Pictures from Kaitlyn's 16th birthday family party!

Shirts from Auntie Keri and Auntie Ally

Can you tell her favorite color is purple?

1st day of December...

Maren woke up this morning and asked, "is it winter yet? It is the first day of December!" SOOO CUTE!

Thanksgiving=Movies

I don't know why, but when I get together with family...sisters actually, we go out and watch movies. I hardly ever go to a movie when they are not there. So, the movies I saw this past week...
New Moon-Twice...and I am done. Kaitlyn and Hollie were sooooo excited for this one. We corraled a group of girls/women and Kaitlyn stood in line from 4:00 pm to save us a place. We had about 20 of us. By the time, it was time to go to the movie-I really didn't want to go! Taught seminary that morning, took Kaitlyn to get her braces off, took Steve to get his knee surgery, took Kaitlyn to the movies....and went to a band concert! I wanted to crawl in bed and I felt guilty for leaving my husband who was hurting! He supported us going and it was fun to be with the girls...
Anywhoo, if you are not a Jacob fan by the time that movie is over, nothing will turn you! Did have a good talk with the girls on the way home...Any man that makes you do extreme and stupid stuff...not good! And if he leaves you because he thinks it is best thing for you but doesn't include you in that conversation...not good! I don't think they will be going to a movie again with me soon.

Blind Side-LOVED IT, LOVED IT, LOVED IT!!!! So not just a football movie! Husband's first outing since surgery. Went with my brother and sister and their spouses. Great movie and Sandra Bullock rocks! I think the thing that I loved the best is that she was a strong woman and her husband just loved and supported her. Good to see in a movie.

Julie and Julia-$3.00 movie, went with sister and sister in law...LOVED IT!!!! This movie has stayed with me because Meryl Streep is so totally awesome. Seriously, is there nothing this woman can't do! You did not believe she wasn't Julia Child. A portrayal husbands loving and supporting their wives to go after their dreams. I seriously loved it and I think I will buy it.

North and South-BBC productions-watched with sisters huddled in my bedroom because the men were watching football in the lfamily room and the kids were sleeping in the bonus room! LOVED IT!!!! Ok, this is NOT a civil war movie-it is about the Industrial Revolution in England...soooo cute accents! Kind of a Pride and Prejudice where there and judgements made and misunderstandings but at least there is a kiss at the end of it-a good one too!!!!!!!

It was a great Thanksgiving break! So grateful for movies! :)

I am now a parent of a 16 year old!!!!!

Happy 16th Birthday Kaitlyn!!!!!!! Today is Kaitlyn's birthday and it has been an interesting one for the girl! We celebrated it yesterday while we still had family in town (we had over 29 people here for the week of Thanksgiving-it was great!) So, we had the family celebration last night but I got sick shopping for while shopping for the ingredients for her cake. Luckily, her Auntie Amy stepped in and made it. She got lots of cute clothes and we made her do a fashion show afterwards. Of course, my camera died-but her Auntie Ally took lots of pictures so we will get them from her.

We always tell the kids "birth" story on their birthday. Kaitlyn's is very memorable because she was a week late! I went with my mom and sister, Stephanie to go and see the movie "remains of the day" (kind of depressing)! I was so frustrated, uncomfortable and hormonal that I begged Steve to give me a Priesthood blessing so I would go into labor!!!! I remember Steve rubbing my back and saying, "I just don't think that is what it is for, honey!"

So, on a Sunday my mom took us to Temple Square (we were starving college students at the University of Utah) and she "walked" me into labor. The poor sister missionaries would come up and ask questions and my mom would say, "we are trying to get her to go into labor, so unless you can help us with that, we don't have any questions" You should have seen their faces!

But it worked, we went to the hospital at like 2:00 AM and had her at 8:30 AM with the help of forceps (nothing like looking down and seeing salad tongs in you!). She was so beautiful and I am forever grateful to her for making me a mother! She is still so beautiful and I am excited for her and the experiences that awaits her and love to see her blossom and grow. She is telling me now to head down for family council, so I better get going....

Happy Birthday my sweet Kaitlyn, I love you so!!!!!

Halloween 2009

Here are the pictures from our Halloween this year. It was a different Halloween for us, only Chase and Maren went trick or treating which means my kids are really growing up!

Hollie and Kaitlyn went to a party at their seminary teacher's house and McKay stayed home and passed out candy.

I told McKay he really should do something. So, he called a few friends over and they watched, Batthumb, Frankenthumb and the Blair thumb. Movies only twelve year old boys could love.

So, I felt like our Halloween was in shifts...

6:30-girls leave for party; 6:30-8:00 Trick or Treating (Chase got tired); 8:30-put the younger kids to bed; 9:00-teenage boys come over and I get to stay up and pick up the girls and wait until the teenage boys get picked up and....eat candy! :)

The woes of scouting!

Many of you know that I struggle with scouting-the overwhelmingness of it all. But I have been around enough to see good things come from scouting BUT my beef is now with the uniform!

Who knew that you could put all the merit badges on the sash backwards?!?!?!??! McKay went to a scout masters meeting and the new scout master is in the military and ripped his (my) scout shirt apart!
I asked McKay, "does it really matter, I mean will anyone else notice it besides Brother Hollingsworth?" He said, "mom, when I am standing up there with the other boys and all their sashes go one way, and mine goes the other, I think they will notice!"

UGH!!! SO, because I glued on all the merit badges, I need to go and buy a new one because the glue will not come off. Off to the scout store today...!O(#@&*($&#@(*^&(#&%$(*&!!!!!

Why didn't I listen to my grandmother???????

Ok, I am going to write a book someday about all the things my grandma said and how right she was. Usually they are profound or funny things. I thought this one thing she told me was kind of "oh that's just grandma spouting off again" when she said that she never bought Kool-Aid once it permanently dyed her wooden spoon. She went on about how it couldn't be good for you having all that dye-what was in it anyway? I shook my head and continued to stir the Kool-Aid. I am sure she had a cigarette in her hand when she told me so I think I was probably thinking I was good not to spout off about her "ciggie". ( don't get me wrong, I ADORE my grandma and feel a great sense of loss still to this day-even though she has been dead for over 10 years)

BUT...here she is, right again! On Thursday morning, rushing to take the kids to school and then off to work. Totally ready for work...I grab my water bottle and put one of those single crystal light packs in it. I put the plastic lid thingie on it and something goes wrong and it shoots up all over my face, hand, counter and floor. It is RED as RED can be juice mix and I could NOT get it off my face!!!! It totally dyed my face and hand!!! I went to work with RED streaks down my face, neck and hands!!!!!!!
Forget the wooden spoon! It was my skin that was dyed! Surely something that stains your skin for two days is not good for the body!!!!
Lesson finally learned Grandma-it just took my vanity to learn it!