Texas Christiansens

I stink at my blog

2011-04-21T11:02:00.000-07:00

Since Faebook came along it is just easier to put photos on my page and communicate with others that way. I need to be better about my blog though, it is my journal in a way. Many fun things have happened this spring, Kids are kicking butt in golf, Ashlen is getting smarter by the day, Brent and I took a trip to Los Cabos, Mexico, Lauren and I went to LV for her 16th bday trip, Lauren got her drivers license, Peyten got detention for high kicking a random locker, ( it was a really high locker so secretly I am pround), Brent went to bat for Peyten with the Principal about the kicking incident cause we thought it was stupid, anyway, more fun things for sure happened but now I am all ticked off about the locker thing again and so I am stumped.

I finally, or Brent should I say, finally broke down and let the kids keep one of the puppies from the last litter. She is a sweet white dog and Peyten named her Sandi. We were thinking of golf names and Sandi stuck. Not sure what kind of a dog she is, she looks like a Lab, but on the smaller side. She is really Peytens dog and he is responsible for her training, or lack of. She mostly barks and pees but is really cute. Smalls, our other dog, tolerates her and looks ticked off when I let her get up on my bed because that is her spot. I have been taking in homeless dogs and their pups now for about a year and love it. I have a very hard time saying good bye when they have to leave but know that I get new ones soon. The current set that we have are adorable, the smallest ones we have had so far. The mom is some sort of a smaller mix, really sweet. Ashlen loves playing with them and plays pretend with them for hours. She was in the hot tub the other day and had two of them in there with her, just hanging out.

Laurens school golf team won their district golf tournament and so they are in Waco now playing in Regionals. Brent went over there last night to watch her final round today. She has really improved this year and seems to love it. Why didn't I play golf when I was younger, what a great sport for a girl. She is getting amazing grades this year and only has 56 tardies in seminary. At least she goes and loves it, just can't quite get there in time. It does start at 5:50 am and it does take time to look amazing everyday!!!! I love teenage girls!!!

The boys drive me crazy most days, they argue on the way to school and then on the way home. I couldn't stand it the other day so i set the timer and made them hug it out for one minute. Peyten also is wanting to have a girlfriend and asks almost everyday why he can't. I guess there is a girl at school who likes him and her likes her too, so what else is there when you are 11. He is a chick magnet, just like his daddy was. Austen plays it cool with girls, my friend told me he has the it factor with the girls, whatever that means. I just know that they say hi to him kindof funny like and he nods his head at them and says, "hey". When you got it you got it, sorry boys, Austen's got it. Puberty is finally catching up with him, next year could be interesting.

Last I need to tell you a funny story about my niece Olivia. She brought home some of her work that they had been working on at school. This is it:

My Birthday surprise

2011-01-31T08:26:00.000-08:00

Who doesn't love to be surprised??? First of all I must mention that besides being a totally smokin' hot dude, My husband Brent is a total rock star!!!!! I mean, nobody has a sweeter more loving guy than me. I realized just how much he really cares about what I care about when he flew my sister Angela and her two cutie pie girls out for my birthday. It was a total surprise, they knocked on my door and when I answered it I just stared at the girls knowing who they were but not really thinking that it could really be them!!! The party began at once. We talked and laughed and ate and played and watch the girls in the hot tub and holding the puppies. We shopped and watched movies and ate some more and hung out with my fun kids and watch our children love on each other. I can not begin to tell you how much I love those two little girls of Angela's. I always knew I would love being an Aunt, but I really didn't realize how much I would adore and love those girls like they are my own. They really are mine anyway, that's how I feel about them anyway. ( I feel like that with all of my siblings kids and Brents siblings kids). I think I am going to love being a Grandma!!!! Anyway, they left way too soon, after only 10 short days and left me feeling lonesome for Gracies cute little laugh and Olivia's funny way of saying things and cute smile. Only one mishap happened, Gracie burned her bum on my fireplace when she was warming herself naked after being in the hot tub. Poor little cute bum. My camera is all jacked up so none of the photos I took really were in focus, but I had to include what I could!!!

It's not beginning to look like Christmas...

2010-12-04T13:12:00.000-08:00

The Temp. is a balmy 80 degrees today, hard to get into the Christmas spirit when Ashlen asked me this morning if she could go swimming and the kids are all outside playing and sweating!!! Also, since we will not be home for Christmas I didn't want to put up a tree at all, I really don't like all the work of Christmas, it's not good, it is a problem I have. Anyway, Brent and the kids thought it would just be easier to buy a real tree rather than convience me to drag the tree out of the attic, so I decided it would be way easier to buy new christmas ornaments instead of go up to the hot, yucky attic and bring down all the decorations. I wasn't about to go up there anyway, Brent saw a mouse up there a few months ago, I had nightmares after that!!! Everything in the attic is now contaminated and will be destroyed during intervals of time when Brent is out of town!!!

We are flying to Las Vegas for Christmas this year and meeting up with My brothers and there families to do a little skiing in S. Utah. The kids are way excited...I am nervous, hoping my back will hold up some intense hanging out time with my nephews and my one Niece, Princess Bayden.

This time of year I alway look back on the past year and look forward to the new one with lots of goals and plans to make life better and more enjoyable. Let's be honest, that is just a bunch of crap. The one awesome thing about the new year is that Lauren turns 16 the first of February and will be able to drive, Rock on to that!!!!! Even though it makes me very nervous to have her on the road alone, it will make life so much better to have her driving!!! Pray for us all!!!

To close i have included my Christmas list in case anyone is interested!!!

Two tickets to somewhere aweome for me and my sister Angela to get away from our kids for 1 to 4 weeks.

Lots of cash

Peace on the Mexican Border

Obama possibly getting swine flu or something else that makes him more humble

Food for all the hungry children in the world, starting with the ones in America!!!

Small loosing a bit of weight so she can make the jump onto my bed the first time

Size 8 jeans and my butt fitting into them

All the baseboards cleaned in my house

Brent to stay as hot as he is right now forever!!!

Yummy homemade salsa always in my fridge, always fresh

All my kids to stop fighting with each other, not all at once though, cause it may cause me to die of a heart attack

Lauren to be safe while driving, Austen to win a major golf tournament, Peyten to eat my dinners that I make, and Ashlen to stop whinnng when she talks!!!

Homecoming and Halloween

2010-11-01T08:03:00.000-07:00

Lauren went to her school homecoming with a fun group of kids. She said she had a great time. It is tradition here in Texas that the girls and boys wear big huge mums on the friday of the football game. This was Laurens first time to get a mum, it was funny to me a first, they are so big that you have to wear them around your neck if you are a girl and on your arm as a garter as a guy. It seems like the thing to do is get them as big as possible if you like that kind of thing. Lauren's was a medium size, she likes things a bit more conservative. For the dance, her group decided to go dressed up as characters from movies. The boy to her character was Zoolander and she was the secretary, that is why he looks a little funny, but it worked for him cause he is a funny guy. I was extremely proud of Lauren for her dress choice, she went with a very adorable and modest dress. I can't believe what girls where to dances these days, so low cut and short. Lauren has her standards and didn't wish to compromise them, what a girl!!!

Halloween was fun, it seemed to last all weekend. My older kids chose to not treat or treat this year. Lauren took Ashlen to a few houses on the street, but since it was on a sunday I just really wanted them closer to home. Austen and two of his friends dressed up scary and tried to scare kids that came to the door. A few times they got kids pretty good, next year we need to really spook it up.

Parents 49th Anniversary

2010-10-06T07:54:00.000-07:00

I once again copied this from my sister, cute picture of my parents.

Angela's post about Logan

2010-10-05T08:29:00.000-07:00

I have a few stories I've been wanting to write about, you know, for posterity...or whatever. Here's one. The timing of this one is about right since it happened almost 7 years ago to the day. This one is a hard one for me. Possibly one of the hardest things I have had to go through in my 30+ years. Let me go get some kleenex.

My younger sister Abby, was pregnant and unmarried. She decided to give the baby boy up for adoption through LDS services. She has a really cool story of her own of how she knew this couple she chose for her unborn child was the right family for him. And she was even more sure of that decision when she met them for the first time. But this is my story.

We knew she had made the right decision to give up her baby but I really don't know how women/girls do it. It was hard for me to imagine since I was already married at the time so it wouldn't even be an option for me. How can you just give this child to someone else knowing you'll probably never see them again or have much of a relationship with them.

The day she gave birth to him, our older sister Amysue, was on a plane to SLC, where she picked me up and the two of us drove to St. George where she had had the baby. He was darling. Our family genes that we all share were there. We didn't know what the adoptive parents were going to name him so it was weird not having a name for him. I nicknamed him Harry because he was so hairy. Another gene we all got from our dad. Thanks dad. When they were both released from the hospital, we all went to stay at my parent's house. We had a night (or two?) with him before his parents were to come for the "placement". Abby had pictures taken with him. We held him and loved him.

Before the actual placement took place Abby went to the social service office to sign her rights away. Amysue and I dropped her off. She wanted to go in alone. We sat in the car and cried, wipping our tears on the only thing we could find. A pair of little socks Amysue had bought for him that had been left in the car. We wanted to do something nice for Abby so we went to the store and bought her roses. When we went back to pick her up we went inside and gave her the roses. We got to meet her counselor. She was wonderful. She told us she'd never seen a family so supportive as ours. That made me feel good.

The night of the placement most of our family was gathered beforehand at my parents. Everyone was there but Alex's family and Anne, who had passed away almost a year before. We had a family prayer together and cried and cried and cried. We were late getting there. I'm sure the couple was worried we'd not show up.

The couple who is adopting is instructed not to even touch the baby until they are "placed" in their arms by the birth mother. Just like everything in our church, there is an order to things. We met them. Visited with them. And then we let them open presents we had bought for him. Clothes, toys, and a blanket made by our sister in law who always makes the nieces and nephews a blanket because we are a blanket family. They let Abby leave the room alone with the baby so she could say goodbye. Then she brought him back and all of us in the family got to hold him one last time. Then she said one final goodbye to him and then placed him in his mother's arms. Time stood still for a moment as I took everything in.

Until that point I was a wreck. I couldn't stop crying. But when he was placed in their arms a peace came and I knew he wasn't ours. He was theirs. And the crying stopped for a time. Also when he was placed in her arms we could physically see her emotions. Until then she had been strong. Not showing any emotion. Her husband was the one who had been emotional before. But she couldn't physically hold him since she was shaking so hard. She finally said to her husband, "Take him. I'm going to drop him." He tenderly took him and looked at his face. Then she calmed down enough to take him back. It was beautiful to see this couple, who had wanted a child so badly, finally get their wish. An answer to their prayers.

Logan will be 7 years old tomorrow. His mother was able to have another son a couple years ago via invitro so he now has a little brother. What a lucky boy he is.

The point of this story is, I never hear the stories from the families of the birth parents. Just as the birth parents love the child they give up, so do their families. He will always hold a special place in my heart even though he isn't part of our family. I was so glad to have those few days with him when he was a newborn. But also, it was amazing to witness that spiritual event of that baby being given to his new family. I literally could feel that he no longer was part of our family anymore as soon as they touched him. Thankfully there was peace with that feeling instead of feeling like my heart was being ripped out. After that it was still hard. And it still is hard to think about but I know he was meant to be with them.

About time for another post

2010-10-05T08:03:00.000-07:00

Ok..I know it has been like forever, but we have been super busy and whatever so I am just going to start over and not repeat any of the past. Too much stuff happened so lets move forward.

School is in session, it is always a bittersweet for me cause I miss my kids so much, but also it gives me and them a chance to be away from each other. Lauren is a sophomore, Austen 8th grade, peyten 6th grade, and Ashlen is in preschool. Lauren is playing volleyball for the school again, she made the JV team, but after a few weeks the coach moved her up to Varsity. Basically she is kicking butt and has the awesome athletic genes that run so freely in my side of the family...hehe. Peyten and Austen are both playing football, Peyten broke his arm the second week of practice and was out a few of the games. He played with a cast on, we don't let a broken arm interfere with our playing time. Once Fall sports are all over with them all of the kids will start golf up again. They all had a great golf season this past summer, Austen especially did, i think he golfed in about 30 or so tournaments.

I am taking a tennis class at the college...so far I really love it. Not so great at it right now, but still am having fun. Most of the people in my class are 20 something college students just taking a PE credit so they pretty much suck more than I do. Eric, my partner last week, told me his mom said he had to get a job and stop playing Xbox all the time. I think he wanted my support cause we were partners and all but I told him it was time to grow up!!!

I am still fostering puppies, I have two litters right now. They are pretty much adorable, Ashlen wants to hold them all day long. The older ones right now are 4 weeks old and look like teddy bears, they are so cute. I will have to take some pics.

Brent just turned 42 a few weeks ago, so sad for me. I can't be married to someone that old? Where has the time gone? I guess to finish my post I will say a few words regarding Brent getting old:

He has grey hair and much more hair other places than before I married him...yuck!!!

He is a bit wrinkly under his eyes, this is due to the fact that he doesn't wear sunscreen on his face when he golfs. Soon he is going to be walking around looking like he has a Trophy wife.

He randomly falls asleep while not in bed; church, car, couch, work, jogging, eating, golfing

He is starting to make stuff up and repeat the same stories over and over..."When I was your age..."

When he walks his body makes creaking and cracking sounds.

He is still better looking and skinnier than me, that will never change.

I love you my cutie dude!!!!

Spring In Houston

2010-05-05T08:37:00.000-07:00

It frustrates me that I have not been keeping my blog up to date. Too many other things tend to use up my time, like doing dumb stuff. Playing Farmville, playing with my puppies, daydreaming about being much younger, riding all over in my car with kids in the back making me crazy. Even today, my friend just had a new baby yesterday, and I am going up to the hospital to see them. I should just stay home and get stuff done around here, but naw, that isn't me. Can't stay home for a second. Anyway, seeing a new baby is a worthy cause.

Ashlen had her 4th bday last week, so glad she is 4. We will have a party for her soon, I just have to gear myself up to having a bunch of four year olds over for a mother/daughter swim party. I may need to hire a lifeguard for that.

I planted some pretty new roses out back and my puppies love to swat at the flowers and spray the petals everywhere, it is kind of cute so I haven't gotten too mad. i love my puppies, they are almost 7 weeks old so they will be getting adopted out soon. Lauren and I have decided to foster homeless puppies for college service hours. It has been a ton of work, but so worth it. We got the puppies when they were about a week old, with their momma, from a homeless man who was living in a park downtown. We are working through an agency called, puppy squad, they are all volunters and non-profit and do an amazing job. I am now very much a follower of Bob Barkers sound advice of spaying or neutering your animals. There are so many homeless animals, and once they get into the shelters, they catch diseases within a few minutes. We try to keep them out of shelters and into foster families homes until they are ready to be adopted. The service requires that the animal is fixed before it can be placed into a home.

Lauren finished off her golf season with a bang, earning her Letter and scoring her personal best at district with an 87. She was also recognized as second team all district. We went to a fun banquet last night where they honored all the players.

School is winding down and next year i will not have any kids in Elementary school. I get a one year break until Ashlen starts kindergarten. I will have one in 10th, 8th, 6th, and preschool next year. I am also thinking about doing some continuing education classes in the fall. I want to take a tennis class and a spanish class. I also want to write more in my blog!!!

Austen doing flips

2010-03-02T11:01:00.000-08:00

Austen wanted me to take pictures of him doing flips and diving catches upstairs. He drug his bed out into the play room to have some fun.

March first...yea spring

2010-03-01T11:08:00.000-08:00

I haven't been very good lately at posting blogs, too busy with other stuff. My friend Whitney reminded me that it was time to get another one out there...this one's for you whitney.

Lauren finally got her driver's permit, we only had to go to the DPS 3 times and about 5 hours of waiting all together. She likes to drive, we are all a little nervous though. It is so strange to be sitting in the passenger seat while Lauren is driving. WOW...can I be that old?

I love these pictures of my sister Angela and I. She came out for my birthday this year. I love her.

Lauren turns 15....o my!!!!

2010-02-07T11:51:00.001-08:00

Can't believe my baby is 15...where did the time go? She is getting ready to go get her drivers permit this next week, Yikes!!! Lauren is such a good kid, hard working, smart, athletic, sweet, beautiful, a great friend, and a wonderful daughter of God. I love her!!!

New Year 2010

2010-01-03T12:02:00.000-08:00

I guess I should start out by saying how grateful I am to be starting a new year. The main reason is these four kids and the one not photo'd, the Dad. I am so lucky to be their mom, I need to remember that more often. Being a mom is hard in so many ways but the alternative is to not be one and that wouldn't be acceptable to me. Looking forward to chaos everyday, riding in the car an average of 3 to 4 hours a day, making dinner that nobody likes, doing endless laundry, tucking kids in bed and listening to prayers, wiping lots of tears, teaching a teenager how to drive, checking homework, adjusting to a newly split ward where we were one of about 5 families taken out and put in a new ward, (church) making new friends and keeping the old. The only thing that would make all this even better is if the plastic surgery fairy would come and visit me, (without any pain please).

Post christmas

2009-12-28T11:43:00.000-08:00

We had a great Christmas, we really did. It started with a ski trip to Utah and ended with Brent back to work and me left with a house full of kids, even kids I don't own or recognize, and a huge pile of mess. I guess I will just jump right on into it and let you know some of our highlights.

Skied 4 days in Utah, the last day the Binghams met up with us and we had a great time with them.

Lauren sprained her wrist on the first run of the season, we had the ski patrol wrap her wrist and he told me he highly recommended her not skiing anymore and I laughed in his face and said, "wrap it up tight buddy, this trip cost me a lot of money!"

Brent didn't fall off the ski lift this year, bummer, good times when he does!!!

Ashlen spilled an entire Soda into my new Coach purse on the airplane. I won the purse at a raffle for Laurens volleyball fundraiser, I guess I really only spent 10 dollars on it but still, not fun and everything is still sticky.

We stayed at the Grand American hotel one night while we were in SLC and the kids couldn't get over how nice it was. Ashlen kept calling it a princess castle. I guess we really never take the kids to nice places.

We got to see Amy and Brent, Clay and Dawn, Grandpa C. and Grandma C. and all the Utah cousins. They had a blast playing together the night before we left and we got to eat good food and play, "what if". I think I heard someone snorting while laughing so hard....no comment grandma!!!!!

Brent and I went to Wally world (Walmart), together with the rest of the losers on Christmas eve. I really just went to get a gallon of milk.

The kids slept in until 7:30 on Christmas morning, I had been asleep about 4 hrs. at that point.

Ashlen ate the treats we left for Santa and the reindeer.

Peyten wanted a friend to sleep over on Christmas night. Funny, it was the same kid who slept over last Christmas night.

I made pancakes for Christmas dinner.

Peyten got two airsoft guns so all the neighbor kids have been having wars in the street since Christmas. It's like we live in the ghetto.

Austen beat the crap out of one of the neighbor kids who wouldn't stop shooting him in the face. He told me it was self defense. I guess it was cause the kid, who usually cries to his mama, has been unusually quiet.

Ashlen showed off her new underpants to her whole nursery class at church. They were Dora, so you know.

I only said about 5 swear words all Christmas break, pretty good for me. One was yesterday when I almost rearended someone and Lauren yelled at me to, Watch out." I was just demonstrating what not to do.

Well, I have to end this cause I have a 3 year old yelling at me. Happy new Year.

2009-12-09T21:23:00.000-08:00

Ok... so I took the kids to this beautiful historic house to take our Christmas picture. The kids had the patience of a 3 year old, which is awesome cause we have a 3 year old. I wanted to strangle them when I was done so it is so ironic that we put lovely pictures of our kids in Christmas cards and tell all these wonderful things about them so everyone that reads them feels like crap cause their family isn't nearly as perfect. (major run on sentence). Anyway, I am not going to write that letter this year, I want to keep it real. Here goes people...

Ashlen brought LICE to the family reunion this year. Yes, my daughter. Still don't know how she got it, but she did. Brent was in charge of her the previous two weeks before we left for the reunion, so I of course blame him.

I read two entire novels this summer while driving a golf cart. Brent would call me during the kids golf tournaments for updates and I would have to make half of them up cause I really had no idea what was going on. He of course busted me everytime, but I did read the books, that was the point I was making.

I have 4 kids in 4 different schools. Early morning Seminary is enough to kill me. It takes 4 alarms to wake up Lauren. Brent usually has to got up and finally get her out of bed. Once she is up she is fine. I am soooooo grateful that Brent drives her every morning, he has been out of town all this week so I have had to do it and it as been a challenge.

I am "that" mom who always forgets to bring Ashlen her necessary stuff to preshool. For instance; I do not have time to copy 3 pictures a week for the letter of the day, nor do I want to. I am also in the 5th, 7th, and 9th grades, I don't want to do preschool again. I also can't do play groups, I am way older and much wiser than the normal mom of a 3 year old. The other moms may not call it wiser, more like lame!!!!!

Brent and I went on our fun trip this summer to Costa Rica. We stayed at the four seasons, my favorite hotel, and only left the property once. My motto is, if you are at the four seasons is there any reason to leave? I did go out snorkling by my self twice and got major fried on my back. Next year the trip is to Argentina.

The boys have taught Ashlen some fun new words that I won't repeat here, but I can guarantee you she knows more locker room talk than most 3 year old girls in a pink TuTu. I usually have to look for her in the mornings because she is always being stolen from her bed at night from the older kids. They love to snuggle with her.

In all seriousness, we are doing good and have had a fabulous year. Texas continues to bless us and we are blessed to be here among great people. Brent and I talk all the time about how much we love it here and love our super friends who are more like family. We miss our family and friends who live far away like crazy, but feel lucky to see them often. The new year brings promises of tons of sports games, crazy Houston weather, girls camp for the 4th year in a row, hard work at the dealerships, kisses and hugs and prayers.

Love to you all.....The Texas Christiansens

October Pictures

2009-11-03T09:31:00.000-08:00

Washing Machine troubles

2009-10-22T08:38:00.000-07:00

My washing Machine has not been working the last few weeks very well. Sometimes it wouldn't drain at all and other times it would partly drain. I finally broke down and called good old Sears to come out and fix the darn thing. After I told him the problem-o he checked the pump to see if it was clogged...sure enough it was. Guess what it was clogged with? Take a good guess? I asked Brent and he guessed on the first try!!!! If you guessed Golf Tee's and Golf pencils you are correct.

Peyteeee

2009-10-13T21:19:00.000-07:00

Peyten playing paintball

We were driving to church on sunday and Peyten looked at what Lauren was wearing and said, "that's a funny skirt you are wearing, who yarned it?" He meant to say knitted it, but got confused, plus it wasn't even a skirt, it was a sweater she had sitting on her lap. Peyten is a funny kid, he always comes up with funny stuff like that.

Halloween eve...

2009-10-02T11:11:00.000-07:00

So I have this crazy neighbor who loves Halloween and she puts out the decorations the first day of October. She was dying of heat while she was doing it. Right there you have a problem. Halloween is suppose to be in the fall, I see no fall here in Houston. She put these huge spiders in her lawn and one on her gate with webs all over it. Ashlen freaked out this morning when she saw them. She kept yelling "scary monsters". I took her up to one so she would see that it wasn't real, that helped but she wouldn't touch it. Halloween is fun.

Lauren

2009-09-20T20:50:00.000-07:00

Today after church Lauren said, "you know that weird family in the ward?" Which one I thought to myself!!!!!! Do you have a similar ward? I take pride in being one of those weird families, that is a good thing!!!

Today...

2009-09-16T21:01:00.000-07:00

So every time I start feeling sorry for myself I read NIE NIE dialogues and I feel much better. If you haven't ever read her blog then do it today. I have a link to her blog on this very page!!!! I decided to list the things that I should not feel sorry for myself about because I at least get to do them cause I am alive and healthy and can. Here goes...

love to get up early and get a kid off to seminary, then middle school then grade school, then preschool.

riding in the car an average of 5 hrs a day.

throwing poopy underwear in the garbage when Ashlen doesn't make it to the potty. Let's face it, that kid will be lucky if she gets it right by the time she's 10. She just doesn't give a crud.

love it when people call me when I am trying to take a nap, and then ask if I was sleeping.

can't tell you how much I love those dirty clothes I get to wash.

love cleaning out the turtle cage...my favorite thing ever!!!

finding dirty dishes and garbage in the TV room, never mind that you aren't suppose to eat in there. I always smile a happy smile as I think of my family enjoying their food in the forbidden room. Sweet family...

love finding crumbs in my bed and Ashlen's dollies all lined up on my pillow to take a nap.

when Ashlen yells, "No". I just chuckle to myself, sweet darlin'.

Peyten forgetting to brush his hair, and put on deodorant and we have already left for school. It is almost an everyday conversation, start the morning off great I always say.

Brent forgetting to tell me something that he swears he told me. I don't know about you but that one happens far too often.

fixing dinner and no one wanting to eat it is the best....more for the fridge to enjoy!!!!

sneezing and still peeing my pants after the pain of surgery and paying the doctor for the procedure. I wish I could have him over for dinner and talk all about what I would love to do with all that money I wasted!!!!

Jokes aside, I love my life, just need to vent sometimes and have a good cry...except I can't cry, so I go for a walk instead and then drink a ice cold Coke!!!!

pic's of the kids

2009-09-05T14:07:00.001-07:00

Peyten number 31. He plays cornerback.

Ashlen and her friend Reese watching their brothers play football.
Brent and Austen watching the big game.
Peyten before the game looking fierce.

Ashlen...don't let the cuteness fool you!!

Austen looking like a 7th grade stud.
Ashlen is dressing herself these days.

Dancing...
One of our last days with Krn.

Lauren playing some VB for Klein Oak.

Swimming with our friends.

Mama Mia and other things

2009-09-03T13:51:00.000-07:00

Laurens best friend Makenna Beckstead was diagnosed with Leukemia about a month ago. She and Lauren had just been out to BYU volleyball camp a few weeks before they found out. Her outlook looks very positive, just a long haul of treatments. Lauren is very concerned about her. She wanted me to order her some bracelets with the words, "Kenna kick Cancer" on them and we gave about 200 to Kenna to pass out to her friends and family. This is one of our visits to the hospital.

The boys playing in their last golf tournaments of the summer. It was long, hot, and fun.
Ashlen is obsessed with the Movie, "Mama Mia" She watches it many times a day and can sing most of the songs, you can't understand what she is saying, but she is singing them. This is really the first time that she has sat down to watch anything on TV. She also likes to watch. "so you think you can dance". I guess it is the action she likes with the dancing and singing. All I can say is, it's about time that kid started to watch tv. I can finally have a few moments of peace.

First day of school 2009

2009-08-24T20:32:00.000-07:00

Well, this is the weird year for me. I have a kid in high school, middle school, grade school and pre school. My day begins at 5:15 and doesn't end anytime soon. Lauren needs to become a bit more independent before I can sleep in and count on her making it to seminary on time. The good thing about seminary is that her teacher is right around the corner and she is teaching at her house so she can ride her bike, walk, or take the 4 wheeler if she wants. We are car pooling to school so we only have to drive once a week. We really lucked out, I guess someone knew we aren't morning people around here. Everyone seemed to have a good first day, I didn't seem too worried about anyone. I love the first few days when they talk non stop about all the new exciting things that goes on. Ashlen doesn't start school until after Labor day, what is up with that. She and I have a few more weeks to stare at each other. We did go swimming today together. She is swimming without her floatie and so she scares the crud out of me. She always says, "I drowned mommy". She can't stop smiling when she swims so it lets all the water in her mouth. I tell her to keep her mouth shut and she says, "K mommy," but she doesn't.

I think that I haven't mentioned that Lauren tried out for the high school volleyball team and made JV as a freshman. She goes to a huge school, 4,000 students, so she is feeling pretty good. I told her not to expect to start or play too much, but she is starting and playing the whole time. She loves it so we love it. Austen is trying out for 7th grade football this week. This is of course right on track with all those early training sessions he and Peyten got when they turned 2 days old. Brents dream is to have a football player among his children...hopefully it won't be Ashlen.

Today, because it was such a glorious first day back to school, I decided to relax by shampooing the carpets. Not that I really wanted to but Austen was babysitting Ashlen last night and she happened to poop on my carpet and then walk all over it. I was beyond crazy frustrated, that girl is scared to poop in the potty. Is there somewhere I can take this child for training?

Things on my to do list this coming school year:

get organized...generic I know, but my life is very unorganized

get in shape

learn to cook better

read as many books as possible

see only good movies

make new friends but keep the old

volunteer somewhere besides at the school

keep in touch better with my family and Brents

get the laundry under control

learn to spit

read the B of M

get some clothes that aren't white, blue or black

get a pair of really high heels and learn how to walk in them

play the piano

become a pirate ( JK)

Vacation crazy style

2009-08-01T16:00:00.000-07:00

It is all good when you get the family together!!!!!

We headed out west to see my family and boy oh boy did we ever have a good time!!!!! All you have to do is get a bunch of cousins together and they act like they are best friends, even though they hardly see each other but once a year. I love that about Cousins!!! We started out at Andy and Rachelle's house in Boulder City and then went to Alex's house in Cedar City. Angela and her two girls joined us for the fun as did my parents. We actually got all the cousins together in one spot, except for the oldest, Bleu, he was working on the farm. We got to see him later though. These first two pictures are of Ashlen and Bleu, look how big he is!!!!
Ashlen and Bayden at the Lake.
Lauren at the Lake. She got to go wakeboarding for the first time and got up after a few tries, she's hooked.
Alex and his boys, Kru, koy, Job, and Abe, my dad, and Austen and Peyten.
Kru and Briggs
Ashlen and Olivia

The boys on a hike. Briggs, Peyten, Austen, Kru, and Boen.
Angela and Gracie face
Peyten, Kru, Briggs, and Abe
Lauren and Bayden

Peyten and Kru
The whole gang except for Bleu
The tramp is always a hit
Olivia and Gracie
Angela and Gracie
Ashlen and Gracie
The cousins at hoover Dam

It was a great time...a few highlights are:

basketball with the boy cousins

the tramp

boating

late night boxer running

Rachelle's awesome cooking

Andy's funny stories

115 degree weather in Nevada

Lauren going to EFY and BYU volleyball camp

going out to dinner with the adults and leaving all 15 kids home alone!!!

Donna's yummy mexican food

running with alex

seeing all the cousins get along great

xbox playing

scary movie watching

Ashlen bringing the unmentionable into Rachelle's house and taking 10 large garbage bags to the laundry mat.

slurpy runs

seeing the beautiful southern Utah mountains

feeling the love between all of us that were there.

It was an unforgettable time, I hope my children will cherish their relationships they have with their extended family.

my summer so far...

2009-07-03T08:31:00.000-07:00

1 week at girls camp with 20 girls in the hot texas summer...super fun!!!

Endless baseball games and an awesome farmers tan

Too many golf holes to count

Swimming in the pool everyday...Ashlen loves to poop in the pool, need to get that under control

My parents here for two weeks to hang out and help

Lauren going to JR. olympics to play volleyball in Miami, what a gal!!

To come:

Peyten and I leave to go to Panama City, Fl. for a week of baseball

Lauren going to BYU volleyball camp and EFY in Las vegas

Flying out with the kids to Vegas and southern Utah to visit my parents and siblings, and cousins!!!!!

Getting home just in time for high school volleyball tryouts and Peytens football

And the final hurdle in the summer...getting Ashlen to go poop in the potty so she can go to preschool in the fall.

Somewhere in there I get to read a good book and kiss my husband.

Ashlen... what would we do without you

2009-06-27T16:39:00.000-07:00

Eating corn on the cob naked with Grandma and getting into make up while sissy was asleep...priceless.

WOW girls camp

2009-06-22T21:06:00.001-07:00

The theme this year for girls camp was, WOW, Women of Worth. Our stake did a wonderful job with this and our girls had a fabulous time. I got to go along and hang with the cool girls from our ward, church, this was my 3rd year. I love to be with the girls and see how much their testimonies of Christ grow throughout the week. We had fun!!!! I especially love being with my beautiful Lauren. She was a 3rd year camper this year so next year will not be in the ward cabin any longer. If I go next year it will be different without her being right there by me. Here are some fun pictures of the week.

We shared a cabin with another ward and all the girls got a long great, too great in fact, getting them to stop talk and sleep was a chore!!! I think this picture was taken about 1 am.

Lauren outside our cabin.

Our ward and a few of the other wards girls.

Laura Mickle, YL extrordinaire.

Lauren and others waiting to eat.

Lauren and Makenna Beckstead looking campy.

Since I was the one always taking the pictures, this is the only picture of myself. Not bad I might add.

Sis Brown, Becca Turpin, and Lauren after going on a run down the "black snake", a water slide with yucky green water. The girls didn't mind.

Before the "black snake". Lauren, Laura Mickle, kamryn hair, and Samantha Buker.

Lauren and kamryn

Lauren and Makenna again

Waiting to eat again

Our skit performance

Lauren and her friend Courtney Watson

fun times

2009-06-12T00:19:00.000-07:00

Here are some fun photos of the past week to share...

Lauren and her fun friend Bridget decided to dress up Taylor Swift style for the last day of school. Super cute I think!!!!

Ashlen being her crazy hair self. She is getting the potty training down pretty good these days!

Peytens teacher this year was Ms. Haas, she was also Austens teacher in 4th grade. We loved her, she was a great teacher!!!!!
Lauren did something weird to this picture, but it is her and Nikki at Peytens paint ball party.

Austen thinking he is a cool dude.

Peyten and Iain Burtch at Peytens bday party.

Peytens bday party this year was a fun one. He wanted to do paintball so we decided to pick the hottest day and go for it. You have to layer on clothes or pay the price for pain. Lauren and her friend went to make things interesting. They did, they pretty much dominated the boys, go girls!!!! Peyten wasn't feeling very good so I took him to the doctor later that day and he had an ear infection that had burst. Oops, sorry about that little fella.

Princess Lauren

2009-06-02T07:43:00.001-07:00

Ok, again it's my blog so I am keeping it real. I happened to have a daughter named Lauren. She is a pretty awesome kid, let me tell you why.

Takes all honors classes and gets good grades.

In the honor society

Plays volleyball at a high level

Super beautiful

Has great friends that I trust and like

She isn't into the "boy" thing yet. Still thinks they are stupid.

Talks to her friends about her church

Always is willing to help me out

She is my best friend

She is funny and likes to laugh

Thinks her parents are still cool

Always respectful to other Adults

but....... She is stubborn at times and can beat the crap out of her brothers if provoked

Peyten turns 10 today

2009-05-26T07:44:00.000-07:00

Peyten, my main man, is 10 today. What can I say about him, well, for starters, he is my favorite child. Just this morning after he took a shower he crawled in bed with me and we snuggled and I kissed his cute freckles. That boy has got the charm, he melts my heart. Peyten started out as a little guy, weighing 6 lb. 13 oz., my smallest baby. He didn't want to come out, my hardest labor by far, but my easiest baby. Peyten is the one that is always saying something funny, but to him it is totally serious. That kid can play like nobody's business, never met a kid that wasn't his friend. He also has a very tender heart and often tells me of situations that he feels sad or concerned about. I love my Petyen, what in the world would I do without him!!!!! Happy bday cutie!!!!!

That time of year again...

2009-05-15T12:08:00.001-07:00

When the weather starts to turn warm around here certain things need to be taken care of. I usually get a white colored car, bring out the swim suits, go to wal-mart and stock up on swim goggles and pool toys, clean out the kids closets, get the grill all cleaned up and last but not least, shave the cat!!!! You may ask yourselves why would you shave a cat...well, my cat, Lily is a long haired calico cat that sheds like the dickens in the warm weather. I first started shaving her when my neighbor in Dallas shaved her cat. The pet store does this you know, for a fee of 60+ dollars. I went along with the scam for a few years and then one year I was shopping at Wal-mart in the pet dept. and saw they had clippers for pets. I got the greatest idea to buy it and do the shaving my self. It can't be that hard I thought, the clippers only cost me 20 bucks, already saved almost 40 right off the bat. I soon found out that Lily doesn't like the sound that the clippers make, and she was a little hesitant when I started to use them on her because they make an even stranger sound then. It took me a while to get it down the first time, but as you can see from the pictures I am pretty good at doing it. Even though I get comments from everyone about how Lily looks, I have decided not to go into cat shaving professionally. I will offer some helpful hints that I have learned over the past 6 years of shaving my cat!!!!

1. Shave the cat in a closed area so that she can't get away from you. I use the half bathroom, small and easy clean up and she can't run far.

2. Wear as little as possible when you shave the cat cause cat hair sticks to everything. I usually strip down to my unmentionables.

3. Wear leather gloves, the cat will start to bite about half way through and will cause blood wounds. If you get a wound, show your kids later, they will think it is cool and tell their friends about you. I never pass over a moment to look cool in my children's eyes.

4. Say reassuring words to the cat to calm it, if that doesn't work grab the hair behind the neck and just work really fast to get the job done before she freaks.

5. When the cat starts bellowing, reassure your kids that the cat loves getting shaved and she is just saying Thank you.

6. Do not, I repeat, do not shave the cats belly. This is a highly sensitive area and the cat will rip your head off if you do. Besides, the cat looks awesome with the top shaved and the bottom left long, it's the style I hear.

7. Take a shower right after to get the hair off you and calm your nerves.

8. Let the cat go free for a while, if it doesn't ever come home it didn't like the shave, if it comes home it loved it and wants another shave next year.

9. Now, this last bit of advice is very important. When the animal cops show up at your door to follow up on a report of animal abuse, blame it on your youngest kid and curse your neighbor later.

Good luck with that!!!

These pictures of Lily are not for the faint of heart. Know that she was not harmed (at least too much, more pride than anything else) in any way.

I love you Lily, thanks for putting up with me trying to save a buck. I think you look great!!!!!

school's almost out

2009-05-12T08:25:00.001-07:00

Each child reminded me how many days are left of school, 17 people!!!! We are all excited, I hate the schedule of school, I like things a bit more relaxed. Our summers are always very eventful, not much down time, but always fun. I was thinking about next year, I will have 1 child in high school, 1 in middle school, 1 in grade school, and 1 in preschool. I only have 4 more years to tell Lauren what to do and her having to listen!!!! I could just lock up all the kids and keep them home forever, but I am also looking forward to it being just me and Brent alone again. Of course I won't be young and quick, just old and super quick!!!!

Lauren is going to J.O.'s

2009-05-07T13:22:00.000-07:00

Ok... we all know that Lauren is my favorite child, but she had to go and make herself my even more favorite. She plays for a highly competitive volleyball club. The top team in her age group at her club won their last big tournament, over 200 teams, and qualified to go to the Junior Olympics in Florida July 5-9. Lauren plays on the one team below this team. Anyway, they called me this past week and asked if Lauren would come in and practice with the top team. After the practice the trainer asked me if Lauren could go with them to the tournament and play with them. This top team has been playing together for about 3 years, so to take a new girl on is a big deal. Lauren of course is thrilled and glad for the two months of extra hard training to help her get ready for high school ball. We are so proud of her and love how hard she works!!! Way to go Lauren!!!!

Ashlen 3rd Birthday

2009-05-07T08:16:00.000-07:00

Ashlen turned 3 years old on April 29th. She has grown up into such an adorable cute and sweet girl. Everyone loves her and she loves absolutely everyone!!!! She had a fun bday party with her two friends, Reese and Payton. That night we had a family party by the pool. Her favorite gift was the pink purse she got from Grandma Christiansen.

Friday face

2009-05-01T07:30:00.001-07:00

Today's friday face is my dog, Smalls. These first two pictures of her are when she wore a mullet for halloween. Cute huh?

Smalls is a strange name, yes it is. There is a short story behind that name. Brent didn't want her so I tried to get him to bond with her so I had him name her. He picked the name from the character on "Sandlot." It is a boys name and kind of silly, but I wanted Brent to feel good about her. The name stuck. Her nickname is "Smallsies.
Smalls is a mut. I am not exactly sure what she has in her but she does have some weiner dog in her because of her long body, but she doesn't have the short legs, her legs are longer. She has an adorable face as you can see and those eyes, don't get me started, I love them. We are not sure exactly when she was born but we figured in was sometime in March so we gave her March 17th as her big day. She just turned 4 this past March. Smalls was given to us by a friend of my neighbor, Norma. The friend got her and then changed her mind, thinking she wanted a more respectable dog, you know, a pedigree!!! We saw her and the kids and I immediately fell in love. She was so small and cute. When she was little she would sleep across my neck at night. I guess she thought I was her mommy, well, I am!!!

Smalls has grown up now, but still has boundless energy. We got her a doggy door so she can go in and out as she pleases. She loves to bark at everything, especially other dogs and the neighbors kids. She is very sweet with kids, even though my crazy neighbor with the 80's hair thinks she is vicious. She is a nut!!! Smalls has two best friends, Allie and Chloe, they live next door and they can squeeze through our fence so they are always over for play dates. Smalls also loves to torture our cat Lily.
As you can see, Smalls is loved by Ashlen, as well as all the kids. Smalls loves the backyard and lies in the grass in the sun. In the summer she likes to lie on the first step of the pool to cool off. One time Ashlen was swimming in the pool and smalls thought she was in trouble and so she barked and barked to get my attention. She is a genius dog. Smalls sleeps with me everynight and is never far away from me during the day. I know that people love their dogs, but I don't know who loves their dog more than me, maybe my sister Angela loves her dog Molly more. I appreciate the unconditional love that she gives me and she loves to snuggle. I love you Smalls, thanks for being my friend!!!!!

Ashlen ballet and water day

2009-04-27T12:00:00.000-07:00

Ashlen loves monday's, it's ballet lessons. Her BFF, Reese, who lives next door also goes to ballet on mondays. We usually always go to lunch after wards and decided that today would be a great day to check out the new fountains by the Chop Chop restaurant.

Ashlen and Reese
Ashlen, Reese, and their other little friend Payton.
Playing train with the booster chairs in the restaurant.
Running around the fountains.

Opps, getting into the fountains!!!!

Ring around the Rosey.

Needless to say, they were soaked before we got out of there. Ashlen cried the whole way home because she didn't want to leave.

Ashlen's World

2009-04-22T11:29:00.000-07:00

Just wanted you all to see what Ashlen does to my house everyday!!!!! This is just a small area of her mess, it goes all throughout the house. I don't even think she plays with the toys, she just likes to dump stuff out. A few weeks ago she had been left unattended for a while and had unloaded everything out of the fridge and laid the contents in nice even rows on the kitchen floor. She also does this with books from the book shelf. Brent calls her the "rainman", Dustin Hoffmans character from that film in the 80's. She is a funny kid. Today we were at someone's house in the ward and there were a bunch of ladies there and Ashlen was playing with something and she spilled it and she said, "oh crap". Nice language for a almost 3 yr. old. I totally blame my boys.

Lauren and volleyball

2009-04-21T08:48:00.001-07:00

Lauren getting ready to hit the ball. She plays outside hitter so when she sees the set she runs outside to get the momentum to smack the ball.
The two Laurens blocking the ball. My Lauren is on the right.
Lauren, Caitlin, and Lauren H. Ready for serve receive.
Another hit from Lauren, ( I stink at taking action shots).
A rare smile from Lauren during the game. She usually has on her game face!!!

I love watching Lauren play volleyball. It reminds me of when I use to play except she is way better than I ever was. Her club team has really struggled this year, her coach is not a very nice person and so they don't get a lot of positive coaching on the court. Hopefully we will have a new coach next year. Even though it has been a rough year, Lauren has really improved and she is excited to try out for the high school team in the fall.

upside down week

2009-04-07T10:24:00.000-07:00

Last week was a complete nightmare!!!! 5 out of the 6 of us got a really bad stomach bug. It started with Lauren, then Austen, Brent, me, then Peyten. Ashlen didn't seem to be affected by it. Strange, especially since she followed everyone around saying, "yucky throw up." I washed a ton of towels, shampooed the carpet twice, once at 5 am, and washed the bathrooms more times than I can count. Grateful for our health this week. Lauren and Austen both said they lost weight, not me...no such luck!!!

baseball and FHE

2009-03-24T10:55:00.000-07:00

Ok... so I love all my kids the same, but Peyten is my most unusual kid, in a good way. He is the one who says funny things and does funny stuff without even knowing he does. It was his weekend to play baseball, he did a great job, playing pitcher and catcher. His coach also selected him and one other player to be the c0-captains of the team, he is a great kid.

These next three pictures show him sliding into home, he was safe of course!!!

Last night we were having family home evening and we were talking about our week and what was going on. Brent said that his Aunt Carol and her husband were coming to visit for a few days and he went on to tell the kids about going to visit them when he was a kid. He was explaining something and said, remember when we were at Grandma Christiansens funeral? (which no one remembered cause Brent was the only one who went, it was his grandma who had died about 4 years ago.) My kids know Brent's mom as Grandma Christiansen, not his Grandma, in fact they have never met Brents Grandma and don't really know her or of her. (sad, I know, Brent needs to talk about his grandparents more). Anyway, Peyten all of a sudden burst into tears thinking that his Grandma has died and we hadn't told him. We looked at one another wondering what in the world he was crying about until he finally could tell us. We started to laugh, but also had to give him hugs cause he was so sweet about it.

Peyten lost a tooth the other day and came and told me about it. He said he knew that the tooth fairy was me, but he still wanted to believe so he told me he was going to put the tooth under his pillow. The tooth fairy forgot that night, Peyten came in to tell me he would give me another chance, if I failed then he would take 5 bucks in cash!!!!!

Friday face

2009-03-20T12:10:00.000-07:00

Todays Friday face is Austen Brent Christiansen.

Austen was born July 26, 1996 to myself and Brent. He was a big, fat, bald baby. His face was squished and red and I was worried he would stay that way. As you can see, he did not. He is a cutie, a bit on the small side, and not bald at all!!!

Austen is a sports man. There is not a sport that this kid cannot play, at least we have not found one, he loves it all.
He recently placed 3rd in a golf tournament in Austin. He played well, look at his great form!!

Austen is my kid who likes to snuggle, sometimes I think it may be time for him to grow up, but I can't give up the snuggling.

Austen is a very sweet brother to his little sister Ashlen, he adores her and she him. He loves little kids, especially babies and wants to hold them and tells me that they are cute.
Austen is a good student, but lets just say if sports was his school he'd be a genius. He is very social, but shy as well. He is a good friend and has many, his best friend being Reed Crouch and Alison Smith.

Austen received the Aaronic priesthood on his bday when he turned 12 and tries very hard to live up to that responsibility. We talk a lot about how kids act at school and what they say and how he can be a good influence on his friends and also not participate in the wrong stuff. He told me the other day that he had a friend who would always use the word God in a bad way. He told the friend that made him uncomfortable and why and he said that the friend doesn't do it around him anymore. Another time his friends were doing something and they asked Austen if he would and he told them he can't cause his mom said not to. They then asked, "Do you always do what your mom says?" and he told them yes. I appreciate that about Austen, he really tries to do what's right.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you the one and only, not to be mistaken for anyone else...Austen Brent Christiansen

After the "Lift"

2009-03-18T08:02:00.000-07:00

The doctor told me that I needed to rest after my surgery and not do anything for about a week and then no exercise or lifting for 4 weeks. I thought to myself, he doesn't know my life and I will just not tell him, I will just nod my head in agreement. I told Brent what he said when Brent picked me up to go home and he just gave me that look like, you have one day to rest, now get better!!!

I did rest on thursday and half day on friday, then was right back into the craziness of our kids sports lives. Lauren had a "big" volleyball tournament at the GRB convention center on sat. and sun. and they placed first in their bracket. It was hard to drive downtown and sit all day on those hard chairs but I did it with the help of some pain meds. After church on sunday Austen and I had to drive 3 hrs. to Austin for a 2 day golf tournament. He got to miss two days of school to play in it, it was fun but again I was in a bit of pain still. It was really special to spend the time alone with Austen that doesn't happen very often and we had a great time. The highlight of the trip was going to the UT bookstore on campus. Lots of Orange. I missed the other kids lots while we were gone, I really missed hugging and talking with Ashlen, she is very affectionate and I could tell she needed her mommy. Austen tied for 3rd place in his tournament, and scored very well his first day. He shot an 84, a kid he was playing with shot a 76 the second day and won the thing. The weather was perfect and the course was beautiful. On the drive home we saw lots of wildflowers. Note to self...take pics. of the wildflowers this year with the kids.

"The Lift"

2009-03-13T11:52:00.000-07:00

Ok, so this is my blog, really my personal journal so i'm keeping it real. I went in to the hospital yesterday to have a "procedure" done. Before any of you roll your eyes or start a gossip chain let me give you the facts. Things start to hang south due to gravity when you get a bit older. I am normally not a vain person, anyone who sees me in the morning can assure you of that. I don't even bother to get out of my PJ's or brush my hair when I take the kids to school and I have also been seen running into the grocery store or pumping gas like that. I got to thinking about this particular procedure about 5 years ago but have put it off due to the fact that I hate needles, hospitals, blood, and anything to do with pain in general. Why would someone volunteeringly do anything to themselves that would cause pain all for the sake of vanity?! Just look at Hollywood and you will see the results!!! They all look amazing and I wanted to be part of them, part of the "real world". I decided to go for it, I sought out the perfect doctor for the job, talked to him about all the risks and benefits and decided why not, I'm not getting any younger!!! The procedure took about 4 hours, start to finish. That included the entire time I was gone from home. (they can do things so quick now). I am not going to lie to you, i am in a bit of pain but is it worth the results, you bet!!!! I can tell you right now, I will be looked at in a whole new light. My husband will be thrilled, my children proud, my peers jealous. The "lift" was just what I needed to get my confidence going again.

The "lift" my friends was not a face lift or a boob lift or a tummy lift, it was what all of us woman with multiple children need, a BLADDER lift!!!!!! I now have the bladder of an 18 year old and I am sexy. No longer will I pee my pants when I sneeze!!!!!

Friday face

2009-03-06T08:55:00.000-08:00

Today's friday face is my mom, Sally Huxford. She is otherwise referred to by Grandma Sally by all the grandkids.

Grandma Sally just left our house on wed. after being here for 3 weeks. Ashlen got extremely attached to her and was very sad that she left. I would find Ashlen by my moms side always, reading books, looking at all her stuff, waking her up in the morning, going on walks, and just hanging out playing. They had a great time. It reminded me of how Lauren use to be when my mom would visit us. They always had tea parties and would dress up and play house or princess. My mom is great with little kids, they adore her.

Sally, Grandma, was born Aug. 29th a long, long time ago, before there were cell phones and computers and way before blogs!!!! She grew up in the Seattle, Washington area her whole life and was the oldest of three girls, her sisters are Kathy and Susie. She met my dad when she was young, like 14 or 15 and they got married when she was 18 in the Salt Lake Temple. After attending BYU they moved back to seattle and then Oregon and had 6 children.

The things I remember most about my mom is how hard she use to work. That lady can make anything and was very economical with our food. She would can all summer long to have food for us in the winter. Our house was always very clean, not a thing out of place. My mom loved to have people over for parties and dinner. Almost every sunday someone would come over after church and enjoy her delicious cooking with us.

The best time in our house was Christmas!!! My mom could really decorate the house and our tree always looked so beautiful. I loved bringing my friends over to see decorations. She always made it so special.

These last few years have been rough on my mom. She has been very sick with major back problems which has given her lots of pain. The past summer she went through a second back surgery and she seems to be doing much better now.

My mom is the best mom ever and a great grandma. She is loved and adored by everyone she meets and she has so many friends.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you my mom, Sally Huxford.

High School reunion

2009-03-03T21:04:00.000-08:00

Me, Julie, Tricia, Molly, and Heather.

Can't even tell you how many great times I had with these girls. The classic has to be me driving Webbs VW van all around town while all the jokers in the back went crazy. Remember when Chris Rice asked Julie if he could kiss her and we were all right there. Not cool!!!!

I miss seeing these ladies, they are all in Oregon, and it is too far away at times.

Let's all get together soon...

Austen and basketball

2009-02-26T08:35:00.000-08:00

Austen plays a lot of sports, probably his least favorite of his favorites is basketball. He still really likes it but lets face it people, he is a bit short and so it might not be in his future. I was watching this game the other day and noticed how fast that little guy is. I always knew he was fast, but man, that kid can move.
Don't tell me little white boys can't jump!!!!

Austen, do you think there is any sport you can't play? Maybe women's innertube water polo.

Can't get over how cute she looks in a TuTu...

2009-02-25T12:54:00.001-08:00

I love going to Ashlen's Ballet class, she is very cute. Oddly, she pays attention to the teacher, while many of the other little girls run around. I think she really likes it, we know she looks good!!!!

Legally Blonde the Musical

2009-02-19T08:43:00.001-08:00

For Valentines day Lauren and I, along with her friend Bridget and her little sister Megan and her mom Laura went to go see Legally Blonde downtown. The show was great and the girls loved it. We even got to get some autographs of the performers after the show.
Lauren and Bridget doing the "bend and snap". (kind of blurry)
Before the show!!!! Love the glasses girls!!!

We had yummy lunch before at the Hard Rock Cafe.

The girls with "Elle Woods"
The girls with "Emmett"
Lauren and Bridget standing on a interesting statue downtown.

kidney stone part 2

2009-02-18T19:23:00.003-08:00

Well, the stone didn't pass after all, I had to have surgery to get it removed today. The surgery wasn't bad at all and I am recovering well. I knew something was wrong with me, but couldn't figure out while I was still in so much pain. Thank goodness for modern medicine, my dad had the same surgery over 20 years ago and they cut him open and went through the kidney to get at the stone. I remember how horrible it was and he was peeing out his back through a tube for a week or so. I had no cuts, they just went up my bladder and laszered it out.

Kidney Stones

2009-02-17T08:40:00.001-08:00

I have had a rough go at it the last few days. I got a kidney stone last sat. night and after 3 hrs. of pain I drove myself to the ER. I thought maybe it was my appendix but didn't want Brent to have to take me if it turned out to be gas, so I just told him i'd call if it was something bad. After about 30 min. of bad pain they hooked me up to an IV and gave me pain medicine, much relief!!!!! The CT scan showed a stone on it's way to my bladder and also that both of my kidneys have more stones in them. What does that mean? I can't endure that mess again!!!! The stone did eventually pass but my body is so sore from tensing my muscles for so long. Guess I better go to the doc. to see what can be done about my stones that are just hanging out in the kidneys waiting to surprise me again.

On a side note, I got home about 6:30 sunday morning and crawled into bed having had no sleep and worse than labor kind of pains and Brent, my darling husband, asked me if I was going to get up for church!!!

I didn't go to church!!!!

Friday Face

2009-02-13T09:19:00.000-08:00

Today's friday face features Brent J. Christiansen (a.k.a. my hunky hottie husband that I like to smooch)!!!!!

Brent was born on September 18, 1968. Yes ladies, he is in his fourties, amazing isn't it?!!!!

He is the son of David Christiansen and Julianne Christiansen. He was born in Seattle Washington and grew up all over the place due to his dad being moved often with his job. He spent most of his teenage years in Beaverton Oregon where he graduated from Beaverton high school in '86. He went to BYU for one year before his mission to Connecticut and then went to Ricks College (BYU I) for one semester after his mission. Some of you may ask, "why Brent, why would you go to Ricks college instead of back to BYU after your mission?" He would of course reply, "to play football." We know the real reason was to meet me, his dear wife who endures all his crap, I mean love.!!!! After being at Ricks college for one semester he couldn't take the lovely Idaho weather and went back to BYU. He graduated from BYU in business and got a job working for Ford Motor company in Detroit. Brent and I were then married Oct. 17th of 1992 shortly after moving to Detroit.

Sixteen years later he is still married to the same chick, me, and has been living in Texas for 15 years. Brent is the managing partner of 3 car dealerships in the Tomball area. We of course drive only American made vehicles as all of you should!!!! (I do love BMW's though).

Brent has many hobbies but they are all restricted to the same area, SPORTS!!!!! All of you who know him know the truth of this statement. He is either playing sports, coaching, watching, researching or dreaming about sports!!! Our garage looks like a sports store, no joke. He loves to coach his kids in sports and watch them play.

Now for some Q&A:

Favorite sport...golf, then football, then everything else.

Favorite wife...Amysue (that's a mormon joke)

Favorite color...boys don't have favorite colors

Favorite food...cereal, i'm easy

Favorite kid...ha ha

Do you like my blog...yes dear

(all the other questions got a bit personal and a little fun!!!!)

Well folks, what more can I say about the man of my dreams who is the most wonderful father of all times!!!! I give you....Brent Christiansen.

Lauren turns 14 today!!!!

2009-02-03T09:24:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Beautiful Girl

Baby Ballet

2009-01-28T08:43:00.001-08:00

What could be cuter than a two year old in a pink tutu?
Ashlen is my little sugar plum!!!!

Lauren Rocks at Volleyball

2009-01-25T18:11:00.000-08:00

I can't tell you for sure, but I think I have the toughest 14 yr. old girl ever, or at least toughest in the Houston area!!! She played in a volleyball tournament yesterday with a fever, sore throat, sprained thumb, and a sick stomach. She played from 8am until 4 pm coming in 3rd place out of about 40 teams. The team that beat them out in the semifinals is the team that won the whole thing, and we had them running scared at one point. Lauren has a signature move that amuses her teamates, baffles her coach, scares her mom and causes the referees to cringe. It is the throw yourself all over the court move to get the ball. I am not kidding, you have to see it to believe it. You think a ball is way out of anyones reach and out of nowhere, Lauren comes flying out to get the ball. Sometimes she gets it, other times she doesn't. At the end of the game she comes out looking like she's been playing roller derby instead of volleyball. I took her to the doctor the next day and she ended up having strep throat. She told me later that she was starting to black out during the last game. Is that a warrior or what? I say, no pain no gain. This post is dedicated to good old Lauren, the animal!!!!!

No more Monkeys jumping on the bed!!!

2009-01-25T17:51:00.001-08:00

Ashlen and Peyten were jumping on the bed and the couch one night and I had to take a pic. of the fun. These fun Jammies that Ashlen is wearing were Peyten and Austens, it always reminds me of the Cat in the Hat from Dr. Seuss.

Things i've Done

2009-01-12T11:49:00.000-08:00

This post is about things i've done or said that I once said I would never do. I've been thinking about it a lot lately cause I did one thing last week that I can't even believe that I did. I am still in shock and am not even sure that I will list that one, or maybe I will and you may never know which one I am most appalled by.

I use to hate mushrooms and onions and now I love them. The mushrooms can't be mushy though, and stuffed mushrooms are the best. My sister in law Dawn makes some rockin' stuffed mushrooms

I love to listen to talk radio, my mom use to when I was young and I always thought that was so stupid. One of my memories of her is listening to Paul Harvey at lunch time.

Ashlen can be seen pretty much any day wearing unmatched clothes or shoes with her hair crazy. I remember when I would see kids like that when I was younger and think that I would never do that, but I do!!!! (I know we all do it)

My house is always messy, I can't get it under control. When we were first married I was really picky about my house, but now I am not. I don't like it dirty though, clean is important, messy is not.

I hate McDonalds hamburgers. When I was in high school I loved big Macs, now they make me gag to think about them.

I eat Fiber.

I go to bed early even if i'm not tired.

I would rather stay home with a quiet book than get dressed up and go out to dinner.

I like as little makeup as possible.

I spit wipe my kids faces.

I look in my kids ears and clean them out. (That use to gross me out).

I throw away food rather than saving it for later.

I don't like cheap chocolate. I use to say when I was a kid that when I was a grown up I would eat candy bars every day and that grown ups were silly not to. Now, if it isn't good chocolate than it isn't worth the calories.

I said I would never like wheat bread, I love homemade wheat bread now.

I said I would never pull another weed again cause my mom would always make us weed. Now I love it, it is like therapy.

I thought I would never like older men when I was younger, now I am in love with a 40 year old man. (His name is Brent and I am married to him, lucky aren't I?)

I thought I would never have to wear antiwrinkle cream and anti aging products. Now I try everything!!!!!

I said I would never embarrass my kids, now I do it daily. My favorite is driving my kids places in my PJ's and pumping gas.

I thought I would never miss being a kid, and I do!!!!

Friday Face

2009-01-09T08:23:00.001-08:00

My friday face for today is

Angela Eileen Huxford Orton

Angela was born on March 19th 1976. She is the 5th child of John and Sally Huxford. Angela's name is so much like what she really is, An Angel. No kidding, she is close to perfect. She never got in trouble as a kid, never. My mom even told me once that she never got mad at her even once growing up. she did everything she was told. She was very quiet and shy as a young child. I remember her hardly saying anything at all, and then once in a while something tiny would come out of her mouth. She was a cutie as a little girl, with dark curly hair and adorable dimples. I left home when she was 12 so she was always so young to me. Now that we are both adults she has become my best friend in the whole world. She is an amazing mother. Her two daughters are the love of her life and are adorable. Olivia is 3 and Gracie is Almost 6 months. They are cute as you can see.

Angela and Mike were married on August 22 in the Portland temple. They have been married for 13 years.

Her favorite color is brown

Favorite food is Mexican, with lots of sour cream and guacamole

Favorite holiday is Halloween

Favorite vacation or place to visit is anyplace warm

Favorite movie is Shawshank Redemption

Favorite TV show is LOST

Favorite book Rebecca

Favorite singer is Sting or Keane

Angela likes to cook and bake (and she is good let me tell you what), garden, read, sew and blog. (Basically she is a "Molly")

Angela loves Animals, she has a dog named Molly, she is a bit Pyscho, but can snuggle good. I always tell Angela that her dog needs therapy.

Angela went to Ricks college and University of Utah and majored in community Health. It took her 9 years to finish college. Way to go sister.

Her favorite subject in school was science and her worst subject was PE. She mentioned to me that she is probably one of the only a few people who got a B in PE. (well, I have met a few people who I think maybe got worse than that). She once told me that she has had the same pair of tennis shoes most of her married life and they are still shiny and new. In my family we go through tennis shoes like gallons of milk so I can't relate.

Her most embarrassing moment was when she was walking around all day at work with a big split down the butt of her pants. (would have paid money to see that)

Now for some Q & A time:

What are you doing right now?

Angela...Eating leftover chicken nuggets and salad, looking at the sunshine out my window

What are you wearing right now?

Jeans and a purple shirt and barefoot

Favorite place you've ever lived?

Bend, Ore.

favorite shoes?

I hate tennis shoes, like to wear doc Martens in the winter and sandals in the summer. If I had a lot of money I would spend lots on shoes.

Who did you vote for?

McCain( Romney should have won)

Do you like ice cream or cake better?

Ice cream, I don't like cake

Do you like hamburgers or Hotdogs?

Hamburgers

DO you like long hair or short hair?

I like medium hair on myelf

If your kid ever gets kick out of school will you either spank them, ground them or buy them ice cream?

Spank her and take away her dresses

Who do you like better Mickey mouse or Donald Duck?

Donald Duck, cause he is funny, Mickey is annoying.

Do you like to go to the dentist?

I'd rather go to the dentist than the eye doctor. It freaks me out to have stuff by my eye.

Here you go Ladies and Gentleman. I give you my sister Angela Orton.

Fun times in Dec. 2008

2009-01-06T08:22:00.000-08:00

We had a great visit with the Christiansen side of the family. Grandma Christiansen was of course the hit, with her wonderful home and all the presents she got for everyone. There are not too many people in this world as special as that Lady I tell you what!!!! Aunt Amy and Aunt Dawn were looking fabulous as ever, Dawn has the "expecting" glow with a new baby coming in the spring/summer. Amy watched Ashlen for us one night while we ventured the snowy city lights and fun time shopping. All the cousins love each other so much and they all have grown up since last time we saw them. It is fun to get toegther.

We went to visit Angela and her cute girls right before Christmas. My kids love Olivia and Gracie. Olivia slept with me everynight, she is so fun to snuggle. Gracie was a hit with all her "rolls".

We had our 5th annual ski trip to Utah. The weather this time was very cold, snowy and windy, but that didn't stop us one bit!!!! The kids had a blast and got so much better on their boards!!!

Peyten's Football

2008-12-16T07:50:00.001-08:00

Peytens football team had an amazing season this year, they were undefeated going into the superbowl and ending up losing to the Oilers. They had beaten that team last year in the superbowl. Guess it just wasn't our year, but I think runner up isn't so bad.Peyten receiving his trophy.
The loyal fans

Friday Face

2008-12-11T11:21:00.000-08:00

My first Friday face is...Lauren Christiansen.

Lauren is the oldest child of myself and Brent Christiansen. She was born on Feb. 3, 1995. She was a real cutie if I do say so myself.

She has a very likable personality and gets along with people of all ages. She is a great big sister to her two bothers, Austen and Peyten and her little sister Ashlen.

Some of her favorite hobbies are: playing volleyball, reading a book, hanging out with her buds, spending time with her ultra cool mom, and watching good old TV.

Lauren is a top notch student in school taking all honors classes, except science, we don't want her to be too perfect!!!

She is a valuable player on the Xtreme 14 yr. club volleyball team. She plays outside hitter and has a wicked serve. Her favorite thing about Volleyball is killing the ball and diving for digs. She is often seen with huge bruises on her elbows and knees, which is not lady like but very cool.

Lauren has long blonde hair and beautiful blue eyes with dark eyelashes and eyebrows. She is tall and thin (I know, it's hard to love someone like that), with cute dimples on either side of her cheeks.

Now for Q&A Time:

Who do you like better Mom or Dad...silence followed by "Mom, I like you both the same." (sure, whatever)

favorite food... Mexican

Favorite color... blue, green, purple

Favorite season... winter

Favorite song... Hot n Cold

Where do you want to go to college... A&M

What do you want to be when you grow up... physical therapist

what's your favorite tree... any one that you can climb

What kind of car do you want to drive... Ford F-350 (say what?)

Favorite vacation... Pine Basin

Favorite subject in school... PE

Favorite activity... snowboarding and volleyball

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the most awesomest girl in the world... Miss Lauren Fern Christiansen!!!!!

Sometimes...

2008-12-10T12:11:00.000-08:00

Sometimes my biggest goal is to take a shower before the day is over. (I am trying out new fonts) Got that one accomplished today, phew!!!!

Sometimes all I want is for the kids to is be nice to each other. Like the other day Austen got in big trouble by the other Adult besides me in the house, and he was up stairs crying and Peyten told me he felt sorry for him and Lauren came and gave him a hug. (major run-on sentence).

Sometimes I wish that I wasn't married to such a hunk... No, I am just joking, I love my hunky husband!!!!!

Sometimes I would like to get all the laundry done in one day, folded, and put away. That would be a miracle, that would be cause for Brent to buy me something really nice.

Sometimes I think that Texas is just about the best place ever to live, except maybe HEAVEN!!!!

Sometimes my belly growls for Chipolte in the middle of the night!!!!!

Sometimes my dog makes my heart feel all fluttery, I love her!!!!! My cat too, she is super fat and soft.

Sometimes the day is just too short or too long, whichever!!!

Sometimes I just look at Lauren and get so proud of how awesome she is. She was definately a gift from God!!!!!

Sometimes I want to give a mean hand gesture to my obnoxious neighbor, but instead I smile and comment on her lovely permed hair.

Sometimes I like to spy on my kids conversations, especially Peytens, they rarely make sense but are super funnny.

Sometimes I wish I was still a kid living at home and riding my bike to my friends house. (Julie, you know I mean you).

Sometimes I wish I could talk to my Grandma Fern and Grandma Huxford, now those are some classy old ladies. Unfortunately they are both in Heaven., but good for them.

Sometimes I can't understand my 4th graders homework, what's up with that?

Sometimes I wish I had not beaten up the neighbor boy who lived next door. His name was Billy Young and he was 12 and I was 10. That wasn't very nice of me, I can't remember why I did it now.

Sometimes I wish that I had planned better for my wedding. At the time I didn't have any money and it was so fast. Lauren and Ashlen's wedding will be fun, I already know where Laurens reception is going to be. It's a surprise.

Sometimes I wish that there would be world peace. (That's funny, I was pretending I was a beauty contestant, don't they all say that?)

Anyway, that is my sometimes.

I am going to have a new special on my blog that will appear on fridays. It will be called "Friday Face". It is an idea I saw on another blog. Stay tuned for this friday featuring my first "Friday Face".

Ward Christmas Party

2008-12-06T20:59:00.000-08:00

Top 10 reasons why the Christiansens won't be asked back again

1. We forgot to bring what we signed up for. (we really weren't home all day, how can they expect us to bring anything, I rarely feed my own family).

2. Ashlen was the cutest toddler by far and made everyone else look bad.

3. My husband is the hottest man there over 40 and all the other wives were wishing their husband was hot like mine. ( He is even cuter than the 30 somethings, 20 somethings is pushing it).

4. During the opening prayer, Peyten was already in the food line.

5. They ran out of rolls towards the end of the dinner and I noticed Peyten had 5 on his plate. ( That was also the food item that we were suppose to bring).

6. Half way through the musical program I noticed that my boys were gone from the our table and then noticed that many of their friends were gone as well. My boys had initiated a capture the flag game and were outside playing. ( I got a few dirty looks for fellow parents, hey I didn't tell their kids they could go).

7. Lauren was suppose to be helping the little kids visit Santa at the end but she ditched it to go outside and play capture the flag and later said she almost beat up the Bishops son. Way to go sweet cute girl, that will get the boys crawling after you!!!!

8. Ashlen told Santa, "I don't like you", but later gave him a high five when he gave her a candy cane.

9. The Bishop asked me if I was ready to be Primary president again and I laughed at him and walked away, then came back and reminded him that I am still expecting his wife to bring me a Christmas treat.

10. And the final one, we ditched early to drop the kids off to go to a neighborhood party where they served real Coke!!!!!

All jokes aside, I love our ward, I just like to spice things up a bit. Every ward needs a crazy old lady like me.

Christmas picture out takes 2008

2008-12-06T16:25:00.000-08:00

Gotta love the ones that don't make the cut.

Some fun photos

2008-12-04T14:40:00.000-08:00

The kids doing homework after school, my table always looks like a garage sale.

Ashlen always is cute!!!!

Chloe, the new dog my neighbor got. She is a toy poodle and so cute. Ashlen loves her as do I and the rest of the kids.

Thanksgiving with the Spendloves

2008-11-29T14:48:00.000-08:00

Year after year we make the long trek to San Antonio (3 hr. car ride) to spend Thanksgiving with our dear cousins, The Spendloves, Brents sisters family. There is always great food, yummy treats, lots of video games, this year it was Rock Band, and of course lots of Football. Thanks for a great time Kari and Family, see you next year!!!!

my do's and Don'ts

2008-11-21T07:22:00.000-08:00

It's about time you all got a bit of my wisdom that I have collected throughout the years. Here is my list, take it for what it's worth, but surely it is worth a lot somewhere.

Don't falsely impress someone before you really know them

Do let them see how imperfect you really are then you can only get better in their eyes.

Don't have your kids clean their own bathrooms until they are old enough to really clean and not turn it into a water fight and the toilet cleaner is used as a weapon.

Do have your kids clean their own bathroom, it teaches them an important lesson; less mess, less you have to clean.

Don't buy store bought cookies

Do make homemade cookies (Lauren does this in our house)

Don't watch scary movies alone

Do watch scary movies with a good friend that lets you scream in her ear and hug her if needed.

Don't buy cheap toothpaste

Do buy what 4 out of 5 dentist recommend

Don't miss out on hugging your kids everyday

Do grab them whenever possible and plant a huge smooch on them.

Don't let a day go by without telling your kids and spouse how much you love them.

Do show your family how much you love them, not just tell them.

Don't gossip around your kids

Do talk nice about people. ( if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all)

Don't swear abound your kids

Do swear when they aren't around if you really need to.

Don't wear too much makeup

Do wear a bit of makeup

Don't wear a thong bathing suit ever

Do wear a bathing suit even if you think you look horrible in it.

Don't let your kids go TP ing alone.

Do take your kids TP ing at least once in their life.

Don't buy your kids everything they ask for.

Do make your kids earn and buy their own stuff. (even if you are a celebrity)

Now here are just some don'ts:

Don't laugh with Jello in your mouth

Don't leave the dishes in the sink too long

Don't pick your nose

Don't dress like a teenager if you aren't one

Don't tell people too much info.

Don't drink caffeine ( my weakness for sure)

Don't stay up too late playing guitar hero or Harry Potter video games

Don't forget to wash your kids football gear everyday, or it will stink up the whole house.

Don't let your kids beat each other up.

Don't ever weigh yourself unless you really want to know.

Don't ever forget to lock the bedroom door when you are in your unmentionables and your kids have all their friends over.

Don't forget to lock the door when you want to kiss your husband!!

Now for the DO's:

Do make new friends

Do take a walk in the rain, or snow, or sunshine.

Do chase your kids around the table and give them a spanking if they need one.

Do call you family on the phone if you are thinking about them.

Do let your kids know that you will stick up for them no matter what.

Do kiss your husband ever chance you get, even in front of your kids so they see that you love each other.

Do stay in bed as long as you can sometimes.

Do read a great book.

Do cry during a wedding.

Do cry when a baby is blessed.

Do volunteer for something that doesn't sound like fun.

Do go to church once a week.

Do act like a crazy person every once in a while.

Do put on lotion after you shave your legs.

Do get your toes painted in the summer, a pretty bright pink is fun.

Now do your own list of do's and don'ts.

Movies with a two year old

2008-11-15T18:36:00.000-08:00

I promised Lauren and her friend that I would take them to go see High School Musical at the movies today. Brent has been out of town since wed., Austen was at a scout campout, and I couldn't find a babysitter so Ashlen had to come along. I usually don't take Ashlen anywhere remotely like a movie or public for that matter cause she is a handful to say the least. (she swore at me in spanish just now, I heard the word poo in spanish). Anyway, I decided we had better go to the ghetto movie theatre so not many people would be there bothered by a two year old running around. I gave her a bit of cough medicine, brought treats, a blanket and a pacifier and tried to do my best. There was no one else in the theatre, I was so relieved and good thing. Once Troy Bolton and Gabriella started to sing it was all over for Ashlen. She was running circles around that place. She chucked her paci too many times to count, did summersaults down the aisle, threw her sippy cup in the theatre trash before I could catch her, dumped popcorn on the floor, flew out of her theatre seat more times that humanly possible and the untimate, pooped her pants. I realized I forgot to bring a spare. I thought, no problem, i'll just dump the poop into the toilet and put the diaper back on and she can wear it for a bit longer. Well, that doesn't work with the "Runs". I had to chuck the diaper and wash her bum with a million paper towels while she kept trying to escape. She just happened to be wearing a dress so no pants to cover her bum, so when we were walking out of the bathroom, she flashed everyone in the lobby, yelling, "diaper yucky". I love that child!!!! The rest of the movie was spent hoping she wouldn't tinkle on anything, but really by that point, did it really matter?

Ashlen loves her brother Austen

2008-11-15T09:48:00.000-08:00

It is a Magical love those two have.

Family Fun

2008-11-11T08:13:00.000-08:00

Family night + Ashlen sitting on the potty chair = chaos, but yummy banana bread for desert.

Lauren is no longer a "brace face"

2008-11-11T08:09:00.000-08:00

Before and After photos of Laurens braces. Isn't her smile beautiful?

Conversation between two 9 yr. old boys

2008-11-08T21:29:00.000-08:00

Ok, I wasn't really eavesdropping on my son Peyten and his friend, they just happened to be sitting in the back seat of my car while I was driving them so I got the whole conversation and boy was it a hoot. What they can come up with. This is what it went like, not exact word for word, but darn close.

Peyten: your dad is hairy

Peytens friend: I know, it's gross

P:why is he so hairy?

PF: cause he's so old, he has gray hair in places, like under his arm, I think black hair is the best under your arm

P: yea, I want dark hair when I grow up, my sister has a unibrow

PF: weird, I would hate that, hey Peyten your eyebrows are blonde, you can't even see them.

P: I know, my eyelashes are too long, but my mom said I better not cut them with the scissors or she'll cry, but she won't, she'll just yell at me.

PF: your sister really has a unibrow

P: yea, and her back is really hairy too, she was born that way, my grandpa's hairy, my mom says it's his fault.

PF: I feel sorry for her. Did you know my brother use to eat dog food, he's a dork

P: Maybe that's why he has long hair, do you think?

PF: No, don't be stupid. Do you think your mom will take us to get icecream?

P: Maybe, she has been kind of nice today, but she did yell at my brother for messing up the clean clothes, she is not a good laundry person, my dad always takes like forever looking for clean socks in the morning.

PF:What?

P: Never mind...mom, can we get icecream?

They are funny boys. It Ashlen who has a unibrow, I have shaved it a few times cause it is so bad.

Well, lets get on with it...

2008-11-05T07:29:00.000-08:00

Well, it's over and I had a rough night last night, being worried and stressed about Obama, but I realize I just need to make more of an effort to keep conservative values around me and my family as much as I can. Brent reminded me that always after a democratic president won office, the car business did well. I guess I will focus on the positive.

Ashlen is yelling at me from the bathroom guess she wants out of the tub.

Todays the big day

2008-11-04T08:14:00.000-08:00

Well, we should know soon enough our fate. Nothing I can do about it now so I am going to enjoy a fun day with my kids while they are off of school. We are going to start by cleaning up the house, fun for me, then move on to something else. Haircuts, shopping, lunch out, and a movie perhaps. Austen already went Golfing with Brent early this morning.

Two nights ago my neighbor Kim and her husband invited me over to watch a scary movie. I love scary movies but don't watch them often due to the fact that I get too scared. Anyway, the movie was "Strangers". Anyone ever seen it? Supposedly it was so scary they didn't release it into the movie theaters. I put the kids to bed and then walked over to the neighbors house to settle in for a good scare. I brought my own blanket so I could cover my eyes whenever I needed to. Well, let me tell you, it was scary, SCARY!!!! I spent most of the time under the blanket and was shaking by the time I walked myself home. I woke up Brent and told him I was scared and he said,"SHHH, go to sleep". The next morning Lauren and Austen came running in my room to ask me all kinds of questions about the movie, "was it really scary, were you scared, what happened, could we watch it, did people die?" (I don't let my kids watch scary movies, do as I say, not as I do, I know i'm lame). Peyten then came running into my room, plopped on my bed and looked like he was going to ask the same questions all over again, but instead asked, "did you have any popcorn?" I love Peyten, he's my favorite!!!!!

HALLOWEEN

2008-11-03T08:42:00.001-08:00

The kids all had a great time for halloween. Ashlen wouldn'twear her bee costume, she said it was hurting her, so she opted for Cinderella thanks to my neighbor having an extra costume.

Saturday football

2008-11-03T08:37:00.000-08:00

Another successful football day. Both boys teams won. Peytens team is undefeated and Austens team has only lost one game. Only one more week of play until playoffs begin.

Photos

2008-10-31T10:07:00.000-07:00

More photos from Laurens volleyball game

Laurens volleyball

2008-10-31T09:56:00.000-07:00

Laurens last home game was last night and the team gave their parents roses. The boys also made a rare appearance at her game after football practice.

Tag

2008-10-30T13:02:00.001-07:00

Angela tagged me so here it goes... 5 Things

5 snacks I enjoy

-salt and vinegar chips

-blackberry pie

-chocolate covered pretzels

-coke

-chips and salsa

5 things on my to do list

-take a shower (done)

-make dinner (fast food)

-do laundry (never done)

-kiss my husband (always room for more of that)

-read my book

5 places i've lived

Salem, Or.

Rexburg, Id.

Detroit Michigan

Flower Mound, TX.

Spring, Tx.

5 pet peeves

-someone chewing loud right by me

-people who don't brush their teeth

-people who don't wash their hands after the restroom, Yuck!!!

-teenagers who smoke and swear

-rude drivers

5 things that bring me joy

-my kids when they are happy and get along

-when my house is clean

-when I am in bed after the kids are asleep and I am reading a good book

-going to church and feeling the spirit

-being with my cute husband and kids

I tag...everyone

Check this out Obama

2008-10-30T13:00:00.000-07:00

We are clinging to our guns and our Religion

Make sure your vote counts

2008-10-27T10:27:00.000-07:00

I went to the polls today to vote. I felt proud to be an American as I stood in line, in the comfortable air conditioned room full of happy senior citizens waiting my turn to vote. The process was quick, the job done and at the end I got a sticker saying, "my vote counted". As I was driving home I started to think about all the people throughout time who have made this wonderful freedom that we have possible. I know that the political system is far from perfect, but we as citizens have the power to make our voices heard and we are able to turn any outcome around according to how we exercise our rights.. Our senators, reps, and others will listen to us as long as we all take a stand and fight for what is right. Whoever the next president may be, let him be a God-fearing man who will fight for our rights as a nation and keep us safe and our freedoms in tact. If he does not, let us learn from this and not let it ever happen again. America is beautiful and a choice land where God has let his true gospel flourish and we know that no man can ever take that from any of us, lets build up our country and make it better for our children and their children. Get out there and vote, we can't afford to ever lose that freedom!!!!

C Jane and Nie Nie

2008-10-24T14:59:00.001-07:00

If anyone of you would like to read a very uplifting and enjoyable blog I would recommend clinking on to my "CJane" link under favorite blogs. This is a girl that lives in Utah who is a sister of the famous Stephanie Nielson, (in the blogger world). Stephanie Nielson and her husband were in a terrible private plane crash in August, where they are still in the hospital recovering and have four precious children. CJane tells you a little bit about how the family is doing but most importantly it gives a link to Nie Nie's blog which is amazing. Her blogs are truly beautiful, funny, creative and helps you realize the important things in life. Her posts are famous around the world due to how fun they are and her sister is trying to keep her blog alive by reposting some of her readers more favorite ones. It will indeed warm your heart to read them, and hopefully with everyones prayers and help those sweet children can be with their most special mom and dad again. My heart goes out to them, but they have in return given me a greater appreciation of my own sweet children and wonderful husband. I am going to forever try to make everyday count for something. God bless their family and all those who are helping them.

Lauren's volleyball tournament

2008-10-20T08:07:00.000-07:00

Lauren's school volleyball team played in a district tournament and came in first place. It was exciting and she did a great job. She plays middle blocker on her school team, club team she will play outside hitter.

Baby Gracie and Olivia

2008-10-17T10:51:00.000-07:00

I just got back last night from Utah to see Baby Gracie for the first time. Her daddy blessed her on sunday and I got to be there for that as well. What a beautiful blessing it was, and what a beautiful baby. I fell immediately in love with her and had a hard time putting her down while I was there. She is such a good baby, so sweet and happy and full of smiles. She is very ticklish as well and would laugh when I tickled her ribs and feet. Olivia is a big girl now, 3 yrs. old. She slept with me everynight while I was there, I loved it. She loves treats and walks to the park and going in the car somewhere fun. She and Ashlen had a good time, when they weren't fighting over a special toy or the stroller. Hopefully they will stay close cousins. Ashlen and Olivia reminded me so much of my sisters Angela and Abby when they were little. Ashlen the crazy one, and Olivia the more quiet reserved one. It was so fun to be able to spend some time with my sister Angela as well. She is my best friend and I love being with her and talking to her. We stayed up way too late each night and ate way too many treats. She is also a great cook and would make great meals every night. She is such a good mom, I am very proud of her.

Today in mine and Brents 16th wedding anniversary! I can't believe it has been that long. I still get goose bumps when Iook at him and am deeply in love with him more everyday. He is such a good man and tries hard to always do what's right. I admire how hard he works to provide for our family so I can stay home and be with the kids. Hopefully we can enjoy many happy years to come together. Glad forever is FOREVER!!!!

Austen football

2008-10-11T16:48:00.000-07:00

Austen with Dad

Austen with mom

Austen with his best friend Reed Crouch

TGIF

2008-10-10T07:44:00.001-07:00

All I can say is TGIF!!!! School with the kids about wears me out and I don't even go to school. The stress of getting everyone out the door with everything they need and hoping nothing was forgotten. Lauren called me before I even got home from dropping them off telling me something she forgot to tell me to do. I dropped Ashlen off at the sitters so I could get stuff done without her whinning all day in the car. I thing she prefers to be there anyway!!

On the way home from dropping off the kids I saw a scary sight. 3 ghetto looking dudes were trying to cut down a huge pine tree. I don't know if the owners of the house that the pine tree sat on hired these guys to do the job, but i wouldn't have taken that chance. One of the guys was literally chopping the tree down with an axe. (not a chain saw like most people would) That alone leaves me to believe that they were pretty cheap labor. The other two guys were standing around watching for it to fall I guess. The only possible ways for the tree to fall we either on the house of the owner, their neighbors house or the street with cars going by. I stopped and watched for a second and then quickly drove away before the tree landed on me. Morale of the story, hire a tree company with insurance!!!!

Lauren had a school volleyball game last night. Her team won, which makes her team undefeated. She played well, she has a few new floor burns on her elbows from her signature dives across the floor. The boys both have their homecoming football games tomorrow and the banguet is tonight. Should be a crazy day as always. I love watching the boys play football. They are both so dang fast.

Slept with the windows open last night, it is finally cooling down enough to do that. I love the fresh air in the house.

Random day again

2008-10-02T07:52:00.001-07:00

-Why did McDonalds have to build a store right outside of our subdivision? The kids think that is there other kitchen.

-It was 66 degrees this morning when I took the kids to school. So nice!!!!

-I have more laundry to do than I thought we even had clothes. I wish that it was acceptable to just spray paint the kids everyday instead of dress them in clothes. Maybe Abercrombie will come out with some cool spray paint.

Someone laughed at my cell phone the other day cause it is so ancient. I should be the one laughing cause mine was cheap and it still works!!!!

Ashlen said the word "Crap" yesterday after she heard me say it. Guess I need to watch my language from now on.

Still love Salt and vinegar chips and it's getting to be a problem, the problem is they sell out of my favorite kind at the grocery store all the time.

I miss my family, wish we all lived closer.

Can't wait to see Olivia and Gracie in less than two weeks!!!

I joined Facebook the other day and have been able to get in touch with a few people I never thought I would talk to again. It's been fun.

Wish I was 25 again, loved that age!!!! But don't mind being 29 now!!!!

crazy weekend

2008-09-29T08:04:00.001-07:00

It is monday morning and I am trying to recover from our busy weekend on top of being sick. I have been fighting a bad cold and lack of sleep doesn't help. We surprised Brent and had his brother Clay fly in for the weekend for a belated bday gift. I tricked Brent into getting Cowboys tickets for a friend but they were really for him and Clay. He took Austen and a friend with them and had a great time. Besides that my friend Shellee and her family were here for the weekend house hunting (hopefully they are moving here) and hanging out. We had four ball games on saturday and a house full of little kids and crazyness. It was fun though and miss the company already. It's just me and Ashlen right now and she is already up to no good. I didn't get a diaper on her fast enough after her bath and she had an accident on the carpet, nice!!!

The one Photo from Italy I thought you'd all like

2008-09-25T08:17:00.001-07:00

Tighty whitey anyone????