Easter...cookies, egg coloring, finding eggs, the Pageant and Fun Memories

Easter this year was busy. While Jen was here we not only celebrated my birthday but we made our Easter Cookies too. That was messy and fun. I love making holiday cookies. I can get grumpy about it but feel very strongly that they are part of the holiday traditions. And now with all my new cookie cutters and the yummy sugar cookie recipe that I have I love making cookies. A week before Easter we color our eggs. I've done it the night before Easter before and the kids go to church dyed so I do it the week before now. I stripped the kids down, although they did pretty good so next year maybe only Kai and Kal will be stripped down. We colored our eggs and had fun doing it. It's funny to see what the kids want to combine for colors. They turned out nice and again another memory making moment. We then went to the Mesa Temple Easter Pageant. Larry wasn't feeling the greatest but he came along with us and it was nice to get out and visit the temple grounds. We got to visit with cast members and the kids got to play in grass. Oh how we miss grass. I love the spirit of the temple. The little ones still remember us going to get sealed which I'm happy for. The Pageant was incredible and not too long. Kait wants to look into being in it next year. I thought Bethlehem in Waxahachie was a commitment but this would be 100 times more of one. She'd love it though. I wanted to make sure we had moments to focus on the true meaning of Easter and this was a perfect one. I look forward to making this an Easter Tradition for our family. The Saturday before, or day before Easter the Easter Bunny arrived. The kids woke to baskets full and eggs to find. It was a fun day. A good day to play and enjoy the fun of the holiday. Sunday was then spent focusing on Christ and why we have Easter. The kids still talk about Jesus being alive and all about the Easter story so I think we made it a successful holiday. I love Easter for the knowledge that we can and will all live again. My Savior lives and loves me. Spring is here and new beginnings are upon us. I love my Family and am so grateful for them. My kids make me laugh and remind me that it's great to have fun with the holidays but it's important to remember the True reason we have them.

Day 5: A Favorite Memory

This one was hard for me. I don't know that I have a Favorite memory but many memories I love. I can't think of One day or memory that I could or would call my favorite. The times I do think of as my favorite all involve my dad and mom. Some of my favorites are during the summer time. I think that's why it's my favorite time of year. I remember my mom taking us to the pool every day and she would lay out and read a book while we would swim. At pool break she'd get in for 15 min and she'd give us all a quarter maybe 50 cents and we'd get a snow cone or a chico stick. I remember the evenings we'd go back as a family and my dad would come with us. He'd swim w/ us and throw us in the water. I loved the nights he came. I remember camping and going to the lake. Picnics and fun outside for the 4th of July. The ice cream truck coming by and every once in a while we'd get a treat. We'd spend all day and night outside playing with friends, family, swimming, b-b-qing and catching fireflys. I love my summertime memories. I'm so glad my kids have a few of them with my mom and dad. I hope to keep making more.

Kallen's 1st Haircut

Kallen Dean Before His Haircut...


Kallen Dean After His 1st Haircut...



Kallen is going to be 6 months old in a few days and I felt like he needed a haircut. Larry and I went back and forth on this but today I won. I took Larry and Kamden in for them to get haircuts and snuck Kallen in too! He was so good and everyone thought he was such a doll. He sat on my lap so still and would just smile at himself in the mirror. His haircut turned out so cute too! He and Kamden got matching faux-hawk and I love them. Kam got done and was like "this is the best haircut ever!" My boys are so cute.

Kamden, who can't seem to take a normal picture lately, but I love him.

Day 4 a Pic of my night, not really a favorite thing but sort of

Since I work nights and only have a couple of nights at home a week I chose a picture of something similar to what I do. Currently I work for a Radiology company and have been for about 10 years now. I am the go between for the hospitals/military bases and the Radiologists that read the xrays, CT's, MRI's, U/S, Nuc Med studies and anything else that randomly comes in. We get some pretty interesting histories and cases. Some are funny, some are sad and some are shocking. I really enjoyed what I did when I was able to do it from home. Now I drive an hour work for 10 and drive home another hour. It takes me away from the home and kids but we do what we have to do. Here in a few months I'll be unemployed and a student once again. I'm hoping to find something part time to help us out but figure we can live off the government for a while too. My nights are busy with work, we do around 10,000 patients a night. My nights at home are spent cleaning up, catching up, and trying to rest up. I will choose working nights though instead of days till all the kids are in school so that I don't feel so guilty about being gone. If they're asleep I don't fee quite so bad about being gone so much. Thank goodness for the older girls, Larry and my sister for all their help. And ward members too. Thank you to my job for providing a good living for my family.

My Trip to MN

My company offered to fly me and a friend from work, Tanya, to MN to see the new office and to decide if we wanted to move there and keep our jobs. We enjoyed MN more than we thought we would but have decided not to move there. The housing is a bit out of our price range. It was 3 days of being able to go someplace new and yet see some old friends too. Tanya and I went to the Mall of America, which we LOVED, and visited some surrounding areas. I got to visit with an Elder from my mission, Matt Vogel, which was fun. He took Tanya and I to a place called Cafe Latte and it had the MOST Amazing desserts. We also ate at a fun place for lunch with my old college roommate from Ricks, Kimberley! Both Matt and Kim I haven't seen in like 15 years! Neither one has really changed at all much to my annoyance. LOL. I'd like to think I'm aging as well but I don't think that's true. It was so great to see them though. MN was beautiful and I'd definitely go visit again someday. It was a nice getaway for me, an early birthday present.

Speaking of birthdays, I had mine. I'm now 36 years old and have decided I look just like my mom. As much as I would have hated that 25 years ago, I'm grateful now. My mom was amazing, too bad I didn't realize that sooner. I am trying very hard to be more like her but it's harder than I thought it would be. I am learning though that if I can't say anything nice I better not say anything at all. There are many things right now that are driving me nuts but I'm going to keep my mouth shut and not say anything. I"m going to do my best to overlook the annoyances and find the good in all situations. So Happy Birthday to me. Thanks Papa and Jen for the cookie cutters and cookbooks. Thanks Larry and Annette for some dark drapes in my bedroom to help me sleep. Thanks to my kids and Larry for the purse and books I got. Overall an interesting birthday. I'm glad my sister was here to celebrate with me. We went to Old Spaghetti Factory and loved every minute of time with her.

Kaijsa's 18th Birthday

For Kaijsa's 18th birthday we gave her a day of pampering. She got her nails done and her hair done. Janet, Papa, and Jen all went in on it with us so the gifts were a joint effort. It's amazing how much fun getting your nails and hair done can be. I'm glad we were able to do this for her before she left. We talked with her on her b-day and she seems to be doing well. She is working to finish High School and graduate in UT at the end of May. Happy birthday Kaijsa. Love you.

New Trampoline and cute kids.

We got a trampoline with some of our tax returns. We had one in TX and the kids would spend hours out there jumping. Plus I found it to be good exercise. Here in AZ we have zero grass and the kids need something to do outside. Now they do! And it has the enclosure so we love it even more. Also as a bonus we got one with a light so every time you bounce it lights up. We love it at night time! Now my kids can spend hours outside entertaining themselves and maybe even I will get on at times to jump around and get back in shape. I love exercising when it doesn't feel like exercising. :) I'm glad the kids will have something fun to do once again.

Kallen is such a doll and so cute. I love these pics of him in the ball cap. I can't believe how big he's getting. He's rolling over from front to back AND back to front. He loves real food and his siblings. All the kids have been sick this week which has been no fun. Lots of vomiting and fevers. Lots of laundry and wiping up floors and kids. But I think we're finally on the mend as the fevers have broken. Now to just get them to stop throwing up! I'm so tired of doing the laundry. Kai has a look in one of the pics that reminds me of me and all I can think is I'm in for trouble. :) Kait has been great and is doing very well. She's loving school and her musical practice. She has orientation at the High School next week so we'll see how that goes. Kinsee and Kamden are doing well in school and at home. I think our Boot Camp for bad behavior is helping some as they aren't in trouble near as much as they used to be. Which means less stress and yelling on my part. Gotta love that! It's now hot here in AZ. Spring must be over. We've been close to if not hitting 100 degree weather and I had to turn my A/C on. Not looking forward to that bill this early in the year. Oh well.

My trip to MN was fun. I really enjoyed it up there. I'm still trying to figure out how to get the pics off my phone but will hopefully soon. It's a pretty state and one I could live in IF it were a bit more affordable. Housing was pretty expensive for a family my size. So instead of moving to MN I'll register for college and hope to finish school soon and become a nurse! Working till Sept so will try to get as much overtime in as I can and do my best after.

Here's to fun in the sun and everything else.

Day 3 of Challenge...favorite things..tv

So my sister corrected me on what she's been doing on her blog. It's a 30 day challenge! Just like with exercise or a spiritual challenge here's the one for blogging. Day 1 was my pic and 10 things about me, which I did. Day 2 was a pic of someone I missed most, which was my sister! Now we're on Day 3...pictures of my favorite TV shows. Hmm that's tough because I really enjoy TV it's my getaway from life and relax. I have to have Kaitlyn remind me of what we DVR each day so I know what I watch. LOL Sunday is CSI Miami and a Hallmark Movie if they're on. Monday I was watching the Bachelor but that's over. Chuck and The Event are on Mondays too. Tuesday is NCIS, NCIS LA and One Tree Hill. Wednesday is American Idol and Criminal Minds. Thursday is Nikita, American Idol vote off, CSI, and Vampire Diaries, and Bones - can't forget Bones. Friday is Supernatural. Saturday is a day of watching all these shows from during the week since we DVR them and never watch them when they air. How did we ever live without the DVR and ability to pause or rewind.


so funny this show. i love them and their techy ways. Awesome is my favorite, besides chuck of course.


I love this group all together. I think they make a great team. And who doesn't love Abby?


This show is amazing to me. I love the creepiness of it and the quirkiness of the characters. I love the craziness of peoples minds.


I've loved Booth since his days as a vampire. I love these two. Again the cast is great but I really do love me some Booth. Bones cracks me up too.


You can't have better eye candy than these two hotties and their car. We LOVE this show. We love the angels, demons, and supernatural of life. And again, great eye candy.


Some more eye candy are our favorite vampires of late. Kait and Larry have been watching this show longer than I have but I do enjoy it now. I'm catching up with the help of Netflix. We are a lover of vampires in this house and this show is great all around. The brooding vampire. The sexy bad vampire. Evil vampire chicks. The human girl they love. The witch to protect. And mix them all together in an old town vampires have always lived.

Oh my escapes from reality and guilty pleasures. yay for the invention of TV, sometimes.

Day 2 but sort of 12 of my favorite things...

Since I wrote down 11 of my favorite things I'm going to count this as day 12. Ya, I'm probably cheating but oh well. I'm going to call it multitasking.

My next favorite thing is my Sister, Jennie. She is the BEST sister ever. Growing up we fought like most siblings do, mostly over clothes borrowed, but as we grew up we grew closer. We've bonded over cheerleading, school, boys, food, travel, clothes, jewelry, husbands, divorces, kids, and anything else under the sun. She's my best friend and always willing to talk to me, even at 3am when I'm on my way home from work. She picks up and comes to my rescue when I need her near. I love you Jen. I'm so grateful for you and all you do. You're a wonderful example to me and motivator to do/be better. Hopefully someday we can live closer to each other again. I'm here for you too at any time!