a bag and couldn't remember shat I had in there is a bag but just let that go because he wasn't in my face telling me for the millionth time he was bored. a few minutes later me emerged in a toilet paper bag, the size you get from Costco. He jumped in it toward me dropped to his knees and tucked his entire body into the bag. I can't believe he can fit.

I love that kid!! He keeps me laughing all the time.

Memorial Day Monday

Tanner playing in the water balloon fight.

Jenessa, Mom (Lori), Cristen

My love, Tanner, and me

A few of the kids after the water balloon fight. Getting them all together proved to be too hard since we only have 6 out of 16 in this picture.

Mike at the grill. We were all starving thank goodness his hamburgers were good.

Madisen after sliding down the slip n slide would stand up and smile at the camera every time.

Memorial Day was fun. Mom and Mike decided to have a BBQ in their backyard. They bought a three lane slip n slide which was a huge hit. The kids played on that for 3 hours when it got a hole in it. Between the slip n slide and the spa the kids stayed wet and cool. Earlier in the day Mike, Mom and Hailey spent an hour filling water balloons for a water balloon that lasted about 7 minutes. Only two injuries occurred and all had a blast. At the end of the day the kids were happy and the adults were ready for some quiet time.  If you want to see all the photos you can see them at our family website  http://web.me.com/justind36/Site/Welcome.html

Thanks for Mom

I grew up with the most amazing mother in the world. Now many of you are probably thinking that your mom was pretty great and we all feel like our own mother's are the best but mine really is the most amazing!! If there was a contest for the most awesome mom in the world mine would win hands down. I'll list just a few reason's why...

1. She survived raising 4 children on her own after a tragic car accident sent her husband and son to heaven.

2. My baby brother, who is probably mad I just called him baby, had a cyst on his brain about the size of my fist. He was diagnosed at the age 9 or 10 and had 15 surgeries over the course of 9 years on his brain. The closest doctor qualified to treat him was in Salt Lake City, we lived in Las Vegas.

3. She was always there. If we had a play, concert, ball game, whatever. She was there. 

4. She worked full time and still managed to do all the mom stuff. Grocery shopping, homework, laundry on and on. And she managed all the Dad stuff too.

5. She answered any and all questions we asked her with complete honesty. Even the inappropriate ones asked in very public places. (Pea can explain that one)

6. If we needed to talk about anything we just had to go sit on her bed and wait for her there. It didn't matter what time it was or what we wanted to talk about her bed was as good as any shrinks couch. I shared a room with her for a while and on many occations was shooed out when a sibling need her.

7. She had a testimony of the gospel and shared it with us regularly. 

8. Friends were always welcome. We even had a few strays stay with us. If a friend had a fight with their parents and needed cooling off she would phone the parents and tell them their child was safe and welcome to stay until morning.

9. She had wore out scriptures. And has since bought new ones. The worn ones are in my sons room. I catch him reading them on almost a daily basis.

10. She helps me remember my Dad and older brother who are now my special angels. At only five years old when they died I have very few memories of them but she helps to keep them fresh and shares new stories with me whenever she thinks I need one.

I am happy! For real HAPPY! Life isn't always peaches and cream but because of her example I push through the hard days and bask in the glory of the great days. This weekend has been great. The kids are getting along, the house got clean, we have great friends and family. This week end is always hard for me. It surprises me every year how hard it is still. It will be 24 years since we got that terrible knock at the door telling us that there had been an accident. My heart still feels heavy thinking about that day. How weird it was to have everyone around the house crying. Strangers coming and going. Feeling very small and somewhat lost without Michael their to help me understand what was happening. But that day also changed my relationship with my mom. We were a team now. All we had was each other. That was the gift that the Lord left the day he called Dad and Michael home. So I guess all I want to really say is thank you Mom for teaching me all I need to know to be half the mom you are. Be grateful for you blessings and count them everyday. Even if it is just a bowl of ice cream after you put the kids to bed.