Petersen Living

Officially Signing Off

2009-02-06T13:19:00.002-07:00

I'm sure whoever out there even still checks my blog, will be happy to know I am officially quitting blogging! Lets face it....just one less blog you have to spend time checking out. Obviously, I've never been that into it like everyone else. It's just too time consuming to not only keep up on my own blog, but then you feel like you HAVE to check everyone else's (even wondering off to people's blog you don't even know!!) One of my New Years's resolutions is to be more productive w/ my time, and this is an easy way! So, thanks to those of you who hung in there w/ me for a while!

Christmas with the Lakes....Winter Wonderland

2008-12-24T10:00:00.005-07:00

The Lakes didn't even own a snow shovel, so Cody headed out to Home Depot to pick one up (the only store in town that had one)! They had a chance to do a little service by shoveling for some elderly families in the ward.

The kiddies had so much fun sledding and making snow angels!

This is from a nice Asian family in the neighborhood that built this cool igloo! We stopped and they were excited to let us take pictures in their igloo!

Last Saturday we loaded up the car, and headed to the Northwest. We left at 3:30 am in hopes to just barely miss the big winter storm hitting Portland, Saturday late afternoon. Well, we were so lucky to not hit any bad weather until the Columbia River Gorge. It was a little scarry going through the Gorge and lots of cars were pulling over to chain up. Cody took it slow and steady and even though it took us 2 hours to go through, instead of the usual 1 hour, we still made it to the Lakes in 12 hours! Cody drove the entire time...what a wonderful husband!! The kids were so excited to see their cousins, and they have had so much fun playing in the snow everyday! For those not familiar with the NW....it seldomly snows here, and when it does, its usually just an inch or two. They maybe have 2 or 3 snowplows to cover the whole area! So the streets were packed with lots of snow and it was very slick and icy. We've been lucky to leave the kids with my 12 year old nephew Griffin to babysit a few times while we go to the gym, and went to see the movie 7 pounds, with Will Smith, which was very good!

Christmas with the Lakes

2008-12-24T09:24:00.004-07:00

these are called SLED RACES and we had to run pushing 25 lbs weights down the gym

this is where we flipped these huge tires over all the way down the length of the gym...it was no picnic!

At IKEA, we loved these cute little "show rooms". This is a 335 sq ft apartment...darling!

Kiddies waiting patiently for their dinner @ Spagetti Factory

Visiting with Santa & Mrs. Claus

We started the morning off with a killer boot camp class @ 24 hr fitness (where Stacey works). I guess there is usually about 40 people, but the "big storm" and all, there was only about 12, so the trainers had a lot better chance to yell at us when we tried to take a little break! We then took an outing to IKEA and put the kids in the little "kids playplace" that they have, while we shopped around for 30 min. They loved the playplace! Cody and I had never been there before and only covered probably 1/8 of the store. Cody says I should NEVER be left alone in a store like that because there is so much little stuff that you think you NEED! I only bought some cute little bowls, cups, & plates for the kids....all under $8! We then headed over to Spagetti Factory, where Todd treated us to a delicious dinner! Thats the first time my boys have been there & they LOVED the mizithra spagetti! Even Jaken, my "non-eater" ate his whole plate! We were lucky enough to see Santa & Mrs. Claus there!! The kids got to talk to them for a few minutes and remind them of some things they were hoping for! What a treat to see Mrs. Claus....she doesn't get to leave the North Pole very often because she is so busy cooking and cleaning for all the Elves!

Christmas with the Lakes

2008-12-24T08:58:00.005-07:00

Last night we headed out to the Trailblazers/Nuggets basketball game. My old friend Ryan Gibson that works for the Blazers hooked us up with suite tickets! It was a lot of fun, and I even got to see Stacey get some drunk guy kicked out of the suite! The picture above is Todd & Cody checking out the Blazer dancers.....nice!

Last Winter

2008-12-16T18:25:00.004-07:00

Our new home in Perry

2008-12-15T10:34:00.006-07:00

Here are just a few pictures of our new home. I didn't take ones of the boys room, my bath, the office or the basement (soon to be finished!)

Fun with my Family

2008-12-08T17:37:00.002-07:00

Cody was so great to stay with the boys for 4 days while I went to Las Vegas with my parents and sisters to watch my Dad receive the LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD from The American Ambulance Association. We also went to the amazing production of Phantom at the Venetian, shopped, ate yummy food, played games late into the night, and hiked in Red Rock country.

2008-12-08T17:22:00.002-07:00

Elfie Last year my friend, Tiffany Jensen, gave me this idea:

Get an elf and write a note to the children of the house explaining that Santa has sent her to live with them during the Christmas Season to watch their behavior and report back to Santa. Move the elf around the house so it looks like she is watching them from several different locations. Once in a while, have a treat next to her in the morning when they wake up and explain that Santa is rewarding them for good behavior.

Having done this for two years now, I can vouch for the fun of this idea. The boys love Elfie, and look for her when they wake up! If Jaken is being bad, Caleb will remind him that Elfie is watching.

He's Back!

2008-11-28T09:13:00.004-07:00

Jaken was leery about the Man in Red at first. He sat on his lap but would not lean into him or even look at him. When the sucker was produced, he became more of a fan. Caleb was happy to sit on Santa's lap (my dad) and share his one-item list. Santa spoke with many accents, I lost track at six! It proves he is real because he knows so many languages.

Everyday Appreciation

2008-11-10T20:34:00.003-07:00

We spent another week-end at a cabin in Bear Lake with my family, and I read a thought- provoking book by Richard Carlson entitled: DON'T SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF, and I really liked this thought...Everyday, Tell at Least One Person Something You Like, Admire or Appreciate about Them.

How often do you remember to tell people how much you like, admire, or appreciate them? For many people, it's not often enough. In fact, when I ask people how often they receive heartfelt compliments from others, I hear answers like "I can't remember the last time I received a compliment." "Hardly ever, " and "I never receive them."

There are several reasons why we don't vocally let others know about our positive feelings toward them. I've heard excuses like, "They don't need to hear me say that--they already know," and "I do admire her, but I'm too embarrassed to say anything." But when you ask the would-be recipient if he or she enjoys being given genuine compliments and positive feed-back, the answer nine times out of ten is, "I love it." Whether your reason for not giving compliments on a regular basis is not knowing what to say, embarrassment, feeling that other people should know their strengths and don't need to be told, it's time for a change.

Telling someone something that you like, admire, or appreciate about them is a "random act of kindness." It takes almost no effort and it pays enormous dividends. Many people spend their entire lifetimes wishing that other people would acknowledge them. They feel this especially about their parents, spouses, children, and friends. But even compliments from strangers feel good if they are genuine. Letting someone know how you feel about them also feels good for the person offering the compliment. It's a gesture of loving kindness. It means that your thoughts are geared toward what's right with someone. And when your thoughts are geared in a positive direction, your feelings are peaceful.

Farewell To Fall Party

2008-10-19T17:36:00.005-06:00

My parents hold an annual Farewell to Fall party each October. First we help them get their yard ready for winter. With all my mom's perennial flowers, this is time consuming work. Everyone pitches in, down to the 3 years olds. My Aunt Carol, and my cousins, usually join in on the fun.
A pumpkin carving contest is held and the winner gets a night at a Marriott Hotel of their choice. We carved the Dracula pumpkin and my sister did the 3 little pigs. The judges declared a tie, so both of us got a room! Caleb and Jaken did an entry of a black bat and won a prize for their age category.

A trick-or- treating is held, where we ALL dress in costume and the kids knock on each door on the property; house, barn, cottage, playhouse, bunkhouse, Ft. Liberty...making the rounds twice.

Lunch is served, around a roaring fire. These hot dog "mummies" were a hit with all ages.

My Aunt Carol organized kiddie games, which were Caleb's favorite part of the whole day. We all took home pumpkins from the garden.

H. Potter Party

2008-10-13T10:20:00.004-06:00

My parent's friend invited our family to his fabulous Halloween party . He owns an old church, with the accompanying pastor's house, in downtown Ogden. The 300 guests hardly bumped into each other. It was a Harry Potter theme and we saw some incredible costumes. Lindsey went as Hermione Granger, Ryan went as Hot Rod and Emma was a Bumble Bee. Cody was a pirate, I was a scarecrow, and the boys were transformers. Dad was a monster and Mom wore the costume from her childhood....a paper sack over her head........SAD!

The kids loved riding on the little train on the sidewalks in front of the church. We ate soups and donuts and played games in the basement with the little kids; cake-walk, fish pond, magic potions, golf, beanbags, spook alley and more.

After the party we spent the night in Liberty so the boys could help Dad cut down 4 poplar trees the next morning. It snowed just as they were finishing up.

Almost Christmas

2008-10-04T17:36:00.008-06:00

the boys. had so. much fun. at gardner village. and cornbelly's.

they loved being with their cousins. aunts. and annie.

really. it was almost as fun. as christmas. really.

you should go.

Little Man

2008-09-28T14:56:00.002-06:00

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Train Trek

2008-09-26T17:12:00.000-06:00

Five years old is the magic age to get to go on the train to Salt Lake with my mom. She brought treats and a new toy for the journey, but they were hardly noticed because of the excitement of the train itself. Getting to walk from car-to-car to go to the bathroom was such an added bonus.
Once at the Gateway, they went to the Kid's Museum and Caleb enjoyed all the stations, especially helping Annie at the "grocery store." He played in the fountain, without getting wet, received a Star Wars sticker book for the ride home, and got to eat at McDonalds. Jaken is counting down the days!

Outstanding in Their Field

2008-09-22T22:24:00.000-06:00

The boys enjoyed "building a scarecrow" with Annie and then placing it in the garden to stand guard from the WILD THINGS that roam at night. Good thing they are card carrying NRA members.

NRA Trainees

2008-09-02T10:18:00.000-06:00

The boys have been busy training for the upcoming hunting season when they can go up to Monte Cristo with Cody to hunt deer.

Family Photo Time

2008-08-22T21:55:00.000-06:00

My mom and sister, Lindsey, took family photos of us during the summer. The boys tired easily, especially Jaken but there were some keepers, nevertheless.

Wasatch Back Relay

2008-07-09T17:35:00.000-06:00

Our first legs that were up in the Valley, by my parents house.

Cody and I got talked into doing a relay called the Wasatch Back that starts in Logan, and ends up in Park City. It is 180 miles total, and 12 people to a team. Each person has to run 3 legs that range anywhere from 3.5 -7 miles, and rated either EASY, MODERATE, HARD, OR VERY HARD. We were both very nervous for it, as it grew closer and closer to the day. My legs were...3.5 miles EASY, 6.2 MODERATE, and 3.5 VERY HARD. You have about 6-8 hrs inbetween each leg. It was surprisingly a lot of fun, and we both did a lot better than we thought! We both ran in the middle of the night, and that was our favorite part! It was so peaceful, and there was a great crisp chill to the air. To finish off our last legs, I started first in Midway, and ran up the backside of the mountain to Deer Valley Resort. It was 80° out, and I climbed 1600 ft in 3.5 miles. I had to walk/run, but was still very pleased, because I passed 8 people (6 were men) and only got passesd by 2 people! I was so hot, and had only slept 1 hour in the past 30 hrs, but was able to finish strong w/ the help of my team! Cody took the last 4 miles up to the top, and didn't stop to walk at all!! Keep in mind, he is NOT a runner, and has only run outside (for fun) 5 times in his whole life!! Our team finished in 25 hrs 37 min and placed 71st out of 577 teams! We can't wait for next year!!

More Cake

2008-06-13T00:08:00.000-06:00

For Jaken's 2nd birthday, we celebrated in Liberty with the parentals and the Bundys. Jaken enjoyed the bunnies, Sugar & Spice, and riding the 4-wheelers to the river. Dad made 3 little wooden boats and after placing Hostess Cupcakes and candles on them, the kids floated them down the river. We also had a little party with the Petersens up in Logan at Willow Park. The kids loved playing with all their cousins, and going to the little zoo they have there. We LOVE Jaken so much, and cannot imagine not having him in our family! He is a major daddy's boy!! He also LOVES his big brother, and copies everything he does ( sometimes a bad thing!) The funniest/sickest thing is that he has a blanket that gets carried everywhere he goes. He calls it BEETN', and he has actually slowly been eating it over the past month! When we were in Mexico 2 months ago, Jamie fixed it up for him, with fresh stuffing and new ties. Well, he chewed all those off within a week. Beetn' is pretty much disinegrating before our eyes! The crazy thing is the kid does not eat hardly any food, but yet he will eat a blanket....go figure!!

JAKEN'S FAVORITE THINGS:

boxing w/ Caleb
pretend hunting
the swimming pool
the park
Monster House (the movie)
popcicles
all animals

tHe BuNny wHo bLeATs

2008-06-12T23:26:00.001-06:00

Of the two lambs that went to Annie's house, only one made it. Caleb named them Logan and Hinkley, but when we realized they were girls, the names were changed to Kate and Ashley.

Cody has been docking lambs every spring with his best friend Nick, since they were both in high school. Nick's dad owns 10,000 sheep. Docking means cutting off the tails of any sheep with black on it, branding them, giving shots and castrating the males. Rubber bands are placed on the tails of the more desirable lambs....the ones who are all white.

My mom has been taking a few of the bummer lambs home for three years now and the grandkids help her bottle feed them until they are pasture ready. She also has bunnies and for some odd reason, Jaken can't separate the sheep from the bunnies. He always says, "i feEd BOtTle tO ThE bUNniE."
I think I could be a ranch wife...NOT!

Caleb's Birthday and Graduation

2008-06-12T23:00:00.000-06:00

Caleb went to Wee Wonders pre-school for 2 years. He had a great teacher named Miss Lori, and also got to go there with one of his best friends Annastin Jensen. He was a Valadictorian, because he had learned to read, and got one of his favorite toys, a Transformer, from Miss Lori. I can't believe I will have a kindergartner in just a couple months!!!

We celebrated Caleb's 5th birthday when the Lakes were here for the marathon. I brought a pinata that Cody hung from a tree at the Brigham City park where we met. The kids really enjoyed taking a whack. Caleb was thrilled with his new bike. He has SO outgrown his first one that came with training wheels.

Ogden Marathon

2008-05-20T13:33:00.000-06:00

This past Saturday was the Ogden Marathon. Cody and I ran it in a relay team with 2 of my other friends and one other husband. It was the first time either Cody or I had ran in it, and it was so much fun! I ran the first leg so I got to start up at the top with my sister Stacey who came down from Portland to run the whole marathon. Cody drove us up to the top at about 6:30am. It was pretty chilly, but we found a nice warm fire to hang out by until the start. We ran together for about the first 1/4 mile, and then she was off!! My leg was 7 miles, and Cody's was 5 miles. He is fast and only got passed by one person!! We took the bus to the finish and were able to see Stace finish! Lots of people looked like they were going to die, but she was hardly sweating!! Our team's overall time was 3:39. It's the 2nd fastest time a Gold's Gym team has ever done, so that made us happy! I was also so proud of my dad, and my brother-in-law Todd who both did awesome in the half-marathon!! We can't wait until next year!!

Staying Healthy

2008-05-07T13:32:00.000-06:00

I go back and forth with eating really healthy, and eating like crap. This past 6 months, I've been trying really hard to only put healthy things inside my body. This is the diet I usually stick to and feel & look the best when I do. Just thought I would share a few of my favorite things. Please feel free to let me know of any of your favorites!!

BREAKFAST -- I absolutely love KASHI GO LEAN. All of their products are great!! I either have 1 pkg of oatmeal or 1 cup cereal with 1/2 cup LIGHT VANILLA SOY MILK (I like 8th Continent or SILK) I have this in the morning before I workout.

LUNCH-- I like to call this SARA'S SMOOTHIE DELIGHT:
1/2 apple (w/ skin)
1 sm banana (or 1/2 large banana)
1/4 c. fresh or frozen blueberries
1 handful spinach leaves
1/2 c. vanilla protein powder (my favorite is EVOLVE)
1 c. light plain or vanilla soy milk (can use regular skim milk)
1/2 c. water
1 c. ice
*optional 1/2 c. fat free yogurt

BLEND VERY WELL!! MAKES 2 LG OR 4 SM SERVINGS...MY BOYS LOVE IT!!

DINNER-- I love the frozen Tilapia from COSTCO. There is a great recipe on the back of the bag. I usually just cook it with lemon juice, lemon pepper & garlic salt. It is fat & carb free, and has a ton of protein and hardly any calories. Also, it is a very mild tasting fish, so don't worry if you aren't a fish person, you will still love this!

Another dinner staple of mine is SALAD. I absolutely LOVE salads...especially huge ones w/ chicken. My sister Stacey loves them too, and when we are together, we can go thru a giant bag of Costco spinach in 2 days!! My everyday spinach salad is:

3 c. spinach
1 diced apple (pink ladies are my favorite)
a little thinly sliced red onion
1 grilled chicken breast
2 T. fresh parmasan cheese
DRESSING: light or fat-free Raspberry Vinagrette

SNACKS:
VIVA cottage cheese

PINK LADY apples
TWISTED protein bars (from Costco)
yogurt
almonds
WEIGHT WATCHERS popcicles
BOLTHOUSE FARMS juices (Green Goodness, Blue Goodness, Perfectly Protein Vanilla Chai, Vedge, or C-Boost)

Also 2 wks ago, I started taking Green TeaHP. It comes in a little pixie and you add it to 16 oz of water 20-30 min. before breakfast and lunch. It is a known fat burner, and has tons of vitamins and anti-oxidents. Only has as much caffine as a cup of hot chocolate. Also, it is known for anti-aging...that is what sold me!!! It doesn't list this in benefits, but it is a great appetite suppressant for me as well!! I forgot to take it to Mexico, ate like crap, and gained 5 lbs!! I took this and the 5lbs was off in 3 days! Coincidence....??? For more info on it, go to greenteahp.com

And last but not least, twice a week I do a colon cleanse. It sounds worse than it is! I use SUPER DIETER'S TEA. You start out brewing one bag for 5 minutes. It doesn't say this on the box, but the more you use it, you have to make it stronger. I'm up to brewing 2 bags for one hour!!

Happy Birthday To Me!!!!

2008-05-06T21:27:00.000-06:00

Modeling my new pink jacket from FOREVER 21. Also, the short-sleeved white one is from there too & the yellow top...thanks for the giftcard Stace!!
HOT new spandex!!!

My mom made this darling HAPPY B-DAY centerpiece!

Also modeling my new ROXY purse & pants. My mom sponsored me in buying this new LIVESTRONG top...I love it!

My sister Stacey had these shirts made when she turned 30, and she loaned them to us. Jaken is so excited!

So the day is finally here...my 30th birthday!!! I have been dreading this day, since I was probably 20 years old. I was sure I would be in tears, and need anti-depressants! Well, luckily I'm feeling GREAT!! It definately helps that I'm not big & pregnant! Also, Cody and I are doing really good. Our marriage is the best it has been, we are out of debt, and building a new home....life is GOOD!! As Cody keeps saying "30 is SEXY"!! Caleb is saying it to me now too....great!! So for the last few years, I've been telling Cody that I really wanted to be on vacation, somewhere tropical for my 30th. He said we could, but then we had our big trip to Thailand 5 months ago, I was sure that another vacation this soon wouldn't be happening:( Luckily, our friends invited us to Cabo, and we couldn't pass it up, since it was free room & board! Even tho I wasn't there on my actual birthday, it was just 2 wks before, so it was good enough for me!

For my actual b-day today, I taught Spin this morning. Cody took the day off, and we came home and layed out for an hour! It was so nice to have warm weather! Then we went for a good 5 mile run to get ready for the Ogden Marathon relay that we are doing next Saturday. Luckily some clouds came out, so it wasn't too hot. It was also a bit windy, which was nice for a breeze, but no good for a headwind! Later, we went out to dinner in Eden at Harley & Buck's, with the Bundy's, my mom, and our boys. Then we came back to my parents house for presents, cake & ice cream. Lindsey got me a SEPHORA gift card, that I'm really excited to use! My parents gave me cash, which I used for some new MEK jeans from the BUCKLE. Cody got me some sexy new spandex biking shorts, and of course the trip to Mexico!! I'm so glad that I have such a wonderful, and supportive family!

Womans Conference

2008-05-05T17:09:00.000-06:00

Last week my dad & mom sent me, and my 2 sisters (Jamie & Lindsey) to Womans Conference @ BYU. It was all of our first time going, and it was such a neat experience! We all picked what classes we wanted to go to, and were split up for most of the time. I ended up at a couple with both of my sisters. My mom missed the first day, but met up with us afterwards that night at the Marriott in SLC. We saw a movie, shopped, and ate at one of our favorite places THAIFOON @ the Gateway. On Friday morning we got up early and drove back down to BYU for the 2nd day of the classes. We went to a total of 6 classes between the 2 days. There were 2 that I enjoyed the most; one was on our Gifts & Talents, and the other was on Honesty. The best part was at the end on the 2nd day, President Monson spoke for an hour. That was the first time I have gotten to hear a prophet talk in person, so it was very neat! It was almost the first time that I have even been in the same room of a prophet, except for that a month ago I sat 4 seats away from President Monson at the JAZZ game!! My sister Jamie was very upset, because she had wanted to start the song WE THANK THEE OH GOD FOR A PROPHET, but some other woman beat her to it. It was so neat to hear that song sung and feel the spirit that filled the whole Marriott Center. It was sad to not have my other sister Stacey there, but she will come next year!!

Villa Grande

2008-05-05T16:54:00.001-06:00

This is where we stayed at in Cabo San Lucas for 6 marvelous days!! Every inch of the property is GORGEOUS, and we can't wait to go back next year!! It is available to rent, so if you are interested, go to cabovillas.com and search Villa Grande.

Mexican Holiday

2008-05-05T15:33:00.000-06:00

Our trusty little scooter!
Cody and his buddy's
View point from the road up to our house
All the girls

View from our bedroom balcony!

Love the scooter helmets!

Cody and I recently got back from Cabo San Lucas. It was our first time in Mexico, and a lot of fun! Although, I have to say that NOTHING can beat Phuket, Thailand!!! The day before we headed off, Jaken got sick with the flu...talk about bad timing!!! It broke my heart to have to leave him behind sick. Luckily, the morning we left, Lindsey was kind enough to give him a bath after he puked and pooped in his crib!! Those of you who know Lindsey, you know this is VERY big of her!!! She hates changing Emma's diapers....let alone cleaning my sick kid up! She drove both my boys up to my sister Jamie's house in Providence. Jaken threw up again in the car on the way there...SAD!! Jamie got him cleaned up and took such good care of him for me! She is such a good sister and really loves her neices and nephews so much! My mother-in-law was kind enough to go get Jaken and take him to her house for 2 days, and give him some one-on-one TLC!! Caleb got to hang out with his best friend & cousin DJ and even help him with a paper route @ 5am (his choice)! He also spent one night @ my Aunt Lee's house in Logan, and my mom and dad got back from AZ and tended both boys for 2 days! I'm so thankful I have such good family to watch my boys!

Ok, back to Mexico. We have some friends in St. George, whose parents own a gorgeous 12,000 sq ft house in Cabo. It sits up on a mountain and the ocean is directly below. There are 7 huge bedrooms, 9 bathrooms, a pool, hottub, and gorgeous views!! We flew down with Cody's best friend Nick (from Tremonton) and his new wife of 5 months Blythe. We met up with our friends at the airport there ( Josh & Sheridan) and 3 other couples from St. George that we didn't know. Luckily, they were cool, and we all got along great! They keep scooters at the house, so we had lots of fun riding them around town and down to the beach. We had tons of fun snorkeling, shopping, swimming, laying out, eating out, clubbing, skinny dipping, fishing, and just hanging out & relaxing! Luckily, Josh & Sheridan want to make it a yearly vacation!!!

Hooray, I'm finally back!!

2008-04-10T07:06:00.001-06:00

Thank you , thank you to my sister Lindsey who made this darling new background for my blog!! She is very talented and computer savvy....who knew?? Thanks Linny, you are the BEST!!

Up for a new challenge

2008-04-10T06:45:00.000-06:00

Just this past weekend I did a 2 day training to teach Body Step, a new class that Gold's is going to be getting next month. Back in the day, step aerobics was pretty much all I did. Now with all the other classes, I haven't done it in years, so I'm having to get re-acquainted it. Not to mention my calf muscles....ouch!!! There was 20 people that did the training, and 5 were good friends of mine, so it was a lot of fun! The new challenge for me is going to be learning choreography to 22 new tracks every 3 months (this includes Body Attack), while also remembering all the old choreography I have learned. It will be a little tuff, but I love a good challenge!!!

Easter

2008-04-10T06:29:00.000-06:00

Ok, so I'm a little behind on posting Easter....better late than never right?? The boys had so much fun hunting down their baskets that the bunny hid inside the house! Caleb's favorite thing was a monster thing that fights Ninja Turtles! Jaken loved a little robotic toy, and of course all the candy! They had lots of fun seeing their Jensen cousins, and playing with Emma!

Big Slacker

2008-04-10T05:54:00.000-06:00

Here are some pics of us in action doing Body Attack. Usually we would be on our toes for the push-ups, but we were into the triple digits now and needed a lower option! Like our matching tube socks???

This picture is at the end of the day...as you can see, we are looking a little worn!

Ifeel so bad that I haven't posted in over a month...oops! Unfortunately, I don't have a good excuse...I'm just LAZY!!! So, over the past month I have been pretty busy at Gold's Gym. We had a Quarterly workshop a few weeks ago, where we get to do all the latest releases from Les Mills (the New Zealand based company that does all the certification, choreography, and music for the classes we teach). We also get new info on our classes and being good instructors. I went to one last Fall in Las Vegas, so it was nice that this one was right here in Ogden at our brand-new Gym. It kicked off at 8am, and I was there until 5pm, doing all of the Les Mills classes. These include; Body Combat (kickboxing/martial arts), Body Attack (sports inspired aerobics), RPM (spinning), Body Pump (weight-lifting) and Body Step (step aerobics). There was also Body Flow (pilates), and Body Jam (hip-hop dance) that I didn't do. It was a long, but very fun day! Cody took me out afterwards to Texas Roadhouse....my favorite restraunt!!!

My Dad's 60th Birthday!!

2008-03-08T23:17:00.000-07:00

PAY IT FORWARD

I can't believe my dad turned 60 yrs old today! He looks more like 50, and is in as good of shape as a 20 yr old! To celebrate his birthday, he ran a 1/2 marathon in 1 hr. 54 min....not to shabby for a 60 yr old!!! My dad is such a good example and I am so lucky to be one of his daughters!! So, for my dad's birthday, my mom and him came up with an idea to PAY IT FORWARD. Instead of us giving my dad any birthday gifts, he sent me and my 3 sisters each $100 dollars. He asked that as families, we thought of something we could do with the money that could help someone in need. Today, we met up with the Bundy's at St. Anne's (a homeless shelter in Ogden) and met 3 women that had small children. Their names were, Tammy, Roxanne, and Bonnie. Lindsey had briefly mentioned on the phone to the manager what we were doing this for, so the women wanted to know all about our dad and his birthday wish. They were so appreciative, and right away asked if they could send mom and dad a thank you card. They told us some items that their small children needed; socks, underwear, and spring clothing. We split up the list and headed off. There were 5 children, and we bought all of them socks, underwear, and shoes. The Bundys bought them some clothing. We met back up about an hour later with the items, and the women and children were so excited! I had bought the little girls some hot pink DORA crocs, and they LOVED them! The mothers were so down to earth, and kept saying how grateful they were over, and over. It was such a fun, and neat experience to do, and made us realize how important service is. There are so many material things in life that we don't need, and so many people in need of our help. Cody and I really want to make an effort to do this kind of service as much as possible. We are so grateful to my parents for helping us experience the joy of serving and helping others in need. Happy birthday Papa, we love you!!!!

A day in the life of Caleb....

2008-02-27T10:31:00.000-07:00

Caleb found my boots the other day, and wanted to do a "photo shoot"! I found this hat of my dad's, so I thought these were cute! Cody is not impressed with the ones in his underwear, but I think it's funny!! He is such a fun little boy. He won't be 5 until May, but is very tall & smart for his age, so people think he is 6 0r 7! He goes to pre-school 3x a week, and loves it! He has a lot of friends, and is very well-behaved for his teachers. He has started to read this past month, and is so excited about it!

Caleb "fun-facts"

loves oatmeal, ham sandwiches, gogurt, fish, & protein drinks
can't wait to wake his little brother up in the morning, or from naps, so they can play
his 2 favorite people are Annie & DJ....yes even before Cody & I !
wants to be a Chef when he grows up
loves to set the table...always has salt & pepper, candles, napkins w/ the rings
favorite shows...Animal Planet, Biggest Loser, Dirty Jobs, Prehistoric Park, & Americn Idol
way into... transformers, power rangers, ninja turtles, dinosaurs, and monster trucks
loves outdoor things...fishing, hunting, camping, riding 4-wheelers & throwing rocks

Thailand Pictures!!!

2008-02-15T19:14:00.001-07:00

Getting older & wiser w/ Friends!

2008-02-13T19:32:00.000-07:00

This is a BIG year for me and about 5 of my girlfriends...we are all turning 30!!! Birthday lunches w/out the kids are definately a must! Luckily my friend Kristi went first and prooved that you can still look HOT at 30!! Check out those arms!!

Obsessed or determined??

2008-02-10T11:25:00.000-07:00

I used to give my sister Stacey a hard time for being "obsessed" with working out Well, it seems the tabels have turned!! But then I ask myself "am I obsessed, or just determined"? I like the determined option better, here is why....

Determined to stay fit and healthy

Determined to get out of the house and keep my sanity

Determined for my kids not to sit in front of the t.v. all day

Determined to have a great stress relief

Determined to workout enough, that I can eat w/ out feeling guilty

Now I'm sure all my sisters are saying "Oh please", but now you know my reasons behind it! Okay, I realize that 3 hrs a day might be a bit much, but there's a lot worse things I could be doing...spending money, being a couch potato, sleeping. The key is to find a good balance...I'm working on it:)

MY 3 TRUE LOVES

2008-02-03T23:57:00.001-07:00

I am so grateful for the 3 boys in my life. Each one brings something so different and exciting to my life. I have been so lucky to have a husband that is so involved with our boys. He has been up in the night more than I have.... feeding a baby, making a bottle, changing a diaper, comforting them from a bad dream, etc.. Caleb and Jaken are best little buddies and it is so tender! They IDOLIZE their daddy and that means so much to me.

I think the drought is over!

2008-02-03T23:05:00.000-07:00

We have pretty much been getting hit with snow every other day for the past 5 weeks. Ok, when I say "hit" with snow.....I'm talking 18-24 inches at a time!! Cody's part-time job is snowblowing the Skeen residence (our current temporary residence) 2x a day!! Today we even got enough that they cancelled church....for some reason we weren't too upset about that one:) The boys LOVE to go outside with Cody while he shovels and blows snow. We took them out today for a couple hours, because it actually wasn't too cold. Caleb made is own snowhill that was about 8 ft up, and we pulled Jaken around on his little sled. They would stay out all day if it was up to them!

Finally on the band-wagon!

2008-01-20T16:33:00.001-07:00

Okay, so I finally caved in and started a blog (sorry Mom & Stace). I was very anti-blog too, until it was mentioned that this could be turned into a journal.....GENIOUS!! I know just handwriting everything in my life down in a regular journal would be much quicker, but if it hasn't really happened after 29 yrs, I don't have much hope for that! This is going to be interesting, because I'm usually a very private person. My mom has been known to pay me to tell her my thoughts....no joke!

Alone time!!

Today Cody took the boys up to his partents house in Tremonton to spend the night. Since tomorrow is a bank holiday, Cody has work off and thought he would try and take the boys fishing. So, lucky for me I have the house to myself & some peace and quiet...YAHOO! I thought that this would be the perfect time to try and start this blog, since I'm a rookie and it's taking me forever!

What every mom needs...

Yesterday I organized a Mother's Day Out (MDO), with about 10 girls from the gym. It was a last minute thing, so we just went to lunch at Costa Vida, and then to see 27 Dresses. It was a cute show... very similar to How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, which is one of my all time faves!! The girls all had so much fun getting away for just a girls day, so I thought I'd make MDO official! We are going to get together once a month (w/out kids), and do some sort of activity, and either lunch or dinner. Lindsey has a similar club called "FOOFs". So I've already started planning next months MDO, which is going to be a TWILIGHT party! I' m stealing the idea from my 2 cousins Kelly and Tracy, and I'm so excited for it!