Cream cheese...

Why does everything that tastes good this time of year have to be made with cream cheese?

Seriously...it's on sale everywhere I go--so I buy it at 10 bricks a trip and before I know it, it's back on my shopping list again. Tis the season of cheeseballs, dips, cheesecakes, spreads, dips, dips and more dips...has there ever been a dip that can't be improved by adding cream cheese?

You like chips and salsa? Add cream cheese and you're in for a treat! You like shrimp with marinara sauce? Add a brick of cream cheese, serve with Ritz and you are set. You like fruit? Why not a big bowl of cream cheese, marshmellow fluff, and brown sugar to top it off? I can't get away from it and wish I had the will power to resist, but I just don't. You may wonder why I am even posting about this! Is it an obession? Maybe...all I know is that today I was getting ready for a party with the girls in our ward and used 3 bricks of cream cheese...I am planning to use 4 more on Friday for another party we are attending...7 in one week! Whew....

But, indulge I will and I'll enjoy every minute of it--up until the time I start running again to burn it all off! Oh well...you gotta live.

A few of my favorite things...

I know just where to look for Carter or Christopher if the T.V. is on and they aren't answering when I call to them! Our couch has this little corner nook stuffed with pillows and the boys love

to snuggle down in the pillows and sometimes I can't even see them sitting there. It cracks me up...unless of course they are deliberately ignoring me...which almost never happens (ya right!). Honestly though--it is one of my favorite things to see them burrowed down so deep in the pillows!

Another one of my favorites lately is that Mackenna is writing lots and lots of notes to Kelly and I! We get at least one note per day and it goes something like this, "Dear Mom and Dad...you are the best ever! Love, stinky....xoxoxo". It always makes me smile--especially when it ends with "p.s. write me back". You gotta love it!

I have to say that another favorite is Tessa's newest smile. I ask her to show me her smile and let's just say it isn't pretty. She looks like she's baring her teeth at us and she crinkles up her little nose...it is hilarious! I guess it's my favorite because she is trying so hard and learning so much! I can't believe the stuff she is doing and she is still so little! We watched "Up" tonight with the kids (Broekman's had a sleepover while Dave and Nat celebrated his birthday in Scottsdale) and everytime she would see a dog on the T.V. she would start barking her little wierd bark that she does. She is so funny and sassy....

And lastly, I LOVE to watch Christopher dance!! Any time that music comes on, he busts out his latest moves and sometimes I have to really force myself to not laugh...he just gets SO into it--his little face gets all serious and he starts jumping around and flailing his arms everywhere--I guess that before I start laughing too hard I should wonder first where he gets it?!! Man I love my kids! Life is so full of favorites--something new every day :)

Happy Veteran's Day!

Happy Veteran's Day 2009! Our elementary school does a neat Veteran's Day program each year and this year Mackenna had a speaking part. She did such a good job dressed as Uncle Sam! It is a neat program...but I'll never understand why they do it in the courtyard...
In Arizona it is still SO hot and they have all the kids seated in the blazing hot courtyard and then the parents and veterans all come sit in the blazing courtyard...it just seems so weird to me that we are worrying about the heat in NOVEMBER! Seriously...
But luckily Tessa, Chris, and I found a spot standing in the shade and our friend Dave sneaked up to snap some pics of the kids during the program! And I do have to say that it was a very patriotic program--watching the flag come in and hearing "Taps"--it made me feel so much gratitude for those who are willing to truly stand and fight for our freedom. Our youth gathered as a Stake and put together some care packages for soldiers and wrote them some letters and it felt really good to do something for those who are fighting for us. I believe that too often we take our freedom for granted--and probably will until it is taken from us.

Happy Late Halloween....

Here we are before Trick or Treating on Halloween 2009. Kenna decided to be a kitty--doesn't she look "purr-fect"? Carter was all about Wolverine (we don't know why, I'm not sure he even knows who Wolverine is )...and Kelly made him some claws out of cardboard and tin foil that

looked awesome and got quite a few comments while we were out! Christopher was the Hulk--by default...they had his size at last year's Walmart clearance sale...he was a good sport though and LOVED filling up his bucket with goodies! You can ignore the wicked witch of the west seated center stage...I was just trying to hold Tessa--our little lady bug---down for a picture. I like have Halloween on a Saturday--we rested and played together and Kelly and I made some pumpkin soup for after trick or treating and it was really fun! I bought tons of candy--and only put out a little bit because I wanted to go and watch the kids trick or treat. I've spent every other year handing out candy. It was way more fun watching the kids! We walked the neighborhood with Clausens and when Tess got tired, Kelly and Matt were only too willing to bring her home and put her to bed while we finished up with the kids. We had alot of fun and my favorite house had a huge screen up in the front yard and they were broadcasting the video to Michael Jackson's "Thriller". Christopher busted out his dance moves and cracked me up. So much fun--and FINALLY posted on my blog...

Mackenna's Baptism...

Here's my baby! I can't believe she is 8 and has already been baptized. It was such a neat weekend! All week long Kelly and I visited with her about the choice she was making and what it means and she seemed to really take it in. She was super surprised on Friday afternoon when my parents pulled up and Amy and Sadie jumped out of the car. She came running into the kitchen and was waving her arms "Mom, it's Amy and Sadie and Mom..." and then she ran back out front. She was so excited--especially about Sadie.
My dad borrowed a pair of my shorts and jumped in the pool with my kids and Sadie. The pool seems FREEZING to me, but they had a great time! We enjoyed visiting that night and of course were up early for the traditional morning walk.
Amy and my parents were such a big help to me in getting the food and the house ready for everything. We didn't have alot of people there, but wanted to have a light dinner after the baptism. Skip and Karen flew in and came to the house once they had settled in.
Kenna looked so beautiful to me and I was so happy that Kelly was able to baptize her. My dad gave the opening prayer and then Skip gave a very sincere talk on baptism. Mackenna was baptized on the same day as her friend Macey Clausen. To start the program they sang a song together that was so sweet called "My Baptism Day". The Spirit was so strong and it was so neat to watch--but I guess a little hard to swallow. Its almost like I don't want to believe that she is growing up...
We were so lucky to have some family come and the Broekmans and Brandes joined us back at the house for BBQ pork sandwiches. It was a neat afternoon--and one that I hope Mackenna will never forget...I know that I never will.

Hands...

So as I was browsing pictures on my computer, I saw this one of Tessa's hands when she was just three months old and I remembered how she used to be so amazed every time she would catch sight of her little hands. She would stop and just stare at them and follow them with her little eyes and then of course, pull her tiny fingers to her mouth. What is it about hands?

Today a small hand tapped my arm to wake me for the day. Today a sticky hand grabbed onto my dress to ask for a drink. Today a tiny hand grabbed mine as we walked into church. Today hands scratched my back--as a trade for a chunk of cookie dough. Today a hand patted my back to remind me that we are friends. Today hands helped me make dinner and even took out the garbage :). Today a hand turned my face--and Christopher said--"I love you, Mom". There are so many pairs of hands that affect each day of my life--and today it made me wonder...what am I doing with my hands? Am I brushing aside the ones I love most? Am I so busy washing the dishes that I don't have time to dig in the dirt or color or build the tallest lego tower? How can my hands help to build the lives of those around me?

Pictures coming soon....

Okay everyone--I do realize that the whole point of having a blog is to post fun pics and updates on family, etc. Kelly is busy in the office trying to find a bunch of pictures that were lost when the computer was reformatted--so I don't have access to all of that fun stuff yet! But, alot has happened--Mackenna was baptized on October 17th....Grandpa Skip and Grandma Karen came--Grandma and Grandpa Idaho came, and Amy came and surprised Kenna with a visit from Sadie. Mackenna was so excited to have them come down! It was fun to watch her be the center of attention---I think she enjoyed it, too! :)
I can't wait to post pics of her special day and also of her fun Day Spa birthday party! It was so fun--and made me so excited for when she is old enough to enjoy shopping and things like that--maybe I shouldn't be--but she is so "girly"--I love it!
We just went back to school on Wednesday after 2 1/2 weeks of Fall Break. Carter wasn't looking forward to it--but came home with a smile on his face. I can tell my kids enjoy school--but I am glad they still love coming home! I had 2 new little nephews born this week! One of them is in ICU and our prayers are with him and his mom--what a scary start to life--but what a lucky little guy to come to home where he will be loved and taken good care of! Congrats to both families! We love you! I'll update more soon--I need to spend more time on this...