sun surf and lots of sand

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T20:24:00.000-07:00

Jack o latern...can you see it? pepperoni and cheese on an English Muffin...perfect for pre-festivities...

nice collection of tricksters looking for treats...

The littlest one protesting, they walked him up the sidewalk to test it out...
.

then he threw himself on the ground

Fun times, we went trick or treating in our friend's neighborhood, found a haunted house and called it a night! Happy Halloween!!!

10 yrs...where were you?

2011-09-11T18:14:00.000-07:00

Today marks the 10 year Anniversary of 9-11. The day the world changed. The day our family's world changed. It was a decision that we made several days before, for Jon join the Navy. Now 10 years, 4 states, several moves, lots of deployments, and 4, almost 5, kids later--Carter was 1 at the time, we are reflecting on our lives as a Military family.

That morning Jon left the house at oh dark hundred (I can't remember the exact time) we had a little prayer before he left that we would be blessed in this decision. He was in the building when it went into lock down. I had no way to communicate with him. The phone started ringing, I can't tell you how many people were calling to tell me we were going to war and not let him join. It was one of those things that even if I could get thru to him, I wouldn't have. We had made a decision for our family, and we felt the spirit that we were doing the right thing. I watched the TV as did much of the rest of the world. It was incredible that this had happened on America soil. The hours passed as I waited for Jon to come home. He told me his experience there when the building went into lock down gave him a whole different perspective.

10 years later...this past Friday morning (2 days ago), Jon returned from his deployment on the ship. It brought alot of emotions of happiness and relief that he is back with us. Mom and Dad were able to drive down and celebrate with us. It was a great day. A great weekend.

I am proud of Jon for the sacrifices that he makes for our family. That I am able to be home with the boys and not have to work outside our home.
We truly have been blessed in our Navy career. We have lived in wonderful places and met lifelong friends. We have been healthy, and Jon has returned safely from his deployments each time, I thank the Lord everyday for these blessings.

9-11 has special meaning to every person. For me, it marked the beginning of what has been a great run. It marks the sadness and reality of what things can happen. It marks the patriotism of this great nation. I am proud to be an American.

Big BOY!!

2011-09-01T18:03:00.000-07:00

So the KID finally got a real haircut, no more mullet. :( I am sad. He had loverly curls and when they were wet, the hair went half way down his shoulder blades. You can see how long it was in the 3rd picture.

Give the KID a water bottle and he didnt realize he was getting a haircut. He had fun squirting us. He would turn on our friend Jana, who was cutting his hair, and she would play it up. Then she would squirt him back. He almost made it to 2yrs.

Baby's not a baby any more....sigh...

"Its like Playing in the NFL"

2011-08-27T18:08:00.000-07:00

20-0 Fighting Bears! Great way to start the season! This was the first game "pre-season" game...it still counts on the record but doesnt count towards play off outcome or whatever, but a win is a win!

The temp was 95 when we left, and 107 by the time we got back to Temecula....

#22 Fighting Bears

2011-08-24T11:18:00.001-07:00

Last night the Fighting Bears played in a round robin preseason scrimmage. It was great fun. They played 4 teams in 20 minute increments. I was shooting the pictures thru the fence, so it was a little tricky to not get the wires :)

cornerback

tough tackler--he's on the left side of the "Tiger Sandwich", yes he is the little one :)

During the break between the games; I have no words. Love this kid! :)

Happy Kinder day!!!

2011-08-24T11:11:00.000-07:00

Kendall started Kindergarten at the elementary school this month...Anyway he is really excited, he has a fun teacher, Mrs Reynolds. She has been teaching for a very long time, and she loves her job. I am excited because he is in the afternoon class, which means Koop and I drop him off and then he can walk or ride scooters home with his brothers at the end of the day :) One less trip for me to make everyday.

We are so excited he is in Kinder. He has been ready for a long time to get out there into the real world and learn!! We love you Kendall!!

Fall Has Begun!

2011-08-13T18:09:00.001-07:00

(I cant get the picture to rotate. I tried. I took it with my phone, sorry)

A couple of weeks ago we started our crazy fall schedule with Caleb's football adventures. Carter opted out this year, so he is helping me with Koop. Caleb is playing for the local Pop Warner team. So far, they have done ALOT of conditioning and they donned their pads this week. It is so fun to see him showing up and being the toughest kid out there. He is officially the shortest ;) They lined up shortest to tallest for pictures today. He is going to have a fabulous season...GO FIGHTING BEARS!

Lucky 7

2011-07-29T15:36:00.000-07:00

No pictures for this post, just info...

Today I went in for an ultrasound, and we are pleased to announce that after 4 boys we are going to be blessed to have a little girl in January!! I was able to send Jon an email/text from my phone right after I found out, and he was really excited.

Updates to come soon! I wanted to wait until we found out to make an official announcement.

pool party

2011-07-21T15:47:00.000-07:00

Bought a little kiddie pool for the KID and a bunch of water balloons for the big kids...It has been a party, let me tell ya...

happy 4th 2011

2011-07-06T09:00:00.000-07:00

Didnt get many other pictures of the weekend, honestly. But we went to the pancake breakfast with Jane and Spencer's ward. Caleb loves to play and joined in an intense game of frisbee, and he was so excited he came running back "Mom!! the frisbee smacked me in the face and I lost a tooth!" little blood never hurt anyone, he went and got a drink and went back out. (the tooth was already loose, so it wasn't really all that traumatic)

Welcome home Grandma and Grandpa!

2011-07-06T08:49:00.001-07:00

THe boys and I drove to Northern California this weekend and along with Jane, Spence, Mason, and Andy went to the San Francisco Airport to welcome our parents/grandparents home from their 3 yr mission to Veracruz Mexico. It was really fun to see them and to spend a fun weekend getting reacquainted. We are so proud of them and their example to our future missionaries. Thanks for being so wonderful, Mom and Dad!

Hard at work on the awesome welcome home sign on the floor at the airport

Waiting patiently for Grandma and Grandpa to come down the escalator, this is the only picture I got of all 6 boys holding the sign

Happy to see Grandma!!!

This is a fun set of pictures with Andy taking pictures of everyone- including strangers-but wasn't about to stand still for a picture with all the boys. He took his job very seriously.

Caleb's 9th!

2011-06-20T13:19:00.000-07:00

Ok I have been a slacker bee.

Caleb turned 9 a few weeks ago, on May 28th. He is a great kid. He loves to play outside and run around with his friends and his brothers. Caleb loves to ride scooters and bikes. He is a very loving boy, who loves to cuddle when he's upset. And has compassion for others that are sad. He doesnt hold a grudge for too long. He loves to be Kooper's helper and play with him whenever possible. Caleb may be small in stature (which he is proud of) but he is a firecracker! He is a good helper, and gets things done when he needs to.

WE are so blessed to have Caleb in our family! Its hard to believe that just 9 years ago, we were headed out to the great state of Maine, with a newborn baby and a 17 month old little kid. Life is full of adventure, and Caleb is right there in the middle of it all the time!

WE LOVE YOU CALEB!!!

GO WEST!!!

2011-05-14T07:58:00.000-07:00

The 4th graders at the school had a great performance Thursday night. OUr one and only Carter, aka James Marshall, started the play, digging and finding gold! He is a very talented actor, if I figure out how, I will post the clip of his amazing performance.

not sure what is so funny in this one

Proud to Be an American!

2011-05-02T21:12:00.000-07:00

I am so proud of the troops of the United States. Not just because I am married to a fine sailor, but because yesterday the SEALs of the United States Navy were able to put an end to the reign of Osama bin Laden. They carried out the choreographed the mission, and were able to get into the compound where bin Laden was staying. They shot him twice in the head. There were no injuries or fatalities of the US troops. It is a day that has been a long-time coming. bin Laden being the master mind behind the terrorist attacks on Sept 11, 2001 has been on the FBI's most wanted list for a long time. Finally justice in a small piece has been served for those families that lost loved ones that fateful day. The soldiers and sailors in uniform that have served over the last 10 years have served with purpose. Part of the end result. Thank you to those that gave the ultimate sacrifice.

After the SEALs team killed bin Laden, they took his body and buried it at sea, in Muslim tradition. They flew his body to the USS Vinson. Here is an article from the Associated Press.

"WASHINGTON — A U.S. official says Osama bin Laden has been buried at sea.

After bin Laden was killed in a raid by U.S. forces in Pakistan, senior administration officials said the body would be handled according to Islamic practice and tradition. That practice calls for the body to be buried within 24 hours, the official said. Finding a country willing to accept the remains of the world's most wanted terrorist would have been difficult, the official said. So the U.S. decided to bury him at sea.

The official, who spoke Monday on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive national security matters, did not immediately say where that occurred."

The war is no where near over, but this is a great piece of history. Osama bin Laden has been hiding for many long years. Terrorists have just been served. It has been a long time coming. It is a good day.

these shoes are made for....

2011-04-27T18:20:00.001-07:00

This cute little man needed new shoes. So his father took him to the shoe store, and he chose these fine shoes on 3/16/2011 (against the advice of the father who wanted him to select a different pair). This is how they looked when we took the owner of them to get some new ones due to leakage. Luckily and thankfully the girl at the establishment was really nice and let us switch them for a new pair at no cost. (yes, I did have the receipt as proof of date of purchase)

We tried to make them last thru the end of school in about 5 weeks, but as you can see, there was no way we could let our little man suffer another day...

Temple Square

2011-04-17T17:35:00.001-07:00

The Jedi Battle found its way to Temple Square, unfortunately, it was dark.

planning the next move...

Koop was protecting the perimeter of the battlefield.

Jedi Training...

2011-04-17T16:10:00.000-07:00

Darth Maul didnt stand a chance...these young padawans are that good.

Toon Town is awesome...

2011-04-05T20:16:00.000-07:00

Pluto and the gang

The pack

The annual Denos boys and McCallister boys picture...(Kendall was embarrassed because..I cant remember, so we didnt get his cutest side)

m-i-c-k-e-y m-o-u-s-e

2011-04-05T20:14:00.000-07:00

Did you know that Mickey Mouse has a house in Toon Town???

Its A....

2011-04-05T20:11:00.000-07:00

world of laughter a world of tears, its a world of hope and a world of fears...

This one was closed last time, Jane and I love this ride!

world of color show

2011-04-05T20:09:00.000-07:00

cute babies...

2011-04-05T20:06:00.000-07:00

Koop and Andy eating cotton candy waiting for the big kids to ride the Tower of Terror...

and he's....OUT

2011-04-05T20:00:00.000-07:00

Koop isnt one to lay down and nap, even at home. He goes to bed with his blankie and if you try and lay him down, its a no go. So he will fall asleep on his own time, and then naps solidly for a few hours..love it.

This day he was not about to lay down in the stroller even though he was so tired. I walked around this store while we had a little break, he was bobbin his head against the tray on the stroller. Jon went to go get him some milk in hopes he would relax and go to sleep. The motion of the stroller, back and forth I guess did the trick, he finally crashed. I put his blanket under his face and waited patiently for Jon to return, rockin the stroller. The beauty of this operation is that when Jon came back, the KID didnt even fight laying down, took the bottle and slept for about 2 hours :) Yes. We love this baby.

H.I.T squad

2011-04-05T19:57:00.000-07:00

What does it mean???

"Heroes In Training" of course!
With the Incredibles!

Sully--Monsters INC.

2011-04-05T19:53:00.000-07:00

Which one is the monster ?? oh yeah, the big furry one in the middle ;)

bad request...

2011-04-05T12:22:00.000-07:00

I will have to take a break from updates. My pictures are being rejected. BAD REQUEST Error 400. Stay tuned.. I have some fun pictures of the H.I.T squad...

fun...

2011-04-05T12:15:00.000-07:00

Kendall's favorirte is the Tower of Terror

Koop...

Golden Zephyr---we're flying!!!

2011-04-05T12:12:00.000-07:00

Toy Story Mania...favorite ride for all...

2011-04-05T12:06:00.000-07:00

Such good looking young men! .

not my favorite picture, but the only one that Jane and I got with each other (other than the one with her camera at the same time)

Grandma Denos and all the big boys

My score...I was so proud of 92,000 until Jane stepped out and said she got over 100,000...gotta say, 40% accuracy is pretty good though...right ????

Day One...!

2011-04-05T12:01:00.000-07:00

Waiting at the gate, we were first in line...ok maybe a few people in front of us, but we were there before the door opened...

Spring Break 2011

2011-04-05T11:55:00.000-07:00

Playing in the pool and at the tennis courts with Grandma Denos, Aunt Jane, Uncle Spencer, Mason, and Andy the night before our Disney-California Adventure...

he's baaaaack!

2011-03-07T10:45:00.000-08:00

Yesterday couldn't come fast enough. We got word a month or so ago that Jon would be back in the States on the 11th. So we were really excited, so then a couple of weeks ago the itinerary changes because thats what happens in the military; there are constant changes. I had to get back to SO. Cal and get into a house and get things at least started so that Jon wouldn't come home to a pile of boxes and bare walls.

The boys and I loaded up the car at Grandma Denos' and headed out on Monday Feb 21. We stayed the night in Mesquite and made it to Temecula early afternoon. We stayed with our friends the Hollingsworths (some friends we met in Maine when we lived there).
The next morning Nataly and I took off and went to find a house. I had an appointment for one- it was ok, but on the higher end of the budget. We found another one and called the agent, he met us there- it was a good house, but the road was way to busy for little kids that need to be outside on bikes. I loved the house...but there was a hesitation. We drove by another house that was trashed...the painters were in there fixing it. The agent that I spoke with told us that they would have it ready in a week. I cant wait a week. So we drove over to another house that we had been watching on the internet, and got rented a few days before. It is a subdivision right by Hollingsworths.

We drove by and it was a bummer that it had been rented. We turned around in the quiet neighborhood cul-de-sac and the FOR RENT signs popped out at us. We didnt see it the first time we drove by. We whipped into the driveway, called the number and a few minutes later the nice lady came and let us walk thru the house. I told her that I would have the deposit and first months rent that afternoon. This is the best house. The neighborhood is quiet, and there is lots of room to ride bikes and scooters. The best part is that it was at the very low end of our budget!

Friday afternoon we got the keys and made arrangements for a uhaul to get our stuff out of storage. Saturday morning Hollingsworths and some of our former Tierrasanta Ward members helped unload the unit, and then we came back to the house and had some members of our new ward here to help us unload into the garage. It has been great to have the help and support of friends that we know, and people we dont know yet.

Sunday we got our stuff from Hollingsworth's and moved into the new house. We washed some walls and just hung out getting to know our house. It was fun. We did empty some boxes. And for the next 5 days it was a box emptying frenzy.
Nataly has been a huge helper to me, she is a great decorator. We have had a great time setting up house.

I got the boys into school on Thursday at Paloma Elementry...they are Panthers now. They have the same colors as the West Jordan Jags that they played football for! Its really cool. They love their classes, they are making some friends from Church too. So that is awesome.

Jana Anderson, my dear friend from Tierrasanta Ward moved up here in the fall, so we went on Friday night and got pedicures. It was her fault I bought accessories for my new outfit... :) it was a fun time. She and her family came over and helped us clean out the car and straighten up as there were a ton of things to do. I stopped emptying boxes on Friday so that I could focus on getting things put away that are already out. I love my friends.

I was trying really hard to not say stuff to the boys about what was scheduled to happen on Sunday. I even tried bribing them with money to get stuff done. It was a great day. It didnt work, so I didnt have to pay out. Good thing, but they are trying to earn money for Disney Land in a couple of weeks. Oh well.
Sunday Morning, we went to Church, and met some nice people. I told the boys we had to go home because Kooper was done, and needed a nap. Which wasn't a falsey because on the way home, Koop crashed out. Hard. And barely moved when I got him out and put him to bed. He slept hard for an hour or so.
Then I got the message that Jon was on the way. We had Kevin Yates another friend from Tierrasanta Ward pick Jon up at the airport, which added to the surprise. They were getting off the exit. So I ran upstairs to wake up Kooper. Nat and her daughter Jordan were here to take video and take some pictures (thanks!) it was awesome

Jon knocked on the door, I told the boys to answer...and there was Jon. It was awesome. Carter ran, Caleb and Kendall ran and Kooper laughed. It was really fun. The boys are in some cool hats that Jon brought for them.

Anyway. Its been a grand adventure. And we are moving on to the next one...

Real Estate...teaser

2011-02-28T19:50:00.001-08:00

Here is a picture of the outside of our house taken with my cellphone, cause I didn't have batteries for the camera. When things are cleaned up I will send more than just the front. :)

HOUSE hunting...

2011-02-23T20:24:00.000-08:00

Temecula town.

The boys and I hit the road Monday afternoon, spent the night in Mesquite and landed ourselves in Temecula Tuesday. We are staying with our buddies the Hollingsworths that we knew in the Maine-land. Its so fun to have them and the Anderson's from Tierrasanta Ward, who are now Temeculites (as in they moved out to Temecula in late summer/early fall) close by.

This morning I got up and hit the house hunt pretty hard--I had an appointment, kinda far from the freeway..not too impressed. Loved the yard, but the house was trashed. My friend Nat came with me for an objective opinion.

I had 2 more appts scheduled, and we headed over to one of the other neighborhoods to get a sneak peek. While we were looking in windows of one of them--which was empty by the way-- the agent that was supposed to show the house, called and had to cancel. UGH.

So we headed to another house, that I had on my list that didnt have an appointment. Loved it. Called the agent. It was really clean, the biggest draw back was it was on a busy main road. I was kind fence sitting on it. We headed back over to the neighborhood of one that I had an appointment for, it was trashed. I couldn't do it. I was going to go email the guy on the house on the busy street. We drove thru the neighborhood of a house that had been rented last week that we were looking at. It was great.

The neighborhood was nice and quiet, and as we were heading down the street, there popped out of no where RENT ME! HOME FOR RENT!! signs...holy cow! we didnt see it going into the neighborhood. I pulled in the driveway. Called the owner. (no property management company) He was a nice elderly gentleman. He said his wife was on the way over to show it to another person. He asked me about our situation, and I told him I am ready to move today. He said that we could come over after she was done she could let us look. I told him that would be perfect. It was at the low end of the price range we wanted. I had butterflies. I was so excited.
So I jumped out and looked in the windows, and in the backyard--there is a hot tub spa! Not a huge yard, but enough that the boys can play outside. I love the cul-de-sac. We got ready to leave and the nice man called me back. He said his wife is very close and would love to show us the house before the other people. I told him that would be wonderful, and I could get him the deposit on the house today. :) I loved the house. It was open and the rooms are big. There are 3 beds upstairs and 2 bathrooms upstairs, one room downstairs, and a bathroom down there. There is also a loft/office upstairs (hello boys toy room). While we were there the other lady showed up and was waiting outside. I kinda felt bad that I snaked it from her, but I had to take it, we need a house.

I am so excited. Jon has totally trusted me with finding us a place. I am hoping its good enough. I love it. The boys can play outside safely. We have not had that privilege in YEARS. And there are tons of kids running around, so I hope it works out that we can be very happy there.

Pictures to come. I get the key on Friday.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-13T18:45:00.000-08:00

Everyday is Valentine's Day for me. Every time I get the chance, I tell Jon I love him. He tells me that he loves me and that's good enough for me. So Happy Valentine's Day to all you love birds out there! :)

Happy Anniversary to Clay and Amy !!! As well as to Aunt J'lene and Uncle Ed. Two of my very favorite couples in the whole world....

losses and gains-

2011-02-08T21:52:00.000-08:00

We have gained 7 days on this journey. We are almost back to where we started. Jon will be coming in a week earlier than we were told a month ago. There was a slight delay a month ago, and we added about 2 weeks onto his time over there. So we changed the countdowns and planned accordingly. Then the replacement team came in over the weekend and things changed again. This time in our favor!

We are planning a surprise for the boys. So if you happen to see them please dont say anything.

We are getting really excited about being a family again! The boys and I will be leaving Utah the last week of February and driving to San Diego, where we will pick up Jon. Things are moving quickly now! yeah!!

16 months

2011-02-06T15:09:00.000-08:00

Kooper sportin his new Church duds.
The dog tag is from Jon, he sent them to the boys at the beginning of the deployment, it says "Love Dad, US Navy Afghanistan 2010" (or something like that)

Little Men Caves

2011-01-25T20:08:00.000-08:00

Look at me. I am posting on the blog!!!

Last night Kendall wanted to make a tent to sleep in, and I wasn't wanting to play, so I told him that we would build one tonight instead. Well, I forgot of course, and he didnt :) He asked me if I would build it while he was getting ready-brushing teeth and going potty etc. Sure, thats' a deal. It was really simple, yet he looooved it.

Carter decided he wanted to build one on his side of the bed...keep in mind there is a mattress that they have chosen NOT to sleep on under the bed.

Caleb was crying because it wasn't fair. We made it work for him too...This is what we ended up with.

11 years

2011-01-15T10:34:00.001-08:00

So today marks 11 years that Jon and I have been married for eternity. Wow. Time flies! Four kids and a bunch or moves later, we are still living happily ever after.

It has been a very nostalgic week for me. I am grateful that Heavenly Father helped us find each other. We are truly blessed.
Here's to the next year!!!

For some reason, I cant upload our adorable wedding picture..I will keep working on it

...Happy Anniversary!!!!

2011-01-15T10:29:00.000-08:00

The boys have been scheming with Jon all week and with their Aunts to make this day special, Here is part one...
Its not the best picture of me, but what do you expect first thing in the morning, giving pointers to the 10 yr old photographer.
That is not a nasty sideburn, its a shadow...

The note says " Dear Mom, we know Dad's not here, so we decided to make today special for you. We love you! xoxoxoxoooxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxooxoxo
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxooxoxoxoxoxoxooxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

with more xo's xo's
love,
Carter,Caleb, Kendall, Kooper and Dad
xoxoxoxo "

are these boys not the best... :)

Jon and his good friend Mitt

2011-01-15T10:22:00.000-08:00

The smile on Jon's face could not be erased. He was so happy that one of his favorite people came to the base, and he got to not only shake his hand, but have the photographer snap one! WOW!!!

my Merry Christmas from Afghan

2010-12-08T14:09:00.000-08:00

Jon sent some really nice things from Afghanistan for us. I will only show you this. As it is the biggest :) and its MINE! haha. There are some other things but I can't show you now...THis is absolutely gorgeous.

we have a walker...

2010-12-08T13:59:00.001-08:00

Dont let this awesome picture fool you, he is scared to death of the Christmas tree. He fell over last night and rolled underneath the tree...couldn't roll out quick enough...panic stricken...he cried for a good 10 minutes.
Surely it couldn't have had anything to do with the psychedellic fiberoptic snowman that he crash into....

Here comes the little KOOP Cruiser! 14 months old and loving life

go cougs!

2010-11-27T18:53:00.000-08:00

so they didnt win, but I got a cute pic of our boys! Kendall was mad 'cause I made him take a picture...hence he wouldnt smile! and Koop didnt want to sit still...of course...

the Championship Game!!!

2010-11-15T15:30:00.000-08:00

The West Jordan Jaguars played a tough season. Their pre-season record was 0-4. They played Alta the first game and lost. The next week they won, and the weeks after they won. Putting them in the playoffs with a record of 5-1 for the regular season. They played Viewmont Vikings and WON!!! This past Saturday they played Alta Hawks again. We knew it would be a hard fight. There are two players on the Hawks that get around the corner. #6 and #30-they are fast little kids. Anyway. it was a back and forth game, they scored then the Jags scored. At the half it was 13-12 Jags. Alta scored again and won. We needed one more possession to finish it off. But time wouldn't allow it. So we came in 2nd place over all. Not bad for a bunch of little kids that have never put on a helmet or pads until August. We could not be more proud.

The team got to practice at West Jordan High School under the lights to get ready for the playoffs. It was really fun.

Carter and Caleb got to be team captains for the final Game..."Big D" #5 and "TAZ" #80

"work hard. play hard. 1...2..3... Jaguars!!!" until next season...

heading to the playoffs!

2010-10-27T11:35:00.000-07:00

I dont have any pictures to post on this one, because I have spent my time behind the video camera. The boy's football team won their game last weekend, bringing their regular season record to 3-1. They had to have a 3-2 to go to the play offs. So despite freezing rain and wind last weekend, they beat the Vikings from Viewmont to clinch their spot in the playoffs. They will play one last game of the regular season this weekend against WoodsCross. Should be a win; and its supposed to rain ;) Dontcha LOVE football season! haha! Next week they get to practice under the lights at the High school ;) so that should be fun for them!! I will try and get some pictures of them practicing.

GO West Jordan JAGUARS!!! WORK HARD! PLAY HARD! 1..2...3...JAGUARS!!!!

A new perspective on life...

2010-10-27T11:30:00.001-07:00

One of the many benefits of turning 1 year old is that you get to face the world 'head on' instead of backing into it. Ok so that was a stretch. But Koop got a new carseat and is loving the new perspective, looking out the windows and watching movies...dontcha love being a big KID!! :)

plenty soon

2010-10-27T11:20:00.000-07:00

this is what we woke up to this morning. As much as I dislike that tree in the front yard, it could be my friend, it protects the driveway from needing to be shoveled...for now.
Glad we turned the sprinklers off a few weeks ago (thanks Chad and SHerrie); The garden, well, the garden is done I think.

Happy Birthday KOOP!!!

2010-10-05T07:59:00.000-07:00

Friday was Kooper's 1st birthday!!

He kept trying to grab the candle flame
Koop was probably the cleanest 1 year old I have seen when it was time to eat the cake. I didnt have to give him a bath like we did with our other kids.

It was really fun to have friends and family celebrate with us. We had Uncle Kunane, Uncle Darrick and Auntie Max, Uncle Mike and Auntie Kesaia, and Uncle Jerrie and AUntie Reiko that were in town for Gen. Conference. They are some of our o'hana from Kauai, Kekaha ward. Uncle Kory and his kids came over, Aunt Judy and Jessica and Marlee, Uncle Matt and Aunt Mollie came over, Uncle Bryan and Aunt Sheila, Grandma Denos. And some friends from football, the Atherley's came over. It was really fun.

We were able to Skype with Jon in the afternoon while we were making cupcakes and hanging out. It is a blessing that we have technology that we do that he was about be part of these occasions. The boys love seeing and being able to talk to their Dad. We love you hun!!! We miss you!!!

Kooper blessed our family a year ago. He is the most social baby, he is very even tempered. We knew we had a good one when we travelled to Northern California from San Diego last New YEar's and we only had to stop once or twice to feed him.
He is very happy all the time. When he cries there are just a couple of reasons, hunger, diaper, tired, and if he gets hurt. Even then, he gets over it really quickly. Kooper loves his brothers to play with him and make him laugh. He tries to keep up with them; he is a speedy crawler. Soon he will walk. My favorite thing about Koop is that he loves to nap. I have never seen a kid be ready for a nap, lay down with a bottle and not make a noise until naptime is over. I hope I didnt just jinx it.
I love the mornings that he wakes up saying, "dadadadada" I have his "daddy" blanket hanging on the wall. He loves to look at the pictures of his Daddy. He loves to talk to Jon on Skype. He laughs and laughs when we are able to video.

I am so grateful for our mini Koop, that's not so mini anymore. He is such a blessing in our lives, a ray of sunshine...I thank my Heavenly Father every day for the wonderful baby He has blessed us with.

SPRINT!!!

2010-09-10T08:31:00.000-07:00

This is pretty self explanatory... He looks good huh!

work hard, play hard, 1-2-3 Jaguars!

2010-09-05T16:39:00.000-07:00

Game 1 vs Stansbury Park. They learned alot and had a great time. The score was not in our favor at all. I dont know how many touchdowns the other team scored, but it was fun. I didn't get many pictures. I was running the video camera. I will get some from some of the other moms and dads that were there. ANd post them.

I LOVE FALL!!! I LOVE FOOTBALL!!! I LOVE THAT OUR BOYS ARE HAVING FUN!!!

Team before the game

Carter "Big Denos" looks on as Caleb aka "TAZ" Denos shows his stuff before the game,

staged action shot.

Jon Hard at Work 7000 miles away

2010-08-22T20:50:00.000-07:00

2010 football

2010-08-10T20:28:00.000-07:00

so this is the coolest thing ever. Last minute sign ups for football. Carter and Caleb are in the "Gremlin" 8-9 year olds. I think they will be on the same team. They are doing 5 days of practice 6-8 in the evening. I guess they call it "camp". Then they will go to a lesser schedule next week with their teams after the assignments are made this Friday. Its been fun to watch them get excited about it. I think I am more excited than they are :) ha!
Tomorrow they get to wear all the gear. Ready to TACKLE! :)

We love our Dad/Grandpa Denos!!!

2010-07-21T08:59:00.000-07:00

GEORGE DENOS

" George W. Denos Let all my life be music The heavenly choirs needed another tenor, and so our beloved husband, father, and grandfather was called home on July 14, 2010 after a long battle with cancer in which he remained optimistic to the end. George Willyns Denos was born in Salt Lake City on May 7, 1929 to Solomon "Sam" Denos and Antje "Annie" Willijns Denos. He married Marian Barlow on March 11, 1950 and later married Laura Smith Barlow on September 19, 1960. The three great loves of George's life were his family, his music, and the gospel of Jesus Christ. George sang in many productions at West High School, BYU, with the LDS Quintet as he served in the armed forces in Germany, in the Salt Lake Opera Company, the Utah Oratorio Society, and was a soloist with his beloved Swanee Singers for 61 years. Among the many hats he wore in his professional life were those of machinist, carpenter, salesman, businessman, and postal worker, but his favorite was his retirement job where he delivered meals on wheels to seniors around the valley. All of his clients became his dear friends - many requesting that he sing as he delivered their meals. Preceded in death by his parents, five brothers, two sisters, and one grandchild, Cody. He is survived by Marian and Laura, one brother, four sisters, and a large and loving posterity who will miss him greatly. We love you, Sweetheart, Dad, Grandpa, and we look forward to being with you in the eternities. Until we meet again, with love, Your 27 "angels with a beta fork" Funeral services will be Mon., July 19 at 11 a.m. at Larkin Sunset Gardens Mortuary, 1950 E. 10600 S. A viewing will be held Sun., July 18 from 6-8 p.m. and 9:30-10:45 a.m. prior to services Mon. Interment will follow at Larkin Sunset Gardens Cemetery"

SURPRISE!

2010-07-03T17:30:00.000-07:00

Jon made it back to Ft Dix on Sunday night after spending a great weekend with Aunt Kat (thanks again!) He called on Monday, and said that they weren't leaving for the sandbox for another week. Longish story short, we flew him home Tuesday. He got in late evening, I had a sitter for the boys. Just about 1030 Kendall got up to go potty, so Jon went in and said hello, it took him a little off guard, and then he started to cry, wouldn't let Jon go...Jon promised that he would be there in the morning. Kendall went back to sleep. The older boys woke up to get ready for school. Jon stood in the hallway and Caleb walked out of the bathroom and said, "hi Dad." Carter was a little more reactive...very confused..but happy. Kooper woke up crying shortly after that. Jon went in and got him out of bed...Koop stopped mid-cry and stared at Jon, all confused, too. It was funny. Then he started to smile and laugh.
We let the boys go to school Wednesday, aren't we nice? Thursday we let them go again, because it is half day and we needed to go to the grocery store. We decided to take the boys to Sea World. It was great fun. Friday we let the boys stay home. We bbq'd and played games. It was really fun. This morning we said our goodbyes, hopefully for the last time this deployment.

Kendall and Jon napping on Wednesday afternoon...isn't this loverly?

at Sea World waiting for one of the shows...they really did have fun

All my boys...

Kendall isn't wearing a dress..he got soaked at the dolphin show..so we wrapped him up in Koops BYU blankie...he was too cute

I love you Jon

Summer Solstice

2010-06-22T07:48:00.001-07:00

In honor of Summer Solstice, I decided to get ready for Summer. :) 3 yrs of growth, and about 10 inches to go to Locks of Love...The boys asked me if I was sending the braid to Jon...how romantic...

"I have a Dear Old Grandpa!"

2010-06-12T15:36:00.000-07:00

One of the bonuses of driving to Salt Lake and back is that we get to stop in Cedar to see Grandpa Hansen. It is always a great visit. He was in great spirits when we saw him. It was a short visit, an hour goes quickly when you're not paying attention. He was looking great and walking smoothly with his cane.

Us and Grandpa Hansen-Kendall didn't want a picture taken, he wanted to go climb trees

Koop loves to smile for the pictures

Caleb's baptism day!

2010-06-05T20:23:00.001-07:00

This was a very special day. We were able to arrange for Caleb to get baptized in Utah. We filled the room with family and friends who wanted to show their support. It was so nice to have our loved ones there. He was sure excited about getting baptized and being an official member of the Church. We had a nice bbq and refreshments afterwards at Grandma Denos' house where we were able to visit and spend time with those who were there. Thank you to all who were able to attend and make this a special day for Caleb.

Caleb and Jon before the baptism

Family picture with Uncle Kunane

Family Picture

Heritage Park

2010-06-05T20:12:00.001-07:00

Kooper Israel Denos was given the middle name Israel for his 5th great Grandpa Israel Barlow, who was a body guard to the Prophet Joseph Smith at one point, and prominent member of the Church

These boys were so excited to see the statue of their ancestor, they ran up to it "Grandpa!!!", if you look closely Kendall is behind the statue...

The boys also made arrowhead necklaces with this nice lady

rolling down a great big hill...

riding a little train. I couldn't get over how clear the view of the valley was.

Heritage Park

2010-06-05T19:53:00.000-07:00

we went to the Heritage Park "This is the Place" place, it was really fun.

the boys went to school, where Carter was a 'dunce' because he didn't do his homework..the teachers were very upset with him

we dipped candles, which was really fun and easy

Carter prayed with pioneers

Caleb learned to write his name in the Deseret Alphabet

at the base of the "this is the place" monument

happy memorial day!

2010-06-05T19:39:00.001-07:00

Sunday night before Memorial Day, we went to the Provo Cemetery and met the some of the Haines Family at Grandma and Grandpa Haines' graves. It was fun to see cousins and AUnts and Uncles hat I haven't seen in a long time; Omi was there as well. She looked great. The boys really had a fun time playing with the older cousins.

the group...Aunt Jackie and her family, Uncle Jared and his family, Mysti and her family, Michelle and her fiance who was taking the pictures, Crstyal and her friend, Omi, and u.

the third Haines generation...Mysti's kids and my kids

Kooper loves Omi.

a WWII cross Omi had

the pinecone tradition that Uncle Jared's kids started. They gather pinecones and set them on the top of the headstones. Not sure what the significance is, but our kids enjoyed it.

Caleb turns 8!!!

2010-06-05T19:27:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday Caleb!
WE are so blessed to have him in our family. He is a very kind brother. He is a great helper. He is very smart. He loves the gospel and has a testimony. We are so excited that he gets to be baptized. He is our cuddle bug, even when he is upset or we have hurt his feelings, he cuddles up on our lap. He is quick to forgive. We you Caleb!!!

not sure what he's doing here, but he has a funny expression on his face

He was so excited about his new set of scriptures that have his name engraved on them. He was also excited about the Cub Scout stuff, too! 8 is such a fun birthday!!!

Maskes de Luche Dores

2010-06-05T19:15:00.000-07:00

When Jon got home I gave them the coolest presents from Mexico...the masks. Thanks Grandma and Grandpa!!!!
Nachooooooo!!!!! (Nacho Libre has become a household favorite)

Koop wasn't a big fan of having the mask on his face, but he was a good sport...

Kendall taking down Jon. He wore this thing for a couple of days, even took it to school on his sharing day.

He is tough isnt he?

My band of brothers...

1st breakthru (literally)

2010-05-25T07:47:00.000-07:00

KOOPER has a tooth!!!! FINALLY~~~I dunno if he will smile enough to get a picture. He is super happy though, slept thru last night pretty well. Now for the next one, hopefully soon ;)

Teziutlan

2010-05-11T14:27:00.000-07:00

I noticed this man sitting on a bench at the end of the walkway when Dad and I were taking pictures of the Vola Dores. I smiled as we walked by. Mom was looking at the handicrafts of the local people and enjoying the company of Kooper. We joined her when we were done taking pictures. A few minutes later, this sweet man approached us and took Kooper by the hand started talking to him. I had no idea what he was saying. Dad translated and the general idea was that the old man was telling him to be a good boy. He was sobbing. His sweetness permeated thru his tears. He talked for about 5 minutes, quite possibly longer. I don't know. But it was a tender moment. We wondered what caused such emotion and his need to share his feelings to Kooper. I got a little misty honestly. Great people...

San Juan and Teziutlan

2010-05-11T14:13:00.000-07:00

Vola dores landing

The Vola dores do a ritual where they climb the pole (we missed that part) and fly down. One reason is for the blessing of crops---we thought it was for the "Day of the Ninos" or Kids Day, which is a huge celebration

Another picture of the KID and one of the sweet ladies in the square. He was a hit, people came from all over to look at him. The little kids stared at him in awe of the fair skin and blue eyes.

A shot out the window on the way to Teziutlan. Cool houses...

A pyramid, with a dental office at the bottom, and the bell tower on the top of the hill...super cool (San Juan)

Pictures and Posts

2010-05-11T07:23:00.000-07:00

I have added a few more posts. I am annoyed because blogspot will only allow 5 pics at a time, so it takes a long time to add pictures to the posts. I will add more later :) having fun in Mexico yet? I hope so!!

Temples

2010-05-11T07:16:00.000-07:00

La Joya Temple in Veracruz

not to be confused with the LDS temple in La Jolla California

(I didn't take this picture, I copied it off of the internet...)

anton lizard part two

2010-05-11T07:01:00.001-07:00

I thought it was sad that this little boy was wearing speedo. They must've been tourists. But they were having a great time as a family!

"The better to eat you with my dear..." Would hate to meet this guy in a dark alley

fresh barracuda is on the menu for dinner somewhere...I wonder if it tastes like chicken

seriously. do they make a boiling pot big enough for this lobster?
3 kilos, or about6.5 lbs. look at the atennas, they're so long!!!

Mom and I were sitting in the car and noticed this little kid playing with his cats. We were entertained thinking what a fun little boy enjoying his pet kittens. Until we watched a little more...he wasn't playing. He was using the cats as Wrestling Federation match characters, like one would use their action figures. Literally slamming them on top of each other. His mom or someone walked up on him and he pretended that he was playing nice, and as soon as she walked away, it was back to the "ring". It was sad, I am not a cat lover in anyway shape or form, but these poor little babies were helpless.

anton lizardo part one...

2010-05-11T06:45:00.001-07:00

The Mexican Navy property is right near the beach where we were, and I had to take a picture of the sign. Just to the right of the sign, there were a bunch of military personnel armed up. When I took the picture, they were watching and made a move to come talk to us. We drove away quickly so we wouldn't be arrested or shot...I didn't get a picture of them. Better safe than sorry..

These fisherman at the end of the day bringing in their boat. It was fun to watch them roll the boat on the logs to get it onto high enough ground. I kept thinking the whole time about how creative and hardworking the people are, and how they make things work with what they have.

Beach combing in the car is fun. There were lots of little shells and we found a couple of choice sand dollars that were all in one piece! As we were driving back, Dad spotted this in a mass of seaweed and litter. A stingray perched on a wooden pole. So you know us, we had to jump out and get the photos. Yes, it's dead, but it wasn't too stinky yet.

This nice boy just caught this fish, we thought it was a baby shark, or some of us did. Dad spoke with him and asked if we could take his picture. Turns out the fish is an ocean catfish. Great picture.

This is how I picture old Mexico. The burro in front. They are everywhere, and Dad told me he was told that burros are like community property. Share and Share alike...

Day one...Veracruz

2010-05-10T22:22:00.000-07:00

(will post more later...I am tired)

Peanut flavored shrimp, alot like an oriental peanut dish...spicy, but very delightful...

jumbo shrimp put together in a mass, held together by bacon. So good!!! Shrimp steak

The best shrimp cocktail I have had. Avocado and parsley garnish, tasty a soda cracker

Elton John in Veracruz, right there at the Tiburones Rojos (Red Sharks) soccer stadium/. Pretty cool....

Uncle Kunane had sent some treats for Mom and Dad to share...Elder T in middle, from Salt Lake area was so excited to have dried mangoes. shaka...

Happy Mother's Day!!!

2010-05-09T08:52:00.000-07:00

( remember this perfect day in Tezuitlan? I will post the other pictures soon, I promise )

Happy Mother's Day Mom!!! Thanks for being my Mom and being such a great example to me. I was not surprised honestly, about how well you are doing in Mexico. I know the language is what you feel you are struggling with, but you're a CHAMP!!! I was excited to see you in action, talking with the people and making friends everywhere we went.

I know that you are blessed, that I am blessed, and our families are blessed because of your sacrifice. Its interesting, though, after spending time with you guys, it didn't feel like you guys felt like your Mission is a sacrifice, but a blessing and opportunity not only for you to learn and be part of another culture, but to be the support and parents to these young men and sisters that you have stewardship over.
The Elders and Sisters love you. You are a great "mom" to them, I hope they really appreciate you!

I can see your love for the people of Mexico even more now, after seeing the interactions. Thank you for letting me be apart of that, if only for a few days.

I love you Mom! I pray for your safety and health; your missionaries; and the gratitude I have that you are my Mom!!! (and yes, I concur, "Life is good in Veracruz")

Mexico...in bits and pieces

2010-05-07T08:11:00.000-07:00

I took over 400 pictures, and Dad took several that he sent home on a disk for me..isn't digital nice ;) hahaha! So I will update and post pictures in bits and pieces.

here's a teaser, though...and this was on the last day

Days without incident....3

2010-04-20T20:47:00.000-07:00

So Jon left. It was not a terrible goodbye, since he will be back in a few weeks. Anyway, the boys and I do pretty well on our own, we are kinda used to it. Tonight they were getting ready for bed; I sent Caleb in to brush his teeth. He can't just walk, anyone who knows him knows that he has to run, skip or jump wherever he goes. I was in the kitchen with the other boys and I hear this screaming...painful screams...I hurry to the hallway to meet Caleb grabbing at his throat. I tried to get him to tell me what happened. He said he couldn't talk. Then, I saw the blood. His chin was bleeding, and he was bleeding from the inside of his mouth. I handed the baby to Carter, got a paper towel and put pressure on his wound. Got him some water to swish his mouth out.

I called my awesome VT Jana, for a second opinion on whether or not to take Caleb in for stitches. I had to take a picture for posterity, of course. She came post haste, with her husband Chris, who happens to be EMT trained (Marines are cool!) checked him out. Made sure all of Caleb's teeth that were supposed to be there were, and that his jaw was ok. The bleeding had stopped in his mouth. Chris put a butterfly bandaid (thanks for the First Aid Kit in your car, Dad!) and told me to just watch him over the next couple of days. I think he's fine.

Caleb had attempted to jump onto the stool that's in the bathroom, and he missed. Smacking his chin on the counter, while doing so bit the insides of his cheeks.

So, days without incident. 3 :) Its gonna be a long month. HAHAHA!

Disney Land March 2010

2010-04-08T10:55:00.000-07:00

Ok, I promised to post pictures of our Disney and California Adventure. Here are some of the highlights. It was great fun! Planning the next trip for Feb 2011. When Jon returns from his adventures around the world :) all are invited to join us. YES. It is more fun when there is a group and a plan. see ya there ;)

baby feet

2010-04-08T10:42:00.001-07:00

Kooper and Anderson

Kooper 5.5 months

Andy 9 months

disney highlights!

2010-04-08T10:37:00.000-07:00

Kendall's favorite ride...TOWER OF TERROR, no joke

Mason and Kendall get ready to ride the jellies

Andy borrowed Kendall's pluto hat, it looks good on him

Jane and Spencer and Andy on Toy Story. Yes, I am good photographer...shooting, spinnig and taking pictures.

disney highlights!

2010-04-08T10:20:00.001-07:00

Caleb scoring big on the Toy Story ride

WOODY!!!

Kendall waiting for the big kids on the River Rapids ride

Caleb driving

Kendall is a "butterfly" that's what he said. (at the Bug's Life movie)

disney highlights!

2010-04-08T10:07:00.001-07:00

In line for Toy Story Midway Mania, at California Adventure. Everyone can ride, even the babies, we started with this one and ended with it! too fun!

Uncle Matt (Jon's brother) and Aunt Mollie's little boy Wesley was plum tuckered out...cute kid!

At ToonTown the boys jumped on the firetruck...goofy kids pun intended

Carter saved his money to buy mickey ears. He ended up making a wiser more practical choice and went with the fedora (is that what this is called?) and he has worn it almost everyday since.

This is pretty self explanitory, the birds breaking out of jail :)

disney highlights!

2010-04-08T09:56:00.000-07:00

Mason working on some poses while we waited for the big kids to do Haunted Mansion, he was entertaining the babies...

Anderson and Kooper showed everyone they were at the "Happiest Place on Earth"

Waiting in line at the "finding Nemo" ride. We like shade.

Aunt Jane and her "Toy Story" boys...matching Tshirts, thanks Aunt Jane!

Family pictures

2010-03-29T09:28:00.001-07:00

This is our new family picture. It is one of those once in a lifetime things. It was important for us to get them done before Jon leaves in a couple of weeks. There are some others that I will post later. I am really falling behind on the blog. One of these days I will get caught up :)

Happy Birthday Kendall!

2010-03-17T20:53:00.000-07:00

4 years ago (on the 15th, which was Monday) Kendall turned 4 years old! We spent the day at DisneyLand with his Uncle Matt, Aunt Mollie, Aunt Jane, and Uncle Spencer. We all had a great time...
Its so hard to believe that he is all grown up. Our little curly blonde headed boy is not toddling around in soggy diapers on the beach anymore. He is sporting a shorter haircut. What an amazing kid he is. He loves his brothers, and is lost for the few hours that they are apart. He is Kooper's buddy during the day, and loves to help take care of him. He loves his Daddy so much, and when Jon comes home from work Kendall will run out and meet in him the street with hugs and laughs. He is a great kid. He loves to help with dishes for dinner, and is in the phase of always wanting to say the prayer at mealtime. Kendall loves Primary! He loves to learn the songs and sing them at home. For a little person, he has a testimony. He loves Heavenly Father. He loves to sing the sunbeam song. We love him so much. He loves to play games and snuggle on the couch watching a movie.
He is very independent. The other day I was in the back room taking care of the baby, and I thought I heard some stuff going on out in the front of the house. He had found a bag of popcorn, opened it, put it in the microwave, pushed some numbers to pop it. He found a bowl and everything, he used potholders to not burn his hands...funny kid.
He is going to preschool right now, and he has identified several of the letters, namely K, of course. We were in the store at the checkout, and he told me that he needed that candy bar because it has the K on it. Kit Kat. Smart kid.
Anyway, Happy Birthday little buddy, glad you are in our family!!! I will post pictures from our Disney adventures, soon.

Blue & Gold

2010-03-05T21:31:00.001-08:00

Last week was the Blue & Gold Banquet for Carter's Cub Scout Pack. It was really fun. They asked each of the families to make a cake decorated for a contest. After much discussion and negotiation, we came up with a speedskater track starring Apolo Ohno. Carter assisted in the planning and the decoration. It was really fun. He brought home a certificate that he won for the the best Olympic Themed Award, because he had fans watching the events...you gotta luv gummy bears :) There was only one other Olympic cake, a downhill racer...It was fun, can't wait until next year when Caleb gets to officially help out.

girls and boys

2010-02-22T10:05:00.000-08:00

I found this picture while going thru some things, when I showed them to the boys, and Kendall said, "Is that when you were a boy?"

activities

2010-01-30T21:41:00.000-08:00

the boys made bricks, tied rope, and made dolls, walked on stilts and cooked biscuits over a fire...pretty fun day if you ask me ;)

the building itself

2010-01-30T21:38:00.001-08:00

this building looks authentic to the area, the Spanish-style stucco and wood work are super cool.

Old Town/Mormon Battalion

2010-01-30T21:28:00.000-08:00

We went to the reopening of the Mormon Battalion Historic Site today in Old Town. It was super fun. We didn't do the tour of the building, just because there were alot of people and we needed a ticket to go in assigning times. We should have probably, but oh well. Anyway, they had a bunch of booths of activities for the kids (and us) in the center part of Old Town, the grassy area-for those who have been there, it was great. People were dressed in their pioneer day clothes and shared their talents with us. Here are a few of the pictures that tell the story of the day...I wish we could do them all on one post, not sure how to make that work...enjoy :)

Kendall pumping water...

Carter and Caleb making us rich...panning for 'gold'

This just struck me for some reason, the detail of the BOOK in the satchel. How important it was/is to the history of this area and the Church.

The boys in front of the statue (I can't remember who it is supposed to be)

mentos and diet soda

2010-01-09T16:37:00.001-08:00

The boys got geyser tubes for Christmas. They stuck mentos in the bottom of the diet soda, and pulled the string when they were ready. They got soaked. And it was funny.

cuzzins fun

2010-01-06T13:13:00.000-08:00

We had a great time introducing Anderson and Kooper. The boys had a blast with Mason. They set up the tent in the garage and slept out there. It was a challenge getting them all to sleep, ok Kendall was the hardest one, but what else is new. They all played wonderfully.

New Year's Par-tay

2010-01-06T13:10:00.000-08:00

We went to AUnt Jane and Uncle Spencer's house for New Year's weekend. It was super fun! Grandpa and Grandma sent us the "Beatles Rockband" for Christmas so we took our drums, guitar, and mic to share with them. It was super fun..

Family Bonding...

2010-01-06T13:09:00.000-08:00

"Here Comes the Sun...", "Wanted Dead or Alive", "Eight Days a Week"...the radio played these songs on our road trip. We got in the car to go somewhere yesterday, Caleb says, "Turn it to the ROCKBAND station". Wii. You gotta love it baby. ;)

I believe in Christmas Miracles

2009-12-28T15:26:00.000-08:00

I don't have any pictures on this post. A couple of weeks ago, I told Jon that the only thing I wanted for Christmas was that I wanted to go see my Mom and Dad in Mexico. I knew it wasn't possible, but that's what I wanted. Fast Forward to Christmas Morning
We were opening gifts and were just about done when the boys got the envelopes off the tree with their names on it. They opened them up and it says their name and "Disneyland Spring 2010 See ya there!!" They were so excited, yes! We are going to take them to Disneyland.

Jon said, "We are going to Disneyland, but we can't go the week of April 28- May 5"

I looked at him totally confused, "why?" thinking that he had to go out to sea for training or something.

He said, "because that's the week that you are going to Mexico to see your Mom". I started crying.

It truly is a Christmas Miracle. I am truly grateful that I have such a wonderful husband that made my one wish come true. So Kooper and I get to get passports in the next week or two and then start saving our quarters to go down south. I am so excited!!!!

Christmas Morning

2009-12-28T15:21:00.000-08:00

Just a few highlights. Carter got a Magic set, which he graciously asked Santa for, it's a nice one too. Caleb got a bunch of Tech Deck boards and ramps (they are the little skateboards for fingers. Kendall got a new bike. Kooper got a bunch of little baby toys. Jon got a summer sausage (his favorite) and the Sarah Palin book. I got the only thing I wanted and it was a huge surprise...a trip to Mexico to see my Mom and Dad! :) more on that later

Christmas Eve

2009-12-28T15:18:00.000-08:00

The boys in their new Christmas Jammies.

Kooper looks as though he wants to eat his present. The boys and I enjoyed the day just hanging out. Jon had duty until Christmas morning, it was sad that he had to be at work, but we all survived...

Carter's 9!!!

2009-12-28T15:13:00.000-08:00

Carter turned 9 this year. It's amazing how time flies...he is a good kid. We had "Eiffel Tower Stacks" for dinner- his own recipe pancakes with all the fixins-strawberries, whipped cream, eggs, bacon bits, syrup...
Then we had some of his friends over for a little RockBand2, and cake and ice cream. I think he was happy!!! Love you Car!

Cookies

2009-12-28T15:09:00.001-08:00

Yes, we did Christmas Cookies. This was a couple of weeks ago, but we still did them...

jolly elf

2009-12-28T15:07:00.000-08:00

Kendall on Christmas Eve, trying out the 'socks' and hat. Too funny.

HOOO! HOOOO! HOOOO!...

2009-12-14T10:21:00.000-08:00

Ok so this guy wasn't even close to being Santa. I think he is a Santa in training, maybe. He was a good elf. Kendall liked this guy, snuggled right up to him. They took a picture, and Carter initiated the conversation about what he wanted. This was at the Command's Kid Christmas Party. It was fun. It was raining...the boys played games and got candy. They did have hamburgers and hotdogs, too. It was a fun day out with the fam.

Kendall's preschool program

2009-12-14T10:16:00.001-08:00

Kendall's class performed Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer...they were super cute. Of course.

Christmas Tree!

2009-12-14T10:07:00.000-08:00

Our friends at Church had a ticket from IKEA for a free Douglas Fir. They already have a tree, so they asked if anyone wanted it. of course we want a free tree...so Jon and the boys weathered the rain and picked out this beautiful tree. I think this is a new tradition, Jon and the boys go pick. They did that last year, too. Caleb and Kendall each put the star on, Kendall first, and Caleb fixed it.