Jensen's Jungle

Mitton Reunion 2011

2011-10-23T16:18:00.000-07:00

I realized today that I had started to work on this post but had never finished it. I really AM very behind in my blogging. This year of entries are in a crazy order.

My parents were in charge of our BIG Mitton Reunion this year. With the assistance of their children, the Mickelsens, and Aunt Sherie - we pulled off quite a party at Steadmans. It was held Friday, June 24th - Sunday, June 26th.

The best part about planning a reunion at Steadmans is that the entertainment comes easy. The water slides are HUGE and not only are the kids in Heaven, but the adults too.
The first day at the reunion, we had a hot dog feast for dinner and mostly just chatted. The kids started sliding right away and they didn't quit until dark. We had a small campfire that evening and went to bed around 10 PM. The night was HORRIBLE! My back did not like sleeping in our trailer. I feel like a spoiled brat complaining about having to sleep in a trailer. Especially since my poor FREEZING pregnant sister was sleeping in a cot in a tent. I really don't think anyone slept that great.

I was up early the next morning and tried to help, but I could barely walk. Luckily mom had a lot of help with breakfast. We had bagels, muffins, juice and sliced fruit. The food was yummy the whole time we were there. We spent the day mostly visiting while the kids played on the slides, swing set, zipline, or sand box. It was quite dreamy. I loved seeing all of my family and getting reacquainted with them. Our raffle and auction were successful, as was the potluck dinner.

I couldn't spent another night in the trailer, so I headed back home around 10:30. Jeff stayed with the girls (he was a good sport) and they left super early on Sunday morning. We have 9:00 church and Jeff and I both had lessons to teach. I taught Relief Society and Jeff taught Elder's.
It was an awesome reunion and mom is thrilled that it is over.

Lisa, Abby and Whitney
I packed a few toys and the kids had a lot of fun playing in the trailer.

The kids almost had MORE fun chasing the mice than they had going down the slides. They literally spent hours trying to catch them.

Lexi and Walker

Dad the hotdog man

Lisa loves Abby. She took good care of her during the reunion.

Jared Mitton happy about getting his picture taken

Whitney and Eliza

There were a TON of swallows and they had built nests up in our shade covering. Jared Mitton thought that if he knocked down some of the nests they would stop swooping in on our food and stop pooping on the tables. Lexi was excited when he gave her one of the nests. She was convinced that she could hatch a couple of the eggs.

Camp fire gathering

Carlie spent most of her time either sleeping or reading a book. Apparently our company wasn't stimulating enough.

I was doing some bead work and lost a needle. Hayden was worried that he was going to step on the needle so he spent a LOT of time searching for it. We finally found it in my camp chair.

Lexi was in heaven hanging out in the trailer eating her dill pickle chips

It took a while, but Kerry, Natalie and Carlie decided to join the fun.

KaeLynn was a trooper. She was miserable but managed to smile.

Kasiah and Lexi are good little cousin buddies

Kori and Kelby were fun to watch. They screamed the entire way down the slide.

Typical "Mitton Boy Behavior" Picking a girl up by her ears
Steven Mitton and Lexi

Lexi has that "candy crazed" look in her eye

Random

2011-10-23T08:00:00.000-07:00

Lexi went through a stage where she loved the old cartoon and books called "The Littles". There is a girl in the show named Lucy Little. Lexi used some balloons to make herself a tail and had me put her hair in buns. I thought she looked cute.

Loving Sisters

Eliza and Lexi sporting their "best friends" necklaces

Ice cream at the mall. Abby showing off her pea pod from the Disney store.

Classic Skating and Jump On It

2011-09-20T10:10:00.000-07:00

Almost every time that we visit KaeLynn we make a trip to Classic Skating and Jump On It. The kids love it and they are exhausted after they are done.

This was such a riot!! KaeLynn took her pregnant self and hopped on a scooter and joined the kids. One by one, as they realized that their mom was out on a scooter, they got off the rink as soon as they could. They were mortified that their mom was out on a scooter. Abby actually cried because she was "too big" to scooter. (Her words, not mine). Brooklyn came over and hid behind one of the posts. I thought I would die laughing.

They added a small foam pit at Jump On It. It was Lisa's favorite part and Lexi kept taking out the foam blocks to try to build something.
Thanks for another fun visit!

Pioneer Village

2011-09-15T20:53:00.000-07:00

At the end of August, we visited KaeLynn and family. For family home evening we went into Provo so see a pioneer museum. It was cool. I highly recommend a visit there. It would be well worth the time and it's free!

Jason trying to help Eliza work the stilts

Brooklyn and Lisa racing the bears up the school wall. You hold 2 ropes in your hand and then do kind of a "milking the cow" type of motion and the bears climb up the ropes.

The kids thought the school was pretty awesome. They were amazed at how small it was and Lexi was worried about getting a sliver on her bum.

Brooklyn schooling the girls

There was a set up of a cabin that I was amazed to see. Their houses were SO small! I couldn't imagine raising a family in such a small area. Still another reason why I am in awe of the pioneers.

Brooklyn and Lisa acting out the Snow White scene singing "I'm Wishing"

Lisa walked into the outhouse and there was a mannequin inside. It scared her and we all had a good laugh at her expense.

A store (that sold disgusting candy)

Pioneer Children

Zac and Lisa

Another house

Home Sweet Home
I haven't been to Nauvoo and seen where the pioneers were driven from their homes. But from what I am told from people who have been there, I understand that they had big and beautiful homes. I feel so bad for those early saints who were forced to leave their lives and travel in horrible conditions and settle on less than desirable land and just hoping to be left alone. I can't imagine having to suffer the way they suffered. They gave up so much to establish a Zion where they could worship as they please. I never want to be a weak link in that strong chain which has allowed me to live the way I do today.

When we got back to KK's house Eliza and Lexi played pioneer dress up.

Goose Creek Run Off--1 mile

2011-08-30T09:09:00.000-07:00

During the Pioneer Day Celebration in Oakley they have a few running and walking races. Last year Jeff did the 6 mile run but this year the girls wanted to do the 1 mile walk/run and he wanted to do it with them. Lisa went ahead of Jeff and Lexi. She probably could have won, but she kept stopping to visit with everyone she knew. I thought it was so funny that she could have cared less about her time or if she won or not. It was typical Lisa......just there to have a good time! I was just excited that they both wanted to participate in something that required them to run. The only desire I would have to run was if something or someone was chasing me.

Welcome Baby Stella

2011-08-29T19:57:00.000-07:00

On August 8th, 2011 at 10:26 AM I became Aunt Sissy to beautiful baby Stella. She was 7 lbs 13.4 oz and was 20" long. It broke my heart that I was not able to be there. It was fair week, swimming lessons and I also figured that the last thing KaeLynn needed was 2 extra kids and me at her house. Luckily, after Stella was about a week and a half old, KaeLynn came to visit and I got to snuggle her and kiss her and and kiss her some more.
Welcome Stella!

These 2 girls are pretty dang special!

She is seriously so cute that I can hardly stand it!!!!!

Mom and Dad spent a week at KaeLynn's house helping with the kids and taking care of KK. They came home Sunday early afternoon and brought Zac, Eliza and Abby with them. I took care of them for 4 days so KaeLynn could have a few more days to recover. We had a TON of fun and were on the run constantly. We had popcorn and a movie on Sunday, and then the rest of the time we went bowling, to McDonalds, spent a ton of time at the fair, swimming, the parade and even saw the Smurf movie. We had a great time and I loved having them here, but I'm not gonna lie......5 kids is just a tad more work than 2. But I would do it again in a heartbeat. They are ALWAYS WELCOME at Aunt Sissy's house anytime!

The kids had a great time at the Burley Pool

Mom and Dad brought Whitney and Walker down to the parade. They sat with us and the kids got loaded up with some serious parade candy.

Abbers and Whittybug

Lisa had to be in the parade for the Burley Barracuda Swim Team. Zac wanted to do it too, so we put Lisa's shirt from the year before on him and he wore her roller blades. They were hot and exhausted when they were done but had a fun time.

I ABBYsolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE this kid. We are such good friends. She has a great personality and we have a silly time together. She totally gets me.

Butterflies

2011-08-26T14:49:00.000-07:00

For Christmas 2010, Lisa and Lexi got butterfly nets and a coupon to order caterpillars. I decided I had better get them ordered or we would miss a chance to hatch them until next year. It took about 3 days to get the caterpillars. Each of them got 5 tiny caterpillars and they doubled in size about every 2 days. About a week later, they went into their cocoons and we took them from their little cups and put them into the big net. Another week later they came out of their cocoons as Painted Lady butterflies. The girls kept them for a couple of days and then let them go. They are excited to order some more next year. I was surprised how much blood there was! It was gross. But I guess birth is messy.

Post from Facebook

2011-07-05T07:33:00.000-07:00

Lexi loves the song "Hinges" that they sing in primary. She was singing it the other day " I'm ninjas in front and I'm ninjas in back". I don't have the heart to tell her she is singing it wrong. I like the song better with ninjas in it anyway.

Lisa Gorringe and RaeDean Petersen-Morrison like this.

Sherie Tolman love it!!!!!!

Nicki Mickelsen It's good to have ninjas who have your back! I love the saying that goes "There are no automatic doors - just gentleman ninjas." 7 love Lexi's versions of songs!

Catch Up

2011-06-21T20:02:00.000-07:00

I have gotten so very far behind in my blogging. You would think since I know that it's difficult to play catch up that I would be better at keeping current. I have lots of random pictures and memories so they will not necessarily be in the accurate order.

KaeLynn and the kids came for a visit shortly after their school got out. They came to Burley and we took the kids bowling. Dad is so awesome about helping the kids and I'm grateful. I couldn't have done it without his help!

This picture of Brooklyn makes me laugh because by nature, she is a worrier. Apparently even bowling stresses her out.

The kids sporting their lovely bowling shoes

KaeLynn must have swallowed her bowling ball

Abby

Lisa

Lexi

Kevin and Wendy bought Mom and Dad an IPad for helping them while they were taking dance pictures. Abby was a huge fan of it.

Abby said "hello" to Uncle Jeff by licking his cheek. This is him saying "hello" back to her.

The girls finished the school year with great grades. Their teachers had only good things to say about them. The both loved school and I'm grateful they had good teachers. Lisa got the "Happiest Personality" award for her classroom. I had to make sure that Mr. Larson had the right Lisa. :) She also won the "Walker" award. The kids walk around the school playground during recess and they get tokens when they make a lap. Lisa walked 42 miles this school year and it was the highest number in her class. She was slacking a little because last year she won for the third grade and she had walked over 70 miles.
Lexi's teacher, Mrs. Plotts, wished she could have an entire class of kids just like Lexi. She was kind, she listened and did what she was supposed to do and always used her manners. Music to a mom's ears.

After the girls got out of school we went to Utah for a visit with KaeLynn's family. KaeLynn has a friend (Mimi Petty) and her Grandma has a swimming pool. We decided to go there and swim. It was a little chilly so the kids didn't swim for a really long time, but they still had a good time.

We also went to this really fun restaurant called "Pirate Island Pizza." It was kind of like Pirates of the Caribbean meet Chuck E. Cheese. They had fun pirate decorations and had games for the kids to play. It was yummy and the kids had a lot of fun. Lexi did say that she still preferred Chuck E. Cheese because you didn't need as many tickets to buy treats and toys.
KaeLynn and Jason ordered pizza and we took it to the park. It was cold and windy but the kids had a good time anyway.

The girls have been sick for about the last 6 weeks. I finally took them to the evening medical clinic and found out that Lisa had bronchitis and Lexi had an inflamed throat because of coughing from allergies. She has also developed asthma. Jeff's side of the family has been plagued with a long history of asthma. Lisa has it, so why not Lexi too right?? Jeff's family calls the albuterol medicine in the nebulizer machine "happy air". Lisa struggles doing the inhaler, so she still does happy air on occasion and now Lexi is doing it at least a couple of times a day.

We had a garage sale this past weekend. Cassi needed to complete a 10 hour project in order for her to receive her Young Woman award, so she helped organize my garage sale. She did a great job--(with a HUGE amount of help from Nana). I was so very grateful for their help. I couldn't have done it without them. We made just a few dollars shy of $200. Our goal was $100 so the girls could each get a summer swimming pass for the pool. By the time the girls paid tithing, bought their passes and swimming lessons the money was gone. Lisa got a little glimpse of how fast money can fly out of your pocket.
Our garage is pretty empty and clutter free (even before the garage sale). I had several people comment on the cleanliness of our garage. Then Lisa would quickly reply, "Our garage is clean, but you should see the inside of the house!" I have to agree, it has been pretty messy lately.

Lisa had her 1st swim meet this Saturday in Gooding. We had to get up early and Lexi was far from happy about it. The day was sort of chilly until about the time that the meet was over and then it warmed right up. Lisa had a great time. She got 2 first place ribbons, 2 second place ribbons and 2 third place ribbons. I'm thrilled for her to get the exercise and she loves being in the water.
After the swim meet we went into Twin Falls for lunch. Then we found a ceramics store and picked up some pieces for the girls to do in 4-H. I signed them up for a ceramics class and they can't wait to get painting on them. Lisa has also been doing dog obedience and training with Chewie in a 4-H group. Lisa loves it, but I'm not so sure about Chewie.

Quick Salt Lake Trip

2011-05-23T21:29:00.000-07:00

The last 4 days have been miserable (more that usual) with my back. I am officially at the end of my rope. My ulcer is not allowing me to take any more medication and nothing else seems to be working. I went to Dr. Zaman in Utah a few months back and he told me he didn't think there was really anything else he could do for me because the shots in my back seemed to have stopped working. I was desperate and decided to try it again. I called about 10:30 AM this morning and his office manager said I could have an appointment at 3:30. I quickly made some phone calls and my parents were kind enough to pick the girls up from school and keep them until I could got back. I dropped Lexi off to school and headed to Utah. It took about 2 hrs. and 45 minutes to get there and I had about 20 minutes to kill before my appointment. Unfortunately, it took me the full 20 minutes to just walk across the parking lot. Dr. Zaman gave me the shots and asked if he could consult a few surgeons about me to see if he could find someone to help me. I guess it's just hurry up and wait. I hope within a couple of days these shots will give me some pain relief. If not, I may just crawl in bed and never come out again. That would sure make my back feel better but I don't think it would make me a very good wife or mom.

Idaho History Boise Trip

2011-05-19T12:40:00.000-07:00

It doesn't seem like that long ago when I went on this same trip to Boise when I was in the 4th grade. It was going to be way too hard on me with my stupid back, so Jeff went with Lisa. She was more excited about having her dad go anyway. They went to the State Capitol, the State Penitentiary and the Zoo. She said she loved the whole trip but her favorite part was the zoo. She was a little freaked out by the prison and said she never wants to end up there. I remember when I went, I had nightmares for a long time. I have always been afraid of being framed for something and having to go to jail for something I didn't do. (I know...dumb) It was a really long day and then Jeff had to go to work all night. I want Lisa to know how important she is to her dad. That he was willing to stay awake for over 24 hours in order to spend some time with her. She's pretty lucky
I send my phone with Lisa, but she didn't take very many pictures. She mostly took video. I will try to get some pictures off of Jeff's phone.

I know this is in the capitol, but I don't know what it's about

Jeff studying for his CDL license

Lisa's 4th Grade Music Program

2011-05-19T12:36:00.000-07:00

These pictures didn't turn out very well, but the lighting wasn't very good in the gym. Lisa's 4th grade sang a few songs and played a couple of songs on the recorder. I was very impressed because there was very little squeaking. They did a great job. I'm grateful that my kids love music.

Lagoon Clogging Competition

2011-05-19T12:15:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday we went to Lagoon for Lisa's clogging competition. Whitney and Hayden also clog, so there was a big group of us there. We left Friday at noon and headed to KaeLynn's house. Mom ad Dad called right before we were going to leave and asked if they could ride with us. They were more than welcome, so they rushed to Burley. KaeLynn and Jason fed us grilled hamburgers and yummy salad for dinner. We got up early Saturday and got set up at Lagoon. The weather was nice. It even sprinkled later in the afternoon. KaeLynn's family has season passes so they went with us too. We didn't spend as much time together as a family as I would have liked, but I think everyone managed to have a good time. Jeff and Jason took Lisa, Brooklyn, and Zac on some of the bigger rides while the rest of us took the littler kids on the smaller rides. I think they met up with Kevin's family later on. It was tough on my back (big surprise) but thanks to some big time pain medication I was able to make it through the day.

Lisa's group practicing before their performance

Waiting in line for Dino Drop

Lisa's team won 2nd place in their catagory

I think the real name of this ride is called Lady Bug Drop but Abby has always called it Bugga Bugga. She is fearless when it comes to rides at Lagoon.

Lexi's Kindergarten Program

2011-05-19T12:08:00.000-07:00

Last week Lexi had her kindergarten music program at Mountain View. Their theme was "A Trip to Hawaii". When Jessica graduated from college, Nana brought back Lisa a cute Hawaiian dress and Lexi has grown into it so we used it for the program. They sang a few songs about Hawaii and then some songs about much they love their moms.

Dirty Little Secret

2011-05-19T12:03:00.001-07:00

I'm confessing my dirty little secret.....I HATE TO DUST!!! Growing up I would do anything to not have to dust. When mom gave us chores, I would beg my siblings to trade jobs with them. I would rather clean the bathroom toilet than have to dust. We have been super busy lately and when I have had the chance to be home, I have been sitting on the heating pad. I am ashamed to say that this is a lovely picture of the top of my fireplace. I think the girls were giving me a hint that the dusting needed done......so I made THEM do it!

Annie

2011-05-19T11:09:00.000-07:00

I spent the last several weeks directing "Annie" for White Pine School. Lisa missed auditions and I called and asked her teacher if she could still participate in the show. He told me he needed a director and if I would agree to direct the show, he thought he could find a place for her. It was a TON of work!! But in the end it was worth it because we had a great show and the kids had a blast. We performed it 5 times and I think the kids would have liked to do it even more. Unfortunately, my back wasn't going to hold up any longer. Nikki Beck helped me with costumes, Megan Orton and Emily Hill helped with hair and makeup, Sierra McMurry did choreography and Mr. Larson built the set. It was a great memory for Lisa and I. She made a pretty darn cute orphan.

Easter 2011

2011-05-04T08:18:00.000-07:00

We had another wonderful Easter. Aunt Linda and Uncle Larry hosted their annual Easter dinner at their house. There was a TON of yummy food and lots of good company. We usually have our Easter dinner with my in-laws, but Papa has not been feeling well since his radiation treatments, so we are going to wait until he is feeling better. His taste buds are messed up and everything tastes gross to him right now anyway.

Lexi, Lisa and Hayden
The kids decided they wanted to "egg" Jeff's truck for an Easter surprise while he was at work. We cut out about 65 eggs out of foam and taped them to his truck. Then I made a sign to put on his window that said "You got egged because you are egg-stra special". Hayden wanted to get in on the action so we took him with us to do it.

The kids working on cutting out the foam eggs

As usual, the Easter Bunny outdid himself this year. The girls got candy, jerky, a coloring book and Pringles chips. They each also got a jump rope. Lisa got an ITunes gift card and earphones. Lexi got a golf set and Figaro cat.

Egg Coloring

Lisa Turns 10

2011-05-03T09:32:00.000-07:00

Lisa finally got her very own ITouch

KaeLynn and family gave her a 10 dollar bill to go towards Lisa's trampoline fund
It won't be much longer before she and Lexi can get one.

Jessica sent her a 20 dollar bill and Lisa couldn't have been happier!

She got speakers and earphones

Today is a birthday I wonder for who?????

We had a 2nd celebration of cake and ice cream at Grandma and Grandpa's house when KaeLynn's family came for their spring break.

Lisa's Belated Party

2011-05-03T09:07:00.000-07:00

Lisa didn't get her birthday party until about 3 weeks after her birthday. I was only planning to take a couple of her friends and her to the movie, but she has too many good friends to do that. I'm so grateful that she has friends, but it made it difficult to have a small party. She ended up inviting 10 friends over to the house. We had pizza, played Just Dance on the Wii, had an Easter Egg Hunt, had root beer floats and opened presents and then they watched Sharpay's Fabulous Adventure on the big screen tv. I honestly didn't realize how loud that many young girls could be. It was crazy! It didn't help that I was brain dead and decided to have a 4 hour long party. It was fun, everyone had a good time and now we can be done for a couple of years. When her birthday rolls around next year, please remind me of this post.

Playing Just Dance

Kaiya Hosteen--gave Lisa a purse that looks like a dog

Mallory gave her silly puddy and magic marbles

Brigham Bodily gave her a diaper bad for her Bitty Twins

Whitney and Makaylee Hill are sisters and shared a present for Lisa. They gave her makeup and a backpack. Lexi slipped into this picture

Makaylee Hill

Hannah Beck gave her make up, a necklace and a purse

Carol Blauer gave her some darling socks that her mom crocheted beads and buttons on.

Watching a movie on the big screen

I can't believe Lisa is 10 years old. It blows me away to think how she is growing up so quickly. I love you so much Lisa!

Spring Break 2011

2011-05-03T08:04:00.001-07:00

Once again KaeLynn and family hosted us for our spring break. It's always kind of tricky because her kids are in school while we are there, but we still managed to have a great time and fill up our days. My back limited some of the things I could do and that made me cranky :(

Abby has a fairy tale dance class and Lexi was able to join in during the Princess and the Frog . It was darling and Lexi was wishing she could do it at home too.

We can't go to KK's house without making a trip to Jump On It. An entire warehouse is filled with trampolines and bounce houses. They even added a big foam pit with a climbing wall. I wasn't sure if Lisa would like it, but she LOVED it.Awesome Spread Eagle Lisa

Brooklyn showing us her "High School Musical" pose

Zac the flip master

KaeLynn says that Abby and I have the same sense of humor. I'm great with that cuz I think the girl is hilarious!

Flat Stanley went on vacation with us. You are supposed to send him somewhere and have someone take pictures of Flat Stanley's adventures. Lexi insisted on sending him to Utah to visit Eliza. Since we were there at the same time we joined him on his adventures. One of the days while the older kids were in school, we went to Chuck E. Cheese. I am a huge fan of that place. I love a place where my kids can run free and have a good time, but I also know they are safe.

Another day while the bigger kids were in school we went to the BYU campus to go to the Bean Museum. It's kinda like a Cabella's but better. We have been there before, but the kids like it. Lexi was fascinated by the elephant.

Krispy Kreme donuts are awesome! The kids brought in their report cards and they get a free donut with every A. I think that is a great way to support the schools. Equally sad, it's a pretty fattening way to support the schools! :) It is pretty cool to watch how they make the donuts and they are delicious.

Eliza is the only person I know who doesn't like donuts. Crazy girl!

A couple of times a year, the kids' school offers a free skate night. We were there during one of those times. I was MISERABLE with back pain, but the kids had a blast. I actually had to sit in the van for a while because the picnic tables were hurting me. Poor KaeLynn kept an eye on the kids for me. It was not an easy task because I swear there were at least 3 million children there~

My little scooter pie Lexi. I had a hard time getting pictures of Lisa cuz she was so dang fast!

Zac had his pine wood derby while we were there. The kids had a good time watching the cars race. It was pretty low key and it was all about having a good time, not a huge competition. I walked away feeling very blessed.......that I don't have a boy! :)

We also can't take a trip to KK's without going to Lehi to their swimming pool. It is really an amazing place to play.

KaeLynn and Jason got rid of their satellite tv and bought a Wii game console. We have one too so we brought our games. The kids spent a lot of time playing American Idol and Just Dance. I love a video game that exercises more that just the thumbs.

It was an awesome spring break and I'm grateful that KaeLynn and the family put up with us for such a long time. We had lots of chick fil-a, lots of shopping and lots of visiting and I loved it all!! Thanks Earl Family!

Funny Lexi

2011-04-11T21:49:00.000-07:00

I did this post on facebook, but I wanted it for my journal too. So I copied it from there and also added the comments.

Lexi makes me laugh. She can never get the lyrics right to a song. She sings the last 2 lines of "I Love to See the Temple" as "I'll repair myself while I am young. This is my secret beauty"

Pamela Smith Shaw That's funny, Kylie does the same when she doesn't know the real words!!

Lorilee Burch Fairbank hahahahhhahaha! that totally made my day already! :)

KaeLynn Morrison Earl HA HAA

Sherie Tolman That's great! haha

Cami's Wedding

2011-04-01T19:14:00.000-07:00

I have spent a lot of thought this week deciding whether I was going to create this post, but then I realized that if my blog was truly my journal then I should post it. It's easy to write about things that are happy and exciting, but hard to write about things that are upsetting and sad.
It's not news that we have struggled with Cambria for quite some time. After living with us for almost 2 years, she moved out in August to go back and live with her mom. I believe it was because she was given full reign over herself and she was free to do what she pleased. A couple of weeks ago we found out that Cami had moved in with her 20 year old boyfriend. Jeff and I were upset and knew that she shouldn't be allowed to do that. We were upset that Cami's mom had allowed her to do it. Jeff told her mom that we were not going to just sit back and let Cami make choices that would potentially harm her. He told her that we would turn her into Health and Welfare for neglect. Jeff then approached Cami's boyfriend and told him to stay away from Cami. He was too old for her. Not to mention that he was breaking the law. Lastly, Jeff went to Cambria and told her that she was to move back in with her mother (or with us....or her sister... or almost ANYONE else but her boyfriend) and he was taking her car back from her. It was left at that. A week later, we found out that Cami's mom had given permission for Cami to marry her boyfriend (Elliot Trudeau). They got married March 21, in a park, under a dead tree, without us even knowing about it. We found out about it because he posted wedding pictures on his Facebook account.
We are all so very sad (and angry) that she was allowed to make this mistake. I believe that Cami's mom sold her out to save herself from getting into trouble. She has disappointed me, but most importantly, she has broken her dad's heart. I hope she proves us all wrong and it turns out to be the greatest decision she ever made......but it's highly unlikely. She's barely old enough to date, barely old enough to drive, still needs notes to get excused from school, can't vote, and she can't even leave school campus during lunch, and yet her mother considered her old enough to decide to get married. Sickening.
P.S. No, she is not pregnant.

Being Silly

2011-03-14T12:21:00.001-07:00

A sweet neighbor of ours donated a wig to us so we can use for the play Annie we are working on. Jeff and the girls decided they would try it on first.

Humpty Dumpty Had a Great Fall

2011-03-14T12:09:00.000-07:00

On Saturday Jeff decided that he would go clean some windows. At about 2:00 in the afternoon he fell from the top of a 12 foot ladder. Luckily a flight of wooden steps broke his fall before he went to the concrete or he would probably be dead or paralyzed. He said he felt his back and arms go numb when he hit and he thought for sure he was paralyzed. We used butterfly bandages to put his head back together. He didn't want to go in for stitches. His back is hurting him pretty badly. We think maybe he cracked or badly bruised the back of his ribcage. He's REALLY sore and moving slowly but grateful to be able to move at all.

Clogging Competition

2011-03-14T12:00:00.001-07:00

Friday night Lisa and Whitney had their first clogging competition. Whitney spent the day with us then came with us to the competition in Pocatello. They were both darling and had a great time. Clogging is a lot more fun to watch than other dancing, so it made for an entertaining night. Kara and Robbie Walker (cousins) have a clogging group so they were there. I talked to Kara for about an hour and that was a lot of fun catching up with her. We got home around 10:00 and the girls were exhausted. Whitney spent the night and then spent Saturday with us. We went to the movie "Mars Needs Moms" and the girls played together. Fun was had by all.

Lehi Pool

2011-03-14T11:48:00.001-07:00

I had to go to Utah for shots in my back and spent the weekend with KaeLynn and family. It was a very busy weekend. KaeLynn watched the girls for me almost the whole day on Friday because I was in the doctor's office. (A BIG thank you!) Friday night we went to Lehi pool. My kids love the water and they especially love that pool. Saturday KaeLynn's family had a baptism to go to, so I took the girls to the pet store, Disney Store, Build a Bear and Chick Fil a for lunch. We had a good time but I was tired. I had sprained my ankle Thursday night and it was black and blue and after lots of walking, it was sore and throbbing. Saturday night I went with KaeLynn to watch Brooklyn at a clogging competition. As usual, she got all first places. She's an amazing clogger. Sunday morning was church and then we left for Burley around 2:00. Thank you so much for hosting us. We sure appreciate it and can't wait to come again soon.

Zac and Lisa

Abby was scared of the pool. She didn't want to go in very far. She finally got brave about 20 minutes before we got ready to go home.

This picture cracks me up. I was trying to get Abby to sit still for a picture and she didn't want to, so Lisa stepped into help and Abby was NOT happy about it.

Snow Fun

2011-03-14T11:42:00.001-07:00

We had a huge snowstorms a couple of weeks ago. Jeff got out the 4-wheelers and took the girls for a joyride. Lexi kept asking him to go in slow motion but it didn't take long for her to get braver and want him to speed it up.

Lexi's Birthday Continued

2011-03-13T20:29:00.000-07:00

Lexi's birthday continued when we had a family party.

Grandma Morrison painted a "Jerry" rock for Lexi

Lexi asked for Bitty Twins--She named them Jack and Jill

An outfit for her doll

Cassi gave her some sunglasses and an umbrella just in case she gets to go to the ocean this summer. Nana and Papa gave her a gift card to order something from the American Girl website.

Kerry's family gave her a black poodle WebkinzJessica gave her a giraffe Webkinz Jr. that she LOVES!

Lexi's Birthday

2011-02-21T14:42:00.001-08:00

In a moment of weakness, I agreed to let Lexi have a "friend party" this year for her birthday. She invited 7 kids and 5 of them came. She wanted a Hawaiian theme.

Cupcakes with paper umbrellas

Sophie Berlin gave her a jewelery maker

Eryn Alcocer gave her Squinkies and play money

Lohanny Neilsen gave her a blueberry doll and a shirt

Taya Robinson (her cousin who also shares the same birthday) gave her bubbles and an egg with a duck in it. Add water and it turns into a swan

Grace gave her a Barbie Doll

I plugged my ITouch into the TV and connected to some You Tube videos to teach the girls how to do some different Hula dances

We played a limbo game. Jeff joined in the game and after he made it under the limbo stick, all the girls squealed and ran to him and gave him a big group hug.

We used silk flowers and straws to make leis

Instead of a pinata, we cracked a coconut. I was a little disappointed because it only took a couple of throws to break open.

When the girls first arrived we made fruit kabobs

Happy Birthday Lexi Woohoo! You are a ray of sunshine that I couldn't live without!!

Rice Gloves

2011-02-21T14:25:00.001-08:00

I was looking on some craft blogs and found these cute "Boo-Boo Gloves". I went to the dollar store and bought some baby size mittens and filled them with rice. I sewed it up with matching yarn. Then the other glove goes over it so it can be removed and washed. I keep a few in the freezer for ice packs and some in the first aid cupboard that can be heated in the microwave.

Valentine's Day 2011

2011-02-18T13:55:00.000-08:00

For Valentine's Day, Lexi's kindergarten teacher asked the kids to decorate a box for their classroom Valentines. Last year I gave KK an idea for an IPOD for a box. I decided to just copy that idea. It turned out cute, and only took about half an hour.

Lisa was feeling bad that Lexi got to make a Valentine's Day box, so we made one for her too.

Lexi has 24 kids in her class and 19 of them are girls. I decided to make the girls a set of flower hair clips made out of yarn. Lexi said the next day almost all of the girls in her class wore them in their hair.
For my family and for the girls' closest friends, I printed out these candy bar wrappers. I thought they were cute.

Jeff had to work the night of Valentine's Day, so we celebrated a little early. On Saturday, our family (along with Nana and Cassi) went to Twin Falls. We went to Outback Steakhouse for a yummy lunch and then went to the museum and planetarium at CSI. The museum was cool except for the disgusting snake and iguana. We saw the film about the dinosaurs. It was ok, but kinda cheesy. We went for ice cream, went to a new toy store and a stop at the dollar store and then we were ready to head home. It was a ton of fun!

Christmas 2010

2011-02-18T13:02:00.001-08:00

Christmas is such a busy and stressful time of year. Maybe that's why I wait so long to blog about it. I need enough time to pass so I can forget the stress and just focus on the good stuff.
Because of Jeff's dumb schedule at work, we had Christmas day at home, but then a few days later had Christmas at his parent's house. In some ways it's kind of nice because we get to celebrate two times instead of one. The bad part is that I run a greater risk of forgetting some of the gifts we received. So please forgive me if I forget anything.

Jeff and Christy:
Nana and Papa gave us a gift certificate for the Black Swan Inn in Pocatello. Jessi gave us 8 hours of a cleaning lady. Mom and Dad gave us a Magic Bullet Blender. LOVE LOVE LOVE ALL of the presents. Cami gave Jeff a superman t shirt and Cassi gave him a mug. Kevin's family gave Jeff 4 movie tickets and diet coke. They gave me cereal dispensers to sit on my kitchen counter.

Lisa:
Santa gave her an Alex Doll from Wizards of Waverly Place, a robot Penguin, and new bunk beds for her bitty twin dolls.
Lexi gave her a Blizzard Maker but returned it cuz it leaked. She exchanged it for a Bop It game.
Mom and Dad gave her a stroller for her dolls and a cotton candy maker.
Jessica gave her a robe and some books
Nana and Papa gave her $50 in gold coins, an "L" necklace and a book

Lexi:
Santa gave her a Leapster book reading system with LOTS of books and a playset for her squinkies (small rubber dolls).
Lisa gave her a Easy Bake Oven
Jeff and I gave her a Minnie Mouse Polly Pocket set and a tunnel tent
Jessica gave her a robe and some books
Nana and Papa gave her $50 in gold coins, an "L" necklace and a book

Christmas Eve 2010

2011-02-03T07:42:00.001-08:00

As usual, we had a wonderful Christmas Eve at Kevin and Wendy's. Once again, I have to use my back for an excuse of not getting good pictures. I have spent entirely too much of my time in a drug-induced fog. I had to laugh at Lexi. We were already in Oakley when Wendy called and asked Lexi to sing "Stars Were Gleaming" for our Christmas program. They were working on it during Show Stoppers this year. She was freaking out because she didn't have a dress to wear while she sang. I tried and tried to convince her that this was an informal program, but she wouldn't listen to me. Whitney saved the day. She went through her closet and found a dress that would fit Lexi. Thanks Whitter Bug.

Swelling

2011-02-03T07:36:00.001-08:00

I had to blog this picture. When I went in for my 2nd surgery, they had an especially hard time getting the IV in. After the 4th poke, they tried it in a different spot. I took a little nap and when I woke up my arm and hand looked like this. She hadn't hit the vein and my arm was full of fluid. It was a tad bit uncomfortable. The nurse finally called someone in who knew what she was doing and she got the needle in on her first try. Kinda wish they had started with her! :)

Welcome 40

2011-02-03T07:13:00.000-08:00

I say "welcome" to turning 40 because 39 was such a horrible year. Between a miscarriage and 5 months of severe back pain, I was glad to turn 40. I figured it had to be better. Despite being in pain, I did manage to have a great birthday. As usual, everyone spoiled me. My sweetheart had me leave for the day. He wouldn't tell me why, but when I got home I realized he'd hired a cleaning lady who cleaned my entire house. I was SO grateful that he had been so thoughtful. I had not been able to lift, bend or twist in any way, so keeping up on the house had been impossible. It was very frustration to sit there and have everything fall apart around me. I was especially thrilled to have the bathrooms cleaned. We were getting pretty close to having run-down-gas station-kind of bathrooms. YUCK!
KaeLynn 's family and Mom and Dad went in together to get me a Mickey Mouse candle holder made of black iron. I LOVED IT! It matches my mirror and sconces that I have hanging on my wall. Kevin's family bought me a gigantic Christmas stocking to hang over a door. Kerry's family bought me perfume. My friend Hosanna gave me some Bath and Body Works hand soap. My mother in law made me the cutest Mickey Mouse apron ever. Cassi gave me some Disney keys to make into house keys.
Here's hoping to a good 40th year! Thanks to everyone for making it start off great.

Gloom Despair and Agony

2011-01-18T15:52:00.000-08:00

I have kind of felt this way over the last few months. It seems like it's just been one big problem after another. Long story short:

--ruptured disc in my back. Piece of disc was laying on my nerve running down my left leg. At one point I couldn't get out of bed and I had to be taken to the hospital in the ambulance.
--had surgery to remove the piece of disc
--fell on ice. Another piece of disc came out again.
--scheduled surgery but had a toothache. Tooth was infected and had to go to an (expensive) endodontist for root canal. Had to be on antibiotics for 10 days before I could have another surgery.
--had 2nd surgery. On a happy note, they were able to sew up the hole in my disc.
--I have to be SUPER careful, meaning that I can't do ANYTHING.
The doctor actually scared me quite a bit when he said if my nerve takes another hit, I could be crippled. He wanted me to see what it would be like, so he did a demonstration. He took a step and then dragged his foot behind him. That was enough for me. I will be a good patient...I promise.

Snow Day

2010-12-16T13:56:00.001-08:00

The girls enjoying a snowy day. I like the picture of our miniature trampoline. It looks like one of the crustable sandwiches.

Festival of Trees

2010-12-15T15:24:00.001-08:00

I tried to get good pictures of the girls Festival of Trees performances this year, but it was basically pointless because the lighting was horrible and I was on the very back row. I did get pictures of the girls sitting on Santa's lap and a cute picture of Lexi snuggling with grandma. Lisa had a clogging number, Lexi had ballet and then both girls performed with Show Stoppers.

I laughed when Lexi saw Santa.
Mom: What did you tell Santa you wanted for Christmas?
Lexi: "I told him I wanted a Blizzard Maker."
Mom: "I thought you wanted a Tag Book Reader? Lisa is the one who wants a Blizzard Maker."
Lexi: "I know! But when he asked me what I wanted, I panicked! "I just said the first thing I could think of."
She worried about it all night so we had to go back to the Festival of Trees the next day so she could tell him what she really wanted for Christmas.

Thanksgiving Stuff

2010-12-15T09:00:00.001-08:00

I only took a couple of pictures of Thanksgiving this year. I had back surgery just a couple of weeks before Thanksgiving and I wasn't thinking much about a photo shoot. I did get a picture of the kid's table. KaeLynn and Jason barely made it. They had pretty treacherous roads and had to stay the night at a hotel in Tremonton. Luckily Kevin in a diamond member of a hotel because there was no room in the inn.
The healthy (dumb) people in our family decided to wake up early and go run a 5K. The reason I say dumb is because it was 4 degrees outside. Kevin ran it too, but he wasn't at the house when I was taking this picture. I'm very proud of all of them for doing it.
One day when I was on the internet I saw that someone had used Fruit Loops and Cocoa Puffs cereal to make a turkey picture. I thought it was cute so I printed a picture out for Lexi to make one
I enjoy knitting but I have no clue how to do it. A long time ago I bought some looms so I could make some hats. I also got some long looms to make a scarf and you can make blankets with it. I decided to make the kids some headbands with a flower on it. They are popular right now, but I also have no idea how to crochet. They are basically just a wide hat brim. All the kids thought looming was awesome and I ended up teaching them how to make the headbands. Zac made a hat. It was fun and I hope they have another good "Aunt Sissy memory."

Kerry likes a little pie with his whip cream. He just puts his piece of pie right into the whip cream tub. That made me laugh.

Bird Feeder

2010-12-15T08:48:00.000-08:00

Lexi was watching the cartoon Special Agent Oso and he made a bird feeder. Lexi decided that she wanted to make one. We got some pine cones from Kerry's house, smeared it with peanut butter and then rolled it in birdseed. She had a good time and the birds enjoyed the treat.

Maid Service

2010-12-03T10:13:00.000-08:00

Last night after Festival of Trees (and seeing Santa)

Mom: "Lisa, what did you tell Santa you wanted for Christmas?"

Lisa: "I told him I wanted an Itouch, a cotton candy maker and a maid."

Mom: "You already have a maid. I'm your maid!"

Lisa: "Ya, but I want one that works.

OUCH! That hurts.

Spelling Lesson

2010-12-01T21:09:00.000-08:00

In the car driving Lexi to school.

Lexi: "Mom--I can spell something."
Mom: "Oh good! Spell it for me."
Lexi: "S-I-X"
Mom: "That's really awesome! You are a good speller."
Lexi: "Yep I am! But you can't have it until after you get married."
Mom: "SILENCE"

Halloween 2010

2010-11-05T11:31:00.001-07:00

Once again we had a wonderful Halloween celebration. KaeLynn and family came for the weekend. Saturday morning we went to Kevin and Wendy's house for homemade donuts. It took a long time and it was a big mess, but they were yummy. I brought a witch pinata for the kids to smack around. It was a tough one. Kevin finally had to take a whack at it to bust it open. We got ready for trunk-or-treating. It was cold but fun. The kids went to a few houses after the trunk-or-treating and they ended up with a huge load of candy. I wish they would hand out money to cover the dental bills.

Abby giving the pinata a very dainty whack.

I thought this was funny because this picture makes it look like Kevin sat down to his very own tray of donuts.

Lexi gave it her best shot

Lisa's turn

Lexi the butterfly, Lisa the sleepy pajama girl, Hayden as Indiana Jones and Zac as Mr. Potato Head (KaeLynn made his costume out of a brown sheet and craft foam. It rocked!!!)

Brooklyn's Barbie costume

Pumpkin Carving Family Home Evening

2010-11-05T11:02:00.001-07:00

Halloween wouldn't be complete without a family home evening of pumpkin carving. Kerry's family came over to join us. Kerry was a huge help. He did a lot of designing, cutting and cleaning up. I couldn't have done it without him. Bending over the table was impossible for me. I love building memories.

Robin's Pumpkin Patch

2010-11-05T10:00:00.001-07:00

KaeLynn and family came for conference weekend in October. We had a blast (as usual) and spent some time at Robin's Pumpkin Patch. They have so many great things to do. You can go on a hayride through the pumpkin patch so you can decide which pumpkin you want, pumpkin bowling, miniature golf, a straw maze, a haunted house (shed) and animals. Even if you are not from Oakley, it is well worth your while to make the trip.

This was so dang funny. Kelby got up on the hay to strike a pose for her camera. Jeff decided he wanted to do it too. He has a red face cuz he was laughing so hard.

Jeff showing of his mad golf skills

Jason and Jeff getting ready to pumpkin bowl. I was such a dork. I moved up closer to get a better picture and got hit with the pumpkin. It hurt a lot worse than I thought it would.

Trying to find the perfect pumpkin

Jeff had been washing windows in Oakley. He finished about the same time we got to the pumpkin patch. The girls are always excited when dad joins in on our fun.

Hay maze

So many fun things to do and Eliza and Lexi wanted to play in the dirt

Sugar Cookies

2010-11-05T09:55:00.001-07:00

When I was having back trouble, my dear friend Kyrstin Tindall came and got the girls for a couple of hours and took them to her house. They made sugar cookies and loved every minute of it. Thank you Kyrstin!!!

More Back Trouble

2010-11-03T20:26:00.000-07:00

October 4th was one of the worst days EVER!!!! I had been having a lot of back problems for a couple of weeks and I was to the point where I couldn't stand up straight. I didn't have insurance until Oct. 1st, so I was trying to hold off. I went to see Dr. David Jensen in Twin Falls on the Friday Oct. 1st. By Monday I was game over. I felt like I was having a C-section from my back all the way down to my leg to my foot. It was HORRIBLE pain. I went into shock and was hyperventilating so bad that I almost passed out. Jeff had to keep talking to me to try and get me to calm down. I was downstairs and couldn't even take 1 step to go to the hospital. Jeff had to call the ambulance. I went to the emergency room and my favorite part was the hard core pain medicine that they gave me. According to mom, dad and Jeff I was completely out of my mind after I got the drugs. I kept telling them that I wanted them to watch the news. I wanted Jeff to lay down by me in my tiny little hospital bed and I kept crying because I had stinky breath because I didn't have time to brush my teeth. Crazy!
I wasn't sure how everything was going to work out, but my family had fasted for me the day before, so I knew everything was going to be ok. I was worried about insurance because I had previous back problems and was sure they were going to call it a pre-existing condition and not cover it. I have been so grateful for that blessing of a family fast. Everything that I needed to have happen that day did end up happening. I was able to get an MRI with no problems, we were able to get the insurance numbers so I could get treated and then Dr. Jensen was able to see me in Burley at the hospital. He comes to Burley once a week on Mondays and was able to give me a steroid shot. It was a very long night but I woke up Tuesday morning with a huge relief from the pain. It was the 1st time in a little over a week where I could sand up straight. I was so grateful for modern medicine and for a family who loves me enough to fast for me. It's amazing the things that can happen when a group of people combine their faith and prayers.
Yesterday I had an appointment with the spine surgeon. It was both good and bad news. Good news is that I can get the surgery. It is scheduled for Tuesday EARLY morning. The bad news is that he is worried that I have permanent nerve damage. I have severe muscle weakness and numbness down my left leg from my lower back down to my toes. Not a good sign. I have mixed emotions. I am nervous about the surgery but will be glad to get on the road to recovery. I should have a lot of time to catch up on my blogging because I won't be doing much for at least 6 weeks.

Road Show

2010-11-03T20:04:00.001-07:00

In the end of July I was asked if I would be our ward's rep for the Stake's road show. I said yes, but I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I wrote a fun script about some fairy tale characters but when I went to a meeting about 3 weeks before the road show, I found out that I couldn't use that script. We had a theme of "Scripture Super Heroes." I drew the name Captain Moroni. I came up with the idea of doing a Captain Moroni Boot Camp. Kerry was a big help and gave me tons of ideas. The cast were young men and young women in the ward and also their leaders. The cast was amazing, but we didn't have much time to practice. I was having back trouble again. It got really bad and I wasn't able to make it to the actual performance. I talked to the cast with a cell phone and I got to watch a video of it that someone recorded. After all the roadshows were performed they gave out awards. I won the Tony for best director and was nominated for best script and best comedy. It was a lot of work but I did my best.

Utah Trip

2010-10-01T20:57:00.000-07:00

On September 17th we went to Orem to visit the Earl family. We had a great time. Friday night we went up to Provo canyon and had a hot dog and marshmallow roast. There was a great playground, fishing and Lexi loved feeding the ducks. We stayed until dark and the kids wanted to stay even longer.

Both Brooklyn and Zac had soccer games on Saturday. They are quite the soccer masters. Eliza and Lexi entertained themselves by watching our little portable tv and playing with our Itouches.

The kids entertained themselves with the stairs and KK's house. The filled the bottom of the staircase with pillows and blankets then used a box to slide down. Jeff wanted to do it too but he broke their box. They ended up using a snow sled instead.

KaeLynn is the primary president in her ward. They had their singing practice for their annual primary program. As they practiced, they made balloons and then KK had to wear what they created on her head.

KaeLynn heard that a well known author of children's literature was going to do a book signing at Barns and Noble book store in Orem. He wrote the Fablehaven series. We went and had him sign a book and took a picture. His name is Brandon Mull.