Sisters!

It is my sweet sister Shaundee's birthday today!

If there is one thing I adore, and just cannot live without it is my sisters!

Who else can you talk to about anything, at all hours of the night, and know you have a non-judgmental listener?

Who can tell you that your shoes aren't that cute - and are starting to resemble "mom shoes"?

Who will babysit and love your kids at any given moment? (especially when you have 5 crazy ones)

Who can make you feel like you are a "model" by paying you a complement.....even when you feel not so cute that day?

Who can make you laugh....when you really want to cry (and probably are crying)?



Who else will go with you to New York, when it is totally impractical?

Only sisters I say!

So, Shaundee.....Happy Birthday to one of my favorite sisters (I say one, because i do have another one I love just as much...you know)!

I hope my girls are lucky enough to have the same relationship that we all have one day!

Oh, and I am so glad you are finally getting as old as I am!!

Caught "Red Handed"

Hmmm....wonder what she has been up to?

Just a little food coloring (or the whole bottle), a sink full of water, and dipping toilet paper - trying to make it red!

Creative, I must say!

Too bad her hands are just getting back to normal, and it has been a week!

Best thing about it....when I saw her hands our conversation went something like this

Me: "Halle, what did you do to your hands?"

Halle: "Nothing mom"

Me: "Really, Halle....how come they are completely red?"

Halle: "I don't know" (said with a totally serious and straight face)

Me: "Halle....where did you do this (now realizing it must be food coloring). Where is the mess??"

Halle: "MOM, I DON'T KNOW"

Me: (Now picking her up and running down stairs - not quite as calm as before - and so frightened at what I might find). HALLE - TELL ME!

She didn't ever spill the beans - but don't worry, I found the remnants....and lets just say it wasn't pretty.

I think she gave herself the best consequence though by having red stained hands. She wore a little shawl for the next few days so that she could hide her hands under it.

Nothing like having your sins exposed to the world!

Oh Yeah...she also lost her first two teeth! She was ecstatic.....me, not so much! I love little baby teeth - I am not ready for the ginormous permanent teeth that come in and don't even fit their faces until they are 11!

Love you Halle!!

Jazz Time

The kids all love going to the Jazz games. It was originally thought that Brandon and I would go to the games together. With only 10 games a season (we share tickets), we figured we could do that.

Um.....when you have lots of kids that doesn't work out most of the time.

No babysitter, kids have to be places, school functions, etc. etc. etc.

So, the kids reap the benefits and LOVE when it is their turn to go.

Kason really loves going to see the game. Jaicee and Halle really love going because they get a treat at halftime. And, Braden even got to go this year.....I think he liked both the treat and the game!



Braden loves the Jazz Bear, and calls him Boozer. I have tried many times to explain that he is not Boozer, but to no avail. Oh well, the Jazz Bear is doing much more to help the Jazz than Boozer is......GO JAZZ!

I AM the "Fun Mom"

Does anyone else feel as a mother you are always the bad guy? The one making them do their chores, practice the piano, do their homework, be kind to their siblings, have manners at the dinner table, respect adults, not watch to much TV, pick up their clothes, be responsible, telling them "no they can't have sleep overs...."(seriously, the list could go on and on).

And then Dad walks in the door from work, and it is PLAY TIME!! The "Disneyland Dad" as my sisters and I like to call it. They talk about school, eat dinner together (that mom has made), maybe go to the church and shoot baskets, go outside and ride bikes, have a few treats, wrestle on the living room floor, and then read a book before bed. Man, that is the life!

So, in light of wanting to be the "fun mom" I decided to take my two oldest kids to see the "Bodyworld" exhibit. To make sure I was extra fun I took them at 1:00 in the morning on the last day of the exhibit. My kids thought I was awesome! What mom lets them go to bed at 9:00pm and then wakes them up at 12:00 midnight to go on a fieldtrip?

Only a FUN MOM!

And that was me they exclaimed!! All of my hard work - and I was finally the "FUN MOM"! "Dad would have never done that", they said.

SUCESS Finally!

shh....I didn't tell them that the only reason we went at this absurd time was because I totally procrastinated going to this exhibit until the very last day it was open....and it was totally sold out except in the middle of the night! Oh well - it makes for great memories. Just for your information....it was packed at 1:00 am and our kids were the only ones there under the age of 18! So, truly I was the "fun mom"! (Thanks Celesta for being crazy enough to come with me)

The exhibit was so fascinating! My kids both are still talking about it. I was totally engrossed in every moment. All of my BYU Anatomy Lab days started rushing back to me....remember Sherine? I LOVED IT and would highly recommend it.

St. George, Celebrities, and Dogs

We decided to escape this dreary weather and head to sunny St. George. And, sunny it was!

60 DEGREES!!!

And so BEAUTIFUL!

I could live there....in the winter that is!




We had such a relaxing time, doing absolutely nothing! No laundry, no schedules, no school, no homework, no basketball games, no dance classes.....nothing but lots of swimming, basking in the sun at the park, hiking, golfing, golf ball hunting, movie watching, and playing as a family.




It was exactly what we all needed!

While swimming one day, I encountered a celebrity! Now, I have seen a few celebrities in my day....Alicia Keys, Martin Short, Karl Malone (is he a celebrity?) and more.....but I was most excited about this sighting. (Any of you that are true bloggers would agree.)

Into the pool area walked C Jane and her family! If you don't know C Jane and her family - you must click on her name and read her amazing and incredibly funny blog. When I saw her my initial reaction was to run up and give her a hug. Tell her what an incredible person I think she is, what an amazing writer, mother, and sister she is. How amazing she is for taking care of her sister's kids. How adorable her baby is in person, etc. etc. But my insecurities set in and I felt like I needed to give her family privacy. Instead I just gave her a big smile that I hoped portrayed my feelings.

One other exciting moment on our trip was picking up a little yorkie puppy for my sis-in-law. We thought it would be the perfect way to give our kids their "dog fix" since they can't stop begging for one.

Oh, how it backfired!

We wrongly took the kids with us to pick out the dog.....there were four of the cutest puppies wanting to be loved. So, obviously my kids thought we should take one home as well! We tried to explain that this wasn't a "spur of the moment" decision to make, and that although they were so cute - having a dog comes with much responsibility! This all fell on deaf ears because my kids bawled for a straight hour after leaving the dogs.

We are not talking just a little sniffling... we are talking about complete and utter crying! They were devastated, and we are definitely now "the meanest parents in the world".



Now, it is not that I don't like dogs....I don't mind them. It is just the fact that I have five kids -and I know that this dog will eventually become "my resposibility". I feel a little overwhelmed with my resposibilities as they are - that I am not sure I can add a dog in the mix. I can barely find a babysitter for my kids - and I don't even want to think about having to find a babysitter for my dog too. So, I would love to hear from you that have dogs.....do you recommend it??

More December Fun

I needed to document the rest of our December fun!



Kalli (my kids 2nd mom) got married! Love you Kals!

Annual Gingerbread House making party at Grandma Debbie's and Papa Bruce's

Pickleville Christmas Show, Family pics, and Christmas Eve at Grandma Nae and Papa Jer's

Phew! I think I am finally finished with December....but what a great month it has been.

Christmas Roundup

I LOVE Christmas. Always have since I have been little. It is so magical and wonderful. Kids are excited (and can be easily influenced into being good), people are kind, the decor everywhere is so beautiful, there are family parties galore, lots of good food. I just love the feeling!

As a mother, my favorite part is giving to my kids - and in turn teaching them about how exciting it is to give to others. I love teaching them about the ultimate gift we have all been given - our Savior Jesus Christ. It is just an all around wonderful holiday!

So here are a few pics to celebrate the occasion!



Christmas Morning: the kids all sleep together on Christmas Eve, wait at the top of the stairs...and then race down to see what Santa brought.



The "Christmas Hangover"



The party never ends!