Happy Blogversary!!

Today is my one year anniversary of when I started blogging.

One year ago today a friend of mine explained to me

I just had to start blogging! I have loved doing it this year.

I love looking back on all the things that have

happened to our family.

There are some that make me laugh and

some are still to tender to ponder on long.

There are a few reasons I love to blog.

* I love seeing my kids and their antics actually written down

(not just in my memory) and often even with a picture attached!

* It sure has lessened how mad I get at the kids.

Some of the things they do in the past I would have

been mad, now I think,

"Grab the camera- here is my next blog post!"

* I love getting to read what is going on with my other friends.

It is fun to see their families grow especially the ones

that are so far away that I don't get to see often.

I still feel close to them.

So since my blog was started and I ( I mean Dede)

hooked up my Site Meter I have had 4,710 hits.

I have been visited from a few different countries

including India, England, and Japan.

I have my largest visits from California and Utah (surprise!surprise!)

But I also have a few steady lookers from

Virginia, Minnesota, and Michigan (thank you to the three of you:)).

Also my most hits on a post come whenever I blog about Monte.

His antics beat out the kids antics!

Thanks honey for all the good material!

Well I have had a blast blogging this year and can't wait to see what next years blog holds!

Happy Blogversary!

(I think I deserve ice cream! Leatherby's anyone?)

Syd's Baby Sister

My Sydney has a great imagination.

Lots of her friends have mommies that are

having babies right now.

So she thinks she is having a baby sister soon.

This is a conversation I overheard with her

and her grandmother "Mema."

Syd: Mema I am having a baby sister soon.

Mema: You are?

Syd: Yep, she is in my tummy.

Mema: Syd you can only have a baby if you

are married.

Syd: What?

Mema: Mommies have to be married first.

Syd: Well I am getting married to my boyfriend!

Mema: You are? Who is your boyfriend?

Syd: Oh, his name is Salsa! We are getting married

and then I am having my baby sister!!

These Boots were Made for Walking...

Notice anything wrong with these boots?

Maybe the fact that one is facing forward
and one is facing backwards!
That's what happens when my almost
2 year old has to put them on
BY HIMSELF!!!



Yes big boy, they are on backwards!!

It seems like he is growing so fast!

But who can resist this guy!?

California Snowman

So I grew up in California. I had never

seen snow fall until my freshman year

at BYU.

I didn't realize snowmen aren't really round

balls of snow. (I tried- it is impossible

to make the picture perfect snowman-

well at least for me!)

Also I never really understood

flocking a Christmas tree. Why would you put

that white stuff on? Then one day I

was walking home from classes at BYU and passed a

spruce tree and I had an "ah ha moment"

I get it flocking is like snow!

I am not a snow person.

So Syd and Con and I decided to build a

snowman. This is our great guy.

I had to hurry and snap a picture

before Connor ate all of his mouth and eyes

AKA- Sweet Tarts.
I also don't know what you use to pile up

all the snow but we used our old beach toys.

(They don't get a lot of use since we

moved to Utah!)

So when the snowman was all over we

made a snow castle fortress to guard our

beloved creation.

That's how you make a snowman

California style!

Lasiks

Okay so I can barley See my computer screen, so sorry for any misspelled words. But I am bored, I can't read, can't drive, watching TV hurts so I am trying to blog.

I have my whole surgery on DVD I thought of downloading it but thought everyone might get made at me!:)

Anyway I had a procedure called PRK done. It is safer than Lasiks but takes longer to heal. So yesterday morning I saw 20/20 and now thanks to the healing process I can't see at all. Oh well in a few days it will be all over! No glasses. I have worn glasses since I was 9 years old. This is crazy. As I get ready for bed I have gone to take out my contacts every night and reach for my glasses every morning.

I am excited but hope the pain goes away soon.

My Decorating Creations

Okay so right before Christmas I decided to rearrange bedrooms.

Not the best timing in the world, but
when the mood strikes- go with it!
We moved Britton upstairs
and the girls took his room downstairs.
His room downstairs is larger and since the girls have to share
we decided to give it to them.
Also it never hurts to have your teenager in
hearing distance from you.
We've all been there!

So this is Britton's room.
We went with blue as the wall color and black as the secondary color.
(if his bed was made you would see his comforter is black,
the frames are black, and when I finish making the curtains they will be black)
I think it turned out really nice.
The great thing is he loves his new room!

But in my house I only have one girl room.
So I let my imagination go!
This is what I did.
The room itself is white and then I created this border.
The squares are 15"X15"
and then after I painted them I trimmed off each square.
In these blocks above the window I am thinking about writing "Sisters" in vinyl letters.
Just one letter per block.
It would fit perfectly across this wall.
What do you think?

I really like how it turned out.

It was a lot of work but it makes a basement room so much brighter and cheery.

So with their pink polka dotted comforters

it is a fun and cheery little girls room. I am proud of it.

So what do you think?

(even if I was crazy enough to do it the week before Christmas.)

CONNOR!!!

Isn't he adorable?!

But such a MESS MAKER!!

I am too old for this. Shouldn't

your last baby be sweet, and gentle, and a

blessing to raise? A little "thank you" from God

for having "just one more"!

So tonight Monte and the older boys

were off at different scouting events and I gave

the three youngest their baths.

I pulled Connor out of the tub, dried him off, got

his pjs on him and went to get Sydney.

I got Sydney out of the tub, wrapped her in a towel and

handed Kaitlyn her towel and walked into the kitchen...

Where I found Connor at the counter top

with a glob of butter in his hand.

"Oh no sweetie, let mommy wash your hand off,"

was not quite out of my mouth when he smeared it all in his

hair!! WHY????

I just got done washing that hair and

now it is covered in butter!! Butter

is not the easiest thing to get out!!

I'm telling you he is going to wear me out

before I even have a chance to turn 40!!

(which I am no where near by the way)

Welcome Raia!

Welcome Raia!

This is my newest neice! She is the Jensen's family

21st grandchild!

Born Sunday Morning

6lbs 6oz

19.5 inches

She is adorable! I can't wait to hold her!

Sledding

My kids headed back to school today after

having a month off! Now I can

reflect on what was fun about having them home!

One of the fun things we did when they were off

was, with all this snow, I took them

sledding. I didn't think that Connor would like it

all the much but I was wrong!

If Britton went down the hill without Connor in his

lap, Connor was at the top of the hill

crying for Britton.

Chandler loves to sled. I think he and Britton could stay

out there all day long!

Kaitlyn and Naomi had tons of fun. For

being such "girlie" girls they sure

are dare devils on the hill! So were Sadie and Sydney

I just couldn't get their picture fast enough.

If they saw and empty sled they

would run for it and jump and be gone!

Laughing the most hysterical laugh all the

way down the hill.

Britton is such a good sport. He just wanted

to sled but he ended up doing more than that.

He would take Connor down the hill and then carry

him and the sled back up the hill.

And most of the time Sadie or Sydney too, and definitely

whatever sled the two girls used would be brought up

by Britton.

Thanks son for helping out!

I finally took the little kids home and let the big

kids stay and play.

Hot Chocolate awaited everyone when they got home!

Happy New Year

Happy New Year!

We had a great evening with our friends.

(I'm still not sure how Bill got just me with the confetti

as his wife snapped the picture)

As for my husband with the no smile on his New Year's Face

He is having fun- but a lady at the passport

office says when he smiles his eyes are too squinty.

Does that mean because one bureaucrat says he has

squinty eyes he is never going to smile again!

Whatever!

Connor loved the fireworks at the end of the evening!

Happy New Year- Love Connor

Kaitlyn and Sydney were in the party mood! They

had a wonderful time with the hats and

blow horns, sparklers...

Thanks Dede for inviting us!

As for the women, we beat the guys

hands down in games (okay technically they won one

we won one-but in no time memory will fade

and we will have been victorious)

Hope you all had wonderful New Years.

I am still trying to decide what my New Years

Resolutions are going to be. I think for

sure more fun parties with friends!