The English Family

Christmas and New Years

2012-01-22T16:42:00.005-07:00

We spent New Year's Eve at our friends house playing games and eating yummy food. Lots of fun! Jeremy stayed home with Mallory and Sawyer. They both had strep and I did too but didn't know it yet.
New Christmas Dress
New Christmas Dress

Feeding the reindeer at Thanksgiving point with the kids.
Lyndie with Mila and Hailey after her Christmas program at school.
Lyndie and Abby after the Christmas program at school.
Lyndie with most of the "Sunset Hills gang" She is lucky to have so many friends to play with.

Logan during his Christmas program at school. For some reason they put him front and center which is good for me as a mom, but he is almost the tallest kid in 2nd grade so I'm not sure the other moms appreciated it.
Santa came to Lyndie's class to see the kids and ask them what they wanted for Christmas.
Christmas Eve at Grandma English's house

Christmas morning.

Mallory went to the dollar store and bought everybody presents. Jeremy got some new shaving cream. :)
We adopted an Elf on the Shelf this year to keep an eye on the kids. They had a lot of fun each morning trying to figure out where "Edward" would be hiding.

Christmas has begun!

2011-11-25T19:05:00.004-07:00

All four kids in front of the family tree.
Hello Kitty.
Another Sponge Bob to add to our tree.
Hello Kitty...yes both of the girls picked out the same ornament this year.
Buzz Lightyear...I think he just likes it because it lights up.
Definitely one of my favorite ornaments this year....awesome!
Mom's ornament....oh how I wish I could play a little better. Practice, practice, practice...

With Thanksgiving out of the way...I am allowed to decorate for Christmas now! Yay! The kids are each holding the ornament they picked out for this year. They each get a new one every year and it is really fun to go through all the old ones each year as we decorate the tree.

Family Pictures 2011

2011-11-15T20:06:00.006-07:00

Thank you to my good friend Kelli Bramble for such cute photos of my family. You can check her out at kellibramblephotography.com

Hey! When did we get so many kids?! LOL

Halloween Time!

2011-11-04T09:32:00.005-07:00

The kids got a ton of candy this year. The weather was perfect for trick or treating so we lasted for three hours and then decided to head home.
Half way through trick or treating we stopped by the neighborhood park where all of our friends were gathering for hot chocolate and donuts.
The next day i actually convinced my kids to sell their candy to a dentist for $1 a pound. The girls both got $5 (which was the max) and Logan got $4 (I'm pretty sure that's because he ate a lot before selling it.)
I was in charge of Lyndie's class Halloween party this year. It was a lot of work, but all the kids helped me get things ready and were a big help. I had 4 other moms come and help with the party too, so it was a big success.
The kids' school hosted a Monster Mash Halloween dance this year. It was a lot of fun. The girls are going under the limbo stick here.
I paused the kids to take a picture and this is Mallory telling me to hurry because the limbo stick is coming.
Halloween parade of costumes.
more parade...
more parade...
This is before the dance. We sat in the school for a few minutes until Jeremy could get there and join us.
These are my activity day girls and the cute Halloween wreath we made together at my house.
Here is my finished product.

It was a busy Halloween, but a fun one!

Finally!!!

2011-09-30T20:30:00.001-07:00

So, it's not a baby grand, but it gets the job done. I have been dying for a piano for years and I finally was able to go get this one. I love it! I love to play and have been doing so everyday. I'm kind of hogging it from Mallory who is actually in lessons and needs to practice.

Life with #4 (Sawyer)

2011-09-30T20:20:00.002-07:00

Sawyer is walking pretty much everywhere now and doesn't stop for too long. He is pretty daring and goes head first down the slide at the park. I have to be careful to watch him because he will do it even when I'm not looking.
We also discovered that Sawyer has an egg and peanut allergy. This is at the doctor's office while he is having the test done. The top two are the controls: one positive, one negative. The other five lines are the five allergens they tested him for. Eggs and peanuts are the bright red ones on the left.

We found out the hard way about the peanut allergy. I fed him his first peanut butter and jam sandwich, which he loved. As he ate it he was starting to itch his face and turn red and it didn't dawn on me until he was almost finished that he was having an allergic reaction. His eyes were starting to swell and so I got nervous and gave him some benadryl. About an hour later, he threw up all over himself. The next morning is when I called the allergist's office to make an appointment. We are now proud carriers of an epi-pen. He will be tested again in a year to see if he has outgrown it or not.

First Day of School 2011

2011-09-30T20:13:00.002-07:00

First day of Kindergarten for Lyndie!!!!
All the kids from the "hood" standing at the bus stop. This year there are about 29 or 30 kids.
First day of 4th grade for Mallory and first day of 2nd grade for Logan.
Back to school is always an exciting time for everyone...especially me! But really...it is hard to adjust to the loneliness that comes when the house is almost empty.

Swimming!

2011-08-22T17:48:00.001-07:00

This summer we were able to do a lot of swimming thanks to my brother John and his wife Brooke. They have a pool at their complex and have been great at inviting us to go swimming with them.

Silver Lake

2011-08-22T17:43:00.002-07:00

These are all the neighborhood kids that went with us to Silver Lake. It was a lot of fun and beautiful. It was nice to get up in the mountains and enjoy the cooler air also.

They have a boardwalk built around the whole lake, so it is a very pretty walk to take.
The girls love to hang out together. Such cuties!

First Day of School

2011-08-22T17:41:00.002-07:00

Mallory is starting 4th grade and has Mrs. Dawes. Logan is starting 2nd grade and has Mrs. Neria. They were both so excited to start school. It was a fun summer, but a long one and they were ready to go back and see their friends.

What we've been up to...

2011-08-03T18:38:00.003-07:00

Our first "zucchini babies" of the season...
Kindergarten shots...yay!
Sawyer's First birthday!!!!!
Mmmmmmm...cake.
Happy Birthday to Annie, Mallory, and Sawyer!
Parade of Homes..."UP" house.
splash park
splash park
splash park

Days of '47 Parade Float Preview

2011-07-21T15:21:00.003-07:00

I took the kids to the Southtowne expo center today to see all the parade floats. They really enjoyed getting to see them up close and picking their favorite one. This BYU picture is in honor of my niece, Rachel, who will be starting at BYU this fall. Go Cougars!
This is Mallory and Logan playing a pioneer game.
I think Logan won...:)
This dragon float spit water out, so the kids really liked this one.
We had to wait in line to see this "mermaid" so the kids could each get a sea shell.

Bear Lake Camping Trip

2011-07-10T16:46:00.006-07:00

We went on a trip to Bear Lake this past weekend with 5 other families in our neighborhood. We camped in tents and went boating and played on the beach all day. It was a lot of fun for everyone and there was always plenty to do. Jeremy and I both attempted to wake board and the kids got to get pulled on a tube by the boat also.

These are all my friends that were there. Tiffany, Kandis, Ali, me, Valerie, and Melodie.

Kiss Me Dirty Race @ Wheeler Farm

2011-07-02T18:38:00.003-07:00

Ya...I felt pretty tough after army crawling through mud and wading up to my knees in freezing muddy water.
This is our team after the race...pretty dirty!
That's me covered in foam. I superman slid across the finish which was a mistake. It was gritty from other's mud and I landed with a big thud on my chest.
Mallory played with foam at the finish line while I ran.
and so did Logan.
This is about half way through the race. I told Jeremy to take my picture mostly cause I was needing a little break at the 2 mile mark.
This is our team pre-race. Still cute and ready to go.
Getting siked up for the race....oh yeah!

Wheeler Farm with the English Family

2011-06-22T20:16:00.003-07:00

This past Saturday we headed to Wheeler Farm for a lunch with all of Jeremy's family. The kids had fun hanging out with their cousins and we went and looked at all the animals after we ate. We brought of loaf of bread to feed the ducks, but they were the most stuck up ducks I've ever seen. They must be overfed by people who visit. The chickens on the other hand were all to eager to eat our bread, so we gave them some as well.

Hogle Zoo

2011-06-22T20:11:00.003-07:00

Every Thursday our neighborhood has outings planned all through the summer. This weeks outing was going to Hogle Zoo. The weather was perfect and the kids had a lot of fun. Some of the dinosaurs throughout the park squirt water out. I learned this the hard way of course.

Cousins and Summer

2011-06-13T09:05:00.002-07:00

Summer is finally starting to get here. The weather was actually warm enough last night to be outside.

Mallory's first piano recital

2011-06-09T20:06:00.003-07:00

Mallory had her first piano recital and did awesome. She played her song perfect and looked fabulous doing it! Great job Mallory!

This is her teacher Valerie, who lives just up the street from us.

Getting the yard done...

2011-06-09T20:03:00.002-07:00

Lots and lots of topsoil...
yay for garden boxes. Now lets see if I can even grow something in them.
Starting to lay sod.
about half way done with the sod.

I am so happy that we were able to get the yard done and only after being here for seven months in our new house.

Lyndie's preschool graduation

2011-06-09T20:01:00.002-07:00

Her teachers this year were Mrs. Sweet and Maribel. They were so great for her and definitely got her ready for Kindergarten. Great job Lyndie!

Race for the Cure 2011

2011-05-07T10:54:00.002-07:00

Ali smoked us all...less than 30 minutes for her....

My friends and I have been training to run a 5k since February and today was the day. We all did fantastic and all our hard work paid off. So fun...:)

Learning to "copy-cat"

2011-05-02T17:59:00.003-07:00

Sawyer has started copying this face we make at him. We laugh so hard each time. The funniest part is that he doesn't know how funny it is when he does it. He just holds his face like this. He is so cute!

other easter things and spring break 2011

2011-05-02T17:53:00.003-07:00

These pics are our attempt at going to the zoo on spring break. We got about an hour and half in it started raining pretty hard, so we had to go. We only got about half the animals seen we wanted to, so we will make another trip back this summer sometime.

These pics are of our neighborhood Easter egg hunt. We had bagels and the kids had a huge area to hunt for eggs in. It was a lot of fun and of course the kids had a blast.

This last picture is Logan sneaking his candy before we headed home. Not very sneaky if you ask me...

Easter 2011

2011-04-24T10:08:00.004-07:00

The Easter Bunny has visited our house yet again. The girls both got new dresses and Logan got a new shirt and tie. And of course they got baskets full of candy and eggs and random toys.

Spring Cleaning

2011-04-19T13:19:00.003-07:00

For the first day of spring break this year I had the kids bring all of the toys into the family room so we could sort through them. I like to do this periodically to get sets of toys back together like mr. potato head, puzzles, cars, etc. This picture was after the main stuff was done. A lot of work, but it makes it more fun for the kids to play with their toys when they are organized.

Logan's 7th Birthday Party

2011-04-19T13:15:00.003-07:00

For Logan's party this year we invited over some of his friends and played a bunch of games and basketball too. It was a lot of fun and crazy too. I think we had about 9 guests show up. With all my kids, that's about 12 altogether. Birthdays are so fun for kids...:)

The apple doesn't fall from the tree...

2011-04-19T13:13:00.001-07:00

Ok, so I guess it's time I admit that Lyndie definitely takes after me. She is so funny and she is always cracking me up.

Neighborhood get together

2011-04-07T11:23:00.004-07:00

Have I mentioned how much I love our neighborhood? We all got together last weekend for a fire and roasting marshmallows at the park again. It's so fun to live somewhere where everyone likes to do stuff together. It was really fun!

Jeremy is babysitting...

2011-04-07T11:22:00.001-07:00

So this is Jeremy's idea of watching the kids for me. Both kids with their own electronic device in hand and Jeremy snoring on the end of the bed. NICE!

Time to move the baby monitor!

2011-04-07T11:21:00.001-07:00

Sawyer finally discovered his baby monitor in his crib the other day. Time to find a new home for it. :)

Basketball Court/Patio and pad for the shed

2011-03-31T09:31:00.003-07:00

We were finally able to get our concrete poured! The weather cooperated and it looks great. As we watched the men do all this hard work we were thankful to not be out there doing it ourselves. Can't wait to set up the basketball hoop for Logan this weekend and start shooting some hoops with the family!

John and Brooke's Wedding

2011-03-21T12:49:00.005-07:00

This is the new family John and Brooke created by getting married. Austin, Trista, Porter, and Dannon.

First dance as husband and wife.

This was John and Brooke's "fun" dance after they got changed. It was so fun to watch.

Jazz Game with Dad

2011-03-16T17:46:00.002-07:00

They may almost be at the top of the Energy Solutions Arena, but that doesn't matter when it's free and you're out with just Dad. Logan got these tickets after playing for Jr. Jazz this winter. You can see how excited he is. So fun...

Taken Hostage

2011-02-24T16:55:00.003-07:00

The girls have taken Sawyer hostage in their room and are "playing" with him. I love it when they have tender moments together. I hope it lasts...

Founder's Day Program

2011-02-16T08:56:00.002-07:00

This year, the children's school put on a founder's day program to commemorate the founding of the PTA. Each grade had a song or part that they would present. The whole school sang together at the beginning. They sang Hero by Mariah Carey. They all stood in the isles of the auditorium and it was actually really neat.

Mallory's grade sang "This Land is your Land". Logan's grade did a dance to "Alabama Gal". Logan even had to dance with a girl as he put it. They both did really great and it was fun to see all their hard work pay off.

Happy Valentines Day!

2011-02-14T14:51:00.002-07:00

Who would have thought that 11 1/2 years later we would have 4 kids, 1 dog, 1 house, and 2 cars and we still love each other. If money were no object I would buy you a new X Box 360. Thanks for all your hard work and providing us with such a great life and for being a worthy priesthood holder. I love you!

An Apple a Day...

2011-01-28T09:49:00.003-07:00

This is Lyndie's new way of eating an apple. She eats the middle out of all the slices as she lines them up and then goes back through and finishes the "skins". She is so funny!

Sawyer and Lyndie

2011-01-18T14:03:00.003-07:00

Can i just say that Lyndie makes me laugh at least once a day. She is so fun to be around. She loves to make silly faces for us.
Sawyer started lunging himself at my soda pop today. They learn young what the good stuff is.

Jr. Jazz

2011-01-18T13:55:00.004-07:00

Logan has been doing Jr. Jazz this winter and he is loving it. He is still a little timid around the boys who are more aggressive but he is learning a lot and does well at making baskets.

The worst babysitters ever!

2011-01-10T12:59:00.003-07:00

Yes, I am talking about me and Jeremy. We left these little girls up in Lyndie's room to play and this is how we found them. That's nail polish on their faces(mixed with some make-up), but mostly nail polish. I freaked out when I found them like this. I first tried baby wipes to get it off and then had to resort to using nail polish remover on all their faces to get it off.

Ya...definitely the worst babysitting job I have ever done. oops!

Confessions of a stay at home Mom...

2011-01-04T14:18:00.003-07:00

Ok, so I was majorly busted today by Jeremy. I have to admit that I love him working from home with this new job. I love taking naps with Sawyer in the afternoons sometimes and today was no exception. So, what does Lyndie do while I sleep?...
She plays in Dad's office on the I-pad or watches a movie on the I-pad. Ahhhhh life is good!

Starting the year off right...

2011-01-03T19:45:00.003-07:00

So one of our goals this year as a family is to keep having FHE every Monday night. We have been good at this until December hit and then it was non-existent. We also have a goal to read scriptures every night as a family and hold family prayer. Also good until December on that one too. Tonight's FHE was about Lehi's family leaving Jerusalem and Nephi's courage to go back and get the plates from Laban.

The kids really enjoy holding FHE and like to have assignments, etc. Now that the kids are getting older, I really see why holding FHE is so important. Kids will learn no matter what...it's the nature of how their brain works. I would rather have them be learning the gospel than anything else the world has to offer them.

One more pic from New Years Eve

2011-01-02T20:20:00.004-07:00

These are some of my new friends I have met in our new neighborhood. from left to right: Melodie Newman, Tiffany Tobert, Angie Oldham, Ali Olsen, Kandis Mortensen, and me across their laps. They are so fun. They all came over New Years Eve with their husbands and kids and we had a great time.

Winter Break...2010

2011-01-01T18:45:00.004-07:00

Here are some of the pics I took of our winter break after I got my new camera.

I told Logan "let's take a nice picture together" and this is what I got. :) I should've known...
There seems to be a reoccuring theme here with Logan...this is our attempt to get some fresh air in 10 degree weather.
again...outside and freezing.
more freezing...
Lyndie got two of Sawyers stackable cups and put them in her pants and said "look! I have a big bum..." She's always good for a laugh.
Sawyer turned 5 months old at the end of December. He rolled over for the first time on Christmas day. Too much excitement for him to just lay there anymore.
Everyone all ready for our New Years Eve party...
The kids were so excited to have a party. We invited some of our new friends and played games and had a countdown to the new year at 9pm. Maybe in a few years we'll make it to 10pm. :)

All in all, this has been a very trying year for our family and at the same time, we have been greatly blessed this year also. We went through pregnancy, home loss, job loss, moving, having a baby and baptizing our oldest child. I feel thankful for all we have and look forward to the future with hope and optimism. The Lord has truly taught me many things this year and I am grateful for that.

I am so happy to be a mom right now. I find joy in all that I do for my family and love each moment I spend with my children. They are all so unique and I wouldn't change any of them.

Guess what I got for Christmas....?

2010-12-27T18:51:00.003-07:00

A new camera! My old one broke months ago and I finally got a new one so I can post more on this blog! YAY!All the kids got pillow pets. Lyndie got a unicorn, Mallory got a Panda, and Logan got a penguin.

Mallory had a great morning...
taking pictures of everybody with her new camera. She absolutely loved this gift.
This is Logan's new giant machine gun by nerf...this was a big hit and lots of fun to play with.
Sawyer thought everything was great. His favorite thing was the wrapping paper. They're so easy at this age.
This is Logan's Criss Cross Crash...very loud, but also very entertaining.

Neighborhood Christmas party

2010-12-08T09:32:00.003-07:00

We moved into our new neighborhood about 2 months ago and we absolutely love it! We had our neighborhood Christmas party at the park and had two fire pits and roasted marshmallows, drank hot cocoa, and ate goodies that people had made. Unfortunately Jeremy had to stay home with Logan since he was sick and I decided to leave Sawyer with him also. The girls and I had a great time and even played in the snow in the dark and went sledding once also.

Snowy Day...

2010-11-24T10:26:00.003-07:00

What do you do on a snowy day? You stay inside of course! The kids are out of school today and have gotten all of their stuffed animals out and are playing with them.

And Sawyer is just snuggling with Mom...(my favorite thing to do).

Brothers bonding...

2010-10-26T15:23:00.002-07:00

Came in from watching Mallory ride her bike to the park today and found Logan and Sawyer hangin' out playing X-Box 360 together. Logan really loves his little brother...ALOT!

New House Update

2010-08-31T07:42:00.002-07:00

Well, they have built our house much quicker than we thought they would which is a good thing, but stressful with a newborn at home. Packing has been slow, but hopefully with the older kids in school now I should find some time to do it. We are really excited to start this new chapter in our life and can't wait to move into this house.

Pictures of Sawyer

2010-08-05T18:11:00.003-07:00

These are our first few precious moments with our new little bundle of joy, Sawyer Andrew English. It's hard to believe they start out so small.

Sawyer Andrew English

2010-08-04T19:22:00.003-07:00

I guess I need to update my blog now that we have had our baby. Sawyer Andrew English was born on July 28, 2010 at 5:52 pm and weighed in at 7 lbs 8oz and was 19.5 inches long. My labor with him was long, as expected, but easy enough. He came out in one contraction with his face up. The doctor and nurses were totally impressed with my pushing skills. I attributed that to the fact that I had done it a few times before (ha ha ha).

He is adjusting to life very well and is eating like a champ. He does good at night so far sleeping for 5 hour stretches. This has helped me to feel human during the day instead of a zombie. My parents are here and my mom has been a tremendous help with my older 3 kids. She has worn them out everyday and kept them entertained.

I will post pictures soon...there are some on FB already if you want to sneak a peak.

38 weeks

2010-07-25T16:00:00.003-07:00

38 weeks is a long time to be pregnant and I am ready to meet this little guy. I have been contracting a lot and really hope that he will be here in a day or so...(fingers crossed)

New house—day 2

2010-07-07T18:58:00.002-07:00

So......we're building a house!

2010-07-07T18:26:00.002-07:00

Here are the floor plans for our new house. Construction has started this week, so we should be moving the first part of October. We are having the whole house finished, so it will be 5 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms and we also extended the living space as well. It will also have the third car garage. We are excited to make this move and hope for it to be our last.

8 is GREAT!

2010-07-06T15:50:00.002-07:00

I can't believe that my oldest is now 8 years old! We are so excited for her to be baptized at the end of this month and so is she. I always knew she would be a wonderful child since there were fireworks going off during my labor with her at the hospital. She is such a kind and loving girl and has never said a mean thing to any of her friends. We love her so much! Happy Birthday Mallory!

4th of July

2010-07-06T15:44:00.003-07:00

I think this is the first 4th of July that I have had to bundle up in a blanket for. And that is saying something considering I am 8 months pregnant here. We had to do our fireworks in two different nights. The first night we did some little smoke bombs and sparklers and then sat down to do some of the bigger ones and Logan started screaming that his head hurt. It actually got kind of scary, so we decided to cancel that night and resume another day.

It got to the point that I drove to the instacare, but by the time I got there he had calmed down and was getting tired so I decided to head back home and see if he could sleep instead. He woke up fine the next day and we finished our fireworks the next night without any problem.

Logan's Kindergarten Program

2010-06-24T13:34:00.002-07:00

Logan's class put on a little program for all the parents today. They song some songs and said some poems and then they all get a certificate and a medal for passing kindergarten. The second picture shows the first place Logan sat. He quickly got moved once the teacher saw that he next to his friend Owen. Logan is a social and crazy kid. We are so proud of him for making it through this year.

Something to aspire to...

2010-06-21T19:16:00.001-07:00

I was going thru some old photos and came across this one. This is how skinny I used to be and plan to be again. It feels good to see that I can be skinny again. I guess you could say I am feeling fat right about now, so just picture me like this...:)

33 Weeks Pregnant

2010-06-20T13:51:00.002-07:00

Feeling pretty large and in charge these days. Hopefully only 5 or 6 weeks to go.

29 Weeks and counting...

2010-05-24T07:45:00.002-07:00

This pregnancy has not been an easy one to say the least, but I know it's all worth it in the end. I am hoping to only have about 10 weeks left at this point which is pretty realistic since I usually go early. I love feeling him move around in my belly. He has really picked up the pace lately and been exploring up into my ribs and my favorite...stretching out sideways as hard as he can. Can't wait to meet this little guy. Our family is so excited to have him come to our home. The kids talk to him all the time so I know they will be great with him...

Logan's 6th Birthday

2010-05-20T08:02:00.003-07:00

This year for Logan's birthday we did a small family birthday party and then we took all the kids to Hollywood Connection and let them go on all the rides and they had a blast. I gave him the choice of having a friend party at the house or going to Hollywood Connection with the family and that's what he chose. It was so much easier for me and the kids all had an awesome time. Sometimes things just work out for everyone...:) Happy Birthday Logan! We love you and our family would not laugh as much without you.

Lyndie's Preschool Graduation

2010-05-20T07:54:00.002-07:00

Lyndie made it through her first year of preschool. With a patient teacher it was not too bad for her. She is a little spit fire so a class full of boys was probably the safest route to go with her. Her teacher had little robes and hats for all the kids to wear and had food for them to eat as well. We watched a little video of the kids performing songs and little interviews of themselves and it was really cute. Good job Lyndie! We love you!

Our ride on the Heber Creeper

2010-05-20T07:51:00.003-07:00

Jeremy's work took everyone on the Heber Creeper as part of their leadership conference and since we had never been we tagged along. Let's just say I am glad it was free. This kids had a fun time though and got to look out the windows and find all sorts of things to look at.

Lyndie's first shower...

2010-05-20T07:49:00.002-07:00

This picture was way too cute not to post. Lyndie thought this was the funnest thing ever to take a shower and have a shower cap on...:)

25 weeks pregnant

2010-04-26T07:41:00.003-07:00

3 more months to go. This is definitely the biggest I have ever been while pregnant. Hopefully it will go by quickly.

Logan's toothless grin

2010-04-26T07:39:00.003-07:00

Missing my two front teeth. He loves looking in the mirror at his toothless grin. The first time he ate after losing both he said," it's kind of harder to eat with no teeth."

21 week pregnancy photo

2010-04-01T09:52:00.001-07:00

This is me at 21 weeks pregnant. Starting to get uncomfortable and also starting to swell if I try and do too much. 4 months left!

Like Mother, Like Daughter

2010-03-23T12:12:00.002-07:00

Mallory announced to us that she thinks Edward is hot. I had to get her this shirt when I saw it after that. She was so excited when she got home from school because some 4th and 5th graders high-fived her at lunch for having such an awesome shirt.

Baby Pictures.....

2010-03-19T16:32:00.002-07:00

This little guy must be shy because he wouldn't give us a good profile picture of his face. His face was buried into my back and he had his arms crossed in front of his face as well. We settled for a bum shot.

It's a...........

2010-03-17T08:14:00.001-07:00

BOY! We had our ultrasound yesterday and got to find out the sex of the baby. I am so excited for it to be a boy. The baby was going in Logan's room anyway, so this works out perfect. He is much calmer than any of my other babies have been during the ultrasound so I am hoping that means I am getting a quiet sweet boy....(yeah, right).

Wishful Thinking....

2010-03-10T15:58:00.001-07:00

This is just where I wish I was right now. I could really use a vacation...

What do we do all day while Jeremy's at work?

2010-03-05T16:50:00.001-07:00

We play on his computer! The kids love to play with photo booth on Dad's computer. Hours of entertainment!

17 Weeks and counting!

2010-03-01T15:00:00.001-07:00

For only being 17 weeks, this is the biggest I have been. I'm pretty sure there's just one baby in there, so I guess #4 just pops out on its own.

Valentines Box for Mallory

2010-03-01T14:58:00.002-07:00

Mallory was so proud of her Valentines box we made. Definitely one of the funner parts of parenting.

A baby on the way!

2010-01-14T12:39:00.002-07:00

In case you haven't heard, we are expecting our 4th child this summer. I have been sicker than I ever had been in the past, but I am slowly starting to feel a little better. This ultrasound was at my first appointment a couple of weeks ago. I told the doctor to make sure there was only one with how sick I was and he says he only sees one baby. Pheww! I am starting to get excited now that I don't feel so crappy all the time. Having a baby will probably be a shock to us since it has been 4 years since our last one was on the way. Hopefully it's like riding a bike.

Putting up the Christmas Tree

2009-12-09T11:08:00.002-07:00

We put up our tree right after Thanksgiving like we always do and the kids had a blast. Each year they each pick out a new ornament to add to our tree and it's fun to see the previous ones that they all picked. Our goal is to give them all of their ornaments when they get married or move out so they can decorate their own tree with them.

I feel truly blessed this year and am so thankful for my husband and children more than ever. It is so fun to watch the children grow and change and develop their own little personalities.

Halloween 2009

2009-11-01T10:04:00.002-07:00

The kids had a great time trick-or-treating last night. We left at 6pm and didn't get back until 8:30pm. Logan did request a pick up at 8 though, so Jeremy came and got him and took him home while we stayed out with our friends. It's hard to tell what they are with coats on, but Mallory is a Butterfly Fairy. Logan is "The Master" from Star Wars (we're pretty sure he means the emperor). Lyndie is Supergirl.

We had a great time and it never got too cold for us which helps.

Please don't leave Logan!

2009-10-21T11:12:00.001-07:00

Lyndie tried her best today to make Logan stay home from school. He is her best friend. She is saying "Please don't leave Logan!"

Trampoline moving day

2009-10-10T09:17:00.003-07:00

Thanks to a few guys from our ward, we were able to move our trampoline to our new house today. It was quite a spectacle as you can see, but we love having a tramp, so it's worth it to us. Hopefully they will arrive there with it in one piece.

Weight Battle: round 3

2009-09-24T15:54:00.002-07:00

I have done Weight Watchers off and on now for about 4 years. For some reason my weight eventually creeps back up everytime! I officially started counting my points again yesterday and started going walking a little. I will keep my progress updated as it goes. I might even post a before picture once I have actually lost weight and don't feel so insecure :).

What a morning!

2009-09-23T07:32:00.003-07:00

So, I woke up this morning to realize that Lyndie had somehow found a pen last night in her bed and drew all over her body. And I do mean ALL over!

I thought it was just on her face arms and legs, but she was sitting with her nightgown up so I could see her belly button. It then dawned on me that I hadn't checked her WHOLE body. This child cracks me up. She was so happy with herself for doing this. When I asked her what she did, she told me with a big smile that she colored to make her pretty.

Other parts of my morning that went fantastic: I came down to find Logan dumping cereal on the floor on "accident". And then Mallory put her shoes on for school and I noticed a huge trail of dirt following her all over the house. OY VAY! Hope the rest of today goes a little better.

Chunky Watch

2009-09-19T15:15:00.002-07:00

This is the watch that I made at our ward's Fabulous Friday! Cute, huh?

Bow Making!

2009-09-19T12:38:00.001-07:00

So, last night our ward had our fabulous friday where we did a bunch of crafts. One of the crafts was bow making. I only made one last night, but then I saw how easy it was to do and went and bought more ribbon t his morning and made a bunch more. I love how cute they turned out and wanted to share them.

Lyndie's 3rd Birthday!

2009-09-19T12:32:00.003-07:00

I totally neglected to add an entry for Lyndie's 3rd brthday. We celebrated at a family party and then had cake at home with the family. Her big present was a new stroller for her dolls. WE got her a sturdy one since her and the kids think they fit in the doll strollers.

Lyndie brings so much energy and laughter into our home. She is such a joy to have around. Although she is a bundle of joy, if you cross her, she will let you know. We love you Lyndie!

New School Year

2009-08-25T14:06:00.004-07:00

Mallory actually started last week, but I forgot to take pictures. This is Mallory in 2nd grade and Logan starting Kindergarten.
Silly faces!!!!
Is it just me or do girls get more dramatic as they get older?
We go to Mallory's bus stop every morning with her. It's right across the street from our house.
Logan waiting in line before school for his teacher to come get his class.
Logan and his friend Jade waiting together.

Fun day gone terribly wrong

2009-08-20T14:18:00.002-07:00

So today I decided that I was going to take the kids down to the Gateway and have lunch and run through the fountains and then come home.

It started out simple enough. We went to the Trax station, purchased our tickets and got on the train. Got there, had lunch and then walked to the fountains. I was watching the kids play in the water while I sat on a bench nearby. I was looking at Lyndie and then glanced over to look at Logan for about 2-3 seconds. I went back to look at Lyndie again and she was gone. vanished without a trace. I quickly started to scan the area thinking she couldn't have gone that far. I then started walking around the fountains and scanning the outer areas as well. Then panic set in. I started to ask other parents if they had seen a little girl with curly blond hair. Soon many of the other mothers were helping me as they could see my panic. I then ran across the street to tell the security guard my daughter was lost and to gather help.

Just as I said that to him, another mom ran over to me and said she thinks my daughter is up the stairs by another security guard. I started to walk over and was saying "but I can't see her, I can't see her!" I ran up about 50 stairs to the second level and there was Lyndie sitting on the edge of a little pool just dipping her feet in. I thanked the security guard for staying with her. He stayed with her because he knew it seemed like no one knew where she was. Like she was all alone.

This incident today has totally made me realize how easy it is to lose your children. I literally looked away for 2 seconds and then she was gone faster than I could look for her.

Are you ready for the freakiest part? Last night I had a dream that I had lost Lyndie! In my dream she was found by a police officer and he had found her walking alone the side of the freeway. Has anyone else had an experience like that? I seem to have them more often than I would like to admit.

Anyway, we are all home and safe now. I think our outings are over for a little while. I need a valuum.

Mallory's Birthday Party 7 yrs. old

2009-08-06T14:03:00.002-07:00

I totally forgot to blog about Mallory's birthday party. We had friends over for water play outside and pizza and cake. They had a blast. I heard that the little girl screams could be heard for miles away.

Going Private

2009-06-30T08:21:00.002-07:00

So, for those of you that are not sure why you got an invite to be a reader on my blog, it's because I am going private now. My friend, Kelli, called me last night after looking at the traffic on her blog. She noticed that someone from Spain had downloaded pictures of her little girl and they had come to her site from mine. She also noticed that they had downloaded pictures from my site too of my kids.

So, to protect my kids, I am now going private. If any of you have a blog, I would check your traffic and see who is visiting your blog and what they are doing on there.

Awards Assembly for Mallory

2009-06-23T14:23:00.002-07:00

So, this morning I went to an awards assembly for Mallory at her school. There are basically 3 levels of awards they try to earn during the year. We didn't really try, so Mallory got a certificate of participation along with all the other kids who didn't really earn it. The kids who earned one of the awards got a medal.

After the assembly I caught up with Mallory on the way back to her class and told her how proud of her I was, etc. She then looked at me and said, "What!? I don't get an award? All I get is this piece of PAPER!?" That made me laugh, so I had to share it. I think next year we will try harder to get it? Some of teachers did all the passing off of goals on school time with the kids, so hopefully Mallory gets one of those teachers next year.

No Joke!

2009-06-22T10:19:00.002-07:00

I have to write about something that happened to me at Wal-Mart on Saturday. I was at the cash register paying for my groceries. The checker told me my total and I got out my debit card and swiped it like normal. I then looked at the number pad to enter my pin and there was a huge furry spider on it!

I totally freaked out and made the checker come kill it! If anyone knows me well, they know that me and spiders do not mix well. My heart was racing and my toes were curling, literally. I could barely think straight enough after that to finish my transaction.

I will ALWAYS look at the debit machine from a distance now to make sure nothing is on it! GROSS!

Camping

2009-06-22T10:05:00.003-07:00

This last weekend we went on our ward campout. This was in the morning when all the men were trying to cook breakfast in the rain. It turned out pretty good considering...
I was one of the few that came prepared for rain and I was not about to give up my umbrella.
Logan really enjoyed poking the fire with his stick. He would sit it in the fire until it caught on fire, then he would take it out and blow it out. I don't know how safe that was, but we came home with no injuries.
Mallory was finding little sticks to throw into the fire.
That's Lyndie in there mooching chocolate off of one of the moms.
Logan was so tired. And this was right after we got there! He was a trooper though. He didn't complain about it, he just laid down when he could.
This is Mallory with one of her little friends, Grace. She was glad that some of her friends came up so she could hang out with them.
Lyndie still mooching food off of other people. They willing give it to her. Those big blue eyes and soft blond curls get her a lot. We are in big trouble with her.
Logan enjoying some Oreos by the fire.

It was a good time. We ended up sleeping in our van, which was really warm. I was worried about the cold since it had rained all week down in the valley. One scary thing did happen when we were there, though. Mallory wandered off with one of her friends "exploring". After a few minutes of them out of my sight, I got a feeling to go look for her. The other little girl's mom also started looking. Pretty soon the whole camp was looking for them too. I was panicked, but a couple of boys from our camp found them and brought them back.

I truly believe that Heavenly Father watches over out little ones. Mallory and her friend had gotten worried about the same time I got the feeling to go look for them. Mallory was crying when she got back and said that they had wandered into the wrong camp. The rest of the trip, I watched her like a hawk. She hated it, but I didn't lose her again and that's all that matters.

Mallory's 1st grade program

2009-05-31T14:53:00.003-07:00

Mallory had her 1st grade program last week. They sang and each had a speaking part that they had to memorize.
This is Mallory's friend Averi on the left and her twin brother Noah in the middle.
This is Mallory waiting to say her line.
Mallory loves to be behind a microphone as you can tell by the way she holds it. She did a great job and had her line totally memorized :
"Our rotations were filled with lots of excitement. We loved computers, library, PE, and music. Going to each one every week with a different teacher was a great adventure."

We got Mallory some flowers for doing such a great job at her program.

Logan's Preschool Graduation

2009-05-21T09:55:00.003-07:00

This is Logan with his favorite friend at preschool, Michael. Logan said, "Mom, I will miss Michael the most." What's even sadder, is that they won't go to the same elementary school next year.
Lyndie was there, of course, and she thought she was part of the preschool class, too.
This is Logan playing with the girls tassle next to him. Such a teaser, that boy!
This is Logan's teacher, Mrs. Lisa. She won't be teaching anymore because she is pregnant and due in August with her 4th child.
During the program the kids all gave their Mom's a rose.

Doing the pledge.
Logan and Mrs. Lisa. Preschool 2008-2009.

Mother's Day 2009

2009-05-10T18:41:00.003-07:00

On the evening of Mother's Day this year, I ended up in Mallory's room playing jewlery store with Mallory and Logan. I can't think of a better way to spend Mother's Day than playing with my wonderful kids. And yes I am in Mallory's bed only because I was cold.
I also got breakfast in bed and 3 homemade cards that Jeremy helped the kids make me. The best present was that Lyndie fell asleep at the beginning of sacrament meeting today! I was totally shocked, but very happy about that.

Overall, it was a great Mother's Day for me. Thank you Jeremy! Love you!

Mallory's Science experiment

2009-05-10T18:40:00.003-07:00

This is Mallory doing her science experiment for school. We had a lot of fun doing this, because it actually worked!

Random Sampler of English Life lately

2009-04-29T10:18:00.003-07:00

Back in March we decided to buy a swingset for the kids. We also decided to put it together ourselves. It took us almost three weeks between life and bad weather. As we finished, we decided the tarp roof that it came with wasn't good enough, so we built a wooden roof and Jeremy decided to paint the inside as well as the outside. The inside is sky and clouds.

We are just glad it is done now. The kids can now jump on the trampoline until they are tired of that and then swing and slide til they want to go back and jump again.
Logan decided that he really wanted to play baseball again this year. He is the 5th one over with his arm around his neck. His first game, he was the 1st one to be able to hit off the pitching machine and I was so proud of him. He does what his coach tells him and gets along with the other boys on his team. I think it really makes him feel special and he loves that our whole family comes to watch him play. He likes to look over at me and I give him a thumbs up and he gives it back. He is so cute!
This is Mallory's photography skills at work. She asked me if I would add this picture that she took onto our site. Anything artistic she does we try to encourage, because Dad LOVES IT.

Temple Celebration

2009-04-29T10:12:00.004-07:00

I volunteered to be one of the team captains for the Oquirrh Mountain Temple Celebration that will be held at the conference center downtown. We had a meeting last night with all the leaders that will be helping, and it is massive! I am totally overwhelmed, but I have faith that it will all pull off without a hitch because the sprit will be there in full force as well as the first presidency of our church.

Part of me is jealous that I didn't have an opportunity like this as a youth. That's why I jumped at the chance to be a leader for it. We have been promised that the lives of everyone who participates will be changed forever. Although it is taking a lot of time away from my family, it is an opportunity I cannot pass up. It will greatly increase my testimony of temples and be a wonderful experience.

I was told last night that it will be broadcast nationwide in real time on May 30th. There will also be a DVD made to distribute for anyone interested in watching this.

Spontaneous Zoo Day!

2009-04-27T15:59:00.002-07:00

So, I woke up this morning and thought it would be a fun day to go to the zoo. So, off we went. It was a gorgeous day. It was cool enough that the animals were playing and eating and walking around. And it was warm enough that all we needed was a jacket to be comfortable.

I forgot my camera unfortunately, but the kids had a blast. Mallory is off track, so all three were able to go. The funnest thing for them were the cougars. They were trying to take a nap in their little "cave" and the kids wanted them to wake up. They all started roaring as loud as they could and you know what? It actually worked. The cougars both eventually got up and came in front of us and sat and stared. Then they walked around some more before we left.

All in all it was fun, but of course exhausting for mom. Those hills at the zoo are a KILLER! They wipe you out real quick.

Logan's "Big" Party

2009-04-21T14:09:00.005-07:00

Logan's party was a big success. All the kids had a great time and I didn't feel stressed at all. We hired an animal handler to come in with different exotic animals for the kids to see and touch and hold if they wanted to. There was a bearded dragon, scorpion, tarantula, pink cockatoo, two big snakes, madagascar hissing cockroaches, a bunny, and I think that's all.

Jeremy talked me in to holding one of the tarantulas, thinking it would help me overcome my fear of spiders. It didn't work. I am still terrified of them.

Logan is officially 5 now and is looking forward to starting Kindergarten next year so he can get on the bus with Mallory in the morning.

Sleepy Head!

2009-04-15T12:00:00.002-07:00

Last night at dinner, I wasn't paying attention to Lyndie because she was being so quiet. When I finally glanced over at her she was bobbing her head around and sleeping. Her face ended up in her pizza at one point. We don't let Lyndie nap during the day because if we did, she would be up all night. But, I guess when you're tired, you're tired.