Headlines & Happenings

Forbidden Fruit

2011-01-19T09:59:00.000-07:00

I know I haven't blogged in a VERY long time, but for an entry in a drawing for CARAMEL APPLES, I have to blog about it. If you want to enter, go to http://www.caramelapplesandmore.com/ and click on the Valentine's Day giveaway link. I'm telling you...these apples are to die for! Not kidding. I'm considering dying right now so I can have a taste!

Family Pix

2010-06-26T07:16:00.002-06:00

I think they turned out great!

Hooki-Lao?

2010-05-24T10:14:00.000-06:00

Abbie and the rest of the 5th grade performed the "Hooki Lao" (or however you spell it!) at the school's music assembly. It made me want to go on a Hawaiian vacation!

Can you spot her?

Preschool Mother's Day program

2010-05-14T01:13:00.000-06:00

For Mother's Day, Brennon's preschool class did a Mother's Day program, complete with poetry and songs.

(He's gotta be the luckiest little boy ever. He's in a preschool class full of darling girls! And he loves it! He came home from school last month to announce that he was the smartest boy in the WHOLE class!)

Apparently, "M" stands for Magical Mommy!

New 'Do!

2010-05-14T01:07:00.000-06:00

Amelia has needed a haircut for a while now, but I was hesitant to cut her long, flowing hair. That is, until I saw the way it got in her mouth when she ate, in her eyes when she played, and made her scream when I brushed it.

To the hair salon we go!

She was nervous at first...

...but bribery can do amazing things!

Here's her new 'do. We like it much better! What do you think?

RuthieLu

2010-05-13T08:20:00.000-06:00

This sweet little gal is now 9 months old!

She has been an absolute joy and we all adore her so much! It's hard to remember what our lives were like without her!

Ruthie is quick to smile. She loves her brothers and sisters and gets a LOT of love and attention from them.

Don't you just want to kiss those cute cheeks?

Disneyland fun

2010-05-11T21:25:00.001-06:00

Disneyland: the Happiest Place on Earth!

Which Way to the Beach?

2010-05-07T09:20:00.001-06:00

Here are some pictures from our afternoon at the beach during our California/Disneyland trip last month.

Time's a-Flyin'

2010-04-16T13:11:00.003-06:00

Christian is finishing up his 2nd grade year. He has LOVED school this year, thanks in part to his fabulous teacher,

Mrs. Findlay. The students adore her!

She is so incredibly sweet, yet strict enough to get respect from those 8-year-old hooligans!

As I watched him singing so sweetly during his 2nd grade program, I couldn't help but think that's it's just going to be "tomorrow" that he's leaving on his mission to preach the gospel to the world! How is it possible that time can pass so quickly?

What a good boy Christian is. He is hilarious, caring, sweet, loving, silly, creative, and MORE all wrapped up into one cute little boy! I feel so blessed to be his mom!

Field Trip

2010-03-27T09:10:00.000-06:00

Last week the kids survived a tsunami at the Children's Museum at the Gateway...

and then suddenly became very patriotic!

My Man!

2010-03-18T13:09:00.001-06:00

If you know my husband, you know he's amazing in a million ways. A wonderful husband, a gourmet cook, a do-it-yourselfer, a scriptorian, a fun-best-friend kind of daddy, and so much more! Well, now we can add "a great smile" to the list of his awesomeness...

Thanks to the fantastic skills of the people at Lexington Heights Dental, my husband has a handsome new smile! Now when he makes the people around him smile, he'll feel comfortable smiling, too! I love this guy!

Christian's baptism

2010-02-18T16:12:00.001-07:00

Here are pictures from Christian's baptism back on January 2, 2010. It was such a special day!

Sneak Peek

2009-12-03T07:37:00.000-07:00

Just a sneak peek of our family pictures taken recently. I'll post the rest as soon as possible!

(By the way, this cute little gal has slept through the night for THREE NIGHTS IN A ROW! Something like that makes ya love her even more, huh?)

November 30

2009-11-30T07:53:00.003-07:00

- I am thankful for a loving Father in Heaven who knows me and still loves me
- I am thankful for my Savior, Jesus Christ and His atonement for me
- I am grateful for the knowledge that life contines after death and that I know I'll one day see my loved ones again who have passed on.

November 29

2009-11-29T15:37:00.002-07:00

- we potty-trained 2 kids this year -- BJ finally got it back in January and Amelia potty-trained herself this last weekend!
- fresh fruit
- fireplaces

November 28

2009-11-28T04:15:00.001-07:00

- music in almost all forms (no rap...that's where I draw the line!)
- Christmas decorations
- our home that looks SO beautiful at Christmas time

November 27

2009-11-28T04:13:00.002-07:00

- the ability to have fun while Black Friday shopping (if it wasn't fun for me, I just wouldn't do it, no matter how poor I was!)
- day after Thanksgiving movies
- my amazingly wonderful husband (have I mentioned how great he is?)

November 26

2009-11-28T04:11:00.001-07:00

- Thanksgiving feasts
- time with family making memories
- improvisation

November 25

2009-11-26T01:42:00.003-07:00

- lazy, sit-around-and-relax days
- Ensign, General Conference edition
- a living prophet, Thomas S. Monson

November 24

2009-11-26T01:38:00.002-07:00

- outings full of sisters, cousins, and mom
- a happy heart
- mouse traps

November 23

2009-11-23T10:29:00.002-07:00

- kids who love their incredibly imperfect mom
- modern appliances (if I didn't have a washer and dryer, I wouldn't do ANYTHING except laundry ALL DAY LONG!)
- 7 people in our family (who, by the way, are great at getting clothes dirty!)

November 22

2009-11-23T05:51:00.000-07:00

- Dutch Apple pie
- Crock Pot dinners
- home teachers

November 21

2009-11-23T05:46:00.002-07:00

- family pictures
- mother/daughter dancing in the kitchen!
- excitement of the holidays

November 20

2009-11-20T14:35:00.001-07:00

- successful potty training
- successful wax museum
- successfully cleaning my kitchen

November 19

2009-11-19T11:00:00.001-07:00

- kids who love to read
- Thanksgiving in just ONE MORE WEEK!
- games that get people moving

November 18

2009-11-19T10:58:00.002-07:00

- my mom...I know I wrote about how much I love her on her birthday, November 14th, but she is always saving the day in some way or another
- kids' finished homework
- french bread

November 17

2009-11-17T04:41:00.001-07:00

- wireless internet
- freebies
- the magic of a no-chocolate diet

November 16

2009-11-17T04:40:00.000-07:00

- opportunities to serve
- swaddling blankets
- wonderful neighbors

November 15

2009-11-15T18:26:00.000-07:00

- beautiful music
- Sunday movie night
- SugarDoodle.net for primary music ideas

November 14

2009-11-14T17:28:00.001-07:00

- my mom -- I can't say enough how much I love her!
- sisters
- worthy priesthood holders

November 13

2009-11-13T06:50:00.002-07:00

- early Black Friday ads (blackfriday.become.com)
- living in Salem...we love it!
- great neighbors that feel like family

November 12

2009-11-12T10:12:00.001-07:00

- violin students who have the desire to progress
- my Grandpa Ottley and the very good man that he is
- that my Grandma Ottley is back to her wonderful self

November 11

2009-11-11T05:33:00.002-07:00

- members of the military past and present who keep our lives and country safe
- this no-chocolate diet isn't as hard as I thought it would be!
- coupon-shopping

November 10

2009-11-10T07:05:00.001-07:00

- Family Home Evening
- repentance
- Christmas jammies

November 9

2009-11-09T09:10:00.002-07:00

- that every day is a new day to try to be a better person
- written history of people I love
- people who inspire

November 8

2009-11-09T09:08:00.001-07:00

- 5 newspapers on my driveway every Sunday morning
- musical talents
- primary kids who are excited to sing primary songs!

November 7

2009-11-07T11:30:00.003-07:00

- modern technology, namely the internet
- pink -- what other color would look so adorable on a cute baby girl?
- family get-togethers (it seems like I did that already, but because I'm SUPER thankful for them, I'm sticking with it!)

Trick or Treat

2009-11-07T06:33:00.001-07:00

It was a trick keeping up with all the kids as they ran from house to house filling their candy buckets, but it was definitely a treat to spend the evening together.

Aren't my parents adorable?

Here are the Rich triplets. Alice is 5 months, Drew is 8 months, and Ruthie is 2 months.

Ruthie's blessing day!

2009-11-07T06:17:00.002-07:00

We felt incredibly blessed to have Laren's sister, Terra, and the entire Rich side of our family with us over Ruth's special weekend!

She cried through the entire blessing, but we forgave her completely when she flashed her winning smile afterwards. Isn't she a doll?

November 6

2009-11-06T13:50:00.001-07:00

- kid-sized shopping carts at Smith's
- sweet, forgiving people who smile even when their heels get run over by said shopping carts
- sunshine and warmth

November 5

2009-11-05T07:32:00.002-07:00

- SavvyShopperDeals.com
- neighborhood preschool
- Olay Quench body lotion

November 4

2009-11-04T09:14:00.001-07:00

- breastfeeding
- space heaters
- a working vehicle

November 3

2009-11-03T09:12:00.001-07:00

- my baby went to sleep on her own WITHOUT crying!
- community activities
- violin duets

November 2

2009-11-03T09:10:00.002-07:00

- the baby swing
- text messaging
- green enchiladas

November 1

2009-11-03T09:07:00.003-07:00

It's November and I'm trying something new. Each November my friend Sue blogs 3 things each day that she's thankful for. I think it's a great idea so I'm going to do the same. Of course, I'm a few days late, so let me catch myself up.

- testimony meetings
- a great husband who can also cook
- family get-togethers

Happy October!

2009-10-01T11:08:00.003-06:00

Happy October, everyone! I both love and hate this time of year, but for today, I'll focus on all the lovely things about Fall.

I love the crispness in the air and the excitement for the upcoming holidays. I love to pull long-sleeved shirts, sweaters, and pants out to wear. I love wearing socks and snuggling up in a blanket with my sweetie or my kiddos. I love eating soup and drinking hot chocolate. I love covering my kids up at night so they stay nice and warm, instead of UNcovering them because they're sweating. I love HOT showers. I love making homemade bread.

So many wonderful things about this season. I hope it lasts long enough for me to enjoy so I can eventually be excited to see the snow fly!

Six Weeks Already

2009-09-24T16:26:00.006-06:00

Here are a few pictures of RuthieLu at six weeks old.
We sure love this little lady!

It Makes Me Laugh

2009-08-30T07:43:00.002-06:00

Click HERE to see what makes me laugh every time!

(Lack of sleep may or may not be a factor in my giddiness!)

Precious Baby

2009-08-22T07:34:00.000-06:00

Ruthie-Lu

2009-08-19T09:19:00.003-06:00

She's here!

2009-08-18T15:48:00.002-06:00

Ruth LuRee Hawkins was born on August 9, 2009 at 11:56 am. She weighed 6 lb. 15 oz. and measured 18 1/2 inches long. She's beautiful and we're loving her lots! Mom's tired, though, so it will be a few more days before pictures are uploaded. Patience, patience.

An Honorable Man

2009-07-31T07:58:00.004-06:00

Today is my Grandpa Ottley's 87th birthday. He is one of the most noble and honorable men I've ever known. Happy birthday, Gramps!

3 Weeks and Counting...

2009-07-21T06:37:00.002-06:00

For me, pregnancy is the pits. I'm grumpy, I hurt, and this time, I'm MELTING from the heat! But all that is going to be ancient history (well, maybe not the melting part) in just 3 weeks!!!

August 9th is the day my doctor said he could induce labor and that's the day I'm shooting for!

Can't wait to meet this little gal!

Can't wait to feel human again!

My Sweetie and Me

2009-07-07T15:38:00.000-06:00

In just a few weeks, Laren and I will celebrate our 12th anniversary! 12 YEARS!

And a week or so later, we get to meet our new baby girl and welcome her to our family.

FIVE kids -- a family of SEVEN!

WOW!

Lots can change in 12 years' time!

Cousin Camp!

2009-06-29T09:00:00.003-06:00

Now that my sisters and their families live closer, we are having a blast getting together each Thursday during the summer for Cousin Camp! The kids ALL love each other so much and, for the most part, get along great.

Here is a picture of the Rich Dozen on the front steps of my parents' house (the traditional Rich kids photo shoot location).Here we are having a picnic in the park.We LOVE cousins!

Strange and Sad

2009-06-26T09:34:00.003-06:00

This is what Michael Jackson looked like when I first became a fan...
...and that's the way I'll always remember him. No matter how strange he was, nobody can deny that he made some AMAZING music!

What a Deal!

2009-06-13T20:55:00.002-06:00

Yep, it's true! If you take an UGLY necktie in to the Orem Krispy Kreme's (before Father's Day), they will give you a DOZEN FREE DONUTS!!! Woohoo! Now that's something to make a pregnant woman happy!

America's Past-time

2009-06-06T15:24:00.002-06:00

I am willing to bet that someday Christian will be thrilled when I am NOT able to attend his baseball games. I'm loud and obnoxious. But, to my credit, I do cheer for good hits, throws, and catches by kids on both teams. I'm a cheerleader...it's what I do! So, until the time when I am banned from games by my boy, I am enjoying every minute of watching this all-star!!!

Brennon Jess

2009-06-02T03:56:00.007-06:00

This sweet boy is our family's biggest cheerleader. He is often heard saying things like "Good job, Mia!" or "Wow, that's cool, Christian!" or, my favorite, "Mom, you're beautiful!"He loves to make people feel happy and special.BJ's almost always willing to help. He's the one in our family who will come and ask "Now what can I do, Mom?" What a great little guy he is!We love having this wonderful boy in our family. He is so precious to us! And, of course, we think he's a handsome one!We love you, BJ! Happy 4th Birthday!!!

SURPRISE!

2009-06-01T07:41:00.006-06:00

On Saturday, May 30th, we had a surprise party for BJ's 4th birthday. He and I went to the park to take some pictures while the rest of the family set up a carnival in our backyard, complete with snow cones, fish pond, popcorn, balloons, streamers, and a bounce house! He was completely surprised and had a blast playing games with his cousins and friends.

Here he is with the other two "triplets". John will turn 4 in July and Jane will turn 4 in September. It was quite an experience for them to figure out the potato sack race and 3-legged race. There were a few tears, but overall they enjoyed it.Amelia had fun at the party, too. She enjoyed just sitting on Mimi and Papa's laps and watching the crazy older kids. I snapped this picture after a hot dog lunch. You can tell by the ketchup on her cute face! I don't even like ketchup, but would definitely eat this face clean! More pictures to come, but for now I'll leave you with one of myself and my wonderful sisters. I can't tell you how awesome it has been the last 5 months having them living close. It is truly like heaven on earth! I love them so much!

Feel Good!

2009-05-16T13:01:00.002-06:00

THIS is one of the many things that have made me happy today! Enjoy!

An Adorable Picture...

2009-04-22T04:06:00.003-06:00

is my inspiration to begin blogging again!

(Well, that and the fact that I stole this picture from my sister's blog and didn't have to upload it myself!)

I just had to share this pic of my little Amelia singing/posing for a picture on Easter.
Now I know I'm a very biased mom, but, seriously, that girl is ADORABLE, right?

Still Here

2009-01-27T09:13:00.002-07:00

...and still so sick. That's why you haven't heard much from us.

Pregnancy for me is the pits at both the beginning and the end. I look forward to the middle part, hopefully coming up here soon!

Forgive my absence. Please know that I wish I wanted to blog, but I just don't.

Be back as soon as the "yuck" subsides.

We're baaaaack!

2009-01-04T08:25:00.003-07:00

We're home. We're tired. And most of us are sick.

Give us a couple days to get back to normal.

In the meantime, chew on this...

We'll be adding yet another sweet to our candy dish around August of this year!

We're happy.

A Merry Little Christmas

2008-12-26T07:11:00.004-07:00

Yesterday was Christmas.

It was wonderful.

We ate food, laughed, cried, hugged, snuggled, traveled, chimed, opened presents, entertained, played, watched, and, mostly, enjoyed the beautiful reason for the season.

Now we're tired. But that's not going to stop us from heading to Arizona for a little Christmas break vacation. Wish us luck on our journey and look for a blog post with pictures (yay!) next week!

We hope Christmas was as wonderful for you as it was for us!

It's Beginning to Look Like Christmas

2008-12-08T09:45:00.005-07:00

This is what Christmas looks like at our humble home. Merry Christmas to all!

Sick Day!

2008-12-05T07:50:00.004-07:00

No, not me. My computer. It has a virus.

Is it better that my computer's sick instead of me? I'm not sure about that one. It makes me sick to my stomach to see what this virus has done to my precious computer. And it makes it hard to function in life without my computer's help.

What would YOU rather? Being sick yourself? or your computer being sick?

Turkey Day Pix

2008-12-02T13:57:00.006-07:00

Thanksgiving was fantastic this year. We had such fun chatting, playing, laughing, relaxing, and just being together with Mimi and Papa at their home. Laren and Mimi were the chief cooks, with Papa and I acting as sidekicks.

Doesn't that turkey look divine?We were happy to be able to host a couple from China who are attending BYU. They were a joy to visit with and handled the kids' noise without any problems at all. We're hoping they'll join us again on Christmas Day!At some point during the meal, Christian became a caveman......but the kids all acted like civilized human beings when it was time to perform in the talent portion of the evening. Hope all your Thanksgiving celebrations were enjoyable as well!

Happy Holidays...

2008-11-24T14:26:00.003-07:00

...Happy Holiday Shopping!

I so look forward to Thanksgiving for the yummy food and great quality time spent with my family. But, I have to admit, as soon as that newspaper comes on Thanksgiving, I am at the kitchen table poring over the ads and outlining my shopping strategy for the next morning, early! This year it's even easier...Walmart's Black Friday ads are now online.

Click HERE to see the ads for Orem, which is where I'll be! It looks like they are having some screaming deals this year! And, here's a little secret, if you see a fantastic deal in another store's ad that you know you can find at Walmart, you can price-match it! Simply take the store's ad in and match exactly the item that you want. Worked for me last year! And it will save you time driving all over town.

(The only catch is that they won't price-match anything that isn't during the shopping times of the store to match with. Does that make sense? For example, if I wanted to price-match a doll that's on sale at Target for $10, but Target doesn't open until 6 am, I can't buy it at Walmart until 6 am.)

Happy Thanksgiving and Happy Shopping!

Loved It!

2008-11-21T10:54:00.003-07:00

Cache Rocks!

2008-11-19T11:43:00.005-07:00

We love Cache County!

It is where we:
moved when Abbie was 8 months old
bought and finished our beautiful "sun" home
had our second baby, Christian
finished Laren's bachelor's degree
were hired by CES
lived in a hotel
sent Abbie to preschool
AND MUCH MORE!

It's also the place that Abbie chose to do her "County Fair" report. Researching that fabulous county, we learned much that we didn't know and now we consider ourselves professional Cache County lovers!Here she is explaining different places of interest to fellow students. She had all the right answers!We sure hope we get an A on this project!Don't get us wrong...we love Utah County as well, but there will always be a little piece of our hearts "cached" in Cache County!

62 is gorgeous!

2008-11-18T09:41:00.008-07:00

My fabulous mom had her 62nd birthday on Friday. We celebrated by a Skype call to Thailand, a delicious family-friendly dinner at IHOP......and then a chocolatey chocolate-topped chocolate cake back at the house. My birthday present to my mom (wait...maybe that should be LAREN'S present to my mom which benefited me and Abbie as well) was a pedicure! We had such fun visiting together while our feet were pampered in a hot, bubbling waterbath! I adore spending time with my mom. She truly is a fantastic mother, grandmother, and friend.I LOVE YOU, MOM!And my kids kinda like you, too!

Me & My Girls

2008-11-13T13:14:00.002-07:00

Spooky?

2008-11-08T13:02:00.008-07:00

Yes, it's a little late, but such is my life. Here are some pix of the kids in their Halloween costumes. We had such a great time at the city's Trunk or Treat and then later Mimi and Papa joined us trick-or-treating around the neighborhood.The weather was fantastic, the kids got TONS of treats, and we watched "E.T." afterwards! What a great night!

beauty

2008-11-07T09:25:00.001-07:00

happy

2008-11-07T09:23:00.000-07:00

sweet

2008-11-05T21:02:00.001-07:00

precious

2008-11-05T10:46:00.004-07:00

Cloud Nine

2008-11-04T23:51:00.003-07:00

That's where I've set up camp since hearing that not one, but BOTH of my amazing, wonderful, and fabulous sisters are going to be coming home to Utah! And not just to visit...they're coming for good!!!

(Pause to jump up and down and do the Happy Dance!)

I adore my sisters!

Dancing with the Stars

2008-10-20T20:12:00.002-06:00

I saw this on my friend's blog and just had to share it!

Personality

2008-09-26T07:24:00.008-06:00

I needed to get them off my camera, so I thought I'd share these videos with you of our little Amelia and some of her budding dance talents.

"Ding-Ding"...

2008-09-19T09:03:00.002-06:00

Overheard at my house a LOT lately is the following interaction, over and over again:

BJ: "Mia, I'll say "ding-ding" and you say "bum-bum", okay?
Mia: "Day." ("Okay" in 18-month-old)
BJ: "Ding-ding!"
Mia: "Bum-bum!"
Both giggle and then it starts again.

Now tell me...why is it so funny and cute when a young, young child says anything to do with potty humor? It's definitely not funny OR cute when said by any of my big kids, but when Mia says it - I admit - it makes me smile.

No Nap?

2008-08-28T08:49:00.002-06:00

Amelia has given up her morning nap within the last month or so. Still, each day she struggles to be happy and stay awake until after lunchtime when her afternoon nap rolls around. Yesterday she seemed a little tired and cranky, so I thought I'd try the morning nap, just in case.

It was nice! I was able to do "school" with BJ and his friend, Haven. I taught all about the letter "P". I even made Peanut butter Play-doh and Printed Pictures for them to color. All without any baby in my arms. I was worried that she wouldn't sleep for her regular afternoon nap, so I woke her up a little before 11 am and we played and played.

At around 12:30, I laid her down for her nap, knowing that she might not be too happy about it. She fussed for a while, so I gave up and pulled her out of bed. She didn't really seem like she wanted to play, so I changed her diaper on the floor and then turned on a short movie for her to watch. She didn't move from her spot after the diaper change. I kept checking on her to see her enthralled in the movie, but pretty soon, I heard her snoring. This is what I found...If you know my kids, you know that this type of relaxation NEVER happens in front of a movie! I repeat, NEVER! That's why I had to snap a picture of it...who knows when it will ever happen again?

Super Week (Part 3...the end!)

2008-08-26T09:21:00.009-06:00

I couldn't write about our super week last week without posting pictures of Abbie's 9th birthday! Her birthday was Sunday, the 17th, so we spread out the celebration for 3 days...lucky girl! Friday evening we went out to see "Kit Kittridge: An American Girl". What an adorable movie! We all enjoyed it, even the boys. Saturday we got to go out to dinner with Mimi and Papa, THEN Abbie got to pick out her own Build-a-Bear friend.After that fun, we went to the Grandview 6th Ward Alumni Party, where we swam and slid until they kicked us out. (No pictures because we were having too much fun!) Sunday morning I made Abbie and the rest of the fam a yummy breakfast, we all went to church (where she got to be a "reverence monitor" in sacrament meeting), then came home to play! One of the presents she received for her birthday was a digital camera, so we dusted off our old one that works perfectly well and gave it to her with a new camera bag, new batteries, and a battery charger. She was in heaven!And here is her birthday cake, made lovingly by her daddy. (It took her a while to figure out that the "dirt" was just Oreo crumbs.)Overall, it was a fun few days spent celebrating the life of our sweetheart, Abigail! Love you, Abs!

Super Week (Part 2)

2008-08-25T09:46:00.011-06:00

Last Thursday night was GNO! It's always so much fun to get together with my PHS friends (Go Bulldogs!) and talk and eat and talk and laugh and talk and eat some more! This month was special because ALL of us were there, so we had to take some pictures...
I don't know what I'd do without my GNO girls!!! They're Gr-r-reat!

Superly Super Week!

2008-08-23T15:02:00.014-06:00

Our week has been chock-full of fun! And since I remembered to take my camera around with me, I thought I'd share some pix of this week's events, starting with today and going backwards. Here we go:

I think this might be one of the best pictures ever taken of our sweet Mia. It captures her beautiful smile and...wait a minute...what's that I see in her eyes? Could it be a little bit of mischief?Oh, now I remember what she was doing during that shot...That's right, folks. Mia just couldn't resist getting into the bathtub with her big bro, BJ...fully dressed! She likes to keep me on my toes!

Earlier today, my parents joined us for a few fun-filled hours of blanching, dicing, chopping, filling and boiling.We ended up bottling 17 quarts of peaches and 33 pints of homemade salsa. And the best part is that ALL of the ingredients were from our own backyard! Yay!

Last night my great friend, Heather, and I went to a couple Education Week classes at BYU. It was so fun for two SAHM's who needed some inspiration and a little "alone" time. I can't wait to go again next year!
Okay, the rest of the week is to be continued...stay tuned!

Back to Routine (aka "School")

2008-08-20T09:25:00.005-06:00

I can't tell you how happy I am that school is back in session. Not because the summer was boring or awful in any way -- or because my kids are driving me crazy -- or even because I have two less kids in the house now...I am just so thrilled to get back into our "school routine", where we know what is expected and we DO IT!Our summer was awesome. We got to do lots of fun things and we made some great memories! But I am now ready for school and, good news, so are my kids! They are so excited to see their friends again, make some new friends, and get to know their new teachers. It will be a very fun year for all! I have to admit, though, that I'm really going to miss them. Christian will be gone all day this year and it's going to seem a little empty at our lunch table without him there!

9 years old!

2008-08-17T07:37:00.004-06:00

Today is Abbie's 9th birthday! Can you believe it...9!?!?! It seems like she just turned 8 four weeks ago! She has always been "my big girl", but now she's truly a big girl. It makes me physically sick to think that in just 9 more years she'll be off to college! And (as my parents kindly pointed out last night at dinner) 9 years after that and she may have 4 kids of her own! Yikes! Okay...that's the last time I'm going to think about that today!Maren Abigail Hawkins ("Abbie") is one of the best people in this world, truly! She is always concerned about other people's feelings and does her best to make everyone around her happy. She is a very loyal person and extremely loving. She loves her iPod, her books, and having quiet time without any brothers, but mostly just loves having fun with her family! We sure love having her around! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ABBIE!

Banjo Boy

2008-08-16T11:08:00.001-06:00

For you unfortunate people who may not have seen this awesome video by Ryan Shupe and the Rubberband, here ya go! You'll love it!

Hallelujah! I'm ready!

2008-08-10T14:39:00.002-06:00

I'm set! I've got my new computer, new HUGE monitor, new printer, new speakers, new keyboard, and a new mouse!I'm telling you, it has been extremely frustrating not to have internet access this past week, but now I'm up and running! My only problem amidst all this excitement and celebration is that ALL of my pictures are stuck on my old computer. Give me some time to try to recover them. Until then, rest well knowing that I will be staring into a big 22" monitor until my eyes pop out of my head! Hip, hip, hooray!

Gone, But Not Forgotten!

2008-08-08T20:23:00.002-06:00

We've had such a great summer and really want to tell you all about it, but our computer is DEAD! Literally -- it won't even TRY to work! So...we're in the process of getting a new computer!!! Yay! Just be patient with me...I will be making an appearance soon!

Just for kicks!

2008-07-16T14:18:00.000-06:00

What do you remember about me?

1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, or if you just met me, anything you remember!

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty funny to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you.

Really, don't consider yourself "tagged". I don't like to "tag" people. But, this was on my friend's blog and it was a lot of fun posting my memory of her, so I thought I'd see what people can dig up on me. Play along only if you want to.

My Hero!

2008-07-08T07:49:00.003-06:00

My grandpa, Wayne W. Ottley.
He was asked to ride in the 4th of July parade as a World War II veteran.

This man is definitely a living hero!

Scattered pictures...of the way we were!

2008-07-05T08:47:00.002-06:00

I had to share this precious video taken when Abbie was 5 and Christian was just turning 3. Does anybody else think Abbie's little voice is the cutest? And what about Christian's intro to his song? That kid's definitely got some rhythm!

Fame and Fortune (minus the fortune!)

2008-07-04T13:40:00.002-06:00

Hey! We're famous! CLICK HERE to see us on Fox 13 with Big Budah! (You can get to our segment by clicking on the sidebar "Related Items" lower on the page. It's the one right above the stars and stripes hot air balloon!)

Absent-minded, but not absent!

2008-07-02T13:34:00.003-06:00

I apologize for my apparent absence on this blog. I have been busy eating popsicles, reading books, swimming, shopping, doing laundry, coloring, and much MORE! Stay tuned for pictures of our fun first month of summer!

Cough Corrected!

2008-06-11T13:24:00.003-06:00

I don't know if you've heard about applying Vicks VapoRub to a person's feet to suppress coughing, but if you haven't tried it or haven't heard of it before, I'm here to say IT WORKS! BJ woke up EARLY this morning with a very mean-sounding cough that wouldn't allow him to go back to sleep. So, I grabbed the Vicks and headed in there to give him a little foot massage. It worked immediately! I heard him cough only 3 more times in the next minute and then...no more coughing! I'm not sure why it works, but it definitely does.If you're a skeptic and would like to read more about this strange way to quiet a cough, click here to see what Snopes.com says about it. Has anybody else used this remedy? Does anybody else have other remedies like this that you could share with me?

He's On His Way!

2008-06-06T15:29:00.001-06:00

It's hard to believe, but Christian will soon be a 1st grader! He has really grown up a lot during this year of kindergarten. He had the most adorable teacher ever and made lots of good friends and memories. This is a movie of my favorite song they performed at their graduation! Enjoy!

Am I Dead?

2008-06-05T13:48:00.001-06:00

I just read my mom's blog and am wondering if I'm still alive or if I've unknowingly passed on. The reason I say this is because she wrote such sweet things about me there. Sweet, but VERY undeserving things! I feel like I'm at my own funeral! Really, how often does a girl get a tribute like that? Love you, Mom!

Turtle-y Awesome!

2008-06-02T11:08:00.020-06:00

On Saturday, BJ turned 3 YEARS OLD! And since this is probably the first birthday he'll remember in his lifetime, we decided to make the most of it by having fun ALL DAY LONG! Our first stop was to our ward scout fundraiser breakfast/car wash. Yummy food and a clean car! It makes me happy! Next, we stopped and vacuumed out the inside of the van. Amelia was so cute sitting in her car seat outside on the ground that I had to snap a picture and THIS is the pose she's started making for all pics...Cute, huh? Anyway, after that we went home and played with BJ's new bouncy ball, colored Ninja Turtles pictures, put the little kids (yes, that still includes BJ) down for a short nap, got them up, and then the REAL party started! Jumpin' Jacks is a "bounce house" place located between Spanish Fork and Springville that we decided to take the family to (minus Mia, who enjoyed her time with Mimi and Papa in Provo). This picture of BJ bouncing pretty much represents what the kids' (and their parents') faces looked like for 3 straight hours.Because it was his special day, we let BJ pick out an AnimaLand toy......stuff it full of love......and take it home!I just love this picture of all of us in front of the dragon mural. Just wish we had Mia in the picture with us.Back at home...we ate dinner, opened presents, and had a water balloon fight. (Not sure why I was the one who got the most soaked...but I'll get my revenge on Laren, trust me!) BJ had asked that I make him a Ninja Turtles cake.I spent hours researching, baking, and decorating this cake only to have him tell me he wished it had a Ninja Turtle TOY on top! Well, that would have been easier! I was feeling MUCH guilt about this oversight, when BJ opened his presents from Mimi & Papa, one of which was a Ninja Turtle! Yay! (Way to save the day, Mom & Dad!)Can you tell he loves them to pieces? He had been asking all day when they'd be coming over to see him on his birthday. He wasn't disappointed. Mimi was even a good sport and jumped on the trampoline with the kiddos! BJ was thrilled to also receive 2 baseball bats and 2 baseballs, a shovel for digging, a tiger flashlight that roars, and a Cranium SuperFort MegaBuilder. It was a very successful day for all...and we all slept VERY well that night! Can you say exhausted?