**Monday Memories**

Monday started out with me and Kim in Rachel's living room standing 2 feet away from the television awaiting Trudy's big day as a special guest host on Good Things Utah. It was really fun seeing her and all the people in the audience we knew. We saw Dirk and their twins of course, then Cara, Brook, Natalie, Heather, Holly, Missy, Angie and Vicki. I felt so nervous for her the whole time but she did great and is so cute.

Larry went hunting from Tuesday to Sunday. He came home without a deer again. The kids would be so excited to see a dead deer hanging from our tree...so would I. But there is one more chance in a few weeks he will be Elk hunting. Cross your fingers.
I always get so much done while he is away. Why is that?
Some things I accomplished in 4 days that would normally not get done in a 6 month period.

1. cleaned out and organized my closet and the boys closet. Rotated summer clothes with fall ones and took several bags to the DI and made $20 at Kid to Kid. Tierra cleaned her room and has 7 more bags!

2. vacuumed all blinds, floor boards and vents, dusted the fans

3. cleaned out the fridge

4. organized and cleaned off the computer desk, piano and end table, all 3 get piled up with papers I don't know what to do with, put up Halloween decorations

5. Finally hung up our family pictures from April and rearranged other pictures

6. cleaned out silverware drawer and tupperware cabinet

Besides doing the regular cleaning of bathrooms, laundry etc. Is this what it feels like to be on crack? ha ha But it doesn't matter because it one week it will be dirty again. Larry should go away once a month so I could keep up.
But like the sticker saying I commented about on Amy's blog...
People with clean houses lead boring lives. Or something to that effect.

I haven't seen much of Tierra these past weeks. She's been getting off the bus at a friends about twice a week. Emily talked Tierra into taking dance with her at Michele's. Tierra enjoys it as long as she doesn't have to perform. Her and her friends have been to 2 haunted houses in SLC this week. Tierra LOVES to be scared. She also went to the Star party for her Earth Science class. They star gazed through huge telescopes.

Hudson's class has been learning about the ocean since school started. His class made individual aquariums in pop bottles this week. He was able to bring his fish home Friday. He named his guppies Gwen and Spike.
I took Hudson to Target to spend a $15 gift card he received for his birthday, way back in July. We spent over an hour looking at toys and he couldn't decide on anything to get except a $2 mini bowling set and a $2 balloon rocket launcher. I was frustrated because we had to make 2 bathroom trips in between looking and Noel was waiting in the truck. So in the end I decided on a board game (Sequence, fun times at the Auger's with that one) that the whole family could enjoy. Chalk up one more bad experience at Target!

Parks and Hudson stay after school for Dodgeball on Monday, Thursday and Fridays. They absolutely love it. Parks is so excited all day for it and when I pick them up he has a big grin and always has stories to tell me of how he caught the ball and got a big, fast 5th grader out. I think he is maybe the only Kindergartner playing. As a family soccer is our least favorite sport, so I didn't sign Parks up. Well he found out from a friend that soccer season is on and asked if he could play. Poor thing. I should have put him in for the exercise alone, but I hate sitting through the rain and hail which always seems to happen during soccer season. It's not as bad when watching football for some reason. But Jr. Jazz is coming up. He is excited about that.
Parks went to Primary Rehab to get fitted for a new DAFO. Now I'm going to be the good mom (maybe not in Parks eyes) and make him wear it everyday, like I should have done for the past 3 years. Parks doesn't like it, but it will help him down the road. I wish I had taken pictures. I've never taken any pictures at therapy over the years and it is something I wish Parks had to look back on and see what he's done.


Logan knows the routine of going to Dawsons after only 2 weeks now. It's like he can sense it's the day. He asked me after Parks got on the bus "Am I going to Dawson's today?" I said yes and he said "Yahoooey, I love going to D-bone's house". They are hilarious together. They act all tough and older than they really are. Their interaction together is so funny.

Happy Birthday's going out to Zane and Christa!

Happy Birthday to my nephew Zane who turned 12 today. That is a fun age. You now hold the priesthood and can serve the sacrament and get to attend YM's.
I remember the night you were born. I had to come babysit the rest of your siblings when your mom went to the hospital.

Here's you at the Classic Waterslide.

Zane, you might want to stop reading here. It gets a little too girly.

And to my ugly friend, :) I mean one of my bestest friends, Christa, Happy Birthday.
Remember listening to the Jazz games on our headphones in Debbie's unit? We were the die hard Jazz Fans unit. We decorated with balloons and everything. Here we are watching the game in downtown SLC on the Jumbo tron.

Give me a kiss.
I cropped our bellies out of this picture on purpose. Christine and I had just pierced our belly buttons. You on the other hand were pregnant with number two.

Our 1-900 pussycat video we made. Oh, I should be ashamed to put this on here, but it was all in fun and so hilarious. What were we thinking?! I had a slumber party at my apartment. This wasn't planned, but we put on our PJ's, ratted our hair, put tons of make-up on and fake moles, gave ourselves names like "Pansy, Dandelion, Tulip and Chrysanthemum" and video taped ourselves. We need to get that from Christine and watch it.

Then we headed to Denny's around 2am and found a few guys to join us for breakfast and took pictures to scrapbook. Oh the good ol' days.

I have so many more fun pictures of you, but couldn't find them. I wish I could have found some of the ones before going out dancing that we actually looked good in. But here is one after we came home and changed into our flannels. We were so HOT. (four eyes, was this the night you lost your contact on the dance floor?)

I CAN say this. You have gotten better looking with age. I can't say the same about myself! If it wasn't for being in the same unit with you, Heather, Melanie, Christine and Levi at IRS I wouldn't have had so many good times! I'll have to put some on my Monday Memories in the future.

Tag

Best mom tip? Don't sweat the small stuff. Read to your kids.

Biggest time saver? Not blogging. Staying off the computer all together.

Your workout routine? A walk down to the Posse ground with the kids has been a routine for years. I feel like it is MY road. ha ha I go through phases of the Gilad video. It works and is easy to follow.

Your current ipod playlist?Lots of Shakira, random bands with uplifting dance music. By uplifting I don't mean spiritual, I mean "make you smile and get off your butt and dance" kind of uplifting.

Your beauty fix? I never put foundation over my whole face, can't stand the feeling or the look. I just cover up any problem areas. If nothing else, mascara is a must.. for everybody I think. It just pops your face and looks like you are awake and care about yourself. I like a soft shiny lip color to polish the look. I always wash my face before bed, otherwise, ugh in the morning!

Fashion pet peeve? I think everybody knows I hate tie dye. I also hate the baggy pants with the boxers hanging out.

Favorite restaurant?I have a lot...Chili's, Union Grill, Mimi's and El Matador and Rumbi Grill.

Favorite way to spend alone time? When in the mood, cleaning and organizing, if not in the mood, then solving puzzles like cryptoquotes or Sudoku etc. Doing my nails and toenails and watching recorded Project Runways while pigging out. Or reading.

What are you doing? Vacuuming the blinds, I have so much energy to clean when Larry is gone. (He's hunting) so I have cleaned more in the last few days then I did all summer.

Favorite TV Show? I'm into Project Runway and Top Design right now. I love Office and Seinfeld for laughs. So you think you can dance, the Mole and Amazing Race when they are on. Also 24.

Your dream vacation? An all exclusive resort to any exotic, remote island. I want to visit Greece, Fiji, and the Virgin Islands some day.

Your first job? Busing at Ye Lion's Den, then within the next 2 years I worked at Wendy's, Subway, and Matrixx.

What do you do now? Raise my 4 kids. I just resigned with the IRS, and it feels so right to be a stay at home mom! I'm always looking for little side jobs to earn extra money...like donating plasma.

I tag Tammy, Kim and Stacy.

Wacky Wednesday

( This was from last Wednesday...but I forgot to post it. I couldn't delete it when I'd put so much work into it. ha ha Looking back I'm so relieved I'm not feeling that way today!)
You know those days that feel so overwhelming, you'll never get everything accomplished and everything is top most priority? Well I started fretting Tuesday night and I always have to make a list of what I need to do so I can calm myself down and try to plan my day by the hour.

Of course I always add things that I've been meaning to do, but don't need to do and so I feel more exasperated and by the end of the day it looks like I got a lot less done that I actually needed to.



!. Discovery Time at the library, 10:30. The 10 books, 1 tape, and DVD is due.

2. Make Dinner for Grandma and Grandpa Christiansen. This needs to be delivered around 11:30am, because they enjoy the kids to come and Parks Kindergarten bus comes at 12:30. Then Logan will be down for his nap.

I'm making funeral potatoes (and delivering them cooked which takes an hour) and cutting up fruit and vegies so I'll have to get up early because I definately need a shower, it's been two days and I've sweated profusely from playing basketball at the Augers Monday night, then deep cleaning the house all day Tuesday; so I'm 2 days overdue!

Don't forget to mention getting Tierra and Hudson breakfast and having Parks and Hudson watch the DVD from the library on "Good Manners" that we've had for 2 weeks. Not a necessity but it urks me to think they might be missing out on something I'll probably never check out again.

Of course I don't plan on setting my alarm any earlier than usual, 7:17am, just in time to make sure Tierra eats breakfast before she's on the bus. Even when I have much to do, I love my sleep more.

Well I woke up at 6 and couldn't go back to sleep so I'm so proud that I got up and started cutting potatoes and was well on my way by 7 when Larry left for work.

I've had my shower and Hudson's out the door by 8:30, they thoroughly enjoyed the DVD and hopefully learned a thing or two.

Parks is finishing his coloring homework, we need to head out the door in 10 min, but Logan chooses today of all days to sleep in until 9:30. Usually he's up around 8.
Back to my list

3. Harmons

I need to go to Harmons before the library and refill my "blemish control" medi. I am breaking out like a chicken pox epidemic. For crying out loud...I'm 35.

Pick up rolls for G and G's dinner. And I want cream cheese for the bagels we've had for over a week.

4. Bath and Body Works

What do you know? Cynthia calls. I can do my make-up and straighten my hair while I'm on the phone, can't I? I can't not answer when she's calling from half way around the world.
talk talk talk...

Oh well, no Harmons, no rolls, more acne and maybe we'll only be 5 minutes late for the library.

As soon as my kids go sit on the carpet at the library I realize I didn't brush their teeth or comb their hair. How could I miss that? Parks looks like the hair fairy came to visit him again last night. Logan is sporting an afro. Before I leave I take them in the bathroom and wet their hair down and do a run through with my hands.

The next stop was suppose to be the mall. Tierra's birthday is tomorrow. I haven't gotten her anything. I have a 20% coupon for Bath and Body works so I thought I'd grab some good smelling stuff to give her something to open in the morning. Tonight I'm taking her shopping for a new outfit to wear on her birthday, it's the only thing she wanted.

Then I'll grab Parks a parmesan pretzel for his lunch.

Well it is already noon. No mall.

We head to great grandma's. We really need about 2 hours to visit. The kids have so much fun and grandma has so many stories. We rush the visit and still end up late for school. We had to stop home for Parks backpack. Luckily I had granola bars in the car for his lunch and he was only 10 minutes late.

Well Logan fell asleep on the way home from the school, so no going to the mall this afternoon.
I still need to pick blackberries for Tierra's birthday dessert.

And I thought I was doing so well by getting up at 6am!
Aaaauuuuugggghhhhhh!

**Monday Memories**

Not much happened this week. Hudson started Flag Football, always a fun season. They won both their games. Of course Larry wishes he had chosen to play tackle football. Tierra had a late birthday party. She invited her girlfriends to hang out at her dad Phillips. They ate pizza and so much junk food, played pool, watched a scary movie, then went for a walk down to Beus's Pond and played night games.

Since I don't have much else to say, I'm going to reflect back just a few weekend ago to when we took the boys to the HAFB museum. It is all free and very interesting. In good weather, pack a lunch and eat on the picnic tables outside under the planes.

They have a hands-on learning center for the kids to play in. They dressed up, rode in simulators, and had an awesome learning experience.

Parks wants to be an astronaut when he grows up.

I wish I could keep these for their Halloween costumes, they were so dang cute.
Even dad learned a few cool tricks. (balancing an eagel on his nose)

Hud could do it on his chin.

Future pilots.


This you can try at home. A ping pong ball kept afloat with a hairdryer.

Hudson loved following the map and keeping us informed of what was coming up. See what you missed out on Caden and Zane.

New Look

I've wanted a new look for my blog for quite awhile, but I've heard horror stories about how other people have lost their widgets and had to create them all over.
I've always wanted something beside my name for my URL also. I was in a hurry because Nadia was setting up my blog, so I had to be quick and I just wasn't creative, fast enough, like most of you out there. At the time I didn't know it would cause so much trouble to change it. But I've asked Larry for some ideas, I can't tell you what they are because I don't even know if any of them will be available until I try them.
But when I've figured out both (the new skin for my blog and the URL) I'll try to comment on your blog's to get you a link to mine. So this is just a head's up that there will be a change. Sorry to have you redo your "friends and family" link, or whatever you call yours, but I NEED to do this if I'm going to be blogging for life. ha ha ha
Ginger should give us a few blog lessons!

Momma Jo?

I've been asked why I changed my comment name to momma jo. The first reason is their are too many Angie's. So I tried to think of something that I'm used to being called at home. Hudson started calling me "mommy mosey" when he was about 4 and I thought it was cute, but when Logan started calling Larry "Daddy-O" then my name turned into "Momma Jo" to rhyme I guess. Larry now refers to me when talking to the kids as "Jo momma"....as in "Jo momma wants you to go eat dinner". ha ha
I like change so I'll probably be changing this name again every now and then.

Raingutter Regatta

Jerry Titus was great to host this event at his house. For those not in scouting and having no idea what I'm talking about...

Jimmy verses Hudson

Jerry purchased the wooden boat kits and the boys had one week to sand, paint and decorate them, and attach the sail and rutters. Then the boys raced them down a raingutter full of water by blowing into their sails.

Baden verses Hudson

Even Logan and Parks had a turn.

Jerry even gave them award medals to pin on their scout uniforms.

**Monday Memories**

I've always wanted to have a post like Jeni's "Flashback Friday" because you could look back on anything and they are fun to see. Jeni said I could copy her, but I didn't want to do that.
I've also wanted to start keeping a typed journal, hoping I'll become more consistant and even going as far as writing a synopsis of my life story for my posterity to pass on.
That's when it came to me to type a few "memories" on my blog of just a few experiences that occured that week. Good and bad. Hopefully through the weeks I have more GOOD than bad. Knock on wood.
This way my children and I will remember more of our journey. Some weeks I may even choose to add past memories, thus covering the "flashback" urge I have. I sooo want to go back in time and be a child again.

So for my first go-around here is what stands out since last Monday.

Debbie and I have created a play date for Dawson (a.k.a. D-bone) and Logan (a.k.a. Gunner.) Once a week Gunner goes to play for 2 hours and another day D-bone comes to our house to play. Gunner would take a nap as soon as Parks got on the bus in the afternoon, but I know he would much rather rough-house with his buddy. This first week went wonderfully. When I use to deliver Butterbraids, at least 6 months ago, Debbie would offer to babysit Logan and the two boys would get in some...let's say brawls that left marks. They have come a long way and both are sooo excited for play day. Dawson is fully potty trained and Logan is still working on #2. Let's hope big D-bone can teach him a thing or number two.

On the down note, while Logan was gone for the first time, I thoroughly cleaned and organized the boys room. I had both of Parks' DAFO's (leg brace's) laying out. They look almost identical. One was too small and the other was still in use, getting small but still worked. Well I accidently threw out the still good one and didn't realize it until after the garbage man had come on Wednesday! I tried shoving Parks' foot in the brace and all but died when I realized what I'd done. You'd think with the technology now-a-days they could make them a lot more comfortable, wearable and functional. I swear they are from the dark ages! Made from plastic and velcro but, you'd think they were plated in gold with the price tag. So next week we head to therapy to get fitted for a new one which will take months to receive.

Hudson had a cavity free visit to the dentist.

The day before Tierra's birthday I took her shopping at the mall to buy a new outfit. For her birthday dinner she wanted dutch oven chicken and funeral potatoes, The exact meal we ate at the Club house in Soda Springs. I also picked blackberries and made a cobbler.

We made it to the State Fair, an annual tradition. I'll blog about that some other time.

My favorite part of the week was sleeping in the tent trailor with two of my boys.
I've wanted to sleep on the trampoline with them, but the summer flew by without a chance and now it has become a little too chilly. Not to mention me being a little nervous about the mountain lion roaming around. So before dad takes down the trailor for the winter I thought we could have one more camp out. Hudson and Parks were thrilled. Of course Tierra had no interest, Larry was working overtime Saturday morning so needed to be in his "real" bed and Logan likes his dad more than his mom. Larry really wanted Logan to sleep out with us instead of in bed with him.
I took a flashlight and a book and we read in our sleeping bags. The best part was all the stories the boys wanted to tell me. I think kids need that wind down time without any interruptions to get all their thoughts out there. I learned a lot about them and school and funny things they think about. It was so much fun that we slept out again Saturday night. Dad, Logan and Tierra still slept in the house. I've always been a dreamer but I seemed to have twice as many dreams and some scary ones. Maybe I was a little nervous about being out there after all. My boys have slept out there by themselves a lot this summer, while Caden and Zane, their older cousins were excited to sleep in Hud and Parks' bunkbeds instead of joining them. I got the feeling that our offer to the Najdawi's to sleep in the trailor was like asking them to sleep in an old abandoned, homeless man's shack. ha ha

And last but not least, I thoroughly enjoyed my Sunday's lessons. Taught by Rachel, Penelope and the talk given by our new High Councilman Bro. Durant. All 3 of them lifted my spirits, taught me something new and made me want to be a better person. Also, Beata had some wonderful comments. This one day a week is really what I need to start refreshed and just want to keep trying. Now I can plug along and make it just 6 more days until Sunday again.
Sorry this one got a bit wordy. I'll try to keep it simple next week.

Tierra turns 15 today! Happy birthday Girl, I love you!

Forgive the bad clarity of these pictures. I had to take pic's of my scrapbook and then crop them for this....
point your curser on the pic's for the caption

Tierra came two weeks early...a real 9-1-1 emergency. She is a miracle baby. Her heart rate dropped to 44 beats a minute, when a regular healthy baby's heart beats over 100 times a minute.
I also fell off a horse while prenant with Tierra. She swallowed a penny at age 1 and had to have it removed in the emergency room. She was rescued from drowning at 2 years old at a local swimming pool.

Tierra has always been soft spoken, kind, gentle and a sweetheart.

By the age of 2 Tierra had traveled to Arizona, Florida, Tennessee, California, Nevada and Idaho.

Tierra is a girly girl. She loves doing hair, nails, make-up, wearing jewelry and shopping for clothes.

Tierra has never been a "homesick" kind of girl, from a very young age. She was never afraid to try new things eithe; rock climbing, snowboarding, horseback riding, four wheeling, tubing, any kind of ride at theme parks, the older she gets, the less willing. :)

Tierra has many friends and is loyal and trustworthy.

Thanks for being a good example and a friend to me Tierra.
Happy birthday and many many more!

Waterfall Hike

It finally came. We had plans to go Labor Day with the Augers but it rained us out.

Larry wanted to go Friday but Colton had football. So Saturday seemed good.
Well except that their cement guy was coming so we headed out without them.

We all have camel backs except Logan, and dad had the backpack full of lunch. Logan really wanted something to carry. Larry was worried he'd end up having to carry both Gunner and Parks before the end. I had confidence in Parks and I was right. He was a trooper the whole way. It was rockier than I remember the closer we got to the fall.

Our first time hiking the waterfall together, Tierra was in diapers.

The last time we went, I remember changing Parks diaper on the bridge. So it's been about 4 years.

Logan didn't want ANY help. "I can do it mom!" I was able to help him once by asking for his help. But the handhold only lasted a few steps.

Tierra and Hudson left us behind and had been waiting at the waterfall for at least 10 min. before we reached the top.

Larry and I were stung by wasps and we found out at the top that Tierra had been too.

I'm allergic so my hand swelled up like a fat mans. No offense. But it was funny looking, because you couldn't see my knuckles for a few days. And the itch...oh my. I wish I had taken a picture of that.

It was a perfect, beautiful day. We only had a few visitors at the top with us and not for long. Tierra and I laid out and soaked up the sun. The boys climbed a rock and threw rocks.

The view is breath taking.

Logan needed "shoulder action" the last little bit and fell asleep before we got to the car.

Hudson has chosen this experience for his next theme paper.We wish this was our backyard.

Hudson's a climber. Scares me sometimes.

First day of School 2008

Parks has been dying to get on that bus to see what it looks like. He is a big Kindergartener now.

We met his teacher Mrs. Farr. I was soooo excited for Parks to have her. Both Tierra and Hudson had Mrs. Peters, and she was great, but I was hoping to try someone new. And who could be better than Pres. Farr's wife? I love him and the talks he gives. They were on Trek as a Ma and Pa also. They have 6 kids. So I know they love children. And they are the owners of Farr's Ice-cream. So for Family night we had to go have double decker ice-cream cones. I hope she gives out coupons for ice-cream during the school year. ha ha

Little trivia fact I learned on Trek. Bro. Farr is the one who invented Playdough Ice-cream. Yummy!

Parks had to wait a whole week for assessments to go back to school. The first day of school for the big kids, Parks came limping down the hall sleepy-eyed, with his hair poking all directions, and dressed for school just after Hudson woke up. I hated to tell him he had 6 hours until it was time to meet his teacher at 2pm. He also had a dentist appt. to go to that morning.

I love afternoon Kindergarten because I'm not a morning person and I figure they have to wake up for the next 12 yrs of school. Why not sleep in one more year. And luckily Logan still takes naps so I have my afternoons free.

Every day Parks asks "How long until school starts mom?" It's usually around 11:00am when he asks so he still has an hour and a half until the bus comes. Maybe morning K. would have been better for this child. :)

He loves riding the bus home in the very back seats with Hudson and Hud's buddy Wyatt.

Hudson's first day. He wanted to wear his Hawaiian shirt and shark tooth necklace gram and pop had given him just the night before. I didn't think a T-shirt was a great first-day-of-school look, but if that's what he wanted then let him. Luckily I did because it is "Hawaiian Year" in Mrs. Sheffields class this year. Her room is decorated with palm trees and ocean life. He came home wearing a lei. Mrs. Sheffield is awesome. She loves surfboarding and owns her own board. She's made Hudson so eager to learn....Not surfboarding, (although he wishes we had moved to Hawaii so he could surf ), but just learning in general. Hurray for Hawaii and Mrs. Sheffield. Hudson has many of his friends in his class also. I have a feeling this is going to be a magnificent school year.

Second day of school.

Parks skipping off the bus, yelling "I have a gingerbread man, oh yeah!"

Parks sharing his gingerbread man cookie with his brothers. Put another sticker on the share bear.

Tierra's first day of school starting out with taunting Nadia. She learned it from the best of them, (Najdawi's)...so she's giving her a taste of her own medicine.
Rise n shine Nadia it's 7:30am.

Tierra is now the "Top Dog" at Sunset Jr. High. She is taking Seminary which makes me happy, she'll get a little slice of heaven while she's at school.