Thompson Times

Girls just wanna have fun!

2012-01-19T20:33:00.000-08:00

Drawing a baby on your head game
The cute mama-to-be

Hot chocolate bar

I did this one to show Cami's cute decor

GNO (we have a lot of these lately)

We have a lot of girls in my family. I have 4 sisters and 4 daughters. So we have a lot of giggling, fingernail painting, makeup doing nights. Scott and Christian have been gone a lot lately between basketball and getting ready for the Pinewood Derby. So we did mud masks last week. The girls loved it.

My sister is having her second baby so Cami and I threw her a shower. It was a success--she got a lot of stuff. And of course there was more time for giggling!

Christmas

2012-01-15T16:13:00.000-08:00

Princess Soran got dressup clothes, a skirt and leggings, a stroller and a baby doll and a tea set.
Princess Alivia got a lot of puzzles this year (she is really good at them) and dressup clothes.

Princess Amber with her laptop. She also got a makeup kit, an umbrella, a skirt and leggings, a sew-a-bear kit, and walkie talkies.

Lyssa's favorite gift was an Ipod from her aunt. She also got a notebook, smelly bath stuff, boots, a dress and lots of jewelry.

Christian's favorite gift was a remote control jeep. He also got a new pillow, a soccer ball, a tube for sledding, and the game Sorry.

The carnage after.

The calm before.

Cracker hats 2012. Scott got the "office edition" this year so we all had useful gifts.

Holding up the walls before it falls.

We had a good Christmas this year. Highlights: Nursing home and Alyssa playing the flute while Amber sang a solo, started a new tradition of reading a story a day for the 12 days of Christmas, 12 days of Christmas for Scott, Scott's company party at La Caille, being at my work and remembering how exciting Christmas is, Christmas Eve baby blessing and party with Reeces, Christmas day at church and finally experiencing enough calm to remember the real reason for the season, surprise gifts for the kids from an anonymous donor and the most relaxing Christmas break we've ever had. Good thing, too. We needed it.

Lost

2012-01-15T15:53:00.000-08:00

We do not have great legs.
Where did all those kids come from?

I love golden aspens.

I've been waiting to post until I found our Halloween pictures, but I'm starting to think they're not going to show up. I'm sad, but it's time to move on. This year we had a devil (Alyssa), a grim reaper (Christian--he's been begging me for years to be this one and I finally gave in now that he's a little older, but seriously, what is it with kids and wanting to be creepy?), a princess (Amber), a fairy (Alivia) and a ballerina (Soran). They were very cute, of course. We had awesome fall weather again and it was nice to be outside. Trunk or treat at our house and then on to Grandma's.

We went on our fall drive a little too early this year. There's more gold than reds and pinks, but it's still beautiful. We also took the kids to the circus this fall. It wasn't impressive. But our kids are very spoiled and think that a lot of things are boring these days. Too much Trafalga and rock climbing and laser tag. The fall was pretty busy with ballroom dance, soccer, piano lessons, scouts, and science club. Alyssa played a flute solo for the primary program and again at the school Christmas concert. Alyssa and Amber were students of the month (I told Christian the pressure is on!). Livi learned "Beautiful Savior" and sings a lot of solos because I make her and it's so cute. Soran is getting cuter and more spoiled with every passing day. Scott organized a golf tournament at work and tied for first with the CEO. He also has a couple foosball and pingpong trophies. I've just been trying to keep up!

New

2011-10-23T21:23:00.001-07:00

I was flipping through the camera and came across this picture of Soran (you know, like the 20 million pictures you come across that your kids took and now you have to scroll through and delete one at a time because you're not sure how long they had it and don't want to delete anything you might actually want) in the car and realized I needed to remember the passing on of a good friend. Our old minivan. Scott and my car both broke down the same month and we realized that the repair fees were more than the cars were worth. So it was time to move on. But it was hard to say good-bye to our van. It's been in the family longer than 3 of our children. And has been such a reliable member, too. It took us to Utah, Arizona, California, Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico and lots of other places I can't think of. I had the kids come and tell it good-bye as we took it to trade in.

But on with the new! We love our new van. It's older but has a lot of nice amenities. Like a TV (with a VCR--it's older, like I said), power doors, and a really smooth ride.

Along with all our changes came more bills, so when my mom sent me an email about a part-time job as a teacher's aide at the school she works at, I applied. And with her glowing recommendation, I got it. I love the job. I love to be with the kindergarten kids and watch them learn. I love the benefit of being at work when my kids are at school and having the same days off. But it has definitely kept me busy. Thus the 3 month gap in posts. Between the new job and new calling as Young Womens president my spare time has disappeared. But most of the time it's a good busy. I feel very blessed with all we have.

Kids

2011-10-23T21:16:00.001-07:00

Okay, so about the middle of the summer Amber comes and says she has something growing on her foot. It was a small, smooth bump so I thought, no big deal probably just a bug bite or something. It grew and grew and grew. So I asked Scott's family what they thought it was and Holly said it was a wart. I didn't think so because it grew so fast and was smooth. But I tried the banana peel thing over it and the next morning it was black. And gross. And warty. It was like that for about a month before Scott finally decided to take action. He burnt it off with liquid nitrogen and now it is all gone. But I had to get a pic of how huge and gross it was! The camera doesn't do it justice.

I love this pose of Soran. She does this thing where she goes, "uh, uh, uh" and puts her hands on her hips like she is being so patient with you and why are you so stupid and can't figure out what she wants? She is very spoiled and I can't get enough of her!

Birthday weekend

2011-10-23T21:07:00.001-07:00

The golfers

I know, how can I be seen with him in that hat?

Too bad I already have my handsome prince

The resort we stayed at in Midway--the grounds were beautiful

I got totally spoiled this birthday! It was crazy. Scott sent me on a treasure hunt and at each stop was something. I got roses, chocolates, sparkling cider, poetry, jewelry, a gift certificate for clothes and lunch. Oh, and a break from the kids. It was amazing. My husband can be such a romantic.

That weekend we went to Park City and did some shopping and then spent the night at a resort in Midway. They had a hot springs crater but we didn't want to pay $30 to see it so we just walked on top of it and hung out in the natural springs jetted tubs instead. The next day we went golfing. It was pretty fun, actually. The weather and the course were so beautiful I had a good time just being outside and looking at everything. The golf was okay, too. It was the first time I've attempted and I almost hurt myself. I thought I was going to rip my shoulder out of the socket. But I can see how it could be addicting. Scott, of course, had a great time.

2nd, 4th and 6th graders--oh my!

2011-10-23T20:57:00.000-07:00

I have to write that down because I keep forgetting what grades my kids are in, they're growing up so fast. The hardest one for me to adjust to has been Christian, it's just unbelievable that he is in 4th grade already. Crazy! We kept them at the same school as last year because they loved it. And while I've been nervous about the low test scores the school receives overall, I was pretty impressed with their individual teachers. Lyssa did a lot of Powerpoint presentations and Christian had some amazing projects as well. Hopefully we won't regret that decision. Aren't they cute? Some day Amber's other tooth will grow in!

Oh, and we can't forget Livi. She started at a preschool a couple weeks later. Because we're in a low-income area they have a free preschool they bus to (I know, how lucky can I get?) and she loves it! I took her to school on her first day and forgot to get a picture. Okay, so I was really nervous about her riding the bus home and how that would all work. So I was outside about 10 minutes early waiting for her. Over a half hour went by and I called Scott to see if I should panic yet. He said not to. But about 5 minutes later I started trying to call the school. No answer. The bus finally pulled up and I ran onto it, but no Livi! They were like, oh, yeah, the school called and said we forgot someone, it must have been her. I about died. I raced to the car, drove like a maniac to the school and there she was, just fine and hanging out with her teacher. But I don't think they'll be forgetting that particular child again.

Anyway, that just leaves Soran at home. She hasn't acted too sad about it. Yet.

It's always fun when Grandpa comes!

2011-10-23T20:38:00.000-07:00

I have to start this post with some reminiscing. I grew up in a tiny town in New Mexico called Bloomfield. It was about 3000 people spread over a large area. There was one stoplight, one grocery store, one gas station and a lot of cactus. We lived just down the street from my grandparents, and I have fond memories of growin up near them. My grandmother was a no-nonsense woman who told you how it was but was everlastingly patient. She had to be with 9 kids and too many grandchildren to count. She was the hardest worker I've probably ever seen. She was up before everyone cooking breakfast and starting on the day's chores. She taught me how to snap beans, pick grapes (oh, how I hated that chore), and enjoy music. I loved to spend the night at her house because the cooking was so good and the sheets smelled lovely.

My grandpa is the cutest little farmer you ever saw. He has the sparkliest blue eyes ever. He worked for the gas company for 40 years and had a couple-acre farm he worked by hand. When I was small he had chickens and a cow, too. We would play in the barn with the hay bails for hours. We would push them around to make forts, castles and ships to fight the Russians coming up the San Juan river. He goes on walks by the ditch almost every day. He taught me how to pick corn and shuck it, how to tell when a cantaloupe was ripe but most importantly he showed me his simple but strong testimony of the gospel.

My grandma passed away 4 years ago and my grandpa has since remarried. I hadn't seen him since her funeral, but he and his new wife came up this summer to visit. It was wonderful! He looked just like last time. It made me feel young again. I love you, Grandpa!

Mom, Me, Ben, Grandpa, Xela and Brittany

Me and Grandpa

Summer fun

2011-10-23T20:29:00.000-07:00

Bumper boats at Trafalga

Lyssa and Soran digging for bones

Making a dam (I love that Scott's the only adult in there helping the kids)

Soran trying to help but making more of a mess than anything

This summer has been pretty packed with playful pasttimes (Lyssa's looking at me like I'm crazy right now). Anyway, we got the Pass of all Passes from 7 Peaks and Trafalga so many of our days have been spent at the waterpark or mini-golfing/lasertagging. It was nice to have "free" activities all summer. In August we went to the dinosaur museum at Thanksgiving Point. The kids love that place. Sad to see the lazy days go.

Lagoon

2011-10-21T12:19:00.000-07:00

Still smiling at the end of the day!

Me and So So on the ferris wheel

Only pic I got of the older kids--they were off playing too much

Cute little pink boat

Riding the helicopters!

Livi on her first ride of the day. This turned out to be her favorite ride.

I love Scott's job. They know how to party. His company party this summer was at Lagoon, and the kids were so excited! When we went to Disneyland they kept comparing the rides to those at Lagoon. And Disneyland was coming up short. They want it faster and crazier. They must get that from their father. This trip to Lagoon just reminded me I'm getting old. The flying swings made me ill, and they used to be my favorite! So sad. We hardly saw Christian and Lyssa. They rode on everything at least a couple times.

What made this even better was enjoying it for free. We didn't make the kids run around and try everything because we were trying to get our money's worth. They also fed us lunch, and Scott won a $50 gift card while we were there, too. Not bad. Thank you Sirsidynix!

Growing from a wolf to a bear

2011-10-21T12:12:00.000-07:00

The wolf print

My reward for helping the wolf advance

So excited to be moving up!!!

Christian turned 9 in August and advanced from a wolf to a bear in Cub Scouts. It was a cute ceremony and I'm so proud of him. Of all my children, Christian is the most anxious to complete things. He always wants thing done and on time, so scouts has been pretty easy for him. It's been good for me to spend a little individual attention with him, too. Good job, bud!

His birthday this year was pretty low-key. I felt a little bad, but as he has had large parties the past couple years I figured it would be alright. He wanted to play Wii and go swimming with Michael. So we went to the Massengales and he did just that. I love you, my sweet boy.

Pioneer Day

2011-10-21T12:04:00.000-07:00

Panning for gold

Cute little pioneer children (Lyssa is very proud of her mustache)

Christian looks a little too natural throwing a tomohawk

Scott and Lyssa competing for root beer chugging champion. Scott won.

I love the 24th of July here. There's a big celebration at the park with a bunch of free activities. I meant to enter the pie making contest this year but forgot. Next year. The kids had a lot of fun panning for gold, shooting ducks, doing the obstacle course, and making crafts. We also got to tour the pioneer village. I don't know how they did it! We are so grateful for our tough ancestry! And we're glad we're not them.

2011-07-14T13:42:00.000-07:00

We have been playing hard! I can't believe the summer is half over already. Hopefully the rest will be a little more relaxing. In June we had 3 family reunions, 2 week long camps, 1 day camp and the summer school. For the Reece reunion we had a park day, the guys went golfing, the girls went to Mimi's Cafe with the cousins for dessert, and went to Lowes Extreme Sports (a lot of fun). We had the Sweeney reunion and sadly/happily Scott got to spend the day with us. Sad for him because he got out of the horseshoe tournament the first round, happy for us cause then we got to see him and play with him! I went to Girls Camp and Lyssa went to 5th grade camp at Big Springs the same week. We both had a great time. Christian had science day camp the next week. Lyssa has been in the summer ballroom program. And at the end of June we had the Thompson reunion where we hiked the Y, went ice blocking, This is the Place park, extended family BBQ, fireworks at Fox field and the 4th of July parade. Scott and I were able to run the Freedom Run together this year. I beat my time last year by 1 minute but more importantly I beat Scott by a minute, too. It was a lot of fun. Can't wait to do it again. Amber has started an art class and loves it. I took the Activity Day girls to day camp this week. It was nice to spend some time with Lyssa. And Soran and Livi have been growing so much I think sometimes I can actually see it. Good times!

How close can you get?

Skit night

Chelsea and I rocking our hike again.

Fear Factor game--pass the orange

The Manti pageant

Scott in front of the Manti temple

Scott and Lyssa egg toss partners at the Sweeney (she doesn't like to be his partner because somehow the egg always winds up on her)

Thompson cousins conquer the Y

Me and Soran iceblocking

Soran, Livi, and Kayla in the wagon

Soran all dressed up

Christian the cowboy

Christian really wants a pet. He talked the kids into helping with a yard sale to raise money for it. They screamed at every car that went past. Too cute.

Lyssa and Alexis racing boats

Lyssa was a pretty good archer. She says she wants to save for a bow and arrow now.

Lyssa the rockclimber

Livi's turns 4!

2011-06-01T13:42:00.001-07:00

4-year-old birthday cake

Pin the kiss on the frog game

Telling princess stories

Princess Livi--I couldn't get her to stop squinting

Freeze dance game

Livi had her first real birthday party this year. She of course wanted a pink princess party, just like all my other girls at this age. The day was supposed to be rainy and cold but after much prayer and fasting it turned out beautiful (thank goodness, I did not want to try to squeeze 10 little kids in my house for party games). We decorated in pink and purple and painted fingernails while everyone was showing up. We played pin-the-kiss-on-the-frog, throw the golden ball into the wishing well, freeze dance and duck duck goose. I think between cousins, friends and siblings we had about 20 kids there. It was pretty crazy, but fun. Happy birthday, my little princess!

Livi at age 4: She is a sweetheart, she never hurts anyone. Ever. Even if they are mean to her she will never fight back. She cannot stand being wet. If I touch her with wet hands she has to change her clothes. She loves puzzles. And she's very good at them. She loves dresses and dancing. Love you, Livi!

Livi's preschool graduation

2011-06-01T13:33:00.001-07:00

The cute little graduate

Graduating Class of 2011--Livi, Jonas, William, Daphne, Mikey, Joseph

Livi and I had a fun year doing preschool. There were a lot more boys in her class than I've ever had but it went well. The day of the party was rainy, just like every day this spring has been. But we had it anyway. Good job, Livi!

Amber

2011-06-01T13:26:00.000-07:00

Someone said she looks like a jack-o-lantern. I think that's about right.

Flowers from daddy for her dance recital. She did awesome! Look at those eyelashes!

Dance recital 2011--Magic in Me.

She did a great job and it was a lot of fun to watch. She told me after the rehearsal she loved dancing in front of all those people. I was like, "really?!?" But it makes me happy she's getting so much confidence.

Lyssa's 11!

2011-05-31T13:12:00.000-07:00

It's hard to come to terms with the fact that I have a daughter that's almost as tall as me, wears shoes a little smaller and is becoming a beautiful young woman. But I love it, too!

She is at a very sweet stage, and whether it's an age thing or a phase or whatever I enjoy it. Everyone keeps warning me she's going to turn into a hormonal monster soon. She notices other people's needs, she is a peacemaker (most of the time), and she is obedient, which is really good for the other kids to see. She still loves reading, ballroom, football, swimming and steak.

For her birthday this year we decided to do a "pedicure/spa day." The invitations were in the shape of flipflops but we kept it small because it was going to be time consuming (thank you Grandma and Xela for helping!). They had pizza and then we did a game where they put makeup on each other blindfolded. That was fun for everyone, watching and playing. Then we did mud masks, pedicures and fingernail painting. After which they took their cute toes and jumped outside in the dirt. I think they had a fun time. Happy birthday, my big girl!

That same night was the father and sons campout, but Scott didn't get any pictures. He was a little preoccupied trying to keep his thumb attached. He took Christian fishing and they were having a good time until he tried to open up a package with a new knife. Anyway, long story short he should have had stitches but used a LOT of superglue instead.

May was a pretty crazy month with birthday parties, Scott and I both spoke in church on separate days (I did on Mother's Day--I know, crazy, right?), we finished off a busy soccer season with a party at the park, and Scott and I celebrated our anniversary by getting rid of the kids and going to the Armstrong Mansion for the weekend. It was so nice! We did a lot of laying around and relaxing. Oh, and we went to La Caille for hors d'ouvres and dessert. It's nice to know we still love each other, sometimes it's hard to tell when life is hectic and we can't get two sentences together without interruption. But he's still my soulmate!

Easter

2011-04-27T14:10:00.001-07:00

Preschool Easter egg hunt at the church

My handsome boys

Easter 2011

We had a nice Easter this year. We had an FHE lesson about the last week of Christ's life on Monday. Livi had her preschool Easter egg hunt at the church because the weather wasn't cooperating. Friday night was the Battle of the Bulge with Scott representing the stake and Ben in the bishopric battling in basketball. It was a lot of fun to watch even though I was sick. The kids actually sat through most of it. The bishopric won, but not from lack of effort on Scott's part. He's going to lose a toenail and had blisters on his feet. Saturday I had been planning on running the 5k for months but was still sick so didn't. But the kids got to hunt for eggs and we had a couple soccer games. That night we had a family dinner with the Reeces and an Easter egg hunt and then the girls went to see Jane Eyre. I had high expectations, but it was good. The next day the kids got cotton candy, chocolate bunnies and water toys in their baskets. I had been asked to direct the stake children's choir for a performance that night (only because they didn't see me during the Primary program) so we had a practice and then a performance. It went very well. Then to the Thompsons for dinner and another hunt.

I am so grateful for our Savior and His sacrifice for us. I am grateful for the knowledge that we will be resurrected and able to live with our families again. I love that Easter comes at this time of year when things are (slowly) coming back to life. Such a great reminder of the new life we get through Christ. Happy Easter!

Soran's 2!

2011-04-27T13:58:00.001-07:00

I can't believe my baby is 2. She doesn't fit perfectly in my arms anymore. Her legs are too long and her body too big. She doesn't walk or crawl anymore, she runs. She goes into nursery happily by herself. She can get dressed and feed herself. It's bittersweet.

Scott videod all her birthday so we didn't get any pics except one of her cake. I love you, Soran! You are the happiest little girl. Daddy used to say you had happiness busting out of your face and it's still true. You are always happy and excited. You love your brother and sisters and watch all they do with awe, and they spoil you in return. You love to jump and are the best 2-year-old jumper I've ever seen. I have never had a baby as into things as you are. You love to figure it out by yourself. I wish I could keep you small, but it's so fun to watch you grow. Happy birthday!

Goblin Valley

2011-04-27T13:49:00.001-07:00

First hike of the morning (Grandpa's shoe is near the top--he wanted to climb the hard way).

Goblins

Amber on the goblins--it got really windy in the afternoon and coated everything in fine red sand .

Canyon hike--the trail was about a foot wide and very curvy through walls of dried mud. It was weird because there was no vegetation for a mile and half, just dirt.

The kids did awesome on this hike. Grandma stayed with the little ones and the rest of us did a 3-mile hike in a little over an hour. This picture shows the otherworldliness of the area. It kind of looks like Mars.

Camping with Grandma and Grandpa

2011-04-27T13:31:00.000-07:00

Anna and Amber

Soran and Grandma (who spoiled her rotten)

Soran playing with the flashlight

Monkeys

The brown Green River

Since spring break was in the middle of April I was sure it would be nice weather and we could go to the park every day and be outside all week. Ha! Winter/spring in Utah lasts forever. So we decided to head south with Grandma and Grandpa and find some sunshine. Scott couldn't take time off work so I loaded up my kids, Jacob and Anna, and gear and we headed to Green River. Not a pretty city, but the weather was perfect. Our campsite was right next to the river and the kids had fun playing by it. Then we played some games (capture the flag and Red Rover) while the foil dinners cooked. And then of course we had s'mores. I was pretty proud of my mom and me setting up our 10 person cabin-tent with no instructions or help. It was cold that night so not much sleeping was done but the next day was gorgeous and we headed to Goblin Valley!

Christian's room

2011-03-19T13:05:00.000-07:00

Christian has always wanted someone in his room with him. He doesn't like to be alone. A few weeks ago Scott and I went out after the kids were in bed and when I got home I was checking on them but Soran wasn't in her bed. After freaking out for a couple seconds I looked in Christian's bed and there she was. They were so cute I had to get a picture. A couple days ago I was checking on the kids again and couldn't find Christian this time! I looked in Soran's bed (she's still sleeping in a playpen) and there he was! I don't know how Soran stayed asleep through all that but she did. Anyway, we're getting bunkbeds soon and I was going to give Christian his own room, but I think to save myself the trouble of having to track down children every night I will just put Amber in with him for awhile!

Amber turns 7

2011-03-19T12:38:00.001-07:00

Wierdest-looking fairy cake ever
Alyssa's fairy house we decorated for mother-daughter book club (the blue one)

All the pretty little fairies

Amber with the fairy king

Using their best fairy manners

Amber wanted to do the fairy tea party for her birthday again this year, and I think the girls enjoyed it more than they did last year. They all acted more proper and watched the dancers with more interest. This year they got fairy charm necklaces and some fairy dust to take home with them. Then we came home and had pizza and cake (I forgot to freeze it before cutting it so there were crumbs all over and in the frosting and it looked terrible. But she didn't seem to mind). Then they opened presents and played.

I can't believe my little girl is already 7. The older she gets the more I see myself in her. She is my little mini-me. Things about Amber:

She has really cute freckles. The perfect amount sprinkled on her nose.

She loves to write notes and stories.

She is a very good student and reads well.

She is a natural mommy. She loves to help with the little girls--and I don't even have to ask.

She can figure things out by herself. Scott says she has a mechanical brain.

I love you, baby! Happy birthday!

Love month

2011-03-01T09:00:00.000-08:00

I want to raise kids who are aware of other people and are able to see when they are in need. It doesn't help that Scott is always on failblog and showing them videos of people getting maimed and hurt and laughing his head off. Now all my kids think human suffering is the funniest thing ever. So in February we had a lesson on compassion and then dedicated the month to showing love to others.
We visited a nursing home and took some ugly homemade Valentines made by yours truly (the residents loved them anyway), went to the food bank and donated food and decorated goodie bags for the kids that come in, and took cookies around to our underappreciated primary teachers. I hope we were able to do a little good.

"Generally speaking, the most miserable people I know are those who are obsessed with themselves, the happiest people I know are those who lose themselves in the service of others. By and large, I have come to see that if we complain about life, it is because we are thinking only of ourselves."

President Hinckley

Blue and Gold

2011-02-26T14:49:00.001-08:00

My sister-in-law is the cub scout leader and she goes all out for pack meetings. We had a western theme for blue and gold this year:

We had dutch oven chicken and potatoes, salad, rolls, lemonade and s'mores for dessert.

Amber's wanted

And Christian

And Lyssa

We had a yummy dinner followed by impromptu skits and awards. I didn't get to stay because I was in charge of YW that night, but I heard it was fun. We hit the ground running when we got back from vacation. Valentines parties, 3 book clubs, I was in charge of preschool, snowmobiling with the Kendalls and going out to see I am Number Four, and planning Amber's birthday party. We took today off and are spending it inside sleeping. Sometimes I am grateful for snow keeping us stuck inside.

Disneyland

2011-02-26T14:24:00.001-08:00

Lyssa, Lindsey and me on California Screamin'. Lyssa is way cooler than me. This was her favorite ride and she went on it 6 times. It goes from 0-55 mph in 4 seconds, then pretty much straight up, straight down and a loop later on. Pretty wild!

Shootin' it up at Midway Madness. Christian's faces are so much like his dad it makes me laugh.

Amber and Lyssa getting ready to shoot some 3-D butts.

3-D glasses. This was the longest we ride we waited for--40 minutes.

World of Color--Scott almost cried.

The kids got a kick out of how Pluto signed their books.

Amber, Lyssa, Mickey, Megan and Tyler

Livi and I on Soarin' over California. I loved it! Scott took her on Tower of Terror (Christian's favorite ride) while I wasn't around. She survived, but I was mad. My poor baby!

Teacups

More teacups

Sleeping Beauty castle

Mickey and the fam

Soran, Scott and Minnie

BEST VACATION EVER!!!

We met Michael and Lindsey and kids at Disneyland and spent a fantastic 3 days. Hard to top. Things of note: if Amber says she doesn't want to ride don't take her, fork over the $8 for the turkey leg so Scott doesn't regret not getting one, we hit almost every ride at both parks, partied until the kids fell asleep on the stroller. Thanks for all the fun memories and letting us stay at your house.

BEACH!

2011-02-26T14:02:00.000-08:00

Our family footprints

Mermaid (kind of) Soran

Livi and her stick

Alyssa on the verge of hypothermia

Amber's trying not to get too submersed

I wanted to drive straight to the beach, but the kids wanted to go to the hotel and go swimming in the pool. Go figure. But they had never been to the ocean before so they didn't know what they were missing. When we got there the next day they loved it! We played for about 4 hours and they could have stayed longer. The water was freezing (not that Alyssa cared--she was wave surfing) but the sun was perfect. We laid out and soaked it up. I could have stayed there forever.

There were a lot of seagulls and Soran kept throwing chips at them so they would come close and then Livi would run through the middle of them swinging her stick and scattering them. Probably a good thing, though. There were so many I think they could have carried Soran away. Christian and Amber spent a lot of time finding shells and making an oyster tower. And Scott and I just laid around and thought how perfect it was for February and who could we call and brag to.

On the road again

2011-02-26T13:43:00.000-08:00

Anything to keep the kids busy, right?

Acrobat show at Circus Circus

Getting ready to watch the show

Once we bought our tickets time slowed down. Scott and I didn't tell the kids we were going to Disneyland and it was really hard to keep quiet. We would lay in bed at night and talk about how much fun it was going to be and get ourselves so excited we lost a lot of sleep. A week before we were supposed to leave the weather dropped down to the 20s so I told him we were leaving earlier and staying at a hotel. I couldn't stand to be missing out on 50 degree warmer weather.

The kids went to school on Monday and after dinner was over Scott told the kids we were going to Dairy Queen so go hop in the car. We drove for about 45 minutes before Alyssa started asking where we were going. He said to get ice cream. She said why didn't we just go to the one by our house? Then he told the kids we were going to Disneyland. They didn't believe him. It took us almost a full 5 minutes to convince them that was where we were going. I was laughing so hard. I had him record it because I had this vision of the perfect Disney commercial where the kids get so excited, tell their parents how much they love them, etc. I'm glad we recorded it anyway because it was pretty funny.

We stayed the night with Uncle Kelly and Brie (thanks guys) and then stopped in Vegas for lunch and a show at Circus Circus. And then finally on our way to sunny California!

Siblings

2011-02-02T09:43:00.000-08:00

Livi and Soran watching a scary movie.

The Chocolate Touch (I remember reading that in 3rd grade)

Lyssa reading Thumbelina to Amber

I love that my kids love reading and I love that they love each other! It has been a freezing winter and they have learned to enjoy reading more being stuck inside. They also have to read an hour a day for school this month and they are constantly asking me for new books. The library is my best friend!
Scott had his birthday yesterday. It wasn't very exciting as he had 4 hours of meetings in the evening and I just took him to lunch. I usually try to take him somewhere out of town but this year we're holding off a week and then taking the kids to Disneyland! I love tax returns! We are finally paying off our store and our credit cards and will be debt free (except for student loans which we don't have to pay for a year). It's a great accomplishment and so we're going to celebrate.
I am so excited to take the kids. We haven't told them, we're just going to hop into the car and go. Scott and I can barely go to sleep at night thinking about it. And I am sooo ready for some California sunshine!

Pinewood Derby

2011-02-02T09:29:00.000-08:00

Pinewood Refreshments

Christian and his car

The anticipation at the finish line

Christian had his first Pinewood Derby. Scott decided it would be cool to shape it like the light cycles in the movie Tron. He tried to show the kids what he was talking about but the movie was just too long and boring. But they did a light cycle anyway. And it actually ran pretty well! Christian helped with the sanding and painting and had a lot of fun racing it. And he looks so cute in his scout shirt!
Lyssa and I couldn't stay too long to watch, though, because she had a ballroom competition. It was a short one (only 3 hours) and was a lot of fun to see her dance 4 times. She won a medal for Top Technique and their school won the trophy for best overall. She has really improved and now Scott and I need her to give us lessons.
Amber was just made Super Sentinel for the month, also. That means all our kids have had that honor this year.

Christmas lights

2010-12-30T17:58:00.001-08:00

Lights on the reflection pool

Nativity in the middle of the reflection pool

So Scott's work closed for over a week and wouldn't let him in. And the kids have a 2 week break. I was a little worried about what we would do with all that family time. Besides kill each other, of course. We've had a good time, though. We got to have dinner and play games with our friends from AZ, the Henlines. We had dinner and went up to Salt Lake Temple Square to see the lights with the Massengales. It was so crowded. I forget how big of a city that place is getting to be. We were also able to take the kids to see the Joseph Smith movie. It was as good as I remembered. I was hoping the kids would recognize some of the places we went and visited this summer, but not so much. We went mini-golfing and to Pizza Pie Cafe with Ben and Cami and kids. And I am finally catching up on my blog and my new calling as music leader for the Primary! But as it snowed about 10 inches yesterday and the temperature dropped down to the teens, we are hibernating now. So here come the movies and Wii time!

Christmas

2010-12-30T17:44:00.001-08:00

Soran loves her new Princess couch

Cracker hats

Kylee helping Soran with her massive sucker from Grandma

Gingerbread houses

We had a really good Christmas this year. Although getting ready was very hectic. I haven't been able to post for awhile because I got a seasonal job taking phone orders and was working full time. When that was over I had a week and half to get everything ready. I never realized how much work it is until I had a limited time to do it!
I lucked out this year and got a gingerbread village, so each kid (plus Scott) got their own house to decorate. They turned out pretty cute, I think. We went to the annual Thompson Mexican dinner and white elephant gift exchange. We walked away with some books and a slightly used glass bowl. My family did an unpracticed nativity with all the grandkids on Christmas Eve which turned out cute and chaotic at the same time. Then we went to Thompsons where the kids were completely spoiled, as usual. We went home and had our English crackers and got ready for bed. This was the first year the kids woke up before us. They were up at 5:50! And I think this is the first year I could have slept in rather than waking them up. Then we went to Aunt Julie's house for crepes. Then to Tangled, which Soran let me sit most of the way through. And then NAPS and then Christmas dinner at Grandma's. It was a nice day and I think our kids are totally spoiled. But I am glad for the season and the spirit it brings and the remembrance of our Savior and his earthly life.

Aquarium

2010-12-30T17:07:00.000-08:00

Lobster dinner, anyone?

Amazing variety

Lyssa petting the stingray

Can you see the frog under all those kids?

Soran and the ghost fish

I have wanted to take the kids to the aquarium for a long time but it's expensive. So when my friend told me they were having a free day, we went. Even though the line wrapped around three sides of the building outside in December. Actually, the weather was nice and they were handing out smoothies while we waited so it wasn't too bad. And I was really glad we took the time. It was fun and interesting. They had starfish, crabs and stingrays to pet. Although Christian wouldn't touch the stingrays despite really wanting to. He would beg me to help him, and I would take his hand and hold it into the water, but as soon as a ray got close, he was outta there. Soran loved the kids place where there were lots of aquariums on her eye level. Lyssa and Amber liked seeing the sharks and petting the stingrays. We saw an electric eel that was connected to a Christmas tree and when it would move the lights would light up. And we saw an octopus all scrunched up. They are really smart! They can unscrew the top and get out of their tanks. And I think the pictures say the rest!

Thanksgiving 2010

2010-12-30T16:43:00.000-08:00

One of the really great perks of being by both our families is I don't have to cook much for holidays. It's awesome. This year we were able to squeeze in two Thanksgiving feasts and I got away with making jell-o salad, rolls and a relish tray.

We have had so much to be grateful for this year. Scott graduated with his MBA and got a job--with insurance, thank goodness. My health has been a lot better and I was able to run a 5k. Alyssa discovered the joy of ballroom dancing. Christian got baptized and found he loves piano. Amber got more time for art projects and dance. Livi loves her preschool and "prins." And Soran, well, Soran is grateful to still be alive after the year she's had. We are grateful for the many blessings we have and the life we enjoy.

Hiking the Y

2010-12-30T16:30:00.000-08:00

The kids mastering chopsticks

View from the top

We made it!!! (finally)

Ever since we moved to Utah, Alivia has been in love with the mountains. Almost every day when we drive she looks up and says, "Mom, those are big, big mountains." Then one day she started telling me that she had a house on the mountain with the Y. She was quite insistent and pointed at the same spot every time. We have been meaning to climb up to see it, but haven't had the time until recently. We had the most amazing fall and the weather was beautiful clear into November.
I have hiked this particular trail before, and told Scott that when we parked and the Y looked so close it was an illusion. You think it will take about 20 minutes, but it is a hard, uphill trail. The kids did very well, but it took us an hour and a half to get to the top. Going downhill was almost as hard to keep from slipping. Then we took them to a local Hawaiian favorite, and they had a good time.
We also hiked to the hot springs with the Massengales. It was probably the most beautiful path I have ever been on. The leaves were gold and pink (I forgot my camera of course), the weather was perfect and the hot springs were HOT. You couldn't even get in some of them. The hike took a little over an hour each way, and we were really tired by the end. I carried Liv most of the way back and Scott carried Soran there and back. Can't wait to do it again when they're older!

Daddy time

2010-12-30T15:44:00.000-08:00

There's a Wocket in my Pocket

I love all the slack jaws while staring at the TV.

While I feel that most of the "activities" Scott does with the kids are a big waste of time, they love it. He lets them play a lot more electronics than I do and they are really excited when I have meetings or something to go to. I know, they love me, right?
But I understand that daddy time is different than it is with me. And sometimes I wish more of the time I spent with them was fun and not so much day-to-day stuff. He does little of the disciplining and that works out because he has a hard time being strict with them. I love having girls because they have him wrapped around their little fingers. But in the end I'm glad for the example he is for them and that he plays with them even when I think they could be doing something more constructive. One day they will realize they have such a great dad.

Halloween

2010-10-31T16:18:00.000-07:00

Chocolatey unicorn face--I love the teeth

A witch, a unicorn, a zombie, a Cinderella princess and an Indian princess

Carving pumpkins--a cat, a goomba, stars and stripes and a painted face

People ask me what I'm going to dress up as for Halloween. I just roll my eyes. By the time I get 5 kids dressed up 3 times each for different parties and trick-or-treating, I don't even want to think about changing clothes or putting makeup on.

We had a fun year this year. We went to the school carnival, the Nightmare Express which was a small real train and you ride through some haunted tunnels, a haunted house and Scott's work party. We also squeezed in some scary movies. Carving pumpkins this year was much easier. Alyssa and Amber helped clean them out and then they all carved at least a little of their own pumpkin. Not nearly as much work as usual. Alivia painted a cute face on hers but then got so excited she painted all over it and it was a big mess by the time she was done, especially as Soran was helping. On the 30th we went to our ward trunk-or-treat which was held inside because it was raining. Then we raced up to Scott's parents house and did a little door-to-door just to let the kids see how it was in the good old days. Then we went to the other grandparents' and had caramel apples (I asked for something healthy). Then we came home and put the kids to bed and played games with Ben and Cami. We should have enough candy to last until next year.

Octoberfest

2010-10-31T15:24:00.001-07:00

October has turned into one big party...

Alyssa and Alexis at their first dance competition

Evening at the Ritz (stake semi-formal dance for adults). We got a group together and went out for dinner beforehand and Scott got me a beautiful pink corsage. They had dance instruction which was forgotten as soon as it ended, but we had a great time.

Scout trip to the fire station--Christian trying on their 90 pounds of gear

Livi's preschool field trip to HeeHaws farm--picking out a pumpkin

Livi, Soran and I on the hayride

Soran digging in the sand--that girl is a little pigpen

Alyssa playing flag football--they won about half their games

Other highlights of the month: Alyssa and Christian being chosen at Super Sentinels (students for the quarter who excel academically), Scott passing the FBI exam, Lehi Trafalga a couple times and seeing "Despicable Me" at the movie theatre over spring break, hiking to the hot springs up Spanish Fork canyon (it was so beautiful), and I got a job so I can pay off my hospital bills. I'm going to be a seasonal employee taking orders for gift baskets at home. It's full-time which has me very nervous, but it's only a few weeks, and we can do anything for that long. I just hope the kids' teeth don't rot out of their heads and they get showers. Sometimes those things don't quite get done when Dad's around. We've already had one snow shower, but we took it in stride this year. We've had a beautiful, long fall. I hope I've stored up enough sun to last all winter.

Autumn

2010-10-06T07:52:00.000-07:00

Impromptu family pic

I love fall in Utah. The leaves are so beautiful, there are fruit and vegetable stands everywhere and the weather has been gorgeous. Although the nip in the air makes me dread the winter coming. We went for our drive up the canyon and got some pictures. The leaves weren't quite as brilliant as last year and there was a big fire in Salt Lake so the air is kind of hazy. But it was still amazing. The kids were already practiced up on their "oohs" and "aahs" and I think they actually enjoyed going this year.

I have never been into football, but this year we have become fans. Scott decided to play with his cousins and has had a good time. Except maybe the fist fight last week. They are getting pretty competitive. The first few games were early so I took the kids and didn't get a chance to watch, but now they're later in the evening so I put the kids to bed and go. It's fun to watch him and hang out with Holly and Grandma. Alyssa has also been enjoying her season. She has improved a lot. She was nervous when she found out she was the only girl on her team, but she's used to it and plays as well as they do. I will try and get some pics this week.

She LOVES her ballroom class (had I known how expensive that would be I might have changed my mind).And reading, of course. She's been inhaling about 2 books a day. She also had a campout with her class a couple weekends ago. Scott went with them and the got to rock climb, canoe, do obstacle courses and have smores. Spoiled girl.

Christian loves his piano lessons. He is a natural. He goes through about 4 songs a lesson and his timing is really good. First thing he asks when he wakes up is if he can go practice. I am so happy he's addicted so something other than an electronic device. Grandma and Grandpa took him to an air show in Wendover a couple weeks ago. He had a really good time, but I think his favorite part was going to the dollar store and buying toys and junk food. When he got home from his fun-filled day, he asked if he could have something healthy to eat. It was funny.

Amber smashed her finger last week in the car door when I dropped her off for dance class. Poor girl. It was pretty gross but she's doing okay. I gave her a special day off from school because she needed some attention and we went to Trafalga and got her free taco at Del Taco from school. I think she enjoyed having mom's attention solely to herself (and the babies).

Alivia has new "prins" (friends) from school that she loves and they love her, as she is constantly telling me. It is going really well and she is learning a lot. She is a sweet girl and so easy most of the time, until she gets near the computer. I can't keep her off!

Soran is, well, my two-year-old in a 1-year-old body. She is so into everything and her favorite word is "don't." She has learned to bite (in self-defense, I know) and while she only has 6 teeth, it hurts. She's like the kimodo dragon, she won't let go.

Scott loves his new job and the freedom it gives him to do other things. His car has been breaking down a lot and he's spent a few weekends working on it. He's so handy! I had my procedure in September. It was short and went well, but having a bunch of kidney stones at the same time was incredibly painful. I wound up in the emergency room to get some pain medication. Thank goodness that's over. And the doctor said I have a 50/50 chance of never having one again. Pretty good odds. Between that and the stomach flu I have been down a lot this month. I have become so grateful for my health. When they were putting me out the doctors couldn't believe I had 5 kids, and they said, "we better get you out of here quick so you can take care of them." No kidding. Well, now that my morning is gone, I'm outta here.

Labor Day weekend

2010-09-09T21:03:00.000-07:00

Amber lost her first front tooth

Little rock climbers

Playin' in the dirt

Well, I must just love to be in the hospital around holidays. Lyssa was born Mother's Day weekend, Livi was born on Memorial Day, Soran was born on Earth day, I was in the hospital on Thanksgiving Day when pregnant with Soran, on my birthday last year, and on Labor Day weekend this year! Maybe I'm trying to get away from all the family, or maybe just the dishes. Anyway, after Christian's baptism, I must have worn myself out. We went to Swiss days in Midway and then baby-sat that night. When I tried to go to sleep I couldn't. My side just hurt too bad. I tossed and turned for a couple hours before Scott came in and asked if it was my kidney. It took me a second to realize it was. I was so out of it. After taking painkiller and hydrocodone and still being in pain, we went to the hospital. Three hours later they came and told me I had a "freaking huge kidney stone" (direct quote from the doctor) and it wasn't coming out on it's own. More doctor and hospital visits later I get to have a procedure next week. They knock you out and pound you with waves 3,000 times. Should be fun.

But we did manage to have some fun on Labor Day. We went up to Sandy and hiked Little Cottonwood canyon and picked up some of the same granite they used to make the Salt Lake temple. It's beautiful stone. And the canyon's not bad either. Then we had dinner and hung out with the Massengales. Thank goodness for modern medicine!

Christian's baptism

2010-09-09T20:50:00.001-07:00

Christian and his cake

Luncheon afterwards

Christian and Mom and Dad

Christian and Dad

I know some people may say that 8 is too young for children to decide what they really want. But I know that Christian made this decision on his own. I try to make sure my kids know what they're doing and ask them if they're ready to do it. He had no hesitations. I am excited that he has a constant companion with him now to help him.

It was a beautiful fall day. Sister Taeger and Cami spoke at his baptism and in the confirmation circle were Dad, Grandpa Reece, Grandpa Thompson, Uncle Ben, Uncle Jeremy, Uncle Mike and Uncle Nick. We had a luncheon at my favorite park afterwards. I'm so proud of you, Christian!

First day of school 2010

2010-09-09T20:26:00.001-07:00

First day 2010 (Christian really is excited)

Time is getting away from me. The summer flew by too quickly and the kids are back in school. I really agonized over where to send them this year. I liked their school last year, but we weren't sure if it was worth the drive, the uniforms and the school fees. After much discussion we decided to send them to the school near our house. It's the worst school in our city which is hard for me to deal with, but they're loving it. There are computers on all the desks and they get to see their cousins and friends from church. I'll just have to put forth a little more effort to make sure they don't fall too far behind. I must admit it's nice not to have to drive 2 hours a day back and forth. And they get to wear all their regular clothes.
It's going to be a busy year. Alyssa is in flag football (which the coach is trying to overrun our lives with--5 games/practices last week), ballroom dance twice a week, piano and activity days. Christian started Cub Scouts which he really enjoys and he started piano lessons and we're going to put him into basketball. Amber is taking dance from Vicki again (yeah!) and also an art club after school.
Scott has a lot of free time now with his new job so he joined his cousin's football team. They have been playing for several years now and are pretty good, but they let him join anyway. Actually, I am always impressed with how well my husband does athletically. Probably because it's so out of my league.
This leaves Livi, Soran and I at home. We're back to storytime at the library and I started a preschool group. We had our first classes this week. I think it will be fun. Livi has lots to learn.

Kansas trip part IV--Kansas!

2010-08-20T22:14:00.000-07:00

Well, the pictures are in reverse (aren't they always) so we'll go backwards. The last day was Maggie's baptism. She was radiant and it was a great time. We had lunch and left. We saw some pretty cool hailstorms on the way to Colorado and Soran puked all over me. The second to last day we went to a space museum which was very informational and had some cool things, but way over the kids' heads. We saw a lot of stuff that had actually been to space and then watched a show where they blew up a bunch of stuff. For me, the coolest thing by far was the piece of the Berlin Wall they had. The picture is really grainy because it was dark down there, but what a great piece of history!

Space museum--Blackhawk something or other
An ACTUAL piece of the Berlin Wall--cool

We took a walk in a nature preserve place and it was beautiful. There were lots of turtles in the water the kids loved. Then we went to Doug and Sara's awesome YMCA. It had a lazy river, pool, toys, hot tub, tube rides--it was a lot of fun. Then the kids went to the drive-in to see Cats & Dogs. I stayed with the babies which was fun for me.
Soran at the nature museum

It was really hot the first couple days. We went to the Indian statue thing in the middle of the river and then to the outside shopping plaza where the kids made a beeline for the fountain and cooled off. Then we went to the Nifty Nut House for the best candy selection and prices EVER. We made another trip back there before we left. Then we went shopping at the mall and that night to the zoo. I wish I had more pics of that. It was great. They had exhibits where you could go in and feed the animals and touch them--monkeys, birds, turtles, kangaroos. It was much more fun than a regular zoo.
Soran and Livi enjoying the fountains

It was so HOT

Troll in the sewer

Family pic at the Indian statue

We also had dinner at an Amish restaurant. We visited an Amish town in Missouri, too. We saw a man tilling his land with his horses and plow, people driving in their buggies and went shopping at some stores. They have really neat accents (they speak German in the home) and they use safety pins on their clothes, no buttons or zippers. Kind of cool.

This was a great vacation! Thanks to Doug and Sara and everyone else who made it so memorable!

Kansas trip part III--Independence

2010-08-20T21:59:00.000-07:00

The Christus was beautiful and I couldn't pass up Livi's pose.
Monkeys

Lyssa driving the horse and Amber

Cabin replica in the LDS visitors center

Community of Christ Temple

By the time we got here the kids were REALLY tired of being in the car. Our first stop was to the RLDS temple, now known as the Community of Christ. It was really interesting. They had a whole different set of apostles and church leaders. They said that after Joseph Smith was killed and the church left for Utah there were several offshoots and a few years later they all got together and elected Joseph's son as the new leader. He then passed leadership on to his son and on down through the years. However, now they are so different I think it would be hard to recognize much of our own faith in theirs. They had a museum with great artifacts. Original paintings of Joseph and Emma, and a picture of Emma just before she died. Letters, books, and other belongings of the early saints. Scott and I could have stayed longer but by then the kids were playing tag in the foyer and the babies were climbing on the exhibits so we called it quits.

We headed over to the Visitors Center across the street which was much more kid-friendly. They had touch-screen computers and a play area downstairs. The kids climbed on everything and played to their hearts' content. They had a neat exhibit of Arnold Frieberg's work because he just passed away. Other than that, it was a typical visitors center. And we were finally off for Kansas!

Kansas trip part II--Liberty Jail

2010-08-20T21:41:00.000-07:00

The kids in front of Liberty Jail.
Replica of the Liberty Jail

Our kids had been in the car for about 20 hours by the time we got here. But I was so pleased with how reverent they were (except for Soran) when we got to Liberty Jail. It was an amazing place. This is the jail where Joseph and Hyrum and 3 others spent 5 months, from December to April. The jail cell was in the basement and was very cold and dirty. There was nothing for heat except their blankets and the food was rotten. The ceiling was so low that 5 of them couldn't even stand up straight. The worst part, though, was hearing about the suffering of their families and the members of the church as they were forced from their homes in winter. It was here that Joseph cried out (D & C 121:1-2):

"O God, where art thou? And where is the pavilion that covereth thy hiding place? How long shall they hand be stayed and thine eye, yea they pure eye, behold from the eternal heavens the wrongs of thy people and of thy servants, and thine ear be penetrated with their cries?"
He received this revelation in return (D&C 121:7-8):
"My son, peace be unto they soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment; and then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over thy foes."

There were signs all over the visitors center that said, Where Faith Was Tried. I feel like our faith has been tested this last year, but I can't imagine going through that and feeling as lost as I'm sure Joseph Smith did. But what a comforting reply. And I know that although the end is unclear to us in the midst of our trials, God does know and He will help us through.

Kansas trip part I--Adam-ondi-Ahman

2010-08-20T21:23:00.000-07:00

Scott and the kids overlooking the valley.

Spring Hill, also known as Adam-ondi-Ahman.

Scott read some church history books a few years ago and has been anxious to see some of the places he read about. We planned a trip but it fell through, so we were ready to go by the time we left this year. We left on Sunday and traveled 8 hours to Cheyenne, Wyoming. Then we drove 10 hours the next day to Missouri. Wow, it was so beautiful. Green everywhere you looked. Some of the freeway was blocked off because some ponds had overflown. We stayed at Scott's aunt's house and it was neat. They own over 180 acres which they farm. We were really excited to see fireflies but there weren't any. We also learned about chiggers and Lyssa was lucky enough to catch some. Her ankle was all puffy and itchy the next day. The humidity was out of control. There was moisture running down their windows on the outside and Scott's glasses fogged over when he stepped outside. It made me kind of claustrophobic. The air was really thick.

Anywho, the next day we came to Adam-ondi-Ahman. Historically, this was the place where Adam, Seth, Enos, Cainan, and other sons met and Adam gave them his last blessing. Also, it was the place where Adam offered up sacrifice after he was cast out of the garden of Eden. This is the place where Adam will come and a great meeting will be held before the Second Coming. It's a beautiful place.

Christian's 8!!!

2010-08-20T20:54:00.000-07:00

My two boys doing what they love most.
Christian is such a good big brother. He loves to entertain the babies.
3 years old--boys and their sticks.

Christian making his boy face.

My camera still wasn't working at Christian's birthday party so I didn't get any pics but I did get some good video. I asked him what kind of party he wanted and what a surprise, he said, "Wii." I decided I didn't want them all just sitting around for hours, so we started at the park and had pizza and cake and played games. The kids jumped on goombas (balloons) and collected coins, they "fed" Mario some meatballs (golf balls) and we had a Yoshi egg pinata. THEN we came home to play for hours and had a sleepover. It was weird this year because usually we have friends but it was just cousins. Oh, and Michael, but he's practically a cousin. Then we had breakfast where Scott taught all the boys how to call, "Woman, bring me my drink." They thought he was hilarious.

Observations I've made about my one boy growing up in a house full of girls:
1. He calls his underwear panties.

2. He goes to the bathroom sitting down (until he was about 7 he wouldn't go outside, he'd just say, I'll wait until we get home, even if we were camping).

3. He sings along to Taylor Swift.

4. He's watched all the Barbie movies.

5. His closet is overflowing with dresses which he always complains he has to clean up.

6. He's a sweet, sensitive boy.

I love my Christian. He always wants to do the right thing and make everyone happy. He gets stressed if he can't make everyone happy with his decision. He has the sweetest little puppy dog eyes. I can't believe he's 8, but I'm so excited to see where he's headed.

Gutter of Fire

2010-08-20T20:44:00.001-07:00

The Grand Finale
Lots of sparklers
The kids would chase the parachute guys--Alyssa's catch

Christian, Amber (ignore the underwear), Kayla, Aunt Holly and Ayden enjoying the show

Scott's sister and her husband throw a firework party every year for the 24th of July. And what, you may ask, is the 24th of July? Utah's own Pioneer Day, and who doesn't need more holidays? We started out the day at the park where they have a bunch of free activities (making butter, relays, watermelon eating contest, making vests, etc.) and the kids had a good time. Scott was actually able to come this year and he and I sawed a log with an old-fashioned saw--the one with a person on each side. That is harder than it looks! Then we went to the BBQ and firework extravaganza. It's fun to be close to everything and just sit and enjoy the weather. Unfortunately the show was a little TOO good, though, because the fire trucks came. But they only gave a warning so we'll see you next year!

Summertime

2010-07-15T20:07:00.000-07:00

Our camera is having trauma so I don't have any pics of the last few weeks, sniff sniff. But I pulled out our new video camera and figured out how to work it (mostly) and got some great videos. Now I have to figure out how to transfer to the computer.
Anywho, the Thompson reunion. Scott's family was in charge of it this year so it was in Provo. I think there were over 80 people there. It was a lot of fun to see his cousins and aunts and uncles. We started out with a BBQ and outdoor movie--Meet the Robinsons, love it! The next day we went on a Book of Mormon hike and then played water games. Saturday we hung out and put together a scrapbook for his grandma's 90th birthday. Then we went swimming and had the party that night. It went well. I decorated with lots of confetti. Holly didn't hate me as much as I thought she would while we were doing cleanup. Sunday was the Sweeney. Scott made it to the semi-finals in horseshoes but lost to David and Seth this year. Bummer. His luck is just elsewhere these days. But he had fun playing. I think it's mostly because while he's in the running he doesn't have to help with the kids. They love this reunion. So many fun games and PRIZES.
Our 4th of July was great. Saturday we got together with my family and had a BBQ (did I mention I am so sick of hot dogs and hamburgers?) and then went to the park and watched the fireworks. Sunday night we took the three older kids to spend the night with Grandma on the streets. Craziness. Monday morning was my first 5k! It was so fun. I got there and we had a flag ceremony and then they organized us by how fast we ran. They have these cool little timer things that go on your shoes. I ran pretty slow, but I ran the whole thing, which was my goal. The last leg was running uphill on 9th east (pretty steep). And I had so much energy at the end I sprinted about 100 yards. Next time I'll go more for speed. The bummer part was I had told Scott the wrong park to meet at so no one was there and he had to walk his own 5k to catch up to me. Oh, well. He wants to try and race. I say soon so I can beat his pants off!
The Reece reunion was the next weekend. We played hard. Thursday we had a family history activity and went swimming and watched a movie that night. Friday we went to Lagoon! Scott took off with the older 2 kids and rode the big rides. They had a great time. I had fun watching Livi and Amber the kiddie rides. Soran wanted on so badly, but I wasn't about to pay $40 for her to ride a couple rides. Saturday the boys went golfing and the girls went out for lunch and shopping. We had a talent show that night and it was hilarious! Good times.
But I must say I'm glad to get back into a slower routine. It's kind of hard to drag 5 kids all over. Couple week break and Kansas here we come!

Some days

2010-07-15T19:56:00.001-07:00

When I get older and my children are gone and I look back on these days with fond memories and everything seemed perfect, I want to have these times to remember, too. Last night I was so tired and thought the last thing I had to do was vacuum and then I could go to bed when I walked into Soran's room and smelled throw up. So I took took her out of bed, gave her a bath, washed bedding, changed bedding, got her dressed again and got another bottle for her. THEN vacuumed. Woke up this morning to Christian jumping on the bed and Livi crying. Her diaper had leaked in the night and she was running a fever. Changed her clothes and started washing bedding. Took the kids to breakfast at the school and then grocery shopping. Got to check out and they said the computers were down and they weren't taking debit cards. I was like, you're kidding, right? Because I just spent 2 hours shopping. Parked my cart and stomped around the front of the store for 10 minutes, got back into line and waited again and finally checked out. Took the kids to lunch at the school where Livi threw up all over her tray and then peed on me. Cleaned that mess up and hurried home to take a shower. Proceeded to do 3 days worth of dishes and put up groceries. Went to the library with 6 children to get a book for Scott. Found out the kids were saying words they weren't supposed to so put lemon juice in their mouths. Christian threw up. More laundry. Movie. Beds. Thank goodness this day is over.
I love being a mother but there are days when I don't feel up to the task. And I wonder how much psychological damage I'm doing. But that's probably mostly the tired talking. Good night.

Life

2010-06-23T15:45:00.001-07:00

Amber taking Soran for a ride.
How many cousins fit into one sandbox?
Friday nights at our house

Amber's dance costume

My brand new couch--it's so big!

Life. It's crazy. I can't believe it's been 2 months since I've been able to blog. But I wanted to catch a little of what our life is like right now. First, I got my first brand new couch and I love it. It's a sectional big enough to hold our whole family. Thank goodness for tax returns. The floral couch with large tears was getting kind of old. Amber's dance recital was in May and she looked beautiful and did a great job. Thanks to Vicki for teaching her!

There are 9 kids living in our house between me and my brother. It's a large house, but still. And on Friday nights part of our rental agreement is that I will watch the kids while they go out. It makes for some fun and wild times. I have grown to love their kids, even when it gets crazy. Scott just got made a high priest on Sunday and was called to the high council. I keep telling myself that we're not that old--right?!?! He really enjoys it so far. He is still working 2 part-time jobs and going to school, but he graduates in a month--yeah! And then the job search will really begin. Of course, he'll also be studying for his CPA exam but we'll figure that out later.

The kids are loving being out of school, and I love it so far. We go to breakfast and lunch at the school and have visited various parks. I love Utah for that. There are lots of nice parks. We have a reunion coming up this weekend, the 4th of July the next and another reunion the weekend after that. Bring on the good times!

Whew! And that concludes my 6 post catchup.

Girls Camp 2010

2010-06-23T15:22:00.000-07:00

Cabin decorated with lots of cute glittery spots but no heat
Me and Chelsea rocking our hike

Girl chats and singing all night long

Singing around the lake with the bonfire and flashlights

View from our cabin porch--notice the trees haven't budded yet.

Okay, so the reason I have a mountain of laundry and haven't blogged in 2 months and have neglected my kids and husband and haven't read a book in forever is all due to Girls Camp. But it was so worth it. I used to go to Mia Shalom when I was a teenager and it was amazing to go back. The spirit is so strong there and it was beautiful even with the lack of green. At least there wasn't any snow. Not to say it wasn't cold, but at least we didn't have to shovel walk ways or anything.

The first day (after getting lost and getting there late) we set up camp and then we went canoeing, played games and had a night hike. The next day I got to go to the scripture cabin and read scriptures all by myself and scarf down some candy bars. Then we played marshmallow gun wars with the girls and had a lot of fun. Then we sang around the lake. You sit across the lake from another stake and when it's your turn you turn on your flashlights and sing. It looks so beautiful. When we got back to camp we sang around the lantern and it was so peaceful. Next day was hike day (we went with the first years so it was pretty easy) and I got to see my little sister. We hung out at camp for awhile while the girls crafted and certified. That night we had a testimony meeting and it started to get really cold. The next day we canoed again and did some confidence courses and it started to rain so we went back to our cabins. The bishop showed up that afternoon and we had pizza, played a game and had another testimony meeting. Then they made the men get up and do some goofy songs (way to go B) and last night sleeping on the cold hard ground. I think of everyone in our ward I was the saddest to come home. It was an awesome experience. And when I got home my husband and 5 children were still alive and the house was even clean. Mostly.

Livi enters the terrible 3s

2010-06-23T15:00:00.000-07:00

Birthday candle glow
My princess--always in a dress

2 years old with all her babies

1 year old--she has always sucked her fingers like this and still does.

1 day old with daddy and a very bruised face

Livi turned 3 this year and I can't believe it. She is my sweet little girl. She is always wearing dresses and loves to get her nails painted and makeup on, when she can sneak it. She is never mean to other kids. If she gets hurt she just cries and walks away. She loves her siblings more than me, I think. She always wants to be with them and doing what they're doing. She is such a cutie. She talks with such a cute little voice and you just want to squish her.

For her birthday we just had a little party with the cousins and had chicken nuggets, carrots and chips (her pick). She got a lot of presents and a lot of dresses. She is such a light in my life. I can't ever get mad at her because she is always so fun. I love you Livi!

AZ here we come!

2010-06-23T14:46:00.000-07:00

Lindsey and cute little Lucy
Swimming with daddy

Alyssa got invited to spend a couple weeks with her friend in Prescott Valley, so we took a trip down in May. The kids were so good on the drive down, even though our TV was broken. I didn't even know Alivia was in the car except every once in awhile she would say, "Mommy, the mountains is moving." We stayed with Michael and Lindsey for a couple days. It was really good to see them again. We had a good time just hanging out, went to the mall, went swimming, to Chuck E Cheese (thanks, Grandpa) and the boys went golfing. It was hard to believe a year had gone by since we'd seen them.

Then we headed to Prescott Valley and caught up with some friends there. The Kendalls were so sweet and threw a dinner for us with a lot of friends. It was fun to see how much everyone had grown and things had changed. The next day Scott took off golfing and we went around and visited different places. Jessica had a munch-n-mingle at her house and then I got to visit with Tina and Amber spent time with her bestest friend. We had a fun family home evening with the O'Connors and left the next morning. The drive home felt a lot longer, as it always does, but the kids were really good again. After driving for a few hours, Livi looked around and asked, "Where's Lytta?" I said she was at Jonah's house. She said she wanted Lytta. It was cute. We did bring Bryant back with us to keep Christian busy for a couple weeks, so no shortage of kids.

It was good to go down and see everything. I had been missing AZ so much and wanting to go back. I was curious to see if being there would make it worse or better. I was relieved to find that while I really miss our friends and my house, I have moved on. I'm happy with where we are in life, even if it is in my brother's basement and Scott's working 2 part-time jobs. It's a good life here (that's easier to say when it's summer--come winter I may be singing a different tune) and I'm excited to see what comes next.

My baby's one!

2010-06-23T14:19:00.000-07:00

Pink cupcake with one candle
Princess Kayla and Princess Alivia

Soran on the swing with Grandpa

My baby turned one on April 22nd. Soran has been my blessing baby. I don't know what I would have done with a different child this past year. She has rolled with everything and still been the happiest baby we've ever seen. I am so grateful for her. We went to the park and had a picnic lunch with grandparents and cousins. She was absolutely covered in dirt by the end of the party. She was crawling and dragging her food with her. She was also spoiled, of course.

Since then she has started walking and says her first word, "uh-oh." Scott keeps trying to get her to say daddy but no such luck. She seems very content with her one word. She puts up with most of the kids loving on her (there are a lot of kids around who are constantly hugging her) and loves to be outside. Thank goodness she's walking so she doesn't get covered in dirt when we go out. Since she was born on Earth day I told Scott I want to plant a tree for her on her birthday. We planted an apple tree at Ben's house this year.

I love you baby girl. Happy first birthday!

Womens Conference

2010-06-23T13:47:00.000-07:00

Now that's a lot of girl power!
Nicole at the service project (lots of cutting)

Me at my old alma mater (BYU). Cold.

Me and Nicole (sorry--I know it wasn't your best pic but it was the better one of me and it's my blog:))

My friend Nicole came and saw me while I was in the hospital on my birthday and brought me a gift card for Old Navy. Then she took me out and made me use it on myself (a couple weeks later, of course). It was so nice and I wanted to do something for her. So for her birthday I got her tickets to Womens Conference at BYU. It was the first time I had ever gone. The first time I left Scott with the kids the whole day for a break for myself. And the first time will definitely not be the last. It was so great. We had a really fun time and I didn't realize how much I needed it until we were there. I gained some really good insight and felt more inspired to be a better mother and wife. The concert in the evening was fun and I will never look at laundry the same way again. Thanks, Nicole!

S'mores!

2010-04-19T13:00:00.000-07:00

This picture cracks me up. We look like we are really enjoying ourselves.
Our first hike in the morning. It was beautiful.

Soran helping set up the tent.

The kids playing in the Sand Dune arch.

Scott finished off his first tax season as an almost-accountant and our family took a much needed break. We left on Friday and headed to Moab and Arches National Park where we met the Massengales. We did drive around for a couple hours before finding a camping spot, but everything went smoothly after that. Scott picked out this huge "vacation lodge" tent which we set up for the first time and it was huge. It was nice to be able to stand up in it. I told him he's trying to make up for the lack of space in our apartment with the tent. The kids played on the playground and then we had s'mores, of course.

The next morning we were up early so we decide to head up the canyon for a hike. It was perfect weather and so beautiful. Then we went to Arches and had lunch and hiked to a few of the arches. The best one by far was the Sand Dune arch. I didn't get to go because the babies were asleep in the car, but it looked like a lot of fun. Then we came home and took showers which have never felt so good. Now I am trying to unbury us from the mountain of sand and laundry that follows camping and then it's time to get ready for the Girls Camp fundraiser. I hope we make enough money we're not eating hot dogs all week while we're at camp!

Spring (???) Break

2010-04-12T13:14:00.000-07:00

Sharpshooter

Muse special effects

Me and Scott at Muse (on the floor!)

Well, I guess it could have snowed a little more. But, come on, I am so ready for warmer weather. This spring has been forever. It'll be 60s one day and then snowing the next. But what a great break we had! Especially Scott and me. Monday morning Nicole called and said the Museum of Natural History was free on Mondays, so we hurried and got ready and went up to SLC. It was neat. The most interesting thing I learned was that the brine shrimp, which are the only animals in Salt Lake because of the saline, are a multi-million dollar industry. They ship them all over the country where they're used for food for other animals. The kids liked digging for the dinosaur bones and playing in the little grass hut. Then we took them to Sweet's candy factory where they got to see how candy is made, and of course have free samples! When we walked into the chocolate room our guide said, don't breath too deep there are calories in the air. I believe it, the air was thick and chocolatey.
Nicole called as soon as we got home and said she had free tickets to the Muse concert and they were in a suite. Well, Scott and I couldn't pass that up, so we got a baby-sitter and took off. I felt like such an irresponsible parent, dumping the kids at the last minute and taking off for the whole night. But it was a blast! Mike got us the VIP treatment. We haven't been to a concert since we got married and it was fun, especially to be on the floor. Scott kept asking where the earplugs were and I told him to be quiet, he was making me feel old.
I also took the kids letterboxing for the first time this year, to Jumping Jacks, a cousin sleepover, and we had a barbecue. Scott attended Nickapalooza and almost made it to the final round. My brother-in-law has a shooting contest every year for his birthday.
Scott and I also went out for our 16th anniversary of our first date. We relived our first date and went to Trafalga and rode the slick cars, mini-golfed, went out to La Dolce Vita but didn't attend junior prom. Instead we came home and watched a movie which I fell asleep during and then he played games until 2:00 a.m. Some things change after 16 years. But I love him more now than I did then! Thanks for a sweet 16 years, honey!

Easter 2010

2010-04-12T12:57:00.000-07:00

Soran and daddy. It was freezing.

Lyssa collecting candy

Cute Amber

Livi getting ready to run

This year the kids wound up going to three different egg hunts, which was better than I was expecting. I thought they'd have 4 or 5. Crazy! Anyway, our stake put on a spring extravaganza. Friday night was the "battle of the bulge" where the bishops played the stake leaders. We made a couple posters for my brother ("work that bulge" and "does your i-Phone have a basketball app?") since he's our bishop and he was playing. He did pretty well. The stake wound up winning. I decided that the stake president must have pulled them aside and said, "if any of you ever want to be released, we win." Ha ha.

Anyway, the next morning was the Easter egg hunt. Don't let the sunny weather fool you. It was freezing. It had snowed the night before. The primary leaders just threw candy out on the ground and let the kids go. I guess the plastic eggs are superfluous.

Easter morning we woke up to 2-3 inches of snow. Yeah. We are definitely moving somewhere warmer. We had a nice morning at Scott's parents' house watching conference, stuffing ourselves and letting the kids hunt for bonus eggs that held money. Then we came home, watched/napped through the afternoon session, had dinner with my family and another egg hunt. Then we went to bed sick from sugar overload.

I must add that the older I get the more I appreciate the meaning of Easter Sunday. I am so grateful to have a Savior who made it possible for me to renew both body and spirit. Easter comes at the right time of year when everything is brought to life again and the world feels new. I am so grateful for that knowledge and the impact it has on my life.

March Madness

2010-03-31T12:26:00.000-07:00

Alien eyes

Christian's volcano

This month has been crazy! And not with basketball. Well, a little with basketball. Scott has been working about 70 hours a week lately (tax season) and then he has school on top of that. We rarely see him. But he did take Wednesdays off so I could go to YW. Camp has overrun my life. We had about 5 or 6 meetings this month along with all the other YW meetings I've been "invited to attend" (aka if you want to fulfill your calling you'll show up). I'm also in 3 book clubs again and heading up two of them so that's been busy. I started volunteering at the school also as it's almost the end of the year and I still have half my hours to get.

Alyssa has been enjoying piano, Activity Days and book club with mom. She's become my right hand as I have no husband around and I don't know what I'd do without her. Christian had basketball and soccer this month for a total of 4 games a week and a practice. Amber's getting really excited for her dance recital. I was worried when I started watching the practices, but the whole class has come a long way and it's going to be so cute. I've been taking Alivia to story time which she just loves. We take my nephew, Jacob, who always livens things up. She copies Amber a lot. Last night Amber was mad at me and said, I hate my mom. A couple minutes later Alivia whispers the same thing from her crib. It was funny. But I told Amber she doesn't get to say that anymore. I fill the rest of my time is cleaning up after Soran. She's hit the stage where she pulls everything out of the cupboards and opens all the bottles. She is pretty small still and I just love to squish her and kiss her cheeks.

My two older kids had a week off school this month because there was not enough money in the budget so the teachers took a voluntary unpaid leave. And of course they weren't going to work for free, so I got to have my kids home with me. Christian drove me crazy enough the first day that I had to come up with some stuff to do. So we decided to do some science experiments. We made a volcano, a chemical pie, playdough and went to a fun park with lots of things to try out (concave dishes you whisper into, a xylophone type instrument, different types of rocks, etc.). It was nice to have some time with them.

When tax season ends we are taking a break. Two more weeks!

I DO believe in fairies

2010-03-07T15:38:00.000-08:00

All the pretty little fairies

Fairy Princess Amber

Mother of the fairy

Amber showing her friends how to use their best fairy etiquette.

I was at the library a few weeks ago and saw an advertisement for a Fairy Tea Party. I thought that sounded like a lot of fun for all my girls, but knew Amber would love it most. A couple days later I was trying to figure out what to do for her birthday. It took me awhile, but I finally put two and two together and we did a fairy birthday party. Everyone came over for dinner and birthday cake I decorated with pastel sugar sprinkles (fairy dust) and then we went over for the tea party. The ballroom was all decorated with lights and trees. We went to our table and the fairy king arrived to greet us and then some ballerinas danced. The girls got a lesson in etiquette--use your napkins and take small bites. They ate their fairy feast and then they got to go up on stage and pirouette and curtsy to the king. Amber got to go up and talk to him and he said he loved her freckles.

Overall, it was really cute and I think they had a good time. Although I think some of the ladies throwing it were a little too into the fairy thing (you wouldn't believe some of the costumes--and accents!). I think I'll take Livi once and we'll call it good.

Happy Birthday, Amber!

2010-03-07T15:21:00.001-08:00

Amber holding the Easter bunny.

Craaaaazy hair!

3rd birthday. So cute!

Wha's up, bro?

Tomorrow is my Amber's 6th birthday. I can't believe it. Of all my children, I really feel that her life is the one slipping through my fingers. She was born in Bullhead at about 8:30 p.m. She came out with so much red hair--we were shocked. And she was such a calm baby. The nurses ran out of the room after she was born to take care of another delivery and left her under the lights naked and dirty for about 45 minutes. She just laid there and looked around. She hardly even cried.

She is such a joy to our family. She is my most social kid and loves to be with friends. She is probably also the most girly, although that may be tough to tell. She lived in her princess dressup clothes for a couple years. People actually mentioned that they wondered if she had any real clothes. I hope the next few years will slow down so I can enjoy them a little more. I love you, Bubba!

I get to go!

2010-02-22T21:53:00.000-08:00

I got a call from the bishopric asking to meet with me so I went in and was totally shocked when they asked me to be the assistant Girls Camp director! I am so excited! Especially as Scott said he will support me (after commenting what choice did he have and I said he could choose to be grouchy or happy about it). This is good because he has a strong dislike for Girls Camp. When we got engaged I was the leader and wanted to postpone our wedding until afterwards. He didn't like that. So instead I took off 2 weeks after we got married and left him. He wasn't too happy about that either. But he said this time he's happy about it because he's going to take a week off work and play computer --with the kids of course. Anyway, it will be great.

Amber was student of the month for February. That was NOT such a big surprise as Grandma sent out an email at the beginning of the year listing what order her granddaughters would be the student of the month. But she was really excited and got a TON of free kids meal tickets.

Alivia is starting to talk so much. The other day she was trying to talk to me and Christian was talking to her at the same time and she turned around and said, "be quite, trying to talk to mom." It was so funny. Christian is my toothless goon right now. I went into his room in the dark and started taking pictures which is why his face is so weird.

Soran, on the other hand, finally got a tooth! Last week her first tooth came through. I hope the other one will come soon as she isn't sleeping very well.

Tomorrow is my last doctor appointment for my kidney! Yeah! Although I am grateful for feeling good every morning I wake up.

Pairs

2010-02-11T13:11:00.001-08:00

Alyssa and Aunt Anna singing a duet (Kayla dancing)

Soran and Amanda

Since it's almost Valentines day, I thought a "couple" post was due. I need to get a picture of my valentine, but he is just never around these days. Last year I was home schooling my 13-year-old sister, which was a lot more work than I thought it would be. My hats off to all who can home school, especially more than one grade! I had a hard enough time keeping track of one. This year I am baby-sitting my adorable niece. She is actually supposed to be a month younger than Soran but was born 2 months early and so is a month older. She is so much fun. Soran and her get so excited when they see each other. But it definitely keeps my hands full.

As mentioned earlier, I have taken up running with my mom. My running shoes (if you can call them that) were 11 years old. Scott bought them for me the year we were married. So while we were in St. George I picked up a new pair. I can run faster, leap higher, and go for miles. Almost.
Hope everyone has a happy pair day!

Stuff

2010-02-01T12:17:00.000-08:00

I HATED the first snowfall, but now that it's (hopefully) almost the end of winter I think it's kind of pretty. I love the white against the blue background.

I gave Alivia a mini candy bar for going to the potty before putting her down for a nap. I thought she would eat it before going to sleep. She didn't.

Today is Scott's birthday. He is 33. Strange. I remember my parents being this age and they were old but now it seems so young. We went to St. George for the weekend where he broke in (from a long winter of disuse) his golf clubs. We had a good time, although it wasn't quite the sunshine-soaking-up trip I was hoping it would be. It was kind of cold. So nice to have a day to ourselves. We talked the whole drive down without any interruptions. I love this man. In April we will have been together for 16 years. I don't know what life is like without him.

The kids get bigger every day. Amber lost both of her bottom teeth within a week. She keeps telling me how hard it is to eat now. She was also in the science fair last week and won a trophy (thanks to Grandma). Alivia is pretty much done potty training. She rarely has accidents anymore. So nice! And a small fortune saved in diapers. Christian continus to be addicted to all things electronic. Alyssa and I joined a mother-daughter book club at the library and went last week for the first time. It was a lot of fun. We read a book on Helen Keller. She was a fascinating woman. I just thought her life kind of ended after she learned how to sign in her hand, but she lived until she was 88 and accomplished some amazing things! A local man brought some of her letters and books she had written in (can you believe she could write?) and we got to hold them. It was neat. Alyssa also made me a cookie and a birdfeeder. I love that she loves to read. Soran started crawling last week and is all over! She has already learned how to get up the stairs. She is still the happiest baby on earth. She is constantly smiling.

My nephew Matt turned 8 a couple weeks ago and had a huge birthday party at a bounce place. The kids had a blast running around and jumping on everything. It's a good thing they don't weight much, though. I think the slides were half duct tape.

I continue to be amazed at how good I feel. We have been so blessed. I feel grateful to be able to take care of my kids and am grateful for every day that I am able to get up and have energy and go. My mom and I have been going running at 6 a.m. (who knew that time existed?) and I am slowly getting better. I am so out of shape!

So that's us in a page. Life is good. Hope it is so for all of you.

And that's how it's done!

2010-01-08T14:43:00.000-08:00

Livi, happy to be a big girl

I had to get down that ALIVIA'S POTTY TRAINED. Well, mostly. But we've gone all day today without any accidents, which I think is a major milestone. I kind of started in December just in the mornings. I was usually done by noon. But this week with the kids at school it was full-time, and isn't it a full-time job? Asking every 10 minutes, putting them on the toilet every 20 and then cleaning up the messes. But it's so good to know that we've completed (kind of) a major milestone. Although it will be a few months before she'll be "finished."

We had a great New Years holiday. We were able to catch up with a lot of old friends. I saw one of my old friends from high school and Scott got together with his best friend from high school and he and his son played Wii with my boys until 1:00 am. They had a good time and Christian wasn't even too hung over the next day. Then our dear friends the Henlines came over for dinner and games. Made us miss Arizona. And then the Jeppsons and their new twins came over later that week. It's amazing how friendships can survive over the years with so little contact.

We spent New Years Eve with Mike and Nicole and it was a lot of fun. We stayed up playing games until 12:00 (all the kids made it except Soran--Alivia was still going strong) and then rushed to bed. The next day we went tubing which was a lot of fun and then Nicole and I went shopping which was a much needed break for me. With Scott being gone so much I have dragged 5 children everywhere getting ready for Christmas. It's been nice to stay home. We were so glad to kiss 2009 good-bye and welcome 2010 with open arms!

Christmas

2009-12-26T20:49:00.000-08:00

Time flies when it's crazy. We had a really good Christmas. It was nice to be with family and spend time with our own kids (and Scott who disappeared for a couple weeks due to working in retail). Highlights: Alyssa doing a hip-hop dance at her Christmas concert. She did well, it surprised me, I guess because I have no rhythm. FHE at the nursing home--always a good experience. Christian losing his other front tooth 2 days before Christmas. Christmas day the girls went to see The Princess and the Frog and the boys went to Avatar in 3D. Somehow the division of children just didn't seem fair, but we made it through. The grandmas spoiled us all, of course. And it was nice to spend a few moments in reflection on the year and the reason for the season. Hope everyone was as blessed as we were.

Waiting for Santa. We checked in on him and he had pulled up the shades and was asleep looking out the window. Aaaww.

New jammies and blankets from Grandma on Christmas Eve. So cute!

Cousin Kylee helping Soran open a present. I love the tongue!

Amber performed at her first Christmas concert (with her cousins, of course). They sang "I want a hippopotamus for Christmas" and "All I want for Christmas is my 2 front teeth." She knew all the words and it was so cute.

Christmas season begins

2009-12-03T13:20:00.000-08:00

Soran enjoying her piece of the gingerbread

10 seconds after completion

Completed gingerbread house

I must be feeling better. I think this is my fifth post in a month. I have been amazed how much better I feel now than I did a few weeks ago. Scott told me that they actually took part of my kidney out because it was so infected and what a difference. I haven't had this much energy in months. So now I get to get ready for the holidays!
We made our gingerbread house for home evening this week. It went much better than last year. The kids were excited to do their piece. It turned out pretty cute. And after enjoying it for about 5 seconds they tore it apart and ate it. The sugar rush begins!
We went out and got our Christmas tree last night and decorated it so now it really does feel like the Christmas season has started. I haven't gotten any shopping done, so it hadn't really hit me yet. But I love having a tree that smells so good in the house. 22 more days!

Thanksgiving

2009-11-29T14:31:00.000-08:00

We had a great turkey day. We had our annual Thanksgiving FHE and made our turkeys. I realized as I was spending hours cutting, coloring, pasting and all that goes into them how very ugly they are. I pictured Alyssa bringing home her fiance and apologizing for the fact that he would have to do one of the dog ugly turkeys her mom makes them do every year. But I guess that's part of the tradition, too. While it's been a difficult year, I think it makes us appreciate things more. Like having a roof over our heads, good health and all the little day to day things that make our lives so nice. We really have been blessed.

We went up to Salt Lake and spent the night with our good friends. The boys went to a hockey game that night while the girls spent time dressing up and singing along to Taylor Swift. Nicole and I watched a movie and went to bed. The next day was spent mostly laying around and preparing for the big meal. And it was so good! Christian helped Michael make a pomegranate pie which was very tasty. It's fun to enjoy a really good meal and stuff yourselves once a year. It was a very nice, relaxing time. Thanks, guys!

Discoveries

2009-11-20T07:54:00.000-08:00

So, my husband spends 2 days taking care of the kids and the house (kind of) and I am not only totally forgotten, but shunned. I walked in the door Tuesday night and Alivia said, "Mommy," and then promptly went back to what she was doing. The other kids didn't even look up. But then Alivia wouldn't come close to me for the next few days. It took me an hour to convince her to come to me even after bribes of candy and watching Dora. She only wanted Scott. Which makes me think, why are all of a mother's sacrifices so soon forgotten? Years of changing diapers, cleaning throw up and constant care. But then I realized, maybe the reason they act so upset is because they feel more betrayed because it was their mother that left them. So not only do they act nonchalant, but thay may even cry when you try to hold them. That's what I'll tell myself anyway.

This week I also discovered you can survive the really gross thought of having a tube draining out your side and your husband removing it. He was excited when the doctor told him he could. I was not so much. But my body and our relationship survived it.

Now slowly moving back into regular routine. There is no end to the dressup in our house, and last night the girls were having a lot of fun so I had to take some pictures.

Turkey Bowl

2009-11-15T20:57:00.000-08:00

Every Thanksgiving Scott's family gets together for their annual Turkey Bowl. We haven't been able to make it for the last few years so he was excited to go this time. It was a little cold (just kidding--totally freezing) but I took the kids and we went and cheered for our daddy for a little bit. I thought he looked pretty darn good. And his team won, at least according to them. I didn't keep very good score. Then we went over to his aunt's house for a great turkey dinner and it was fun to see everyone. His cousin just returned from a mission and there was a lot of family around. I feel bad whenever we go anywhere though. We just seem to have so many kids! We fill up whatever house we're at.

It's weird to watch time go by and the generations change and shift life situations. I can remember when my parents were at this stage in their life with young kids and here I am in it and watching our parents move into their role as grandparents. Sometimes it makes time seem so fleeting.

Today the kids did their primary program. I must admit I was disappointed that they didn't get to give their lines they had memorized. Alyssa and Christian read theirs and the teacher helped Amber with hers before she really had a chance. But they were stinking cute, of course.

Tomorrow is surgery. I will be so excited to get it over with and move on. Scott is so cute and keeps telling me not to die. It will be nice to have this over with. But I am going to savor my last trip (REALLY) to the hospital. Order ice cold cranberry juice and morphine all I want :)

Halloween

2009-11-08T13:07:00.001-08:00

I was a total slacker this year for Halloween. I didn't get the kids' costumes until the week of and candy until the day of and only got a couple pictures. I'm not sure what happened. But the pictures I got turned out really cute. Alyssa and Christian had a history fair on Friday and dressed up in historical garb. I did Alyssa's hair up in 2 buns on each side of her head for medieval times and Christian was an Indian for the War of 1812. Amber had a costume parade at her school where all the kids go through all the classrooms and show off their costumes. She was Belle this year. And they had a story time at the library for Livi (the butterfly) which I thought would be story time but silly me it was trick-or-treating. She got to go to classrooms and they gave out candy. The next day I volunteered to help at a carnival at the school which turned out to be a lot more work than I thought but it was fun. And then we went to the church for trunk or treat and MORE candy. I think by the time I dress up the kids a couple times each and buy candy and decorate and everything else I am so ready for it to be over.

Christian lost his tooth two days later (no link to the huge amount of sugar that had just entered his body, I'm sure) and he looks so funny without it. I can't believe my baby boy is getting so big.

I spoke in church today on preparing names to take to the temple and I am so excited because I found a whole side of my mom's family that hasn't had their temple work done. The names are all there with all the information, all I have to do is print it off and go. I was really not interested in this topic before but I feel like it was inspired now. So to all my family reading this--I'm giving you names to take from now on!

Farm fun and sitting

2009-10-25T14:19:00.000-07:00

What would fall and Halloween be without a trip to the farm? Or, in this case, the gardens. We went to a garden center that had a corn maze and animals and bounce houses. It was a lot of fun getting lost with the kids and reading the silly jokes they had posted at the corners. It was nice that our garden had a couple pumpkin plants from which we got 22 pumpkins and didn't have to buy any to carve. That's for tomorrow night's family home evening.

Soran is not my little baby anymore. She started sitting a couple weeks ago and she hardly falls over anymore. She had pizza for the first time yesterday at a birthday party and loved it. When I hold her she feels so long. She is still really patient with the kids and people keep asking me if she ever cries. Livi has discovered she can make her laugh and spends a lot of time trying to get her to. While it's strange to be home with two babies again, I love it.

Zoo

2009-10-25T13:59:00.000-07:00

The kids had fall break a couple weeks ago and it was also my long awaited meeting with the doctor who would do my surgery. My mom was so nice and offered to take the kids to the zoo while we went to the doctor since they were so close. The kids had a great time playing and seeing the baby elephant. It was a perfect fall day.

I, however, was about to cry. They told me the surgery would be soon after the appointment but it didn't get scheduled until the middle of November. They also wanted half the money up front before they would even schedule it. So now I'm sucking it up and trying to live life normally with a plastic tube in for another month. Nothing puts things into perspective like a trip to the hospital, though. They had a paper up about not allowing visitors in because of the swine flu, but they would be more lenient in end-of-life situations. At least I know I'll be coming out again.

Lyssa took a trip to Moab with my mom and dad and the kids had fun playing with cousins and enjoying the nice weather. Scott also managed to squeeze in some golf. We're trying to soak up all the sun we can.

Ode to Fall

2009-09-30T15:14:00.000-07:00

With all my missing Arizona, I forgot how much I missed Utah in the fall. We took a drive up the Alpine Loop on Sunday. While I hoped the sights alone would be enough to elicit excitement, I had to make the kids ooh and aah before they got their treat. Scott was nice enough to oblige me and even act like he enjoyed the ride. But honestly, how could you not? It was so beautiful. Today is another story though. There's snow on the mountains! It's going to be a long, cold winter.

Girls, girls and more girls

2009-09-30T15:04:00.000-07:00

I have a lot of girls. I think this is the first pic I have of them all together. I wish they were all dressed up and stuff instead of first thing in the morning, but it's still cute. It's kind of a daunting thought that I will be raising 4 future mothers. I hope I do alright.

This other picture is of Alivia dressed up with cousins. They are the trio home during the day and they play together a lot. And the last is of Soran. I can't believe how big she's getting. She's such a happy baby. People always tell me she's smiling at them. Scott says she's so happy it's going to bust out of her face. I'm so glad to have her.

Party, party, party

2009-09-20T13:45:00.000-07:00

Life in Utah is just way too much fun. School is in full swing now (Alyssa finally spent a day inside learning rather than outside playing soccer) and Amber's started dance, Alyssa's in piano (she takes hip hop and gymnastics at school) and Christian starts basketball in a couple weeks. I think we have had a birthday party a week this last month. These kids are getting spoiled!

Our nephew Ayden turned 6 and wanted a pie fight/waterballoon fight for his party. It was funny watching all the parents try and convince the kids it was okay to hit people with the whipped cream and that it was fun. My girls did pretty well until the end and Amber got one right in the face. It was more fun watching.

Alivia has turned into my big helper since she's the oldest at home and she is starting to watch TV. She loves Little Einstiens and can sing all the songs and pats her legs just like them. It's so cute. And Soran is huge! I can't believe that less than 5 months ago she was inside me. She is loving solid foods and cries if I don't feed her a little of what's on my plate. Scott is so excited as we are able to throw out all the baby stuff that is no longer used and won't be needed anymore. I must admit I haven't felt any pangs of sadness either, but I'm sure I will. When I kiss her chubby cheeks I am sad to think it will be my last.

After running some labs, I found out I get to keep my kidney, which is great news. I have surgery coming up soon and I can't wait to get this stint out. It's driving me crazy. The doctor told me I didn't have to take the medication I was on for it and I have so much more energy now. I can almost keep up with taking care of all the kids.

Scott is loving his accounting internship. He's in such a good mood all the time now. It's been great. Between his 2 jobs and school he stays pretty busy. Good thing I don't need him. Just kidding. I need him around sometimes.

The hospital (again):(

2009-09-05T20:36:00.001-07:00

I have been in the hospital more this last year than my whole life combined! It's ridiculous. It all started the week after school began (see post below) I started feeling sick. I realized on Wednesday I had a kidney infection and started chugging the cranberry juice. But to no avail. Scott and I headed over to the emergency room at midnight that night but I just couldn't do it. With no insurance I knew it would be $2000 just to walk through the door. So I took some meds and went to bed instead. I was so sick on Thursday and Friday I couldn't keep anything down and I couldn't even pick up Soran. By Friday night my mom dragged me to the car and over to the hospital where I assured her they would give me an IV with antibiotics and send me home. I was close--it was a surgery and two days later.
My birthday was on Saturday and I spent the day starving and so thirsty I would just sit at the sink and let the running water go over my tongue. I couldn't eat or drink until the surgery that night. The doctor came in and said he couldn't believe how swollen my kidney was, he was going to put a stint in and then see in a month if there was any functioning left and if it was worth saving. So my birthday dinner consisted of chicken broth and jell-o, which are now nectar from the gods. Best birthday dinner ever. They finally let me out Sunday night after 6 needle stabs and innumerable tests. And I get to go back on Tuesday for more. Yeah! But it is wonderful to be feeling well enough I can take care of my kids again and wanting to live. Thank goodness for modern medicine! And thank you to all who took care of my kids and brought me presents! I love you!
Oh, and one funny story. My sisters were picking up the kids while I was sick and Alyssa asked them if I was going to die. They assured her I would be fine and get better soon. Alyssa said, "oh, good, or else we would be in the orphanage. My dad couldn't handle all of us." When I told Scott he said how well they know him.

First day of school!

2009-09-05T20:24:00.000-07:00

What an ordeal! So I had the Alyssa and Christian registered for a charter school we were all really happy about, but then we found out they wanted almost $200 in fees. Needless to say, I wasn't too excited about that. So 2 weeks before school was to start I tried to register them for a local public school that is supposed to be really good. Time was ticking and it was 3 days before school began. I gave up and went in to the charter school. The fees were less than I thought and the kids were excited so we got their lists, went shopping for school supplies, went back to school to meet their teachers and did last minute clothes shopping for uniforms. I hated to buy uniforms after I had just bought enough clothes a few months before on sale, but they look so stinking cute it was fun.

I was so nervous their first day. I kept thinking about what they were doing. But they did great and made friends and in the 3 weeks since have really enjoyed it. Alyssa is taking hip hop and gymnastics, which she loves, and Christian has made friends with a group of boys who are "really tough" at soccer and they play at every recess. With the 40 minute round-trip drive every day, they better love it.

Amber is attending a different school with my mom as her teacher. She started a week and a half after the kids but has eased into the whole school routine. I miss her during the day, but I'm glad she's in such capable hands. She has her 2 cousins in the class and they have a lot of fun together.

Blessings

2009-08-07T21:15:00.000-07:00

It's been several months since Scott decided to switch careers. It's been a LOOONG several months. We have been struggling finding a job and adjusting to so many changes. But things are finally starting to fall into place. He decided he wants to do accounting, more particularly get a job as a CFO or Controller (only the big bucks for him). He was able to find an internship with an accountant last week and will start this coming week. He also found a part-time job at Best Buy to pay the bills. It's nice to see the things we were trying for actually fall into place.
We really miss our old home and our friends a lot, but we are trying to put on happy faces and accomplish whatever it is we're here for. We are grateful to be together as a family and with a roof over our heads and money coming in. Alyssa wrote one of her friends this week, "it's not looking good for us. Money is slow coming in." It was so funny. But we have tried not to let the kids feel the effects of everything. I think they're adjusting well. School starts next week and things will get busy. But I needed to write about how blessed we are and remember all the good we have received.

Christian b-day

2009-08-07T20:53:00.000-07:00

Okay, so Christian never asks for much (except when it's Wii-related), but he is still so spoiled! Good thing he's such a good boy. He wanted to go to Chuck E. Cheese for his birthday, and Grandpa made it happen. But he wanted a Wii birthday cake, and the only thing I felt talented enough to try had to be round, so we copied Hunter's cake and did King Boo. It turned out okay, but not as cute.

We had 15 cousins and friends show up and they blew through probably 600 tokens. But a fun time was had by all. And Christian has found a new hobby--Legos. He got a few sets and he has been playing with them since. So has Scott. In fact, the day after Christian's birthday he was late for church because he was playing with all the toys. I love you, Christian. Happy birthday my big 7 year old.

Soran

2009-08-07T20:49:00.000-07:00

I just had to put up some pics of my cute and growing baby. She has found her thumb and our life is changed! She puts herself to sleep and sleeps for longer periods of time. It's so nice. About the only time I can get Scott to hold still long enough to hold her is when he's on the computer so I think she's getting a liking for it. She is still a sweet baby and puts up with all of us very well. More pics to come soon! We just got her in her blessing dress this week.

Reece reunion

2009-08-07T20:19:00.000-07:00

Life has been crazy since we moved. We've had 2 weddings, a few birthdays, lots of dinners with family and more fun than is good for us--really, I am so exhausted. But a couple weeks ago we had the Reece reunion, which was a lot of fun and a great learning experience. We started off with dinner at my brother's (I decided we shouldn't start there anymore--no one can compete with Cami's food) and then went to the school and played with a parachute and games. Boy am I out of shape.

The next day we went to the Oquirrh Mountain temple and walked through. It was so beautiful and it was wonderful to be able to go with the kids, although Scott kept telling Christian the Wii room was just around the corner and what did he think we did when we went to the temple anyway? Then we went to This is the Place park and had our eyes opened to life as a pioneer. We had fun seeing actual cabins and houses that were lived in, trying out chores and games they had back then and of course riding horses. It was really interesting seeing how many wives and children could be crammed into one house.

The next day the guys went golfing and then the girls made earrings. Sunday we had an informative discussion about family history and acted out skits from our ancestry.

It was a great time. Thanks to Karen and Rich for all their hard work and planning.

4th of July!

2009-07-08T13:45:00.001-07:00

I love the 4th of July in Provo. It is almost as good as Christmas. It starts out with the childrens parade which the kids love. Then they set up booths in the center of town with lots of free activities for the kids. This year Amber got to be part of the reptile show. The kids got to dig in the sand in this big truck and collect colored rocks to trade for prizes. Scott got to ride a segway. Scott's the best And of course all the bounce houses and art booths. My family always spends the night saving a spot for the big parade but with so many kids we just come and take advantage. It was a fun parade. Lots of bagpipes. Sara is super sexy!!! Scott wrote red text.
Usually in the evening we go to a field and watch the fireworks, but this year Alyssa, Brittany and I were given tickets to the Stadium of Fire. We got to see the Jonas Brothers! Jonas bros rule Too bad we'd never heard any of their songs. It was a lot of fun, though.
Happy birthday, America!

Livi and other tragedies

2009-07-08T13:27:00.000-07:00

I love Alivia, I really do, but she is my most precocious (to put it nicely) child. A couple days after arriving in Provo, my mom gave us some childrens vitamins. As they were past the expiration date by two years, I threw them away. Later that night we were watching a movie when Christian noticed she was eating some of them. After checking the internet and properly freaking myself out about iron poisoning I decided we needed to get them out of her. Scott acted like he knew what he was doing and told me to give her some milk and then he gave her a raw egg to drink. She drank it happily down. So we tried some really hot hot sauce. She didn't even make a face. He was out of ideas so he told me to stick my finger down her throat. Scott, who cannot handle vomit without losing it himself, ran out the door. She barely even bit me. I don't know whether it was the fact mom and dad were both paying attention to her or what, but she was rather unscathed by the situation. She didn't even cry. I, on the other hand, will never buy vitamins again.

Our favorite place to visit anywhere we've lived is the library, so we made our way over there a few days after moving in. They asked for our names and then the librarian informed me we had a $35 fee from last time (over 7 years ago!!!) and we needed to buy replacement cards at $2 each. Unbelievable! Even foreclosures are wiped clean after 7 years, but not the library!

The last tragedy is the job market. Doesn't seem to be a whole lot better here. There are more jobs but also more people. But something will work out soon, I can feel it.

On the whole, we're doing well. Life has settled down into crazy routine. We just try not to think of AZ too much.

Beverly Hillbillies take 2

2009-06-25T14:41:00.000-07:00

Moving is always a pain and exhausting, but this move was much more so! I don't know if it was having a newborn or a few more kids this time or what, but it was an ordeal. It took me longer to get everything packed, thank goodness my parents showed up to help. And then my in-laws came with a trailer to load up all our stuff. Thompsons are truly amazing when it comes to moving things. For instance, Scott managed to squeeze our couch, lounge chair and 3 children into our van for a 9 hour drive. We've also moved a porch swing, entertainment center and a list of other items you would think could never fit into a minivan. Anyway, as you can see in the pictures, they did it again! I was trying to take stuff off and give it away or throw it away, but they kept going around and picking it back up and piling it back on. I had to leave early because I was going crazy watching.

BUT--they made it! And only one box fell off. Pretty good. Thanks so much to Nick, Gator and Dad, who not only had to load up the truck and drive it, but had to put up with me running around like a crazy woman. Anyway, we're working on settling into our new home. We have had a pretty constant stream of visitors so far. It's nice to be around family and be loved so much.

More goodbyes

2009-06-07T19:25:00.000-07:00

This last weekend we went to Mesa for a last visit to the Bowens. It's hard to believe that we're not going to see them again for awhile. Hopefully they'll wind up in Utah! They have the habit of following us around. We will miss visiting Phoenix, too. It's so beautiful down there in the winter and we'll miss the temple, swap meets, La Tolteca and parks in the middle of the night because it's too dang hot during the day. We went swimming and hung out on Friday night and then went letterboxing the next day. Thanks for putting us up!

Soran is getting so big and social. She loves to smile at people and coo at them. The kids are bored, bored, bored because summer break has been going for a whole week now. It's nice to have them home and getting to know them again. Sometimes school is so busy I feel like they are growing up without me. Time to start packing, though. We leave next week!

Primary activity

2009-05-31T15:33:00.000-07:00

The kids had a primary activity today and had a lot of fun despite it being cold and rainy. They had 3-legged races, jumped through tires, potato sack races, tug of wars and a pot game where they balled up and got swung by the arms. We will really miss this ward and area. We have made some really good friends we will miss a lot. I haven't started packing yet because then it will sink in.

Soran has started smiling and Christian and I spend about an hour in the morning making her smile and talking to her. She is still such a good baby and I love her to death.

Livi's official!

2009-05-31T15:27:00.001-07:00

Alivia has been acting two for awhile now, getting into everything, saying uh-uh to everything and being terrible but oh so cute. The only thing keeping her alive. But on the 28th she became official and we had a little party for her on the 29th. We had the Henlines over for a last get together and cake and ice cream. The kids each gave her a present they had raided the toy box for and she got clothes and a doll from Grandma and we gave her a princess phone with a purse. She had a hard time figuring out how to point her lips in order to blow out the candles. Happy birthday, sweetie!

Thompson reunion

2009-05-31T15:04:00.000-07:00

We had a great time at the Thompson reunion this last week. We went up to Utah and got to visit with all of Scott's family and enjoy some good food and good times. The drive was kind of long as our TV broke and so the kids were a little more restless. The first day we went and checked out schools with the kids. They are really excited about the one we found, but it's 20 minutes away, so it will be a challenge getting them there. Scott and I went out for our 11th anniversary!!! that night and went to Bombay House and watched Wolverine (thank you Alexis) and then soaked in the hot tub. The next day we went and saw Ian. He looked really skinny, but good. That night I got the flu and so went to my mom's for some much needed sleep while the kids slept in tents and had smores at Holly and Nick's house. We went to church on Sunday, played games and blessed Soran. Monday we hiked up to Stewart falls and had a picnic and took pictures. Then the highlight of the trip--Chuck E. Cheese's where the kids went through over 600 tokens (thank goodness Grandpa works there and gets them for free). Tuesday the guys went golfing and the girls got to go to a movie and out to eat (my favorite part--no kids!). Overall it was a great time and thanks to Mom, Dad, Nick and Holly for the good memories.

Fathers & Sons, Mothers & Daughters

2009-05-19T13:39:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was the Fathers and Sons campout, which Scott was in charge of, and Amber's dance recital. Scott was relieved it was the last one he has to do for awhile. It's quite a bit of work (for both of us). Christian is the kid in the striped shirt that looks like he's going to get burned. Honestly, I'm surprised more little boys aren't lost/maimed/burned/a long list of other possibilities on these camping trips where no women are around. But I know they love it.

My sister Xela made a surprise visit from Utah with her daughter so we had a fun night at Amber's recital and then went home and had pizza and watched a movie. Amber is such a good dancer and you can see she loves it. We didn't have the camera so didn't get a pic until after. No, we didn't give her dead flowers. It just took awhile until we got a picture with them. I had to include one of my new baby, too. She's getting cuter and fatter all the time!

Changes

2009-05-04T09:25:00.001-07:00

I haven't quite known how to write about this but I guess it's finally time. Scott lost his job in January and while we've been looking hard for jobs in the area nothing has worked out. We are finally succumbing to the idea that we are going to have to move and accept help from others. It hasn't been an easy couple months, but we really feel like the Lord wants us to move to Utah for whatever reason. So we are moving in the middle of June back to Provo and we're going to live in my brother's basement apartment for the time being (thanks, B).
Scott is still going to school and hoping to find a job in the accounting arena. He's also been working nights at Wal-Mart to get us by. We have the house up for sale and our fingers crossed that things will work out, although our area has a lot of real estate up for sale. The kids are excited to move closer to grandparents and cousins, and Scott and I are talking ourselves into all the things we'll enjoy there. It's hard to swallow our pride and wind up back where we started (plus three more kids), but there are bonuses, too. I know things will work out as they should, just hopefully a little more on my timeline. But, come what may, and we'll love it.

There be pirates

2009-05-04T09:08:00.000-07:00

Alyssa had her 9th birthday party this last weekend. I can't believe we're halfway through raising her. I can't think about that, though, or I'll cry. She invited her very best friends for her last birthday here. We did a pirate theme and they went letterboxing for treasure (candy bars, necklaces, etc.) and had lunch. I decorated the cake as a treasure island and it turned out pretty cute. Happy birthday, Alyssa!

I also included a pic of Soran with her daddy since the last one wasn't very good. I want to just sit around and take pictures of her all day because I know she's going to grow so fast.

Introducing...

2009-04-26T15:41:00.000-07:00

She's finally here! Soran Dawn was born on Wednesday, April 22nd (Earth Day--I thought we should have named her River or Tree or something) at 5:31 p.m. weighing in at 6 lb. 5 oz. and 19 1/2 inches long.

I got to the hospital 41 minutes before she was born. Being so quick it was also quite painful and she wound up with a bruised face, but not quite as bad as Alivia's. She has been a perfect baby so far. She nursed right away and she sleeps well. She also puts up with the kids poking her in the eye, patting her head, kissing her all over and everything else that goes along with being this far down the line.

We don't have a picture yet of all the kids together, so I just put Livi's because it was the cutest. We are all quite taken with her and it makes me so sad to think she's my last. So I plan to enjoy every second and will post more later.

Easter season has begun

2009-04-05T22:20:00.000-07:00

Like every holiday, Easter is starting to get a little out of control. I have honestly been thinking about getting rid of the Easter bunny to focus on the real aspect of the season, but I have a hard time not seeing my kids get so excited about it.

So Saturday we went to the second egg hunt the kids have been to this year put on by the city. They had a good time collecting eggs, visiting the petting zoo (except for Christian who stuck to me like glue and wouldn't even pet the bunny rabbits--that kid), and taking a ride on the hay wagon. It was fun watching Alivia figure out she was supposed to pick up the eggs and put them in her basket. Being a fourth child, she was trying to grab them all and hold them in her hands because you can't leave them unprotected. I finally convinced her to let me put them in her basket so she could get more.

Conference this weekend was awesome and seemed to come in the nick of time. Just when you need it. Next Sunday we are going to hold a devotional which should be good for focus, too. Happy Easter everyone!

Countown has begun!

2009-03-31T13:02:00.000-07:00

Just so everyone knows I have three weeks left until the big day. At least, according to my calculations. The ultrasound said 4 more weeks, but I am sticking with my own calculations. Oh, and we also decided on a name. Soran Dawn Thompson. It takes everyone about three times asking, "Say it again" before they say, "Oh." So I don't think it's going to be very popular, but we like it. My family isn't going to like it because it doesn't start with an A, but who knew we were going to be picking out so many girl names? Scott wanted to name her after ancestry, and his great-grandfather was named Soren. That was the closest he could get to getting a boy. We'll let you know when anything happens.

Deformed

2009-03-28T15:39:00.000-07:00

Alyssa came home from school Wednesday saying her eye hurt. Within a couple hours she looked like this. Luckily it hasn't spread to anyone else in our household. I also had to include a picture of my two cute girls that are still home with me. They play so well, Alivia is going to be brokenhearted when Amber goes to school this year.

We haven't been up to much lately. Scott took off to Utah and Colorado last week with a friend who was looking at possible places to live and left me to fend alone during spring break. But we all survived and there aren't any graves in the backyard. The kids got to go swimming, to the park a few times, sleep in (yeah, right--if only they would) and generally do nothing. It was a relaxing week. Can't wait for the warm weather to finally stick around!

Amber's 5!!!

2009-03-08T13:56:00.002-07:00

I can't believe my little Amber is 5 already. Every child you have seems to grow up a little faster. I'm going to blink and miss the last one. Anyway, she has really been into cooking lately. Every time I'm in the kitchen she comes in and wants to help. So we decided to have a cooking party for her. I made some little aprons and the kids made little pizzas and decorated cupcakes. The girls kept saying how good their pizzas were, and I told them it was because they made them. We also played balloon games and watched Fairytopia. Then they opened all the presents and played with the toys.

Today is her actual birthday and we're spending a quiet day at home. This has been a busy week. Amber actually fell asleep during church today. Happy birthday, sweetie!

Around the World in 80 Minutes

2009-03-08T13:42:00.000-07:00

Alyssa and Christian had their yearly musical performance on Thursday night. Christian has been telling me for a couple months now that he wasn't going to school on that day because he had to dress up like a "Spanish" person. But he went anyway.

They dressed the kids up in costumes from countries around the world and they sang songs in different languages. Alyssa looked cute with a scarf around her head (she was from Poland) and they did some dances. Christian sang songs from Japan. He also got to dress up as a chicken for the grand finale because he hasn't been on the sad face all year.

We were late, as always, and wound up in the back so the pictures aren't very good. Sorry. The extra blurry one is Christian second from the left in a big yellow beak.

Letterboxing

2009-02-28T19:36:00.000-08:00

So we started a new hobby. The weather today was beautiful (in the 70s) and we went with our friends the Kendalls for our first attempt at letterboxing. This consists of looking up directions on the internet for a hidden box that has a stamp in it. After you find the box you stamp your book with it and document your existence in their journal. Then you have to hide it again. Scott has been whining and complaining about going ever since I mentioned it, but I think we will be doing more. It was nice to be outside and best of all it's FREE.

The kids were so excited to be hiking they all packed backpacks with water, snacks, toys, paper, just about everything we would need for a week long trip. Luckily, it only lasted 3 hours. We went to the courthouse first and had a fun time walking around the plaza and learning about some of the history. The kids had a great time finding the box and hiding it again. Then we went up to Thumb Butte and walked up a trail and Alyssa found the box under a rock. We hiked a little more, the kids (Scott) had a snowball fight and then a picnic.

Anyway, we're off to Mesa tomorrow for a baby blessing (it's supposed to be 90 degrees--hot!) and then Amber's birthday party a few days later. I can't believe my little girl will be 5! The girls in my ward are way too generous and are throwing a group shower for me and some of the other 50 pregnant women next weekend. That's the way we like it. Party, party, party!