Jensen Family Life

Happy Valentine's Day!

2012-02-14T18:05:00.000-08:00

My gift for my husband:

"We make a great COMBO", "I've got a CRUSH on you" and "I would be so MIXED up without you" . And of course a card;)

My gift for my kids:

Collin got the same thing, I just couldn't get a picture of him.

Mylee's Valentine's for friends:

We got the idea from Family Fun

Our Gift for our Families:

Homemade peanut butter truffles a.k.a chocolate peanut butter balls. They are really good!

Once there was a snowman small, small, small

2012-02-14T17:33:00.000-08:00

the Power of Primary Songs

2012-01-04T18:20:00.000-08:00

One of Mylee's Primary leaders told me that Mylee had said something really cute in Primary on Sunday. They were singing a song and after the song she said " that song makes my eyes water"
So glad to know that she is feeling the Spirit in Primary, it makes my eyes water just thinking about it.

Family Pictures 2011

2012-01-01T17:35:00.000-08:00

need some advice

2011-12-17T12:47:00.000-08:00

so i am trying to decide on whether or not to purchase a leapster, mobigo, or leapfrog tag reading system.

have any of you purchased or heard anything about these products? i need some help deciding. thank you so much!

Blog Christmas Card

2011-12-11T19:47:00.001-08:00

Okay so I realize that I am so lame in not sending Christmas cards, but consider this your Christmas card from us for this year. I hope you all are enjoying this Christmas season! We are loving it over at our house. Mylee is really making it fun for us this year! She can't wait until Christmas. Merry Christmas everyone!

P.S. Sorry about the border being cut off. I can't seem to make it work.

Halloween Clearance.....

2011-11-20T21:15:00.000-08:00

Halloween clearance is great for dress ups! Aren't they hilarious?

Halloween 2011

2011-11-06T19:55:00.000-08:00

hat on

hat off

I had to show the pumpkins. Mylee asked for the witch. It was very detailed and in the end she turned out to be a one eyed witch, but that works for a witch right?

Something wicked this way comes...

2011-11-06T19:00:00.000-08:00

This is Mylee all dressed up in her Halloween costume for preschool. She wanted to be a cute witch, I think we accomplished that.

Pumpkin Patch and Gardner Village

2011-10-31T21:54:00.001-07:00

Searching for the perfect pumpkin

Collin's was just right

Mylee got a white one this year

My mom and I decided to take the kids to Gardner Village for the witch festival. Collin was very fascinated by it all.

This is what he was looking up at

It was really busy, I suggest not going over UEA weekend, but it was really fun to take the kids. I think they enjoyed it.

Big boy haircut

2011-10-30T09:32:00.001-07:00

I chopped Collin's hair the other day. I really didn't mean to cut it that short. While I was cutting it Mylee says "mom your cutting off all his curls!" sniff sniff I know, I miss those curls. On the other hand his dad is loving his short haircut.

He totally looks like he is posing in this picture

My little baby boy looks so grown up with his new haircut.

Here is Mylee "riding" her bike. She is in desperate need of a big girl bike.

Dear Santa, please send Mylee a bike this year for Christmas preferably one with a basket, but without a horn or she just might drive her parents and neighbors crazy.

My kids are growing up way too fast.

Preschool Girl

2011-10-14T13:59:00.000-07:00

We now have a preschooler! Wow where does the time go? Mylee is loving going to preschool. She has been begging me to go to school for over a year now. Here she is on her first day...

The rest are just some random pictures. She is just so photogenic its hard to resist!

Favorite Kid TV Shows

2011-05-10T14:30:00.000-07:00

i get emails from baby center on a regular basis and today i came across this one. it's a list of the best tv shows for your preschooler. i've been meaning to write a post on this for awhile now so i thought this was a good time to do so.

i try not to let mylee watch too much tv, but sometimes it's hard when there are so many good, educational tv shows out there. here is my top three favorite tv shows for preschoolers in order starting with my favorite:

1. super why ( i swear this is how mylee learned her letters, its definitely my favorite)

2. sid the science kid

3. sesame street

mylee also really likes dinosaur train and word world. i've heard little einsteins is a really good, educational show for toddlers too but we've never seen it.

so my question is for you, what are your favorite tv shows for preschoolers?

Becoming a Lioness

2011-04-02T16:04:00.000-07:00

"I have said lately that women are like lionesses at the gate of the home. Whatever happens in that home and family happens because she cares about it and it matters to her. She guards that gate, and things matter to that family if they matter to her. For example, if the lioness at the gate believes in the law of tithing, tithing will be paid in that family. If that family has a humble little portion of ten pesos coming in, that lioness will safeguard the one peso if tithing is important to her. If that lioness at the gate knows about renewing her baptismal covenants with God, she will be in sacrament meeting on Sunday, and she will prepare her children to be there. They will be washed, cleaned, combed, and taught about that meeting and what happens there. It isn’t a casual event, but it is serious to her, and it will be serious to them. The lioness at the gate ensures that temple worship is taken care of in the family. She encourages that participation. She cares about seeking after her ancestors. If the lioness at the gate knows about and understands missions, missionaries, and the mission of the house of Israel, she will prepare future missionaries to go out from that home. It is very difficult to get a lion cub away from a lioness who doesn’t believe in missions, but if the lioness believes in a mission, she will devote her life to preparing the cub to go out and serve the Lord. That’s how important she is. Service happens if she cares about it.

Sisters, you are each like the lioness at the gate. This means that there has to be some prioritizing. I was taught years ago that when our priorities are out of order, we lose power. If we need power and influence to carry out our mission, then our priorities have to be straight.

Years ago I began using a system that works for me, and maybe it will work for you. There was a time when I needed to prioritize, and in one of those sacred meetings between me and the Lord, He gave me three categories that I have worked from, and they have been a guide in my life. The categories are the essential things, the necessary things, and the nice-to-do things. I started writing those things down. I asked, “What has to go in the category of essential?” What things must be taken care of, and if I don’t take care of them, the blessings of eternal life won’t be mine nor will they be my family’s."

These amazing words came from Julie B. Beck's talk that she gave at a BYU Women's Conference April 29, 2010. You should click on the link and go read the whole thing, it is a life changing talk, or it was for me at least. It was exactly what I needed to hear in my life at this very moment in my life. Let me back up a little.

Pretty much since I became a mother it has been the most amazing, joyful time in my life, but at the same time it is also the hardest and most overwhelming thing I have ever done. Lately I have been especially overwhelmed feeling like their is not enough time to accomplish everything that I want to do. I am a list maker. Every day I make a ridiculously long list of things to accomplish for the day, and day after day I fail and do not accomplish the list. So in desperation (or maybe inspiration) a thought accured to me. Maybe if I made my list into 4 categories: 1. Need to do 2. Should do 3. Would like to do 4. If time to do. I was so excited about this thought that I sat down with Justin and had him help me decide what should go into these categories and together we had prioritized the things that needed to be done.

A few weeks later we had a Bi-Stake Women's Conference and one of the classes I attended this wonderful women taught us from Sister Julie B. Beck's talk. It was amazing and just reaffirmed to me that what I had done was on the right track. Now that I have read her talk in full I think I need to add to some of the things on my lists. In short this is what Sister Beck had on her lists:

Essentials:
-personal revelation
-reading the scriptures
-personal prayer
-ponder and fast with sincerity
-making covenants and keeping covenants
-attending sacrament meeting and repenting
-going to the temple
-sharing the gospel
-service

Necessary: -homemaking(housekeeping)
-cooking meals
-smiling/ being happy
-teach children to pray and walk uprightly before the Lord
-family home evening
-supporting husband
-self reliant
-focusing not on things of the world, but "seek for things of a better"
-loving one another

Nice to do:
-crafts, hobbies
-reading, movies, travels, lunches with friends, etc.

Now if you're curious here is my list previous to hearing about Sister Beck's list ( I need to add a few of hers to mine now) Mine looks rather weak compared to hers as I have a lot more physical needs listed than spiritual. So here goes:

Need to do (Essential):
-couple prayers
-family prayer and scripture
-personal prayer
-kids dressed and bathed
-meals
-FHE/ family counsel
-kids pickup/chores
-laundry
-pay bills
-trash out
-shower/ get ready
-date night
-traditions/family activities
-errands
-menu plan
-church calling
-play and read with kids
-attend church
-attend temple
-family time/ meal time
-couple time
-pickup/dishes

Should do (Necessary):
-snacks
-vacuum/mop
-exercise
-computer time(email)
-weekly clean
-house projects
-organize papers

Would like to do: (Nice to do)
-personal scripture study
-journaling/ scrapbooking
-visit family
-couponing
-clean out vehicles
-activities/teaching Mylee
-playdates
-attend library
-family movie night
-try new recipes
-semi annual cleaning
-take care of self

If Time (Nice to do):
-read magazines
-read
-blog
-TV/ Movies
-crafts/ projects

Like I said I want to add a few more things and I think I might try Sister Beck's 3 categories instead of my 4. My list is still ridiculously long, but at least it is prioritized and now I only have to worry about getting the Need to do or Essentials list done, and the rest can get done as time allows.

So I thought for fun it might be fun to go into depth with each item in each category and we can all share with each other what we do or what works in our families. I guess it kind of goes along with my so called Home Management series.

I am hoping by following Sister Beck's words that I can become a lioness for my family. I feel empowered just thinking about myself as a lioness. I want to not only be better at prioritizing and making the essentials happen in our home, but also protect my family and home from the "predators" of the world. I now realize the importance and great influence a mother can have in the home, it is truly amazing!

p.s. another great talk by Sister Beck

seriously so funny

2011-03-18T18:27:00.001-07:00

so justin was looking at a parts catalog and happen to stumble across this beauty:

the Off-Road Commode

as if this image isn't hilarious enough in itself you have to read how funny the description is:

"Every sportsman needs his own throne, and the Off-Road Commode fits the bill — with comfort and luxury to boot! Easily sticks into any 2in. receiver hitch and supports up to 500 lbs. The 1 5/16in. dia. steel tube seat is covered with soft, padded camo. A great gift for hunting, fishing and camping buddies! Not for use when vehicle is in motion. Can get slippery when wet."

I know... so funny right? Now hurry go get your loved one the off-road commode.

tree burn 2011

2011-02-11T15:30:00.000-08:00

we had our annual christmas tree burn this last saturday. i was really glad to have our christmas tree gone and off our porch. i think everyone thought we were crazy every time they came to the door. thank goodness it finally warmed up some by saturday. the kids went sledding and had a blast.

even collin did some sledding, you can tell by his expression that he is completely thrilled;) i did a terrible job of taking pictures. i only got one of mylee but it was with cousins and uncles so i guess i won't share for their privacy.

i guess when your arms are filled with this cute boy, pictures aren't the priority. this picture cracks me up, i love this little man.

and i love this man too. what a great dad he is.

justin and i got to try out the snowmobile. it was fun but what is it about motherhood that makes you such a wimp when you do anything that is remotely dangerous? all i could think about the whole time was that i needed to return back alive for the sake of my kids. (maybe i'm the crazy one who only thinks this way)

here is the view from on top. such a beautiful place we live in.

Family Pictures 2010, warning: picture overload

2011-01-16T20:10:00.000-08:00

a few sundays before christmas we decided last minute to hurry and get some family pictures taken. (we give parents and grandparents new pictures every christmas so we needed to get them done) i was secretly avoiding it because the "baby fat" was still sticking to my body, and well in all honesty i was still wearing maternity pants! i guess i thought that some miracle, maybe a christmas miracle that i would magically be able to fit into regular jeans, and my double chin would dissapear all just before christmas in time for some family pictures. one can only wish. well time was ticking by and justin caught me off guard when he suggested this after church, but i am so glad he did because the lighting was beautiful that day!

sorry for the picture overload. it's hard to get enough of your kids. also heads up for the future, if any of you locals (or i guess non locals would work too) would like to swap taking family pictures let me know. savanna, we would love to pay you to take our pictures sometime...maybe next year.

help, i need sleep

2010-12-05T20:36:00.000-08:00

so i have a question for all you mom's of "bad sleepers". i told myself when collin turned 4 months old, i was going to start to let him cry it out in order for him to start to learn to sleep through the night, but when it comes right down to it, i totally HATE it and wonder if i am ruining him for life. so my point is, he is now 6 months old and i never did let him cry it out during the night, i would just give in and nurse him back to sleep. like i mentioned, he is now 6 months old and here is his nightly schedule: i nurse him about 7:45 pm and put him to bed by 8:00 pm. he wakes up sometime between 12:00 - 1:00 am and i nurse him. he then wakes up again at 3:00-4:00 am and again i nurse him. he usually wakes up for the day between 7:00 and 7:30 am. now am i weird in thinking that he does not need that 12:00 am feeding? maybe i have been totally ruined by mylee because she was sleeping 12 hours straight by 3 months old ( i had no idea how LUCKY i was!!)

here is my question for you ( especially those who have had bad sleepers):
should i let him cry it out and not feed him until his second nightly feeding ( which is usually about 3:00 or 4:00 am) ?

i should also add that he does take a binky and i usually try that once or twice before i give in and nurse him. how did you train your bad sleeper to sleep through the night, or did you just wait for them to eventually sleep through the night on their own?

Singing in the snow and other happenings

2010-11-21T21:12:00.001-08:00

here is the first snow fall of the season, mylee couldn't stand it she was SO excited! as she was getting dressed to run outside in the snow she was singing, "i'm singing in the snow!" referring to one of her favorite movies, singing in the rain. she definitely got her dad's genes for her love of snow, her mom on the other hand thinks that it is beautiful to look at, but would rather be bundled up inside the warm house.

she cracks me up making a snow angel in that skiff of snow. she kept asking if we could make a snowman. i just laughed and told her we needed more snow. her reply to that was well we could make a little baby snowman!

we curled her hair for the very first time last sunday. she looked so cute i had to take a picture of those cute blonde ringlets.

she loves to write letters and she is getting really good at it too. she spelled mom, dad, mylee and collin all by herself. she such a smart girl, she can't wait to go to school.

collin is now 51/2 months old. we can't get enough of his cute little face. you can't help but kiss it all the time.

even mylee can't resist him. i am amazed at the love these two have for each other. it makes me a little teary eyed to watch the two of them together especially when mylee says: " do we get to keep collin forever?" and i tell her yes. and she says: " good, i am so glad that collin came to our house" me too mylee.

this little boy loves to smile! (don't you just love those ears?)

we also discovered that he loves to watch football

look at his face, he is so intense with it! such a boy!

i couldn't resist

they're off to see the wizard!

2010-11-12T15:46:00.000-08:00

halloween 2010

starring mylee as dorothy

with her ruby red slippers

and collin as the cowardly lion

also know as the happy lion

the kids had a great time, mylee really caught onto trick or treating this year. mylee was a little bit sick so she wanted to go home earlier than i thought she would. the night was fun but all in all...

there's no place like home.

home management question #2: exercise

2010-11-09T07:31:00.000-08:00

i'm just gonna say it, i don't like daylight savings for several reasons but one big reason is my kids. i hate how it messes with their schedules. i was really dreading it this time because collin usually wakes up about 7:00 or 7:30 and i just knew with the time change that he would now wake up at 6:00, but much to my surprise not only did collin not wake up early, mylee didn't either amazing! on sunday they slept in, monday they slept in so i thought to myself this is a good time to try and wake up early to exercise so, i set my alarm for 6:15 am last night. this morning i caught my alarm a few minutes before it went off thinking that was good now i don't have to worry about it waking up collin. i head to the bathroom and while in there who do i hear, collin. so when i come out much to my surprise he is back to sleep i'm thinking maybe this is meant to be so i proceed to workout. probably about 10 minutes in to it i hear collin again but i just ignore thinking justin can take care of him but knowing full well that he is hungry and i am going to have to come to the rescue eventually. i got through about 2o minutes of exercising before justin brings him in and i have to stop and feed him followed by mylee coming in shortly after. what the? seriously my kids have slept in the past two days and the day i decide to exercise they both wake up? so frustrating, so following this long story my questions for you are:

1. when do you exercise?

2. how long do you exercise?

3. what kind of exercise do you do?

4. have any of you tried p90x or insanity? do you have any workout videos that you recommend?

here are my answers all in theory you know because my kids don't like to cooperate:

1. 6:20 am or if that doesn't happen my backup plan is after kids go to bed about 8:30 pm but usually i am too tired and it just doesn't happen

2. i try for 30-45 minutes

3. i alternate days with an exercise bike and a short workout video, monday - friday

4. i told justin i would like to start p90x or insanity when i am done breastfeeding so i would like to know if any of you have tried either one? or do you have any other workout videos that you would recommend?

p.s. thanks so much for your comments on kids clothes. i've just decided that maybe its not the best idea to buy ahead unless i just completely love it AND its a good deal so hopefully that is going to help me in the future. and it sounds like most of you are using oxi clean so i am going to give that a try as well. thanks again for all of your great advice!

home management question #1: kids clothes

2010-10-31T17:07:00.000-07:00

i am trying to organize and rotate my kids clothes for the winter season and i am realizing that my kids have WAY too many clothes. so, my questions for you are:

*do you have a limit for how many clothes your kids have? and do you have a set limit per item of clothing such as a limit on shirts, pants, coats etc.?

*do you rotate clothes for the seasons?

*do you store clothes for the future (like bigger sizes)

*how do you store outgrown clothes?

*how do you organize your kids clothes they are currently wearing?

*do you have a limit on shoes?

*where do you usually shop for your kids clothes?

*do you have any products you recommend to get stains out of clothing?

wow that was kind of a lot of questions. so here are my answers, but i am the one needing help so please give me your input.

* i am thinking a good limit might be 2 weeks worth of clothes?

*yes i try to rotate for the seasons i kind of have the clothes organized into summer and winter

*yes i store for the future i try and limit it to no more than 2 years ahead i.e. mylee is 3 so i don't buy any bigger than a 5T.

*right now i store them into two 18 gal bins per year one winter and one summer ( i told you i have a lot of clothes, someone please help me;) i.e. 3t girl winter clothes, 3t girl summer clothes. i also keep a bin in the closet so as they outgrow them i put them into the bin.

*i've done two different ways one being grouped as outfits and the other way one drawer for tops, one drawer for bottoms, one drawer for dresses etc.

* haven't come up with a limit on shoes yet

*truthfully i usually shop yard sales and D.I. and occasionally old navy and gap when they are having a really good sale.

* i haven't found one that works miracles yet, i just bought some tide stain release so i'll see how that works.

so i am excited to see what you do in your home, hopefully i can do some purging and get my kids clothes organized! if any of you have questions to add let me know and i'll post them.

Home Management

2010-10-31T17:03:00.001-07:00

so, i've been thinking lately that i really am not the best at managing my home. i wish i was better, and i especially wish i knew all your home managing secrets. so maybe you could help a girl out. i'm thinking that i will ask a question every now and then about managing the home and hopefully you all will share your advice with me. seriously as i am typing this i am surrounded by a complete mess, i need your help. i would post a picture but that would be WAY to embarrassing!

p.s. if you have any questions you want me to post please let me know

have you see her?

2010-10-19T21:05:00.000-07:00

i was looking through old music videos on you tube tonight and happen to stumble across one of my all time favorites ( are you sensing the sarcasm?). as a child my older brother had the mc hammer cd and for some reason the song, have you seen her, really rubbed me the wrong way. so out of pure torture my mom and brother ( yes my mom was in on this too) would blast have you seen her on the cd player. i would seriously freak out any time the song came on, i hated it so bad. so i thought i would watch the video to see if it still had the same effect on me, first of all i had never seen the video before and now that i have i can see that at an early age i could sense the total overchessiness of the song ( i don't think overchessiness is a word but it's the only way i can describe the video and song) so take a look, tell me what you think. honestly i can't help but laugh my head off. and tell me did you have a song as a child that you absolutely hated?

photo shoot

2010-10-07T14:29:00.000-07:00

i really wish i could keep up with my blog more. now that collin is kind of on a nap schedule maybe i can find some time to sit down and blog more. so because i am always so behind last month i took some pics of my kids. now i know that i am their mom but seriously i can't get over how cute they are!

i took a ton of pictures so maybe i'll get around to posting more but i posted the ones that i am most likely going to frame. i am working on a collage for their room so maybe i'll show that when i am finished.

interested in building?

2010-08-05T07:21:00.000-07:00

so we've found some property in annabella that we are kind of interested in. we would have to subdivide it, so i'm just curious would any of you be interested or know anyone that would be interested in purchasing a lot in annabella? it's in a really nice location and of course we don't know any details but i'm guessing the lots would range anywhere from .25- .50 acre? and just a guess probably all less than $50,000, ideally about $30,000 each but we wouldn't know until we looked into the costs. i was just curious if any of you were interested?

one month

2010-08-01T21:21:00.000-07:00

first of all thank you to all of you who have given me such great advice. ali i think you are spot on that the first six weeks are a blur. but i can happily and honestly say our little bundle of joy (i can really say that now) is sleeping better through the night. i feed him at 10:00 and put him to bed, and then he usually wakes up at 3:00 and then again at 6:00 to eat. there have even been a few nights that he only wakes up once at 5:00 to eat, pure heaven in my book.

well as usual i am way behind but here are some pictures i took when collin was one month old (he is two months now). he is now smiling and cooing and i could seriously eat this child up i am so in love with him!

need some advice

2010-06-28T12:17:00.000-07:00

thanks for letting me know that my child is not the only baby who likes to eat at least every two hours. i'm probably going to be asking for a lot of advice for the next while. i actually think his appetite is not quite as big but he still eats very regularly.

so here is my next question, collin likes to wake up every 1-2 hours each night. i usually feed him and sometimes he even likes to be wide awake at 2:00 or 4:00 in the morning. any advice? should i just keep rolling with it until he is old enough to cry it out? he does not take the binky very good at all. should i try some sugar water to get him to like the binky or is that setting myself up for some more sleepless nights with having to keep putting it back in?we have a bassinet type bed that is in our room that he is supposed to sleep in but he just doesn't sleep very good in it. he will usually sleep for a couple hours in it and then usually i put him in the bouncer or swing or hold him or if i am really desperate sleeps with us in our bed. oh and i have also tried feeding him formula (usually about 1-2 oz) before bed and that doesn't seem to hold him any longer, he still wakes up within 1-2 hours. any suggestions?

he will be 4 weeks on wednesday. i was super lucky with mylee she was only waking up once at 5:00 by the time she was 1 month old.

he likes to eat...a lot!

2010-06-18T14:47:00.000-07:00

so i don't know if boys are just boys and start young, but this kid likes to eat, a lot! i am feeding him about every 1 1/2 - 2 hours! so frequent feedings make for some long nights. any of you other mothers have big eaters for babies? how long did it last? will i ever get to sleep more than 2 hours at a time? don't get me wrong i'd rather him have a big appetite than no appetite but i am just not used to feeding so frequently.

brotherly, sisterly love

2010-06-08T17:56:00.000-07:00

It's a...

2010-06-06T17:32:00.000-07:00

BOY!!!

We are so excited to announce that we have a new member of our family! Collin Justin Jensen decided to join us on June 2, 2010. He was 8 lbs exact and 20 1/2 inches long. So far (knock on wood) he has been such a sweet, calm baby...Mylee was a little on the uptight side so this is new for us.

My due date was June 1st and I went in for my Dr. appointment that day in which he gave me three choices to a) be induced that day or b) be induced that thursday or c) wait out the week to see if i go on my own and talk about induction for the next week. well, i knew that i didn't want that same day so we decided for an induction on thursday. so later that day i started having some mild contractions, i didn't really think anything of it. that night justin was really pushing me to pick a name ( we didn't know what it was so we needed a boy and girl name)i was really having a hard time picking one but somehow we both felt really good about Collin ( for the past nine months it was going to be Jordan) and never did decide on a girl name. so at about midnight i started having some harder contractions and decided to get the house picked up before going to bed well by the time the house got picked up i started timing the contractions which were about every 3-5 minutes and decided to wake justin up. ( keep in mind i was induced with mylee so i didn't really know when i should go to the hospital, i didn't know if i was really in labor, i just knew that it was starting to hurt.) so finally justin worked his way out of bed and we got our things together and took mylee to my parent's house at about 1:45 a.m. and got to the hospital at about 2:00 a.m. and let me tell you contractions in the car is not the most ideal place to be in labor. when we got settled in they checked me and i was at a 7. they called to get my epidural going which seemed like forever!! another not ideal moment to have hard contractions is when you have a needle in your back and you have to stay still. i hope i didn't break justins hands during that process. so my epidural didn't kick in until i was dilated to a nine or more but luckily right after it kicked in, it was time to push! and out he came at about 4:00 a.m. we were so thrilled to have our healthy baby boy here with us. so lesson learned: go to the hospital earlier so i can get my epidural sooner! but really we are just so thrilled to have him with us, we love him so much! we joke around that we just needed to decide on a name and then he was ready to come. here is some pictures of the cute little guy and his excited big sister:

funny girl

2010-03-15T09:09:00.000-07:00

"it keeps my ears warm mom!"

this is not the only time she has used this method to keep her ears warm. one day while we were outside she ran inside and came out with her "ear warmer". i'm sure the neighbors think we are crazy but it makes me laugh. i love the way toddlers think.

another repurposed item, wreath hanger turned microphone.

nothing like blowing bubbles out in the snow!

Pick a title:

2010-03-08T20:51:00.000-08:00

a) sledding: helmets required

b) you might be a redneck if: you are required to wear a helmet while sledding down a steep hill on your scooter turned sled

c) "snow" much fun!

i need your help...(updated with pictures)

2010-01-31T17:50:00.000-08:00

here are some pictures of some of the latest i've made:

so i am kind of toying around with the idea of selling fabric flowers. (if i had a picture, i'd show you but i'm not at home so maybe i can get one up sometime soon). anyway you've probably seen them around in people's hair, on their clothes, hats, purses,etc, etc. anyway i am having trouble coming up with a name but here is the catch i don't want it to be strictly about the fabric flowers because i might want to add some other handmade items. so here are some random names that i have thought of:

*shabby chic or shabby chic boutique
*simply chic or simply chic boutique
*pocketful of posies
*megan made
*reinvented or reinvented boutique
*rosey posey or rosey posey boutique
*penny lane or penny lane boutique

honestly i am really struggling, if you have any suggestions or like any of these names please let me know. (marc, if you're reading this i know you are super creative when it comes to stuff like this) (polly i know i've used two of your kids names, but not on purpose)

deer hunt 2009

2009-12-06T16:41:00.000-08:00

we went on the deer hunt this year because justin had a tag and yes he did get a deer and has been making jerky like crazy which i think is the best way to eat the meat. i had really mixed emotions about going because of feeling nauseas, but i brought my trusty ginger ale along with me and the trip turned out better than i thought. ( i just hope that next time we go we will have a trailer with a bathroom in it because you better believe i woke up every.single.night to go the bathroom!)

she cracks me up. here she is walking around in the woods with her freshly painted nails. she is so funny how she holds her hands after having her fingernails painted, she does this forever to make sure they are dry. she made sure to show everyone her beautiful nails.

this girl loves to ride horses! she is a natural (unlike her mother, she is a lot more brave than me)

mylee has something to say...

2009-11-03T18:59:00.000-08:00

coming june 1, 2010!

halloween 2009

2009-11-03T18:35:00.000-08:00

and she's off!

out of order

2009-10-11T14:30:00.000-07:00

so i'm trying to play catch up from summer, but i thought i should share some of the beautiful fall leaves we have seen on the mountain these past couple of weeks. and i have to admit it bugs me to get out of order but in sticking with the season...

mylee is always wanting to do what her dad is doing

this is how we spent the saturday session of conference. we brought our 72 hour kits to eat on and listened to conference on our emergency radio. it was great.

except pushing buttons was a bit of a temptation for this little one.

the scenery and colors were spectacular!

just one of the guys

2009-10-11T14:07:00.000-07:00

mylee had so much fun playing some football with the guys at the jensen reunion

good story

2009-10-04T17:37:00.000-07:00

it was a really

good

story

the end.

cousins {good times}

2009-10-04T17:11:00.000-07:00

so i think i should rename my blog to "always catching up" because i feel like that is what i am always trying to do. here are some pics of mylee playing in the pool with her cousins. good times.

Old fashioned family time

2009-09-27T13:04:00.000-07:00

Today after we got home from church, we changed into the usual comfy clothes. After awhile I was sitting folding laundry, Justin was laying down all cozy in a blanket reading the Ensign, and Mylee was wondering around playing doing her own thing. All of the sudden it hit me how quiet and peaceful it was. And then I realized that the TV was not on. It was nice and I said to Justin isn't it nice to just sit here together as family and not have the TV on? We need to do that more often.

How about your family, do you ever just sit around together with no TV? Don't get me wrong I have my shows that I enjoy, but I really like the concept of some old fashioned family time. I know we are going to be doing it more often around our house.

Hey local girls...

2009-09-22T12:47:00.000-07:00

Hey any of you local girls interested in going to the taste of home show this thursday?

a day at the park

2009-09-06T16:18:00.000-07:00

it was a good day. a really good day.

4th of July 2009 Part 4: the fireworks

2009-08-30T22:08:00.000-07:00

for the fireworks this year, we just spread a blanket out and watched them from the comfort of our own backyard. it was great.

mylee was a little bit confused why we let her hold "fire"

happy belated birthday america,

land that i love.

4th of July 2009 Part 3: the bbq

2009-08-30T21:50:00.000-07:00

after the parade, we headed to our house to have some bbq.

we invited my parents over. they came in their cute little green truck

these two crack me up.

mylee being the "phantom"

the things kids think of, makes me laugh.

4th of July 2009 Part 2: the parade

2009-08-30T17:25:00.001-07:00

waiting for the parade to start

i think she really does like me, she is just annoyed i am taking her time away from getting candy

i love this (i'm sure my mom wouldn't really appreciate it) but i love that she is right there with mylee, showing her how to go get it! what a great grandma!

carston giving mylee a few pointers

carston gave mylee two candies for every one candy he got. what a guy.

she finally got the hang of it

she came home with a lot more candy than that

there was the occasional float

but mostly the parade consisted of trucks,

back to the future looking car,

the national guard's tank

a wagon

people wearing garbage cans...

something you don't see in every parade

(rhs graduates, do you recognize who that is in the garbage can?)

small town parades... gotta love them

possibly my favorite moment captured

4th of July 2009 Part 1: children's parade

2009-08-30T16:08:00.000-07:00

very touching...

2009-08-03T14:27:00.000-07:00

i read this with tears streaming down my face

having fun in the sun

2009-08-02T16:15:00.000-07:00

this summer we have been...

giving baby "cocoa" rides in the shopping cart,

cooking,

and lot of swimming

how not to make homemade playdough...

2009-08-02T08:01:00.000-07:00

so for fhe we decided it would be fun to try making some homemade playdough. this is how our first batch turned out... not.so.fun.

check out mylee's face

so we tried again and the second batch turned out great!

mylee loved it

justin's mouse and trap

mylee with King Kong (she loves that movie)

and here is my creation, justin is a little more talented in the playdough department.

it was fun and the best part is you just keep the playdough in a plastic bag in the refrigerator and it keeps forever! i couldn't find the recipe but i found one online that looks just like the one we used ( the key is to keep stirring over the heat until the playdough forms a ball or in other words stir until your arms fall off)

Playdough
Ingredients:

1 cup flour
1 cup water
1/4 cup salt
2 TBS cream of tartar
1 TBS vegetable oil
food coloring (about 2 tsp)

Directions:

■In a medium sized pot, mix the first three ingredients: flour, salt, cream of tartar. Then add water, food coloring and the oil. Stir over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes. Once the dough forms a ball, remove from heat. Allow to cool. Once cool knead the dough on a floured surface several times. Then store in an airtight container or sealed plastic bag and place in refrigerator until needed. *high salt content so please keep away from pets

here is another playdough recipe that looks fun and easy:

Koolaid Playdough – Recipe #4

Ingredients:

1 cup flour
1/2 cup of water
1/2 cup salt
3 TBS oil
1 package of Koolaid (use the color of your choice)

Directions:

■Mix all ingredients together and cook over medium heat for a few minutes until dough forms the consistency you want. Remove from heat and cool. Keep in airtight container, refrigerate until used.

{ source }

four year wedding anniversary and a funeral

2009-07-26T16:43:00.000-07:00

four years, and 32 days ago (because i am a total slacker) we were doing this.....

okay so we weren't really doing that, but it would be really fun don't you think? we were actually doing this...

so, this year for our anniversary i decided to surprise justin with an anniversary trip to Zions National Park. i had made the reservations, got a babysitter for mylee, planned out our activities all behind justin's back. i was so excited that we were actually going to go do something for our annivesary and finally have a little getaway. well as luck would have it, justin's great grandmother passed away. her funeral was on june 25th (same as our anniversary) so for our anniversary, instead of a getaway we got to spend time with family and honor the life of justin's great grandma honey.

thanks for the example you were to all of us grandma honey, we'll miss you.

Happy Daddy's Day!

2009-06-21T14:32:00.000-07:00

how does your garden grow?

2009-06-15T09:05:00.000-07:00

we bought some wildflower seeds for mylee to plant, water and take care of. we finally got them out to plant this past saturday.

i love how she is pointing to justin on where to dig

to be honest mylee mostly stood aside and watched justin

but she did get in and get her hands dirty.
i really like how she is looking over at justin, watching him to know what to do

finally her favorite part, watering!

i'm so glad to have an awesome husband who also happens to be a great dad. i'm so grateful that he takes the time to do things like this with mylee to teach her, play with her, and show his love for her.

meet our newest addition....

2009-06-12T15:58:00.000-07:00

we are pleased to announce the arrival of :

canon rebel xs

arrived: june 10, 2009 7:02 p.m.

weight: 1.1 lbs

welcomed with love by:

justin, megan and mylee

okay so i know i am really cheesy but can i say how excited i am about this camera! i have been waiting a long time to get this. i finally bit the bullet and found the camera and lens both on ebay. my cousin, who is a fanastic photographer by the way, told me she buys a lot of her cameras and lenses on ebay so i gave it a shot and here it is.

i got the camera body only, it is a canon rebel xs and the lens is a sigma 18-200 mm f/3.5- 6.3

i've been busy taking lots of pictures. i still have A LOT to learn, but it is so fun i love it. here are some random shots:

she loves to water the flowers

she also loves are new tire swing. she likes to bring her baby doll out here and push her in it.

this is our first year to plant a garden. i can't wait for some fresh from the garden corn!

this is the i'm sick of taking pictures look.

the rest of the photos were done with me playing around with photoshop

doesn't that green grass just scream summer? have a great weekend!

Look at my hat mom!

2009-06-07T12:59:00.000-07:00

as you can see potty training is still non existent in this household, considering mylee thinks underwear belongs on your head.

makes me smile

2009-05-24T20:25:00.000-07:00

I know another picture of Mylee and her baby. I can't help it, it just makes me smile. The other day Mylee was having a two year old moment in which she was telling me no over and over again and then she says: "you're making me crazy!" I couldn't help but laugh, but it also made me think what am I teaching this child? I guess it's reassuring to me when I see her acting so lovingly towards her baby dolls, telling them sorry, changing diapers, taking them for walks and reading them books. It makes me feel that maybe I do have some good moments as a mom.

Food Storage

2009-05-04T12:10:00.001-07:00

i don't know if many or any of you follow my other blog, but i just wanted to let you know that i am back to posting my food storage month by month plan. i've also made a checklist for emergency car kits and 72 hour kits but i am going to wait to post them until i get some pictures to go along.

this is such a crazy time we live in, i can really see the need for food storage when i hear things like the swine flu, and the hard economic times in which so many are losing jobs, how more comforting it would be to have the food and other items to sustain you and your family during times like this. i am so grateful to belong to a church in which they give such wise counsel.

looks like i am going to have to play catch up again with this blog. i don't why i have such a hard time keeping up, life is just busy i guess.

Once there was a snowman....

2009-04-19T18:24:00.000-07:00

Mylee's first snowman

When I grow up ...

2009-03-29T15:21:00.000-07:00

its no secret that Mylee loves to play with baby dolls, it just warms my heart to see her doing it. i can't help but think of the primary song that says: "when i grow up i want to be a mother and raise a family one little two little three little children of my own." i hope she keeps this interest as she gets older, i know she will be a great mother (and a great babysitter for mom and dad someday :)

Beautiful Ballerina

2009-03-29T15:16:00.000-07:00

Warming up

2009-03-29T15:00:00.000-07:00

this is where Mylee and Justin like to sit to get warmed up, she loves it and tells me to come and sit on the other side of her, haha.

Snow Day

2009-03-29T14:45:00.000-07:00

going to get the snow shovel in the shed

her legs are hilarious in this snow suit!

you can't teach them too early, right?

but we can't have all work and no play!

yeah for snow days!

Christmas Eve 2008

2009-03-22T19:37:00.001-07:00

For Christmas Eve we first went over to Grandma Linda's and Grandpy's house for dinner and the traditional reading of the new Christmas book and Christmas story from the Bible. We left soon after due to the fact that I was feeling like I was going to throw up! We would have gone sledding with Justin's family, but Justin decided to stay home with his sick wife. So, as soon as we got home we hurried and opened our Christmas pj's.

And here she is sporting her new pj's. (Aaron and Veronica if your reading this yes those are the pj's you gave to her. At least they were new, last year she got pj's from the DI because that's how we roll. i asure you they were cute, not so worn, gap pj's) And if you were wondering I spent my evening with the toilet. But I was feeling great by the time morning rolled around and I was very grateful for being able to enjoy Christmas day.

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree...

2009-03-22T19:26:00.000-07:00

Here is Mylee wearing her Christmas dress. I think she looks like a doll.

Admiring the tree
And here it is in all of its crooked glory. And if your wondering yeah we left it like that. All of you with OCD look away.

Evan's Christmas Party 2008

2009-03-22T19:09:00.001-07:00

This year Santa came to visit us at the Evan's Christmas party. All of us and I mean everyone single person in attendance at the party got the opportunity to sit on Santa's lap. We decided to make it a family affair, don't we look so happy?

But we all got presents for sitting on Santa's lap. Here is Justin getting Mylee started on hers.

Don't you just love the look on a child's face after opening a present?

As much as Mylee loves presents her heart lies with candy

Here she is with Grandpa Charlie and her new dog, Max

Thanks to Grandma and Grandpa Evans for hosting a great party and thanks to Santa for being the life of the party!

Decorating the Tree 2008

2009-03-15T18:49:00.000-07:00

Telling Dad where to put it

Admiring her work

She decided to decorate herself instead

This is where Mylee decorated the tree. We just kept it that way because it made us smile everytime we looked at it.

Christmas Tree Hunt 2008

2009-03-15T18:20:00.000-07:00

Here is Mylee and Jalynne riding horses

Here is Mylee dressed and ready to go find a tree in her "Christmas coat" (that's what she calls it)

Mylee and Justin giving the thumbs up on the tree

Here it is a cute little tree for our cute little house.

He's nice

2009-03-08T21:01:00.000-07:00

Wow I am such a lame blogger, but I am still going to make an attempt to catch up.

See how much Mylee liked sitting on Santa's lap. Call me crazy but I thought she would actually like sitting on Santa's lap. She talked and talked about Santa every day during December, and would even ask to watch this movie every morning. (of course while sporting her very own santa hat as well) So, at our ward party we rushed up in line to sit on Santa's lap as we walked past I felt her hold on to me tight right then I had a feeling she wasn't as excited as I thought she would be. As we got closer and closer she kept saying "I don't want it" but in the end we made her sit and now we have a classic sitting on Santa's lap picture.

Here is what she had to say afterwards, it's hilarious: (sorry the lighting it so terrible)

"In a minute!"

2009-01-20T14:37:00.000-08:00

This might not be as funny to you as me but as I was sitting at my computer checking out all of your lovely blogs, Mylee was in the kitchen, in her high chair eating a snack. Here is how the conversation played out:

Mylee- MOM!

Me- Are you done?

Mylee- Yes

Me- Do you want to get out?

Mylee - Yes

Mylee- In a minute!

I guess she decided to answer for me. This tells me that I tell my child " in a minute" way too much! At least it gave me a good laugh.

FHE with a 2 year old

2009-01-19T11:21:00.000-08:00

Okay so one of the goals we have this year for our family is to have Family Home Evening. In the past we have spent time together as a family on Monday nights but our goal is to have lessons and/or activities for FHE. It's kind of hard to hold FHE with a 2 year old, but I know that it is still important no matter how hard it is. So, we made a list of activities that we can do for FHE and I think we made a pretty good list, but I couldn't help but think we need to be learning more about the gospel in FHE as well. So, as I was eating my lunch today the thought struck me to have the same lesson that they are giving in nursery. I know Mylee will be getting the lesson twice each week, but maybe having it twice something might stick with her. Click here for the lessons if you are interested. I have already printed it off and we are going to test drive it tonight for FHE.

So, my question for you is what do you do for FHE with young children? I would love some ideas or any input!

Giddy up cowgirl!

2009-01-18T16:36:00.000-08:00

For Thanksgiving this year we got to spend it with Justin's family. We added a ham and a HUGE pot of macaroni and cheese to the menu (a Jensen tradition). I wish I would have taken a picture of the macaroni honestly it was the biggest bowl of mac and cheese I have ever seen! In fact I wish I would have taken some pictures of the family and the feast but at least I got these cute pictures of Mylee riding her pony. This was the first time she had played with this toy and she was very hesitant at first but warmed right up to it and soon would be seen galloping up and down the halls riding on a pony.

No news is good news, right?

2009-01-18T16:25:00.000-08:00

Wow, long time no see. Sorry, the holidays were busy and so much fun. I am going to make an attempt to try and catch up.

Halloween 2008

2008-11-02T08:08:00.000-08:00

Jalynne and Mylee getting ready to go trick or treating. Jalynne the cowgirl, Mylee our busy little bee. We just went to Grandma's houses to trick or treat, but we have so many that live here it kept us plenty busy.

This little bee really likes to swing

At my mom's house she has a table with witches on it. At first Mylee was afraid, but now she loves the witches! In this picture she is pointing to all of the witches warts and calling them owies.
I thought it was funny she was carrying this witch around like a baby.

Eventually she found the baby doll and decided it was hungry. My heart just melts when she does this.

Mylee and the giant pumpkin

2008-11-02T08:01:00.000-08:00

Here are some cute pictures of Mylee with her giant pumpkin:

Little Miss Mylee carving her pumpkin

2008-11-01T21:17:00.000-07:00

Okay I better get busy drawing this pumpkin before Halloween has come and gone.

Uh, oh mom caught me drawing again.

Oh wait, silly me I forgot mom said it was okay.
Now back to this pumpkin, should it be scary, silly, happy? I think I am going to need Dad's help carving this thing, mom will really get mad if she finds me with a knife.
Ewww, yucky!

Hello, is anybody in there?

Here it is!

Cute little happy pumpkin with a cute little happy girl!

Future rockstar

2008-11-01T21:13:00.001-07:00

Future rockstar or future game addict, I don't know which is worse. Mylee decided to join in on the fun of playing guitar hero.

There she is, our little rockstar in her pajamas. I think she might set a trend in the rockstar clothing industry.

Happy Fall Y'all!

2008-11-01T20:59:00.000-07:00

I can't believe its been so long since I have posted. Hopefully I will keep up more regularly. I have to tell you that I absolutely love this time of year. I love the weather with the slight crisp in the air, I love the leaves that change color, and knowing that the holidays are coming! I love fall.
Here is Mylee with her giant pumpkin that her Uncle Lance picked out. Mylee has loved the Halloween season this year. She loves pumpkins, witches, skeletons(she calls them blahs), etc. Its been so fun being able to celebrate and start some traditions of our own with our little family.

HAPPY FALL Y'ALL!

Justin and Mylee watching some football

2008-10-07T20:47:00.000-07:00

Here is Mylee and Justin just relaxing, watching a little football. She actually likes to watch football go figure. If we don't ever have a boy at least Justin has got a buddy to watch football with, especially if popcorn is involved.

Choose the right, when the choice is placed before you

2008-09-26T10:49:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share this video with you because it brought me to tears and made an impact on me. I am not trying to promote the Catholic church, I do not belong to the Catholic church, but this video is such a great reminder to stand up for what you know is right and that we need to stand by our values. Our vote is a way that we can fight for what we know is right, please think in terms of what your values are as you vote this November. Click here to see the video.

Like mother, like daughter

2008-08-29T21:46:00.000-07:00

Plastic heart earrings - $1, plastic orange heels- $1, happy girl strutting her stuff - priceless. I know you are probably thinking what kind of mom buys her 18 month old girl earrings and high heels? I want to make note that I did not brain wash my child to wear jewelry and high heels she found my shoes, jewelry, and purses all on her own. I can't help but smile when I see her walking around the house all dressed up in my shoes and accessories. I admit that I was just like her as a child. Playing dress-ups was my all time favorite thing to do.

Making house a home

2008-08-25T21:59:00.000-07:00

Okay so the votes are in and making house a home it is. Thank you for your input. The new blog is up and running so feel free to visit anytime.

A new blog

2008-08-18T20:39:00.000-07:00

Okay so I have wanted to create a separate blog for a while now, but I need help with picking a name, so I thought I would ask you guys what you think. I want it to be a blog about projects I'm doing on my house, my thrift finds, crafts, grocery deals, recipes, organizing, motherhood, misc.tips, etc. So here are some of my ideas: -love at home, -a place called home, -making house a home. I am kind of leaning toward making house a home because ultimately that is what I am about making a home for my family but I just don't know so I need your input. Also if you have any suggestions please share. Thanks!

Better together

2008-07-30T20:08:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we went camping. It was fun for the most part. It rained a good part of the time that we were there and of course we were in a tent but luckily it stayed dry.

We went for a horse ride, which Mylee was superexcited about can't you tell by the look on her face?

I thought she would hate every minute of it since she loves to look at animals but bawls every time you try to get her to touch one, but she ended up loving it! We've got to get this girl some boots and a hat!

Here is Mylee and dad eating their favorite snack, cheese and crackers.

We did catch an amazing sunset, although this picture does not do it justice.It was so funny sleeping in a tent with Mylee I think that she is so used to sleeping in her own room (her mother feels the same way) that she would get mad when we would crawl into bed with her. Luckily she got her space during nap time. It was so nice to get away from everything and just have an excuse to just sit and relax. Most of all it was just fun being together just the three of us having good family time.

Water girl

2008-07-30T19:58:00.000-07:00

We went to Justin's grandparents farm for a picnic on the 24th. They flooded their grass area and our little water girl had so much fun! She is was very brave and the cold water didn't phase her a bit. Cute Tanner pushed Mylee around in a little toy boat.

What dressing would you like with your salad?

2008-07-30T19:51:00.000-07:00

I never thought my child would eat salad because she has taught herself not to eat anything green, but lo and behold salad dipped in ranch she will eat. Actually she mostly sucks the ranch off but evetually does eat the salad.

Jensen Reunion

2008-07-30T19:24:00.000-07:00

The Jensen reunion was in Provo Canyon this year. It was so beautiful and very green!

Mylee loved putting her feet in the creek.

They had this huge beach ball that ran over several small children. I don't think Mylee ever got ran over.

Justin taught Mylee how to roll down the hill, she loved it!

Thomas the train stopped by to give the kids a ride.

We stopped by bridal veil falls on the way home.

I love this kid!

2008-07-15T20:47:00.001-07:00

I can't express in words how much I love my little girl but come on look at this picture, you just want to squeeze her cheeks don't you?

Some things about Mylee:

*LOVES to eat eggs
* Loves to go outside or go run errands with mom (in fact today she grabbed her purse and walked out the door to go run errands, I love it!)
* Loves to just hang out in her crib. I never know when she wakes up because she is just so content hanging out in her crib
*Loves to play in the water
*Loves to go visit Grandma Linda and Grampy
*Loves to rock and sing to her baby
*Loves to read her books
*Loves to sing the ABC's
*Loves to count
*Loves to go on long walks in the stroller

Small town fourth of July

2008-07-09T22:46:00.000-07:00

Can I just say that this is one of the best things about living in a small town. This year I was lucky enough to be in the primary parade (are you sensing any sarcasm?) and since most of the kids rode their bikes in the parade guess who was left to carry the banner?

Mylee got to be in the diaper derby this year. She took second in her heat. Way to go Mylee!

All of the kids getting their candy from the parade

One happy girl!

After the parade we headed over to Central. They have an extremely cheap $2 lunch and relays. Every kid wins a quarter for participating in the race. Here is Mylee sporting Jalynne's sunglasses, Carston running, and Kade with his winnings.

After Central we headed home and decided to get our small pool and homemade slip n' slide out. Carston and Mylee had so much fun!

Then we went to my parent's house for dinner. It was a fun filled day but busy as well. Mylee was too pooped to watch the fireworks so Justin and I watched them from our backyard(which has a perfect view) so we decided next year after the parade we're just going to go home break out the kiddie pool, bbq and watch fireworks all in the comfort of our own home. So you all are invited!

Daddy's Little Girl

2008-07-09T22:19:00.000-07:00

I just love those pictures of Justin and Mylee. I think I'll frame some to put in the house.
Justin decided that we needed to take Mylee to see the new colt. She was so funny, I have to make note that Mylee loves animals and she could probably sit and watch them for hours but she only likes to look not touch. Anyway as you can see from the pictures, Mylee clung tight to Justin any time she got close to the colt.

Justin tried to sit her on the colt but as you can see Mylee wasn't too excited about riding the colt.

This is about as close as she would go to the horses.
For some reason she seemed to be a little more friendly with the pigs.

Some wild adventures

2008-07-07T15:34:00.000-07:00

We recently went up to Salt Lake City to go to the zoo and the Mayan. Shauna and her kids took a trip to Salt Lake so we met up with them to go to the zoo and then the next day Grandma Helen treated us to the Mayan. I had never been to Hogle Zoo so it was fun to take Mylee there for her first time as well. Other than it being extremely hot it was fun to see Mylee get excited to see the animals. The Mayan was quite the exprience. I won't rave about the food but it was interesting to see the divers dive into this tiny pool.

Yardwork continued

2008-07-07T15:26:00.000-07:00

Here are some more pics from working on the backyard. Mylee was loving life out in the dirt and she got extremely dirty but as my brother Marc says "if your kids aren't dirty than you're not a good parent"

Happy 3rd Anniversary! (a few days ago, oops!)

2008-06-28T21:31:00.000-07:00

Better late than never right? Happy anniversary to my wonderful husband! I thought I would share our story because I am sappy like that. I do need to clarify that I am not so eloquent with words so sorry if it gets boring.So here goes:
I moved to Richfield the summer before starting 8th grade, and guess who happend to be in my ward. That's right that cute Jensen kid who would wear cowboy boots to church. So, yes instantly the city girl had a big time crush on the cute small town boy. Well Justin and I hung out quite a bit as friends at first but when I turned 16 I asked Justin to the first school dance that I could go to. Sadly he had already been asked so I asked him to the next girls choice dance which happend to be Snow Stomp. I made sure I asked early so that was our first date.

We dated here and there but were both just so incredibly shy that we didn't get the ball rolling until our Senior year. I should add that Justin and I were so shy that we did not have our first kiss until right before graduation. So we graduated from Richfield High School

Shortly after High School Justin left on his mission to West Virginia.

And I went off to college

He did his thing

And I did mine.

Then came time for Justin to come home (yes I admit that is me with my very own cheesy countdown missionary calendar)

When Justin returned we picked up right where we left off. We had a lot of fun dating again.

Finally in March Justin asked me to marry him. He surprised me by hiding the ring in my Easter basket.

Yes we were finally engaged to be married!

But boy was it a long engagement if you know what I mean:) And I know you know what I mean;)

Finally the day arrived!! We were married June 25, 2005 in the Manti Temple. It was such an amazing day!

This picture makes me laugh. Look behind me and Justin, you'll see my brother Aaron, the one in the glasses. My Aunt is standing right behind him and from this angle it looks like he is wearing a really bad wig.

Some kiss, huh? Okay, okay so it was the wind that blew my veil up or was it? It was a really windy day on our wedding day. I was kind of bummed but we actually got some fun pictures from it.

Here are a couple of candids that I love

We did manage to see some blue sky through the dark clouds. You would never believe that it was a dark and dreary day would you?

My aunt made our wedding cake. Isn't she awesome?

Thank goodness Lance was there to protect the cake from the rain.

This is just too funny, me totally bugged by the dark clouds and sprinkles of rain

And then the sunshine through the rain! A glimmer of hope!

I should make note that I really wanted a garden reception really, really bad. So my mom got her yard looking real nice until the floods came. Yep we happend to get married the year that the valley flooded and my parents house was right out in the middle of it! So needless to say we would have had to wear water boots in order to have it at my parents house so the Person's were nice enough to let us have the reception at their house. Now when it was blowing and raining right before the reception I was determined to wait it out and guess what the weather cleared up and everything was great.

Happy anniversary Justin! Thank you so much for being such an amazing husband. I am so lucky to have you in my life. I love all of the memories we have made and I am looking forward to making more. I love you so much!!!

Sharing Suckers

2008-06-17T20:23:00.000-07:00

Cason came to our house last Wednesday and I just let him and Mylee play outside while I was planting flowers. I gave them each a sucker and it was so cute they just sat down on the porch steps and ate their suckers. While I was busy planting I turned to check on them to find Cason giving Mylee a lick of his sucker and I would tell him just eat your own sucker. So after a few times of telling him, I realized it was useless and besides it was so cute of him to share I had a hard time getting after him. So, I ran inside to get my camera to capture the cute moment.

Girly Girl

2008-06-10T10:35:00.000-07:00

So even though Mylee likes to eat and play in the dirt, and ride in the loader with dad, and she occasionally picks up a truck and makes truck noises, she is still a girly girl. She loves to play with her baby doll and she is so cute with it. She loves to hold her baby wrapped in a blanket, feed her a bottle while she rocks and sings to her. It's so cute! Here is picture of her rocking her. I am hoping to get video of it sometime so you can hear her singing to her. She also likes to walk around in mom's red heals!

Yard Work

2008-06-10T10:20:00.000-07:00

So, last year we decided to cut down 2 out of 3 big globe willow trees in our backyard. We have had a huge mess of sticks and branches in our backyard for about a year now. So, finally now that the weather has warmed up (and we had a low phone line moved out of our backyard) we have decided to tackle this giant mess. I can't wait to have a backyard and garden, etc. We'll show you pictures when we are done but here are some before pictures. ( I know it looks like a tornado landed in our backyard)

Here are some pics of Justin in the loader with Mylee. She loved it! I am so glad that I have such a skilled husband who can run heavy equipment!

Stay tuned for updated pictures of our backyard transformation! Maybe we should nominate ourselves for desperate landscapes on DIY network! I think we look pretty desperate!

Mylee loves to play in the sprinklers. Here are some pictures:

Memorial Day

2008-06-10T10:16:00.000-07:00

We met Justin's family up past the water tank for Memorial Day. Too bad it was cold but it was still fun. Justin took Mylee for a ride on the four wheeler and boy was she loving life!

Mmmm Dirt!

2008-05-13T20:29:00.000-07:00

Me and Mylee went outside to do yardwork today and while I was weeding I turned to check on Mylee only to see she was shoving dirt into her mouth and saying "mmmm". Maybe she was excited to find endless amounts of chocolate in the yard. At least she got her dose of minerals for the day.

Mylee's 1st Birthday!

2008-04-26T20:05:00.001-07:00

I figured I'd better post this before she turns two. We had some family over for Mylee's 1st birthday. She got lots of bath toys, a book, and some cute dresses! I can tell you her very favorite part of the whole party was the cake! She is my kind of girl, she absolutely loved her very chocolate cake. We stripped her down to her diaper and let her go at it. It was so funny to watch her inhale her cake. After she was done with her cake she chased around anybody else who still had cake. It was so funny! Here are some pics

Opening presents

Time for cake!

One happy girl!

We have a walker!

2008-04-15T20:57:00.001-07:00

Okay so I'm a little behind on the posting. We officially have a walker! Mylee started walking about a week before her 1st birthday. Way to go Mylee!