The Jensen's

Update

2011-11-16T20:56:00.000-08:00

Here is an update for how things have been going here. Mason is now over 4 months old now. At his doctor appt. he weighed 9 lbs. 8 oz. He has been growing a lot lately. I took him to Salt Lake last month and they did a couple tests on his kidneys and they said they are functioning great. The tests were rough for him and after the first he started dropping a little, but he got through them and I am so happy that everything looks great! He is such a sweet, happy baby! He is super smiley and has started to giggle. So cute! I just love him. I'm always reminding myself to be appreciative that we are where we are...home.

The winter approaching, though, makes me really nervous! He was supposed to be getting RSV shots but the insurance denied him (I guess they are around $1200 each and he would get them once a month during RSV season). His doctor is mad and has tried to get the insurance company to ok them, but since he was many weeks old on November 1st, he's denied. She even talked to the rep for the shots and the rep said it wasn't her fault that the mother has so many kids. (Rude!) Basically I'm just hoping to get through this winter with a healthy baby.

I haven't gotten him any more of his immunizations yet. That last time scared me so much I want to give him a little more time to be able to handle them better. I had my kids and I get flu shots. I never know what to do but I'm hoping it will help. It's hard because the girls have to go to school and them bringing home germs is what concerns me most.

Mason hasn't had any of his turning blue spells for a while. One of his last was when we were in Bear Lake. My sister-in-law's dad passed away (so sad!) so my sisters and I went to the viewing and left the kids and husbands at the cabin. While we were gone Mason had stopped breathing and turned blue for a bit. Brandon called me and was really concerned. I have never had anxiety before all of this happened and now I understand a little what people go through. I knew that Mason would be okay, but I was just hit with all of the emotions I had gone through while he was at the hospital. My association with him there isn't just the NICU, it is EVERYTHING that happened from his birth to going home. It was a lot! I am definitely doing well, but every once in a while I am just overwhelmed with anxiety! It's not fun, but has been getting better. I think it has just taken a while to really process everything too.

Halloween was fun and I was so glad to have good weather! The girls had a good time too! Sydnee was a Monster High girl, Madelyn was a devil, Emma a bride, Sophie a skunk, and Mason was an owl for parties and ended up a bear for Halloween night. My girls didn't want to match each other this year and I was kind of sad because I love a theme, but o'well. They are getting older and more opinions come with age!

Sydnee is doing well. She is in 4th grade and turns 10 this month. I can't believe that! She is pre-teen and has been having more emotions lately. A little pre-show for what we will be going through in a couple years. SCARY! She really is a good girl though. She does well in school and loves her friends and to dance!

Madelyn is 8 and is in 3rd grade. She was baptized the day before Mason came home from the hospital. She enjoys school too and is such a creative girl!

Emma is 6 and in 1st grade. She is the middle child trying to find her identity and voice in the family. She is taking tumbling this year and has a lot of potential! She is a beautiful girl!

Sophie is 3 and so much fun. She will tell you she loves you all the time. I love it! She goes to preschool and dance and asks every morning if she is going or not. She has such a fun personality!

I love each of our kids so much! I feel so blessed to be their mom! I have a lot to work on, and many times feel a bit overwhelmed, but I would never want my life any other way.

Our family went to the temple October 15th and my brother-in-law did Dylan's temple work. It was a very special day (and was very emotional)! It changed my perspective on how personal each person we act as proxy for should be.

Dylan's birthday was October 17th and we went to Mandy's house. Ryan was gone for work, but she was surrounded by family and friends. We tied blankets for Primary's and she had the kids make cupcakes. That night we went to the cemetary where we sang happy birthday and let balloons go. How hard! I miss him so much! We all miss him! Mandy and Ryan are amazing people, but I can't imagine how difficult it is for them and will be for the rest of this life!

Home

2011-08-15T22:36:00.000-07:00

So mason was finally able to come home on Sunday, August 7th. The last week I had such a hard time even being at the hospital because it gave me so much anxiety. Driving to the hospital on Sunday I was so sick to my stomach and nervous that when we got there they would tell us he needed to stay longer. I didn't think mentally or emotionally i could handle it. Luckily that didn't happen and so now we are HOME! It is so nice to be home! Our kids are beyond thrown off by all of this, but it has been very therapudic being home.

Since being home Mason has been doing really well. He had a monitor on him which goes off (crazy loud) if he either hasn't taken a breath for over 20 seconds or if his heart rate drops below 70. There is no way I would have dared bring him home without it! I wouldn't get an ounce of sleep because I'd be watching him breathe all night. Our girls are loving him and I've been especially surprised by Emma, she just loves watching him and has been my biggest helper!

So Mason was discharged weighing 6 lbs and today weighed 6 lbs. 6 oz. I took him to the doctor and let them do the dumbest thing, some immunizations. What in the world was I thinking? I'm so mad! I told her I didn't want to do them all at once, so they did 3 instead of 5. He is so little! I think immunizations are so difficult to decide how to do them (or whether not to). I know we have them for a reason and that the diseases we are preventing against were terrible, but why should I have the same dose for my little baby than a big healthy baby? Anyway, he has been miserable today and has had some drops in his heart rate and breathing. Now I am back to being a mess worrying about him. I'm just really mad at myself for not thinking this through better and just trusting the doctor. What was I thinking????

Rollercoaster

2011-08-01T09:02:00.001-07:00

I feel like I've been on a roller coaster with so many ups and downs. I'm not loving this roller coaster and would really like to jump off it and be able to stand on solid ground. Emotionally I feel exhausted.

We were told we would probably be taking Mason home today. He finished his 48 hours of full feeds this morning. I was at the hospital until 2:30 am feeling stressed. So many horror stories of babies ready to leave but something changing to make them stay so I was trying not to get too excited. Also a little nervous about bringing him home. Preemies are so different than healthy babies. Just watching your babies monitors could make you a nervous wreck and seeing what they have to work through as they grow and figure things out. This has been such a different experience!

I called the hospital this morning at 6:00 am to see how he was doing. The nurse told me at around 4:00 am his heart and oxygen levels dropped so now that means we probably have at least another week before he can come home. It's so strange I don't really feel like I have a baby. It just seems like a horrible dream or like I have 2 lives, one periodically at home and the other at the hospital. Oh, please bless that this will end soon.

I don't want to bring him home until he is ready, especially because I don't ever want to go back! Plus I don't want to be constantly worrying about him. He is such a sweet baby with a good temperament. I am so grateful that he is doing as well as he is, because he really made a lot of progress fast. I'm just emotionally tired and came home for the day for a break. A much needed break!

More with Mason

2011-07-28T23:35:00.000-07:00

Mason is in the NICU still. Today he is 38 weeks gestation. I feel like I have been pretty patient with him being there but on Monday after the nurse told me he was "immature" and he wasn't where I was hoping he would be by now, I was a little down. Also I'm tired of making decisions of where to be and asking people to watch our girls. I feel so bad about that! I can always tell myself that so many people have it much harder than us, but for a minute I had a little pity party and then got over it and moved on. I think every once in a while everyone is entitled to one, as long as it is short-lived.

Brandon surprised me that day and stopped by. I love him! He Is the perfect man for me! He amazes me and I feel so blessed to have him by my side. He has had to take on a lot of responsibilities and hasn't complained, even though I know it has been so difficult for him.

Mason now is doing alright. He just has to figure out eating better and be able to eat full feeds for 48 hours. He got his oxygen taken off a few days ago and has done really well without it. The only time he struggles a bit with a little apnea is when he is bottle fed. He is getting a little more adjusted to it but still needs some work. He was put on Zantac for his reflux and the nurses think it has helped.

So for now we just wait and pray that he can figure it out soon and be able to come home. That will be a great day!

Time

2011-07-21T10:23:00.000-07:00

Mason is doing pretty good still. Sunday and Monday were his best days. The last couple days he has been more tired, but they say it's normal. He still has oxygen, mostly for when he is eating. They started giving him half formula and half breast milk. He does desat sometimes when he's eating. He is probably eating about have of his feeds by bottle and the rest is gavaged. He weighs 5 lbs. 5 oz. And has been a very sweet, mellow baby (I'm hoping it's not just because he's a preemie and too tired to act otherwise).

A couple days ago my sister-in-law's brother was in a fatal airplane crash. I feel awful! I'm praying for his family. He was only 35. This last month has been crazy. Chelsea said she feels like we are getting "Punked". It's a really mean one if that's the case! I guess when it rains it pours, but now I feel like I'm just waiting for whatever is coming next.

I came home last night and am spending the day with my girls. I have felt so stretched feeling like I should be with both our girls and with Mason. It's hard but some day it will be a memory.

Good

2011-07-18T08:38:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a wonderful day for Mason. It seems like night and day from just a few days ago. I'd like to think that he has a special guardian angel watching over him. He has started eating much more from the bottle on some of his feeds, got his pic line out (HORRAY), didn't have any desats or bradys (miracle), is now back in a "big boy bed" and just looks so much better! It makes me so happy to feel like we are progressing in the right direction!

On Saturday was Dylan's funeral. Everyone that spoke did an incredible job! It truly was amazing! Ryan, Dylan's dad, spoke and I can't even explain it...AMAZING! He posted most of his talk on Dylan's blog - www.dylandshaw.blogspot.com. I am just surrounded by people who rise when they need to instead of fall. A quote from someone's talk said "Sometimes miracles aren't the healing of sick bodies, but the healing of a sick soul". For us this past month, we have experienced both.

Dylan

2011-07-12T11:40:00.000-07:00

Our sweet Dylan passed away this morning at 1:20 am. I say "our" because everyone that came in contact with Dylan, felt such a connection to and love for him. His incredible spirit changed everyone's hearts for good, including mine. So many emotions fill my body. I am happy for him that he is free from his sick body. That he is free from pain and from the many limitations that he had. I have a deeper sense of love for my whole family. Families are forever. I know this more now than ever! I know that life can be hard. Very, very difficult in fact. But we are never left alone.

After Dylan's spirit left his body, the song "In This Very Room" was going through my head. I mentioned it to Chelsea and she said the same song was in hers too. Here are some of the words.

"In this very room, there's quite enough love for all of us,
And in this very room, there's quite enough joy for all of us.
There's quite enough hope, and quite enough power
To chase away any blue. For Jesus, Lord Jesus,
Is in this very room."

My heart is broken, especially for my wonderful sister, her husband and kids. I know that our Heavenly Father and Savior is mindful of them. I don't think any parent should ever experience what they have, but I know that they will be there by their side. Their pain is deeper than I could ever imagine and I so wish I could take it all away. They have been and are amazing people. I'm so blessed to have them in my life.

Dylan will be missed by so many! He was so special that he didn't need to be here anymore. It is so hard to lose him, especially so young and we will forever be doing it for Dylan!

Apnea

2011-07-10T16:39:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a really hard day. Mason has really struggled with apnea. I don't know how many times he turned blue and went limp. Once his oxygen level went to 0. I used to be confident with my babies, but now I feel anxious every time I hold him, always worrying if he is going to stop breathing. It is awful!!! I finally had a breakdown and couldn't handle any more and had to leave. I have pretty much gone to the hospital every day from 10 am until around 10 pm. I think all of this has been so much to handle. It has also been frustrating because I feel like in the last 2 weeks he hasn't progressed at all, he has gotten worse. It's hard not to wonder if we should have kept him at the U. But I have to remind myself it is what it is and I have to hold tight to faith that he is going to get better.

On Wednesday I went to my two week doctor appointment. It was a lot more difficult for me than I ever thought it would be. Seeing all of the pregnant women there, knowing that I still would be pregnant, was hard. That night my friends did a shower for me. I have the best friends and neighborhood ever! We have felt so much love from everyone. I had to laugh when I came home my pot of flowers on my front porch was completely filled with water. They were being killed with kindness! That made me feel loved.

So back to Mason. They stopped feeding him again and I guess it has helped with his apnea spells. The poor little guy has been through a lot. I'm not sure when they will start feeding him again. When they do I think they are going to feed him predigested formula for a while until his stomach gets stronger. Good thing I'm pumping my life away. I have breast milk in too many people's freezers. That can't be appetizing opening your freezer to that! O'well.

I got to see my girls and hubby for the first time in a long time. It's so good to see them, even though they are a wreck too. Hopefully some day we will be able to get back to some sort of normal life. I feel pulled in both directions, feeling guilty if I'm not with the girls but then feeling bad not being with Mason. One day this will be a memory....I look forward to that day.

My nephew, Dylan, isn't doing very well at all. The so-called "honeymoon phase" never happened for him. His symptoms keep getting worse and worse. He is a special guy and it is so horrible having to see he and his family going through this. I wish I could do something to alleviate some of their pain. Life can be hard and sadly hard happens for a lot of people. I just don't know how people could go through something like this without the gospel. It would be completely unbearable without the knowledge and testimony of eternal families. I am so grateful for my testimony and the strong testimonies of my sister and her husband Ryan. They have been amazing and great examples of enduring well. I love them!

Today

2011-07-04T15:12:00.000-07:00

Today things are pretty good. Every day I have anxiety when I'm leaving around 10 or 11 pm and anxiety when I'm coming back the next morning. I call a couple times through the night to check on him, but every day is filled with something new. Mason is noticeably feeling better. We are so blessed that they caught the NEC when they did. It was SO scary but I think we are out of the woods. He is on a ton of antibiotics and fluids. They won't feed him for probably another 3-5 days. He is acting really hungry which is great! The other day he just layed there lifeless. It was awful!

I've been able to hold him a few times since, which is so healing and means that he is stable enough. His x-rays of his stomach look a ton better. Today they were concerned about a PDA in his heart. They were thinking they would have to do a blood transfusion. They did an ultrasound of his heart and the PDA had closed which is great! They aren't doing a blood transfusion now and I am praying will never have to. He is anemic and they are giving him medicine for that to help him replenish his blood.

He had some bad a/b's early this morning before I got here. On one his heart rate dropped to 45. Not good! They were considering giving him caffeine but are thinking it won't help because he just cuts off his airway. I can't wait until he grows out of these. We won't be able leave the hospital until he has gone without them for a week. (Im praying that they stop soon!).

My brain is constantly being filled with terms, information, concerns, medications, etc. It's a bit overwhelming, but we are going to make it through. Thank you for all of your prayers! I have needed and really felt them!

Bad Day

2011-07-02T18:33:00.000-07:00

Today has been another bad day. Mason's worse for sure. He has a virus in his intestine called NEC. They had to put a pic line in him. It has been super scary and I've been a wreck! The first time they tried to put it in it didn't go. He got dehydrated and looked terrible! It is probably not the best when the doctor says he is concerned and you can feel it too. The pharmacist and a doctor came and gave him a blessing (love the priesthood). He looked quite a bit better after and they were able to get the second attempt in. He is on 3 antibiotics, they've stopped feeding him breast milk and has a tube down his throat sucking out the air. It's very difficult to see my baby look like this!

I feel really blessed to have had the doctor we had because they think they caught it early (he has been amazing!) I feel like I've been run over by a couple dump trucks. I think they might have gone in reverse and run me over again. But right now he is sleeping which is good, and he doesn't seem to be in a lot of pain, which is great. I just love this little guy and need him to get better!

Also my awesome sister-in-law, Heidi, showed up right when this all started. She is staying with me tonight (my whole family is in Bear Lake) and I have really needed her today!

I'm just praying that Mason has an ok night tonight. I'm scared to leave him. Maybe I won't...

Hard

2011-07-01T17:43:00.000-07:00

July 1, 2011

The last couple days have been more difficult for me. Three nights ago Heidi and Mike had to take Sophie to the ER because she got croup so bad. It was so hard not being there with her (even though we knew she was well taken care of). So Brandon and I decided it would be best that he go stay with the girls, which means that he needs to stay away from me and Mason for a while so we don't risk the chance of getting him sick. I miss them so much!

Yesterday was Emma's birthday. It was SO hard for me not to be able to celebrate with her! I just really look forward to being a normal family again! I feel so torn and don't want my girls to think that Mason is more important to me than they are. This is hard.

Today I went to my neighbor's funeral. She was expecting and passed away from complications the day after my incident. I feel sick about it. It's really hard because I feel like we were pretty blessed how things worked out, but why didn't they for her? Her family deserved it just as much as ours. I know Heavenly Father has a plan and this is just one part of it I won't be able to understand now. I pray for their family! I can't even imagine how HARD this is for them.

On my way to the funeral I got a call from Mason's nurse. He had been having a bunch of a/bs. He has reflux and he closes off his airway to protect himself, but then he forgets to start breathing. It's normal, but his have gotten a little worse and lasted a little longer. I don't like so much him turning blue! One spell lasted a minute and a half before they got him breathing again. Also, he has diaherria, he was projectile vomiting, his skin was marbely, and his stomach was lumpy. They are running tests and taking x-rays of his stomach. They think he has a virus, but not sure what. It tested negative for bacterial, so it must be viral. They stopped fortifying the breastmilk they feed him through a tube. During the afternoon he seemed to be doing a bit better, but still I worry so much about the little guy. It is a step back and if his stomach still has problems they will have to start an IV and put off feeding him for a while, which would be a bigger set back. UGH!

I remember after our traumatic day after they delivered Mason the nurses were congratulating me. All I could think was, "How can you congratulate me when it's not supposed to be like this. He's not supposed to be born yet. Now instead of being a healthy baby, he has to struggle to survive. Congratulations???" I know we have been so blessed, but it is still so hard. Hard to watch him fight. We are on the better side of things. We've seen so many babies that are a lb and a half and know they have a much longer, bumpy road than us. That's when I realize that throughout hard trials and life experiences, we can not only grow closer to our Heavenly Father and Savior, but we also learn a greater sense of compassion and love for others. I feel like this year we have learned this a lot.

I am grateful because I know we have been blessed, but I would be lying if I didn't say this all has been really HARD!

sweet baby!

2011-06-28T23:24:00.000-07:00

We are all hanging in there. More updates coming soon, but for now...Mason was transferred to Ogden, YAAY!! This will make his time in the hospital a little easier for our family. We are loving all our time with him, but missing our girls!

Mason

2011-06-23T05:16:00.000-07:00

So much has happened the last couple days that it seems like months have passed by. On Monday I had an appointment with a perinatologist to do an ultrasound of our babies kidneys. I had complete placenta previa and at an ultrasound the week before at 31 weeks I had been told our baby had polycystic kidney disease. At my appointment on Monday I was told his kidneys were 2 to 3x the size they should be and were "bright" (still not sure what that means but she said it normally means there is something wrong). I was told that I was to deliver at u of u hospital and until then I needed to go to McKay dee for weekly ultrasounds. Basically she wasn't sure what was wrong with his kidneys but something was. She said to be prepared for the worst, but hope for the best. My mom and I left upset, even more confused, and very worried.

Brandon had been to an appt in Ogden and as soon as he got home had mike (my awesome brother-in-law) help give me a blessing. It was a beautiful blessing with so much power! I was blessed that through faith our babies kidneys would be made whole like my placenta had been 3 weeks before. It was a special blessing and instantly brought me a lot of peace.

The day went on and I was outside talking to my neighbors, Tami and Nancy, when I decided to go into the house to grab something. I was going through the garage and before the steps to my house there was a booster on the ground I was stepping over. Somehow I fell. I tripped and hit my belly so hard on the stair. I instantly knew I was in bad shape! My neighbors ran to me and I felt blood pouring out of me. I ran to the bathroom freaking out, bleeding all over! I was panicking and trying to call my husband and family while Tammy called the ambulance. It was horrifying and I was so blessed that my neighbors were there to help me!

The ambulance came and took me to the hospital. All I could think was "I am so stupid, I can't believe I did this"! I couldn't feel the baby moving at all and was expecting the worst. Then I was getting concerned for myself. When I got to the hospital Brandon and Mike gave me another blessing (powerful) and so many of my family members showed up. I was truly surrounded by love! They did an ultrasound and did a blood test that tested positive that our babies blood was mixed in mine. They monitored me for a while and dr. Fowers said I could stay and be watched or they would fly me to the u of u hospital. He said if it was his wife he would send her, so off I went.

When the helicopter landed at the hospital there was the most beautiful sunset. It is hard to describe how it calmed me and made me feel of my heavenly fathers love and knew he was right there with me. It was a special moment.

At the hospital I once again got a wonderful doctor. They monitored me and around 1:30 am we had turned off the lights to get some sleep. I had been having the braxton hicks contractions pretty close together, but they soon were becoming real contractions and I started bleeding heavily. Right when i was about to call for the doctor he came in and said that they had been watching the monitors and "felt" like they needed to deliver the baby right then. They prepped me and took me to the operating room. I started gushing blood. The placenta was tearing away from the cervix. They cut me open at 2:18 am and mason was out at 2:19 am. It was incredibly fast! Throughout the surgery "A Child's Prayer" was going through my head and helped calm me. Mason was passed through a window to the nicu, but I wasn't able to hear or see him but they said he was ok. Our nightmare was over.

Through this whole experience I have felt so many miracles. For a lot of that day I was really blaming myself for having this happen. Why didn't I move the booster? Why wasn't I more careful? How could I have done this? What more had I caused our baby to have to endure? I quickly realized this is what the advesary wanted. Instead of looking for the blessing it was, I was tearing myself down. Brandon and the girls were supposed to be leaving the next day to california. Because of the previa I was staying home and my parents were going in my place to help out. What if this had happened when they were gone and I was all alone?! What a blessing it happened then! I feel like all of the doctors were so inspired for what was best for me and our baby! Later on tuesday they did an ultrasound of his kidneys. We were very nervous! When the doctor said everything was completely normal we cried. That was a miracle!

I have such a strong testimony of the power of the Priesthood! I know that it is real and that it is truly heavenly father's power on earth. I feel so blessed for all of the help we have received from family and friends. We are overwhelmed once again by so much love, concern and generosity!

Mason weighed 4 lbs. 2.7 oz. And was 17.5 inches long. He had a c-pap to put pressure on his lungs to help him breathe easier. His breathing became a little labored so they injected surfactant into his lungs. He now just has a little oxygen on his nose. They started feeding him a little through his nose yesterday and we are hoping to be able to try to feed him in the next couple days depending on how well he is doing. I was able to hold him yesterday for about 10 minutes which was wonderful! We aren't sure hoe long he will be here or what we are doing.

We are so grateful for all of the prayers on our behalf! We have felt so much love and support and are so appreciative!

Christmas 2010

2011-04-01T20:19:00.000-07:00

How we told the girls we were going to be having a baby!

Halloween 2010

2010-11-11T12:57:00.000-08:00

For Halloween the girls decided to be SUPERHEROES and I thought they were SUPER CUTE!!!

BEAR LAKE

2010-09-14T13:11:00.000-07:00

Bear Lake is one of my favorite places to be! I grew up going to Bear Lake in the summer and have so many wonderful memories there with friends and family! I want to pass on those memories to our girls! So we went to Bear Lake lots this summer! The girls had so much fun with their cousins! And the drama level is amazingly down a couple notches when we are there! Gotta love that!!!

South Dakota Trailer Trip

2010-07-16T16:13:00.000-07:00

We went on a 9-day trailer trip to South Dakota and Wyoming with Brandon's sister, her husband's parents, and Brandon's parents. We had a great time! We drove an awful lot, but the kids were awesome!

New York

2010-05-25T21:11:00.000-07:00

I went to New York with my sister Chelsea to visit Andrea, one of my best friends from high school. She and her husband Slade were so nice to let us spend the weekend with them! We did so much! We went to 2 shows, Wicked (front row seats for $26, thanks to Chelsea for winning the lottery) and Fuerzabruta. We went to lots of great stores, took the downtown tour bus, and just had a fabulous time! What a fun trip!!!

Kauai

2010-05-25T13:42:00.000-07:00

Brandon and I were able to go to Hawaii with Farm Bureau in April and had such a great time! The resort was amazing and we enjoyed relaxing in Paradise!!!

Baby Animal Days

2010-05-10T20:23:00.000-07:00

Our girls LOVE animals so it was so fun to take them to baby animal days. I figure that is a great way to get their fix for their want of a pet. I feel bad, but I just can't do a pet right now. I told them if they keep our house clean for a year they can get a puppy...they haven't cleaned it for even a day. Lucky for me we won't be getting a puppy any time soon (or ever)!

Anyway, I had so much fun with the girls! They all loved it, especially Sophie who was afraid of nothing!

Easter

2010-05-10T20:17:00.000-07:00

Sophie turned TWO!

2010-05-10T19:59:00.000-07:00

Sophie turned TWO! She is such a funny little girl and makes us laugh daily! She has destroyed much of our house, but you can't get mad at her when she gives you her cheesy smile! We love her so much!

SOPHIE

2010-03-09T18:51:00.000-08:00

Sophie is such a funny little girl! She has grown up so much and has become quite the jabber mouth. Some of her favorite things is say is "why?", "cause", "hewwo", "binty", "toot", "puppy", "more peese", and "tant tu". Her favorite songs to sing are the ABC's, Sunbeams, and Old McDonald. She loves to watch Dora the Explorer. She can count to about 14 and just loves her "puppies" (sisters). She is super silly and can't sit still, especially in Sacrament meeting when a couple weeks ago she decided to go to the top of the stand and run back and forth saying "hewwo"...yep I didn't know what to do because running after her would have caused more attention and she would have just screamed and ran away from me. Luckily I lured her back with an empty wrapper of fruit snacks. Very embarrassing! Sophie gives the best loves and kisses! I can't believe that she turns 2 this month. She brings so much fun and personality to our home! Gosh I love her!!!

Valentine's Day

2010-03-07T21:01:00.000-08:00

For Valentine's Day I got to go to Emma's preschool for a little party. I love when I get to spend alone time with the girls because it doesn't happen enough! Valentine's day was on Sunday so we celebrated with heart shaped pancakes for breakfast and a yummy dinner after church! I made BJ's favorite food, his spaghetti recipe and tomatoes with fresh mozzarella, basil, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and salt and pepper. YUMMY! Then for dessert we had crepes filled with Nutella, strawberries, bananas, and ice cream. Mmmm! That is a lot to LOVE between the food, my hubby, and our girls!!! I am so LUCKY!

Christmas Eve Pajamas

2010-01-10T07:10:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve at Grandma Charla's & Grandpa Paul's

2010-01-07T15:56:00.000-08:00

It is a tradition to go to Brandon's parents house on Christmas Eve. We eat lots of yummy food, break a pinata, exchange presents, & the kids do the nativity. Here is a picture of Emma when she was going to be a lamb (not so happy) & then instead she got to be Mary (a definite change of attitude. Don't worry though, she didn't get to be Mary because of her bad attitude, it goes by age & the one who was supposed to be Mary didn't want to).

Date with Grammy, Papa, & Chase

2010-01-03T20:58:00.001-08:00

For Christmas each year my parents take us on a date with them. This year my brother Chase had just gotten home from his mission so he got to come with us which was a lot of fun. We rode the Front runner to Salt Lake and then went to an Imax movie and then to dinner at Biaggi's. Spending time with my family is my favorite thing to do!!! Thanks Grammy & Papa!!!

Christmas Dinner Exchange

2010-01-03T20:48:00.000-08:00

For Christmas this year instead of drawing names we did a "Favorite Things" exchange. So we each spent $10 on everyone (the same thing, different colors) and we decided it would be more fun to exchange the gifts at dinner. We went to Windys Sukyaki and in between each course we would open one person's gift. It was so wonderful to spend time with the girls and much more fun than drawing names!!!

The Varmit

2010-01-03T20:44:00.000-08:00

Yep! She is a little stinker!!!

Go Aggies

2010-01-03T20:35:00.000-08:00

Maddie did the Aggie Cheer Camp and then got to perform at half time. She loved it and did a great job! The other girls had a lot of fun watching the game. We love the Aggies!!! 11.7.2009

New Moon

2010-01-03T20:25:00.000-08:00

Here are some pictures of some of my friends & family when we went to New Moon the night before the opening. It was a fun night! 11.19.2009

2009-12-21T19:37:00.000-08:00

Sydnee's Baptism

2009-12-21T17:38:00.000-08:00

Sydnee got baptized on December 5th. It was such a neat experience! She and her friend, Kali, got to sing at it and did a wonderful job. The bottom pictures were taken by Kali's dad (thanks Eric). I can't believe that we have an 8 year old! She is such an amazing little girl!!!

What I am Learning

2009-11-11T00:32:00.000-08:00

There are a lot of things that I am learning or I guess just recognizing more lately.
1. When things happen in life, both big and small, you realize who your real friends are and a lot of them are family.
2. What really matters in the end is how you conduct yourself on a day to day basis. When I meet my Savior when this life is over, I don't want to hide from fear and regret. I want to be able to feel good about the person I am and look at Him and know that He is proud of me.
3. That I have a big testimony and know that I do have a loving Savior who is always there for me. I need him often, every day in fact. I know that families are so important and the reason why we came on this earth is to be able to earn the right to be eternally with our families. What a blessing the temples are and the power of the priesthood to seal families together forever!
4. That I am so blessed to be a mother to four of the most beautiful girls. I love being a mother and I am realizing how fast time flies. Taking in all of the small and tender moments with them is so important. And the crazy, emotional, and destructive moments are times when humor is important (or locking yourself in your room and praying for patience).
5. That I don't need any more drama in my life. I have enough with my girls.
6. That I am so grateful that I married someone much better than myself. He is such a wonderful person and gives me drive to become that better person.
7. That some days it is okay to give up for the moment, as long as it is a short moment.
8. That I will never have a clean house for longer than 2 minutes after the girls get home from school. This is really hard and frustrating for me and I know that there needs to be a balance. Time spent with my kids is more important than having a clean house (I'm continually trying to tell myself this).
9. Whenever I am having a bad or off day, I can ask myself if I have said my prayers, read my scriptures, been to the temple lately, etc. and every time I can say no to at least one of these things. Like I said before it is the small and simple things that make the difference.
10. And on a lighter note, you pay for what you get when it comes to appliances. I don't know how many more times I can epoxy my handle to my microwave.

So Long Sparkles

2009-11-02T09:50:00.000-08:00

Dear Sparkles,
We want to thank you for being such a great pet in the short amount of time we had you. We are so sorry! We don't know if it was the milk that was poured into your bowel or the banana and ranch Sophie so lovingly shared with you. We will miss you and sadly will have to replace you because of a very upset little girl. So long little friend!!!!

Arrrrgh!!!

2009-11-01T06:55:00.000-08:00

The girls were pirates this Halloweeen & had a lot of fun complete with their school carnival where they got their first pet....goldfish. Their names are Tiger, Sparkles, & Elephant. Paul (Brandon's dad) was nice enough to come over yesterday morning & bring them a fish bowl & rocks & help us get them set up.

On Halloween we went to Paul & Charla's fast & then came back to our neighborhood to go trick or treating. It was such a nice day, especially compared to how cold it has been lately. We had a great time! Emma had a little fever so her & Sophie just stayed in the double stroller while Maddie & Sydnee got them candy. There wasn't a complaint! Sophie thought she was in heaven with all the candy! I don't think she would ever stop herself from eating it! She's funny! But sadly she woke up in the middle of the night with a high fever. This crap has been everywhere so it was just a matter of time, but I just hate having sick kids! I think this is why I have such a hard time with winter!

But Halloween was great & I think we have the cutest pirates around!!!

REALLY?

2009-10-20T17:48:00.000-07:00

I went downstairs and found Sophie asleep on the stairs like this. I have no idea how she fell asleep like this! I thought it was so funny!

Peach Days

2009-10-20T17:41:00.000-07:00

For some reason every year we have to go to Peach Days. I guess for me it is tradition?!?

High School Reunion

2009-10-20T17:27:00.000-07:00

I had my 10 year high school reunion on September 11th. I wasn't going to go at first, but I am really glad I did. My good friend, Andrea, came all the way from New York. I had a wonderful time talking with her after & catching up. It was so good to see a lot of people I hadn't seen in a long time!

Labor Day

2009-10-20T17:16:00.000-07:00

On Labor Day we went to Cherry Hill with my parents & the Shaw's. The kids loved it, especially the lazy river!

Emma

2009-10-20T17:08:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures of Emma's first day of the Sports Academy Preschool & the first day of dance class. She was so excited for school to start! What a cutie!

Bear Lake with Friends

2009-10-20T16:52:00.000-07:00

We went to Bear Lake on August 21-23 with our friends the Hansen's, Jones', & Wilson's. We stayed at Dan's brother's cabin & had a great time catching up with everyone!

School Pictures

2009-10-20T16:36:00.000-07:00

Some More Summer

2009-09-29T15:13:00.000-07:00

Emma turned 4 on June 30th so we had a Princess Party for her. They made candy neclaces, played pin the kiss on the frog, ate cake and opened presents. We had a great time!

While our husbands were away, Chelsea came over & had a sleepover. We did facials & pedicures with our girls & they thought that it was the greatest thing ever! It's funny how little things are such a big deal to kids!

The young women in our ward did a fundraiser where they taught the girls a dance & then had a performance. It was very cute!!!

Our Summer Review

2009-08-26T21:21:00.000-07:00

This is a big post from some of our happenings this summer. It's more for me to remember than anything so sorry it's so long...I also need to add pictures from my other camera. I'm mad because something is messed up with this camera so the resolution is horrible. O'well!

I decided it had been a long time since I had taken the girls to Hogle Zoo (it was right before Emma was born), so Chelsea & I braved our way with our SEVEN girls, yes SEVEN! Even though we were WAY outnumbered we managed to have a good time!

In July we went to Steamboat Springs, Colorado & had a great time! We went swimming, down the Alpine Slides, rode the gondola, went on a little hike, went to a white trash miniature golf course & maze, & just really had a fun time being together & with some of our friends from Farm Bureau. While we were at a hot springs water park, Sophie split her head open. It was a nightmare because I took her to the doctor. He first glued it shut, but as soon as I left the office I looked back & she had ripped the glue off & it started bleeding again all over. I took her back & he put steristrips on it. Well, the next morning she ripped those off. The doctor called that day (we had come home) & asked how she was doing & said looking back he should have stitched it. O'well. I just hope it doesn't scar too bad, but our little Sophie is one tough girl!

I can't believe that Madelyn is 6!!! A couple days after her birthday we had a Hawaiian party complete with a waterslide (thanks to my wonderful friend!). The girls seemed to have fun, but it was a HOT day!!!

Brandon & I invested in a couple bikes & a trailer. Our girls enjoy going on bike rides (Sophie isn't quite sure), but there favorite place to ride is up to Heidi & Mike's in Millville.

Madelyn turned 6 on July 11th so she decided we should go to McDonalds. It is kind of funny how much kids love that germ infested place, but I guess a couple times a year is okay...

The Logan fireworks are on the 3rd of July. We always go to Brandon's parent's house & have a barbecue before going to watch the fireworks next to the stadium. It has become a great tradition & something our girls look forward to!

Me & the girls went to Park City for a couple nights at my parent's time share at The Canyons over Emma's 4th birthday. We had a great (and crazy) time there! My sister's & mom were there & I love spending time with them! Even though it is caos with our kids, I love being with them!

These pictures are from when we went on a little picnic to Willow Park. We love going to Willow Park!

Madelyn got stung by a wasp(?). Ouch!!!

The day after Brandon & I got back from our trip we had a family reunion at Hyrum Dam. The girls have so much fun with all of their cousins and luckily a lot of them are girls!!!

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL

2009-08-23T19:43:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that summer is over & school has started. Sydnee is in 2nd grade & Madelyn is in 1st grade. (Now I don't have any excuses to have a clean house & dinner on the table. Crap!) Actually I have mixed feelings about it. The girls LOVE school & I am so ready to get them on a better schedule of going to bed earlier, etc., but now our fun is coming to an end. We really had a great summer & did a lot of fun things. AND I am going from being together with them all of the time, to them being gone almost the whole day. It's a good & bad thing! I really miss them, yet it is nice to get to spend more quality time with Emma & Sophie. Anyway, enough about my conflicting opinions...

The girls started school last Thursday & were so excited! On Friday Madelyn went outside to the bus stop (which is our driveway) an hour early. I had to go talk her into coming inside for a bit longer. I am just so glad that they love school & have some great friends there!

Bahamas Cruise

2009-07-07T18:40:00.000-07:00

Last month, Brandon & I went with 2 of his employees & their spouses on a cruise to the Bahamas. It was beautiful & we had a great time! It stopped in Nassau, Bahamas first where we went on a snorkling tour. It stopped in 3 places & the last we were supposed to see Reef Sharks. Well it was mating season for the sharks so they weren't really there. I was so mad! O'well. Then we stopped at Cocoa Cay, Bahamas. It is Royal Caribbeans private island & was so beautiful! Then the last stop was Key West, Florida. It was SUPER hot there so we rented scooters & drove around the whole day.

It is getting a lot harder leaving our kids & we are lucky to have such great family (& friends) who helped us out! More than anything it is great spending alone time with BJ remembering what a great relationship we have without the kids!

Our little VARMIT!

2009-07-02T07:15:00.000-07:00

Sophie is our little varmit & gets into EVERYTHING! BJ gave her that nickname a while ago, but today I just looked up the meaning & it said this...an awnry/ornery, pesky/pesty, grouchy, cantankerous, belligerent, tetchy, argumentative, crabby, unreasonable, or bad tempered HUMAN BEING OR CREATURE. Opps! I think she might get a little complex from her little nickname, because she really isn't an ornery creature.

But what she IS is a messy girl! Luckily this mess was mud, but the week before I wasn't so lucky! She has the ability to get into anything she sees & figures out how to get into QUICKLY! She can climb the ladder to the bunkbeds, climbs into the bath & gets into the toilet(don't worry we keep the door closed). Really she just gets into EVERYTHING!!! Good thing she is cute!

Madelyn thought she needed to join in & had me take this picture!

CRAZY!!!

2009-07-01T19:03:00.000-07:00

The end of May we had Lauren & Hallie stay a couple nights at our house while Chelsea & Ryan were in Hawaii. Our girls LOVE them & we had a lot of fun...

but this is how I felt, CRAZY!!!

Memorial Day Weekend

2009-06-26T23:08:00.000-07:00

I am SO far behind on posting & can hopefully catch up soon. On the Memorial Day weekend we went camping to Porcupine Dam & had a really nice time. It is beautiful there & the temperature was perfect! The kids had fun exploring & pretending with Grandma Charla. Sydnee was sick on & off while we were there. It was really strange because she would have a fever & not feel well, then the next day she would feel fine. When we got home I took her in & found out she had a UTI. I felt bad because I should have taken her in sooner! As soon as she started her antibiotics she was just fine!

OUCH!!!

2009-05-20T13:59:00.000-07:00

Emma tripped on a carpet rug at the bottom of my friend's stairs & hit her eye on the bottom stair...OUCH!!!! This is actually when it was looking a lot better. Poor girl!

Girl's Trip

2009-05-20T13:52:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago a few of my friends and I went on a little 3-night cruise. It was supposed to stop in Ensenada, but it was right during the Swine Flu breakout was so it stopped in Catalina (which was better anyway because we weren't even going to get off in Ensenada anyway). BJ owed me BIG TIME from all of his guy's trips that he has been on lately, so it was a perfect guilt-free trip. There was great food, great conversation, & RELAXATION! Just what I needed!!!

A Little Dance Group

2009-05-20T13:05:00.000-07:00

My neighbor did this little dance group that the girls were in. Here are a couple pictures from their recital. My battery died in my camera so I didn't get good pictures of Sydnee & Madelyn. They did a great job! I was so impressed with all of them, but especially Emma! She is so shy so I thought she would just stand there, but he did awesome!

And I'm sure everyone is wondering why my girls aren't in Infinity. Infinity is one of the best dance programs (and I'm not just saying that because Mandy owns the studio. You just have to watch their dancers to know it.) but I decided to take the year off because I would have had to drive to Brigham 2-3 times a week & this year I wasn't up to it because we were already super busy! Hopefully next year!

Sydnee's Soccer Game

2009-04-23T10:38:00.000-07:00

Sydnee started playing soccer this year & has had a lot of fun so far. She would be considered more of a cheerleader/coach than a player & hasn't built up a lot of endurance yet. She was so cute & funny! She would basically check herself out & then volunteer to go back in. Normally you hate to go out of the game, but she has the same great attitude coming out as going in. Sydnee is really a sweet girl!

BUbBlE bAtH

2009-04-23T10:35:00.000-07:00

Sophie's Ears Pierced

2009-04-23T10:30:00.000-07:00

I took Sophie last week & got her ears pierced. She was really good & I think they look cute on her!

Annual Money Hunt

2009-04-23T10:20:00.000-07:00

We had our annual money hunt this year at my Grandma & Grandpa Nelson's. Since my parents moved to Perry their yard isn't quite as big for the hunt so my dad hid the money at my grandparent's & my uncle Clint's yard. Sadly we did poorly again this year because football defensive player (aka Chelsea) rocked it. O'well....maybe next year.

EASTER SUNDAY

2009-04-23T10:12:00.000-07:00

Easter Egg Hunts

2009-04-23T09:05:00.000-07:00

We had a lot of fun at our Easter egg hunts at Grandma Charla & Grandpa Paul's house & in our neighborhood with a couple of our friends!

SOPHIE IS 1!!!

2009-03-30T21:33:00.000-07:00

Sophie just had her birthday on the 25! I can't believe my baby is already 1! I just love her! For her birthday we just had some family over for cake & ice cream. As you can see she LOVED her cake once again. In fact she licked her plate clean...literally!

This is the dress my mom made for Sophie. It is so cute!

My Dad's Birthday

2009-03-30T21:30:00.000-07:00

For my dad's birthday Chelsea & I went to lunch with him at Cafe Sabor. I love my dad! He is such a WONDERFUL man!

My Birthday

2009-03-30T21:20:00.000-07:00

For my birthday we took our little family to dinner at Chili's. That was the BEST part of my day because my girls and husband are the BEST part of my life! At dinner they gave me cards & then when we got home they picked out these presents for me at the Dollar Store...just what I was wanting!!!

But the cards they gave me were my favorite!

Emma's card said-
I love you so much because Mommy is nice, she is cute, & she loves Daddy. -Emma

Madelyn's card said-
I love you so much because
1. I was born from you
2. She does my hair so pretty
3. She's nice to let me have toys
4. She buys me food
5. Because she married Daddy
-Madelyn

And Sydnee's card said-
Dear Mom I Love you because
1. She is nice to everyone and
2. She cares and
3. She's the best
4. She wants the best for me
5. She makes delicious food
6. She cares about me doing dangerous "thig"
7. She loveds me
8. She wants me to get a high grade
9. because she lets me stay up "lite"
10. She loves me just the way I am

Birthdays Celebration

2009-03-30T21:15:00.001-07:00

We celebrated March birthdays at my parent's house. Sophie got LOTS of kisses by my sister's dog (a little disgusting), LOVED her cupcake (I mean she DEVOURED it in about 2 seconds), & tried to figure out how to open her presents.

Charnelle's Wedding

2009-03-30T21:09:00.001-07:00

Brandon's oldest sister, Charnelle, got married on March 7th. Here are a couple pictures from it. Sydnee thought she was so great since she matched Charnelle!

11 Month

2009-03-06T07:08:00.000-08:00

My baby is almost one! I can't stand the idea! She is obviously still into EVERYTHING, especially my plant soil. She has the funniest teeth! The top two are both on her right side. The other side is getting close to the surface, but I have never seen a baby's teeth like that. Very goofy!

Sophie has started walking & will walk across rooms. She also folds her arms when we pray. I think she actually might do better than our other girls. Sophie is pretty smart! For over a month she has used her bottom two teeth to open things like the lotion bottle & her Gerber snack container. She is so much fun & so loved!

New Mexico

2009-03-06T06:43:00.001-08:00

Sophie & I went to New Mexico with Brandon for his work. We had a good time & the highlight was probably no snow & when I was outside, I was actually warmed from the sun. We went to dinner & enjoyed time with some friends. Overall it was a nice weekend (thanks to the GPS that got us around. Otherwise we would have been lost the whole time!)

Valentine's Day

2009-03-06T06:38:00.000-08:00

For Valentine's Day Brandon gave me these flowers. He left to go snowmobiling that day to Island Park so I took my other sweethearts to dinner with me to Cafe Rio. We actually had a lot of fun! Wow! I have a lot of LOVE in my life!

Me & Sophie

2009-02-13T13:46:00.001-08:00

Here are a couple pictures of me & Sophie (compliments of Chelsea). Gosh I love her!!!

Sophie at 10 Months

2009-02-10T18:31:00.000-08:00

Sophie has changed quite a bit since last month. She can stand for a minute or so until she realizes that I'm not holding onto her. She has one silly top side tooth that has grown in. The other three are coming to the surface and she does have the two bottom teeth, but it is really kind of silly looking with just the one side tooth on top. Sophie loves clapping, playing peek-a-boo, and getting into every cupboard or drawer. Right after I typed "drawer" I just went to check on her & she had crawled into the bathroom, shut the door, & opened the bottom drawer. This obviously locked her in the bathroom. Luckily BJ was able to squeeze a screwdriver threw the crack of the door & close the drawer. We were lucky! But this is just an example of her being into everything! She is nearing her one year mark & it just makes me sick how fast the time has gone! I hate how fast they grow, but I do love every new stage!

HONEST OPINION PLEASE!!!!

2009-02-03T18:23:00.000-08:00

I have been making these hairbows for my girls (because I have so many) & I'm thinking about making & selling them. I think I'm going to call them HOT MESS hairbows because if you know me well enough, that is what I am. :) But really MESS stands for M(adelyn)E(mma)S(ydnee)S(ophie). Give me your honest opinion if you like them & how much you would charge for them. I think I would sell them separate, but have a matching one available. Smaller bows would come in pairs. Anyway, any advice or opinions would be GREAT!!!

Our Make-up Artist

2009-02-03T18:11:00.000-08:00

The other day Sophie & Emma were playing in a room & they came out like this!

Emma's "NAUGHTY HAND"

2009-01-14T17:11:00.000-08:00

Emma lately has been doing some things that I have asked her not to do. When I asked if she had done something the other day she told me, "I didn't do it...my NAUGHTY HAND did it." REALLY????

Maddie's New Haircut

2009-01-06T08:08:00.000-08:00

Maddie got her hair cut yesterday & I love it!

TEETHING HURTS!!!

2009-01-06T08:04:00.000-08:00

Happy New Years!

2009-01-02T21:47:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful time on New Years Eve! Our friends, the Richards, had a little party at their house. Megan is a great hostess & had lots of fun things for us to do. We had pizza & some other yummy food for dinner. Then the kids made a girl & boy out of boxes. Everyone wrote down their New Year's resolution which was placed in the box & then we burnt them in the street. Then the kids did sparklers & played a guessing game on how many starbursts were in a jar. Madelyn won which she was so excited about! The adults played a game answering questions that had to do with the number 9. For how many questions you answered correctly you got raffle tickets. Then they did a drawing for prizes. I got a gift certificate to Bajios. (BJ was excited about that!) At about 9:00 PM we did the countdown & made a toast. The drinks were extra tasty! We got home at about 9:30 & put the kids to bed. It was so much fun & so nice not to have ornery kids in the morning. Our girls do not do well without sleep (especially Sydnee)! Thanks Megan & Eric for such a great night!!!

Sophie is 9 Months

2009-01-02T21:24:00.000-08:00

Sophie has changed so much in this last month! She got her first tooth a couple weeks ago & is about to cut 2 more. She started walking behind a walker & around furniture & climbing up the stairs. She is into EVERYTHING! She sees every speck of dust on the ground & tries to eat it. It is so scary! I remember worrying about my other girls, but not this much! She just finds everything! She is still so happy, but her sleeping patterns haven't changed as she still wakes up a couple times each night. She also still spits up as you can see in this picture of Madelyn. I can't tell you how many times I have told Madelyn not to lay Sophie on her belly because she would spit up on her. She never believed me until this happened. And I am such a mean mom I grabbed my camera before I helped her clean it up.

Anyway, Sophie is great! She is a cute, chubby, happy little girl who is growing & changing too fast! I bet she will be walking in the next month or two. Our other girls had no ambition to crawl until they were 10-11 months old. Sophie just can't sit still!

Sophie sadly got this black eye lid after this video. She had gotten to the table & tried to move from the walker to the table & her hand slipped & she hit the corner of the table. It made me feel so bad, but unfortunately it won't be the end of bumps & bruises for her. It seems like when they learn to walk they fall down all of the time!

Christmas Day

2009-01-02T21:03:00.000-08:00

After opening presents at home, we got dressed & went over to my parent's house. We had a delicious breakfast & then opened presents. At both grandparent's homes it is complete chaos with all of the grandkids! We had fun, but had hoped to be able to spend more time with everyone. We went & visited Grandma J for a while & then went back to my parent's house. We ended up sleeping over that night because of the bad storm that came. Christmas was great, but it is so sad how fast it was here & gone. It seems like so much preparation & then it is gone in a second!

Christmas Morning

2009-01-02T20:44:00.000-08:00

Christmas morning is so much fun with kids! Sydnee came into our room around 4:30 in the morning & we obviously had her go bad to sleep. We then didn't get up until around 8:30. We first wrote a letter to Jesus & write down what gifts we will give Him this next year. We put them in a stocking & then open them up the next year to see how we did. Then we opened up presents. I was a little concerned that Sydnee would be disappointed that Santa didn't bring her a puppy, but she got a webkinz Chihuahua & a note from Santa's elf telling her that although her family wasn't ready for a real puppy, she needed to take care of love this puppy. It seemed to make her happy, & luckily for us nothing else has been said about it (which is suprising because I have talked to her about it previously for HOURS & HOURS). I made each of the girls a blanket & BJ gave them a certificate for a daddy daughter date night. BJ got me a Cricut Expression. I had never heard of it before but I was pleasantly surprised & impressed! We had a great morning!

Christmas Eve

2009-01-02T20:37:00.000-08:00

On Christmas Eve we have a party at Brandon's parent's house. We had delicious food, a pinata, the kids did the nativity & a couple crafts, & we opened presents. We had a great time!

More Holiday Crafts

2009-01-02T20:33:00.001-08:00

During the holiday break I have been trying to have fun projects for the girls to do. I thought by keeping them busy with things they would be really good...not the case, but anyway these are a couple more that they did. I had them paint their own aprons & we also made snowflake tortillas & put butter & cinnamon sugar on top & baked them. They turned out pretty fun & yummy!

Christmas Dresses

2009-01-02T20:28:00.000-08:00

December Activities

2008-12-18T19:04:00.000-08:00

Sophie is feeling lots better now & things are starting to slow down. It's funny how you find out how really great your friends are when you are kind of a wreck (emotionally, mentally, physically). My family are some of my best friends & I have some other really great people in my life who I appreciate so much!

Anyway, we are all doing well & hoping to enjoy this last week before Christmas. The last couple weeks were rough with Sophie being sick & a lot of other things going on (I won't go into it all), but now I'm feeling like I have a little more control of my life.

We have been trying to do some fun Christmas activities! We have made a gingerbread house, played out in the snow, went on a fun sleigh ride at Brandon's aunt & uncle's house, painted Christmas bags, got the 12 days of Christmas again from my parents (so much fun!), drove to Preston to see Christmas lights, went to dinner with Grammy & Papa, & had Madelyn's Christmas program today at her school. Christmas is such a wonderful time of the year! I love it (besides the freezing cold weather), but I'm trying to figure out ways to make it last longer because time goes by so fast & pretty soon it will be over.

Chelsea is one of my BEST friends & she sent me these flowers. It meant more to me than I think she will ever realize!

Emma was scared once again of Santa, but really wanted to tell him that she would like ET for Christmas (don't ask me where that came from).

Sophie just stared at Santa. She didn't know what to think!

Sydnee made sure to ask Santa for a puppy with a puppy kit (everything she needs to take care of a puppy), which sadly she won't get because I had to write Santa a letter & tell him that right now a dog will not fit into our family. Unfortunately I think I have enough mouths to feed & poop to clean that it just wouldn't work out!

I think Madelyn asked for an art kit. She could color for hours!

My parents are so great!

And Madelyn did a FABULOUS job at her Christmas program!

THANKSGIVING

2008-12-18T18:58:00.001-08:00

I know that it is now Christmas, but here are a couple pictures from Thanksgiving. We spent Thanksgiving this year at my parent's house & we had YUMMY food! The turkey was wonderful! I love my family! We missed Trevor, Tami & their kids & also Chase (who has now been gone on his mission for 1 year). But overall it was a great day filled with many people who are HUGE blessings in my life!

The CRAPPY croup

2008-12-09T02:27:00.000-08:00

The last 4 days for us have been AWFUL! Sophie woke up Thursday night with the croup. It wasn't as horrible during the night as in the morning. She sounded terrible! I took her in to the doctor's office as soon as they opened. When I was checking in the lady at the front desk asked if she had the hiccups (she was asleep in the carseat) & I told her it was her breathing. She ran back & got me in fast. Then in the room the nurse was all nervous & went looking for a doctor, in the meanwhile 2 other doctors stopped by because they could hear her breathing. Once the doctor we were seeing came in she quickly took us back to another room to give her oxygen, a steroid shot, & a breathing treatment. After they had given her "more than they are normally comfortable giving" & she was still having difficulty breathing, they admitted her into the hospital.

When we first got up to the room she got a nebulizer treatment & then less than an hour later she was having difficulty breathing so they gave her another one. She was supposed to go to get an xray of her throat, but they were not comfortable taking her down, so they brought up the xray machine to the room. (Later she had to get another xray because it looked like she could have possibly had a swollen epiglottis, but luckily that ended up being a bad xray.) A little after that last treatment she was doing SO MUCH better!

While we were there they tried to give her a IV & poked her in 3 different places to put it in, but the poor girl is too chubby they couldn't get it in. They put a tube down her nose to test & make sure that she didn't have something else.

So the next day after another steroid treatment they released us around 11:00 AM. While I was at the hospital, I developed such compassion for all of the rooms we walked by. Many of the people & kids you could guess had spent a fair amount of their lives in the hospital. How hard & difficult! For me, not only do you feel like you are in prison because the rooms are so small, dark, & depressing, but the concern that you have for your child is indescribable!

So back to our story...we got home Saturday. That night she was ok. We woke up quite a few times & took her outside, though. Sunday morning she did not sound very good. We didn't know what to do. I called the Budge clinic after hours to see if either Sheryl Hodges or Dr. Garg was there, but it ended up only being this socially retarded doctor (I feel bad saying this), but there is no way that I wanted to take her there because I couldn't even carry a normal conversation with him enough to explain what is going on. I used to be in the same ward as Sheryl so I tracked her down. I'm embarrassed to say this, but I know her well enough. I would normally NEVER do this, especially if it was someone else. Anyway, I called her at her house & she had me bring Sophie over so she could listen to her. Of course by then Sophie sounded a lot better. She said to just keep watching & if things got worse I could call her or bring her by. I ended up going to half of church (feeling like I needed some peace) & when I got home Sophie started sounding bad again. I called Sheryl & she could hear her over the phone & said to talk her to the ER. So we did & they gave us a breathing treatment with the steroid & some mix of Ibuprofen & something else. They watched her for a couple hours (because the steroid makes your heart race so they need to monitor). Then they let us go home. That night was pretty good. We took her outside I think 3 times.

So Monday day was really good. She sounded better than she had. Well, that has ended now that it is 4:00 in the morning & we have been up with her since 12:30. I can't sleep because I want to make sure that she is ok & take her outside when she needs to go. So basically we have not had any decent sleep for a good 4 days. I know that so many other people are going through much worse things than this, but for now this is our trial & it is hard! I just feel sick inside because I don't know when to take her in, when to worry. We were worried when we took her in the first time, but we weren't as worried as we should have been. Now both Brandon & I are on edge, haven't gotten any "beauty" sleep (basically I look like crap), & have a lot of other things going on at the same time. The only good thing that I can get out of this is that I have been able to have more one on one time with Sophie than I normally do. She is a beautiful, happy baby, & used to love people. Now that she has been poked & prodded, I'm afraid she might be scarred for now! But hopefully we are getting closer to the end of this CRAPPY croup!

SYDNEE IS 7!!!

2008-11-30T10:07:00.000-08:00

I really can't believe that Sydnee is 7 and then next year she can be baptized! It is so funny to watch her & see how she already is having so many experiences that I remember vividly having in elementary (having blisters on my hands from the monkey bars, chasing boys, writing notes to my friends asking if they were my best friends & having them check yes or no, etc.). Last week I had a friend from our neighborhood say that she was looking at our blog & her son saw our family picture & pointed at Sydnee & said "she is the popular girl at school". I know that if she is, it is only because she is the most warm, kind, tender-hearted little girl who loves friends & includes everyone.

On Sydnee's birthday it was so cute because she wrote this list of the meals she would like to have on her birthday. (She had been wanting breakfast in bed for her birthday for quite a while because the girls give me & BJ breakfast in bed for our birthdays & Mother's/Father's day.) Then at the bottom she wrote what gifts she would like to have. After she ate breakfast & opened her presents, her daddy surprised her with an ipod (it was a surprise for us all, but compared to the 4 wheeler, I thought it was a very good surprise. I will just pretend like I had not just ordered an MP3 player for her for Christmas. O'well!)

Sophie 8 Months

2008-11-30T09:45:00.000-08:00

Sophie is now 8 months old & like I say every month, I can't believe how fast the times goes. This last month she has grown a TON & changed a lot. She is getting super chubby & last month really started crawling all over & is trying to stand up at things. She is the happiest baby & smiles at everyone! She is starting once again to sleep longer at night & is jabbering (ya, ma, da, etc.). I love that all of our girls are so different, yet equally wonderful! How blessed I am!!!

PRIVATE

2008-11-13T17:00:00.001-08:00

So I am thinking about going private. I keep going back & forth on if I should or not. Anyway, if I do & you would like me to send you an invite, please leave your email address. Thanks!

HELP!!!

2008-11-09T17:50:00.000-08:00

Days like this I wonder why I even try. Sometimes it would be better to have her go without diapers! I literally cut her onsie off of her it was THAT BAD! The problem is we have at least one blow out a day. I've changed diaper brands a couple of times, with no luck! Any recommendations anyone?!?

Halloween Festivities

2008-11-09T07:46:00.000-08:00

We had a great Halloween from decorating pumpkins, making Monster Toast, going to Grandma Charla & Grandpa Paul's party, the school's carnival, trick-or-treating around our neighborhood, & Grammy & Papa's party. It was busy, but it was SO MUCH fun!!!

Family Pictures

2008-10-30T21:12:00.000-07:00

My wonderful sister, Chelsea, took our family pictures last week & I think they turned out great! I am so excited! Here are a few...

THE 10 CLUB

2008-10-25T08:07:00.000-07:00

I am starting a service club (The 10 club) & it is something that I am very excited about & have been thinking a lot about. I feel like if something comes to your mind frequently you probably should do it... so I am, with the help of my friends. The idea is each month we get together & everyone donates $10. (Anyone & everyone is invited. Obviously the more that come, the more we are able to do.) So we pool our money together & find some way to do service, whether it be for an organization or a person. I think it is important that everyone be involved, so when we meet we will do some type of a service project on top of whatever we choose to do with the money. For example this next month we are focusing on the Food Bank. We will be spending half of the money on buying food for Thanksgiving dinners & then the rest will be donated (so they can fill in whatever they are short of). Since that won't take everyone to do, when we meet we will be getting material & supplies from DI & tying 2 quilts. When the quilts are done we take them back to DI & they are given where needed.

Basically I feel like this is a simple way to make a big difference! If anyone lives in Cache Valley & would like to be a part of it please contact me! If you live away but would possibly like to start something similar please contact me as well. It is not only a great way to get together with your girlfriends & meet new friends, but to change people's lives in a small way & do something good.

Madelyn Dancing

2008-10-21T14:19:00.000-07:00

This was one of my FAVORITE parts of our trip! I'm just sad that I only got this small portion of it! Enjoy!

Going Home

2008-10-21T14:12:00.000-07:00

This is what Disneyland for three days does to you, plus getting picked up at 4:00 AM to go the airport. Sadly we made it to the airport before it was even open. And do you notice there aren't any pictures of me? Well...that was on purpose!

More Disneyland

2008-10-21T14:05:00.000-07:00

Disneyland was so much fun & is truly MAGICAL! It is so silly to say, but it really is down to every last detail! A BIG thanks to my parents for coming with us because it would have been a nightmare without them!

Madelyn did not like Splash Mountain & apparently cried the whole way through the ride.

The Princess Luncheon

2008-10-21T13:58:00.000-07:00

My mom & I took the girls to the Princess Luncheon. It was so much fun & the food was delicious! I was so glad that we did it!

More Disneyland

2008-10-21T13:53:00.000-07:00

Emma freaked out when Mickey Mouse didn't use her pen to sign her book!

Face Painting

2008-10-21T13:50:00.000-07:00

Disneyland

2008-10-21T13:43:00.000-07:00

Our First Night

2008-10-21T13:38:00.000-07:00

This picture was taken on our balcony at the Sheraton Park Hotel. We had a great view of the fireworks at night!

The first night we walked over to The Cheesecake Factory, which was fabulous as always!

Airport

2008-10-21T13:34:00.000-07:00

We just got back from a vacation to Disneyland with my parents. Here are some pictures at the airport. The girls were so excited to fly in an airplane!