johnson family

Busy busy like a little elf

2011-12-18T14:42:00.001-08:00

Here are a few of the things that have kept me busy in the last few weeks. I made so much jewelry that I don't even want to look at my tools for a while. In fact, I think I am done doing this as a business for a few years. I am more than happy to make gifts for friends and as favors but having a business, small or large, is hard when you have little kids. I was sacrificing my time with my husband and boys. Sure a few days doesn't seem like much but, they are only little for a short amount of time. I will not stop completely because it is something that I have grown to love. I have to have a creative outlet or I will bust. I have the most supportive husband. He encourages me and loves me through all my crazy. So for now my shop is still up but, will slowly disappear in the following months. Thanks to all that have supported me through this.

34

2011-12-18T14:22:00.000-08:00

Last month was my birthday. I turned a big whopping 34. I had such a great day. We went to a turkey shoot that morning with my family. I wasn't good at all but, I did come home with a ham... only because of the splatter board.

I made a cake for myself. Yes, there is a big chunk out of the corner. I'm not sure why but, knowing me I needed a taste before it was time. It was my favorite and pretty much the only kind of cake I really like, carrot cake. The kids weren't big fans but, I was in cream cheese frosting heaven.

We had plans and a babysitter all set up to go on a date. The only thing I wanted was to spend time with everyone. We cancelled the babysitter and went to Texas Roadhouse, my kid's favorite. It was so much fun. I love days like that. The kids behaved themselves, which is a VERY rare thing in my home, I didn't have to make dinner , and I got a yummy treat at the end of the night. Love birthdays!

The Griswalds

2011-12-05T07:34:00.000-08:00

Bethany: Is your house on fire, Clark?
Clark: No, Aunt Bethany, those are the Christmas lights.

My kids love looking out the window. I'm so glad there are people who are festive and take the time to put up lights. Jared and I watched the neighbor put these all up. It took him quite a while so, I was a little curious to see what they would look like. It makes me excited for Christmas!

Update on Jared almost a year later

2011-11-27T13:11:00.001-08:00

This is just a quick update for those who are curious how Jared is doing. If you are new to this blog, his story is HERE.

I still can't believe that this happened and I am still so grateful for his safety. Jared is doing fine and has been for a long time. In fact, you can barely see his scars.

Entrance wound

Exit wound

From everything we have seen and heard, there is no doubt that this is a miracle. I am so grateful that Jared is with me today. It scared me and still makes me a little sick to think about. I would like to think we learned a great lesson through all of this. Actually, there were quite a few lessons learned.

My family and some friends of ours went shooting this weekend. It was a lot of fun. I have to admit, I was much more comfortable shooting the shotgun over his pistol. I was a little nervous holding it. I'm not sure why.

I will say this again and again, I am so full of thanks to my Heavenly Father for keeping my husband whole. I love him and want to spend many more years with him.

Strength and thankfulness

2011-11-18T10:02:00.001-08:00

As some of you heard there were two missionaries hit and killed while riding their bikes. One of them was in our ward. I never met Elder Strong but, I have only heard wonderful things about him. I'm so saddened by this. I can't imagine loosing one of my children. I am so touched by the strength of the Strong family. They have continued to show great faith during such a hard time. The Deseret News wrote a beautiful article. If you want to read it go HERE. I am so thankful for missionary work. It was through this service that my mother was taught the gospel. I am so grateful for the sacrifices of these young men and women. I may not understand why things like this happen to such good people but, I know it is a part of God's plan. He loves us and wants us to have happiness in this life. My thoughts and prayers go out to the two families that were affected by this tragedy.

As Thanksgiving is fast approaching, I can't help but think about the pioneers that sacrificed so much for us today. We watched 17 Miracles as a family a couple of weeks ago. I hope you have a load of tissues nearby if you watch it. Even though I cried through most of it, I loved it. I hope those that have passed on know just how thankful my family is for their sacrifice. I would like to think that I would have the strength to endure so much hardship but, I'm not so sure I would have made it. They had such great faith and courage.

I am thankful for so may things. There is no way I could write them all down here on this blog. I started a thankful tree last year and did it again this year. I hope I can raise children who are always mindful of what our Heavenly Father has given to us and gives to us continually. Everything I have is because My Heavenly Father Loves me and that I will be eternally grateful for.

I pray that all of us take the time daily to show our gratitude and thanksgiving for all that our Heavenly Father gives to us. Wishing you all a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Felt Rosette Wreath

2011-11-16T10:46:00.001-08:00

I was in need of a new wreath on my door. I didn't want anything too big or fancy. I really like simple and clean. I saw a wreath on ETSY and had to recreate it. It was also made in grey felt but, with one white flower. I'm happy with the way it turned out. If anyone is interested in how to make it, just let me know.

Boo to 2

2011-11-02T12:34:00.001-07:00

How many of you get to say BOO on your birthday? This boy is going to have a sweet treat for his birthday for years to come.

He got brownies instead of a cake. I knew everyone would eat them better. This boy takes after his mom in the chocolate department. I bought a whole bag of mini Hershey bars and topped the brownies with them. Holy crap they were good!

Here he is showing off his new Elmo slippers and Harley Motorcycle. We caught him sitting on that thing. I see trouble in my future

I wouldn't say this little guy gets hurt more than the other two but, he is going to give me a heart attack! He got his finger slammed in the door and I didn't handle it too well. I do better with other people than I do with my own kids. Just below his nail, part of his finger came up too. I think it looked worse than it was. He was in so much pain. Poor little guy. Somehow he has already ripped off the skin and nail. I put probably 10 band aids on this little guy a day. He can't keep his busy little fingers out of things. Hopefully it grows back quickly.

Happy Birthday to my little turkey!

Farewell, Taylor

2011-11-01T12:47:00.001-07:00

My nephew has been called to serve in Costa Rica for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. They live about 15 min outside of Jackson Hole Wyoming. Most of my family went up there to support him while he gave his farewell talk. My little family went up early Friday morning. We followed my parents.The drive was LONG. Driving w/ kids isn't my favorite thing but we got there in good time.

We stopped first at my brother's house to say hello. They live in such a beautiful area. We needed to get out of our car and stretch our legs. They live right around the corner from the Hoback River. Isn't this gorgeous?!

My son had a project due where he had to find 12 different kinds of rocks and bring them into class. We had so much fun looking for rocks. There were so many to choose from.

The colors were amazing!

We headed into town and did all the touristy things. It felt so good to be out of the car.

My sister and her family showed up a little later on Friday. We all went to dinner. The food was great and the company was awesome.

I have been running 4 miles every other day w/ a friend in my neighborhood. My sister runs so, I asked her if she would go running with me in the morning. It was freezing but, so beautiful. We watched the sun rise as we ran. It was a hard run for me.....not used to the elevation. We then took a 6 mile hike to Ski Lake which looked more like a beautiful pond than a lake. My boys were troopers. I can't believe they did so well. I wish I had pictures. We forgot our camera. Poor Jared carried my sleeping 2 yr old pretty much the whole way down the mountain. He said his arms felt like they were ready to fall off.

That night we had a big family dinner together. My nephew is such a stud! I am so proud of him and grateful for his example. He will do great!

Sunday morning we took a quick ride to see the Grand Tetons. They are beautiful!

I am so glad we took the opportunity to say goodbye and spend time with family. I love my kiddos and husband. They are what make me the happiest!

Messy updo

2011-11-01T12:31:00.000-07:00

I have read a lot of blogs doing a different hair style a day for a month. I'm always up for a cute hair tutorial but, some of the hair styles are just ugly. Rude, I know. I'm kind of weird about my hair. I usually never do it the same way 2 days in a row and I wash my hair every day. I like a little change. I also think an outfit kind of dictates how your hair will look for the day.

I found a blog that has some cute hair tutorials (she does hair for a living). This is my version of her messy side updo. Mine wasn't on the side and my hair is longer than hers. It was really easy. I liked how it stayed put all day and I actually didn't use all that much hairspray. I wore it that way for church and will probably wear it again.

Her hair is much cuter. Go HERE if you want the tutorial.

Some more jewelry

2011-10-27T13:39:00.001-07:00

6mm cubic zirconia nana necklace

I added a pink pearl to this and gave it to my mom. She loves quilting and is so good at it.

This was made for a dear friend of mine.

I promised my sister a necklace for her birthday. Her birthday was in March. I just finished it this week.......yikes!

You can buy any of these HERE.

Our first fire

2011-10-27T07:47:00.000-07:00

When we were looking for a house, I did not want a fireplace. We grew up with one and NEVER used it. I thought it would be a waste of wall space and let in cold air. I'm eating my words. I super duper love our fireplace. It was so cold the other night. A warm fire and movie sounded so nice. We bought stuff for s'mores and popped popcorn. It was awesome. I know my husband is smiling as he reads this. I really didn't like it when we bought this house. I changed my mind. Hey, I'm allowed that once in a while, right?

This little guy couldn't wait to roast marshmallows. He is doing a little dance in this picture. I love the excitement kids have for things. It makes me remember all the fun things about being a kid.

Martha and pumpkins

2011-10-11T11:38:00.001-07:00

My brother works for Coke and always seems to have bottle tops. Not because he steals them, we drink them. My family loves coke products. When I say, "my family" I really just mean my side of the family. He has given me a few hundred caps so I enter in the codes for coke rewards. I get all kinds of magazines and other stuff. I have received a few photo books from Snapfish for free. We even used a couple of my rewards photo books for two of my niece's wedding sign in books.....so cute. Anyway, I just received Martha Stewart's Living magazine. She has a few pumpkin ideas in there. I loved these eyeball zombie pumpkins. If you go to marthastewart.com, you can find a whole bunch of pumpkin ideas along with templates and other crafts. She may be a felon but, she is one crafty lady.

Silver Lake 2011

2011-10-03T13:35:00.001-07:00

We try to go to Silver Lake up Big Cottonwood Canyon every year between conference sessions. We love to do it in the fall. I think this year was brighter than the rest. It was absolutely amazing up this canyon. Every fall color you could think of was up there. The colors were so vibrant. It was in the 80s in the valley but it was nice and cool up there. I wish it could stay like this for at least another month. I love so many things about fall especially the colors.

On our walk we saw three moose. One male and two females. I'm pretty sure it is mating season. I wasn't in the mood to get trampled so, we took some pictures and kept walking

Halloween wreath

2011-09-30T10:19:00.001-07:00

I wouldn't say this attempt at a holiday wreath is worth a tutorial but, it was fun and didn't cost me a dime. It makes me so excited for Halloween. October is always filled with such fun things.

Our soon to be finished shed

2011-09-20T12:28:00.001-07:00

We have been so busy since we moved. Not only do we have a "to do" list that seems endless, but we also have an amazing neighborhood of people and church stuff to keep us super busy. We decided the building of a shed should be the first thing to cross off our list. It has taken us much longer than expected. Mostly because I don't have the skills to be very helpful. I do what I can, but poor Jared is stuck doing all the hard stuff. The kids say they want to help, but when it comes down to it, chasing each other around the yard is much more fun. Here is what we have so far.

Homemade ice cream w/out the machine

2011-08-14T16:02:00.000-07:00

I saw this on a blog somewhere and had to try it. The recipe couldn't be more easy. I liked using regular whipping cream over heavy whipping cream....personal preference. It is CRRRReamy! Since I wasn't too keen on the flavors she had, I made my own. I know what goes into it, so I only got to indulge a little. I added chopped up Reeses peanut butter cups and mixed 1/4C. melted peanut butter to the sweetened condensed milk. YUMMY! (this awesome pics was not taken by me. All that credit goes to the talented people over at Kevin & Amanda) If you want to know how to make this, go HERE.

FYI on Nursemaid's Elbow

2011-08-10T16:10:00.000-07:00

Nursemaid's Elbow, also known as pulled elbow happens in younger kids because their ligaments (the elastic-like bands that hold bones together) are loose and bones are not yet fully formed. This makes it easier for some of the bones to slip in and out of place. When the injury occurs, the child usually begins crying immediately and refuses to use the arm (causing HUGE panic from mom)....those are my thoughts anyway. The child may hold the arm so that it is slightly bent and pressed up against the belly......at least that is what the article said.

This isn't the first time this has happened to us. Colton was 2 yrs old. He was holding my hand in the grocery store and and pulled in the opposite direction. I thought I broke his arm and freaked out. I was very pregnant w/ Zach and my emotions were out of control. We took him to the ER to find out it was just Nursemaid's Elbow. I guess it's really common in young children. The doctor taught us how to manipulate the arm to pop it into place.......and pop is exactly what it does.

I was unpacking a couple of boxes in the basement when I heard Gunner scream one of those screams you know is bad. He held is arm the same way Colton did all those years ago and I thought it was the same thing. I didn't want to manipulate his arm if it was broken so I asked Jared to come home and look at it. It didn't work the first time Jared tried it so we ended up taking him to the instacare. When they did x-rays they must have popped it back in. The pain goes away immediately so you know exactly what it is. SO, if any of you ever experience anything like this, don't waist your money! I hate going to the doctor to find out you didn't need to go. They say you should see a professional to "fix" the problem but you can totally do it yourself. I'm super happy and relieved he is okay.

Finished

2011-08-10T15:56:00.000-07:00

I'm not good at staging things. This is what it looks like and will look like for a while. I will be lucky to get pictures on my wall in the next 5 years.

I haven't decided if I love the color but I still love the dresser itself. It holds everything and then some. I wish I would have thought of using a dresser for a TV stand years ago.

For me

2011-08-08T17:21:00.000-07:00

It isn't very often that I get to make something for me. I don't really wear necklaces. Maybe during church and then I come right home and strip myself of all jewelry. The only thing I usually keep on until bedtime are my earrings. I'm not a fancy diamond lady (my wedding ring is my exception) but I like unique jewelry. I love these new earrings. They are comfortable and not too big.

The boho braid

2011-08-05T09:44:00.001-07:00

I stole this once again from the beauty department blog. I thought it looked easy and fun. My hair isn't as beautiful and thick as the lady in the tutorial but it is what it is. I so hate putting pics of myself like this on here but, I wanted to show that someone w/ medium length hair could do it too. If you want to see how it is supposed to look, go HERE.

dresser soon to be TV stand part I

2011-08-03T13:44:00.000-07:00

I love to frequent the thrift stores. I love that you never know what you are going to find. The last time we were there, I spotted this dresser. Sorry the pictures are bad. I started working on it before I took the pictures and it was too heavy to move. I loved the leather pulls and I knew right away I wanted to paint it and use it for my TV stand.

I love the color but we will see if I still like it when the whole thing is finished. I guess more pictures to come when it's finished.

Trees

2011-08-02T15:05:00.000-07:00

We have finally moved into our house. I guess that is one of the reasons I haven't been blogging consistently. It was a LONG process and I am so glad it is over. We are really happy to be where we are and our kids love it too.This is a picture of our mulberry tree that everyone keeps telling us to chop down. We haven't decided yet. We LOVE the shade it provides. Anyone have any thoughts on the subject? I would love some input.

I'm needing a little help with this tree as well. I love the color of the leaves. What girl doesn't love a little pink here and there? Anyone have a clue to what kind of tree it is? I can't seem to find it on the internet so I may have to take a leaf into the nursery.

I'm excited for next year. We have a peach, pear and apple tree as well. Because they didn't water, the fruit isn't any good this year. I'm definitely looking forward to next fall.

Ilish's wedding

2011-07-21T14:17:00.000-07:00

I am by no means a photographer, but I love these pics of my niece and her new hubby.

They were married on a Saturday in the Salt lake City LDS temple. It was beautiful and HOT!! Here is some of my side of the family. Jared was supposed to be here but we had babysitter issues. This doesn't even make up half of us.

My husband waited outside with my boys and took some pictures.

There was a beautiful luncheon in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. The views were breathtaking.

The reception was held in a ravine near my sister's home. It was so open and beautiful.

9 years ago I asked my sister in law to make my wedding cake. With the help of her husband(my brother), she has been making the cakes in my family ever since. They do an amazing job! I loved my cake all those years ago and have loved every single one since. They are so talented!

Speaking of talented, my mother made my niece this quilt. the pictures do not do it justice. My mom is amazing when it comes to quilting.

I thought it might be fun to show the pictures of the cake cutting.

The look on his face says it all.

She got paybacks!

And this is the two of them trying to get cake out of their noses.

There was a swing attached to a huge tree and all the kids were lined up to take a turn.

The happy old couple......at least in comparison.

When the bride and groom were ready to leave, everyone lit huge sparklers and lined up in a row on opposite sides. The kids loved them and I thought it was a little magical.

It is so hard to imagine my niece is married. I remember holding her as an infant and even babysitting her. She just graduated high school in June. So young and so in love. I wish them the best and pray they have a happy life.

Hair

2011-06-15T12:46:00.000-07:00

Ummmm...this is too cute not to share. I might have to try this. I hope my hair is long enough.

I have to confess something..... I have watched ALL episodes of the Hills. Gross, I know. I just couldn't help myself. Each week there was new drama and I loved hearing Natasha Bedingfield's Unwritten.....always made me want to get up and dance. Anyway, I loved Lauren Conrad's character. She has a beauty blog. You can find the tutorial for this super cute hair here.

If you want to try a few other new hairstyles, check out My Yellow Sandbox. She has been doing 30 hairdos in 30 days. She even gives video tutorials.

Cedar chest makeover

2011-06-04T12:43:00.001-07:00

I saw this chest at the beginning of the week at the DI (thrift store). They were asking $50 and I didn't want to make the purchase w/out Jared seeing it. It was hideous on the outside but beautiful cedar on the inside. I knew I could make it beautiful but still didn't want to spend $50.....I know, cheap.We went back there last Saturday and it was still there. Jared talked them down to $30 and we couldn't pass it up. It is a Lane cedar chest with tons of potential. It came with only one UGLY plastic panel on the front. Jared pried that off . There was icky old glue we had to scrape off and we had to fill a few places w/wood filler. Seriously that panel was uglier in person.

We sanded it down until it was smooth.

I didn't want it to look plain on the front so we bought two pieces of molding and cut them to fit where the two panels used to be. I glued them on with wood glue and primed it for paint.

I used Behr Forever Black in a satin finish and painted three coats. I let it sit for 48 hrs before I let kids even come near it.

I love how it turned out. I have always wanted a cedar chest but they are way too expensive. My husband did most of the sanding and cut the molding. I love working together on projects. I learn so much from him.

Total cost was around $60. We have tons of paint, glue and wood filler left. Can't beat $60. I LOVE it!

boys,boys, boys

2011-05-28T21:16:00.000-07:00

I'm feeling really lucky we haven't had more major injuries in this house. Major being Jared's gunshot wound earlier this year.

Zach tripped and landed face forward on the concrete. He came in crying. We asked him if he was okay , he said , yes and he walked back outside. He came in a little later and I noticed he had blood on his hands and face. I felt like a really crappy mom at that point because I hadn't noticed the cut before. I went to clean him up and realized it was a pretty deep cut. Jared tried a butterfly bandage to close it but it wouldn't close .....so off to instacare he went. Jared had to take him because my little 18 month old had a pretty high fever and doesn't want anyone but mom. I was almost in tears because Zach wanted me to go with him but I couldn't leave my youngest w/a babysitter. Ugh!!! Being a mom is really hard sometimes!

Jared said he did awesome. I guess Zach was really worried he would get a shot but lucky for him they just numbed him up really good. He didn't even know they were sewing him up. They washed his cut out with a 60cc syringe and let him keep it. He was so excited about his new water squirting toy. Funny how easily kids can be distracted. Anyway, He is doing fine . We just need to keep him and Colton away from each other for a few days. We had to remind him a couple of times today that stitches can be ripped out and it will hurt!

This is a picture of Colton at 22 months with his broken leg. Thankfully nothing else to add to the list.....yet!

Mother's Day 2011

2011-05-09T09:11:00.001-07:00

I love being a mother to these beautiful boys. I have been so blessed.

In like a lamb out like a lion

2011-05-04T11:37:00.000-07:00

March definitely was the lamb this year. I can't tell you how happy I am that April is behind me. I have been so busy making Mother's Day gifts that I haven't even given any thought to my own mothers. I still have this weekend. I hope I can think of something thoughtful.

Easter isn't one of those big holidays in our home. We don't treat it like Christmas and we don't teach our kids about the Easter bunny. Mom and dad fill bags of candy to celebrate the truly amazing holiday it actually is. We do color eggs and we even have the egg hunts. We try to focus on the real reason we celebrate. Who knows if it sunk in as my kids were running around on a sugar high for 2 days.....yes, that is all it took for them to finish off all of their candy. Zach was the big winner of the hunt. He came back with the most eggs. We ended up throwing 90% of the candy away. My kids don't like cinnamon bears and peppermint taffy. I on the other hand do.....that is why it ended up in the garbage.

This poor little guy had to wait on the sidelines for 15 min before they allowed him to get the eggs. If you know my son, you know it is really hard for him to sit in one place for that long.

My kids have been bugging me for a while to go to the Children's Museum. We bought a discount ticket for a family of 6. We only have 5 so I let them bring a friend. What a boring place for parents but super fun for the kids.

Gunner wanted to take that dang wristband off the entire time.

He did NOT want to be in the helicopter. Every time they touched the sound button he freaked out.

The water area was the big hit. Gunner was in water heaven. I let him do this at home when I need to get something done. I push a chair up to the sink, fill it up with bubbles and cups, and let him play for a little while.

With all the cold weather we have had, this was a nice change.

jewelry

2011-04-25T10:50:00.000-07:00

This is what I have been up to lately. I know some of you have already seen these on FB. I have a few more pieces I am working on for Mother's Day. Sad part about this is that I have no idea what to get my own mother for Mother's Day.

This CTR necklace was made for a friend of mine. She has a little girl turning 8 .

Creeper!

2011-04-19T16:29:00.001-07:00

I am probably going to go private. I'm not sure that many people read this blog anyway. I had a follower that had quite the racy picture up. I'm still trying to figure out why he wanted to follow my blog anyway.....what a creeper! I also hate the idea of someone possibly using my pictures for who knows what. When I get a little time I will let you know when I'm going private. I'm sad that it got to this point but I'm seriously creeped out. When I first started blogging, I loved to blog stalk and see little glimpses of other peoples lives. I still do. If you are interested in being a reader of my blog, please leave your e-mail. I'm going to try my best at getting this done within the month.

Ketchup

2011-04-14T21:01:00.000-07:00

Someone once bought a shirt for my dad that said, "I put ketchup on my ketchup." I'm pretty sure my kids got that gene from my side of the family. It was a little too quiet.I'm pretty sure you all know what that means....trouble. Jared found Gunner sitting on the bench trying to lick the ketchup bottle to death.....we didn't even hear him getting into the fridge.

If..........

2011-04-01T17:19:00.000-07:00

(I got this image from the eighteen 25 blog. She got it from somewhere else too. Cute Huh?)

If I never had to do dishes....if I never had to clean......if I never had to do a gazillion loads of laundry all of the time......if I never had to change diapers......if I never had to wash my hands a thousand times a day........Maybe just maybe my hands might look this cute for Easter.

Bangs

2011-03-28T15:04:00.001-07:00

(My Jr. year in high school)

I have had bangs pretty much my whole life. Sometimes they were big and poofy and other times swept to the side. When I got home from my mission, I decided to grow them out. I didn't have bangs when Jared met me and married me, but I cut them soon after......I seriously think my forehead is too big. No big deal. I don't mind bangs. I am one of those people who likes to get my hair done but doesn't seem to find the time to do it regularly. So that leaves me to cutting my own bangs. I have done it probably since Jr High. I cut my husband's hair and all boys hair as well. I saw this on TV a couple of years ago and learned a few things. If you want to learn a couple of tricks on how to keep your children's hair looking decent between cuts, go HERE.

Taking in jeans

2011-03-23T08:38:00.001-07:00

I haven't done an actual personal update in a while.....sorry. I will say, I finished my 90 day P90X workout and am super happy with the results. I am currently doing round two of the lean phase(much easier). I lost 8 lbs and quite a few more inches. I know I would have lost more if I had actually followed some kind of diet plan. I am the worst at that. So if any of you are considering this workout, I would totally recommend it. I didn't come out of this having a glistening hard body but I feel better and look better.

This brings me to the pictures above. No, this is not me and probably will never be me. I found this tutorial today and am so excited about it. I lost the most inches off my waist and hips(Yahooooooo for that!!!). I have a couple of pants that I love but are a little too big in the waist now. I can't wait to try this tutorial. If any of you are interested , hop on over to Freshly Picked for an awesome tutorial.

More crap I've made

2011-03-12T19:20:00.000-08:00

Okay, so maybe I don't think it's crap but some might. I like to keep myself busy and busy is definitely what I have been. I made a few earrings. I think they are kinda fun.

My niece turned 5 in Feb. and I really never know what to buy a little girl. I have a lot of scrap material left from various projects. The only thing I had to buy was a t-shirt. It isn't perfect but she really liked it......that is all that matters, right?

I found this magnet board at the thrift store for $2. It was a little too modern for my living room. I added paper to the metal board, distressed the wood, and made my own magnets. I still need a few more photos but I haven't found the time for that just yet. I'm sure there are some of you who think this is the ugliest thing ever, but I like how it turned out. You can't beat $2.

I have a brand new niece. I still haven't seen her yet. She spent the first week of her life in the NICU and we felt like we should wait to visit. I made them a car seat cover a few weeks ago. I thought they may need it if the baby came early and sure enough she did.

I found this cute little dress on the 75% off clearance rack at Target. It just needed a little something else so I added the flowers.

Again with the scrap fabric. I thought it would make a cute sun dress for a little baby girl. After 2 boys, I figure they need a little pink in that house.

2011-03-10T08:53:00.000-08:00

Who do you think my boys look like?

I just wanted to wish my sweet husband a VERY happy birthday!

Celebrating 9 years

2011-03-07T14:08:00.001-08:00

Notice the hand?

I seriously love this man!

Percy Jackson

2011-03-03T10:31:00.000-08:00

My sister in law let me borrow this series quite a few months ago. I really liked the movie and heard good things about the books. She happened to have the whole series. They sat there and sat there because I know myself a little too well. Once I start reading, I don't stop. It is a bit of an addiction for me. I love to read and really have to limit myself. Anyway, they were sitting there calling my name and I decided to give in. I pretty much read a book a day. I really liked the books. They weren't better than Harry Potter. I am definitely a Harry Potter fan but these were really good. I'm super glad I read them all together because I really hate to wait. Each book left me wanting the next. If you liked the whole good vs evil of Harry Potter, you might enjoy this series.

The importance of Self-worth

2011-02-09T09:36:00.000-08:00

"They're just beautiful!" the wife exclaimed as she opened the gift from her husband and excitedly took out diamond earrings to match her wedding band. "Thank you," she said sincerely.

Her husband beamed to see his wife so pleased. She had once mentioned that someday she would like such a pair of earrings. He had saved a little each month for several years in order to buy them. The only problem was that his wife, thinking that there was no way in the world the husband could have afforded real diamonds, thought they were cubic zirconias.

In the months that followed, she wore the earrings casually. She was careless when she put them on and took them off, and finally she misplaced one. When she told her husband, he became very concerned. Only then did she realize the diamonds were real. The worth of the stones never changed. What had changed was how she esteemed the stones.

In the same way, it is essential for us to realize that regardless of how we presently esteem ourselves, we are of great worth. That fact never changes..... We must realize that our worth never changes. Just as with the diamonds, as low as our self-esteems may plunge, our worth is still great in the eyes of God.
Original source:_Straight Talk for Parents: What Teenagers Wish they Could Tell You_ by Barbara Barrington Jones and Brad Wilcox(Deseret Book, 1994), pp. 51-53

I love this story. I'm sure we can all relate in some way at some point in our lives. Let me just say, I think very different about myself today than I did 15 yrs ago. I am 33 yrs old and pretty happy. Could I be a better mom, or smarter, or more organized?....YES, YES and YES! I think, especially for women, we are WAY too hard on ourselves. I have a body that allows me to keep up with my 3 boys and husband. For that I couldn't be more grateful. Am I a size 4? No! But I exercise and try not to obsess about the things I can't change. I'm not sure if I will ever win the organization battle.

I do know I am a daughter of God and that He loves me. My hope is that more of us realize the importance of our self-worth....or maybe for some us , remember the importance.

Johnny Depp is a babe and other stuff

2011-02-04T07:51:00.001-08:00

For Family Home Evening we read about Moroni burying the plates. That led into journals and keeping a record. I thought it would be fun to pull out my first journal and read aloud the first entry. My boys were giggling through the entire thing. Apparently I thought Johnny Depp was quite the babe in 1989. I actually had 2 gigantic posters of him on my wall and I tried not to ever miss an episode of 21 Jump Street. He was my favorite for years. Anyway, my boys liked the "babe" part. I have been busy this past week making a few new pieces to put in my etsy shop. I'm still working on a couple of earrings. It has been so hard to find the time lately. This is one of the necklaces I finished. It fits the mother perfectly.

I'm trying to put together a daddy daughter party for activity days. Does anyone have any cute games that they have tried themselves or did as a child? I have a few ideas but would appreciate a few more.

Lime Chicken Fajitas

2011-02-02T16:25:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure if any of you are like me, but thinking up meals is kind of hard sometimes. Lucky for me, my husband is not picky. He likes to tell people he is allergic to mushrooms but it is just his taste buds.Other than that, I pretty much have free reign. I have my go to list of dinners that we usually have often but I get tired of those things quick! I am much pickier than my husband. I call it dog food when I have to eat the same thing over and over.......those poor dogs never get a change. So that brings me to this recipe. I have only had fajitas once. My husband decided to try to make some when we were only a few months married. Sorry, Jared they were gross! He agrees so I'm not in trouble. I came across these yummy lime chicken fajitas. They are sooooo good. I love how healthy and yummy they are. If you are interested in this recipe go HERE. I hope she doesn't mind I took a picture from her blog. I have never photographed food and don't plan on it anytime soon......don't have the patience. She did an awesome job and a big thanks to her for sharing such a yummy healthy dinner!

Life.....

2011-02-01T11:24:00.000-08:00

Things have been a little crazy these past two weeks. Jared slipped on some wet stairs at work and re injured his leg. He was put on antibiotics and seems to be doing really well. It is healing slowly but it is healing.

My kids have been WILD and CRAZY these past couple of weeks......which has made me feel like pulling all my hair out! I have one that will wine and wine and wine until I break. He is also sometimes one of the sweetest, kindest, little boys ever....very hot and cold. My oldest just gets bored and picks and picks at whoever is nearby......me included. And then there is my sweet little 15 month old that runs me ragged. That boy climbs and never stops going until crash time. I have to belt all my kitchen chairs to the table because I can't keep him off of it. I'm terrified he will fall and break his neck. He has no fear. We also have to keep our bathroom door shut at ALL times. This one LOVES to play in the toilet and get into everything he can.

BUT........I am so grateful they are healthy and that they are safe. My cousin lost 2 of her children in a tragic sledding accident on Jan. 22. Her boy was 12 and her sweet little girl was 9 and about to turn 10 in 3 days. I'm not sure how to express the way that made me feel when I found out. My heart broke for her and still does. With everything still fresh from what happened to Jared, I was sick to my stomach. I wish there was a way to take the hurt from her. It gave me an opportunity to step back and look at the 4 blessings in my life. The night I found out I took a moment and watched my beautiful family. They were being bratty as usual, but I wouldn't have had it any other way. I pray that my cousin and her daughter and husband can find a little peace in the near future. I can't imagine the pain they are all in at this time. I do know that our Heavenly Father is aware of us and that we can turn to Him for peace and comfort. I am thankful to Him for my 3 babies. They fill my life with all kinds of different emotions but mostly joy.

One week later

2011-01-25T10:52:00.000-08:00

Sorry, no pictures today. I want to thank everyone for all the love and support that has been given throughout this week. Jared is doing great! I am so thankful for that. He is back at work and walking with a pretty good limp. They said it would take 6-8 weeks to heal .
We never mentioned Colton in the last post. He is doing well. Thankfully he had no school on Monday.......I think we would have kept him home. It was really good for him to see that his dad was okay. He was a little shaken up right after everything happened but he had a lot of people surrounding him letting him know everything was okay.
I just wanted to add a few of my thoughts. Some people made light of this situation and thought it was funny.......I did not. I know that what happened to Jared could have potentially killed him in minutes. I don't know about any of you, but I have never heard of a bullet traveling in a moon shape. I'm thankful beyond words to my Heavenly Father that my son is okay and my husband is okay. This has made me more aware of the responsibility we have as parents to teach gun safety...whether you agree with guns or not. My hope is that a few of you will take the time to talk to your kids about guns. Teach them what you want but teach them to be careful.

You can never be too careful..............

2011-01-20T19:56:00.000-08:00

(The boys all wanted to cuddle up next to their dad while reading scriptures.)

At least that is what the police officer told me in the ER........"You can never be too careful when it comes to guns." We are human. We make mistakes. We get comfortable. This was a good lesson but a VERY scary lesson our family learned on Sunday night. It was one of the scariest nights of my life. I asked Jared to tell his side of the story since I was only there for part of it. WARNING: if you have a hard time looking at blood, this may not be the post you want to read. I will let Jared take the stage.............

So we decided to go to my mom's on Sunday night. The kids were playing with some toys and I told Colton that he needed to share, he got upset and went outside. He ran outside ended up in the van, without a coat. I went out to check on him and to see if he would come back inside - he wouldn't. Taren and I had been talking about bringing up gun safety with him as we have guns in our home and I thought this would be a good time. I asked him what he would do if he were to find a gun on the way home from school or something. After listening to his answers and talking about them I got my pistol out which at the time was completely unloaded, I don't generally carry it loaded. I let him feel how heavy it is - there is a big difference in the weights of a real and a fake gun. The pistol that I have is a Springfield XD 9MM. I decided to take it apart. The process of taking it apart -and for most semi-auto pistols involves opening and closing the slide, the same process that is repeated when the weapon is fired and reloads. I opened it, moved the lever, and closed the slide. The next step in dismantling is to pull the trigger then the entire slide will come off of the handle. The thing that I forgot was this, I left the full magazine inside the handle. When I opened and closed the slide, it chambered a round. I pulled the trigger because that was the next step, and well with a live round now in the chamber of course it fired, hitting me in the upper, inner thigh and exiting just above the knee. I have no doubt that the Lord and several others were watching over me very closely that night. I missed everything important. The femoral artery, the femur, everything important, I missed. They took X-rays of the skeletal system and CT scans of the vascular system. It seems that I had "just a flesh wound". Now for those that would say "See what guns can do, they are dangerous", let me say a few words about that. A gun is an inanimate object. They can do no harm to anybody unless acted upon. Guns hurt people just as much as forks make people fat. What happened to me was nothing more than an accident. I was not being as careful as I should have been, I was going too fast, not paying enough attention, what ever you want to call it. The key word in that last sentence was "I". Guns are tools that can be used for a variety of uses, nothing more. I learned a lot of things this past week. Here are a few: The Lord watches over us and is aware of us. I learned that a lot of people love us and would drop everything for us, these are called true friends and some of them are disguised as family members. I learned that the woman that runs this blog not only likes me, but really loves and cares for me. I saw it in her eyes when she came into the trauma room in the ER. I knew that before and I never questioned it, however, I saw just a little bit of the depth that is involved with just how she feels and the feelings that are reciprocated are just as strong. I owe a lot of people a lot of from this past week, none of I will be able to repay. For those who expressed concern, watched and cared for my boys, filled a prescription and picked up some gauze, thank you, it did not go unnoticed. Some would call me lucky. I would agree, but say that it is a lot more than that. All of us are not just wandering alone here on earth. We may wander, but are never alone, even when we appear to be by ourselves.

The night we came home from the hospital

entry wound

exit wound

entry wound

exit wound

Next day....entry wound

exit wound.....that hanging thing is connective tissue

One of my favorite books

2011-01-06T11:05:00.000-08:00

DESCRIPTION: F. Enzio Busche, emeritus member of the First Quorum of the Seventy, was born in Germany in 1930, 3 years before Hitler's rise to power. Fifteen years later, when World War II ended, Enzio was a prisoner of war, having been drafted into the German army at age 14. The war left Enzio with many questions: Is there a God? What is the purpose of life? What happens after death? In time, he learned the answers. Yearning for the Living God is a collection of Elder Busche's experiences-both before and after his conversion-and an account of the life changing awakening that can come to all who search for truth in this world.

I love this book! Years ago my dentist told me I had to read it. He served in Germany as well and knew I would appreciate it. The stories are amazing. I felt the spirit so strong while reading this book. If there are any of you who are looking for a good read, I would pick this one up.

2011-01-05T13:51:00.001-08:00

I got the funnest gift in the mail on Christmas Eve. Just Another Hang Up had a blog /etsy giveaway and I actually won! I don't win anything! She let me pick anything from her etsy shop. It was hard. She has so many cute things that I had a hard time choosing. I don't know if it is the having 3 boys thing or what, but I usually gravitate towards anything blue. The colors are fun and it is actually a really sturdy bag. My 1 yr old loves it. He likes putting things in it and taking them out. You can tell I don't own very many bags. I am actually using it as my church bag. It is just the right size to load everything up to keep my boys happy during sacrament. Thanks Suzanne from Just Another Hang Up. What an awesome surprise!
My sister made all of her siblings various cards, which are adorable, and these cool pouches. I think they would be great for camping, your car, purse, diaper bag, 72 hr kit, YW project or just in your kitchen drawer. It is a hot pad. She took 8 Ziploc bags and filled them with various things. Pouch 1 a lighter. Pouch 2 gum and floss picks. Pouch 3 band aids, alcohol pads,and q-tips. Pouch 4 chap stick. Pouch 5 hairbands and bobby pins. Pouch 6 nail clippers and a file. Pouch 7 antacid, cough drops, and Tylenol. Pouch 8 safety pins, thread, buttons, and needles. She overlapped the bottoms and sewed right down the middle. She added a button on the opposite side from the hangy thing on the potholder. Isn't that a cute idea? I think my niece said she did it in Young Womens. You could fill this up with anything you wanted but I thought these things were smart.

I love handmade gifts. Sometimes they are the ones that mean the most......not always but definitely sometimes!

Children

2010-12-29T15:29:00.000-08:00

Children are like sponges. They absorb your knowledge, they sap your strength, they soak up your resources, and drain your energy......but with one BIG squeeze, they give it all back!
Anyone else feeling like this while the kids are home for Christmas break?

Johnson family Christmas Party

2010-12-28T23:27:00.000-08:00

This is kind of a special party for my husband. His Johnson side doesn't get together very often. I think that happens to a lot of people when a set of grandparents pass away. I love this side of his family. They are always so friendly and kind. I genuinely enjoy spending time with these people. Jared's mom organizes it every year and we are all really thankful that she does.

Jake and Kellie

Jordan and Noel

This little boy is maybe 3 weeks younger than Gunner. My son would NOT leave him alone. You can tell he has older brothers. This first shot is him trying to hit him in the head with a shoe. Don't worry, no one got hurt during this camera taking.

I'm pretty sure he is trying to squeeze his brains out.

Gunner is in mid cough here but he was squeezing him and just being irritating. I couldn't help but laugh. Does that make me terrible? The little kid just took it. I finally had to pull Gunner away.

I love Christmas time for so many different reasons and family is definitely one of them.

Homemade Christmas stuff

2010-12-28T14:23:00.000-08:00

Some of my favorite gifts growing up were homemade. I loved the dresses my mom would make me and the warm blankets. I wanted to do that for my kids this year. We made Colton a blanket when he was about the same age as Zach. We just took a cartoon sheet that he picked out, put one of those soft t-shirt flat sheets behind it, and tied it. He loves that blanket and Zach has been begging me for one. So I figured this would be the year considering I had to borrow a quilting frame for an Activity Days service project. He chose Mario Bros. I actually really like the bright bold colors. Anyway, he was happy and that is all that matters.

My kids love Avatar the Last Airbender. I saw a tutorial on freezer paper stenciling and thought I would try it. I can't believe it worked. It was a little time consuming but my kids LOVED their shirts. I think they turned out pretty cool and you might see me use this again for shower gifts. The hardest part is cutting out the detail. They were supposed to be pj tops but have turned into everyday shirts. I got these t-shirts for $2 and added white sleeves. It was cheaper than buying long sleeve t-shirts. This way they got to pick the exact color they wanted. The bottoms took hardly any time....really easy pattern.

Colton asked about his own stocking this year. Jared and I had different traditions growing up. He had an actual stocking and we used our own sock from our drawer. I wasn't sure what tradition we would adopt but Jared won out.....not that he was trying to. I liked the idea of fitting small presents in the stocking. I decided the night before Christmas Eve I would use the scraps I had and sew some stockings. This is what I came up with. Not your traditional stocking but very much on line with what my boys like. They loved the idea of the pocket. Colton was excited to see what Santa would leave in that pocket. They were happy. So again, I was happy.

Golightly Family Christmas Party

2010-12-22T12:30:00.000-08:00

I look forward to this party every year. It is the one time that most of my aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. come to celebrate. My family is HUGE. More people come to this party than the reunion. I love seeing my cousins and catching up with all of my family. Usually there is lots of food followed by a program (put on by my grandparent's children's family) and ending in a pinata. Look at this mass of kids. This was just the first bunch. There were 3 pinatas with 3 age groups.
Every time I look at this picture it cracks me up. He is working so hard to break that pinata open.

My niece sang "Santa Baby" and played the guitar for our family's portion of the program. She did awesome. I'm not sure if I could have done that now let alone at her age.

The theme was a luau. We had haystacks and a huge table of deserts.

I love my grandma and grandpa. They make me smile. I feel so blessed to still have them in my life. They are amazing people.

Who knew?

2010-12-22T12:21:00.000-08:00

Who knew sugar cookies and air blown popcorn could be SO delicious?

Temple Square

2010-12-09T14:47:00.000-08:00

I have pretty much decided I don't want to make this a tradition. I was more irritated than inspired. The last time we came, we took the train......which we should have done this time. I was afraid the baby would hate the long train ride. Parking was a nightmare. We weren't very smart and decided to go on a Wednesday.......which means tons of teenagers because of mutual. If I was a teenager, this would have been the night I wanted to "check out boys"....or whatever they call it now a days. Since everything is phone and facebook, I'm not sure how kids interact anymore. I realize that one day I will have irritating teenage boys so I will try to enjoy them while I can. I swear three different pairs of boys knocked into me because they were goofing around and fighting. Despite my bad attitude, my boys really liked it. I asked if they had fun and they quickly responded with a big , YES! Their favorite part was throwing a penny in the water and making a wish.
Don't get me wrong, I love seeing the lights and feeling the amazing spirit that surrounds the temple. I think I want to wait until the kids get older. Who knows how I will feel next year. I always looked forward to seeing the lights as a kid. Maybe I won't be such a Grinch next year.
I'm not exactly sure why Zach thinks this is an attractive smile but he has this cheesy fake smile in about all of his pictures.

I love my little stinkers. They sure make me happy!

Thanksgiving and other stuff

2010-12-09T14:18:00.000-08:00

I Love our little trouble maker. He seriously keeps me on my toes. I unfortunately have my washer and dryer in different rooms. This is what I found when I came into load the dryer. He thought it was the funniest thing ever....he just giggled. Thanksgiving was nice. We actually decided to go to both parents this year...not sure why. I have zero pictures of my other two boys because they were down stairs playing with cousins the whole time.

Gunner is upset that Jared took him away from the stairs. My sister has quite a few stairs just past her entryway and he was in heaven. We don't have stairs at our house so not only did it keep him busy but he was having fun learning how to go backwards down stairs.

He had so much fun at my sister's house that he conked out on the way home. What you all don't understand is this NEVER happens. He hates car rides. We usually hear screaming at least half the car ride.

We didn't pull out our camera at Jared's family's house. I think we were just too tired at that point. My mother in law started a gingerbread house tradition. I didn't think my boys would be all that interested this year but they loved it. It is still sitting in their room on the dresser. Gunner has climbed up the drawers and sneaked all the candy he can reach.

Everyone told me I needed to get this crawl on video. It seems the norm to me because he has been doing it so long. He walks now but he got SO fast doing this crab crawl.

Ouch

2010-12-02T09:08:00.000-08:00

So I have decided to start a workout routine with my husband. My nephew bought this program and let us use it. So far so good. The first week made me want to cry. Both my husband and I were walking a little funny. It wasn't until week 2 that we started to feel better. We are starting week 4 which is supposed to be the rest week. That is a lie. This week is just as hard as the first 3. We aren't using the eating plan because my nephew couldn't find it. We are seeing results but I'm sure it would be better if we were following the diet. My arms are getting toned and my waist is coming back. It makes me excited and motivated to keep going. Wish me luck.......I still have 67 days to go!

M

2010-12-01T19:53:00.001-08:00

I know I'm a little late in posting this. The winner picked the letter M and this is what she got. I hope she likes it! I have seen some "TV stars" (if you can call them that) wearing very similar necklaces........Kendra Wilkinson, Ali and Jillian from the bachelorette, and a few others.
I am taking custom orders for Christmas but only until Dec. 8th. I know I don't have a lot in my shop but I can make pretty much anything you dream up. So if there is something you have in mind for a loved one and I don't have it, I would be more than happy to help create something really special. Happy shopping people.......I'm just about done!
http://www.madebytaren.etsy.com/

Thankful tree

2010-11-15T14:50:00.001-08:00

I saw this somewhere last year and knew I wanted to do it this year. I think sometimes we overlook this holiday. I wanted my boys to have the opportunity to share and think about things they are thankful for. We started this last Monday for family home evening. I ask them each night what they are thankful for a write it on a new leaf. I want to continue doing this every year. It helps me to remember what Heavenly Father has given to me and what I am thankful for. I liked the idea so much I did it with my activity days girls. I scaled it down to a mason jar and found candy corn for 90% off at Target. They got the branches out of my back yard. It was a lot of fun and the girls loved their trees.

November

2010-11-09T10:18:00.000-08:00

I love November. I get to celebrate another year. I get to eat lots of good food. I get to see the change of a season.....usually the first real snowfall is in November and that is always exciting. But most important, it is a time to remember and to reflect. I love this season because it lets me take a look at my life and really look at all that God has given me. I feel unworthy to have been given what I have. I am always humbled and filled with gratitude when I step back and look at my family. Some say I should have more....a house, more money, fancier clothes. I feel so blessed to have a roof over my head, enough money to allow me to be home with my kids, and clothes on my back. My husband works so hard to provide for this family and also care for each one of us. I am so grateful for his sacrifices. It has been hard to have him work and go to school but we have been so blessed.
The night we planted a garden we knelt in prayer as a family and asked our Heavenly Father to bless our garden. We were blessed abundantly for our little family....even enough so to share with others.

This is what it looks like now. We cleaned out our garden because we knew it would freeze this week. I can't believe how much fruit we still had on the vine.

This is what is left.

"Comparing blessings is almost certain to drive out joy. We cannot be grateful and envious at the same time. If we truly want to have the Spirit of the Lord and experience joy and happiness, we should rejoice in our blessings and be grateful." Elder Quentin L. Cook

I am grateful for my testimony. God loves us and truly wants us to have happiness and joy. Even in our trials, He is there to comfort us and love us. I am thankful that He knows my heart and knows what I am capable of even when I don't. Jesus Christ gave his life to give me and you a chance at eternal happiness and joy. He understands us completely.

I'm thankful for the love my Heavenly Father extends to me daily and I hope to always remember that. I hope each of you take the time to reflect and remember during this time of Thanksgiving.

Happy 1st Birthday

2010-11-08T09:01:00.000-08:00

Wow! It was really strange for me to look back to a year ago. I woke up at 2 am because my water broke....2 1/2 weeks early I might add...and so sad that I would miss Halloween with my kids. Jared took over and made it a great day for them though. I wanted to take it all in this year.
He woke up to balloons, like all my kids do on their birthday, and was in heaven. We invited both families over for cake and ice cream Sunday evening. My baby doesn't love cake all that much but he LOVES brownies. I made him a cake but decided a brownie was better. He loved all the attention he got...so different from my other two.

This boy loves to cause trouble and get into EVERYTHING! He wouldn't leave the folding chairs alone.

I can't believe how excited he was with all of the attention. The flashing cameras reminded me of the paparazzi. He loved it!

Trick-or-Treat

2010-11-08T08:25:00.001-08:00

Saturday turned out to be a really mellow day. Colton woke up with a fever so he spent the whole day on the couch watching netflix....poor kid. We knew he really didn't feel well when he didn't want to go to Lagoon for the very last time. Zach put on his costume and ran some errands with Jared. He actually got the kids out of the house so I could clean in peace. I'm not sure how many moms out there have the problem of going into the bathroom alone. It just doesn't happen....ever! I just didn't want to deal with a screaming baby at the bathroom door while I was cleaning with bleach. So My sweet husband got them out of the house for me. It was just a strange day. My kids weren't feeling well so we didn't have the normal screaming and fighting we usually do. Everyone took naps and we actually had quiet in our house for the first time in a VERY long time. We got them dressed up and out in the rain. Colton insisted he was well enough to trick or treat. Gunner lasted two houses and I brought him home. Jared got around the block and my boys were done. They still managed to bring home a ton of candy though. We actually managed to fit his coat on underneath....he hated it!

Colton was the same thing this year because it still fit and he still loves Mario Bros.

Zach was so excited to be a Ninja. He has been practicing his moves all month. This is his fierce Ninja pose.

Can you tell Zach is excited to go trick or treating? He was the only one.

Pumpkin carving

2010-11-08T08:06:00.000-08:00

I remember as a kid carving pumpkins . This was before all the fancy shmancy face and picture tracing books came out. My pumpkin pretty much always looked like a traditional Jack-o-lantern. It was a tradition that I really enjoyed as a kid and always hoped to do with my own kids. Last year pretty much sucked because I was a little, shall we say,busy.....but this year was awesome. My boys(all of my boys) participated and helped. We turned on some music and began scraping and carving. I was surprised to see my two oldest getting in there and pulling out the seeds. They normally hate getting their hands yucky. But Gunner, boy was he in heaven. That kid LOVES getting messy. I can't seem to keep him out of dirt or just anything he can squish and smear. The pictures are a little fuzzy but here are the finished products. My older boys did the last two with a little help from mom and dad.

Giveaway Winner!

2010-11-04T06:31:00.001-07:00

Congrats to.......

#20-Megan, who said: Teal told me about your awesome give-a-way. Cute Jewelry! Would love to win one!

Thanks to everyone who participated. It was fun! Maybe I will have to do it again......soon.

Hmmmmm.....

2010-11-01T11:59:00.001-07:00

This is what happens when you leave tomato paste in the reach of an almost 1 yr old. Two minutes! Seriously, two minutes of me not watching!

GIVEAWAY!!!!!!!

2010-10-27T13:23:00.000-07:00

I have decided to do a giveaway. I know there aren't a whole bunch of people who follow this blog but you guys certainly are people I love! This is a one of a kind pendant. I hand carved the stamp used on this silver. It measures about 3/4" in diameter and is made of fine silver(99.9%). It hangs from an 18" ball head sterling silver chain. I can do any letter of the alphabet that you choose. It would be a great present for yourself or for someone you love. It might be fun for the guys as well. I would normally sell this in my etsy shop for $35. All you need to do is leave a comment and I will let the computer randomly pick the winner. I guess the only thing I ask is that you tell everyone how wonderful you think it is :) I will be closing the giveaway a week from today...Nov.3 and I will announce the winner Thursday morning.

Good Luck!

Halloween decoration

2010-10-19T09:13:00.000-07:00

While my husband was gone deer hunting, I thought it would be fun to make this cute count down calendar I found on a blog. She saw it somewhere online and posted the instructions. I made a few changes but this was the easiest cutest craft ever....not to mention it wasn't expensive. If there are any of you who want to make this go here for the tutorial. I bought a 12ft 4x4 and it made 8 calendars. I brought them over to my mother in law's house and all of us girls made them while our husbands went to the priesthood session. My kids love to turn them everyday. I also think it would make a really fun visiting teaching idea. I bought the scrapbook paper from Michaels for 2.50. It was enough paper for 7 calendars. It was a Halloween scrapbook paper pad...5in x 7in.. I just cut the papers in half. I also painted my numbers on. I found a font I liked and copied it. You can also use permanent marker. It works just as well. With all of us we almost used a full bottle of modge podge. It is a cute, cheap, and easy decoration.

President D. Michael Stewart

2010-10-18T15:46:00.000-07:00

I had the amazing opportunity to serve with a wonderful man named President D. Michael Stewart. He passed away Friday in his sleep. He was only 71. His wife said he was peaceful. I guess if there is anyway to go that would be the way.
He taught me so much and for that I will be eternally grateful. President and Sister Stewart were our parents while away from home. He guided me, he taught me and he always had faith in me even when I didn't. He taught us all a great love for music. Singing was a huge part of my mission. I saw it open doors and invite the spirit. He was truly inspired.He didn't do things that others did. He knew how to grab people's attention....he was also a politician. He made us smile and he had the warmest of smiles.
The last mission reunion I went to, I had the opportunity to again learn from him. He had a way of making you feel like the most special person in the room. I love him and will miss him. This picture was taken the morning after we arrived. They introduced me to my new companion

Always singing

Last temple trip before going home

Street preaching and lots more singing

I'm sorry for such a long post but, I love this story and it has helped me in my life.

Story by President Stewart

"As a small child I awakened with a continuing specter that a pig kept visiting me at night. I slept in the same bedroom with my mother. The pig even had the audacity to play my brother's trumpet and sisters cello, violin, and accordion that lay nearby in the hallway. I cried often to my mother who always came to comfort. The periodic grunts of the pig paralyzed me with fright on random occasions. One night the pig ripped a mole from my neck. I cried to mother as the blood spotted my fingers. She assured me there was no pig. Leaving the light on, she fell asleep. Immediately I heard the pig, looked around and observed my mother snoring. Her snoring was identical to the pig's grunting! I elatedly awakened her exclaiming: "Mother, mother, you are the pig! You are the pig!" The pig had stolen sleep and rest from me many times, but it was false fear. My false fears were a source of pain. Like a pig, fear steals and devours our peace and opportunities.

Most fears and doubts are false fears and doubts. They consume the possibilities around and within us. With a little light and clear thinking, well being is assured. Faith, love, and a sound mind, as the Apostle Paul assures us, is the course we follow when we finally choose to faith our way all the way. Faithing the way ensures personal peace and continuing happiness for us all."

Love you President Stewart!

Another great find

2010-10-18T15:03:00.000-07:00

Some of you may know, I love a good deal. I'm not great at finding them all of the time but when I do, I am grateful for the blessing. My 3yr old has pretty much grown out of the scooter that was given to him so we have been frequenting the DI to find one. To our awesome luck we found a scooter in perfect condition for $5. I was looking through the jewelry and they had a bag of watches for $7. I was curious because I like to make the fancy watch bands that go with the faces. Anyway, I saw a fossil watch in there and really couldn't say no. They all work! I might have to have a girls night and make some watchbands. I don't need all of these faces but 1 watch face at Joann or Michaels is around $9. I think my nieces might have fun with them.

The middle brown leather watch is the fossil. The rest are cheapies..... but hey, they tick!

Some days are better than others....

2010-10-13T09:24:00.000-07:00

As I have said before, one of my callings is ward chorister. My poor husband has the daunting task of taking care of three boys all by himself. Gunner is at that stage where he just doesn't want to sit still and makes it known very disruptively and loudly. This past Sunday was like any other Sunday. Gunner immediately began acting up and I can't take him out because I have to lead the congregational hymn between talks. So Jared has to. My two other boys were being so good and quiet. They were both drawing pictures and being so nice. I asked my middle child, who is 3, to please not fight with his brother while I led the closing hymn. I even bribed him with a piece of gum.....I should have known better than to leave them alone for 2 min. I got up there and noticed someone staring at the direction of my boys. I quickly looked over and to my horror they were fighting. My kids are not "nice" fighters. I was glaring at them and a woman noticed the look on my face and quickly went over there to sit by them. I was so upset and embarrassed. As I walked out, a guy from our ward said," If looks could kill, I would be dead."..........little stinkers!

made by taren

2010-10-08T14:15:00.000-07:00

I have been really busy these past few weeks. I have decided to open an etsy shop with some of the jewelry I have made. I'm still working on a few other pieces. I am a little scared and excited at the same time. I have found this to be a really nice creative outlet for me. It is a little strange though. I don't wear hardly any jewelry but, I love the pieces I have made for myself.
My husband has been so supportive. He encourages me and lifts me when I need it. I couldn't ask for a better person in my life. I love him dearly .
If you get a chance , check out my shop. I will probably post my new designs on here as they come. Here are a few.

Family Pics

2010-09-12T21:13:00.001-07:00

We decided we had better update our family photo. I'm too lazy and too cheap to go get our pics professionally taken. I know that is awful but It is such a chore to get family pictures. You can never get all your kids happy at the same time.......let alone get a REAL smile out of them. So, yes, my photography isn't the best but it will have to do for now. I love my family. I don't love getting family pictures taken.

Zach was so bratty! I could not get a real smile out of him for the life of me. I started telling him jokes and I got a few real smiles.

No, Zach isn't smiling and yes, Gunner has something in his mouth......but there are no screaming kids. I'm here to capture how it really is and well, this is how it really is. I have three boys who hate to stand still. It is much more fun to make mom and dad crazy than to smile normal for a boring picture. There are no pics of Gunner alone. He wasn't having it and we weren't going to push it. So here we are.....the Johnsons.

Emiline's wedding

2010-09-09T10:45:00.001-07:00

Seriously! Look how beautiful my niece is! I babysat this now woman when she was still in diapers. It seems so weird that she is now married....or maybe it is that I am seriously getting old. She very generously let me use some of her pics to post. I still can't believe how grown up and beautiful she is.

I don't know him all that well yet but, he is one lucky man to marry into such an amazing family. Congrats Emily and Chris! Everything was beautiful.

What do your kids do when the power goes out?

2010-09-09T09:46:00.001-07:00

Mine actually PLAY with their hundreds of toys that SIT in their toy box. I'm not sure if you got that hint of irritation out of that sentence. My kids will come to me and say, "I'm bored." My answer is always the same.....go play with all the toys sitting in your toy box. My little guy doesn't count. He LOVES the toy box!

1st grade

2010-09-09T09:16:00.000-07:00

I know people say this all the time, but seriously....... where did the time go? My baby isn't a baby anymore. He came home from school and some kid told him that smelling paint was drugs or something. So we had a much needed conversation about huffing and drugs......SCARY! My 6 yr old is already learning about this stuff. We have had the conversation about scary people and things on the Internet as well. He told me this morning that the Internet is used for good and bad....so we talked a little about that as well. They are such sponges! I'm happy there is still innocence there. He still gives me hugs and kisses at school and talks to us about things. I wonder how long that will last.?????
We were both so ready for school this year. I love having him around. I don't love how much he was fighting with his brother. I printed out homework pages for him to work on a few weeks before school started and that helped with his restlessness.... a little. He loves to learn new things and play with friends. I pray he always likes school and has a good experience. It scares me so much sometimes to think about him being away for so many hours in another person's care.
Colton's new thing is wanting to be called CJ. It has been so hard for me to up and call him something different. His Sunday school teacher is also my visiting teacher. She was a little confused when he told her his name was CJ. I told her it was okay. We had intentions on using that as a nickname right in the beginning but it never stuck with us.
Jared got a lunch bag from his work a few years ago and it had a work logo printed on it. I found out that I was paying full price lunch for PB&J sandwiches. I know this sounds cheap but really?? He has choices but was only choosing PB&J. It was way more cost efficient and healthier for me to pack him a lunch. At least I know he is getting something different and eating what I give him. So he liked the idea of a skull and crossbones on his lunch bag to cover up the logo. I realize it isn't the best hand stitch job but, he likes it. He even thinks it is pretty cool which I think is pretty cool.

I know you all see my kids in their tie-dye shirts A LOT but, they love them. They made them and they love them. That is what he wanted to wear the first day of school and it didn't surprise me one single bit. As soon as i wash them they wear them again.

I love walking him to school in the morning. The weather has been fabulous and it helps me get up and out in the mornings. He is such a sweet kid and I am excited to see what he learns this year. I love you, Colton!

Shirt dress

2010-08-29T20:30:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I know I don't have a little girl but........I know some of you do. This has got to be one of the cutest and easiest things ever. If I had a little girl I would be all over it. I frequent a blog and I love all the creative things she has on there. If you want to make this, here is the tutorial.

Why do I buy toys?

2010-08-27T16:14:00.001-07:00

I turned my head while doing dishes to find this. He got in himself and was happily playing. Kids are so silly.

2010-08-27T14:35:00.000-07:00

Elder Neal A. Maxwell, "Meeting the Challenges of Today," BYU Devotional, October 10, 1978

"Make no mistake about it, brothers and sisters, in the months and years ahead, events are likely to require each member to decide whether or not to follow the First Presidency. Members will find it more difficult to halt longer between two opinions.President Marion G. Romney said, many years ago, that he had 'never hesitated to follow the counsel of the Authorities of the Church even though it crossed my social, professional or political life.'

This is hard doctrine, but it is particularly vital doctrine in a society which is becoming more wicked. In short, brothers and sisters, not being ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ includes not being ashamed of the prophets of Jesus Christ.....Your discipleship may see the time when such religious convictions are discounted.....This new irreligious imperialism seeks to disallow certain opinions simply because those opinions grow out of religious convictions.

Resistance to abortion will be seen as primitive. Concern over the institution of the family will be viewed as untrendy and unenlightened...Before the ultimate victory of the forces of righteousness, some skirmishes will be lost. Even in these, however, let us leave a record so that the choices are clear, letting others do as they will in the face of prophetic counsel. There will also be times, happily, when a minor defeat seems probable, that others will step forward, having been rallied to righteousness by what we do.

We will know the joy,on occasion, of having awakened a slumbering majority of the decent people of all races and creeds which was, till then, unconscious of itself. Jesus said that when the fig tree put forth their leaves, 'summer is nigh.' Thus warned that summer is upon us, let us not then complain of the heat."

Even though this was written 30 plus years ago, it seriously applies to us today. This is a great talk. You can find it here.

Happy 70th Birthday!

2010-08-25T09:43:00.000-07:00

My dad decided to throw my mom a surprise birthday party. My sister was a huge help as well. Her birthday was on a Monday so my family decided to go up to her house on Sunday and give her a present. We didn't want her to get suspicious.
My dad invited quite a few friends and family. We all met at my sister's house a little early and had to park a street over. We all brought different things for a taco/burrito bar. Everything looked really nice.
My brother in law called my dad and (fake) asked him to come over and give his daughter a blessing. My mom walked down the deck and had the biggest smile on her face. She was genuinely surprised. We yelled surprise and sang the happy birthday song.

My sister and niece

Gunner had so much fun crawling all over everything. He ended up taking a pretty good fall over this ledge.

There were three siblings that were not able to be here.

I'm not sure what it is about our family but we can never get a decent picture. We are worse than little kids.

My dad said a few very nice things about my mom after diner was over and than looked right at me and said, "I think Taren wants to say a few things." Well as rude as I am , I didn't even think to say anything beforehand. We are kind of a strange family. We don't hug, kiss, or say I love you to each other. (I'm not like that with my husband and kids though) So things like that are a little awkward. It was nice. I had the opportunity to express my love and gratitude to her. I then passed the "torch" on to the next sister closest to me and we all said something.

I hope she enjoyed herself. My favorite part was seeing the big smile on her face. Love you mom!

I finally did it!

2010-08-12T14:52:00.001-07:00

My mom turns 70 this week and I wanted to make something special for her. I have had it in my head for a while that I would like to make jewelry. My husband gave me the encouragement I needed and I got started. I know this isn't perfect but it is my first. It is made out of pure silver.... 99.9%. Sterling only has about 92.5% silver and 7.5% copper. I shaped it, cut it out, fired it, filed it, sanded it, polished it, aged it, and polished it again. It is a process, but one I am excited to learn and understand. I would have made her a mothers necklace with names but there are just way too many of us. It is really hard to see the true shine and color on the pendant but I would love to hear what you guys out there think.

Hike to Twin Lakes

2010-07-20T15:31:00.001-07:00

We had an open Saturday and there was no way I was going to let it go to waste. We decided to go up near Brighton and find a trail. We loaded our backpack with granola bars and water and headed up there. The weather was so nice. It was blazing hot in the city but it was perfect up there. There was a slight breeze which made it even more bearable.
I had the baby in my moby wrap at first but quickly took him out and carried him. It was so steep and a little scary holding a baby.

We made it to the top. The boys were champs! They did such a good job. It was pretty much an all uphill hike. The water was so clear and beautiful.

The lake in the background is where we started. This is about halfway point where they are standing. The hike is only about 1 mile but it is pretty steep. I would definitely do it again but I would put the baby in a backpack next time. I put him in the moby wrap on the way down and he fell asleep.

I also think my husband is quite the champ for going along with this. Hiking is definitely not his favorite past time. His thinking is, why walk up a hill when you can climb over it in a truck? Take him to Moab and he will be a happy camper. It was too beautiful not to enjoy though. We all love being in the mountains and we love spending time together as a family.

More stuff I make

2010-07-20T14:57:00.001-07:00

We had quite a bit of dye left after our shirts. I decided to sew up some pillow cases and let the activity days girls tie-dye them. I can't believe how different each of them turned out. We learned how to sing Love One Another in Thai while the shirts were soaking. These are the finished pillow cases. I love these girls. They make me smile. My sister in law had some extra material and she was nice enough to pass it along to me. I don't have girls of my own but I have some cute little nieces . I made 3 dresses total. One for a 6 yr old, 4 yr old and 5 month old. They turned out so cute! I made each of them a little different. I didn't have time to take pictures of the other two.

My sister in law is due this week. She is having a little girl so I asked if I could make a car seat canopy for her. She picked the colors pink and yellow. I had such a hard time coming up with fabric that I liked. Those two colors are not my favorite. Not to mention I have 3 boys. So girl stuff really isn't up my alley. I finally found something that I would use and hoped that she would like it too.

I like the bow.... like I said before. It keeps the wind from pulling it up. I didn't realize just how windy it gets here in Utah.

I made and hand stitched the flower on the front to tie in the colors.

3rd and 4th of July

2010-07-12T21:22:00.000-07:00

For quite a few years we have had breakfast at My sister's house on the morning of the 4th....this year was the 3rd. She lives in Farmington so we always go to the parade right after. They do a water parade following the VERY LONG parade. I wished the water part lasted a little longer. Thankfully this year was beautiful. It was warm but there was a nice breeze. My kids had fun. We tie-dyed t-shirts last year and my kids loved thier shirts so we did it again this year. I know it is a little cheesy but I can't help myself sometimes. We will probably do it every year until they make me stop. I'm sure that won't be too many years away. I was able to pick my kids out of a crowd which was kind of nice.

We came home and just enjoyed being home. We went to Jared's parent's house and had a BBQ. We didn't stay for fireworks. I hate keeping the baby up too late or even disrupting his sleep time. It make for a crappy night....for him and ME.....mostly me.

As I said before I am the ward chorister so i was really nervous about the hymns on Sunday. I picked out the Battle Hymn of the Republic and The Star Spangled Banner. I was so worried I was going to totally mess it up. I was sick all morning. After I got over my crappy morning I really enjoyed having the 4th on a Sunday. It really made me take a look at my freedom and the the Lord's hand in it. I am thankful to live in this country. I have had the opportunity to live in another country for a short time. I loved living in Germany. It was amazing but I love being an American. I always feel the spirit so strong when I sing those two hymns. In fact, my favorite part of parades are the marching bands. They give me chills and makes me want to cry. I know cheesy but it makes me remember what the flag represents.

I pray that God may always watch over us and continue to bless this great nation!

Fireworks

2010-07-12T21:10:00.001-07:00

I wasn't sure we were going to get around to going to Taylorsville Dayzz this year but we made it...and I'm glad we did. I love it there because we always find parking and there is a live band to entertain you until the fireworks start. The show is always really good. I can't believe how many people were there this year. Crazy!

We put a blanket down and the boys played ball for a while.

I love spending time with my family. They make my life so worth while. I love ALL my boys! I am so grateful to my Heavenly Father for blessing me with such an amazing family.

Happy 90th Birthday and 70th Anniversary

2010-07-11T20:42:00.001-07:00

I love my Grandma Golightly. She has always been such a beautiful example to me. She is so funny and I love her to bits! Her health has been declining gradually. She can hardly see so you need to tell her who you are when you approach her. She had a stroke quite a few years ago so she doesn't have all her mobility on one side. She thinks she can do anything though. I can't say enough good about her. She loves the gospel and she loves her family. Happy 90th grandma!

Can you believe they made it 70 years? I hope my husband and I can be happy for that long. Thanks grandma and grandpa for your example to me! My aunt put together a get together at the stake center. There was lots of family and friends of my grandparents.

My cute grandma and grandpa

He makes me smile!

Anyone who knows my grandpa or my dad know they love fishing. Jared saw this mug under my grandpa's chair and had to get a picture.

another camping trip

2010-06-22T12:51:00.001-07:00

We decided to go camping very last minute. We figured if we went up American Fork Canyon it would save us some time. It is really close to home. Apparently all of Utah decided to do the same thing. There were so many people up there. I'm not sure about any of you, but when I go camping, I like to go to get away from people. It was insane. I have never seen so much traffic and people in a mountain. This picture shows all the smoke coming from the campgrounds.

We stopped at Tibble Fork Reservoir and let the kids throw rocks. The wonderful thing about children is they can find fun in any situation. I love it!

We decided to go ahead and find a picnic spot and make some s'mores. We left at about 10 and within a few minutes our kids were asleep. We decided to drive a little more since the kids were out. We headed up to Strawberry and found a beautiful spot. It was pretty late but the nice thing about a trailer is there isn't much set up. We were in bed within a few minutes.

As always the baby and Zach were up early so we went for a walk. It was so peaceful and quiet. I find so much joy in quiet now that I have 3 young boys.

This was the view from our walk. It was so pretty and the air was so nice.

We made the trip short but it was so worth it. I even got to shoot the 22 this time. I'm usually holding the baby. The weather was so nice up that high. We got back to the city and it felt like it was 20 degrees hotter. I can't wait until we can get back out.

Chorister

2010-06-20T14:42:00.000-07:00

I am the new ward chorister. When they asked me if I would take the calling I laughed. I didn't think he was serious. In fact, the seriousness of it didn't sink in until last Sunday. Let me just start off by saying, I have only had a couple of years of piano lessons a very long time ago. I get nervous when I sing in front of people and I have only led music once in my life......that was a bit of a disaster. Last Sunday was the first Sunday that I was up there leading. I was so nervous before church that I asked Jared to give me a blessing to help calm me down.
My sweet husband sat in the front row and gave me smiles and nods of encouragement. He has been such a huge help to me. He is a percussionist and knows music well. I wish I had his level of comfort and talent when it comes to most things music. He really is amazing. They had both of us come in when they issued the calling. He would be with all of the kids while I'm up there leading and that is a big job. I'm not sure I have made it through an entire sacrament without getting up at least once. Surprisingly, my kids have been awesome!
Jared and I would sit in the congregation and poke fun at how slow we would sing. Here is my payback or maybe just a little more education and appreciation. We have two organists....one is deaf and the other is self taught....both are amazing.
I love music and I love how it invites the spirit. I'm excited for this new challenge and the opportunity to learn and grow.

Thats what you get...Part II

2010-06-06T14:15:00.000-07:00

Colton's front tooth has been loose for quite some time. He won't pull it out so we have been waiting. The last tooth Jared wiggled right out. Colton didn't feel a thing. Last night Colton came running in to the house with his tooth in his hand. Jared asked if he was biting Zach's shirt. I thought it was weird that he asked him that. Apparently I am a little naive. I seem to think our kids are less bratty than they really are. Sure enough he was fighting with Zach and had his shirt in his mouth. It didn't take much. He has a huge hole in the front of his smile. I love it. Every time he talks to me I can't help but smile.
I can't take a picture of Colton without taking one of Zach. He was throwing a tantrum 2 seconds before this was taken.

Camping with the Johnsons

2010-06-06T13:29:00.001-07:00

We finally wrote a date on the calendar to go camping with all of the family. My boys were so excited. We bought a tent trailer this year. It definitely isn't anything fancy but we love it. The boys especially do. My favorite is no more sleeping on uncomfortable air mattresses. The weather was beautiful. It was a little windy but so nice.
Jared's brother and his wife brought their 10 yr old nephew along. I am so happy they did. He kept my boys busy.

My little boy had a small fever when we left. I wasn't sure if I should stay or go. I didn't want to disappoint my family. I thought about it and decided to take him. We have a furnace in our trailer and I figured he would be okay. I should have known better. He was up crying a good part of the night. It kept a few people awake. He was such a champ though. Jared and his dad gave him a blessing.

Look at that big grin. Even though he felt horrible he snuck in a few of those for us.

We had a yummy dutch oven dinner and breakfast. We needed to get our little guy home so we left earlier than everyone else. I love camping but there is no place like home. It feels so good to be up in the fresh air but it also feels so good to be home and showered.

Finally a garden

2010-06-06T13:18:00.000-07:00

Jared started tomatoes and jalapenos this year. We ended up buying our squash. I am so excited to watch it all grow. We planted them on Memorial Day and we have already seen some change. I'm not sure what it is, but planting and having a garden makes me really happy. My parents always had one growing up. In fact, it was huge. I hated going out and picking weeds......it was torture when I was young. It doesn't bother me a bit now. I know what comes from the hard work and I know how to appreciate it it now. Yes, my garden is little. I hope in the future we will be able to have enough space and good soil to plant a bigger one. Until then we are enjoying what we can.

Randomness

2010-05-27T21:03:00.000-07:00

I can't wait until next week! School is out and it will officially be summer. Lagoon will be open during the week...I don't have to have such a tight schedule in the morning.....water.....outdoor play......sunshine.....our tiny garden...bike rides...camping. Oh! It makes me so excited. I have been waiting for this warm weather to arrive. Having a baby in the winter kind of puts a damper on things. I feel like I have been in hibernation and I'm finally waking up.
I have to say, My life is quite boring so I find it hard to blog at times. My husband and I have been glued to the TV these past few Tuesdays watching Lost. It sadly has come to an end....a weird and confusing end at that.
We can't wait for the summer to start. We are hoping to spend a lot more time outdoors this year. Jared had a lab during the summer last year. It was every Friday night until 10 pm.....which pretty much meant no camping. My kids love being in the mountains and I am so grateful for that. I hope they will always have a great appreciation for the beauty that God created.
I'm not great at getting pictures up but here are a few of my awesome family.

Man oh man! Look at those ears. He definitely got that from me.
I can't believe my boys are already climbing trees. I'm just waiting for another broken body part.

I love these flowers. They remind me of my childhood. There were bushes running halfway down our driveway and it always meant summer was coming. I loved summers as a kid. We lived at Raging Waters and were always outside.

My three little turkeys right before bed.

This little guy is getting so big and so strong. He rolls anywhere he needs to. He just cut his first tooth and there are three more closely following. He is such a cutie.....if only he would sleep through the night.

I really don't like posting pictures of myself but here it is. Colton had his Kindergarten program today and here we are enjoying Wheels on the Bus Go Round and Round.

I'm not really sure why they call it the last week of school. He had one normal day this whole week and next week is even more fun. No learning what so ever. They aren't even allowed to bring their backpacks to school. He is so excited and I am excited for him.

6 months

2010-05-03T20:14:00.001-07:00

I know everyone always says the same thing......I can't believe my baby is 6 months already! This last 6 months has been a blur. My baby is still bratty as ever when it comes to sleeping through the night. We have been attempting the whole cry it out method but this little guy has proven to be quite stubborn. I know it will pass and he will be snoozing like the other two but it is complete hell when you are going through it.
He is so smiley. I love it! He will smile at just about anyone who looks at him but don't even try to hold him. It is mom and dad(sometimes not even dad) and no one else. It is definitely the stranger danger age.
I could go on and on about what this little guy is up to but I will save all that for my journal. I will say he is a pain at times but I love him to pieces. He is such a joy to be around and I am thankful he is a part of our family......his dad and big brothers think so too.

stuff I make

2010-04-22T11:18:00.001-07:00

Just before my baby was born I made a car seat cover. I love it and don't know how I did without one with my other two. The only complaint I have is when the wind blows it blows the back end up. It takes the baby's breath away and wakes the baby if he is asleep. So I came up with something that would help.....I made a tie for the back. I love it and think it is really cute. I made this one for a friend's shower.

So after drooling over the stamped jewelry, I decided to try it myself. I know I need a lot more practice but, I happen to like what I came up with. I don't wear a lot of jewelry so this is perfect.....it is light weight and simple. I hand stamped it on sterling silver and hope to make some different things in the near future.

Bacon

2010-04-19T21:34:00.000-07:00

For those of you who like bacon but hate cooking it (me), check this out. It works. We tried it and it makes perfect bacon . The clean-up is well.....there wasn't really any clean up. It was awesome!

Missions

2010-03-31T19:56:00.000-07:00

Maybe this should have been titled "The many hairdos of Taren" I know. I know. My hair was BAD!!

My nephew has been called to serve in the Minneapolis Minnesota mission. He leaves next week and I couldn't be more excited for him. He has gone through quite a bit in his short 19 years and he rose above it all. He is an inspiration and an example to my boys and myself. I know he will work hard and make the Lord proud. You will do great things! I love you Nikita! Then

Now

Speaking of missions, it was 10 years ago that I arrived in Germany. I remember this bus ride to the airport. I was so excited. I had no idea what to expect but I was so ready. When we arrived I was a new level of tired I have never felt before in my life. Right after we arrived, we were taken to the office to write letters to our parents and meet with the mission president. Then they took us out on the streets to do a street preach. I was so terrified. My German consisted of a few sentences and being able to bare my testimony. Yes, that is all you need. Problem was, I couldn't understand a thing they were saying back to me. Not to mention we were almost sleep walking. There is an 8 hour difference.

10years ago .......bus ride to the airport

Last zone conference.....at least for us ladies

I loved street preaching by the time I left. It was one of my most favorite things to do. It was so exciting to get out there and meet with so many different people and share my testimony of the gospel. I can't believe it has been 10 years. Someone once told me I would think of my mission at least once a day for the rest of my life. That has been true in my case. Sometimes it is the humid weather or a smell. Sometimes the stories and faces come back because of something I am reading or feeling. I loved serving and I am so excited to watch my nephews do the same.

My big boys

2010-03-30T21:27:00.001-07:00

Two of my boys had well check appts. this month. The doctor couldn't get over how big my 3 yr old is. He looks like a 5 yr old. The Dr. said he would probably end up being around 6'4". He said the same thing about my oldest. I guess we will see. Zach is definitely my test in patience right now. He certainly knows how to break me. I'm hoping the other two don't take notes. I think he is the funniest kid though . I love his personality....he has so much of it! He LOVES his brothers.....sometimes to a fault. He bugs Colton because he wants to do everything Colton does. And then there is Gunner. He gets squeezed a hundred times a day from Zach. Those two are funny. Gunner adores him.

Apparently Gunner is huge too. He is pretty much on the same growing chart as the other two. He still does not sleep through the night. My favorite is when mothers love to rub it in your face that their baby sleeps all night long. I am not one of those lucky mothers. I will probably have dark circles for the next 7 months. He is a little cutie though. I love his gigantic smile and cute giggles. Zachary is his favorite. He loves giving him kisses.

March madness

2010-03-30T21:13:00.000-07:00

My life has been a little crazy this month....birthdays, anniversary, wedding, showers, dr. appts., dentist screw-ups, mission farewell, no sleep due to sick baby and sick mother, stomach flu, strep, spring break, baby's first food, parent teacher conference, and all the craziness that comes along with being a stay at home mom. So forgive me if I am a slacker when it comes to blogging. March is like our December. It is usually booked solid.

2010-03-13T06:43:00.000-08:00

Vintage Pearl....can I just say Mother's Day or just because I love you.
I want!!

2010-03-12T20:42:00.000-08:00

I have been such a bad blogger. My computer is having problems and we aren't really sure what exactly to do about it yet. It becomes so frustrating that I don't want to spend very much time on the computer. I do have a few things to update but again am too frustrated to do anything right now. So, I will leave you with a joke that made me smile......

Three sisters, ages 92, 94 and 96, live in a house together. One night the 96-year-old draws a bath. She puts her foot in and pauses. She yells to the other sisters, 'Was I getting in or out of the bath?' The 94-year-old yells back, 'I don't know. I'll come up and see.' She starts up the stairs and pauses 'Was I going up the stairs or down?' The 92-year-old is sitting at the kitchen table having tea listening to her sisters, she shakes her head and says, 'I sure hope I never get that forgetful, knock on wood.' She then yells, 'I'll come up and help both of you as soon as I see who's at the door.'

Soup

2010-02-22T09:57:00.000-08:00

For the baby blessing there were three pots of soup. I can't take credit for the potato cheese soup........which was so delish..thanks Sabrena! I did make the other two and they are two of my favorites. I was asked to give out the recipe for both, so here they are. First I must give the credit to others. I didn't "make up" the recipe for either one. I did make a few changes though....they will be written in orange. The tomato soup recipe and picture I got from a website I follow, Picky Palate. Everything I have tried from that website is YUMMY!! The next recipe I got from another blog...thanks Jenny, everybody LOVES that soup. I hope those of you who haven't tasted the soups will like them. It is still cold enough outside to have a yummy bowl of soup so enjoy. Creamy Fire Roasted Tomato and Bacon Soup
12 strips of bacon, cut into ½ inch pieces

1 Cup white onion, finely chopped

3 medium carrots, peeled and chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 serrano pepper, seeded and chopped (I did not add this because my kids don't like things too spicy)

4 cloves fresh garlic, minced

¼ Cup flour

3 14 oz cans reduced sodium chicken broth

28 oz can Muir Glen Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes

10-12 fresh basil leaves with stem (I used 1/2 tsp of dried....that is what I had in my cupboard)

Few pinches of salt to taste

¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

1 Cup half and half or heavy cream

1. Place bacon pieces in a large dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Cook until browned and crisp. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon to a paper towel lined plate.
2. Add onion, carrots, celery and pepper to hot bacon grease. Cook until vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic for 1 minutes then stir in flour for another minute.
3. Slowly stir in chicken broth. Add tomatoes, basil leaves, salt, pepper and half of crumbled crisp bacon.
4. Remove basil leaves from soup and carefully transfer soup, in batches, to a blender and blend until smooth. Pour back into pot and stir in heavy cream. Simmer on low for 15 minutes. Top each bowl with remaining crumbled bacon pieces. Enjoy!

WHITE CHICKEN CHILI SOUP

2 Boneless Skinless chicken breasts cooked and cubed

½ small onion minced

1 can chicken broth

1-2 cans diced green chilies (I love green chilies so I added both)

1 ½ cups sour cream

1 can evaporated milk

1 can cream of chicken soup

2 small cans of Mexican style corn (comes with green and red peppers)

2 cans Great Northern white beans (drained and rinsed)

1 ½ t. garlic powder

½ t. cayenne pepper

1 t. cumin

1 t. oregano

Salt and pepper to taste

Serve with Fritos and grated cheese (probably why it tasted so good)

I dumped all the ingredients into a Crockpot and simmered it for a couple of hours

I love this recipe just how it is but I did make a few changes......sorry Jenny.

This is exactly how I made it for the blessing. I like the consistency to be more like chili than soup. I make sure my chicken breasts are a good size. I use 3 cans of great northern beans instead of 2....drained and rinsed. I use 1 can of drained regular corn instead of Mexican corn.....some people freak when they see something red. I always use the 2 cans of green chilies. I use onion powder because I am too lazy to chop them. I hate oregano so I use 3/4 tsp basil instead. I think a can of evaporated milk is too much because I like it thick. I did something much more sinful instead.....I added 1/2 C - 1C heavy cream (depending on the consistency you like). Everything else is the same. I cook the diced chicken in the broth on low for a couple of hours then add all the other ingredients and cook on low for another couple of hours.

I know I should have written out a completely different recipe but the original is just as yummy. If you have any questions don't be afraid to ask. I'll help if I can.

quilts

2010-02-12T11:46:00.001-08:00

I love beautiful quilts......I'm sure that comes from my mother. I think this would be such a cute quilt in a little girl's room. Maybe one day when my kids are all grown up I can make something half as cute.

Baby blessing

2010-02-11T21:16:00.001-08:00

I really thought Gunner was going to cry through his blessing considering my other two did. Jared said he giggled right before it started and not a peep out of him until it was over.

We decided to do lunch before church. It seems half the family was there before and half showed up after. It turned out to be fine because we have such a small place and such a big family. I'm actually surprised at how smooth it all went. There was no stress this time around....thank goodness.

I love my little family full of boys! They make my life so full. They are all so different. They make me laugh and want to pull my hair out all in the same breath. I'm not sure I want to try for a basketball team........4 is good for now.

stuff

2010-02-11T20:55:00.001-08:00

For activity days I decided to teach the girls how to do a running stitch and make these fabric flowers. They did such a good job and they looked so cute. It made me feel so good to see them all wearing them on Sunday.

Another thing I made.