Mike, Bear and 5 Cubs

Photo Card

2012-01-15T23:34:00.001+01:00

Animal Kingdom Baby Shower

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Photo Book

2011-09-22T04:34:00.001+01:00

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Levi turned 2.

2011-08-31T04:45:00.003+01:00

Levi had his 2nd birthday this week. He had lots of fun being the center of attention. We celebrated by doing stuff he likes with him. We made a pit full of balloons, played cars and blocks, let him be the leader while we copied his moves. We danced and played duck, duck, goose and hide and seek. Clara and Greta made a yummy carrot cake for him. I took him and Adam to see Cars 2 at the theater.
He is such a fun kid, he walked around with the bucket on his head. I love the shot of his sad face, that bottom lip. He is starting to talk and we understand him. His older brothers and sisters love to practice words with him. The other day he asked for a 8th helping of noodles and I said, "Seriously? he answered back, "Seriously!" I cracked up.

Destin, FL

2011-08-31T04:39:00.004+01:00

We loved our family vacation to Florida this summer. We swam in the pools, the beaches, went to an Indian Mound, schoolhouse from 1917, and stopped by the site of the Battle of Vicksburg to tour. We loved having friends and family to hang out with and enjoyed the cooler weather.

Yes, it has been hot.

2011-08-31T04:35:00.002+01:00

We cooked a couple of eggs one afternoon on our driveway, they didn't sizzle but they definitely were cooked. I have loved the clouds this week in the morning. When it started to thunder on Monday, I got back in bed just to listen to the rumble.

Clara's new haircut

2011-08-31T04:32:00.002+01:00

Clara got brave and cut 8 inches off her hair and she LOVES it! She told me that she thought she liked long hair, but there are so many things to love about her short hair. I think it is adorable.

Happy Birthday Quade

2011-06-06T04:49:00.002+01:00

Isn't he the cutest thing? I call him a marshmallow since he is so fair and chubby. He is riding a merry go round.

Jay and Ashley's Wedding

2011-06-06T04:30:00.005+01:00

My brother Jay married Ashley this weekend. It was awesome to share in their beautiful day and be with all my brothers and sisters. We had a great weekend. Now all 3 of my brothers are married and I have 3 Ashley Stahles as sisters-in-law which I love. We refer to them as Jashley, Dashley, and Ivashley.

Mother's Day 2011

2011-05-31T03:17:00.004+01:00

I had a lovely Mother's Day with sleeping in, sweet gifts hand made from the kids, and a yummy breakfast. My mother joined us for church and we met with Mike's family at the park for supper.

NYC

2011-05-30T00:33:00.008+01:00

We took Jonas to New York City for his DimensionU tournament. It was such a fun place to visit. He made it to the semi-finals, scoring better than half of the 100 kids there. He didn't move on to the finals though. The trip was an awesome enough prize. We stayed with my brother Jay and his fiance Ashley in New Haven, Connecticut where they invented pizza. We went to Pepe's ,it was yummy stuff from a coal fired oven with an Italian bakery next door with delicious ices. We also discovered we like Cannolis. Th first day we toured Mark Twain's house in Hartford, he lived next door to Harriet Beetcher Stowe who wrote Uncle Tom's Cabin. That was all in just the first day!

The next day we went to Mystic Seaport on the CT coast. It is a working shipyard where they restore wooden whaling ships and build new ones. We climbed aboard a recreated Armistad. They also had lots of little buildings showing how they did stuff 100 years ago like nautical instruments, clocks, make rope, barrels, and printing presses. We ate on the river next to a drawbridge and had calamari and shrimp.

The next day we took the early train into NYC, rode the green line #6 Subway to the tournament at Hunter College. Afterwards we went to the Statue of Liberty, Empire State building, and strolled through Central Park. The weather was beautiful and lots of people were out. We saw magicians, acrobats, musicians performing. My favorite building was the NY public library huge lion statues out front. We walked up Wall street and Jonas touched the bull. Jonas got a pretzel from a street vendor. It started raining as we got to Times Square, so we went headed back to Grand Central Station to get some NY cheesecake at Junior's and catch the train back to New Haven.

The next day we went to the top of East Rock which borders New Haven to see Long Island and the city. It is all trees with colorful houses dotting around. Then we headed to the West Haven beach where we watched some old Italian guys play boccie ball. We drove around New Haven and saw the old university buildings of Yale and all the interesting houses. I loved all the porches and stone walls.

It was a great trip and our hosts were wonderful- they are getting married next weekend! Mike's parents stayed with the four younger kids who had a great time being with their grandparents. Jonas is already planning on attending next year's tournament. He will attend Jackson MST and they had 15 kids at the tournament.

Texas Day in Kindergarten

2011-05-26T04:41:00.004+01:00

Greta had Texas Day after her unit on Texas History. They had lots of fun activites like bingo, square dancing, racing wearing over sized overalls and boots, and a petting zoo. Jonas performed in a skit about not picking bluebonnets.

Current shots of everyone

2011-05-26T04:31:00.002+01:00

Jonas' tour of the Cowboy Stadium

2011-05-26T04:23:00.001+01:00

Greta's soccer season

2011-05-26T04:00:00.002+01:00

Greta played in her first soccer season this spring and did well. Her long legs earned her Best Defensive player since she could catch up to anyone on the other team and kick the ball away from the goal. We had lots of fun in the beautiful spring weather and made friends with the other players and their families.

Levi hiding

2011-02-05T05:39:00.001+01:00

Ok, where is Levi? I start looking for him and realize that he has closed himself in the laundry and is organizing the cans for me. Such a cutie.

Adam's Third Birthday

2011-02-05T05:32:00.003+01:00

This is a wink from Adam.

Our little man, Adam turned 3. We started our celebration by spending the day at the Dallas Zoo, then had yummy cupcakes by Clara. He loved getting presents and was so excited when his cousins and grandparents brought them over throughout the week. We went to the zoo on Saturday so Mike could go and he thought his birthday lasted for 3 days. On Sunday it snowed and we stayed home all day playing in it. Then on Monday- his actual birthday we went to Chuck E Cheese with his best friend Bryce. Since we had bad weather the place was empty except for us. He loved his puzzles, books, and new toys. Being three is so fun!

Christmas pajamas

2011-02-05T05:30:00.001+01:00

Levi walking

2011-01-02T05:19:00.001+01:00

Levi 15 months

2011-01-02T01:05:00.004+01:00

Here are some pictures of Levi, he is such a great kid. He turned 15 months- weighs 24 lbs (40%) and is 32" (80%) tall. He is such a sweet, playful little boy. He likes to play with his cars and little people set. He finally decided to start walking this last month. He doesn't say many words but will call Clara's name to take him outside to play if he is inside. He also says Adam and Greta quite clearly, but not the rest of us. He makes car sounds and a little "sssst" sound like a snake all the time. He likes to dance, be chased, swing, and be tickled. I love his little eyebrows he is my first kid with dark enough eyebrows to see. He still has his dark hair like his mommy. He is a great little eater and still nurses. He has a cute dimple on his right cheek that I just love. His eyes are a creamy blue with brown in them.

Gingerbread house and Gingerbread man

2011-01-02T00:46:00.003+01:00

We did a gingerbread house this year which Adam really enjoyed for the first time. Jonas came home from school with a library book full of creative ways to serve food. He was begging to make this Banana Split Pizza which was a brownie topped with sweetened cream cheese and bananas, pinneapple, strawberries and chocolate chips. It was tasty and we put it in our gingerbread man pan which Adam got a kick out of since he loves the story of the gingerbread man.

Thanksgiving 2010

2011-01-02T00:20:00.002+01:00

10 grandkids! We had a great Thanksgiving with Bear's Mother, brother Dallas and sister Afton, their families and her Uncle Kelly and Aunt Kay. That was 10 kids 9 adults. It was great fun. We went to the Children's Museum at Fair Park one day, baked yummy food and had a great time visiting while we did a 1000 piece puzzle.

A trip to the zoo with cousins

2011-01-01T18:15:00.002+01:00

Adam was really excited to see the kangaroos during this trip to the zoo, but the ostriches were more interested in him.

I am too cute for a picture

2011-01-01T18:13:00.001+01:00

Carving pumpkins

2011-01-01T18:01:00.003+01:00

Fall trip to the Arboretum

2011-01-01T17:53:00.001+01:00

We wwent to see the thousands of pumpkins at the Arboretum with Aunt Ginger and her boys.

Halloween

2010-11-06T01:07:00.003+01:00

I just found this post that I started and didn't publish because I was waiting to get a picture off Mike's phone. Oh well, here they are. Clara is Belle, Adam was Woody riding Bullseye, Jonas was Gandolf the wizard from Lord of the Rings, Greta was an ice princess, and Levi a skeleton.

Jonas' fall football

2010-11-06T00:48:00.003+01:00

Jonas with his flag football team. They were undefeated for the season and had a great coach who had the perfect balance of fun and work is his coaching.

My 6 year old, Greta.

2010-11-06T00:27:00.002+01:00

Greta on her 6th birthday ready for school, eating her breakfast donut on the red "special day" dishes- a fun family tradition that we have. I love her face as she realizes that her present is a day at horse camp. She has loved horses for 4 years now and is now old enough to go to our local stable. She was able to be with horses for 6 hours- riding, grooming, and petting them. She had a great day and knew all about the individual horses when we picked her up. She can't wait to go back. The evening of her birthday we went to the park and then to the State Fair for her celebration. Those pictures are on Mike's camera. Greta is still very tall for her age and has enjoyed Kindergarten. She is doing well playing with friends and getting her work done. The first week of school she came home and asked "How many hours long is school?" She has put 6 pounds on since this summer when she was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism and Grave's disease. We are so glad that she has responded well to treatment. She is the sweetest, joyful little girl.

Moving dirt

2010-11-06T00:23:00.002+01:00

Mike, Jonas and Adam moved some dirt into our backyard to fill in our hole where the pool used to be. The kids have been having fun ever since playing in it with dumptrucks and shovels and army men.

Clara's volleyball season

2010-11-06T00:14:00.001+01:00

Clara played her first season of volleyball and is learning a lot and loving it. Her team is the Blue Crush and I have been so impressed by how much they have learned.

September 11 at the Fire Station

2010-11-06T00:08:00.002+01:00

Yes, I am behind with my blogging. I will start the catch up process. Our neighborhood takes a meal to our fire station every Sept 11 as a thank you. Adam was so excited to go this year and the firemen were so patient showing us around and letting the kids check things out.

Levi baby book

2010-09-21T00:20:00.001+01:00

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Temple Square Tour - Salt Lake City

2010-09-11T22:41:00.002+01:00

The flowers were beautiful everywhere.

Checking out the 4 acre meadow on top of the conference center. That building is huge.
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Here are pictures from our vacation. We toured the conference center and the Salt Lake Temple Square with my sister and her kids.

My baby is 1!

2010-09-11T22:13:00.006+01:00

2 months old

One year old- ready for the Cowboys season

Levi loved his cake and presents. He is such a fun happy baby. He has adorable dimple that shows all the time. He is still crawling around and likes to push cars or roll balls. He has this great spin move he does while sitting and moving one leg. I need to catch it on video. He dances to the Barney theme song. He loves to play peek-a-boo in the mornings with his big brothers and sisters with the cereal boxes on the table. He also likes to clap his hands and swing outside. He has started trying all kinds of big people food, but still breast feeds regularly. He will take good naps and sleeps in his crib until I go get him to snuggle with me. He has started climbing up onto our couch from the treadmill and can turn around and get off feet first. We are so glad to have him in our family.

Trading

2010-09-11T14:41:00.003+01:00

Clara and Greta did some trading this week. The first trade was Greta gets 2 of Clara Zhu-zhu pets and a piece of gum for $8.00(all of her cash). The deal was sealed once Greta ate the gum. When I heard of this I decided it was unfair, but Greta had eaten the gum! I made Clara give back half the money. Clara was so upset, now how was she going to save money?

The second trade happened when Greta came home from school with glitter flower shaped silly bands which Clara wanted bad. There were 12 and I made it clear that I approved all trades in the house. Clara ended up with 5 of the bands and she gave Greta 3 of her bands and 4 stickers on a behavior chart which means that they could have a sister sleep over- stay up late, eat popcorn and share a bed. They were both happy with this. Seems to me that Clara managed to get the better deal, but hey she is the big sister. Mike and I thought it was sweet that they wanted to play together, but we felt like Clara might not be authorized to give that kind of reward, behavior stickers from your sister? They love to play school, but I didn't realize that Greta had a behavior chart even when they weren't playing. You can bet that Clara doesn't have one monitored by Greta. They play very well and together and I am so glad they are friends.
PS Greta just ran in from the backyard scared because Clara told her 2 wasps were chasing her:)

Wichita, KS

2010-09-01T03:35:00.006+01:00

The first day of our vacation we stopped in Wichita, KS. We found the house Mike lived in when he was 10 years old. Then we went to Exploration Place on the river. Our favorite section was the Kansas area that had a mock tornado, water table and the mock stream with sand to build a dam with. There was also had an amazing section about flight with a paper airplane alley and simulators.

Denver Children's Museum

2010-09-01T03:18:00.002+01:00

On our way to Utah we spent the day at the Denver Children's Museum. They had a great area about mining with cool rocks. They also had a great room about Space Travel like the NASA Center in Houston. The weather started to cool off and we stopped to explore by the river. We all enjoyed the mountain scenery except Greta who didn't like the feeling of being in between the mountain. She was nervous about falling rocks and kept asking when we would be out the mountains.

Cowboys Stadium Tour

2010-08-24T19:46:00.005+01:00

My brother Jay came in town from Connecticut and we went to see the new huge stadium. This is Jay hanging out by Tom Landry. Adam enjoyed running on the lines around the field, he also practiced kicking and throwing his football.

This is us outside the locker room. Adam loved the star motif- he walked around counting stars everywhere. Stars were on the walls, in the floor drains, even the elevator buttons lit up as stars. I fed Levi sitting on the Cowboys bench. When I get the pictures from my brother I will show you the inside of the cheerleader and players locker room. We had a fun time and were very glad it was air conditioned unlike the former stadium. It was 107 outside.

First Day of school

2010-08-24T05:14:00.002+01:00

Greta starts Kindergarten

3rd grader Clara

Jonas the 5th grader

From mini-van to mini-bus

2010-08-09T03:04:00.006+01:00

We said goodbye to our Honda Odyssey this weekend- It has been a good 9 years 131,000 miles, and 4 transmissions. We traded it in for a conversion van. My kids are most excited about the TV and PS2; I am glad that it seats 9 with lots of room for growing kids and drives smoother than the SUVs I drove. It also sits lower to the ground which is easier for loading. They are not a lot of choices for vehicles seating 7 people comfortably. Mike went with a friend and his brother all the way to Florida to pick it up this weekend.

3 Little Pigs

2010-08-04T14:52:00.003+01:00

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The story of the 3 Little Pigs has been Adam's favorite for the past few weeks, so we have been building houses and acting it act daily.

They sleep when they stop

2010-08-04T14:49:00.001+01:00

Sometimes you just can't make it to your bed.

Another lost tooth

2010-08-04T14:43:00.002+01:00

Greta pulled out her top tooth last week, it had been damaged and was turning dark, so I was ready for it to be out and encouraged her to pull it. We went to a local horse park as a reward. She was so happy to hang out with horses all morning, I didn't enjoy it as much since I had to lead the stubborn donkey around.

Arboretum with friends

2010-07-16T04:04:00.002+01:00

We went to the Dallas Arboretum this week with some friends Brooke and her 4 cute kids. It was hot but we enjoyed all the pretty flowers and fountains; Greta loved petting the horse. I am pleased that I caught the cardinal by the water.

Happy Birthday to Johnny!

2010-07-16T04:00:00.002+01:00

Our friend Johnny turned 20 this week! He is such a great kid and we love to have him hang out with us. Clara made his favorite cake, German Chocolate. we tried a new upside down version which was yummy.

Dress like a cow= free dinner!!

2010-07-16T02:22:00.003+01:00

We dressed up like cows and went to Chik-fil-a where we each got a free combo meal for dinner last week. The felt a little silly and were afraid we would be the only people there, but we weren't and they had fun. Notice the absence of Adam, he would have no part in dressing up even though I have a cow Halloween costume that fit him perfectly. We enjoyed our meal, played in the play place and Mike met us after work.

Summer fun- Rokenbok

2010-07-16T02:06:00.002+01:00

Jonas set up his remote control vehicle set which has been lots of fun for everyone.

4th of July

2010-07-16T01:58:00.002+01:00

I got to meet my new nephew, Quade 4th of July weekend. He is now 5 weeks old and just over 6 pounds. We also went swimming and saw Toy Story 3.

Jonas has turned 10!

2010-07-05T04:44:00.002+01:00

I now have a 10 year old. We had a fun day celebrating- we went to play miniature golf and laser tag at the arcade. Jonas got a pellet gun, new red light saber, and
N64 converter for the computer. He also got some cash and enjoyed choosing some new books and putting some in the bank. He picked out a Where's Waldo book. He has been busy this month attending 2 Cub Scout twilight camps and completing lots of Webelos requirements. He has read the Fablehaven book series by Brandon Mull. Jonas is such an awesome kid; he is a great example for his brothers and sisters and lots of fun.

Levi crawling

2010-07-05T04:33:00.002+01:00

Levi is crawling all around the house now and pulling up. We are devising ways to contain him,so he doesn't disappear around corners and down the hallway. One was blocking the doorway with Adam's Cars chair. He is so cute and will come when I call him and go looking for him.

Bathroom remodel

2010-07-05T04:29:00.002+01:00

Mike finished our bathroom remodel for the kids. Clara picked out the color scheme and it turned out really fun. Each wall is a different color. We love the funny monkey and frog shower curtain.

Summer- the first month

2010-07-05T04:05:00.004+01:00

We have been having a great time this summer. This last week we did lots of fun math activities. The kids counted and rolled $49.00 worth of coins from our coin jar and we put them in their bank accounts. We played M&M math, yummy! chutes and ladders, did various worksheets and flashcards. Jonas and I played several rounds of Yatzee. We went to Celebration Park with my cousin Debra then went back to her house where we had a bubble bath in the jacuzzi tub. The kids loved it!
We have been on lots of bike rides to the park. Mike got a double bike trailer for Father's Day, so now I can ride my bike instead of pushing the stroller, it is so much cooler.

First day of summer

2010-06-07T21:31:00.004+01:00

Today was the first official day of summer for us! It is 3:30pm and I feel that the kids have already done half of my at home activities for the summer. We have had a fun day. Clara went to a drama camp with her cousin Jett while Greta, Jonas and Adam played in the water outback and then sculpted with play-do. After lunch they all did more play-do, made a obstacle course, went on 3 treasure hunts, and cleaned up their messes. Next Jonas goes to cub scout camp. Then we will cook dinner, have a dance, and who knows what else?

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Mother's Day

2010-05-21T00:28:00.002+01:00

I had a great Mother's Day starting with breakfast in bed, then lots of sweet presents from my kids including books of poetry, handmade flowers, jewelry, and new tennis shoes. I had the day off from dishes and cooking- I have such wonderful kids and husband- I couldn't ask for more.

Clara and the girls

2010-05-03T17:22:00.001+01:00

Clara and her friends have been practicing for the school talent show.

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Easter 2010

2010-04-21T18:57:00.002+01:00

Adam sick day

2010-04-21T18:56:00.002+01:00

Adam caught a stomach bug over Spring Break and felt awful. He watched Toy Story for the first time with his Buzz and Woody toys, he made it through about half before he fell asleep.

Spring Flowers

2010-04-07T18:52:00.002+01:00

We went to the Dallas Arboretum this week to enjoy the flowers and our cousins.

Spring Break

2010-03-29T19:17:00.002+01:00

Gram is 77!

2010-03-29T19:10:00.005+01:00

We celebrated my Gram's 77th birthday and Jessica's birthday last week. Gram-pa and Clara shared their birthdays a few weeks before. We are so lucky to have my grandparents so close. The kids have been tasking sewing lessons for the past year. They have cross stitched their names on pillows, made hot pads, and are embroidering tea towels now. I need to get some pictures. My grandparents will leaving on their mission to the Family History center in Salt Lake City in a month. We will miss them a lot.

Greta on 2 wheels

2010-03-24T01:12:00.003+01:00

Greta learned to ride her bike this last month. She was very determined and I didn't give her much support. She just got her brace off her broken arm in January and I wanted to wait until the summer, but she was ready and Clara helped her. The funny thing is she has already grown out of her bike with those long legs of hers.

Levi

2010-03-15T00:40:00.002+01:00

Levi loves his toes now. I just can't get enough pictures of him playing with them. I look forward to this roll poly stage. And check out those cute chubby thighs! If you squeeze them he chuckles.

Adam's garages

2010-03-15T00:37:00.002+01:00

Adam and I had fun one morning building garages for his cars. It is so fun to be out of the knock down stage. Of course if someone else had built it he would have knocked it right over.

Spring Hyacinths

2010-03-09T23:32:00.002+01:00

Spring is here! My hyacinths and daffodils have bloomed and smell wonderful. Today we reached 74 degrees. We played outside and laid on the trampoline to see the leaf buds on the tree.

Rainbows

2010-03-09T00:49:00.002+01:00

Isn't this beautiful? After 2 days of rain there was this gorgeous double rainbow out our front door. It was all I could do to keep my girls from going to get the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, it was just across the street.

Clara's baptism

2010-03-08T00:11:00.003+01:00

Clara was baptized last Sunday evening. It was such a sweet service with lots of family and friends that attended. Her Dad baptized her while her grandpa's were the witnesses. She enjoyed choosing the songs and the speakers. It was fun to wear her white dress and celebrate this important decision. We are proud of her. She has started attending Faith in God for Girls and had a fun missionary activity this week where she served in Hawaii. She is a beautiful, helpful and loving girl whi is a integral part of our family.

school project

2010-03-01T23:07:00.002+01:00

This is Clara's presentation about the USA flower - the rose.

Clara the 8 year old

2010-03-01T23:02:00.005+01:00

We had our first slumber party for Clara's birthday. She had so much fun planning- we tied fleece blankets, played dress up with make up, watched the Chipmunks movie and ate snacks. Then the girls giggled, screamed, ran around and finally fell asleep. It was the first slumber party for all the girls invited as well. They all had fun and made it through the night. You want to know the secret? I read them stories until they all fell asleep. We had a delicious strawberry cake and cinnamon rolls in the morning. We took mini cheesecakes to her class at school on Tuesday. Her teacher Ms Andon shares her same birthday so that was special. We also took Twinkies to Jonas' class for his unbirthday in the summer.

Adam's Snowman

2010-02-11T18:08:00.001+01:00

His big brother and sisters had to go to school, but Adam got to play in fun white stuff.

Greta first lost tooth

2010-02-08T22:03:00.004+01:00

Greta's first tooth fell out last month and I just love her smile now. She enjoys being a big sister to her little brothers. She excels at her pre-school class which is only two mornings a week although she would rather stay home. Her brace came off a couple of weeks ago and she is glad to be able to go to the park and run and jump. She plans to learn to ride her bike without training wheels soon. I am a little nervous, but will let her in the spring. She and Clara moved their rooms together. It is hard keeping it clean, but they enjoy sister slumber parties every night.

Jonas update

2010-02-08T21:53:00.002+01:00

Jonas is 9 1/2 now and a great kid. He loves to play outside and read. He just completed the Harry Potter series and has started on The Hunger Games. We have to make sure to remember to stop him from reading all night and go to sleep. Last weekend we were tired and went to bed earlier than him- he finished his book and stayed up until 1am. Thank goodness it was a weekend. He also enjoys riding bikes, exploring, playing catch, and reenacting battle scenes. I need to catch him on camera one of these days.
He does well at school and completed his Bear rank in cub scouts a few months ago.

Levi is 5 months old

2010-02-08T20:22:00.003+01:00

Here are some cute shots that I had taken at Target. Levi is 5 months old, about 19 pounds and a very happy baby. He rolls over, can almost sit up by himself and loves to laugh.

Adam's 2nd birthday party

2010-01-11T04:20:00.002+01:00

My cute newphew

2010-01-11T04:17:00.002+01:00

It was so fun to play with my nephew Maverick so much this last month. He turned 1 December 22 and it makes me smile every time I see his face.

Stockings from Nana

2010-01-11T04:11:00.002+01:00

My sister came up from Houston after Christmas. We rode a train that a nice guy sets up in his yard every December, then opened stockings from Nana and had a family dinner. The cousins had a great time playing together.

Frozen Fountain

2010-01-11T04:05:00.002+01:00

It has been really cold here the last several days. Here is a picture of one of the fountains that Mike works on, very cool effect.

Ivan is married!

2009-12-28T05:38:00.001+01:00

Thanksgiving

2009-12-01T05:02:00.003+01:00

We went to Weleetka, OK to my grandparents 2nd home for Thanksgiving. My grandfather grew up there and we had lots of fun shooting guns, exploring, hiking, and hanging out. My 2nd cousins came for dinner and we got to catch u with them and see their kids. We visited the farm across the street where we rode miniature horses, chased chickens and tried to make their goats faint. Then we went to Oklahoma City where we went to the Science Center and Zoo. We saw lots of animals and had a great trip.

Levi- 2 months

2009-11-15T05:03:00.003+01:00

Here is a Levi update. He weighed in at 13 lb 5 oz which is a gain of 5 lbs since her was 3 weeks old and grew 3 inches! He went from 25% in height to 90% and 10% in weight to 90%. He is just fitting in to our family perfectly. He loves to watch his big brothers and sisters. The picture is of the kids at the nature preserve on a walk. We have been enjoying beautiful weather playing in our yard and cleaning out the extra growth of our vines from the summer. Mike painted our shutters and columns and front door, pictures coming soon.

Greta's broken arm

2009-11-09T13:05:00.006+01:00

Greta is a little monkey with a bit of cat in her. She is always jumping around, but usually lands on her feet. Saturday afternoon while playing at the neighbors she saw a shiny rock and jumped down to get pick it up. She landed on a toy and broke both bones in her right arm. It was casted Monday; she has been so brave and hasn't complained of pain very much at all. The picture in the wheelchair was taken at the ER while waiting, can you believe that smile? The staff couldn't believe she wasn't screaming, you can see the crooked arm in one of the pictures. We are so grateful that it didn't break through the skin. She was bored more than anything and tired of waiting. The ER Dr. was able to set it straight while she had some crazy dreams on the meds. She told us later that Dad had like 6 or 8 eyes!
Now we have to spend the next 6 weeks trying to keep her from running or jumping and hurting herself or us with that hard cast.

Halloween cont

2009-11-07T00:25:00.002+01:00

Our Star Wars kids, here is Clara as Princess Leia, Jonas as Anikan and Adam as a Jedi padawan. The girls took a picture at their great-grandparents trunk or treat.

Halloween part 1

2009-11-01T04:37:00.004+01:00

Here is Levi in part of Greta's costume. This is Greta getting a kiss from Levi the frog. The last photo is her as Taylor Swift. Her Aunt Amy helped her make the guitar. I will try to post the video of her singing "You Belong to Me" later since it is saved on the other computer.

Levi - 6 weeks

2009-10-13T20:27:00.005+01:00

Levi is growing fast. He looks small next to his 6 month old cousin Paige, but he is getting rounder every day. See those leg rolls? I weighed him and he is 12 lbs! That means he has doubled his birth weight in 6 weeks! Watch out Paige, he will catch up to you soon.

Greta turns 5!

2009-10-12T00:38:00.003+01:00

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Greta choose to go to the zoo where she rode a horse called Cleo, pet a rabbit, guinea pig, donkey and snake. We had Panda Express for dinner. She had fun in her new sand box. Jonas and Clara got up to decorate for her first thing in the morning. It was fun day. Stay tuned to the end of the video after she sings to Levi, she dances and sings Taylor Swift then her favorite gummy bear song. Greta is the spark plug of the family.

Naping

2009-10-12T00:06:00.004+01:00

Adam curled up next to Mike for a nap one day. Another day I laid down with Levi to nurse and Adam climbed up on the bed and went to sleep. I thought it was so sweet. Adam just loves Levi and is always saying his name "Evi, Evi" over and over when he is around. I have to make sure he doesn't poke him to much in his excitement.

Our Olympic Hopes

2009-10-11T23:59:00.002+01:00

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Here is one with Mike and I. We have been training.

Family Monster Mash

2009-10-10T21:38:00.003+01:00

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
Greta is Dr. Frankenstein, Jonas is her monster, Clara is the bride and Adam is the werewolf. Levi is Dracula.

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Footprints on the wall

2009-09-30T01:08:00.003+01:00

Here is the photo of all 5 of my kids footprints on the wall at the Birth and Women's Center where they were born. Levi's are upside down since he was breech. www.birthcenter.net

Levi- 3 weeks

2009-09-22T04:56:00.003+01:00

Our little guy is growing fast. He weighed in at 8 lb, 20 1/2 inches at 3 weeks which is 2 lb, 2 inch gain since he was born. He is getting a little chubbier in the face and is a great baby.

Vanilla Cherry Chocolate Cookies

2009-09-14T18:53:00.002+01:00

We were stuck inside Saturday due to the rain. Mike and Clara were watching a cooking show and decided to try the recipe for Vanilla Cherry Chocolate cookies. Clara made them and they are delicious! Here is the link if you want to try some yourself.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/aida-mollenkamp/vanilla-cherry-chocolate-cookies-recipe/index.html

Greta goes to preschool.

2009-09-13T17:36:00.004+01:00

This is Greta winking at us.

Greta started a Mother's Day Out preschool this week. She goes Tuesday and Thursdays, our neighbor Ms. Libby is her teacher, so she rides with her friend Hawke. In the past I have only done co-op preschools with my kids, so this is new for me. It is working out nicely since Levi came and I need a few months to figure out a new schedule. The curriculum is Sonlight and this week Greta learned about the Ten Commandments and the school rules.

Levi Awake

2009-09-13T17:27:00.002+01:00

Levi is 2 weeks old now and it seems like he has been part of the family forever. He sleeps most of the time, but I did remember to take some pictures of him awake last night. His hair is still very dark and we can't quite figure out who he looks the most like. What do you think?

9 Grandkids

2009-09-08T17:31:00.002+01:00

This last weekend my brother Dallas came to town and brought my nephew Lincoln. My sister came in town as well and we tried to get a good picture of my mom, Nana and her 9 grandkids, 7 boys and 2 girls. Not a single picture had everyone looking the same direction, but I think the personalities are cute in the shots. It was a fun time getting to play with Lincoln and visiting with Dallas and Ashley. The went with Mike to the BYU-OU game where BYU won!

My little brother is engaged!

2009-09-02T23:13:00.003+01:00

Ivan proposed to Ashley Haslam who is from Portland, OR. They came to visit last week. We are excited to have her in the family. December 19th is the date of the marriage at the Portland temple. The Dallas open house will be December 29th. We had fun visiting and went on a double date to see a comedy thriller, "The Deathtrap" at The Pocket Sandwich Theater. Mike and I went on our first date there in January 1994. It is live theater in a small setting and I highly recommend it. The website is: www.pocketsandwich.com

Little Brother

2009-09-02T20:59:00.002+01:00

Here are photos of all the kids holding Levi. So sweet.

And there were 3 boys and 2 girls!

2009-09-02T17:53:00.003+01:00

The tie breaker has arrived! We are happy to announce that Levi Owen was born Saturday, August 29, at 5:20am. He weighs 6 lb 2 oz and 18.5 inches. He is a sweet baby with lots of dark hair. He is a good eater, sleeper, and enjoys being held by his big brothers and sisters. He made a dramatic entrance via emergency c-section since he was breech with a foot first. Mom and baby are doing well and got to come home Sunday evening.

Fun with Adam

2009-08-25T23:58:00.004+01:00

Now that Adam is a toddler and doing so many things, we are having lots of fun teaching him goofy things. He loves being the center of attention and mimicking the older kids. Here is a video of him running the kids over on his bike and doing a magic trick- putting a wand down his overalls and jumping until it comes out. His favorite word to say is wookie.

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Greta's new haircut

2009-08-14T21:36:00.005+01:00

We did back to school haircuts today and I just love Greta's hair short again. We gave her bangs for the first time. She is such a goof ball and made some silly faces for the camera. Here are my favorite shots.

Clara

2009-07-28T03:49:00.001+01:00

Clara likes her picture taken and today she brought some flowers and asked if I would take her picture with them. Isn't she sweet?

40th Anniversary Celebration

2009-07-28T01:32:00.003+01:00

My grandparents celebrated their 40th anniversary this last month. We had a big party with lots of family in town. I think they are so cute together. Here are some shots by themselves, with their kids, and with a portion of the grandkids and great-grandkids that they have. We have been very blessed to have them just a mile away for the last 2 years when they sold their house and moved to Garland. We love them and say, "Congratutlations!"