LUV my Teenager

So I wanted to share this so that I will remember this special little moment with my teenager girl.  Today Morgan came home from school and asked if her and I could have a date night and go see this group called "Vocal Point".  I expressed that it would be fun and before I knew it she was on the computer getting tickets. Well, later as I was tucking her in bed. (Yes- she still loves for me to tuck her in and she will "beg" until I do).  I truly LOVE that she does because there are so many sacrifices that she makes being the oldest child and this is the one thing that I can give and I never go away regretting it.  Why?  Because tonight as I tucked her in I learned two things. One- She was invited to go to this concert with her friends and instead she chose her momma, and Two- She told me what she learned from one of her teachers at school today who has a rebellious teenage daughter who kept her up until 1:30 in the morning because she was having trouble with the law.  Morgan said that she learned not to judge others when you have no idea what they might be going through.  It was just a sweet moment and I want to remember how much I LUV my Teenager!!!

Thanks Morgan for teaching me...

General Conference Apr.2013

 It is that time again...  

Every six months our church leaders speak to us all over the world through our televisions. It is called General Conference.  Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints listen to speakers who speak about our Savior Jesus Christ, His Atonement and also other subjects such as Faith, repentance, and service.  It is always so encouraging. To know more you can check out www.lds.org. The sessions are on Saturday and Sunday. This year we had so many activities going on that we had to record it and then watch all of the sessions on Sunday.  

We started with a yummy pancake breakfast...

Morgan was excited to create a fun activity for the kids. 

 This helps them to keep their attention as it does require a lot for kids to sit and listen.  

Especially as we were trying to listen to two days worth all in one day.

This Conference store was a big hit! The kids got to earn pennies for each time they heard certain words such as Love, Family, Jesus Christ, Temple, Hope, etc... Then they could go shop at the store for treats and activities.  It was so much FUN! 

Thank you Morgan for your help...

Bryn got her arm stuck in her penny cup.  I was freaking out.  

I really thought we would be making a trip to the ER.  

Thank goodness daddy has muscles.

OUCH!

Sofie loves to pretend she is a little momma 

and we love to watch her.  

She cracks us up!

We had a sucker contest to see who could keep theirs the longest.  Preston was throwing a fit because he didn't like the rules.  He is so competitive and is at that stage where he hates to loose.  We didn't last long because we all thought the suckers were gross!

Daddy and Bryn were trying to catch M&M's...

Preston with his dad!!!

I love this picture:)

So thankful that we could gather together and be strengthened and encouraged.  

I always go away from General Conference with a desire to be a better mother, a better wife, and a better friend.  I want to be more like my Savior Jesus Christ.  I know He lives and that He loves us.  

I know that this life has a purpose and that it is up to me to do all I can 

so that I can live with Him and my family and friends forever.

Sports,sports and more sports!!!

So we went from this...

to this!!!

Hoppy Easter!!!

So because we were in St. George for Spring Break, we didn't get home until the eve of Easter.  So my sweet hubby was all prepared for the Easter Bunny to come and I must say I was impressed.  The bunny had left little foot prints and the kids had to read them and follow the clues that were given through scriptures.  In the process they were taught the story of Jesus and His resurrection.  The bunny also left me some new bowls, a CD and some chocolate:)

Look at these cute kids and the smiles on their faces...

LOVE Easter and I LOVE Spring!

oh- and the best part of the day was that I didn't have to cook:)

Thanks Shan for making this a great Easter Sunday.

HAPPY St Patricks Day

So I forgot this post.  St Patricks Day was on a Sunday and I had bought these ties for Preston and Daddy.  We didn't know that we would have our cousins coming to town for our other cousin Kayla's mission farewell.  So Preston and his cousin Reggie got to wear them.  

Are they two of the cutest boys ever? 

Kayla is such an amazing girl and such an example to our family and especially our girls.  She has been called to serve a mission in Tulsa Arizona. (Spanish Speaking)

Morgan always has her hands in someone's hair.  For a girl who I never thought would learn to do her own she is now obsessed with hair styles:)  They really do grow up.

CRAZY!!!

We had a luncheon at Uncle Lynn and Aunt Rina's. There home is so much fun. It is always like pulling teeth to get our kids in the car.  As you can see Sofie was worn out before we ever made it home.

Spring Break 2013

Grand Opening at Chick-fil-a! I couldn't believe we got Sofie in this photo. She is terrified of things that are dressed up and usually is glued to my hip.  Maybe we are getting over this fear:)

Sofie was so excited that her cousin Kyla was coming down from Enterprise for a lunch and to swim. Shannon's Aunt Paula and her daughter Kristy came down for the day.  We had so much fun with them.  Sofie and Kyla went on a little shop and both got matching swim suits. 

So CUTE!  

Daddy stayed with us for the weekend and then had to go back to Salt Lake and work.

I guess all good things have to come to an end:(

Morgan and Sydney got to go watch there cousin Scotlyn in her swim meet.  I still remember when these girls were all little and playing dress up.  Now they still play dress up but only to look good for the boys:)

We stayed at my Aunt and Uncles Condo and it was so much FUN.  The pool was heated and so we worked on our tans and swam.  I love the Sunshine and I think we were all ready for some warm weather.  This has been such a bad winter and we have not seen clear skies in a very long time.

Grandma Joy and Papa had us over almost every night for dinner.  The kids were not sure they liked the fact that we were not staying there this trip. Brynlee said she missed the smell of Grandmas house.  She is so much like me.  I am that same way.  Our last day there we had a BBQ and an Easter egg hunt and it was fun to be together with our family!!!

17 years with this Goof Ball!!!

I can't believe that I have been married to this Goof Ball for 17 years!  They say it just gets better and better and I have to agree.  I love this guy so much and can't imagine life without him.  He is a hard worker, he is funny, he is creative, he is the worlds best dad ( you can ask all of our kids).  I am so thankful that he chose to move to St. George Utah and work at Shoneys so he could meet my mom.  Yes- not me, but my mother, who then let me know that this poor kid from Arizona had just moved here before going on a mission and he doesn't know anybody.  So out of obligation I said yes to a date and then a few more before he left.  I then chose to serve a mission and so after 3-1/2 years we met back up and it took only about a month and we were engaged and married 3 months later.  

March 16th 1996.

I will forever be the luckiest girl ever!!!

Life is precious

If I have learned one thing since moving back to Utah it is that "LIFE is PRECIOUS"!  Being around my grandparents and seeing them in this last phase of their lives has taught me to ENJOY every moment with them, with my children, with Shannon and with all my family and friends. This life is a choice of Joy and happiness or to sit and be depressed and feel discouraged.  Which some days I have truly chose to do.  I watch my grandparents and how they just go day to day enduring the aches and pains of aging and yet they do it most days with a smile and not a complaint.  These pictures are priceless to me.  On this day I drove my Grandma and Grandpa to see my Uncle Gord.  He is my Grandpas younger brother and he is dying of cancer.  A few things I wont forget about this day.

1. Getting lost and Grandpa getting frustrated. Grandma got us to the house next door and then we noticed a sign on the house East of that one, then we knew that was the house.  At least Grandma got us that close but Grandpa said a lot of "Good hell Margaret's" on this drive.:)

2. I learned that this life is precious and that there are many who have touched my heart for good.  Uncle Gord and his sweet wife Chlonelle were special people.  They always had a big hug and made me feel so special.  Even when I hugged him goodbye he had tears in his eyes and that was so sweet.

3.  As he hugged my grandma goodbye he told her what a wonderful family we have.  He cried as he expressed how blessed we are to have such a great family.

4.  We do have a great family.  Not all have the same beliefs and not all seem to get together often but our grandparents LOVE their kids no matter what their choices are and no matter those differences they still bring their family together and have created traditions over the years.  Fish dinners, Family trips, and a cruise for their children every year for their anniversary.  They of course can't go on cruises anymore but they create one right here in Utah. My grandma always finds a creative way to put on all these events and she loves to share her talent of poetry. Grandpa loves to share his advice and he always has that to give.

5. My grandpas tender emotions as we drove away...

I just wanted to write these thoughts down for my future generation.  I want them to know how much I cherished the time I had with my grandma and grandpa Hansen.  From a small child until now at the age of (almost) forty, I am so thankful for their LOVE and their EXAMPLE!

Morgan and the 10 Virgins

Love this picture of Morgan and her Grandma Joy and her Great Grandma Hansen. They both came to support her for her performance in the 10 Virgins Musical that we did for our Relief Society Birthday Dinner. 

 It was such a wonderful presentation and really made me stop and reflect on my own life and if I have enough oil in my lamp and if I am prepared to meet my Savior. Morgan sang so beautiful.

 I love her both inside and out!!!

Even her Papa came even though it was just for the ladies:)

Breakfast with Grandparents

My Grandma and Grandpa Hansen go out to breakfast every Saturday.  Shannon was out of town and they wanted me and the kids to go with them.  We had a baptism that morning and so we had to go in our Sunday best. The kids were so excited to eat out since this doesn't happen very often.

Sofie and her friend Sparks from her preschool class.  She got to have him for the weekend and she takes such good care of him.  She slept with him every night.

This picture is one of my favorites!!!

Seeing my kids with my momma just makes me

SMILE!

honesty of a child

This is why you shouldn't slack on keeping up on your blog. 

 I know there is a story behind this and it is about Miss Brynlee 

being mad. This is what I found outside her door. Of course now that a couple months have passed I can't remember what happened.

I just had to take a photo:)

Need I say more?

Facials and Friends= FUN

Morgan and her friend Rachel decided to do 

egg white and lemon juice facials. Morgan said it

 felt so tight and was "supposed" to help with zits:) 

OH MY!!!

BRYN'S BAKING BIRTHDAY!

So for Bryn's 10th Birthday she wanted to bake since this is what she LOVES to do.  I must say it turned out so cute.  The invitation was a recipe card and turned out so fun.

We made them all an apron out of dish cloths.  

They started by making their own pizza

Then fruit on a stick

For the cupcakes they all were given a cupcake with instructions and then after they were done we created a cupcake cake as an ice-cream cone.

Make a wish Brynlee Boo...

May all your dreams come True...

Hope you know that we sure do

LOVE YOU!!!

So Brynlee had a play at school called "Tide pool Condos" and she would come home everyday singing the songs.  She was so cute and very excited about it.  This boy had the lead role and he is also Bryns 3rd grade "crush":)  

His name is Mckay.

Brynlees best friends in her 3rd grade class are Jordyn and Logan.

Such sweet girls!!!

Our Baby is 5:(

Our Baby SOFIE is 5 and it is so crazy that there are no more babies following behind.  I am not sure I am liking this too much.  I have many days where I feel like I just don't want to let go of the baby stage but I also know that my heart tells me to sit back and enjoy this new chapter of life.  

for "Smurfs" birthday her sister Syd stayed up the night before and decorated the kitchen and made her this Hello Kitty Sugar Cookie.  Pretty impressive:)  It made my heart happy to see Syd so excited to make her sisters birthday special and to just step in and do this.  It really took that pressure off of me and I was so thankful for her help.  I love this photo because Sydney is coughing and Preston has his hands in his pants.  I thought about editing it but knew that there will be good laughs in years to come.

Sofie you bring so much happiness and laughter into our home.  I am so thankful for those whisperings of the spirit 6 years ago when I was cleaning up the girls bedroom and opening up their blinds and I felt you so strongly and the thoughts came into my mind "when are you going to let me come" and I knew we had a little girl up in heaven waiting to come to our family.  I called your daddy and asked him to pray about having another child and he said that he would.  The next day daddy expressed that he too had felt that there was another child wanting to come to our family.  I then shared the experience I had in the girls bedroom with him and we both had tears and knew that it was time.  I am so thankful for the promptings of the spirit and for that special experience that brought you to our family.

Happy Valentines Day!

This year we celebrated a little bit different.  We did something fun in the morning instead of our traditional candle light dinner.  Dad stayed home and they had to follow clues with scriptures that had them do a puzzle together and then went to another room where they sat in a circle and gave hugs, then had to go in another room and dance with mom and dad and then they all gathered around for family prayer. We ate some donuts and hot chocolate:) always a hit at our house.  I loved having a morning together on a school day. Usually we are hustling around and trying to get everyone to get dressed, get hair done, find shoes, etc... But today we actually had a great morning! Maybe it is because...

 love is in the air???

Check out this HOT chick! Isn't she cute? She went through her closet and put this together for her Valentines 50's dance for the 6th graders.  I got to help out with it and it was so much fun.  She is such a social girl and has so many cute little friends and even a few "guy" friends:) Our night ended with feeding the missionaries and we made it easy with heart shaped pizza, salad and red soda.  Sure do LOVE my family!