The Bremer Bunch

Fall Subway Art

2011-09-03T10:02:00.000-07:00

So I have been loving Subway Art and since it is September, I was hunting for something cute to put in my frame. I didn't really see anything that tickled my fancy!! So, I made my own! I thought I would share. I just printed it out of my printer on computer paper and it looks just fine! Just trim around the edges to make it fit an 8x10 frame.

I don't know how to do the whole "download" thing. So if someone wants to tell me, that would be great!! Or can you just copy and paste my picture?? I don't know...

Giveaway!

2011-06-06T09:36:00.000-07:00

My awesome friend Kyla is doing a giveaway all week long. I can't believe she has 1000 followers!!

Check it out!

Milestones

2011-05-02T12:23:00.000-07:00

I am so excited for Saturday. It is a big day for our family!! Heidi will be getting baptized and right after Evan will receive the priesthood!! Such awesome events!! We are thrilled at the decisions that our children have made. Mother's Day will truly be an emotional one because that will be Evan's first time passing the sacrament. I'm teary-eyed just thinking about it! We are so proud of our kids!!

(This is the invitation that I made. It was my first time using PhotoShop. That's a hard program. I don't even know what I did or how I did it!! haha!!)

Spring Boutique

2011-03-07T17:20:00.000-08:00

So...I have been recruited to do another boutique. Wish me luck and stop by and say hi!

Ryan's birthday

2011-03-07T16:53:00.000-08:00

Ryan had been complaining about his broken down BBQ for a long time so I thought that would be the perfect gift for him for his birthday. I invited a few people to help pitch in for it. I drove him to Lowe's with his eyes closed and he really had no idea why we were there. There were a whole bunch of BBQ's outside the store so I said, "Let's just stop here!". "Really??" was his reply. Super excited. And he loves it! So, come on over for a BBQ!!

Daddy-Daughter Dance

2011-02-04T18:58:00.000-08:00

I know...I'm a big time blog slacker. My apologies. But, it's so much easier and faster to upload pictures to Facebook, so that's where my pictures tend to go. So...here is a super cute picture to make up for my lack of blogging.

Tonight is the Daddy-Daughter Dance at the school. Heidi isn't feeling too well...swollen tonsils, but really, really, really wanted to spend a date night out with Daddy. So, they went. I have to tell you about her dress. It is the bridesmaid dress that my little sister wore to my wedding. She was almost 9 at the time. She is also wearing a Cinderella slipper necklace. That was the theme of my wedding. And Ryan dressed in blue to match her. Very sweet! I hope they are able to enjoy the night at least for a little while!

Boutique

2010-11-29T15:43:00.000-08:00

I am excited to share that I am participating in my very first boutique! I'll admit, I am a little nervous. I'm not sure what to expect. But, we'll see! Check out the flier and stop on by! It's this weekend and there is going to be over 40 vendors! Fun times!

Halloween

2010-11-02T12:43:00.000-07:00

I post most of my pictures on Facebook because they upload so much faster. Sorry for neglecting my blog. But, here is a picture of all of us on Halloween. We all dressed up this year. We had a lot of fun!

Click here to see all our Halloween pictures that I posted on Facebook (if you haven't already)! I hope you had a great Halloween month! We sure did! 2 Spooky dinners, movie night, game night, Adult party, trunk-or-treating x2. Good times!
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

School is in session!

2010-09-14T08:52:00.000-07:00

I do love summer, but sometimes it just seems too long. Life is better when we have a routine. So, yes, I am happy that school has started!! Even for Lindsey! Here are pictures of the kids on the first day. 6th grade, 4th grade, 2nd grade and Preschool.

Oops!

2010-09-12T21:38:00.000-07:00

Well thanks to my sister I found out that I typed my new blog website wrong! Oops! The name of my craft blog is Strawberry Sweetie's Shoppe and the link is www.strawberrymel.blogspot.com. I hope you'll check it out!

Click here so you don't have to copy and paste. :-)

Long time...no write!

2010-08-05T10:15:00.000-07:00

Sorry bloggers, I have been neglecting you. Not on purpose though...just got kinda bored of it. So...here's some updates...starting with the most recent.

On Monday night we went to McDonald's for family night. Cheap ice cream!

Also...I have started another blog: www.strawberrysweetiemel.blogspot.com where I am displaying items that I have made and would like to sell. Check it out! I plan to open up an etsy account as well. Here's a sample of what I have done recently:

I gave my baby a haircut! I cut off all his curls... :-( He looks so cute though! It was just really bushy in the back. Much better now! (Pardon the food in his mouth! hahah)
We have had some fun at the beach with family and friends and look forward to many more trips there. It's been rather cold for a California summer...but I'm not complaining too much! :-)

We love having Aunt Mandy here!Silly Grandma and Derek wavingRyan cooking the hot dogs...YUMMY!!!Lindsey sitting underneath the EZ-up and the umbrella...it was really windy that night.

So, there's a taste of what we have been up to. I will try to be better about posting because I am sure that you all missed me so much!!!!!!

Lindsey is 4

2010-06-25T15:26:00.000-07:00

My little girl...who was my baby for so long...is 4 today. She is growing up so fast. She still loves to snuggle with me and love me! Her favorite color is purple and since that is also my favorite color, I now have to be yellow for everything because she is purple! She is so cute and sweet. I just love her!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY LINDSEY!!

Crazy hair day

2010-06-16T11:37:00.000-07:00

Gotta love crazy hair day at school!!

Another giveaway!

2010-06-01T10:29:00.000-07:00

I know...I know! But one of these times I gonna win something!!!!! Cute potholders are the giveaway this time! Check it out here.

Actually, I did win something once, but it never got sent to me... :-( It was way cute! Oh well.

Birthday boy

2010-05-19T08:43:00.001-07:00

I can't believe it! My baby is 1 today!! I am so not happy about this!! I want him to stay small. When I was pregnant with him...my #5...we got lots of flack from people. It was a really rough pregnancy emotionally. But...I didn't care (for the most part!) what people said because I knew that he was supposed to be a part of our family. My regular readers will probably remember how he came to be (not the birds and the bees story...the cool story). If not, you can check it out here. He is a wonderful little boy. The rest of my kids just love him to pieces! He truly is a blessing! I love you, my sweet baby Derek! Our life wouldn't be complete without you.

Some stats for your reading enjoyment: he has 7 teeth...almost 8, he is walking ALL over the place now (crazy!), a month or so ago he weighed 24 1/2 pounds. We'll see what he is like tomorrow. He loves to eat...duh! He's my chunky monkey! He gets excited when he sees dogs...and food! I love this little guy!

Gag me!! Gotta love prego pictures!!

My newest son!

I love how peaceful he looks when he's sleeping!

Here's his 1 year old picture. Such a big boy!

Dallas Cowboy Romo Jersey from his Aunt Wendie...I had to post this...soo cute!!

Two years ago...

2010-05-17T12:17:00.000-07:00

my father-in-law passed away. I can't believe it has been that long. Some days it seems like it has been a really long time. But, other days it seems like it was just yesterday. It is still weird to go over to the house and not see him sitting there in the living room. We took the opportunity to visit his grave yesterday. We stood around the headstone and just talked about things we remember about him. We gave the kids the opportunity to say something...as if they were talking to Grandpa. Needless to say that there were plenty of tears flowing. I'm so sad that he is not here to watch my kids grow up. If there was one thing I knew for sure is that he loved my kids...more than life! He wanted to see them all the time...and he spoiled them! Always a trip to McDonald's or treats...not just one either! He would always call us and ask why we were keeping his grandkids away from him...and we were just there the day before! I'm thankful for the love he showed my children. He was a great man! I am thankful for the opportunity to have spent time with him.
Grandpa...we love you and miss you terribly!!!

Ryan & I

Derek was so cute...he just kept sitting there and touching the headstone. So sweet!

The kids...missing their grandpa!

If God wanted holes in your ears....

2010-05-17T11:56:00.000-07:00

he would have put them there himself!

This is what I believed because that's what my mother believed! I didn't get my ears pierced until I was 18. My friend took me for my birthday. Both my sisters got them done when they were younger. So, Heidi just had a birthday earlier this month and I suggested to her about getting her ears pierced. We talked about it for a long time. First it was "YES!"; then "No...not till I'm 8...or 9...or maybe 10." So funny. She finally went back to the "YES!" answer and was telling everyone! She was so excited. I suggested this to her Aunt Wendie and she was all over it! I went with them and she was so brave! We went to 3 different places in the mall and had her choose 2 earrings from each place that she liked the best and then picked her favorite. She picked cute flowers with a pink stone in the middle. She was sooo brave! No tears or anything! I was impressed!! She loves it!
So girly = So Heidi!!

Anniversary

2010-05-05T10:40:00.000-07:00

So a couple weeks ago Ryan and I celebrated out 13 year anniversary! That seems so crazy! I can't believe it! I still remember our wedding day very vividly. It was a wonderful day. We had all our siblings there. The reception was huge. Usually people come and go but people stayed! We had to pull out chairs to put against the wall!! Crazy! We felt so loved and we so in love that day. Well, it's 13 years and 5 kids later. Life gets in the way a little too much! Gotta make more hubby and wifey time. Doesn't happen very much! :-( Anyways...I married the best man for me! He is wonderful!!

Awwwww....so cute! :-)

My family...look how young we all look!!!

Ryan's family...love them!

The cake!! :-) We were nice! ♥

Another giveaway!

2010-05-03T10:46:00.001-07:00

Here's another fun giveaway on my friends blog...the cupcake queens! Check it out here.

Swimsuit giveaway!

2010-04-30T09:16:00.000-07:00

Who wouldn't love to win a new swimsuit?? They are super cute! Check it out here!

First Ice Cream Cone

2010-04-08T20:34:00.001-07:00

We went to Souplantation last Saturday and they had the little mini cones. My sister convinced me to get one for Derek. So, here he is enjoying his very first ice cream cone! YUM!

Giveaway!

2010-04-08T08:16:00.000-07:00

My friends over at Cute Cupcakes. All The Time. are doing a giveaway! Cute homemade magnets and coasters. Check it out! These girls are so talented!

Baseball Boys

2010-03-29T16:32:00.001-07:00

Here's a picture of my boys in their uniforms. They look so cute! They are having so much fun! I am too...it's busy, but I love to watch them play! Go Sun Devils and Titans!

Game night

2010-03-01T18:38:00.000-08:00

We had a game night here last night with some of our siblings. We haven't hosted one in such a long time and boy have we missed it! We had so much fun!! We played two really fun games. Have you heard of them??

Hilarious games!! We loved them! Great group games!! And then, of course, we always play this one:

Definitely a favorite!

Giveway!

2010-02-24T15:22:00.001-08:00

My awesome cupcake crazy friends are doing a giveaway! Check out the cute bow...I tell ya...these girls are just amazing!

http://cutecupcakesallthetime.blogspot.com/

Ketchup

2010-02-08T09:55:00.000-08:00

Actually, I don't really like ketchup...but that spelling was a lot more eye-catching then "catch-up"!! So...I have been reminded that I haven't blogged in a while, so I will play a little "ketchup" today!

My Heidi-bug got another haircut...really cute! She loves it!

We signed the boys up for Little League. They are really excited! We haven't really done sports yet...just through the city. Here they are going to tryouts! Evan is on the SunDevils and Tyler is on the Titans.

Here's a cute picture of Derek doing the army crawl...so cute! He can pull himself up to stand, but still does the army crawl...not on his hands and knees yet. Oh well! He's 8 1/2 months old now.

This is a cute picture of Lindsey with her two cousins that are her age on the Bremer side of the family. They are so cute together!

My birthday was last Sunday...I turned the big 33!! It was a fun birthday weekend. Ryan invited some friends and family over for dessert (which was super yummy, by the way!) You can find the recipe here. We pulled out Guitar Hero and Tyler decided that he wanted to play. He had only done the tutorials a few times, but it's been a while. Here is a picture of him rockin' out! He was so funny! He even beat some of the adults!!!! Both of my boys have actually been playing Guitar Hero a lot lately...and they have gotten really good! I'm impressed! :-)

I got this fun thing for my birthday too!!! I like to take it to the gym with me! I'm still learning how to use it. It's fun though! AND...it's purple!!!

Ok...so remember we were painting? Well...my facebook friends do! We decided to "freshen up" our home with some paint. First we decided to change our bathroom from frogs to monkeys...appropriate, right?!? My sister had us for Christmas and bought us a monkey trashcan and toothbrush holders...soo cute! We painted the bathroom brown and then I ordered some vinyl decals from etsy of some super cute monkeys. I then printed out a leaf from the computer and we cut out a ton of them and taped them up around the monkeys where we wanted them. I traced them and then painted them by hand (I know! That's pretty brave for me!). Then my sister suggested to get a brown paint pen and outline the leaves. Pretty cute, huh? The camera doesn't capture the true colors, but you get the idea.

We had such a hard time trying to pick a brown for the bathroom that we decided NOT to use brown in the living room. We opted for yellow. I really LOVE how it turned out! I took a picture of the wall that we put vinyl lettering on. My sis-in-law has a cricut machine and she helped me print out what I wanted. My bro-in-law was a huge help...he lined up all the letters for me on the contact paper. We also printed out "Remember Who You Are" and put it above our front door.

And...last but not least...my baby. Like I said earlier, he has learned to pull himself up to stand. He is still very wobbly! He was using one of the dining room chairs as his support when pulling himself up. Poor guy is so strong he pulled the chair down on top of his head!!! It's so sad! You can see why from the pictures!

Black eyes!!! So sad!!

Whew!! What a lot to post! Sorry for being such a slacker! Enjoy and I would love to hear your comments...especially about our painting job! :-)

Friends

2010-01-07T10:20:00.000-08:00

I have some truly AWESOME friends. I am so thankful for all the friends that I do have and have blessed my life. The gals in this picture have been so wonderful to me lately. So helpful and caring and supportive. I don't know what I would do without them!! I love you girls!

Seriously, I don't know what I would do without friends. They are so important to me. I have had so many friends throughout my life and you have truly blessed me. I wish I had a picture of each and every one of you! Thank you for your love and support...ALWAYS!!

7 months old

2009-12-28T11:09:00.000-08:00

Time is sure flying with this little guy of mine! I can't believe he's 7 months already! Here is a cute picture that we captured of him. It looks great on the wall...especially since the picture we had before was when he was 6 weeks!! He has 2 teeth on the bottom and the top ones are on their way in. He's scooting all over the place. He sits unassisted and rolls like crazy. He's a lot of fun!

Where's Derek?

2009-12-01T10:27:00.001-08:00

Where's my baby?

Peek-a-boo!

I see you!!!

He's so funny!!!

Bath time!

2009-12-01T09:09:00.000-08:00

I love when babies are big enough to sit in the sink without having to use that bulky baby bath! Derek loves the bath!! Here's some cute pictures!!

New Moon!!!

2009-11-19T08:53:00.000-08:00

It's finally here!!! I am sooo excited!! I am going to see it on Saturday night!! When are you going??

Happy Halloween

2009-11-02T09:05:00.000-08:00

Happy Halloween!! Or, as Lindsey would say "Happy Famileen!!! So funny!! We had a fun Halloween week. Thursday night we went to Uncle Steve & Aunt Tiffany's house for a pajama movie night. The kids watched "It's The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown and we had popcorn, candy and Root Beer (and orange) floats! It was lots of fun!! Then on Friday night we went to our Ward party and the kids went trick-or-treating from car to car (trunk-or-treating). They had games and food and a costume contest for different age groups. Lindsey won for Most Adorable!! Saturday night we went trick-or-treating around the neighborhood with our friends. Then we headed back to their house, joined by another family and played a fun game all night! We had a great time!! What a fun week!!

Pirate Skeleton, Ninja, Witch, Tinkerbell and a cute little pumpkin!

Silly Grandma with Derek

The trick-or-treat bags that I made for the kids

Our Spooky Dinner

2009-10-29T08:30:00.000-07:00

I'm a little late at posting this, but at least it's before Halloween, right?? We have had our traditional spooky dinner for about 6 years now (maybe longer). We have done it by ourselves but have found that it's more fun to invite people! This year we invited some friends (as opposed to family like we have in the past). It's always so much fun that I want to do another one!! LOL

We have bloody worms and eyeballs for our meal (spaghetti and meatballs). Our friends brought large mummy fingers...but when we cut it up, it just looked like moldy bread...even better!! They also brought a salad topped with olives (black) and carrots (orange)...very festive. We had slime to drink (lemonade) and we only have candles lit. I have Halloween music playing in the background and we use Halloween plates and cups and napkins. Something else that we do is make up place cards. We look up spooky words and such and match them to our names. We have Dangerous Daddy, Monster Mommy, Evil Evan, Terrifying Tyler, Haunted Heidi, Lifeless Lindsey and Daunting Derek. We also do this for our guests. We have quite a collection of names!!!

We really look forward to this night every year. Thanks to the Browns for joining us this year!!!!

YAY!!!

2009-10-27T09:19:00.000-07:00

I am so happy! I have finally sent off my last "pay it forward". It was so much fun making things for people! You know those blocks that I have posted on here (and on Facebook)? Well...that's what I made for my friends...holiday blocks! I really hope that you enjoy them!!!

Crafts 'n stuff...

2009-10-12T17:47:00.000-07:00

My sister had this project that she wanted to do for all of her siblings one year for Christmas, but never got around to it. When we got together a couple weekends ago, she brought it over and we all made our own. I think it turned out really cute!!

Also, I received this cute blanket from my sister-in-law M as my pay it forward gift. It has ties on the end and you tie it to the stroller and it has warm, snuggly fabric on the underside (the brown). I don't have to worry about the blanket falling off and running over it! Pretty clever, huh? We saw it a couple years ago at a craft fair and she said that it was easy to make. So...now I get one! Yay!! It's really cute and I used it for the first time today. And, of course, it has monkeys on it! :-)

And, I had to post this picture of my little guy. He is getting so big. He sat in my sister's exersaucer the other day and loved it! So, I had Ryan pull down the walker and he loves sitting in there. He is so curious! He wants to see everything and doesn't want to miss a thing!!

My little monsters!

2009-10-06T17:25:00.000-07:00

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

Scentsy Party

2009-10-05T18:09:00.000-07:00

Have you heard of Scentsy? If not, check it out here. Scentsy candles are leadless, flameless, wickless and smokeless. I have really enjoyed having one in my home. I am hosting a party at my home on Tuesday, October 13th. All are welcome to come and smell all the wonderful scents that they have!! Would love to see you!!

School Pictures

2009-10-05T18:01:00.000-07:00

Some of you will remember my post last year about how expensive school pictures are. So, once again, I did the pictures at home. I think they turned out good!

Pay it forward

2009-09-30T09:33:00.000-07:00

I have delivered all but 1 of my pay it forward gifts. Ladies...I hope you like what I made for you! I have 1 left...but we are doing a Super Saturday craft day and it is being used as a sample. Christina...it's coming!

And...for all of you that did a Pay it Forward on your blog...don't forget about it! It's fun!

Eclipse

2009-09-18T10:44:00.000-07:00

I posted this on Facebook, but thought I would post it on here as well...

Ok all my fellow Twlighters...I need your help. I am part way through chapter 13 in Eclispe (I know, I know...) and I haven't read for almost a year. So, what happened before chapter 13? And I want the short version of what happened to Jasper (chapter 13 is sooo long!)!! Thanks!!!

I really want to keep reading but don't remember what I have already read...

New Moon

2009-09-14T10:38:00.000-07:00

Newest trailer!!! YAY!!!

Movie Trailers - Movies Blog

1st day of school

2009-09-10T18:00:00.000-07:00

I can't believe the summer is over. I mean, I have been dying to get the kids back to school and now they are! Ok...that sounded bad...I like to have a routine...I think that the kids do better with that as well. During the summer the TV would be on 'til noon, still in pj's 'til then as well, playing Wii a little bit later. Just lazy...it was fun for a while, but I'm glad that is over with.

They are all really excited about their teachers. Evan has Mrs. Slingerland, Tyler has Mrs. Allison (my first repeat teacher!), and Heidi has Mrs. Morris/Mrs. Shinhofen (I know I spelled that wrong!!). I am very happy about their teachers and the kids are excited to be back to see their friends.

It was a little tough for me to let Heidi go. She's on the big playground now. I was a little teary-eyed, but she was so excited! Evan was too cool to even say good-bye to me. I finally found him and waved. I did get a wave back, so I guess I am thankful for that!! Tyler was so excited, but still said good-bye to us...even with a hug!

Lindsey wanted to be in the pictures too, so she grabbed her backpack!!! So cute! And, I had to post a picture of Derek. He's getting so big!! He rolled over from back to front. He's almost 4 months!

Check out Heidi...

2009-09-03T17:49:00.000-07:00

BEFORE

AFTER

She's ready to start 1st grade! She looks so cute!

I'm an Auntie again!

2009-09-01T09:08:00.000-07:00

My brother Steve and his wife Tiffany just had a baby boy...they named him Ashton Jon. This is the second time that we were pregnant together. And this time we both had boys! I am so excited for Derek and Ashton to grow up together and be close cousins!

I was able to go to the hospital with my parents to meet this cutie pie. At first glance he looked like my brothers. But, he really looks like his older brother Brady. He was 7 pounds 11 ounces and 21 3/4 inches long...he really is long! But, he's got really tall parents! Welcome to the family, baby Ashton!

Remember...??

2009-08-20T10:39:00.000-07:00

Remember when I did that "pay it forward" post? Well, I have finally decided what I am going to do for my winners. Yes, I know, I had a year and it definitely hasn't been a year yet. So...Cory, Liesl, Jennifer, Christina & Mandy...get ready! I hope you like what I am doing for you! Hopefully I get it done soon! Let me know when you get it and post a picture on your blog! So excited!

SMILE!

2009-08-14T14:49:00.000-07:00

I just love this BIG gummy smile!

Tyler's Baptism

2009-08-14T14:11:00.001-07:00

Jenks Grandparents

Silly Grandma (Bremer)

All of the wonderful men that helped out with the confirmation

I can't believe that Tyler is baptized! How wonderful! A baby blessing and a baptism within a month of each other. We have been totally blessed!

Tyler's day was wonderful. We got to have our own little baptism. We had so many friends and family there to support us. He hand-picked who he wanted to take part in the program. Aunt Jamie and Aunt Tiffany gave WONDERFUL talks! Very visual and kid-friendly! I am so thankful that he chose to be baptized. He is growing up so fast! Good job Tyler!

Something cute...

2009-08-11T16:38:00.000-07:00

I have been a little crafty lately with my awesome friend! She always has such creative ideas and she invites me over to teach me how to do them! We have done a couple sets of these blocks and this is the most recent one we did. I have a strawberry kitchen and I thought it would be fun to use that theme to decorate the blocks. For now, they are sitting on my kitchen table. I think they turned out really cute, don't you? I love them!!

Banner

2009-08-03T11:31:00.000-07:00

So, I changed the look of my blog and added a banner, but I don't know how to make it cute other than through blogger. I tried using "Paint", but I'm not sure how to use that program. So, if anyone would like to take a stab at it, I would love it!! You can find the banner here. I would love to see what you can come up with!!

So cute!

2009-07-01T14:54:00.001-07:00

Is this picture so cute or what?! I just love this little guy!

My little girl is 3!

2009-06-26T16:53:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that my little girl is 3! She's been my baby for so long. In fact, I still call her baby. She is such a funny girl. We love her to pieces and are so thankful that she is part of our family.

We had a Tinker Bell birthday party for her last weekend. It was cute. I tried to get her to wear a Tinker Bell costume, but she wouldn't. She had a fit during the party as you can see in one of the pictures below. I'm ready to leave the Terrible 2's behind, but not so sure about the Terrifying 3's!

Baby Announcement

2009-06-11T15:59:00.000-07:00

Here's our baby announcement (it's in the header for all you google readers). It turned out so cute! My cousin helped me make it (thanks Kayli!). I had the idea and the program but had no idea how to use it. I emailed the pictures that I wanted along with the font and told her the colors and this is what she came up with! I love it!! It's so cute! I just had to share!

My little guy is 3 weeks old now...I can't believe it. He is such a good baby. He only cries when he is hungry. The kids love him. He is so sweet!

My sweet baby boy!

2009-05-26T10:45:00.000-07:00

He's here! My sweet little boy is here! And I couldn't be happier!

WARNING: This paragraph is going to tell the labor and delivery story. It's not graphic, but if you don't want to read it, you have been warned! I started having contractions at 3:07 a.m. on Tuesday morning. The were about 10 minutes apart (sometimes 12, sometimes 8) for a whole hour. So, not wanting to go through what I did with the last baby (in the hospital for less than an hour before she was born), we left for the hospital. I was dilated to 6...not too shabby. I got hooked up to the IV, and then got the blessed epidural. Ahhh....so nice! Instead of my contractions being a 10, they were a 5 (on a scale from 1-10). It was wonderful!! I progressed from a 6 to an 8 and then 9 pretty quick. The doctor came in a broke my water around 8:30 a.m. (it was bulging and hadn't popped on it's own yet). Then close to 9 o'clock, I told Ryan to go get the doctor because I felt like I needed to push. Sure enough...I was a 10! The doctor told me to go ahead and push on the next contraction. I did and out came his head! Second push and he was out!! So wonderful!

We named him Derek Ray (Ray was Ryan's dad's name...appropriate, I think!). He weighed 8 pounds 1 ounce, and was 19 1/2 inches long. He was born at 9:04 a.m. on Tuesday, May 19th. He's a redhead! He is so cute and sweet! He looks a lot like Ryan. He is such a good baby! I love him to pieces already! He is a week old today and I can't believe it.

I am so happy to have him out and in our lives. He truly is a blessing. The kids love him and always want to hold him...it's cute! Enjoy the pictures of my sweet little guy!

Not yet...

2009-05-17T16:42:00.000-07:00

No baby yet. Not even any contractions! Crazy! So, stay tuned!

On another topic, today is the one year anniversary of my father-in-law's death. I can't believe it has been a year. He was a good man and truly loved my children. We watched a picture slide show today (it was shown at the funeral) and totally cried. There is a picture of Grandpa with each of my children and it made me sad that I won't have any pictures of him with our new little guy. But, I know that he sent him to us and that he has been taking care of him. He just needs to let him come be with us now! :-) Everyone was kinda hoping that the baby would be born today so that we have something happy to think about today. Well, the day is not over yet...

Catch up!

2009-05-04T15:21:00.001-07:00

So...it's been a very long time since I have posted anything. Sorry to my avid readers! This is what the rest of April had in store for us...

We had a wonderful Easter. TONS of Easter egg hunts that weekend. A tea party at Grandma's with a hunt after, a ward hunt the next day as well as my mom's Annual Easter Egg Hunt with a pinata and all, and then Easter Sunday was dinner and a hunt at my mother-in-law's house. Busy but fun! We had so much candy!!

We also celebrated our oldest son turning 10. Good grief! He got to spend the day with my parents and sister at Disneyland. He got home really late...good thing it was Spring Break!

Another celebration in April was our 12 year anniversary. Time sure flies!! I have been in love with the same man for 12 years!! Who would have thought since I was so fickle as a teen?!? haha!! He is the best husband ever!!

I am down to my last 2 weeks of pregnancy and I can't even believe it!! I can't believe this little guy is going to be here so soon! I have waited a long time and it's weird that it will be over soon. The crib is set up, the changing table has been sanded and repainted. It looks so nice...I will post pictures soon. I have been cleaning around here...NESTING...just trying to keep things organized. My bag is packed; I'm on weekly appointments (every Friday) which means I only have 2 left! I am just ready to be done...to hold my little baby and to have my body back. I would love to be able to roll over in bed easily and to be able to walk normally!! Ahh...the things we take for granted when we're not pregnant.

I hope that the next post is about our new little miracle! Wish me luck!

Baby Shower

2009-04-14T10:19:00.001-07:00

I am a little late at posting this, but a couple of weeks ago my sweet sisters and sister-in-laws threw me a baby shower. I haven't had one of those in so long! It was fun! They did a great job! The invites were cute, the prizes looked so fancy, the decorations (a rubber ducky theme) were awesome and the food was yummy! It was a small turn-out, but I think a nice time was had by all. It was fun to see family and friends and I thank you for all your love and support! Here are some pictures from that day...

This is a blanket that my mom made for the baby. She has done this with each of her grandkids! It's so cute! It's light blue and light green with a Precious Moments animal print (which includes monkeys...how perfect!!)

My sisters and sister-in-law (minus 1) who threw the shower for me.

My awesome friends! I can always count on them! I love you guys!

Cute decorations!

P.S. - Thanks to "M" for taking pictures for me!!

My two cute nieces

2009-04-02T15:56:00.000-07:00

Our family was blessed with two little angels this past week. Both of them being girls. First, Ryan's youngest brother and his wife had a little girl...they didn't know what they were having. They have another daughter that will be 2 soon.

Then, my sister had her little girl, making that three girls for them! They are both super cute and super sweet and I love them to pieces already! I was fortunate enough to visit both of them in the hospital. I love being able to do that. So, now that these two babies are here, that means I am next!! Can't wait!!!

Calling all moms...

2009-03-23T14:58:00.000-07:00

I need your help! I am trying to decide what to do and I need your opinion. I am trying to decide if I want to get a sit-n-stand stroller or not. I do not have a stroller that will let me use the carrier/carseat with it. So...does anyone have a sit-n-stand stroller? What are your opinions about it? Do you like it? I still need to trap Lindsey, especially when walking to the school to pick up the kids. So, let me know how you feel about this stroller. Worth it? Worth the money? Should I check out garage sales? I don't want to buy too much for this little guy, but think this might be a good purchase that would last a long time. Let me know what you think...

Jon Schmidt

2009-03-19T10:20:00.000-07:00

I went to this AMAZING piano concert last night. Absolutely incredible!! This man is very entertaining. He not only plays with his fingers, but he plays with his feet and forearms and forehead/nose! He was hilarious! This video is a little long, but if you watch the first couple of minutes, you will see him play with different body parts. Very talented man! And...if you watch to the end, you will see him do a back flip...he ends the show this way!! He also throws things out into the audience. I am so amazed...makes me want to take piano lessons all over again and become better! I know I could never be as amazing as him (natural talent) but I would like to be more comfortable at playing. I love the piano!! Enjoy!!

Background change

2009-03-12T17:46:00.000-07:00

Look!!! It's my 5 monkeys!! Isn't this just perfect for me!! I saw it and had to change!! :-)

Finally!!

2009-03-09T17:51:00.000-07:00

YAY!! I am finally 30 weeks!! It always seems to be such a relief once I hit 30 weeks. Only 10 to go. Doesn't seem so far away now! I am getting super anxious to meet this little guy!

Pay it forward...

2009-02-27T20:00:00.000-08:00

Lucky you!

The first five people to respond to this post will get something made by me!

My choice. For you.

This offer does have some restrictions and limitations:

1 - I make no guarantees that you will like what I make!

2 - What I create will be just for you.

3 - It'll be done this year (might take a little while).

4 - You have no clue what it's going to be. It may be a story. It may be poetry or an article. I may crochet or quilt something. I may bake you something and mail it to you. Who knows? Not you, that's for sure!

5 - I reserve the right to do something extremely strange.

The catch?

Oh, the catch is that you must repost this on your blog and offer the same to the first 5 people who do the same.

The first 5 people to do so and leave a comment telling me they did win a FAB-U-LOUS homemade gift by me!

Oh, and be sure to post a picture of what you win when you get it!

Good luck!

Here's lookin' at you, kid!

2009-02-23T11:21:00.000-08:00

I wanted to share a picture with you of the new and improved TJ!

He took an eye test at school and they sent a paper home to me telling me that I should probably take him to the doctor. So, we finally did, and he now has to wear them all the time. His world is so different now! He looks great in them, don't you think? My oldest wears glasses as well and got them in 3rd grade. TJ is in 2nd! They keep getting younger and younger!!

Valentine's Day...family style!

2009-02-16T09:38:00.001-08:00

This year we went out to my sister's house to celebrate Valentine's Day...as a family. My sister made Tortilla soup and cornbread and we brought sugar cookies for the kids to decorate and strawberry shortcake. Jamie had the whole table decorated super cute...made raspberry lemonade...because it was pink and had apple cranberry cider because it was red. She had cute little heart shaped bowls for the kids to use. It was a fun night of just visiting and hanging out. Ryan spoiled me earlier with a sweet note and a book with reasons why he loves me. It was so sweet! He also bought me some chocolate and green M&M's...hmmm....I wonder what he meant by that!!! It was really a nice Valentine's Day!!
The kids are decorating their sugar cookies here.

Here we are in all our pregnancy glory!!! My sister is 6 weeks ahead of me. She's having another girl!

I'm it!

2009-02-12T09:19:00.001-08:00

Tiffany tagged me. I did this on Facebook, so I just copied it onto here. If you haven't read it there...enjoy the read!! :-)

1. The theme of my kitchen is Strawberries, but red is one of my least favorite colors...go figure!

2. The theme of my wedding was Cinderella. When Ryan proposed to me, he read the part in the Cinderella story where only 1 person could fit the slipper. My engagement ring was in a glass slipper! Our wedding invites has the Cinderella carriage on them and we had Ryan's aunt draw 2 big pictures of Cinderella and Prince Charming. So wonderful!

3. My favorite color is purple...always has been!

4. I LOVE birthdays! I especially love my own. Ya, I know, I'm like a kid. I make sure to tell my kids and my hubby all day Happy Birthday on their special day. It's my one day!! :-) I love the phone calls from family and cards...just plain ol' fun...just for me!!

5. I can sew. I sewed my two prom dresses as well as my wedding dress. I have also made bridesmaids dresses for most of our siblings weddings and made my sister-in-law's wedding dress. I don't pull my machine out as often as I'd like to.

6. My favorite flower is a carnation. Forget the roses. The only time I get a rose is on Valentine's day, but I don't really care. I have enjoyed Gerber Daisies lately. My hubby loves to get me flowers and I love to receive them!!

7. I like to sing. I loved being in choir in High School. I lived for the Pop Concerts (the singing and dancing show at the end of the year). I was one of the stars my Senior year (Oh Luther!!!).

8. I have written and directed 2 road shows and a few Girl's Camp skits and many Primary Programs. They come very easy to me.

9. I took a hip hop dance class a couple years ago through the city. It was a lot of fun! The only bad part was that no one showed up for the adult class, so my friend Amy and I took it with kids. Once we got over the fact that we were the oldest group in the bunch, we had a great time!

10. I had a miscarriage between my first and second children. Not a fun experience.

11. I had to kiss a lot of toads before I found my handsome prince...my brother-in-law Scotty said this at our wedding. It's true...I did date a lot of guys. But, I had to make sure I found the right guy right?! I had fun though!!

12. I am the oldest of 5 kids.

13. 16 of my friends on Facebook I either dated or had a crush on. LOL!!

14. I started wearing glasses when I was in the 10th grade, but haven't had to wear them all the time until after I started having kids.

15. I have stayed in touch with friends from Elementary school, Jr. High and High School (thank you Facebook!).

16. I am pregnant with my 5th child.

17. I always wanted to have redhead kids. So far, 2 of the 5 are redheads. This one inside me sure bounces around like he's a feisty redhead!!

18. I can type without looking at the keyboard and I can type pretty fast.

19. I love to wear sandals and I love to buy sandals.

20. I absolutely LOVE Wicked! I have seen it twice and would have loved to see it a million more times! I listen to the music all the time!

21. I have been to quite a few concerts...my first one being Tiffany with my mom and sister!! I have seen Faith Hill twice (once with Tim McGraw), Toby Keith, Garth Brooks, Clay Aiken & Kelly Clarkson.

22. I love Twilight! I am not a reader and it has taken me a while to keep up with these books, but the first one has been my favorite one so far and I loved the movie!

23. I love to scrapbook and make cards. I wish I could make more time for it. I started stamping cards many years ago because it just got too expensive to keep buying cards for everyone for everything!!

24. I love to play board games. I love hosting game nights as well (wanna come over?!). I love getting to know people by the games we play.

25. Oh my goodness...I finally made it!! Let's make this one a good one...I can touch my nose with my tongue!! How's that for talent?!? :-) Thanks for reading!!

If you haven't done this already and you feel the urge...go for it!

About me...in pictures

2009-02-09T21:58:00.000-08:00

I saw this on my friend's blog and I had to try it out! Here is my life as a mosaic.

Here are my answers:

1. What is your first name? You know!! Some of the pictures were a little...ummm...non-appropriate for my blog...so you get some blond chick!!
2. What is your favorite food? Teriyaki Chicken
3. What school did you go to? Bolsa Grande (which means...big purse!)
4. What is your favorite color? Purple
5. Who is your celebrity crush? Patrick Dempsey...sigh!
6. Favorite drink? Freckled Lemonade...so yummy!!
7. Dream vacation? Hawaii
8. Favorite dessert? Strawberry Shortcake (I had it for my birthday and I had forgotten how delicious it was!!)
9. What did you want to be when you grew up? A Stewardess (I don't think they even call them that anymore!)
10. What do you love most in life? Family
11. One word to describe you? Caring
12. Your nickname? Mel (I guess it's a very common name for dogs because there were tons of dog pictures...cute dogs, of course!!)

Here are the instructions if you want to try it yourself:

step 1: go to flickr.com

step 2: in another window open http://bighugelabs.com/flickr/mosaic.php

step 3: choose 4 columns, 3 rows

step 4: answer the following questions in the search bar of flicker. pick your favorite one on the first page and paste it into your mosaic

1. What is your first name?
2. What is your favorite food?
3. What school did you go to?
4. What is your favorite color?
5. Who is your celebrity crush?
6. Favorite drink?
7. Dream vacation?
8. Favorite dessert?
9. What you want to be when you grow up?
10. What do you love most in life?
11. One word to describe you.
12. Your nickname.

My birthday

2009-01-30T23:34:00.000-08:00

I just love birthdays!! Ryan asked me what I wanted for my birthday and I told him that I wanted a night with the girls! So, I sent out invitations and had a few friends over tonight to watch 27 Dresses and to have strawberry shortcake with me! It was a lot of fun! I just loved chatting with the girls!

Tomorrow I am going to Disneyland...thanks to their promotion to get in free on your birthday! I am taking the little one with me since she is still free and I'm going with my parents because they have passes. We will probably just go for a couple hours. I can't go on any of the big rides, so it's perfect to take Pebbles with me. Then Ryan is taking me out to dinner. I can't wait!!

How old am I, you ask? Well...I don't mind sharing...I'm 32!

Yes...I copied you!

2009-01-23T21:32:00.001-08:00

My friend did this on her blog, and I am going to copy her. Go to Google and type (your name) and then needs (so...Melanie needs...got it?) and then write what comes up. Here we go!

Melanie needs...to accept that no one is self-sufficient all the time, and to be gentler with her "childish" emotional needs and wants
***ummm...that's not very nice!!***

Melanie needs...to find a happy medium between being a strong female and being overzealous
***ummm...okay?

Melanie needs...1st year baby needs for Melanie
***awww...does that mean someone is throwing me a shower?!? hahaha!!!***

Melanie needs...a BF
***best friend or boyfriend?? I'll take either!! hahah!!***

Melanie needs...to add some sparkle and color back to her wardrobe
***totally true...maternity clothes just aren't that glamorous!***

I thought this was funny! Let me know if you try it out!

Birthday dinner

2009-01-22T22:49:00.000-08:00

My birthday is coming up and Ryan's is 10 days after. We usually go out to dinner for my birthday and I cook his favorite meal for his birthday. Then there is Valentine's Day right after!! Good grief! Anyways, we are trying to figure out where to go for dinner. Not an expensive place and not a regular place (ie. Chili's, Red Robin, Islands) that we go to often. Any suggestions on good places to eat? Leave me a comment...it's next week! :-) Thanks!!

American Idol...yay!!

2009-01-13T17:00:00.000-08:00

I am SUPER excited about American Idol starting tonight. This is by far my favorite show!! In my opinion, the worst season was the one where Fantasia won. My favorite contestants or winners are David Cook, Clay Aiken, Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood and Chris Daughtry. Who is your favorite winner?

S is for....

2009-01-08T15:52:00.000-08:00

My friend played this game on her blog. She was given a letter and had to come up with 10 Favorite Things that start with that letter. She assigned me S! So if you want to play, leave me a comment and I will assign you a letter!

1. Sisters - I love my sisters!! Biological and unbiological (is that a word??). It's true...some of you that have known me a long time probably think that you would never hear this out of my mouth. We didn't get along when we were younger. But, we are the best of friends now! I love my sister-in-laws as well. I have some great ones!! It's fun to have girls around. And, for my unbiological sisters...you are the best!!! I have great friends!

2. Scrapbooking - one of my loves that have been put on the back-burner for a while. I can also include stamping in this category. I use stamps for my scrapbooking pages. I really enjoyed making a High School book (and hey...the person that assigned me this letter is in the book!) and a Beauty and the Beast one. My favorite one that I have done is probably of all the weddings of all our siblings! (another "s" word!)

3. Singing - I love to sing. I don't do it as often as I would like, but nonetheless, I love it. I sang in high school and had the best time! I still sing to my little one to put her to sleep. I love to sing to the radio and in choirs. I also love the "singing" on American Idol...probably my favorite show!!

4. Strawberries - If you know me, you know that I LOVE strawberries!! Not only eating them. My kitchen is decorated with strawberries. And, it looks super cute, if I do say so myself!!

5. Stephen Schwartz - this is the only way that I could include "Wicked" in this list! He wrote the music and lyrics to this AMAZING musical. My favorite one, by far. I have been fortunate to see it twice and it amazed me both times!

6. Salt shaker - this is my way of including my experience in participating in the play "Beauty and the Beast". Seriously, this was the best time of my life! It was so much fun! We are doing another play (Wizard of Oz) and I am so bummed to not be participating. I will be about 8 1/2 months pregnant during the performance. Not fun. I will just have to go and watch. :-(

7. Surprises - I love to be surprised! My husband does a good job of that. Birthday surprises are good (hey...I have a birthday coming up!!) and anytime surprises. Ryan loves to bring me flowers...just because. He has always done that. He is my sweetheart!

8. Sandals - I love to wear sandals and I love to buy new sandals! Not the basic flip flops. Cute sandals!

9. Shopping - I'm a girl!! Of course shopping would be on my list!! I like to go when I don't have any kids with me. I can take my time. And, even if I'm not buying anything, it's still fun to just look and see what is around.

10. Service - Random acts of service have been such a blessing in our lives. We love to help people out whenever we can...have them over for dinner or drop off goodies at someone's house. It's liking the saying goes, "It's better to give than to receive".

Christmas

2009-01-07T10:56:00.000-08:00

I am finally going to post about Christmas. We had a wonderful Christmas Eve with the Bremer side of the family and a wonderful Christmas Day with the Jenks side of the family. My mother-in-law planned some fun games and a nice little family night. A special visitor came and knocked on the door and left a bag full of goodies for everyone there. She had prizes and a little stocking for each person with a $5 gift card in it. It was fun! Then we exchanged gifts. We had the Grimes family and they had us. I made pajama pants for all of Mandy's kids...they turned out really cute...I was such a proud Auntie! I hope they are wearing them in Alaska!

(I couldn't get them to all pose together!)

I also made pajama pants for my kids and made them all monkey print...cuz I call them my monkeys! So...my sister-in-law found some little boy jammies with monkey's on them!!! So cute!!! I love them and can't wait for our little one to wear them.

We spent Christmas morning with my brother and his family. We had each others names for Christmas this year too. Funny how it worked out that way on both sides! I also made some pajama pants for my little nephew. They have cars on them (picture to come soon!! hint hint Tiff!!) THANKS TIFF!!

They bought comforters for all the kids beds. Super nice!! The kids love having them on their bed, except now I expect their beds to be made! haha!! Later we went to my parents house. We all pictched in and bought a beautiful picture of Christ for my parents and they absolutely loved it! Don't you love it when you get something for someone that they least expect? Just to see the smile on their face is just priceless! I also made pajama pants for my little sister. Grand total of pajama pants: 10!!! I was a busy lady! But I love how they turned out!

Here's some random cute shots of our family enjoying Christmas. I hope you had a great one!

Family Picture

2008-12-30T12:38:00.000-08:00

Here is a picture of our family on Christmas Sunday. I sang with the choir, and we actually sounded pretty good!! The kids also sang a couple songs. It was a nice day. Everyone looked so nice. You can kinda see my pregnant belly in this picture.

Thanks Auntie M for taking our picture!

It's a......

2008-12-22T20:33:00.000-08:00

BOY!!! We are so excited!! We brought all the kids with us. We also snagged Silly Grandma (my mother-in-law) to come with us last minute. It was fun to have everyone there. Pebbles was so concerned that the tech was hurting me or something. Anyways, it's definitely a boy!! YAY! Good job to all of you the guessed boy! Now I have to pull out all the blue stuff that I haven't used in ages and see what it looks like!

Boy or girl??

2008-12-18T12:06:00.000-08:00

Thanks for all of your votes! It was so close the whole time! Boy won 11-9. I am hoping for a boy (haven't had one for a while, less drama, and it would be nice to be different than my sister...we've been prego two other times together and both ended up with girls! She's having another girl!). But, it will probably be a girl and that is fine too. Anywho, stayed tuned to see if we find out. Would make a nice Christmas present, huh?? That's the big secret...

Breakfast with Santa and Nativity

2008-12-18T11:56:00.001-08:00

Last year some of you may remember the picture of the kids with Santa and my little one Pebbles screaming her head off and freaking out. If not...or to see it again, click here. Well, this one's not too shabby! I'm standing right next to her and all she kept whispering was, "Mommy!" It was cute!!!

We also had another event happen recently. My parents have a family night every year and we have the kids put on the Nativity. I did this when I was a kid and the tradition still lives on! We rotate who gets to be who. This year, E-man was Joseph, Bug was Mary, TJ was a shepherd and Pebbles was an angel. I didn't get a good picture with all the kids (so maybe any of my family reading this that got one could email me a copy! :-) ) Anyways, the kids did a great job. My nephew was a wise man and my other two nieces were also angels. It was a very nice night! I love family get-togethers!!

Christmas Songs

2008-12-11T15:20:00.000-08:00

I just love listening to Christmas music! I especially love to play it on the piano and to sing with the choir. I am so excited that our ward is doing a song that I did in High School, "One Child". I absolutely love that song!

I want to know what your favorite Christmas song is. My favorite this year is "O Holy Night" by Josh Groban. I love the way he sings it. So beautiful!! So, what are some of your favorites? I would love to hear! And, just maybe the next time you visit my blog you will hear it playing!

Baby Poll

2008-12-01T16:51:00.000-08:00

So, I am 16 weeks and I could technically find out what I am having this month. So...should I? The first 3 babies were a surprise and the last one we found out with. Send your thoughts and opinions my way! Oh, and let me know whether you think I am having a boy or girl. I'm tied at 2 and 2, so this one is the tie breaker. Who will win?!?! We are so excited!

Thanksgiving

2008-11-28T22:11:00.000-08:00

We had a very nice Thanksgiving. We went to my parents house yesterday for the "feast" - that's what the kids like to call it. Everything tasted so yummy! I love being pregnant at Thanksgiving because no one can question me about how much I am eating! HAHAHA!! The baby needs it, right? We stayed and played games. Afterward, we stopped by to see Ryan's mom. It was already late, but we stayed until midnight! YIKES!! It was fun chatting with her.

Since yesterday was Thanksgiving, I want to list a few things that I am thankful for. For starters, I am so thankful for my family. My husband is my best friend and I couldn't ask for a better companion. He takes such good care of me and the kids. He is very hard-working. I am glad that I get to spend the eternities with such a wonderful man! I love my children. They make life crazy...I mean, fun! They are each special in their own way. I am especially thankful for this little one growing inside me. I think I finally felt the baby move yesterday! What a blessing it is to be a mother and to be able to carry a life inside of you! I can't wait until the baby starts kicking. I love my parents, my siblings, and allllll my in-laws. They are all so important to me and my life wouldn't be complete with each and every one of them. I am thankful for friends. I have been blessed with many friends over the years. I am thankful for the ones that I have kept in touch with over the years and also for the new friendships that I have made. It's so nice to have friends around.

So, I guess it's on to Christmas. We started decorating today. Makes it nice that we have 2-3 days to decorate. The kids were a little bonkers...probably too excited about all the decorations. I am looking forward to Christmas. I haven't really been thinking too much about it. But, I am looking forward to it, nonetheless. I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and hope you enjoy the Christmas season with your family and loved ones!

I saw it again!

2008-11-26T10:11:00.000-08:00

Ok...I know, I'm a nut! I saw Twilight again last night! But...here's why: When I originally went, we sat 4 rows from the front...a little toooooo close. So, I went with my SIL "M" to the theater and it was "family day" and all movies were $3!! Can you believe that? So, I got a good seat, paid a cheap price and enjoyed the content of the movie better without all the screaming!! LOL!! Although I was waiting for all the screams to start when Edward (sigh!!) came on the screen. But, nope! It was kind of nice. I did enjoy the whole experience of the midnight showing, but I truly enjoyed it more last night. Thanks M for going with me!

TWILIGHT!!!!

2008-11-22T13:21:00.000-08:00

Wow!! What a fun night!! All the girlies came over to my house and we listened to the soundtrack and ate munchies. My sister posted up pictures around the house and made a Twilight banner. It was fun!! Then we all tattooed ourselves (mom included!! pictures to come...) and we were out the door. We got to the theater around 8:30 and we were already pretty far back in the line. What the heck! Plus, the security guards wouldn't let us sit on the ground...LAME!! We got into the theater a little before 10 and the only place that didn't have seats saved was the very front section. That's right, folks, we sat 4 rows from the front. Edward was HUGE!!! hahah!! I really enjoyed the movie. Obviously you can't fit a 500+ book into a 2 hour movie. But, I did like what they did. Oh, and did I mention how HOT all the Cullen boys are?!? Oh my goodness!!! So hot!! I could have me a little Emmett! Jacob wasn't too shabby either. It will be interesting to see him in the next movie since he will be the star.

Anyways...LOVED IT!! I would like to go see it again, when I'm not so close! I enjoyed the night together with the girls. Yes, we did go out to breakfast after so that we could all chat. We weren't really too hungry, but it was still fun. Thanks girlies for a fun night!!

For those that haven't commented yet...what did you think? I hope you had a great time!

It's here!!!

2008-11-20T13:16:00.000-08:00

Tonight is the night!! I am super excited! My 2 sisters, mom and 2 sister-in-laws and I are going together! We are having a little party at my house before we go to the BELLA terra to see the midnight showing! I really enjoyed the first book. I'm still working on the 3rd (I know...everyone else is mad at me too!!), so I need to get reading! I am going to be super tired because we are going out to breakfast afterwards. My sister (who is also pregnant) and I decided that we are going to nap in the theater before the movie starts!! Ya right...like that could really happen!! Anyways, I will post about the movie tomorrow! This is such a huge hit! And, according to my poll, a lot of you are seeing the movie tonight as well. Maybe I will see you there!!

A better one...the girls have hair!

2008-11-18T11:01:00.001-08:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

We Elfed ourselves!!

2008-11-17T15:25:00.001-08:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Crazy 8 Tag

2008-11-17T11:45:00.000-08:00

8 TV Shows I Love To Watch
1. American Idol
2. Dancing with the Stars
3. So You Think You Can Dance?
4. Heroes
5. Lipstick Jungle
6. Grey's Anatomy
7. Friends
8. How I Met Your Mother

8 Favorite Restaurants
1. Chili's
2. Ruby's
3. Olive Garden
4. Islands
5. Red Robin
6. Boston Market
7. Rubio's
8. El Pollo Loco

8 Things That Happened Yesterday
1. Had family dinner with the Bremer side...YUM!
2. Played the piano at church
3. Saw an old friend
4. Made a Pumpkin Cake dessert...another YUM!
5. Went to bed early
6. The Cowboys won
7. Went to choir practice
8. Talked to my mom on the phone

8 Things I'm Looking Forward To
1. My new little baby
2. Twilight on Thursday!
3. My ultrasound...hmmm...should I find out what I'm having?!?!
4. Working on my Christmas gifts and cards
5. Scrapbooking...I think I've forgotten how to do it...it's been so long!
6. Listening to Christmas music
7. My husband's raise in January and bonus in December
8. The day when my kids will behave themselves...ya, I know...YA RIGHT!!!

8 Things On My Wish List
1. A new wallet
2. A new diaper bag/purse
3. A vacation
4. A better camera
5. Bigger bedrooms for the kids...this new baby is sleeping in the bathroom!!
6. To be caught up on my scrapbooking
7. A new sewing machine or serger
8. To be thin again!

8 People I Tag
1. Marianne
2. Natalie
3. Mandy
4. Jenny
5. Jamie
6. Christina
7. Cori
8. Amy

Twilight

2008-11-13T18:36:00.000-08:00

Ok...I have two votes for "What's Twilight?" Seriously or are you just pulling my leg? If you seriously have not heard of the books and the upcoming movie, click here. It will not disappoint. I have plenty of people to refer you to if you have any doubts!!

Oops...I guess I should have put an option on my poll for those that are not going to see the movie. Sorry Carina!! :-)

Spooky Dinner

2008-11-12T14:13:00.000-08:00

I know...I know...I'm really late at posting this. We had major computer problems but now we are all good.

Anyways, we had our 4th annual spooky dinner right before Halloween. We invited my brother and his wife and my cute little nephew. We had bloody worms and eyeballs (spaghetti & meatballs), mummy fingers (breadsticks) and slime (lemonade) for our meal. We froze spiders in our ice cubes (my brother was NOT a fan of that). We had a lot of fun. We read a couple stories afterward and I made a Ghosts in the Graveyard dessert. It was a really fun night.

The first 2 years we did it with just our family. Last year we had Ryan's sister and her family. It's been so much fun and we have enjoyed carrying on the tradition! Thanks family for a really fun night!!!

Mother/Daughter Date

2008-10-30T22:08:00.000-07:00

Today I took my little girl to see High School Musical 3. I have to admit...I loved the movie! Super cute! Loved the songs...everything!! She liked it to. I love all the movies! I miss doing that in high school (pop concerts...singing and dancing). I know...I'm a sap...I totally cried in the movie!! haha!! Can't wait to own this one on DVD!! We had a great date together!

Halloween Party

2008-10-28T14:09:00.000-07:00

We had our ward party the other night. The kids looked so cute in their costumes! Even Ryan and I dressed up! (I made those costumes!) The kids got so much candy...and it's not even Halloween yet! We did trunk-or-treating (which is car to car) and I got 4x the amount of candy. E-man went around 4 times! Good grief!!

Mindless ramblings...

2008-10-23T17:37:00.000-07:00

Well, to top off my last post, I now have a cold!! Good grief!

On a brighter note...THE HOLIDAYS ARE COMING...THE HOLIDAYS ARE COMING!!! I am so excited! I love all the holidays...especially because I get to decorate my house. Right now there are tons of cobwebs everywhere and a skeleton hanging from the ceiling, just to name a few. The kids are excited about their costumes. We will have an Ariel, a Snow White and 2 pirate skeletons. We have our ward party on Saturday night. The kids are off school on the 30th and 31st (I know...LAME!). Plus they aren't allowed to wear their costumes to school. Fine times are ahead!

So, what's your favorite fall/winter holiday? Take my poll and let me know (or for you google readers, leave a comment!).

Let the holidays begin!

Woe is me!

2008-10-22T07:51:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I had a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. I have never done one of these posts before...so, here goes!! I have been doing fairly well with this pregnancy. Only thrown up a couple times, but that last little while I have been feeling pretty good. Tired always, but good nontheless. So, yesterday, I ate my soda crackers and drank my water before I got out of bed and then ate my breakfast (my regular for the past few months...bagel and hot chocolate). Well, that didn't want to stay down at all!!! Totally wiped me out! I rested while the kids were at school and then headed to the park with my friends. Felt okay...brought some water and soda crackers and bread. I had NOTHING in my body. When we got home from the park, I felt a headache coming on. So, I laid down and it turned into a migraine. AUGH!! Then...I threw up again! What a day!! Throwing up...twice AND a migraine (which I can't take anything for...and Tylenol doesn't count!!). I was down for the rest of the night. My poor hubby had to take care of homework, dinner, showers, etc. Plus he kept getting called from him mom to go over and help her. He's being pulled in too many directions...he is going to snap soon, I know it!!

Anywho, I just wanted to document my awful day. I'm only 10 weeks!! I hope this yuckiness stops soon!! The things we go through to bring these precious children into this world!!

Proposition 8 in Plain English

2008-10-19T18:29:00.001-07:00

Trailer

2008-10-10T07:52:00.000-07:00

Here is the newest trailer for "Twilight"! Can't wait to do the midnight showing with my sisters!! (Thanks Jenny for sending me the link!!)

Random Picture Tag

2008-10-09T18:13:00.001-07:00

Post the 4th picture in the 4th folder in your picture file and tell us what it is!

So, not the greatest picture, but here you go. This is a picture of me when I was in the play "Beauty and the Beast" in April 2007. It was the best time of my life!! I had so much fun! I am a villager in this picture. I was "lady with babies"...how appropriate. So, that is what I am holding, wrapped up in blankets. I loved every minute. Later on in the play I was the Salt Shaker. I got to do a death drop with the pepper. It was so awesome!!! Ok...I'll stop typing about it now! Obviously you can tell it was a wonderful experience for me!! LOVED IT!!

TAG IF YOU THINK THIS SOUNDS FUN!!

Video

2008-10-08T16:47:00.001-07:00

This is for all of my Mormon readers!! Super funny!!!

"Love Me, But Don't Show Me" Music Video from Lennexe Productions on Vimeo.

School Pictures

2008-10-05T21:06:00.001-07:00

The kids had school pictures taken this past week. Now that I have three in school, everything is triple the amount. The cheapest package was $14. That included a class picture, 1 3x5 and 4 wallets. Ya...my family is WAY bigger than that. So, if you wanted to add anything to that package or choose another package, the price just sky-rocketed! I couldn't believe it!! So, while the guys were gone Saturday night at Conference, the girls came and hung out here. Thanks to my 2 sisters (Wendie for hair and outfits; Jamie for background and lighting...and both for posing), we captured some great pictures! Now I don't have to spend an arm and a leg to get the pictures for everyone in the family! I bought pictures of different sizes for all 3 kids and it cost less than the cheapest package!! So crazy!! I posted the best pictures of the three kids. I must say that they turned out FABULOUS!! Don't 'cha think???

P.S. - I took the pictures myself!! :-)

The much anticipated details...

2008-10-03T16:29:00.000-07:00

Ok...I went to the doctor today. I am 7 1/2 weeks along and my due date is May 18th (which is the day after Ryan's dad passed away). We are excited. The doctor wants me to get an ultrasound though just to confirm my dates since my last cycle was a little weird. So, when that gets done, if anything changes, I will be sure to post.

My silly little girl

2008-10-02T18:40:00.000-07:00

Everyone always says that they have to write down some of the things that their kids say. Well, I have 2 to blog about right now. My little one is 2. She was in the shower with me the other day and I was throwing up (yuck...I know!) and she just kept saying, "Bless you!" So cute!! I wish that's all it was!! Then, tonight at dinner we had baked potatoes. I scooped the potato out of the skin, grated some cheese on top and put some chili on the side and gave it to her. She pulled a piece of chili out and showed it to me and said, "Pooh-poohs!" Too funny!!!

By the way, I go to the doctor tomorrow, so I will post about that then. I will have an actual due date and how far along I am...for all of you who are dying for the details!! Thanks for caring!

Story

2008-09-26T08:20:00.000-07:00

So, you would all kill me if I said "just kidding" about the last post, huh!?! hahah!! Ok...no, it's true! Baby #5 is on the way...and we couldn't be happier!! Crazy...but happy!! :-) Thank you for all of the comments!! 27!!! Good grief!

So, I have a wonderful story that goes along with us deciding to get pregnant. Some of you said that you thought I was done. Well...that means that you never talked to me about it because I have always been on the fence. I never felt like I was completely done. Ryan on the other hand wasn't open to discussing it. So, here's the story. Ryan's dad passed away in May. About a month or so after he passed away, Ryan had a dream about him. He was holding the hand of a little child. Ryan didn't tell me about the dream...I think he was a little scared about what it meant. Then about a week or so later I started having baby dreams. Ryan and I talked about it and he told me about his dream as well. We decided that we should pray about it. Sure enough we felt so strongly that we were to start trying. I have had 1 cycle since stopping the pill (too much info??? sorry!). Here's the very interesting part. My due date is the day that Ryan's dad passed away. Can you believe that? I guess when it's meant to be, it's meant to be, huh?

Well, that's my story....and I'm sticking to it!!

SECRET

2008-09-21T21:24:00.000-07:00

I have a little secret! Know what it is?? Check out the caution sign to the left of this post!

(Sorry...I'm no good at keeping secrets!)