The Seven C's

Happy Birthday Chase

2012-01-18T18:46:00.004-07:00

Chase celebrated his 15th birthday a few days ago, and got some new shoes that he let Cash try out for a little while.

Cash, you've got big shoes to fill.

For lunch, Larry, Cash and I, checked Chase out of school and took him out to lunch. It was really fun hanging out and visiting together.
Chase is a great kid. He is even-tempered and is the peacekeeper in our family. He is creative and expresses himself artistically through his unique designs--especially athletic shoes. He has a great sense of humor and a quick wit. He is spiritual, shows up for early morning seminary each day, and serves faithfully as the president of his Teacher's quorum.
He is a great athlete who loves playing on the high school basketball and football teams. He is a great son, and while he doesn't really like my hugs, he is respectful and quick to show gratitude and say kind words. He is an awesome brother, treating his siblings with kindness and especially showing extra love to Chloe and Cash.
He hates to comb his hair and dress up. He loves gym shorts, team t shirts, and awesome basketball shoes. He studies up on the latest shoe designs, reviews, and inspiration--so if you need to know anything about basketball shoes, ask Chase. He has rarely met a chocolate chip cookie he doesn't like. Chase is one of a kind and a great blessing to our family. Happy 15th!

It's hard, but it's worth it

2012-01-12T19:11:00.005-07:00

I don't sleep for more than 3 hours at a time. I'm exhausted. Laundry, meal making, homework, practices, games, school, grocery shopping, doctor appointments, church callings, dishes, and the like haven't stopped happening. Baby Cash has no comprehension of these things. He is content and peaceful if his tummy is full, his diaper is clean and he is being cuddled in the arms of a family member (preferably mommy's). To say this is easy would be an enormous lie, but it is totally worth it and I am incredibly grateful that this sweet little guy has joined our family.
I feel elated by minor accomplishments. For instance, today was blue day at Chloe's pre-school. It was my day to be the parent helper, for which I hired a local college girl home for the semester to do it for me (she was awesome--"and beautiful", Chloe told me). This enabled me to make the blueberry muffins Chloe desperately wanted to take for the snack--pressure free. I think she looks pretty cute in her blue clothes (thanks Grandma for the dress) holding her muffins.
Here are a couple more pictures of Cash cuddling.
I saw Corbin's school writing book today and on one of the pages he has written: This Book is Dedicated to My Sister Chloe and Baby Brother Cash. I thought that was so cute for a middle-schooler.
Over Christmas Break we went to Portland, and Larry took the boys to see Jimmer and the Sacramento Kings play against the Portland Trailblazers. They had a great time.
Carter and Chase are in the middle of basketball season. They play together on the JV squad and it is so awesome watching them play together. Carter gets some playing time on the Varsity and Chase gets some playing time with the Freshman, but they usually play about 2 to 3 quarters together on the JV.
At the end of season banquet in December, they also received these awards for their efforts on the football teams.
Larry has been coaching Corbin's basketball team, and this past week took Corbin and Caleb to compete in a Hoop Shoot contest in Moses Lake. Corbin took 1st for his age group and Caleb took 2nd in his. This qualifies them to compete in Districts on Saturday.

Christmas 2011

2011-12-31T12:43:00.009-07:00

Family PhotosA couple of nights before Christmas, we made a surprise visit to Aunt Jami and Uncle Lynn's house and asked her to snap pictures of us for our Christmas card. They were very accommodating, and as usual Aunt Jami worked her magic with us. I think we provided a little entertainment for their family as we tried to get posed--the expression on Caleb's face seemed to show up in many of the pictures. There's always one kid--this must've been his year.

Our family's favorite Christmas Gift.

Christmas Programs

Santa Claus paid a visit to Chloe's pre-school program.

He came around the corner during the kid's song performance. They were definitely surprised.

Christmas Eve

We carried on the tradition of opening jammies on Christmas Eve.

Caleb continued to tap into his arsenal of funny facial expressions.

Chloe's face says how much she loves her Christmas Eve jammies.

The big boys in their t-shirt and sports shorts jammies.

Even though Caleb is a big boy, he was willing to be matching with Chloe and Cash in his jammies.

Christmas Day
Chloe loved her new make-up kit and spent most of the day applying layers of barbie glam to her face, and eventually to mine.

A little Cash-- just in time for Christmas

2011-12-15T17:06:00.006-07:00

CASH WILLIAM IS HERE!

This shot is just minutes after his 4:30 pm delivery on December 9th. He weighed in at 8 lbs 15 oz, and was 19 1/2" long.

Cash and Mom are visited by his happy siblings.

There is no doubt he is a cherished little brother.

Daddy loves the new little man.

Chloe says, " I love this baby. I just love this baby so much I can't stand it."

Caleb's first words each day after school are, "Can I hold Cash?"

Who knew Corbin was such a cuddler?

Chase loves having a new brother.

Carter loves to relax after basketball practice with a sleeping little brother on his chest.

The Christensen basketball team, head coach, and cheerleader.

Ready to Labor

2011-12-07T03:18:00.004-07:00

It's almost 2:30 in the morning and I cannot sleep. I just can't get comfortable and I desperately would like to go into labor. Chloe has had pneumonia and we have been homebound treating her and helping her get better. Prior to that, Caleb had strep throat, so we were home comforting him, delivering his antibiotics and waiting for them to take effect. To say I have developed cabin fever is an understatement. Finally today (yesterday), Chloe seemed well enough to take out so the 2 of us headed to the tri-cities to walk, eat something spicy, and do a little Christmas shopping. So now I am wide awake, not in labor, and so uncomfortable with super swollen feet and ankles. Please come soon little one.

Being stuck at home has had a few advantages. I have been going through major nesting instincts and have been sewing, cleaning, and trying to get things set up. I made this carseat canopy, a nursing cover, and some things for my cousin Janie who is expecting soon. Maybe this is a little girly, but hopefully the colors and plaid lining will make it okay for a boy.
Here is the quilt that my friend Brooke made with the fabrics I selected. Since this baby boy and Chloe will be sharing a room, I decided to stick with all black and white textiles played off of silver-sage walls. We got burglarized a few weeks back, and one of my biggest fears was that they stole this quilt and the new bumper pad and crib skirt I had just ordered. Luckily they were spared. I guess these particular burglars were just looking for electronics.
Chloe and I bought some of the pre-made gingerbread house kits at Costco today. She and Caleb had a blast decorating them tonight.
If you haven't purchased one of these kits, I highly recommend them.
Carter and Chase have started high school basketball. Carter splits his time equally between the Varsity and JV. Chase is on the Freshman team. Unfortunately, I missed the games, due to the little sicklies at home, but Larry kept me in the loop via text. Carter scored a 3 point buzzer beater right as the clock ran down into halftime. Pretty exciting.

Well, keep your fingers crossed for me that the next post I do is announcing that the baby has arrived!

Mustard Field Family Photos

2011-11-21T21:18:00.003-07:00

A few weeks ago, Aunt Jami met us at a mustard field after church to take some family pictures. She snapped these candids of Chloe dancing in the field waiting for us to get set up.I love the colors.

These will probably be the last family photos taken with 5 kids. The new baby will be here within the next few weeks!

Happy Halloween

2011-11-01T12:39:00.009-06:00

Chloe is excited to wear her Princess Ariel costume for Halloween. I'm excited for her to use her Princess Ariel toothbrush after Halloween.
Corbin and Carter each went to Halloween parties on Saturday night and decide to be Hip-Hop Gangsta dudes. Watch out JayZ and Kanye, White Chocolate and A la Carte are in da house.Monday, since Corbin was home from school 'sick', he and Chloewent to the pumpkin patch to pick out some nice pumpkins for carving.
They felt pretty good about their choices.
Yep. It looks like they weigh about the right amount.
Once Caleb gets home, the carving begins. Chloe's a little apprehensive about digging into the goo, but her brothers think it's pretty cool.
Here are the finished pumpkins and kids in costumes--Corbin the Clown, Chloe as Ariel, and Caleb as a BYU football player.
Off to collect the loot. First stop, Mrs. Katie's house (Chloe's preschool teacher).
And look who's inside? Two of Chloe's preschool friends and fellow princesses--Ava and Maddie. Chloe got some great treats and got to see Maddie's new baby brother (Mrs. Katie just had a baby and he is so cute. It makes us excited for ours). Good stuff.
Chase dressed up as a 3 touchdown throwing, play making, freshman quarterback. We let the younger three do some Halloween acitivities and missed the first half of what may have been Chase's best game of the season. Royal beat Quincy 29 to 25. Way to go Chase. You rock.

Oversize Load

2011-10-18T00:12:00.002-06:00

My dad was in town this last Friday and Saturday and snapped this very flattering picture of me with his phone. Not only is it evidence of my state of pregnant belly, but it also says a lot about the state of my life. I feel sometimes like I have an OVERSIZE LOAD with all of the responsibilities of motherhood, church callings, being a wife, decorating jobs, pregnancy, etc. My Blog, which is also my method of record keeping for our family, has been a victim of my perceived oversize load. The more time passes, the more daunting the task of catching up seems. One thing I have learned is that time passes too quickly, kids grow up way too fast, and it's important to savor and treasure the details of life. I am re-dedicating myself to keeping a family record and am starting with the most recent events and working my way back to my blogpost announcing our new baby back on June 10th. So far, I've posted to mid- August and I'm feeling good about my momentum.

Seattle--thanks for the memories

2011-10-17T23:35:00.007-06:00

Just before school started we decided to take a last minute getaway to Seattle. After all, the Mariners were playing the Blue Jays and this would be our chance to see the Mariners (who we love) but also Jose Bautista from the Blue Jays (who the boys think is an awesome player).We got there early and watched batting practice with our mitts, hoping to catch one of the balls. We stayed late after the game in anticipation of maybe getting to score a signature from one of the players--dreaming of the Bautista autograph. No luck.
But, we sure had a great time all the same.
That night, after the game we spent the night in a hotel just outside of Seattle in one of the more mellow, family friendly hotel areas. We headed back in the next morning and explored the waterfront where the kids rode the carousel.

We went to the Pike Place Fish Market and couldn't resist getting a picture of Carter in front of this big sign.
We walked along the pier checking out the little shops and seafood shacks.
We saw all kinds of big jelly fish in the water below. It was really cool.
We decided to make our way into the city shopping area where the kids were anxious to do a little back-to-school shopping. Chase was especially anxious to get the new Nike shoes he had been waiting all summer to be released. He, Larry, Caleb, and Chloe were in Nike town getting those, while I took Corbin and Carter over to American Eagle across the street. After a couple of minutes, I get a call from Larry saying, "You won't believe who is here in Nike? Jose Bautista! Tell Carter and Corbin." I immediately text Carter in his dressing room to tell him. On another trip to a Mariners game earlier that summer, the boys met a fake Ichiro in the Mariners gift shop and got a pic with him. Carter immediately texts back, "If this is some fake Bautista, I'm going to be so ticked." Carter, Corbin, and I quickly made our way back to Nike where Larry and the kids were downstairs. I asked, "Did you talk to him?" Chase said, "No. Dad says to just leave him alone. He's upstairs I think." Well, I wasn't about to let this opportunity for the boys pass by. It's not easy for a pregnant 39 yr. old with 5 kids to trek over to Seattle, sit through hours of baseball, walk all around town, sleep in a hotel bed, with the possible thrill of my kids getting to meet one of their sports idols, and pass it up. So, I marched my pregnant butt upstairs and told him what big fans my kids were of his and how much it would mean if he would be willing to sign their ticket stubs (which I conveniently still had in my wallet). He was very gracious and kind, signed the stubs, and even stood in a picture with the crew.
Thanks, Jose. You were the icing on the cake for the boys and for Larry because he's bigger than you.

Celebrate good times!

2011-10-17T21:45:00.010-06:00

Corbin turned 11 at the end of August and that kicked off a little birthday season for our family.He had a party with his cousins at the local waterpark. They had a blast swimming, playing water basketball, and trying to master the obstacle ropes course.
Here is Corbin giving it his best shot. He did make it across--several times.
We also had a good time at our favorite local pizza restaurant where he excitedly opened presents--mainly football gear that was black and gold.
Just a few days later it was Larry's day. He is just 30 years older than Corbin. I surprised him by lining up our niece Kelli to babysit while the 2 of us went on a little get away to Portland. We stayed at a really fun, funky hotel called Northrup Station Inn. It was located in the Nob Hill section where there were lots of fun restaurants within walking distance, and good shops. One day we spent the morning exploring the Pittock Mansion. It was incredible. At night we rode the trolley downtown and enjoyed dinner and a movie. It was awesome spending time alone together.
On our drive home, I was reading the Food Network magazine which had an article profiling the best pizza for each state. I was sure Washington's would be in Seattle, but it was actually from a little town just outside of Oregon on the Columbia River and we were going to be driving right by. We called ahead and picked one up on our way through. It was DELISH! It had bing cherries on it which Larry thought sounded kind of weird and he turned out to love.
Shortly after returning home, the second part of Larry's birthday began. He went on a hunting trip with my brothers, Dave and Jim, and cousin Blake. They went to the Frank Church Wilderness area in Idaho where Larry was able to try out his new-to-him 4 wheeler and new gun. He also had some sweet new camo clothing to wear. Although camo isn't my first choice for menswear, he does look pretty darn handsome and manly. Let's just keep that our little secret because I'm not really super fond of hunting.
He had a lot of fun with the guys and admiring all of the state-of-the-art hunting gear they possessed. Jim even shot a big elk!
Here is the debonair 41 year old modeling his new company shirts with his handsome sons. I think by his 42nd birthday he won't be the tallest in the picture any more.
Chloe was third in the birthday line-up, celebrating her 4th birthday early in September. Here, she gets a birthday manicure courtesy of her big brother Carter. I think this is just so dang cute.
The following day the makeover continued as I took her to the Tri-cities for a fancy hair-do at the Monkey Dooz salon. She was thrilled with the pink car and tv and loved the finishing touch of glitter hairspray.
We then went shopping where she picked out a Hello Kitty t-shirt, black glitter ballet skirt, and silver glitter shoes. We had a dream lunch at her favorite restaurant, the Target snackbar--seriously. There's nothing that compares to a pretzel with cheese sauce and a slushee for her. Lastly, it was on to Toys R Us where she finally found the bike of her dreams--white and pink with kitties all over it.
Happy Birthday, everyone! I sure do love each one of you and enjoy celebrating how special you are.

School Starts

2011-10-17T21:26:00.002-06:00

Caleb was awarded student of the month the first month of school. He is starting third grade with a bang. He loves his teacher, Mrs. Ziegler. He was also excited to find out he tested into the gifted program after going through a series of tough tests. Way to go, Caleb.Not only has Chloe started her first year of pre-school, but she has also started ballet lessons. She absolutely LOVES both.
Here are the boys on their first day of school. Corbin is a 6th grader in his first year of middle school. His favorite class is called Exploratory where he gets to use creative learning techniques to study a variety of subjects. Caleb is a third grader. His favorite subjects in school are computers and Hi-Cap. Carter is a Junior, and is really enjoying his Chemistry class where my cousin, Dr. Carlson, is his teacher and does all kinds of cool presentations. Chase is a Freshman, and especially likes his art class. He has aspirations of being a shoe designer for Nike one day, and thrives on any chance he gets to be creative and artistic.
Here is a picture of Chloe on her first day of pre-school. She goes to Apple Country Preschool where her teacher is Mrs. Katie. She has met a group of new friends and loves the things she is learning. I frequently hear her playing with her little ponies or dolls and all of their names are the names of kids from school. She has already gone on two fieldtrips! One to an apple orchard where she learned all about apples and the correct way to pick them. Then, to a pumpkin patch, where she got to pick a "big daddy" pumpkin and a "little baby" pumpkin.

Homecoming 2011

2011-10-17T21:04:00.007-06:00

Looking for a guaranteed way to embarrass your teenager? You'd think dressing in these nerd costumes for Homecoming Spirit week would be embarrassing enough. Not so.
I wasn't looking for one, but I sure managed to do it. Carter asked a cute, sweet girl named Katie (great name-eh?) to Homecoming. In our town it is a casual dance where dates get matching shirts. Anyhow, he was triple dating with two other couples, one guy, who happened to be the only licensed driver, was taking a girl from a neighboring town. At the last minute, they all realized that they weren't going to be able to pick up dates and make it to the golf course in time if Zach was going to drive to pick up his date. Carter was nearing the last 2 weeks of his driver's permit requirement, but didn't officially have his license.So, I couldn't in good conscience let him drive himself and other teens without a license. Therefore, every teenage kid's worst nightmare--his mom had to drive him and his friend Jackson to pick up their dates. Actually, it was pretty embarrassing for me, too. I just tried to be invisble--not super easy at 6 1/2 months pregnant. Once they met at the golf course, they were all able to ride together for the rest of the date. One positive of being the chauffeur, I was able to get a picture of the kids at the golf course.

The Homecoming Football game the night before was awesome and Carter, as well as his cousin Kent, were featured in the paper for their good work. They beat rival school, Wahluke, 57-12.
Here is the dance picture of Katie and Carter in their matching Jimmer tshirts. Both are big fans of Jimmer. They went golfing, ate dinner at the golf course restaurant, spent some time at the dance, then went and watched a movie outdoors at a pond and had hot chocolate, popcorn and candy. Carter said it was a really fun date and can almost laugh at the way it started.

Making Cider

2011-10-17T18:51:00.007-06:00

Last weekend our friends invited us over to make apple cider at their home with apples harvested from their orchard. It was a lot of fun. Here, Larry fills a jug with cider from the pastuerizer.
The ladies sort through, and wash the Granny Smiths, Fujis, and Honey Crisps for the cider press.
Larry monitors the juice as it comes out of the press.
Caleb and his friend J.C. sample the cider. MMMM. Delish.
The kids also had a blast being chauffered around the orchards in the Gator by Riley.
Chloe and some other little friends pull leaves off the apples before throwing them into the wash bin.
Carter and Chase work hard filling the cloths with the ground up apples preparing them to be juiced.
Larry and I have done this with his family as newlyweds, but it was really cool getting the opportunity to experience it with our kids. We have been enjoying the delicious homemade cider every day since. It was a beautiful day spent with great people, lots of yummy food, and fun work.

Christensen football: present, future & past

2011-10-07T23:59:00.005-06:00

Now and for years to come. Our kids with their cousins.
Back Row L to R: Kent, Chase, Carter

Front Row L to R: Ryker, Gage, Caleb, Case, Corbin, Jett

Halloween

2011-10-05T15:41:00.003-06:00

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Souvenirs

2011-06-10T17:05:00.007-06:00

Every place we've lived we have a wonderful souvenir to remind us of our time in that place and that era of our lives.
We lived in Provo, Utah as college students at BYU, and Carter is our souvenir from that time. We then purchased our first home in American Fork, Utah as Larry finished up his degree and worked his first year in a 'real' job. Our souvenir from that time is Chase.

Our family was then transferred to St. George, Utah for Larry's job and that is where we got our souvenir, Corbin.

After several years in St. George, Larry's new emplyment took us to Gilbert, Arizona and that is where Caleb is from.

Okay, I'll admit the heat of Arizona was hard to take, so we headed to Meridian, Idaho where my brother Jim and his family lived in a very temperate climate. It worked out well, because we were able to get a new variety of souvenir there, in the form of a little girl, Chloe.

We recently made a big move to Washington and I was pretty sure our extra-special souvenir collecting had come to an end and I would need to find a nice magnet or t-shirt. Well, as it turns out we will have a souvenir like the others to show for our move here.

We expect this special souvenir to arrive mid-December. While we have some cute pictures of our souvenir, we aren't sure exactly what kind it will be. We do know it's a Royal sports fan seeing as he/she is flashing a number one sign in the second photo. Either that, or he/she is a little bit of a punk and was sick of being pressed on with the ultrasound wand and is flashing a different finger.

Caleb's Baptism Day

2011-06-07T20:31:00.004-06:00

Caleb and Larry in their whites ready for the baptism.

Grandpa and Grandma Marlene Christensen came from Utah to spend this special day with us.

Caleb gives Chloe a big hug.

Caleb and his cousin Jett were baptized on the same day. This is a picture of the group. From Left to Right: Miyah and her grandpa, Caleb and his dad, Jett and his dad, Sydney and her dad, and Ethan and his dad.

The happy 8 year olds. It was really fun for Caleb to share this special day with four of his good friends.

A prom story.

2011-05-06T17:12:00.010-06:00

Once upon a time a boy named Carter decided he would ask a girl to prom. Though he was recently 16, and a novice at the whole dating scene, he did know you couldn't just go up and ask a girl but had to do it with a little flair. After enlisting the help of his mom (who has a serious problem of always thinking in puns) and a talented Grandma (who is always willing and able to turn his mom's cheesiness into something cool), a plan was hatched. Carter and his mom made sure to pick a night where the girl would be away from home, and arranged to go and plaster packages of Extra sticks of gum all over her room. Then, they put the cool poster (see above) on a post just inside the door to her room.

Inside one of the packs of gum was this tiny picture of Carter, aka the 'Gum Bandit'.

A couple of days later, Carter was summoned to the office during school. He was very surprised to be greeted by a police officer who said he needed to talk to Carter about a warrant that had been issued for his arrest. Carter was literally in shock. The only thing he could think he'd maybe done wrong was drive the car without a learner's permit while his parents were in it with him. Yes. He is a rebel. The police man proceeded to hand him a typed document. He was relieved to see that it was actually a very clever answer from his prom date referencing his 'gum bandit' stunt.

The only arrest that took place that day was Carter's near cardiac arrest!

Several weeks later, after much planning, tux shopping, and anticipation, the big night arrived. Carter's cousin Jeff was in the group, and the 2 handsome, young men were willing to pose for some pictures in their tuxes prior to picking up their dates.

The days events included: surprising their dates at 9 am for breakfast, picking the girls up later for a trip to the carnival and out for ice cream, then later taking the glammed up ladies out for a nice dinner and to the dance.

Carter and his date Moriah.

Yes, both of their last names happen to be Christensen, but they are not related.
The whole group.

Just the ladies:
Moriah, Ali, Victoria, Ashlyn, Terin

Just the guys:
Jeff, Jared, Zach, Carter, Callen

How does a group of ten get around? A retired retirement home bus, of course. Decorate it with mini white lights, balloons, streamers, and stars; set up a mini-buffet table complete with gift baskets full of their favorite snacks and drinks; enlist the cool BYU student home for the summer as the chauffeur; and you've got the ultimate in fun prom date transportation!

The boys only regret was decorating the wheel chair lift with balloons. They wish they had used it to lower themselves and their dates at the door of the prom, complete with some dry ice smoke. Hey, there's always next year.

The End.

Spring. Once in awhile.

2011-05-05T20:10:00.009-06:00

Once in awhile we have a day that feels kind of like Spring. For the most part is has been windy, rainy, and kind of cold. Luckily Easter was a pretty nice day. We had the Easter hunt at home and then headed to Uncle Gary and Aunt Kim's for a wonderful lunch and fun with the extended family. The kids on Easter morning, arriving home from church and ready to start the hunt.

Chloe thinks the whole Easter egg hunt thing is pretty cool.

Our tradition is to do a scavenger hunt where the Easter Bunny leaves rhyming clues with goodies leading them to the next hidden treasure. This year the bunny seemed frustrated creating clues that will make a 16 year old think and participate, but not leave a 3 year old in the dust.
For the most part they seemed to be having fun.

For the most part---why is it that someone always seems to feel left out? Corbin's facial expression says it all!

Prior to Easter, Chloe begged to make cupcakes that look like grass. She must have seen them somewhere. We had fun dying coconut green and letting Chloe decorate the cupcakes with pastel candies. I think those Easter colors are the cutest. Pastel m&ms are so pretty.

I enlisted the help of the kids to get some flower pots planted. Since planting them, it has been freezing, windy, and rainy with occasional sunny days.

Chase told us he thinks the dirt smells so good. He told his baseball teammates that when they were putting new dirt on the mound and he got labeled "tree hugger". I thought is was automatic that farmers thought dirt smelled good. I guess some things are better left unsaid.

It's Great to be Eight!

2011-05-02T16:30:00.005-06:00

Yesterday Caleb celebrated his 8th birthday! He had a malt cake with fresh strawberries and malted cream frosting (kind of our take on a strawberry malt). It was super yummy.

We had a big party planned with the aunts, uncles and cousins, but Chloe had to go to Urgent Care for her respiratory problems, so the big family party got downsized. We still had a good time eating cake and reminiscing the day Caleb was born in Mesa, Arizona.

Doesn't Caleb look handsome?

Now that Caleb is 8 he will be getting baptized soon. He got a new suit, tie and stripling warriors tie tack. He also got his very own quadruple combination scriptures with his name engraved on front as well as a 'nice' CTR ring. He is pretty excited about all of this. Now that he is 8, and his birthday fell on fast Sunday, I was impressed that he made the decision to fast. I had even planned to make a big waffle with strawberries and whipped cream breakfast for him. But, he reminded me that wouldn't work. Good kid.

He loves the rapid fire dart gun he got!

As well as his new cub scout stuff. Being 8 means you get to start cub scouts, too.

He got a new book that teaches him all about the promises he will be making on his baptism day.
I think the kid on the cover kind of looks like a kid version of Obama. Maybe he's been hiding more than just his birth certificate! ; )

Caleb loves anything to do with shooting and hunting. He got a new hunting game and a brick of .22 ammo.
He will be having a double birthday party with his cousin Jett next week. Two guys turning 8 and getting baptized the same day. Cool stuff. The theme of the party will be "hunting". We'll post a full report of how it turns out.

Long time. No Post.

2011-03-16T09:10:00.014-06:00

It has been awhile since I've posted anything, but need to catch up on what we've been doing around here. I will start with the most recent and work my way back.
Grandpa Hawkes came to visit and got the 'Royal' Treatment. He had a business trip that had him flying in and out of the Spokane airport. He postponed his return trip by a couple of days, rented a car, and drove over to see us. Knowing he is a true farm boy at heart, we called our good friends that own a huge dairy operation to schedule a tour for grandpa. Boy did we call the right people. The Allred's not only took him on an amazing tour of their dairy, but also all kinds of other great things
Some of the Allreds, Christensens, and Grandpa Hawkes at the dairy.

Above, Grandpa discusses the finer points of dairy operations with Jerry.

Below, he was able to tour the Allred's Apple Packing facility, as well. They even gave him a big box of Washington Apples as a souvenir. Delish!

After Derek and Jerry showed him the intricacies of modern farming, they took all of us to a delicious gourmet restaurant at the Gorge in George, Washington. I had no idea this place existed and it is amazing. We also spent a wonderful evening at their house eating pizza, carnitas, and cake and watching the Jimmer score 52 points. The Allred's sure do know how to host a great party. Thanks to them for their kindness.

Carter went on his first date! Terin asked Carter to Sadie Hawkins. He had a blast! As if I didn't already feel old enough celebrating my last birthday in my thirties, it didn't help having my son go on his first date. As I was helping Carter decorate Terin's car in answering her, it hit me hard that I was doing this for my own son, and it really didn't seem like that long ago I was doing it for my friends and myself as high schoolers. Then to top it off, the theme of the dance was the 80's. Apparently the 80's were long enough ago that kids are now dressing up in what I wore to high school as 'retro costumes'. Too weird.

Chloe loves being artistic and while I was chatting away on the phone, she discovered her brother's markers and proceeded to color herself like "pinky pie" from My Little Pony.

After going to put her in the bath, I discovered she was very thorough in applying the layer of pink and was able to get a nice layer on her tummy!

She had a fun dress-up play date with 3 of her friends, Campbelle, Madison, and Case. All wanted to be princesses, with the exception of Case. He was only willing to be their prince if he could do it in a football costume.

Corbin finished up his season playing AAU basketball. I believe they were undefeated.

I celebrated my birthday. It's my last year in my 30's. Yikes! I got a lovely floral bouquet delivered and a gorgeous charm necklace arrived in the mail (one side says New York and the other has the statue of liberty). Thanks mom and sisters for the awesome surprise!

Larry and the family took me to Spokane for my birthday weekend. I woke up to 30 plus helium balloons floating over me with my kids singing Happy Birthday. While I thought Larry and the kids were down having breakfast while I slept in, they were actually blowing up all the balloons and writing sweet messages on them. We had a great, relaxing weekend together.

I guess they got up a little too early while I got to sleep in. I was on one side of the room watching Food Network and didn't seem to notice that the family was migrating one by one over to the other side of the room to climb in bed together and get away from the TV noise. This is how I found them once I was ready to go get in bed. Funny.

Corbin was in a regional competition with his Hi-Cap classmates in Spokane. They had a really great time competing against other teams from around western Washington.

He also competed in the District Spelling Bee in Soap Lake, Washington.

He had one more competition, and that was in the Pinewood Derby. He and his dad worked hard on designing and building his car and he was quite successful in his races.

Carter got a fat lip. He was talked out of playing on the golf team by his friends on the baseball team. Even though he'd never really played baseball, peer pressure won out and he decided to go be another much needed player on the baseball team roster. His second day of practice a ball bounced and hit him right in the mouth !

The shoes Chase designed for his birthday arrived. Pretty sweet-huh? He's in 8th grade and wears a size 12!

Caleb is conspicuously missing from this post. We have lots of video footage of him shooting guns (something he spends a lot of time doing). Seeing as I am rarely around when he is participating in gun shooting, it is on Larry's phone and I don't have it here to download. I will do that in another post. He has been doing all kinds of great stuff, but I don't have photos of any of it on my phone. Sorry, buddy.

A weekend in NYC

2011-02-20T15:56:00.007-07:00

In honor of our mother's birthday, I met up with my sisters and mom in NYC for a fabulous weekend of celebrating! Here we are at the 21 Club enjoying a fantastic birthday dinner for mom.On Thursday, Lisa left Indiana; Laura left Idaho; I left Washington; and mom and Haley left Utah. We all arrived at JFK within a few hours of each other, checked into our hotel, and were led by Lisa into the closest department store for a little freshening up. Let the fun begin.
Here I am getting 'Cargo-ed'. Whatever that means?! My make-up artist seemed to know.
Lisa helped coordinate a gorgeous look with the MAC makeup artist for Haley, while Laura was getting her own expert eye treatment from her artist.
After our makeovers and late night dinner, we slept in a little the next day and then headed over to the Chelsea/Meatpacking District Food tour. Larry and I took the same tour with the same guide in October and loved it so much, I eagerly went on it again. Curt, the tour guide is hilarious! This picture is of our group.
That night we went and saw the new Broadway show: "Spiderman: Turn of the Dark". It was so awesome. The music and lyrics are by Bono and the Edge from the band U2. I loved it--the music, set, singing, dancing, costumes--all fantastic!
The following day it was time for a tour of Brooklyn and it's most famous pizzerias. It was freezing, but we toured in a luxurious mercedes bus outfitted with a movie screen that played movie clips of the places we were seeing on the tour. It was very fun. Our tour guide Paula, a native Brooklyn girl, was wonderful. The pizzas, thin crust at Grimaldi's and thick sicilian crust at L&B, were to die for. My sister Haley, took amazing pictures all along the way. Check them out at http://www.haleyjan.blogspot.com/.
Here we are with Paula and a couple of other ladies from our tour group.
MMMMMMM.
After our Brooklyn tour, we hit the subway to head out for a little shopping. I was impressed with the talented break dancers in the subway, and got so caught up in the beat, I even ended up doing a little dancing myself. What was I thinking?!

I can't remember when I've laughed so hard, slept so little, shopped so much, eaten so well. It was so much fun hanging out with my mom and little sisters. I just hope we don't wait so long to do it again.
Seeing this John Deere hat on canal street reminded me of my country life and that I would soon have to stop posing for pictures with my newly acquired pucker face, and say farewell to my homegirls and the city. Thanks for the memories, girls.
Thanks for one last taste of New York (the most authentic according to Michael Scott) at the airport, Mom & Haley.

Happy Birthday, Mom! I loved the trip and know I will never Fuhgettaboudit. Ever.

Happy Birthday, Carter!

2011-01-27T23:56:00.004-07:00

What do you do when your sixteen year old doesn't like cake, pie, cookies or anyother dessert for his birthday party? You bake giant breadsticks in the shape of 16.

Carter celebrated his sixteenth birthday yesterday. Watch out ladies, he can officially date now. Just one thing may be putting that on hold, and that is the lack of a drivers license. Due to his basketball schedule, he has been unable to take drivers ed, which is offered in the evenings and conflicts with practice and games. Bummer.
Ok, so Carter's brothers look a little dopey in this picture, and no Larry isn't Carter's secret service agent with an earpiece. It just so happened that Carter's birthday coincided with the BYU game and Larry needed to keep himself and Carter updated. Thanks Jimmer, for scoring all of those points for Cart's big day.
Being Carter's mom has been an amazing experience. He has always been a very responsible, rule abiding kid. He develops a keen interest in many things and when he does, he becomes an expert in it. He has always been an avid reader and would plow through books like Harry Potter as early as 1st grade. As he's gotten into sports the last couple of years, that constant desire to read has been focused on books about sports figures and the history of basketball and football. This has created a desire in him to become a sports broadcaster some day. He's intense, focused, and extremely bright. I love to talk to him and am always amazed at his perceptions, insight, and wisdom at such a young age. It's been exciting watching him grow from a little boy into a wonderful young man. Happy 16th Birthday, Carter.

Trophies

2011-01-22T00:49:00.004-07:00

Trophy Speller:
Corbin shows off the trophy he won as the second place speller in his school spelling bee. He will never forget that petticoat is not spelled pedicoat.

Trophy Hunter:
Larry shows off his trophy coyote. He couldn't resist the call of the wild the other night and went out with his brother for a 3 hour coyote hunt. I awoke the next morning to see this picture that he texted me. Does anybody have a good coyote recipe? Joking.

Happy Birthday, Chase!

2011-01-18T10:32:00.004-07:00

Almost a week has passed since Chase turned 14. Fourteen?!!
On Chase's birthday, we woke up to the news that school had been postponed and then found out they were going to cancel it. The roads were too icy and cars were sliding off right and left. We actually had a driveway full of people waiting to get back on the road. That said, it's not a bad way to start your birthday to find out school has been cancelled. Chase spent the morning designing his own custom shoes on the Nike website. He is very artistic and frequently draws pictures of shoes with custom logos, so this was the perfect birthday present for him. We are anxious for the shoes to arrive. After the road conditions improved, we headed into town where Chase looked for something to buy with his birthday money from grandparents' Christensen and Hawkes. He settled on the NCAA 2011 videogame. Then we headed over to TimeOut Pizza, a local pizzeria decked out in sports paraphanelia and flat screens broadcasting games. Chase chowed down on Meat Lovers pizza, checked out the LeBron shoes--those are some big feet, and then headed home to play basketball at the school with the old guys from church. When he got home, we ate some delicious Whoppers cake I baked from a recipe in the Baked cookbook. It's a must try recipe, it was so good.
Chase is an AWESOME kid. He is so kind and peaceful and treats our family members with love and respect. He has a great sense of humor and is frequently laughing and finding the humor in situations. He is very creative and artistic and expresses himself with his wonderful drawings and designs. He is an amazing athlete, but is also a good sport. He works hard in school, is intelligent, and gets good grades (sidenote: he & his friend just won 1st place in the school science fair). It has been a blessed fourteen years watching Chase grow and develop into such an incredible young man.

You better watch out. You better not pout.

2010-12-15T23:45:00.002-07:00

Thanks

2010-12-15T15:41:00.006-07:00

For 40 years of marriage and being wonderful parents, grandparents, and in laws.

For letting us all celebrate with you at a wonderful dinner where we ate yummy food and had lots of fun visiting and playing with cousins.

Uncle Nate and Millie.

Chase, Carter and Aunt Haley.

The Christensen crew stand in front of the lemon tree room at La Jolla Groves.

Thanks for all of the good times--even though it was bitter cold.

Thanks for letting us celebrate your birthdays with you, Laura and Karin. It sure was fun getting to make pizza, hang out, and for the mommy's to get some much needed spa treatment.

Chloe and Katie make a pizza.

Laura, Hazel and Bridger wait for their pizzas to arrive.

Elizabeth, Anna, Jim, Karin and Joseph are excited to see how their pizzas turn out.
There is much to be thankful for and Thanksgiving week was a wonderful time to reflect on our many blessings and good times spent with family.

A Random Post

2010-11-22T20:11:00.006-07:00

Chloe has recently started throwing screaming temper tantrums if I try to make her go into a store she doesn't want to, won't buy her a toy she wants, etc. I'm convinced the 'terrible twos' actually begin around age 3. After an afternoon of running errands she didn't want to go on and then having me say no to the umpteenth $20+ toy she requested, I thought a nice compromise before we made the trek home would be to go to McDonalds. So, I said, "Chloe, would you like to go to McDonald's to get a Happy Meal?"
She glared back and me and said, "No. I will go to McDonalds to get a Mad meal." I just finished reading this book. It was awesome. If you have time on your hands being snowed in or hanging out during the holidays I would recommend this. It was an excellent read.

It's historical fiction that takes you from the 1600s to present time. Living in a rural area requires me to make long drives just to get to school, the store, the doctor, pretty much anywhere. I have noticed that audio books make the drives bearable. I just purchased this one and it is great. I really like that it is read by President Bush. It adds something to hear it in his voice. If you are making a long drive, I recommend this. I was planning to read the Laura Bush book, but now I'm definitely getting the audio version.

Autumn on the Farm

2010-11-10T13:12:00.010-07:00

I pulled off to the side of the road to snap a picture of the orchards and fields. Each type of apple tree must also produce a different color of leaf. Some orchards are still kind of green. Others are yellow, orange, or red.

I thought these fuel tanks were cool because they are the same color as the leaves I've been seeing in the orchards. I also love the way they contrast between the golden wheat field and blue sky.

This is some of the marshy area near our home. I frequently see pheasants flying in and out as well as birds of prey.

This is a vineyard changing color.

I knew that the leaves would change colors but I thought it was neat to see the closely cropped blanket of red and gold that was developing after the field crop had been harvested.

Although I am not a photgrapher and don't do justice to the beautiful scenery all around me, I felt compelled to try and capture the essence of it. Everywhere I drive I am amazed by the vivid colors as the leaves change in the fields, orchards, and vineyards. This morning I remembered to pack my camera when I drove the boys to school so that I could take some shots of the farmlands going through the changes Autumn brings.

The unique gourds and pumpkins are at our neighbor's produce stand where they specialize in unusual varieties. I made a butternut squash bisque recipe the other day but subsitituted one of their specialty squashes for the butternut. It was really good. It's fun having access to their produce.

The Cat's out of the Bag

2010-11-01T21:23:00.004-06:00

We have a cat. To any of you that know me and my severe allergy to cats, you will find this as a great surprise. Actually, it is a wild cat that showed up at our house shortly after we moved in. I like to think it keeps our house free of mice, so I don't mind that it hangs around--outside. Apparently, it also eats the food we throw out. Larry pulled into the driveway the other day to find our cat, affectionately named Butterscotch, with his head stuck in a Doritos bag. He just sat there meowing, and every time he breathed in the bag would suck in, and out, it would puff out. After taking a quick snapshot with his cell phone, he let the cat out of the bag. Butterscotch quickly scurried off, none the worse for wear. I sure hope none of the mice saw this--it would surely destroy his reputation as a vicious killer. A BULL STORY:
We have a bull pen with about 6 bulls to the side of our house. Lately they have been making all kinds of strange noises, stampeding around the pen, picking fights with one another. Larry said they are anxious for their lady friends to be brought around. What?!! Why didn't someone tell me we were going to have a breeding situation taking place on the side of our house? What was I going to tell the kids was going on out there?

Early this afternoon I saw a couple of cowboys riding back along the side of the house herding the 'ladies' back to the 'fellas'.

Here's a shot of the cowboys. I don't think they're used to having people run out of their houses to take pictures of them.
As for Halloween, everyone in our family except Caleb has been very, very sick. Look on the couch behind Caleb to see Larry and Chloe sound asleep. Caleb dressed up as a BYU football player (in case you couldn't tell). His cousins came by and took him trunk or treating at our church building. Thank you cousins.

The rest of us slept next to the humidifiers, pumped full of cough medicine and nasal decongestants, miserable. Living in the boonies, no one came trick or treating, so maybe we'll Corbin and Chloe dress up in their costumes, Caleb in his again, and sit around and eat all the candy we didn't hand out.

Little City. Big City.

2010-10-27T19:52:00.009-06:00

Since Larry moved me to what may be the littlest 'city' in America, he decided he'd better take me to the biggest city in America for a little get away. When a couple here, Derek and Carly, extended an invitation for us to join them on their trip, we jumped at the chance. Larry is a wise man because it was exactly what I needed to lift my spirits from the moving, resettling and adjusting to rural life. We had a blast! Carly's brother plays football for the University of Pennsylvania and entertained us at a Yale vs Penn game at Yale. He scored the first touchdown and Penn went on to beat Yale. Here, Derek and Carly pose with Jeff after the game. Of course, we knew to consult my sister Lisa, a former NYC resident, as to what we should do on our trip. She suggested Food Tasting Tours. She was spot on with this recommendation, as it was a highlight of our trip.
This is Larry with Curt, our tour guide from the tour we took of the MeatPacking District. He was an amazing guy, full of energy, great one liners, and tons of interesting info and insights about the area. We also really loved all the food we tasted.
As part of the tour, Curt insisted we go to the Iron Chef's restaurant, Morimoto, to experience their state of the art bathrooms and see the amazing decor. Since Carly's brother loves the Iron Chef, we headed back to the restaurant to share dinner with him. I enjoy eating out and like to think I am fairly adventurous in what I will order, but this was a little out of my comfort zone. It was a fun experience, though.
This solid wall of bottles is at Morimoto's.Other fun things we did: the food tour of Greenwich Village--also incredibly awesome. . . A sunset sailing tour where we saw the Manhattan skyline from the water and went out around the Statue of Liberty. . .. . . Meeting up with Michael and Lisa (friends from our new town who were also back there). . . Attending Stake Conference at the Manhattan Stake. Shopping. Eating. Walking. Crazy car rides. Site seeing. Laughing. Visiting. Having a great time.
I finally got to join the American Girl Doll Club after years of going to the store with my sisters and friends but never having my own daughter to by a doll for. So I went in and found a doll that looks just like Chloe. We left the American Girl store and walked down 5th Avenue past Saks, where we noticed that every window display was dedicated to Chloe.My only regret: not bringing our own camera due to fear of it getting lost or stolen. So, thanks to Derek and Carly for helping us supplement the pictures taken with my cell phone.

Chase as QB

2010-10-07T21:37:00.003-06:00

Okay, so it took Chase's 3rd game for us to remember the sd card for the camera! Larry got these shots of Chase's last game. He plays Quarterback on Offense and Cornerback on defense. Here, he (#15) pitches the ball to #20.

Here, he passes the ball to #81--which resulted in a TD,

Here, he runs it himself getting it within 2 yds. of th goal line.

He also did a great job in defense and got an amazing tackle.

This is one of the pictures I found on the card when downloading Chase's game pics. Apparently, last Sunday morning the kids all dressed up in Royal Knights gear and took pictures of themselves with the timer setting. Funny kids.

Way to go, Caleb!

2010-10-02T21:25:00.005-06:00

Caleb has definitely started his second grade year at a new school with a bang! A week ago the school called to tell me that his reading teacher had submitted his name for a Gold Dot. Apparently the staff is encouraged to notice when a student does something extraordinary and turn in their name. All of the Gold Dot recipient's names are then put into a drawing and the one retrieved wins a loot of goodies. Turns out Caleb was the winner! Then this Thursday, I got another call saying that Caleb was going to be surprised with an award that his classroom teacher nominated him for. His teacher honored him for showing strong character in Leadership. We are so proud of Caleb and that he is going out of his way to do good things.

Idaho

2010-09-22T10:00:00.004-06:00

I had to go back to Idaho this past week to finish some design work I've been doing there. I took Chloe with me. We left on her birthday which didn't exactly make it a very eventful day to sit in the car for 5 1/2 hours. Poor girl. I tried to make it up to her by taking her to get her first mani/pedi at a salon in Idaho. She LOVES to get her nails painted at home, so all of the attention and professional paint job thrilled her!

Aunt Laura let us call her home our hotel and while I worked around the clock she took amazing care of Chloe. Chloe had a blast playing with Hazel. On our drive back she kept telling me to turn around and go back to Hazel's house.

Aunt Laura baked a delicious strawberry banana cake and she and Aunt Karin threw a party at the park for Chloe with her cousins. Isn't it fun having girl cousins to get just as excited about the mermaid doll as she is? That wouldn't have happened with the big brothers. Thanks for making her birthday special.

Of course the week was full of decorating for me. I worked on the clubhouse, and 2 other homes. My legs and arms are covered in bruises from moving furniture and I made a special trip to visit my Idaho bishop, a facial plastic surgeon, for stitches. When I had some painters lift the bed for me to roll the rug under, it detatched from the footboard and it came down smashing me in the face and cutting open my nose. My boys who have all been playing in rough and tumble football games last week look far less beat up than their interior decorating mom!

If you want to see more of the interior design of this project, go to my interiors redefined blog linked on my sidebar.

Friday Knight Lights

2010-09-11T15:18:00.006-06:00

To say football is a big deal in our new town would be an understatement. The whole town turns out for the Friday night varsity game. As the scoreboard pictured below shows, it was a successful evening for our team who beat their opponents 44 to 7. Carter, #50, is a sophomore but has been able to be in on the special teams and a few other plays for the varsity. Last night he made a key tackle and it was a thrill to hear his name announced over the loud speaker.

I love this shot of the opposing team's bleachers because it shows the surrounding farmland setting for our school's football field. Our first game was last weekend and I found it amusing when the road behind those bleachers filled up with a long line of bailer tractors heading home from the fields, lights flashing and horns honking.

Of course, if you're not quite old enough to suit up in a football uniform or cheerleading outfit, the second best place to be is hanging out with cousins on the sidelines.

Satruday mornings are filled with Grid Kids. Corbin plays on the 5th/6th grade team with Larry as the offensive coordinator.

Here Larry passes on a little last minute coaching before the game, and the big brothers make some final uniform adjustments.

Corbin takes a few final warm-up passes.

Finally, the moment arrives and the teams take the turf.

Unfortunately, this Grid Kid game didn't turn out quite as well as last night's varsity game. They lost by 1 touchdown. Corbin did complete a touchdown pass and made an awesome interception. Chase is playing QB for the 8th grade team and his first game will be in a couple of weeks. He's loving practice and is anxious for his first game.

If anyone is interested in following the Knights Varisty Football, they do broadcast live over the internet. Go to http://www.royalwednet.edu/ and click on the Royal Knight Sports link toward the bottom left corner of the page. Our bishop and another good friend are the commentators.

A Royal Afternoon

2010-09-10T17:46:00.011-06:00

I can't believe it's almost been a month since we moved out of our Meridian house.
We are now here in Washington, working hard to get settled in. I finally got my washer/dryer hooked up and yesterday they came with the internet stuff. The real neccessities of life have arrived. Today there were just too many saws sawing, compressors compressing, and sawdust flying for Chloe and I to stay around the house. So, we went exploring.

This is a view that looks like the view in almost every direction you look. Our closest neighbors have a produce stand that we decided to visit.

There were at least 2 doz. different peppers, all kinds of melons...

...in a variety of shapes!

Chloe was intrigued with all of the fruit and zeroed in on the dark purple plums.

In addition to all of this fresh produce, they have a pretty pasture of wildflowers to explore.

Just behind our house there are acres of corn fields to play in.

We eventually made our way to the orchards. Look at these beautiful pears that fill the branches of the trees.

Yummy Honey Crisp Apples are in abundant supply, too.

It truly was a Royal treat to spend the afternoon exploring the countryside with my little Princess!

Moving On

2010-08-11T18:49:00.003-06:00

Sorting. Boxing. Packing. Loading. Throwing away. Crying. This isn't my idea of a good time. Hitting the road in just a couple of days. Wish me luck!

Chase's QB camp

2010-07-16T23:25:00.004-06:00

We took Carter down to Utah for EFY and Corbin and Chase were able to attend a one day football camp put on by former BYU players. They had a lot of fun. My mom, who is an amazing digital scrapbooker, put this page and the page of Corbin together with some of the pictures I took of the boys. It's awesome having these keepsakes for them to remember their experience. Thanks, mom.

Corbin at NXT LEVEL

2010-07-15T02:10:00.003-06:00

10 Favorite Americans

2010-07-06T22:28:00.011-06:00

Today's 10 on Tuesday.
I asked each member of my family to participate in this and the following is a spontaneous list of our who and why.

Definition of American from 1941 immigration text:
What is an American? An American is a man who is greater in his soul than in his class, creed, political party, or the section in which he lives. To be an American, a man must have an American soul and believe in the spiritual realities upon which America rests and out of which America was born. America was created to unite mankind by those passions which lift and not by the passions which spearate and debase...The man sho seeks to divide men from men, group from group, and interest from interest in this great Union is striking at its very heart.

Katie said,
1. Gordon B. Hinckley for being an inspirational leader full of optimism, hope, and encouragement.

2. Condoleezza Rice for her example of dedication and hard work. She rose from poverty and challenging circumstances to become accomplished-- and for being resilient and strong.

Larry said,

3. George Washington for being an amazing military leader, farmer, humble, first president of the United States, and an all around good guy.

4. Marcus Lutrell because he fought for freedom and kicked butt.

Chloe said,

5. Walt Disney for bringing princesses to her life.

Carter said,
6. Joseph Smith because he was very brave and obedient.

Chase said,
7. John Naismith the guy who invented basketball because he was so awesome.

Corbin said,

8. Ronald Reagan because he was the President of United States. He was an actor. He was an athlete. I did a history report on him and he stood for freedom.

Caleb said,
9. George W. Bush because he was a really good President.

10. Pat Tillman because he gave up his NFL career to fight in the war for freedom.

There you have it. It was fun having the brainstorming session with my family.

My Country 'Tis of Thee

2010-07-01T23:05:00.004-06:00

Today I was at the bookstore and bought the dvd of Saints at War for Caleb because he is always interested in things about WWI and WWII. Tonight we watched it together. It was so good and inspiring. While I wasn't making a connection with this weekend being Independence Day when I bought it, I am so glad we watched it because it makes me think deeper about the sacrifices that have been made. I feel a renewed sense of patriotism and a gratitude to Heavenly Father for the blessing of freedom. I recommend this movie.

What's Larry doing?

2010-06-30T10:30:00.007-06:00

I am frequently asked this question. Here's the answer with pictures to illustrate. This is the machine that Larry bought and has been using to spray farm fields to prevent unwanted things from infesting the crops. The above picture is of him pulling up to where we were parked as he was finishing spraying.

Here are the kids with the sprayer. He pulls it on a trailer behind a large water truck.

The tires are bigger than the kids.

We went up to visit Larry over Father's Day weekend. I love these pictures of Chloe and Larry.

Carter had been there all week attending football camp with Royal High School in Cheney, WA at EWU. Here he is with his cousin, Kent. Carter is #80. He really enjoyed the camp.

Our family went to Spokane and stayed a few nights there, picking Carter up from camp and getting some much needed time together.

This big wagon was in the Riverfront park in downtown Spokane. The wheels look about the same size as the ones on Larry's sprayer. Don't you think he should pull the sprayer in this? Chloe is at the bottom left of the picture in full temper tantrum mode about us saying it was time to leave.

We walked over and looked at the falls. Pretty spectacular.

There was also an antique carousel in the Riverfront Park that the little ones rode on.

Staying in a hotel with a pool, and basketball courts, not to mention all the ESPN, & Discovery channel was a definite highlight. While the guys were out shooting hoops, I even managed to squeeze in a few episodes on HGTV. When you don't have cable, it's such a luxury.

We headed back to Royal City and hung out with family at Mark and Marcies. This was a typical shot of the guys out on the front lawn.

Caleb and Ryker spent a lot of time together. Caleb was loving it!

Mark and Marcie's little girl, Madison, let Chloe borrow a princess dress.

She was in HEAVEN, and can't wait to see Madison again soon.

10 things I do in a day

2010-06-29T23:21:00.005-06:00

1. I do multiple loads of this--each and every day.

2. This is how I try to make sure we end each day. 3. I go out in the morning before the kids are awake, in my pjs, to water these.

4. I spend too much time on this and my computer.

5. I am providing things (like pictured below) all throughout the day for my growing kids with endless appetites.

6. Since its summer, we seem to go here a lot.

7. I spend a lot of time trying to make expressions like these not appear (see #4 & #5).

8. I spend a lot of time looking at, coordinating, and talking to people about things like this.

9. I spend a lot of time chasing, dressing, laughing at, feeding, & entertaining this little someone.

10. I drive to alot of athletic events and lessons. Currently it is tennis lessons for Corbin and Caleb.

LOL

2010-06-25T18:16:00.004-06:00

This afternoon I got into the car ready to leave with the boys, when Caleb (who just finished 1st grade) asks me, "Mom, what age is puberty?"
Completely taken back, I replied, "I don't know. Probably around 13 or 14."
Corbin chimes in with, "Well, a kid in my class went through puberty."
Since Corbin just completed 4th grade, this comment really caught me off guard and I questioned, "Really? In 4th grade a kid has gone through puberty?"
To which he replied, "Yeah. Twice."

10 Favorite Summer Pastimes

2010-06-15T12:04:00.006-06:00

Today's 10 on Tuesday List: 1. Go to the Drive In Movies

2. Dine Al Fresco.

3. Read a good book.

4. Go Boating.

5. Hang out at the swimming pool.

6. Take the kids to summer camps.

7. Work on craft projects.

8. Hang out with family whenever possible. Luckily 75% have summer birthdays so we get lots of excuses to get together and celebrate.

9. Get shaved ice with cream. MMMMMM.

10. Grill dinner outside as frequently as possible. Who wants to be stuck in a hot kitchen?

10 Small Defining Moments

2010-06-08T14:47:00.006-06:00

Today's 10 on Tuesday topic is to reflect on moments--not large ones like marriage or childbirth--that have helped define you in some way. I find this particularly challenging because it's far easier to think of the big pivotal moments than the small. So, here it goes...

1. Winning the 6th grade science fair-because it taught me how to put hard work and effort into something and give it my all. It gave me the confidence that I had the ability to do something on my own.

2. A letter from my Young Women's leader that she mailed me after she moved to Texas and I was still a senior in high school. It was a simple note of kindness that showed me she cared. It meant a lot to me then, but now as I think back to the fact that she had 6 kids and had moved across the country and took the time to write and mail a note to a teenage girl, it is even more profound.

3. When I moved to Arizona I felt completely alone and far away from my family and everything that was familiar. I had recently gone through very stressful circumstances and after a few months in a new, overwhelmingly large ward, was called to serve in a Young Women's Presidency. I remember the President picking me up for our first meeting (literally the first time we met), and when she opened the door for me to hop in her suburban being overcome with a feeling of love and hope. I saw the Lord's hand in my life and was extremely grateful for the opportunity to serve and live there and for the blessing of close friendships.

4. A delicious dinner being prepared and delivered to my family during a time of need. Also, being able to take dinner to someone else who may need it.

5. The first time I was given the opportunity to do a professional interior design project, I thought I was going to vomit and couldn't sleep, but I'm grateful someone gave me a chance.

6. The powerful role of prayer in my life. When we first moved to Arizona, Carter was in second grade and a few weeks after school had started it was his first day there. He would come home from school lonely, crying and saying he would have to sit alone during recess or walk around by himself. As a mother, this was heartwrenching to hear. One morning as I was about to take him to school, he was sobbing, so I suggested we say a prayer for comfort and that he may meet some new friends. That afternoon when I picked him up, he ran to the car with a big grin and announced, "Mom, the prayer worked! I made a new friend!"

7. I recently fell off a ladder and hurt my foot pretty significantly. I was unable to walk and my boys stepped in, cleaned up the kitchen, and took over household duties. Hearing their chatter, and the sounds of dishes and silverware clanking together as they loaded and unloaded the dishwasher was awesome. It was amazing seeing what they were able and willing to do.

8. Reading Marjorie Pay Hinckley's book Letters which was a compilation of letters she had written as a young mother and throughout her life. It was so motivational, inspirational, and humorous. That book has blessed my life and made me feel good for 'trying' and want to try harder.

9. Kind observations from my husband or children. Their opinions matter most to me. Nothing means quite as much as when I am doing well in their eyes and they take a moment to tell me something sweet.

10. Hearing birds chirping or water rushing in a stream. Seeing blossoms appear on the trees. Experiencing a heavy rainfall and seeing a rainbow peer through the clouds. Seeing someone cuddle their brand new baby. This may sound corny, but these small moments in nature strengthen my testimony of God and give me peace. They help me slow down, appreciate the world around me, and recognize that there is a bigger plan.

How cute is this?

2010-06-03T20:21:00.004-06:00

A 13 yr. old boy in his NFL shirt, sitting at the sewing machine,

watching the playoffs on TV?

Chase, you rock!
Oh, and he can make a mean batch of lemon bars and throw a perfect spiral, too.

10 Favorite Memories of Dad

2010-06-01T07:53:00.004-06:00

Today's 10 on Tuesday:My dad holding me when I was an infant.

1. Compassionate --My Dad would always be visiting with our elderly neighbors or those in need. He genuinely enjoyed visiting with them and would like taking us with him. He has made numerous friends from Beaver, Utah, our home in North Orem, and from his new home in Middle Orem. When my Grandma Widtfeldt was living her last years in Orem, he took special care of her and made friend with the residents and staff of the care center where she lived.
2. Competitive Spirit--He loved challenging anyone and everyone to one armed push-up, chin up, free throw, weight lifting, or one-on-one basketball contests. He especially loved taking on young, athletic guys and whooping on them. He would frequently take us to BYU to show of his high jumping skills where he could high jump his height of 6-2!
3. Hard Worker-- He would purposely look for the harder way of doing things. We had a hand push lawn mower that he would use instead of a motorized version. He'd push that around every Saturday and make it look like a breeze. I always wanted to try it because he made it look fun, and I couldn't even make it budge. He also works super hard in his profession and wins numerous accolades, awards, and recognition for his efforts (competitive spirit shows there, too).
4. People Person--It doesn't matter where he goes, he strikes up a conversation with anyone. It turns out he knows their ancestry, occupation, religious beliefs, family status, hobbies, political persuasion and more, by the time he says goodbye. He just genuinely loves interacting with people.
5. Funny--My dad loves joking around. Boy can he dish it out, but he can also take it. I love bantering back and forth with him and matching wits. Of course, he's no match for me. ;) He loves to laugh and have fun.
6. Family Guy--My dad loves his family. He loved his parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, uncles, aunts, and my mom's family, too. He always has great things to say about all of them, loves visiting them, and has told us special stories about most all of them. He also loves us. You see the gleam in his eyes whenever we are around. You just know he loves you and is proud of you. He shows this same love for each of his grandchildren and in-law kids. He makes each one of us feel special .
7. Farm Boy--My dad grew up on a farm and was proud of it. We would visit his parent's farm as frequently as possible when we were kids. He loved taking us on tractor rides and telling us the stories of his childhood. Since our own family lived in the 'city', he always took pride in planting a backyard garden, supporting the local produce stands, and working hard doing farm type chores. When I was really little he worked for an elderly dairy farmer in Beaver milking his cows. He'd take me with--I was around 2--and teach me the names of all the different breeds of cows.
8. He introduced us to delicious foods like avacado sandwiches, tomato sandwiches, scrambled eggs, asparagus. He still loves to whip up food for us when we visit. He especially loves fresh, garden produce and anything 'healthy'.
9. Performer--My dad is not one to shy away from attention. He loves putting on his magic sports coat and performing magic tricks for kids. He'll make pennies disappear, remove his finger, & cut bananas without peeling them. I loved having him perform for mine and my siblings friends. Now it's fun watching him carry on these traditions with his grandkids.
10. Gospel Lover--My dad taught seminary when I was a little kid. Loves doing missionary work. Loves studying and memorizing scriptures. Has always willingly accepted and magnified his church callings. He loved telling us stories from the Bible and Book of Mormon when we were growing up. He goes the extra mile to be there for baptisms, ordinations, and baby blessings. I have no doubt of my Dad's testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

10 Favorite Memories of Teenage Years

2010-05-25T08:00:00.008-06:00

Today's 10 on Tuesday is actually narrowed down to 1.

1. Turning 20.

That's about all I can think of. Being a teenager wasn't an awesome time for me. Luckily, my two teenage sons are making up for it and I am loving watching them be teens.

Okay, so my mom and sister made me think more about it and I'm feeling guilty about not having more positive to say. Here are nine more:

2.Taking the black and white tv into my room in the summer and watching Gidget, Gilligan's Island, and Brady Bunch reruns while I ate mac and cheese, a quesadilla or top ramen and waited for my "Sun In" spray in hair lightener to develop.

Here we are with the neighbors at Lake Powell. I took ocassional breaks from Gidget.

3.Coming home from JR. High to Duran Duran's Wild Boys blaring from the record player, walking in to find Laura and Nate dancing around like maniacs to it in the kitchen.

Laura and Nate with their best friends, the Shins. They frequently had them join in on Duran Duran and Depeche Mode renditions.

4. Playing stylist to my little brother Dave. Dave was like my little Ken doll. I'd do his hair with a cowlick, roll up the sleeves on his tshirt, and peg his pants. He was so cool and cute.

Check out that cowlick and the rolled up sleeves. Good work, eh? Like my sun-in effects?

5. Helping Lisa choreograph a dance routine for her Stars Class to Notorious by Duran Duran. Do you remember that Lisa?

Here I am doing some dance moves with the Jr. High PTSA council--copying Breakfast Club.

6. Going on the family trip back to NYC Statue of Liberty Celebration.

7. Going to Chicago for Uncle Steve's wedding.

8. Driving around with my best friends, Stephanie and Emily, with Led Zeppelin cranked as loud as the station wagon stereo could go. Even though we were in the station wagon, we'd all sit in the front seat. We'd drive to 7 Eleven and load up on Slurpees and get sugar rushes.

Hanging out with Jr. High friends--Jenny, Melissa, Emily and Angie.

9. Skiing at Sundance with my yellow Sony Sport cassette player and earphones listening to my new Red Hot Chili Peppers tape. Yes, in neon.

Wow, that is some nice form. Ha. Ha. Good thing it's a b&w shot or you'd be blinded by the neon colors of the ski suit.

10. Walking to Naugles (bean and cheese burritos), Macey's (Seventeen Magazine and Cover Girl Shimmering Shell Lipstick) or the shaved ice shack (Pink Grapefruit/Grape mixed).

10 inventions that have made my life easier

2010-05-18T08:03:00.004-06:00

Today's 10 on Tuesday. These inventions are supposed to be things that were invented in my lifetime. I am not totally sure when these were each invented but I'm thinking they went mainstream in my lifetime. (In no particular order)

1. Digital Photography
2. Debit Cards and online banking
3. Personal Computers and Printers
4. the Internet (thanks, Al. definitely a better invention than your global warming one)
5. central vac
6. microwave ovens
7. cell phones
8. keyless entry-though my key fob has been broken for a good year+
9. mini-vans with self closing doors--genius when you have little kids. loved it when I had one and love others that have them for sparing dents to my car. Now when are we going to get self returning shopping carts?
10. cd/dvd players

Do you want a bagel?

2010-05-17T16:13:00.004-06:00

A few mornings ago, when Chloe woke up, I knew she would be hungry for breakfast, so I asked her," Chloe, do you want a bagel?"

She paused for a moment and replied,"No, I want sumfing called....(pause).....
my daddy!"

10 fond memories from my childhood

2010-05-12T15:23:00.021-06:00

1. One of my memories is of a trip that we took to Boston. Around age 6, we went to the Zackrisons who were going to college at the time. It was my first time on a plane and I discovered Ginger Ale and was amazed that they would just keep bringing it 'for free'. I found this journal entry I made about the trip.It is still what I remember.

"We just whent to Boston Mass. We whent to a place ware there were witchcraft We whent to Old Iron Sides We whent inside it to I had a great aventcher there. Katie Anne Hawkes"

2. Going to Grandma and Grandpa Hawkes house in Preston, Idaho. I'd always fall asleep on the way and wake up in one of the bedrooms downstairs a little disoriented. Once I realized where I was I'd be so excited and run up to greet my Grandma. I loved playing dress-up in her clothes and shoes, eat homemade cookies from her doghouse cookie jar, and play outside in the treehouse and barn. Great times
3. My mom taking us to get Easter dresses each year. We'd get to go to Mini-World or Jolene's to pick one out. She'd also frequently sew matching outfits for all of us. I loved the seersucker sailor inspired outfits she made one year.

This picture of my mom, Lisa, and I is from a Mother/Daughter fashion show the Relief Society put on one year.
4. Going on a caravan road trip with the Widtfeldts. I thought it was so cool that my grandparents had a motor home. I remember riding in it with Aunt Wendy and she was trying to teach me how to braid. I couldn't figure out how a braid used 3 groupings of hair and looked like it was only two. My family with Unlce Steve, Aunt Wendy, and Grandma Widtfeldt.

5. Going to Great Grandpa Wood's house. He would always greet you with a bearhug that could crack your ribs. He had raw almonds and sherbet in his freezer and Hazel had homemade wheat bread to offer up. We went there frequently and there are numerous memories I have of our visits. I loved his Cape Cod style house with white siding and dormer windows. I couldn't imagine that a more charming house could exist anywhere.

This picture is at Great Grandpa Wood's home for an Easter Egg hunt.
6. Going on a road trip from Orem, Utah to NYC, NY in our Green/Cream two toned Chevy station wagon. My dad drove that right through Harlem and would pull over and talk to people like we were in Mayberry, USA. I remember the finger flipping out of other vehicle windows and the yelling of, "Go back to Utah!" That was a great summer vacation, though.

Can you imagine that car with the Sears Ex-Cargo cartop carrier (my sisters are sitting on it) driving through Manhattan with all of us little 'deer in the headlights' kids staring out the windows? Too funny.

7. Trips to the Weber Cabin. We'd frequently invite another family and as a result I have many memories of the various experiences. For example: chasing down the raft by swimming in the ice cold water, shooting potguts with our homemade bows and arrows, sasquatch lighting our campfire, the chocolate chip cookie eating weirdo who paid a visit to the cabin, etc.

Here I am on the wooden raft at the Weber Cabin pond and holding a snake my siblings, cousins and I caught in the stream.

8. My dad taking us along on his business trips to St. George, Utah. We'd hang out at the Holiday Inn pool that was 1/2 indoor and 1/2 outdoor and think we'd gone to heaven. I felt very sophisticated knowing I was going to get a continental breakfast.

9. My dad would read us Uncle Remus stories at night but change the words so we could understand what was being said. He'd get part way through the book and say, "I need to rest my eyes for just a second." Much to our disappointment, he'd always fall asleep when he said this. He also told great stories about growing up on the farm. We'd beg for 'just on more'. After several, and our plea for one more, he'd say,"Let me tell you the one about Shadrach, Meshach, and To Bed You Go." He thought that was pretty funny.

10. When I went away to girls camp, I came home to a completely redecorated room. My mom had set up a daybed, hung a country blue goose border and decorated it all with country blue, white and tan. I was in love. She hung a little decorative plate with a kitten on it that read 'To a daughter who's PURRRRfect just the way she is."

The Top 5 Reasons I love Being a Mom

2010-05-10T18:36:00.002-06:00

I snapped these pictures of my kids on Mothers Day. I sure can't think of anything I'd rather be than their mother.

Going for Broke.

2010-05-06T22:39:00.004-06:00

Things that have broken this past month:
1. Transmission on my Suburban. Had to replace. Ouch.
2. The faucet on my sink. Had to use a screwdriver to turn it on and off until Larry came home to order the part. Then wait until the next time he came home to install the part.
3. Chase's knee. Not actually broken (it was x rayed), but now 3 weeks after injuring it he has been referred to an orthopaedist.
4. Caleb's jaw. Once again, not an actual break. It has been swollen for several days after being hit (don't know by what or whom). Luckily the swelling is subsiding.
5. Washing Machine. Just had the repairman out today to fix it. Now I get to fold a week+ worth of laundry. Uggh. I am sooo grateful to have it working, though.
6. Windshield on my Suburban. It has the most massive cracks -2 of them-down the center. The chip that has been there for a good year decided this was the month to join with the rest of the items in our household.
7. Larry's sprayer. John Deere repairman has been out to take care of things several times.
I would knock on wood that nothing more breaks, but am afraid I would split the wood or break my hand doing so.

Happy Birthday, Caleb!

2010-05-05T18:40:00.005-06:00

A few days ago Caleb turned SEVEN!

While I could name at least 700 things I love about Caleb, here is a list of 7 in honor of his 7th birthday:

1. He has an insatiable curiosity-he has a question for just about everything. His questions show his deep thought and curiosity about the world. He especially loves learning the history of World Wars 1 & 2. This is why he is decked out in military gear. It's all he was interested in for his birthday.

2.He is extremely kind/compassionate-he cares about others feelings and wants others to be happy and have fun. When wrestling, he often won't give it his all (which drives his brothers crazy as spectators) due to his fear of hurting his opponent's feelings. That is why we call him the gentle giant.

3. He is a cuddler-he loves to cuddle me and give me loves.

4. He is a great eater-he rarely complains about what we are having for dinner and eats what is on his plate. This includes a desire for healthy foods--fruits & veggies.

5. He is a great student- he loves to read and do his homework. He is an excellent reader & speller.

6. He follows the rules-he thinks it is very important to choose the right and I can count on him to do so.

7. He is physically active & imaginative-he creates fun scenarios and is more frequently running around and playing rather than sitting. I rarely hear him say, "I'm bored."

Happy Birthday, Caleb. I LOVE YOU!

10 Things I learned from my Mother

2010-05-04T20:25:00.009-06:00

This photo is of my mother holding me in Beaver, Utah when I was about 1 yr. old
10 on Tuesday:
This list is of things my mom has taught me and I have yet to completely learn and master as she has.

1. Value Motherhood. My mom has a college education and numerous talents, abilities, and interests and has always made motherhood her #1 priority. Even when times were less than easy financially, she was committed to being home with her kids.

2. Pursue your interests and develop your talents. She was always learning about and trying new things. She wasn't afraid to venture into unusual hobbies--like taxidermy?!! She encouraged us by enrolling us in dance, piano, art lessons, viola, community classes, skiing, etc.

3. Serve others. I don't think I appreciated how much she sacrificed for us until I was grown, but I know that my mother puts a great importance on serving her family and others.

4. Appreciating the cultural arts. She was interested in plays, ballet, musical performances, home shows, art exhibits, and more, and was frequently purchasing tickets and taking us to these events.

5. Manners. While I certainly have a long way to go, I remember her having etiquette dinners with our family and her training on how to set a table properly, what Emily Post would suggest, etc. I am grateful for this knowledge.

6. Proper grammar and punctuation. I definitely have a long way to go on this. I am still 'taught' frequently on how to correct my mistakes and welcome any teaching she can give me. I know if I ever have a question aboout the proper use of a word, or need an expert editor, she is the best person to consult.

7. Try new foods. My mom taught me to be adventurous in trying and appreciating different cuisines.

8. Appreciate different cultures. Since my mom grew up living and traveling the globe with her family, she appreciated and was interested in travel, and various cultures. She has always tried to take our family to as many places as she could talk my dad into, and when there we were taught about the histories and cultures of the places we went. She still encourages us to travel and experience the diversity of the planet.

9. The importance of family traditions. I am grateful for the traditions that were a part of my life as a child that I have carried on to my family. I have learned the importance of establishing and maintaining our own traditions.

10. Family History. My mom is the quintessential genealogist. She loves searching our family history and preserving our current history as we are making it. She has always been this way. I hope I can live up to her example.

Craziness!

2010-04-29T14:37:00.004-06:00

RiverHeights Master Bedroom
Messina Meadows Kitchen
Paramount Great Room

The past 3 weeks have been crazy! The Ada County Parade of Homes starts this Saturday, May 1st, and I decorated 3 homes. I did one per week over the past 3 weeks. I am exhausted! I also spec'd the interiors on 3 more--tile, carpet, paint, wallpaper, cabinetry, lighting, etc.
It's been fun. If you want to check out some of the pictures I took, go to my other blog www.interiorsredefined.blogspot.com to see them--link in on my sidebar. Or, even better go see them in person. The Parade is free this year.

10 things that make me smile

2010-04-27T15:43:00.004-06:00

Today's 10 on Tuesday:

1. The sight of my children sleeping peacefully.
2. The accomplishments and successes (big or small) of my children.
3. A clean house.
4. Good humor.
5. Chloe singing and dancing and the way she tries to vibrato her voice and do back arches.
6. Larry playing ball with the boys.
7. Summer drives through the canyon with the windows rolled down and good music cranked.
8. Skiing down a powdery slope.
Hearing the following:
9. "Mom, thanks."
10. " I love you."

Top 10 Vacation Destinations

2010-04-19T16:55:00.008-06:00

10 on Tuesday--in no particular order.
1. SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA 2. CHICAGO, ILLINOIS

3. FLORIDA (ORLANDO, GULF COAST, KEY WEST)

family in Orlando

Larry & Boys in Dr. Sweeney's machine

white sand & crystal blue waters in Key West

4. MAUI, HAWAII

5. WASHINGTON D.C.

6. OLYMPIC PENINSULA, WASHINGTON

7. SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA

8. AMISH COUNTRY, PENNSYLVANIA

9. NYC, NEW YORK

10. SAN DIEGO/CORONADO ISLAND, CALIFORNIA

Since I have only been stateside (except Tijuana), my list is limited to my experience in the U.S. However, I am sure that when I get the opportunity to travel abroad this list will change some. That said, we sure do have a beautiful, diverse country and I look forward to adding more stateside destinations to my list of faves.

A slice of life

2010-04-18T22:47:00.005-06:00

Since I keep my blog as my journal, I decided to write a little bit about how hectic life is as of late. Here is a little of the weekly schedule:
4 pm Corb & Caleb get home from school
4:30 pick Chase up from Basketball practice
5:00 pick Carter up from Track practice
5:30 drop Chase off at football practice-have Caleb ready for Laura to take to football practice with Jayden (thanks a million, Laura. You are truly a lifesaver).
5:45 drop Corbin off at football practice
7:00 take Carter to basketball practice
7:30 pick Corbin up at football practice
7:30ish pick Chase up from football practice
8:30 pick Carter up from basketball practice

This is just the practice schedule. During the week throw in a track meet, a basketball game, scouts, Young Mens. Take into consideration dinner and homework and a husband who is a crop sprayer elsewhere, and you will see why my car looks like a garbage dump and smells like a locker room.

This Saturday:
8:30 Caleb's football game starts--be there 30 minutes early to 'warm' up. Thank heavens Larry is here to take him to that.
9:30 Have Chase to a community 20 miles away for his football game--oh and have him with blue socks in order to play. Something we weren't able to find anywhere the night before.
9:45 Carter's basketball game starts. Drop him off. Go look for socks. Find them. Run them back to Chase so he can play.
11:00 Corbin's football game starts. Sorry Coach, he's not making it to warm ups.
12:30 Take lunch to Carter. Thank you concession stand hot dogs.
1:00 Meet up with Larry who was able to stay and watch Chase's entire game. I watched Corbin's.
2:00 Head out together to watch Carter's 2nd basketball game.
4:00 Finally finished for the day. Go get pizza.
6:30 Say bye bye to the crop sprayer for the week. Load the washing machine.

Here are the picture highlights:

Chloe always provides great sideline entertainment. Here she is doing an interpretive dance to "We Will Rock You".

Chase is going in for the tackle.

And he gets it. No TD for you, buddy. Don't those blue socks look sharp?

My 10 Favorite Ethnic Foods

2010-04-13T10:49:00.004-06:00

Today's 10 on Tuesday:
1. Pizza Neopolitan 2. Coconut Ice Cream

3. Baklava

4. Enchiladas

5. Croissants

6. Chips and Mango Salsa

7. Eggplant Parmesan

8. Beef Stroganoff

9. Coconut Curry

10. Pad Thai

What do I notice that these all seem to have in common? Off the charts in fat grams and calories. Nice. They sure do taste yummy, though.

Easter and Spring Break

2010-04-12T10:50:00.005-06:00

For Spring Break this year we headed to Utah. Larry and the kids met up with Dave and Gavyn on Monday night and attended a Jazz game. They absolutely loved it! Unfortunately, the weather for the week wasn't very warm so we spent a lot of time indoors at Grandma and Grandpa's playing video games, with cousins, and heading to the church gym for basketball. Larry, Caleb and Carter went golfing on the first (and only) warmish day with Larry's dad. It was a nice week and we really enjoyed the time with family.

This is a paper Caleb brought home from school where he was apparently assigned to summarize his Spring Break.

Do you get the impression Carter feels like he has 'outgrown' this photo op?

Caleb was able to spend a lot of time with Gavyn and loved every minute of their interaction.

Carter collects his payoff for being in the cousins picture.

Chloe models her Easter attire.

The kids enjoy cousin time together.

Laura and Haley pulled out the nail polish box and we had fun giving Hazel and Chloe manicures.

This was Chloes first time having her nails painted and she was in heaven.

10 words people would use to describe me

2010-04-06T07:30:00.005-06:00

10 on Tuesday
Here's my list:
1. independent (not in the political sense)

2. opinionated
3. witty
4. creative
5. artistic
6. sarcastic
7. compassionate
8. perfectionist
9. busy
10. organized

Here's the list from my kids and husband (I was curious as to what they would say):
1. loyal (Corbin)
2. pretty (Caleb)
3. nice (Caleb)
4. helpful (Corbin)
5. happy (Corbin)
6. busy (Caleb)
7. weird (Carter)
8. not punctual (Carter)
9. beautiful (Larry)
10. creative (Larry)

I think this is reflective of their ages. Carter's crack me up. It is always humbling to ask your teenager words to describe you. I should have known better. Chase was asleep on the couch sick with the stomach flu when I asked them, so he was unable to give an answer.

The 10 Things I Love about Spring

2010-03-30T09:03:00.009-06:00

1. Little girls white sandals. Once they show up on the store shelves, you know Spring is on it's way.

2. Daffodils. Nothing says spring to me like bright yellow daffodils poking their way up through once frozen ground. 3. Spring showers. While I am typing this, it is raining outside and helping the flowers to bloom, and the grass to turn green.

4. The sound of birds chirping. This sound always puts me in a good mood. 5. The beauty of the grass turning back to green.

6. New Life.

7. General Conference. Renews my commitments, teaches me, and inspires me to be better.

8. Blossoms popping out on the trees. I grew up with a cherry orchard behind my house. Even though I had unbearable allergies, I loved the blossoms.

9. Easter. Remembering the life and ressurection of the Savior. Celebrating and having a special day full of family traditions.

10. A return of bright, cheery colors. Everywhere you go it's vibrant pink, blue, green, yellow...

Cheeks!

2010-03-24T21:46:00.002-06:00

On Saturday afternoon I got to spend a couple of hours with this adorable guy. He is my sister Laura's little baby, Oliver. What a cutie! When I wasn't cuddling him, I was posing him for pictures. I couldn't resist putting a little spike in his hair.

He looks a little unsure about all of this. But don't you just want to kiss those cheeks?

Corbin couldn't resist. Thanks for coming over to our house. It sure was fun!

10 Things I Will/Won't Miss About Winter

2010-03-23T08:05:00.007-06:00

1. I won't miss icy, freezing conditions and roads. 2. I won't miss the stress of preparing for the holidays.

3. I will miss the beauty of freshly fallen snow.

4. I will miss the joys of Christmas.

5. I will miss wearing cute boots with everything.

6. I will miss attending the boys' basketball games.

7. I will miss opportunities to have this kind of fun.

8. I will miss the sparkle of Christmas lights.

9. I will miss the kids making a snowman and getting so excited about the potential to build one.

10. I will miss making hot chocolate for and welcoming my cold kids into a nice, warm house after being outside in the snow. Doesn't it just feel safe and cozy inside when it's so cold outside?

Why Not?

2010-03-18T09:19:00.006-06:00

Tuesday morning, after our second day of messed up alarm clocks due to daylight savings, Carter and Chase were going to be a good 30 minutes late to school. Rather than drive them to school tardy, I suggested we drive to Washington to see Dad. I reminded them that they would not only be missing school but sports practices as well. Without much hesitation they were all on board. We 'quickly' packed, loaded the car, and hit the road. Five + hours later we were in Washington hanging out with Larry. Kind of. Caleb hopped in the sprayer with Larry and finished up the field while the rest of the kids and I drove around checking things out.

This is one of the store fronts along the main street through town. I must admit that if it weren't against my religious beliefs this would be a winning combination--talk about taking the pain out of exercise. We thought it was pretty hilarious. The entry to the liquor store was in front and around the side was the entrance to the fitness center. Of all the names for the fitness center/liquor store--the Burn?!!

10 Things I Love About My Life

2010-03-16T08:52:00.005-06:00

1. My marriage. Here we are walking into the temple almost 17 years ago. Whoa.

2. My Family. I love every second I get to spend with them. They bring me the greatest happiness.

3.Having a little girl. She makes me smile every day. I love how girly she is. I love dressing her, talking about princesses and watching her dance and sing. 4. Having 4 boys. Watching them in their athletics and all of the things that they love that are so boyish brings me joy.

5. My brothers and sisters and parents. I admire them and it makes me happy to interact and talk with them.

6. My nieces and nephews. They are so cute! I am so happy to read about them on their parents blogs and any chance I get to see them. I love that my kids love their cousins and have good relationships with all of them.

7. I love living close to a temple. Also, knowing the blessings that come to me by being married in the temple.

8. Knowing that my husband loves what he is doing. I also love that he can provide for our family doing something he loves.

9. Expressing myself creatively. I love design and any chance I get to dream up and create something.

10. My home. It is my refuge from the world. I love expressing myself in it, welcoming my family and friends into it, and the way I feel when I am going to bed at night knowing my children are tucked safely into their beds in it.

10 things I'd like to learn how to do...

2010-03-09T08:40:00.006-07:00

Today's '10 on Tuesday' asks the above question. Here are my answers in no particular order.
1. TIME MANAGEMENT aka SELF-DISCIPLINE-so I could actually find/make time to learn any of the following on my list.2. TAKE AWESOME PICTURES and PHOTOSHOP.
3. DIGITAL SCRAPBOOKING (including taking all of my printed pictures out of their ziploc baggie storage system, scan and convert to digital scrapbooks).

4. WEAVE MY OWN HAIR.

5. KNIT SOMETHING COOL (or anything at all, for that matter).

6. CUSTOM MATTING AND FRAMING.

7. SEW THINGS THAT PEOPLE WOULD DARE WEAR OR USE.

8. HANG WALLPAPER LIKE A PRO.

9. PLANT, MAINTAIN AND HARVEST AN AMAZING GARDEN & BOTTLE MY HARVEST.

10. MAKE THE PERFECT PIE CRUST.

And the Oscar goes to...

2010-03-06T17:54:00.005-07:00

Chloe for her leading role in a drama as a cereal killer. She really bowled over the academy with her performance. (See following post).
Okay, so it's not actually an Oscar. We just got home from Corbin's basketball team party and Chloe walked into the office wearing sunglasses on her head, and carrying this trophy. It struck me as funny considering the Oscars are tomorrow. Since the camera was sitting right next to me I played the role of paparazzi and snapped this shot. Most academy award winning actresses wouldn't be caught with dried fry sauce all over their mouth. Chloe's so down to earth.
P.S. For all of you that just watch the Oscars to see what they're wearing, this ensemble is by a variety of designers--vintage Gymboree (like 2 seasons ago), Paul Frank for Target (Clearance Rack), and DownEast Kids.

Don't Cry Over Spilled Milk

2010-03-05T11:30:00.005-07:00

Even if the milk was spilled at 11:30 pm because your 2 year old, who should have been in bed for hours by then, throws a fit wanting cereal and once you give it to her proceeds to throw the bowl and all the contents across the room?

Then, as you clean it up and go to put the milk soaked towels in the washing machine realize that your washing machine has been crying, too. Washing machine tears are all over the floor in the laundry room.

Thank you blog for letting me cry on your shoulder. The other shoulder I would usually cry on is driving a big tractor on a farm right now.

10 on Tuesday (at almost 11 on Wednesday)

2010-03-03T22:43:00.010-07:00

I drove around with my camera in my car so I could go by one of the following spots and snap a picture. It didn't happen. The places I did have to go--Lowes, Albertson's--didn't make it to my list so I am making this post without any pictures of the places I chose. Today's picture taking didn't fare much better, but I thought this was an interesting idea and had me thinking...

The TOP 10 PLACES I WOULD TAKE A TOURIST VISITING MY HOMETOWN are:

1. Rembrandts Coffee Shop in Eagle, ID. An old church with gorgeous stained glass windows has been converted into an art gallery (featuring local artists)/coffee shop. It's actually far more than a coffee shop because they make delicious omelettes, homemade quiche and baked goods, soups, to die for sandwiches and for non coffee drinkers like me, yummy smoothies and creme frappes. In the colder months you can stay warm in the big cozy chairs and sofas reading or playing chess or cards and when it's warm they have a charming brick paver patio.

2.Boise River, Eagle location. After breakfast at Rembrandt's, we'd stop at the Boise river and walk through the wooded area and enjoy the lovely walking path. Beautiful. Restful. Serene.

3. Two Rivers. This neighborhood has the amazing homes--especially in the very back around their own little lake. It's worth a drive through--assuming we can make it through the gated area.

4. Eagle Island State Park. Another pretty nature area that is super fun for swimming in the summer and tubing in the winter.

5. Downtown Meridian--the old part. There is a fun fountain and town square there. I don't think much happens there but it is fun to see and the surrounding businesses have done a nice job renovating their buildings.

6. Lunch at either Miss Tami's Tea Cottage or Community Flatbread Pizzeria . Located across the street from one another in Downton Meridian, they are completely opposite from one another in more than just location. But, I really like both. Maybe lunch at Community Flatbread and dessert at Miss Tami's?

7. Ann Morrison Parkway. We'd definitely drive down to Boise, take our cruisers and ride along the Boise river through Ann Morrison Park. A charming ride that takes you through BSU's campus, past the zoo, and art museum. We'd have to stop at the park to see the rose garden, maybe the zoo and art museum?

8. The farmers market (seasonal) and downtown shopping district in Boise. Tons of fun boutiques and a cool vibe.

9. Hidden Springs Neighborhood, along Warmsprings Avenue, and the North End. Amazing homes on the last two, and a really cool neighborhood concept on the first.

10. Dinner at the Cottonwood Grille. This is the favorite place I've been for a nice dinner in Boise. When it's warm its nice to dine al fresco. A gorgeous patio lit with tiny white lights sits close enough to the Boise river to hear it running by. The pork tenderloin is awesome.

*Honorable Mentions: Shakespeare Theatre, Tubing Down the Boise River, Bogus Basin for Skiing, Boating at Lucky Peak, a tour from my Bro. of Gowen Field (that's a very cool thing).

I've gotta feeling that today's gonna be a good day!

2010-02-28T22:45:00.010-07:00

Okay, maybe there are some perks to getting another year older. First off, my sister Laura, and sis-in-law Karin, took me out to lunch with some friends from my old neighborhood that I haven't seen for a long time. They arranged this all for the day before my actual birthday knowing that Larry would be coming home on my birthday. It was so much fun visiting and eating yummy food. Thanks for making me feel so special. Laura surprised me with a gift certificate for some much needed pampering at a fancy salon in town. Thanks Laura, Lisa, Haley, and Mom for the treat. I can't wait to go redeem it! Karin gave me my favorite treat--cinnamon bears, and movie tickets (I'm saying they can only be redeemed for a chick flick).

The next day was the official birthday and I woke to the sound of dishes clanking. I was surprised to find that Carter and Chase had gotten up early and had not only unloaded the dishwasher but loaded the remaining dishes into it. When I later went upstairs to wake up the younger boys, I saw that Carter and Chase had also made their beds and cleaned up all of their clothes! WOW! Now that is an awesome start to a birthday. It started me singing, "I gotta a feeling that today's gonna be a good day, that today's gonna be a good good day." ( I like to revise lyrics).

Corbin and Caleb didn't want to be outdone so they quickly made birthday cards out of printer paper and displayed them on the entry table. They got dressed without whining, cheerfully gathered their backpacks and helped load Chloe into the car. I dropped them off at school.

As I was walking back in the door still singing and grinning from ear to ear, I heard the tail end of an answering machine message. It was something about Carter. I quickly looked at caller i.d. to see it was the high school and called them back. I was patched to the nurse's office where I was told Carter had split his lip in PE and needed me to come get him to go to the Dr. for some repair work.

That ended my singing. Luckily he got patched up and back to school. The Dr. says he should heal up just fine and that chicks dig tough guys with scars.

Later that afternoon I got to go to lunch again with some friends from my neighborhood. They found out Larry was going to be home a little later than planned and stepped in. It was so much fun.

After lunch, Chloe and I took a nap on the couch. That was awesome.

That evening Larry made it home. Yeah! He took the family out to dinner and then surprised me by having our niece, Kelli, watch the kids overnight while he took me to a beautiful hotel. It was so wonderful sleeping in and waking up on my own. Before heading home we enjoyed having a delicious breakfast together.

He gave me a cute new outfit to wear-- this cardigan...

and these pants. He picked them out all by himself. Pretty impressive. (Sure wish I looked like this in them).

I had an amazing birthday and am so grateful to my family and friends for making it so memorable.

I'm so glad when daddy comes home

2010-02-28T22:01:00.006-07:00

The best part of having daddy working away is having him come back!His fan club sure was happy to see him!

We made tons of his favorite treats--chocolate chip cookies.
The favorite part of making Daddy's treats is helping lick the bowl.

MMMMM. We hope he likes the brownies.It sure is great having dad home to play basketball with his boys.

And show off all of the skills that have been developed.

Better start practicing, Dad.

Say What?

2010-02-22T18:04:00.004-07:00

As I was driving in the car with the kids Saturday afternoon, Chloe was sandwiched between her brothers in the very back seat. Suddenly I hear her yelling, "Dangit! Dangit! Dangit!"
She paused briefly, and then added, "Oh, heck!" I quickly looked in the rearview mirror to see what was going on and she was holding Corbin's gameboy and vigorously shaking it as though she were involved in an intense game.

I know she has no clue how to even turn it on.

Oh my heck, these little ones do a dang good job copying the bigger ones, don't they?

Warning:

2010-02-22T08:40:00.007-07:00

This is what can happen when your husband returns to his hometown to install cabinetry and finish carpentry. Home Sweet Home?

I should've read the fine print on that construction contract.

Ronald Reagan and the Polka Dot Princess

2010-02-09T09:53:00.005-07:00

This is the Polka Dot Princess. She broke out in the Chicken Pox a little over a week ago. This is one of her happier moments. It hasn't been fun for her. We've had to call Calamine Lotion "pink barbie lotion" in order to get it on her. She screams in the Aveeno baths yelling at me to get the 'goobers' out of the water. Believe me, not an easy task.

This is Corbin as Ronald Reagan. He has spent the last few months researching someone important from history, drawing pictures, making timelines, a memento box, and for the finale dressing up as the person and giving an oral presentation.

This was the 'meet and greet' where the guests asked questions trying to figure out who the kids are dressed up as. Notice Einstein and Picasso over Corbin's shoulder. I actually wasn't sure if it was Einstein or Mama from the Carol Burnett Show and Mama's House.

Corbin does his best Ronald Reagan impersonation while showing off the portrait he drew.

Thirteen Years Ago...

2010-01-31T21:49:00.003-07:00

Thirteen Years ago Chase was born and Carter was almost turning two. Ten years ago they were willing to dress up and pose like this for a birthday photo.
Wow, how time flies. Here they are now-- both teenagers. Both with bigger feet and hands than me. No longer mistaken for me when they answer the phone. No longer able to get math homework assistance from me. Not the slightest bit interested in lightsabers, or action figures for birthday presents. Both are amazing sons and big brothers. I am recognizing that the time I will have them living with me in my home is rapidly decreasing. They are turning from little boys into men. I love them. I am extremely proud of them. I cherish every memory we have made together. Thanks for all that you have taught me. I love being your mom.

Happy 13th and 15th, Carter and Chase!

Fanamania!

2010-01-25T22:31:00.004-07:00

Carter sits on the bench waiting for his game to start and can't believe his eyes!

He has the biggest little kid fan club of any one. Jonas Brothers, eat your hearts out.

"Hey. Who you callin' a 'little kid'?"

Look at our cheering section.

We had the old and the young .

"Hazel, wanna get the kids together and do some cheerleading moves?"

Every good pyramid needs a solid base of muscle.

These guys watch and reminisce the days when they qualified as pyramid bases.

Our team definitely had the cutest cheerleaders!

Go ROCKY! GO ROCKY!

With a fan base like this, how can you not get fired up to play?!!

Swimming at the Bean museum?

2010-01-11T14:24:00.002-07:00

Have you ever thought the Monte L. Bean museum would be just a little better if only it had a swimming pool?Me neither.
I recently had a decorating job in McCall, Idaho. Since the last of my furniture deliveries took place the first weekend of Christmas break, we decided to make it a family affair and booked a hotel, loaded up our sleds and took the whole crew. Imagine our surprise when we went to the pool and were greeted by walls of animal heads!

Caleb insists on pulling out his guns any time he is around wild animals!

It was actually a really neat hotel and we had a great time in McCall. The next post documents a little more of the fun we had, except in the snow.

Dashing through the snow...

2010-01-11T13:51:00.003-07:00

We were dashing through the snow on totally open sleighs.

Down the hills we went

smiling

all the
way!

Daddy gets ready to slide not just down the hill,

but also off the road as we are making our way down the mountain
headed for home.

Not smiling all the way anymore as we wait for the tow truck to arrive. Thank heavens Larry the tow truck driver showed up to pull us out.

Yep. It looks like it's going to be a

Very Larry Christmas!

Purple Reigns

2010-01-11T13:21:00.004-07:00

I am not trying to hurt your feelings if you love purple, but I must say it is not my favorite color. Perhaps it's those memories of Prince from the 80's. That said, we have been wearing it about twice a week--as a whole family. Even Chase has been willing to sport the color of Barney the Dinosaur.

Chase thinks that the banner hanging in the gym reading, "REAL MEN WEAR PURPLE" better be true.

We have been watching a lot of freshman basketball games Carter has been playing in and his school colors are purple and white. His home uniforms are white and the away are totally purple.

On game days Carter is required to dress up in shirt, tie, etc. Purple is an in color this season so I have been able to find it for everyone and got Carter a nice tie and vneck sweater in purple. When I picked him up from school the first dress up game day, he came out to the car with an ear to ear grin. He got in the car and told me that a lot of girls told him he looks really good in Purple. Now if we could only get him to wear a color other than purple.

GO GRIZZ!

Merry Christmas 2009

2010-01-05T21:32:00.007-07:00

We had a wonderful Christmas. Due to all of Larry's recent driving, we didn't end up making any treks out of town and enjoyed having our niece Kelli spend Christmas with us. Her friend Victor also joined us for Christmas Eve dinner and it was a lot of fun for our family having them here. It's hard to believe Christmas Break is over and it has been very challenging the last couple of mornings getting everyone up and out the door in time for school. On a sidenote, if anyone is looking for a fun board game we got Who, What, Where. We played it a ton and it's a blast!

The tradition of Christmas Eve jammies lives on. I was warned by the two oldest that they were not interested in Christmasy pajamas--you know the kind that button up the front. However, if I did want to get them athletic shorts and tees, they'd be cool with that. The other 3 still got the festive pjs. This is probably Corbin's last year before graduating to the style of the big brothers. He did try making his more 'cool' by pushing up the sleeves. Whatever works?!

In honor of the BYU bowl game win, the gang models their new BYU gear from Grandma Hawkes, with the exception of Chloe who wasn't willing to change out of her Princess dress--even though her Y shirt was pink.

This was an 'all girl' Christmas for Chloe...princesses, pink satin & tulle, & magic fairy wands. I admit I was loving it just as much.

Of course it was also an 'all boy' Christmas for Caleb...dart guns, cap guns, & army guys. Not quite as 'precious' for me watching Caleb shoot everything in sight with darts. It was also startling to be awakened from my much needed naps by the sound of cap gunfire! That dang Santa. Even though I am not into guns like Caleb, I thoroughly enjoyed watching the joy he was having playing with all of them.
Unfortunately, I didn't get a picture of the macho army guy taking refuge in the princess castle being served from pretty pink teacups by a lovely princess.

First Snowfall of the Season

2009-12-13T23:05:00.000-07:00

Chase takes to the hill in our subdivison entry.

Corbin attempts snowboarding on the same hill.

Chase tries to get Chloe in on the fun.

But she wants nothing of it. She will head back to the warmth of the car and enjoy the snow as a spectator.

Wide World of Sports

2009-11-16T19:12:00.003-07:00

Caleb has been playing Yball and is loving it. He is on the team with his best buddies, twin brothers, Preston and Conner.

Chase has been wrestling for his middle school and has been very successful.

Tonight Carter made the final cut and is officially a member of the High School Freshman basketball team!

Corbin is taking a break until January and Chloe is staying busy practicing her cheers.

Halloween 2009

2009-11-02T17:40:00.004-07:00

" Let me get this straight. Once a year I let my mom dress me up, then go outside with a bucket and get absurd amounts of candy? Works for me."

There must not have been much trickin' beacause there sure were a lot of treats!

, Uncle Bridger (aka Laveranues Coles as a Jet), a ninja, a middle school wrestler, dracula, a rugby player, a witch and a black cat get ready to go out for some trick-or -treating.

This is a pretty spooky bunch!

Edward, you've got nothing on this guy.

Happy Halloween!

Coolness Factor

2009-10-27T18:25:00.004-06:00

Carter has been telling me that none of his jeans fit any more and he needs some new ones. However, I am told to be careful when picking them out to make sure to get the right style. At one point I was told that "I still think the Gap is cool." Okay, so it's not? Seriously?

Then tonight as I'm getting dinner ready, Carter put his ipod on the dock so everyone could rock out to the Black Eyed Peas. How can you not get down to the beat on those songs? Caleb looks over at me and says,"Whoa. How are you doing that with your feet?"
I glance down.
"This?" I do the move a few more times . "I don't know," I say, suppressing my smile that I might actually have a cool dance move.
"Mom, that's so cool. Could Michael Jackson do that?"

Sweet.
Cool moves-- in my Gap jeans. So what if Carter & Chase were rolling their eyes and shaking their heads in embarrassment?

Larry & Jim each bagged one today

2009-10-24T15:34:00.008-06:00

That rifle has kick.
Jim was able to bring this one down from 533 yards away.
This antelope was shot from 575 yards away.

How do you know you're overdue in buying your daughter a doll?

2009-10-08T18:12:00.004-06:00

When you realize she always plays with boys toys hand-me-downs and feel bad your feminine little lady doesn't have a mini-doll. Willingly, you give in at the cash register buying the mini-cinderella doll she has tossed into the cart. Then as you are defending your purchase to your 9 yr. old on the way home (why didn't HE get a toy?) hear your 2 yr. old daughter yell "Touchdown" as she hurls mini-cindi across the car to her brother.
At least it looks like she has great form.