the hansen's

New Family Pictures

2012-01-08T13:02:00.001-08:00

Another year has somehow passed! How did that happen? As I reflect on 2011 I have mixed emotions. This year has been hard! But, it has also been wonderful! We have had a lot of illness, sleepless nights and trying to figure out what the heck we are doing in life. But, we have grown so much and have had so many good times too.

The kids are loving school. And I do mean LOVING. The Montessori Charter school that they go to is amazing. It blows the education they were receiving at public school out of the water. All three of the older kids are learning and growing so much. Malia and Dalin keep themselves entertained so well as the only ones home most days.

I am very enthusiastic and hopeful for 2012. I am so grateful for the hard times that we had this year because they helped us, as a family grow and learn so much. We are better at somethings and also have a clearer picture of what we need to improve upon.

Here are some of our recent family pictures =) Warning: There's a lot, and they are in no particular order!

Halloween

2011-10-31T20:30:00.000-07:00

"Trick or Treating goes against everything we are taught as children: don't talk to strangers, don't take candy from strangers, don't knock on strangers doors..." -Dillon Kinser =)

But it is sooooooo fun!!!! We had a good Halloween. My kids had great costumes this year! We had fun with my parents and my sister, Tara and her family. The weather was warmer than I ever remember it being! Good times! Sugar highs, here we come!!!

Kylee, my zombie

That is Tyler under the werewolf mask. Dalin screamed his head off every time he saw Tyler.

Baily, the cutest cowgirl on the block!

Malia was "dorky" from the Wizard of Oz! There's no place like home!

No pictures of my baby D "panda bear'-he was sick and stayed home with grandma =(

Here's the gang!

Our lives can be measured by Halloweens! Another year down!

Clay in the Masters Hand

2011-09-27T22:50:00.000-07:00

Have you ever felt like a piece of clay in someones hand? When clay is first picked up it is cold and hard. Then, as pressure and heat are applied from palming and squeezing the clay it begins to soften, it begins to be pliable.

I have felt like that lump of clay these last couple of weeks. I have had some physical heat and pressure applied, and I won't lie, it didn't feel good. But in the process of all that pressure I have been soften, humbled and I have come to a place where I feel teachable and ready to get back on track and do the things that are required of me.

For the span of a week and a half I had been experiencing severe pain and flu-like symptoms from mastitis, a breast infection. From Day 1-6 I was put on 2 different antibiotics by an OBGYN. I waited the appropriate 3 days for each round, but because they were not treating me for the right bacteria the infection was raging and going untreated. I was getting worse by the minute. Fevers, body aches, anxiety attacks, sharp shooting pain...

We decided to go to the ER on day 6. I was put on yet another antibiotic and pain meds, this time through an IV, and was told to come back the next day for more. But, I was still not being treated with the right Medicine. Day 7, another dose of the wrong antibiotic.

Day 8, this was the worst day. I was praying for a miracle! I was sitting on the hospital bed in agony, when in walks my angel, Dr. Torres (aka: a doctor who knew what he was doing...finally) He took one look at me and knew that I was not doing well. He ordered a blood culture (why this wasn't done in the beginning is beyond me) to see what bacteria was causing the mess. I was finally given the right antibiotic and he tripled the dose! The next day I had improved by 50%.

I was sitting on the bed on the 9th and final day at the hospital. I was waiting for Dr. Torres to examine me again and give me my final dose of IV meds. I was staring at the yellow, blue and green stripped curtain that separated my bed from the door. A tear slipped down my check, but it wasn't a tear from the pain, like it had been so many times before, it was a tear of gratitude. I was overwhelmed with gratitude for my body and that it was healing. I promised then to never take my health for granted. I would wake up each day and fill my lungs with air and use all of my energy to the best of my ability.

I know that that week and half was a small bump in my road. I know that there are plenty of other people who endure far greater challenges, but that experience was enough for me, at least for now, to get me refocused and rededicated to being and doing my best.

I am so grateful that I am safely cupped in the warm, strong hand of my Heavenly Father, who knows my every thought and my every desire. I am so grateful that He knows me well enough to know that a little suffering will be best for me in the long run. I am grateful for the gift of an eternal perspective, because that doesn't always come naturally to me.

I am grateful he has given me the absolute best husband who cares for me above and beyond my expectations. I am grateful for my children who are patient and kind to me. They all knew Mommy had an infection and were attentive to my needs. Baily said to me before one of the last trips to the hospital, "Mom, I want you to get better so we can play again, cause you are the funnest Mom in the world!"

I am hoping that if you are still reading this you will find something to be grateful for. Don't let another moment pass you by without gratitude in your heart.

Check out my other blog, remembering JOY to read more about finding JOY in your journey.

Lets Play Catch-UP!!

2011-08-31T20:41:00.000-07:00

It has been so long since I have blogged!!! I can't believe how quickly time goes!

Here are some quick updates of everyone in the Hansen home...

Kylee just started 5th grade!! What??? She is 10 years old going on 20!! Kylee doesn't LOVE school, but she has made some good friends and is liking it okay. She is insanely smart and learning so much. She is my life-savor! She helps out so much around the house. She is so good with her siblings. She makes me laugh daily and I love being with her and talking to her.

Tyler started 3rd grade. This is the best grade in my opinion. They learn so much and so many new things at this level. He enjoys school and is kinda the class clown. He has his daddy's brain and is reading and spelling way beyond his grade level. He loves to play soccer and had his first game on Saturday. He is so full of questions and has the most vivid, lively imagination of anyone I have ever met. He is so obedient and patient with his sisters and baby brother.

Baily is in 1st grade. She made the transition from half day Kinder to full day school very well. Her and Tyler are in the same class and are doing well together. The Charter school that my kids go to is a Montessori School, and they have uni-level classes 1-3 and 4-6. I LOVE Tyler's teacher and knew that Baily would also thrive in her class. Baily is my sunshine. She is constantly coming up with new ideas. She brings so much hope and happiness to our family.

Malia is 3. She will be starting a neighborhood preschool in 2 weeks and she is very excited. Malia is quiet and well mannered, but also very imaginative and silly. We are having a fun time having her and Dalin at home all day. She mostly keeps herself busy watching Dora, coloring or playing dress-up.

Dalin just turned 1!! I really can't believe this! Wasn't he just born?! Dalin is the glue to our family. He is our shiny red caboose! He is so adored by us all. There isn't a laugh, smile or giggle that goes unnoticed by his parents or siblings. He almost fell off the bed the other day and I grabbed his leg just as he was plummeting off. The other kids heard me shout and all ran in to see what was wrong. We were all gathered around him and his scared whimper immediately turned into a glowing smile. He was so impressed with all of us watching him. He felt like a rock star!! He is on the move and is crawling everywhere and exploring everything.
James was just called to be the Elders Quorum President in church and was excited (that may not be the right word??) about that! He is still plugging along at the IRS. It is not his dream job, but works hard without a single complaint to provide for all of us. There could not be a better husband, father or man in all the world!

I am doing good too. The best I have ever been! I am loving being a mom! I find so much JOY in this role. I am also working hard on building my doTerra Essential Oils business. It is a newly found passion of mine. These oils are amazing and are blessing our lives daily. I am teaching classes and sharing them with people AND making some money as I do it. I LOVE it!!! If you want to learn more about doTerra's Essential Oils click here, or send me a note. I would love to teach you more and help you find ways to take care of yourself and your families health needs with these natural, 100% pure oils.

What a MONTH

2011-03-28T20:40:00.000-07:00

Wow! We have had a busy month! Dalin had RSV last week, and due to lots of prayers, a priesthood blessing, essential (kick butt) oils, and lots of TLC, he is doing great. He still isn't sleeping well, but I think it is mostly due to getting out of his routine. He thinks he needs to nurse ALL night long. And that just isn't working for me anymore...

Here's a sad, but still adorable picture of him getting a breathing treatment at the doctor.

The highlight of my months was getting to meet one of my hero's, Carol Tuttle . She is an author of some amazing books, that I have been eating up. She is an amazing, inspired woman and I am loving what I am learning from her. I just adore her, and I had the privilege to go down to her see her, at her Center for Living Your Truth in Draper, Utah and meet her. I was completely star struck and didn't have the courage to say all I wanted to her. Darn it! But luckily I will be attending more of the seminars she holds every month, so I will work up the nerve eventually to tell her that she is changing my life. She really is. Check out her books, and see the journey that I have been on.

Here are a couple shameless plugs to my Etsy store (where I am selling some COOL stuff that I have knitted and crocheted) and my new blog, Remembering JOY. I have put a lot of heart and time into my new blog. I am not an expert, and don't claim to know all there is about life, but I share with you some small ways we can start changing our lives and letting more JOY in!

Just Cuz....We Have Cute Kids

2011-02-12T20:55:00.000-08:00

Here are some cute new pictures of my rugrats who wake me up too early, never like my cooking, mess up a room as soon as it is clean, keep the washing machine going 24/7, never stay in bed when they are suppose to and who have completely stolen my heart forever.

"Cleaning and scrubbing can wait for tomorrow, for babies grow up, we've learned to our sorrow. So quiet down cobwebs, dust, go to sleep, I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep."

2011-01-04T21:09:00.000-08:00

There are a lot things in this life that I am not sure of. And even more things that I don't do very well. There are a lot missed opportunities, hurtful words spoken or tempers lost. I don't know how to keep my laundry pile from being a huge pile, or my bathtub clean. I am late to almost everything and have a really bad concept of time.

...But there is one thing that I am absolutely sure of. I was born to be a mother. I love all of my kids so much. But this little Dalin....every time I go to get him from a nap or just look down at him while I am feeding him and see his deep bright blue eyes, I am blown away. His eyes say so many things...That God lives, that despite hardships and let downs, there is Joy in life.There is HOPE and happiness to be had. I am so grateful and so blessed that Dalin and all of my kids remind me of that.

awwwwww!!!!

2010-12-20T21:02:00.001-08:00

Birthdays, Baptisms and Chubby Babies

2010-12-17T07:35:00.000-08:00

Tyler Turned 8 on the 3rd!!! He was so excited for his birthday. We took him and Kylee out of school early that day and we all went to see Mega Mind. It was a fun day.

Some of my favorite things about Tyler are;

-He LOVES to learn and is always asking questions and reading books.

-He is a natural athlete and the star of his soccer and basketball team.

-He is a good student

-He is most always kind to his sisters and smothers Dalin in kisses and does the cutest baby talk to him.

-He is a good friend

-He is very obedient

-His blue eyes and toothy grin melt my heart every time!

The next day was his baptism day. It was such an amazing day. Tyler was so prepared for baptism and at his young age already has a firm grasp on gospel principles. The spirit was so overwhelming strong there and I was very grateful to have such a boy as him.

Our sweet Dalin got CHUBBY over night. He is so fun and doesn't lack when it comes to getting his cheeks kissed.

O

James and Tyler were able to run in the Ogden Santa Run. Me and the other kids wen to watch. It was the funniest thing to I have ever seen to see all of those people dressed in Santa suits running down the road! They had fun and even got milk and cookies at the end of their race.

Autumn & My Grandpa

2010-11-16T22:26:00.000-08:00

I LOVE Autumn! It has always been my favorite season, especially since I have lived in Utah, where this season is so vivid. I love the smells and sounds of Autumn, the bundle-up-throw-your-slippers-on weather. I love the anticipation of Thanksgiving and Christmas time that Autumn bring.

One of my favorite memories of Autumn is my Grandpa and Grandma Nielsen's back yard. They have several large trees in their back yard and I have fond memories of playing in those leaves.

A couple of weeks ago I took my kids over there and we joined some cousins in raking and playing in my grandparents leaves. We had such a fun time.

My sweet grandpa's health is rapidly declining. He has suffered 4 mini strokes in the last year. My grandpa is one of my most favorite people. He is who I received my love of writing from. He raised a wonderful family, 6 girls, including my wonderful mother. He is patient, kind, very wise and brilliantly funny. He always has time for me and I have always known that he loves me. I am so grateful for him and the memories I have of him as a girl, and the new ones that I am desperately holding onto.

Malia Turns 3!!!

2010-11-08T15:11:00.000-08:00

Our sweet Malia turned 3 yesterday! I really can't believe she is 3. It seems like just yesterday she was born.

Here are some of the things we LOVE about Malia;

-She copies EVERYTHING ANYONE says, good or bad!

-She has an amazing imagination and can make-believe with

any inanimate object, like her feet, a spoon or a Tinkertoy.

-She is either in a princess dress or running around in her underwear.

-She thinks that Tyler is her "doggie", and actually calls him that more than she calls him Tyler. He loving plays along and they spend a lot of time running around the house together. When Malia opened her presents yesterday and one of them was a jump rope, this was the conversation,

Tyler- "Look Malia, it's a leash for Doggie!"

Maia- "Yahhh!" Then she hooked it around his neck.

-She is very sweet and loving.

-She thinks EVERYTHING belongs to her and can throw a fit like you wouldn't believe to get her way.

WE LOVE YOU MALIA!!!

Here are some cute picture that my good friend Teal took of Malia and the family. We also blessed Dalin yesterday and had a good time spending the day with friends and family.

Happy Hallow-eeng

2010-11-02T20:35:00.000-07:00

No- it is not a typo, that is how Baily and Malia say it, "Halloweeng!"

Besides going trick or treating in the POURING rain we had a great Halloween!

We celebrated at my mom and dad's with some Halloween games and yummy food. We usually trick or treat as a big group with my siblings, my Dad and their kids, but we were party pooped on this year... Dad had to work, Tara's family left early to go be a part of their neighbors spook alley, Tami has a one year old who didn't like getting rained on (the nerve...) and Troy and Rae Lynne had to up and move to Wyoming and weren't there at all. So it was just us.

My kids were so sad and for the first little while they were doing a whole lot of complaining. I finally convinced them (some would call it threatened) to cheer up and make the best of if. After that we had a great time. Thanks to my Mom who kept Dalin safe and dry with her in the house.

We didn't get as much candy this year (did I mention pouring rain) and the half of the kids candy that wasn't eaten before we made it home was sopping wet. Oh well...fewer cavities. Speaking of cavities...have you ever taken 4 kids to the dentist at the same time!!!??? Not fun, just got the bill in the mail today.

Kylee was a vampire countess.

Here she is with her friend, Holly.

Tyler was a knight.

Baily was Wonder Woman.

Malia is the Cat in the Hat (she is obsessed with the new show "The Cat in the Hat" on PBS)

And, of course, where would the Cat be without Thing 1 and Thing 2?!

My sweet Dalin was a monkey. He is almost 9 weeks. The time NEVER went by that fast when he was inside of me! He already weighs 11.5 pounds. We know how to fatten them up around here. He is in the middle of a yucky cold, that I gave him =( but other than that is doing well. I will quote a friend who also has a new baby, "With a newborn in the house, it's hard not to have a favorite child!"

Family Pictures

2010-10-13T20:22:00.001-07:00

Costumes

2010-10-07T21:32:00.000-07:00

Is she Hannah Montana??

Is she Cleopatra?

She's both, and she's asleep...

We got out the Halloween decorations and costumes today. Baily wore both the Cleopatra and Hannah Montana wigs ALL day. She cried when she had to take them off to go to soccer practice. So this is what I found when I went to check on her tonight.

And here's a picture of Baily and Dalin just cause they are cute!

My Poor Baby

2010-09-27T21:23:00.000-07:00

Our poor little baby had to go to the hospital last week. I brought him to the doctors on Thursday, Sept 23rd, because of a yucky cough he had that was getting worse. I was shocked when the doctor found that both of his ears where infected. She told me that when babies under 30 days get ear infections they worry because it usually means something more serious is going on inside their little bodies, so she told me to go to the hospital where they could run some tests and monitor him.

At the hospital they gave Dalin an IV, drew a whole lot of blood, did a spinal tap and a chest x-ray. When they took Dalin away for the spinal tap (no parents allowed for that procedure) James and I just cried and prayed and prayed some more. It was very scary. He did very well and they said most babies actually fall asleep during spinal taps because of the tight fetal position they get them into, which Dalin did, thank goodness)The chest x-ray was by far the worst thing. If you have ever seen or had one of your kids have a chest x-ray all I can say is I feel your pain, and if you haven't...I say pray you never do!!! They are awful. They have to stick the baby in a plastic clear cylinder shaped thing and strap them in with their arms above their head. It is torture!!! So hard to watch! He also had a heart rate monitors strapped to his chest and an oxygen monitor strapped to his foot.

I was grateful to the staff at McKay Dee for how thorough they were . They crossed every "t" and dotted every "i". I am so grateful for the doctors and nurses who were exceptionally good at their jobs and took very good care of Dalin.

After all the testing was done we played the waiting game, as we waited for all the results to come back. James came and went for the next 48 hours as he took care of the other kids and worked. My Mom came up for a little while to keep me company one day too. So Dalin and I got a lot of time to watch movies and take naps.

Besides his awful cough, you would have never known he was sick. He had no other symptoms, not a runny nose or a fever. We were relieved to find out that he did not have a secondary infection and that he had 2 viruses. One was the common cold virus, and the other was the virus that causes croup. The viruses where also the cause of the ear infections.

After a steroid shot to help open up his air way to help the cough we were able to come home Saturday afternoon. He is on antibiotics for his ears, but other than that he is doing great. He is a fighter, and we are so grateful that everything turned out to be okay. It could have been a lot worse.

Due Date

2010-09-17T19:14:00.000-07:00

September 17th...My due date...And my 3 week old baby!!!

First of all, I can't believe that Dalin is 3 weeks old! He has fit so flawlessly into our family that it seems like he has always been here.

He is the sweetest, most cuddly, lovable little boy ever. I am soooo enjoying him. I am so grateful that I feel so good (mentally and physically) and that I have been able to enjoy these last couple of weeks.

After the kids go to bed is when Dalin has started to stay awake for a couple of hours. This is my time to love on him and get to know him more. He is so great, and I can't wait to have many more years with him!

Right after a bath

Perspective

2010-09-15T20:11:00.000-07:00

Change the way you LOOK at things and the things you look at CHANGE

Can't Get Enough

2010-09-09T19:42:00.000-07:00

It really pays to know people in the photography business!! A friend of mine was kind enough to take some amazing pictures of Dalin. He just gets cuter everyday!!!

Happy Hansens

2010-09-07T22:47:00.000-07:00

Things are going pretty good around here. Dalin has just fit right into our family. He is the icing on our cake!! He is so sweet and everyone is adjusting well to having this precious little guy in our home.

His jaundice levels were really high when we had his check-up last week, due to his immature digestive system that couldn't filter the bilirubin out fast enough. He had to be under the UV lights, which wasn't fun, but it could have been worse. We are just grateful he is here and healthy.

We will probably be able to take him off the lights tomorrow. Here he is, snuggled in the bilirubin light bed. It fits snugly into his bassinet, so we just put him in that.

This is him with the portable light that we can use while I am feeding him, or to just hold him. It fits right under his back and the band you can see is just a strap you Velcro over his belly.

We are all doing well and loving our little Dalin. He is such a blessing and we just can't get enough of him. We are so lucky!

Tyler is thrilled that Dalin looks EXACTLY like he did when he was a baby. He is a good big brother and glad to not be so out numbered anymore!!

Dalin David Hansen

2010-08-30T09:04:00.000-07:00

He's Here!

Our sweet little man came 3 weeks early, On August 27th, 2010!

I went into labor on my own Friday morning but didn't believe it was real. So I went about my day. At about 4:00 I decided that the contractions that were coming every 2-3 minutes were real and that we better head to the hospital. I was still in major denial and knew that they were just going to send me home. We took the kids to a friends house and headed to the hospital. I had been dilated to a 3 for the last couple of weeks and sure enough, when they checked me at the hospital I was dilated to a 5. I was in labor and we were having a baby that day.

I had an epidural put in a little while later, and while I couldn't feel the contractions anymore the epi made me really sick. Good thing it didn't take him much longer to come after that. I only pushed for about 10 minutes.

Dalin was born at 11:36pm. 7lbs, 110z, 20 inches long. He is healthy, and has a full head of beautiful brownish-blond hair. He is the most loved little boy ever, and we couldn't have asked for anything more.

2010-08-24T20:25:00.000-07:00

First Day of School-

The kids all started their new school. It is the first year that this Montessori Charter school has opened. They were all very excited! I kept asking if they were nervous and they all said, "No, just excited!" They all looked so cute and had a great first day.

Second Day of School-

This day was a little bit more adventurous. James went to pick up Baily from kindergarten in the morning and was told that the school was in "lock down" because some idiot in a house behind the school was shooting at his sister who he was in a fight with. When police arrived at this guys house he barricaded himself in and was in a stand-off with a swat team pretty much all morning and afternoon. So there was no one coming in or out of the school. The lock down was called off at around 1 pm when the guy decided it was a better idea to kill himself.

CRAZY!!

The school did a beautiful job at keeping the kids safe and for the most part clueless as to what was happening. I was very pleased with their efforts. Besides Tyler looking out his window at the exact time a SWAT guy did a "cool army roll" over a hill into the back yard of this guys house, they really didn't know what was going on until they got home and we talked about it with them.

Sooooo- Schools back in session. Malia gets to spend a lot of time with me and James, or "My Daddy" as she like to say. We are patiently (I use the word patiently very lightly) waiting for the day Dalin decides to join the family. Besides the fact that I am dilated almost 4cm and having constant contractions pretty much all day, we are hanging in there.

UPDATES

2010-08-12T21:32:00.000-07:00

Quick updates on the Hansen's...

I had a good doctors appointment today. I told my mid-wife that I was feeling a lot of pressure and was continuing to have some strong contractions. She decided to check me and found that I am dilated 3cm and 70% effaced. She said my cervix was also very soft. I was shocked because I truly have believed that this little man will never come out!!! It was just a relief to know that my body is doing what it is suppose to and that I am advancing.

I am fully aware of the fact that being this dilated doesn't really mean anything, and I could go the rest of the 5 weeks before he comes, but I am okay with that. I will just be a third of the way dilated when he actually comes.

Here I am at 35 weeks...If "huge" is the first word that comes to your mind, don't worry, you are not the only one...I hear it EVERYDAY.

James is surviving the IRS, and though he doesn't love it, he endures it so well. He has fixed 2 fuel pumps in the last week (the burb and the truck). That was not fun. He is a trooper and on top of all his responsibilities continues to be a great dad and husband and takes very good care of his family.

Kylee, Tyler and Baily are really excited (yes, excited) to start school. I think I bored the heck out of them this summer and they are ready for a change of pace and interaction with other children. They start on the 23rd, and I think it is safe to say that we are all excited to have school start again. The one line from the Christmas song "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" that says..."and Mom and Dad can hardly wait for school to start again..." always offended me as a child. Why in the world would my parents want school to start again and want me to leave them for 6 hours a day??? I get it now.

Malia has grown up overnight! Don't get me wrong, she throws a fit like no one you've ever seen, and thinks EVERYTHING belongs to her, but she is growing by leaps and bounds. I had pretty much given up on the idea of potty training her before Dalin arrived, because she would have nothing to do with peeing in the potty, but one day she asked if she could go to the bathroom, and she actually did, and from that point on she has been potty trained. She literally trained her self. I had nothing to do with it. It has been awesome. She is also sleeping in a big-girl bed and has done that exceptionally well also. Good stuff.

I am so grateful for my family. How I adore them. I had a day and a half a couple of weeks ago when my sweet sister, Tara took all the kids and had them spend the night with her. It was weird because I had nothing to do. The house stayed clean. The laundry didn't multiply like rabbits before my eyes and I found myself bored. That is something that I never am. It made me realize how much I love being a Mom. There is nothing better.

Hello Epidural! Here I come!

2010-07-14T20:37:00.000-07:00

As some of you may know, I had Baily and Malia without an epidural. It was fine with Baily, just what I wanted and great. Then came Malia. I don't know if it was because she was posterior, or because I was in the hospital ALL day and not really in labor until the end of the day or what but her birth was not so fun. Really painful!

Well, when I got pregnant with Dalin I was almost positive that I was going to get an epidural. But today at my Dr. appointment my "almost positive" turned into "pretty darn sure". Our little man's head is measuring almost 5 weeks ahead. His other measurements are about 2 weeks ahead. 2 weeks ahead...no biggy...but the size of this guys head...OUCH!

Celebrating our Freedom

2010-07-08T21:38:00.001-07:00

We had our annual 4th of July Celebration at Layton park with my family. It was so much fun. Thanks for the photo's Tam!

This is what Malia thought of the parade!!

My sleepy man. He ran the 5k race that morning.

My kids and Tara's kids watching the parade, hoping for candy!!

My girls

Tyler and cousin Austin up a tree

God is GOOD

2010-07-07T21:55:00.000-07:00

Just thought I would share...

Today was one of those days. From the moment I woke up I could tell that it was going to be a hard day. With our A/C going out the night before, money troubles, pregnancy aches and pains, lack of sleep and 4 rambunctious children in need of...well, everything!!! I was at a breaking point. My already frazzled pregnancy emotions couldn't handle the weight of my responsibilities.

Then, I got a call from a dear friend and neighbor in the early afternoon who can read me like a book. I was able to talk to her and unload some burdens. She then told me that on Sunday while she was sitting in Sacrament Meeting the spirit whispered to her that she needed to bring me dinner on Wednesday (that is today!) When she told me this I got chills from head to toe.

This I know...My heavenly Father knows me. He knew the exact day and the exact hour that I would need him the most. He told someone who was listening to his sweet spirit that I was going to need a little extra help. The spaghetti that she brought tonight was extra yummy, because I knew that it was a direct answer to my prayers and a direct message from my Heavenly Father that he cares.

Never doubt that God is Good, that he loves us and that he will not forsake us in our time of need.

My Summer Survival Items

2010-06-28T21:53:00.000-07:00

If I think too hard about surviving 11 more weeks of being pregnant, I can get really down, so here are just a few of the items that I am relying heavily on to get me through this HOT, LONG summer...in no particular order...

My heating pad...I have 7 little words to say to you, O heating pad..."I love you, sweet, relief-bringing pad!" I don't know what I would do with out this baby. He gets me through the long days and all the back pain!

My 101 pillows. My poor husband has a sliver of the bed left after I get cozy.

Books, books and more books. I have read more books in the last 6 months than I have my WHOLE life!

All I can say if you are not currently cooking with a crock pot WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR??!!! There is nothing that makes me happier than to have a nice, warm, yummy dinner ready for me at dinner time. My brain and body shut down in the evening and I don't know what I would do with you this brilliant cooking contraption.

We just got a new pool for the back yard, and I am LOVING it. The kids don't fight in the pool, they don't make the house a mess when they are in the pool, and I get to sit in a lawn chair under and umbrella and read! What could be better?!

And LAST but not LEAST... My survival Item #1... My man! We just celebrated our 10th year anniversary on the 23rd! He is my support, my cheerleader, my sanity. He lets me sleep in, tells me I am beautiful and completely denies the fact that I am getting old and fat! He makes me laugh and keeps me grounded. He honors his priesthood and leads and directs our home in a peaceful, easy going manner.

When I first saw James at a singles ward in Layton, UT I knew that I knew him. Though I had never met him before I knew his face. I wracked my brain the whole church block trying to remember where I knew him from. As we became friends and started dating I quickly realized that he was my soul mate, my spiritual companion and that I did know him. The spirit bore witness to me that I had known James in the life before this one. I never questioned that I was going to marry him and be his wife.

We married young, I was only 20, but there has never been a day, not even on our hard days, that I have regret starting a life with him.

One wise woman once said that you know you have a good man when he will swim threw shark infested waters to bring you a lemonade. Yup...I got one!

Happy 10th James and here's to a lot more!

**Check out the latest "My kids say the darndest things" on the side for a good laugh and the next post about our fun camping trip**

Another Fun Summer Outing

2010-06-28T21:43:00.000-07:00

My grandparents have a cabin in Logan, UT that we like to go to a couple of times a year. We spent 3 days there, with just our little family. It was so fun. We had a very relaxing time. On the last day we went to Bear Lake and spent the day there. Here are some highlights.

We had a really scary experience the first night we were there. We were roasting marshmallows by the fire, having a great time getting sticky. Tyler was sitting in a chair and bent down to pick up a stick off the ground. His chair began to tip forward, and before we knew it he had lost his balance and was falling face first into the fire! The fire was this big...I had him re-enact how he landed the next day (below). James reacted with lightning speed and pulled Tyler up, and I yanked his shirt off. To our amazement there wasn't a single singe on him. Not a single burn mark. It was too close to home for us because when Tyler was only 2 years old he fell into a fire when we were camping. The fire wasn't quite as big, but it was almost the same situation. He fell in, James yanked him out and I yanked his pants and shoes off. And again, not a mark on his body. This little man of mine must have something pretty important to do in life, because we have witnessed true miracles, TWICE! where he could have been badly injured. I am very humbled by these 2 experiences. AND--it will be a long time before we roast marshmallows again!!

We created a little lake with-in a lake for Malia to happily play. She loved it!

Family Fun and Cute Pics

2010-06-15T20:07:00.000-07:00

Summer vacation has begun!

When I haven't felt like sleeping or puking...or sleeping...we have been having some fun!
We had a fun weekend with James' family at the Hansen reunion in Manti, Utah. We had a great time, and enjoyed spending time with everyone. Here are some pics from that weekend.

This is the "cabin" aka: mansion/lodge we stayed in. It is James' Aunt and Uncles cabin. Equipped with 9 bedrooms and every other thing you could imagine. It was in a beautiful location and we hardly noticed that it rained the whole weekend cause we were having so much fun.

Hot tubbing it

This is Malia's new funny face. Just try not to laugh...

Playing in the shower while Mom does her hair!

After our fun weekend we stopped by my sister Tami's house and had a picnic lunch. She is a great aspiring photographer and snapped these great shots.

Kylee and my nephew, Spencer.

Just an update on our little man still growing inside of me...HE IS GROWING! I get a comment or two DAILY on how big I am. I really have gotten huge. I feel like I should be delivering tomorrow, not 3 months from now! I just don't know where I am going to fit the rest of this growing boy! He is very healthy though and we are so excited to have him join our family.

MUD

2010-06-01T20:25:00.000-07:00

The first sunny day in a long time + Rain the night before + dirt +my kids=

My Man

2010-05-27T12:09:00.000-07:00

My man is 32 years young today!!!

There is no way I could do James justice in this post. For those of you who know James you know what a great guy he is. He is a wonderful father and from the first moment Kylee was put into his arms he took to being a dad so well. He has amazed me at how much he teaches, loves and serves our kids.

He is a better husband than I deserve, that is for dang sure! He helps me be a better person and loves, pampers and takes care of me effortlessly. He is patient, kind, and giving. He makes me laugh daily (most times unintentionally...). He is the best partner a girl could ask for.

Here he is (2nd from left) with two of his brothers and two friends. He ran the 7 mile leg of the Ogden marathon relay race. He did great!

Happy Birthday James, we love you!

Going Private

2010-05-11T21:48:00.000-07:00

I have been wanting to go private for a while and am finally gonna do it. Please leave your email address for me (even if you think I have yours) so I can add you to my special super-dee-duper blog. Thanks and have a great day!

There's a Real Person In There

2010-05-06T16:39:00.000-07:00

We had our half way target ultrasound yesterday. Dalyn is perfectly healthy. He was doing rolls and somersaults. What a wiggler! James and I are both so grateful and amazed that we have been blessed with 5 healthy babies.

He did measure 2 weeks ahead, though. The tech said that because I am so certain of my last period that they weren't going to change my due date. Sept. 5th sound a lot better than Sept. 17th, but I am sticking with the 17th so that I don't get my hopes up. It could be that he is just a big guy. They are going to keep a close eye on him and make sure that he isn't growing too fast. I kept telling everyone that I felt bigger and I could tell that he was huge, but no one believed me! =)

Here is the cute 3D ultrasound of our little man. If I have learned anything in my young life it is to never to get your hopes up...I don't mean that in a bad way, just a realistic one. I started to feel better for about two weeks and now I am sick again. Not as sick as before, but still yucky and soooooooo tired. No, I mean really tired. I can not keep my eyes open. So I am trying to keep my expectations low, and again, I don't mean that in a bad way...just in a realistic, survive the day, get up and do it all again the next day.

Half Way There...

2010-04-30T11:01:00.000-07:00

I've come so far...but have, oh, so far to go...

Heaven Help Me!

Baily's 5th Birthday

2010-04-28T21:27:00.000-07:00

Geez...I'm getting old. My little Baily is 5! Baily came into this world April 26th, 2005. She has a smile that will make any ones day and a laugh that is so contagious. Out of all my kids she is the "mama's girl" and is by my side 24/7. Recently, when I am resting on the couch, she will come up and lay right by me and stick her arm under my neck and just lay with me.

Here are some things we love about our 5 year old:

-She says "I love you" to everyone, all the time.

-She is a natural "girl". She loves all things pink and knows how to bat those eyelashes to get what she wants (yikes...)

-She loves being outside.

-She says the sweetest prayers and always thinks of everyone in her prayers. Some examples: "Help Kylee and Tyler to stay in their beds" (at night), "Help Malia to learn everything." "Help Daddy to not fall asleep at work."

-She loves to help me cook. Aunt RaeLynne gave her a pink spatula, measuring cups and an apron for her b-day last year and she uses them daily.

-Her nicknames are Bella Blue (Malia and I call her this and it's so cute to hear Malia wondering the house shouting "Bella Blue!!?"), Belly (Tyler called her this when she was born because he couldn't pronounce Baily), Puffy (Daddy called her this when she had a bad eye infection and her eye swelled shut...it just stuck...)

Baily loves getting attention from her older brother and sister and will try to get it by any means necessary....which also makes for time well spent in the time-out chair =) She loves affection and is constantly seeking hugs, kisses and tickles.

She is looking forward to going to Kindergarten in the Fall and when I teased her about her not being able to go to school cause I would miss her too much she said, "Mom, but I have to go, cause I have to get really smart!"

What a joy and a blessing our Baily is. We love you!!!

We had a joint Family party on Sunday for her and her cousin Troy Jr., whose birthday is on the 21st.

Here she is on her actually birthday. We had those of James' family who could make it over for pizza, cake and ice cream.

The Saturday before her birthday she went to lick some cheese off of the stove top and drug her finger across a hot burner! OWW! She cried for the rest of the day and was in a lot of pain. There is a huge blister on her finger now. Poor girl.

Here she is opening her presents. Notice the blister on her finger.

New Bike!

2010-04-20T21:59:00.000-07:00

I have a tradition that as soon as we find out what we are having AND I start to feel better I make a rag quilt for my baby. It helps me connect a little bit more, and have something tangible to get me through the back pain, heartburn and sleepless nights. I am truly grateful to be having another boy and little Dalyn is already such a big part of our family. The kids pray for him every night and the other night Baily said in her prayer, "Please help Mommies baby to be nice to her." Cute.

A Mothers Prayer

2010-04-20T21:32:00.000-07:00

Have you ever just looked over at the child...whether they are a day old or 30 years old and had to take a double take because of how big they had gotten while you weren't watching? That happened today, TWICE...with Kylee and Tyler. It shook me to the core.

Kylee asked me if she could take a shower this evening...now that in and of itself is huge because she hates taking showers and the thought of getting clean and looking nice was a big waste of time until today...so that was monumental. She said she really wanted to look nice for school tomorrow. I just looked at her and got choked up at her maturity.

For those of you who know Kylee, know that was born mature. She has always been too big for her britches. It just hit me today how fast she is growing.

Then as Tyler is shoveling food into his mouth at dinner....and I mean shoveling food...I could almost see a teenage Tyler sitting at my table with his head in his hand, elbow resting on the table with only one thing on his mind, FOOD!!

He is a very good kid, the best, and he has always been really affectionate with me and always lets me know he loves me. Well after family prayers he put his hands on my knees and gets really close to my face and stared into my eyes for a couple of seconds and said, "Mom, I love you." It was so sweet and for the second time today I was hit upside the head that my kids are growing up. I am bringing new life into this world in only a few short months, and I am also raising little people. It is a such a big job, and one that I often feel overwhelmed with, but I am doing it, and I must say...I love it.

The words to a Celine Dion Song, that I love, say it best:

A Mother's Prayer

I pray you'll be my eyes

And watch her where she goes

And help her to be wise

Help me to let go

Every mother's prayer

Every child knows

Lead her to a place

Guide her with your grace

To a place where she'll be safe

I pray she finds your light

And holds it in her heart

As darkness falls each night

Remind her where you are

Every mother's prayer

Every child knows

Need to find a place

Guide her with your grace

Give her faith so she'll be safe

A Birthday, Easter and Cute Pics!!

2010-04-08T21:10:00.000-07:00

KYLEE TURNED 9!!!

No way. i just can't believe that my baby is 9. It isn't possible!

We had a wonderful day with Kylee. She has always wanted to go to a hotel for her birthday so we packed up the family after school on Wednesday and headed to a hotel in Layton. We swam, ate way too much junk food, stayed up way too late, jumped a few too many times on the hotel beds and had a great time.

The swimming pool was heavily, heavily chlorinated and when we got done swimming that night all of the kids, except Malia, were screaming in pain from burning eyes! It was so sad =( Because the rest of us where fine we just assumed that it was the hot tub that was causing their eyes to burn (because the three older kids where the only ones to get in the hot tub) and so we went swimming again in the morning and no one was allowed in the hot tub, but again, when we got out and went back to our room, every one's eyes were stinging. It was horrible. I called and complained to the hotel because Kylee even had some burns on her legs from the chlorine. Horrible! They had to sit with cold wash clothes on the eyes. =(

Baily had it the worst.

But- We had a blast and Kylee said it was her best birthday ever!

Here are some things we love about Kylee:

-She makes everyone around her SMILE!!

-More than one of her school teachers have told us what a good leader Kylee is. She stands up for others and is a good example and her class mates are naturally drawn to her.

-She hates most meat.

-She does her own hair every morning and is getting really good at it.

-She gets Malia out of her crib almost every day. Sometimes Malia would rather be with Kylee than me =(

-She has a wonderful, quick-witted sense of humor.

-She can sometimes be very swift to over react and pull quite the drama-queen scene.

-She loves playing soccer, dancing and listening to music.

I adore this little girl and am so blessed to be her mother! Happy Birthday Kylee, we LOVE you!

EASTER

We had a great Easter! We loved watching conference, and actually got to HEAR some of conference this year! Our kids were abnormally good and sat through MOST of both Saturday and Sunday's sessions.

Here are some pics of the kids in their Easter clothes. I finished sewing Malia's dress about an hour before our Easter dinner with family =)

My sis Tami took some cute pics of the kids at the annual Easter Egg hunt at my Grandparents house in Ogden. She did an awesome job!

By the way...I see a light at the end of the tunnel with my morning sickness. I have more good days than bad, and even though the bad days are still yucky, I do feel some of my energy coming back. I may Survive. Cross your fingers! So, sorry to all of my friends and family who I have neglected these past 3 months

Slugs and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails...

2010-04-05T12:57:00.000-07:00

...That's what little boys are made of...

It's official...We are having BOY!!!

We are so excited! I went to the dr. today and she said that she was 100% sure! We have agreed on a name also,

Dalyn David Hansen

Time to start sewing some blankets!

I Must Brag

2010-03-15T21:07:00.000-07:00

I need to Brag about James for a minute...

I can not tell you what a winner I have. You would think after going through 5 pregnancies with sick, grumpy me he would have thrown in the towel long ago. But no. He is not only still here, but he is amazing. He has made dinner every night since I have been sick. He folds laundry and puts it away. He does the dishes, cleans the house and puts the kids to bed. He even changed the cat liter box once. He nearly vomited doing that! =)

What a trooper! I will never complain again when I see his socks a foot from the hamper. Those socks belong to the best husband in the world.

Baby #5

2010-03-06T14:11:00.000-08:00

For those of you who don't know yet, we are expecting Baby #5!!! We are very excited! I get this question a lot, "Was it on purpose?"

So here is the very much on purpose story behind the reason we are adding another monkey to the zoo.

After Malia's very hard, and somewhat traumatizing birth I knew that I didn't want to have any more babies...or I guess I should say,I really really didn't want to have any more babies. We actually came close to tying up the ol' tubes. But when Malia was about 1 I started hearing a little voice in my head (no, not that kind of voice...some would call it the spirit). I did EVERYTHING in my power to quiet the voice. I didn't want to have another baby! I was perfectly happy with my 4 beautiful angels.

Then, one day, comes Tyler, "Mommy? (with tears in his eyes) I really need a brother!" He would come up to me at random times for months and ask when his brother was coming, he would show me where his brother could put his toys when he got here, and where his brother could sleep. It was a combination of this and that little voice in my head that allowed me to finally start considering if we truly had our whole family here.

I waited a while before telling James that I thought we needed to have one more. I couldn't believe it myself still and I knew he would be shocked. But because I have such a wonderful husband, who is close to the spirit and loves me so much, he agreed that we weren't quite done yet.

I still can't believe that I am almost done with the 1st trimester of my 5th pregnancy and that there is an actual life inside of me again. I feel so blessed that Heavenly Father trusts us enough to share another little angel with us.

I have had 2 DR. visits already and we have seen the baby and his/her strong little heart beat. It is amazing! We have talked about the fact quite frequently with Tyler that it may not be a brother but he so eloquently put my worries to rest when he said, "It's okay if I get another sister, Mom, I really like my sisters."

Besides the fact that I am sick 24/7... things are going really good. The kids love school (Tyler actually said that he loved school yesterday!) Amazing! Baily and Malia keep me hopping and James' job is doing great. Some really good news is that the 3 older kids were accepted into a new charter school that is coming this fall to North Ogden. (Yes- my Baily is going to be a kindergartner!) It is a Montessori Academy. The Montessori teaching method is a more hands on method where the kids are learning by using tangible things, instead of text books and worksheets. I am very excited about this, especially since I have been trying to get them into a charter school for 3 years now!

I said at the end of 2009 in a past post that I could feel that 2010 was going to be a great year, and it has been. I feel so blessed, happy and fortunate. Keep me in your prayers, and I will let you all know as soon as we know if Tyler will get his brother, or if I will be doing 4 girls hair everyday =)

See what I have to put up with...

2010-01-08T16:25:00.000-08:00

It's hard being me sometimes. While my oldest two are at school filling there brains with smarts I get to stay home and watch princess movies, button up princess dresses, dance to princess music all day long. It's tough being me.

Jr. Jazz Basketball

2010-01-04T21:14:00.000-08:00

Is this not the cutest picture ever (thanks Rae for letting me steal it!) My sweet Tyler and his best bud/cousin Troy Jr.! They were on the same city basket ball team together. These two boys were made from the same mold and will be best buds forever.

My little Tyler is quite the basketball star (I'd like to believe he gets his athletic abilities from me...a girl can wish, can't she??) He was so fun to watch and I can't wait until next year!

2010!!!!!!!!!!!

2010-01-01T18:52:00.000-08:00

A New Year (insert HUGE sigh of relief here)...I woke up this morning with a very peaceful feeling. I have often thought that our society puts too much emphasis on New Years and resolutions. We should be trying to do our best and be better every day, right, not just at the beginning of a new year? But I must say that this year is a little different for me. With all the trials we have faced this year, we have also been blessed more than I could say. We have learned a lot about patience, obedience and faith. I feel like James and I are being given a second chance to LOVE more, be better parents, and spouses. We are going to try to use our time and money wiser. We will try to take every moment to remember how important our children are and how fast they grow. I feel like I have been given a second chance to show my Savior that I can live up to the potential he sees in me.

I am excited for 2010! It is going to be a good year!

Here are some fun pictures of our New Years Eve party. My sister, Tara and her family-My bro Troy and his family-My Mom and Dad were all there (we missed you Tami and Nate and baby Spencer! Get feeling better!)

Playing Games (Me, Troy, Brother-in-law Chris, and my Dad)

Rockin' out to Lego Rock Band! Notice who is at the Drums....My Mom! Rock on! (Nephew Dillon, Niece Ariel, My mom, Kylee and James)

My sister-in-law RaeLynne! She was jammin'!

Malia fell asleep with her face in the couch before the party even started =)

When James got home from work we realized we were matching on not-purpose ( I know that non-purpose isn't a word, but it is now.) How can you not take a picture of that!

2009-12-28T16:49:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful Christmas. We were able to spend some great time with the Hansen's in Vernal, UT on Christmas Eve and then with my family on Christmas. We were beyond blessed from so many people! We received more than we deserved. I will let the pictures do the talking.

Kylee's favorite gift

Tyler with a new shirt

The kids playing on a huge pile of snow at Grandma and Grandpa Hansen's house

Christmas Eve in Vernal

Malia with her new pillow

At the Hansen's

My Dad and Tyler building a Lego Bionical

The kids with my parents

Happy Children!

Good Food, Good Times and Best Buds!!!

2009-12-14T08:16:00.000-08:00

I had the best weekend! It all started with my best friend Tracy coming into town from my home town Sacramento, CA on Thursday. She was able to hang out during the day on Friday and see a crazy day-in-the-life of me...surprisingly enough she still wants to have kids of her own after being here!!!

Then we met up with my other 2 best buds Kari and Melanie (we have all been friends since we were 9 and 10!) at a fabulous hotel in SLC. We ate yummy food, listen to music from back in the day, looked through old album's and said stuff like "How did our mothers let us out of the house in that! What is my hair doing in that picture! Why didn't someone tell me that guy I dated was a looser!"

We stayed up way too late, ate too much junk and had the time of our lives. I love these girls and love how well they know me. It was hard to leave them and I just want you girls to know how much I love you and how grateful I am for you!!!

Tyler Turns 7!!

2009-12-09T06:07:00.001-08:00

Tyler is 7 now! His birthday was on the 3rd. We celebrated on his birthday by getting our new car, and then going to the fun zone (Tyler's heaven on earth). He had his first friend party on Saturday. It was pretty crazy fun. I learned my lesson on not inviting so many boys.

Tyler is so special to our family. He is the survivor of three sisters, that in itself is a big accomplishment. There would be a huge hole in all of our lives without our Ty. Here are a few of the things that make Tyler unique:

-He gets 100 % on almost all his spelling tests-

-He loves to play sports and is really good at soccer and basketball-

-He is very obedient and almost never questions "why" when he is told to do something-

-He talks baby talk to Malia, and always makes sure she has what she needs (even when she may not deserve it)-

-He can play by himself for hours, just in his imagination-

-He is a very grateful boy. Ever since he was old enough to talk he remembers his pleases and thank yous-

We love you Tyler! Happy Birthday! (ps. there may have been another birthday around here, a certain old lady turned 30...but we are not mentioning who....shhhh.....)

Here are James and Kylee as the pirates in charge of the treasure hunt at the party. Pretty cute, huh!

Christmas Miracles and Restored Hope

2009-12-04T09:18:00.001-08:00

To begin, I am not telling this story because I want you feel sorry for me. I tell this story because I want to testify that God is real! He hears our prayers! He knows us personally! If you are reading these words, and you have ever doubted that there is a Heavenly Father, or if he has given up or not cared about you, I am here to tell you that he knows you and loves you...And miracles DO still happen!

It all started back in August when our mini van decided it didn't want to work anymore. So, I drove the truck around and James was able to use his scooter. While we were waiting for the diagnosis on the van the trusty and reliable scooter (that is a complete exaggeration) decided it didn't like working either. So...we were down to one vehicle, the truck. My brother and sister-in-law very generously offered to let us drive there Pontiac.

We got the news not long after that our van had a cracked piston and needed a whole new engine. It would cost almost twice as much as the van was worth to fix. We just didn't have the money.

At least we had the Pontiac, and at least we had the truck, right? Well, about 2 weeks ago the truck decided that it felt left out and wanted to stop working. Really? Could this be happening? How does something like this even make sense? We have no vehicles left!

I don't remember very many times in my life when I have actually gone to my knees and asked my Father in Heaven for a miracle. A miracle is what it would take. And we needed one.

It was about 8:00pm on Wednesday night when we received our miracle. A large sum of money was given to us, with the instructions to go buy a new car! Now I use the term "new" loosely, BUT the vehicle that were able to purchase with our Christmas miracle money is as wonderful and beautiful as anything I have ever seen. Here are the key features: It starts! It runs! It fits our whole family! And it's OURS!

I know that God lives. He hears our prayers. He may let a struggle sometimes. He may humble us, and allow us an opportunity to rely on faith, and long suffering...But then he blesses us. This I know! Please think about and give thanks for the miracles in your life.

Turkey Day Fun

2009-11-28T10:26:00.000-08:00

We had a great thanksgiving. We spent the day at my dad's parents house. It was a small gathering (compared to how many people there are in the family). It was my parents, all my siblings and their families and my Uncle and his family. We had a wonderful day. I didn't get as many pics as I wanted, but here are a few...

My sister Tami with her baby, Spencer. Isn't he wonderful?!! He is almost as chubby as Malia was. Almost. My mom and Kylee

We headed over to the park after eating. The kids had a great time. Malia spent the whole time going up and down the slide. She would sit down at the top of the slide and fold her hands like this and slide down, it was cute. Kylee wore flip flops to the park...yes...flip flops and was playing basketball and skinned a huge chunk of her toe off. It was not a pretty sight. Then, my brother, Troy (who is a bigger sucker than I am) told the kids that they could have $5 for every time they stole the ball away from him in their basket ball game. Tyler walked away with $20 in his pocket and Kylee with $5. Good times!

my thanks

2009-11-25T06:57:00.000-08:00

There is a beautiful excitement and peace that comes with this time of year. We all feel it. Something changes in the air. Something changes in people. I feel it more today than anytime before. I feel a peace and a hope that hasn't been there for very much of this year.

If I was looking at this last year as a glass half empty, I would whine and tell you about all of the hardships. The trial after trial that have come, one right after the other with no breathing room. But if I was to look at it as a glass half full, this is what I would tell you. These are my thanks...

James. How grateful I am for my husband. I did not know that men like him existed. He is so good, and patient, kind, helpful, forgiving, understanding, intelligent, funny, humble and strong. He honors his priesthood and honors his role as husband. To that, I am grateful.

My kids. When I was a girl I filled my days playing with dolls and imagined being a mother. My own mother instilled in me a reverence and an appreciation for the importance of being a mother. But even that would not have prepared me for how much I would love being a mother. Is it painfully hard at times, YES. But the joy that I feel when I look into their little faces far out way the bad times. I am thankful to be a mom.

I am grateful for my health. I am grateful for sleep =) I am grateful for my family and for James' family. I am grateful for friends. Good food. My home. The mountain. Summer nights. The Gospel. Volleyball. Spring. Christmas music. Hot showers. Exercise. The beach.

I could go on, but I would just bore you.

I have come to realize in my life that our glass is more than likely always going to be half empty if we let it. It doesn't have to be. There are always half full things around us, if we let there be.

Happy Thanksgiving. Eat Lots and Prosper!

Boosum Buddies

2009-11-17T12:43:00.000-08:00

My good friend Tiffany just gave me a bunch of pictures of Malia and her little girl, Allie. Malia and Allie were born three days apart and they love each other soooo much. Malia will talk about Allie all the time and visa-versa. When ever they see each other they get so excited and always leave each other with a hug. Here they are. So Sweet.

A couple weeks old.

2 months (cute matching dresses and blankets.)

About 7 or 8 months old. Look how cute they are!

18 months old! Best Buds!

My Baby is Two!!

2009-11-09T22:21:00.000-08:00

Who could forget those Chubs!

Malia Ann is 2!!! I can't believe that she is 2!!! I remember as if it were yesterday bringing her home. The day Malia was born was a crazy one. It was the longest day of my life. We arrived at the hospital at 5:30 am. Malia was posterior and for the past 3 weeks I had had excruciation back pain. I was going to have my water broken, but the hospital and my mid-wife had huge communications errors and I didn't actually start into labor until after 12pm. Malia finally arrived at 4:20pm. Her delivery was insanely painfully and I was pretty traumatized by the whole thing. I had Baily without pain med and, though it hurt a whole lot, I loved it and was so happy with how it turned out. Malia's birth was not so fun. Because she was posterior it was a lot harder.

I can still remember how swollen her little face was and she even had some broken blood vessels on her face and her eyes. It was so sad.

Malia captured all of our hearts from day 1. I don't know of another baby who receives more kisses and loves than her. Her older brother and sisters are so good to her. She has always been a daddies girl and on more occasions that I would like to admit would rather be with him than me!

Here are a few things that we love about Malia, and maybe a few things that are tell-tale signs of a 2 year old that we could do without:

-She loves to sing. She will sing songs all day long. Mostly when she is playing with something or in the bath tub.

-Before she goes to sleep she will go around telling everyone goodnight and giving kisses.

-We like to play the "Maggie Simpson" game with her...we will all sit on the couch and she will stand several feet away by the TV, and we will all say at the same time, "Come to the one you love best!" and she will run to the lucky person. The kids have stooped to bribing her with candy and what-not to be the winners. We have played this game for hours on some occasions.

-She will shout of the top of her lungs for "Baily" to "Stop IT!".

-She knows how to spell her name thanks to the Leap Frog "My Pal Scout" that she got for her birthday. It is the coolest toy ever. You can program the child's name into the dog and it will sings songs about them, say and spell their name...it is so cool!

-She is often found running around without a diaper. She loves the fresh air, I guess.

-She always has a bump or scrape on her face (show me a 2 year old who doesn't)

-Her daddy has nicknamed her "Fluffy" for obvious reasons. It is one of those nicknames that will not be able to continue for too long. She might have serious self-esteem issues if James is calling her that as she is walking out the door for her first date.

-When we hear the cat screeching in pain, we know where to find Malia.

What would we do without her??? Happy Birthday Fluffy!

Please Pretend that Halloween Was Yesterday

2009-11-09T22:14:00.000-08:00

Humor me...pretend that I am on the ball and that I woke up early the day after Halloween to post pictures of my babies...

Here they are. I wasn't able to get all the photos that I wanted 'cause my sister has some on her camera and our new phone is being a jerk and wont let me download them. rude. I will add them when I can.

Kylee was a beat up soccer player, Ty was a skeleton pirate, Baily was Tinker belle here, and a kitty on Halloween night, and Malia was a soccer ball. Malia's costume was a hit and we got a lot of comments on it. She kept tripping in it as she would go up stairs (bad things happen when you can't see your feet...trust me, I've been pregnant 4 times =) Cousin Troy was with us and he is the storm trooper. Good times.

Lifting Burdens

2009-10-26T23:46:00.000-07:00

Check out this great new video from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is so great.
Lifting Burdens

I am also starting a new blog about the wonderful Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that I belong to.

I was reading in the October Ensign and they were giving some great tips on starting a LDS blog. I am doing it to relight my own testimony and to maybe create a place were people will feel comfortable talking about and learning about the church. Please feel free to visit it, leave comments and post your own testimonies. Click here to see it.

The Swine Flu and YOU!

2009-10-26T22:01:00.000-07:00

Please tell me what is up with the swine flu. The president declaring it a national epidemic?? Is it safe to go anywhere. Will we all die???

I am a pretty laid back mom and I generally only take my kids to the Dr if they are really sick or if I know they have an infection that wont clear on it's own.

I do not give my kids flu shots and refuse to give them a swine flu vaccination. I am just wondering if all of you know more than I do (which, believe me, is EASY to do). Fill me in. If your family has had it or if you know someone who has...let me know. Just curious. Thanks.

Pumpkin Patchin' It

2009-10-26T21:56:00.000-07:00

My goof-balls pickin' pumpkins. I just had to add the photo of Malia standing on the pumpkin. All she saw were big orange stepping stools.

Malia Singing a Song

2009-10-16T16:29:00.000-07:00

Malia has an amazing talent at picking up songs really fast. If she hears someone singing a song she can repeat it word for word really quick. Here she is singing a Hannah Montana song that her and Kylee love.

The older and wiser I get...

2009-10-16T15:42:00.000-07:00

...the more I realize I don't know anything. I will be 30 in 2 months. I have always been excited to turn 30 and I actually appreciate and welcome each birthday. I wouldn't go back to being 20 for a million bucks (okay, maybe a million). But, I have come to terms that I just don't know squat. So...here is what I do know:

-There will never be a morning that I like.
-I will come in contact daily with poop or pee or vomit.
-I will always have snot or slobber on my shirt.
-I will always do, at least once day, something I tell my kids not to do because it isn't polite, constructive or appropriate.
-I will always walk over piles of laundry to go out to the garage.
-I will always pretend I had no idea how many calories are in a bowl of ice cream.
-I know how to do 3 girls hair everyday.
-I know how to make dinner, do homework, keep a toddler entertained and keep the living room picked up all at the same time.
-I know how to read Hop on Pop, and all the other Dr. Sues books in funny voices.
-I know that I never do enough for my friends.
-I know that I will always go to sleep with a list of things I didn't do and must do tomorrow.

Most importantly I do know that I will always be called "Mother" and "Wife" and "Friend". With all of these great responsibilities comes a whole to do each day, but I wouldn't choose to do anything different. Just look at the above list. I wouldn't know anything if It wasn't for my family and people that I care about!

Argggg

2009-10-14T22:39:00.000-07:00

The sight I adore on a basketball floor, is a volleyball net from door to door!

Arrggg. Just let me whine for a minute. I am on a city volleyball league and I LIVE for these games. Every Wednesday it is all I can think about. I am like a kid at Christmas each time. I get literal butterflies in my stomach from the anticipation. (come on, say it. Dork.) I love everything there is about volleyball and it is the one place in my life that I get really aggressive, sometimes mean (no way) and very, very competitive. You just don't mess with my volleyball.

Well tonight I drove all the way to Layton (really only 30 minutes away) at 9:30 at night (way past my bed time) and get warmed up with my team (I am the oldest one there...to them I am an old lady with a million kids) JUST to find out that the other team had to forfeit. I was so mad. "Why?" You might ask, "were you mad...it's just a game." Well. I just am. I just want to hit something round and white really hard and I didn't get to tonight. Wahhh.

Okay...pity party over.

"How Much Trouble?" You Ask,

2009-10-13T13:11:00.000-07:00

How much trouble can one little 2 year old (almost) get into with a few minutes of not being supervised? Plenty.

I was in the bathroom with Baily, and we were washing her hands to get all the paint off. Baily had just painted a 4 year old masterpiece. While my sweet little innocent 2 year old was sitting quietly (quietly should have been my first clue) in her booster chair using her water colors.

Malia then comes to the bathroom to show us her new makeover using Baily's left over paint brushes. She was so proud of herself. I think it actually looks quite professional. She may have a make-up artist career ahead of her.

She went straight for the eyes, because amazingly she only had a little bit of paint (craft paint, not washable paint...will I ever learn???) on her sleeve.

The Ogden Nature Center

2009-10-07T15:04:00.000-07:00

One of the fun things that we have been doing through the summer until now is going to volunteer at the Ogden Nature Center. We get to feed, and take care of some of the animals that are there. It is something that the kids love and makes them feel pretty cool. We use to go every week, but now that school started we just go every other Wednesday.

All of the animals there are in cages and have been injured somehow. The kids get to feed snakes, tarantula, owls, lizards, toads, a pelican and tortoises. Tyler's favorites are the snakes and the tarantula's. He loves to dangle a dead mouse in front of the snake until the snake strikes and bites it. He did not get that from me! I am in the corner of the room breaking out in cold sweats just watching him feed the snakes. Yuck!

He also loves the tarantulas. Here he is holding it today. They are actually very gentle creatures. Don't you love his face. (SIDE NOTE-The other set of hands you see is a trained professional. I promise I don't go around encouraging my kids to hold tarantulas!!!).
I have learned a lot about these animals and have faced some fears (snakes) doing it, so it has been good all around. Kylee's favorite thing is feeding the birds. She puts dead mice on their perch and also changes their newspaper and gives them fresh water.

Here's Malia peaking at the tortoise.

Just Because...They're Cute!

2009-10-01T18:21:00.001-07:00

Here are some new pictures of my lovely little monkeys.
Tyler is teaching Malia how to play Mario Kart Wii. (ignore the green underlines on the word teaching...don't know what I did...don't know how to change it.)

Baily Ruth (4 1/2) It has been so fun to hang out with Baily more now that the kids are at school all day. We have a lot of fun.

We gave away one of our kittens, and as we expected Kylee had a very hard time. Her and Baily cried for hours. This picture is of Kylee right before we had to part with the cat. It took all of her will to smile. This cat, Cocoa was all of our favorites. He was a sweetheart. Kylee asked me tonight if her heart will ever heal! She is an animal lover to the core and gets very attached to our pets. You may think I am just a big sucker having all these animals (which I am) But she really does love animals and they add such a special dimension to her life.

I decided to get my hair chopped. I am just not a long haired kinda girl. I told the girl to cut it short enough that I could no longer put it into a ponytail. I love it and I feel like myself again.

Malia is a gum thief. She got into my purse the other day and ate a whole piece. Here she is getting caught. Does she look guilty or innocent?

I had a bad head ache on Sunday and so Kylee and Baily spoiled me. They massaged my feet and legs, and my sweet Kylee even cut two slices of cucumbers to put on my eyes. It was so cute, and I loved it. What sweet kids I have. The cucumbers were really refreshing...you should try it.

Tyler playing a game after church.

Malia Ann. She will be 2 next month!!! What???!

My girls. Kylee is always throwing peace signs. My little gangster=)

First Day of FALL

2009-09-22T12:10:00.000-07:00

Fall is my favorite season and I am so glad it is here. Here are the reasons that I love Fall:

-I get to decorate my house if beautiful oranges, greens and reds!

-The weather is not too hot and not too cold

-I get to burn my yummy pumpkin spice candle

-Thanksgiving

-Malia turns 2

-Beautiful Fall leaves

-Green grass

I love this season and can't wait to get more of it. Go outside and enjoy FALL!

A New Baby and More of Baily's Infected Eye

2009-09-10T07:46:00.000-07:00

Hip hip hooray! I have a new nephew! He is the cutest little guy ever! Tami was able to start into labor on her own (3 hours before she was scheduled to be induced) and she had Spencer Jay Higbee at 1 am on Wednesday morning( 9-9-09). She labored so well and we were all so impressed with how she tolerated the pain. I am so proud of my baby sis.

Spencer was 8 lbs. 1 oz. (pretty good for 12 days over due) and has the most adorable blond hair. It was such a privilege to be able to see him come into this world. I can't wait to get to know him!

Baily woke up Tuesday morning with her eye looking like this.

It was 10 times worse. I took her back to the doctor and they diagnosed her with orbital cellulitious, an infection that gets into the tissue around the eye. There is risk of it getting into the optical nerve or even into the brain. But heaven was looking down on us because it could have been a lot worse and she didn't have the usual pain and fevers with it.

The doctor gave us a stronger antibiotic...when I say strong I mean an $80 antibiotic...all I have to say is that better do some serious bacteria killing! Her eye looks sooooo much better, and she is going to be just fine. Thank goodness for prayer and medicine!

Labor Day Fun

2009-09-07T16:59:00.000-07:00

The thing I love most about living where we do is the amazing mountains that are within walking distance to us. We started the morning off with a hike and had so much fun. The weather was great and we are all so content to be in the mountains. Even Baily strapped on a backpack (filled with one apple that she ate as soon as we started hiking). Here are some pictures of us having fun.

Good thing we did something fun in the morning cause the rest of the day was spent in the doctors office with Baily and her infected eye, and then driving around trying to find a pharmacy that was open. The doctor said it was some kind of allergy that got into her eye, that turned into an infection. Poor girl. It's her left eye. The picture doesn't show how red and swollen it is, but you get the idea. (Notice her cute hair cut! Kylee got hers cut short too.

Happy Labor Day!

The Good Lord Always Delivers

2009-08-31T10:44:00.000-07:00

I have been thinking about this a lot lately because my sweet sister Tami is three days past her due date and has a commendable amount of patience. For those of you who have had a baby, you know how unbearably long those last days get when you are waiting and it seems that each day the baby doesn't come is a disappointment. I have been so anxious for my new nephew and have even had some sleepless nights in anticipation. I am sleeping with the phone right next to me and ready at a moments notice to head on down to Springville.

It has got me thinking about my own life, and how when I am in the midst of a trail it feels like time slows and that life will be miserable forever. I have often marveled at Heavenly Fathers plan for us and his process of refining us and making us stronger, more patient and humble.

But, the good news is, and we all know this...He always delivers us. He always allows those good days, His beautiful sunsets and the laughter of our children. He always provides a way for us to give birth to our baby and finally hold him for the first time.

The sun always rises, and brings with it new light.

A tall mountain may seem impossible to climb, but the view from the top immediately washes away the pain it took to get there.

BACK TO SCHOOL

2009-08-24T13:33:00.000-07:00

Kylee (3rd grade) and Tyler (1st) headed back to school this morning. The morning went smooth and we made it to school without any major drama. For the past week Kylee has been dreading going back and Tyler has been really worried. James was able to give each of them a fathers blessing last night and they both seemed to be feeling better after that. It is just Baily, Malia and I at home!!! What am I going to do with my time!!! I am sure I will come up with something...
Sorry about the fuzzy pics...I had to use the video camera and it doesn't take very good ones.
`

Another Fun Race

2009-08-24T13:28:00.000-07:00

I did a 4 mile race with some good friends on Saturday. This race was to honor 4 Utahan's who died last year on a humanitarian aid trip to Guatemala. It was a very touching event. The wife and kids of one of the guys who passed away was there, as well as the mother of another guy who died. The proceeds went to scholorship funds set up in their names. The race was so fun and we got to go out to breakfast after.

Stephanie Barlow, Wendy Harper, Jami Tolman, me and Tiffany Tuttle.

4 New Additions to the Hansen Family Zoo

2009-08-17T21:34:00.000-07:00

Here are the 4 new additions to the family.

We got Daisy, a black lab, about a month ago. What can I say, I am a huge sucker when it comes to my animal-adoring kids. She is a sweet dog, but still a puppy. I may survive!

Then our cat, Autumn had 3 kittens last week. They are adorable. If only they would stay cute and small. My kids are in heaven. It hasn't been too bad, but ask me again tomorrow if I feel the same.

Our Much Needed, Fabulous Vacation!!!

2009-08-17T20:27:00.000-07:00

We had the most wonderful vacation! It was sooooo needed for our little family. Sorry about the picture overload!

First we went to my grandparents cabin in Logan. We arrived Tuesday afternoon. We had the best time. I honestly don't remember a time that I felt so worry free and happy. We filled our days with walks, collecting sticks and rocks, wading and throwing rocks in the river, playing games, watching movies, taking naps =) eating good food and completely enjoying ourselves. The kids got along so well and the time passed much to swiftly.

We headed out on Thursday morning to Bear Lake. It was a beautiful day and the water was so warm and calm. We found the perfect spot and just ate lunch, swam and found lots of cool shells.

After some delicious famous raspberry shakes at the little city by the lake we made a longer than expected journey to Vernal, Utah to stay with James' parents for a few days. We didn't get there until late that night. So we got up on Friday and got ready for the day. Vernal is quite an amazing place. It is in the middle of nowhere, but it has the coolest rock mountains and formations all around. We had the chance to do some really fun things. James' dad is a geologist and works for the BLM and so that day he took us to the green river and taught us how to pan for gold. It was really cool to see how that was done. The kids enjoyed playing in the water too.

Then, that afternoon we went and saw some petroglyphs (if you know what petroglyphs are than you are smarter than me, cause I had to ask James...it is ancient Indian rock art). They were just down the road from James parents house. They were so amazing. After that we went to the park and played.

Saturday we went to the Dinosaur National Monument and were able to see some dinosaur fossils that were found there in the mountain walls. It was so fascinating. We were able to see some more cool hieroglyphs. We had such a good time, and would have stayed longer but it started raining.

Look close to see the lizard on the wall.

petroglyphs

One of the dinosaur fossils (at the bottom, there is a white arrow pointing to it.)

Grandma and Grandpa with the kids.

Here is a picture of the Hansen clan that we took at a reunion last month. James' oldest brother David is the only one not there.

We headed home Sunday afternoon. Home to laundry, sweeping, chores and reality.

All I have to say is "when is the next vacation!"

Hansen Family Update

2009-07-31T08:46:00.000-07:00

We have had one crazy summer so far! We have been busy with family reunions and camp outs. Of course I didn't bring the camera to any of those events. We have had so much fun seeing family and spending time with the people that mean the most to us.

It's official as of next week: I will no longer be a crazy babysitting insane lady. I will be done with that chapter of my life. Can I get a "Whup whup!" Something that was once a blessing to our family financially has began to take a miserable toll on us all. I am so glad to have a wonderful husband who is willing to work more overtime to earn the money that we were making babysitting. He is amazing and values me and my sanity. He loves saying "Happy Wife, Happy Life." Ain't it true!

Part of the reason why I was not handling babysitting anymore is because James switched to a day shift and he is gone all day. Part of the reason why I was able to babysit was because he was there to help. But, he LOVES his new shift and is a happier man.

So we will try to enjoy this last month of summer and do all the fun things we have been putting off.

Here are some cute pictures of us at the park yesterday and also just some random cuteness.

My kids and Savannah and Ashton (our babysitting kids)

Our FAVORITE park in Huntsville, UT. The coolest park ever. This picture doesn't even to it justice.

Malia Ann

Mr. Tyler

Kylee Cutie

Baily and Savannah

I thought this was hilarious. This is how Tyler fell asleep one night. The kids get to watch movies in my room on Fridays and this is how I found Tyler that night. It's really fuzzy, but you get the gist of it.

I forgot to post the pictures of our 5K on the 4th of July. James and I ran it along with My sister-in-law RaeLynne, my niece Ariel, and my best bud Tiffany. It was way fun and we all had personal best times!

Here is James crossing the finish line.

This is scary

2009-07-19T12:55:00.000-07:00

I usually try to steer clear of politics, but this is frightening! Please take the time to watch it.
I had no idea this is what Obama and his serpents were mixing into the Health Care Package...but we should have known.

http://www.citizenlink.org/videofeatures/A000010516.cfm

If this video disgusts you like it did me, please follow the link where you can contact your U.S. Representatives.

Happy in the Kitchen

2009-07-14T21:45:00.000-07:00

My awesome sister Tara just started a blog called "Happy in the Kitchen" were she is going to share great, practical and healthy tips on cooking.

I don't know about you, but I dread dinner time each and every night and so I am so excited for her blog to get more ideas.

Tara is amazing and has a great message to share.

So check it out!

Love you sis!

http://happyinthekitchen-withtara.blogspot.com/

9 Years!!!!

2009-06-25T15:40:00.000-07:00

James and I celebrated our 9 year anniversary on Tuesday, the 23rd. We had the best day! My sister, Tami kept the kids for us and we started our day off by going to Thanksgiving Point in Lehi, UT and having lunch at a cafe at The Gardens. Then, we toured The Gardens which was beautiful! It is acres and acres of flowers, ponds, gazebos and fountains. They even have a place called "The Secret Garden" just like the movie. The coolest part was the waterfall. They have the largest man made water fall in the west. It was so cool.

Then we headed to Anniversary Inn in Salt Lake. The next day we went and toured the new temple in South Jordan called the Oquirrh Mountain Temple. It was so beautiful. We had a great time together and really enjoyed ourselves. The time flew by and before we knew it it was time to go get the kids.

I am so grateful for the 9 years we have had together. We have been through so much together and are stronger and better for it. I have the best husband in all the world!

The Hansen Family Track and Field Night

2009-06-20T18:19:00.001-07:00

For Family Home Evening on Monday we went to the park and had a track and field night. We did the long jump, a dash, javelin throw and shot put. It was such a fun night!

Here's Kylee trying to beat her time in the dash.

In the long jump Baily would run as fast as she could and then stop right before the line, and then jump. It was cute.
Tyler running the dash. He was so fast. I think in another life he was a leopard.
Malia even joined in the long jump.
The happy mom and dad

The Ogden Union Station

2009-06-20T18:15:00.001-07:00

Here are some cute pics of the kids playing on the train at the Union Station.

WARNING: This is a bragging post

2009-06-12T14:41:00.000-07:00

I just have to tell you how much I love my kids!

Kylee- We are enjoying reading chapter books together at night and she is a second mom to the kids. She is always making sure they have what they need and lets me know when they are doing things they shouldn't. Tyler would label this as a tattle-tale... She has a brilliant sense of humor and we are always trying to scare each other or play jokes on each other.

Tyler- If I ask Tyler to do something, he does it. He is always the first to get his jammies on, get buckled, etc. No complaints. He lives in his imagination 80% of the time and keeps himself very entertained.

Baily- She thinks that she can replace "please" with compliments. For example: "Mommy, get me a cup of milk your hair is so pretty." She is a very loving girl and smothers me with hugs and kisses.

Malia- Her vocabulary has exploded. Her favorite things to say are "NO Baily!" "Mommy juice." "Nigh-night Daddy" She says Bye-bye and hello to inanimate objects, like the flower picture at the doctor office today, "Bye bye flowers." She says all sorts of words and keeps us laughing.

Okay. I am done bragging. What can I say I have good kids.

Lazy Mama Bear

2009-06-10T10:05:00.000-07:00

This has been the most relaxing, most needed, most enjoyable week and a half of my life!

For 1 1/2 years I have baby sat 2 girls (9 and 6) and for the past school year I have baby sat 2 other kids (4 and 1 1/2). Well on May 28th we stopped babysitting the older girls and the mom of the little kids lost her job, so we haven't had them either.

Although I am a little worried about our finances, I am looking at this as a blessing. It has been so wonderful to have my little family back and not have to worry about tons of little kids running around.

James also started working the day shift and so I have him home in the evenings to eat dinner with us, have FHE, help put the kids to bed. It is wonderful.

Yesterday, after we got our jobs done and the kids were busy playing I found that I was BORED! I know...can you believe it! I started doing little things around the house that I have always wanted to do but never had time. I don't know how you working Mom's manage things because I was working at home and still couldn't keep up!

I love summer and love having my kids home too. I just had to post and say that LIFE IS GOOD.

Now if it will just stop raining so that we could enjoy going outside!

There Was a Little Girl...

2009-06-01T21:49:00.000-07:00

There was a little girl,

Who had a little curl

Right in the middle of her forehead.

And when she was good,

She was very, very good.

But when she was bad she was horrid!

This curl was smack-dab in the middle of her forehead today. I just had to post these pictures with this poem that my mom use to tell us. It is so fitting!

Happy Birthday James

2009-05-29T20:45:00.000-07:00

James turned 31 on Wednesday! He is sooooo young! I sure love this man. There isn't a woman in the world that is as lucky as I am. Here are the things I love about James. I had to narrow it down because there are just too many.

1. There isn't a day that passes when he doesn't hug me and tell me he loves me.

2. He does the dishes almost daily.

3. He lets me take time to myself whenever I need it. No questions asked. No complaints.

4. He loves his kids so intensely.

5. He is a great soccer player and is passing his skills to our children.

6. He is very ticklish.

7. He talks in his sleep. I have some fun with that one!

8. He has the greatest facial expressions and keeps me laughing.

9. He can fix anything and loves to take things apart to see how they work.

10. He is very, very smart. That is one of the reasons why I love him so much. He is a pool of knowledge.

I could never justify how great he is in this short post. I love you babe! Thanks for being my Knight who would swim through shark infested waters to bring me lemonade!

The First Day of Summer Vacation

2009-05-29T20:32:00.000-07:00

To quote the beloved Phineas and Ferb (go Disney channel!):

There's a 104 days of summer vacation

and school comes along just to end it

So the annual problem of our generation

is finding a good way to spend it....

We had a great day today. We spent the day outside. The kids swam and I got the back yard cleaned up. I am excited to have my kids for the summer and to stay busy doing lots of fun things. We all got a little sun-kissed but it was a wonderful day and one we all needed.

Notice Baily is in flight...

Little Miss Kylee
Malia couldn't wait for me to get her swimming suit on...she was too anxious.

Our Little Graduate!

2009-05-29T20:26:00.000-07:00

Tyler graduated from Kindergarten on Wednesday. It was a fun day. We can't believe how big he has gotten. They sang some really cute songs and he even had a little speaking part. What a big boy!

5K

2009-05-20T13:35:00.000-07:00

James and I ran a 5K on May 16th. We run at the same speed and so it was fun to run the whole way together. We had a great time! It was the second one for both of us. Our time was 30 minutes exactly. If you have never done a 5K, you should! They are a blast!

In Loving Memory

2009-05-20T13:22:00.000-07:00

Amanda Later

My sweet cousin lost her battle with cancer today. We will miss you!

Baily Decided She Needed Bangs

2009-05-11T15:31:00.000-07:00

Baily came to me the other day and told me that she had a surprise for me. I looked at her for a good 15 seconds before I realized just what that surprise was. When I noticed that she had cut chunks off of both sides of her head I freaked out. She ran into her room and hid under her blanket on her bed and cried for a half hour.

I let her cry for a while so I could cool down (and find the said scissors and stray strands of golden hair) I figured that she learned her lesson when I went in to find her and she said, "Mommy, do you hate me?"

It really isn't that noticeable and I am just grateful that she didn't cut more, or cut it closer to her scalp. I usually do well at keeping the scissors away from little hands, but as it turns out...not that well!

Kylee's Baptism

2009-05-04T07:57:00.000-07:00

Our Sweet Kylee was baptized on Saturday. Both James and I agreed it was one of the best days of our lives. Right up there with her birth! What an amazing thing to see your child enter into the water and to hear those special words as they make promises and have their wrongs washed away.

Kylee was so nervous about the water being cold, but luckily it was warm! We had lots of family and friends there. Grandma Hansen and Grandma Later both gave wonderful talks and then Kylee and I sang "When I am baptized" together.

After the baptism we went to my Grandparents house and had a BBQ with lots of yummy food and dessert.

My sister Tami (with her baby boy in her tummy!!!) and her husband Nate.

Kylee with her cousins Devin and Ariel

My brother Troy and his sweet wife Rae Lynne

My dad having fun with Malia

The BBQ!

I am so privileged to be Kylee's mom. From the second she was born she has had a maturity and wisdom far beyond her years. She has taught James and I so much about patience, forgiveness and love. I can't wait for many more years of it! We love you Kylee!

You Can't Draw Water From an Empty Well

2009-05-01T22:10:00.000-07:00

"You Can't Draw Water From an Empty Well". I remember hearing that quote given at General Conference last year. It has stuck with me. Well, let me just tell you...my well was running on low. My cup was empty.

My sweet mother, who is so in tune with the spirit, and also with me, took Baily and Malia for the day (9:30am-5:30pm) Tyler and Kylee were in school, and then after school Tyler went to his cousin T's house. Friday is the only day we don't babysit, and so James and I had the entire day to ourselves! No kids asking for food, or toys. No kids needing to be fed or changed.

Don't get me wrong, I love being a mom and LIVE for it, but did I mention the dryness of the well??? Dry-dry.

So James and I got went to Jamba Juice after we dropped the girls off, and picked up a pie from Maria Calendars. Than we came home and watched the Will Smith movie Seven Pounds and ate take-out food from Chili's (I am going to need to run an extra mile tomorrow...let me tell ya!) It was so relaxing and really did rejuvenate us.

It is amazing how one day away from your kids will make you appreciate them more, and appreciate your calling as a parent. My cup runneth over now.

Happy Birthday Baily!!!

2009-04-26T21:33:00.000-07:00

Baily Turned 4! Wow! Where does the time go??? We had a very nice day. She seemed so grown up to us. She opened her presents this morning, and then we went to church. After church she played with her toys and then family came over for cake and ice cream. It was a great day. Baily is our little fireball in a princess dress! Here are some things we love about her:

1. She is a natural dancer.

2. She love to cook and bake.

3. She can do the splits.

4. She can schmooze and charm her daddy at any given time.

5. She can't say her r's- gotta love that.

6. She sleeps in. (that's my girl)

7. She walks on her toes.

8. She can also schmooze me...like when she is getting in trouble, and I am just about to scold her, she will say, "Mommy, you so beautiful!" Try carrying out that discipline with a straight face!

9. Her smile lights up a room.

10. She loves to copy whatever Kylee does.

I love my Baily and love that I get to be her mom. She has taught me what true patience is...and I love her for that. From the first moment I held that little girl I knew that she was meant for me and that we had a lot to learn from each other. There isn't a night that passes, when I am tucking her in, that she doesn't grab my face and look at me with those green eyes and tell me she loves me. I am a better person because of her! We love you Baily.

Random Pictures I Love

2009-04-26T20:36:00.000-07:00

Same Dresses!

2009-04-14T09:52:00.000-07:00

These dresses are the same ones that me and my sister wore when we were little. First Tara and I, then Tami and I. I was so excited when my mom brought them over and let the girls try them on. My mom is an exceptional seamstress and kept the dresses in fabulous condition! Aren't they precious!

Happy Easter

2009-04-14T09:46:00.000-07:00

We had a great Easter! Easter is such a great holiday! We had the traditional Easter egg hunt at my Mom's parents house and then we had Easter dinner with my Dad's side of the family. The kids had fun and we loved spending time with everyone. Here are some pictures from that day.

It's Great to be 8!!!

2009-04-09T09:52:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Kylee! (april 7th) 8 is really a great age. I am loving it. We had a great day spoiling her and doing lots of fun things. I truly don't know what I would do without my Kylee. Here are some fun things that we love about Kylee:

1. She is an early riser

2. She LOVES bugs, dirt, snakes. She had a snake cake for her birthday!

3. She wakes up with Malia most mornings and feeds her breakfast! (I know, I am spoiled)

4. She can spell better than me. For example, she has challenge spelling words at school because the regular ones are too easy, and so one of the words this week was encyclopedia! Wow!

5. She is kinda clumsy and gets hurt about once a day.

6. She either has her roller skates or her Heelies on at all times.

7. She is very generous and shares willingly with her siblings all the time.

8. She can do her own hair.

9. She is a leader at school and her teacher said that her classmates gravitate to her because she leads in a loving way and always chooses the right.

10. She likes to tell on me to James or visa-versa. Like when she found me playing Wii at 1:30am or when James lets her do things that I never would.

If you know Kylee you know how wonderful she is. I am not just saying that because I am her Mom either... =) okay, I am!!!

Update

2009-04-03T13:41:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to let you know that I am doing okay. The pain in my back is gone! It has been a roller coaster of a ride and I have been sick with one thing or another for a whole month. I don't know why I am not having back pain anymore (I am not complaining). The doctor said that people with my condition usually are in a lot of pain. I had a priesthood blessing and I know that that helped. It will be interesting to see if I just have flair up every now and then or if it is something that will just get worse with time or nothing at all. It's a mystery.

They think that this happend with child birth. I broke my tail bone clean off with Kylee and had that removed and the spine doctor said that I could have some how fractured the bones that hold your spine together and that is why it is shifting. Malia's birth was very painful and she was posterior so that could have done it as well. I guess there is no way of telling...

Any-hoo...enough about me...we are all doing well. I will post pictures soon and give you updates on the Hansen's.

I am falling apart...literally

2009-03-19T09:31:00.000-07:00

I had a major shock yesterday. I found out that I have a condition in my spine called Spondylolisthesis. I know, don't even try to pronounce it.

After 4 days of pain in my abdomen and lower back, in and out of Doctors office, a CT scan and blood tests, they had no idea what was wrong with me. The last visit to my Dr. he was talking to me and asking lots of different questions to try to figure out was causing the pain. He said, "Did you know you have a bad back?" I said no. He told me that in the CT scan they noticed that my bottom 2 vertebrae were shifting. I was shocked because I have never had back pain and the pain I was experiencing did not feel like bone pain. He told me that he wanted me to see a spine specialist. I went to a spine specialist yesterday. Here is a pic of my condition, although it is not a pic of my back, this is exactly what my CT scan looks like.

The problem is actually with my last three vertebrae. The middle one is slipping, just like the pic shows. I am also loosing cushion (whatever the technical word for it is...???) and I also have some arthritis in the spine. WHAT???????????

I just couldn't believe what they were telling me. It has been a roller coaster week! For now I am going to do physical therapy to strengthen my core and I have anti inflammatory meds that help ALOT! The last step would be surgery to align and put spacers in but my dr doesn't think it will come to that. She said because I am so active and healthy that we can keep it in check with the physically therapy.

I will keep everyone posted. Please keep me in your prayers. I guess it really is true that you fall apart at 30!!!

You can't eat cereal with a spoon

2009-03-10T09:57:00.000-07:00

No, you can't. I have had two colds in a row for the past 3 weeks. I have been miserable. I have no more brain cells left. This picture is not a set-up. This is actually what I sat down to look at this morning as I was pouring the milk. I grabbed the wrong utensil. The other day I took Kylee and Tyler ice skating and the lady told me the total, and I didn't have enough money. I was 21 cents short. So I gathered the kids, we ran back out to the car and I collected some change and ran back in. When I got to the cash register the lady was looking at me like I was crazy and handed me 79 cents and that's when I realize the total was $11.21 and I gave her $12.00, thinking it was only $11.00. She handed the money to me, and then I tripped all over my words trying to explain why I was an idiot. I hope one day I get my brain back!

In Flight

2009-02-26T09:35:00.000-08:00

So...there is life after head lice! I am crossing my fingers that Kylee is lice free. I found no more bugs today. For the past week it has been just checking and getting rid of the newly hatched bugs so that they can't lay anymore eggs. Sounds fun, I know.

I am finally not dreaming about lice or feeling like I eat it and sit in it everywhere I go. Can I get a hallelujah!!!!

Here are some silly pictures of me and the kids. This is what we spent our evening doing. It was really fun and I think we got some great in-flight shots! Please pardon my cheesy face. I am a nerd, what can I say.

Isn't She CUTE

2009-02-26T09:31:00.001-08:00

I just wanted to post these pictures of Baily. She is very photogenic like her big sis. She is always coming up to me and putting her hands on my cheeks and looking into my eyes and saying, "I have green eyes like you Mom!" Love that kid!

Our Valentine Surprise

2009-02-17T09:35:00.000-08:00

Roses are red,
Violets are blue,
If I never see another stupid
little head lice it will be too soon!

I will post more about the lovely gift Kylee brought home in her head from school later. Right now I have 1000 loads of laundry to do and more vacuuming and running around screaming to do. I swear that head lice (which is the most common childhood ailment, only second to the cold) is the worst possible thing that can happen. Okay...maybe I am exaggerating, but I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy.

Yes, please feel sorry for me....

Is your head itchy right now.....

The Circus!!!

2009-02-06T23:39:00.000-08:00

We took the kids (except Malia) and one of Kylee's buds to the circus last week. It was so fun. The kids loved it. That kind of thing never gets old. Their favorite part was riding the elephant! It was fun and I would recommend you take your kids to a circus if you never have. Good times.

Sorry about the fuzzy pictures. I forgot my camera and had to use my cellphone.

Special Friends Day

2009-02-06T23:33:00.000-08:00

Kylee had a Special Friend program at school today. They had to invite one special person in her life to come. Kylee invited my Mom. They sang songs and Kylee got to play the xylophone for one of the songs. She was nervous but did great! Then each child got to read something they wrote about why they love their special person.. My mom was very touched. It was cute!

I am very lucky to have such great people in my life that my kids can look up to, feel safe with and learn from! It really does take a whole village to raise a child.

Malia Eating a Bowl of Cereal

2009-02-06T11:00:00.000-08:00

Here is Malia (15 months) eating a bowl of cereal. Pretty talented, huh! When I pulled the camera out instead of shoveling the cereal in like she did before, she just stared at the camera. Tipical! Her jammies were completely soaked after (I always forget to use bibs), but it was still cute.