Some beach pics

There are many more to come....I'm just warming up! ;~)

Oh the digiscrap fun!!

I only have a few for now, but wanted to post them along with some incidents I neglected to mention about our trip.

Logan, my little wild man, has never been too fond of the water. He hates getting water in his face & hates getting his hair washed even more. Apparently this does not apply to the pool. After a little bit of warm up time, he was jumping off the side of the pool, arms up in the air, little hands clenched into fists, yelling "Dupaman!". Translated, that means Superman. He "won" a Superman cape at Magic Mountain & has since become Superman himself. His jumps were completely unaided & often resulted in painful sounding belly flops, but he had the most fun doing it!

Jordan has a new name, if you ask him. He will from here on out be known as Drake. If he is wrestling, his formal name will be Drake the Snake. I think Drake McKenney doesn't sound so bad, so I'm not protesting the change. At least it's not Michael Jordan McKenney, as Dave would likely have it. ;)

Here are the few pages I've completed thus far. Thanks for all the great comments! It makes blogging that much more fun when you see others are taking the time to leave a comment. :)

We're BAAACK!!

From vacation, that is. What a great one it was, too. I think it's the best one so far! We managed to get sitters for our animals (Jumbo & Ginger) at the last minute, as we didn't find out until a few days before we left Dave could actually get the time off.

We got in around midnight on Wednesday at the Hyatt Valencia. The digs were very nice & the surrounding area was really great. We've never stayed anywhere that nice (thank you Hotwire, for the great rate!), though the room was much smaller than the resort properties Dave sells.

We went to Six Flags Magic Mountain for the first 2 days of our trip & MAN was that exhausting!! I swear the whole park is up hill! With a wonky stroller that took a spill off the top of our van when we traveled back from Kansas a few months ago & wanted to constantly veer to the right, things were twice as difficult. Luckily, Dave & Tyler took those reigns for most of the time there.

The kids had a great time, even though it was a rocky start. We decided it would be fun to go on the bestest family water ride that would allow little kids....first. So, after the screaming fun of the Log Jammer, Logan & Hayleah were afraid of even the Tonka-like trucks that run on a very slow, smooth track in the kiddy area. Bad parents, I know. :P

Tyler got a cell phone last week so we were able to keep in touch that way & he was able to go do some of the bigger rides without being stuck in the kiddy area for lengthy amounts of time. Other than him swearing he was at the entrance where I was standing, as it was time to leave, & not actually being there, every thing went pretty smoothly.

Logan & Hayleah eventually warmed up to the rides & had a good time. I think one of the most enjoyable places there was what I'll call the ball house. If you've ever been there, you'll know exactly what I'm talking about. That was hours of fun for me! LOL

Jordan had the best time. He was able to ride a few of the bigger rides, which made him feel very much like a big boy. His favorites were the water rides, of which this park had quite a few. I was very impressed at how much he seemed to love riding even the scary rides.

Dave rode few rides with me, but not without repercussions. I guess his body just can't handle all the loopty-loops anymore or something. It's sad because it's been something he's loved to do in the past, but now every time he rides one of the more thrilling coasters, he gets very dizzy & feels pretty badly for quite a while afterwards.

I rode quite a few rides, though I think my favorite was the River Rapids, where I was that person who got totally soaked two of the three times we rode it. Fun stuff!

We went to the beach yesterday & spent many hours there, enjoying the gorgeous weather, the sun, & the waves. Jordan loves collecting sea shells, so we did a fair amount of that too. Hayleah & Logan weren't to keen on going in to the ocean, though, so they spent most of their time filling buckets with sand & chasing the seagulls. Both Tyler & I got to spend some time on his boogie board, which was a lot of fun but very tiring. The waves were big & the water was cold & salty (I got several mouthfuls, myself), but we had the greatest time!

I took tons of pics, so I'm sure there will be lots of posts with digiscrap pages in the coming days. I look forward to that, too! :)

I've FINALLY been tagged!

Thanks, Danielle....I never get to do these kinds of things! :)

How to play this Game of Tag;
1. List three things for each category
2. Tag Three more people at the end of the post
3. Have fun getting to know your friends and family

Joys:
1. My family....they are an awesome bunch! Even the "special" ones (ahem, Jake). ;)
2. My work....I love what I do. I love being around new babies & pregnant mommies. I even love being able to do the castings for the sick & sometimes deceased little ones. I feel like I'm giving something back to those around me with my talents.
3. My education....I really enjoy learning new things. Especially things of a spiritual nature.

Fears:
1. Being stuck in confined spaces.
2. Drowning.
3. Spiders & snakes....icky things!!

Goals:
1. To complete the study & marking of my Book of Mormon this year. It doesn't need to be finished before the end of the year, just so that it's something I do on a daily basis.
2. Lose 40 pounds & feel better physically & mentally.
3. Get to the Temple with my Mom!

Collections/Obsessions:
1. Blogging, for sure!
2. Digital scrapbooking, as you can probably tell.
3. I have a small collection of Willow Tree statuette's.

Random Facts:
1. I've had two VBAC's, both at home with a midwife.
2. I think being with the little kids in the Nursery is the best calling in the ward.
3. I love a good deal. I try not to brag about it, but I love to share my deals. Sometimes I realize I over share with this because people don't ask & I tell them anyway. The other day in the store a lady said something behind me about a good deal & I started to talk to her about it before I realized she wasn't actually talking to me. LOL *blush*

I tag Steph, Marilene, & Onala.

Happy Birthday, My Love

Today is Dave's birthday. He's 35, or half-way to 70, which ever you prefer. ;)

I heard something rudely-funny last night that gave me cause to think. We caught a small portion of Punk'd & a woman who had just been proposed to (rather awfully) said to her significant other that she should slap his mother for having him 27 years ago. While my inital reaction was to burst out in loud laughter (because how horrible is that, after all) but it made me think of my significant other.

Instead I propose a hug would be in order for Dave's mom, Vickie, for having him 35 years ago today. She was still a baby herself but managed to bring the man I love today in to this world. So, Vickie, (((Hugs))). :)

Dave is such a great teacher & leader. He knows how to talk to people & he has a way to connect with people & help them understand things. He leads righteously & those he's around are privledged to see his integrity first hand. What a great example he is!

He loves his children so much. He's always there for them & when he can't physically be there, you can be sure it's because he's busy trying to provide for their present as well as their future. They, in turn, are incredibly in love with him. Every morning it's the same thing....the kids gather at the door & eventually spill out on to the driveway to see him off to work. They all need their hugs & kisses & to wave goodbye. When he comes home, they run to greet him & yell "Daddy home" excitedly.

Dave & I met just after his mission. He joined the Church when he was 25 & went on a mission as soon as he could afterwards. My younger brother, the aforementioned strange-o Jake, served in the area Dave was living in just before he left for his mission. Jake & Dave went on splits a few times & Jake told him he had a sister for Dave to write while he was on his mission.

He wrote me first & made me laugh with his direct honesty. I wanted to know more about this guy. We wrote faithfully the remainder of his mission, though it didn't take as long for me to know I loved him & would marry him.

We were sealed in the Oakland, CA temple on May 26, 2001 for time & all eternity, five months to the day after we officially met. I married my best friend.

A tribute to Jake (pic included)....

Who says you have to be dead for someone to pay you a tribute??

Jake is my brother. He's 3 years younger than me, the third of six kids. Saying that out loud kind of explains some things. He's a middle child. When we were growing up, I didn't like him much because he was always tattling on me & our older brother Travis. Come to think of it, we were constantly picking on him so I guess he might have had cause.

Anyway, we called him Jake the Jerk all the time. Lovingly, of course, lest our mother start singing us "Let Us Oft Speak Kind Words To Each Other" & torturing us. :)

As kids, we loved to watch the Muppets. It was a family thing we all enjoyed. We would pretend we were the Muppet characters on a fairly regular basis. I was Miss Piggy (always looking for a moment to karate chop someone who was or was not asking for it....I'm an only girl; what can I say?? you have to let them know who's boss! LOL), Travis was Gonzo, & Jake was the Swedish Chef. Funny, his Facebook picture looks a lot like Jake. :)

Today he is the sibling I talk with the most. We're probably the closest, since he seems to be the most abnormal of the bunch. Again, all this is said in love. I can appreciate abnormal.

The picture I've chosen to scrapbook of him was taken at my brother Grant's farewell. It screams "Jake" & says a lot about his odd sense of humor. We're always ribbing one another & after he posted pictures of me, just waking up, on his Facebook account with a title that read something to the affect of embarrassing me was a sport of patience, I've been meaning to get my revenge.

Well, ladies & gentlemen, this is it. Without further ado, my brother.....

Working on the colors

I'm SO not a vanilla kind of person. I love color! I've figured out how to alter the blog color, as you can see, & I found I really like brown & pink together. It's not what I started off with, but I'm pleased with how it turned out. This blog tweaking is fun stuff! :)

Church today went really well. The kids were much more well behaved than the last report. We managed to make it through most of Sacrament meeting before heading out for drinks & to set up the nursery. I'm still seriously considering putting Hayleah in another nursery. She does so well without me & I'm kind of worried she'll grow to need me in the nursery with her, like her brothers have, if she stays with me in there for too long.

Jordan wouldn't let me out of his sight until he was in Sunbeams. I was called to the nursery when he was 6 or 9 mo. old &, except for 1 year, have been in there since. Logan is very much the same way & I worry about him going on to Sunbeams in the new year.

Hayleah fusses for a few seconds & then finds something to entertain herself with (unlike her very stubborn brothers whom you cannot console when their mommy has "left" them). I think she'd do really well in another nursery but I'm hesitant because I really enjoy having her with me. I guess that's just me being selfish. Maybe this answers my question.....

We're headed for southern Cali. earlier than expected. I think we'll be leaving on Wednesday after Dave gets off of work. I "won" some tickets to Six Flags on Ebay late last week (don't ever buy them any other way....you save SO much money going the Ebay route!) thinking we had plenty of time to get the tickets in the mail, but since our plans changed I'm thinking we won't get them until Tues. or Wed., which is a little too close for my comfort.

About Ebay....isn't it funny how you get all excited about "winning" an action, yet it's not like you actually won anything. You still have to pay for it. They did a great job marketing Ebay. I feel good about spending hard earned money, as long as I'm winning something. LOL

Here's a little photo manipulation I did. It was my first attempt, so not the greatest, but it was fun learning! :)

Just one more....

I LOVE how this one turned out so I wanted to add it while I had a second.



Before Hayleah was born, I never, ever wanted a thumb sucker. She never really was interested in a pacifier. The only time she ever took it was before she was old enough to find her thumb on a regular basis. She looks so sweet, holding her "boo" in one hand while sucking her thumb on the other.

I can't begin to tell you how in love with this little girl I am. :*)

Busy, busy!

I was sucked in to PSE today & managed to churn out a few scrapbook pages to share, along with the new sidebar pics. I'm off to tend to everything that was set aside today so I could have some 'puter time....thanks for looking! :)

10 days & counting!

We're headed to Six Flags Magic Mountain the week after next. I'm really excited to go! I love roller coasters & this particular park seems to have a good selection of rides for the whole family & several for smaller kids like Logan & Hayleah. I know they probably won't remember it, but I'm sure they'll enjoy themselves while we're there.

We had the Missionaries over for dinner last night. I really enjoy this set of missionaries. One is from the area Dave served in on his mission & even dated a daughter of a family he knows. The other is from an area of Washington I lived in as a child. They taught us a lesson afterwards & really did an amazing job. :)

I love having the missionaries over. It's kind of weird, though, to be one of those families that feeds the missionaries all the time. It always seemed like those families were so much older....the mom & dad, really. It makes me wonder if they view us as old. I'm not even half way to 70 yet (as Dave puts it)! LOL

I'm thinking we need to start looking for a new home for our dog, Ginger. She's the cutest thing & so good with the kids...we just don't have enough time to spend with her. She seems to need more than we can give. She's only 1, so still very much an adolescent, & needs a lot of interaction. I feel so bad but have known for a while it's probably in her best interests if we can find her a home with another pet or people with more time to give her. She's a blonde & buff cocker spaniel with the gentlest disposition, though she loves to run & play. I love cockers...they make such great family dogs! It's just a bad time for us to have a dog, with so much going on & so little time to spend with her. *sigh*

Disney Princess Quiz

Funny, I just happen to love Pocahantas! :)


You Are Pocahantas!

Free-spirited and wise. You have a strong passionate spirit that touches and changes all who know you. The wisdom and common sense that you have is really what guides you through life. Even so, you also have a very playful side that loves adventure and excitement.

Which Disney Princess Are You?

The 3-column layout!!

Whoo hoo!! After hours of mind-numbing HTML-reading fun, I managed to figure out a fairly simple way to get 3 columns on my blog & not give in to the desire to gouge my eyes out. YAY! That was a chore. But now that I know how, I might post some easy instructions for those who would like to do the same. That will be another day's chore. I also managed to get a few more layouts done of the kiddos. Jordan's been bugging me to do a page with just him in it for a while now.

~*~*~Wish granted~*~*~

:)

I was able to get this one done last night, too. Though I'm paying for it today with lack of sleep, it was worth it. :)

It seems I'm always doing layouts of Hayleah & not spending much time on my boys. There's just so much cute stuff out there that's girly.....

My next LO will be of Tyler (hopefully, unless I get sidetracked with another one of Hayleah LOL).

As many mothers before me, I've determined there just aren't enough hours in the day. I try to keep my priorities straight, but some days (like yesterday) I get distracted & off track. I'm trying to limit myself to 30 min. of computer time today for every 2 loads of laundry washed, dried, folded AND put away. I hate laundry. It's right up there with...well, I can't think of anything to compare it to. It's just bad.

Today Jordan told me he gets to spend the day in a first grade classroom. He's so excited to move on to first grade. The teachers have done such a great job in trying to prepare the little Kindergartners for this & make them feel like this change will be a new adventure. I have to keep in mind that change is easier for kids than it is for adults. I would think moving on & leaving the classroom & teacher & classmates they've come to know so well & love so much would be hard. I'm glad it's not. :)

Blah, I know

I'm trying to learn how to do my own blog template & make it cute, hence he blah blog right now. The only problem is there aren't enough hours in the day & there are other things that take priority over the study of all things technical. That's a good thing, though. :)

This also means no time for digital scrapbooking, sadly. I'll stick to the Quick Pages others have done for now. Here are a few I wanted to share...



I found this drawing of the Kirkland Temple online & added some word art to it for a little Nursery project last week.

This next one is a layout I managed to get done today. Fun stuff! :)

Until later.......

The daily's

Today I strayed from the daily's, as I like to call them. I managed to steal some time to myself & make a custom header for the blog, as I'm sure both of you noticed. ;) Now I just have to figure out how to make the background match & it'll be all good!

Today I also managed to steal some time to write in my journal. I've had it for a while now but haven't given much time to it lately. My sis-in-law, Steph, has tons of them she's put together as she studies the scriptures. She logs in her feelings & what she's learned & references & everything. I aspire to be so organized! LOL For now though I'll settle for a page or two every now & again.

I just finished the book of Moroni & the last two chapters are particularly significant & are very personal for me. I started off a few months ago reading the Book of Mormon from back to front (not literally....I started on Moroni & am working my way backwards by book, not by verse....that's a little too wild for me LOL) but started over again when I wanted to include some actual scripture study through the BOM study guide & my book on marking the scriptures. It's become a bit of a project but one I'm loving & I find I'm getting so much more out of the scriptures than just reading them as I normally would. I'm starting from back to front because when I start to read the scriptures I tend to get the most out of the beginning than any other part. I think it's because I'm so in to it, but after time I find I'm no longer studying them but just reading. I wanted to get more out of all of it this time so I thought I'd try it differently this time. I'll let you know how it works....so far so good. :)

Dave is struggling with some things at work. He has a boss who doesn't care for him, which is making things harder. The guy is friends with an old boss of Dave's who he never got along with so I'm pretty sure this guy came in with an already formed opinion of my dear husband & isn't giving him much of a chance. His immediate manager is leaving for a promotion, which is making things that much harder. Change has always been difficult for Dave. Heck, I think change is difficult for everyone, but it seems to be more so with him. We had a good talk last night about putting faith in Heavenly Father that everything would work out the way it was meant to & letting go of some of the worry that brings him down so much. It's such a freeing thing to let go of your worries.

There was a lady at church this past Sunday who bore her testimony that said something I've heard before but never in an LDS church. She said "let go & let God". I think that's a common saying in other Christian churches & it was clear she was a fairly new convert, but her words couldn't be more true. To let go & give Heavenly Father the control you thought you had but He had all along is one of the best feelings ever. I hope that makes sense.

We spent all of Sacrament meeting in the hall that day. The kids were much noisier & crankier than normal, so it was best for everyone we stayed out there. Usually they're pretty well behaved at church, but this past Sunday Hayleah decided she wanted to test out her lungs every minute or so, Logan kept throwing himself down on the ground every time things didn't go his way (rather loudly, too), & Jordan was just very un-agreeable. Yes, I know that's not a word. ;) He was hard to get along with & pretty darn loud himself.

We managed to make it through Sacrament meeting no worse for the wear & on to class where the rest of the time went well. Thank goodness for that!

A new pet for the boys

His name is Jumbo (Jordan named it) & he/she is a toad that was found in a garden in Sandy Valley. He's about half the size of my thumb, which makes Jordan's choice of a name pretty comical. I bought some crickets yesterday in hopes of getting the little guy to eat & he ate two of them overnight. I was worried he wouldn't make it since we couldn't get him to eat any flies, then I was worried one of the crickets would eat him instead. Luckily it's all working out so far. :)

I'll post pics of Jumbo the Toadlette when I get a chance. In the meantime, here's a layout I did before my computer monitor pooped out on me.