damsfamily

Are We Alive?

2011-03-21T18:43:00.000-07:00

Are we still alive? Why yes we are! I know it has been FOREVER! Almost a whole year. Time has flown and I can't believe it. I have lots of excuses to why I haven't posted in so long. Our computers have been not working, 4 children, Dan is back in school, and best yet I am still working overnights. But I thought why not drop a line or two to let people know we are still alive!
The kids continue to grow big and soon they will pass their mother. I know not too hard when you are vertically challenged. lol Stehle is growing out of the baby and into a toddler. I am having a hard time with my baby growing up. But I can get my baby fixes from my sister-in-laws and leave them with all the dirty diapers! Coba is still quite a little mother to Stehle. Sometimes he wishes she would leave him alone. But he takes it well and they get along for the most part. Soon he will pass her up and she will have a hard time treating him like a baby. Springs sports start soon and the kids are so excited. Harper and Keoni will be playing baseball and the rest of us will be cheering them on. I just hope the warm weather is coming soon!
Last summer Danny went back to school to be a Physical Therapy Assistant. He is somewhat enjoying it. Like all school it has its moments of "why do I need to learn this?" But it is all for the greater good. And really I think he is having more fun then he lets on. I think its just the homework that he doesn't like. But really who does?
As for me I am still doing the same ol' same ol'. Being mom and working. I am still trying to figure out how to stop time so it doesn't go by so fast but so far haven't figured it out. Once I do I will let you know. Peaceout!

Funny Moments by Mandy Shaw

2010-04-26T14:10:00.000-07:00

For any of you that still might by chance follow our blog I am posting a lol moment that I had over the weekend. Danny thought it was so funny I should share it with everyone! It was kinda funny.

First let me give my excuses. I know no one likes them but we all give them. I have started working (yippy) overnights (Ugggh!) at Wal-Mart. I don't mind it but really after a while my brain turns to fuzz and it gets quite difficult to make conversation. So keep that in mind as you are reading. Here is the story....

I was in the mother's lounge at our church with my youngest two. There were a couple of other mother's there too with their wee babes. They have older children and was asking their advice on a current dilemma I am having with Stehle. Working overnights has decreased my milk supply (yes I am a nursing mother for those of you who didn't know), plus Danny is tired of trying to comfort Stehle on my work nights "When all he wants is the boob" as Danny says, in the middle of the night. So I have been considering weening him. I've never had this problem with my other children. They were completely fine when we stopped nursing. But Stehle is holding on to dear life and making life hard on the rest of us. Danny says he would "nurse until college" if it were Stehle's choice. No worries I'm not going to. So back to the story. I asked one of the mothers if "she ever had a hard weenier". She started to giggle and I (like an idiot) repeated what I said "Have you ever had a hard weenier?" That did it. She laughed out loud and said "I'm sorry my mind must be in the gutter." Ding! Lights came on and I realized what I said. We laughed about it, cause it is DANG funny. I told my husband she told hers and by the end of church I think about a dozen people heard my blunder over words. I don't know if it is as funny reading it as it is telling it but it will have to do.
Have an awesome day!

It's Been How Long?

2010-04-13T16:41:00.000-07:00

Wow lack of Internet really gets to you! Its almost been a year. If anyone still checks on us, thanks. We are still alive. The kids are growing and getting bigger, life is still crazy, and we are enjoying every minute of it.

Stehle Daniel Shaw

2009-07-20T09:18:00.000-07:00

I know I've let the blog slack. I really do have a good excuse... on May 10th (Mother's Day) Stehle Daniel was born. He was 9 pound 1 ounce. 20 1/2 inches. Beautiful baby boy in my opinion. And he continues to grow. I call him the man child. He is over 15 pounds and only two months old. All the kids just love him. Coba is a little mother to him. I don't need to use the baby monitor. She comes and tells me if he's crying and wants to help make him feel better. Some days it does feel like I have two babies, but it is a joy to have them all. Life is very busy for me and I know I don't have anything under control but the kids are still alive and we are healthy. We are blessed.

I've taken the last couple of weeks and ran away to Idaho to visit my parents. It's nice to have Nana close at hand. Now if I can only talk her into moving to Utah and be my live in Nanny. The kids are having a blast and our new uncle Terance has spoiled them rotten with sweet deals he's gotten at the yard sales. I'm gonna have to start bringing a trailer with me when I come for a visit. I leave with more stuff then when I came. I even tried my hand at being domestic. Believe it or not I did some sewing while I'm here. I made a care seat cover for Stehle's car seat. We've had some blow-outs and had to scramble to find something for him to ride in. It looks pretty good in my opinion. I'd post a picture but I don't have my camera adapter so I'll post it later. The trip is coming to a close and I'm not really wanting to return to real life. But all things must come to an end.

I better get back to being a mom. Until next time...

Where is the pause button?

2009-04-03T14:22:00.000-07:00

Can you believe we are in April? Time flies! Danny was just asking me the other day if I felt like time is moving faster and faster. I said yes, and no. I think when your pregnant it can do both at the same time.
We are getting closer to the due date of the new baby (May 15th) I can't wait. But also I feel I need more time. Crazy right? Sometimes I feel like I am telling myself "just breath" because too much is going on too fast. But then I look out side and think it's still December.
I am ready for the snow to be over. I know coming from me that is quite amazing to hear. I love it cold, but I'm tired of this warm to cold to warm to cold weather. I'm ready for spring. Nothing too hot just a nice 65 to 70 degrees. I know pretty soon the skip forward button will be pressed and I'll be wishing for these nice cold days. I really don't like the heat. I get alittle cranky! Ok ALOT cranky!
We also have Harper's birthday coming up. He is soo excited. Not as excited about the Jazz game we get to go to tonight. Danny got them tickets at Christmas, and now the game is finally here. Like I said time moves fast and slow all at the same time.
We did have my parents and Trevor here last week for a visit. It was awesome! But the parentals need a reminder to update their blog! Hint Hint! Trevor got engaged on Valentines Day to his sweetheart April. They are saying the "I DO's!" on June 6th. So Trevor comes often but we don't see him often. How does that work? Hey when you have a wedding to plan it takes all your vacation time right? He will be married to a Utahan and usually you stay in Utah when you marry one, so we will see how they do after they try the east coast. They might be back and if we have three of the four married siblings here maybe we can get the parentals to follow! Sorry Jaime we are still wanting them to come to the dark side!
Yet again time is moving faster then I am. I need to get everyone and myself ready for tonight. Who knows next time I blog I'll have the baby and we will know if it's a boy or girl!

No News Is Good News... Right?

2009-01-12T09:12:00.000-08:00

Yeah I know it's been a while. I have excuses but we all know the saying to that... Anyways life here is going pretty well. I think the snow storms have finally stopped for a while. Danny is very happy but Harper not so much. I try and cheer for both sides. So while Danny is at work I get excited or pout with Harper that there is or isn't snow and when Danny's home I nod my head in agreement about how bad the weather is and how there are alot of crazy drivers when it snows! Keoni is okay with the snow he'll go out if Harper is out, but Coba. Not so much. She wants to go with the boys but as soon as we get her bundled up and sent outside she looks around and comes right back shaking her head no. Oh well. Maybe she'll grow into it, or maybe she will be like her Dad and wish for 70 degree weather all year long. (boy are they in the wrong climate for that!)
The pregnancy is going well. We had the ultrasound and NO we didn't find out the sex. But it is an alien with 10 fingers and 10 toes and all the other proper body parts. We are hoping the nurse was telling the truth when she said all looks good. We are still on for the middle of May but I am already as big as a house.
We will write more later. If I remember. haha Until then, peaceout!

Baby # 4

2008-11-22T07:45:00.001-08:00

For those of you who haven't been told, yes we are expecting again! This new one is due in the middle of May. We are excited, once we got over the shock of how soon it was. I, of course am already showing. I guess that's what happens when you have healthy size kids and your not very tall. Dan is still working construction, and I have quit the Wal-Mart. I know tear! Not really I was ready to go. So yet again I am a stay at home mom and keeping very busy with the kids. It's just nice to have sleep now! We are all excited for the holidays and can't wait for the "Big Turkey Day" as Harper calls it. Hope everyone has a great holiday!

Where Did Summer Go?

2008-10-14T15:00:00.000-07:00

Well it's been a long time! We had an awesome time in Hawaii. It felt short and sweet but we vow to go back again soon!
We've kept busy with work and the kids. Harper is now in Kindergarten and boy does he love it. Keoni has started pre-school and he is enjoying it. We had a bit of a ruff start with Keoni in the beginning but now he cries when it's not his school day. Coba loves to have the extra time just with mom. I think. She seems happy about it.
We are going to Idaho this weekend to visit with the family. It's Dusty's "farewell". It will be nice to go back to the old stomping grounds and visit family.
This is short and sweet and to the point but gotta go.

HAWAII OR BUST!

2008-07-15T06:43:00.000-07:00

Good news for us. We are able to go to Hawaii to see Jaime get married. I am way excited. I was a little depressed to think that my whole family would be there and we missed on this opportunity. But thanks to Mom and Dad and an insane amount of luck we are able to go. Now what do we do with the munchkins? Oh well we will figure that out soon enough. Its now nothing to eat but X-Lax and Water until the crazy 8's! Peace Out, Mac

And Then...

2008-07-08T10:54:00.000-07:00

Well it's been awhile and I don't know if anyone reads this any more, but I will post something.
I am still working at the Wally World. The night shift is something else. I really thought the lack of sleep wouldn't get to me but I was wrong. Way Wrong! I have my days where I am a walking zombie, but I try for the most part to get a couple of hours in so I am not the crazy mom screaming at her kids. Who am I kidding I am the crazy mom that screams at her kids. Really I do enjoy working I just wish there was a magic button to push so that I didn't require sleep.
The munchkins are doing good. Harper had his birthday in April, spoiled rotten, thanks to the family :) and Keoni in June. The same problem there, spoiled rotten. Coba has her first birthday at the end of this month. I am looking forward to it. I can't believe it has been a year! We have some vacations coming up and I am soo looking forward to them. Bear Lake this month. And then to Idaho for my sister's wedding reception in August. Not much but enough to call it a vacation.
Danny has been working here and there. Mostly there as in Vernal or Roosevelt. Not very fun but hey it's work.
Well everyone keep up the good work on your blogs. Love reading them!
Peaceout!

Busy, Busy, Busy

2008-04-23T21:45:00.000-07:00

Well so much has happened from when I last wrote. I will sum up!
*BEST NEWS EVER!!!*
My sister got engaged and is getting married. She wants the Crazy Eights! 08-08-08 Plus she is thinking of going to Hawaii to make the "I Do!" So if I have to go...
*Good News*
Coba is crawling. The first couple of times it was funny watching her figure it out. She really figured it out when I kept leaving the room. She would cry and try to follow me. After a while [and I mean like 5 minutes] she figured it out and kept crawling out of the room and down the call to cry to me. Now she is a speed demon and I have a shadow. So keep all doors shut and everything off the floor. She gets into EVERYTHING!
I am surviving my grave yard at Wal-Mart. I thought it would have killed me by know but I've been employed for a month now. Woo Hoo! Go Me!
*Just News*
Harper had a birthday. He got spoiled as usual, but not just by us. He is a big boy now. 5 years old. He gets to start kindergarten and he can't wait. He keeps asking if today is the day. And I mean he keeps asking! I hope he still likes school when he is 15! My babies are growing up!
I am thinking of getting an auto with better MPG's then the Tahoe. Any suggestions? The only "must have" is that it fits 5 comfy and a double stroller.
*Bad News*
Keoni got stitches. It happened a couple of weekends ago. He was jumping on a friends trampoline and fell off and hit the bar with his forehead. Needless to say lots of blood and one scared little boy. But he was a trooper. Got five stitches and a cool baggy of treats from the ER. [of course it happened on a Sunday!]
That is the sum up. We are all healthy and alive and can't wait for the spring weather to come and stay for longer then 48 hours. Heck we'd even take some summer weather if it meant winter was finally over!

Pass It On

2008-04-23T21:29:00.000-07:00

Saw this on Kimberly's blog thought it was funny and decided to run with it ...

NAME TAG

1. YOUR ROCK STAR NAME: (first pet & current car) Dutches Tahoe
2. YOUR GANGSTA NAME: (fave ice cream flavor, favorite cookie) Cookie Dough Sugar [that name really fits!]
3. YOUR “FLY Guy/Girl” NAME: (first initial of first name, first three letters of your last name) Msha
4. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color, favorite animal) Yellow Horse [sounds more like an Indian name]
5. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, city where you were born) - Suzann Nampa
6. YOUR STAR WARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first) Shama
7. SUPERHERO NAME: (”The” + 2nd favorite color, favorite drink) The Pink Milk
8. NASCAR NAME: (the first names of your grandfathers) Bryce Dean
9. STRIPPER NAME: (the name of your favorite perfume/cologne/scent, favorite candy) Love Spell Nutt Rageous [wrong in sooo many ways]
10.WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: (mother’s & father’s middle names ) Thompson Lynn, or Lynn Thompson ;0)
11. TV WEATHER ANCHOR NAME: (Your 5th grade teacher’s last name, A major city that starts with the same letter) Star Stallcop [only the Idahoan's would consider Star, ID a major city]
12. SPY NAME: (your favorite season/holiday, flower) Fall Gerber Daisy
13. CARTOON NAME: (favorite fruit, article of clothing you’re wearing right now + “ie” or “y”) Banana Jammie
14. HIPPIE NAME: (What you ate for breakfast, your favorite tree) Strawberry Japanese Maple
15. YOUR ROCKSTAR TOUR NAME: (”The” + Your fave hobby/craft, weather element+ Tour") The Reading Thunder Tour

I don't know some are funny others are just ...
I tag EVERYONE who looks at my blog including the BLOG STOCKERS!!! Peace out!

Mr. Mom

2008-03-17T13:03:00.000-07:00

I am the current employee of our local Wal-Mart. I have been employed for almost a week. Yahoo! Yes, I have joined the working force again after a five year hiatus. It's been a little weird to go to work and come back to the kids. Change is weird, but I am getting use to it. Danny has been a sweetheart as usual, and helped me out greatly with the kids. But I think he's had enough. He's left his guys at work and come home to watch the kids while I go to orientation. Hopefully we will get into a much better grove and get things back to a "normal" life. We are looking forward to the spring weather, but I guess winter just doesn't want to let go yet. The one good thing about working is there is a cold going around at our house and I've missed it. But poor Danny and Coba are sick. Yuck!

Remember Warm Weather?

2008-03-02T13:17:00.000-08:00

40 wonderful degrees for a week, and now this snow again! Danny can't wait for it to start warming up, and neither can the kids. They were having a good time this week playing outside with their friends. Now Harper doesn't understand why nobody wants to play outside anymore. He tries to go out for a while but quickly returns. Keoni just opens the door and says "No Thank You!" I will even say I am ready for it to turn to spring time. I am ready to start playing outside again.
Kids are growing healthy and strong. We went for Kindergarten signs ups at Harper's school last week. He is excited to go. Every morning he wakes up and asks me if he gets to start kindergarten. I have shown him the calender and circled the date that he will start and even explained it to him, but he is ready to go now! I hope he keeps his enthusiasm for school his whole life, but as we all know about Jr High it starts to fade. Keoni wants to go to pre school with Harper right now. When we drop Harper off Keoni yells at me to let him out so he can go to school too. We'll do pre school next year if we get the potty training done. Coba is amazing. Such a cute girl. She is always picking up on the older men. Already making eyes at them. With in the last two weeks she has become more mobile. She has learned to sit up on her own and scoot around on her bum. She also rolls to the sides when lying down to get where she needs to go. I will never find her in the place that I left her. We are still looking for her teeth, but I really don't mind that they haven't come in yet.
Well my five minutes are up and I need to return to being the "MOM!"

Tag I'm It!

2008-02-27T21:57:00.000-08:00

From Elly to Me:
Two names I go by:
1-Mommy
2-Hey Babe
Two things I'm wearing right now:
1-black long sleeved shirt
2-pj bottoms
Two of my favorite things to do:
1-Read
2-be with family
Two things I want very badly at the moment:
1-money
2-obedient children
Two things I did last night:
1-eat
2-took a sleeping pill
Two things I ate today:
1-Candance Pancakes
2-cheese
Two people I last talk to:
1-Danny
2-Keoni
Two longest car rides:
1-Road Trip with Danny; Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Utah
2-From Utah to Idaho to California to Utah w/ me, myself, and I.
Two favorite holidays:
1-4th of July
2-Christmas
Two favorite drinks:
1-water
2-Barqs
haha all done!
I tag Jaime, Kara, and whoever else!!

Ever Wonder About MY Husband?

2008-01-31T16:23:00.000-08:00

I saw this on someone elses blog (as Emilee would say I was blog stocking) and it said it tagged everyone who saw it, so..... tag I'm it. (?)

Things About My Husband

What is his name?

Daniel B. Shaw

How long have you been together?

It feels like FOREVER! ;0} Married for 7 years this April, friends for almost 8.

How long did you date?

About 7 months before we got engaged

How old is he?

A 31 year old teenager!

Who eats more?

Normally him but when I am pregnant I would say me!

Who said "I love you" first?

Danny, I think it was like two weeks into dating. It wasn't those exact words but it had the same meaning.

Who is taller?

It's really close but it's him by 11 inches

Who can sing better?

Depends on the music. He wins hands down with Grateful Dead and Ben Harper, but I don't really sing out loud. (Only to the kids and they don't know what bad sounds like yet)

Who is smarter?

That depends. He is awesome with numbers, sports and random facts. I can work the computer and multi task.

Who does the laundry?

Generally me. But he does help fold and change from the washer to dryer.

Who pays the bills?

Me. Poor guy if I die.

Who sleeps on the right side?

Doesn't matter as long as he is the closest to the door. I can't sleep close to a door. Some weird phobia that I have.

Who mows the lawn?

That is a fight. I love to mow the lawn. Compromise: I mow the front and he gets the back with all the dog poop. Hey they are his dogs.

(Nothing sexier then a 9 month pregnant woman mowing lawn. *Hint* Does NOT put you in labor any faster.)

Who cooks dinner?

That would be him. He is a GREAT cook! I suck at it. I try but I think he likes it better if he can make it taste good instead of okay.

Who drives?

That would be him again. I think its so he doesn't have to wrestle with the kids in the back seat.

Who is more stubborn?

That would be a tie. Don't get us going on the things we feel passionatly about. We don't give an inch.

Who kissed who first?

Believe it or not I waited for him to kiss me. Shocker!

Who asked who out first?

Well that is a funny story. I'll sum it up. My brother in law asked me out three times for him. Finally our fourth date he asked me himself.

Who proposed?

He asked me. I have proof, it was taped.

Who has more friends?

Danny! Hands down. That boy can make friends anywhere and I mean anywhere.

Who is more sensitive?

Oh I don't know. Somethings him and others me. I cry more if that is what you are asking.

Who has more siblings?

That would be me! 2 sisters 3 brothers. He has 1 brother and 2 sisters.

Who wears the pants?

I think we both do. I'm very lucky to have a husband that values my opinion and I value his. So we try and talk thing through. But when it comes to the kids I think I try and take control.

I TAG ANYONE WHO WANTS TO DO IT.

Camera Shy? Not my kids!

2008-01-29T18:20:00.000-08:00

Some pictures I took of the kids. Just thought I would share with y'all.

Isn't she presious? Look at those eyes. They might stay blue!

Haper and Levi on the Olsen's kid snowmobile. It was cold but they were having fun.

Harper driving the snowmobile by himself.

Keoni is my funny sleeper. He likes to get comfortable.

They call her Chubby!

Pretty Princess!

Vegas Baby!

2008-01-29T17:49:00.000-08:00

on our way to Vegas. Coba getting some sleep.

Grammy Willy Sharing her ice cream with Coba

Enjoying our ice cream after our first night of pageant. Coba, Willy, Ashley, Missy, Pat, and Leean

At the F.A.O. Shwarts. Coba didn't like the horse.

We had some celebrity watching. Here we are with Johnny Deppe

And now with Mathew McConahey (? spelling)

And the water at the Beleagio. Do you see the rainbow?

Just got back from my Vegas Vacation. It was great. Went with my mother in law and a few friends. We cheered on Miss Utah, but I was just happy to be there. Not as much pressure this year with Katie not competing. I felt like I could sit back and enjoy the show. Which I did. I will say those of you who were watching on TV and heard the big Boo when Miss Iowa was voted off before her talent, you have no idea what you missed. She was an AWESOME baton twirler. She had three batons going at one time and did kicks and flips and stuff. She was my favorite talent by far. My mother in law did some baton twirling in her younger days and I said I wanted to see her do that!

I took Coba with me. She was such an awesome little girl. And the star of the show. I can't tell you how many people approached us to tell us what a cute girl. We got to know alot of people this year thanks to our own little Miss Congeniality (aka Coba) And we even got to see some old Miss America's upclose and personal. One night they were all walking up to the stage and stopped to look at her and talk to her. She was such a good girl and smiled for all the pretty ladies.

We ate some good food and I am sure I put on an extra 20 pounds. But it was worth it. Such good eats. Didn't get to do any gambling. Not with Coba with me. Apparently you can not be on the gambling floor at all if you are under the age of 21. I thought it was okay to be watching if I wasn't betting but no. We got escorted off the floor by a very nice host who explained the rules to the dumb Mormon mom. At first he asked us if we were gaming (we all took showers so we thought we didn't smell that bad) I said no we were just looking for our mother's. The girls and I were laughing about it all weekend. So from then on we stayed a safe distance on the tile and not on the gambling floor.

It was a fun week. I think Danny was happy to have me home so he didn't have to play Mr. Mom any more. The boys were good for the first hour that I was home then it was back to normal. Coba is having a hard time not being attached to me anymore. She cries when I put her down, but all good things must come to an end. And my shoulders are tired of caring her.

Watch What You Say

2008-01-13T12:15:00.000-08:00

My ever quizzical child, Harper, is learning new words. No, it's not from me. I think it is from TV. Who says TV is bad? Me, I say it sometimes. But he is now asking the meaning of words. I should be happy he isn't asking me how to spell them. I am a VERY bad speller! Thank you for spell checker! I guess I will need to invest in a good dictionary. His new word for the day (month) is malicious. He's been asking Danny and I what it means. So I told him malicious was to be mean to someone or something on purpose.
Story time! ;0)
So yesterday I was home alone with the kids. Danny had to work (yeah!) and Keoni and Harper were on some war path all day. Just fighting and fighting about everything. Needless to say I was worn out from being the referee finally I had enough and I went into Jacoba's room and left them fighting in my room. Next thing I hear was screaming from both boys! Not the normal screams, the screams that say something bad has just happened. They follow each other into the room I was in and both proceeded to tell me what the other one had done. Something along the lines of Keoni biting and Harper hitting. So both got sent to their rooms to sit on their beds and think about what they had just done to each other. I pulled them out one at a time and talked to them about how we don't bite or hit. As I was talking to Keoni about not biting Harper I hear from Harper's room, threw the tears and sobs, "He bit me, and it was malicious!" (even just writing this makes me smile and giggle) I had to turn from Keoni to laugh at what Harper had just said. I was very proud of Harper for using the word correctly and using such a good word to describe his feelings. But to hear it from a 4 year old it seemed like such a grown up word for such a little boy.
It's moments like these that make being a parent fun. They can take a bad situation and bring humor to it. I guess I'll be watching what I say more often. I love my job!

Christmas Is Over?

2008-01-07T09:16:00.000-08:00

My camera battery is dead. So I hope to remember to post pictures when I am done. I got in trouble (again) by my sister in law that I've not posted in a while (sorry Elly) so I am catching up.

Our holiday started out early. I got Vegas Bowl tickets for Danny and Willy (my mother in law). So we took a fast trip to Vegas along with like 2000 other BYU fans. The game was GREAT! Coba and I got to go. We left the boys with my sister. Coba was a good little traveler. She is such an easy going girl. She was all smiles at the game when she was awake and believe it or not she even slept threw most of the cheering. Not at the last part of it, who could? I was happy for the win. It made it a very enjoyable ride home.

Christmas Eve was fun. The boys and I baked most of the morning. We made sugar cookies for Santa. I used my Grandma Millar's recipe. It wouldn't be Christmas with out her sugar cookies. The boys had a fun time frosting them. We had red, green, white and brown frosting. Keoni needed chocolate on his cookies, and brown is chocolate. I thought the cookies turned out good. I was quite pleased with myself. I might become domestic after all. ;-) We had a Christmas Eve dinner at Willy's. She is such a wonderful mother! After dinner we went down stairs to find some Christmas shows for the kids. As we were flipping threw channels Willy said she hadn't seen the "Christmas Story" on TV yet. Low and behold a couple of seconds later we found it! And it was running for like a two day marathon! What luck! :-) We hung out there pretty late watching the "Christmas Story". When we got home we opened our traditional PJ's and wrote our note to Santa and set out our cookies, we even left out some carrots for some lucky reindeer. Christmas morning was fun. I was up early (6:30) feeding Coba and Harper came in ready to go downstairs to see if Santa came. We had to wake up Keoni. I'm still not sure if he knew what happened. But the kids were spoiled by Santa, even if they were naughty for most of the year. Santa has a real forgiving heart. Once the shredding of paper was over we got dressed and went to Willy's. We had a wonderful breakfast and then we opened our Grammy and cousin presents. The kids had a great time. We came home later in the afternoon for naps and then Grammy came for a visit to see what Santa brought the kids. It was a good Christmas.

We left two days later for Idaho. It was like Christmas all over again for the kids. They got to open presents from Nana and Bumpa and a few from Aunts and Uncles. It was a great time. We even had a small snow storm. Uncle Fiji (Trevor) was good enough to go out and play with Harper. They built a little snowman and had a fun time. Good thing too because later that afternoon the snow was melting. The little snowman hung on for a long time but by the time we left he was nothing more then a snow blob. Dusty got Guitar Hero for the Wii. Danny was rocken out. He even beat it on the easy level! I was still trying to concur it but we had to go home. Now that is a video game I wouldn't mind having. But I would never get anything done. We had a cousin party out at Pam and Todd's. It was great to see everyone. It was a lot of fun. Good food too. Bumpa Bryce came over a few times, and we got to check out is house right before we left. We had good roads there and back. We had a good time.

I started taking down Christmas and the boys are a little sad that Christmas is over. But hey we have a whole nother year to try and be good again!

Keoni decorating his Santa Cookie.

Danny helping Keoni show off his new PJ's

Harper showing off his new PJ's

Coba just here for the good times. Harper helping her unwrap her gifts.

Christmas in Idaho. Gathering the presents from Nana and Bumpa.

Danny rocken out with Guitar Hero.

Uncle Fiji (Trevor) and Harper with their little snowman.

Angie, Paige, Nana, Coba and Harper unwrapping Christmas #3.

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow!

2007-12-10T00:04:00.000-08:00

Some pictures from Thanksgiving! BJ Came to play. All the way from Kansas!

Uncle Fiji (Trevor) was also here to help entertain the children.

BJ helping Keoni with his sugar fix. As you can see BJ and Bumpa are helping Keoni open his mouth. Oh what great fun!

Danny getting ready to cheer our Cougars to victory over the "Stinken Utes" as Harper would say. He is bread to bleed blue!

Levi and Harper. Steve-O (our neighbor) rolled this huge snowball they eventually made it into a snowman. The boys loved it and they were big helpers.

Well we got some good snowfall this weekend. Danny wasn't too happy but he didn't complain too much about it. Just kept telling me that is was snowing, and snowing, and snowing. He was also out doing some Christmas shopping on Saturday late afternoon. So he was driving with all the crazy people when they were sliding off the road. But he made it home safe and sound. And with the new snow you can't help but anticipate Christmas!

So it is Christmas time and I am excited! I love this time of year! I am usually in the best mood this time of year!The only thing that makes it sad for me is I wish all my family lived closer so we could still do the family traditions of my youth along with some of the new. I miss the Christmas Eve party at Grandma and Grandpa Millar's. I miss going around to my cousin's houses on Christmas Day to see what they got from Santa. Sleeping in one room with all my brother's and sister's (yes, Danny was even there too) and the feeling of Christmas Eve night at my parents home. It is a feeling that I can't describe (excitement, anticipation, hopefulness) but it was there every year young or old. Christmas morning laying awake until the time Mom and Dad said we could wake them up, and sneaking out in the morning before we woke them up to see what Santa brought us. I love how the house was cool in the early morning with the beautiful sparkle of the tree and all the presents! I am not a morning person but that day I would wake up at 4:00 am, regardless of age. And also the Christmas Day dinner at Grandma and Grandpa T's with the games and puzzles. So many memories... but I have great new ones too. Thanks to Danny's family. Christmas morning at Willy's. Where we open more presents and have breakfast together. Plus ABC family does the 25 days of Christmas so there is always a Christmas show on TV! It's no wonder that it is my favorite time of year? So much to do in such a short amount of time.
Well now with those happy thoughts dancing around in my head, I am off to bed! Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

What A Feast!

2007-11-22T23:01:00.000-08:00

Happy After Thanksgiving. And those of you doing your Black Friday shopping either late (like right now Angie and Mom) or early the next morning (Willy, Amy and Elly), may the force be with you. And your are nuts!!!
Just wanted to post that we are having an AWESOME Thanksgiving.!The family is here from out of town and we just got home (12:00 am) from feasting all day at the "Utah" Millar's and the sugar high desert from Grammy Willy. Both places were Yummy, Yummy! Like I said this day has been awesome. My kids needed some winding down time from all the sugar intake, hence the midnight post. I know I should have been watching them better, but heck it's a holiday and I remember loading up on that stuff and loving it!
Big plans for the weekend. Family pictures for my side of the family. "Say Cheese!" Then we will have one of two football parties. Those Idahoans think they need to cheer for their BSU Bronco's and of course those bleeding blue fans will watch the Cougars stomp the Utes! Okay I'm not that die hard into the cross town rivals but I married a Cougar fan and it was in our pre-nup that I would support his athletic teams and his Dr. Pepper habit. So here I am... "Goooo Cougars!"
Hope you all are having or will have had a Grateful holiday! Peace Out!

Gotta Love Family Reunions!

2007-11-18T09:10:00.000-08:00

We had our annual Blakenstein Family Reunion this weekend (Danny's mother's family). It was great fun. We had it at a Gymnastic Gym. The boys loved it, big and small. I even did a couple of stunts. There were foam pits that you could jump into. Bouncy floors to jump on, and also trampolines to jump on. Of course there were the rings and bars to swing from. Plus the mats and items that turned into projectile objects. Over all lots of stuff to keep young kids busy! All the boys were talking about it, even the next morning! Harper said he can not wait until we do that again. There was food, soda, and lots of good sugary treats! Yet again the reunion was a blast!

This picture has Karter swinging from the rings, I think with a little bit of Danny's help. Keoni and Harper are watching. Probably waiting for their turn. They were not afraid to jump in with the big boys.

Harper got ahold of the camera and took some pictures for me. Here is one of the good shots he got. Say cheese Dad!
This is our cousin Will. He got a "re-atard" on. When in Rome ...
Here is another fabulous shot from Harper. He captured Kendal, Coba, and Grammy Willy. Too bad he cut off Grammy's face. Oh well he is learning. I'll give you one guess what he said he wanted for Christmas this year... yep, his own camera. I think we may have to do that so I can get mine back!
We are so looking forward to the Thanksgiving Holiday. Harper was alittle disappointed to see some of the Christmas decorations out in the neighborhoods. He was afraid we missed the Thanksgiving Feast! I told him not to worry. That the people were just getting the decorations out while it is still warm. I wanted to have Danny hang the lights over the weekend, but we didn't get too it. I hope we still have one more warm weekend before the first of December. I would hate to have him on our roof when it gets cold. But hey it is tradition to have the father yelling and swearing when they hang up the lights, right? At least it has been for us. ;0) So to all of you if we don't see or talk to you before then, Happy Thanksgiving!

Road Trip

2007-11-13T23:42:00.000-08:00

As you can tell I've added my own little "from the mouth of babes" quotes. My sister Jaime thought it would be good for my kids, and if you have ever met my kids you would know they say some pretty weird things. I'm sure this would be added to as much as my posts. Also if you have any that you have heard my kids say and love please let me know.
The boys and I, wait I can't say that anymore. The kids and I went to Idaho this weekend. Danny went to Nevada to play in a weekend softball tournament and suggested that I go to Idaho. That sounded better then being a single parent for the weekend. The six hour drive to Idaho didn't sound that bad. So the kids and I made it a four day weekend. As BJ says you have to stay longer then the drive to make it worth your wild! So I did! It was great to be home. I had a great time. Hardly any parent control over my kids. It was mostly trying to remind the grandparents that cookies are not breakfast food and you shouldn't give a toddler a Dr. Pepper at 10:30 at night. Well I should say most kids. My children now have a tolerance to the stuff that it is just flavored water to them. :0)

You know when it's late and you think things are funny and you laugh and laugh and laugh about something? Well this was one of those moments. I saw this headband out for my mom's Thanksgiving decorations and thought Coba would look cute in this. So I put it on her and my mom, Jaime and I started snapping pictures. My dad was trying to be the voice of reason. Saying we are bothering her and stuff like that, but she just looked so cute. That we laughed it off. She actually kept it on for a pretty long time. What a good girl!

This was taken LATEr that night. It was only late when we got there so we all stayed up and got the wiggles out. Around 1:00 or 2:00 the kids and Bumpa started getting tired so they put on a movie and passed out. It was way cute when they all started snoring. Okay only Harper was snoring but it still was cute. The older girls stayed up until 4:00 in the morning. I never said I go home to catch up on sleep. IF anything I loose more of it!

This is my traditional bath in Nana's sink picture. I have one of all my kids. And they all look so cute. One time Keoni got ahold of the sink sprayer and sprayed Nana. We were in the family room and hear her scream and all run in there. She was a brave woman and took the shooting. She later said she would have ran if she could but was afraid of dropping him in the sink. I love the sink. It beats breaking your back and bending over the tub to bathe them. She was a good girl about it, like always. Plus look how blue her eyes are. She might stay that way!

The family picture was taken after church. Keoni wasn't a happy camper. He did not want to sit for the picture. He wanted Bumpa to hold him. My mom made the comment that she remembers me being the same way in a few pictures when I was younger. I guess he is like me. Watch out world. The teeter tater picture was taken at my Grandma and Grandpa Thompson's house. (Julia Maxcine Thompson is one of Coba's name sakes.) I don't know what it is about teeter taters but I remember my siblings and I playing for hours on it. It was great fun! My dad is thinking of building one in his back yard. The day was chilly but the boys loved it. They came inside looking for sweatshirts to wear so they could stay outside.
Over all the weekend was great. I had a blast. Jaime was even nice enough to stay at the parental house while we were there so she could play. What a sweet family I have.
Harper and I went to Maggie's play at Lone Peak High. (she did awesome!) It was the "Twelve Dancing Princesses" Harper had an okay time at first, but that all changed once uncle Bret got there. Harper was stuck to him like glue. Got him treats and took him for walks. I just hope Bret didn't get sticky ear from Harper hanging on him. Rita took care of Coba, so I just sat back and enjoyed the play. It was great! Thank you Bret and Rita!
The house is quite so I better close so I can get some much needed beauty sleep. Can't have Danny leaving to find a better looking wife.

The Blessing!

2007-11-07T22:15:00.001-08:00

Okay so it's been awhile... a long while. No need to chastise me. Okay there is. I've been avoiding my computer, but it is back to the grind. And now that all the delinquents are asleep I can update!

We had the annual Shaw pumpkin carving hosted at my mother in laws. We usually have it the Sunday before Halloween. It was great fun. I got to carve three pumpkins and paint on one. They were all masterpieces thank you! Danny carved his home grown pumpkin. This years pumpkin wasn't as big as last years but it still was a nice size.

Harper with his scary pumpkins eyes!

Keoni next to his look-a-like. On the left. He was sad when we first got to Grammy's.

Jacoba enjoying the pumpkin party!

That Tuesday it was the Halloween party for school. For the ward harvest festival we all dressed up as rodeo clowns except for Harper and Coba who went as cows. But Monday morning after carving our pumpkins Harper wanted to go as a pirate. (his pumpkin was a pirate) So as all you mother's know I was out the day before the school party trying to find him a pirate costume. Thank heavens we found one! The crazy pirate picture of Harper was when we got to school. "Arggg!" The one of Keoni was later that night. Harper had decorated a trick or treat bag at school and Keoni took this sticker off to wear the hat. He thought he was pretty funny. And so did the rest of us.

Halloween was great for our little monsters! They got way too much candy, but don't worry Danny and I are helping them eat the good ones. I've tried to lock up all the candy so they aren't constantly on a sugar high, but those little buggers have figured out how to open the child lock door on the pantry door! Isn't it supposed to be child proof? I think the only ones who have a hard time with it are the adults, me included. I have tried moving it up high but those little monkeys just climb the shelves to get to it. Jacoba is my only angel. Okay so only because she is too little to get into things and is attached at the hip. You can see all the pumpkins we carved in this picture. Didn't Danny and I do great?

We blessed Jacoba just this last Sunday. My mom made her dress. Isn't it perty? As usual she took ideas that I had from three different patterns and combined it all in one. What a great mom! We had an excellent turn out for the luncheon that afternoon. I hope everyone had fun. I sure did. Plus we had some great food. Thanks to everyone who helped bring something, it tasted great! The weather worked out great for us so we weren't all cooped up inside. Danny did a great job. I was very proud of him. Isn't he handsome? I also added a picture of Aunt Jaime. She was my one of my photographers. She left me great pictures, I won't bore you with all of them. I just picked a few that I thought were cute. I didn't get as many pictures as I would have liked but thanks to Jaime I have some now, and I am sure I'll get more from my mother. Auntie Jaime

Uncle Fiji (Trevor) broke his truck while he was here for the blessing. Harper and Keoni thought they could fix it. Good thing Fiji took the keys with him and they couldn't get in. Other wise they would be more then just a broken battery. But hey they wanted to help.

Sorry for the long waited post hope you enjoyed!

Cyber Retarded!

2007-10-18T21:23:00.000-07:00

Can I just say... ARGG!

No I'm not a pirate, I am just frustrated. For some reason my computer decided to just get sick or something. There is so much wrong with it. I don't know where to start, and so I won't. I will give a shout out to my brother in law for helping me with a few tech tips over the phone to try and fix the problem. Are they fixed? Well, not really but I am slowly figuring this out. I just hope it is not to late and I don't have to chuck this thing out the window. (which I was about to do until DanK's help! thankyouthankyouthankyou!) Ya'll wish me luck that we get it fixed. Because if we don't tread carefully around my house you may get a monitor dumped on your head. :0(

Other then that we are doing pretty good. Danny is getting ready for the mighty deer hunt this weekend. Careful Bambi! He is hoping to see something, but not shoot anything that isn't trophy worthy. I guess it takes a lot of work to clean those suckers or so I am told. But he has fun so that is all that matters.

Coba is growing too fast. The other day when I was changing her I was trying to tickle her and she almost giggled. From the early sounds of it she may have her mother's laugh. Right now it's deep. Poor girl. But it was cute to almost hear it. She has started blowing raspberries. I don't know if it means anything but the first person she blew them at was my mother in law. ;0) It was so sweet to her her do it. So now I try all the time to get her start, but it only works half the time.

We have started (again) to ween Keoni from his binky. Poor kid went to bed crying. We will see how long it last. I think we have started and given up on this sense the first part of summer. But alas we have failed! But one day we will succeed! Heck we got Harper of his binky. Which I never thought we would. Danny thinks we should make Keoni get strep throat. No thanks unless Danny is going to be up with him in the middle of the night. Which he never is. He says he can't hear them crying.

Harper is... Harper. Too many questions in one day and not enough answers in my head to keep up with demand. Good thing he does go to school every other day so I can have help in feeding the non ending question monster. Now if I could only be more knowledgeable in the long, confusing words, I could answer some of my son's questions with conundrums that would keep him busy for at least five minutes. (right BJ?) Good thing we love him. (Harper and BJ)

Peace Out!

Almost Happy Birthday To Me!

2007-10-13T16:06:00.000-07:00

Danny is off taking the boys shopping for my birthday so I have a few extra minutes to drop a couple of pictures and tell some stories.

Trick or Treat! It's that time of year again! ;0) When we have an awesome excuse to dress up and look silly. I am lucky because I get to dress up at least twice. Coba and I got to dress up last Thursday for Bunco. We went as a rodeo clown and bull. I am the clown if you couldn't tell and no those aren't my maternity pants! It was a lot of fun. Elly made the best soup (thanks Elly) and everyone dressed up. We all looked great. Bunco is one of my nights off. (no kids) And I enjoy it. The boys (Harper and Keoni) were pretty upset that they weren't able to come to Bunco and dress up.

Coba is such an even tempered baby. She just lets us do what we want to her. Like put this clown wig on her head. Keoni thought it was funny, and mom thought it was cute. I guess she does have her Daddy's hair after all. ;0)

The kids had a great time with Nana and Bumpa in town. They even stopped playing to pose for a couple of pictures. The reason Nana isn't in any is because she is taking some for herself. Bumpa Bryce even came over for a visit and free babysitting. (I took Danny out for a belated birthday gift) I'm sure the kids had them wrapped around their little fingers. My Mom says it's hard not to give in when they are so cute, but I keep telling her to be strong and resist. We still have yet to see her say no to the kids. ;0) But it was a great weekend. The kids had even more people to play with when all the uncles and cousin's got here. It was pretty slow after they all left. We kept looking at each other wondering who was going to entertain us now.

Oh Happy Day!

2007-10-04T21:43:00.000-07:00

Nana and Bumpa are in town so the kids are happy. My parents are here to watch my sister's kids while they take a vacation. (oh that sounds nice). They are much loved and fights tend to break out on who gets their full attention. This was taken as the kids were settling down for the night. Everyone wanted to sit by Bumpa. Nana was holding Coba, so they pounced on Bumpa once he put Cade down in his crib. Bumpa says there is always room for one more. Good thing because I think the babies would feel left out if they didn't have a spot.

Keoni, my dad Byan or "Bumpa", Paige, Harper, and Bailee.

This picture was taken of Coba while we were shopping. Don't let her fool you that she is bored. Just before I took it out and snapped the picture she was all smiles, giggling and cooing. Once she saw the camera. Nothing. This was it. Not a crack of a smile. What a stinker!

Fat on Cake

2007-10-03T09:25:00.001-07:00

Ha, Ha, remember that Jaime? Well our little Jacoba must be doing that. We just had our 2 month check up and she passed with flying colors! She now weighs in at 12 pounds and is 24 inches long. Believe it or not she is longer then Keoni was at this age, but not as heavy. Harper still wins as the heaviest at this age. But I am proud of my little girl. Keeping up with the boys! She is getting cuter every day.
Today is Danny's birthday. Poor guy is now 31. Old Fart! It's going to be a busy day with softball games and volleyball games. So we won't be able to party like a rock star tonight but maybe we will try to take him to lunch. I think he is trying to avoid this day but the kids and I won't let him.

Random Pictures

2007-10-01T22:44:00.000-07:00

I was sending some pictures to my sister in law Elly for the Harley softball team (my camera sucks they didn't turn out very well) and found some really funny ones that I thought I would share.

Hope you get a giggle out of them. I know I did.

Keoni wearing Coba's pretty bow. We all thought she was cute in it. So I am sure he was thinking if she was cute then I will be handsome! And he was!

"Fight the diabeties" says Coba. On our JDRF walk for finding the cure. Uncle Bret was giving Jacoba a lift during the walk. What a sweet uncle. Between him and the rest of family I didn't have to carry her at all, but the boys... they were a handful. But I did get some big help from Bumpa Bryce and the family. Oh and a really hot fireman! Thanks Jed!

Keoni testing Bumpa Bryce's glasses to see if they work. He wouldn't tell me, but I think they were a little foggy from some little fingers. I wonder who did that?

Harper and Danny by the hot rod that was build for White Cap by Boyd Coddington. It was sweet! and loud! Boy is Bumpa sad he missed out. The only bad thing was the tailgate said Ford. Almost perfect. But it still was nice!

Look at what I can do! Coba has always been a strong little girl. Sometimes I forget that she is only two months old. She will sit like that for a long time. Just don't get her too excited or she will lose her ballance. What a cutie. Yes I'm talking about Danny! :-)

Hello, Hello

2007-09-29T15:20:00.000-07:00

Well, I am trying this out. I've seen what the cousin's have done and I love reading them. I thought sense I love reading theirs I should also share so they could enjoy also. (not to say you will but I'll try to make it entertaining).

Can you believe it I finally had a girl, Julia Jacoba (our little family calls her Coba) and she is now almost 2 months old. She was born July 31st. 8 pounds 10 ounces 21 inches long. With lots of dark hair. She still has it too! It must be from her father. I know it is too early to tell, but I think she may have blue eyes. Wouldn't that be pretty! I think she is beautiful, but you always think that of your own. She is a mix of both boys, and the boys love her. Some times alittle too much, but I am glad that they are happy to have her in our family. Danny even enjoys her, I was shocked! (kidding) She now smiles when you talk to her. It is a big smile that just lights up her whole face. She is a very happy and easy going girl. We all love and enjoy her very much. She is keeping up with her brothers. She weighs over 12 pounds. Not bad. I think she is a keeper.

The boys are great. Harper has started preschool and he loves it. He goes every Tuesday and Thursday. When he wakes up in the morning the first question, out of many throughout the day, is what day is it! They have a field trip to the fire station this month for preschool and he is soo looking forward to it. He is my big helper and he loves to hold Coba. As I said before he is a very inquisitive child. He has to know everything and why. It is nice but some days I would like a mute button. Harper enjoyed playing t-ball and soccer this summer. He was a great goalie. Danny got to be his coach on both teams. It was great to watch them both on the field. Keoni felt alittle left out, but he will get his turn soon. Harper is my worry wart so he fears for his siblings even if they don't fear themselves. It does help me keep track of Keoni and Coba.

Keoni is growing tall! When he stands next to Harper people always ask if they are twins, poor Harper. But he is a good boy. He definitely thinks he can do anything that Harper and Danny does. Which makes a little hard on me, but you can't blame him for trying. He keeps telling me he wants to go to school with Harper. He is a very smart kid, he knows most of all his colors. He does ask questions but not nearly as many as Harper! I'm sure more questions will come in time. But right now it is a joy to just listen to him talk about anything. He loves all animals and he fears nothing. This could come back to haunt me later, but it is a joy to see him just charge after anything he wants.

Danny is doing great. He is keeping very busy with work, BYU football games, and playing recreation softball. He is now on two teams. The Daily Herald team and the Harley Davidson team. I keep teasing him that the Harley team should give him a discount on a motorcycle. He's always wanted one, but have you seen the price tag on those things? Expensive! I did make him an offer. I said if he could stay off the Dr. Pepper for one year I would let him get one and I wouldn't complain. I got shot down. He said, "NO DEAL!" But hey I tried. Right now they have started tournaments for the softball teams and that means that the season is coming to an end.

I am doing good. I just keep up with Danny and the kids and I know life is great!