King Family

THE BOY LIVES ON

2012-01-12T19:26:00.000-08:00

It's true, the boys still lives and saw the age of 2. He has had us wondering some days. And I'm so grateful he's mine. It still perplexes me on a daily basis. The sweetest thing-my little boyfriend, but then sometimes I think he hates me. I often find myself saying, "What the H." And most recently have said just that.

We decided to potty train him over the Christmas break. Yes, he just turned 2 on Nov 2. My parents swear Angie was potty trained at 9 months, and the oldest any of their 7 kids potty trained was 18 months. So we had courage and tried it. And guess what. He had 2 days of accidents, and has been accident free for a whole week and a half, sans #2. Which, I can't blame him. You gotta find your zen for that one, and his zen is either in the tub, or in the nursery or playing at his Aunt and Uncle's house. He even wakes up DRY in the morning, and has told me a few times he needed to go! We only used pull ups on Addison as night, we didn't train in them, strictly unders. And with Liam I thought, "He's a boy, he'll probably be stubborn, we better train in pull ups at work, and unders as home. He's done so well I've put him in unders at work and has stayed DRY! And that, my friends, deserves a "What the Hell." I'm sorry, but it had to be said. He surprises me everyday.

He is a giant of a child, and is currently outgrowing his 2T clothing. Can I say "Fat guy in a little coat." But I still love to tote him around on my hip. That boy has my heart for life. I feel bad for whoever he marries.

Holy crap-he was the happiest, smiliest baby. He honestly started smiling from ear to ear at 3 weeks old, and it wasn't baby gas smiles, it was full on, reactionary smiles. When he smiled he smiled from the tip of his nose all the way down to his toes. It was like he was going to burst apart from smiling so big. This picture kind of makes me want to have another baby boy.

The Great Sigh

2012-01-10T18:03:00.000-08:00

The sigh once Christmas is over and put away. It must be my age, but it's kind of a relief when it's all said and done. We used to wait until the weekend either right before New Year's Day or after to take the tree down, but last year it was down on the 27th and this year it was the 28th. My mom said I sound like my Grandma, I think she'd start packing it all up the day after or possibly the day of. I just feel if I wait to do til the very end of my break, like the saturday before I go back to work, then I feel my weekend is spoiled and I spend the whole weekend cleaning and it wasn't restful, as if a whole week off wasn't restful. I know, makes sense. But it works for us. Get it cleaned up and enjoy not having to do anything else until you go back to work.

Christmas was great. The kids got their christmas jammies from their Elf, Liam found his "Franken" costume in the closet, waiting to be returned to his Aunt, and wanted to wear it. I was busy making Christmas Eve food and Christmas day food for our festivities so I just went with it. And he was pleased as punch.

Can I just say that the whole Santa thing is really hard to do. We so almost got busted. Not fun. And having to stay up so freaking late. No wonder my Dad always growled as us when we'd try waking him up at 4 in the morning. Then they'd settle on 6. Man, I could not do that, and I hope I never have to. We woke our kids up this year at 7:30, since we had church to get to by 11, we wanted to have everything done with. And the kids didn't even throw tude about leaving behind precious gifts to get ready for church. Very pleased and very happy we went.

I loved that Liam got Christmas this year. And I loved it even more that he loved opening the presents, and we'd catch him opening gifts that weren't his. It reminded me of the Christmas that my mom got an exercise bike. And we found little Reese, possible 3 or 4, behind the bike, where he was hoarding presents that weren't even his, and opening them up. Then mom had to remember what belonged to whom.

Santa brought Miss Lynn a giant doll house. I don't think he realized how huge it was until he was putting it together. It is awesome and I only wish she could fit inside of it and play bank at the drive up window. Mr. Scott got a train track and trains, and of course, a buzz. When we'd ask him what he wanted for Christmas it was always, "Buzz, Woody, Bike." And Santa pulled through.

The kids put out carrots and cookies for Santa and Liam was so into it. When we woke him up in the morning and told him Santa had come, the first thing he said was, "Rudolph, eat carrots, Santa cookies." He was pretty thrilled to see that they had been eaten and crumb were left. Towards the end of presents, we find Liam over at the cookie plate, eating Santa's crumbs he left behind. He even scrounged into a bag of a decoy gift my mom gave me, of a bag of m&m's with maybe about 15 m&ms inside, and began eating them. Brian said, "Normally, I would stop him, but it's Christmas and I really don't care." Which is really what we found ourselves saying the entire break as the kids ate like crap the whole week, meaning stocking candy at any hour. I did eventually put it away, and used Liam's stocking candy as potty rewards and he was none the wiser.

Perhaps the best gift I was given was a tee pee my mother made. Back in September I had bought a pattern and asked my mom if she was sew it for me so I could give the kids a tee pee for Christmas. Mom asked us all what we wanted for Christmas and I just told her just give us the tee pee. I'd get the materials and she could pay me back and that would be our gift. Agreed. Only the material was a fiasco, I had to take it back and I finally told Mom to just scratch the whole thing, it was a week and a half before Christmas and I was stressed that I'd put it off so long and didn't want to put it on her shoulders. We decided to wait and do it next year, but sew it in like October. But I found a giant tee pee in my living room on Christmas morning. Next to my wedding ring, and possibly my nativity, this was the best Christmas surprise I'd ever received. I just sat there and bawled. My mom had gone out the next day I told her to scrap the project, and bought it all and had it sewed up and done in a day. She talked with Brian and came over before I had gotten home from work to drop it off and show him how to put it up. She had worried I would notice her tire tracks in the snow-because I'm kind of a snoop like that. And when she mentioned that me, I had wondered whose tire tracks those were but gave it no further thought. The best gift, and we LOVE it. Addison and I slept out the other night in the living room, her in the tee pee, me on the couch. I was going to attempt the floor but thought better of it.

So, I let out the great sigh. And can't wait to do it all over again next year.

There'll be scary ghost stories...

2011-12-27T21:21:00.000-08:00

It's the most wonderful time of the year. Yes, I'm talking about Christmas, and well, Halloween. When this song comes on Addison always asks why it talks about scary ghost stories, and it's pretty appropriate being that I'm blogging about Halloween 2 days after Christmas. I think I did this last year. Sounds about right.

Did you see my kids on Halloween? Can I just say that they were the cutest kids around? And their costumes so perfect. Addison was supposed to be Bat Girl, but as Halloween grew closer, I couldn't shake the feeling that she HAD to be Sally from the Nightmare Before Christmas, which is our families favorite show. So I ordered bits and pieces for the costume and surprised her with all of the pieces, and actually made her dress. I didn't sew it, but I did cut it, draw on the pattern and paint it. I couldn't stop staring at her all night.

I ran the Halloween Half Marathon the Saturday before Halloween as Wanda, Waldo's girlfriend, and didn't want to do another costume, so I just turned her into a beat up zombie Wanda. Brian was some crypt man with glowing red eyes, chains and a lantern.

Liam was true to himself yet again. His first Halloween he was a bear, because he growled ALL the time, and as he approached the age of 2, it turned into monster noises, then into a full on Frankenstein walk and moan/growl, since he, also, became obsessed with Nightmare Before Christmas and all things scary. So Frankenstein it was. He borrowed his costume from his cousin Azure and it couldn't have been more perfect.

I want to bite those little cheeks of his!

We did our homemade hot chocolate out of the garage, and fried scones for all of the trick or treaters. We got over 100 kids, which is far better than the 12 I got 2 years ago. I think the word is getting out on the street. As Brian put it, "We're bringing back Halloween!"

KINDA MAKES ME CRY

2011-09-28T20:31:00.001-07:00

I can't believe that just 5 short years ago, she was a tiny, little, squishy thing that hardly ever smiled, except for her mama & Dada. How I love this little girl that crept into my life.

Addison woke up bright and early and was so happy to find balloons filling her room, as requested, because we did it last year, and don't you know, her birthday has to be the same every year.

We threw Addison a friend party this year, only 1 of about 3 I think she'll get. We want them to be special and she can't expect it every year. So we thought ages 5, 8 & 12 were appropriate.

She was so excited to host a party. She carried the lemons out for me and put them in the punch. She helped set up the table and set out the crayons and coloring pages. I wonder if she'll continue to love hosting events like I do. This was so easy to do. The hardest part was cleaning my house!

Liam walked around the yard like Frankenstein all morning while we set up. It's his thing lately, even growling/moaning like him.

One of the many things I love most about Addison is how appreciative she is of her gifts. Since her 2nd birthday, "THANK YOU, I LOVE IT!" TWO! Two years old she was saying that! And getting so excited she almost hyperventilates. It makes the gift giver really happy.

Addison loves Justin Beaver. Yup, she calls him Justin Beaver, and it's hilarious. I don't think she even knows his music. So her Aunt Trisha found this hilarious shirt. She loves it. Although she didn't get it at first.

Addison invited all of her girl cousins, plus 2 girlfriends to her party. Ellie was the oldest at nearly 8, but the girls adored her and Ginny, also the same age, and I'm pretty sure the oldies had fun too.

The highlight of the party was the bounce house. Addison was so excited to fire that thing up. It was insanely cheap to rent, the guy was close by who rented it to us, and we got the bounce house and cotton candy machine for 1 day price, but picked it up Friday night and got to keep it til Monday. Too bad we don't bounce on the sabbath, but still....

Anyway, the excitement on the girl's faces and their squeals as the castle inflated was worth every penny.

Cousin Azure definitely wins for best facial expressions. PRICELESS.

I almost got all domestic and make a tangled tower cake, but then thought, "Who am I kidding-it would look like crap and I don't have the time." Harmons it is! And it was really, really good.
Best cake eating picture brought to you by Ginny.

Auntie Angie & Ginger came and spun the cotton candy for us. Angie is a pro. She used to spin cotton candy at the Sports Park back in the day. Who knew! I tried making some myself. Wow, it was a hot mess, kind of like my face.

Everyone had sticky hands, beards and cobwebs all over their clothes afterwards, but once again, worth every penny. Who doesn't LOVE cotton candy-well, besides me?

Addie's face is the best in that picture.

There was then an impromptu dance party on our deck, to the soundtrack of Tangled. You could tell which little girl was mine because she was up there doing the Funky Chicken, which looked like the chicken had a broken chicken wing. The other girls had moves! I was shocked. It was so funny to watch.

It was, hands down, the best Saturday I've ever had. It was a lot of work cleaning the night before, but so simple to set up the yard, have the girls over. Then after the party, Brian's sisters and their families, and my little brother and his family came over and bounced all evening, we had pizza and spun more cotton candy. A day filled with family = best day ever.

I love being this little girl's mom more than anything. The other day I was having a hard day and had been crying. She came up to, wrapped her arms around me, looked up into my eyes and said, "It's ok Mama, we all have hard times. It's ok. It will be alright." She makes every hard moment in my life better.

Oh Really Fool

2011-09-20T20:18:00.001-07:00

Wow, where have I been for the last 9 months?! I guess I kept putting things on my priority list and so the blog kind of went on the back burner. That and it kind of happens when you have face book.

So what have we been doing? Lots. Most of my pictures are on my iphone, and I've never loaded those onto the computer, I'm lazy like that. So let's see what I have downloaded?

Cute, cute pictures of the man in my life. He kills me. Such a terribly, naughty little man, but a charmer the next. He is so cuddly and loving, and then hitting me a second later. But I love him. Boys are amazing.

Speaking of amazing. If you didn't know, which I'm sure most of you do, I started an amazing journey in April of 2010 and as of date, I have lost 47.8 pounds. I still have another 10-15 I'd like to get off, but I have not been happier. It's not the size or the new clothes I've been able to buy (which has been great), but the energy it's given me to be a better mom. The best feeling I have had through all of this was running through the parking lot with my kids in the shopping cart and them squealing and laughing because it was so fun. That was worth every day I felt like giving up, every time I was hungry and wanted a row of oreo cookies, and every step I took while running. Best feeling in the world-finding happiness through my kids by being a more fun, engaging, involved mother in their lives.

I got my oldest Sister Angie to start weight watchers with me back in September and she also dropped OVER 60 pounds, and together, with my amazing sister in law, Camie, who is the best motivater, my mother, my little sister Lindsey who was pregnant, and my brother in law, Boyd, we ran a 5k back in February, which eventually led to running the Salt Lake City Half Marathon last April. I don't have any pictures from the marathon because let's face it, I'm an ugly runner, but here is one from our Fortune 5k. I did better that I ever thought in the 5k, and came in 20 minutes quicker at the 1/2 than what I'd been aiming for. It was absolutely amazing to be able to run it with my Mom, sister, sister in law and my Aunt and cousins. I have such wonderful examples around me and they motivate me.

I have not kept up the running faithfully, but just started training for another half marathon in October.

So here is a picture of me on my 11 year anniversary. Married 11 years on the 11th day of May in 2011. And I FIT IN MY WEDDING DRESS! Of course I filled it out a bit more, it was actually a little big on me when we got married, but IT ZIPPED and I could still breathe. That was an excellent moment.

Brian got the opportunity to present his thesis for for Doctorate program at the National Association of School Psychologist in San Francisco back in February. So we left the kids with my sister Ginger and made a short little trip of it for ourselves. We loved Alcatraz, Muir Woods, and our Haunted Walking Ghost Tour. It sounds super cheesey but so awesome, and I ever had a supernatural experience. Worth every penny. If you're going to San Fran, hit me up and I'll give you the information for the tour. It was a creepy, fun, and very informative.

I turned 31 last February too, this is me with the crazy kids on my birthday.

Addison just started her 2nd year of preschool. She loves it and adores her teacher. The kids get chances to bring a snack every month or so, so I had fun coming up with lots of fun snacks. This one being carrots in ranch dip, with parsley sticking out the top.Then we did pudding cups with dirt and worms. We did fruit kabobs another time, and just today I did sandwich baggies that had grapes and cut up cheese, and I zipped them closed, and took a pipe cleaner down the center, and twisted the top like antennae so they looked like butterflies. They were a hit.

So, there was the last 9 months in a nut shell, give or take. Throw in a few Lagoon trips, a trip to Las Vegas and Cedar City, Cherry Hill with my sisters, a new puppy.

Addison is turning 5 on Saturday and is having her first friend birthday party. So hopefully I will blog about her birthday before she turns 6. ;)

HANG OVAHS

2011-01-02T16:41:00.001-08:00

I have a hang ovah, of the holiday variety, not the alcohol induced variety. Or wait, maybe I feel like crap because I had 11 a.m. church and my baby was wretch. It was tough. Try getting a overly tired 14 month old to take a nap after 2:30 in the afternoon. He finally did fall asleep, after an hour of talking and then a half hour of crying. Then I had to wake him up so we're not up til 1 in the morning with a child that is not tired. No matter the time, church is always hard on young, napping children.

The holidays were great! We had a great time enjoying the month leading up to Christmas. Our tree went up the week before Thanksgiving, and I was religiously listening to Cozy or FM100 by the weekend. I enjoyed the decor and feel of our decked halls so much that I kind of put off Christmas shopping. Sure, I would pick things up here and there, order a few items off Amazon.com, but it was the week of Christmas and I was still out shopping-and it was insane. I've never not been finished this late in the game and it wasn't a good feeling. But we pulled through, and thanks to Santa, Christmas was alright.

Let us stroll down memory lane, shall we? The above picture is Christmas 2008. Below is 2009, Liam just a little 4 week old. And well, I hope I never run into that Santa from 2009 ever again for Santa pics. We played it safe and went back to Welfare Mall of 2008 to get that cute Santa again, but no luck. He was replace with a Santa that needs to whiten his teeth-too much cawfee I think.

Our Santa experience was great. They took 3 pictures to choose from. The first is the one we purchased. The 2nd Liam and Adds were both content, not smiling. And the 3rd Liam was beaming and Adds eyes were closed. I figured the crying child is the perfect Santa picture to remember. Too bad he wasn't soaked with pee, then we could have relived Angie & Ryan's santa experience as my mother handed a screaming Ryan over to Santa, "He's a little wet."

We took the kids to see Santa at 8 a.m. on Christmas eve, not a person in line to wait after. Santa gave the kids reindeer ears. We kept telling Liam to not touch them so I could get some pictures, and well, he kept those things on all night until he went to bed at 8 pm.

The Christmas Elf, that apparently has a direct tunnel from the North pole to our Willow Tree out back left the kids some Christmas PJs. Addison decided our Christmas Elf was a girl and her name is Mooawna Hannah Behreef. Alrighty.

See, Liam still has on his reindeer ears at the Hansen Christmas Eve Party. He didn't touch them all night.

Our Christmas eve has evolved over the years. We used to always play Chimes, then we got sick of them. We used to play a white elephant gift exchange called GREED, then that got old. But one thing has always stayed the same-we all show up on Christmas Eve for some type of dinner. And this year was so much fun. Yes, we played the chimes, we made Gingerbread houses, we ate, but my favorite part was watching IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE projected onto my mom's wall above the stairs. I've never seen this movie in it's entirety, shocking I know. I loved it. I cried at the end, surprise, surprise. I want to add this as a new tradition. It was great!

We got home late and managed to read TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS, put out cookies for Santa, and wait for morning.

Much to Dad's dismay, Santa left Addison some makeup. Every day over Christmas break she asks what day it is. When I tell her it's staying home day she quickly asks if she can put make up on. And she does. And I cringe. Santa should be fired. Gobs of bright pink lipstick gooped onto her lips. Then she goes around kissing everyone on the cheeks.Liam loved his Blue's Clues Puppy from Santa.

And I was really happy that Edward came to visit me as well.

We got the kids their first ornaments this year, a tradition we started (a little late). Brian's mom gave him a whole bunch of ornaments from his childhood to adorn our basement tree, and he loves it so much we decided we need to add a special ornament for each child every year.

Liam's 2nd Christmas.

We've stayed up way too late every night over the break. Addison, without fail, fell asleep every night during the last 5 minutes of whatever movie we had watched.

Everything about the holiday was great, except for the night I slid under a Nissan Titan. That was scary and sad. I didn't get hurt, it honestly was the most graceful, slow motion crash ever. As I was walking out the door Brian tried getting me to take the car, since it's got new, all weather tires. I said no, I'd be okay. His last words as I got in the swagger wagon, "It's your funeral." Good thing no one was hurt. But now I'm car-less. It's weird. I have to call my insurance company in the morning and see about getting a rental til the wagon is back in action. Brian leaves for work at 6:45 and drives around Jordan District all day so he can't take me to work, nor can I take him to work. Looks like another day of Christmas break for me!

enjoy some holiday chimes. We always play Christmas songs on the chimes, but we also do GUESS THE SONG, done by chiming out the beat on one chime. It's hard, but always so funny.

HALLOWEEN by the KINGS

2010-12-27T20:54:00.001-08:00

I know, none of these posts lately have been done by date, but that's what you get when I blog so erratically. Halloween blogged 2 days after Christmas. Awesome.

Adds wanted to be one thing this year for Halloween, and that was Tiger Lily from Peter Pan, and Tiger Lily she was. She is the prettiest Tiger Lily I've ever seen. She was disappointed that we didn't get her a bow and arrow.

And Liam-he was awesome. A bear. If you're ever around him, you'll know how very fitting this costume is for him because A) he's just a roly poly thing and B) he growls randomly, and it's hilarious.

We tried a chicken costume on him, but it was just a wee bit too small. I've got a big boy on my hands I tell you (and I love every pound of him). The chicken costume is up to 12 months-he was 12 months 2 days after Halloween. "Fat guy in a little cooooaaat. Fat guy in a little coooaaaat." The bear costume is up to 18 months and really was a perfect fit.

Brian had the best costume. I love it. The plaid jacket really pulled it all together. When we came home from work Brian came out of the house wearing the mask and Addison laughed and Liam cried. Go figure. He was sorely afraid of that thing. I had to toughen this kid up if he's going to hang with his mama, papa & sister. So that night I kept putting on the mask and of course the shaking and tears would come aplenty. I even went so far as to feed him dinner wearing the wolf man gloves. He eventually got used to it. Atta boy!

We served Halloween up from our Garage this year. We had the entire entry way covered in black ripped trash bags, the walls were covered in black table cloths so you couldn't see our shelves, and a black curtain separated the entry to the back of the garage (it's open in the picture). I fried scones rolled in powdered sugar or cinnamon and sugar. And piping hot, homemade hot chocolate. We had some strobe lights, a fog machine and a motion activated ghost that would rise up to about 5 1/2 tall.

Halloween was so soggy so that stuff had to stay inside the garage so our vision wasn't quite pulled off the way we wanted. But it was still so much fun, and we got over 60 kids and parents. Compare that to the past 2 years when I really only got off the couch 5 times last year. I remember this because we I great with child and it wasn't a big burden only having to get off my fat butt that many times.

Part of our cemetery. Brian cut out 6 headstones for me and I painted them. We will definitely add to it next year. I can't wait! My mom used to fry scones and do hot chocolate for all her trick or treaters until several people in the neighborhood started doing the same thing and it really lost it's luster and uniqueness, so she stopped. Plus, it's a butt load of work! Brian was out with Adds and I was at home by myself with a screaming Liam so it solo. I had Liam out in the garage in his high chair with me, running back in the house to stir the hot chocolate, to bring a new batch out. He was screaming and I had trick or treaters trying to get him to stop crying. I've already had volunteers to help me next year so I'm sure it will be much smoother. Plus, I'm sure Liam will be out with his papa and sis next year as well.

Adds loves preschool

2010-12-27T10:44:00.000-08:00

And I can't say I blame her. She's got the cutest teacher and goes to school with her little friend Paige from our ward. She comes home from school with the cutest projects and is learning so much. She writes her name all over everything and is learning to write her last name. We still have to work with her on her numbers, but we're getting there. Last week Miss Jennae had a school program where the kids sang songs and showcased all they've learned so far. It was so cute and Addison was so happy to have a part that she got to say into the microphone.

THIS LITTLE PIG TURNED 1

2010-12-23T18:19:00.000-08:00

Everyone always says this, but it's true, TIME GOES BY TOO FAST. There were many moments this past year, heck, even today, that I've said, "I can't wait til he does this, or until he's this old," but then I look back and want that time back. How I miss those middle of the night feedings. When I tell people that they look at me puzzled and say, "WHY?!" The whole house is quiet, it's just you and that brand new spirit, fresh from heaven, alone in a dimly lit room. He quietly, or sometimes not so quietly, drinks his bottle, you change his bum, you rock him and then he falls asleep on you. Tell me that's not the best feeling in the whole world? It may not be to you, but it is to me.

Liam was born on a perfectly quiet, beautiful, fall morning, November 2nd, with the rising sun coming through the east windows. But our life with him has been anything but quiet.

Here's the run down of the past year with my son:

I fell down the stairs while holding him at 10 days old, and had a lovely trip the ER for 6 hours so he could be observed. He was just fine. Sometimes I question it though. :)

at 2 1/2 months old he had to have a double hernia repair.

He got RSV at 4 months old, but I caught it soon it enough that extrenuous measures didn't have to happen.

He tipped over at work and split his eyebrow open. As with face wounds, blood was streaming everywhere. It worried the co-workers, but I stayed calm and calmly took him to the Dr where they glued his eyebrow wound shut.

The glue they used to glue him shut was supposed to come off on it's own. After a month of it still being there, I decided to take it off myself. I gave my son his first eyebrow wax. It was sad, but mostly hilarious.

Right after his 1st birthday we found out the boy cries so hard he stops breathing and passes out. It's kind of freaky and I hope one day I will get used to it. I'm not yet. It scares me still.

He's the best boy, and the naughtiest boy. He is truly going to be a class clown. He has me in stitches one moment and saying, "What the hell" the next. Like tonight. He's such a momma's boy, in a good AND bad way. But perfect as can be for everyone else when mom is nowhere in sight. He is HUGE, not walking, and trying to tell me stories everyday. I love my little boyfriend and hope he loves me always.

We had his party with Brian's family-it was a pirate theme if you can't tell.

He didn't like his hat very much.

But loved that chocolate cake. That was the best part of the whole night-him devouring every last morsel of that cake.

As tradition in our family, we took the boy to Red Robins where he could gorge himself into a stupor with bottomless steak fries.

We went for dessert at FroGurt, which is a self serve frozen yogurt bar. It's deceiving I tell you. They only offer 2 sizes of cups to dispense your frozen deliciousness into-BIG AND BIGGEST. Then they weigh it you see. Very deceiving. And really, not that fabulous.

But the kids were pleased, and that's all that really matters.

GOOD THING THIS WASN'T PIEZON.

2010-12-18T21:48:00.000-08:00

Who knows what this kid gets into while I'm getting ready for work. After Addison's birthday party, he'd been crawling around with a bag of gumballs (including black ones). No harm, right? Unless THE BAG BREAKS.

He was so happy with his black gum ball.

MY CAMERA TOOK A DUMP

2010-12-18T19:47:00.000-08:00

Wow, I have a lot of pictures and I haven't blogged in ages.

Yes, I'm crazy, and yes, I drove to Oregon again, with 1 of my sisters. Remember last summer? I was pregnant with Liam, and my sister, Ginger, and I, drove to Oregon for a week to visit our sister Natalie and her family. Ginger brought her 3 girls, and I brought Addie and an incubating Liam. This time, we drove up for my nieces Baptism. Curse Natalie for moving to Oregon. I want to attempt to be at every niece/nephew baptism. When Sarah got baptised I didn't even have kids. So this was a little harder, and the funds weren't available to fly myself and 2 kids. So Angie and her 3 boys made the trip with me. We left late Thursday afternoon and came home Sunday. A quick trip. Too quick. I miss Natalie. And it was a trip from hell. Just know this-Liam started running a fever 24 hours before departure and vomited several times. Did this stop me? No. I didn't sleep the entire night leading up to our trip. We stopped in Boise to stay the night in a hotel and did we sleep? Nope. Leelers was up running a fever, screaming. Angie and I were holed up in the bathroom, bleary eyed. He finally fell asleep and she and I stayed up reading People Magazine. The kids slept. I think we finally fell asleep at around 4, and was up again at 7. We should have pushed through to Oregon instead of wasting $100 on a hotel for the kids to sleep, when they could have done that in the car. BOO!

The trip starts out pleasant. Adds in the back with her cousins Logan and Spencer.

Around 11 P.M. somewhere in Idaho where is smelled so bad I thought I was going to barf up nasty Arctic Circle we consumed in Tremonton. The kids are sacked out. we had to make a "tent" for Liam to fall asleep-he was too concerned with the action in the back seat.

Angie was heaven sent on this quick trip. She knew I didn't sleep the night before we left, I got 3 hours of sleep in Idaho, and on our last night before leaving Oregon to come back home, I was up again and couldn't sleep. She drove almost the entire way back and let me sleep. I put in ear plugs and then put the van DVD headphones on to drown out the noise.

Things that entertained us on the LONG drive. Bryant. Adds in the back with stickers covering her entire face.

We stopped in the arm pit of Oregon, Pendleton, to have lunch in their "park." We spotted a shirtless Nick Nolte and tried taking pictures of him without us being found out. He was enjoying a sunny day in the park with his friends.

We watched a lot of movies.

And we played, "I spy a mullet." It's too bad we didn't get a better shot of this woman-er man, heshe? with her mighty mullet in Boise. I am sure it is revered amongst it's friends.

We have about 50 pictures of random people in their cars courtesy of my nephew Bryant. It was hilarious when they'd look over. He'd duck down. What was he afraid they would do?

Driving through the Gorge (?) it was raining. I had a blanket over Liam's car seat so he could snooze. He woke up screaming. I uncovered him and his entire head was soaked with sweat. I put the poor, feverish child in a sweat box! He was so sick and screaming and the roads were super scary. I couldn't take the screaming so I fed my child licorice. And it shut him up. And Licorice became our friend the rest of the drive to and home. Benadryl did not work.

While there Kate got bathtized, according to Addison. She also sat in the purity chair and contemplated baptism. This kid is going to give her mama a run for her money, and I LOVE her. She reminds me a bit of myself. Natalie, have you broken a hair brush over her bum? Does she laugh when you spank her?

We had a wait a bit for the baptism, so the kids entertained themselves in the nursery.

Kate and me. I have the same picture of Sarah and me on her baptism day. I love those girls.

On our last night with Nat, we took a drive down to the local Target and had a little too much fun. Natalie is clearly not comfortable wearing casual women's hair accessories. I don't know why. And for the record, I came home with the hat. True. Story.

On our drive back we stopped at Multnomah Falls. We stopped here when my baby brother Reese was probably around Liam's age. It was rainy-surprise, surprise. Next time we come up, it will be a longer trip and we'll actually stop and walk up to the falls. Oregon is so beautiful. I'd like to say I'd love to live there, but I don't know if I could deal with the rain and clouds.

Angie's boys were the biggest help on this trip-as Liam faced backwards I couldn't get to him from up front. So Bryant fed him and entertained him. They are so wonderful with my kids and Addison adores them.

I think Adds hit the wall at this point-somewhere in Idaho after our stop at Mickey Dees.

Liam hit the wall too, on the way home, and this time, Licorice did not work. Poor, sick baby. After we got home he was well for 2 days, and then got the runs for the next 5. I'm such an awesome mother. Taking my sick child on such a long trip. But I had to see my Oregon kids.

The end. That was our trip to Oregon, and the end of my camera dumping all these pictures on this entry.

2010-11-18T20:05:00.000-08:00

Addison turned 4. Like 2 months ago. I'm such a lame blogger. I try to let her pick the theme for her party, but usually sway her one way or another. I always like to give her options. This year I was going to go with it, be in party princess or whatever. But we were at Orson Gygi picking up supplies for cupcakes, and she spotted eyeball gumballs. Game over. She had a Halloween Birthday party. We don't do huge parties, just a family party with Brian's family. Addison loves, loves, LOVES Halloween. I don't know why. I mean, we LOVE it, but she REALLY loves it. It became a tradition to put up our decorations before her birthday (Sept 24) from the year she was born. We knew we were having her on the 24th, and I felt like we wouldn't get decorations up after I got home from the hospital, so we planned early. And it's stuck. And she's been obsessed since she was 1. It started with a book called THE OLD LADY THAT WASN'T AFRAID OF ANYTHING. And it that book a Pumpkin says, "BOO!" And when asked, at the age of 12 months, what the pumpkin says, she would say, "BOO!" She reads Halloween books ALL . YEAR . LONG. She watches Halloween shows ALL . YEAR . LONG. Christmas at 1 year old we told her she didn't get the memo that Halloween was over. And it's stuck I guess. So a halloween party truly was fitting for her.

She was really excited to get the Tinker Bell movie, as evidenced in the photo below. She wasn't as happy to open up her Leapster. She said, 'Uh, I thought I asked for a Moxie Teen doll.' I thought she turned 4, not 14. Luckily, her Aunt Jenny brought happiness to her with the Moxie teen doll.

I made High Hat cupcakes, found on the Martha Stewart website. Since she had a Halloween themed party I made the cake part orange in coloring, the marshmallowy/fluffy (I don't really know what it was) frosting in purple, and they were hand dipped in melted dark chocolate. They were delightful. A lot of work, but really good. Would I stay up til 1 in the morning again to make them? Probably not. I would just start earlier.

We took the big girl out to her favorite restaurant, Red Robin, also becoming a King Family Tradition for this little one's Birthday.

I still can't believe it's already been 4 years. The hightlight of her birthday was going to Taylorsville's football game, where her cousin, Jade, is a cheerleader. Jade took her down on the field during half time and let her do some cheers with the girls and took pictures with her. Jade is the cute one on the right of Addison. She's more like an Aunt to her and Addison just adores her.

Addison was almost "the kid who barfed at the party" today. You hardly ever forget those kids, they're almost as bad as the kid who barfed in class or the kid that crapped their pants. I remember the kid who crapped their pants-2nd grade. Her name was Deena, and she had big, poufy, 80's hair, thick glasses, and on the unfortunate brown out day, she was wearing white pants. On the way in from recess I called her out on the brown spot on her pants, but she tried shaking it off as falling in the mud. I'm sorry, but mud does not smell like crap.

Back to Adds. She had a birthday party for her friend Paige today. It was a princess party, so she dressed in her Cinderella dress. Paige's mom had friends come over and do the girls hair, put sparkly make up on them, and paint their nails. I guess Adds said she was gonna barf so they made her go outside for some fresh air. Tracie (paige's mom) told Addie she was going to call me, but she begged her not to. She felt fine, went back into the party, but wouldn't eat any cake.

Fast forward to the end of the party. I picked up the bell of the ball and strapped the sparkled child into her car seat. We had to run an errand for Relief Society. As I'm pulling away from the ladie's house I had to visit, she yells, "MOM, I'm going to BARF!" I threw the swagger wagon into park and ripped her out of her car seat, held her curls out of her face and tried keeping her sparkly dress out of the way. She was ok. She spit a little was all. I put her back in the van, then she freaks out again and we're out in the gutter again. She won't or can't do it. She's so dainty that way. I thought she was maybe having issues with not having a barf bowl, so I emptied her princess bag and tried having her barf in that-that was SO not happening. But she finally did barf. And she didn't cry (I bawl like a baby when I barf), she was just concerned about telling the lady that she puked in her gutter. I'm sure the rain will wash it away, either that or the stray cats will have some tasty to eat.

OUR NIGHT OUT

2010-10-26T19:44:00.000-07:00

Wow-I can't believe how fast time is flying by. It seems like I blink and a week has already flown by. We literally are flying by the seat of our pants lately. Between both of us working full time, Brian in YM, me in the RS presidency, Brian finishing up his thesis, it feels like we never get to spend quality time together, and church does not count at quality time because I'm always out in the hall for about 2 1/2 hours out of the 3 hour stay at church. Church is rough with Liam. But we wouldn't have it any other way. And when the weekend comes, it's rushing to clean house, "shop" for "meals" and stay out of Brian's hair. Even though Brian is home during the same time we're home with him, we don't get to see him; we're lucky when he's able to read to Addie and put her in bed at night.
So, as you can imagine, it was nice to take an evening and do a last minute trip to Gardner Village with my favorite little people, and Brian, of course.

This series of photos is HILARIOUS! Addison trying to pose, Addison, looking like she's about to toot, Liam spying her lovely golden locks, and then he pulls! I was laughing so hard when I loaded these on to the computer.

I have come to a realization that Garden Village is for crazy people. Crazy moms toting their kids around, stopping at EVERY witch and EVERY pumpkin with a bale of hay to get their pictures taken. I try to avoid that and took our pictures on the outskirts of the buildings. I hate stopping every ten feet with a huge stroller to get pictures.

This kid, Liam, crack.me.up. My camera does a preflash for red eye and to focus on a point, and as soon as that would flash he would cheese up. I couldn't stand those huge, round cheeks, and those 2 little rat teeth. Dang, he melts me. I was so afraid of having a boy, but it's my all time favorite. Everyone needs a smelly, dirty boy of their own. He kills me. He like my own miniature boyfriend who hangs out with me for 13 hours every day (11 are spent sleeping). He snuggles up to me ALL the time, SO unlike his sister at that age. I told Brian that Addison is my best girl friend, we seriously have so much fun together, and Liam is my little boy friend. Best ever.

This picture of Brian and the kids is zee best. Addison's huge smile, eating a caramel apple, and Liam trying to get the apple out from between his only 2 chompers.

Me and my boyfriend. Perfect night. We all needed jackets (everyone had one but me). There were witches "milling about", and eating hot chili outside with the family.

I'm so behind on blogging. We did a trip up to Oregon for my niece's baptism, and Addison had her 4th birthday. Baby steps La, baby steps.

WE DON'T NEED NO EDUCATION

2010-09-12T17:28:00.000-07:00

Adds started preschool a few weeks ago. She was so stinkin' excited. I can't say I blame her. She goes with a friend in our ward, and her mom is so kind that she drives Addison to and from school, and then lets her play at their house until Brian comes home from work. Yay for nice friends. I can't wait til I get to return the favor.

We let her pick out her own backpack. She picked a horrible Princess backpack, so we found this cool stripey, dotty, star pack and told her, "Oh wow, if you pick this backpack everyone will love it. And I'll bet your mom and dad will buy you an ice cream cone if you pick this one." It worked. I really would have let her get the princess one if she didn't fall for Brian's and my trick, honest.

I can't believe how much she looks like me.

Even down to the faces she pulls.

TOMMY USED TO WORK ON THE DOCKS

2010-09-12T17:19:00.000-07:00

My brother in law, Boyd, turned 40 this past June. So Angie threw him an 80's themed party, because let's face it, he IS a child of the 80's. He graduated high school in 88, and I'm pretty sure that just recently Angie had to sneak and throw away some of his jeans from the 80's that he was still squeezing into. Okay, maybe it wasn't recent, but I do know that at some point in their marriage she did that.

We had 80's Karaoke, and best costume prizes, which everyone was gifted with 80's videos and cold cereal that was popular in the 80's. Although, it could have come from the 80's if they got it from JTrain's basement. I'm just sayin'.

We were all supposed to dress up, although only the cool ones did. as pictured above. My nephew, Logan, I swear just walked out of my backyard in West Valley, playing shoeless with Reese. That shirt and those acid washed shorts-I couldn't stop laughing. And the fact that it looks like his buzz cut is getting too long? Wow, Reese's Best Friend.

Brian wouldn't wear the bitty shorts, tube socks and old running shoes I got him from the DI, or the fanny pack. But he did peg his pants, wore his braided belt and his chums on his sunglasses with his Goonies shirt.

I have sub par ratting skills. My hair could have been a lot bigger but my name isn't Angie Hansen, Toni Maddocks or Shantel Dymock.

Speaking of Toni Maddocks. She came, and I was transported back to my younger days. She looked the EXACT SAME. It was freaky.

My cousin Nancy rocked it in her gear. She and Reese won for best costume. Reese was so nasty I wanted to vomit every time I looked at him. He looked so real. He even went to the grocery store and people were doing double takes and couldn't stop staring. I don't blame them.

I THINK YOU'RE HERE TO STAY

2010-09-12T17:02:00.000-07:00

This year for Brian's mother's birthday, we decided to celebrate up Millcreek Canyon. She always wants to just go up for a drive or a little picnic so she was so happy that we had her birthday up the canyon.

If you like to roast weenies, you've got to get the Bar S Jumbo Jumbos. They are so huge and so good roasted over the open fire. And you can't forget the Grandma Sycamore's buns either. You'll think you've died and gone to weenie heaven.

Within minutes the girls were covered in dirt, although I think Adds looked like she had been eating it instead of playing in it.

It was such a hit I planned the same thing for my mother's birthday a week later at the same spot. Thanks to Brian's brother for finding it for us. I love being so close to the mountains that during the sweltering and oppressive heat in the summer, you can get up to the cool mountains for the evening in under an hour.

BRAND NEW THINGS

2010-09-12T16:56:00.000-07:00

I got a delicious new nephew, Cash Laef Wyatt, born to Brian's little sister, Trisha. We were blessed to have him born 16 days early, the week before I had to go back to work, so I was able to have their little girl sleep over at our house until they returned home from the hospital.

I was also lucky enough to be able to take some pictures of him in the hospital just hours after he was born, and then the day after he came home from the hospital, which I think he was only 3 days old.

Addison got her first bike. She was in seventh heaven. She'd been wanting one for a while. Our pediatrician told us at her 3 year check up that a bike is a great present for a 4 year old. Her birthday is at the end of September so we decided to purchase one for her during the summer so she could get more use out of it before it gets too cold. But we didn't just want to flat out buy it for her, we wanted her to earn it. So we made a Bicycle chart and she earned smiley faces for doing things extra. She filled up that chart so fast! She also decided, all on her own, to save money. Brian picks up change he finds, as does she, and so she kept money set aside to help pay for her bike. She saved $2.96. She was so proud of herself and so were we.

VEGGIE TALES & UGLY HATS

2010-09-12T16:46:00.000-07:00

Why do baby outfits come with ugly hats? I bought this darling little outfit for Liam from the TJ Maxx and it came with this butt ugly hat. Would anyone in their right mind actually let their children out of the house in this sad looking "hat"? No, but we definitely take pictures of it.

Remember the garden we planted back in May? It grew well and was so beautiful. Brian's punkins took over the garden. He made raised vegetable beds for the south side of our home, but we didn't fill them this year. So next year the plan is to just do punkins in this patch, and the other vegetables in the raised beds next year.

He was most proud of his giant sunflowers, but really sad that they bloomed towards the neighbor's yard. He said he could use it as an analogy for a young men's lesson later on in life. They are now horrid and ugly. You see the top of our fence? It's like a 6 foot fence and they grew to be about 8 feet. Then they dried, and they're all droopy. They must be sad. I know I'll get sad when I start to get droopy. We're just waiting for the backs to turn yellow and then we'll be able to get the seeds. What do we do with them then? Salt them & roast them? I don't know. Sunflower seeds remind me of the Staley Family.

And here are our puny carrots. Brian planted radishes and carrots just to see what they'd do. We left them in the ground for weeks and weeks after what the seed packet told us to and we still got bitty ones. I think he bought a packet of baby carrot seeds. Adds enjoyed the fruits-er vegetables-of the labor regardless.

AND SOMETIMES, I EVEN DO NICE THINGS FOR HIM

2010-09-12T16:36:00.000-07:00

Still doing some summer catch up when time allows me.
At the end of July Brian hiked King's Peak with some of the Young Men and a few leaders. Only about half of what hiked in actually decided to hike the peak-Brian was one of them. So here he is, all suited up for his 4 day trip, or was it 5. That's what happens when you wait so long to blog stuff.

He had a good time-even though it rained and his teeny tent took in water.

While he was gone Addie had a sleepover with her cousin, and the night before he got him we baked him cookies. Addie, for some reason or another, was baking cookies nearly in the buff. As time goes on I care less and less about clothes. For my children, not me.

The turned out beautiful and delicious. I have a thing for pretty cookies. If the bottoms aren't the same color as the top, I consider it a ruined batch.

And, we even made welcome home letters for the front door. He can never say I never do anything nice for him. What can I say-it was the summer and I wasn't working. I had some time on my hands.

BUSY BEES

2010-09-03T10:04:00.000-07:00

We felt like our summer just flew by with lots of things we had to do, and so once August hit, we felt like we had to shove as many things into the last 2 weeks. One thing included the Hogel Zoo, which has come a long way since my days as a youth riding the school buses with angry bus drivers who would have much rather been doing something else that driving around smelly, obnoxious kids around. Case in point. In junior high we had to be bused to another local junior high for choir competition. Our bus driver seriously was only driving 15 miles per hour. It was painful. And I, being the annoying, obnoxious person that I am, yelled for at least 5 minutes, "There's a BOMB on the BUS-DO NOT GO OVER 15 MILES PER HOUR!" Over and over. That driver probably quit his job after that. I was a jerk that way.

So anyway, we took the kidlets to the zoo, and come on, who doesn't love crouching in those smelly gopher holes?

Token lion drinking fountain shot. Did you know there is a scary, back entrance to the zoo? Very creepy like if you ask me. We wandered up past the camels and saw there were signs that led UP a path, so we said, 'and I took the path less traveled and it made all the difference." Okay, it really didn't, it just kind of creeped me out and made me sad. It was like the zoo put all the red headed step children up that path. There was this goat whose hoof was almost snapped off, and it could barely even walk. They were up there, in the blazing sun, no lush pastures to be had, no flowing, pristine fountains in sight. AND-there really was an entrance. It felt like an abandoned circus entrance; I was waiting for the wind to pick up and a midget to go running by in the distance. Apparently on busy days you can park back there and get in that way. I will still think of it as some freaky carni entrance.

Yea, that bird show makes me excited too Adds. See that binky? That was probably the last week Liam had one. I got upset with him one night after one of his DAMIEN like fits, so I took his binky away. I know, I'm mature, right? But I'd been thinking about it lately. My sister's took their kid's away at 9 months. With Addie we took the bottle away at 12 months, along with the binky during the day, she was only allowed the binky for naps, bed time and church. And then I took it completely away at 15 months. So far Damien, I mean Liam had done great. Not a single problem going down for naps or bed or anything. I just wish I had it for him during church. Oi! We're seriously out in the halls 2/3 hours, sometimes more.

I gave it back to him the other day because he's teething, and thought maybe it would soothe him. He just sat there with it in his mouth and a dirty look on his face. He doesn't know what to do with it and doesn't like it anymore. Sweet. Still makes me a little sad. He's my baby, I love binkies, and I think babies and binkies go hand in hand. I refuse to let him grow up.

THINGS THAT MAKE ME LAUGH

2010-08-11T16:45:00.000-07:00

This wig and "goatee" is supposed to be for a Shaggy (Scooby Doo) costume. If you ask me, I think it should be for a Troll costume.

My nephew Bryant. I'm sure he makes his mutha proud.

The back of my sister's hair after a long day. Girl needs to lay off the rat tail comb and Aqua Net.

DO THEY COME ANY CUTER?

2010-08-02T15:48:00.000-07:00

I say, "Nay."

Liam is 9 months old this week, and boy he is different from sissy.

Here are his stats:

Weighs in at 20 lbs. 15 oz. - 57th percentile

Height is 31 inches - 99th percentile

Head is 18.1 inches - 70th percentile

When Addison was 12 months old she was 30.7 inches and weighed 21 pounds. Crazy to think that I'm toting around a 12 month old Addison, and she had been walking for a month by then too!

Speaking of walking. Kidding. There's no way this kid is walking before his first birthday. Love him to death, lazy as dirt. He started sitting up, finally at about 7 months, pro by 8 months, and about the same time actually realized that he could roll over to retrieve things. So as you can imagine, he's still not crawling, and no teeth. BUT! He has pretty good fine motor skills, like the pinser grasp. He loves to eat cheerios, gold fish crackers, animal crackers, you name it, he'll eat it. Except the other night Brian learned he has a disdain for regular ol' graham crackers. Threw a tantrum until they were switched out for animal crackers. The kid knows what he likes, and he doesn't like change. He also loves licorice. I care less about what this child ingests than I did the first. You really know when someone is a first time mom and when they're on their, 2nd, and then 3rd and so in. It's funny to notice those changes in me. Like not caring that sometimes he sits around the house in a diaper. It's not dirty, but by the time I'm on my 3rd or 4th, it just may be. Or I let him sleep in onesies, where as with Addie, she was never caught dead in just a onesie, unless it was in between clothing changes or diaper changes. I heart the onesie clad baby-it's my favorite.

He is the biggest mama's boy. I like it, but sometimes it gets really tiring. He calls me, "Mim." If Brian has him and he sees me walking in the kitchen, he'll start to cry, "Mim, Mim." Then I come to him and he stops and smiles. And it's not just his "Mmmmm" sounds. He finally put the MMMM sound with me, and I'm the Mim. So needless to say, I always have Liam and Brian always has Addie.

So there you have it folks. Come back for a looksie anytime you need a cute kid fix. Kind of like that Fat Booth app, when you need a pick me up, come look at my fat face. I'm sure one day you may see it LIVE!

I WANT ONE NOW

2010-07-26T21:19:00.000-07:00

My brother has an iPhone. I've never had a desire to own a fancy phone, I just need it to dial my numbers and let me take some pictures of funny things while I'm out and about. That's it, no bells and whistles. That is, until I discovered the FAT BOOTH app. Me likey.

Can I get an iPhone, please. Can I, can I?

YOU'VE COME A LONG WAY BABY

2010-07-07T10:57:00.000-07:00

Have you been to THIS IS THE PLACE HERITAGE PARK lately? If not, you should. And if you have a HAPPENINGS book, even better, because you can get 50% off your admissions price up to 4 people.

This place has come a long way. Brian & I went there when I was pregnant with Adds, and let's just say, I didn't make it very far. On top of being 7 months pregnant, 1 day home from Youth Conference where I slept in a tent and went canoeing down the Green River, it was very hot and I wasn't in shape to be walking up dirt paths and such. And it was kind of boring.

They have made a come back though! There was so much stuff to do, and it was so clean and beautiful. Adds enjoying her old fashioned candy-I guess lollipops consist of that. When I went on a field trip back when I attending Douglas T. Orchard Elementary, I had molasses candy. Where'd the molasses candy go?

It was a gorgeous day (July 5th) and the temp was just right.

Included in your admission price you have 3 little boxes on your wrist band, and some of the things you do within the park they will mark off a box. Adds ran out of boxes and they let her use mine. Things she used her "boxes" for: This little train ride around a pond, with a spectacular view. It was so freaking fast. I almost tipped over when the "train" took off. Liam's little duck feathers were blowing in the wind.

The train around the place didn't cost any "boxes". I recommend not going in the enclosed contraption, wait 5 minutes for another train to come by that's open. It was hot and my upper lip was sweating. And, don't go on the train thinking it will be a quick sight seeing tour, while leaving your husband and baby waiting for you, because they'll be waiting for about 30 minutes. I think it's meant as a mode of transportation from one point of the park to another. And then when you're ready to go from one stop to the next, you have annoying ladies running across the street hollering for the train to wait, and then yelling back at her slow moving moving family to "hurry up-the train is leaving!" I wanted to punch that lady-I was sweating like a pig.

Another activity that used one of her boxes-a pony ride. Too bad the horses only trotted twice around and then it was over. I think she sat on that horse for 42 seconds. And while Brian was waiting for us, he was pushing Liam around the dirt road in the stroller. As he was coming up the road a Pony Express riding came ripping around a corner so fast that it seriously almost knocked Brian off the road. There was another lady next to him with her stroller and they both went sliding down off the side of the road. The look on Brian's face was priceless; it said, "I think I just crapped my pants." I am still laughing.

And the petting area. Don't even get me started. The goats were so cute and the entire area was so clean and beautiful. The only part that was stinky was if you got too close to the pig's pen. The little goats would just walk right up to you. One billy goat was following Brian around and was trying to lick Liam. And as you exit they have hand sanitizer dispensers. Very nice.

I just wanted to take these little lambies home with me.

Adds was a little timid at first, but after she saw me petting them she got right into the action.

They have a little section of teepees and hogans, which I hope they will expand and make even better. They had a native american volunteer teach us all about the female hogans and how they build them with cedar logs and the way the logs have to be placed. It was really neat and it helped me appreciate that culture a bit more. Like I said, I really hope they expand it and bring more attention to that important part of Utah's history.

Adds also made a candle and an arrow head necklace and we went on a horse drawn wagon ride while there. We were there for 4 hours and could have spend 2 more there but the natives became restless.

So take your little one's there this summer-it won't disappoint!

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

Poor child. I have a feeling he's in for a life time of torture. Addison also had me bring Liam up to her room this day so they could play Barbies. Which I did. And she and him were up there for probably a half hour. When Brian got home from work that day she told him, "Dad, I tortured Liam today. I made him play Barbies." I don't think he was tortured at all. And I'm sure it won't be the last time he plays Barbies or dress up either.

We had a Twilight movie night at a gal's house in my ward last week, and these fellas came along. Addie knows who both the guys are, and I even have a Jacob shirt. I was wearing it around the other day and she asked, 'Mom, why are you wearing your Team Jacob shirt?" Smart girl.

I watched my niece Azure the other night while Brian and her parents went to a movie. I was in putting Liam to bed and came outside to find the ballerina tying the witch to the stake. Really, that's what they were playing. I'm glad they already know their history of the Salem Witch Trials, what with our ancestry dating back to those Trials.

Summer Begins

2010-07-06T21:36:00.000-07:00

My summer officially began last week, hooray! I work through June and get to take the month of July and into August off. It's so nice to just be at home with the kids and take a BREAK! Even though you don't get much of a break when you've got little ones under foot. But it's a break from our norm. For the first week, every morning Adds would wake up and ask, "Where's Dad?" "Work." "Oh, are we going to Jostens today?" "No." "Are we going to church?" "No." "But where ARE we going?" "We're not going anywhere, we get to stay home." "But I don't WANT to stay home." She didn't ask that question today. Instead, since Saturday, when we celebrated the 4th, she asks, "Mom is it still July?" "Yes, it's still July." "Oh good, we get to keep our July flag up huh? And do fireworks."

I love this girl and want to pinch her bum every day. When will she be too old for me to squeeze her tooshie?

And I just really like this picture of Brian. I like that it's kind of dark, kind of silhouettish. He's pretty good lookin.

Because I Can

2010-07-06T21:16:00.000-07:00

Random pictures of the kids, just because I think they're pretty darn cute.

Here is Addie, doing what you can most often find her doing: Eating. That girl loves her food. Reminds me of myself.

Brian planted the garden back in May, and picked up a couple of "Veggie Tales" Giant sunflowers. So far they're taller than the Adds. And she of course was just excited because they were of the "Veggie Tales" variety. Crazy Christian cartoon with talking vegetable. Brian says, "Addie needs shows with values!" Values this!

"Little" Liam. He's only little because he's smaller than me. That kid is a tank-no wonder he's still not doing much of anything, except crying whenever I walk out of his line of sight, or re-enter the room because he wants me. If he wasn't so cute I'd sell him to the Gypsies.

We're pretty proud of our DI find. We hit up the DI shortly after going back to work from maternity leave. The girls at work are always wanting to dress up, so we went in search of play dresses. Boy did I strike GOLD!

Would you look at the hand embroidering on this bad boy! The Holy Virgin Mother herself! The girls LOVE this dress, and the best part is that it only cost me $5. Adds is now in love with the DI. We've gone there a couple other times since in search junk to bring to work for the girls to play with and she's obsessed with buying roller skates now, since spying them in some bin. Oh girl. If only you knew of my affinity for the DI at the same as you are now.

Missing Her

2010-06-06T19:32:00.000-07:00

My mother and father watched the kids last night so I could go out on a hot date-Brian was out of town. Baha! My mom has a vase of fake flowers about in her home and Addison needed some of her own, so off they went to Granny Goose's yard and picked some of her beautiful roses and peonies. I was instantly transported back to another time; the smell, the look, and I missed her. She loved her flowers. I could pick up a $3 pot of ugly mums and she would keep them out on her counter for weeks, possibly months; she had a knack for keeping flowers alive for quite some time. I don't have the patience.

So I was driving home from work the other day and there was a white stretch limo traveling along the same route as I was. Seriously, who still rents limos these days? What's the allure? I mean, I see the convenience of them for a large group going to a dance, and they all want to drive together without having to wear seat belts, but wouldn't the bus do the same thing? And it would make for some entertaining people watching. The bus and trax. I shall share a story on that later. But really, who just rents a limo for a date, 2 people? Do you honestly need that much room?

Anyway, the limo reminded me of the one and only time I rode in one. 9th grade. All the 4.0 students got taken out to CHUCK O RAMA, home away from home for the White Family (Angie & company), and we were all transported to the buffet in style, ala limousine. I don't know what company Hunter Junior High, Home of The Mighty Hawks, hired, but the drivers were less than desirable and the interior of said transportation smelled of urine and stale cigarette smoke. Still, it was pretty fun to skip school for a couple of hours and ride in the limo with your friends. Come to think of it, I don't think many of my friends were there. I just remember there were SO many kids, a conglomeration of the really cool kids, and a herd of nerds. I hope I wasn't one of the nerds. No, no, I wasn't, I was squished into the limo with the cool kids. And we really were squished. I think we were semi sitting on other people's laps. And here's the sad part, the reason for the limo post. Remember back in Gym class where your dykish PE teacher chose team captains for dodge ball or volleyball, or some other game where you had to play against another team? And usually the cool kids were picked as the captains? You remember the nerds who ALWAYS got picked last either for their lack of athleticism, or the abundance or acne or body odor? Well, all the cool kids piled into one limo, and regular kids and the nerds in another, and then, there were the really nerdy kids who weren't quick enough on the draw; well, those girls had to ride in the front with the LIMO DRIVER! Isn't that the saddest thing ever?

I have a soft spot in my heart for nerds. I've always been on the fence with the groups of kids in school. I considered myself well liked but I had a bleeding heart for the less fortunate. I would get picked by the teacher in elementary to sit next to the slow kid, or the smelly kid and it was my job to befriend them and make them feel special. And even though I would pretend to hate it, I actually felt really bad for them and really, truly wanted to be their friend. So as hilarious as it was that those girls got stuck in the front with the limo driver, I felt really bad for them. And I hope my kids will have the same heart as their dear old ma. I may laugh on the outside, but really, I'm kind of sad for them on the inside. I hope they never make another person feel bad for who they are or what they stand for.

THERE GOES THE ROOF

2010-05-31T20:05:00.001-07:00

What were you doing on Sunday morning at 1:48 a.m.? If you were part of our family you would have been driving home from Primary Children's Hospital.Let's face it, we all know I'm long winded, but really, this is a really, really long story. I get tired even reciting it. So I'll try to shorten it down a bit.

Adds had horrible stomach pains all day Saturday, that would come every 20-30 minutes and it would double her over, make her run around in circles, jump up and down and cry. They would last about a minute long. At first I would send her into the bathroom. If your tummy hurts my solution is always, "Try and go poo." It really is a cure all. So throughout the day she'd be able to go, but her pain still came. I gave her Mylanta. I gave her Mylicon gas drops. Still, notta. At one point at the end of an episode she barfed in her mouth, I scooped her up and put her over the sink and she continued to wretch all the contents of her stomach into my kitchen sink. After this point we thought for sure that would do the trick. Nope.

This continued on all day until finally at about 6ish I called my Brother's wife who happens to be a nurse. She consulted her friend and called me back and instructed us to go to the ER right away. So we dropped Liam off at Brian's mom's house and off we went. She had another episode on our way up there and and another returned 10 minutes later, where she was freaking out she was trying to rip herself out of the car seat. It freaked us out. We thought it may be her appendix.

You know how ER's are; we got checked in through Triage fairly quickly and into a room, but sat through 3/4 of Princess and the Frog and 3/4 of UP before a Doctor finally saw us. Addie perplexed them all. She was fine in between the episodes, never ran a fever. So we did a urine test and had some xrays done. The xrays showed that she didn't have intussesception, but she was full of poop. The doctors still thought something else was going on, thinking it was her appendix because she had 3 normal bowel movements throughout the day, and she had vomited again at the hospital. And it's really hard to diagnose children without concrete tests sometimes. The said we could go home but she was positive we'd be back the next day, or we could stay and just get the additional tests done for her appendix. So we chose to stay. Which meant Addison had to have an IV put in, blood drawn for labs, and a Cat scan done. Part of the nice part, or not so nice part of the scan was they had to put a tube up her bottom and fill it with water, which after the procedure and cat scan it would relieve some of the poop stuck in there. Which it did-thankfully. They wouldn't let her drink anything until her scan was read in case we would need surgery. She was crying because she was so tired and so thirsty. They finally read the scan and it was negative for her appendix, but her small intestine was swollen, which happens after a viral illness (she was sick with a viral infection a week ago). So that inflammation had backed her up. But that didn't explain the throwing up, or did it? We don't know. So they let her have some Gatorade and as soon as she gulped that down she began running a fever and then barfed all over herself. Poor girl. We finally got released.
We arrived at the hospital at 8:30 pm. She was so miserable and so tired. Her bed time is at 8. She only fell asleep for about 20 minutes, right before a Doctor finally arrived to assess her.She was very brave during the IV. We thought she'd flip out so called for back up to hold her down (it took 4 men and 1 woman to hold her down in the ER to retrieve the eraser in her nose last year). But she didn't wail, just cried.Finally getting released to go home. It was a long night. But she was so brave.When we told her the sun was still asleep, she got really excited. And as we walked out of Primary's she couldn't believe the sight of all the city lights.She was pretty stoked to be able to take home a Gatorade to, "Save for another day mom."
And this incident over the weekend, coupled with Liam's hernia surgery in January, is the reason we won't be getting A) central air conditioning, and B) a new roof. But-they're worth it. 2 days later and Addison is completely fine. She hasn't had any stomach pains, but still hasn't pooped. The doctor says if she hasn't had a bowel movement in 2 days we need to give her Miralax, and if that doesn't help, we need to take her to her Pediatrician. So if she does poop, I'll make sure I text you all because I'm sure you're dying to know.

So happy Adds is happy and doing well and we didn't need any surgery. It was really sad to see her in so much pain and misery. But it brings a smile on my face to see her so happy today. We brought flowers to my Grandmother's grave this morning. I asked Brian to buy some flowers and he came back with a bouquet. So in true Grandma fashion, I wrapped the stems of the bouquet in wet paper towels and then covered that with tin foil. Grandma always did that with her flowers for Memorial Day. Yesterday we told Adds we were bringing flowers to Grandma's grave where she was buried, so last night in her prayer she said, "And please bless grandma Sabbage to feel healthy, and thank you for her grave."

TAKIN' IT EASY

2010-05-09T19:59:00.000-07:00

Do moms really take it easy on mother's day? They do what they're supposed to do, be a mom. Brian wondered why I got up so early (6:30), and I told him it was because I had to get ready for 9 am church. "Oh, I thought you would have slept in til like 7:30 since it was mother's day." To which I replied, "Yea, and then who would have gotten the kids fed and dressed for church?" "Oh yea, you're right." Baha!

But in reality, it was a nice day. Our church program put on by the Young Men was nice. Both kids were great at church. After church Liam took a 3 hour nap which meant Mom took a 3 hour nap too. That's nice. Then Brian made dinner and cleaned up dishes, and a visit to the in-laws was had. And I didn't have to make anything for anyone.

During my nice day, Liam was even non-demented and hung out in the living room, content as could be, watching WONDER PETS. Brian said, "Wow, this is the best I've ever seen him." I told him to look at the clock. It was 5:40, approximately the time we're usually getting home from work, "Just wait." And on Que, at exactly 6 p.m., the crying commenced. But he was soon quelled when he got to his grandparent's home, his Aunt Trish makes everything better.

2010-05-08T13:57:00.000-07:00

If someone had told me that my kids would be completely different from one another, I don't know if I would have continued after Addison. Addison and Liam are very much alike in their looks, but oh-so-different in their little personalities. Why can't all children be perfect, and never cry and be able to entertain themselves?
Oh wow, I sound like a really horrible mom, don't I? Don't get me wrong, I LOVE having kids, but really, why do they have to be so different? And if they're going to be so different, why can't you get the hard one first and the easy one next. That way, you know that when the second one comes, you can handle anything?

Little Addison never made a peep. She taught herself how to sleep through the night at 6 weeks old. When it was "Time" for a nap or "time" for bed, I'd just lay her in her crib wide awake and she's fall asleep on her own with out making fuss. And she just got easier as she grew older.

Then we get little Liam. Boy did I have to train him. I worked so hard to get him to sleep through the night, and it worked. I worked so hard to get him to take uninterrupted naps, solid, and well, we're still working on that. I work so hard on getting him to roll over, to sit up, to do SOMETHING! And well, he's just content sitting there. Not on his own, but on mom's lap. He very much likes having lots of stuff going on around him. And at night, oh man, at night, he seriously cries, like "I'm demented" cries from 6-7 until I put him to bed. I brought these things up with my pediatrician this past week and he seems to think Liam has a little bit of colic at night. Oh great.

But really-these things don't get to me. Do I wish he were like Addison-perfect in every way as a baby? Sure. But Liam is Liam, and I feel we have a special bond. The other night during one of his demented crying fits before bed, I was playing the Great Distractor or, switching up the things I'd do with him every 5 minutes to calm him down. I finally got him calmed down and we were able to sit down and Brian says, "Wow, you're good. I would have just laid him in his crib and shut the door and let him cry so I could get stuff done." Yes, I wish he'd roll around all over the floor discovering things and sucking on things while I'm cooking dinner or cleaning up dishes, but I am just as happy holding him, even if he is screaming bloody murder in my face.

I sometimes think that my mom must have been blessed with perfectly perfect babies-why else would she have had 7 babies, and the first 4 of those babies all within 1 year to a year and a half apart. Either that OR she is a saint, or was on a suicide mission, or just loved babies and respected knew that each baby is a unique, perfect little soul sent from heaven and she was lucky enough to take care of them and teach them while on this earth. I'm sure it's the last, and I'm sure that if I emulate her, I won't be steered wrong.

I have a very special connection with Liam. I don't know what it is, and I know he's only 6 months old, but I feel a different bond with him and I'm sure I will never be able to get upset with him as he grows older and get in to all sorts of trouble. And I'm sure Addison is going to the be same way with Brian. It's just one of those things.

So here's to Mom's everywhere: You're amazing! I hope your kids will always recognize that and appreciate all you do for them and all you endure. Mom, I'm sorry for being a big, fat brat who only antagonized you and would taunt you to spank me and break hair brushes over my butt. I deserved it, and I love you.

Mmmmm, Free Food-I'm there!

2010-05-08T13:27:00.000-07:00

At Kneaders, the day before Mutha's Day (since they're closed on Sunday), they offer FREE FRENCH TOAST to all moms. And, I found out, you don't even have to be a mom to get free french toast, just a broad. My little brutha's wife isn't a mom, yet, and the gave her the meal for frees as well.

*This was the only photo I took of all the girls together, sans me, sorry if some of you look not that great.

Oh my, it was so good. Thick, delicious, cinnamonie, with whipped cream, strawberries and cinnamon caramel sauce. Can we just say I probably used my caloric intake for the day on just one slice of the goodness?

We met at 7 am. Ok, I'll be honest. We were supposed to meet at 7 am but we're Hansens, it ended up being more like 7:30 a.m. Our sister in laws, Camie & Laura even made it-and Camie had to scoot out early for a bike race she was riding in at 8. She's coo coo loco. She just had a baby 2 1/2 months ago and it doesn't even look it. She's pretty amazing.

Same with Lindsey. Their baby weight dropped off and has stayed off. My crept back on and well, let's just say I'm still working on and probably will be for the rest of my life.

This was the deliciousness. Mmmmmm.

So, my sister Angie, is pretty much the funniest person I know. Those who know her, all agree, I'm sure. And I also think she is so beautiful. She always makes me feel like a stinkin scrounge when I'm around her, well, except maybe last night; she was unshowered, no make up, hair in a clip-oh wait, she still looked better than me. Anyway, she always makes funny faces when I take her picture, then says, "I'll kill you if you post that on your blog!" Which really, she knows I'm going to, so why does she continue to make those faces?

So she says that after the above photo was taken. So I tell her, "OK, Ang, make a good face, then I can post a good one of you on the blog." And the below photo is what she does. And here's the funny part, even when she's making nasTAY faces for pictures, I still think she looks bootiful.

I want my baby back, baby back, baby back, baby back ribs.

2010-04-23T20:03:00.001-07:00

Chili's baby back ribs. Chili's baby back ribs. You're singing that jingle now, aren't you? Really, today was one of those days I should have grabbed the camera, but erred on the side of caution and rush to the aid of my baby, instead. Dang-it would have made for a funny picture.

At work we have a kid's room, with toys, and coloring things, and movies, etc. There are 3 girls all within 11 months of age from each other, 1 little 18 month old, and then Liam. 1 of the girls is only there twice a week, and the other kids are there all week long. Liam is too little to be in the kid's room rolling around and getting stuck under picnic tables and couches just yet, so he stays by my side unless he's napping-which is where I prefer him. Some days there is only Addison and her cousin Azure at work, and on those days, I feel okay letting Liam sit in his bouncy chair or the jumping exersaucer thingamajig. I don't leave him in there long, as he expires so quickly, and check on him often. Addie and her cousin are really great with him, and the cousin is getting a baby brother of her own in about 4 months so she's extra intrigued and well, you know 3 year olds, they just like to pretend they're his mom. I don't let him hang out in the room when the little 18 month old boy is in there because he's still learning what you can and can't do to others.

So today I had just put Liam in the room and he was in there with Addison and her friend. They had just eaten lunch and someone had a little thing of BBQ sauce still out. Not 2 minutes later my friend at work put her little 18 month old boy in the room, unbeknownst to me. And seriously, within 5 minutes, I could hear Liam crying and my friend came in apologizing. The little boy either decided Liam was hungry and he tried feeding him BBQ sauce, or he needed to bathe in BBQ sauce, or he was saucing him up in preparation for eating him, because Liam had BBQ sauce all over his head, in his eyebrows, on his nose, on his cheeks and on his chin. Poor little guy. He smelled so good I really could have eaten him. I had to wash his hair out under the bathroom faucet with Bath and Body Works Warm Vanilla soap, and clean his face off. And everywhere the sauce had been his skin was all red and irritated. I think the sauce was burning him. No wonder he was crying.

So at the end of the day Liam smelled like a mixture of a warm vanilla cookie and a plate full of ribs.

The end.

Latest Family Pic

2010-04-18T06:19:00.000-07:00

Here is the latest family picture. We only have 1 other picture with the 4 of us, but my chest was hanging out in that one, no thanks to Addison. So this one will have to suffice. I wish we were a little more matchy-matchy. One day. Also, one day Adds will learn to smile a natural smile. Bless her little heart. And Liam will be able to sit up on his own. Oh yea, and maybe I won't have a double chin.

PCOS

2010-04-07T19:38:00.000-07:00

So my sister, Natalie, is having some crazy health issues. She's really tired and is having tons of blood work done, but to no avail thus far. Our friend April mentioned something about PCOS. I wondered, "What is PCOS?" So I googled it. I think I may HAVE PCOS!!!

-Increased hair growth; body hair may be in a male pattern
-Acne gets worse
-Development of male sex characteristics
-increased body hair, facial hair
-Deepening of the voice
-Male pattern baldness
-Weight gain, obesity.

YUP, that last one seals the deal. I must have been struggling with this since I came from the womb!!!

I know it's no laughing matter, but seriously. What's my problem. I think I should have been Lynn's 3rd boy, instead of one of the 5 girls.

HAVE YOU MISSED US?

2010-03-30T19:22:00.001-07:00

Well I've missed you. Not really. The Fro was getting after me for not blogging. I told him when there are many posts in a month, it means I'm not busy. When there is lack of blogging, I'm busy. Every where I go I am formulating blog posts in my heads. Sometimes just random funnies, "Kid's Say the Darndest Things", gross people I encounter, etc, but I never sit down to blog. I wish it were a true hobby of mine, like my sister Natalie's blog. Now that is one funny girl.

So what have we been up to lately? I can't remember if I ever blogged about it, but we buried my Grandma Savage back in January. It was one of the hardest days, but one of the sweetest days. Poor little Granny Goose fought COPD for 4 years. A very hard, but beautiful funeral. So I said good bye to my Granny Goose and the very next day had to tell Grandpa Gil good bye. My Aunt Margie took him "home" to Drummond, Montana. I know he loves being up on the Ranch again, but I know he's really lonely too.
Really hard to watch my mom and all her sisters's tell my Grandma goodbye, and then in turn watch my own sister's tell her good bye.

But on a happier note: REESE & LAURA FINALLY GOT MARRIED! Sheesh! We thought this day would never come. They've been dating for over 2 years. She finally said yes and 7 weeks later they sealed the deal in the SL Temple. I have friends ask me if I like my new sister-in-law and I tell them I like her more than my own brother. Kidding, kidding. Sort of.

She was so cute when they came out of the temple; she threw her arms up in the arm and squeeled! Cute, cute, Laura. Just weird having a Laura Hansen. As if it wasn't confusing that I have a brother named Ryan, a brother in law named Ryan, then there's my husband Brian, my nephew Bryant, my Addie and my niece Abby. My sister Ginger who was named after my Grandma Virigina who went by Ginger, who in turn named her daughter Ginger and calls her Ginny, and then my brother Reese and Ginger's youngest daugther Reese. Oi vei!There reception was amazing! The cake was beautiful. it looks black in the pictures, but the cake was dark purple with this bright orange flower. So pretty and the cake was even better. One of my favorite men, Grandpa Gil and me. I was kissing him on the cheek for pictures and he kept saying for me to not stop.

We had a wedding dinner the night before the wedding. Mom did a fabulous job! We had a cafe rio salad bar with lime rickies and awesome desserts!!

Angie was shoveling food into her mouth for nasty pictures and was trying to tutor Boyd in the look he should have on his face in reaction to her chowing down. She's going to kill me for this picture, but if you know Angie-she's always making someone laugh.

Liam and his new cousin Emma met for the 1st time at the dinner. Big sister Ellie has been anxious for the two to meet. They met when their bums were getting changed. She was screaming and he just looked at her like, "What in the crap is this thing?" It was so cute.

Aren't they so freaking cute? I'm quite partial to my little man.

This is my Uncle Gil, My Grandpa Gil, and my mom.

My nieces from Oregon, Kate & Abigail. Poor kid. So tired and wanting to run everywhere but stuck in the dang stroller. The faces that kid can pull-ooo-eee! She made me laugh.

At the reception they had a Gelato shoppe with so many flavors to choose from. They also had a photo booth and a candy shoppe. The kid's were in 7th heaven.

MY NAME IS LAUREL, AND I'M A FREAK

2010-03-02T10:26:00.000-08:00

My sister, Natalie, blogged yesterday about leaving her girls home with Dad every once in a while, and the fears that come along with that. I too have fears when I leave the children home with their dad, but mine are very, very different from the normal person's fears. No, I don't fear one will escape from the house and be found running down the street in a dirty diaper, or that one will roll off the bed, fall down the stairs, or get a hot dog lodged in their throat. No, my fears are far worse.

I always worry about coming home to children still in pajamas, hair disheveled, dirty bibs, not long enough naps, and missing binkies. Yes, missing binkies. If you recall from a post of mine a while back, binkies are my thing, and when they go missing, I turn on freak out mode. A few weeks ago I left the chillins home on a saturday for a few hours and when I came home all Liam's binkies were missing, which he only has 5, so far. Later on as I was putting away his bouncy chair I found them all in the seat of his chair. As he'd lose it and cry, Brian couldn't find it and would retrieve a new one. It gives me anxiety just thinking about it. At least they haven't fallen behind the crib yet.

Brian has been putting all our home videos onto the computer and burning them onto CDs, so lately I've been staying up late watching little Addie and wanting to squeeze her and anticipating when Liam starts rolling around, and crawling, and learning words and blowing kisses. But I couldn't help but cringe every time Brian was filming solo. Most of the time I was at work and he was at home with little Addie. He'd pull the camera out with no regard to what was going on in the home. Un-made beds, his socks on the floor, his closet door open, a hanger on the floor. Stupid, stupid, stupid stuff. But I cringe. When I pull the camera out I make sure I'm in my best form. I'd also cringe because Addie had raggamuffin hair. And on days when I didn't dress her and do her hair before work, she was still chillin' in her jammies, with who-hair. Then he'd take her to the park and just pull a hat on her head. WHY do I care so much? WHY are these my concerns?! Because all that really matters, all that should matter, is that our kids are happy and having fun. And that is what is captured in the videos, is the sheer happiness of my daughter with her Dad.

I just need to let it go and enjoy all those moments that slip through our fingers all too quickly. I know she's only 3, but man time flies. I seriously have been gritting my teeth watching her pudgy little 18 month old self toddle around, chasing after the geese at Sugar house park with no fear whatsoever. I just want to reach out and squeeze her. We have had a different situation when I worked while Brian just went to school, and I wouldn't trade it for anything, and neither would Brian. It's been hard on him lately seeing Liam get to the age Addie was when he started staying home with Addie when he wasn't at school, and he wants that so bad with Liam. He sees how Liam reacts to me and laughs if I just so much as smile at him. Brian is the best dad, and slowly, with his help, he's helping me to just let go and have fun-or else I'm going to miss those moments.

In other news, we live in the house of horrors. No, it's not filthy, although I should sweep the floor (how does one child get so much crap on the floor from one meal?). We have very sick little children. Addison woke up on Wednesday night in sheer terror, just bawling. I was in a drug induced state called Tylenol PM, and was not in a mood to be trifled with. So I ushered her back to bed. She then came out again not a mere 30 seconds later, "I need to go potty." At this point I had to tell myself to just suck it up, this is what being a mom is all about. I was still annoyed. So I put her back to bed and she was still bawling and said her head hurt. I felt her and she was on fire. A check of the temp (103) and a swig of motrin later, she was back in bed and I stuck my ear plugs back in. Well, this fever of hers accompanied with a cough has kept us up since last wednesday night. She'd perk up in the day, so much that we sent her to tumbling on one of the nights. But she had up dooped. On Friday afternoon she got up from her nap and was just miserable. She sat up against me on my chest and we put a blanket on our legs. Minutes later she leaned forward and barfed all over the blanket. My bare feet only got a little splash effect. Ew. So to the doctor's we went after an entire day of not being able to bring her fever down. The doctor confirmed she has one of the nasty, nasty, viruses running rampant, and she's contagious until her fever is gone for a 24 hour period. Good news! She isn't running a fever today.

So all weekend long we kept her quarantined to her room. Brian bought her some new coloring books, we moved our little bedroom TV into her room and kept her supplied with Disney DVDs galore, gatorade (pinky juice to her), sprite and saltine crackers. We kept her away from Liam so he wouldn't get it. Only it's too late. Last night he coughed all night long and sounds like my little piggy. Poor bug. It's his 4 month check up this week so instead we changed it to a sick visit. We'd hate for it to turn into RSV. If it does, I'm prepared, we went the rounds with Adds when she was only 5 months old. I already own a nebulizer if he needs steroids.

So, keep us in yours prayers and be thankful you're not pulling THIS out of your children's noses.

Boooo.

2010-02-25T08:37:00.000-08:00

I went back to work last week-BOOOOOO!!!! BUT! To my children's credit, it hasn't been as horrible as I thought it was going to be. I shouldn't speak too soon, graduation season has not hit yet. But Liam really loves being around people, so he enjoys the hustle and bustle of the front office. And his naps have been amazing! I am so happy. I was really worried about him. He seemed to be such a touchy child and feared the worse for our return, but he's shaping up to be an angel, just like big sister Addie was when we returned to work after her birth. Even the girls in the office have asked, "Does he ever cry?" Come home with me and you can answer that. Sometimes I have to yell over his cries in the evening to tell Addison or Brian something-quite ear splitting. But that's to be expected. Why are the evenings always the witching hour with little ones?

I decided to dress Liam up in pink for work the other day-I think he got away with it, don't you?

Sunday after church I laid Liam down on a blanket while I did up the dishes and when I returned to check on him I found him and big sis watching TV together. Should I be worried? He is strangely attracted to the telly-is lures him in.

WHO'S WRITING THESE ANYWAY?

2010-02-22T11:33:00.000-08:00

I just ate a conversation heart that said, "Nice Body."

"YOU OLD LADY"

2010-02-10T10:51:00.000-08:00

My nephew, Ben, told his mother to tell me, "Happy Birthday Old Lady!" When I ask how old I am to Addie she says, "Dirty Thirty." or "A million years old."

I went to bed early last night, and Brian stayed up in the basement reading. He kept hearing something and just thought it was Addison, until he heard our storm door open. Then he got a little freaked out. So he crept upstairs and slowly opened the door, only to be shocked to find this hunk standing there, waiting to wish me a Happy Birthday.

So he woke me up to come see my surprise. After laughing and thinking it must be Trisha-upon further inspection spied more stuff in the front yard.

After seeing the handwriting on the sign with my name on it, I knew it had to be my sister Angie. But it was too late to call anyone.

They even wrapped CAUTION tape all over my front bushes. I believe Brian scared the culprits because this sign below had been unrolled and the tube and sign were hastily left laying on the grass. So this morning Addie ordered me to hang it up. A few times this morning when I sit down on the arm chair, I catch a glimpe of m BF in the corner of my eye and it kind of scares me. The I just realize it's my juvi BF and this cougar just needs to simma' down.

I found it was in fact Trisha, my Relief Society President. Real nice. THE RS President setting me up with jail bait! Oh-you didn't hear about that? Trisha, who is also Brian's littler sister, who is also my BF, got called to be our ward's Relief Society President, and I am her 2nd counselor. I was shocked and didn't believe it. When the Bish told Trisha she said, "SHUT UP!" True story. We're not old enough to be in the RS Presidency. It's for the oldy and moldy I thought. Wrong. My mom was RS President when I was born, her 5th child, and she was only 30.

It's going to be a lot of fun. Do you think our Bishop will let us have NEW MOON movie night at the church, and I can bring Jacob?

WHICH WITCH IT WHICH?

2010-02-10T10:42:00.000-08:00

Still uncanny to me the similarities. Liam is only about 2 weeks older than sis in these pictures.

TEARS

2010-02-09T13:41:00.000-08:00

Not mine, the children's. Addison got sent to her room for an early nap with no lunch. Lots of tears.

Liam is crying it out. More tears there.

Pre-surgery he was taking 2 hour, uninterrupted naps, and if he did wake up, he'd stir and be able to fall back asleep. Post-surgery he wakes after 45 minutes to an hour. I went in to calm him back down because I thought I had to be extra sensitive with him, who knows if he is in pain. Now he knows I am going to come up when he wakes up, he expects it. Smart little buggars. So I am on a mission to let him figure it out himself. I go back to work next week and it's imperative he goes back to good naps.

I will stand strong. I am currently wearing ear plugs to "drown out" the cries. Go ahead and judge me. I can still hear him, it just doesn't grate on my nerves------as much.

CHURCH HISTORY MUSEUM & TEMPLE SQUARE

2010-02-09T09:20:00.000-08:00

Have you been there lately? I haven't, not since before kids I think. They have added a kid's section, which is really cool because it's interactive. The only part about it I didn't like was the parents who let their children run amok and don't make them clean up their messes they make. I'm judgey like that. But I feel I have a right to be, especially since I cleaned up the messes those kids made at 3 different stations. Slovenly I tell you.

But it was a good time for the little family. Addison loved it almost as much her her father did.

So miss Addie does this stinky eye face lately, kind of like a pirate face. It's horrible when you want to get decent picture of her, but it sure makes us laugh.

Apparently Angel Moroni is now called Angel Noah. At least she got a churchy name in there and didn't call him Angel Kevin.

Did you know Hyrum Smith is Brian's 6th Great Grandfather? We didn't until about 6 or so years ago. This picture makes me laugh because I forced Brian to make a death mask face, and in the bottom of the picture, unbeknownst to me, Addison was doing the same.

ADDIE HAPPENINGS

2010-02-09T09:07:00.000-08:00

She is really into painting lately, and she has to hold her palette just like Ruby from her favorite show MAX & RUBY.

Addison has a cousin who is a cheerleader at Taylorsville High and had Addie join her for their annual Mini-Cheer fundraiser. So she went to the HS 3 nights in a row for practice, then performed her little dance and cheer during half time at the basket ball game.

Here she is in her practice gear, AKA her butt crack pants. Brian took her to practice and texted me during and said, "Addie's pants are a DISASTER!" Apparently she was showing crack to everyone all night long. She has no hips.

The night of the performance was a train wreck! We had to wake her up from her nap early to get her off to dress rehearsal. So she was crying and I promised her I would bring her dinner before she danced and afterwards we would go out for ice cream. Well, food is the only thing on that kid's mind. So the entire dress rehearsal was spent with her crying for food and ice cream and would NOT participate. Brian was so frustrated. By the time I got there with food he was ready to take her home. If it hadn't been for the fact that her Grandma & Grandpa and Aunts and Uncles all came especially to watch her dance, he would have. And he had serious doubts of her even doing the dance.

But, as soon as she marched out onto the floor and saw her Azure (her cousin, she calls me, "my Azure") and then all her family, she beamed and pulled through. And since, we can't stop her. It's, "We got the spice, we got the groove, we'll show you what it takes to move. GO WARRIORS!" Oh boy! What have I gotten myself into?

2010-02-07T21:14:00.000-08:00

Addie- "Mom, I have a angry heart."
Me- "Why do you have an angry heart?"
Addie-"Because Jesus didn't give me a happy heart."

MAGIC

2010-02-04T21:53:00.001-08:00

Being forced into playing "Restaurant" isn't on his list of favorite things to do.

Addison thinks our garage door is magic. Really, it is. I mean, you press a button and it opens up. You press the same button again and it closes. MAGIC! It's a small miracle for us in our life because well, since moving in to this house, we've never had a garage door opener. A garage, yes. An automatic, opener? Well, that would be me, or Brian. I quite like it. And so, the only way to really describe the automatic garage door opener would be magic. Things that are just so wonderful and so amazing and make you think of rainbows with pots of gold at the end and unicorns and ponies, isn't that word to describe all of that magic? Like beyond your imagination? yes, it's magic.

So Liam is 3 months old on Feb 2nd. What a joy he is. Yes, he has a look of concern on his face quite often. As my sister Lindsey would call it, "the perpetual worried look." Not as much as his eldest sister had. She could and still does, shoot the biggest crusties this side of the Mississippi. BUT! You can get a grin and a laugh out of him a little easier than Addison, unless you made her smell her stinky toes-that one always got a gut laugh out of her. That laugh just tickles my toes. Almost like it's too much for him to bear. "Seriously mom, you're going to make me pee my pants. Oh wait, I already did that." It's the cutest thing.

Like I said before, he's just turned 3 months and it's just so much fun. At the surgeon's office 2 weeks ago he was already weighing in at 13 lbs. Quite the big boy. "I wasn't fat, I was husky." Addison was 14 pounds at 4 months, I think he's going to outgrow his clothing a bit quicker that she did. He's got the chunkiest little thighs that I love to squeeze. And sometimes I grit my teeth so hard to refrain from squeezing him or biting him. He's that delicious I just want to bite him sometimes. So if you ever see bite marks on him, it's only me showing my affection to him, I'm not abusing him or anything.

Liam sleeps through the night. I put him down at about 8:15 and he sleeps until 7:30. I know in a month when we start him on rice cereal that he'll be able to go down even earlier, what with getting more calories in during the day. He's such a champ. Seriously, babies sleeping through the night is MAGIC. I can't describe it any other way. All my baby sleep books say that for a newborn, making a 5 hour stretch during the night is considered sleeping through the night, and that at this point, he should be able to make it 8. PSHT! That is not sleeping through the night my friend. Maybe for an adult. Sleeping through the night, in my book, is defined as putting your child to bed hours to before you hit the hay, so that you may eat bon-bons, parked on the couch watching DVR episodes of GRAY'S ANATOMY, DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES & UGLY BETTY, and then said child does not wake up until after you've rubbed the sleep bugs from your eyes and possibly have gotten out of the shower. That's sleeping through the night. And that, my friends, is MAGIC? What could get better that this? Could there be anything better than this you ask? Oh yes-that your older child also goes to bed at the same time as earlier mentioned child and sleeps just as long, if not longer on some mornings, and then patiently waits for breakfast while you feed the smallest one his breakfast. That is pure, heavenly, magically delicious-MAGIC. And I like it.

FUNNIES

2010-01-21T22:12:00.001-08:00

At least to me.

So lately, there were lots of GUN SHOW signs all around West Valley (they really know their market), particularly on bus stops, and every time we pass by I can't help but say, "2 tickets to the GUN SHOW!" In a really loud, very red neck type voice. And EVERY time I say it, Addison pipes up, "Mom, I want to go to the gun show, let's go to the movies mom!"

I have a Valley Girl. Every morning, every TIME she sees Little Liam, she says in her most Valley Girl voice, "Mom, he is such, such, such adorable."

Coming out of Target last week, the wheel on our shopping cart kind of got stuck and wouldn't spin and made that horrible skidding sound and really loud she says, "UUUUGGGGHHHH! FREAKING CART!" That one may have gotten a gut laugh.

At my parents the other night my mom had just finished showing her all the "new" toys she has for the grand kids (some of Ginger's old toys she donated to Granny's toys for the kids). Mom had gone upstairs, I was on the phone and she says to my Dad, "Where did all these toys come from?" Dad tells her and she says, "Uh, it's a load of crap!"

She has been making up words lately, like Ewok type sounds/words, like guttural noises coming from the back of her throat. Sometime she does make a Chewbacca noise, it makes me laugh. Recently her words are GWOP, GGGWWWWOOOOPPPPP! Or Feische (fye-ssshhh). And you ask her what "Feische" is and she throws us a gang sign and says, "THIS is feische." But the best one yet was HERPE. Yup, Herpe. As in I've got Herpes. It comes from HURRY. She kept telling me to hurry and eventually it transformed into HERPE.

And on a side note, since being home on maternity leave, her need to have a snack all the time has grown exponentially. It's really getting annoying. All day long she asks for a snack, or a treat. She still has Halloween & Christmas candy, so she's always asking for that. It's funny how on days we're busy doing fun stuff, like making crafts or just really playing with one another all day, instead of me letting her do her own thing, she doesn't ask for much food. A year ago she was always saying, "My Hungry Mom." Now it's, "Mom, my tummy is starving." And sometimes, "I'm freaking hungry mom!"

"I'M IN LOVE, I'M IN LOVE AND I DON'T CARE WHO KNOWS IT!"

2010-01-17T15:46:00.000-08:00

Today a little guy was getting fresh up on my neck. That's right, he was necking me, and earlier today he was whispering sweet nothings into my ear. And sometimes, I have to tell him, "No frenchies," because he likes to kiss me with his mouth open.

For reals, having a baby in your house in the best feeling in the whole world. Nothing beats the spirit that resides with this little one. I'm really in love with this little guy. I think his Dad might be a little bit jealous.

Holy Germs Batman!

2010-01-13T09:51:00.000-08:00

Oh wow-we've hit an all-time low for grossness and hoarding. On Saturday Brian was called over to his Dad's house to get his bags of toys and journals and odds and ends that have been sitting in his Dad's attic for quite some time now. Between Brian's stuff and his sister's stuff it filled the back of his brother in law's truck. Oh boy! Luckily, most of that load was Trisha's treasures to wade through. Brian made it home with a couple of boxes and bags full of things.

Hmmm, things. Through the plastic bags I spied the entire set of Castle Grayskull. I'm sure we'll be recycling some He-Man collectibles on to Liam for Christmas in several years. He'll be none the wiser. But then I spied an old cool whip container, a tooth brush. Really? Thankfully I didn't stay out in the garage as Brian waded his way through his childhood, but he did grab me when he found a few gems worthy to share.

Ah, the retainer. The piece of equipment that donned his mouth for so many years, that helped shape that toothy smile that I love so much. But really, it was saved with his memorabilia? I still have my retainer, but only because I still WEAR my retainer. This thing looks like it's been sitting, stashed away since his freshman year, and he'll be 33 this April. Ew.

Brian quickly wanted to dispose of it but I would not let him. "I'm going to take a picture of it and blog about it!" "Ew, you're disgusting. Why would you do that?" "Because I'm disgusting and think it's funny that you still had this, complete with the dried up saliva still gracing the retainer box."

The thing that is the most funny about this though, is the fact that just 2 days earlier, I told Brian that I really needed to buy a retainer box. My retainer just sits on a shelf behind my bathroom mirror. It doesn't gross me out, but it grosses Brian out. Sometimes I even will leave it on top of the microwave, while I eat breakfast. It really makes him want to vomit if he spies it out in the open. I must get that from my Grandma Savage. I'd often go to her house as a little girl and her teeth would be sitting out on top of her microwave.

When he called me out to the garage to behold his treasures untold, he said, "I found a box for your retainer!"

Oh wow.

2010-01-12T09:19:00.000-08:00

Addison was about a little younger in her picture, but boy do these kids look similar. I think it's those caterpillars that are dancing across their foreheads. And Liam is a bit chunkier that Addison.

Liam had his 2 month check up last week and weighs in at 12 pounds 23.5 inches. 70% for his height, 60% for his weight, and 17% for his head.

At Addison's 2 month check up she was the same height but only 10 pounds, and had a larger head.

CHRISTMAS 2009

2010-01-12T09:15:00.000-08:00

Wow-I'm super lame. These are the only Christmas pictures I got. And the ones of the kids are 4 days after Christmas. I blame it on my Grandma. She had to go dying on me on Christmas morning. I had just finished feeding the baby when I rushed down to the kitchen to answer my cell phone. I really thought it was going to me my mom telling me the bad news. But it was Angie. Hm, 8 am, calling me? Whatever. Then she said Grandma had died and I started crying. She then said, "Have you not opened your Christmas presents yet?" "No." "I'm so sorry!" It was okay. I knew she was going to pass on Christmas Day, I knew it, even before our long Christmas eve night with her. She just love Christmas so much and I knew she would wait til after they opened presents. But she couldn't wait. She passed sometime before 7 am. Even though we were prepared for her passing, nothing prepares for the sudden feeling of loss you will experience. And even though I KNOW I will see her again, it still doesn't make the loss any easier. We're human. But-Grandma did open a gift on Christmas eve. Angie bought her some comfy, warm socks and opened them for her. She wanted to put them on her while she was in bed so she would be warm and Mom quickly said, "No, no, she HATES to wear socks to bed." Even though Grandma could not communicate, she would have hated it so Mom respected that.

Christmas morning really was a very peaceful and beautiful one, one I will never forget. There's nothing better than Christmas with a newborn. When Addie was 3months old we had Christmas and it just felt so special. My Mother in law gave me a little board book called THE FIRST CHRISTMAS about the Savior's birth, and I bawled like a baby when I opened it that year. I just felt the sacredness of that little baby, much like I'm sure Mary felt on that Christmas Day Christ was born. And again, I felt that special feeling this year with Liam, and knowing that my Grandmother was with our Savior. As we opened gifts for one another I would find myself crying. Every once in a while Brian would look over and give me a little reassuring smile. All was right. I was with my family and Grandma was finally in peace.

Liam got a floor gym. We were smarter this year with a new baby that they don't need anything. We went over board with Addison at this age. We got him a few toys since Addie didn't have many to pass on to him, this gym, and some 3-6 month clothes. I was busting at the seams to give him this gym. It wasn't so much a present for him but FOR ME! Selfish, I know. But I get to be.

Here's the man with the kids. Addie has her good and bad days with pictures. This day would be a bad day. I love that kid.

On another note. At my Grandmother's viewing last week she was running around the mortuary saying, "What the hell!" My nieces and nephews came running to me. I asked her, "Addison, what are you saying?" And in a matter of fact way, not skipping a beat, in her high pitched, cute little voice said it again. I whisked her upon my lap and tried very hard to explain to her that we don't say that. Then I threw her face over my should and silently laughed, while my sisters did the same. Later I said, "Where did she learn that?" Angie says, "Uh, Laurel, I heard you say that today! You say that all the time." I confess, I do. It's kind of my thing I say to be funny, especially around Angie. I guess it's not so funny when your 3 year old starts saying it. I thought I only said it when she wasn't listening, or when I thought she wasn't listening. Those kids and their big ears. She's cramping my style.

Blessing Day

2010-01-04T07:08:00.000-08:00

We blessed our little Liam at church yesterday. What a great Sunday! I had all 6 siblings of mine, plus 2 of Brian's, both our parents and nieces and nephews there in attendance, so that made the day even better for me, to be surrounded by all our family. So you can imagine quite the brood that showed up to church. Had our families not been there, I think our chapel would have looked pretty sparse.

In my picture collage, I'd like you to think that we're a happy, loving family all the time with the most perfect kids, but that's not reality. The bottom left picture pretty much shows how we really are. Liam was screaming, Brian was thinking, "Get me outta here!", I'm laughing, and Addison is being difficult. I didn't post the first pictures we started taking because, well, they were a little TOO revealing! Addie would not stand for a picture. I had to hoist her up! She wouldn't turn around, just being silly, wait, bratty. My dress was a little low on top to begin with, but add a wiggling/flailing child to the mix, and well, some things were heaving out of my dress. It was pretty immodest to say the least. That Addison. We threatened her to not go to Sunbeams-it didn't work. Later last night we were talking about how naughty she was being at church for pictures and she said, "I was just being shy-I didn't want my picture."

Wow! Getting ready for 9 am church with 2 kids-kill me now! I don't know how the moms in the ward do it with more that what I have. It wasn't a problem being ready on time yesterday, it was that both of our kids were crying/screaming/throwing tantrums ALL morning while trying to get ready. The spirit was not with me. And all I could think about was how thankful I was for not doing anything after with the family. Our house just cannot accommodate our large family. We just had Christmas together, and then we have funeral stuff today and tomorrow for my Grandma, it was just too, too much. And even though I felt like we ditched everyone after sacrament meeting, and it just didn't feel right to NOT get together, it was so nice to NOT get together. We just spent the afternoon together, just the 4 of us. It really was a Great Sunday! Brian pulled through with an amazing blessing, as always, and we had a family there around us.

2009-12-20T20:18:00.000-08:00

The Grand America Hotel has a display of really big, ornate Gingerbread houses. It's basically a village. It was neat to see the amazing things people do with some cookies and icing.

One thing's for sure, Addison is never lacking for attention when she is around Angie's boys. They love her so much and she loves them back. We got Angie's christmas card in the mail last week and Addie was pointing to each of the boys and telling me who they were. She got to Spencer and said, 'And that's Spencer. He's my favorite friend because he jumps on the trampoline with me.' Then last night while we were eating dinner, Adds and Spenc were sitting next to one another. Angie asked Addie who was next to her. She said, "Oh, that's just my favorite friend."

Addie got tired while listening to the Nativity she kneeled down on the sidewalk. Her buddy Bryant was right there by her side.

GLAMOUR SHOTS-by DEB

2009-12-20T20:14:00.000-08:00

One thing is for sure, It's never a dull time with Angie's family. Those boys are the biggest hoot.

Bryant, Angie, Logan, Spencer, Boyd and Addie. Doesn't this picture just look perfect? See, Angie, your family needs a little girl of their own. It just fits.

TEMPLE SQUARE

2009-12-20T20:09:00.000-08:00

My family had soup and fresh, hot, home made bread at my mom's house last night. Then we all bundled up and headed down town to see the lights. We were all supposed to meet up but no one was able to. By the time we'd all gotten there it was just too crowded to find one another. So Addison and myself hung out with Angie's crew all night. It was a BLAST!

It was so foggy (stupid inversion, but made for some neat-0 pictures). We all sat down below the temple and decided to have a quiet moment and think about what the temple meant to us. Logan was the only one taking the task seriously. You can tell in the pictures. He's always been such a sweet, thoughtful, meaningful little boy. I love this quality in him. Bryant and I were too busy doing GLAMOUR SHOTS BY DEB.

BE STILL MY HEART

2009-12-20T20:01:00.000-08:00

Oh wow-this little man has taken me hostage. I don't think it's going to be a matter of him being a momma's boy, I think I am going to be the other way around. I am smitten by this little child of mine.

If these eyes go brown, oh boy-I'm in trouble!

Liam met his Great Grandma Smith today (Brian's grandmother). He was rockin' his Rancid "Drooligans" shirt and his little socks that look like he's wearing red and black checkered vans, thanks to his Auntie Natalie. They rock.

IT'S A MARSHMALLOW WORLD

2009-12-17T18:16:00.000-08:00

The kitchen is cleaned, the floor swept and mopped. Brian is out in the garage trying to assemble and then attempt to install a garage door opener, Addison is playing on the laundry basket, telling me she's got muscles in her stomach that make her strong and strong bones. She's also doing LEG UPS. I think she means sit ups. Liam is lying on the couch next to me screaming, and I am blogging, listening to Christmas music, and thinking about how much I love my family and this time of year.

On Saturday I took some quick pictures for Angie's family to send out Christmas cards. It really was quick, like less than an hour, and thank goodness because it was freaking cold.

It's always a hoot taking their pictures-I have the funniest nephews around. Bryant is a mini Angie, he'll do anything for a chuckle. Gots to love him!

Sissy Lindsey just posted about her favorite Christmas memories, which was a blog of mine in the making, she just beat me to it.

So here are my favorite Christmas memories, in no particular order:

-1995. I was a sophomore and Ginger was a senior at Olympus. Our loving, trusting, very naive mother let us drive her car, the beloved Silver Bullet, God rest it's soul, after school to our jobs or hanging out with friends, and sometimes, to school. It was the night of our choir Christmas concert. Ginger and I drove the silver bullet up to the school for the performance, mom and dad took the van. Mom had been Christmas shopping all month long and just keeping all of the purchases in the trunk of the car. "DON'T open the trunk!" Rrrrriiiggghhhht, do you know who you're talking to? After we sang Ginger and I popped that puppy open and dug through all our presents. It was then I got one of my BEST presents ever! Doc Marten greased black boots. I was in heaven. Mom stopped shopping at Kmart & shopko that year as well, and we found all our Old Navy clothes, which we thought she was the coolest mom ever.

-I don't know the year, but it had to be around 1990 maybe? Sisters, help me out. Grandma Hansen always mailed our presents early since she lived in Logan and we didn't see her til the day after Christmas. Mom was against putting presents under the tree unless they were from people outside our immediate family. So Grandma's presents always went under the tree and they sat there, for several weeks, taunting us. Our cousin Krista, also from the Hansen side of our family, was over, and she taught Ginger and I an art that would come in handy for many years to come; opening the presents with such precision, and carefulness, as to not rip the paper, peeking at what you got, and then re-wrapping them and no one would ever be the wiser. It was this year that we found out Grandma had bought us a Nintendo and slipper socks. Grandma, why even bother with the slipper socks, the Nintendo is good enough.

-1992. I was twelve. Angie had been dating Boyd. We knew they might get married, and Boyd popped the question on Christmas eve while they were at his family's christmas dinner. They drove up to my Aunt Diane's house up little cottonwood canyon where we were partying to tell us the good news. When they walked in they were hand in hand and Angie had her other hand behind her back. They said they had an announcement and I just started bawling. And they weren't tears of joy. I was really mad and really sad that I was going to be losing my sister. Little did I know I was going to get the best brother and the best nephews.

-1992. Same christmas as above. Mom and Dad knew in advance Boyd was going to ask Angie to marry him and a wedding would be coming up. Christmas day we all take turns opening presents. We start with 1 kid and then go either up or down in birth order, each person opening 1 present at a time. Mom and Dad always open their presents after we're all through with ours. Our presents are all piled under the tree, so usually the youngest would search through the pile (it was huge-there was 7 of us kids), find presents with your name on it and pass them out. Oh, don't worry, my mom decides she wanted to be funny and pull a prank on us. Don't ask me why. She came up with a system in her head of switching tags on presents. So, for instance, if the tag said to Angie, it was really to Laurel. If it said to Laurel, it was really for Natalie. She tried keeping it straight, she thought she'd written down her "system," but failed miserably. So that Christmas I opened up pots and pans meant for Angie. Angie opened up a Karaoke machine meant for me. Ginger opened up little boys under pants. She was roaring with laughter-we didn't think it was funny. I remember near crying when I opened up pots, thinking, "What the hell is this?" Ok, I didn't think that back then, I was only 12, but really. It would have worked once we got into it, we would have figured out the system, but mom got confused at some point wrapping all those gifts. So when we opened a crappy gift, Mom would have to say, "Now wait a minute, wait a minute, that was for Natalie."

Lindsey pointed out that since mom got confused, she ended up not buying enough gifts for Ginger and took her shopping the next day to make up for her crappy Christmas.

*Really, it wasn't crappy. Obviously, because I wouldn't be writing it as being one of my favorite Christmases. It just shows how funny my mom is.

-1996. Mom wised up and stopped keeping all our presents in the trunk of the car, and hid them in her closet under a blanket. Really? Really? When my kids are old enough to be little you-know-whats, I'm going to put the presents under lock and key. So Mom was at work, I got home from school early, went into her room and pillaged all of the presents, which included me trying on all the clothes she bought me.

Wasn't I the biggest brat? It makes her sad to hear that we peeked at all our presents. I don't know why. I would just be angry at my bratty kids, not sad. They were still surprises to me, just a little early.

This Christmas I think will be another Christmas I will always remember. Not only because it's another Christmas with a new baby, Liam's 1st Christmas, but we may be having a funeral for my Grandma Savage. In a way I don't want her to die. But like my Dad said yesterday, "If we knew what was on the other side for us, we'd all be killing ourselves to get there." I really think that's why we don't know what it's like. So many people are afraid to die and don't want their loved ones to die. But it's a relief for the soul. "what a wonderful thing is death, really, when all is said and done. It is a majestic, quiet passing, from this life, to another life, a better life. We go to a place where we will not suffer as we have suffered here, but where we will continue to grow, accumulating knowledge and developing and being useful under the plan of the Almighty made possible through the atonement of the Son of God." Apparently I shared this with my mom. But I have no recollection of it. It's nice. I don't know who said it. But I like it.

So there are a few of my favorite Christmases.

NOW EXCEPTING YOUR LETTER OF RESIGNATION

2009-12-17T17:50:00.000-08:00

I have a problem with misspelled, misused words and grammar errors. It's fine if it's me, because heaven knows this blog is full of them, but I'm not a professional blogger and getting paid to do so. I do have a problem when companies make mistakes and pulish it for all to see.
Like the local Holiday Oil on 5400 South and 5600 West. Mmmmm, I think I'd fire that employee. I ALMOST went in to the store to tell them the error of their ways, because that's just something I enjoy doing (like at the movies, I am the first to run out to the manager and tell them the sound isn't matching up with the actor's lips-must come from my days of working at Movies 10 in sugar house)-but I had the wee ones in the car with me. I didn't want to drag them into the convenience store or leave them in the car like and get arrested for child endangerment.

I then took the mini for a sudsy. Apparently someone didn't want their headphones OR their shorts.

I took Addie to the mall last week to get her picture with a cross eyed Santa. I considered scanning the photo and share with the rest of the world the goofy looking Santa, but it might be rude to make fun of the man who spreads joy to little girls and boys. For once, I am erring on the side of caution. I know-what's becoming of me? Anyway, they gave Addie free cotton candy. She was in heaven and I was covered in sticky pink stuff the rest of the afternoon; she kept rubbing up against me while we were shopping.

Side note: remember your stroller at the mall when you want to go shopping with a 5 week old and a 3 year old. Needless to say, I didn't do much shopping, my arm was about to fall off from the car seat.

DIRTY SOCKS PART DEUX

2009-12-07T12:18:00.001-08:00

At least they're just dirty socks. So are you ready for it? I am a former, well, semi-former, bum pincher. Blame it on my Grandma Ginger, who would always do a little 'Burk, Burk!' on our hinies if ever we were in front of her. And from there, it was just a massive snow ball effect. Giant I'm telling you. Just ask anyone person from the Olympus High Student body from the years of 1995-1998 who got their cabooses goosed in a crowded hallway. Well, not any student body, just the male variety.

I love to pinch bums, especially to unassuming, unsuspecting people. It gets the greatest reaction and I get the biggest thrill as I try to act innocent and keep from busting out laughing or even just a smile from spreading across my face. The look on goosee's face really is the best present because really, what are you thinking? "Wow-that felt great!" "What the-" "Who?" "I knew someone liked my bum as much as I like it!" And also, the look of their eyes darted back and forth, to and fro, hither and thither, trying to figure out who just got a handful of their backside.

I got my 2 best girl friends in high school to get the same thrill out of goosing as I did. It was always fun riding in Heather's car if you were in the back seat. You could always goose through the driver's (or passenger's for that matter) seat from the back. Just goose through the crack in the chair where the back of the seat and the seat of the seat meet. All time surprise for the driver! Just be careful not to goose when the driver is following closely behind someone on the road, because the reaction is the right foot hits the gas pedal just a little harder, accelerating the car just a tad.

I'm telling you, I goosed throughout my entire 3 years at Olympus, always with a vow to goose a teacher before I graduated. And goose a teacher I did-on graduation day! Not only was it just a teacher, it was my math teacher I'd had for the past 2 years. It was planned-not like I stalked him through HS and planned my attack with precision. We were lined up in the hall of the Huntsman center getting ready to march. We were packed in their like sardines! Lots of teachers were pushing through the seniors, trying to yell instructions, and there he was, my teacher, within pinching distance of my fingers. I just had to reach through the crowd a bit-and BAM! I did it! He looked all around and couldn't figure out what happened or who it was. Was it deliberate, and accident? He'll never know. But I did it, mission accomplished. I got terrible grades my senior year, failed a class, had to do extra credit just to barely graduate. But if nothing else, I pinched my teacher's bum-all was right with my high school career.

Come to think of it-I think I get where the FEELS-R-US man is coming from. Sorry, Nat, sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.

DIRTY LAUNDRY

2009-12-02T21:10:00.001-08:00

So my little sister aired some of her dirty laundry, or her dirty little secrets on her blog and encouraged the rest of us to share theirs as well.

We all have our little things we do or watch or say that we don't want the general public knowing, and by general public, anyone outside of your home. So why would I be blogging about it? Because it's funny to share yours and in turn, your friends share theirs.

It it a common known fact around my close family and friends that I love trashy television. Namely, MTV trashy television shows. I have watched REAL WORLD, ROAD RULES, LAGUNA BEACH, NEWPORT HARBOR, THE CITY. I love DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES, GRAY'S ANATOMY. At one point, it was a long list of DVR "Set to Record" programs on my television. And every night, after Addison would go to bed, my shows would begin. It was an addiction. And I would cycle through these addictions. In addition to my trashy tv, I also had/have other programs on there as well, including ER when it was on, SURVIVOR, UGLY BETTY; really, the list goes on and on.

Through the years my "cycling" of the addiction would be me deleting recording because the show didn't do anything for me, it was just a time waster, and really, the shows were just that, trashy. So I would delete them, only to cave several weeks later and maybe just record 1 show, or completely cave and re-set the series recording. Pathetic, I know. But I've gotten better lately. I have completely deleted all of my MTV recordings, and only now have DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES (I blame my sister Natalie on this one), GRAY'S, SURVIVOR, UGLY BETTY and LAW & ORDER SPECIAL VICTIM'S UNIT. Since having the little Liam, I've also added OPRAH & ELLEN. That's just what I do when I am at home with the new babies. I watched these 2 programs when I was home with Addison as well, but I will delete the recordings as soon as I go back to work.

So, there is just one of my many dirty little secrets. Stay tuned for my next one, it was spurred on by my sister Natalie's recent post on her blog found here.

And I can't post without adding some pictures.

Thanksgiving at my parent's house last week. Nice and relaxing, only 2 of my siblings and their families. I heart everything about Thanksgiving because Thanksgiving dinner is my favorite kind of meal.

From Left to right, Bottom row: My stunning mother, Linda, my husband, Brian, Ryan Martineau (married to Lindsey).

Top Row: Camie Hansen (married to Ryan, my brother), Ethan, Ryan, Hannah, My Dad, Lynn, My Addison, Me & Liam, Ben, Lindsey & Ellie.

Camie is pregnant with her 3rd baby, a girl, due in March, and Lindsey is pregnant with her 3rd as well, due in February. We don't know the gender of her baby because they want to be surprised. They are lame. I tried convincing her to get the gender of the baby put in a envelope and for her to just let me see it, but she wouldn't do it. I HATE surprises!

Gobble Gobble

2009-11-29T20:07:00.000-08:00

To gear up for Tukey Day, Addie and I did several crafts, including a pilgrim hat, her Indian Princess feather headdress, and a turkey hat.

While getting ready to go and decided on which hat she would choose, she also had a tough decision to make: what type of braids to wear with her hat? Indian Princess braids, a Princess Fiona Braid (from SHREK, it has to have TWO elastics, 1 at the top and 1 at the bottom), or another set of braids to go with her turkey hat.

Well, she opted for the turkey hat and as I was getting ready to braid her hair, she informed me, "Mom, you have to make turkey braids." Ok, turkey braids it is, which is identical to her Indian Princess braids, which happen to just be 2 braids.

With no nap she fell asleep on the drive home, with chocolate pie smeared across her face. That's my girl.

Can you tell they're siblings?

2009-11-23T10:20:00.000-08:00

Above 2 photos are Liam at 3 weeks. The bottom 2 are Addison at 4 weeks. I can tell they're siblings from the nose down. Liam has different eyes and a bigger noggin I think. When I'm feeding him his bottle at night and then burping and rocking him, I sometimes am transported back 3 years and feel like it's Addison I'm doing those things with. What a weird feeling.

Beautiful Morning

2009-11-23T10:10:00.000-08:00

We're finally getting to the point where the little Liam is awake more, so we get to enjoy snowy mornings in my bedroom, on the floor, just hanging out. I am anticipating the time when he becomes playful. Smiling, cooing, being able to track objects, etc. But I will be patient, I also enjoy this time right now too!

This video was shot at 10 a.m. Yes, Addie and I are still in our pajamas. BUT! I was in the midst of cleaning the bathrooms and doing laundry. I have an excuse. This is only the 3rd time in the last 3 weeks that I haven't immediatley gotten in the shower and ready for the day. Cut me some slack.

For Nat & Reese, since they won't get to meet the Liam for a while. Reese gets home on Dec 11th from the Army, and Nat-who knows when she'll get down from Oregon. Soon I hope. Love and miss you guys!!

"REMIND ME AGAIN AS TO WHY I AM TAKING HER?"

2009-11-19T13:50:00.000-08:00

Brian asked me this question the morning of Disney Princesses on Ice. My response, "Because I bought the tickets a month ago, the show was for 2 days after my due date. I knew I'd be in no condition to take her myself." Really and truly, I was in condition to take her, but am glad I got out of it A) it's a princess show B) it snowed something terrible the entire time they left C) I got to stay home and cuddle with the 12 day old baby.

Ok, now I sound like a mean mom, that I didn't want to take her. Really, as I was getting her ready to go, I kind of had jealousy and wished I'd bought 3 tickets and had sent baby to Granny's house. She was so excited to go. But it was all that more special because she got some much needed attention from 1 of her parents, and it was a great Daddy-Daughter date. She couldn't have been happier to have her dad take her.

They sat on the 3rd row and I would have LOVED to see Ursula. The favorite part of the show for her was Tinker Bell, go figure. Brian loved the castle, go figure.

LEAF DUTY

2009-11-19T12:43:00.000-08:00

Got home from the hospital on Wednesday afternoon, these pictures were taken on Saturday morning. This was the 3rd day of raking leaves from the time we came home from the hospital. We've got a giant willow tree, a smaller willow, and then the neighbors 2 Maple trees that drop leaves into our yard. It's a chore for some people around the house.

Fast forward to 1 week later. I got Brian out of bed and warned him, "The weather man was wearing his sexy, white blazer again last night. You'd better get out there and get the last of the leaves before the snow flies." And sure enough, 10 minutes before he was done the snow starting falling, and furiously. Just in time for Brian to take Addison down town on Trax to see Disney Princesses on Ice. More on that to come.

COME ON IN

2009-11-11T17:37:00.000-08:00

This is Little Liam's room. The wall color looks off in these pictures. The color is more like a pumpkin puree. It's really delicious. Addie calls it "Pumpkin Spice."

Obviously, it's not done yet. I've got empty picture frames that will be filled with pictures of the little guy and his sister. And I've got some more craft ideas to do. Particularly a mobile that hangs from the ceiling to the right of his crib, something to keep his attention while being changed, since he loathes being nekked.

We ordered bi-fold closet doors but have yet to install them. Oh well. And of course curtains. I also have some type of Alphabet art I want to do on the wall, or a shelf with his WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE stuffed figures. We'll see if I get to any of this while being off from work. It's just too easy to snuggle with the kids all day than get any real work done.

Speaking of real work-I actually cooked dinner tonight! My mom brought me over about 4 meals that I just finished off last night. They were so good: cheesy broccoli soup, white chili, Chili Verde, breakfast casserole. Mmmm. Brian's mom brought dinner into us on Sunday and my lovely visiting teachers brought in dinner last night. It was all so delicious. I feel bad having people come in and feed us. It's just not in my nature to let people take care of me. I love to do it for others but I have a really hard time having people help me. I don't know why. It's not like it makes me feel like a weenie, I just feel uncomfortable. I even feel bad having my mom come over to help out. My little sis came over last Friday for a visit and she wanted me to lay down and she'd take over, but I just could not. I would not have been able to calm down and sleep. I think I must take after my Grandma Savage. If she knows people are coming over to help out or clean, she goes out of her way to clean first before they come over. And she stresses and worries herself. Yea, I definitely get that from her.

MY CUTE KIDS

2009-11-11T16:34:00.000-08:00

Isn't it amazing what a little swaddle will do to an over-tired, wailing child? Magic I tell you.

While being on Maternity leave I get to pretend I'm a real mom and do crafts with this cute 3 year old all day. Really, we've already had 2 days of crafting and I'm already out of ideas. Yesterday we made pilgrim hats, today we made Indian Chief head dresses. Addison insisted on having all pink feathers. Initially I'd just cut out the feather shape for hers, but she saw my lines on the feathers I'd done and had to make her own. She also did the lines on the head band itself.

I think these are the cutest smiling pictures I've ever captured of her yet. Thanks to my sister for suggesting the camera with the smile recognition on it. It does wonders!!!

Oh yea, some were wondering: Baby Liam is officially Liam Scott King. 7 lbs 12 oz. 21.5 inches.

Little Leelers Is HERE!

2009-11-06T20:41:00.000-08:00

Liam arrived safely and soundly. We checked into the hospital on Sunday night around seven, to start a drug called Citodel (I think). It prepares your girl parts and in the morning they were to start the Pitocin drip to induce labor so this child could be born. We did the exact same induction routine with Addison, exactly. After spending the night with the drug and starting the drip the next morning, we didn't have Addison until 5 pm that night. Our night spent taking the Citodel was miserable, neither Brian or I slept because the "beds" were so uncomfortable. So THIS time around, after I got checked in, the drug started and my Ambien kicking in, I sent Brian packing so he could rest up for a long day ahead of us.

Fast forward to 3:30 in the morning. My contractions started and BOY did they come on strong-I'm talking big peaks that barely dipped and were 2 minutes, sometimes less apart. I knew I would go through this for a long time, figured my nurse could see my contractions from the Nurse's station and she'd come in when it got serious. So I labored through this in silence (well, with some groans and gripping of the bed rails), but alone, for about 2 hours. Finally my nurse came in and said, "WHOAH! You've been having some contractions here. Let me call your doctor, I'm pretty sure she'll want to break your water in the morning (around 7 I was thinking). So she left, and I called Brian. I told him of the heavy and hard contractions and breaking my water and told him he'd better get here.

After I got off the phone with him the Nurse decided to check me for my progress. I was hopefully but knew I should expect that she'd probably say, "Well, you've got a while to go." Nope-I was at a 5. She asked, "Do you want your epidural?" I said, "Well, do you think I'm far enough along to get one? Will it be worth it now?" "Uh Laurel, have you seen these contractions? You're at a 5, let's get him in here." I'm getting a little anxious here. It's all happening so quickly! So I called my mama at 6, the anesthesiologist came in at 6:10, epidural was in by 6:20, Brian rolled in at 6:30. I'm starting to feel really good right now, BUT! I felt like my baby was trying to push it's way through. I tell the nurse, she checks me yet again, I'm fully dilated and he's right there. "Whatever you do, don't push. I'm calling the doctor." Seriously? I feel like a giant poo is sitting there, at the door, and I can't push? Oh boy! I call my mom-she thought I had hours to go, she was fussing around at home, prettying herself. So she dropped everything and sped to the hospital.

7:00 - Mom flied through the door. I'm sitting up in bed smiling, Brian's smiling, she starts crying. Did I miss it? NOPE! Just waiting for the doctor to come so I can push. She cries even more because she's so relieved she didn't miss it.

7:15 ish - Amazing Doctor Gemmell arrives. She suits up, legs go up, I give 3 sets of pushes and out comes my little boy.

What an amazing experience. The felt him as he started to come out, so kind of sat up so I could see him and emotions let loose. I bawled. It was the most spiritual and sacred experience-to be there when the most perfect and pure little spirit entered this world. To know and feel so blessed that Heavenly Father saw me fit to care for one of his precious children. This child, Liam. A moment I will never forget. The connection between heaven and earth was so pure in that moment he came into my life.

ISN'T HE LOVELY?

2009-11-06T20:12:00.000-08:00

Two days before this little man entered out lives, Addison and I were talking about how beautiful she was. Conversation inevitably lead to her new brother that was going to be joining our family. I said, "Oh yes, and Baby Liam is going to be so beautiful too." Upon which she exclaimed, "Mom, he can't be beautiful, he's a BOY!" Apparently only boys can be handsome. BUT- I disagree, he is quite beautiful isn't he?

He reminds me so, so much of Addison, but on the other hand, he looks an awful like his Papa. Maybe it's the furrowed eyebrows that remind me of little Addie-or the fact that he's just the picture of perfection, much like his sister.

Speaking of sister, here is the Proudest Sis of all. The look on her face when she saw him for the first time was indescribable. I cried seeing her reaction to him. With all of the new hospital restrictions she had to wait to meet him until we came home. It was sad, but really, it was a beautiful atmosphere to have the new siblings meet for the first time in the comfort of our own home, just the 4 of us. A moment I don't think I'll ever forget.

And why didn't anyone tell me that after I had the baby I would come home to my child that is now roughly the size of a HORSE? How did she get so BIG in just 3 DAYS?! Everything about her is gigantic! Her eyes, her eyelashes, her feet, her hands, her legs-and she weighs a TON!

Unfortunately, when we brought our little jaundiced baby home, a cold came home with our Horse Child. So she's been quarantined. It's breaking my heart that we have to be separated until she gets well. Aside from crying the moment little Liam entered this world, I've only cried thinking about Addie and wanting to hold her and cuddle her. We don't want germs passing around the family and getting Little Man sick, so we can't get close.

RAPUNZEL, RAPUNZEL, GIVE ME YOUR CANDY

2009-11-01T13:10:00.000-08:00

Nothing better than shoving candy corn into your mouth at lightning speed.

Addison with her cousin Azure, the Pirate Princess. "Princess" has to be added to the title of her costume, otherwise she wasn't buying in. She wanted to be Tinker Bell, but her mother had just 1 more year in her until she would also lose the battle of what her daughter would dress as for Halloween.

I'm glad their buckets were small-but maybe next year I'll go for smaller. She got so much candy and I've already got a monster on her hands. Last night before bed was a knock down, drag out battle of brushing teeth and putting jammies on. It ended in tears and her candy bucket in the garbage can (only to be retrieved later-it was for the dramatics-I was in a pinch). This morning she woke me up and the first thing she said was, "Mom, please can you get my candy out of the garbage and you can tell me "sorry."" Love it.

EVOLUTION OF A CANDY OBSESSED CHILD

2009-11-01T13:03:00.000-08:00

2006 - Catepillar, 5 weeks old

2007 - Peacock, 13 months old

2008 - Elephant , 2 years old

2009 - Rapunzel, sans the braid at the moment, 3 years old.

I finally lost the fight and she was a "Princess" this year. It was worth it though.

BECAUSE I CAN

2009-10-27T19:48:00.000-07:00

My little sister is 24 weeks pregnant. She posted the cutest picture of her belly on her blog. I am not a fan of the belly picture, or any picture of me in general. But really, Lindsey's was so cute. She took it because I guess her belly has become an oddity, since it's a heck of a lot bigger at this point than it had been with her 2 previous pregnancies. ANYWAY-she asked me to email her one because she hasn't seen me in a long time and she can't wait til Friday to it in person. Well Lindsey, too bad, you aren't getting one, but you will get this stunning 3/4 profile of me. Why would I post a picture that you can't see my adorable child's face? Because I am turned to the side, my neck is elongated (you don't get the fat face), and you can't see my planetoid stomach. That's why. AND it may have helped that I was sitting and my 6'2" tall drink of a man husband was taking the picture. No, no, you don't get the 38 week belly, but for your viewing pleasure you do get the twins upstairs.

If this isn't {PURE JOY}-then I really don't know what is. Sure, my kid gives the squinty face, chipmunk cheek smiles for me when I am trying to capture a decent picture to blow up and frame and hand out to adoring grandparents, but put her with her cousins and you get this PURE SMILE.

And this adorable face. From left: Ginny, Addie, Taylor & Reese (those are Ginger's kids).

We hit up Gardner Village with my sister before the weather went afoul, the witches flew away and this baby comes.

Addison was in heaven on the pony ride. His name was Prince. She was super shy and didn't want to get on. She had to have Brian go in and help her. On the 2nd to last trot around, she finally got a smile on her face and said, "Woo-hoo! Look at me Dad, I'm doin' it!"

And if this doesn't melt your heart, then you're a grinch. Don't mind the huge wad of gum this kid was chewing on like it was cud in EVERY picture. No wonder I couldn't get a good GLAMOUR shot of her.

SIGNED, SEALED, DELIVERED-I'M YOURS

2009-10-26T12:53:00.000-07:00

The 24 hour catch was a success. But don't ask me why they gave me 2 of these jugs-I didn't even fill mine up half way. When I dropped it off at the LDS Hospital's Lab, I saw some one else's "specimen" and their jug was FULL. DIS-GUSTING!

I haven't heard back from my doctor but I have an appointment on Wednesday. Here's to an induction!

I am home from work and not staying put like I should be. How can you when you've got a 3 year old that is constantly leaving piglet droppings in EVERY room? She follows me around and gets into mischief of one kind or another in every room. So around and around we go picking up her droppings, only to find more around the corner.

IF LOOKS COULD KILL

2009-10-26T12:50:00.000-07:00

Oh man, how many times have I said this. Seriously, this girl can give the crustiest looks-always has been able to. She did NOT want me taking pictures of her. So what did I do? I just kept following her around, nagging her, bugging her, and snapping away. What a grouch. But I love her dirty looks. Eventually, I did get her to finally smile, after I told her to smile like a princess and then I showed her the end result.

This one was mid-scream. I love it. Like mother like daughter.

WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS?

2009-10-22T06:58:00.000-07:00

If they're anything like mine, they'll include this funny looking bowl and jug. That's right-my doctor has me on a 24 hour Urine Catch program. Sick, I know. Ahhh, the joys of being pregnant.

Addie heard me telling my mom about it and as I unpacked my goods last night she said, "Mom, are these your pee things?" "Yup, they are." "Mom, you don't go pee in these, you put the pee pee in the potty." If it were only that simple my child.

I suffer from high blood pressure during my pregnancies, especially at the tail end, so I'm monitored for pre-eclampsia and hypertension. My BP has been really high the last several days so when I went in for my 37 week appt they brought out the big guns. It's a good thing work is off the calendar. Even if it wasn't I still wouldn't tote this into work. As a pregnant woman you're peeing ALL the time, especially if you consume the amount of water I do during my 8 hour stay at work. And to top it off, you have to keep it in a fridge or cooler. Can you just imagine seeing your poor co worker toting this around every hour? So gross. But also, I laugh at it. The lab technician who drew my blood and gave me my bag of goodies and I were laughing quite hard at my situation I am finding myself in today. It's gross, but it's also funny. Poor Brian had to wake up and go into the bathroom only to find these on the counter.

Better keep those Clorox wipes handy!

So hopefully things get moving along and my doctor will schedule an induction at my next appointment on Wednesday. And if she doesn't, then hopefully I know when I go into labor. That's my biggest fear-not knowing if I'm in labor. With Addison I was induced a week early, but had been having contractions and didn't know until I was hooked up to the monitor; I said, "OH, so THOSE are contractions...hmph!" I'm a little naive.

WILL IT ALWAYS BE THIS WAY

2009-09-28T20:25:00.000-07:00

Nothing cuter in my world right now than Addison and her dad.

Here she is playing hide and go seek, counting to ten, or seventeen or eighteen. She gets to ten and then goes, "seventeen, eighteen, seventeen, eighteen...." And then she's off in search of her dad!

And then walking on their hands. Will his relationship with Addison always be this carefree and loving? Will he have the same loving relationship with our boy as he does with Addison, or will he have to be more "manly" with him? I hope not. I hope we love and hug the crap out of all our kids, and let them all play with dolls and dump trucks.

THE COVETED SCOOTER

2009-09-28T20:18:00.000-07:00

A few days before Addie's birthday we took her to the toy store with the intent of buying her a bike. Well, she saw a Radio Flyer Scooter and it was love at first sight. She rode that thing all around the store-found a helmet and would not take it off. It was time to "leave" and we told her we didn't have any money and she would have to ask Santa for it. The next couple of days she kept asking for her "super awesome" scooter and helmet and we kept reminding her we couldn't buy it. So on her birthday we set her on the front porch, made her close her eyes and the surprise on her face was the best gift for Brian and me.

She is in love with the scooter and it a pro. The only thing we need to get are some elbow pads and knee pads. Brian taught her to steer but she will still take a spill. The best part is that when she does veer off onto the grass on accident, she bails quickly and then does this, "Ta -Da!" Like, "I totally meant to do that." Best received gift we've given her thus far in her 3 short years.

I DID IT ALL FOR THE YARD

2009-09-28T20:11:00.000-07:00

Not the nookie.
I still maintain that the only reason I bought my house was for the yard.

We have an apple tree and a peach tree. Our apples are tart, but apparently our peaches are delicious. I don't like peaches but Brian does and he thinks they rock. And our little garden we attempted this year. I got a ton of cucumbers and tomatoes, our watermelon vine didn't do anything, and we got 3 little pumpkins that are still going strong. Next year Brian is going to make me some vegetable boxes for the south side of my house and we are going to attempt corn. His dreams are very might pumpkins, so I think the main garden will be solely for pumpkins and our vegetable boxes will house corn and tomatoes and cucumbers and the likes.

I tell you, this deck is the most relaxing thing in the evening. I've spent the past 3 evenings just hanging out back there.

And the morning ain't too shabby either before the sun clears our willow trees.

BIRTHDAY OVERLOAD

2009-09-28T20:01:00.000-07:00

If you tell Addie to smile you get a HUGE, blown out, eyes closed, nose wrinkled up smile. So instead you have to say, "Smile like a princess" and you get this. Which one is better? Keeps me laughing that Addison does.

We celebrated her birthday with a party with Brian's parents and siblings and a few of her cousins. I don't like her being spoiled with so many gifts, it makes me not want to have a party for her, BUT-she was so thankful for everything. Every gift she opened was accompanied with an, "OH! Thanks guys, I love it!" And also hugs. That's one of the many qualities I adore in her is her gratitude. And the soundtrack of her, "Oh!"-almost like a monster type noise, made everyone laugh.

Saturday was a very busy day, as it was a day of mad preparation for the family to come over/last ditch effort to get some major organizing done so we can finally finish up the baby's room. So we were on our feet ALL day. Normally, I'm good with that, but for someone who's expecting in 5-6 weeks, the back isn't so happy with it. On top of cleaning and organizing, there was Halloween decorations to put out, party decor to put out, I made cake pops, so by the time Sunday morning rolled around, I was pretty much a cripple. So I stayed home from church, kept Addison home because we thought she was getting a cold (turns out I think it was allergies), and well, this is what you get:

A child on birthday overload. Sprawled out on the couch, still her in pjs, balloons tightly grasped in one hand, a new scooby doo stuffed dog under one leg, watching her new Scooby Doo movie her Uncle Fro gave her. Definitely birthday overload if ever you ask me.

WHAT'S YOUR "THING"?

2009-09-23T21:29:00.000-07:00

My thing would be binkies, well, when it comes to baby stuff. I have an obsession with buying binkies. Last night I purchased 4 brand new binkies in boy colors for the baby. I got home and opened them with shaking hands. I don't know what it is, but I love binkies and I love to buy them.

At my worst Addison had 12 binkies in her crib. I kept track of them too. When she'd wake up I HAD to count them, and then crawl around the crib, look under the crib, to find any that were missing. And on days she was home with Brian I always came home to missing binkies-because he didn't keep track of them all day long like I did-so then I'd do this mad search of the house to track them down. It's a sickness really, and Brian pointed it out to me last night. He said, as I lovingly fingered the binkies with anticipation for little LiLi, "Oh no, the binkies start again. I can't stand your obsession with counting the binkies and always knowing where they're at."

I don't know why-but it's just "my thing." What's yours when it comes to babies?

what were YOU doing 3 years ago?

2009-09-23T20:41:00.000-07:00

3 years and 15 minutes ago I was checking into LDS Hospital for a scheduled induction of my little child. This horrible picture was taken at my mom's house about 20 minutes before Brian and I left for the hospital-I was HUGE!

That day and that night was so surreal-we had no idea how our lives were going to change. We went out to Olive Garden and enjoyed our last meal together as a family of 2. It was definitely strange, the unknown.

WARNING: A CHEESEY CHILD SHOT COMING UP

Then at 5:20 p.m. the next day (Sept 24), this unknown creature came into our lives. I didn't cry, I didn't know what to do. I thought being a mom would come naturally to me, but it didn't. It took quite a while for me to really feel like her mom.

3 years later I sure feel like her mom, and I'm a heck of a lot more emotional about the pending birth of our next child in about 6 weeks, hopefully less. I know what to expect now-I now know the complete and utter joy and happiness a child brings into your life. I know the pain and the sadness and the sleepless nights; I know how hard it is to discipline her for her own good, and how hard it is to watch tears stream down her face as she says, "I'm sorry mama, it was an accident, don't be mad mom, I will try again another day." And then I break down into tears myself for seeing her so sad.

Being a mom to this little girl has been the most wonderful experience I've ever gone through. I know she's only turning 3 tomorrow, but DANG-they grow up so stinkin' fast. I love every minute, even the bad ones, with her. She makes us laugh so hard on almost a daily basis. And what an obedient child she is-or can be. :) She has an inherit guilt bone in her body-I'm told she gets that from Brian's oldest sister. She's a natural big sister-which makes me all the more excited for her little brother to join us. She has her toddler moments of, "Hey, that's mine! Give it back!" But for the most part-she wouldn't hurt a fly.

A friend of hers at work gave her a birthday present today-she was OVER THE MOON with it. And all day she'd tell him, "Thanks Lincoln for my Hello Kitty surprise. Thanks Buddy." Then she'd give him a hug. At one point she was telling a co-worker about her surprise and said, "Lincoln gives me the best surprises." My mom gave her the cutest bear molds to make bear pancakes and a pancake mix. She was so ecstatic with it, you would have thought my mom had given her a million Tinker Bell toys. She is so grateful for everything she gets-even a postcard in the mail from our dentist wishing her a happy birthday, "OH, it's my favorite birthday card mom-it's so wonderful."

I just love this little girl to pieces and am so glad she's mine forever!

WE'RE SISTERS...

2009-09-09T14:07:00.001-07:00

Sisters, sisters
There were never such devoted sisters,
Never had to have a chaperone, no sir,
Im there to keep my eye on her
Caring, sharing
Every little thing that we are wearing
When a certain gentleman arrived from rome
She wore the dress, and I stayed home
All kinds of weather, we stick together
The same in the rain and sun
Two different faces, but in tight places
We think and we act as one
Those whove seen us
Know that not a thing could come between us
Many men have tried to split us up, but no one can
Lord help the mister who comes between me and my sister
And lord help the sister, who comes between me and my man

Have you met Angie/Angela? She's the oldest in our family. Many pictures of her childhood show her standing on a chair at the kitchen sink doing dishes or standing at the toilet with a cloth diaper, rinsing it out. Mind you, it was Ryan's cloth diaper, and she and Ryan are 13 months apart. But, there aren't any pictures of her wiping boogers on us, spitting on us or our pillow cases, or smothering us with a pillow in what she affectionately called, "Pillow Talk Time." (thanks to a hand me down night gown from some relative)

All kidding aside, she is a wonderful older sister, and a very FUN older sister. I am so blessed to be living so much closer to her. It takes me only about 15 minutes to reach her now, instead of 45 minutes, and I don't have to take the freeway, I get to take back roads the whole way. I love it. I love spending time with her, she always makes us laugh so hard. I just hate that she works so hard at work and has stupid sports that she has to go to for her boys. I'm selfish and want more ANGIE TIME. We like to sneak away on weekends and go see girly movies together. It's fun. That's why I like that her boys are grown so they can stay home on their own, and my kid(s) go to bed early, so they can be pawned off on husband for the night. Then we sneak away.

She is a great mom, a so-so daughter-KIDDING-a GREAT daughter, and an ever better sister. She's also an emotional basket case, but so are the most of us girls, no thanks to Lynn (he's a cry baby). I love it. She's usually the sobber at the movies. At a craft thing we went to over the weekend, she picked up this crafy block that had the definition of a missionary on it, and we both started boobing. Heavenly Father couldn't have sent 3 little boys down to a better mother. She really was born to be the mother of boys. I just wish He would send her a girl. So what is her youngest is 10?! They make the best babysitters for when we steal away for a movie night!!

Have you met my other sister, Prince Eddie, er, Natalie? She's the smart one, athletic one, determined one of the family. Where did she get her genes? Hello, how many marathons has she run? I think if you asked any of my other sisters, they'll probably all share the same hatred I have towards physical exertion, and will only run if being chased. Or maybe not, depends on what day they catch me on.

Anyway, Natalie is also our Wealth of Spiritual Knowledge sister, also, where did she come from? Oh wait, have you met my Dad? Question answered. Natalie has always had a short fuse, quick to blow up, but even quicker to apologize and forgive. Always an attribute I've always admired in her. On her short fuse, quick to explode, it makes for funny times for the rest of us Hansen sisters, watching her get frustrated. You always know how Natalie is going to react in certain situations, much like we Hansen girls found ourselves in this last Saturday. *Synopsis to follow

Anyway, she had to be dumb and move to Oregon just so Neal could go to law school. Now he's a lawyer and they just might stay there forever. BOOOO!!! So sad, but they have a happy life there. I guess we're all just jealous of the people who get to see them all the time.

What about the middle child, child #4 of 7 children, Ginger. Ahh, Ginger. My partner is crime whilst growing up. She's always been small, skinny, long legs. I was plumper. So us being 2 years apart you really couldn't tell because I was always her size when little. Kind of like my Addie and her Ginny. They're 2 1/2 years apart but Addie is gaining on her in the size department. We could have been twins with our same do's, except she was blond. We both have big nostrils that flare even bigger when we laugh, cry or sing, and brown eyes, but hers are bigger and prettier-her eyes, not her nostrils! We did everything together when we were little, including stealing from the DI, and generally just causing mischief.

Ginger can do ANYTHING! Anything I tell you. She taught herself how to sew. Hello-who does that this day and age? Ginger does. She can sew anything too, it's not just crap. Her creations are so amazing! AND, she's crafty. She sees things in the Pottery Barn catalog and can duplicate it on her own. Amazing I tell you. AND-she loves my little Addie. And my little Addie just loves her. And her girls. Did I ever tell you that when I was so stressed out at work last spring (let's blame on 1st trimester fits of rage and anger), she offered to watch Addison for me? It's true. This lady that is in charge of her homemaking, has 3 kids of her own that are in Elementary preschool, babysat my Addison for over 2 months for me, every day, so I could get work done without wanting to strangle anyone. It was the greatest gift she has ever given me. And she did it because she loves me and she loves Addison.
Then there's this photogenic gem of a baby sister. I remember when she was born. I was only 2, but that is my first memory. My mom had immediate back surgery after the birth of Lindsey, her 6th child. So brand new Lindsey and I were farmed off to Grandma Savage's house, the older kids elsewhere. And I remember visiting my mom in the hospital, and I remember brand new baby Lindsey. I have always felt a need to protect her. My biggest fear when I was little was that a bad man was going to break into our house and steal Lindsey.

She was known as Little Lindsey all growing up. She was a tiny little thing, with blond hair and BLUE eyes. The only kid in our family of 7 with blue eyes. She would do ANYTHING for her. Not only did we call her Little Lindsey, but we also called her our Little Slave. Seriously, she did ANYTHING for you. It was finally when I was about 18 or 19 that she started sticking up for herself and refusing to do my bidding that I thought she was a brat. But really, after 17 years of doing everything for everybody else, sometimes you just gotta rebel.

Lindsey was always the most obedient and studious child too, also known as "Nerdy" in the Hansen family. If you enjoyed reading and obeying your parents, the rest of us dubbed you as a nerd. If ever missing, you could always check the storage room or front porch and find her reading. In junior high she went to a friend's house after school without telling anyone. I picked her up and reamed her on the way home. She was in tears and said, "Don't worry, I've already grounded myself for 2 weeks!" That Lindsey. So tender hearted. She hasn't changed. And her little Ellie is going to be the same way. Everyone needs a Lindsey in their family.

Come to think of it, everyone needs sisters like I've got in their family. They are the best support. I am blessed beyond words to have them in my life, and that they're still actively in my life. I will cry if the day ever comes that they are not.

Natalie drove down from Oregon this past weekend and all 5 of us Hansen girls drove up to Midway, Utah, for their annual SWISS DAYS. It was so much fun being all together, just the 5 of us. If you didn't know, Swiss Days is this huge thing that does hundreds of booths of crafts and goods to sell. When Angie, Ginger, and I first ventured into the crowds before Nat, we all looked at each other and said, "Oh crap, crowds, crafts and Natalie DO NOT MIX." We saw it all unfolding before our eyes. The furrowed brow, the tense lips and hands, and then we thought she'd freak out. Nope, we were wrong. She actually enjoyed herself. We were shocked. And it was such a fun day. After Swiss Days we then convened at the parents home for a BBQ. Nothing better than spending an ENTIRE day with your sisters.

IT'S OUR THING

2009-08-27T21:00:00.000-07:00

It's just something we do in the King household: We always remind Addie to say, "Please" & "Thank you." She used to always tell/demand us to get her something and we would remind her to say, "Mom/Dad, can I please have a drink of water?" And she would follow. Now it's almost to the point where she will always ask, "Mom, I can please have a drink of water." (it's always I can please have-still working on the, please can I or may I) Very polite that little one is. And always a, "Thank you mom." And when we have to remind her to say her "Please" and "Thank you"s, she's quick to obey.

So at work I do the same thing with the other little kids. If they are wanting something I tell them, "Say, please LaLa," or "Thank you LaLa." Addison and I were cleaning up the kid's room before we left work, her little buddy Lincoln was on the other side of the child's gate outside the door. I noticed Lincoln's shoes were still in the room so I politely asked Addison to give Linc his shoes. As she handed them over to him she said to him, "Lincoln, say, 'Thank you Addison Lynn King."

I about died laughing. The little things those kids pick up I tell ya.

IT'S THE LITTLE THINGS

2009-08-24T19:57:00.001-07:00

It's the little things Addie says and or does on a daily basis that really hits me where it counts (not down there, up a little-it's tugs at one's heart).

A few weeks ago Addison and I were at my mom's house visiting. She got out my mom's step stool, put some papers on it, and stood on the bottom step. Then she proceeded to say, "Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you for coming. Granny, you say the prayer, Mom you sing." So we held a mini sacrament at her request, complete with "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star."

This evening while I was busy doing dishes and sweeping the floors, Brian and Addison decided to cuddle in the bed and watch ROBIN HOOD, Brian's all time favorite cartoon. As I cleaned up a bit I heard bits and pieces of their conversation(s). One that made me smile was, "Dad, I'm just getting cold a little, I need some more blanket." Is it just me or does she string quite a few words together in a semi-correct manner? I don't know, I've never had a nearly 3 year old before to compare too.

A bit later I was done with the evening clean up and decided to go up to bed and watch the show with them. Addison was on my side, Brian on his. There was enough room for me to scoot in next to her, it's a King size bed. As I approach she says, "HEY! Not here." But she allowed me get on Brian's side. Minutes later and Brian and I are cuddling (get your minds out of the gutter). She gets on top of us and says, "HEY! There's no space for me!" So we let her wedge herself inbetween us, she gets all comfy and cozy, and then she says, "Ooooohhhhh, Family."

Seriously, what's cuter than that? Not much I tell you.

CAN I GET A WITNESS

2009-08-08T10:39:00.000-07:00

One thing I should have done before I got pregnant with my second child: KEGALS

Are you with me still? Seriously. Why didn't anybody stress the importance of these exercises, like a scare tactic or something? I've heard tale of one of my sisters peeing her pants at the local Target and her boy loudly exclaiming it so, but I thought it was just because she'd had 3 kids by that time and they were big babies. Oh no. Oh no, I was sorely mistaken.

Nearly 2 weeks ago I got a cough out of no where. A really annoying cough. We then went camping and it progressed, and by the end of camping sinus pressure began to hold hands with my annoying cough. By the time we were driving out of the canyon my left ear wouldn't pop from the elevation change and I was in a lot of pain.

Fast forward to 2 days later: Curled up on my bed crying from excruciating pain. Me, crying from pain. I cry for a lot of reasons (I'm a Hansen), but never really from pain. I gave birth and I didn't cry from the pain, but from the fear of pushing the kid out, from the unknown, I was scared. But I DID NOT CRY FROM THE PAIN. And here I am, crying from an ear ache? Oi.

I wound up at InstaCare that night and was put on Amoxicillin for the ear infection and Lortab for the pain. Combine that with the Sudafed for the sinus and Robitussin for my cough that my OB/GYN had already told me to take earlier in the day when I had called about what I could take, and they don't really mix well. Sudafed keeps you up at night. Robitussin keeps you up at night. Lortab knocks you out, and Amoxicillin drains you which makes you cough. I couldn't take Sudafed or Robitussin at night if I wanted to sleep, but the Amoxicillin kept me up coughing. I'm talking 4 nights in a row of attempting sleep at 11, and still up at 3 am coughing. Combine all that coughing with a 26 week pregnant belly that smooshes your bladder. That's right, I turned into a PTB. I never thought I'd get that status.

Don't know what a PTB is? You know those kids you went to school with that you could just look at them and go, "Oh yea, they're a bed wetter." A Pee The Bed, PTB. I wass a PTB. Brian was tempted to buy me some Adult Diapers it was that bad. I almost let him.

My name is Laurel, and I'm a 29 year old Pee The Bed. And you better believe I'll be doing my Kegals immediatley following the birth of baby #2.

SHE TURNED ONE!

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

Do you see any resemblance between the faces of the Birthday Girl and her Mother? I sure do!

Nat made really good cupcakes and gave every kid a candle in theirs, they were so excited to be able to blow out their own candle.

And can I say it was such a nice thing to watch a kid really devour her cupcake? When Addie turned one she picked sprinkles off one by one, she didn't want to get messy. I finally had to shove the thing in her face and get it on her face for a good picture.

Mister Crabs

2009-07-23T14:18:00.000-07:00

Sarah found a dead crab on the beach and chased everyone around with it. Then they thought it would be funny to stage him on the beach as if he had been building a sand castle. Addison really thought he was Mister Crabs from Spongebob.

My cutest beach girl.