An Enchanted Place

Jordan gets baptized!

2012-01-14T17:20:00.001-07:00

We are so proud and excited for our little princess,

who was just baptized into

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints!

We love you Juna!

2011-12-28T17:13:00.002-07:00

The ULTIMATE Christmas Present...

A Retro Red Mini Coke Machine of my very own... My husband ROCKS! Does he know me or what!

All Hallowed Out

2011-11-09T22:39:00.000-07:00

Pass me that Baby Football!

The Neighborhood Gang (or part of them, anyway)

4 Wizard Hermione's from Harry Potter

(Holly, Shelbie, Jordan, Ashley)

Delicious Pumpkin-Pie Bread

2011-10-19T21:28:00.002-06:00

This is my favorite spiced pumpkin bread recipe. The key is using "pumpkin pie" puree (instead of simply pumpkin puree), and the cloves. It comes out tasting very richly spiced and flavorful. (Note: adding dry pumpkin pie spice doesn't give it quite the same rich taste as the canned pumpkin-pie puree, but it will still taste great if all you have is regular canned pumpkin.)

Pumpkin-Pie Bread
Mix the following ingredients together first:
3 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 cup oil
One 15 oz can "pumpkin pie" puree
1/2 cup water
.
In another bowl mix together:
3 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp cinnamon

Dump dry ingredients into the wet and blend well.
Pour into 2 greased bread loaf pans.
Bake 350 for 55 minutes.

Cream Cheese Frosting:
8 oz cream cheese
4 tbsp butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 pound powdered sugar (add more to thicken)

YYYYUUUUMMMMMMMMYYYY!!!

My 13.1

2011-10-04T10:23:00.002-06:00

This is a number that embodies a certain connotation of achievement with it. Let me share the many ways that 13.1 is accomplished in my life daily...

13.1...

...calories my fingers burn blogging and shopping online in an hour.

...cans of diet Mountain Dew consumed.

...caramel-apple candy-corns that fit into one handful.

...handfuls of caramel-apple candy-corn eaten untill the bag is empty.

...water/child/phone/bathroom breaks while walking on the treadmill for half an hour.

...brain cells lost for each episode of Spongebob watched.

...miles driven to & from the gas station per week.

...diapers changed daily.

...minutes it takes to do a load of dishes.

...loads of laundry in a week.

...seconds of uninterrupted shower time.

...pounds my baby weighs.

...snacks I eat in a day.

...miles I run in my dreams.
...Now I think I'm entitled to a t-shirt or bumper sticker or medal, right?

Shoe Sale

2011-09-23T09:24:00.005-06:00

Ahhh, the creativity of children...

Apparently all of our shoes are for sale, neatly lined up in pairs all up the stairs. So come on over for a shoe sale!

A Walk in the Wildflowers

2011-08-26T10:13:00.009-06:00

The kids and I went up to Albion Basin with Dad & Karen to capture some summertime sunshine and walk amongst wildflowers.

Beautiful!!
I LOVE these kids!
(I love the flowers too!)

Kason's Baby Blessing

2011-08-11T10:00:00.001-06:00

I LOVE being a mother. My family, my kids, are my world. There is nothing sweeter than holding a new baby, to behold their precious and amazing spirit. It is the most spiritual experience, and testifies that there is more to us than the physical. Babies bring an awesome spiritual presence into the home, one of purity and innocence, sweetness and love. The miracle of creation and birth brings a mother nearer to God than anything else ever could. The blessing of being a mother has been the greatest blessing in my life.

We had a fabulous baby blessing day with all of our family.

Summer Wishin'

2011-07-18T09:18:00.004-06:00

I wish...

my baby would stay tiny, curled up into a ball on my shoulder, making puckering faces and gurgling smiles.

summer would last forever.

kids didn't need to go to school.

Mary Poppins lived in my house.

potty training happened with the snap of a finger.

fat literally melted away.

bodies didn't age.

kids never whined and always shared.

diet Mtn. Dew grew on trees in my backyard.

I could wake up every morning bouncing with energy, so I really didn't need my diet dew.

I could be with my family forever...

Country Fest

2011-06-21T13:08:00.004-06:00

My kids absolutely LOVE going to the annual carnival at South Jordan's Country Fest. Nothing beats the expensive carnival games for cheap prizes, rides that go in a circle and never end (hello, I had to tell the worker, who I'm not sure even understood english, that "uh, I think my kids are done on this ride..." it's been about 10 minutes of riding in a circle and I'm going to throw-up just watching them!) face painting, cotton candy, free balloons, pony rides, all under a hot sun, Yeehaw!

The graduate who ran

2011-06-09T08:16:00.002-06:00

Aidan's preschool graduation turned into quite the comic event, when he began crying the moment we entered the door of the fancy reception center where it was held, and didn't stop...

When the 40 or so preschool graduates began their performance, he could be seen sobbing hysterically, which caused his very emotional post-partum mommy to cry as well.

When he caught a glimpse of his daddy, he bolted right out of the little singing show, off-stage, and attached himself to dad's legs!

So, in order to get him to "walk," daddy became his special guest escort, holding his hand and leading him in the precession! (Dad was the lone adult male preschool graduate.) Hey, at least Aidan walked!

Aidan decided when he grows up he wants to be a daddy with a truck. (He absolutely idolizes his daddy!)

Congrads Aidan!

Baby Comes Home From NICU

2011-05-26T16:35:00.004-06:00

One week after he was born, after a heart-wrenching 7-day stay in the NICU so his little lungs could mature, Baby Kason came home.

We love our baby brother so much!

Baby Kason

2011-05-21T11:38:00.009-06:00

Our new baby boy....
Kason Joseph Bengtzen

He came 4 weeks early, and is currently in the NICU.

Earlier this week, I went into early labor at 36 weeks (which I not-so-secretly wished for). I was so excited to be having the baby already, and had a c-section (for the fourth time). When he was born, he came out crying and adorable. Very soon however, it was clear he was struggling to breathe, and was taken out of the OR, away from me, to be treated. Erik went with him, and for hours sat and helplessly watched nurses trying to figure out what to do to help our baby.

Finally, he was transported in the middle of the night to another hospital with a capable NICU. He was put on ventilators, and had all sorts of lines and tubes everywhere. The first day was up and down, but finally he started improving. I didn't get to see him for 3 days, and at that point he was under the billiruben lights, with a mask on his eyes, oxygen, lines and tubes all over. It was honestly one of the most helpless, saddest sights to see my baby lying all alone, unable to be cuddled and comforted. I held him for the one hour of the day he could come off. It was one of the best hours of my life, and every hour that I get to spend with him since gets better and better.

He is currently making huge progess every day, and we hope to welcome him home in a few days! He is the sweetest little baby boy in the world, especially considering what he has had to go through the first days of his life. We have been extremely blessed by Heavenly Father and the Angels that have attended Kason in the NICU.

Erik and I appreciate all the help we've received from our family and friends. We love you all! We love our kids and baby boy more than life, and have grown even closer together through this trial.

Erik has been a superdad, taking care of our three kids, driving from one hospital to see me, to another hospital to see Kason, transporting kids to school, making sure they are emotionally cared for. He is my hero through all this, and Kason is my little superhero. I love my hubby and kids more than anything!

Swamp People's Live Crawfish Boil!

2011-05-01T17:53:00.007-06:00

To surprise my Dad for his 70th Birthday Party, we flew in live fresh crawfish straight from Louisiana (his hometown) and had a cajun crawfish boil right at our home in Utah!

Fearless Dad was a natural with the critters, tossing them around, picking them up, playing with them like a real swamp-man!

My sister Candace, my Dad, and Erik (who did a fab job with the boiler in our garage!)

This is what a cooler of live crawfish looks like - careful, don't get too close, they PINCH!

And this is what they look like after they've been to the boiler. Behold the spread on our dining table - too bad the weather was so cold (it snowed that morning) because this is better suited for an outdoor party, a little messy!

Can't wait to dig in!

If you've never experienced it, here's dad's tip for properly eating a piping hot spicy boiled crawfish: Twist, suck the head, pinch the tail and eat.

Candace & Dan loving every bite! (This was Dan's first crawfish boil, and he was a little intimidated! Never fear, Candace will show you how it's done!)

When the crawfish arrived FedEx Saturday morning, Erik was so excited he dumped them all into our kitchen sink, much to the kids' and my horror.

Actually, Bella was fascinated by them and stood right next to him by the sink as he washed them one by one.

He sufferred a few "war wounds" here and there. Jordan ran around shouting, "Mean, bad pinchies!" And Aidan kept a watchful distance. It was hilarious!

We had a teriffic and very memorable party.

Happy 70th Birthday Dad!

Easter Bunnies

2011-04-29T17:57:00.007-06:00

I love my little Easter Bunnies!

We had a fabulous Easter, highlighted by our annual Easter Egg Hunt at Grandma's.

(I just wish this little chick would hatch already...)

My Bella

2011-04-09T20:30:00.006-06:00

Happy 3rd Birthday to our sweet little Bella!
She loves Babies, Dora, Tinkerbell, Princesses, Sparkle Skirts, Makeup, Bubblegum, Shoes, Dancing, Brushing Hair, Chapstick, Coloring, Blankies, Soy Milk, Popsicles, Strawberries, Family, and her new Pink Bike.

Jammin' with Bella's Dora Guitar!

She adores babies (now she'll be equipped to play mommy when the new baby comes!)

Lemon Drop Cookies

2011-03-31T09:22:00.002-06:00

Pure Confectionary Perfection.....

These are simply genius to your taste buds...a perfect springtime treat.

Lemon Drop Cookies:
Cream together...
2 c sugar
1 1/2 c butter
3 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp lemon juice/extract

Mix in...
4 c flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 lemon zest grated
1 8oz bag crushed lemon drop candies

Roll into balls and bake on parchment paper (very important, otherwise the cookies will stick to the pan because of the hard candies!) 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Cool & top with fresh lemon glaze.

Lemon Glaze:
1 bag powdered sugar - use about 3 cups
Lemon juice squeezed from 2 large lemons

Mix powdered sugar in 1 cup at a time until desired consistency to drizzle and coat cookies.

Enjoy THE BEST lemon cookies EVER!!

Baby Kicks

2011-03-16T19:35:00.006-06:00

It's no secret that this has been a most miserable incubation existence for me, and I simply cannot wait to get this little babe outta me. However, I have to confess that there is one (and it may be the ONLY one) positive "side effect" of this pregnancy...

feeling those little baby kicks.

It is absolutely AMAZING and never ceases to bring a smile to my face, to feel a little life inside my body, rolling and moving and poking and kicking around. It is the one thing that I can deal with, that almost makes all the other issues and discomforts bearable... almost. Those precious kicks forge a mother-baby bond that is shockingly strong, even if it is right in the bladder, or up in the ribs. I LOVE it!

(Of course, holding that newborn sweet little baby at the end of nine really long months is what finally makes it all worthwhile.) Come on, June...

Maid Service

2011-03-10T17:20:00.007-07:00

I bit the checkbook and hired a maid service this week to come scrub my shower, tubs, floors, toilets, blinds, baseboards, ovens... you name it, they did it.

I can't tell you how marvelous it is to walk into a bathroom that smells fresh, and to not look through dust to see the furniture & out the window.

So, I have come to the conclusion that sometimes, it is well worth the money to hire someone else to do the dirty work! (Especially when you're pregnant, and the simple act of vacuuming pinches that darn sciatic nerve, and folding laundry makes your wrists ache...)

Hallelujah maids!

Mardi Gras

2011-03-03T15:02:00.006-07:00

I grew up going to parades galore, grooving to the spirited bands booming drums and trumpets down the streets, standing high above the crowd on a ladder so I would have an advantage at catching stuff, coming home with armfulls of pretty necklaces, decorative cups, little toys, and whatever else the masqueraders would throw off of ornate floats. Mardi Gras is party time in Louisiana, with parades, music, king cake, masks, and lots and lots of beads & trinkets! (No risque behavior involved, that's for the sicko's!)

We haven't been for years now (since the year 2000, I think) but thanks to my mom & dad, my kids get to experience the fun when their G-Ma or Pepere comes back with bags of beads and trinkets for them. They have a ball of their own! (Not to mention the delicious King Cake they bring back - yum yum!)

A Sweet Valentine Wedding

2011-02-21T08:48:00.010-07:00

My Dad married his sweetheart of many years over Valentines' weekend!

It was a very sweet, small wedding in North Carolina, that was just as beautiful as the old-fashioned bride and groom.

Jordan got to be a flower girl, tossing rose petals down the aisle. Aidan was the ring-bearer, carrying the rings down the aisle on a pillow, alongside Erik. Bella was a little princess, clinging to mommy down the aisle. My dad was handsome as ever, in his suit with red bow-tie and rose boutineer. Karen (the bride) was simply stunning in an Audrey Hepburn-style cream dress and bonnet, bouquet of roses in hand.

We met our new wonderful stepfamily: two sisters (just like my sister and I) and four precious little girl cousins, same ages as ours. They all got the chance to participate in the wedding, fashionably dressy and adorable.

Jordan & Bella enjoyed the lollipops provided for the kids.

My dad, ever the romantic, played the guitar and sang to his new bride - it was the sweetest thing I've ever seen at a wedding!

The cakes were incredible, handmade by a friend. A Valentine-decorated white almond wedding cake that was simply the best I've ever tasted, and Mardi Gras themed chocolate groom's cake (perfect for Dad!)

We had a teriffic vacation, visiting a fun children's museum, Duke Campus (wow - I never knew it was like a medieval castle), and the highlight of our trip, South Carolina's Myrtle Beach. Despite the cold and biting wind, the kids had a blast playing on the beach (we got asked if we were from the North Pole and thought it was summer in February) and swimming in the amazing heated pools.

Check out the view from our balcony at the Marriott Resort...dreamy! The heated pools outside were perfect. Especially the kids' pool and treehouse!

It was a perfect vacation!

(Right up until the plane trip home, where Bella peed her pants, we had to buy a Jr.-size t-shirt at an airport to act like a dress, and I got extremely airsick due to horrible turbulence, utilizing the airplane's barf-bag...everything's worse when you're pregnant!) At least that was END of our trip, and we could come home afterwards!

Cheers to Dad and Karen, the newlyweds!

Superhero Birthday Bash

2011-02-01T11:43:00.008-07:00

We had a bunch of little superheroes at our house yesterday...Batmen and Wonder Women!

I am... Batman.

That little boy in the red chair had the time of his life, pretending to be batman and defeating Joker, with all his cute little friends!

Happy 5th Birthday to my little buddy Aidan!

We're Halfway There...Living on a Prayer...If You've Ever Been Pregnant...

2011-01-18T16:28:00.015-07:00

First, who the heck coined the term "morning sickness?" The term should be "the-24/7-4-month-stomach-flu!" Try feeling like crap all the time, and wanting nothing but to lay on the couch and go to sleep for about 4 months until that gagging pit in your stomach goes away. (At least I found my new BFF Phenergan this go round.)

Then there's that smell! Every yummy scent of baking that I used to put in my Scentsy or plug in my Wallflower makes my stomach acid churn. Why do all the good scents have to make me feel pukey?! And where can I get the scent of salty green olives??

Then there's the perpetual indigestion to deal with. While I may not be high-tailing it to the potty to puke, I feel like my innards are growling, grumbling, gurggling, churning, trying to figure out which way is up or down, or exploding for 9 months. Not pleasant, and no amount of maalox or gas-x makes it go away. Seems like eating momentarily takes the discomfort away...but then I'm always eating, then I overdo it, then I'm suffering more... What?!

And who the heck knew about pregnancy-induced carpal tunnel syndrome? My hands go numb and tingly every night about 100 times, then again during the day when I do too much with my hands (like my hair, folding laundry, doing dishes, crafts, typing, blog-surfing, pretty much everything I do all day.) Seriously?!

Then my body basically looks like a friekin' cheese factory - ricotta, cottage, curd, crumbled, well-aged...CHEESE!! Number 4 is a body-killer! Exclamation point. I wear clothes if they pass the test: "can I hide the back rolls with that shirt?" or "do I have just one baby bump, or two, or three, with those pants?" or "do I look like a cute pregnant lady or a water balloon in this outfit?"

Exercise becomes a matter of improving circulation instead of shedding calories. It's all I can do to walk just over "cool down" speed on my treadmill for 30 minutes. Especially when I have to hop off to go pee twice, and take a water break in the middle. (And of course tend to kids needing me the whole time.)

Sleep alludes me. I'm only halfway there, yet I'm already as big as I was at delivery the last 3 times. I have to take a deep breath and swing my belly to the side when changing positions at night, my hips are killing me, reflux burns my throat, I have to keep shaking my hands out, and I just have a hard time sleeping period. Dude. Is it too soon to be saying "Get this thing outta me!?"

As I approach the halfway mark of this parasitical phenomenon, I just had to unload all I've been ruminating over during this great (big) event. If you have ever been pregnant, you know what I'm saying. If you haven't been blessed with child-carrying, then please don't mistake my grumblings as ingratitude, for nothing is furthur from the truth. I am 100% grateful to be a mother, over and over - it loses none of its charm. It simply gains - a lot...

Tangled at 7

2011-01-14T11:22:00.009-07:00

Happy 7th Birthday to my Lil' Sweetheart Jordan!!

We took a crew of 10 kids to see Disney's Tangled - it was a blast! I snuck in bags of treats for each child and little bottles of Sprite (much to Erik's embarassment - he was paranoid about getting caught sneaking stuff in. Seriously, who doesn't bring in their own candy?) Besides I bought a drink and popcorn and movie tickets for everyone... isn't $100 enough to spend at the movies?! The theatre should've provided us movie treats for free, aren't we like guests of honor here!

Jordan also got her ears pierced, and said it felt like someone "stapled my ears!"

She LOVES her friends!

She special-ordered a "horse cake" for her birthday.
Check out the horse statue that my dad (her Pepere) painted for her! Aw dad, you're gonna make me melt! That's so perfect and sweet and thoughtful!

Dear Santa, Please Load My Stocking With....

2010-12-20T10:51:00.011-07:00

Phenergan

Maalox

Tylenol - wahoo, nothing works like good ole Tylenol...
Sciatica, headaches, hip-aches beware... (Seriously, is Tylenol the best I can get?)

Patience

A jolly good sense of humor to last for the next 6 MONTHS

Olive Garden in endless supply

Chocolate... fudge, milk, ice cream, hot cocoa... you get the point.

Clothes that make me look like I didn't eat all that, but that still fit and are so dang cute that I don't feel like hiding under a blanket in my house listening to the fat cells expanding all day.

Time machine to take me back to when I was 25 and pregnant - my body didn't rebel so much against me then. Seriously, I feel like Tim Allen on "The Santa Clause" where he goes in to the doctor and has gained 40 pounds in a week. Except I didn't put on a Santa-suit. I just took a pregnancy test and walked out of the bathroom 40 pounds more than when I went in.

A healthy baby, despite my murmurings.

Bright Paper Packages

2010-12-17T20:53:00.004-07:00

These are a few of my favorite things about Christmas...

Hot Cocoa

Cozy fireplace

Making a Gingerbread house (or train, this year) with the kids, eating candy drops as we go

Christmas Lights on houses

Christmas Trees, all lit up

Children giggling

Jingling Bells

Making candy

Dark Chocolate

Peppermint kisses by sticky little faces

Fancy ribbon and pretty paper

Watching Christmas Vacation (and The Polar Express , Elf, The Christmas Story, and laughing at how similar they seem to our own Holiday life!)

Reading the story of Jesus' birth, over and over again, hoping the kids will get it

Giving gifts to friends and family, being somebody's
Sub-for-Santa, and praying for my children to understand the true Spirit of Christmas

That irresistible smile on your child's face when she gets a new toy that is so completely her (Or him)

Relishing the joy of Christmas with my little family

I truly do live the life of my dreams

2010-11-23T15:12:00.013-07:00

As I reflect on my life and all I have, I am brought to tears by an abundance of blessings.
Here are a few, which deeply touch my heart:

My healthy, vibrant, beautiful children, who I cannot imagine life without. They are my world, my heart, my everything.

My incredible, spiritual, respectable, caring husband, who amazes me as he works tirelessly for our family and for all the people he knows and loves in our neighborhood. I am awed by him and his amazing diligence and capacity to serve. It has been a year since he was placed in our church's local bishopric, and the spirit that resides in our house is unmistakable and immeasurable. It's a tough schedule, balancing church, work, and family, not to mention that elusive R&R, which quite frankly he never gets. He is my example and inspiration. Our children (not to mention myself) are smitten with him, and he is the best father a child could ever have. I am so blessed by him. So Blessed.

My awesome family - My sister is building a house in my neighborhood, and I can't wait to share life with her down the street. My parents, who are the nicest and most genuine folks you could meet. My grandparents and the legacy of blessings, love, and culture they left me.

My incredible neighbors and friends, who are a realization of the blessings of following our promptings to live where we do.

I truly do live the life of my dreams, with the family of my dreams, which makes the home of my dreams.

(My favorite winter songs are playing in the Castle Tunes - check 'em out for a little cozy inspiration.)

Pumpkins & Witches & Treats, Oh My! Topped off with Spiced Pumpkin Bread...Yum Yum!

2010-10-13T16:01:00.009-06:00

Gardner Village in Fall is Spectacular, with Witches, Pumpkins, Animals to pet, Treats to get, and a wee bit of Shopping for the Girl-in-me.

Good times are even better when shared with friends:

Fall Foliage Fun:

Top off a fall outing with this Spiced Pumpkin Bread, and it's pure pumpkin heaven!
(Warning: This is SO GOOD, you just may polish off both loaves yourself, with a bowl of homemade cream-cheese frosting.)

Spiced Pumpkin Bread

3 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 cup oil
2 cups canned "pumpkin pie" puree
Mix these together first.
Then in a separate bowl:
3 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cloves (*this is the secret ingredient)
1/2 tsp nutmeg
2 tbsp cinnamon
Mix everything together.
Pour into 2 greased bread loaf pans.
Bake 325 for 1 hr 15 min.

Cream Cheese Frosting: (to die for)
8 oz cream cheese
4 tbsp butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 pound powdered sugar (add more to thicken)

Now tell me you're in heaven!

Thanks to my friend Jane for this delicious recipe!

Horse Lovin' Girl

2010-09-28T09:32:00.008-06:00

Jordan has always loved horses - stuffed animals, books, little figurines, pictures, movies... She is a horse lovin' girl!
So this year we granted her wish - horse riding.

It is AMAZING, to see a LITTLE girl up on a LARGE beast, calm and confident, and oh so HAPPY!!

One time, I got to ride with her - oh yeah!
Giddy-up Cowgirls!
Sore for days after - that was seriously so much fun!

FABULOUS Chocolate Zucchini Cake

2010-09-15T10:50:00.005-06:00

Here's the latest fad from my kitchen,
and it is POSITIVELY DELICIOUS!
Sooooooo chocolatey, warm, dense, & tasty........mmmmmmmmmm.....
Just pretend it's good for you because it has zucchini in it, and it's TOTAL heaven!

Blend following ingredients in one at a time:
3 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup oil
2 cups grated zucchini
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract
1 cup mini chocolate chips
1 cup (optional) walnut or pecan pieces

Mix & sift the following dry ingredients together,
then blend into the wet mix:
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg

Bake in 2 greased bread-loaf pans at 350 for 50 minutes.
Enjoy!!

Summer Dreamin'

2010-09-04T15:59:00.006-06:00

Summer is our FAVORITE time of year, and as it comes to a close, here's reflecting on some of the things that made this summer so special to us - the little family-moments that made us laugh, the times that didn't make it into their own post, but that made our summer the best.....

Ice cream all over my face is the best!

Here kids, have some WATERMELON!
You want more? Have the whole thing!

At the top of Guardsman's Pass, during a cabin-stay with my family.

Jordan built "the Brownies" a little house of rocks (The history on this one: Erik makes up these crazy little stories about "the Brownies," an elf-like people who live in the mountains. Oh, and they're real!)

Joined by my Mom - she's amazing and uplifting to be around. Oh, and she believes in Brownies too... Do you?

Chilling out with Daddy.

One look at that face, and I MELT!

Flip-Flop Cookies (Recipe courtesy Family Fun Magazine)

Our little first-grader!

"Back to School Party!"

Apple Cupcakes - a delightful treat! (Family Fun Magazine)

Back to preschool!

"Somewhere, over the Rainbow....."

WILDFLOWERS

2010-08-06T13:03:00.014-06:00

Our "Annual August One-Hour Retreat to Albion Basin," did not disappoint, as the WILDFLOWERS were probably the best they've been for years! My kids & I (joined by Dad & Candace) had a fabulous time frolicking amongst nature's best kept "Cecret."

My Lil' Sweethearts:

Bella wasn't too happy about being set down in the wild grasses with mosquitoes and prickly-stickers lurking about.

Mommy makes it all better.

That wonderful Dad of mine!

The Girls

I didn't realize my little sister had become such a
hot babe!

Amazing pro-photo-Dad of mine captures nature's best.

Funny Faces

Sparkling Summer Dreams

2010-07-28T11:41:00.007-06:00

Fireworks for the 4th & 24th were a BLAST!

Circle of Friends - Jordan, Holly, & Shelbie

Racing 'round the fireworks - Aidan

Sweet Dreams - Bella & Mommy

Daddy's Masterpiece

Bella loves her babies

Summer Soak

I LOVE SUMMER!!

Sweet Shakes, Sand, Swim, Surf & Sunshine

2010-07-22T18:40:00.014-06:00

We had a FABULOUS vacation at beautiful sunny Bear Lake, and I must say, there's nothing quite like
Bear Lake in July...

Jordan LOVED swimming.
She's the queen of the waves!

Aidan loved throwing sand EVERYWHERE, at everyone.

Bella decided to feed all our Cheetos to the seagulls.
Made them happy, made her (and baby) happy.

The WAVE RUNNER stole the show.

The kids absolutely LOVED "driving" it.
(Not to mention Erik had the time of HIS life!)

Bella hated the water,
but loved burying her toys in the sand.

We built the BIGGEST sand castle for
Polly (Pocket, that is) and Batman.

And dug trenches till we reached water,
to make our own lakes.

Seriously so cute!

My dad & sister surprised us by
coming up for a day - how sweet!

Me & my sis Candace went for a spin.
Great fun!

Go Dad Go!
He really had A GOOD TIME!

Airplane

2010-06-29T10:17:00.007-06:00

Ahhh, the duties of a dad... Erik stayed up past midnight putting together this airplane for the kids. They ran out in their pj's to play this morning.

Love it!

Just a sweet pic of Bella at the SoJo carnival.
Love her chubby cheeks!

And Jordan's sweet dimply smile:)

Suds

2010-06-23T12:37:00.003-06:00

How many cycles will it take for my dishwasher to clear out the sudsy sink soap I inadvertently put in it?? (Darn free sample - should've been labelled better.) It's been bubbling over all morning (lucky I caught it early on, or we'd be replacing the floor. Maybe the danger isn't over yet!)

Introspections of a gimpy girl

2010-06-15T16:06:00.017-06:00

As another year leaves its mark on my body & soul, I am left wishing for more...

More of so many things that make life simply good, like sharing a dripping chocolate ice cream cone with my kids, or blowing bubbles on their belly-buttons. Like nestling my nose in my daughter's hair as she sits on my lap, just to smell the sweetness of fresh-cleaned hair on her warm head, as I butterfly-kiss the back of her neck.

More moments spent gazing into those handsome blue eyes of my sweetheart, that sparkle when lit up by a smile, sweetly holding hands, and sharing this amazing journey together.

More time that my kids stay little and innocent, sheltered and protected from a terrible curse called selfishness, where vanity and money reign, and competition and criticism are its effects.

More adorable baby talk by my two-year-old, that is so simple yet so joyful.

More time with my aging parents, who every day remind me that what's important in life is the people you love.

More time with young limbs that don't break down. I may never be able to just RUN again - that strenuous blissful feeling of running, taken for granted while I was able, forsaken by the knee that frustrates the hell out of me by not getting better. I am not invicible. But I accept the body God gave me, with all its faults & imperfections, for it really isn't about the physical. I get it now, REALLY get it. It really is about what's inside, and how we treat each other. The outside simply houses the heart & soul, and therein lie the keys to the things we ought really to cherish... family and our precious spirits, wrapped into one tremendous gift called LIFE.

More good music, which I am convinced can truly affect your mood, lifting you to clouds you never could have reached without it - there's nothing like awesome music to make you feel SO good. I don't mean soft soothing music, more the kind that makes me groove, smile, and sing & dance in front of my giggling kids. The kind of music that makes me want to run, want to do dishes, want to live, laugh, & love life!

More minutes spent just sitting on green grass in the sun, with the breeze brushing the hair on my arms and loose strands on my forehead, in quiet appreciation for God's goodness to me, and the miraculous creation of life itself.

More family time just being with my husband & kids, with no stress, no time-crunch, nothing to do but play and tickle and laugh and sip soda and eat treats...

Ahhhh, I am SO BLESSED.

Dragon Phenom

2010-05-27T17:13:00.006-06:00

What the...?!
Now that's scary.

What is going ON in my backyard?!

The neighborhood has been taken over by... DRAGONS.

It's a full-scale dragon PHENOMENON.

It started out with the movie, How to Train Your Dragon.

Then one little girl and one little boy across the street got DRAGON TOWELS.

Then McD's had DRAGON TOYS. Picture me going up to the drive-thru window and asking to see all their dragon toys so we could select the ones we hadn't collected yet. And then buying ONLY dragon toys - yeah, did you know you can buy the toys WITHOUT the happy meal?!)

Then Aidan got DRAGON PAJAMAS with a cape.

Then the kids in the neighborhood started having DRAGON PARTIES and making colored construction paper dragons, playing with their dragon toys, and yes, flying around like dragons with whatever hooded items they could find (Jordan was a hooded monkey for awhile.)

Then, the kids next door ordered those infamous DRAGON TOWELS online.
And so my children wouldn't be dragonless, I purchased TOOTHLESS DRAGON TOWELS on ebay to transform them instantly into Night Furies.

And now, day after day, the neighborhood becomes a DRAGON SANCTUARY, where dragons are free to roam.

Dancin' Queen

2010-05-21T09:38:00.010-06:00

I think I have as much fun as she does putting on her makeup & getting dolled-up!

Way to go girls!
An adorable dance performance!

And they all got a trophy to make them feel like SUPERSTARS!

Wow, my girl is growing up fast!
(I swear she looks - and acts - preteeny!)

The rest of the story...

2010-04-27T16:45:00.004-06:00

of the marathon training run from hell...

It began on a beautiful sunny morning. I was pumped up, with the IPOD ready to blast, my camelpak filled with ice cold water, cell phone stuffed in a pocket (on Erik's suggestion/inspiration), muscles ready to fire.

I set off, mood positive, feelin' the sunshine!

About 4 miles in, things abruptly turned against me, as I tripped on a sidewalk crack and flew through the air, arms flailing, to the ground - HARD. Stunned, I turned over and sat up, examining myself for injuries. Found my knee completely scuffed up and bleeding, and my hands mildly scraped. Sat there for a minute, wondering what to do, fervently hoping NOBODY HAD SEEN THAT. Then I busted up laughing! Figured I might as well go on.

1 mile later, I paused to wipe up the bloody mess on my leg with some mittens I'd started out with. Ew...I hope nobody passing me sees this.

1 mile later, my IT-Band on the "uninjured" leg really started fussing. I figured now may be a good time to take some Ibu...popped 4 and kept going.

1 mile later, I stopped into a gas station to cleanse my wound - ow - and fill up on water. Set off feeling rejuvenated and ready for some more sunshine.

1 mile later, that darn IT-Band let me know it wasn't happy. Of course, I kept pushing on, harboring hope that IT would decide to fix itself already and leave me alone.

1 mile later, IT took over.
Sat down to stretch & eat a bar. Got up to walk, and OHMYGOSH! it hurt to even put my foot down. CRAPOLA! Tried to hobble along a little ways as it sunk in that I'd pushed it to the limit. Figured going on would do more damage, since I was only half way done , and gee but IT HURT!

Gave up, sat down sobbing, pulled out that cell phone and called my dad to come get me.

Got home, limping around, and realized I had a shin-splint in my OTHER leg (the one with the gash, which I had bandaged now). Then somehow, somewhere in the mix of things, hobbling around, falling down, running with a camelpak, and trying to find a comfortable sleeping position around my aching legs, I woke up with a totally tweaked upper back cramp.

So 1 day later, I cannot move my head or bend my neck, my back is literally killing me I think, one knee has a large bandage, the other a brace with ice, and both legs hurt up and down, and neither ibuprofen or a muscle relaxant are helping much. THE END.

Out Of The Running

2010-04-27T09:55:00.005-06:00

Diaries of a Rookie Marathon Mama:
So, you know it's BAD when you have to call your dad to come pick you up from the middle of a run. But there I sat, overlooking Daybreak Lake, crying tears of hurt and frustration yesterday, as I tried in vain to stretch my ITB (leg) and wishing it would miraculously feel ALL better.

After a month-long bout with ITBS (iliotibial band syndrome - a running injury) I am sadly calling it quits on THE MARATHON. (Yes, it is sad and frustrating, even though I constantly complained about it. When you set your mind on something and work really hard to try to achieve it, then fall short and have to call it quits, it is disheartening, no matter how grueling it was.)

I'm going to see a PT to see what I can do about this injury, but I know that my body has its limits right now, and I've got to listen to it. So I've got to come to grips with reality. When I signed up for a marathon, I knew it would be hard. So now I REALLY don't know how people run 26.2 miles!

Anyway, I just hope to be able to walk normally soon, and maybe, just maybe, I'll be able to pull off the Half-Marathon instead.

"Falling With Style," as everyone's favorite toy-story deputy so perfectly put it

2010-04-20T08:41:00.009-06:00

Diaries of a Rookie Marathon Mama:

Often as I'm driving along the road, I see runners out there tearing it up, and feel guilty as I eat my candy or fries and sip my soda in the comfort of my car.

Then I see THE RUNNER, who looks like they're about to DIE - you know what I mean: They look beet-red, beat-up, exhausted, thirsty, & like they're going to fall over with the next step. I secretly smile that I'm happily driving the road instead of running it.

And then I wonder, "Why in the world are they running, if they feel like THAT!? They're crazy. It's not worth it if you don't enjoy it."

Well, lately Ive found myself becoming THAT RUNNER, falling with style on the roadside, unsure if my foot or my face will hit the pavement next.

And I still don't know why people run if they feel like THAT!

So... if you happen to see one of THOSE RUNNERS out there and if it happens to be me... I want a sip of your ice cold beverage and that bag of Skittles in your hand!

Bella Baby

2010-04-13T08:40:00.007-06:00

My baby is TWO!

My Bella...
1) Beautiful - just look at that smiling face! (She smiles on her OWN terms.)

2) Sweet - There's nothing better than a sloppy kiss from your baby.

3) LOVES baby dolls, kitties, doggies, Dora & Zhu Zhu pets.

4) Eats anything, but loves candy, ice cream, and trix yogurt "yogo."

5) Got a "Cozy Coupe" outdoor car for her b-day, and is very possesive of it - don't touch!

6) Loves to color - on everything - pillows, paper, blocks, tables, herself...

7) Has a severe case of baby attitude (don't look at me or talk to me until I'm ready! Oh, and whatever you have is MINE!)

8) Wants to be five already.

9) Loves hand sanitizer "SOAP", and begs for it, walks around with it, dispensing constantly, has ruined our coffee table with it (alcohol doesn't do so well on wood - beware), and she STILL catches every case of the sniffles around!

10) Is my sweetheart, and I love my girl!

Happy Birthday Bella!

Silly Putty

2010-04-05T08:31:00.007-06:00

The Easter Bunny left our kids some silly putty. All was fine and dandy until Bella's bunny rabbit sat in the silly putty and got it matted and stuck in it's fluffy soft hair. We had to cut it out, and it served as a good warning to the kids NOT to let it get in THEIR hair.

Well, in the middle of the night, Aidan woke up screaming because his head was glued to his pillow. Yep, he fell asleep with his silly putty, and of course it got stuck in his hair.

This morning, I still haven't figured out how I'm going to get it out. He may be a 4-yr-old bald boy by the end of the day.

In other news, my wonderful husband has informed me that I need to stop cussing in my blog posts (my bible cuss words, as I like to call them, for I never use true & offensive swear words.) Somtimes, I feel casual cussin' is the best way to emphasize a story or point. But I will attempt to oblige my hunny's wishes...since he is the patriarch of our home who inspires me to be better. (Dang-it!)

Diaries of a Rookie Marathon Mama:
I give up.
Ran 12 miles, felt like I was going to puke, had a headache... If I'm struggling to run half the distance, I don't know how I'll make the full thing. I think I need to do some situps or lunges (some kind of strength training). I'm learning that just running alone isn't going to carry me further.

On that note, I'm going to have a Cadbury Creme Egg for breakfast...

Reeses Peanut Butter Ban

2010-04-01T10:07:00.006-06:00

While running on the "dreadmill" yesterday, I was watching the morning newscast, and the cute little (tiny) weather girl had the nerve to pull out those yummy Reeses Peanut Butter Eggs and eat them in front of me.

First of all, there's nothing as slap-in-the-face-pleasant as watching someone slowly bite into a soft, creamy, salty-sweet Reeses Egg... while you're slaving on the treadmill.

Secondly, since my son is allergic to peanuts, we do not allow any peanut-products into the house, so OF COURSE I crave them - I LOVE Peanut-Butter M&M's, Reeses PB-cups, Butterfingers, PB ice cream, etc...

I have tried sneaking them in and closet-eating them, but twice when I have allowed my delicious treats to be party-food, Aidan has gotten hold of a bite and given me a near-scare. Now he knows to ask me before eating any treats (esp ones from school.)

Today I am still intensely craving those darn Reeses EGGS!! (And when I get a craving, it doesn't go away until I satisfy it!) So if you see me at the store scarfing a Reeses PB egg in the checkout line, you'll know why...

Diaries of a Rookie Marathon Mama

2010-03-22T11:55:00.013-06:00

I have decided to publicize my adventures in training for a marathon for 2 reasons:
#1) If it's written, I'll be motivated to actually DO IT.
#2) This is not easy for me, and if I can have fun blogging about it, it might help me out.

I figure I ain't gettin' any younger, and wouldn't it be pretty damn incredible to check off a marathon as one of my life's accomplishments!?

Now, I am NOT one of those naturally skinny-minnies with a small frame that glides as they run. I inherited large bones with extra padding. I run SLOW. Slow & steady finishes the race, I hope.

I am NOT one who exercises for hours a day just for fun .

I do NOT eat 10 servings of veggies/fruits a day (1, maybe 2??...)

I drink more diet caffeinated soda than water, and more of it if I expect to run that day.

I am NOT a morning person, NOR a night person, and I don't run during either of those times. When given the choice of sleeping or running, I chose sleep (in fact, I choose shopping, eating, sleeping, reading, crafting, pretty much everything...over running - motivation is a problem here.)

I have constant cravings for Cadbury creme eggs, ice cream, Cafe Rio, chocolate fondue, and all that is sweet in the world, and I EAT THEM.

I struggle with scale obsession - when the trend in numbers is going upward, I console my despair with a candy-binge, followed by a guilt-induced run on the treadmill. When the numbers are going down (oh blessed day) I celebrate by making strawberry coconut trifle.

I have 3 kids who think my time is theirs (and they're right, who are we kidding?!)

My hubby is an incredibly busy man, is supportive of my goals, but logistically speaking, he can't do it for me, and he won't be around during the daytime when I've just gotta get gritty and run. So it is UP TO ME.

Get the picture?? This will NOT be easy! Why do people do this? (I'm going to attempt to find out the answer to that.)

Life's lesson #1: It is always up to me AND NOBODY ELSE to carry through on a goal.

So here it is: I have officially signed up, paid my money, and hypothetically committed myself to running a MARATHON in June.

Strawberry Coconut Trifle

2010-03-12T11:09:00.005-07:00

This is THE BEST indulgence food ever (besides chocolate or ice cream)!!! Every time I make it, I eat the whole dish (that'd be the large glass trifle bowl full) in a day.

Strawberry Coconut Trifle:
1 carton fresh strawberries, sliced
1 small pound cake or angel food cake, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 can nonfat sweetened condensed milk
1 can coconut milk
1 8oz container fat-free sour cream
1 large 12oz container lite whipped cream
1 small box coconut cream instant pudding mix
1 tsp cinnamon

Mix the condensed milk, coconut milk, sour cream, whipped cream, pudding & cinnamon together with a whisk in a large bowl.

In a trifle bowl, layer the following three times: cake pieces, creamy milk mixture, strawberries.

Voila! Enjoy!

*recipe from Pampered Chef

Grand Finale

2010-03-05T19:18:00.008-07:00

We ended our show with a bang, and I took 7 kids to the Discovery Gateway Childrens Museuem. What the...?! And...it was AWESOME! I think they should open up a daycamp, where you just drop off your children and go shop Gateway. Although doing a headcount on 7 kids is a bit crazy - just as soon as I find 1,2,3,4..and start looking for numbers 5,6,7, I lose 1,2,3... That was nuts.

My Day 4 Final Perspective:

Sonic rocks. $1 slushies, $1 tots.

I really need a good night's sleep.

My kids really need a good 24 hrs sleep.

We had a ton of fun.

It was really REALLY crazy at night.

Chocolate chip pancakes drizzled with Hershey's syrup (Nutella for me) for breakfast is luxury.

Each child made pillowcases with their name on it and "Camp Bengtzen 2010," autographed by everyone and colored with fabric markers.

We didn't have any instacare/ER trips (although we thought about the insane asylum.)

I revere my sister-in-law with 7 kids.

Having cousins the same age to be great friends with is priceless.

TGIF.

Our memories will live on and on......

(Yep, that's Owen & Jordan - classic.)

Day 3

2010-03-04T17:37:00.005-07:00

Today:

Kids woke up bright and early at dawn again. We all have dark bags under our eyes. No naps either. We're in a state of hypnotic zombie-ism. (I'm making up words now, I'm no longer coherent.)

Paige taught everyone how to do headstands on the couch (kicking blinds and wall hangings in the process.)

Owen played dress-up with the girls in Jordan's closet, looking spectacular in a pink dress ensemble.

We had a mid-night "accident" all over the blankies (we're used to those, though.)

We all hauled over to the preschool for parent-teacher-conference (that happened last time, too. Mutiny. "Let's see the stressed out mom/babysitter bring in as many kids as she can to preschool PTC! Ha ha! She's manic!")

Kids were yelled at by a lady in Roberts' Craft Store to STOP RUNNING, as they recklessly ran around the entire store playing hide & seek. Yes, I had already told them repeatedly not to run, to stay by me... They obviously don't speak my language.

Capri Sun box number 3 was finished (that's one box a day, with at least half by Paige alone.)

Wardrobe changes occur at least every hour. Clothes are strewn all over the place, not to mention toys, crafty beads that I keep stepping on, playdoh in hidden places, wrappers/trash/litter everywhere... You'd think we were living at the DUMP, seriously.

I no longer know what day it is, what time it is, what planet it is...

We're ordering pizza, sleeping downstairs in front of the TV to mix it up, & having a popcorn party. What the heck - What else could possibly happen?!

Nighty Night...Sleep Tight...Don't Let The Children Bite...

2010-03-03T20:20:00.005-07:00

I swear I have said "Be Quiet!!" five hundred and one times, today alone. Am I speaking a foreign language here? It's like children these days have only one volume - LOUD. I ask them to be quiet, beg them, then eventually yell at them to shut the hell up (I get an F for manners, I know.)

After asking nicely 499 times, they turn right around and yell, shriek, scream, wreak havoc, as though I just finished begging them to play rockstar or something. And it's not during normal play hours, either. It's during nighttime, naptime, bedtime, morning time, driving time... you get the picture.

The psychos didn't fall asleep until 11pm last night, and were up at the crack of dawn. I've insisted they go to bed early tonight (we ALL need a good night of sleep.) But to no avail. Oh I've been kind enough - let them watch movies, eat snacks, paint nails, all the fun stuff sleepovers are made of. Playing nice-mom isn't working here!!

I'm taking applications for a nighttime nanny to put them to bed while Erik & I go sleep at the neighbors or our parents', not returning till, oh say midnight, or better yet, morning.

It's 9pm now, and they're going on like it's a circus. I'm going to pass out on my bed after locking my room door - they can have the rest of the house tonight. If they end up on your porch, don't let them in.

Hard Criminal

2010-03-02T21:44:00.013-07:00

Seriously, how long does it take to get your kids into the car?

You'd think that 15 minutes would do. I remember pre-kid days when it took 15 seconds - simple matter. But oooohhhh no... It's like as soon as I mention "Get in the car," everyone scatters and immediately goes psycho, refuses to put socks & shoes on, and runs anywhere but out the door!! It takes at least half an hour... with my own 3 kids, which is why I am LATE every week to church. Today, the additional mix (basically the equivalent of 2 sets of twins) puts it over the time limit.

So that leads into my story of Day One:

Kids are hyper, excited to be together and having a sleepover.

12:00 rolls around, time to get going for the school drop-off run. Of course, due to aforementioned reasons, we're rolling out barely in the nick of time, and I'm flustered. I accidentally miss Owen's school turn, so I'm stressed even more. I skip it & drop off two pre-schoolers, then turn around to head back to the school I missed...

Police lights start flashing behind me.....

I'm already at the elementary school, so I figure I might as well turn into the parking lot - that oughta be a good place for the cop to pull me over. I never drop off kids for kindergarten, as Jordan gets bussed, so I don't know how it works. There's apparently a drop-off lane, and of course it is FULL. So I'm driving the strip with this cop flashing behind me and shaking his head quite visibly at me... I see an open spot and pull in. Owen's late and trying to open his door, but the child-lock prevents him. I start getting out to let him out, and Mr. Policeman gets on his MICROPHONE and announces to the entire elementary school (parents, kids at recess, etc) "Stay in the car, and pull forward so I can park behind you." Oh man. What did I DO? I'm thinking he's going to handcuff me and search my car for drugs or something!

He saunters up to my car, and I just have to ask him if I can get this boy out of my car & off to kindergarten. He's thinking I'm a crazy lady by now. I get Owen off, and Mr. Policeman briskly tells (orders?) me to get back in my car before he'll talk to me. Oh crap. He's really irate at me, and I don't even know WHY!

So, apparently I turned the wrong way out of the preschool parking lot. That's it. WHAT?!! Are you freakin' kidding me that you 1) actually pulled me over for this, and 2) used your LOUD microphone to command me in front of an entire school!?!? Why me??? I lose it and am bawling near hysterically.
After running me through the records (and the mud,) he lets me go with a safety warning (and an almost-ticket for having an expired insurance card on me - he's nailing me for anything, I swear.) I am absolutely humiliated and sobbing and want to fall into a hole, but instead I have to turn around in the car and explain through tears to my bewildered Jordan & Bella that police officers are nice and help people, lest they heaven forbid fear them.

SHEESH! I know I need to obey the law of the land and turn "right only" at that particular stop sign out of that particular parking lot, but I swear I'm not a hard criminal!

So I came home and made and ate nearly an entire strawberry coconut trifle. I'll post the recipe later.
For now, I need to go get 4 kids chapstick, water, lizards, lotion, another movie........ because they WON'T GO TO SLEEP!! (Hence, the "enemies of sleep.")

Preparing for the STAMPEDE........

2010-03-01T12:06:00.011-07:00

Camp Bengtzen Time...
Oh yes. Tomorrow we embark on our adventure for the week.
Featuring, once again, five adorable crazy kids:

Jordan, 6 - sweet, stubborn, moody, ruler of the house, enemy of sleep #1.

Owen, 6 - cute, leader-of-the-pack, persistent, won't eat what I cook, mamma's boy (but mamma's in sunny Cancun), enemy of sleep #2.

Aidan, 4 - adorable, monkey, picky eater, fruit-snack addict, accident-prone, enemy of sleep #3.

Paige, 4 - darling diva, wild, pantry-raider, screamer, girl power, enemy of sleep #4.

Bella, 1 - precious princess, baby attitude, bottomless pit, unpredictable sleeper, but at least she GOES to bed!

I'm sort-of expecting it to be like a buffalo roundup, or something like that.

I'll surely be posting daily, as it is always therapeutic to blog the CRAZINESS, and see the events that transpire in a somewhat comical light...

Oh Sweet Mother of Chocolate

2010-02-17T17:31:00.002-07:00

Why have I never discovered Nutella till now?!?! Oh sweet goodness! It's like Ferrero Rocher chocolates in a creamy spread. Oh my! I'm in trouble with this. The way I calculate it, one bottle is worth 2000 calories, a daily allotment, right? So I just may be going on a Nutella diet - a bottle a day, plus a 12-pack of diet mtn dew (insert beverage of your choice)...
Sounds heavenly!

Who Dat....

2010-02-07T19:34:00.015-07:00

....Say Dey Gonna Beat Dem Saints?!!!!!

We had an absolutely spectacular
SAINTS SuperBowl Party!

For the first time ever, I watched the Superbowl to watch the game instead of the commercials. (If you don't know, my family is from Louisiana, & I grew up watching Saints games with my Dad, sporting a miniature helmet on my head, so I harbor nostalgia for this team.)

From homemade Saints t-shirts & bling...
to Saints balloons and gold fringe everywhere...
to boiled crab & shrimp...
to fleur de lis cookies...
to a FANTASTIC FINISH...
GEAUX NEW ORLEANS SAINTS!!!

Ka-Chow!

2010-02-01T10:56:00.003-07:00

Happy B-day to my little buddy, Aidan! He had a smokin' Lightning McQueen party this weekend.

(Look closely and check out the nice shiner he got by tripping in Harmon's parking lot and landing on his face just after ordering balloons & cake. Perfect timing.)

He's been asking for the "Dragon Castle" for the last month, so here it is:

I love most crafty things, but I DO NOT DRAW. So I think I did pretty good free-handing this Lightning McQueen "Pin the Lightning Bolt" game poster! Ka-Chow!

Thanks to the little people (and grandparents) who came over to celebrate with him - he was SO thrilled to have friends over (too bad I forgot to take a picture of them.)

When Santa Claus FELL ASLEEP on Christmas Eve...

2010-01-07T16:50:00.011-07:00

...at 8:45pm, with the kids!
What the??
Yes, I did. Well I had a headache!
Unbelievable.

Fortunately, I had prepared packages wrapped and named in a certain hidden location that Mr. Claus knew about, and he came through for us! I actually woke up around 11:30pm, dazzed & frantically running downstairs to do all that usually Mrs. Santa Claus does, and was surprised to find it already out, with Mr. Claus asleep on the couch! Stockings were all I had left. Whew! Near disaster.

It doesn't end there.

I had stocked up on batteries of every kind and thought I was prepared for that front. I didn't think to actually try out the toys to make sure they worked first. So of course, Jordan's beloved horse has a short somewhere between the behind where the batteries are and the ear where the "on" button is. Horsey doesn't neigh and nod like it's supposed to. And since I got one of the last on the shelf at Sam's and you can't find them ANYWHERE, I figure we're stuck with it.

Jordan doesn't mind, bless her heart, she's just pleased as can be with her horse. We had to tell her the horse got bumped around in the sleigh. Nice one.

After that, we thought we'd done well, until about 5:00pm on Christmas night (after family had gone home); Mr. Claus and I wondered aloud,
"Where is Aidan's firetruck?
And didn't Bella get a little keyboard?"
Oh CRAPOLA!
Yep, sleeping Santa screwed up again and forgot 2 presents in the trunk of the car!!
What now?

Well, I sheepishly went out to the garage, unwrapped those two gifts (so they wouldn't be associated with Santa) and hauled them inside. I told the kids,
"Well, since you kids have been SO GOOD today, we have one more present for Aidan, and one that Jordan and Bella can share!" (Because, of course, I couldn't give an "extra" gift to just two of the three kids, no way!)
Whoops.

Santa clearly had an off year. In the future, I will not be falling asleep on the job on the most important night of the year!

Rockin 6th Hannah Montana Birthday Bash

2010-01-06T09:57:00.003-07:00

Our home was rocked by Hannah Montana once again for Jordan's birthday. Jordan was sooooooooooooo excited for her party, and we had quite a rockin' fab time making personalized GUITARS (thanks to Erik who spent the night before meticulously cutting them out!)

Jordan chose to sit atop her horse Belle to open her gifts. Belle also greeted guests at the door when they came in. (Belle was the hit Christmas present of 2009. We're going to start boarding this horse at an equestrian facility soon, not to mention ordering some hay & oats to feed the thing. It really has taken on it's own life in our home - at least in the eyes of our daughter!)

Yep, another year of childhood has vaporized away (and yet it seems I've been a mother for much longer than just six years!)

Merry Christmas To All...

2009-12-21T13:12:00.017-07:00

This year, I revolutionized the way I shop for Christmas:
CYBER shopping!
I love LOVE the sound of the doorbell announcing the new UPS box on my doorstep!!

Shopping online ROCKS!

No screaming children, wailing and wanting everything in sight, begging for more candy to eat in the shopping cart, spilling my coke all over my purse and the gifts laying in the cart, hiding gifts on the bottom of the cart only to have my kids say "What's THAT for mom? I want it...NOW!" etc...etc...etc...(YOU know what I'm talking about!)

Presents now just arrive at my house all boxed up, and I can just chuck them in the basement! Wahoo!
(Warning: this could be addicting!)

So, T-minus 4 days and counting, and the things I still have to do:

1 - Put a light bulb into the cold room that I've literally thrown all those boxes of gifts into, so that I can actually SEE them in order to sort and tally them.

2 - Wrap all those presents.

3 - Make Christmas Candy (I have been mooching off my kids treats and neighbor gifts.) I love making almond toffee and peppermint bark and fudge.....mmmmmmm.... That's what's on the menu this week. (...breakfast, lunch, and dinner, for me anyway.)

4 - CLEAN MY HOUSE! Great, family will be coming over and my house looks like a bomb went off in it. Well, maybe that's just what I'll tell them. Who needs to see the floor anyway?
As for clean socks - just go look in the damn sock hamper. Mix and match, create a fun new look for Christmas Cheer. Same goes for clothes.

5 - Start exercising. (Oh for GOODNESS SAKE! You didn't think I was serious, did you?! That's what New Years is for.)

Merry Christmas to you and your family! I love all of our wonderful family and friends, (especially if you read my blog - think Clark Griswold singing "Joy to the World" with a drumroll and cymbals clashing as he plugs in the Christmas lights that don't turn on. Love that movie.)

......and to all, a GOOD NIGHT!

Disneyland Adventure

2009-11-21T10:37:00.019-07:00

We've been adventuring in Disneyland for the past week!

WHAT DO YOU GET WHEN YOU CROSS...........

- A 1-yr-old baby princess who never gets a nap, throws herself on the dirty ground having a tantrum in nearly every line, chucked her new Minnie Mouse doll off Small World, and is creeped out by anyone with a funny-looking costume head that's bigger than her own;

- A goofy toddler boy who climbs all the railings in the park, loves Woody & Buzz, can't ride on any "big kid/daddy" rides (but we squeaked him onto Soarin' California!), is attached to daddy's leg quite literally (making it extremely difficult for daddy to do anything), and throws a screaming sobbing fit the entire Peter Pan ride because he had to sit with mommy. And he won't look at the camera or stand next to any characters that don't look like dad;

- A darling princess with attitude who was told she could be Belle's little sister by Princess Belle herself (which made her whole trip!) and just meets the height requirement for almost any ride, but had the begeezees scared out of her on Space Mountain and had to ride the Toontown roller coaster by herself, so she won't ride any more roller coasters, absolutely not, no way! And she wants a new toy every 2 minutes.

- FIVE different eating schedules and likes and dislikes (is cotton candy a food group?), food that costs just under a million bucks, and potty breaks every 5 minutes or so-and-so's going to poop his pants (can't everyone just wear diapers please?);

- Three other wonderful families with their own precious little ones to juggle, making it just a tad bit difficult for featured CRAZY family to coordinate schedules with;

- A fully decked-out Disneyland, ready for the Holidays, with Christmas trees, jingle bells, reindeer, and lights galore...

.......An absolutely WONDERFUL MAGICAL vacation!

What an awesome gang of goofy kids! We had some fabulous times with the Workmans, Romrells, & Lakeys! Can't wait to do it again! Here's to an extraordinary vacation!

Halloweenies (and That Hair!)

2009-10-29T10:53:00.008-06:00

My little Halloweenies:
Hannah Montana Jordan, Bella the Halloween Fairy, & Jedi Knight Aidan.

Watch out for his Jedi mind tricks - he uses them to hypnotize unsuspecting passerbys while the Halloween Fairy runs off with their candy bucket...

Dude - that hair...Yikes!

She Walks!

2009-10-16T09:38:00.005-06:00

I think Bella set a record for
LATEST WALKER IN THE WORLD.
Almost 18 months... and she finally decided to take off, and I'm telling you, it was literally overnight! Instantaneous pro on the walker circuit here. (Whew! I'll admit I was getting nervous there for a month or two!)

We went to walk around Gardner Village and see the "Witches," and the petting zoo with pony ride. Total BLAST!

Fresh Perspective

2009-10-07T18:07:00.007-06:00

Today, I have a certain fresh perspective on my life that makes every single mundane or trivial or whiney or ornery or exhausted or pig-sty-messy or sick or crazy or otherwise challenging moment, seem like a true and trivial blessing in my life.

I am an Oprah fan, and, even though I'm not able to sit down and watch it most days of the week (my children usually commandeer the television), I do love, LOVE, when I get a chance to.

Today (and yesterday) I have been able to watch the show (oh blessed day, I say!) Holy toledo, I have never shed more tears over Oprah (well, actually it's not Oprah, it's her guests.)

If you saw the episodes, you know why.

If not, in short summary (so that you too can appreciate the life-altering perspective I have gained):

1) The Nielsen family - You may remember this Utah couple with 4 children was severly burned in a small plane crash last year, and survived, severely disfigured, after a long recovery battle. Wow - the pure LOVE emanating from this couple for each other, their family, and life is astounding. (Go to the NieNie Dialogues here.)

2) A couple murdered this last summer, leaving 9 (NINE!) adopted handicapped children under age eleven, which their 27 yr old daughter and husband have taken responsibility for. Wow. My 3 little kids are nothing compared to THAT.

3) A family with a 7 yr old schizophrenic daughter, who hallucinates, acts violently (toward herself and others) and whose parents have had to completely change and lockdown their lives for the protection of themselves and their daughter.

How do they do it? I really DO NOT KNOW. (All I can say is that I would rely heavily upon my faith in the Lord, and some seriously effective happy pills.) Really though, thank goodness for faith in a higher purpose.

So, how's YOUR day been?

American Girl

2009-09-22T10:43:00.004-06:00

So, Jordan has been getting these magazine catalogues in the mail for this tweeny-bopper phenomenon called "American Girl," and to say she loves them would be an understatement. She goes through and circles everything she wants, and by the time she's gone through it twice, every single doll, outfit, accessory, you name it, is circled (some even 10 times over).

So what am I supposed to do with THAT!?

Did I mention that you can customize the doll to look like you?! (So what happens when you get a long haired doll with bangs, then your daughter cuts her hair or grows out her bangs and no longer matches her doll??)

And if it isn't enough that each doll costs $100, then of course that doll HAS to have SOMETHING fancy to wear, something to play with (as if a doll can ride a horse or talk on a cell phone!), or a pet to care for (are you freaking kidding me?!) to go with her!

So I've told her that either Santa will bring her one, or I'll get her one for her birthday.

Wait! Holy crap! What did I just committ to?!?!

Does anyone out there have one of these ridiculously adorable dolls (I'm even thinking of getting one myself - isn't being a parent about reliving your childhood?!)

(Oh, and I am now taking charitable donations for "American Girl.")

When the "Freshman 15" becomes the "Post-Partum 50"...

2009-09-16T08:45:00.007-06:00

Ever have one of those days when you realize that you're just not losing anything, despite your efforts? Then you look at your pantry and realize that this may have something to do with it, but you're just not willing (or capable, or strong enough) to change it.

I have been sabotaged by good eats and treats. If I don't buy it, I make it! And I devour all of it (waste not a good bite.) I cannot say no. This is my curse!

It doesn't matter that I ran and ran all summer long, for I could not outrun my sweet tooth.

So, to all you freshman ladies out there, beware the "freshman 15," for the "post-partum 50" is not far behind (and sticks to your behind like superglue.)

Flower and Watch Party!!

2009-09-07T13:32:00.008-06:00

I'm having a flower-clip and watch-jewelry party at my house on Tuesday, Sept. 15th from 7:00-9:30pm, open house. Everyone is invited, if you're able to make it!

If you need directions, leave me a comment.

I am so excited to kick-off my flower clip business. You can see some flowers at Bella Jordan Blossoms.

And the watch jewelry is soooooooo beauitful!! You can get watch faces, or jewerly bands, or both! You can see some of her designs at Pink Honey.

Hope to see you there!!
Bring friends, and browse some delightful and adorable accessories!

Albion Summer Wildflowers

2009-08-28T19:58:00.005-06:00

Every summer we go up to Albion Basin in Little Cottonwood Canyon with my dad to hike in the wildflowers. We've been doing this since I was young, and I love taking my children there, even if it is just for the pictures!

I wish Erik could've been there with us, but I guess that's one of the trade-offs of having to work for a living! I sure am lucky to be home and get more chances to make special memories with my kids.

New Blog...Bella Jordan Blossoms

2009-08-23T19:49:00.005-06:00

I've transferred all my flower clips over to a new blog site,
Bella Jordan Blossoms, where you can view and buy them if you'd like.

(You can always look up the link on my sidebar here.)

Thanks to those who have encouraged and supported me!
I just love dressing up my girls (and sometimes myself) with flowers!

Excellent Eleven

2009-08-19T13:11:00.004-06:00

It's been ELEVEN excellent years since Erik and I "walked down the aisle" together, so here are the TOP eleven things I LOVE most about this man of mine:

1) He ADORES our children as much as I do.

2) He plays with them like they're the most important thing in his world.

3) He willingly serves ANYTIME there is a need.

4) He doesn't care if the house is messy.

5) His favorite thing to do on a Saturday (or whenever his SPARE TIME may be) is just be TOGETHER with our little family. (Oh, and order Cafe Rio to go.)

6) He embraces MY FAMILY and our heritage, and loves them like his own.

7) He doesn't seem to mind my quirks.

8) He supports my little (expensive) hobbies...flowers, stamps, crafts, SHOPPING, girls' night outs...

9) He reads his scriptures every day.

10) He says our morning prayer every morning before leaving for work.

11) He is the MOST amazing, wonderful, responsible, handsome, fun, genuine MAN and best friend I could ever have, and I LOVE HIM!

BABY ALLIGATOR!

2009-08-09T09:18:00.011-06:00

Yes, that is a real live one-year-old BABY ALLIGATOR in my hands, trying to take a snap at my one-year-old baby girl.

I was in Louisiana a week ago for my grandfather's funeral (God bless him, he's now relieved of Alzheimers and physical limitations), and we took a day to play down memory lane:

This plantation home is where my very own grandmother was born (Laura Plantation.) There is a tree planted in honor of her on the grounds.

And this is the famous gorgeous Oak Alley Plantation, along the Mississippi River, right near where both my parents grew up amidst sugar cane fields.

I used to take walks and jogs along the levee-top right here next to the giant Mississippi.

"Zams" swamp tours - the most authentic place for a cruise down the bayou, and home to some LARGE swamp animals. We had two tour guides that were so classic, you'd think they were putting on a show - I assure you they were not. One was identical to the "Cajun" guy on Waterboy - complete with mumbling accent. The other was the twin to "Big Dog, the Bounty Hunter," only he pulled stunts like Crocodile Hunter, teasing and holding open the jaws of a HUGE alligator.

Absolutely picturesque swampy bayou.

My Mom with Bella on the swamp boat.

Fried Alligator & Fried Catfish Po-Boys for lunch! (YUM!) (That's my sister Candace with me.)

See ya later, alligator!

After-while, crocodile!

Big Yellow

2009-08-04T10:53:00.014-06:00

My sweet peaches excitedly boarded a BIG YELLOW SCHOOL BUS this morning, the first day of her very long school life.

(Holly, Jordan, Ashley, Shelbie, Natalie (not pictured.))

Lucky little girl gets to have her four best friends with her in kindergarten! (Did I really just say that word? KINDERGARTEN!)

Bring it on!

Bryce Canyon Run - He's Amazing!

2009-07-22T13:06:00.006-06:00

Way to go Erik!! He ran the Bryce Canyon Half Marathon last weekend! I am so impressed by his stamina - he had a hard time finding time to train, but ran it anyway. (Why can't I do that?? Wake up one morning and go run 13.1 miles... I have to slowly work up to that kind of distance. No fair.) Congrats to my honey!

So proud of dad.

Rite of Passage -- The Mark of Femininity

2009-07-15T09:59:00.021-06:00

I finally joined ranks with women across the globe, and got my EARS PIERCED!

After getting earrings for my birthday 2 years in a row (from very generous and well-meaning friends) I took it as a sign that it was finally my time to be officially inducted into The Hall of FEMININITY.

(Look closely, there are now tiny pretty little earrings in those ears!)

So, I was a little concerned when they made me sign a rather LARGE waiver for the procedure, with many signatures required (does insurance cover this?)

I was expecting heavy artillary, sedatives, lidocaine, and a sucker afterwards.

It actually wasn't that bad!
It was a lot like getting a vaccination shot in my earlobe - brief sting, then nothing, then throbbing later.

I may be the only 30+ yr. old to be seen holding the black teddy bear while perched atop a high chair at Claire's (the symbolic comfort object for girls getting their ears pierced.)

Thanks to my AWESOME friends who psyched me up, brought me to Claire's, commandeered my camera, cheered me on, then took me to dinner afterwards!

FLOWER CLIPS!!

2009-07-10T16:38:00.006-06:00

My latest hobby is expanding, and I'm now selling flower clips! Check them out on the sidebar. If you'd like one, just send me a message with the flower name, or you can request a color scheme and I'll make it.

Each flower clippie is $5.
The flowers look adorable on anyone from babies to ladies!
They can go solo in hair, or attached to a hat or headband or scarf or belt...

I'll be creating and updating them frequently, so check back to see more.

Flowers are all unique, and will go first come, first served.

Snaps & Sparkles

2009-07-08T08:52:00.014-06:00

4th of July Traditions:

Camping in the backyard.
Ice cream cones.
Roasted marshmallows.
Tent on the lawn.
Firecracker snaps at 8am.
Bike parade.
Family BBQ.
Little kids running around with fire in their hands.
Fireworks lit by teenagers with matches.
Red Vines.
Lemonade.
Tons of Fun.

Ornery

2009-06-30T16:49:00.005-06:00

I used to think that God had blessed me abundantly with patience. Then He blessed me with three little kids.

Lately, I've been hearing out of the emotional mouth of my 5 year old,
"Mom, you're ornery!"

Wait! I thought I was patient, and kind, and loving, and FUN...!

So, I guess this is it. I've turned over a new leaf. A brown, dried up, crusty leaf called "ORNERY."

(And all this time I just thought it was my kids that were ornery.)

Beat It

2009-06-26T11:46:00.009-06:00

I have always been a fan of MICHAEL JACKSON's 80's music, so I am honoring his memory by playing my favorite song of his.

Sometimes I'm just so glad that I am NOT a musical icon (or famous period, for that matter), because so many seem to die tragically & early. (Of course, if the rich & famous could"Just Say No" it'd help.)

Not that I can sing or act or anything... But I do like to pretend sometimes that I can MOONWALK and TWIRL and do that high "He He" thing that only MICHAEL JACKSON can do.

So, Mr. Jackson, in death you become a legend. (Ignoring whatever crap you may or may not have been up to in the last 10 years.)

(What will you look like in the resurrection?)

RUN

2009-06-16T16:00:00.013-06:00

I awoke with a raging sore throat, congestion in my chest and head, and a benadryl hangover. I was sick, and I hadn't slept well.

Bella, who was in a pack-n-play in the bathroom shower, with the air vent on for "white noise," had woken up several times in the night (no big surprise - she's been battling nonstop ear infections for months and is soon getting tubes.)

The hotel alarm clock blared into my fuzzy consciousness, and I remembered why I was there.

I was RUNNING A HALF MARATHON in an hour, around the pristine shores of carribean-blue Bear Lake.

I took a hot bath to loosen the congestion, scarfed down some Fiber One poptarts and a Mtn Dew (fiber and caffeine - the staples of life), hooked up my ipod, stuffed some powergel in my pocket, and walked out the door into a fine mist. The sky was BLACK, not even a result of the early 6 o'clock hour - but heavy with dark ominous rain clouds.

Great. Hopefully it would clear up in an hour.

At the bus stop, hundreds of fellow runners stretched while waiting for the shuttle that would take us 13.1 miles up the road, drop us off, and leave us for dead, or to run our way back to civilization (whichever occured first.)

Then it began to rain - really rain. A lady came around yelling "Ponchos!" And she handed me a big black garbage bag. I was supposed to rip holes in it to make my own rain-resistant poncho. Lovely.

Runners were diving for cover under park shelters and trees. I joined a group of tree-huggers and donned my black garbage sack. The bus was late, leaving me to ponder a miserable existence for the next 2 and a half hours.

Once the "RACE" finally began - (I'll never actually call it that, as I am just intent on finishing alive, not beating any competition - other than the road, my cold, the rain, and my taut muscles and aching joints) - I was all but ready to have it over with.

My saving grace: THANK HEAVEN FOR IPODS!

With the volume pumped up, it was just barely tolerable, as the rain pelted through my light layers of running clothes, leaving me soaked through and through (nothing like rain combined with sweat to leave you feeling wet, clingy, and quite UN-fresh, from the inside out.)

And this is how I continued, for
2 hours and 24 minutes...
(Concrete proof that I am NOT a racer.)

I never wanted to run in the rain, I never have run in the rain before, and I never will run in the rain again.

But alas, I finished!

UM....YUM???

2009-06-08T17:34:00.004-06:00

Top 5 things NOT to eat right before attempting to go jogging:

1) Hot Dogs
2) Digiorno's Garlic Bread Pepperoni Pizza
3) A Shake (esp. if you're somewhat lactose intolerant)
4) A Bag of Hostess Powdered Donuts
5) Cafe Rio

Consuming these items 30 minutes before running WILL result in unpleasant side effects, and WILL ruin your run.

(Why did I even TRY?)

Three Blind Mice, Three Blind Mice...

2009-05-25T10:12:00.007-06:00

This weekend we cleaned out a large grassy compost heap in the backyard, and what did we uncover, but a nest of BABY MICE.

...See how they run,
See how they run...

Well, we have two cats, and as you can imagine, it was quite a show of "cat and mouse." All the neighbor children gathered around to watch Erik scrambling to scoop up all the mice before our ENERGETIC FEROCIOUS black cat Jazzy could pounce on them. The affectionately termed "mommy and daddy" mice were frantically running around the yard in search of their young, before Jazzy chased them under the fence and out into the wild blue yonder.

As Jordan excitedly walked across the yard to show me a plastic cup filled with FIVE BABY MICE, I was torn between screaming and swatting the contaminated cup out of her little hands, and oogling over the adorable babies of nature's most pesky rodents.

Much to the horror of most (including myself and my husband), after one look at them, I instantly took on a MATERNAL PROTECTIVE STANCE towards the helpless brown-gray squealers. And now we have three baby mice, cozily nestled in a cage in our family room.

In fact, they are so CUTE that I thought two baby mice would make the perfect BIRTHDAY PRESENT for a cute little 3-yr old neighbor girl, and (jokingly, I swear) suggested it to their mother. Well, come to find out, she grew up having rats and various rodents as pets, and thought the mice would make a teriffic addition to their family! (Liz, you are SO COOL!) So we packaged them up and brought them over, for what just may be THE most memorable birthday present. (Who gives baby mice to a three-year old as a birthday gift?! Certainly NOT I!)

Bella, get your hands away from those contaminated critters!

Sweeter than Chocolate

2009-05-08T14:17:00.006-06:00

This is after I found her on the floor of the family room holding somebody's leftover (apparently full) cup of chocolate pudding, now smeared all over the CARPET, CLOTHES, & BABY.

Good thing she's sweeter than chocolate.

Uh, can you say, OxyClean?

iPod, mePod

2009-05-06T08:48:00.008-06:00

My Little Buddy, Aidan, is in the age of pronouns, where "she/her, he/him" are completely interchangeable. When I'm trying to figure out what-the-hay he's trying to say, I forget that speaking English isn't an inherent trait, that he wasn't born with pronouns and grammar plotted in his brain, that kids actually have to learn how to talk!
It sure is entertaining. My favorite pronoun quips of his:

"Dad, get the mePod."
"The what?"
"The MEPOD!"
"Oh, you mean the iPod?"
"No, the MEpod!"

"Bella left she's bear in the car. Her needs she's bear to sleep!"

"Spiderman rides in him's car and he's ATV." (about his toys.)

What the...??? I'm constantly swimming in pronouns. The worst part is that I think it's so cute that sometimes I catch myself saying it like Aidan!

Supermassive Music

2009-04-27T17:12:00.011-06:00

I am trying...TRYING...to catch up to my running goals this week. I have a gut feeling that when I attempt to run this half-marathon thingy in like a month and a half, that they will be rolling my limp lifeless body across the finish line on a stretcher. And I will most definitely have a diet coke in one hand and a chocolate donut in the other, saying "Whee! What a ride!"

So, I am looking for more great running music - because if ANYTHING can stall the grim reaper at this race, it's my ipod. Please PLEASE share with me your favorite motivational tunes!

Here are my top 10 running songs at present, that completely rock my world and make me MOVE.

1) "Supermassive" by Muse
2) "Starlight" by Muse
3) "Sound of Pulling Heaven Down" by Blue October
4) "You Make Me Smile" by Blue October
5) "Angels on the Moon" by Thriving Ivory
6) "Friends and Family" by Trik Turner
7) "Standing Outside a Broken Phonebooth" by Primitive Radio Gods
8) "Loser" by Beck
9) "Map of the Problematique" by Muse
10) "Sing for Absolution" by Muse

(I dare anyone to try to sit still through Supermassive - I simply can't. It's actually the perfect song to do dishes to, or dance around the family room with the vacuum. That's what I'm talking about!)

WHERE'S BABY??!!

2009-04-23T15:27:00.010-06:00

Yes, there is a BABY in that bed! This is the sight that greeted me as I walked into Bella's room to get her from her crib.

What the.........!!!

Mommy experienced: Immediate FREAKING panic attack, babble of insanity streaming forth from my mouth... before spying her big hazel eyes and little hand rising up out of the mist, along with the sweetest sounding "ma-ma-ma-ma". Be still my racing heart, she is alive!

I was seriously so torn between laughing or smacking the kids. Humor won this one, as I ran out of the room to get my camera.

Hmmm... new poster child for campaign... "What NOT to put into crib with baby."

Treading the Time

2009-04-21T09:55:00.003-06:00

Why, oh why,
When I finally get up the guts to go hide out in the smelly dirty basement with the TREADMILL and sweat like a pig, do my children decide to thwart my efforts? Come on kids, can't you see mommy desperately needs this?! They are mostly good, but mostly doesn't get the job done! Something crops into their conniving little mini-minds and they either:

1) FREAK OUT for no reason and start screaming at me to get off and go upstairs.
2) Fight.
3) Need food (every five minutes).
4) Need me to transport every single toy they ever owned from one end of the house to the other, and set up their tent, build a house with blocks, carry the wagon...etc..etc...

All during the relatively small amount of time that I am trying to run on the treadmill. As if it isn't hard enough!!

Top 5 Easter Bunny Faux-"Paws"

2009-04-15T13:46:00.010-06:00

1. What my kids said: "Hey Mom! Those look just like the eggs YOU filled!"
What I replied: (yeah...um...still thinking...)

2. Kids: "That rubber-duckie-bunny in Bella's basket looks just like the rubber-duckie-bunny she got from the dentist's office!"
Me: "Yeah, I lost it, and the EB must have found it for her! Cool!"

3. Kids: "Hey I have a bunny basket just like that one!"
Me: "Yes, sometimes the EB actually uses easter baskets that you already have so he doesn't have to get a new one."

4. Daddy (Erik): "So how much did you say you got these DVD movies (in their baskets) on sale for??"
Me: A long look back that said, "The Easter Bunny brought those. I can't answer that."

5. Kids: Concerning the afore-mentioned movies: "Hey this movie is the same one you got at the store!"
Me: "No, I took that back."

(Dude - I really need to get my "act" together!)

Happy First Birthday Bella!

2009-04-10T16:22:00.008-06:00

I Love You Sweetheart! Your smile melts my heart every single day. You have been a light in our home since the day you were born. We absolutely cherish you! Happy Birthday Bella!

Spirit, Apostles, Easter Eggs, Friends, & Family

2009-04-07T09:24:00.010-06:00

Church on TV is always the bomb. We added an Easter dinner, pre-birthday party, and lunch with an English couple from Erik's mission, to the Spirit of the weekend. And then combined that with marshmallow chicks, chocolate, bubbles, and fishing at Daybreak Lake. What a fabulous weekend!

(Check out the Side-bar addition: "Twilight Quote of the Day")

Cadbury Hip-Pity

2009-03-24T15:06:00.007-06:00

Ode to that Cute Cuddly Cadbury Bunny who makes the best chocolate EVER:

HipPity-Hop, HipPity-Hop.
Milk Chocolate Mini Eggs,
So Smooth & Creamy.
Cadbury Cream Eggs,
Divine & Dreamy.

I Cannot Resist,
Goes Straight to my Hips.
Sweet Chocolate Heaven
Sends My Diet to Hell.
HipPity-HipPity-Hop.

The Prophet Does What?!

2009-03-16T17:42:00.009-06:00

For Family Home Evening we had a wonderful little lesson on the prophet and what he does. Simplified for 3 & 5 yr olds, He talks to Jesus, then tells us what we should know. Easy, right?

Afterwards, we asked the kids to recap "What does the prophet do?" before bringing out treats.

Aidan's immediate answer, "Goes pee-pee on the potty!"

Oh dear. So much for the lesson. (I swear we didn't tell him THAT.)

Blubber Blabber & Cool Tunes

2009-03-11T09:34:00.012-06:00

After a 4 year out-of-shape leave-of-absence, 2 more babies, gaining ** more pounds, and being completely out of shape, I have decided to once again tackle THE TREADMILL.

The most important part of my running plan is the music. I cannot run without REALLY good music. I've been adding to my collection and have come across some awesome new tunes, that I'm going to share with you because I think you'll LOVE them too! Check out the Castle Tunes.

(Thriving Ivory's "Angels on the Moon" is soooooo cool!)

I Salute...

2009-02-28T08:38:00.003-07:00

To all mothers of five (or more!)........... I SALUTE YOU.
To all mothers of twins (or more!).......... I SALUTE YOU.
To all mothers of handicapped or wayward children ........... I SALUTE YOU.

YOU ARE AMAZING!! I don't know how you do it. This past week has made me empathize with you.

I am so glad for my three wonderful children, and so glad they came to me healthy and one at a time! I even still want MORE kids!! (Erik's hyperventilating.)

Children are such a blessing from Heaven to us mothers (and we need all the Heavenly help we can get to care for them!)

Twinkle, Twinkle Griswold Star

2009-02-26T17:58:00.016-07:00

It began as a typical, and good, day (it's all attitude, right?)

-Breakfast (everyone had something different).
-Bath (five kids in one bubblebath.)
-The fiasco of getting into the car...

As if all that wasn't enough, we had to go to Preschool Parent Teacher Conference. Oh Yea. All of us. Well, the kids were...absolutely teriffic! How did they do it? One word: Bribery. I promised them if they behaved I'd take them to The Dollar Store.

At Dollar Tree, the kids happily took off into the wonderful world of cheap. Candy (as if they are sugar-deprived!) and toys galore, everyone chose one of each. In the checkout line, they were swarming all over the tiny cart, jumping, bouncing, climbing. I kept warning them not to hop on the sides of the cart because it could tip over. Did they listen?.....

Sweet little Aidan was the unfortunate one. He hopped on one side as I was putting our purchases up on the belt. I turned just in time to see the cart tipping over to his side, and Bella nearly flung out. I (and the lady behind me) caught that cart and Baby Bella just in time to save them from a huge disaster. I was a little shaken up (and Bells was screaming.) And the candy I bought there wasn't even that good (didn't stop me from eating it all though. I needed some kind of emotional sugar buzz.)

We came home, played with sidewalk chalk and pom-poms, then somewhere between the front door and the back door we crept towards insanity. As Clark Griswold on Christmas Vacation so eloquently stated, "Worse? How can it get any worse?! We're at the threshold of Hell!!"
It was time for a nap.

I declared that No-One could open their eyes, or else... (mom would lose it.) And those kids all shut their eyes and took a 2-hour nap!! I felt like Griswold again, when he FINALLY gets his 10,000 imported twinkle lights to turn on - HALLELUJAH!

Of course, later on...bedtime was totally nuts. Smores, stories, songs, homesickness, musical beds, and finally sleep. Looks like we'll be going back to Sonic today.

Playgrounds and Puddles

2009-02-25T18:36:00.010-07:00

Day 3 of Camp Bengtzen:

After more fashion shows (raiding Jordan's closet of dresses) I decided it was time for an outing to the playground.

Once I announced we were going, it took 5 kids an hour (AN HOUR!!) to get dressed and out the door into the car. Before I buckled them in I asked if anyone needed to go potty because there isn't one at the park. A big round of "NO" greeted my ears. So we all got buckled and I stuck my key in the ignition...

Jordan pipes up from behind me, "Mom, is there a toilet at the playground?" Okay, she must have to go. "No sweetie, do you need to go?" She sweetly states, "No, I mean Yes!" Okay - deep breath (I thought we went through this already.) "Go ahead Jordan."

Immediately a chorus of voices chime in "I need to go potty, me too!!"

I slip. "Oh Hell, are you KIDDING me?!" Oops, did I say that out loud? Sorry children, my ability to control the minor cussing isn't happening. "Didn't I just ask you kids if you had to go BEFORE we got in the car, like 5 minutes ago???" If you know how hard it is to buckle 5 preschoolers/toddlers into the car cause they're bouncing around like Tigger and shrieking like they're at Lagoon on Colossus, you understand my pain at having to immediately about-face and UNbuckle them so they can file into the bathroom and do their thing. At this point, I am glad that my 3 year old is still wearing diapers.

So, 15 minutes later we finally roll out, and have a spectacular time at the playground.

One minute after getting home from the excursion, I need to use the lieu myself, so I step in...to a large puddle on the bathroom floor, complete with somebody's little pair of socks and shoes sitting in the middle of the puddle dripping pee. Great, this just makes my day. The culprit was no where to be found. She was secretly changing clothes. I sanitize everything, and dump a large load of kid clothes (complete with 3 "accident" outfits) into the wash, and go face the zoo in the family room who's yapping for their dinner.

Happy Hour

2009-02-24T17:12:00.004-07:00

Sonic's Happy Hour = Happy Kids = Happy Mom.

Camp Bengtzen

2009-02-23T15:37:00.010-07:00

So, I've got my niece and nephew over for the whole week, so it's "Five-For-Fighting" (isn't that a band?)
Welcome to CAMP BENGTZEN...

I learned a few things last time that I'm hoping will make things run a little smoother this go-around:

1) Everyone gets their own brand-new spillproof sippy cup, with their name on it. This will prevent the "oops... whose chocolate milk seeped out all over the carpet?" and "I want a drink NOW - which cup is mine?" and "sorry kids, no more drinks, I can't find a damn lid and all the cups are in the dishwasher."

2) Each person has a bed of their own - we even hauled Paige's mattress over, hoping this will control the night-time chaos. So will it work??
Night one: No. Mommy didn't sleep a wink from midnight to 4am, along with various kids at varying times. Somewhere around 2am Erik went downstairs to the couch to get out of the line of fire. Paige replaced him in bed an hour later. And yes, The Screamer has returned (see an old post for details on that one.)

3) Freezer is stocked with quick n' easy heatable meals: french toast sticks, chicken nuggets, taquitos, waffles, etc...
Of course, this morning at breakfast, Aidan vehemently stated "I don't like those [french toast sticks]!" And at lunch, Jordan and Owen declared "I don't like chicken nuggets!" Yeah right, what toddler doesn't like chicken nuggets?! That's why we go to Chik-Fil-A all the time. I broke down and yelled, "This is your lunch and it's all your getting so EAT IT!!" They ate it all up.

4) They've each got their own little flashlight to chase away the boogeyman. A cure to the night-time discomfort of being someplace new? Rule #1: DON'T SHINE IT IN ANYONE'S EYES!! We need some work on that one. Later..."My flashlight won't turn on." (Yea, cause you left it on all night and the batteries are dead.) Dang. Smart Mommy bought extra batteries! Oh Yea.

Day one analysis: Everyone is sleep deprived and it's only Monday.

"Bella, sweetheart, please hand over mommy's drink."

And then there's this...

Uh, we're gonna need to work on that before your mommy and daddy come home, Owen.

SpongeBob???

2009-02-19T08:44:00.002-07:00

Okay, I tried to avoid it for as long as possible, and swore my family would NEVER watch it, but alas, my kids are addicted to SpongeBob Squarepants!

I used to think this show was like Simpsons, a little crass, inappropriate, and too old for little kids. But in all honesty, it's not at all like that - it's actually quite clever and funny, totally G-rated, tastefully humorous, and just right for my children's entertainment. I don't know how someone came up with this show, but I have to give it 2-thumbs-up for delightful family entertainment.

I somewhat shamefully admit that I have become a fan of that silly yellow sponge that lives in a pineapple under the sea.

I Heart Pancakes

2009-02-14T08:33:00.000-07:00

Yummy. Happy Valentine's Day!

Love Knows No Bounds...

2009-02-10T18:46:00.019-07:00

This Valentines, as I think about the word "LOVE," I am filled with wonder at my life and what I have been given. I am so blessed, I cannot imagine my life any other way than it is now, for it is complete and perfect.

I marvel at the sweet miracle of my children. I am amazed at the pure and unconditional love that my heart swells with, which I never knew possible until I had my precious angels (for children indeed are angels among us). I am consumed with a love so deep for my husband and children, it is without end.

I truly cherish my family - they are
my love, my world, my life, always and forever.

Thoughts on Motherhood...
"There is no one perfect way to be a good mother. Each situation is unique. Each mother has different challenges, different skills and abilities, and certainly different children. What matters is that a mother loves her children deeply and, in keeping with the devotion she has for God and her husband, prioritizes them above all else."
----Elder M. Russell Ballard

Happy 3rd Birthday Aidan!

2009-02-02T08:58:00.006-07:00

My sweet little boy celebrated his 3rd birthday this weekend by having his very first "birthday party." Ohmygosh, it was the CUTEST thing in the world - Aidan is shy by nature, and he had the sweetest little grin plastered on his face as the birthday guests came over.

The few adorable little kids that came were just the funniest thing to watch!

Little Megan who wandered around the house, and would excitedly run around, usually in the opposite direction of what we were doing, smiling all the while.

Little Alison who showed up all dolled up in a precious party dress, also wandered around until she found some princesses to hold during the party, and had the most fun bouncing balloons around.

Cousins Paige and Owen, who dashed right in and asserted their dominance over the party scene, showing Aidan how to play his games, "pin the hat on the monkey" and "bingo", and how to open his presents. I don't think Aidan actually opened one himself! He sat in his Spiderman chair and let the crew clobber and claw and rip up the gift-wrap. He didn't mind - he was just happy to be there and happy to see what was opened!

We had an awesome time! I don't think there is anything sweeter and cuter in this world than watching a little kid have a little birthday party, and the huge smile that comes with it!

Soda Baby

2009-01-20T14:21:00.008-07:00

Yep - that's my girl. What can I say? She's seen me drinking my choice beverages a few too many times! Hey, she learns from the best.

"There's nothing coming out of here mom; why'd you give me an empty can?"