Year in Review

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Since it's the last day of 2008 I thought I'd do a year in review for the Saling's. It won't be long but I wanted to just sit and think about all that has happened in the last year.
January: We Larry and I went to UT and picked up Kaitlyn and Kira for a couple of reasons. There was an unforseen event in their lives that we needed them but also to have them with us as my mom passed away. It was so nice to have our whole family together and with her just before she passed away. I'm glad they got to know her and be there for her funeral. Grandma's cancer came quickly and took her away early but we know she is in a better place and getting everything ready for the rest of us. We miss her and think of her every day. Kamden turned 2 and continues to go nonstop everywhere.
February: Kira turned 8! She had to wait till June to get baptized so we could all be together but she celebrated her big day and then went to Disney World. Kira went back to UT but Kaitlyn stayed with us for a while longer. It was nice to have her with us and nice that Kira could be with her mom.
March: This is a quiet month as there are no birthdays and I can't remember anything happening.
April: Kaijsa turned 15 and got her Driver's Learners Permit. She has been practicing ever since. She is actually becoming a good driver. I also had a birthday but we won't speak of that since I'm getting older and have hit the fun milestones.
May: Kaitlyn turned 11 and has been counting down till she turns 12 ever since. She can't wait to go into Young Women's with her sister and to Girls Camp. Kinsee Belle turned 1 and has continued to be a joy and a fast learner. She picks up on things very quickly.
June: Larry had a birthday and the girls got out of school. We drove to UT and got to see some family and have Kira's Baptism. Although it was a short trip it was nice to see everyone and let the family see the kids. We came back to TX and relaxed this year.
July: The girls went to UT for their time with Janet. Kaitlyn decided to stay out there and try the country life down in Southern UT where Janet moved to be near her family. Kaijsa had Girls camp and loved it.
August: We spent the month getting ready for school to start and started to get ready for Christmas as all the birthdays were now over.
September: I took the kids and went with my dad and sister to Missouri to see my Grandparents. They hadn't seen Kamden since he was born and had never seen Kinsee. It was a short trip but nice to see them. We don't see them often enough.
October: Hmmmm I think this was the month Kaijsa had her appendix removed and was diagnosed with Crohns. She is doing well and has caught back up in school for all the days missed.
November: Larry went to spend 3 weeks in UT with family. His baby brother Chris got married to a cute gal and he was able to be there for the event. He was also able to spend time with his grandparents and family to just relax. He had a rough year with his health and it was nice for him to be able to hang out and relax with family and friends. He had a great time and we missed him tons. He came home just in time for Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving was quiet and spent with my dad and sister. Kaijsa was with us and from this point on we counted down till Christmas when we'd have Kaitlyn and Kira too.
December: School break began and we picked up Kaitlyn and Kira for Christmas. My brother Drew with his wife Heather and their kids McKenna, Miranda and Graeme came out to TX. We all got together for our first Christmas without Grandma. We had a great time together although the time together was short. It was a great week full of events I've already posted about. Kaitlyn has decided to stay with us which we are excited about and Kira will go back to Janet just after the new year. We will miss her but want her to be happy.
And now the year is over. We have been blessed with family and friends who love us and help us. We are so grateful for all of you. We are blessed with health and a warm home. We are blessed with the gospel in our lives and the knowledge that was we remain faithful and live righteously that we can be together with those we love forever. We are blessed with a little bundle of joy to be placed in our home and with our family this coming year. We are looking forward to having him/her with us. We are also praying that this will be the year that we can be sealed together as a family forever. May the year ahead be full of joy and peace. May our eyes and hearts be opened to the blessings we enjoy and the miracles we experience. May our faith continue to grow and our love for each other grow deeper as well. May this new year bring all of you those things your heart desires. We love you all and hope to see some of you this year!
Happy New Year and Good-bye to the Last Year!

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Christmas Time as a Family

As you look through the pictures you will see some of us while we're all bowling. The kids did great and the adults did ok. What matters most is we had a great time. We had fun helping the little ones and just having fun. I forgot how much I enjoy bowling and how much fun it can be as a family activity. There are other pictures of us at my Dad's house. He has a great backyard that the kids could play in once the weather warmed up some. It was still too cold for the pool but they looked at it and dreamed of getting in it. The kids explored in some of Papa's wood/toy pile and made forts, they played T-ball and rode around in the wagon. It was great to have them outside playing and it wore them all out. We had great food and we all took turns cooking which was nice. We also went and looked at lights but I didn't post any of those. We visited my mom's grave and laid some holiday decorations on it for her, Christmas was one of her favorite holidays. I'm so grateful we were all able to be together this Christmas and to just love one another. Time together as a family is so precious and doesn't happen as often as we'd like it to. I was able to have all last week off of work which was nice and have started back to work this week. Wow is that tough. I sure do love vacations. May the new year be one full of joys and blessings. Now that Christmas is behind us we'll start the 6 months of b-days and getting ready for the baby. I'm sure the time will go by quickly. I hope to be able to see some of you during the coming year but if we don't get your way feel free to come down to TX!

Christmas Time

I'll have to talk more about the slide show and our time together as a family in a little while. I'm just getting ready to go to a movie with my sister but wanted to post some family pictures of our fun time together. I know there are quite a few but we got a new camera for Christmas! Thanks Papa! We love it and just keep taking pictures. So take your time and enjoy going through them. We've had a great time together and wish it could last but we all have to go home sometime. Real life just isn't as much fun as it should be when we all live so far apart. We are glad you could come out Drew, Heather, McKenna (Mac), Miranda and Graeme! Thanks Papa and Jen for letting us all use your house and yard. Love you Larry for being the great Uncle and Daddy. I love to watch you play with the kids. You are wonderful! More details on everything later! Hugs to everyone and almost Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas

It's been a while but we've been busy with family, friends and Christmas. We picked up Kaitlyn and Kira last weekend and the time is going by way to fast! It has been great having our whole family together. We will definitely notice the empty space Kira fills when she goes back to UT next week. We have another week with her though and that is fantastic!
We have had a busy week of visiting and playing with family. I'm going to post our Christmas pictures with this one and then work on the family time pictures soon. I don't want to do everything at once and that have a while to the next. Maybe if I space them out that will keep y'all interested.
This was the first Christmas without my mom. It was hard but we felt her with us. My brother and his family came out and so that was nice to all be together. We don't get together very often so when we do it's great. The cousins got to play with eachother and get to know one another better which I love. I want them to be friends and hope they can see each other just often enough to be that way despite the distance. Santa came to our house and the kids each got several things they wanted and I'm sure a few things they didn't. hehe. Tradition is that they get books, for most that is fine although I do have one child that isn't a big reader. We got them each a Church book and a fun book, they got journals to keep their memories and thoughts in, some make-up, jewelry, clothes and a bigger item. Santa was good this year and we all loved our gifts. We also got to exchange gifts with our other family members and that is fun too. I love to give gifts and see their faces when they open them up. Giving truly is better then receiving.
We drove to the near-by lake and looked at the Christmas Lights they had displayed. There are over 3 million lights and they were amazing. I'll put some pics of those up later. We love driving around and looking at lights. It's especially fun with little ones because they ooh and aah over them and it truly brings in the Christmas Spirit. Christmas is for kids and to remind us to be childlike.
Larry and I sang in the Ward Choir for Christmas Sunday and that was fun. It was nice to sing with him. He has an amazing voice. We didn't get snow but it did get pretty cold here in TX. I don't mind though, snow is pretty but can be such a pain. I had the week off from work which was amazing but will have to start back up tomorrow. It will be so hard working nights again when I've been able to go to bed early. I'm one who needs my sleep.
I still have yet to get my Christmas cards/letter out but still have the intention to do so. Please don't think we forgot about any of you, we haven't. I will send it soon, although you'll get more information by reading this blog then the letter.
Merry Christmas to all our friends and family. We loved getting letters, cards and pictures from all of you! We hope to be able to keep the Christmas Spirit with us throughout the year and to remember to serve/ give more than receive. We love you all and are grateful to have y'all in our lives. We are well and will post more later...

Tomorrow

Tomorrow we get to pick up Kaitlyn and Kira! We are so excited! I think we have everything ready for them and our Christmas together. Unfortunately we've had some interference from another trying to ruin the holiday but all will be ok. We have this major trial in our lives and pray that someday hearts will be softened and friendliness can be seen. Until then we'll keep praying and hoping for a miracle. But enough of that. We are going to see the girls and have our Whole family together for Christmas. We are missing my mom but know she is with us in spirit. I will take as many pictures as possible and try to take some time to post but please be patient with me. I'm still having trouble figuring out the new computer and how to transfer my pics from the camera to the computer. UGH... I will update and when I do y'all will be bombarded with pics and stories! Merry Christmas and welcome home Kaitlyn and Kira!

Just thinking...

I don't have much to say but wanted to create a post anyways. We get to pick up Kaitlyn and Kira on Saturday and we're pretty excited. We're still figuring out where to put everyone but we'll be ok. We're just going to enjoy our family being complete while we can. We're always so sad to see them go. Kaitlyn is going to stay with us but Kira will return to UT. Maybe someday....
TX has turned cold and I miss the 70-80 degree weather already. I guess it does make it feel more like Christmas.
I made fudge the other day. The same fudge my mom always made. It has to sit for a week or two so I'm still hoping it turned out ok. The mixing beaters tasted good when I made it. hehe The sugar cookies didn't turn out so well. Oh well.
I think we're finally ready for Christmas. I think I need to let Santa know that a few more stocking stuffers might be needed but then I think all is good.
I'm not sure the Christmas letters will get out in time but I'm trying. Hopefully soon they will be mailed. Please be patient with me. If they don't get out in time...Merry Christmas to all!

Visiting Santa Claus

So to avoid long lines with Santa we skipped out of Church early and went to see him at the mall nearby. I know, horrible of us, but we only had to wait a couple of minutes vs a couple of hours this way. Plus the kids were already dressed up. The dumb thing is that the mall, if you take your own pictures, will only let you take 2. So this year Kaijsa didn't get her picture taken. I think we may just have to do it in shifts so they don't remember us. hehe. With 5 kids and we want them to each have their picture with Santa you can't just take 2 pictures.

This is a picture of Larry with Kinsee Belle and Kamden while waiting in line for Santa. They had the area decorated so cute.

This is Kaijsa's best friend Rachel. We couldn't ask for a better best friend for her. Rachel is fantastic and her family is awesome too! We not only corrupted our own family but we included Rachel this year. We love you Rachel!

Here is another picture of Larry with the little ones. The excitement in seeing Santa was great, until they got there...

Here is a cute photo of Kaijsa with Rachel. A rare photo with Kaijsa as she doesn't like to get her picture taken. She's so cute though.

Even Mrs. Claus was working this day. She was a cute and led us to her busy hubby Santa.

They made us feel rushed even though they weren't that busy so this is the picture we got with Kamden. He has a silly smile on his face but we did good with him. He asked for a Race Car and Race Car Track. Kam has always been good with Santa or other holiday people/animals. Kinsee...well...

I know as Kinsee Belle gets older she'll get better so for now I truly treasure these precious moments of her freaking out. I just laugh. I think it is cute that she is screaming, bad mom huh. She is normally not this way so to have her screaming is funny to me. She was so excited a minute earlier and did fine as soon as I grabbed her after the photo. We'll see how it goes next year. It was fun to take them and when we get Kaitlyn and Kira maybe we'll go again so they can get their pictures done too. You are never too old to sit with Santa.

Bethlehem Revisted

I'm going to post a bunch of pictures individually this time because I'm still trying to figure out our new computer. Macs are so completely different from PC's and I'm so computer dumb that this will take me some time. But I must say I do love the new computer and it is a lot of fun. It will do some pretty amazing things. It's a great family present this year. Kaijsa and Larry have been having a lot of fun on it and that is great. They are so funny.
This past weekend was the annual Christmas Event called Bethlehem Revisited. We took Rachel, Kaijsa's best friend, and my sister Jennie with us. It was cool that night but it is always so much fun to go see. They do a great job. The town of Waxahachie has built a small version of Bethlehem in the town and every year at Christmas time for 2 weekends in December they tell or actually re-enact the Christmas Story from Luke. People from all over visit, thousands every night, and many from the surrounding communities volunteer to become citizens of Bethlehem. We love going and the kids do too. We go get Hot Cocoa afterwards and then just enjoy the start of the Christmas season. It's a great way to start the Holidays by remembering the true reason for this holiday season.

The kids were able to pet sheep, goats, and chickens as well as see the donkey that Mary and Joseph ride into Bethlehem and the camels the wisemen bring with them. They loved the animals.

This is Jen, Kinsee, Larry and Kamden trying to get warmed up by the fire the Shepherds had in their field. They actually do keep a small flock of sheep to keep the story real.

This is Kaijsa and Rachel in the marketplace with a merchant, i.e. one of their friends, trying to sell them bread. Too much fun. These were a couple of the pictures, the others didn't turn out very good since the camera I use now, ours was stolen, doesn't have the best flash. But oh well. It was fun to go and Kaijsa and Rachel are thinking of volunteering next weekend and possibly next year. My sister, parents and I served there one year and it took a lot of time but was fun to do. Merry Christmas to all!

Computers

I love computers when they work but when they don't what a major frustration they become! It looks as though our family computer has decided to die and it's not even very old. So I'm writing this from my work computer and won't be able to do as much till we either A) get ours fixed or B) buy a new one. So for the time being...this is the last post for a bit since I can't download pictures to this computer. I may be able to rant and rave some but nothing too fun. Sorry, we'll try to get this problem fixed and quickly as it is the holidays and lots going on. Merry Christmas to everyone! I was hoping to get my Christmas letter out soon but again I need a computer to do that with and can't on this one so...they may be late coming but they will come. Later for now...

Putting up the Decorations

There aren't too many pictures of us putting up the Christmas decorations. The batteries died and I didn't have any to replace them so....here are the very few we have. While Kaijsa was home this week for her Thanksgiving break we decided to put up the Christmas decorations. We put up the tree as you can see but didn't decorate the tree for a couple of days. We let it sit to get fluffy, so we tell our lazy selves. We also put the train up under the tree and all the other fun decorations that we have. We are trying to start a village so each year we add a piece to it. I'll have to take a picture of it sometime. I need to start getting people for it as right now it's just buildings. But I love putting them out and trying to figure out what kind of village I'm going to have. We also set out our nativity scenes. I don't have too many but do love to get them. Some people have hundreds and that's awesome but I like having one for each room. That way no matter what room you're in you can see the Nativity and remember the true meaning of Christmas. I think right now they are all in one room but we'll figure it out as we go. Kaijsa did a great job decorating and Kamden and Kinsee "helped" too. I have another new schedule at work so I worked over Thanksgiving but was able to help her some. It was nice to have her home for a while to spend time with and relax. We finished our Christmas shopping and had fun together as a family. We talked to Kaitlyn and Kira a little bit and can't wait to see them in a few weeks for Christmas! I love this time of year. I love this holiday and hope we can each remember what the Holiday is really for. To celebrate the birth of our Savior and older brother. I love the Savior and am so thankful for Him and all He's done for me. This time of year can get so busy with the material and commercial of Christmas that we forget what we're really celebrating. Please take time to truly remember and keep that in our hearts at this time. Merry Christmas to All!

Friend's Birthday

This weekend my friend and co-worker Shannon's little boy Dallin had his 2nd birthday! Happy Birthday Dallin! He had his party at an airplane museum and it was fantastic! They had a plane you could play in, there was a bouncy house and so much more. Plus you could walk around the museum and see all these old planes and rockets. They even had Apollo 7 there. Kamden and Kinsee loved it. We the grown-ups loved it. We had the best time and the kids were so cute. Thanks for letting us celebrate with you Shannon.

Thanksgiving

I thought I would take a moment to just give thanks. I want to say Thank You to all our friends and family. We have had a crazy year this year and it's amazing that it is almost over. Earlier this year we discovered some things about our 2 oldest daughters and their mother and step-father. We needed to step in and help them out and it's been a blessing to have them in our home but I know it's been hard for them to have to deal with all that is happening. My mom passed away in January and it's been tough learning to live without her. It's funny, you have your parents or siblings around and sometimes you think "man could they just go away" but once they are gone you think "why did I ever think that way". I miss her every day and wish she was here to see all of us grow and change. Larry's health has been up and down but is finally up. He has struggled but is doing well now and we're grateful for his strength and endurance through these trials. I'm so thankful for my kids. They are growing up beautifully and are becoming the strong children of God I know them to be. Each spirit is unique but our family wouldn't be complete without any of them. Thank you Kaijsa and Kaitlyn for being strong and helpful. You have a difficult road ahead but you are strong and faithful. You will be srengthened and blessed for your righteousness. It will all turn out as it should. You have your dad and I behind you as well as his and my families. Thank you to Larry's family for taking care of him and letting him have such a wonderful time in UT. He misses y'all and loved it out there. Ya'll are more than welcome at our home. We'd love to see y'all anytime. Thank you to our Ward for being there to help us out. You've been a great support and a wonderful family. I'm also so grateful for Priesthood blessings and the gospel. What a comfort it is to know that we are loved by our Heavenly Father. That He is there to support us and guide us. We know that we are doing what is right and that blessings are coming because of that. As we continue to trust in Him we will continue to be blessed. My heart is full this season as we've known the sorrows and the joys this year. I hope all of you also take the time to truly realize how blessed you are. Please continue to Pray for and support us and our children as the difficult road is still ahead for us. We love you all and are truly grateful to have you in our lives.

Picture Tag

This is the 6th picture in my 6th folder. It is from last Christmas with my babies, Kamden more specifically, trying to climb under the Christmas Tree. They are so cute when they are little. Everything is so exciting. I love seeing the Holidays and life through their eyes. It makes me remember the joy of the season and moment. Plus it helps me see why Christ wants us to be like little children. May we all remember to be like the little children especially this holiday season.

Happy Birthday Drew!

My brother Drew is celebrating his 36th birthday today! Happy birthday big brother! We love you and wish you lived closer to us. Your favorite neice especially. We hope you had a great day. Here is a tribute to Drew...he's a great big brother but didn't become that until his senior year of high school and for sure while on his mission. He's a great Dad and Husband, but maybe could help out a tad bit more. He is super smart and lots of fun to play games with, as long as he gets to win or change the rules as the games goes on. He has become a wonderful man and I'm so glad to say he's my brother. He was a pain when he was little and we fought tons but we love eachother now. Keep smiling and laughing Drew. We can't wait to see you and your family at Christmas!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANDREW JOSEPH EOFF!

Bitten...

The addict has had her fill! YEAH! I got to see the movie today and it was good. They kept it fast paced and had all the important parts in it. There were funny moments with Jasper and Edward but they kept it together. I thought they picked the characters well. I liked them all. There were of course some changes but not any that I minded horribly. Drew you would of course hate this movie. You should watch it just to mock as you did when you were younger. Jen and I liked it. I would see it again and yes I will most likely buy it at first opportunity. I'm glad I saw it and I had fun seeing it with my sister. Larry and Kaijsa were unfortunately unable to go see the midnight showing but they had a great time seeing the 5 Browns. Kaijsa says they were AMAZING! I'm sad I missed them but I was home sick. I've been pretty sick with this pregnancy and the little ones are sick too so we made a short night of it. It has turned colder here which is why we're all fighting colds at the moment. Back to the movie...after watching it I'm more in love with the names Kullen and Karlisle. I'm trying to decide which, the middle name is of course Dean. Hmmm we'll see what we pick. Enjoy the movie everyone!

Movie Time! Finally!

I'm so excited for the Twilight Movie to come out. Larry and Kaijsa will be going at 12:01 while Jennie and I go Friday afternoon at 1:20. I love these books and truly hope the movie is close. I know they can't put everything in the movie but I hope they stay fairly close to the storyline. I guess we'll find out in just another couple of days! YEAH! The youth and ladies of the ward are going at midnight but I'll be working so I'm sacrificing and going later. Bummer but I at least will get to go with my sister. Larry can have a daddy-daughter night out and go late. :) They will be getting back just in time for it to start because they will be going to a concert earlier that night for the 5 Browns. A very talented family coming to perform. All the kids went to Juliard. That should be a good show too. Tomorrow is a very busy day for us. I'll let you know my movie review later on Friday! Hope y'all get to see the movie soon too! Wish you were here with us Kaitlyn! Miss you and Kira.

Larry's Home!

The slide show is with some of the pictures that Larry took while he was in UT. Some are of the wedding of his baby brother while others are from just hanging out and still others from the receptions. He got home today and was ready to be home but had a fantastic time in UT too. It was hard for him to leave his family and friends but he missed us too. Sometimes living so far away is such a bummer. The pictures were fun to go through. Kim is a great girl and we're excited to have her as part of the family now. We love the Saling Family and miss them tons. Everyone looked great. Larry's dad has been having some health problems so it was good to see him participate in all the festivities. Larry we love you and are so glad to have you home! The babies haven't stopped jumping on him. The time went by faster than I thought it would but I'm glad to have his help around the house and with the kids now. He's such a wonderful man. I married the best man in the world with the best family too! Hope y'all save up to come out next summer for our little bundle of joy's blessing. Everyone's invited! Welcome Home Larry Dean!

Kaijsa Moment

Kaijsa, our lovely daughter, had a friend over tonight. They were watching the T.V. Show Supernatural. For those of you who may not watch much T.V. this is a great show about 2 brothers fighting evil, urban legends and deamons. Kaijsa is trying to explain the show to her friend Rachel. She asked me for my help so I'm going into detail about the show. I mention how this season Lucifer is trying to be released with the help of his deamon friends while the brothers are trying to keep seals from being broken and Lucifer in Hell. This is where Kaijsa pipes up "Isn't Lucifer a girl?" Rachel being classy just makes a face and I of course laugh out loud. It was too funny. So we will have some Bible classes here at home for Kaijsa to realize who people are. Actually Kaijsa, to help her out some, was thinking of the other bad character named Lilith who is Lucifer's right hand deamon. It was too funny. Bless you Kaijsa for making us laugh. Just remember that Lucifer is a male, a brother to us all, albeit a bad brother.

Ready for #6?!

I guess we'll make this official since many of you know anyways. Larry and I are expecting child #6 next summer. We seriously just found out not too long ago and it was a little bit of a surprise. Some of you may know that having the other 2 wasn't the most easiest so this baby must really want to be here because he came all on his own! Yes it's a him. I was sick with Kamden and I was not sick with Kinsee. I am totally sick with this one Plus before my mom passed away I asked her to send me a boy for Kamden (and Larry). So I'm pretty sure it's a boy and we are thinking of boy names that start with K. You can leave comments on names if you like. It has to be 2 syllables since all the others are and it has to flow with Kaijsa, Kaitlyn, Kira, Kamden, and Kinsee. We are leading toward Kullen Dean (Larry and his Dad both have Dean as their middle name so we're going to carry that on, another reason to have a boy). The due date is July 4th but since I have big babies and usually early we figure sometime towards the end of June. We are excited and he will complete the family. I think 6 is a good round number, don't y'all? Plus it will give Kamden a roommate while Kailtyn and Kinsee will share, unless Kira comes to live with us too. Kaitlyn will be moving back at Christmas time and we are all very excited for this. It will be nice for her and Kaijsa to have some more time together before she goes to college. Anyways....we'll keep you posted on the baby's growth and the actual sex (if I'm right or not) as we go along. For right now I'm sick and tired but doing great.

Tagged for my Sister-in-Law: Heather about Drew

My sister-in-law doesn't have a blog so I'm going to post this for her! She's married to my one and only brother Drew, Andy, Andrew whatever depending on if or when you knew him. :)This is the only picture I have of the 2 of them till this Christmas when they come out again.

As I don't have a blog I guess I have to leave my answers here. ^_^
-Heather
1. At BYU, we were in the same FHE group.
2. We met at the beginning of the semester in Sept. and were married in June. Long engagements suck!
3. 13 years
4. His smile and his laugh
5. He has a great sense of humor and he seems to know how to do everything.
6. He calls me lady, that is the only one I can think of.
7. Lately, anything off the BBQ grill.
8. Wow, he really hates to watch sports, but he will watch the SuperBowl.
9. On my birthday about a month and a half after we met.
10. Wow with 3 kids, when do we have time to do anything together? No, we like to read, watch movies, play board games.
11. Yes, 3.
12. Does mocking count as a talent? Also, I don't think it is very hidden.
13. 36
14. I did
15. How family centered he is, they are all important to him.
16. He has eclectic tastes, as long as it is on his iPod, no more radio for him.
17. Yes, he follows your blog.
18. Can I tag people without a blog?

Tagged By Several Friends

How I Love That Man of Mine! Isn't He Cute?

1) Where did you meet? Larry and I met on LDS Singles. I was living in TX while he was living in southern UT.

2) How long till you got married? We were married on our 3rd Date basically. We met for the first time at the Dallas Airport about a month after chatting (Hugged). 3 weeks later we each drove to Roswell NM and had a day or so together there. We kissed as soon as we met and got engaged in the Carlsbad Caverns. 3 weeks later I met his family and daughters and got officially engaged again in front of hundreds of people. 3 weeks after that I picked him up from work for lunch, took him to the court house and we eloped. I then took him for a slurpie and then back to work. Romantic huh?

3) How long have you been married? We are married May 8th, 2003.....so 5 1/2 years.

4) Your favorite feature of his? His smile and eyes. I also love his gray hairs but he hates them. :)

5) Your favorite quality of his? He's super nice and so funny!

6) Does he have a nickname for you? Elizabeth, he calls me by my middle. He also calls me honey. Nothing embarrassing thank goodness. :)

7) His favorite food? Crab Legs from Joe's Crab Shack. He got me addicted to them too. The BBQ flavored ones. MMMMMM

8) What is his favorite sport to watch? Football, mostly College. Actually any college sports.

9) When was your first kiss? On our first real date.

10) Whats your favorite thing to do as a couple? Talk, laugh, be together. We like to play with the kids and just have fun.

11) Do you have kids? 5 with 1 on the way. So far 3 girls, a boy, another girl, and I'm pretty sure the one on the way is a boy. :) I asked my mom to send me a boy before she passed away.

12) Does he have a hidden talent? Singing. He's a great singer and was a fantastic voice.

13) How old is he? 34.

14) Who said I love you first? I'm pretty sure I did since I asked him to marry me first too. hehe

15) What do you admire most about him? How great he is with kids.

16) What is his favorite type of music? Anything really. Just depends on his mood.

17) Do you think he will read this? Hmmm good question. Maybe. If I ask him too he will.

18) I tag: Mandy...Heather/Drew...Jen...Dawn...Lisa

What have YOU done?

Thanks Mardi for helping me realize all the things I've done or haven't done.

Bold the things you've done:

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland "Disney World"
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis "Tarrantula"
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris "China"
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch class in college?
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort not a good one
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted (does character sketches count?)
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie; my daughter Kaijsa has does that count?
56. Visited the Great Wall of China; lived in China and didn't see the Great Wall, I'm lame
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching (not on a boat but have stopped in FL to watch whales and dolphins go by)
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt (just one? haha)
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit (Does child custody count?)
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

Very eye opening! I loved this!

Meeting Chris and Kim!

We weren't all able to attend Chris' wedding which completely bummed us out. But...Chris and Kim had a layover in the Dallas Airport on their way to their Honeymoon Destination so...we got to meet Kim anyways. We were so excited to get a call from Chris the day after they got married to ask us to meet them at the airport because they had a long layover. We said YES and off we went! We were able to spend around an hour with them and they are adorable. We loved seeing Chris again and it was a joy to meet Kim. She is so cute and they are cute together. Welcome to the family Kim! The babies loved them and Kaijsa had a lot in common with Kim which was fun. Hopefully they will be able to come back down and visit sometime so we can get to know her even better. Here are just a few pics we took on the phone since Larry had the camera with him for the wedding. Once he gets home we can post more more of the wedding photos. I can't wait to see them! Congrats again Chris and Kim Saling!

Kinsee

Here are just a couple of funny pictures of Kinsee Belle. Lately she has started running around with Q-Tips in her ears. I'm not sure where she finds them but she does and she likes to think she's cleaning out her ears. Problem lies in that she keeps them in there and just wonders around the house. It is so funny. We love our Kinsee Belle!

Carrie Underwood Concert

Here are a few pics of Kaijsa, her friend Rachel, and Jen the favorite Aunt at the Carrie Underwood Concert. They had a great time! I wasn't able to go with them but heard all about how much fun it was. I'm glad they could have that time together to hang out and have fun. The concert had a super opening act, Little Big Town I believe, and then Carrie sang for around 2 hours. They got home late but had a fantastic time. Thanks Jen for taking them! Love you!

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween to all our friends and family! We hope you had a safe and fun time celebrating one of my favorite holidays. I love Halloween. I love the costumes, the scary movies and the candy. I loved trick-or-treating as a kid and still do as an adult. Larry is in UT for this Halloween so the kids won't be going door to door. Kaijsa, Larry, Kamden and Kinsee were able to make it to the Trunk-or-Treat with our Ward last weekend before he left. They were all so cute all dressed up. I was unable to go due to working nights now but was able to get them ready and take the pictures. They came back after getting lots of candy. Tonight Kaijsa will take Kamden to the Church down the way and have fun there with candy and bouncing houses. I hope he has fun. We'll put Kinsee to bed before they leave. She is just too much of a handful at times. She did make an adorable Tinker Bell though. Kamden is a cute race car driver. Kaijsa was a cute nurse and Larry is just sexy too. Enjoy the Candy and have a great Halloween! Next is Thanksgiving then Christmas then New Years...the time will fly by...are we ready?

BYU Football

Here are the pictures of us at the BYU vs TCU game. We went with such high hopes of seeing our team win but NO! They lost and horribly. We will never speak of it again. It did remind me of why I never went to a game while attending BYU. hehe. It was fun to go out. It was fun to see a game. Glad when it was over.