David and Goliath

I had to blog this so that I wouldn't forget...it was so cute.

Tyler was in charge of the Family Home Evening lesson tonight. We all know what this means, the story of David and Goliath. Every time. Well, it has been a while since he told the story and so he pulled the picture out of the binder and held it up.

Kylee: "Oh, I love James and the giant!"

Tyler: "No, it's David and Columbus!"

Kylee: "No, it's James and Columbus!"

James and I were laughing so hard it took a minute to set them straight. Then, Tyler began his lesson.

Tyler: "This is the story of Daniel and Goliath.

5 Signs That My Heavenly Father Loves ME!!!

My day started off with me waking up with a left over migraine from last night (you know what I am talking about if you have migraines) and I had practically no sleep. I wake up to a messy house because I didn't clean the house before I went to bed. I have not been drinking Dr. Pepper lately and I am a grouchy monster (at least I am a grouchy monster who is trying to be healthier) and I had 8 children that I needed to get fed, dressed, bathed and off to school. I really needed to go running but had no energy. So I started off my morning in a really bad mood.

I don't know about you, but when I am tired I think the world is coming to an end. Major drama. I do not cope well. At all.

So, on my way to pick up Tyler and Lois from Kindergarten I get a call from my Angel mother. This is where my story gets better. It always gets better when my Mom is involved. She says she had a strong feeling that she needed to call and check up on me!

That was the first sign.

Then, I happen to pass on the road another angel of mine, Tiffany, my best bud. We stop and chat for a minute and Tiffany lets me whine for a while. I felt better after talking to her, I always do. She invited Baily over to play.

That was the second sign.

Then, I go home and tell James that I felt like I was at a breaking point and needed some alone time. Without hesitation he sweeps me into his arms and lets me cry, then tells me to get dressed (yes, i was still my my PJ's...big whoop) and to go out and do something alone. The angel that I am married to never ceases to amaze me.

That was the Third sign.

So, I went to see Bride Wars all by my lonesome...which was so cool, the movie, and being alone. I had a nice Cesar salad and a popcorn all to myself. Then I went shopping and bought a cute hat, shirt and pajama pants. It was great! I felt so much better. I usually listen to talk radio while I am driving but instead I let the CD that was in the player run. It was a CD of Kylee's from an LDS group called Inside Out (check it out, your kids will love them!) And the first song to come on was a beautiful rendition of My Heavenly Father Loves Me. I felt the spirit so strong and knew that He loved me.

That was my Fourth sign.

To end my night I went to Enrichment and they had an amazing lady named Lara Gallagher come and speak. She spoke about organizing your life and simplifying. It was amazing and just what I needed to hear.

That was my Fifth sign.

I am so grateful that my Heavenly Father loves me. He knows me and what I need. Sometimes I think I know what I need and try to get that, but if I just let him lead and guide my life I can be happy. Truly happy.

Don't let the angels in your life go unnoticed.

I Get My Hard Head from my Father!

I have realized over the years that I am a slightly hard headed person. It has taken me years to admit it, but it's true. I don't necessarily think I am stubborn or ungiving (is ungiving a word???) but it takes me a while to "get" things. Things like;

a.)If I put my keys in the same place every time I won't loose them. You'd think after the 2nd time of loosing your keys you would find a SPOT for your keys so you didn't have to go through the whole Oh-crap-where-are-my-keys-I-am-already-late deal. Not this thick sculled gal!

b.) If you put your clothes directly in the laundry basket at night you won't curse when you have to pick up "SUCH A HUGE MESS" the next day.

c.) If you leave 10 minutes early for everything, you may get there on time, and I will follow that up with, Not now, not every, does it only take "a quick sec" to pile all the kids into the van when you are going somewhere. It always, and I mean always takes at least 15 minutes with several trips back inside for who knows what.

d.)If you actually thought about dinner before 6:00 pm you wouldn't have hungry grumpy kids at 7:00pm who think they were going to starve to death. This doesn't always happen, but more times than I would like to admit.

e.) Read your scriptures every day and you will be happier...

f.) Communicate with your husband because he doesn't know what you are thinking. There is no "sigh" or slamming of cupboards that I have discovered to date that tells you how he feels.

It think that is all for now, I have humiliated my self enough.

Please give me an AMEN SISTA if you feel the same in any of these areas...please.

Quick Updates on the Hansens

I thought I would do quick run down on the life of the Hansen's in case any one cared...

Malia (13 months)- Let me just say that teeth is one of the hardest things EVER!!! I hate teething time and our little Malia sure hates it too. She is walking like a pro, and into everything. Her favorite thing to do is climb up on Tyler's bench and just hang out. If Malia is missing that is usually where she is. She is talking more and more and is starting to repeat things we say. She makes us laugh and I love spending time with her.
Baily (3 1/2)- Baily just learned how to write her own name, and writes it any chance she can get. She is in a dance class and eats that up! She is mellowing out as she gets older and doesn't throw quick as many fits. 4 is my favorite age, and as she gets closer to 4 she is so fun. She loves dressing up and reading her books.
Tyler (6)- Our kindergartner! He is loving school and catching on well with what he is learning. He is doing well at reading. If Tyler's tummy is nice and full he is a happy camper. He has an endless amount of energy and his imagination is amazing. He can create the most amazing things with blocks, Lego's or just drawing.

Kylee (7 1/2)- Kylee is in 2nd grade and doing very well. I will always be amazed at how smart she is. She is so kind to her brother and sisters. Almost every morning when Malia wakes up she will bring her to me. Sometimes she will even tell me to go back to bed and take Malia to get some breakfast! I know! I am spoiled, huh? Besides some high drama meltdowns here and there, she is so fun to be with and I tell her everyday how lucky I am to be her Mom.
James- Besides trying to recover from hurting his ankle for the second time he is doing great. He was just healing from a soccer injury that he suffered in the summer when he did something else to it (he won't let me tell anyone what happened...to embarrassing...something with his scooter...) He was on his second day of training to run the half marathon when it happened. Poor guy. He continues to be an amazing husband and father. He has one of the most positive, easy going attitudes that I have ever seen. I have yet to find his equal. He is still working at the IRS in the evenings. He was recently promoted and enjoys this job better.

Me- I am still babysitting for 4 other kids. It gets challenging sometimes but I am doing okay with it. It is okay because they are hardly ever there at the same times. If I stay organized and keep up the house work I do okay. All 4 of the kids are very easy and fun to have around. I am beginning another writing course and hope to be able to have a few of my stories published when I am done. I love being a Mom and couldn't imagine anything harder or more rewarding.

Another one bites the dust...

I am beginning to seriously consider whether me and cell phones are not meant to be together. After dropping my cell phone in the toilet about a month ago (It slipped out of my pocket as I bent over) I was punishing myself with a cheap phone that looked like the first phone ever invented, it was hideous...well, for my birthday James got me a really nice new phone with insurance, of course.

Well, in celebration of the new year my phone fell into a cup of soda while we were driving. It was actually dropped by my fabulous significant other, Joe (names have been changed to protect the innocent).

Thank the heavens that we had insurance for it.

I am going to try to market on my misfortune and invent a water-proof, drop-proof, kid-proof, Tausha-proof cover for cell phones. If you have any good ideas let me know.

I am exhausted

I love Christmas time and everything that comes with it. But I must admit, I am tired. I know I am not the only one that feels that way...I hope...

• Cramming all the wrapping paper and boxes into a garbage can way too small.
• Finishing off all the goodies so they won't be able to tempt me on January 1st...ya know..."I am going to be skinnier day!"
• Endless amount of pine needles to vacuum from my now dead Christmas tree.
• Finding places for all the new toys to hide...
• and parting with old toys to make room for the new ones (my kids really hate the DI because it takes all their toys away...really, I am just addicted to getting rid of unneeded things ;)
• Coming down from sugar highs.
• Affording enough batteries to power all the toys.
• Catching up on laundry that has stacked up.
• Figuring out things for the kids to do while they are home.

I am sure there are a lot more, that is all I could think of for now.

**Without sounding like too much of a downer...I am so grateful for these things because it means I have people to take care of...

Enjoy your New Year and put down that cookie! Or mail it to me!

Merry Christmas!!!

We are so grateful for all of you and for your friendships!!! This has been a great year for us. We have been so blessed and have grown and learned so much. We are greatful to our Savior for his atonement and making it possible for us to be a family! We hope that all of your Christmas' bring you joy and peace and love!

Baily & Mommy Date

I took Baily out by herself the other day. I don't think I have ever done that before. I realized the other day that she is kind of smooshed in the middle of our busy life, and while she is great and usually goes with the flow I thought it would be fun to have some one on one time.

We went to Subway and had lunch. She was so excited to eat the double chocolate chip cookie!

It was kind of crowded at Subway and as we sat down to eat we were just talking and I asked her to say her ABC's. She sang them at the top of her lungs! It was adorable. We got some great looks!

Then we went Christmas shopping and she picked out something for each family member. It was so fun and I made a promise to myself to spend more alone time with each of my kids. It is so vital and I really had fun just talking and playing with my silly, smart, imaginative 3 year old.

SNUG as a BUG in a RUG

The kids get to sleep in the same rooms every Friday. They live for this night and love it. I love it for 2 reasons. #1-I get to put them to bed early so that by the time they actually do fall asleep after all the giggles that it isn't too late. #2-It is one of the only times that they are not arguing, but actually having fun and enjoy each other.

So when I went in to check on them this is what found. Kylee and Tyler, asleep in the closet. It reminded me of when they were younger Kylee was 4 and Tyler, 2. This how I found them then, asleep in Kylee's top bunk. Cute Cute!

Uncle Troy and his SNAKES!!!

My brother is one of the best people I know, and that fact has not gone unnoticed for my children. They absolutely adore him. He has married an amazing woman (love you Rae!) who is one of my best friends and they have two of the cutest boys on the planet. The day that they moved here to Utah was one of the happiest days of my life and sometimes when I go to their home or they stop over at our house I am still amazed to have them so close and be able to have our kids play and grow up together. I just love it, and I love them.

They graciously watched our kids for us on Monday so James and I could go out and celebrate my birthday (I'm pushing 30!) and while they were there they were able to watch my brother's 2 snakes (red tailed boas) feed on rats, they held them, and were able to help give the snakes a bath. Now...let me just say that they did not get their love of snakes from me. Snakes have always been and will continue to be the #1 thing that I am afraid of!

Kylee is the cutest, girliest tomboy you will ever meet and absolutely LOVES the snakes. She was so honored to be a part of the who ensemble. Tyler was equally as excited. Baily wanted nothing to do with them. Here are some pics of their night. EWWWWW!

Malia even got in on the fun. If I didn't trust my brother as much as I do and know the snakes are harmless I would have been mad at him for letting my little baby touch the snake! Notice how he is holding the head of the snake far away from Malia. Tell me it doesn't just give you the willies though!!

Here is Zachary (almost 10 months) and Malia playing together.

Thanks Troy and RaeLynne for being such a good Uncle and Aunt to my kids!

Can you hear the bell???

Believe in the magic of Christmas.

Sit down and watch the Polar Express. It will put you in the Christmas mood!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LITTLE MAN!

Tyler turned 6 today! It was a wonderful day! I am so grateful for the past six years that I have had with Tyler. He is so special to me and I wanted to share with you some of my favorite things about Tyler.

1-He is very tender-hearted

2-He is very wiggly-constantly moving. (I have to tell him to stand still when he is talking to me so I won't get dizzy.)

3-He has the BEST laugh

4-He is kind to his sisters

5-He loves to add

6-He is learning to read

7-He is very gullible

8-He loves fudge (or sweets of any kind-his first real word was "cookie")

9-He eats all the food off his plate-no complaints .

10-He loves to draw

11-He wears a hole in the left knee of his pants almost as soon as I buy them

12-He makes the coolest gun noises

13-He has asthma

14-He sleeps very deeply

15-He says "thank you" or "I love you" to me everyday without fail

I am a lucky mom to have a son like Tyler. He lights up my world and I can't wait to spend a lot more years with him! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TYLER!!!

Me and My Teddy Bear...

Baily was in her first dance recital on Friday. It was so cute! She was actually one of the only girls that were dancing and remembering the steps. I wish she payed attention like that at home!!! We were very proud of her and I think we have a natural born dancer on our hands...

Here she is with her friend.

Sorry this picutre is so fuzzy.

The Attitude of Gratitude

I love this time of year with Thanksgiving only a few days away. Thanksgiving is a simple holiday, but such a meaningful one. We have so much to be grateful for, and I know that gratitude accompanies happiness. #1- I am most grateful for my boyfriend, James. How the heck did I ever deserve this man! I must have done something really right up there! He is the kindest, most understanding, forgiving, silliest, happiest man alive. I love you James! The picture of the sunset is because he never lets a good sunset get past us. He has taught me to enjoy the sunsets!

#2- My kids, of course! They remind me every single day, whether I want to or not, to capture the sunshine! Because of them I see beauty, happiness, simple pleasures, joy, forgiveness and pure love. I love who I have become because of them.

#3- I am grateful for our freedom. It really is something that is taken for granted too often and something that is so huge, and important. We probably don't even realize how lucky we are to have it.

#4-My cozy bed! I love sleep. Love it! I don't get near enough of it, but there isn't anything better than getting into a warm cozy bed and letting your body relax!

#5- My friends...that includes all of you, and my mom and sisters especially! I have often found comfort in you, and love that I can depend on you and that we can help support each other through rough and happy times in our lives. I love my girls!

#6- Slippers. I get so excited when it is cold enough to wear slippers. Even though I hate the cold, I love that I can keep my toes warm in a cute pair of slippers!

#7- Autumn. I love everything about autumn. The look, the smell, the tastes, EVERYTHING. Autumn will always be special to me because it was autumn 2 years ago when I learned how to truly be happy. I was able to let go and put a lot of my fears and anxieties in their proper places and let myself be happy. You know how certain smells can remind you of things, that's how autumn is for me. (this could potentially be a long one, so if you are curious about my journey to happiness, let me know and I can give you more details. I love talking about my struggle to overcome my anxiety, but I won't bore you now!)

#8-I am grateful for my cell phone. I am. I love my cell phone. Well, not exactly right now because I am punishing myself with the cheapest saddest looking phone I could find. Why??? you may ask?? Because I am cursed. No, really. I have gone through 7 cell phones this year alone. One was dropped in a cup of apple juice, two went for swims in the toilet, two just stopped working, one took a dip in a cup of Dr. Pepper (curse you Dr. pepper!!!) one went swimming in the dish water. Fluids+Me+Cell phone= DISASTER!!! So-even though I stink at taking care of them (boy this is embarrassing!) I love them.

#9-I am grateful for change. I am a person who thrives on it. Especially little changes, like rearranging the furniture or my kitchen appliances. I am grateful that Heavenly Father allows us to be constantly changing and faced with change. I don't love all change, but most times looking back I can see how much I have grown because of it. There is a story of a man who noticed a butterfly struggling to break free of its cocoon. He watched it for a minute and then decided to cut the cocoon to help the butterfly emerge. It worked, and the butterfly was free. Well, what the man didn't know was that the struggle to free itself from the cocoon was what made the butterfly's wings strong. That butterfly went its whole life unable to fly because its wings where not strong enough... Change. It's a good thing. Don't be afraid of it.

Now it's your turn to find things to be grateful for!!!

My Wierdo's

Hey, I know they are weirdo's, but they are MY weirdo's!!! Oh, to be a child again.

It's Official!!

My baby is a walker! She has been taking steps here and there for about a month, but she decided that today was the day. She has been walking everywhere now. She was in Tyler's room this morning and she had a toy hammer. I looked over at her and she would hammer on his bed, then walk over to his dresser and hammer on that, then walk over to the toy shelf and hammer on that. It was so cute!

I can't believe my baby is so big. It is just as exciting and touching to see her grow and learn as it was with our first baby. It never gets old! Each child brings so much joy to our lives!

Malia Saying "Thank you"

At dinner tonight Malia was saying "thank you" over and over again. We were cracking up at how cute it was. And of course I pulled the camera out and she wouldn't say it anymore. After some proding by Tyler and Baily she said it again! SO ADORABLE!

Our New Favorite TV Show

We have discovered a great new show on Discover Channel. Man vs. Wild! It is the best show ever! It is about a man named name Bear Grylls who strands himself in remote places and teaches you how to survive.

Baily calls it the "yucky show" because of all the bugs, snakes, spiders, zebras, camels, elephant dung (he squeezes the dung to get the fluid from it) etc. that he eats. We just sit there in front of the TV completely mesmerized.

It hilarious because when Bear eats something gross our jaws all drop and we watch as guts and whatever else comes squirting out of his mouth. Every now and then one of us will even dry-heave. It's great! You gotta check it out. It is so fascinating.

My dirty sink, and my happy kids!!!

My kitchen is a disaster, but at least my kids know that I can still act silly! I decided to make tonight different. Different how, you say...well here is a run down of a typical night at our house...

...Get homework done without any one's brain exploding...making a somewhat nutritious meal without the house burning down...reading books without me falling asleep and drooling on the kids...all four kids jammied, teeth brushed, prayers said, clean hands and face in a reasonable amount of time, and then the next hour is me practicing an insane amount of patience until the very last eye is closed, and no one is getting out of bed for "one more glass of water." Then there is the jungle of dishes and toys to wade through. I try my best to get the house in order so we don't wake up to yesterday's mess.

...Tonight we turned on the radio (which happened to be Christmas music) and danced, played tag and rolled around on the floor. The kids have this new game where they all hold onto the back of my shirt and I run around the house shouting "Has anyone seen my kids!" It's quite amusing. And yes, my shirts get stretched out. :)

I made a goal a long time ago to never let my kids go to bed angry or sad. Sometimes in all my exhaustion I forget that when I am tucking them neatly into their beds. I hate the guilt I feel when I am lying in bed and I realize all the things I didn't do for them or the time I didn't spend with them.

I must say, even though my kitchen is a mess because I am now too tired to clean it after all that running around I did, I am glad that my kids went to bed with a smile on their faces. I am not sure if the smile meant, "My mom is the coolest Mom in the world!" or "Gee, my mom is a goof ball!" Either way, the dishes will be waiting for me tomorrow.

A New Addition to Our Family

Some would say that I am a gluten for punishment. We know have 2 hamsters (one went the way of all the earth) :( and two cats.

I succumbed to a lady out in front of Walmart with a box full of free kittens and Kylee's pleas and kitty cat eyes, (aka: puppy dog eyes). I wish I would have taken a picture of her face when she picked up the cat out of the box. She promised me she wouldn't want anything every again (that's a classic line) if she could just "HOLD ONE!"

It was like an out of body experience because the next thing I knew we were driving home and Kylee had a kitten in her lap. I am a sucker, I know, but if only you could have seen her face :)

Autumn (the cat) is one of the most beautiful Siamese cats I have ever seen. She has the sharpest blue eyes and we all love her (even Dad...he says Autumn reminds him of a cat he had growing up.)

So, forget your local zoo, COME VISIT THE HANSEN'S!!!