Our Crazy Life

Monumental Events since my hiatus from blogging......

2010-09-16T17:07:00.000-07:00

So much has happened since I stopped blogging regularly I have decided to do a little review...

The biggest event was in December when we closed escrow on a home. We are so excited about our house, but it has been a LOT of work! When we got it there was green carpet and mustard walls in the entire house. The walls have since been painted and we have put in Mahogony floors on the main floor and recarpeted the upstairs. Now we are in process of finishing the basement. When we are finished, we'll have an 8 bedroom 3 1/2 bath home. This means everyone has their own room! THE KIDS ARE LOVING THAT!

The colors before

New floors and paint!

The newlook in the livingroom/formal dining area

The kitchen after

We were excited to debut our new home to the Stanger side of the family at reunion time.
Papa Nick even made a surprise appearance!

It's really hard to get 4 five year olds and a three year old in a cousins picture!

Uncle Eric taught Jacob to ride his bike without training wheels!

Kloe loves her cousin Kaden SO much!

This cutie is Lucas. Jonah and Kayleigh were his cousin buddies!

Tyler is always willing to strike a pose. I love this kid, he's a blast!

Papa Nick and Tyler at the Olympic Museum

Jon and his brothers and sister in order from oldest to youngest:

Jon, Nicole, Danny, and Eric

THEN......June 4th
JARED GRADUATED! (On Kami's 23rd Birthday no less!)

My Mom, Grandma, and Bestie Lauren all came to town for the event!

Special thanks go to all of them for subjecting themselves to the Stanggang lifestyle on CRACK!

(It was seriously insane!)

My Mom and Grandma liked our afternoon up Mill Creek Canyon.

A special thanks to Janae for taking Jared's senior pictures!

We have also been blessed with a summer filled with special friends coming from near and far to visit!

After Mom, Gram, and Lauren left we got to see my friend Dawn and little guy REW for a few weeks.

They came all the way from South Carolina!

We had fun at the sidewalk chalk fest, sprinkler park, Herriman Days parade and carnival, the sprinkler park, and several other fun places.

We introduced REW to red snowies which he LOVED!

The same day Dawn and Rew left to go stay with Ang and Mike my best friend since kindergarten came. Uncle Donnie is a crowd favorite!

The guys took him shooting, we introduced him to the PIE pizzeria, saw a bees game and more! I think everyones favorite activity with Uncle Don was blowing stuff up! Fireworks aren't legal in California so we made the most of our ability to purchase them in Utah.

(We may have accidentally had some illegal Nevada ones on hand too!)

While Don was still here our old neighbor and friend Tiffany came to stay with us! Her sister Jennifer didn't make it this time because she has a job now!
We had fun at the Days of 47 parade, fireworks, several trips to the lake with Jonah's kayak,
the copper mines, a few movies, hikes, feeding the local horses, and exploring Wheeler Farm.

Then, because summertime at the Camp stanggang is NEVER boring, after Uncle Don left, but while Tiff was still here....CALEB came to visit. Caleb is a friend from San Diego as well. Our families have been friends for 15 years or so thanks to a theater group (CYT) our kids performed in.

Too bad Caleb didn't use sunscreen at the lake!

We also had fun seeing our friend Mike from San Diego and his daughter Lydia who lives here in SLC.

It's been awhile!

2010-09-03T21:15:00.000-07:00

Dear Sadly Neglected Blog,
It sure has been awhile. It's been almost a year since I've made a post. SO much has happened in that time. I started this blog so my parents could see what was happening in our lives and then my dad died. Without him reading my blog and my mom checking in on facebook I had a hard time coming here. It made me miss my Dad too much! I really have missed it though, so I'm ready to be back.

I will be adding pictures, changing the look of things, and bringing everything up to date. Check back soon, as "construction" starts tomorrow!
~K

Cat on a stick (or should I say power pole!)

2009-08-15T13:59:00.000-07:00

We are dog sitting a dog that is afraid of thunder, so we brought him home with us for the night since there was a storm. Unfortunately we have cats in our house. Our cat Jack DOES NOT LIKE DOGS! Needless to say when he saw the dog he got scared and ran up a power pole in the corner of our backyard. He was perched on the live power lines yowling for help when we found him. Calls to Animal Control, the Fire Dept., and the Power Co. were of no help. After taking the dog home, enjoying two nice burst of fairly heavy morning rain, and 5 1/2 hours of coaxing from two women on an extension ladder placed on a live power line pole in the rain, he finally crawled down far enough for Judy to reach him. This happened none too quickly. I'm not sure who was the most stressed in the situation, the cat, Judy and I, or the neighbor screaming over the fence for us to get down away from the power lines! I have to say the several birds who popped on the line a couple feet away from the cat just to taunt him did supply some much needed comic relief!

The Great Vitamin Caper

2009-08-15T13:52:00.000-07:00

Yesterday morning I woke up early to find Jacob already awake and wandering the house. Soon after, he began complaining that he didn't feel well. After a brief interview with him I discovered he had eaten an entire costco sized jar of gummy vitamins. I quickly called poison control and was relieved to be informed that the worst thing that would happen would be explosive diarrhea and a tummy ache! Whew, another bullet dodged!

Roller skating

2009-08-15T13:46:00.000-07:00

This week for Family Home Evening we decided our family needed to have some fun, so we went skating at Hollywood connection. We took our niece London with us too! The twins didn't enjoy the experience that much so they ended up sitting in the center of the rink watching for awhile. They had fun though. Poor Jon fell and bruised his hip. I am pleased to report I can still skate well and can even race around backwards! It was really fun and we hope to go again soon! Next time we will go to a family rink that lets the little guys ride on scooters!

2009-08-15T13:41:00.000-07:00

Just 2 short days after we came home from Texas Kayleigh crashed her bike and flew head first into a parked truck. The end result was a severe concussion, and dehydration (from throwing up too much) that landed her in Primary Children's Hospital overnight. We received good care and she was actually sad when they took her IV out, she wanted to take it home to show her siblings!

Four Corners

2009-08-15T13:28:00.000-07:00

On the drive home from Texas we stopped at 4 corners just to say we did! It was a bit expensive ($3 a person) and sort of lame, but the shops along the edge were cool and we bought a few neat things! We also can say we have all been in 4 states at one time! Here's some proof!

Dad's memorial

2009-08-15T12:51:00.000-07:00

Our family had another nice long drive from Utah to Lubbock, Texas for my Dad's memorial. While we were there we spent time with the Holland family and got my Dad's house cleared out. It was an emotionally exhaustive week that felt much more like a month, but we did it!

The memorial service at my Dad's church was nice. So many people spoke about the man my Dad was and helped clue us in to different sides of him some of us didn't know. One highlight for me came in the form of an Eagle Feather. An Indian chief who was a Vietnam Vet my Dad counseled gave my the feather with a beautifully written tribute to my Dad. It also stated that an Eagle feather was being released to the winds in my Dad's name as a tribute to him. He credits my Dad with saving him from suicide. The honor is reserved solely for warriors. A hawk feather was also released to take the tribes prayers for the family to the heavens. It was very moving.

After the church service there was a family luncheon and then a short gathering at the war memorial in Lubbock. My Dad helped get the memorial for the city and his friend Ed wanted to light a colored smoke grenade in Dad's honor there. It was really cool, as were all the Vets that spoke there!

We went to dinner as a family that evening, then found the coolest park to gather and play in. I'm am so glad Hil and Bea came up from San Antonio, my Uncle Virgil, Aunt Shay, their grandson Isiah came from Washington and that my Uncle Perry and Aunt Sharon, and cousin Molly and her family came from Oklahoma. They really helped us survive a miserable week and added some bright spots!

The smoke grenade
The Holland side of the family
Jon and I with our family. Koe is wrapped in a towel behind Jon because she fell in the lake!
My Uncles Virgil and Perry
Jared at the Park
Jacob
Kloe
Jacob
Sister play time!
Kloe and cousin Isiah
The Park
The 3 amigos!

The San Diego funeral trip

2009-08-15T12:14:00.000-07:00

We went to San Diego for a week so we could attend Michelle's funeral. It was a bittersweet trip. The day of the funeral was especially difficult. On the other hand, visiting family and friends was a much needed relief after of week of emotional hardship. Spending time with my Mom, Grandma, cousin Robert, my BFF Toni and her family, old friends from our neighborhood and school, as well as all the Stanger family was amazing. If only there wasn't a funeral in the mix.

Jon and his siblings Eric, Danny, Nicole, and Scarlett

Nicole, Jon, and Eric

We went to a Padres game with Jon's brother Danny. Here's the view from our nose bleed seats!
We got a day at the beach to unwind. Here's all 7 of our crew!

The Stanggang

Jared and Kami with our "adopted" son Dan!

Kami showing Jared woman are just as strong as men!

Michelle

2009-08-15T12:07:00.000-07:00

On Friday July 10th, just 3 days after my Dad was found, Jon's Dad called to tell us his wife Michelle was being taken off life support. She had been in a coma since the previous Monday. It was a shock to the family as she was only 47. It was at this time we decided to go to San Diego for her funeral first, then hold a memorial for my Dad in Texas later in the month. Our hearts were broken for Nick and Scarlett, Jon's Dad and baby sister.

My Daddy!

2009-08-15T11:45:00.001-07:00

On July 7th, after nearly two weeks of unsuccessfully trying to get in touch with my Dad, I called the Lubbock police Dept. and ask for a health and welfare check. They called me back 2 hours later to let me know that they found my dad dead on the floor next to his bed, with his faith dog Puppy there by his side protecting him. The medical examiner estimated that he probably passed away somewhere around June 24th! I felt just awful about the time delay in finding him. I hadn't been too worried because he had mentioned a fishing trip with my Uncle Perry. I assumed he was out of range. When both my Uncle Perry and my Uncle Virgil called to see if I'd heard from him, I knew something was wrong. Needless to say, I will miss my Daddy very much!

The zoo with the Despains!

2009-08-15T11:00:00.001-07:00

Way back on June 30th we took Brenda, Lauren, and Wyatt to the zoo. Lauren and Wyatt had never been! We had a really great time seeing all of the animals, and an even better time acting like them!

The zoo crew!
Kayleigh, Jonah, Kaitlin, Kloe, Lauren, and Jacob!

Lauren and kloe!

Lauren checking out Kayleigh's new shell!
Who knew you could ride wild cats bareback!Kaitlin the nose picker!

The playground was SO fun

Kloe the tree hugger!

Wyatt

Kaitlin's trip to Europe!

2009-06-26T08:48:00.000-07:00

Kaitlin is home from Europe. She had a WONDERFUL time. She saw so many different places, things, and cultures in the 6 countries she visited. She had a blast in London, and even managed to get a glimpse of the queen. (But not a picture!) She also enjoyed seeing a West End play, Blood Brothers. In Paris, she toured the Louve and saw the Mona Lisa, she went to Versailles, Notre Dame, and the Eiffel Tower. She even cruised down the Seine. In Switzerland she visited Lowendenkmal (Lion Monument), a sandstone statue carved in a rock. She stayed right on Lake Lucerne. She even walked across the Kapellbrucke (a covered bridge with a history dating back to mideveil times!). She shopped a LOT here. The Swiss chocolate she brougt us was divine! She thought Liechtenstein was beautiful and was fascinated by the Royal families hilltop castle there. She thought Austria was so lush and green. She toured Neuschwanstein castle on the way from Innsbruck to Munich. It's the castle Walt Disney got his inspiration for Sleeping Beauty's castle from. She was sad no pictures were allowed to be taken on the tour. In Munich she toured Dachau, a WWII concentration camp. She was humbled by the expereince. She saw gas chambers as well as ovens used to kill the jewish people.
All in all, she loved the entire trip. She bonded with the kids she traveled with and hopes to maintain those friendships. London was her favorite place. She loved the VIBE and the people! She really wants to go back. Anyway, here's a few of the nearly 1500 pictures she took........

Kailtin with the group from Hunter High + 1 from Olympus High!

She couldn't resist the phone booth in London!
Outside Versilles in Paris

Eiffel Tower
From the observation deck on the Eiffel Tower

Being French!

Outside the Louve

Inside the Louve

On the Seine

Notre Dame

At the Lion Monument in Switzerland

In Lucerne

This old castle is being turned into a hotel in Lucerne

A cool castle
Austria

Swine-tastic!!!!!!!!!

2009-06-24T10:16:00.000-07:00

The first two weeks of summer were a HUGE bust here at Camp Stanger, we all got Swine flu! (Yes the real thing!) We went down like Domino's with varied degrees of ailments. Jacob and I had the worst of it! Kloe and Kaitlin, who was in Europe, didn't get it at all thankfully! Kayleigh did recover quickly enough to go to camp at Millhollow. (She LOVED camp and can't wait to go back again next year!)

So now that we are all somewhat healthy again, Jon has Bronchitis and I have a sinus infection, we are going to start enjoying our summer in earnest!

And she's off!

2009-06-11T13:26:00.001-07:00

Kaitlin and her big pink suitcase got off safe and sound for her European Adventure! She even got to see David Archuleta in the airport. What more could a girl want! Stay tuned for more updates!

Happy 22nd Birthday Kami!

2009-06-04T09:14:00.000-07:00

Today is Kami's 22nd Birthday! She is spending the day at Disneyland with her best friend Katie. A benefit of living in Southern California! We only wish we were there to help celebrate her! :~) Happy, Happy Birthday Princess!

Nana's Visit

2009-06-04T08:31:00.001-07:00

My Mom, AKA Nana, spent 10 days with us. We had so much fun. We were on the go the entire time, just enjoying life and being together!
Our first adventure was a trip to downtown Salt Lake to walk around Library Square. Then we drove up Big Cottonwood Canyon to the Brighton Resort. Our plan was to walk around Silver Lake but it was frozen solid and covered in snow. Who knew it would be like that mid-May? Not us, the ignorant California transplants!

We shopped in Park City. We went to the Gateway mall. We haunted thrift stores. We had late breakfasts and long lunches. A favorite lunch was at the historic Lamb's Grill Cafe downtown. FUN FUN FUN!

Since mom had never been to the Great Salt Lake when visited the marina. It was a bit chilly, but a great day!
Our last grand adventure was a trip to This is the Place. Nana really enjoyed walking around and seeing life as it was in the past. The kids really enjoyed beating rugs, plowing, washing on a washboard, and the train.

All in all, it was a great visit that ended too quickly. We can't wait until Nana gets to visit again!

What a week!

2009-05-07T20:08:00.000-07:00

Here at camp Stanger we joke that the full moon starts strange things a-brewin' a few day before the actual event. This week makes the theory seem more air tight than ever!

On Monday Judy (Jon's mom) wasn't herself. She seemed stressed and exhausted! On Tuesday afternoon she coughed up the reason.....the IRS had seized her bank account!!!! She was stressed to the hilt as she did NOT believe she owed the IRS anything. She went to her tax goddess (as we now call her) and she agreed. Together, they were able to talk to real person at the IRS. GUESS WHAT......She didn't owe anything. The IRS made a mistake! Better yet, they had to admit it in writing!!!! She got a fax to take the bank releasing her funds back to her. Talk about RELIEF!!!!
You can imagine the emotional let down! We were making dinner and chatting, the kids were playing outside. It was a beautiful evening on multiple levels! Kloe came in and sat down on the couch to watch TV with Kaitlin. She mentioned in passing that her leg hurt. As this is a common complaint (my toe hurts, my finger hurts, my eye hurts etc) I didn't pay much attention. Then Jacob races in the door Mach 10 with his hair on fire, screaming like a Banshee! A strange dog was chasing him and he is terrifed of dogs! Kloe got up to run to the door. (She isn't afraid of anything and has a particular fondness for dogs!) But she couldn't walk on her leg. It seemed to buckle under pressure and she had to do a limp- hop combo type thing! She now had my FULL attention! I looked at her leg, there was some sort of bite with a dark red ring around it. It felt hot and seemed swollen. She then told me that wasn't where it hurt. She pointed to her upper thigh. It had a similar wound, but it had a wider red hot circle! I was VERY concerned at this point. Of course, this is the first night in weeks Jon had worked late! (Murphy's Law!) I call him. He was only 5 miles away and agreed to clean up, call it a night and come right home so we could take her to Urgent care. I was on the phone for less than 2 minutes. In that time Kloe's lower leg had started to swell even MORE and the red area had tripled in size. She also felt warm to me. It was then that I decided Urgent care wasn't going to cut it, the ER at Primary Children's Medical Center would be a better choice! I called a friend and asked for a blessing. They were so quick to arrive. I was so thankful! I loaded her in the van just as Jon pulled in. He took one look at her and agreed with my decision! So off we sped. Kloe was a little out of sorts, but not much. She chattered on and on and on all the way!
We finally got there and checked in at the ER at 8:10pm! Being swine flu phobics we chose the only 2 chairs on the polar opposite side of the waiting area from everyone else! Kloe really wanted to play with the toys but we bribed her with $2 M&M's from the vending machine. Seriously, you should have seen the condition some of these kids were in as they spread their germs ALL OVER the toys! EWWWW!!!!! Finally we got got our get of germ hell free card when the a nurse called KLOW STRANGER! For once name slaughtering didn't bother me. We made it to an ER room by 9:30pm. By this time Kloe's leg was swollen from knee to toes. She had a cankle! It was awful looking. It only took 6 hours, 1 nurse, 1 intern, 1 resident, and 1 attending to decide it was most likely a spider bite (Recluse or Hobo if they had to guess) or other insect. She had an allergic reaction and cellulitus was a result. They admited her to the Rapid Treatment Unit for overnight observation. She was put on an antibiotic, a steroid, and Benedryl. We finally got to bed at 3:30am. She was awake the whole time up until then! Poor kid! What a trooper! Nurses woke us up hourly for vitals and/or meds. It was AWFUL and exhaustive! By 8am when the Dr. came in the swelling was down and the red gone. We could go home by noon! YIPPEE! She is now feeling great and you can hardly tell how bad it was.
Coming home was WONDERFUL! We were all the walking dead. None of us really slept at the hospital, and the other kids were beside themselves with worry at home and wouldn't go to bed for Grammie. We looked like a crew from a zombie movie. It was as close to pathetic as a family can come I fear! We went to bed early. At about 12:30AM Jon sat up and said he needed to lock his truck. This isn't a normal routine. He checked his truck, my van, and Judy's car to make sure all were locked up then crawled back into bed. At 6:30AM he was leaving for work and noticed his mom's car was gone. It had been stolen!!!!! We called the police, filed a report, and numbly piled into to my van to get everyone where they needed to go for the day. I think we were all shell-shocked! I picked Judy up when she got off work and we picked up Tyler from preschool so he could hang with us for the evening. Mom and Dad both had work engagements for the evening! We were making dinner and the doorbell rang. A very nice police officier came to let Judy know her car had been recovered, and if we followed him, she could drive it home! We hopped in the van and followed him 1/8 of a mile from the house to her car. Not a scratch on it. Not even the ignition was harmed. All the contents of her glove box and trunk were even all present and accounted for! We both nearly cried! Prayers were answered yet again this week!
So, we've been up and down more then the stockmarket this week! We decided that normal and boring would be just fine for awhile now. But wait....my mom is coming tomorrow for 10 days. Maybe instead of boring we'll just try FUN on for size! Stay tuned, after all, the moon is still FULL!

Kaitlin is preparing for France!

2009-04-27T09:04:00.000-07:00

Kaitlin is going to Paris in June. Her trip is all paid for and her passport is in hand. We are now working on her spending money, good walking shoes, and a camera with lots of batteries and memory cards. If you have a suggestion of things she should take or which digital camera we should buy let us know!

Jonah's new mower!

2009-04-27T08:36:00.000-07:00

While most 12yr old boys dream of buying bikes and skateboards, Jonah has wanted a ride on lawn mower for the past 2 years. He has been saving his money for sometime now and finally got his wish! On Saturday he bought a used one for $150! He actually went to buy a different mower but liked the ride on better. He then talked the owner down in price. Personally, I think the guy was amused that a kid was trying to do this and caved. Jonah plans to put his mower to good use with his little lawn business this summer. He even has T-shirts and business cards! Look out Donald Trump, here comes Jonah!

Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T14:36:00.000-07:00

What a special day. Besides being able to proclaim that I know that my Redeemer Lives, our household is celebrating Jonah's priesthood confirmation. Hooray for Jonah!

Here's a couple of pictures of the twins in their new Easter clothes! (Everyone else changed too quickly after church! I'll catch them next time!)

Happy 12th Birthday Jonah!

2009-04-11T06:56:00.000-07:00

Today is Jonah's 12th Birthday!
Jonah is the hardest worker of the bunch. He loves to work with his dad, and even has his own power tools to do so. He knows a LOT, and can do more than most full grown men I know!
He loves to save his money for things he really wants, then he really gets his shop on! He is a bargain hunter! He will comb the classified adds and call stores to make sure he has the best possible deal before he makes a purchase. He is currently saving for a ride on lawn mower! He has his own mowing business called "The Little Mowers". He cracks us up all the time! What a cool kid to know! We are very proud of him!

The Celebration continued......

2009-04-05T11:36:00.000-07:00

....at McDonald's!
The twins celebrated their 4th Birthday with their friends at McDonald's!
Thanks to everyone that came and helped us celebrate! Kloe declared it the "perfect" day!

Kloe got to show off her new haircut!
(Not self-imposed!)

Jacob was excited to eat a Happy Meal and play with his friends!

Here's the gang!

This is Jacob's 1/2 of the cake. It's Batman flying out of the Bat-Cave on a motorcycle! Notice he managed to eat his name off and sample other portions of the frosting prior to arriving at McDonald's!

This is Kloe's 1/2 of the cake. It's Littlest Pet Shop! (Her new passion!)

Opening "Presidents" was really fun!

Jacob loved this SO much he actually slept with the rocket! (Thanks Mason!)

Jacob really wanted Play-Doh and was excited about this gift!

When we came home the whole family helped the twins play with EVERYTHING!

Cousin Tyler came home with us and played for awhile too! It was really FUN! Jacob and Tyler set up the racetrack Jacob bought with his Birthday money from Papa Nick and GG.

Happy Birthday Wonder Twins!

2009-03-31T20:39:00.000-07:00

Today is Jacob and Kloe's 4th Birthday! We enjoyed a day at the Discovery Gateway Children's Museum and a fun family party. Jacob was so excited that his first words of the day were," Where's my pizza and birthday cake?". I laughed so hard. They have grown into such amazing little people.

Jacob is ALL boy. He loves ANYTHING with wheels, that flies, or shoots something. He loves Spiderman and Batman, and is obcessed with Star Wars. Best of all, he loves a good laugh.

Kloe is ALL girl. She loves ANYTHING princess, pink, or frills. She loves Littlest Pet Shop, Barbie, My Little Pony and more. She adores wearing make up and painting her nails. I'm not sure what we would do without her around to tell us what to do, how to do it, and when to get it done. She nurtures anyone in need, and can organize like no other.

What a blessing these little people are in our family! We all adore them almost as much as they adore each other. They really are BEST friends.

Birthday hats and all!

Kloe didn't waste ANY time blowing out her candles!

Jacob has been SO happy ALL DAY LONG!

Kloe really enjoyed the museumHe was the payer guy and she was the shopping girl!

He read his cards and opened his "presidents" all by himself! We are still trying to figure out which presidents he opened!

Kloe was really excited about opening presents!
They each decorated their own cake then we wrote their names in M&M's.
Our sick sense of humor! This shark was on the counter so he had to eat cake too!
After he blew out the candles Jacob picked up his cake and walked off to the table to eat his cake. He was shocked we actually wanted him to share it with us! (But he did very lovingly!)

Their party with friends and the greatly anticipated Petshop/Batman cake is Saturday so there will be a part 2 to this post coming soon....

Junior Prom

2009-03-27T21:26:00.001-07:00

I made these!

Jared and date Whitney

The "Group"

The Tux!

Whitney's corsage

Happy 17th Birthday Jared!

2009-03-24T09:34:00.001-07:00

Today is Jared's 17th Birthday! Where has the time gone? We are SO blessed to have him as part of our family! He is the comedian in our family and has the innate ability to keep us laughing just when we need it most! Jared also has the most compassionate heart in our brood! What a joy it has been watching him grow to this point! Here's to even more memories yet to be made!

Team Ashleigh!

2009-03-24T07:22:00.001-07:00

Jonah is turning 12 and will soon be heading off to seventh grade. He has been changing a lot, and among the changes is the discovery of girls. Well actually, one girl, Ashleigh. Ashleigh is in his class and lives in our neighborhood. She is a HUGE Twilight fan and has a "Team Jacob" shirt. She wore this to school the other day prompting Jonah to declare that he is on "Team Ashleigh!" This is what he wore to school today! (Having a big sister like Kailtin to help out pays off now and then!)

PARK DAY!

2009-03-21T17:27:00.000-07:00

Today we had fun playing at Murray Park with Auntie Nicole, Tyler, and London. We flew kites and played on the playground! Grammie is really good at flying kites,! (Who knew?)

Twilight DVD Midnight Release Party

2009-03-21T17:14:00.000-07:00

Last night I drove a fun loving group to Wal Mart in Riverton to the Twilight DVD midnight release party. The theme was prom so for the most part, our girls dressed up. We had our necks painted to look like vampire bites and stood in line to have our DVD's autographed by Rachelle Lefevre, the cast member who played Victoria. All in all, it was fun even if we didn't get home until 1:30am!

Jacob's "outside" bed

2009-03-19T09:13:00.000-07:00

With Spring in the air, the twins have been enjoying the great outdoors! Yesterday Jacob was excited about his "outside" bed and asked permission to take a book outside. Since kids and books and two things I LOVE to see together I agreed. When I went outside I was cracking up! He had blankets and pillows on Grammie's wicker chase lounge! My favorite part, the book is upside down!

Jonah's science fair project

2009-03-03T17:59:00.000-08:00

Jonah participated in the school Science Fair and won 2nd place overall.
Winning this award granted him a trip to the District Science Fair today where his project was rated as excellent. He also won the Jane Goodall Institute's Roots & Shoots
Environmental Recognition Award!
His project was all about finding out which brand of toilet paper was the most biodegradable.
(Charmin Ultra won as most biodegradable!)
He has been invited to display his project at the Westminster College Roots and Shoots Youth Environmental Fair on April 16th! We are very proud of him!

Happy 9th Birthday Kayleigh!!!!

2009-03-02T11:04:00.000-08:00

Saturday was Kayleigh's 9th Birthday! To celebrate we went to Classic Skating with a few friends! Everyone really seemed to enjoy themselves, especially the Birthday Girl!

Kloe Cut her own hair! (14 inches of the Right side and a good portion of her bangs!)

2009-02-18T20:13:00.001-08:00

2 hours before posing so sweetly!

After!

The side view~ Can you say mullet?

She is VERY proud of her new do, despite being shamed!

So 1/2 a mullet is the new trend for 4yr olds in Utah !

25 random facts about me

2009-01-30T12:13:00.000-08:00

Today I was tagged by a friend on my facebook account to write 25 random things about myself. I have enjoyed reading everyone's list so much, I decided to post mine here and encourage you all to post or email yours. It really was a thought provoking experience!

My List:

1. Writing is on of my passions. For as long as I can remember, I have loved penning short stories and poems. I have 3 half written books that may or may not ever be finished because of my own fear of failure. I am my own worst enemy.

2. I am by nature a creative person. I always need to have a creative outlet. I believe this is the main reason why I became a floral designer.

3. I love photography! Being able to capture life as I see it for others to enjoy has a great appeal to me. I'm not very skilled at the art yet, but I am trying to study and practice so I can master it!

4. I am an only child. I have often joked that my parents did it right the first time!

5. I grew up living between my Grandmother and Great Grandmother's house! It became my ideal standard of living for all children. I have a strong sense of family that also applies to those that are family by choice not birth!

6. My favorite color is green because it's the color of Jon's eyes!

7. I am a cat person, I but I love dogs too! I believe a dog gives it up too easily where a cat makes you work for it! Since I have always lived life on my own terms, I appreciate the fact that a cat does too!

8. I love to read! Books ignite the imagination! ( Yes, I have even read the Twilight series and loved it! Who do you think got Kami to read them after months of prodding? If I'd only known I would create a monster...)

9. I own a sewing machine but could neither thread or operate it if you put a gun to my head! (Now if I can use a glue gun, stand back!)

10. I love to walk on the beach early in the morning when no other people are there. It is very Zen.

11. I have 7 children between the ages of 3 and 21. The youngest is a set of boy/girl twins. All the boys have a name that begins with a J, and the girls have names that begin with K. Birth order is girl, boy, girl, boy, girl, boy girl! What can I say, I like things organized!

12. I love to roller skate. I'm actually pretty dang good at it too!

13. I have been in love with the same person for over have my life. I believe this to be one of my greatest gifts!

14. I love Mr. Potato Head. I collect parts. I even bought 3 boxes of Disney pieces at Disney World, but still wanted more. Thank goodness for Ebay!

15. My van says soccer mom on it, but not one of my children has ever played on a soccer team. Go figure!

16. I am blessed to know and Love a LOT of people, but I can count on one hand the number of true friends I have that really know me!

17. I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up! (If I ever decide to grow up!)

18. I am certain that a goodly portion of my blood stream contains diet coke. It's the breakfast of champions!

19. I love the theater. There is no other experience in storytelling than can compare. I miss the days of CYT (Christian Youth Theater) with the kids. Our whole family was involved. What gifted experiences we had and treasured friends we made! Good Times!

20. I was a professional mime for a period in my life. Getting paid to clown around was awesome! Sadly, Kami's fear of clowns ended my career. As her mother, I simply could NOT be anything she feared!

21. I hate being cold. As a multi-generational native of California I believe it to be part of my heritage. You can take the girl out of California, but you can't take the California out of the girl!

22. I once toilet papered a Honda Civic with over 100 rolls of toilet paper! (Sorry Guy!)

23. I am the type of friend that will hold your hand and cry with you when you are down or make a mistake. However, when the tears are dry, I will give you crap about it for the rest of your life! (Right Hester?)

24.I have a sharp wit and a dry sense of humor. I look for humor in all things! If you can laugh or cry, I will always choose to laugh! I usually laugh at myself! (It's just such a great constant source of raw material!)

25. I love music. I have varied taste. In my car CD changer I currently have Sinatra, U2, Rush, Rascal Flats, and the Across the Universe and Twilight soundtracks. As we speak, I am listening to jazz trumpet but it will quickly give way to the Doodlebops if the twins get their way!

And..bonus #26. I love to dance. I currently have a bet with my husband that if I achieve my fitness goals before he does his, he has to take swing dance lessons with me! So, I'm off to the gym now! Have a great day!

~K

Our New Year's Trip to California

2009-01-09T21:05:00.000-08:00

San Diego is such a great and ecclectic city. There is SO much to see and do that a one week trip is never enough to take it all in. Our family has too many favorites. Most of our time this trip was spent visiting those people near and dear to us that we love and miss VERY much. However, no trip to California can be counted complete without seeing the ocean. Thankfully, we checked it off our list when we visited the USS Midway Aircrafter carrier museum on San Diego Bay. Next trip we hope to go to LaJolla cove and the Children's pool. Here are a few pictures from our trip. Some people didn't get captured by my lense this trip, but I WILL get them next time! (AKA Nana, Gram, Billy and Alicia, Toni and the Segina's!)
The Coronado Bridge and the San Diego skyline are two things I love to see! They remind me of my college days downtown. Horton Plaza is a sea side mall right near this point! I LOVE hanging out there!

A day in the life of a San Diegan is always complete on the bay. The sites and sounds are one of a kind! (So is the food! Can you say FRESH shrimp!)
This is our nephew Kaden! He is 2 days older than the twins! They all had a great time playing together and touring the USS Midway. Kaden loves planes so much I didn't get many pictures of him. He was on the run!
Jonah enjoyed touring the bridge of the USS Midway. Seeing how our military lives onboard ship was amazing. I could never live in close quarters like that. I'd go nuts! (Or even more so LOL!)
Jared enjoyed San Diego Bay. The ocean is one of the hardest things to leave behind when we moved!
Kayleigh, Tiffany, and Kaitlin posed with the worker cutouts onboard the USS Midway!
We went to the USS Midway museum on San Diego Bay. Kaitlin and Kloe hung out with Jennifer. (Kaitlin's BFF and Tiffany's big sister!)
Kayleigh is in LOVE with wild cats of ALL kinds. She was excited to see this real one in our hotel lobby!
We had a great time feeding the ducks at a pond near Toni's house. Over the summer the kids caught a HUGE toad there, but we had no such luck this day!
The kids had SO much fun just hanging out with their friends! Kayleigh and Tiffany (her Cali BFF) were inseperable the entire week!
Jonah had a great time holding and playing with his cousin Lucas! Baby Luke really liked him!!!
Niklas avoided me like the plague anytime I was holding a camera! He is my BFF Toni's oldest Son! (Kayleigh decided she would marry him someday when they were both 4!)
Alexander is Toni's middle son. I think he should have been named Casanova! Seriously, this kid is such a lover! He must of given me 1000 hugs a day, and he is ALWAYS flirting w/ the girls!
Liam (Toni's youngest) and the twins are only 2 1/2 months apart in age. They had so much fun!
Kloe loved the water water at tubby time! I think she may have even won, but don't tell Liam!
Toni's macaw Romeo is family to us as well. He loves our daughter Kami (pictured with Jon) as much as he loves Toni! Maybe it's because they look so much alike!

California

2008-12-30T22:17:00.000-08:00

For those of you don't know, we are currently defrosting in California. We are having a great time seeing friends and family as well as eating our favorite local foods! (No wonder I'm fat!) So far, we have eaten at Jack in the Box (why doesn't Utah have one?), had good Carne Asada, and eaten FRESH seafood from a sweet little place on the bay in Point Loma! There is NOTHING like fresh shrimp and fish made into tacos. We toured the USS Midway museum today. It is a retired aircraft carrier. REALLY COOL! We had fun with Papa Nick (Jon's dad) and Uncle Eric and Aunt Jess (Jon's brother and his wife) and our cousins Kaden and Lucas. It was beautiful day on San Diego Bay. Seeing our oldest daughter Kami, my Grandma and hanging out with my mom (aka NANA) have been great! The kids are having a blast with Aunt Toni and Uncle Carl (My BFF and spouse) and playing with their boys Niklas, Alexander, and Liam. They are also busy spending time with other treasured friends from days gone by. Jennifer and Tiffany (our old neighborhood friends) are with us the whole time we are here. FUN! I will post a few of the million pictures we've taken when I get back to my USB cord at home! DUH me! Have a Blessed and SAFE New Year's!

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T13:36:00.000-08:00

Christmas morning at Camp Stanggang was a mixture of gasps, giggles, and flying gift wrap! The sea of garbage created in under 5 minutes was amazing! Everyone enjoyed themselves. In the aftermath, the adults have lazed around the house watching movies and napping while the younger set has joyfully bounced from one thing to the next like ADD cases on speed! We are enjoying the beauty of a white Christmas, and looking forward to a very yummy Christmas dinner.

Cookies for Santa and a diet Dr. Pepper for Santa and Carrots for the reindeer!

This years bounty before the kids woke up!

Kloe's bike and gifts from Santa!

Jacob's bike and gift's from Santa!

Jacob got a helpicopter from Santa!

Kloe on her new bike!
Jacob on his new bike!

Kaitlin was excited to get a new IPOD!

Jared checked out his video camera while the other kids investigate new treasures!
Kloe loves her new dog in a carrier! (The perfect pet!)
Jacob LOVES his helicopter!
The aftermath!

Christmas Eve

2008-12-24T20:31:00.000-08:00

Our Christmas traditions include new jammies from Grammie on Christmas Eve. Jared was just billing silly and making mean faces! He is so funny! We also went to see Santa. Kloe didn't want anything to do with him, but she did run up and yell that she wanted a new baby doll. Jacob asked for helicopter. Santa assumed it was a toy he wanted. What he actually wants is a tricycle helicopter he saw in a cartoon. Kayleigh and Jonah had fun with the visit too!

Jonah got camo PJ's

Jacob got Batman

He really likes them!

Kloe got princess PJ's

Kayleigh got Tinkerbell

Kaitlin got penguin PJ's

Our Christmas Tree

Fall play after family pictures!

2008-12-02T06:41:00.000-08:00

We had our family pictures taken at Wheeler Farm yesterday. (Thanks Janae) Afterward, we had a great time playing on tractors and in the leaves. Here are a few of my favorite shots!

Thanksgiving

2008-11-30T15:40:00.001-08:00

Cousin Tyler had fun outside after dinner!

Grammie enjoyed the day with all but 2 of her grandchildren!

Jon carved the turkey!

Kloe enjoyed drinking from real glasses!

Kami actually made it up at the last minute!

Grammie set beautiful tables!

Jon's brother Danny came from Portland,
and his sister Nicole and her family also joined us!

Thankful it's Wednesday

2008-11-26T08:30:00.000-08:00

Today I am thankful for SO much!

1-I am thankful Shanna reminded me about Visiting teaching! Where did this month go?

2- I am thankful Kami is coming home for Thanksgiving! I miss her like crazy and I LOVE having all 7 of my children together at the same time! Can you say Christmas card pictures?

3- I am thankful for Black Friday sales! They really help my pennies go further on a limited holiday budget!

Today's Thanks!

2008-11-25T10:02:00.000-08:00

Today I had to really do some soul searching for my daily three. Here's what I decided on....

1- I am thankful for laughter. As a mother, I think there is no sweeter sound than the sound of my children laughing and playing together. Besides that, it just plain feels good. Who doesn't like to laugh.

2- I am thankful for my washer and dryer. I can't even fathom the effort pioneer women with large families had to put forth washing clothes by hand and hanging them out to dry. My daily 2 or 3 loads would be a full time job without my washer and dryer.

3- I am thankful for the people around me that help to influence my children for the better. The old adage,"It takes a village to raise a child", is SO true. How blessed I am to have so many GREAT people in my village!

Bear Lake

2008-11-24T20:23:00.000-08:00

We spent the weekend at Bear Lake in Northern Utah. It was really fun and relaxing! We swam and attempted to fish! We even drove to Paris! (Paris, Idaho that is!) We all really enjoyed ourselves with the exception of when a seagull kept diving under water and stealing worms off the fishing lines!

More Thanks

2008-11-24T06:33:00.000-08:00

Since I was away for the weekend, I have not posted things I am thankful for the past couple of days so today will be a mega post of sorts!

1. I am thankful for my freezer meal group! We each make one recipe and freeze enough meals to distribute them to each member of our group. We meet once a month and switch! I can't tell you how much stress this relieves on busy days. I just chose something the night before (if I remember) and put it in the fridge. Then bake it for dinner. If I forget, I just double the cook time. Between this and my crockpot, my life is SO much simplier! It's also fun to try other people's recipes!

2. I am thankful for quick get-aways. We were able to go to Bear Lake this weekend and it reminded me of how important it is to just check out and recharge. Even a quick overnight trip 2 hours away can feel like a vacation!

3. I am thankful for my church calling! (I wasn't when I got it!) It has helping me to grow and have a greater capacity to love. I have also learned to delegate better. (This has NEVER been my strong point!) I LOVE the women I serve with and ALL the children we serve.

4. I am thankful for books. I love to read. I love the face that I can learn about cool new things or escape into the lives of others with a book! My ability to read these great books is a gift I am very thankful for.

5. I am thankful for my new van. Winning this van has been a blessing beyond measure! I am having SO much fun with it. It is great to be able to feel safe driving a few hours away, and knowing I can afford to pay for the gas!

6. I am thankful for naps. Mainly for the twins, but for me too! They are few and far between, making a nap a sacred thing!

7. I am thankful for modern plumbing. Firstly because I am lazy and don't like being cold! The very thought of running outside in the cold to use an outhouse makes me quiver! Secondly, because Jon is a plumber and this modern blessing creates more work for him. This blessing allows me to be at home with our children!

8. I am thankful for music. From church hymns that invite the spirit to some good solid rock, there's nothing like music to change the tone of what you are doing! Housework gets done so much faster when I'm rocking out, and it seems a lot more fun too! If it's a Sunday morning and the kids are fighting, I pop in a primary CD, and presto, no more fighting! Music...it's a good thing!

9. I am thankful for my computer! This modern machine has made life SO easy! I can look up anything from a recipe to pictures of my friends in seconds! I LOVE IT!

The spirit of Thanksgiving

2008-11-21T08:57:00.000-08:00

I received inspiration from a great source (Shanna (sp?) the CEO of tater--tots) to post 3 things for which I am Thankful each day between now and Thanksgiving day. So here it goes....

1- I am SO Thankful to have an amazing husband and 7 healthy children. I know, it's so cliche' but seriously, I know some who have never found that one special person to share their life with, and others struggling to have children they want so badly. Both of these blessings have come to me almost effortlessly. For this I am eternally thankful!

2- I am Thankful to have always known that I am loved. I over heard a woman talking to her friend in line at the grocery store awhile back. She was saying that she wasn't sure if she had ever really been loved by anyone. Her parents had abused her, foster care families, and so on and so on. It really made me think. There has never been a time in my life that I didn't know for certain that I was/am loved. I grew up surrounded by a doting family, a mother who made me the center of her universe, and friends everywhere. I married my very best friend who is constantly reminding me of his love and devotion. I also have the unconditional love (at times lol) of my children. I have been blessed with great friends and so on and so on. Most importantly, I know that my Heavenly Father loves me.

3- I am Thankful for the gift of friendship. I have been blessed with amazing and wonderful friends who have changed my life for the better. From the tried and true forever since forever like Toni and Lauren, to newer friends who have each already left an imprint on my heart. (Gail, Janae, Janet, Deborah, Julie, and oh so many more!) For calling my mom and mother in law friends, as well as my daughters. What a gift!

NOW IT"S YOUR TURN! WHAT ARE YOU THANKFUL FOR?

Twilight

2008-11-21T01:57:00.001-08:00

I was fortunate to have seen Twilight at 12:05AM with a group of incredibly fun women. Lisa Meadors you rock! Thanks for including me! Although no movie is ever as good as the book, I really enjoyed this movie and was surprised at how quickly it seemed to have ended. It felt like 15 minutes rather than the better part of 2 hours! At the conclusion, we all agreed that all four books could have been made into one really long film, and we would have stayed for it all! If you are a fan of the Twilight series head to a theater near you to catch a good show. If you havn't read the books yet I think you still should! Off to bed now (It's 3:07AM) to dream about my Edward! (Thankfully I'm married to him!)

Happy Anniversary

2008-11-16T05:46:00.000-08:00

Today is our wedding anniversary. Having been together for more than half of our lives, it is hard to imagine a time when we have not been together. Most people told us that high school sweethearts never make it, and yet, here we are still going strong. What a gift to find joy in the journey walking beside your very best friend. I feel the need to express my gratitude to Jon for putting up with me for all these years. He still makes me swoon. I have decided that the love and support of your spouse is a special gift to never be taken for granted and always fostered. Here's to even more dates and anniversaries to celebrate!

The Children's Museum

2008-11-13T08:10:00.000-08:00

We went to the Discovery Gateway Children's Museum in downtown Salt Lake yesterday. It was really fun to explore everything with our friends Paisley, Reagan, and River.
(And their mom's too!)

Kloe exploring the real helicopter!

Jacob checked out the helicopter from a distance. (It made loud noises!)

Jacob liked driving!

There is a construction area with kid-sized cranes! (Jacob wanted to stay here!)

Kloe and Paisley like the horse!

Jacob and River liked this car. It even had a real gas pump next to it!

This was Jacob's favorite! He even kept his foot in it while he played with other things so no other kid could take it! It was funny seeing him drive in the "grocery store" in a police car, and wearing a fire helmet!

Both the twins LOVED building things upstairs in the design center!

Hello SNOW!!!!

2008-11-05T13:18:00.000-08:00

Today we woke up to SNOW!
The view from out front door across the street!

The street in front of our house!
Yesterday this was a blooming rose bush in our front yard! Today, it's a snow shrub!

Happy Halloween

2008-10-31T19:34:00.000-07:00

Today was a FULL day! Jonah and Kayleigh had costume parades and class parties at school and came home to our own Halloween party. We had several friends over and played a variety of games. Bobbing for apples was a new concept for several of the kids. I had to demonstrate! We ran relay races, wrapped each other up like a mummies, and even ate doughnuts from a string. It was great. After we sent everyone home, we had a quick dinner and headed out for some sweet loot! Jacob LOVED trick-or-treating more than anyone! Kloe had fun, but she got tired. Our costume parade this year was as follows: Kloe- bunny, Jacob- tiger, Kayleigh- witch, Jonah- Jedi, Kaitlin- flower child, Jared- black ninja, dad- soccer player, and mom- gypsy.

Kaitlin as a flower child!

Kloe and our friend Cecilia
Peace man!
Jonah as a Star Wars Jedi
Kayleigh, the good witch!
Yes, she knows she's cute!
Little bunny Kloe
Jacob the tiger
Our front door this year!
Zack and Caleb Chorn looked great!
Racing to be the first one done without it dropping is harder than you think!
Not a very lady-like way to eat!
Sister Cooper is good at this game!
This was the kids favorite game!
Eating a doughnut without dropping it is hard!
Doughnuts on a string were fun to eat!
The mummy game was a big hit! Travis and Mason did great!
I can bob for apples too!
Our happy guests
River going for an apple

Veggie Art Contest at the Elementary School

2008-10-28T21:49:00.000-07:00

Jonah's veggie art contest entry. Bok Choy fish, squash squid, and veggie rocks, kelps and coral.
I love the olive eyes! (Grammie's idea!)
Kayleigh's eggplant penguin veggie art contest entry.
I like the carrot feet! We went through quite a few carrot sticks making those bad boys!

Halloween Family Night

2008-10-28T21:23:00.001-07:00

On Monday night, we went to Hee Haw farms for Family Night! It is a real working farm in Pleasant Grove, UT. (www.heehawfarms.com) We had a great time seeing the animals, riding a couple of rides, and chasing the pigs in a pig race. Jacob, Kayleigh and Jared all were picked to participate in their age ranges. Jared won by catching a piglet, picking it up, and kissing it on the snout!

The twins visiting the momma pig!
Jacob LOVED the corn box. It's a sand box filled with dry corn kernals.
Kaitlin had Jon pull her around in a wagon!
Jared has the best funny bone! Here he is "driving" the tractor!
This cutie was in the petting corral. Kloe wanted to bring her home!

More Disney World!

2008-10-25T06:53:00.001-07:00

Kloe's life was complete when she met Cinderella!
Kaitlin, Kloe and Kayleigh posing with Nana.
Kami and Jared went Viking!

Kayleigh and Kloe LOVED Minnie Mouse!

We're Back!

2008-10-22T07:45:00.000-07:00

We had a great trip! All the kids had fun picking out hats and hanging out with Grandpa at Disney World! It was fun being all together as a family and having Nana and Grandpa too! Each person in the group has a different personal favorite activity, but we all loved Fantasmic and the World Showcase fireworks shows.

Kami
Jared
The whole Gang modeling their Disney hats!
Grandpa
Grandpa with all 7 grandkids!

Kayleigh
Jonah
Kaitlin
Kloe
Jacob

....and we're off!!!!!

2008-10-14T23:49:00.000-07:00

LOOK OUT WALT DISNEY WORLD, HERE WE COME!!!! WE'LL BE BACK IN A WEEK WITH TONS OF PICTURES AND STORIES TO TELL!!!!

I WON A VAN FOR A YEAR!!!!!!!

2008-10-14T12:29:00.000-07:00

I found out today that I have been chosen by random drawing to be the KSL5, Ken Garff Honda, REAL SALT LAKE SOCCER MOM for 2008!!! (Thanks Jared for entering me and writing such nice things on the slip!)
I get a free 1 yr lease on this van ( a 2008 Honda Odyssey) as long as I keep the decals on! GAME ON!
Since I will be at Disneyworld this SAT evening, my friend Janae has agreed to represent me at the Real Salt Lake game! Her face will be on the jumbotron with my name below it as the winner! I can't thank her enough for being such a good sport and helping me out! I will be picking this baby up first thing in the morning on the 22nd! (A reason to be excited about coming home from vacation! Novel concept!)

Treasured Friends

2008-10-04T23:44:00.000-07:00

This evening, we had the chance to visit with very special friends we had in California, Glen and Marianne Roberts. Glen was our Bishop(poor guy) and Marianne a treasured discovery in a ward that often lacked. In their own way, they helped to shape us in ways they will never know. They came to town from Oregon, their new home. We enjoyed dinner and celebrating Kaitlin's birthday.

Visiting with them helped us to realize what a gift true friends are. People come into our lives at different times, for different purposes. Some stay, some move on. These two, like many of you, are keepers!

Happy 15th Birthday Kaitlin!!!!

2008-10-04T14:22:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to ME!

2008-09-28T19:53:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was my 40th Birthday! (40 is the new 30 right?) I had a really fun day. Jon took me to the massage school for a nice massage. After that he had a job to do at an art gallery. I had fun taking pictures of some of the unique statues there. When he was done, we drove up Little Cottonwood canyon to see the change of season. The colors havn't fully changed, but it is still beautiful! We hiked around this stream and the forest for a few minutes. When we got home, I had gotten a floral delivery from my BFF in California, Toni and her mom, Sharon. Judy made a nice steak dinnerwith all the trimmings. Then my friend (and visiting teacher) Gail brought me the cutest little birthday cake. It made being "40" not so bad!

One Crazy Friday

2008-09-27T21:13:00.000-07:00

Friday was a bit crazy. So many out of the ordinary things happened. When I woke up, my back was really sore on the lower right side. Since a cute 3 yr old boy with knobby knees slept beside me all night, I dismissed it.
I went to take a shower and found only COLD water. I am fearing the Hot Water heater has gone out. I call my plumber husband to trouble shoot with me over the phone. We do a bunch of tests, only to find out small fingers had adjusted the heat setting to low/off. Boy, what a great way to wake up Mommy!
All the kids were out of school for the day, and I the house felt more like the Hogle Zoo than home. Lots of snarls, barks, and other animalistic characteristics. I became a task master and made them all do chores to get their aggressions out. Talk about UN-popular! They really wanted to vote me off the island. The feeling was mutual at time I assure eyou!

At dinner time I was heating some butter on the stove and got side-tracked. Needless to say the butter bubbled over onto the stove and sent smoke into every room in the house. So, you wonder, why is she going on and on....well, we have a home security system. It is linked to our smoke alarm. Needless to say, I got to meet some very nice West Valley City fire fighters. They didn't even laugh at me when I explained how stupid I was. (Jacob LOVED the fire truck though and begged me to call them again!) After they left, Jared came running home. It seems the alarm co. had called Jon's cell phone to tell him we had an alarm at the house and crews on the way. He tried calling home, but couldn't get us, so he called Jared. LOL! Duh moment.

After dinner, I felt horrible. My back pain was really bad. We decided to go to Urgent Care. Two shots and 4 prescriptions later, I was sent home to recover from a Kidney infection. Go Big or Go home right?

Now it's 1am. I am loopy from my pain killer shot and trying to make a couple of corsage orders sold for a local Homecoming. Jon and Jared were joking with me (making fun of me) and these loud cars go screaming past our house at like 100mph. Woosh, Woosh. Then about 3 seconds later, 1 police car, then another. We are astounded. Then a 3rd police car screams around the corner and just as it passes our house, flips a U-turn and screams out of the neighborhood again. Talk about better than TV! We can only guess kids were racing and tried to out run the police. It looked like they were doing a fairly good job!

Nothing awful, or amazing, but it sure made for a LONG, out of the ordinary day worthy of blogging about.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY PAPA NICK!!!

2008-09-19T06:44:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Papa Nick! Thanks for loving us so much! We sure LOVE you too! Wish we were there to help you celebrate!!!!

Ward Campout

2008-09-06T18:57:00.001-07:00

This weekend we went camping with our Ward in Big Cottonwood Canyon. We had a great time being with our friends, enjoying nature, and of course the campfire. Stayed up late chatting with friends and munching on junk (thanks for the M&M's Janet! You ROCK!) We froze overnight, we shouldn't have gone to bed! In the morning after our yummy pancake breakfast and defrosting by the fire, I hiked with Allison Burkholder and a few other kids to see the stream. The boys went off to find snakes. All the kids had a GREAT time! Before we went home we walked around Silver Lake. It was the perfect ending to a great time.

Nathan and Jacob
The kids rock climbing

Kayleigh at Silver Lake
Kloe checking out the campground
Jacob taking a walk
Jonah
Kaitlin, Summer, And Cassidy
Allison waiting for me to hike up the hill to see the stream!
Nathan and the snake he found
Silver Lake
Cassidy and Kaitlin
Paisley showing off her bedhead!
Stephen cuddling Jacob by the fire
The stream by the campground
Chomper!

An afternoon out with Grammie

2008-08-31T00:48:00.000-07:00

As a Saturday afternoon outing we went to This is the Place Heritage Park for a couple of hours. Grammie came with us this time! We had SO much fun.

Grammie made friends with Jack Daniels Nugget the dog. They played fetch with a water bottle.

Jonah had fun getting the sheep to chase him.
Kloe enjoyed being outside in the sunshine. She skipped and sang ALL afternoon.
Grammie got to know this sweet pony. He really seemed to like her!
Kloe loved the pony so much she gave him a kiss.

Kloe and Grammie cooled off in the stream.
Jacob LOVED watching the new "little train" almost as much as he LOVED riding it!

The conductor let Jacob ring the bell! A highlight of Jacob's day!
Jon riding the train!

Panning for gold was a favorite with Jonah and Kayleigh.
Sadly, Kaitlin wouldn't let me take her picture today. She was busy playing with her little video camera. Yet, we all had a great afternoon.

Supermodels

2008-08-24T14:27:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago (yes I am behind in updating the blog) London came over for some cousin time and a sleepover. The girls decided to get dolled up and play Fashion Models. Add that fun to my camera and here are the results! FUN FUN FUN!!!!

Jonah's scooter!

2008-07-31T21:40:00.001-07:00

Jonah used some of his lawn mowing money to buy himself a gas powered scooter a few weeks ago. It wasn't running when he got it, but it is up a going now. He has had a great time all evening riding up and down our street. He even gave Jacob a ride in the backyard. Kloe watched with delight.

Lucas' Birthday in Nevada

2008-07-22T12:28:00.001-07:00

This weekend we drove to Fernley, NV to attend our nephew Lucas' 1st Birthday party. It was a great trip. The twin especially enjoyed getting reacquainted with their cousin Kaden. Kaden is 2 days older than they are!

Playing outside

2008-07-01T21:41:00.000-07:00

Kayleigh, Cecilia, Jacob and Kloe had an enjoyable evening playing in our front yard after dinner this evening. It cooled down to about 85!

Beating the Heat

2008-07-01T21:14:00.000-07:00

With summer temperatures rising, we jumped in the van and went to the Kearns Oquirrah Park fitness center today. The pools there are really fun! There are indoor and outdoor pools, several play structures, waterslides, high dives, and a really cool bucket that dumps water on you. Our friends the Comstocks (David, Mason, Iris, Gabby and Isobel) went with us, as did Kayleigh's BBF Cecilia. Mason
David
Jacob
Play structure
The "BIG" bucket
Gabby
Kloe
Kloe
Iris

Isobel

Cotton Candy

2008-06-26T09:01:00.001-07:00

There's nothing like a treat on a HOT summer day, so we got cotton candy at the Park snack bar. If sticky faces are a sign of a treat enjoyed, then our mission was a success!

Liberty Park Adventure

2008-06-26T08:45:00.000-07:00

We had fun eating lunch and playing in Liberty Park with Janae, Paisley, Regan and Janae's sister in-law Marie and her son Eric. Travis even joined us for awhile. The kids LOVED getting wet. Later in the day when our friends left, we rode a couple of rides and rented paddle boats. It was a great day!

Great Grandma came to town

2008-06-25T07:51:00.001-07:00

My Grandma came to visit for a couple of days. The kids enjoyed hanging out with their Great Grandma. We drove to Bridal Veil Falls, went to This is the Place Heritage Park and showed her all the sites of Salt Lake. It was a great weekend.

Happy Birthday Jon!!!!

2008-06-16T20:50:00.001-07:00

Today is Jon's Birthday! He looked great in his Charger's T-shirt Kaitlin gave him for Father's Day! He got a matching hat for his Birthday! The picture of him plugging his ears was taken when we were singing Happy Birthday! What can I say, we can't all sound as good as Kami!

Father's Day

2008-06-15T14:44:00.000-07:00

For Father's Day Grammie baked a cake and helped all 6 kids decorate it to look like a shirt front. Kaitlin drew the collar, Jonah drew the tie knot, and Jared drew the tie. Kayleigh and the twins decorated the tie. (I took the picture hehe). We LOVE our Daddy and think he's the best!

Sidewalk chalk fest

2008-06-14T20:41:00.000-07:00

To way we went to the Gateway mall to see the sidewalk chalk artists and enjoy all the FREE vendors offering prizes for kids! The kids had their painted crazy colors, got temporary tattoos, balloon animals and more. WE got so much FREE stuff we filled the back of our van with goodies. When we were done with all of that, they played in the fountain and we listened to live bands perform. It was a great day!

Spike

2008-06-14T20:22:00.000-07:00

Katie Brown got a new pet lizard named Spike. She let us come over and meet him. It was really funny when he stood up on his back legs and ran across the room.

This is the place Heritage Park

2008-06-09T21:06:00.001-07:00

Today was "FREE" day at This is the PLace Heritage Park. Janae called and let us in on the news! We met Janae and Deborah and kids there. It was really fun. We even ate rootbeer flavored ice cream cones. It was crazy when the ox charged the fence and escaped a pen by the petting corral. Jacob laughed!
Jacob drove the kids on the playground train. (You can see Kloe and Jonny

Jon showed off his stilt walking skills!
Allison practicing to be a supermodel. (She's even more beautiful on the inside!)
MY ROCKIN' COOL friend Janae!
Jacob had big ambitions, but couldn't quite do it!
Kloe was great at washing clothes on a washboard. She wants one now!
Storks? No Jonah and Kayleigh!
Jacob loved the stream.

Jonathon and Deborah liked the pony ride!
Jonah liked his pony ride!
Kloe and Kayleigh wanted to bring Candy the pony home after their ride!
A view of part of the Heritage park.
Kaitlin waiting for the gang to catch up!
Kloe!
Jon was a busy "bee" in the hat shop! (PULL THE STRING AND THE WINGS MOVE TOO!)
Jon made friends with this calf. She fell asleep on his foot when he was petting her!
Upload Image Kayleigh looking like a princess with a floral tiara!
)
Cute Anna posing for me.

***Note*** Paisley and Issac, I had lots of shots of the backs of your heads or mad faces! :(

A Jr. Picasso and Monet?

2008-06-07T17:31:00.000-07:00

Today we found an easel at a thrift store .Followed by a trip to Wal-mart for supplies we raced home to try it out. Kloe wanted to start painting in the van! She loves to draw. Jacob thought it was kind of fun, but HATED wearing a smock!

End of the year carnival

2008-06-04T22:35:00.000-07:00

The elementary school that Jonah and Kayleigh attend had an end of the year carnival. There were lots of inflatable slides and fun houses. They even had a rock climbing wall. Jonah and Carson were so good to let Jacob play with them. Kayleigh and Cecilia took Kloe for awhile too. Kayleigh had SO much fun we barely saw her once we arrived. Kaitlin and Cecilia had a blast having a silly string war. I think Kaitlin won! Kloe really liked the disappearing ink! Good thing Jonah and Kayleigh brought home 10 bottles between them!
Today is also Kami's 21st Birthday!!!!! Way to go! We love and miss her!!!

Kami's new (Used) car

2008-05-29T23:23:00.000-07:00

Kami got a new from one of Papa Nick and Michelle's neighbors. Not a bad deal for $650!!!!
It even passed the mechanics inspections! Go Kami GO!

Thomas the Train!!!

2008-05-26T15:25:00.000-07:00

Today we went to Heber to ride Thomas the Train! Jacob LOVES Thomas. He wore 2 Thomas hats and 2 Thomas shirts so he would be ready! Kloe watching for horses!
Sisters!
Making faces!
Kaitlin as a Jr. Engineer!
Walking w/ Grammie backpack and all!
Jacob and Dad posing with Thomas the Train!
Watching the world go by as he rides Thomas!

Jonah the train bandit!

Jared

Springtime in Salt Lake City

2008-05-16T09:18:00.000-07:00

I LOVE springtime in Salt Lake. Flower trees seem to blanket the valley. Tulips grow everywhere. The vivid colors are such a sharp contrast to the silent white blanket of winter.

Liberty Park

2008-05-16T09:06:00.000-07:00

We went to Liberty Park for the first time. It was fun to see the geese and goslings! The twins loved the playground and Nana loved the scenery. We even blew dandilions! (Our bad!)

Ruth's Diner

2008-05-16T08:58:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we ate at Ruth's diner. It was really fun to be outside on the patio!

Eating at the Mayan

2008-05-15T09:21:00.000-07:00

Salt Lake has a REALLY fun place to eat called the Mayan Adventure. Diver's dive off a 3 story cliff into an indoor pool every 15 minutes during your meal. The tables are on different levels of a giant treehouse that wraps around the waterfall cliff and pool.
To see great pictures of the interior go to www.themayan.com

Tuesday at Gardener Village

2008-05-15T09:09:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday we met our friends Janae, Paisley and Reagan at Gardner Village. Nana LOVES it there!

Mother's Day and Monday!!!

2008-05-15T08:48:00.000-07:00

For Mother's Day we had a nice breakfast, crepes! YUMMY!!!! Then we went off to church. After church we opened presents. Mommy (Karrie) loved her new digital picture frame. Nana (Karrie's mom Carol) loved her new jewelry and Grammie (Jon's mom Judy) loved her new raised vegetable garden! For dinner Jon grilled carne asada! Yum! The funny thing at dinner was something Kloe and Jacob each said. Kloe wanted more steak and ask her dad for some more "snake". Jacob pushed his plate away and proclaimed," SNAKE! I don't eat SNAKE! I all done!"

On Monday we had fun eating at Cracker Barrel and thrifting.

Last Saturday

2008-05-15T08:32:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday we took Nana to Library Square in Salt Lake City. We had fun look at earth friendly displays and looking at the cool library. The solar powered DJ booth was weird but cool!

Wheeler Farm

2008-05-01T20:31:00.001-07:00

Front Runner

2008-05-01T06:42:00.000-07:00

We had SO much fun riding the new Front Runner train from Salt Lake City to Ogden and back. We went with Janae, Paisley, Reagan and Janae's Mom. Jacob seriously believes he has a new Grandma!
Jacob LOVES trains and hasn't stopped talking about his big train trip and what he saw out the window!!!!

2008-04-22T15:54:00.000-07:00

Park Day!

2008-04-22T15:38:00.000-07:00

Today we went to the Park with our friends!

More Family Night

2008-04-22T15:23:00.000-07:00

Family Night

2008-04-22T15:11:00.000-07:00

This week on Family Night we fed the missionaries dinner. For our fun activity we all played in the backyard for awhile. Jared learning that playing basketball with a guy nearly 7 feet tall isn't all that easy! Jonah locked himself in a baby swing by mistake and we took it as a photo op for future bribes. All in all, it was really fun!

Here we go!

2008-04-13T19:23:00.000-07:00

Yes, we have decided to join this century and start a blog! (Thanks for the nudge Janae!) We thought this would be a great way of giving those we love near and far a glimpse at "Our Crazy Life". Hopefully you will be mildly entertained by our many antics. For those of you afar, sadly, this will probably be the closest thing to a regular letter from us. We will attempt to post a least once a week, more if possible. Be sure to leave a comment when you check in so we know who not to cross off our Christmas card list! (Just kidding!)
Love, The Stanggang