Good thing I love him...

Hey guys, I put a post on our family blog about Carter. It will for sure bring a smile to at least Jessica's face. And, Nat, you can see what lies ahead for you. So, click here and it should take you to Carter's latest adventure. Really, it's a good thing I love him! Love you all!

which on which one?

well on behalf of Jen i am supposed to post these to boys who i used to like and they liked me. and its this whole dumb thing with i didn't know who to like. and now that i don't like either of them but i think my point is that Jen wanted to see what these boys looked like so she told me to post them. i know i am an idiot. well here they are. hehehe the one to the left with me in which i look really gross in beacuse we just came back from quading, is brad mickleson and the one to the right is Parker S.

A few of the kids...

Hey everyone, I just wanted to post a few pictures of me DARLING kids! We went to the place where we are (all) going to be taking family pictures over Thanksgiving. Anyways, although my pictures are mostly of just the kids and not the background, it's a beautiful neighborhood that is still being built. I am having WAY too much fun with my camera and can't wait to take pictures of everyone when you all get here. Love you all and sorry you are O.D.ing on pictures of the kids. :)

The Girls

Hannah is always making us laugh, she loves to just crawl around and explore on her own. This is what she did with the intertube.

We thought we lost her for a minute, but she was just in the toy cupboard!
This is how she held the baby all by herself. She was being very motherly. She also loves to play with it's eyelashes.
Evelyn LOVES to water flowers! This was at our friends' house.
Evelyn next to her friend Ashley. She calls her Ash-a-ley, like Natalie calls Brad Brad-a-ley.

Here ya go Ladies

4 jobs I have had in my life
- Neighborhood lawnmower
- Newspaper delivery girl
- Chili’s Hostess
- Nanny, Preschool teacher and Substitute teacher

4 movies I could watch over and over
- Pride and Prejudice
- Sound of Music
- Grease (My sister and I used to watch it over and over and over. I actually haven’t seen it in a really long time)
- A Muppet Christmas Carol (thanks to Evelyn who watches it over and over and over and over)

4 places I have lived
- Seattle, WA
- Rexburg, ID
- Andalusia, Spain
- Salem, OR

4 guilty pleasures
-Reading while Ben is taking care of the girls and I get to be oblivious to the world like he often is while he is reading
- Blue Bunny Birthday Cake Ice Cream with blue ribbon frosting and confetti candy pieces
- Reese’s peanut butter cups
- Oprah’s 20th Anniversary DVD series

4 Places I have vacationed
-Whistler, Canada
- Tijuana, Mexico
- San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Cairns, Sydney, Melbourne and Geelong Australia

4 of my favorite foods
-Ben’s cooking (even though he always adds mushrooms)
- FRUIT
- Beans and Corn
- POTATOES

4 places I would rather be right now
- San Juan Islands, Washington
- Somewhere in China speaking Chinese to some cute little Chinese elderly folk having them tell me their life stories
- Europe, maybe in Finland or England discovering my ancestry (speaking fluent Finnish of course), visiting my friend Sunny in Geneva, the Madrid Temple, Southern Spain visiting mi gente, or seeing Greece and painting landscape pictures in a little seaside village.
- A great big huge old wonderful library or bookstore with wonderful beautiful music playing without my children for some of the time so I can read, and with my children for the rest of the time so I can read to them.

4 books I love
-Wild Swans, Jung Chang
-Biographies
-Night, Elie Wiesel
- I Have Lived a Thousand Years

4 things I would love to know how to do
- Be able to produce professional-quality paintings
- to communicate with anyone I wanted to in their own language, including babies
- sew
- play the piano better, be able to sing beautifully and play the guitar all at the same time, play the violin

4 things I worry about
- That a big tall tractor will come barreling through our daughters’ room and smoosh them
- Smelling bad
- Calamities and natural disasters
- plane, train and car accidents

4 of my happiest moments
-When I was hired as a librarian at BYU-Idaho
-The day before our wedding (it sounds bad, but Ben would understand, it was a good day)
-Sweet little short moments together as a family dancing, or being outside, or laughing together
-Being baptized as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

4 things I want to do in the future
-Write a book
- Find out about my ancestors and more about my immediate family
- Go to beautiful places with our little family
-Be able to anonymously leave thousands of dollars every month to neighbors, friends, and family, who I know could really use it.

Okay, let's here from some of the guys now!

Well Done, Ladies!!

I must say that I am highly impressed with you three girls for doing the tagging. It really is fun learning things about other people, like that Natalie loves Devils Arithmetic. I LOVED that book! Also, who knew that Grammie enjoying doing things for her kids/grandkids! :) Anyways, I hope the rest of you do this because it's really fun reading these. We sure love you all and can't wait for Thanksgiving.
Also, everyone start throwing out ideas for what to wear for family pictures. Each family in different colors or what? Look around and post ideas on the blog... maybe an example of something you saw on line. Love you all!! Jen and Co.

tag reply...got you last!

4 jobs I have had in my life
- Spudnut Shop... doughnut maker in Farmington, NM
-assistant manager of food storage outlet in Provo, UT
-Preschool teacher in Gilbert AZ
- chocolate chip, pokies, all kinds of chips, milk chocolate stars, etc. distributor

4 movies I could watch over and over
-Ever After
-Pride and Prejudice
-You've Got Mail
-What About Bob?

4 places I have lived
-Farmington, NM
-Rexburg, ID
-Provo,UT
-Mesa & Gilbert, AZ

4 guilty pleasures
-Chocolate with toasted Almonds (any kind of nut really)
-reading as long as I want to...even when there is tons to do
-spoiling my grandchildren
- trying to find and buy little things that would be fun to give to my children/grandchildren

4 Places I have vacationed
-Colorado
-Hawaii
-Kauai
-Italy

4 of my favorite foods (this was hard...I love everything!)
-Italian...especially pastas with different kinds of sauces
-Mahi Mahi at Rumbi Hawaiin Grill
- Salad at Rumba Cafe or Costa Vida
-Anything at Euro Cafe
(Any kind of vegetable...I couldn't leave that out ...I love them!)

4 places I would rather be right now....duh!
-Queen Creek
-Cedar City
-Rexburg
-Sherwood

4 books I love
-Girl of the Limberlost
-The Book of Three series by Lloyd Alexander
-Jane Eyre
-Work & the Glory
-Anne of Green Gables series
-Hearts of the Children series/ and Children of the Promise series that goes with it
-Great and the Terrible series
OPPS! I haven't even begun the list of favorite childrens picture books...or other historical fiction I love or Lord of the Rings, or .....this is not a section that I do well at picking favorites.

4 things I would love to know how to do
-photography
-be computer literate and utilize the computer better for what I need it for
-Cook meats...beef, poultry, fish etc. like a chef...actually expand any cooking skills
-GET THINNER and MORE FIT

4 things I worry about
-If we are prepared as family for what may be coming in our lives
-If I can truly live up to the potential God sees in me, especially in relationship to being a wife, mother and grandmother
-If I care for my mother in a manner she truly deserves
- if I have developed a strong enough relationship with the Savior that I can face whatever comes in my life with unfaltering faith

4 of my happiest moments
-marriage to Dad (Dru)
-the birth of each of my children
-the birth of each of my grandchildren
-doing things for those I love

4 things I want to do in the future
-Travel and see other countries and cultures
-Go on a mission or two with Dad
-Have a meaningful and close relationship with every single one of my posterity
-Live a healthy, fun filled, purposeful life with those who mean the most to me. Not necessarily a perfect life but one filled with happy memories, and when sad or difficult times come that it can make us all stronger & closer.


There I did it ....love you.
-
-
l

Here's my Tag!!!

4 jobs I've had:
1.Receptionist at S&H Steel
2.Data girl and bill collector for a couple of Anesthesiologists
3.Cabin girl and waitressing at The Teton Valley Lodge
4. Lynette's Salon and Spa

4 movies I can watch over and over:
1. Pride and Predjudice
2. Calamity Jane
3.Never been Kissed
4. Friends Dvds and Scrubs Dvds

4 places I have lived
1. Mesa Az.
2. Gilbert Az
3. Rexburg Id
4.Driggs Id.

4 guilty pleasure
1. Chocolate
2. Tyra Banks "America's Next Top Model"
3. Any Celebrety Gossip Magazine
4.Chineese food

4 places I've been on Vacation
1. Mexico
2.California
3.Arkansas
4.Texas
( I know, i don't get out much)
4 favorite foods
1. Chineese food
2. Dairy Queen Ice Cream Cake
3. Fettichinni Alfredo
4.Celery

4 places I'd rather be right now
1.Arizona with all my family
2. Hawaii
3. with my husband Jonathan
4. Anywhere it doesn't snow nine months of the year

4 books I love
1.Memoirs of a Geisha
2. Pride and predjudice
3. Work and the Glory volumes
4. Roots

4 things I would love to know how to do
1. Snow board
2. Cook like my mom
3. Scrap book like Jen
4. be a perfect Hairdresser

4 things I worry about
1. jonathan
2. being a good mother
3. finances
4. falling off a cliff or mountain (silly, I know)

4 happy moments
1. the day I met Jonathan
2. The day I married Jonathan
3. The days every one of my neices and nephews were born
4. when I think about being a mom

4 things I want to do in the future
1. Sky dive
2.Travel the world
3. serve a mission with Jonathan
4. win a million dollars

TAG

4 jobs I've had:
4. Secretary at S&H Steel
3. Teller at First Credit Union
2. Librarian at BYU-I
1. Telemarketer at Western Watts (Yuck!)

4 movies I can watch over and over again:
4. Pride and Predjudice
3.Return To Me
2. Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken
1. Remember the Titans

4 places I've lived:
4. Arizona
3. Idaho
2. Arkansas
1. Sorry that's it!

4 guilty pleasures:
4. eating chocolate or ice cream
3. Teasing Matt about past girlfriends
2. Popping other people's zits (I know, it's gross)
1. Staying up all night to read a good book.

4 places I've been on vacation
4. California
3. Tennessee
2. Mexico
1. Canada

4 favorite foods:
4. Ice Cream
3. Most Mexican Food
2. French Tost
1. Panda Express Cream Cheese Rangoons

4 places I'd rather be right now:
4. Hanging out with my sisters (including in laws)
3. In AZ to see my fam.
2. sleeping
1. Italy

4 books i love:
4. Harry Potter Series
3. Devil's Arithmetic
2. The Chronicles of Narnia
1. Eclipse series

4 things i would love to know how to do:
4. To cook like my mom
3. Cut hair
2. Paint
1. surf
4 things i worry about:
4. Matt
3. Blake
2. My three younger sisters
1. The Future

4 happy moments:
4. My wedding day
3. Blake's Birth
2. Going to the Temple
1. Kissing Matt

4 things i want to do in the future:
4. Graduate from College
3. Visit Italy, Portugal, and Bahamas
2. Go to the temple with all of my children
1. Go on a mission with Matt

*Just a note: these are in no particular order.

How Annoying Am I?!?

I would like to start by saying that I normally don't do these things because they are kind of like chain letters to me. BUT I love reading them on other people's blogs.

4 jobs I've had:
1. 5th Grade Teacher
2. Taxi for my brothers so I didn't have to have a summer job in high school.
3. Teaching Preschool
4. Nannie (Oh, how I love taking care of my own kids more than someone else's snotty little kid)

4 movies I can watch over and over again:
I don't really like to watch movies over and over again... but there are a few DVDs I love
1. Just Like Heaven
2. The Holiday
3. Friends DVDs
4. The Office DVDs

4 places I've lived:
1. San Diego
2. Utah
3. New Zealand
4. Arizona

4 guilty pleasures:
1. US Weekly FOR SURE!!
2. Any crappy reality TV shows (I guess I just need to see that some people still have drama in their lives and I am SO happy I am not one of them.)
3. Spending money we don't have
4. Going in and holding Carter once he is asleep. He's so much more cuddly!

4 places I've been on vacation
1. South Pacific (Australia, Samoa, Fiji, Tahiti)
2. Kauai for our honeymoon
3. Alaska
4. Europe (England, France, Italy, Spain, Switzerland)

4 favorite foods:
1. ICE CREAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
2. anything chocolate
3. Anything sugary
4. On the Border chips and salsa

4 places I'd rather be right now:
1. getting plastic surgery to put everything back where it was a few years ago
2. getting a pedicure
3. shopping for my kids
4. on a date with Bryan

4 books i love:
1. These Is My Words
2. The Giver
3. Twilight and the accompanying books
4. Us Weekly (it's reading, isn't it??)

4 things i would love to know how to do:
1. lose weight without dieting
2. get Bryan to pay attention to me during football and basketball games
3. take pictures
4. wake up feeling truly rested.

4 things i worry about:
1. my kids and their health and safety
2. Bryan and his hands (we need those suckers to pay off the debt)
3. not losing the rest of the baby weight
4. I worry about everything out of my control... I know, dumb, huh?

4 happy moments:
1. My wedding day
2. whenever I get an unexpected nap
3. Carter's birth and every little milestone he hits
3. Addilyn and her darling little smile!

4 things i want to do in the future:
1. Travel the world and take pictures along the way.
2. serve a 10 year service mission all over the South Pacific where Bryan does Dental work and I teach English.
3. Get my body fixed (don't judge, it's not nice!)
4. Have a cottage in Maine so I can decorate it like the Pottery Barn magazine.

4 people i am tagging:
1. Natalie, Nicole, Jessica, Nellie, Noelle, Naomi
2. Mom
3. Ben... because I know he's a good sport.
4. Bryan... haha, can you imagine?

Ok, now that everyone knows way too much about me... enjoy your day! :)

BABY, ARKANSAS, TENNESE, & MORE

These past couple weeks have been busy but really great. Thanks to mom we were able to get all moved in and settled. Our apartment actually feels like a home instead of a storage shed holding our boxes. These are a couple of picuters so you can get an idea of what our apartment looks like.

I took this picture today upon mom's request. Here is how Blake looks at 3 weeks and 4 days old. He is getting chuby! Last week when he was weighed he weighed 7lbs and 9 onces.

We are having a lot of fun having Nicole here! Blake loves her and settles right down whenever she holds him. I am so glad she is here and helping me adjust to being a mom.
What a cute boy! He often has this worried look on his face.

Matt is really enjoying law school and is studying really hard. I am even learning a little bit about the law! My favorite part of the day is when Matt comes home and spends some time with Blake. I love to watch him take care of him. I am so blessed to have these two guys in my life!

It took me awhile to get Blake to sleep, but once he finally did he looked so cute and peaceful that I just had to take a picture. Unfortunatly the flash woke him up!! I learned my lesson and I won't be taking any more pictures of him during his nap time!

We went to Tennese Labor Day Weekend to visit Matt's brother and his family. The morning after we got there ( at 6:30 am) his two nieces and one nephew one by one came into our room to help us out with Blake. They were so cute. They sang him Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star and kept asking questions like "can we push him in the swing?" or "Does he like me?" or "Why can't we touch his face?"
That Sunday afternoon we got a tour of down town Nashville. They had some really cool buildings and of course some "honky tonk" bars and clubs. We also saw the Titan stadium and I think it was the Missouri River (I could be wrong). They also took us up to this really high bridge that over looked Franklin Tennese. The view was so beautiful. I really liked Franklin. It was so pretty and the homes there were amazingly beautiful!

This is what Blake did the majority of the trip. He slept most of the day and liked to be a night owl! We sure had a lot of fun!

I am soooo not excited!!!!

Here is waht I have to look forward to in just a coiuple of weeks! Can you believe it?! ANd they say that this was an extremely mild winter. Mild my foot!!! We did however have fun cross country skiing. I dind't even fall! Well, I fell at the very end but that shouldn't count. Anyway, I just thought you guys should see what I have to look forward to when I get back from Arkansas.


This picture is from just a couple of months ago. Jonathan and I floated down the Teton River over the fourth of July. As you can tell, Jon did not to a very goood job putting on Sunscreen. He now has these really funny tan lines.It's great!

Evelyn making Hannah laugh

These girls have lots of fun together!

Noisy Table

This is what our average family dinner sounds like, only it's usually a bit noisier! It's funny to listen to them, it sure makes me feel like a giid cook!