Life is a journey...

Privacy please

2011-11-17T16:45:00.001-07:00

I've decided that I'm changing my blog to private. If you'd like an invite leave me a comment and your email, if I don't already have it. Thanks.

I'm done!!!

2011-11-17T11:53:00.000-07:00

Yes folks, it's true. No more school for me. That is, unless someday I get ambitious and get my masters degree. At this point, I do NOT want any more school. All schooled out. =] I finished my class on Monday so now I just need to finish my 100 observation hours and my student teaching, which starts in January. I can hardly believe I'm this close to getting my degree. After over 4 years of school and homework, what's a girl to do? Well, as you can tell, blog. I have missed blogging and will likely miss it as I get busier with work and observation hours in the next month. Since December is a super busy month for the post office, guess who gets to work tons of hours? Yep, me and all the other poor unfortunate souls that work with me. Okay, the money will be nice for Christmas since I'm scheduled 40 hours each week and will likely work 50-60 hours a week, but when will I sleep or see my family at the best time of year? Okay, enough complaining.

So, once I get my degree I'm debating on what to do. Here's my dilemma: Olivia starts kindergarten next school year and I really want to be a part of her schooling with the whole room mom thing. I spent a lot of time in my other kids' classrooms and I want to be there for Livi too. I thought about working half a day opposite of when she's at school so I can still visit her classroom, but then I'd have to find someone to watch her while I work. Not what I want to do since that's what I have to do during my observations and soon my student teaching. I want to be there for her while she's home. So basically, I've decided to wait a year before I start teaching. I guess it's not really a dilemma since I know what I want, but I'm still torn. I so badly want to have my own classroom. I'm going to wait though, I guess that's what I've already set my mind to anyway. (It's so nice to talk it out, thanks for listening.) =)

My next little dilemma is what I want to teach. I'm getting a degree in Elementary Education, but kind of, well, really want to teach preschool. I love that age of kids the most and would love to have my own preschool. On the other hand, I would love to teach 2nd or 3rd grade and have my own classroom. I guess I have a little while to think about it since you've all helped me resolve my first little issue and I'm going to wait a year to teach. I know this is a personal and family decision for me, but any advice or suggestions you have would be welcomed and appreciated. =)

Have a happy day!

HALLOWEEN!!

2011-11-17T10:55:00.003-07:00

Two posts in a month, can you believe it? Yeah, me either, but don't get used to it. =)

I love Halloween! Next to Christmas, it's my favorite holiday. My favorite time of year is from October 1st to January 1st. I don't like the snow especially if I have to drive in it, but I love the fall leaves, the food, the festivities, and being with family.

Kelsie and Logan were off track for the Halloween parade, but we went anyway. Kelsie didn't want to dress up .... too cool for that now that she's a 6th grader. =), but still a sweetheart. I don't like the track their on since they miss out on dressing up at school ... that was one of my favorite days in elementary.

School parade (Preston, Carli, and Logan).

Livi and Brynlee

Livi (my drunken pirate, lol) and Kelsie.

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Pumpkin patch fun

PUMPKINS

Bunderson Halloween party!!! The kids played lots of games and had food and treats. My mom spent a lot of time putting this party together and we had so much fun! Thanks Mom for being so amazing! We love you!!!

I decided to be festive and dress up. I wanted to do something fun with the all the kids so I made witches brew. We added crushed bones, bat juice, monster eyes, and condensed ghost. As I did this little production for all the kids, my little nephew thought I was a real witch and it was real witches brew. It took a lot of convincing that it was Aunt Amy and only rootbeer. Especially since I pretended to cast a spell on each cup of brew as I passed them out. The first one went to my niece, Kylie (11 yrs old). I pretended to cast my spell and as she took her first drink she pretended to shrink. I didn't even ask her to, she came up with it on her own. Clever girl. It made the show that much better, and that much scarier for little Devin (4 yrs old). After much convincing from his dad, he finally trusted me and drank the rootbeer. Ah, I love kids.

Girl's Night Out at ROD WORKS! One of my last days at Rod Works was on GNO. Even though I didn't work on the floor much in the past year bc I was merchandising and decorating, I still loved being there for this fun night. Lots of customers attend to get in on the awesome sales and the fun games. This year we had a special visitor...doesn't he look great?

Gardner Village with Heidi and her kids. Notice that they're wearing shorts? I can't belive how warm it was. So nice. Wish it could last longer. Exept on Christmas, it can be cold and snow, then melt the next day and be warm again. =)

Cheesers =)

I can't believe Halloween is over and Thanksgiving is in a week...then on to Christmas. Crazy!!! (I don't know what's up with the pics being randomly loaded in weird ways. I try to fix it, but it erases a bunch of stuff. Anyway...it's posted. =])

Once in a while

2011-11-08T13:30:00.000-07:00

Once in a great while I update my blog. =) I miss blogging, but just don't have time. My last post was at the beginning of 2011 and here we are nearing the end. I have a lot to catch up on so here I go:

Uh, right. Too much has happened throughout the year so I'll give a really quick overview. This is still an incredibly long post, but if you knew how many pictures I have of everything that happened this year, you'd understand that this really is just a snipit of the year.

Livi turned 4...my baby is going to be 5 in a few months and getting her kindergarten shots. =( As I always say, time goes way too fast!

Caden turned 13...I have a teenager! Life is crazy! We did a surprise party for him at Boondocks and boy was he surprised! It was so much fun.

Logan played baseball and Caden played soccer and both are awesome players!!!

Livi went to the fire station for a fieldtrip and had graduation

I had the opportunity to go to the zoo with Logan on a fieldtrip

Miss Waddell (Logan's teacher), Logan, and Skyler

We had a fun Bunderson reunion with all my siblings. My oldest brother, Shaun was in charge of planning the reunion. They did carnival theme and had did face painting, games, and food. We had a blast! I have so many fun pictures of the reunion that I may need to do a whole post sometime to share the fun we had. =) I know what you're thinking ... "sure, that'll happen. In a year maybe." =) That's ok, I'm thinking the same thing.

My little Gogie turned 8 and was baptized. I'm so proud of his decision. He's growing up and becoming such a little gentleman. He opens the door for me wherever we go. When we drive somewhere and get ready to get out of the car, he says, "Wait mom!" Then he jumps out of the car and runs over to open my door. Gosh, he makes my heart happy. =) My youngest brother, Tyler, was able to baptize Logan. This was a good experience for him.

Newest member of our large Bunderson family: Gavin Gledhill, son of Spencer and Kelli (my little sis). He's so sweet and cute, and look at those kissable cheeks! I was able to go with my mom and dad to Cedar City to welcome this little guy home. We got to their house right before they came home from the hospital. What a sweet experience. Thanks Kelli and Spencer for letting us be there for that special day.

First day of school

Family zoo day....was loads of a good time!

Cornbelly's fieldtrip with Livi. Spending the day with just my little Olivia was great. She is so silly and it was nice to have that one-on-one time with her. Her cousin and best buddy also attend the same preschool (but in different classes) so it was fun for her to play with them.

Well, that gets us caught up on some of the happenings of our year. We had a rough summer, but we are doing so well now and happier than ever. Caden is in 8th grade and enjoying spending time with friends. He is taking a boxing class and really enjoys it. Kelsie is a young lady and likes designing rooms and clothes. She sketches them in a notebook and has some really cute designs. Logan has also been doing boxing, but would like to do acting. He is such a ham and has quite the expressive personality. He also likes talking in different accents so he would do really well in an acting class. Livi is also so expressive and so silly. She is my little sweetheart and is so loving and fun. Brandon is doing sandblasting and painting and has worked out of town a bit, but is here now and working a ton of hours. I am so grateful for his sacrifices to provide for our family. We have our date night every Friday and have so much fun together. I am so blessed to have a husband that loves me unconditionally and who makes feel so special and important. We also have family day on Saturdays since that's pretty much the only time we are all home. I love my family and feel so lucky to have all of them. I am still incredibly busy, but....I only have a week left of classes!!! I can't believe I'm in my last class. I will start my student teaching in January and graduate in the spring. I can't even begin to tell you how excited I am to be done with school. After 4 years of homework, I don't even remember what it's like not to worry about school. I don't work at Rod Works any more =( and am now working for the USPS doing data entry. I miss Rod Works terribly and miss everyone that I worked with. That was the best job ever and I loved everyone there.

Even though life is stressful and I'm super busy, I can't complain. I have an incredible husband and kids and cherish every second I have with them. Life is good.

Birthday sweetie

2011-01-23T18:48:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Kelsie!!!

We love our sweet Kelsie.

Kelsie's favorite colors are purple and blue and she loves peace signs.

Logan decorated the banister with balloons. What a good helper. Caden blew up the balloons to help Logan. Olivia feel asleep before the party watching TV. =)

Birthdays are usually a week-long event for us. My kids are amazing and I want them to know how much I love them and how special they are. We started the week out with a family party with cousins, aunts and uncles, and grandparents. The kids had fun playing games and being silly. On her actual birthday we had a party for our little family and she opened her presents.

We ended the week with a party for her and her friends. She wanted a pj party so we did breakfast then headed to the mall for a scavenger hunt. It was loads of fun. Each group had to find a list of items (free) such as a napkin from the food court, 3 business cards, and a catalog, to name a few. They also had a list of pictures to take like a team member wearing a red high-heel shoe or the team on the escalator. The last section was trivia questions the teams had to find the answer to. Some of the questions were: how many buttons are on the inside of the elevator? How many shoe stores does the mall have? The teams had about 45 minutes to get as many of the items on the list. The team with the most points wins.

Here are just a few of the pics the teams took.

Kelsie with her friends at the party.

Kelsie is now 11 years old and will be going into YW next year . . . so crazy!!! We are so proud of the sweet girl she is. She is so helpful and loving to her siblings and to me and her dad. We are blessed to have her in our family. We love you Kels and hope you had a wonderful birthday.

It's been a while . . .

2011-01-08T21:25:00.000-07:00

Hello fellow bloggers. It's been a while, a long while. Oh, how I have missed you all. Life has been more crazy than ever, but it's good. I started working full time at Rod Works which has made it so I haven't had as much time for other things (like blogging). I love my job, but miss the time it's taking away from my blogging world. =) I'm one of the merchandisers so I get off work around 1:00 pm, which is great, but with school, my family, and everything else, I just don't have much time left after that. So . . .I won't try to catch up, I'll just start from now.

I took the kids to the Gale Center Museum and they had a blast! I wish we could have all the cute little exhibits at our house. The kids didn't want to leave, which means we'll be back soon. If anyone wants to join us, we'd love the company. We were the only people there until we were leaving. It was nice to have the whole place to ourselves so the kids could enjoy everything, but they'll share if you want to come with us. =) Logan was so funny. For the first 20 minutes, or so, he was whispering like we were in the library. We kept telling him that he could talk normal, but it was so quiet and peaceful in there that he thought he'd keep it that way. Ah, he makes me smile that one.

Back to school

2010-07-27T10:01:00.001-06:00

I can't believe it! A few things, actually. I can't believe my little Kelsie is a 5th grader and my little Goge is a 2nd grader. I also can't believe their summer is over and it's already the start of the new school year.

My Ruru is a big 5th grader now! I remember her first day of kindergarten, which seems like it was really just yesterday. Her teacher invited the parents to the first few minutes of class and read the book 'The Kissing Hands' and the kids made little hands with us. This was to help ease them into the transition of school. Kelsie really struggled in kindergarten. She just wanted to be with me and had a really hard time getting on the bus in the morning. She cried and cried and hoped that I would give in. Trust me, I wanted to. Now, she has no fear of school and has a great time. She was a little nervous, but didn't really show it.

My little Gogie is, and will always be my little Gogie, but he's growing way too fast! Before he started kindergarten I always wanted to spend as much time with him since I regretted not doing that with the older two and time just slipped away with them. I tried to do more with my Logan, but I still wish I had done more. Once they start school, that's it. They just grow faster and faster and that time is gone. I was worried that he would be my most difficult one with school and that he wouldn't want to go, but he has never had a problem. Well, actually, last year I was helping in his classroom and when I was leaving he gave me a hug and got a bit teary-eyed, but tried to be brave. He was so excited for 2nd grade and is even getting too big to give me a hug in front of his friends (so he thinks).

I wanted to make their day special so I made some fun cupcakes to celebrate their first day of school. I also wanted to make them a special dinner, but didn't want it to be overly fancy since they're kids and they would rather just have pizza and mac n' cheese. So we had chicken quesadillas (a family favorite) and fruit kabobs. We had apple candles (apples with tea lites) to add to the celebration. The plan was to come up with a family motto for the school year, but it got too late, so we will discuss it tonight. I already have one in mind, but I want the kids to have a say in it as well.

Kelsie and Logan had a great first day of school and I was happy that they like their teachers and have friends in their classes. Caden starts middle school in August so he has a little longer to enjoy his summer. Yay, for me too, I get to be with him more since he was gone for two weeks (scout camp, then Idaho with his grandpa).

Summer Bowling

2010-07-24T09:51:00.000-06:00

All-star bowling sent home free summer bowling passes with the kids at the end of the school year. We finally decided to use them and the kids loved it! We went with my sister, Heidi and her 3 little ones.

Brynlee was the funniest to watch. She would stand on her tip toes and watch the ball roll down the lane. When it hit (or missed) the pins she would get so excited and jump up and down and laugh and scream. It was so cute!!!

Caden didn't use the gutter bars and had a little bit of a rough time at first. He got the hang of it after a while and did pretty good.

The second time we went, we took my other sis, Cami with us. She's 14 and is a hoot. She gave our team bowling names: Logan was Gogie; Kelsie was Ru Ru; Livi was Little Miss Muffet; Cami was Ice Ice Baby; and my name was Yo Mamma. We always have fun with Camers and we're happy she came with us.

Brynlee and Livi lost interest quickly during our second visit and decided to draw instead of bowl. I wish we had gone earlier in the summer since Kelsie and Logan start school on Monday, but I guess we can always go after school. We had loads of fun!!!

Fun day!

2010-07-18T12:17:00.001-06:00

Kelsie and Logan start school in a week so we are trying to cram as much fun into the last of their summer vacation. On Monday, we started the day off at West Jorddan park (the kids' fav).

Livi was leading me and Kels through the park and was being so silly.

As I have mentioned, Olivia loves animals, especially birds. She saw this seagull walking close by and just wanted to hold it 'so bad.'

It was an incredibly hot day. Luckily, the sprinklers were on so we ran through them to cool off a bit and found this little park close by.

My boys are climbers, especially Caden. He wants to be a free runner when he grows up. I try to explain to him that it's not really an occupation, but a hobby. A dangerous hobby, but that's my over-protective mothering stepping in. (Don't ya love Logan's pose in the background?)

Ninja game!

Climbing again...

After the park, we stopped for lunch at McDonald's. Not my favorite, but the kids love it, especially since we rarely go there. Logan was being chased by girls (as usual) and was trying to hide from them. He was so cute! After lunch, we went to Toys R Us to get Christmas ideas. Yes, I know it's only July, but I want to get a jump start on my shopping. Besides, what kid doesn't love to visit the toy store? =)

After the toy strore, we stopped at Beyond Glaze, a gourmet donut shop. Mmm, mmm, mmm. . . As I've said before, the bakery is my biggest weakness and this place was delish! Not sure that Livi felt the same way by the look on her face.

To end the day (this is still Monday) we met Grandma Cranfill at the movie theater. The boys went to see Prince of Persia and the girls saw Eclipse. Thanks Nancy for the great time! We love you! We had so much fun that day! We could have done one activity a day and spread them throughout the week, but I had to work so much last week so we crammed it all together. I'm so sad that their summer is coming to an end so soon. I really don't like year-round school and wish that all of Jordan School District would go back to traditional. Caden still has over a month of summer left though (yay!).

SMILE! =)

Family reunion

2010-07-04T19:22:00.001-06:00

Last weekend we had our first annual family reunion with my parents and my siblings (and their famillies). The festivities started Friday afternoon with a miniature golf course that my dad made in his backyard. I was at work until 7:30, but when I got home, the boys were still golfing and loving it. We also had a BBQ followed by a late night filled with board games. The plan was for everyone to camp out in the backyard, but Kelli and Spencer were the only ones that ended up sleeping outside. Sorry Kell Bell, next time we'll join you for sure.

Saturday morning we had a yummy breakfast then headed to the canyon for a hike. We hiked up to Donut Falls which was a perfect little hike for the kids. My little niece Karli had the easiest time of all on top of Brandon's shoulders. She had the biggest smile the whole time because Brandon would make the hike fun for her. He ran with her on his shoulders and was being silly.

After the hike, we met up with my brother, Shaun, and his family a little lower in the canyon for a picnic lunch. (Not everyone went on the hike. Shaun, Jason, Steph, and Heather and their families didn't go on the hike.) Cami found some really 'wierd bugs' on the back of the sign which we later found out were just the remains of bees that shed their outer layer. The kids were freaking out about the strangeness of the bugs. Cami said it was a new species that had never been discovered where the bees' back's opened up. It was pretty funny.

After lunch, we went back to my parent's house to swim. Then, we headed to Herriman for fireworks. Livi was a little nervous about the fireworks at first, but then loved them.

We had a superb weekend and can't wait for next year's reunion!

My hubby . . .

2010-06-30T11:39:00.002-06:00

33? He's getting to be an old man...well, that's what everyone teases him about, but we are still young. Even if only in our minds. =)

For his birthday, we went to see The Prince of Persia and had some dinner. It was just the two of us since we hadn't been out for a long time. Then, we had cake and ice cream with the rest of the fam. I can't believe that our first date was 16 years ago on his 17th birthday. Wow, how time flies! Here's a little about my honey. He has surpassed my expectations that I had for him being a dad, and they were pretty high. He loves his kids and they feel that love and know that their dad cares about them. He is also an incredible husband. I can't imagine my life without him. He makes me laugh and smile. He's an amazing runner, he ran more than 13 miles just to see if he could. He had only been running a few miles (7 or so) a day and basically did a half marathon just to see if he could and he beat my time that I trained hard for. He's just amazing like that. When he sets his mind to something, he has amazing outcomes. He likes to hit the speed bag and has taught himself how to do some pretty cool things. I can't even hit it more than a few times in a row. He is also incredibly smart and whitty. Everyone gets a kick out of his quick jokes that he comes up with. He's definitely a people person. Everyone that comes in contact with him likes him. He has a way to put people at ease and make them feel comfortable. I am so grateful for a husband that is so loving and caring to everyone. These are a small fraction of the things I love about my sweet honey. Happy birthday babe! I love you!

Happy June...

2010-06-30T10:53:00.000-06:00

Happy birthday to my daddy! His birthday was a few days ago. A little about my dad: he works harder than any other person I know; he's a fun, and silly grandpa; he's wise, not just smart; he's patient and understanding to everyone; he's always giving service to others. . . this list could go on and on. In a nutshell: My dad is amazing! I'm so blessed to have such a wonderful dad who cares about me and my family. I'm so grateful for everything he does and has done for me. Happy birthday dad! We love you and hope you had a fantastic day!

Happy birthday to this cute little couple. My sister's and her hubby's birthday were this month. We don't get to see them often, but we are happy when we do. Jordan is the crazy uncle that teases all the kids. The boys love it! They run from him and tackle him while he wrestles them or puts them on top of the fence. He's a lot of fun and we're happy he's part of the fam. Happy birthday Jordy!

Heather is as sweet as can be. She has always been that way and looks for ways to help others. She is such a good mom to her three little cuties, they are so lucky to have her. She is patient and loving and fun to be around. Happy birthday Heather! We love you!

Mormon Miracle Pageant

2010-06-25T09:54:00.003-06:00

Me and my mom took my three older kids and Kelsie's friend, Jordan to the Manti pageant this week. We have a family reunion this weekend so we went to the pageant during the week.

It had been several years since I had been to the pageant or even seen the Manti Temple. The last time was for youth conference about 15 years ago. I had forgotten, and probably didn't truly appreciate the beauty of the temple as a teenager. It is gorgeous!!!

It was neat to see the cast members mingle with the audience. We got a picture with a couple of them.

Angel Moroni on top of the temple.

My mommy and me. We had so much fun and can't wait to go again next year. As we were leaving the pageant, a guy across the street had a sign and a megaphone. He was talking badly about 'Mormons' and saying that the Book of Mormon is no different than a book like The Lord of the Rings. I'm curious as to why people think they are being productive doing such things . . . ? Like we are going to be like "You know, maybe he's right, I never thought about it that way". It seems so silly to me that they waste so much time by being so disrespectful. I know a lot of people do not agree with the beliefs of the LDS church, but is it really that difficult to keep it to themselves? I know, Satan has to try, but I find it a bit ridiculous. I disagree with a lot of things in the world, but I'm not out disrespecting everything I don't agree with. Sad that people do though. I wanted to go up to him and say, "I think you might be right" then he might say, "Really?" Then I would say, "Uh, no" and walk away.

Weekend Fun!

2010-06-22T09:54:00.000-06:00

We had a wonderful weekend! I didn't have to work and didn't have a boutique, which has been a while since we've had a weekend when we didn't have something going on. First stop: Bluffdale parade. I left my camera in the car so I didn't get any pics, but I took a few at the town days celebration. The blow-ups were free (amazing huh?) and the kids loved it. The only downfall was the long lines, but we managed. We even saw my cousin Natalie there who just moved to Bluffdale from Cedar City. I had no idea, but it's nice to have more family so close. =)

After Bluffdale, we headed to Payson to the Grotto. The hike wasn't very long, thank goodness because I didn't plan very well. Four of us were wearing flip-flops which was nice when we got to the water, but made the trails a little more difficult. We took our little Jakey with us and he loved it!

Brandon kept trying to get the kids to go over and touch the waterfall, but they didn't think that was a very good idea. Brandon decided to show them it wasn't so bad. He rolled up his pants and walked in the freezing water to the waterfall. He thought it should be my turn after that, but nope, not so much. Livi tried several times to make it over to the waterfall, but never quite made it. She was soaked up to her waist by the time she finished trying. The cold didn't even phase her like it did the rest of us.

Logan found this rock and said it was a wishing rock. I love his creativity. His teacher told him that if a rock has a line all the way around the rock, then it's a wishing rock. He was so excited to find this special rock. After a while, he finally decided that he should throw the rock in the water and make a wish. Later on the hike, he told me that his wish didn't come true. He said that he wished for a million wishes and his next wish was to fly. He was pretty disappointed that he couldn't fly. Ah, that sweet little innocent boy just makes my day so much better.

After the Grotto, we found another trail higher up the canyon. It was gorgeous up there! The only problem with this hike were all of the mosquitos, oh and the horse poop on the trail. Livi was so funny. She saw the poop and made a face and asked what it was. I told her what it was and she carefully walked around the piles. Then she just jabbered on and on about how she really liked horses, but not their poop. It was hilarious. Seriously, what would I do without my kids? Life wouldn't be as exciting.

Daddy's little girl.

Just the beginning...

2010-06-16T14:57:00.001-06:00

My sister and I started making some items to sell at boutiques. This is the reason my life has been a little crazy-busy, well, that and I'm still working, doing school, and the normal every-day stuff. We went to our first one on Saturday in Saratoga Springs. It was a great turnout considering it felt like winter and was really windy. It could have been much better, but it was still fun. We will be doing more boutiques throughout the summer. Here is a sample of the aprons I have done. I didn't get pics of the matching kid and doll aprons. I will post those on another post sometime. We will also be setting up a seperate blog for our items which I will post when it's done.

End of Days...

2010-06-15T10:47:00.002-06:00

School days that is. . . for a few weeks. Being on year round school makes for short summers. They start the new year at the end of July. Except Caden since he will be starting middle school.

Caden had an awards program and got several awards. Way to go bud! I had little Addy bug with us and she enjoyed all of the people around and was happy the whole time. Caden is finished with elementary school...which means he's growing up and close to his teenage years. Yikes! He's a good kid though. I'm proud of him and know that he will excell in middle school. I am so sad that my little Cader tots is growing up though. He's not supposed to grow up.

When Caden would line up with his classmates, Livi would run up and give him hugs. Everyone would laugh at how cute it was.

Look at that stack of awards. I'm so proud of all of his accomplishments.

Later that same day...

Logan had a talent show and an author's tea party in his classroom. Livi sure loves her brothers...she ran over and sat by him first thing.

Logan wanted to show some of his artwork (cute pics he had drawn). He told about three of his pictures: a horse, a turtleman, and a little guy. He was so nervous, but did so good and was so cute.

After the talent show each of the kids shared a book they wrote and published. Logan's was about a boy who was racing his friends. It was a sweet little story and he was so proud to read it to me. It was a fun day with both of my boys. Kelsie's class didn't have anything for us to participate in, but she had a tea party with all of the girls in her class. Her teacher thought it would be fun since there are 11 girls and 22 boys. The boys out numbered the girls so she thought the girls deserved a tea party. =) So school is out for a little while and the weather is finally warming up so we will hopefully be finding places to go and things to do to keep us busy and not so bored.

HAPPY SUMMER!

Baby blessing

2010-06-14T09:50:00.001-06:00

Last weekend we were able to go to Colton Zac's blessing. This is my brother, Jason's family. Cute little boys! They love their new little brother.

Little Colton Zac Bunderson

Family! It was so nice to be with my whole family. The last time everyone was together was a while ago.

Happy birthday my little Logan!

2010-06-13T18:00:00.002-06:00

My sweet little Logan's birthday was last week. I am just now posting about it because of the craziness that is my life. I had the opporunity to eat lunch with him a few days before his actual birthday at the birthday table at his school. He was pretty excited. On his birthday I surprised him by bringing him a happy meal for lunch. (We never get happy meals when we eat out as a family, so this was a real treat for him.)

Grandma and Grandpa Cranfill had us over for dinner and cake. Logan really had to think about his wish. A couple days later he asked me if he could tell me what he wished for. I told him it might not come true, but I would love to hear it. =) He told me that he wished for a million wishes that way he would always have a wish. He's a thinker for sure! He makes me smile.

He got some money...look at that face, it says it all.

Grandma and Grandpa have a really cool tree in their backyard (I should have gotten a pic of it) so we took pics in it. The kids love to climb the tree every time we go there. Side note: Olivia thinks she needs to pull a silly face every time we get the camera out. Silly girl.

Logan with his Grandma and Grandpa.

My sweet little ones.

The grown ups

PRESENTS!!! He had to wear his Iron Man suit for the occasion (this is what he spent his birthday money on from his grandparents). I love his muscle pic!

I bought his cake this year (horrible mom, I know) since I've just been so busy. He's just such a fun boy and I am so happy to be his mom. He has the best little laugh that brings a smile to my face. He's also the most imaginitive boy. He always comes up with such random things that I never would have thought about, but is so creative. I love you Logan and hope you had a super wonderful birthday.

Another curve ball...

2010-05-24T12:30:00.000-06:00

Life is full of them. Our most recent curve ball came from the National Guard. Here's what happened: Brandon was set to leave for basic training on April 11. He was to report to a hotel in SLC where he would stay a couple of nights while the paper work went through then he would be off to South Carolina for training. He said his goodbye's to the kids (not a fun time) and I took him to the hotel. We said goodbye and I drove away (not that quickly, but that's the basic idea). That was the most difficult feeling. Knowing that I wouldn't see my love for nearly 4 and a half months. It was nice to see that he was having a hard time with it as well. Not because I want him to have a hard time, but it made me feel good that he still loves me enough to miss me. =) So I bawled all the way home and again when I went to bed. The next day I got a phone call from him telling me that I need to pick him up from MEPS. Apparently they were missing some medical paper work. After saying goodbye...we have to do it again? Not good. So I picked him up and we went to get the paperwork he needed. We had to have the papers in by the next day, which we did. Then it was a waiting game. Brandon made several phone calls when we hadn't heard from the Army, but they told him that they would let him know. After about 4 weeks of waiting, we finally got the news. Brandon would need to have surgery before he could go to basic training. He was medically discharged and can't enlist again for 6 months. We are hoping that we can get the surgery done before then so he is able to do it again. Or, maybe there is a change in plans for us that we just don't know yet. Our lives are on hold once again and can't wait to have some stability in the near future. He is going to start school soon and get that going at least. We will continue to pray for what is right for our family and we know that whatever happens is for a reason. Thanks for everyone's support and love. We love you and appreciate all of you.

Happy May birthdays

2010-05-24T12:15:00.000-06:00

My brother-in-law, Chet had a birthday earlier this month. My kids think it's pretty cool that Uncle Chet is a fireman. He enjoys his job and it's fun to hear about all the crazy stories that he has. He's a jokester and has fun with the kids in the family. Happy birthday Chet! We hope you had a wonderful birthday.

My little sis, Kelli also had a birthday this month. She lives in Cedar City where her husband is going to school, but hopefully they will move closer to us someday. She is so much fun! Everyone teases her because she is a true blonde, but that's what makes her so much fun. She is baby hungry (not her baby in the pic) and will be a wonderful mother someday. Happy birthday Kell Bell! We hope your day was special.

Last, but certainly not least, my dear mother had a birthday. She has always been there for me and my family and always gives great advice (even if I don't know it at the time). She is lots of fun and a wonderful grandma. We are so happy that we get to spend so much time with her. We love you Mom/Grandma and hope your birthday was the best!

Mother's Day

2010-05-15T21:35:00.002-06:00

I had a wonderful Mother's Day! I woke up to a hot breakfast made by my sweet hubby, my dad, and brother-in-law, Spencer. (That's one advantage of living with my parents: extra help.) It was delish! It was also nice to see my little sis, Kelli, who was visiting from Cedar City. We don't get to see them much so I was so happy that she was there. After church, the rest of the family came over (almost all of them, we missed everyon who wasn't there). We thought it would be fun if all of the men had a bake-off type of thing with salads. Everyone put $5 dollars in and then we voted on the salads. Brandon really got into this competition. He found his own recipe on the internet, bought the ingredients, and made the salad. He made a bean salad that could be eaten alone or with chips. After everyone tasted the salads, we voted. All of the salads were amazingly delicious! I was really surprised at how well all of the guys did. I had a difficult time deciding on which salad was the best since all of them were so good. We couldn't vote for our spouse's salad so I voted for Spencer's salad. It was a bowtie pasta salad with chicken, grapes, mandarin oranges, and sunflower seeds. It was really good, but so were all of the others. BUT, Guess who won the most votes? My Brandon! I was so proud of him. =)

Brandon's is the salad at the bottom of this pic. Yummy!

Here's his prize! Way to go honey!

We were so happy to have my grandma with us on Mother's Day.

A little late, but we had a Mother's Day tea party (minus the tea) for my mom and my mother-in-law to show them how much we love and appreciate them.

I found lots of yummy recipes for our little party. We had chicken sandwiches, pineapple sandwiches, and cucumber sandwiches; fruit with dip; party pinwheels (tortilla rollups); strawberries with a cream filling; fruit tarts; cream puffs; raspberry lemon muffins; and chocolate chip cookies. I have always wanted to make these kinds of foods, especially the little sandwiches. They all turned out great and I can't wait to make them again. I had lots of fun finding the recipes and making the food.

It was a fun day and I am so grateful for my moms. (We still need to get pics with my mother-in-law.) I wish that my step mother-in-law lived close so she could have come as well. We love her and miss her. We didn't have much time since Caden had a soccer game, otherwise we would have done some little activities, but it was nice to just chat. This will be a yearly tradition and I can't wait until next year! I love you my sweet moms!

Take me out...

2010-05-08T03:54:00.000-06:00

...to the ballgame. Logan has finally played some games. The season started with an orientation night where all of the little players met for a practice. They met with their team and their coach and did some little drills to help them understand the game a little better. Logan was so excited!

After some rough weather causing the games to be cancelled, Logan was finally able to play his first game. He had a blast! After everything he did he would look at us with the biggest smile. Love it! Oh that boy is such a cutie!

The last game he had was absolutely freezing and was cut a little short, thank goodness. It seriously felt like winter with the freezing winds.I felt so bad for all the little kids. It was cold enough for full winter gear, but we were not prepared. Logan had fun anyway and was just happy that the game wasn't cancelled. He has a makeup game on Monday, but I think it will get cancelled because it's supposed to rain. Ah well, we may actually get some nice spring weather one of these days. Then again, probably not. Likely it will feel more like summer sooner than spring.

Growing up

2010-05-07T10:37:00.001-06:00

I have been waiting to post about my special boy, but never had a picture. Finally! My Caden turned 12 (as I posted before) and received the Aaronic Priesthood a few weeks ago. I am so happy for him and even a little proud, how could I not be? He is a wonderful young man, but will always be my little boy. He's growing up which makes me so sad and happy at the same time. It is amazing to watch him grow physically, mentally, and spiritually. He shared his heartfelt testimony on Sunday and made me realize how much he really has grown. He also passed the sacrament which made his mom cry just the teansiest bit, okay more than that, but it was an incredible moment. I felt the spirit so strongly and my testimony was strengthened by this sweet moment. I can't imagine what it will be like when he is leaving for his mission and going through the temple for the first time. I am so grateful for the gospel and the peace and joy it brings to my life. I love you Caden and am so proud to be your mother.

Have a joyous weekend!

"I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else."

C. S. Lewis

Soccer Days

2010-05-03T20:02:00.002-06:00

Caden is an awesome soccer player! He's lucky that he's so athletic and enjoys playing all sports. He hasn't played for a few years, but it's like he never stopped.

While watching the game, we took lots of pictures, some a little silly, but these ones are of my beautiful Kelsie.

Bring on the sillies!

The little kids (Logan and Livi) don't really watch the game. They would rather chase each other around the grass...Olivia kept running on the field where Caden's game was. Oopsie. We love watching Caden play soccer and can't wait for the next game. I will post pics of Logan's baseball when he finally plays a game. They have all been cancelled because of the weather. Poor little guy, he just wants to play.

"Do not anticipate trouble, or worry about what may never happen. Keep in the sunlight."

Benjamin Franklin

Date Night

2010-05-01T09:46:00.002-06:00

My sweet honey took me out on a date last night. We go on dates, but not as often as we should or as often as we would like. First, we went to Mark Anthony's Italian Restaurant since I love Italian food and we had never been before. Yummy! We had the spinach and artichoke dip which was amazing, but we didn't finish it because our brocolli cheese soup was brought to us before we could finish. Then our bread sticks came out. The strangest bread sticks I have seen, but they were good. They looked like a swirled roll and were placed on a stick which was interesting, but we liked it. After this much food I didn't know if I would be able to eat my meal. Next time we'll just order an appetizer and some soup. After dinner, we went to Daybreak and walked around the lake. The weather wasn't bad when we started our walk, but it got cold after a few minutes. We still enjoyed our walk despite the cold. It was so peaceful and relaxing.

After our charming walk, we thought about getting dessert, but couldn't think of where to go. I wasn't in the mood for ice cream and since it was my choice, I really wanted to go to a bakery. That's my weakness...There is one in Draper that I had been wanting to try called The Sweet Tooth Fairy so that's where we went.

Oh my, it was the cutest little bakery I have ever seen and everything looked so delectable. I ended up getting a carrot cake cupcake which, I must say, was absolutely delightful. We also bought some little lemon cake bites for my parents since they were watching the kids. I tasted one and it was yummy. The description of the cake bites said that they may contain fairy dust....aw, how cute is that? I found my new favorite dessert place. AND, to top of the perfectness of the little store, they are involved in many different ways to make a difference in the community. They have a hand in raising money for several causes such as cystic fibrosis, breast cancer, and autism, to name just a few. How cool is that? So, if you're in the mood for a super-yummy treat and want to help a good cause, this is the place for you! Love it!

Have a cheerful weekend!

SheDaisy

2010-04-30T09:35:00.000-06:00

Kelsie had a wax museum at school and chose Kelsi Osborn from the group SheDaisy. Kels did a great job being a wax figure. The students were told not to move and not to communicate with anyone during the wax museum. She did not even look at us as we came by, she didn't even flinch when I took pictures. She was excited to find someone with the same name as her and had fun learning all about Kelsi and SheDaisy. Every day she would tell me what she learned. I love seeing my kids excited about a school project.

Swim fun

2010-04-27T13:46:00.001-06:00

We were finally able to have a little party for Caden's birthday (only a month late). Caden invited a friend and some cousins to go swimming.

They had fun while I watched from the side. After swimming, we got pizza and ice cream to finish the night off. That's my kind of party...no mess to clean and no planning on my part and Caden chose the activity so he got to do what he wanted to do. =)

Classic Fun

2010-04-26T09:31:00.000-06:00

Good times...My sister and I took our kids to Classic Fun Center. We even got to play since our little ones couldn't go by themselves. =) It was the last day of being off track so we thought it would be good to do something fun. We got gift certificates from City Deals which is a great deal. If you haven't already, visit citydeals.com for some awesome deals for just about anything you want. I especially love the one's for Rod Works...imagine that.

This was so funny (and a little sad)! Olivia was playing in the toddler area when she noticed a gorilla in the corner. She ran over to me all upset, but I couldn't figure out what was wrong. I finally realized it was the gorilla. I told her it was just a stuffed toy like the animals she has at home. This seemed to make it a little better, but she kept looking over at the big animal just to make sure it hadn't moved.

The kids decided to try skating. Caden and Livi got the hang of it, but the other two really struggled. We finally gave up on the skates and got scooters. Luckily, Heidi (my sis) was smart enough to bring her kids' scooters.

The little girls loved the taxi ride. I think they went on it at least 20 times. The big boys decided they wanted to try to squish into the kiddie rides...they were much too big.

Games, games, games...then tickets to get prizes. Fun day. It was so nice to go during the day while most kids are in school. We practically had the place to ourselves, not quite, but almost. That's about the only thing I like about year-round school.

Praxis anyone?

2010-04-24T13:49:00.000-06:00

I have the wonderful opportunity to take the Praxis I test next week. I don't find it to be an opportunity, however. It's quite an expensive test to take as there are 3 parts to the test and you have to pay for all 3 seperate, or together. I am taking them together so it was a bit cheaper, but still a lot of money. If I don't pass, then I have to pay to take it again. Stress? Just a little. I know that I may only have to pay for and take one section over, but I still don't want to do that. I got some study guides from the library and they seem to help me, but I am still worried. I have really been stressing about passing all 3 sections so I don't have to take it again and so I can move on with my education and get my degree. About a year ago, I talked to someone at my school about having to complete some things at a certain point in my schooling, but it came so much more quickly than I realized. Then, about 2 weeks ago I got a phone call from this same guy who asked me how my fingerprinting and test was coming. "It's not, actually." So now I am rushing to get it done and had to take a 29-day break since it has to be done before my next class. Oh boy, I feel really silly that I didn't plan well. Now my graduation date is pushed back to September of next year instead of July. :( Sad. I just want to be done and get on with it. I feel like I have been in school forever. I didn't remember what it was like not to have homework all the time. Now, instead of homework, I am just studying for my exam next week. Ok, enough complaining for my own procrastination. I am thankful that I can go to school and have a good education and work toward something that means so much to me. I look forward to the day that I can graduate and get my degree in Elementary Education.

If anyone has any strategies for studying they would like to share, I would love to hear it. Thanks and have a super weekend!

Hiking...sort of

2010-04-23T09:22:00.002-06:00

With the great weather we had (no longer) we wanted to take the kiddos hiking. We thought American Fork Canyon would be a good place to go, but there was still a lot of snow higher up. We stayed down where the snow was gone, but there wasn't really anywhere to go. We found a few little trails and managed to have a fun time, as always. Jakey (our dog) enjoyed wandering around and exploring. So many new smells to experiences. He couldn't get everywhere fast enough.

My boys are a little obsessed with free running, mostly Caden. They jump and climb on everything and think that they are so cool. Well, they are, but they make me nervous trying all of the things they do. Caden pretty much thinks he's invincible and tries all kinds of things that make me cringe. He wants me to "watch this" every time, but I can't always watch. One little slip up and owie's would be on the way. I am a worrier and always think of the bad things that could happen. Sometimes I wish I wouldn't worry so much, but then, something might happen if I don't worry so much. See...there I go worrying again. I can't help it...

Happy day to you!

Downtown...

2010-04-22T16:21:00.001-06:00

We thought it would be fun to take the kids downtown to see the big malls (it was actually Brandon's idea, what a sweet daddy he is). I loved going to Crossroads and the ZCMI Center when I was little. But, we found out they are gone. The rest of you probably already knew this, but we had no idea. I guess that's what happens when you don't live in the same state for a while and when you never watch the news or go downtown. So we got to Salt Lake, parked and walked in the direction of where the malls used to be. I was a little confused since the buildings were ripped apart and being remodeled. We went into the new Deseret Book, which is amazing btw, and asked someone where the malls were. He told us that they were gone, but that Crossroads would be back in a couple of years. Boy did we feel silly. It was a nice day though so we walked over to Temple Square, then had dessert at The Lion House. Yummy! I had coconut cream pie and mmm, mmm, mmm, was it delish.

What a fun family day we had! We are trying to squeeze as many as possible in before Brandon leaves, which will be . . . who knows when. We are still playing the waiting game, but we are enjoying our moments together.

Have a super day!

April birthdays

2010-04-18T16:51:00.003-06:00

Colby (my little bro) turned 19 this month. This is a goofy picture of him because he always pulls funny faces when I try to take pics of him. Silly guy. So we will do with this one. =) He has become a deep thinker and is into philosphy. This makes for some deep conversations. Even if we don't always see eye-to-eye, I enjoy our talks. We love you Bolby and hope you had a wonderful day!

My step-mother-in-law also had a birthday this month. She is so much fun and is one of the sweetest people I have ever met. The kids love being with her since she gives them so much attention and love. We are grateful for the blessing she is in our lives. We hope you had a super birthday! We love you and miss you!

Look at that smile! Can't help but smile yourself huh? That's my little nephew Brayden who's birthday is today and turns 4. He is so much fun. We love little Braydo! He is playful and loving and even a little timid, at times. Olivia loves being with Brayden and playing cars with him. We hope you had an awesome birthday little buddy! We love you and miss you!

Another cutie nephew, Devin. He has the most infectious laugh (like his brother Brady) that makes me giggle. He's so cute and sweet and is always worried about the dogs eating him. =) He turns 3 tomorrow and talks up a storm. We love you Devin and hope your day is super special tomorrow.

Aren't I so blessed? I have an amazing family and couldn't have picked better members to be in my family. Although....I have pretty amazing friends who are nearly family. I have some good friends who have birthdays this month and I miss them! You know who you are so just know that I am thinking of you and miss you like crazy!!!

Here and there...

2010-04-18T14:56:00.001-06:00

Lots of things have been going on lately. Brandon's departure to basic training was delayed because of medical paper work so he is home. He spent the night in Salt Lake last Sunday and called me Monday to tell me that he needed me to pick him up. As happy as I was to be able to be with him again, I didn't want to have to go through the goodbye's again. He got his paperwork in the following day, but they don't know when he will be leaving yet. We have been told many times "Welcome to the military" by those who are or who have been a part of the military. "Hurry up and wait" is another thing that we've been told is common for the military. So we are waiting yet again. =) It has been nice to spend more time as a family this past week. We went to West Jordan park which the kids loved! We also went to Thanksgiving Point for ice cream and walked around the garden area.

The kids have loved going on walks to the neighborhood next to us. There are ponds, statues, and lots of big rocks. Brandon, Caden, and my brother Tyler have been playing basketball nearly every day since we've had great weather. They decided to re-paint the court since it was so faded.

We have a new addition to our family. My brother, Jason, and his wife, Shana, have a new baby boy. He was a little early, but weighed over 5 pounds and was doing really good. He got to go home after a few days. His name is Colton Zac...I love it! He is so gorgeous and so sweet. It's those moments that make me wonder whether we should have another one...it doesn't last though. =) I love snuggling with my nieces and nephews and I'm so glad I can see them often since we live so close to them, well, most of them. Congratulations to my brother and to Shana! We love you!

I'm doing a date night with each of the kids and I started with Kelsie. We went to a movie with Grandma Nancy, Aunt Sheri, and Cousin Kelly. We saw The Last Song which was good, but really sad. After the movie, me and Kelsie walked around some of the shops at the District. Kelsie found a jewelry holder and some flavored chap stick, then we had ice cream. It was a fun girls night out and we can't wait to do it again. I love my sweet little Kelsie and I am so grateful for the happiness she brings to my life.

Military Man

2010-04-11T21:55:00.000-06:00

He's off to basic training. He'll be at basic for about 9 weeks then on to his AIT for another 10 weeks or so. I tried to keep it together to make it easier for him when he left, but failed miserably. I'm not going to dwell on it though. Everyone knows that I will miss him and that it won't be easy. Instead, I will put on a happy face for my kiddos so they don't dwell on it either. We will stay busy with the summer coming up so that will help. I am so proud of my honey and know that he will be an amazing soldier just as he's an amazing husband and father to our children.

Family fun

2010-04-09T10:31:00.000-06:00

Another fun day as a family. This time at Clark Planetarium and then a walk around Gateway. We saw the Ultimate Universe movie. The kids got pretty bored, but I was relaxed. There was soothing music playing and it was dark so I was ready to take a nap. We will have to choose a more adventurous movie next time for the kids.

We had a fantastic day as a family.

Pirate Island

2010-04-09T10:07:00.000-06:00

What a fun place! Similar to the Mayan, but pirate style without the fun shows. The servers are all dressed like pirates and get into character. Olivia was a bit nervous at first, but she got over it after a while. The atmosphere was so fun, all decked out in pirate ships and such.

While we waited for our food, the kids played in the arcade.

I loved the way the kids really tried to aim the gun. It was a little heavy for Keslie and Logan, but they gave it a go anyway.

We had a great time together and wish we had more time to spend with Brandon before he leaves for basic training.

St. George...

2010-04-08T12:45:00.001-06:00

A couple of weeks ago me and Kelsie went to St. George with my mom and some of my sisters. We had a blast! Cami (my sis) was dancing in a competition so this was a great excuse to take a little trip with the girls. We went shopping, watched the dances, and just took it easy at the house. My parent's have wonderful friends who let us stay at their winter home in St. George. It's a beautiful home and we are so grateful for their generosity. Spring comes much earlier than up here in the northern part of the state. The grass was gorgeously green and the trees had blossoms. If St. George was like that all year, I would love to live there, but the summer's are way too hot.

Me and my mommy. Love you mom!

Kelli (my sis in the pink) had so much fun with our niece Addy who is Steph's (sis in the blue) little one. Kelli is so baby hungry so this was fun for her to get a little practice in before she has one of her own someday.

I rode with Stephie on the way home and my mom was behind us. I was dozing in and out of consiousness when all of a sudden Stephie says something like "Oh no, this is not good." This freaked me out a little since I was half asleep. Luckily she was watching my mom in her rear view mirror because my mom got a flat tire. We pulled over and I ran back to where my mom was and her tire completely blew. Not good. We start trying to get the spare out of the trunk when a guy pulls over and helps us. Thank goodness for awsome people who are willing to help out. We had a super great weekend, but it went way to fast. It was a welcome break though and really helped me recoup.

Easter fun

2010-04-06T14:06:00.000-06:00

Coloring eggs...the kids favorites

Even uncle Tyler got in on the fun...I love the little guy he drew on his egg. =)

Baskets!

Egg Hunt

Silly boy wouldn't hold still for a picture.

After all the festivities and food, we had a wonderful family home evening that Uncle Shaun gave.

Easter Sunday was so wonderful and what better day for conference?

The latest...

2010-04-06T08:37:00.000-06:00

Caden had a medievel festival at school last week. He made us some name tags for the table:

Caden the jester with two of his friends

Caden with his teacher, Mrs. Gorringe. She hosted the performance and was hilarious! If someone came in late she would yell to the crowd and embarrass the late people. She also made them pass out cookies or napkins as "penance." Part way into the meal she took away a guy's cell phone and said it was a rule that if anyone used their cell phone she got to take it away and give it to their child. :) The kids did an opera about bullies. It was really cute. Caden was in the group called the potohitamus' while the other group was the hillbillies.

Big day at Rod Works! Twice a year Rod Works has a huge week long sale. They have a spring open house throughout the week and on Saturday they have 50% off one item from 6 to 9 pm. This happens on conference weekend. This was my first opportunity to experience the craziness. We closed the store at 5:45 and kicked everyone out of the store. :) They formed a line outside in the freezing cold:

Once we opened the doors at 6:00, it was chaos! People would tell us what they wanted while we walkie-talkied the item to people in the storage room to see if we had them. It was completely insane. We had this one huge mirror that everyone wanted, but we only had one. I was helping two people who wanted it and the one lady said that the other lady could have it. How nice! I wish all customers were that way. So I put this ladies name (Kristin) on the mirror on a bright pink sticky note saying that the mirror was sold. She went to get in line which was wrapped through the entire store. After 20 or 30 minutes I noticed the mirror wasn't on the wall any more. Panick set in. I asked all of the employees where the mirror went and they told me that it was supposed to be for a different customer. There wasn't anything on the mirror indicating that someone else was getting it. Apprently a sticky note was on it, but fell off. Super. I had to go tell Kristin that the mirror was being sold to someone else. This was awful. She was not happy to say the least and she left the store. After a while I went up to the front desk and the mirror was still sitting there. I asked why it was still there and they said that the person that wanted it changed their mind. REALLY!?!? Kristin could have had it afterall. I felt so horrible. I talked to my manager and she said that if Kristin came back she would give her 75% off the mirror. I hope she comes back, I feel so horrible about the whole situation.

The brave souls who I worked with through the chaos and confusion.

Cader Tots . . .

2010-03-29T19:48:00.000-06:00

My sweet little Caders is not so little. He turned 12 last week . . . yes, you know I'm going to say that time flies. Caden has the sweetest personality and caring heart. He is always worried about everyone and making sure they are happy and taken care of. When the kids started school, Caden played with Logan at recess since Logan didn't have any friends yet. This went over really well with the 6th grade girls. They thought he was so sweet to take care of his little brother. =) Girls are always chasing him, including 7th graders but he's not all that interested . . . so he says. I'm in trouble once he starts middle school. I love you Caden and hope you had a super fantastic birthday.

Happy Birthday Brady!

2010-03-16T13:27:00.001-06:00

My cute little nephew, Brady turned 5. He will be going to kindergarten next school year. How fast time goes. I know, I say that in just about every single one of my posts, but really, I wish time wouldn't go so fast. Anyway, back to Brady. This little kid has the best laugh ever! I could listen to him laugh all day. When he was younger, he would jabber on and on and on...about who knows what. I had never heard a child jabber like he did. It was the cutest! He still talks a lot, but I can understand him a little better now. =) Happy birthday little buddy! We hope you had a super day.

Lousy Smarch weather!

2010-03-16T12:56:00.002-06:00

Just when we think spring is upon us . . . IT SNOWS!!! I know, we live in Utah and should expect it, but I don't want to. I would like to have spring come early, or even on time. Is there something wrong with that??? We went to see Alice in Wonderland on Saturday and this is what it looked like outside:

The kids loved catching the snowflakes in thier mouth, but I was hiding under shelter. Brandon dropped us off at the front so we wouldn't get snowed on, but...the kids wanted to get snowed on.

Look at those huge flakes . . . the snow, not the kids. =)

We went to the movie with Grandma Cranfill and had a great time (as usual). Thanks for a wonderful time Nancy! We really enjoyed the movie, but I know a lot of people didn't care for it. It was different, but that should be expected from Tim Burton right? Weird? Yes, but still good.

Fieldtrips, fishies, knighting, and Logan . . .

2010-03-10T17:32:00.002-07:00

Caden's fieldtrip

Caden had the opportunity to go to the place where the Olympians train for cross-country skiing. They got to ski, which was a first for Caden and he loved it!

He took a few pics with his little camera, but I wish he had taken more. I guess I probably take too many pics though. :]

He made sure to get a picture of one of the dogs that pulls a sled. Pretty cool.

The Aquarium

Last week me and Livi went to the Living Planet Aquarium with my mom, my sister Stephie, and my brother Colby. I felt bad that I didn't take the other kids, but they were in school and I don't really do much with Livi so I thought this would be a fun outing with my baby girl. Olivia liked riding in Aunt Stephie's car and sitting by her baby cousin Addy. They had fun looking at eachother. =)

Since Olivia LOVES animals, this was the perfect little place for her. She couldn't see the fishies fast enough. "MOM, LOOK AT THIS ONE!" was pretty much all I heard the whole time. She was in heaven.

EW! I didn't really like looking at this octopus, but it was interesting to see such a huge animal in a teeny, tiny tank.

Hard as I tried, I couldn't talk Livi into touching the sting rays. She did like playing in the water though.

Love the colors!

Turtles, one of my favs

She was mesmerized

Our little group, minus me

We are so happy Colby came with us. We don't see him much since he's 18 and is always busy. We had lots of fun and want to go back when the penguin exhibit opens.

Lady Kelsie

To help the fourth graders learn their multiplications, they have a knighting ceremony when for all those who pass them off. Kelsie worked hard to learn them all and finally became a 'lady'.

Kelsie is being knighted...or whatever you want to call it.

Jordan is Kelsie's best friend here in Bluffdale. They get along so well and are such cute little friends.

My Little Logan

Logan hasn't had any special events or anything, but he is still my special little guy. Logan drew a guy doing a disco dance with a disco ball. Not sure where he gets his ideas from, but they sure are cute! He comes up with the most creative ideas. We love to play charades, and Logan is always coming up with the most original ides. I love my sweet little Logan.

Spring Fever

2010-03-02T13:48:00.001-07:00

We have spring fever! I thought it would be a good day to take Livi to the park since the news said it would be 55, but the wind made it too cold. We played for a little bit, but not too long.

Happy birthdays...

2010-02-25T13:47:00.001-07:00

We have lots of fun birthdays this month. First, was my cutie nephew Corbyn who turned 2. He is the funniest and funnest little boy. He has the cutest little personality. We love you Corbyn and hope you had a super, wonderful, special day!

Next, was another cutie nephew, Jared who turned 5. I can't believe he will be going to kindergarten in the fall. He also has a super cute personality. He is so much fun and we are so happy he's in our family. We hope you had a terrific, awesome birthday little bud! We love you.

Last, but certainly not least, was my dear, sweet mother-in-law's birthday. She turned . . . well, maybe I'll leave that part out on this one. =) She is the most wonderful mother-in-law I could hope for. She is so kind and giving to everyone and is always there for us. She is an amazing person and we love her! We hope you had the most wonderful day!

Happy Valentine's Day . . . oh so late...

2010-02-25T13:31:00.002-07:00

Since I am so far behind on my blog, Valentine's Day had to wait to be posted. We haven't had the internet for a while so now I have a lot of catching up to do. Not only that, we have been really super busy lately. I started working at home doing data entry, but then our internet went out so I haven't worked with them for a couple of weeks. I am also working at Rod Works still and love it! I'm still doing school online, so trying to catch up on my blog can be difficult. But...here is our Valentine's Day. Kelsie was the only one that needed to make a box for school. The other two made something in class. Kelsie's class has awards for their Valentine boxes so she wanted to win the award for the most hearts. . . and she did. We made a heart garden and it turned out pretty cute. On Valentine's morning I put hearts all over the kids' doors and wrote little coupons on the back of some of the hearts. They loved it. I also sent them on a treasure hunt to find a Valentine's gift. They had no idea that they would be getting anything so they were pretty surprised. I love to watch the excitement in their eyes as they work together to find the next clue. They are so much fun. After the hunt, we had a yummy breakfast with pink eggs and pancakes. I wanted my kids to understand that Valentine's Day isn't just for couples who are in love, it's for everyone we love, and I love them!

Little Livi Belle's 3!

2010-02-21T16:51:00.000-07:00

My little babers turned 3 this month. Olivia is getting so grown up and isn't my little baby any more. =( She is still so sweet and so much fun. She keeps us smiling through the day. I love how at this age they find their favorite shows and have to watch them exclusively for months at a time. Right now she is addicted to Max and Ruby. Silly show, but she loves it. It used to be Curious George, which I loved, but I don't get to choose for her. Happy birthday to my sweet little Livi Belle!

Catching up . . . Again

2010-02-21T16:02:00.003-07:00

Brandon joined the Utah Army National Guard. Here he is being sworn in at the Utah headquarters. It was a very informal ceremony, but exciting nonetheless. He is so excited about joining the army. He has been working so hard to get fit so he won't 'seem' like an old man. When we went to get our military IDs, the man at the front desk asked if Brandon was getting his retired ID. =) Yep, he's a little old to be joining. He went to Camp Williams yesterday for his first training and will be home sometime this evening. I can't wait to hear how it went.

Logan drew a picture for Brandon joining the Army. I love the helmet and the title: "Army Strong"

For Kelsie's birthday (I know I am so far behind on my blog) we went with Grandma and Grandpa Cranfill to see Avatar and then to lunch at Red Robin's.

Olivia did a pretty good job during the movie, but couldn't quite make it through the nearly-three-hour movie. We had to take a quick break to get some ice cream. Then she was happy to sit for a little longer.

This is the sweetest puppy! Our little Jakey has been a wonderful addition to our family. He is such a good dog. We finally got him his first cut. I just loved his shaggy hair and had a hard time parting with it. He was our little bear.

Olivia's new name for Jake is Jakey Poo. The minute we get home from somewhere she's saying, "Jakey Poo. Where are you Jakey Poo?" Funny girl.

Here is our Jake after his haircut. I miss his shaggy hair, but I like the new look too. He has become even more cuddly. I think maybe without his hair he's a little cold. We love you little Jake.

Happy birthday sweet Kelsie!

2010-01-19T11:34:00.002-07:00

My sweet Kelsie turned 10 yesterday! I know I always use the word sweet in front of her name, but that's what she really is...sweet. She has always been the sweetest little girl. When she was about 2 she would always tell me she loved me. She would say, "Mom. Um....I love you!" This happened nearly every hour of the day. She is still the sweetest girl I know. She is so good to her little sister. Olivia always wants to play Barbies or LPS with Kelsie and being the nice sister she is, Kelsie always does. She is always so helpful too. I am so grateful she is in our family. These pics are a little out of order and I couldn't get them to go where I wanted them. (I shouldn't have changed over to the new format.) Kelsie wanted Barbies, LPS, and webkinz for her birthday. She has also been wanting to help me more in the kitchen so I made her a little apron out of a dish towel. It isn't quite finished yet. I want to add some ribbon, buttons and other cutesie things, but I got the pockets on at least. :) I was so sad that I had to work last night, so we celebrated on Sunday. I also took her to lunch and shopping at the mall yesterday before I had to leave. We had a good time, but it just wasn't enough time. Her cake didn't turn out whatsoever, but it looks kind of like a dog. ;] Olivia said it was Jakey (our puppy). The frosting was too runny so the cake looks terrible, but it still tasted good. :) Happy birthday my dear sweet Kelsie we love you and hope you enjoyed your special day.

My sweet Caders...

2010-01-12T09:55:00.000-07:00

Last week I was really sick and Caden was worried that I had the swine flu. He asked me nearly every hour if I was going to be okay and asked if it was the swine flu. I reassurred him that I would be fine, but he still worried. During the day I was taking a nap and he came in to check on me nearly every 15 to 20 minutes. He would come over to me and I would tell him that I am fine. I decided to just watch him one of the times he came in. He quietly walked over to me and had a worried look on his face. (I was just peaking at him so he didn't know I was watching him.) He poked my arm and said, "Mom. Mom. Are you okay?" He was relieved when I said I was fine. :) He thought for sure the swine flu was going to take me. He is so sweet and always worried about me. All of the other times he came into the room I would talk to him right away, but since I didn't say anything when he came in he thought for sure I was a goner. Funny boy.

Snow fun...

2010-01-11T14:02:00.001-07:00

The kids were so excited when Grandpa asked them to play Fox and Geese with him. I remember playing this game with my dad when I was little. We all went out to play in the snow and had a great time.

Christmas

2010-01-08T12:11:00.003-07:00

Christmas has come and gone. :( Each year it seems to come and pass more quickly. It's my favorite holiday and I wish the time would slow down at that time of year. The music, the feeling, being with family, the food, the excitement...it's all so much fun. I love to see my kids get so excited about the magic and wonder it brings. I especially love the lessons and stories that are shared about our Savior.

Here are just a few of the many pictures that we took:

New PJ's on Christmas Eve.

The kids each decorated a special cookie for Santa.

The kids with Grandma and Grandpa Cranfill

With Grandma and Grandpa Bunderson

Christmas Eve we had dinner with my side of the family. Everyone except Kelli and Heather and their families were there. Christmas morning we opened presents with our own little family then headed over to Grandma and Grandpa Cranfill's. Grandma made her delicious clam chowder. Then we headed back to Grandma and Grandpa Bunderson's. The cousins exchanged gifts and we played games. So much fun! The kids choose a cousin's name for Christmas every year. Usually I get so busy and just buy a gift for the cousins and my kids give it to them. This doesn't really help with teaching them to give. So this year I made sure that they picked the gift, wrapped it, and handed it to their cousin. This meant a lot more to them and they were much more excited to exchange gifts. This seems like a no-brainer, which it really is, but with the hustle and bustle of Christmas, working, and doing school, I let the time slip by. I always have good intentions thinking we will make time to go shopping as a family and choose the gifts, but the time has always dwindled away. I made sure we got it done this year though. We also had the kids exchange gifts with eachother. It's amazing how such a small thing can make such a difference in the holiday season. We miss Grandpa and Grandma Harris and Audrey. We love you and hope to see you soon. I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season! Happy New Year!

Birthdays!!!

2010-01-08T10:59:00.000-07:00

Happy birthday to my step-Father-in-law! We are so lucky to have him in our family. We love you and hope you had a wonderful birthday!!!

Happy belated birthday to my little niece Karli. She just turned six and is growing up so fast! We love you and hope your birthday was fantastic!!!

Santa Party

2010-01-06T10:59:00.000-07:00

Party with Santa! We love this yearly tradition. Well, most of us. Livi wasn't too fond of Santa that's why I didn't get a picture of her with him. She absolutely refused and threw a huge fit and hid behind the chairs.

Last days of school

2010-01-06T08:48:00.008-07:00

Finally! We have the internet. It seems like I've said that before, recently in fact. So much has happened in the last month that I will have to try to catch up in a few posts. Logan had his school play and did a great job. He was so nervous, but he said his line in front of the audience and was so brave. He was so cute. He said his line right on time, but really fast. :)

The whole school took part in the play singing songs. Here's Kelsie with her friend Madelyn after the play.

Logan with his teacher. Well, actually, his teacher had a baby before we moved there and was on maternity leave the whole time we were there. This is Mrs. LaRue. She was the sub who took over while Mrs. McCoy was on leave. This worked out perfect since Mrs. LaRue is due to have a baby any day and Mrs. McCoy came back after the holiday break. Logan only met Mrs. McCoy once so Mrs. LaRue was his teacher. He enjoyed being in her class. I love this age! Their teacher is one of the most important people in the world. Every time Logan would see Mrs. LaRue he wanted to say hi. Even if she was clear across the school parking lot by the buses. He would run over to see her. So sweet.

Kelsie with her teacher Miss Rasmussen.

I didn't get pics of Caden with his teachers since he has a few in middle school. I did get a pic of Caden with his good friend Dominic though. They were together nearly every day and had a lot in common. Caden really misses him and hopes to be able to visit soon.

MOVING DAY!!! Again. Grandpa Harris came by to help with the last little things and to say goodbye. :( We miss everyone!

What a crazy few months we have had, but we made it through. More posts to come.

If we knew then . . .

2009-12-15T15:39:00.003-07:00

. . .what we know now, we would have stayed in Utah instead of moving back to Idaho. We love Rexburg, but the work is not as promising as we had hoped (still better than Utah though). We are moving back to Utah and staying with family while Brandon possibly joins the army (reserves) and goes back to school. Construction is not the best field to be in right now and we are ready for a change. Moving three times within three months is not ideal, especially with kids. Moving schools is difficult for them and if there was a way for us to stay where we are, we would.

First, we moved to Arco, Idaho. We were offered to stay in a house on 40 acres of land for free. How could we turn it down? We didn't, but should have. There were some issues with the house that made it so we couldn't stay there. Had we known about those issues we wouldn't have moved there, obviously. One of the biggest problems was the plumbing. The prevous occupants were an older couple that never had kids in the house. They had lived there for over 50 years and said that everything worked great. I'm sure it did, for the two of them. Especially since they said that they didn't flush t.p. down the toilet. Ew. With 6 people, the plumbing just wasn't great. Between the baths and showers, water for dishes, toilet use, etc... the plumbing just couldn't keep up with us. The bathtub started getting backed up and drained slower than we could stand...practically not at all actually.

Another big problem, as I have mentioned before, was the internet. The only internet we could get out there was satellite and it went out with every wind storm and was out for a few days. This really wouldn't be that bad if I didn't need it for school. It was impossible for me to get my school work done without reliable internet. My grades suffered because I couldn't turn my papers in on time.

So...then we moved to Rexburg where we love and where it wasn't so far for Brandon to continue working in Mackay. We love our ward and the area, but work was dwindling fast and we knew it was time for a change from construction. We had talked off and on about him joining the army, but we didn't feel it was right. Until now. This was a difficult decision for us, but after talking with the recruiter we really felt like it was the right move. The recruiter was not at all pushy like we thought he would be. The next day we got a phone call from my dad asking us if we would like to live in their basement. This could not have happened at a better time. Did I think I would be living in my parents basement at 31? Not at all! Life doesn't always go as planned, but we are blessed to have a wonderful family.

Silly kids...

2009-12-11T18:38:00.007-07:00

I don't know if I've mentioned it before, but motherhood is the most amazing experience. I am so happy to be a mom to my four little sweethearts. They bring so much joy that I could never imagine life without them. They all say the funniest and sweetest things. One of Logan's recent funnies was when he was playing house with the other kids. He had a little baby that was a glow worm and handed it to someone else while saying, "Be careful he doesn't have any legs yet." :) Hopefully his baby has grown some legs by now. He is a talker too. Being alone with him the car is never dull. He is constantly talking and thinking about everything. He comes up with the most off-the-wall thoughts and just says what he is thinking. I have a really hard time not laughing. He is so excited for his play next week. They had their first dress rehearsal today and they all looked so cute. I can't wait to see how my little buddy does. I need to take more pictures of the kids. I usually remember to take pics when they are at school so it's just Livi in these ones. I will post more of the other kids soon. She's all bundled up...just to take kids to school. It is so freezing in the morning.

Livi's favorite place to play is under the stairs. We had a few boxes under there and some of Livi's toys. Somehow a whole herd of stuffed animals made their way in there as well. She had a nice comfy spot to draw on top of boxes and animals.

This is the sweetest! She was hugging her baby while she watched Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas. She has really enjoyed that show. We recorded a whole bunch of Christmas specials and our DVR malfunctioned and we have to get a new one. We only watched a couple of the specials so I'm pretty bummed. We still don't have TV, but it has actually been kind of nice. Not so much noise around. We will get our new DVR on Tuesday so we have a whole weekend without TV. Nice.

Caden is still enjoying middle school and is taking art this semester. He of course loves this class. That's practically all he does in his spare time. I need to post more of his drawings, he is amazing! Kelsie also loves to draw and still likes her Littlest Pet Shops. That's just about all she asked for from Santa. Easy to please...as usual. Her little sister follows her around and wants to be just like her. They are so cute together. We are looking forward to being with family for the holidays and hopefully even seeing a few friends. We miss you all and hope you enjoy this wonderful holiday season with your loved ones.

We will be having some big changes coming soon which I will post about another time. Stay tuned. ;)

Burden's lifted

2009-12-03T08:29:00.005-07:00

Last night I was reading the General Conference Ensign and read the talk given by Elder L. Whitney Clayton titled "That Your Burdens May Be Light" which you can read here. This really inspired me so I thought I'd share.

One line that really stood out was "We must do everything we can to bear our burdens 'well' for however long our 'small moment' carrying them lasts." This really puts life into perspective. At times, I get so caught up in my burdens and feel like I am the only one going through a difficult time. I know this is not true, but I feel so down that I am blind to everything around me. I need to open my eyes and be grateful for the wonderful life I am blessed with. I have an amazing family, both my own little family as well as parents, siblings, in-laws, cousins, nieces, nephews, grandparents and friends (not technically family, but still wonderful).

My burdens are "small moments" that won't last. I know that compared to what other people are dealing with, my burdens are practically nothing. "I will ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders that you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage." We all have burdens, great or small, and as much as I would like to be free of them, I know they have and will strengthen me.

Our burdens can feel light through our Savior and that's what helps me make it through even the roughest days. When I am having a difficult time the Lord sends little blessings to ease my burdens. Whether it is one of my children giving me a big hug and telling me they love me, or a neighbor stopping by, or a family member calling to chat, these little moments can lift and strengthen me. I know I need to recognize these as blessings from God so I can show my gratitude. This helps me be a better example to my little children regardless of whether or not I had a bad day. They are the greatest blessings and they (along with my Brandon) give me purpose and joy. I also know that when I am having these difficult moments I can give service and be lifted out of the dark. I am so grateful for the wonderful knowledge of the gospel and the peace it brings to my life.

After I read this talk, I was reading in 1 Nephi and came across the perfect scriptures that went right along with this talk. The first one was 1 Ne 17:3, "...And if it so be that the children of men keep the commandments of God he doth nourish them, and strengthen them, and provide a means whereby they can accomplish the thing which he has commanded them..." I love this! We are promised that if we keep the commandments that God will provide a way for us.

The other scripture is 1 Ne 17:13, "And I will also be your light in the wilderness; and I will prepare the way before you, if it so be that ye shall keep my commandments; wherefore, inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments ye shall be led towards the promised land; and ye shall know that it is by me that ye are led." This says kind of the same thing, but really caught my attention. He will lead us if we are faithful. The strength of this promise is so comforting regardless of what we are going through.

So . . . anyway, I just thought I'd share this with you and also so I can have a record for me. My blog has become a way for me to document my thoughts and my life. I am so grateful for modern technology. :)

November's gone???

2009-12-02T08:34:00.005-07:00

I can not believe November is over and we already into December! That went way too fast! SO . . . I am late posting November birthdays, but better late than never I guess. My sweet little nephew Preston turned 8 on the 6th and is getting baptized on Saturday. We won't be able to go since we are so far away. :( We are so sad that we won't be there for his special day. He is a wonderful little guy and we are so happy for him. Congratulations Preston! We love you and hope you had a wonderful birthday!

My darling niece, Kylie had a birthday on the 17th and turned 10. I can't believe how fast she is growing up! She is two months older than my Kelsie and they are the best of friends. We just wish we lived closer so they could spend more time together. We hope you had a great birthday Kylie. We love you!

Now that we are into December, I realize how fast Chirstmas is approaching. Every year the time seems to go faster and I know that if I blink I will miss something. It's difficult to savor every moment when time seems to be racing faster and faster. I am not ready for Christmas to be here, but ready or not, here it comes.

This and that

2009-11-30T08:26:00.015-07:00

We put our Christmas decor up and the kids weren't as excited as usual. Maybe I pushed the Christmas music a little too early . . .? Nah. It was just the older two that weren't as excited, Logan was more than excited to trim the tree. Caden thinks Christmas music sounds sad and depressing, but I told him that he needs to listen to the words and think about the true meaning of Christmas to feel the joy it brings. I think he has this feeling because I love the Christmas Shoes song, but it makes me cry every time. He doesn't like to see me cry. What a sweetie he is.
Our star just wouldn't stay straight. I don't know why they make them so heavy.

Kelsie and Logan's school is having a Christmas play and had tryouts a couple of weeks ago. Logan tried out for the stuffed lion, but was really shy about it. Last week they posted the cast for the Christmas Wizard of Oz and Logan got a small part as the red color on the rainbow. He is so excited. It's not the stuffed lion, but this will be better for him I think. A small part is just enough to get him excited, but not too much to make him too nervous about being in front of a large crowd. "But suddenly the grumble noticed something she hadn't seen before." That is his line and has it memorized already. They are having practice every day after school this week except Tuesday. Then they have more practices next week and the play is the following week. It will be a good experience for him. I wish Kelsie had tried out, but maybe next time.
Kelsie went to a birthday party for her friend Madeline. They went to a beauty school and got their hair done then went to Madeline's house for presents and cake and ice cream. Kelsie had so much fun and looked gorgeous when she got home (she's always gorgeous though).

Logan and Caden had a late night on Friday with some good friends. They were watching a movie and playing around and I heard the boys coming upstairs. Caden was a little freaked out when he came in my room with Logan. Logan's friend had accidentally elbowed Logan in the eye and a huge bump had formed on his eyelid. The picture doesn't quite show how bad it looked. It even freaked me out a bit. I had never seen an eye so puffy so quickly. It looked like a marble was under his eyelid. We put ice on it for a while and the swelling went way down. He now has a little bit of a black eye and thinks it's pretty cool. Boys . . .

Giving Thanks . . .

2009-11-28T11:50:00.021-07:00

Thanksgiving was wonderful!!! We had lots of yummy food. We went to Great-Grandpa Dirk's house (Brandon's grandpa) along with Grandpa and Grandma Harris and Audrey, and Brandon's aunt and uncle and their family. After dinner chess was played by a few along with visiting by others. Then we all watched March of the Penguins. I had never seen the whole movie and I am amazed at what those penguins go through for their little babies. I am THANKFUL not to be a penguin.

Here are some of the things we are thankful for:

Caden - Family and friends because we get to be together and have a good time. Food. Siblings because we have fun.

Kelsie - Food and a home because we have shelter.

Logan - Temple and Jesus because we can be with our families forever. Heavenly Father and my family.

Olivia - Max and Ruby (this was her response when I asked her) ;)

Mom and Dad - Family, health, work, home, extended family, friends, time we have together, eternal families, and the list goes on . . .

Kelsie's program

2009-11-17T10:04:00.013-07:00

Last week Kelsie had a Veteran's Day program at school. Olivia and I went to watch and got there early so we could get a good seat.
We went to the morning program (they did one in the afternoon as well) and that was the one where the rest of the school came to watch. We saw Logan bringing his chair in to watch. My sweet boy.
All of the 4th graders. Kelsie had a speaking part and worked hard to memorize it. I didn't get a picture of her actually saying since I was recording it.

The program was a great reminder of what a great country we live in. At the end, they invited all veterans to stand in front of the audience. They were given a little gift and all of the kids (including the other grades) sang a song to them. It was heart-warming and was a wonderful reminder that there are individual people serving our country. They have families that love them and miss them. While I already knew this, seeing the people right there, made it more clear. I'm grateful for all who have, do, and will fight for my freedoms. Thank you to all who make this country so wonderful!!!

Drawings

2009-11-10T18:03:00.021-07:00

I love when my kids draw and color so I thought I'd post some of my favs.

Logan did this one at school. I love how he drew about the words hot, hop, dot, and got. (The hop one is my favorite.) Sorry it's a bit blurry.

Logan's cute monster with ears all over him.

This is my all-time favorite drawing that Logan has done. He wanted to show me what the skeleton looked like that he made at school.

And here's the one he told me about.

Caden's haunted house. Love the tree!

I don't know why this one wouldn't go the right way. I even changed it on my computer and it looks right until it's loaded. Anyway, Kelsie drew an animal with many characteristics from a cow, zebra, deer, horse, and it's even got roller skates on.

Her mighty cute clown guy that is balding on top. ;]

Logan's silly guy.

More monsters by Logan. He really tries to use his imagination with arms coming out of the head and ears on the middle of the face and I think one of them even has it's eyes on it's belly.

On facebook, a bunch of people were posting about this little boy named Noah who is dying of cancer. His family didn't know if he would make it to Christmas so they celebrated early. Noah's Christmas wish was to get as many Christmas cards as possible. For family home evening we made some cards. Here's the front of Logan's sweet card.

And here's the back.

Kelsie's card

Caden's card. When I told the kids about Noah, Caden nearly broke down in tears. He is so soft-hearted and sweet. I'm so grateful to have him in our family. (And all my other kids of course.)

Caden got a new video game with money he earned working with Brandon called Mini Ninjas. He has been obsessed with it. Not necessarily playing the game, but being a ninja and drawing them. Here's his favorite drawing so far:

Another ninja

Caden used his protractor to make a design . . . really cool!

While we were waiting for the bus, Livi was looking at leaves and collecting them. When we got home she was drawing a leaf. She even had to tell me about it. She has such control over her pencil/pen/crayon when she draws. I don't remember my other kids being able to draw that well when they were 2. I like how she even added lines. I will have to get some of her other drawings out that she has done recently. She is drawing circles with faces and tries to color in the lines. She's growing up too fast!!!

Halloween and blessing

2009-11-03T06:32:00.020-07:00

Halloween has come and gone. :( Caden was the grim reaper, Kelsie and Livi were bumble bees, and Logan was a dead knight. I had to get a pic of Caden before school since he's in the middle school and they don't do parades there. He's only in 6th grade and he didn't really have a Halloween party. Sad.

Olivia and I went to Kelsie and Logan's school for the Halloween parade. Livi had to wave to all the kids as they passed by. Logan's cape wouldn't stay on, but boy he's a cute dead knight. Kelsie took Livi with her for part of the parade. Livi thought she was so big. She wanted to go with Kelsie back to her class.

We went down to Utah on Halloween and had a party at Grandma and Grandpa Bunderson's house. The newest members of the family: Addyson (giraffe) and Gabryella (zebra). They are so stinkin' cute!!!Ready for tricks and treats. Brandon even dressed up.

Brandon and his Mommy.

On Sunday, we had the opportunity to see baby Addy blessed. Her dress was gorgeous!Cherry family. That's a good-looking family. Love you guys!Brandon and Jordan are good buds. Can't you tell? (Goofy boys)

Fall is so cozy!

2009-10-26T15:45:00.009-06:00

I love the fall! The only thing I don't like about Fall is that it's so close to winter and snow. Fall brings lots of fun activities to do as a family. Halloween is one of my favorite's. We like to pick pumpkins and carve them as a family (like everyone else). Olivia really got into it this year. Brandon helped her carve her pumpkin which was really sweet. We went to get our pumpkins and didn't have a lot of time so we went to Albertson's. I know, how boring is that? Well, the pumpkins were $4.99 each so we decided we would look at Broulim's, the local grocery store. Now way were we going to spend $20 on pumpkins. Broulim's had a little hay maze and spook alley and tons of pumpkins for only $0.17 a lb. We got each of the kids a nice-sized pumpkin that they picked and for all four of them it came to about $6.00. Albertson's is ripping people off. Unless we misread the sign, but it said "pumpkins $4.99 each" so that leaves little doubt we read it wrong. We had a great weekend together. After pumpkin carving, we had scones with chili (aka navajo tacos). A fall family favorite. We also made caramel apples over the weekend. I had never made them before so I didn't really know what I was doing, but melting caramel and putting it on apples didn't sound too difficult. Which it wouldn't have been if I hadn't cooked the caramel too long and made it really hard. It went on the apples okay, but as it cooled, the caramel hardened. We had to peel the caramel off and eat the apples plain. :( (Sad that I 'm actually admitting this.)We are going to try again tonight, but with homemade caramel. Wish me luck! :)