Has it been 14 years already??

Jon and I had our 14th anniversary on June 25th. Some days it seems as though we have been married for longer mainly because we have done so much for that amount of time but yet other times it feels like it has been much shorter. Jon gave me a Wii system for our anniversary (I know just what every woman wants). About a month back, Jon and I were discussing buying a Wii. I told him that I was planning on getting it for all the kids for Christmas (not going to make the mistake of only giving one person a game system again unless it is a hand held one). That way we could get the Wii and a few games and then I would be done with Christmas shopping for them. Sounded great to me. Jon's idea was why wait if we could find one now just get it and then they could play the Wii sports game it comes with and then get them more games at Christmas. Anytime I am at a store that sells Wii they are always sold out. The day before Jon took Payton and Kennedy after I had left to see Oklahoma to Target to let Payton spend some of her birthday money and Target gift card. Brenton stayed home with the 3 boys. They happened to just get a shipment of Wii's in (well 3 of them). Jon bought it and it was waiting for me in the bathroom when I got home from the musical. Of course the kids all knew about it and were waiting for me to say we could keep it and then were begging me to set it up. Well after about 2 weeks the kids started getting sick of playing Wii sports. So I spend the last of my birthday money and bought another game (Wii Carnival). I wanted a game all the kids could play and have fun with as well as one I could play and have fun. This game is great.

We have also borrowed a game from my sister.

So I had a wiily (trying to be funny) fun anniversary playing bowling on the Wii. We went out to dinner a different day, because Jon had a Cub Scout pack meeting. He kind of had to be there since he is the new Cub master.

I love free!!!

My dad wakes up early (sometime in the 5 am area) to play the nearly impossible question on the radio. They ask a nearly impossible question (basically it is nearly impossible to answer) and then callers call in with there answer (the answer is never the obvious one) and the disc jockeys give them clues as callers call in. Anyway, my dad gets in all the time (I guess most people are still fast asleep) and tries to win whatever they are giving away. Well this time, he won 4 tickets to see Oklahoma at the Fox Theatre. Since my dad was out of town and Taylor was at EFY Christa and I got to go with Morgan and my Mom. This was the same night as Payton's birthday but since shows in Atlanta usually don't start until 8 pm there was plenty of time for me to eat dinner at Taco Bell/KFC and then head out the door. I love living so close to a big city.

Morgan, Me, and Christa (mom is taking the photo)

My dad has also won tickets for Jon and I to see Bill Cosby (that was a fun evening), and 4 tickets to see High School Musical on Ice. I went with Brenton, Payton, and Kennedy. The radio station had all the people who won tickets from their station in a private viewing room they gave each person a souvenir bag full of high school musical stuff and free food and drinks. That was a fun evening.

Thanks dad for all the free events we really appreciate them!

Happy Birthday Payton

On June 24th, Payton turned 8. This is the first year she wanted a birthday party with friends. She has never showed any interest in having a party with friends until this year. She is very shy like her mom. So the Saturday before her birthday (June 21), she invited all the girls from her 2nd grade class, all the girls from her church class, and all her girl cousins (except the 2 that are 2 and under) to her Webkinz themed birthday party. She had a total of 13 girls at her party. Which was a perfect amount. The girls started the party off by making party hats for their webkinz they brought.

Then we went outside and had a gem hunt. Jon marked off a part of the lawn and threw lots of jewels (gems) in the grass and then the girls had to hunt for them. One of the gems had a red dot on it which was the gem of the day. The girl who found it got a special prize. One month later the kids are still looking and finding gems in the lawn.

Next we played Candy Bash (pinata). I bought a sombrero pinata and filled it up with candy and the kids took turns trying to bust it. I also threw a bunch of left over candy that wouldn't fit in the pinata when the pinata broke. Then the girls went in and we played pin the tail on the Webkinz pink poodle.

It was then that Jon pointed out that I hadn't taken any pictures which I had planned on doing but was caught up in all the activities trying to keep them going so we could get everything done in 2 hours.

Then we had the girls make beaded name collars for their Webkinz. This got a bit messy with beads falling everywhere.

Finally, it was time for cake and ice cream. Payton wanted a cookie cake from Sam's Club for her cake (which was just fine by me).

After cake and ice cream, parents started coming. She didn't have enough time to open her presents in front of her guest. Which she did open after all the girls had left, except her cousins were still there. She got 4 Webkinz and quiet a few craft things. She is already planning her next year party.

We didn't give Payton her presents from us until her real birthday. Which she opened as soon as everyone was awake.

We have a tradition in our family that the birthday person gets to pick out which restaurant they want to eat at for dinner. She picked Taco Bell/KFC (they are 2 restaurants in 1).

Next month she is going to get baptized.

Happy Birthday! I love having you apart of my family.

I love ESY

This year Connor did extended school year (better know as ESY). Connor is my 10 year old non verbal son with autism. ESY is for special needs children. Basically what it is is they go to school 3 days a week for the whole month of June (so he goes to school 12 extra days). This is the first year Connor has gone to ESY. In previous years, they had certain criteria special needs children had to meet to qualify for ESY. Connor never qualified in the past for ESY. This year they took away the criteria and said any special needs child could go to ESY. And of course, I signed him up basically for 2 reasons. One so I could get a break from him. When Connor's schedule changes (like when he is out of school for awhile for summer or Christmas break) he does annoying things to deal with the change. This year he started the summer off by rearranging things. He mainly took things out of his room and put it someplace else in the house. He started out putting everything in his bathtub. Later I would put it all away and he would do it again. So I finally got smart and figured I would leave the things I didn't need in the tub and leave the tub full and then he would stop. No such luck. He just left the tub full and would put things in about 4 other places in the house. I still can't find a few things he has hidden. Finally, about 1 1/2 months after school got out he basically stopped and now has started tearing zip lock baggies. He tears the baggie right under the zip lock part. I had to lock them up probably until school starts. The second reason I wanted Connor to do ESY is so he could have some structure. With 6 kids, it is hard for me to give Connor or any of my children lots of individual attention. With 6 kids home all summer and a house and clothes to keep clean and activities to keep them busy Connor often doesn't get the structure he needs. ESY has been wonderful for the both of us. Connor loved it (well, at least I think he did. He didn't cry or whine getting on the bus every morning). I loved it too. It was nice having things stay where they belong for those few days. I just wish they would also have it in July.

To Helen Back

On Saturday June 7 , 2008, we went to Helen, Georgia. My parents, Morgan, Taylor, and the Tadys also went. Helen is just over an hours drive north of our house. We met early in the morning to head up there. At about 10:00 am, we started the day tubing down the Chattahoochee river. Helen has a few places to rent tubes. Then the place drives you in a bus up stream and then you float down the river back to the tube rental place. They had 2 different drop off spots one was tubing for 3 hours and you would have to get out of your tube a couple times because the water is so low in a couple places or the 1 1/2 hour one and you wouldn't have to get out of you tube and walk (the only time you would need to get out of your tube is if you got hung up on a rock and usually you could wiggle your way off without getting out). Because we had 10 kids (11 and under) with us we chose the shorter one. Each person had their own tube except for Hayden and Eliza they are only 2 so they sat on laps. Brenton and Lincoln were the only 2 kids that went on their own. The other kids were tethered to an adult (and Taylor she is 15). My dad was the only one who didn't have someone tethered to them so he stayed by Lincoln. Everyone had a great time. I only wish I could have taken my camera to get some shots on the water. Oh well, here is a few shots of us before we started tubing.

Jon, Hayden, Talmage, Kennedy, Brenton, Taylor, Lorin, Morgan, Payton, Sonoma, Aaron, Eliza, Christa, Lincoln, Dad, Gretta (mom was taking the picture)

Lorin and Talmage

Taylor and Morgan

Once we were done tubing, we ate lunch. We all brought our lunch and ate it at the place we rented the tubes because they had lots of picnic tables set up by the river. After that we walked to town. Helen is a small German town. They have a main street with all their little shops and restaurants. They also have really good fudge (not as good as Mackinaw Island Fudge but good enough for me). Which is why we went to town. This weekend was extra loud and busy in Helen. They were having some sort of Motorcycle gathering.

Connor covering his ears from the loud motorcycles

Talmage, Hayden, Jon, and Sonoma checking out the horse carriage

Talmage checking out the water fountain

Then The Tady's and Bugee's left for home. We stayed (Taylor stayed with us too) and went to the beach.

Talmage and Hayden

Brenton

Kennedy

Talmage filling his shirt with sand

Payton

We all had a great time. The kids as well as the adults can't wait to go back.

Happy Memorial Day!

Since all of our family has the day off, we decided to make the most of it and spend it with both sides of our family. First, we headed off to the park and met up with Mom and Dad Hansen and Thomas, Melanie and their kids to have a little picnic lunch and let the kids play on the playground. Brenton was a little bored so I had him take my camera around and take some pictures of the kids. Below are a few of the ones he took.

Kennedy on the bars

Hayden holding Mikayla's hand

Payton

Back me, Mom Hansen, Thomas, Jon Front Dad Hansen, Melanie, and Connor

Hayden

Around 2 pm, we headed home and then I took all the kids except for Hayden (he stayed home with Jon so he could nap) to the swimming pool. Since we don't live in a subdivision with a pool, every year I buy pool passes for our family to the city pool. The park the pool is at is just over a mile from our house. The pool always opens on Memorial Day and closes on Labor Day. The pool was cold. Even though our days have been in the 80s the mornings have been pretty cool. I didn't end up going in. I just watched the kids from my nice warm seat. My parents and Taylor were there as well as the Tady's. After we went swimming, we headed over to the Tady's house for dinner and a family birthday celebration for Lorin (5) and Lincoln (9). Talmage went to Lorin's friends party a few weeks earlier. Below are a few pictures from that party. His party theme was Star Wars.

Lorin with his light saber cake

Aaron teaching the kids some sweet Jedi moves

Christa made the light sabers out of pool noodles cut in half, silver tape, electrical tape, and stickers

Congratulations Grads

On May 23, 2008, my oldest child, Brenton, graduated from elementary school. He just finished 5th grade. The school did a little graduation ceremony for all the 5th grade classes. Jon didn't go basically because I didn't think it was going to be as big of a deal as it ended up being. I went with Talmage, Hayden, and my 2 month old niece I was watching (luckily she slept threw the whole thing). The teachers came up one by one and read of each of the students in their class and gave them a certificate for completing the 5th grade. Then the students got their picture taken with the principal. Then they did a slide show of the 5th graders throughout the year. It was very nice and Brenton was glad I was there.

That evening my sister Morgan graduated from high school. I can't believe she is that old. I remember taking her to the park when we still lived in Muskegon, Michigan and pushing her on the swings. That was when I was in high school. Now she is off to BYU Idaho in the fall. She has the summer/fall semesters. She didn't start in the summer because the semester started before school got out. Now she can have one last summer with her friends before heading off.

Me, Taylor, Dad, Morgan, Mom, and Christa (Cheri couldn't make it she was moving the next day)

Morgan with her diploma

Way to go guys!!!!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

Out of all the holidays, I think I could do without Mother's Day. I know it is a day that we celebrate our mothers, but being a mother it kind of makes me feel like why are they honoring me? I am not a great mother. I have soooo very far to go before I consider myself a great mother. Mother's day for me makes me feel guilty for not being that great mother I want to be. Anyway, my kids made me cards and my 2 girls made me something at school. Payton made me a leaf bowl, and Kennedy made me a clay and bead necklace. The kids also went with Jon and picked out a gift for me.

This is what they got me.

It is a cordless bush trimmer. I have wanted one for a long time but just couldn't make myself spend $100.00 on one (especially, when I have dull clippers that can eventually get the job done and I could always by a corded one at 1/2 the price). Now all I need to be is a little taller so I can trim one of our bushes that is way to high and wide for me to reach (it looks ridiculous it is all trimmed but one little area that is about 4 ft taller than the rest. So it just keeps growing waiting for Jon to get up on the ladder to trim it for me. Oh well, at least the other bushes are nice and trimmed for now. Now all I need to do is spray the weeds.

Anyway back to mothers. I am thankful that I have the mother I do. I am thankful for the example she has been to me even before I was born. I am grateful she was married in the temple, was always active in church, and took and still takes her church callings very serious. I think the thing I am most grateful for is her being a stay at home mom. She has always been at home with us girls and is still at home raising my youngest 2 sisters age 15 and 18. I knew growing up from as young as I could remember that is what I wanted to do be a stay at home mom. I remember when teachers would ask in elementary school what do you want to be when you grow up my reply was a mommy. I never realized how much a mothers role plays in the family until I started having kids and as I watch them grow they really do look up to you and your example and they imitate you good and bad.