~Life's Little Blessings~

Old Friends. Fun Times!

2010-08-21T19:03:00.004-04:00

On our trip back to California we were able to stop in Phoenix Arizona and visit some friends and cousins I haven't seen in a very long time! It was wonderful seeing them. I unfortunately didn't have my camera with me when we visited my cousin Brad and his family. It was great to see them, more like meet them again since I was very little! He has a beautiful family and my children loved playing with them! While staying with my good friends Jason and Christen we went swimming. I got to get my baby fill with sweet little Ashley! Thanks guys for letting us come visit! We have to do it again soon!!

Little Jason and Ian were only 18 months old the last time we really got to see each other, but they fell right back into being great buddies very quickly!

Jason and Ashley

Christen and Ashley. So pretty!

Sweetest jump Contest!

The water in Arizona was like bath water! It's great!! The air was actually cooler then the water on this day! Rowan are you cold?

Again, who has the sweetest dive? They had such a good time together! It was great!

Hey Mom! Watch me!

Ashley was such a sweet little girl! She was so chill and let me cuddle her! I loved it!!

Best Buddies for LIFE!

Our visit to the Barney Farm!

2010-08-21T18:26:00.008-04:00

Visiting Jeff's mom and dad proved to be a fun as always. We got to feed cows and pigs and see cousins and eat yummy food! Thanks again Bevan and Kathy for putting us up!

Hannah and Hunter

Cool Cousins! Ian and Parker

Kendall and Hunter have always been the quieter ones so this time around it was great to see them jumping around and playing with me and the kids!

It was so much fun seeing James and the kids. Only wish Kristen and Taylor could have been there too! The kids are growing up so fast! Jaden and James..

Me trying to snap a picture and get back inside before getting soaked by the boys! They kept trying to get me to come out so they could spray me! BUT I proved to be faster then them and remained dry! I still got it!!

This sweet child of mine wants a kitty or a puppy so bad! She loved playing with these babies! Thanks Kristen and James!

Rowan and Hannah got a hold of the camera. I love seeing through their eyes!

This is his Serious Tractor Driven Farmer Look..

Sitting and relaxing after getting the morning chores (feeding the cows) done. Rowan being cheesy! We love seeing Grandma Kathy, Grandpa Bevan, Nana, and the cows!

Of course you have to get pictures of the cows when you're at the Barney Farm!

I love how gentle and sweet their eyes always look.

Usually the cows are a bit more reserved and don't allow the kids to get this close to them. However this one came right up to Hannah and loved having her pet her.

Grandpa Bevan had us feed this one a favorite treat! The trick was to get the fruit into his mouth without getting your hand pulled in as well! We had a good time laughing.

Trying not to let it's long slimy tongue get her!

These calves were very friendly as well. Rowan had fun feeding and petting them.

Petting the pigs! The babies are always so sweet and cute. Sadly the grown up pigs are not so sweet and cute. In fact they're really kinda smelly and have very course hair. Lol.

Farmer Ian

White Sands National Park

2010-08-21T18:11:00.002-04:00

White Sands is as close to a "beach" as New Mexico will ever get. But I must say it is a lot of fun! Going there when I was in college was quite the experience. Especially when we would go on a Full Moon night. The sand just glows! While driving from my parents home in Roswell to Las Cruces I was hoping there would be just enough of the sand on the highway side of the fence so that I could show my kiddos, but not wanting to spend a long time there. We were lucky enough to see that the sands had shifted not only a little but a lot. Enough to cover the fence! So we stopped and played for a few minutes. But man it was hot and soooo bright!

Trying to keep our eyes open against the glaring sun!

The Ocean has got to be here somewhere!!

Couldn't keep my eyes open!

This is the fence, keeping us law breakers out. sigh.... I promise I do teach my kids to obey the law! We stayed right by the fence!

Next time we'll go in and get disks to slide down the dunes! The kids loved it!

Olson Family Reunion July 2010

2010-08-12T14:04:00.009-04:00

So this past July we (the kids and Mommy) drove to NM for my side of the family reunion. It was such a pleasure seeing everyone and how much all the kids had grown. Our kids fell right in where they left off the last time they had seen their cousins and just had the time of their lives!

Thanks Mom and Dad for hosting it this year! I know your house was crowded with all of us but we really enjoyed it!

~Rowan, Grace, and Justin trying to finish dinner!~

~ Hannah and Caleb~
There was plenty for us to do all together. One day we packed up and drove up to Bottomless Lakes near Roswell, NM. When I was growing up, this lake STANK! But thank heavens they've done quite a bit to clean it up and make it a fun place to be!

~Addy and Jessi~

This little car floaty is baby Addy's but all the little kids and some of the older ones still managed to squeeze themselves into it! Thank goodness Aunt Jessi and Uncle Josh and of course Addy didn't mind too much!

Hannah trying to warm up. Honey it's NM you shouldn't be cold! Lol.

Yeah the water wasn't the clearest. You try not to think about what's swimming under us!

Another day we drove up to Ruidoso, NM and played at an outdoor fun place and then spent the evening at The Flying J Ranch. We were able to pan for gold, shoot guns, ride a horse, watch a shoot out, and eat a good ol' chuck wagon dinner while watching a band. Good times!

I knew it!!

Ian and Caleb after trying their talent at shooting guns!

Ready.. Aim... Fire!

Rowan actually found quite a few pieces of "gold". Probably cause mom was helping him. :)

Water Bumper Boats! Nobody told us they were gonna get soaked!! Lol, we had to go to Walmart afterwards to get dry clothes for the kids so they didn't freeze at the Flying J Ranch! Next time we'll be ready!

Hannah certainly was able to hold her own!

~Uncle Josh, Rowan, Justin, Kaeli, Kayden~

~Rowan, Uncle Josh, Justin, Uncle Jeff, Grace, and Hannah~

Ian was usually right in the middle of getting sprayed or spraying someone else!

Justin, Rowan, Caleb, Grace, Hannah watching the grown ups race cars!

~Dawn, Mom, Doug~

~Dad and Kandi (and little Justin in the background)~

We all participated in a Maze. Which turned out to be fairly difficult, but because our family is so smart, we all finished in record time!

Trying to help out! Trying being the key word! lol.

Hannah driving. Yikes!

Rowan too! He actually was very careful while driving. It was really cute to watch.

~Rowan and Justin acting like themselves! Love it!~

~Grace and Hannah, and Jewels (who did not have to walk anywhere because these two didn't want her to get tired.)

Rowan just got a new pair of goggles and had to try them out, in his sleep!

I had time to finish my tutu's! Here was the first one. I ended up making four! So fun!

Braving the Cold Water!

2010-08-12T13:22:00.002-04:00

Ft. Bragg, California- Fourth of July Weekend

2010-08-12T11:43:00.009-04:00

So going backwards with the pictures.... Sunday: Driving home we were able to drive through some of the smaller Redwoods. We stopped at a small rest stop and found some cool things!

Looking up into the Redwoods! They were sooo tall!
This Redwood looked like it was burned. So here we are standing in the middle of the burned out Redwood! Still very cool! And big!!
Glass Beach!
This beach used to be a dumping ground back in the 60's, 70's for a Glass Bottling Company. They'd just back up and dump all their trash. Over the years the glass was broken up and smoothed over by the water. Now the beach is covered with tiny glass pebbles of various colors. We had so much fun exploring and collecting tiny glass pebbles.

A view of a small secluded portion of Glass Beach. We sat for awhile and played in the water, looked at rocks, explored the tidepools, found teenie tiny starfish and sea anenomies, and crabs!

Rowan especially had fun sticking his finger into the sea anenomie and watching it squish in! Not the tiny one of course. We found some really big ones!

I have a secret.... I love rocks! I was in heaven, I could have spent all day exploring this beach and been just fine! I think maybe in another life I was actually a geologist!

The cool tide pools on top of the rocks. We found so many crabs!

A Close Up of Glass Beach! Absolutely Beautiful!

Watching the Fireworks on the Beach! A very neat experience!

Trying to stay warm! We loved leaving the 100 degree weather down in Sacramento to come up to the 70ish degree weather in Ft. Bragg, but it did get cold at night!

We walked along the cliffs and found a few different beach spots to play in! The water was so pretty, but very very cold! I was so proud of the kids for getting in it! Jeff even showed his manliness and dove head first into a wave!

A big tide pool! It was fun watching the waves crash into it!

Walking along the cliffs..

We all loved these flowers, cause they looked like rattle snake rattles. They even sounded like them!

Getting stranded on the rock by the wave!

Hannah braving the cold water!

Rowan was surprisingly the bravest of all the kids! He went out the farthest into the water and loved it! Til he got water in his mouth!

See I was there too! I spent most of the time behind the camera.

Ian's 9th Birthday!

2010-07-06T17:45:00.002-04:00

This year we had Ian's Birthday at Sky High! A trampoline dream!! We had so much fun jumping around and into foam pits! It really made me think back to when I was little and spent so much of my time out on our trampoline and the crazy stunts my brother and I would do!

Happy Birthday Ian! We love you so much! You're growing up so fast and you make us proud to be your parents!!

San Fransisco Weekend Getaway!

2010-07-06T17:02:00.009-04:00

We took a day trip down to San Fransisco to try and see Jeff's niece who was swimming across the Bay. We weren't able to meet up but we still had a lovely day exploring! Some crabs the kids found!
The Golden Gate Bridge!

Exploring with Dad!

The Boat Harbor at dusk!

Trying to keep my hair from blowing away!

A very cool flower looking plant!

Our favorite boat we saw! The Red Snapper!

The Steps Rowan decided to scare the rest of us on by falling down them! He managed to stop before falling into the ocean!

One Gi-normous Leaf!

To prove we were there too!
Grounds next to the Exploritorium!

Reminded me of Full House! I don't get how people can live like this! So on top of each other!

Ian picked a flower for me!

Apartment Building! I'd hate to live on the top floor! Talk about a long way up to carry groceries!

Heck Yeah!!

China Town!

A distant view of Lombard Street!

Visiting Coit Tower!

This is the Statue Rowan thought was Jesus, but Ian set him straight by telling him it wasn't because Jesus has a whip not a sword!

Trying to keep warm with Dad!

There are stairs we can play on???!!!!

Not sure how people who live on Lombard Street ever get out of their garage! This street was sooo backed up! Very cool but I thought it'd be a longer street..

Good Bye San Fransisco!

~Easter Surprise~

2010-07-06T16:46:00.002-04:00

We left a little surprise for the Easter Bunny this year! When we asked the kids what they thought the Easter Bunny would like, of course they said CARROTS! But, we decided to try and catch the sneaky Bunny too! The Easter Bunny left us surprise for us too!

The Sneaky Bunny got away! But he was nice enought to leave us a note and some bunny chocolates! The kids loved the jelly bean poops too! :)

This year the Easter Bunny left color coded eggs for the kids! Ian= Blue, Rowan=Green, and Hannah=Pink (of course)! So it was much easier for the kids to find "their own" eggs! Smart Bunny!!

My little Easter Bunny in Training!

A little family Tennis!

2010-07-06T16:25:00.005-04:00

I've been training a friend and his wife and so Alex has been teaching the kids how to play tennis! Ian seems to be a natural! Hannah is very anxious to get learning more and more! Rowan was a bit young but still had fun! Mom and Dad even got out and played a little! Thanks Alex it's been so much fun!! Caught in the net or behind bars??

Jeff did really well! Me, I tried! Lol!

Rowan didn't feel the need for instruction! His philosphy is just get out there and do it!!

He even managed to hit a few!

So Determined!

Hannah the Ball Girl!

She thought this was almost as fun as hitting the ball!

Get it Ian!!

Updating! March through April!

2010-07-06T16:05:00.005-04:00

We had an Easter Party at my work for the kids! It was lots of fun! The kids really enjoyed seeing the Eater Bunny and being able to hold little baby chick's!

Happy Easter!!!

Painting Easter Eggs! Face Painting! Playing in the sand! YAY!!

I'm pretty sure these little guys were the highlight of the party though! Sorry Easter Bunny!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

The kids all loved getting a green shirt to celebrate the day with!

We have a number of parks around where we live so taking a bike ride and playing at the park is almost a daily occurance!

Rowan and his cowboy boots! They go where ever he goes!!

Two Little Monkeys!!

I am so loving having a daughter I can play with and dress up! Hannah is so wonderful about letting me play with her hair and experiment different hairstyles!!

Gospel according to a child~

2010-04-13T10:12:00.003-04:00

On Saturday we visited Coit Tower, an Observatory, in San Francisco. There is a Statue of an explorer in the front of the Tower. Rowan took interest in it and asked Dad if it was Jesus. Ian immediately took the opportunity to answer Rowan's question with a very sure answer of his own.... He said, "No Rowan, it's not Jesus. Jesus doesn't have a sword, He has a whip." I guess he's remembering the story of Jesus clearing out the money changers in the temple. I'm glad to know he's listening!

Remembering what Easter is all about!

2010-04-04T00:19:00.001-04:00

Grandma Barney sent an Easter package to us, we (mom and dad) got to open said package and look at what was inside. Ian wanted to see what Grandma sent as well. Our Conversation in the car on the way to Walmart today....

Ian: "I want to see what's in the box!"

Mom: "Nope, it's not Easter yet. You have to wait til tomorrow!"

Ian: "But that's not fair that you and Dad got to see but we don't get to see it!"

Dad: "Well we're adults, the same rules don't apply to us."

Ian: " That's not FAIR!!"

Mom: "There's a lot of things in life that are not fair Ian."

And that's when Rowan(our 4 year old) pipes in: "What about Jesus?"

LOL! You are right Rowan! Thanks for putting us in our place!!

Arguing with Dad

2010-02-19T10:50:00.002-05:00

The conversation in the car on the way to school this morning went like this.....

Dad: "Mom's a ninja!"

Ian: "No she's not! Have you ever seen her wear her ninja suit?"

Dad: "Yep!"

Hannah: "Dad, Mom is not a ninja. She's a ballerina teacher."

Who knew I had so many talents!

The Four Year Old Way of Thinking~

2010-01-24T21:29:00.002-05:00

I'm in the Young Women's group (our youth ages 12 to 18). Today during this time Rowan was brought to me because he didn't want to stay in his class. Well we had 3 different women (most of the leaders) who were pregnant. Rowan kept pointing at them and asking if they each had a baby in their tummy. I'd quietly tell him yes they each had a baby in their tummy. Well that wasn't good enough for him, he wanted to see them for himself. I said we can't see them yet cause they're still in their mommy's tummy. He replied, "Well I'll just open their mouth and look in!" Lol! Wish it were that easy!

More From My Deep Thinker!

2010-01-24T00:33:00.002-05:00

Hannah: "Mom, girls are pretty important huh. Cause they have babies. Boys, they're not so important."

But later on she adds,

Hannah: "Daddy lions are important too, they watch over the babies. They're Tigeriffic!"

Deep Thoughts!

2010-01-03T23:44:00.002-05:00

Hannah seems to be our deep thinker. She surprises us all the time with her well thought out ideas. And makes us laugh too!

Hannah: "Mom, kids need lots of food and water cause they have lots of energy. If kids don't eat they'll be like parents. Parents don't have lots of energy."

~Hannah's Sixth Birthday!! Man how time flies!!

2009-10-16T12:40:00.006-04:00

Wow, six years ago I remember being pregnant with Hannah. She wouldn't let us know what she was, she kept hiding behind my bladder being very modest! I had a feeling it was a girl and therefore made a whole crib set for a girl, a little dress, and shopped for a girl! I couldn't think of any boy names and so it had to be a girl! I was way to emotional for it to be a boy anyways! I spent the first five months of my pregnancy at my parents home while Jeff was in Texas at Basic Training and then in Mississippi for his tech school training. Thanks again Mom and Dad for putting up with an emotional pregnant woman!

After his training we moved to Oklahoma City for his first base. I was blessed to find a wonderful OB! By the end of my pregnancy I was done, just plain done! Any who has been pregnant knows exactly what I mean! I'd been having contractions throughout most of my pregnancy and was on medication to try and stop them but it didn't work.. So about two weeks early we decided it was time for our little mystery to make an entrance into our little world. So we packed Ian up and went to the hospital. On our way there we stopped at McDonald's to get Ian a happy meal. We told them we needed a boy's toy for the meal. But when do they ever listen?! When we opened up the toy, we were surprised to see a small doll inside with the name of Hannah. That is the name we had picked out if our little surprise turned out to be a girl. I told Jeff, "See even McDonald's knows what we are having!" She was born very quickly and had to be taken to the NICU for wet lungs. She came out so fast that she didn't have the time to squeeze all the fluid out of her lungs. I held her for about 2 minutes before they rushed her off. She stayed in the NICU for 5 days before finally coming off the oxygen and getting the okay to come home. But ever since then she's had our hearts!

Hannah is a very quiet, sweet natured little girl! She loves animals and babies! She loves being loved. She's such a huge help to me and knows just how to calm me down when I'm frustrated. She also knows just how to get all the little boys at school to do just what she wants them too. I know I'm in trouble when she finally gets to age where she can date! But what comforts me is that she has such a desire to do what's right and know that mom and dad are proud of her. Don't get me wrong though, she does have her moments and can pull an attitude like the best of them! She certainly knows how to wrestle and is not scared to pick up a bug for mom or her brothers for that matter!

We're so blessed to have her as our daughter. We love you Hannah! Happy Birthday!!

For Hannah's Birthday this year we decided to have her party at the Lego Store! I knew she'd be inviting more boys then girls to her party so thought having a Princess Party might not go over to well with her friends. :) And boy was I right! They loved it! I think we'll be going to a few parties there in the coming months!

Yeah CupCakes!! With the kind of frosting that dyes anything it touches!

Guessing how many Legos are in the cup!

The finished product! A doggie house complete with a dog to put inside!!

Trying very hard to pay attention and build!

Too many distractions for Rowan to sit still! Thank Heavens a few friends were willing to help me follow him around and make sure he didn't get into any trouble!!

oops!!

2009-10-16T12:38:00.002-04:00

I was trying to play around with the placing of the pictures. Guess it didn't work out so well. Sorry the comments didn't stay by the pictures they were meant for. Lol!! My bad!!

~Sacramento Zoo~

2009-10-16T12:16:00.010-04:00

The Sacramento Zoo! We love going to the Zoo and seeing the animals! This zoo unfortunately wasn't the best we've ever been to and was way too expensive for what it was, but that being said, the kids still had fun!! I got to take pictures of my favorite people! I love flamingos! I think they're so pretty!

The kids, acting like bugs! They really didn't have to try very hard! Guess it comes naturally!

Very Cool slide! But the sliding part of it really didn't work so well! Nice idea but concrete.... Not the best thing to slide on! Lol.. I wonder who thought this up...

Hannah wasn't about to be left out of a picture!

Measuring everyone's Wing Span!

Acting like Monkeys!! No acting required!

Curious Lemur!

There are some very large trees around here! We still have yet to visit the redwood forrest though..

Our Precious Children!!

2009-10-01T15:33:00.004-04:00

Ian was invited to a friend's birthday party and the host was so sweet to let Hannah and Rowan hang out as well, while I got to go to a baptism all by myself! Sweet blessed hour of peace! They got a big water slide for the kids to play on and bbq'd chicken and hotdogs and cake and ice cream. The kids had a blast and needless to say didn't want to come home! Thank goodness they used their manners there ( I know, I was shocked too) so the parents really loved having them there. Rowan told the dad when it was time to "get the party started" and Hannah made sure to let the mom know when it was time for cake! They were so happy to have them there, because they kept the party flowing smoothly!
Hannah had fun dressing up!
Rowan was not so sure about the slide. So finally Caden's (the b-day boy) Dad scooped him up and went down with him. That was the only time he went down. Whenever he saw the Dad coming his way, he ran the other way!
Ian had no qualms about sliding down! He slid down at least a hundred times! NO FEAR!!
Ian and his friend Caden (the b-day boy)
The party's theme was pirates. Here's Rowan showing off his prize!
She's growing up so fast!! Her hair is finally getting long again. She hates brushing it and wants to cut it again but dad won't let her!
Say Cheese!!!
My serious Cowgirl!! All the adult women at the party were jealous she could pull this outfit off so well! Lol!
This is when Rowan informed the Host it was time to "get the Party started!" Lol! How do you tell a 3 year old dressed up in a bathing suit, rain boots, and a camo helmet No??

~Little Miss Know-It-All!

2009-08-23T16:19:00.002-04:00

Lately the kids are really fascinated with figuring out who has what the same as Mom and Dad.. Ian has Mom's toes (which he's very happy about I might add), Ian has Dad's forehead, Hannah and Rowan has Dad's eyebrow shape, they all have Dad's nose, they all have Mom's eye color, etc.... Hannah loves to make these connections.. So the other night we're comparing and Hannah comes up this...

"Mom, we have the same nose." I'm curious because she obviously has Dad's shape of nose, so I say, "Why is that honey?" She came back with a very confident answer of, "because if someone hits our nose, it will hurt." Lol, "You are exactly right right honey!"

Fourth of July!

2009-07-12T18:19:00.004-04:00

We started our Fourth of July Saturday off with eating a Pancake Breakfast with our ward at church. The kids got to participate in a bike parade! Then we went to a friends house for a BBQ and swim. Or rather the kids swam and the adults sat around in the hot sun and wished they were in their bathing suits so they could swim too! Isn't it funny how the older we get the less we allow ourselves to just have fun without worrying about how we look. We all had fun and ate too much! We went home to get kids ready to go see fireworks but the kids ended up falling asleep on the floor so we watched the Macy's Fireworks on TV and went to bed!

Sacramento California Temple

2009-07-12T17:54:00.003-04:00

We took a trip with the kids to go see the Sacramento Temple. The grounds were beautiful, the temple is set up on a hill. Everything was very quiet and peaceful! We loved it.
The kids thought the "temple turkeys" were pretty awesome.

~Saturday Fun~

2009-07-12T17:43:00.002-04:00

We all went to see the Disney Movie UP, which I must say is absolutely fantastic! We walked out of the Theater, we saw a little water fountain/park. Of course the kids had to go play in it. They had lots of fun trying to catch the water and stepping on the holes. It was hot enough outside that the cool water was very welcomed! It was a nice way to spend a Saturday!

Ian is a natural in the water!

2009-06-28T23:41:00.003-04:00

Last summer was Ian's real "break through" with swimming, but he has done great so far this summer. He really enjoys being in the water. I feel like now we need to get onto a swim team so they can teach him technique. But all in all the kids have been having lots of fun in the water!!

Hannah the mermaid!

2009-06-28T23:28:00.003-04:00

After goggles! She loves being able to see underwater!!

This is Hannah swimming before goggles...

He's a Fish....

2009-06-28T22:35:00.004-04:00

Our apartment has a pretty large pool and so we've been spending at least an hour most every day there. Ian first got some goggles and showed Hannah and Rowan how he could swim under water and see too! It was all very exciting. This encouraged Hannah and Rowan to start swimming under water. Hannah was able to get a few strokes in before she had to come up for air and Rowan, well he just started throwing himself in the water and off he'd go. Here is on of Rowan's first attempts at swimming under water. We had to go get Rowan and Hannah their own goggles and with them they are able to stay underwater for a surprising amount of time. Guess being able to see what's under there makes it way more interesting. Now we can't go to the pool without their goggles! If you know Hannah, swimming without a floaty is a HUGE accomplishment! Sorry about the lines through the clip, it's the sun's reflection off the water. I'll get Hannah and Ian's clip on here as soon as I can.

My precious Hannah!

2009-05-14T01:20:00.002-04:00

~My Family~

2009-05-14T01:15:00.002-04:00

We got to see a friend in Amarillo really fast on our way through to California. He was sweet and took some quick photos of my bunch which was not easy seeing how they wouldn't hold still or listen for anything! Thanks Wil, you did a great job!

Munchkin-ism's

2009-05-14T01:00:00.003-04:00

Hannah:

"Mom, you're skin is so soft.... Just like fur."

Driving to California we had to drive through the Mojave Desert. We decided to drive through it at night, even then at 9 and 10 at night it was still in the 90's. Ian didn't understand why we were driving at night. That is until the perfect reason dawned on him.

Ian:

"Why are we driving at night? Oooh, that's right! Bats!"

He tried to stay up so he could see these awesome bats that we were driving at night to see, but sleep caught up to him and won the fight.

Rowan:

"Rootbeer!"

He has randomly been saying this to end a conversation. He says it very seriously and matter of fact. We can't figure out where he got this. He also says "Milk" when we try to get him to say a certain word, but he doesn't want to say it so he says milk instead.

Ripley's Believe It Or Not!

2009-04-23T11:03:00.003-04:00

We were able to see a few of the Ripley's Museums! Not sure why I didn't take more pictures of the oddities, but here is what we got! The biggest chair EVER!!

It certainly would cut down of how much furniture you'd need!

The biggest Gun EVER! Ian really thought it was cool!

We also went through a mirror maze! Lots of fun! We spent quite a while wondering around in it. Near the end, we were trying to find Dad (Me and Rowan). Well he (Dad) thought it funny to stand around a corner and trick us into thinking he was just straight down the hall. Rowan really thought he was just straight ahead and therefore took off running toward him. Well, it turns out it was just a mirror image! Poor Rowan smacked right into the mirror! After that it wasn't fun anymore! Although the rest of us got a pretty good laugh at his expense!

Driving through the Great Smokey Mountain National Park!

2009-04-23T10:48:00.003-04:00

All through out the Park there were small water falls along the road. I had to take a picture of at least one! It was really beautiful! The first time through it was really foggy and we could barely see where we were driving. But on our way back we couldn't have asked for better weather!

Stopping to toss pebbles into the river!

The sign said this was one of the most photograhed sites in the US. So naturally we had to get out and snap a photograph or two! :)

Our trip to Gatlinburg, TN: Ripley's Aquarium

2009-04-23T09:15:00.011-04:00

If I would have thought about it a bit more before starting to upload pictures on here I would have remembered they upload backwards. So here is the end of the acquarium to the start! We had so much fun. I know there is a lot of pictures, but everything was so exciting it's hard to choose which ones get included and which ones don't!

There was a very cool Manta Ray and Sting Ray exhibit here! And if weren't cool enough, they threw in a couple of Tiger sharks and some other small sharks! Very eerie when they were flying right toward you! But surprisingly peaceful too.

My camera blurred a little on this one, I thought it made it look like a ghost!

My kids were attacked by a giant Jelly fish!!

Hannah and I were watching some fish when all of the sudden I guess it was dinner time cause a bunch of fish parts was dropped in and it turned into a very chaotic feeding frenzy. This is what Hannah thought of it!

I forget the name of this critter. What we all do remember is that it was poisonous and it had an extra set of jaws that would pop out of its' mouth to grab what ever it was trying to eat. Very Alien- ish! Seriously, who ever has seen the Alien movies just think of that and it's just like it!!

Of course we had to get a picture of Nemo!!

The Cuttle Fish were Jeff's favorite! They had a cool striped look going on, but would change it now and then into these spots. They were really neat! Up close and personal with a Cuttle Fish!

Cute little sea horses. Of course Hannah loved them!

These are Dragon Fish. They were in the same tank as the sea horses. They looked a lot alike, but had these branch looking appendages hanging off them. Very prehistoric/fantasy looking!

This is a Giant Spider Crab. It was huge!! I'm pretty sure it could've eaten my kids given the chance. It was probably about their size!

I don't remember the name of this fish, but it had me wondering if he got made fun of in the fish world. His buck teeth hanging out had me laughing!

I loved the Jellyfish. Their colors were very impressive!
And these were taken through the glass with no flash! I really liked watching them!

This is a stone fish. Very odd looking. I don't think I'd mess with him if I were a fish.

There was a small play area the kids had fun in.

I was on the outside of the tank taking the picture, the kids had to crawl under the tank and then they could stand up inside it!

Rowan had a staring contest with this little guy. He thought it was really cool! We had a very hard time trying to get him out of here!

This tank had a spot in the center where the kids could crawl under and see the tank from the inside, it was lots of fun!

A Blowfish or Porquipine fish! This was my favorite, I think I could have hung out at this tank all day. These little guys would keep swimming up to me and it looked like they were smiling. They'd check me out and then swim off and then come right back like they expected me to play with them. They were so cute!!

Rowan thought this fish was the coolest one!

We got to play with some horseshoe crabs! The kids really enjoyed this. Mom on the other hand opted out. I did try to touch the manta rays later on though!

Just riding the moving sidewalk through the shark tunnel!

These guys looked so funny underneath!

When we first entered the Shark Tunnel, Jeff was priveledged to watch a shark eat a fish, no diver was there feeding them, he was just swimming along and suddenly snatched a fish up and swallowed it! We were too late and therefore had to take his word for it! :) Guess he just wanted a snack! Further on in the tunnel they had a sign posted on the tunnel glass where a shark had tried attacking/biting the glass. There were some pretty mean looking scratches there. I think I would have had a heart attack had I been there when it happened! Look at all those teeth! Both Jeff and I were humming the Jaws theme song at this point!

The Saw Fish Sharks (Don't remember the correct name) was a favorite! They looked like they were smiling from beneath! It was funny just how soft and squishy their under bellies looked! This particular shark liked to just lay on the tunnel ceiling and hang out. I wonder if he was hoping someone would scratch it's belly? :)

They had the shark pools open from the top and also had a tunnel going under the pool, so we got to see them from both sides! Really cool! It surprised me to find out that I was more nervous not having that sheet of glass between us! Especially when they would break the surface! Creepy!!

I think this was a flounder. The types of fish whose eyes first start out on each side of their head but then pushes through to one side. Sounds like a painful process, but neat looking fish!! Can you find it hidding in the sand?

We had so much fun at this aquarium! They really did an awesome job in putting it together! The kids really liked the shark tunnel. Me too, although I did get startled when a shark laid down on the tunnel right above my head and I didn't see it til I happened to look up and Bam! There he was! The kids thought it was pretty funny!

Happy Easter!!

2009-04-12T18:42:00.003-04:00

Hope you all had a wonderful Easter! This year we took a trip to Gatlinburg, TN. There is a wonderful Aquarium and lots of Ripley's Believe it or Not Stuff to see. It's a cute little touristy town, we had lots of fun! Our children were relieved to find that the Easter Bunny still managed to make it to our home even though we weren't there. Granted mom and dad left everything to the last minute and had to scramble around hiding things before the kids made it inside! :) Easter made it's way around a bit faster than we realized this year.

~Interview with a 5 and 7 year old~

2009-04-09T22:09:00.002-04:00

I read this off a friend's blog and thought it would be funny to find out just what my kids would say about their mom. So here are their responses. Dad's interview is still in the works, so stay tuned!! :)

1. What is something mom always says to you?

Ian: Go to school! Clean up your room!

Hannah: I love you!

2. What makes mom happy?

Ian: listening to her!

Hannah: Say nice words to her!

3. What makes mom sad?

Ian: Not listening.

Hannah: Not saying nice words.

4. How does your make you laugh?

Ian and Hannah: Tickling us and telling us good jokes!

5. What was your mom like as a child?

Ian: Crazy and coocoo!

Hannah: Just like me!

6. How old is your mom?

Ian: 29. (Funny you choose to listen for that!:)

Hannah: 2026

7. How tall is your mom?

Ian: 30

Hannah: 10 feet, no 5 feet, no 7 feet.... (still to be determined)

8. What is her favorite thing to do?

Ian: Play with us kids!

Hannah: Write words and tickle us.

9. What does your mom do when you're not around?

Ian: Mom worries when she doesn't know where to find us. (We've had incidences where they've gotten into huge amounts of trouble by not telling me where they were gonna be)

Hannah: She thinks about us!

10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?

Ian: She'll be the world's famous football player. (I have absolutely no idea where this came from, I don't play football. Other than tossing it back and forth to Ian. But apparently I'm pretty darn smooth!!)

Hannah: By giving money to poor people!

11. What is your mom really good at?

Ian: Being a personal trainer. (awww, you're so sweet honey!)

Hannah: Playing sports. (again, my sports playing is limited to playing them with the kids! But the NFL, and NBA, etc.. better watch out!!)

12. What is your mom not very good at?

Ian: Guitar Hero! (He's right, he kicks my heiney all the time!)

Hannah: Picking up the fridge.

13. What does your mom do for a job?

Ian: She works at the YMCA doing personal training. (such a smarty pants)

Hannah: She does what her boss says.

14. What is your mom's favorite food?

Ian and Hannah: Spagetti and shrimp. (I think they were thinking of their own favorite food) lol!

15. What makes you proud of your mom?

Ian: Starting personal training.

Hannah: Doing sports really good!

16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be?

Ian: Squidward

Hannah: Sandy (You have to know Spongebob square pants to know who these characters are)

17. What do you and your mom do together?

Ian: Read together at night.

Hannah: Play polly pockets!

18. How are you and your mom different?

Ian: She's a girl! (again, smarty pants!)

Hannah: We don't wear the same clothes or necklaces. I don't wear a watch.

19. How are you and your mom the same?

Ian: We have the same hair and eye color.

Hannah: We have brown hair and eyes, and we have the same cheeks!

20. How do you know your mom loves you?

Ian: Because she's cute.

Hannah: Because I'm your daughter!! ( I guess I'm automatically obligated to love her because she's my daughter! I mean seriously! :) )

21. Where is your mom's favorite place to go?

Ian: The store! (He groans every time I mention I need to go to the store.)

Hannah: The YMCA. (she's having a rough time dealing with me working and being at the Y so much)

Pay it Forward!!

2009-03-24T08:28:00.002-04:00

Pay it Forward

The Rules:

1. Be one of the first 3 bloggers to leave a comment on this post, which then entitles you to a handmade item from me. (It will be a surprise but I promise to make it something fun!)

2. Winners, you must post this challenge on your blog, meaning that you will Pay it Forward, creating a handmade gift for the first 3 bloggers who leave a comment on YOUR post about this giveaway!

3. The gift you send to your 3 friends can be from any price range and you have 365 days to make/ship your item. This means you should be willing to maintain your blog at least until you receive your gift and have shipped your items. And remember: It's the Spirit and the Thought that counts!

4. When you receive your gift, please feel free to blog about it. If you are not one of the Top 3 commenters on this post, you can still play along! Start your own Pay it Forward chain and encourage your blogging friends to do the same!

Happy St. Patricks Day!

2009-03-17T15:11:00.003-04:00

I love the Holidays! So we just wanted to wish everyone a Very Happy St. Patty's Day! The kids got to pick out a special T shirt for the occasion! They were pretty excited to wear them today! For as many times I've been pinched in the past for forgetting to wear green on this special day, I would have loved this shirt! Hope everyone made it through the day pinch free! Ian's Bakugan toys had to be in the picture with him!

2009-03-11T12:08:00.002-04:00

I found this on my friend Kristi's blog and wanted to share it with any who would like to see it. I also was very impressed and touched with this girl's testimony and the manner in which she spoke of the gospel. I hope you'll take the time to listen and enjoy it.

****************

I copied this video from my friend Sara's blog. I was absolutely blown away by this girl's knowledge and testimony of the gospel and her ability to answer these tough questions with outstanding confidence. She is only 20 years old but she knows exactly what she believes and presents it in such a way that there is no doubt that she knows what she is saying is true. What a good example! That is my goal, to be able to share what I believe without shrinking or being ashamed.There are so many misconseptions about the Latter-Day Saint Religion. Those of us who are members have the responsibility to take opportunities such as these to clear up what those misconseptions might be. This video is quite long but I really encourage you to watch it, especially if you are not a member of the Latter-Day Saint church.

http://vimeo.com/2120177

Whew, the Finale!

2009-03-11T11:28:00.002-04:00

Well here it is, the last post from our Disney World trip! Sorry for the volume of pictures, but I hope you enjoyed them like we enjoyed our trip. Thanks Grandma and Grandpa Barney and Olson for helping us go! Trying their super human strength at the Sword in the Stone!

Behind us is Splash Mountain, which both Jeff and Ian rode on. Ian was very nervous but ended up really liking it and was excited to be able to tell his friends at school about it!

Cinderella's Castle at Night!

2009-03-11T11:09:00.003-04:00

Each day we normally stayed til about 6 or 7 pm then left before it got too cold for the kids and so we could eat before too late. Well on our last night we happened to be leaving at the time of the light parade so we stayed and watched that, which was amazing and we got to see the castle change colors too! I'm so glad we stayed and were able to see it! Hannah was happy as well cause we finally got to see Cinderella!

As we were walking out I happened to look back and the castle was lit up in all the colors at the same time, unfortunately it changed before I could get my camera out.

Scenes from inside Cinderella's Castle!

2009-03-11T10:59:00.002-04:00

We were finally able to walk through the castle (only from one side to the other but it was still so cool! :) ) These are the murals that were on the walls inside. It's all made from pieces of stone/gems. I thought it was beautiful, but then I'm a Cinderella fan if you couldn't tell. :)

Magic Kingdom One More Time Before going Home!

2009-03-11T10:34:00.002-04:00

One more time in front of the Castle! We took a ride on a real Train while we were here this time. Rowan loved every second of it. He even took it upon himself to keep himself quiet by taping his mouth shut so nothing would interupt his ride!

Riding the Ferry over to Magic Kingdom.

Rowan actually started to cry when it was time to get off the Train. Thinking about it now, I'm not sure if it was that he just really liked being on the Train or if he was just sad about the thought of walking again! The kids were all for rides that allowed them to sit for awhile!

Waiting to get into the Tiki Room where Zazu from Lion King and Jafar's bird from Alladin had taken over management! It was fun!

More from a toy's eye view!

2009-03-11T10:11:00.002-04:00

We got to go on a Toy Story 3D interactive ride where we shoot at balloons, throw rings, throw darts, etc at targets. It was so much fun! The kids loved it and really Jeff and I had just as much fun as they did! The 40 minute wait in line was long but worth it! Here is the Honey I Shrank the Kids playground. Sad to say though that the kids still don't know what that movie is all about. It looks like we'll be making a trip to blockbuster soon!

Feeling like a bug yet?!

I'm not really sure what Hannah is doing or why. Biggest play-doh ever though!

The scene in the background is actually just a back drop, not real! I thought it was really neat!

Hollywood Studios!

2009-03-11T09:50:00.002-04:00

Remember watching Toy Story 2? Well in it, the little boy goes to a restaurant called Pizza Planet! Yup we got to eat there too! We are so cool now! At least that's what my kids tell me! The only disappointment for them was that the restaurant didn't have the rockets like in the movie! I mean seriously Disney, couldn't you make it a bit more real! How could you forget such an important detail! :) The pizza was okay, the atmosphere was fun!
We all loved this Muppet fountain!

One of today's highlights was going to the Indiana Jones Stunt show! Both Ian and surprisingly Rowan absolutely thought this was the coolest thing ever! This is the scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark where they try to steal a plane and end up getting into the huge fight and setting everything on fire! Way cool!

And of course we couldn't leave out Star Wars! Ian really liked being able to ride a REAL (I forget what exactly they're called) bike from Star Wars, as you can see by his ultra cool pose!

While Dad, Ian, and Hannah went and rode the Star Wars ride (Rowan was too small), he and I got to watch Obi wan, Darth Vader, and some kids from the audience battle it out on stage. Now Darth Vader is Rowan's favorite!

Okay, last post for today!

2009-03-10T09:26:00.002-04:00

Here are the last pics from Animal Kingdom (well the last I'll post). As you can see from the kids face's this was at the end of the day. They'd had enough and even seeing Minnie Mouse was not that exciting! They slept well at night that's for sure!
Here is Doofy, according to Rowan.

And Mc Donald of course! I think he was Rowan's favorite.

And of course we can't leave out Daisy!

Just a pretty picture of the scenery.

Animal Kingdom Parade

2009-03-10T09:13:00.002-04:00

Rowan didn't anyone ever teach you not to stick your hand into random trees lying about! You don't know what's in there! :) They had games along the walk for the kids to play. This one was guessing what was in the tree and then learning about how to care for the earth. recycle, etc.
Rowan was so excited to see Lelo and Stitch! Hannah wanted to take Lelo home with us!

One of the many parades at Disney World. Here are a few of the animals portrayed in this one!

Our Safari Ride in Animal Kingdom!

2009-03-10T09:00:00.002-04:00

The one ride I really wanted to do was this safari ride while we were at Animal Kingdom. The wait on it was about an hour. So we debated on wether or not to do that to the kids, we decided to go ahead and do it. It was cute, but it made me really want to go to Africa and go on a real Safari. Disney had done a great job on trying to make it as realistic as they could. The roads were cement, but they were made to look like mud with car tracks dug into the mud. Like I said, it was cute. (note a bit of sarcasm :) ) I guess I just had my hopes up for something a little more.
King of the Jungle! Taking a cat nap!

Our lost baby elephant!

The giraffes were so pretty! I really enjoyed seeing them up close.

This is actually a lady, on stilts, dressed as a "living tree". She was awesome!

More Animal Kingdom!

2009-03-10T08:47:00.003-04:00

This is the "Tree of Life" at the Animal Kingdom. How many animals can you pick out?

The biggest Rodent ever! Or rather an R*O*U*S for you Princess Bride fans! :)

Here we are in Dinoland!

Nice catch Ian!

Animal Kingdom! No, I don't mean my home! :)

2009-03-10T08:35:00.002-04:00

Here at Animal Kingdom now! It was really a very pretty park. They had these animals carved into the "wood" all through the park.

We got to "meet" most the characters at Animal Kingdom. Whenever we'd see one walking around Rowan HAD to go get in line so he could say hi to them. It was the highlight of his day!

The kids didn't even know who Briar Rabbit was, but they still had to get their picture taken with them!

Epcot! Around the World!

2009-03-09T13:59:00.002-04:00

Sorry about the numerous posts, I couldn't help myself with the amount of pictures taken. Everything was just so pretty! Now we're at Epcot Center, which was very very cool! A little more grown up then what the kids wanted to do and a bit cold that day, but we struggled through it! :)
Ian was not going to take a picture with a "princess", that is until Belle asked him to. :) Such a boy!

Here we are in Italy! Hmmm, someday!

Hmm, Germany I think.

China! With Mulan of course!

More Magic Kingdom

2009-03-09T08:44:00.002-04:00

One of the many parades/shows that Disney had to offer. Cinderella, Belle, and Sleeping Beauty came out and danced a bit later.
Admiring Cinderella's Castle.

Mickey's house. Not quite as tidy as Minnie's but still very fun!

Minnie's kitchen. I loved how colorful it was. Ian liked the Microwave, every few minutes it would start up and you could see popcorn popping inside it.

Magic Kingdom!

2009-03-09T08:27:00.003-04:00

Hannah soooo wanted to go to Minnie's house and while we didn't get to eat breakfast there, it was still a treat! Minnie has such a cute house!
Mickey's pumpkin patch in his backyard.

On Main Street in Magic Kingdom! So excited!

Waiting to ride the kids first Roller Coaster! None of the kids were really thrilled about going on a fast ride but they soon got over it and loved the ride!

A pic of the Roller Coaster we rode.

Our First Trip to Disney World!!

2009-03-09T08:01:00.003-04:00

We'd been planning our Disney Trip for about a couple of months and the kids were so excited! Hannah kept telling everyone how we were going to eat breakfast at Minnie's house (we were unfortunately unable to do that though). Ian couldn't wait to see all the Star Wars stuff there, and Rowan was excited because his brother and sister were excited! It turned out to be so much fun! All the magic and wonders, and of course crowds, expensive dinning, and toys everywhere! But all in all so worth it!

This is the picture Jeff and I woke up to on Monday morning. The hotel room we were in had bunk beds so that's why they're up so high. They couldn't wait to go to Disney World. They still had no idea just how much walking they would be doing! :)
Disney World here we come! Yeah!!

Trying to find the perfect Mickey hat! Rowan wasn't so hot on the dreds look! I thought they were kinda cute!

I'm thinking about doing my hair this way! :) Only, I'm stuck on how to make the mickey ears happen. Oh well.

Cinderella's Castle, I mean my future home! It was so pretty!

My get well card

2009-02-18T10:26:00.002-05:00

Last night I came home from work to a sweet little get well card from Ian sitting on the table. Just thought I'd share his thoughtfulness!

Hi mom I tryed to write in your favorite color. Well is purple your favorite color. Ohh! I forgot to tell you this is a get well card. I love you! Hey, can you sit by me at dinner, pleeeeaaassseee. I'll give you a kiss and a hug (that's really big.). So, you owe me a hug and a kiss. Love never Ends!

I can't tell you how much his simple words, random though they may be, meant to me! As hard as being a parent can be, these moments certainly make it worth it! I love you too Ian!

Liver? No, not Liver!

2009-02-18T09:59:00.002-05:00

This past Valentine's Day we had a Primary activity at the church. Being Primary Pres. I get to stay and wait for all the parents to come and gather up their little ones after the activities. While we were waiting, Jeff and the kids were talking to a friend and their dad. Hannah is best buddies with this particular friend's daughter and always wants to do things with her. Primary is one big social hour for Hannah and Katelund! Anyways, Hannah was asking to go eat at Katelund's house and this is how the conversation went!

Hannah: Dad I want to go eat dinner at Katelund's house! Can we go to Katelund's house?
Cory (Katelund's dad): Sure I've already told your dad you guys can come over for dinner.
Hannah: Yeah! Let's go over to their house for dinner!
Dad: I don't know Hannah, they'll probably make me eat liver!
Hannah: No they won't!
Dad: Yeah, they probably will and liver is really gross!
Hannah: No they won't!
Dad: I'm pretty sure they will and I really don't like liver!
Hannah: DAD! I promise they won't make you eat LITTER!

Dad couldn't keep a serious face any longer and the laughter couldn't be held in either! I just wish I had been there to witness this. I was cleaning up. Hannah gets very matter of fact when she thinks she has the right of way with what she says. So it makes it even funnier when she's so serious. Gotta love kids!

Germs!

2009-02-09T09:11:00.002-05:00

So these past couple of weeks we've been fighting colds, bronchitis, ear infections (ruptured eardrum), and sinus infections! Yeah, not fun. I've lost count on how many times I've been thrown up on, loads of laundry I've done, visits to the doctor, and schedules I've had to rearrange because I have a sick child at home.

This past week Hannah came down with a fever that didn't want to go away, so we (Me, Rowan, and Hannah) went in to see the doctor. Hannah was convinced that something was seriously wrong with her. According to her she was "very sick". We found out it was a sinus infection. When it was our turn to go in and see the doctor, then nurse came out and got us. We followed her back to get Hannah's vitals and wait for the doctor. The nurse asked Hannah what was wrong and Rowan took it upon himself to let her know what was going on. He told her very simply, " Hannah has germs." Coming from a 3 year old, I think that's very well put! :)

When ever the kids ask why they have to wash their hands, we've told them so they don't get a bug and get sick. Rowan believes that whenever he is feeling sick he has bugs in his body, very specifically, he has ants in his body. But apparently only he gets ants, the rest of us have germs!

25 Random Things About Me!

2009-01-29T08:21:00.002-05:00

On Facebook, this 25 things about me has been going around. A friend posted her's on her blog, so I figured what the heck I'll do it too. Hope you have fun reading it!

1. I'm a personal trainer and I love it! I also have an accounting degree and while I admire those who can do it and love it, I'm not one of them.

2. I'm pretty sure I'm a masochist, because when I work out I push myself harder then most. I have a hard time stopping at a normal workout time. And oh boy do I hurt the next day, but I never learn cause I'll do the same thing again the next time I get the chance.

3. I wish I could have another baby girl, but I'm terrified to do it again, yet.

4. I love to do things for others, but hate to be recognized for it.

5. I don't do well as the center of attention.

6. I hate planning parties.

7. I hate when Jeff eats smoked oysters. I think they stink and they make me want to gag! But for some odd reason I will still buy them for him.

8. I love seeing my children smile and tell me they love me, it brightens up my day immediately.

9. I wish I had more confidence in myself.

10. I want to learn how to ride a motorcycle, sky dive, be a yoga instructor. I'm starting to wonder if I'm an adreniline junky.

11. I'm easier on my clients and their workouts then I am with myself. I get very concerned with their wellbeing and how the exercise is affecting them. I don't want them to hate me when they're sore! :)

12. I love order and cleanliness, but can't seem to manage it well in my own life, home, etc. Why is that?

13. I love to eat!!! When I was dating, I loved that I could eat about the same as who ever I was on a date with. It always made them smile! I didn't want them to think I was some fragile little girl. I'm working on eating cleaner so my hard work in the gym will actually pay off and show now.

14. Snakes, worms, spiders, lizards, big bugs scare the living crap out of me! I'm not sure what it is about them. I like to look at them from afar, but get them too close to me and I'll freak.

15. I absolutely love going to my daughter's parent/teacher conferences. Her teachers and principal adore her. It makes me so proud to be her mom.

16. The smell and feel of a new baby melts my heart.

17. I wish I could travel to more places. I'm tired of feeling left behind when Jeff gets to go to different countries.

18. I could very easily become a beach bum. The ocean out here and the beaches are so very beautiful. It's one of the most calmest feelings I've ever had when I'm there. I have a hard time leaving each time we go there.

19. I came very close to drowning when I was little and therefore have a very real fear of the water. Or rather losing control while being in the water. I'm not a fun person to play with (or try to dunk) in the water. My paranoia takes over and I get really anxious.

20. I love to read a good a book. It provides such a nice escape from my own life for a bit.

21. My very favorite moments in life are each time I gave birth and that first time I got to hold my little angels. I have to check in on them each night now when they're sleeping just to remind me of those precious moments and why I love them so much.

22. Being a parent is hard, fun, frusterating, silly, filled with I can't believe that just happened moments, times of seeing just what you can come up with to explain something so they'll understand, seeing life over and over again through innocent eyes, what was I thinking when I thought I could do this moments, If I knew then what I know now moments, complete and total satisfaction moments, The best thing and the worst thing in the world, but wouldn't change it for anything moments. I love being a mom!

23. I would love to be in a fitness magazine or even just win a fitness/figure competition. Since being in the fitness world I've gained an admiration for the dedication and hard work it takes to transform a body. It's deffinately amazing what the human body is capable of accomplishing.

24. I miss being in college and only having myself as my responsibility.

25. I'm glad to say goodbye to my twenties, but thirty is starting to look a little scary.

Our Awesome Starfish!

2009-01-16T16:19:00.002-05:00

So while we were having so much fun on the beach in mid January in Charleston, SC, Jeff found a starfish. The kids and I have never seen one in the "wild" so it was a really cool experience for us. Jeff picked it up and showed us the underneath, the little jelly like fingers are really awesome. Then all the kids took turns touch it. They wanted to bring it home with us. I touched and picked it up too! I have a "thing" about snakes and other critters so it was a little weird at first for me, but I did it! It was awesome!

Ian wasn't nearly as nervous about touching it as I was. Now that I think about it, I think I was the only one a little apprehensive about touching it.

Big brave dad!

It really was so cool!

Charleston, SC

2009-01-16T16:10:00.002-05:00

I really liked the pier. I thought it was really pretty. I think the contrast here is really cool Shhh... Trying to sneak past Rowan.

He came right up to me. Funny bird.

Ah Ha! Rowan saw him and chased him again!

Another picture of the pier.

Charleston, SC

2009-01-16T15:53:00.003-05:00

Rowan had so much fun chasing seagulls. He chased this one right into the water and was gonna keep following him had we not grabbed him back just in time.

Rowan was just waiting for the seagull to come back out so he could chase him.

We had to keep threatening the kids to stay back out of the water. Did they listen, no not really!

Charleston, SC in the Winter!

2009-01-16T15:44:00.002-05:00

The kids had lots of fun running up to and then away from the water! Huge game! Loads of fun!

Rowan was ever watchful for seagulls close enough to try and catch!

New Year's Eve-08! Party Time!

2009-01-08T16:01:00.002-05:00

One of Jeff's friends from work had a New Year's Party and we all got to go! Even the kids! I was sure the kids wouldn't last the whole night, but to my surprise they did and would have been up longer had we not gone home! Hannah of course fell in love with their dog Daisy. She was such a sweet heart!

No, we're not in Vega's and this is not Kids Gone Wild! They had a game room/man cave/entertainment room, the kids were enthralled with all the fun stuff our friends had to play with. The slot machine was complete with tokens and was a hit with all the kids!

The Hockey table was great fun too! I got pulled into more then one game with various children. I really mean pulled. This little boy to the side would come find me in the house and ask me to play with him. Most of the people there thought he was my child for most of the night!

Rowan made many friends, mainly girls which he would grab onto their hand and pull them where ever he wanted to go. The night ended with fireworks, thanks to some of our friends that went down to South Carolina and bought them. Rowan loved them! Hannah tolerated being out in the cold to watch them, Ian wouldn't come outside. Too cold, I guess! It was so much fun!

How the night ended! Welcome 2009!

2009-01-08T15:46:00.002-05:00

So the kids stayed up to ring in the New Year! They didn't want to go home, but as expected as soon as we got back in the car they fell asleep! First Hannah, then Ian, and finally Rowan!

Man, I hope this doesn't give him neck problems!

Rowan wasn't asleep yet, he just refused to open his eyes to the camera flash.

Rowan, SMILE! Please, just smile!

2008-12-30T10:22:00.003-05:00

Trying to make Rowan smile proved to be quite a project! He just wasn't having it! Here are a few pics to prove just how hard I tried!

He's such a comedian!

Aw come on Ro, be serious!

As close as we could come to an actual smile! Whew, we're done!

Our Christmas Card Picture! Rowan still couldn't manage a normal smile! Oh well, gotta love him!

Merry Christmas Everyone!

2008-12-30T10:11:00.002-05:00

One of my projects for Kristi and her family. These are coasters I made for them.

My big project for my Mom and Dad for Christmas. Thanks everyone for getting those pictures to me! I think it turned out really cute! They are never gonna need to buy coasters ever again! ;)

~Christmas Eve~

2008-12-30T09:51:00.002-05:00

Each Christmas in the Olson Family, we pick a sibling to get gifts for. This year we had my sister Kristi and her family, they had us. Thanks sis! The kids loved each gift! We love that we'll be able to go out and eat without kids! :)

Ian especially loved the ramp, the lego car can jump over! We love the noisy simon says game! ;) Thanks so much! :)

Rowan was so excited to "Go Fishing!" It even went to bed with him that night!

Jeff and I have gotten into The Office. So now we have all four seasons!

Jeff out did himself this Christmas, he picked out a beautiful necklace for me! Thanks Hon!

Christmas Surprises!

2008-12-30T09:37:00.002-05:00

Rowan was so excited to open presents! Didn't really care about the clothes though, hmm I wonder why not?! :)

Hannah our future Vetrinarian, with her newest patient! She was pretty happy to find this! If you can't tell by the smile on her face!

Grandpa and Grandma Olson, How did you know my family would love this!!! :) Thank you, this so far has given hours and hours of excitement! We're all gonna be pro's by the time you come out to visit and then we'll see how you two fair! :) We love you!

Both boys were so excited to try out their new remote control cars! Rowan likes to make it spin in circles.

Ian has recently been really into Pokemon cards. He was soooo happy to find these under the tree! Mom and Dad are so cool!

Party Fun!

2008-12-17T10:13:00.003-05:00

The Airforce usually puts on a Christmas party for all the adults (although by the end of the party all the "adults" are acting more like kids). It's usually at a really nice location, this year it was held at the Grove Park Inn. They have it catered, the food was oh soo yummy! Then they have games, white elephant and raffle tickets and at the end they end up dancing til the sun comes up! We had a lot of fun. It was nice to get dressed up and go out with out worrying about where the kids are or what they're getting into!

Here Comes Santa Claus!

2008-12-10T09:52:00.003-05:00

The kids were soooo excited to see Santa! Ian even wrapped up one of the things he built and gave it to Santa! Poor Santa though couldn't seem to keep his hair out of his face!

Getting ready to go to the party! I love Rowan's face peeking in behind us!

On my way back to build more projects for Ian! Just call me Mrs. Handyman! I need a toolbelt though!

Christmas Party!

2008-12-10T08:59:00.004-05:00

Through out the whole party Rowan had some sort of treat continously stuffed in his mouth. It's like he thought he was never gonna get candy ever again!

Rowan had so much fun running around and getting into everything he possibly could. When ever it would get quiet and we couldn't find him. We'd check behind the Christmas tree and sure enough there he was, snitching the candy canes off the tree! Here's a picture of him being caught in the act! He thought he was in trouble for sure!Here's another of him with a treat in his mouth! I'm really surprised he didn't end up with a tummy ache with the amount of sugar he ate that day.

Jeff was asked to "Man" the craft table! I spent my time with a hammer and nails in my hand! Lol! Enough said huh! :) He tried to make a few crafts, but his projects just never seemed to stay together! Good try though honey!

Hannah did a bit of everything!

She was especially good at decorating cookies and then sharing them with anyone that didn't have a cookie their hands already! This is her castle box she helped build.

This is where Ian and I spent most of our time. Building little projects! Or rather, Ian would find the ones he wanted, open them, start pounding nails in and then say, " Mom this is too hard, will you do it!" So we, I mean I ended up building a ship, a car, a plane, two baseball bat & glove holders, a football plaque, tool box (dad helped build that one), book rack, a castle box (another friend helped Hannah build it), and a napkin holder! But I must admit I loved every second of it!

He really had a good time hammering nails! Although most ended up being hammered through the wood and into the table.

One of the many, finished products!

Great job Ian!

I'm Not Ready for My Little Girl to Like Boys!

2008-12-10T08:39:00.004-05:00

Here are a few pictures of Hannah and her friends. There are 6 girls, including Hannah, in her class and 10 boys. So the majority of Hannah's friends are boys, as you can see in the pictures. :) Hannah, Bryan, Tyler, and Davin are in this picture.

Hannah and Javen.

Ever since the begining of the school year Hannah and Tyler have been good friends. He's the oldest and biggest in the class and she's the youngest and smallest in the class. According to them they're cousins! She tells me all the time that when she grows up, she and Tyler are going to get married. A few weeks ago Tyler invited her to go to his house and play and then go to the theater and watch Bolt. Yikes, my 5 year old is already getting asked out on a date! We (me, Rowan, Ian, and Hannah) ended up going to the movie with Tyler and his mom. It's really funny, yet kinda nerve racking to see Hannah "liking" a boy!

~Just Lion Around~

2008-12-05T09:17:00.002-05:00

We've had this lion costume since Ian was small. Each one of the kids has loved dressing up in it. It seems, especially Rowan. He gets really cute when he's wearing it. This time he kept wanting to stick his tongue out when I would try and take a picture. Thats what Lion's do Mom! So he says!

When I get the camara out he has to see each picture after it's taken. We can't go on until he does!

Maybe this little lion is hungry?

Or maybe he's had a little too much punch?

Either way he's as cute as can be! How'd I get so lucky?

Gettin Crafty!

2008-12-05T09:08:00.002-05:00

I got really ambitious a few years ago and decided to sew my kids stockings. No pattern other then my own stocking. I think they turned out really cute. :) Now if I can just get my kids to keep their feet out of them!
Just before Thanksgiving we had a Super Saturday for RS in our ward. Here are a few things I did that day! I've seen these little FHE boards in many of my friends homes and finally decided to do one myself. I found the letters for our names, but still have a spot left over.... Any ideas what to fill it with?

I just thought these were pretty and wanted to do one for my home. Now I'm looking to do a sign with our family name on it...

All ready for snow and no where to go!

2008-12-01T21:31:00.002-05:00

We broke out the winter gear finally! The kids have been wearing them: hat, gloves, and scarfs around the house ever since. They even wear them to bed! Notice though that Ian is still trying to wear his shorts! He wears long sleaved shirts in the summer and shorts in the winter! Don't ask me, I haven't figured it out yet! I thought they looked too cute to pass up a picture!

How prayers are heard!

2008-12-01T21:09:00.003-05:00

Last one for tonight I promise! We were getting ready for bed, you know reading scriptures, prayers, etc. Well tonight it was Hannah's turn to say family prayer before bed. She's very into saying meaningful prayers. If you've ever heard Ian pray you'd appreciate her hard work at keeping it original each time she prays. :) We've struggled with Ian in getting him to think about what he says, instead of just saying the same thing each time he prays. We almost have to cut her off from her narrative to our Father in Heaven so we can get them to bed!

Hannah said her wonderful prayer and then had to explain to me how Jesus hears our prayers. According to her, He grabs them out of the air and then reads them! I love just how simple a child's mind works! It makes sense to her, so it must be how it is! I love hearing their explinations of the way things work!

Guess I'll go eat Worms!!

2008-12-01T20:38:00.004-05:00

Here's another WORM moment for you, brought to you by Rowan of course!

We just recently put up our Christmas tree and few decorations. The kids were very excited about it and were very eager to help put ornaments on the tree and now they're wrapping presents (their own toys and giving them to each other). So we have small bundles under the tree wrapped by tiny hands! So cute I know.

Well tonight we sat down to watch a Christmas movie together and Rowan brought over the Joseph, Mary, and Baby Jesus figurine we have sitting by the DVD player. He came and sat down by me and started to tell me what each figure was. Mommy, Daddy, and when he got to the Baby Jesus, out came not baby, but Worm!

I promise I do teach my children the difference between babies and worms! :) I'm not sure where his fascination with worms has sprung from, but it's here none the less! I'm just hoping he doesn't start bring them home in his pockets!

Rowan's 3rd Birthday!

2008-11-19T09:20:00.004-05:00

Rowan has really been into the Happy Birthday thing this year. Since mine, Jeff's, and Hannah's all come right before his, he knew what it was all about! He learned the Happy Birthday song and has been singing it around the house since the begining of October. Now he sings it too any one who will listen to him! His Grandma Kathy sent a package a few days before his birthday, and being the mean mom I am, I made him wait til his birthday to open it up! Torture for him let me tell you! He practically camped out on the box til Saturday morning. That morning, despite the late hour Dad let them stay up til, he was up bright and early! Yes EARLY, singing happy birthday to himself and trying to wake mommy and daddy up. So we all got up and let him open up his presents, you would have thought it was Christmas he was so excited! I still can't believe my baby is 3 though!

He picked out an ice cream cake for his birthday. Yummy!

He has really been into trains this year. Especially Thomas the Train, but he'll still play with other trains. He gets very animated when we pass by the train sets at the stores. When ever we go shopping we have to strategically plan our route so as not to go by the trains or we'll be stuck there for awhile!

Hannah got a Pound puppy for her birthday and Rowan didn't want to let her have it so he got one too. Thanks Grandpa and Grandma Olson! He takes it everywhere with him!

Thomas the train! Or according to Rowan, "My Train"! He had a fun morning and by the time lunch rolled around he was ready for a nap. I had to go to a first aide certification class that day, so dad had them in the afternoon. He said Rowan couldn't even finish his lunch, he fell asleep in it instead!

WORMS!!!!

2008-11-07T10:09:00.002-05:00

Rowan and I went to the YMCA for a bit yesterday because I had to work. So he got to go play in the childcare for awhile. He played with toys and colored, in general had a good time! When I picked him up, he had colored a picture of a Candy Cane, as I was about to comment on his beautiful Candy Cane, he shouted out very excitedly "My Worm"!! I couldn't help but laugh, because really I could see how he decided it was a worm and not a candy cane. He's such a boy!

Hannah's 5th Birthday!

2008-11-04T14:40:00.004-05:00

I know this is almost a month late, but better late then never right! We went to a pottery place here in Asheville for Hannah's birthday. We picked out some ornaments to paint and really had a great time. Here are a few of our friends here! Starting from Jeff's left: Laura and Dean Hutcheon and Tara and her son Dayne. We've had a good time with them! I think we'll be painting a lot more pottery while we're here in Asheville. The owner's of Fired Up Creative Studio were really nice and extremely accomdating to us and our rowdy bunch!

Philisophical Moments From a Child

2008-11-04T14:25:00.003-05:00

A friend got this idea from one of her friends and I decided it was too cute to pass up. So, I'm going to "try" and remember to start writing down all the funny things my kids say because heaven knows it happens often enough. Then I'm going to include them in our family blog so we can share these funny moments with those we love......

********
So today we were at a restaurant for lunch and while we were eating Hannah had a light bulb moment. She turned to me and said...

"Mom, do you know what it means when someone's eyebrow is up and the other one is down?"
I responded, "No honey, what does it mean?"
She was quick to reply, "Well the eyebrow that is up means they're allergic to plants and the eyebrow that is down, means they're mad."
*********

Well who'da thunk! I know you all are so relieved to finally know what that curious expression "actually" means!

GOAAALLLL! Soccer is over for now!

2008-11-03T11:12:00.003-05:00

Well the soccer season has come to an end! Thank goodness cause those early morning games of Hannah's were getting cold!!! Poor girl has had to play in 31 degree weather for the past few weeks. It really has been fun watching them progress in their skills.

Ian and Faith were the more aggressive players on thier team.

Hannah was so nervous through out her game. When we finally asked what was wrong, she explained that she was afraid she wasn't going to get a trophy if she didn't make a goal! Awww, Hannah I don't think anyone could not give you one! She was a really good little player and made plenty of goals throughout the season!

Amazing Fall Colors!

2008-11-03T10:48:00.002-05:00

The fall colors here are simply breathtaking! I love walking outside everyday just see the beautiful colors! This picture is just right outside infront of our apartment. The little tree down on the right is probably my favorite tree here! The color is amazing! I'm totally in awe of the North Carolina Fall!
Here is an upclose of the that little tree in the previous picture! The underneath of most of the leaves were more yellow then red but ontop of the leaf it was very red!

I saw this tree which is right outside our apartment as well and couldn't believe these two red leaves were growing off the same branch as the yellow leaves. I couldn't see any other red leaves on the rest of the tree!

Again, my favorite little tree!

Haloween Fun 2008

2008-11-03T10:08:00.002-05:00

So here we are, Haloween again! This year was alot of fun! Ian and Hannah could barely wait for it to get here. Here is one house we stopped at. There is a man in a gorilla costume there in the back. Rowan was especially fascinated by him. There were a few other houses that had a man dressed up as a vampire and another from the movie V is for Vendetta. They'd stand really still then scare the kids as they came up to it. Rowan would have been happy just for that! He wouldn't leave these guys alone. He almost forgot about the candy altogether. Oh and the open doors to the homes were a huge temptation for Rowan. I had to drag him out of more then a few while apologizing to laughing home owners. The open door policy ALWAYS applies to Rowan, or so he believes! We actually stayed out trick or treating for over two hours. We were so tired by the end of it! We went to a neighborhood right by us that the police blocked off just for us trick or treaters! It was nice to not have to worry about traffic as well as keeping kids together!

So we didn't know what to do for Rowan. We found a monkey outfit but couldn't convince him that it was awesome, but when we saw this boxing outfit he was okay with it! He especially loved the boxing gloves that came with it. He has since discarded the out fit, but still comes at us with the gloves ever chance he can.

Yup, even I got into the holiday spirit a bit. I had some fake eyelashes from last haloween so I whipped em out and put them on! Cool huh! They were really hard to get used to. My shirt even says "I love candy" appropriate don't you think! I put some makeup on Hannah which she loved in and of itself, but when I got to the mascara I couldn't help but be amazed. This girl has some really really long eyelashes. By the end she had a black streak across her eyebrows because thats where they kept touching! Man I'm jealous!

Ian has been planning on being a clone trooper since, well last year. But had to settle for Darth Vader because mom couldn't find the right costume! Sheesh mom! So he was pretty stoked to find it this year and there was absolutely no way his mind was going to be changed! Hannah chose a Rapunzal costume, cause well you know, She's a princess! I'm pretty sure we have 3 or 4 Princess costumes floating around the house now! And don't get me wrong she uses them! I thought the Rocky costume for Rowan pretty well fit his personality. He loves to play it up!

A Walk with Dad is a Walk to Remember. :)

2008-10-28T10:24:00.002-04:00

Here are a few "cool" pics Dad and the kids took on their walk. Nature is so awesome!

Hey Jessi, now you've started a competition between Justin and Rowan. So far, Rowan is ahead so you all might want to get a move on it! Rowan split his chin open yet again on Saturday afternoonish. This is his fourth time to split it open. Stitches, done that. Now I'm thinking I might want to let some scar tissue build up just in case he does it again. Which is looking like it will be immenent. :). Well here's to our Boy's chins! Rowan was the same, after about 15 minutes of ripping open his chin (each time) he was jumping off chairs like nothing ever happened (even in the emergency room while waiting to get stitches). Now, I just throw my hands up in the air and laugh! As you can see from the pic, he's not too scarred from it!

2008-10-28T10:11:00.002-04:00

Yesterday Dad took the kids on a walk and let Mommy sleep without interuption so I can try and recover from having my tonsils ripped out. Ha! Now I know why they do this when you're little! Anyways, Dad and the kids had a lot of fun hiking and taking pictures! As you can tell my kids love to pose! We all really like to take walks because the outdoors here are just so breathtakingly beautiful!

North Carolina in the Fall

2008-10-22T07:56:00.007-04:00

End of Summer Fun

2008-10-19T18:50:00.003-04:00

These were taken at the end of the summer. One is of the kids on their first day of school. A few are of us at the pool here at our apartment. And the others are of us at the lake near our apartments. We like to go feed the geese, ride paddle boats, and play at the playground there. At one outing, Jeff caught a goose to get a string off of its foot. The goose endured it then when Jeff put him down, oh my goodness, you could feel the embarrassment rolling off him. He didn't bother to run around anyone in order to get away from Jeff and into the lake, no he pushed right past our kids and slinked down into the lake with it's head down the whole way! We couldn't stop laughing!

Oops, Sneads Ferry NC. Labor day weekend, 08

2008-10-19T18:12:00.006-04:00

We spent Labor Day weekend in Sneads Ferry/Topsail Island Beach, NC. We all had so much fun! I can honestly say I would love the chance to become an actual beach bum! Boogie boarding and battling the waves was sooo much fun! Ian proved himself to be a natural surfer, Rowan preferred the sand to the water, andvHannah even became somewhat comfortable in the water. And thank goodness none of us saw any sharks!

Argg! I'm a pirate, so don't even think about taking my candy apple!

Rowan and I were playing with the camera. Aren't we cute!

GOALLLLLL!!!!! October 2008

2008-10-19T16:44:00.005-04:00

So we decided to put Ian and Hannah into soccer this year. Hoping to teach them team building skills and exhaust some of there never ending energy! Energy still there, but they are learning to play as a team instead of just wanting to be the only one to score. Hannah is making us wonder if we have the next Mia Hamm on our hands. She showed all the boys up by scoring 5 times in one half of a game. She's a surprisingly aggressive player!

Ian is doing really well too. He loves hearing people yelling his name! He loves to be in the spotlight. He too is one of the more aggressive players on his team.

Playing at the Barney Farm- June 2008

2008-08-03T07:15:00.003-04:00

While we were at Jeff's parents farm, the kids just loved playing in the irrigation water! Jeff and I even got in and had a good time. I love this picture of Rowan. He truly is my little ray of sunshine! Hannah loved pretending to be a mermaid. Ian got so cold, but refused to come out of the water.