Way Back Wednesday!

This isn't WAY back, it is actually from Dec. 14, 2007. Matthew and his family were down from Texas and the rest of my family was over visiting. Some of us decided to walk to get Mckenna from school and surprise her.

Here is the gang!

Matthew and Carson on the bike!

Matthew and Levi on the bike!

Mckenna running to us when she everyone who came to get her!! She was so excited!
(I just wish I knew how to crop the picture)

A few crashing video's from the snow!

Ok. So I know I said that I would post video's tomorrow, but I just couldn't wait!

Here goes Mom!

Matthew attempting take off with Seth narrating, don't be jealous of Seth's encouraging words!

Now what was it that Seth just said about Matthew?

Hinckley Challenge!

This is not “church” sponsored, but what could it hurts having a lot of people reading the Book of Mormon for 97 days! Who wants to join the 18,993 (when I signed up) people taking the challenge?

Here is the e-mail about challenge that I received.

As you know, our beloved prophet, Gordon B. Hinckley passed away at the age of 97.
I was thinking of how I could honor his legacy and I came up with an idea.

My friend and I have created a challenge for those willing to accept it:

Read the Book of Mormon in 97 days.

We are trying to get everyone to start on the same day. Here are the details:

• Goto www.hinckleychallenge.com and create an account (free, of course).
• On Feb 4, 2008 (the Monday following the funeral) have an FHE lesson on the Book of Mormon and begin your reading.
• Each day you read, record what page number you are on by going to www.hinckleychallenge.com .

We would like this challenge to be heard all around the world! Please forward this message to everyone you know. We would love to see over 1 million pages of the Book of Mormon read by the time this challenge has ended.

Do you want to show your support? Do you want to follow the prophet? Do you want to get rid of all of your excuses for not reading and become a warrior? Then join me in this challenge!!!

We are going to spread this throughout the news media (TV an d radio) and we've already contacted Fox news, KSL, CBS, and ABC. But we cannot get the word out to everyone without your help! Please forward this on to EVERYONE in your address book. Time is of the essence!! This will be the one forwarded message that everyone will be happy to get :).

-Jake Andersen

P.S. You can always see an updated list of those who have accepted the challenge by clicking here (www.hinckleychallenge.com/warriors.php)

Snow or Bust!!!

Weekend fun at Forest Lakes!!!!!

This weekend we went up to the RIM (brrrr) to my Aunts Cabin in Forest Lakes.

My whole family went (minus my SIL Amy, we missed you) and had a great time! My Brother Matthew came in from Texas with his cute boy to join us! We LOVE Levi! We are always happy when they come to visit.

Kyle and the kids spent most of the day outside sledding, snowboarding and making snowballs. Poor Halle had to stay inside with me most of the time. Here they are all bundled up to go play. No, we didn't send Halle out to play in the snow in her bare feet, she was coming back in the WARM Cabin with me!
Carson was determined to snowboard like his Uncle Seth and Matthew. He was actually pretty good and could snowboard about 10 or so feet on his own!
I think he liked snowboarding the best!

Here is Halle all bundled up going out to sled with Daddy!

Aunt Meghan (Known as Ketchup and Mustard in her snow clothes!) with Halle and Levi.

Aunt Amy (Seth's Amy, both of my Brothers married AMY'S!-augh!)
Amy was such a trooper. This is probably one of the only times she was on her own because one of my kids were sledding with her almost the whole time. Thank you, and sorry! I guess that is what you get for being such a great Aunt. Next time I won't be pregnant and I can sled too!
Kyle and my mom

I don't know what Mckenna is doing in this picture, but thought it was funny so I threw it in!

I will post some more pictures tomorrow. I have a ton more I want to share! I even have some great video of sledding and snowboarding wipe-outs that must be shared!
We really had a great time! I am so grateful to be so close to my family and be able to have so much fun together. Even the BRIDEZILLA (aka; Meghan) wasn't so bad :)!

Don't know yet...

Here is a collage that Kyle made for our parents for Christmas. I dont know how to make it any bigger, but these are the most currents pictures of our family!


Unfortunately we don't know what we are having. When I went for my ultrasound we found out the I have a low-lying placenta (can't I ever have a "normal" pregnancy?), the baby was breech and VERY wiggly. It was very hard to a good view of the baby at because my placenta, which appears 'white' on the screen was covering most of the baby. Dr. Holmes was doing all he could to get a good view. At first he said 'I think its a girl", then a minute later he said "boy" then he said he really did not know. If there happened to be a view where he could tell, the baby was too wiggly or the umbilical cord was in the way. So for now we don't know. I am going crazy!! I don't like not knowing. I like to be "surprised" at the ultrasound, not when the baby is born.
It is the same with Christmas and birthdays, if I know that someone has a present or surprise for me it drives me crazy, I would rather know right away.
Kyle is opposite of me, he doesn't want any hints about what he might be getting at Christmas. He also hates the previews when we are at the movies. He is really embarrassing to sit by at the theater because he will close his eye's and plug his ears and sometimes even make noises to block out the sound during previews. He doesn't do this for all the movies (like the new Enchanted) just for movies like Spiderman, Lord of The Rings, basically any and all 'action' type of movie. So if you are ever at the movies with us or by us and want a good laugh, just watch Kyle and you can be embarrassed for me!

A New Year Goal!

Ok. So I have been really bad about posting on a regular basis. One of my goals this year is to post weekly hopefully I will be posting 2x a week. One regular post and one Blessing Post (see below). I found this on another blog and really want to do the Blessing Project. What a great way to be reminded of the many blessings in my life and be able to document them. Maybe at the end of the year I can print a little blessings of 2008 book!

The 52 Blessings Project

About 52 Blessings
Once a week post a photo of something you are most grateful for. This gives us a chance to reflect on the good things we have learned from or that have made us better in our everyday lives or things we just enjoy! I think everyone needs to be more grateful for what they have now days instead of always thinking about what we want! This is one of the things we can do to be more gracious people. It will be like a photo gratitude journal.

*****

I am so excited for this new year! I feel that it will be good one. To start off the good year, we are expecting baby #4 in May! I can't believe I will have 4 children, sometimes I start to panic a little just thinking about it. BUT.....everyone tells me that having 4 is no different than 3???? So I am hanging on to that impossible hope. I know that many bloggers pick a word for the year, and I thought that I had decided my word would be "LIVE" but maybe it should be "SURVIVE" because that is kinda how I feel~like I am in survival mode and I can't imagine it getting any better with a new baby around. The problem with 'survive' is that it really is a negative word, at least concerning what it means to me. So maybe I will stick with LIVE and it will help me to enjoy life, to count my blessings, to be a better wife and mother, and most important to take time for myself and LIVE so I can be better at all the other things!

On another exciting note....I have started a new business. I will be making a change from a Director with The Pampered Chef to a new consultant with a great, new company....SIMPLYFUN!!!! You can check out my website at www.reach4theskye.simplyfun.com Did you know that Plato said, "You can learn more about a person in an hour of play that in a lifetime of conversation." What a great thing the power of play is to relationships. At Simplyfun our mission is to "promote the importance of play and create life long memories that enhance the quality of life for our Consultants, customers, and employees." I love this company and all the products.

I tried to post some pictures, that will have to wait until my next blog, for some reason I keep getting an error.grrrrr.

I am going with my Mom, Sister, and SIL to the Bridal Expo today to hopefully get some planning done for Meghans April wedding (yes, I will be 8+ months pregnant and her Bridesmaid-augh!)

Ice Skating with Daddy!

Mckenna went ice skating for the first time on Saturday, she was very excited!!
Kyle's work had reserved Box seats, with delicious catered food for the Diamond Backs game on Friday. I was suppose to have a Pampered Chef show that night, but it canceled at the last minute. So, to make a long story short, Mckenna was going to accompany Kyle to the game in my place, and she was very excited about it. I was secretly happy that my show had canceled because I really wanted to go to the game. Now comes the problem, Mckenna was determined that she was going to go, not me. So to try and make it a win-win situation, Kyle started bargaining with her to stay home so I could go.

Kyle: You know Mckenna, mom really wants to go to the game with me.
Mckenna: you said I could go, I want to go (in her best whiny voice)
Kyle: How about you stay home tonight and I will take you to the movies tomorrow, just the 2 of us?
Mckenna: No! I want to go to the game!
Kyle: How about I take you ice skating tomorrow?
Mckenna: *long pause* (we know she is going for it) umm. OK!

Wahoo! that was easy! Everyone is happy and I am going to the game!!

Kyle and Mckenna
at the Ice Skate Rink!

Mckenna held on to the wall for the
first 10 minutes or so and then was
brave enough to to skate out on her own

Learning how to 'glide'

Good Save!