Happy 9th Bday Callie...

Friday night Callie had her "Sleepover Bday Party" with some friends. We did origami, decorated pillowcases, played with glowsticks in the dark, watched movies, had popcorn and stayed up late.

Happy 9th Birthday Callie!!

9 things I love about you:

1. Your laugh. It always makes me smile when I hear you laugh.

2. Your kind and sensitive heart. You are always so worried about others around you. You never want to let anyone feel left out. You are very caring.

3. The way you like to snuggle with me. You’ll still sit on my lap and we can just talk or relax. I hope you always will be my “snuggler”.

4. Your artistic abilities. You make the most thoughtful and beautiful pictures all year round. I save as many as I can and cherish each one.

5. Your smile. It takes up your whole face and warms my heart! Every day I took forward to seeing you smile at me.

6. Watching you play the piano. You are very gifted and I hope you stick with it for your whole life.

7. You are my “talking” kid and always have a story to tell. Teachers, friends, and family always tell me you talk-talk-talk. I hope you’ll always talk to me and share your stories.

8. You are so talented with your gymnastics and tumbling. I am so proud of you for trying to get better. Keep up the great work.

9. You are so special to me and I am so proud to be your mom. I always knew you were meant to be in our family. You make our family complete!

My sleepover cake that mom made for me. I loved it.
Decorating pillowcases


Watching movies and eating popcorn
I woke up not feeling well on my bday this morning.
Mom taught me how to latch hook and I loved doing it.
Grandma Pam made me a coconut cake for my bday.
It was so good!

I love my Uncle Jason

UTAH MUSEUM

Since the girls were out today we let them have their cousins over for a sleepover. Rather than watch another movie we decided to take them to the UTAH MUSEUM. Marisa really enjoyed the rocks and dinosaurs. I told her she should be a geologist. We entered the BUG EXHIBIT and all of us gasped at the gross crawling creatures in each display. yuck!

I think everyone had a great time and it was nice to get out and enjoy the holiday together.

Being attacked by a small dinosaur

An old Indian house. (glad I didn't live back then. ha)

Such beautiful girls!

Callie in a dinosaur foot print

Monica in a dinosaur foot print

A house full of girls....

This New Years we decided to stay home and let the girls invite friends to stay over. We made corn dogs for the kids and Carla ordered sushi (no surprise there huh?) Callie and her friends played in the backyard for a few minutes (too cold for them) and Jeff took the older girls to the park to sled. They took the dog too and loved being in the dark.

They all played pretty well together but there was separating that needed to be done from time to time. There was dress ups, nail painting, glow stick games, air hockey, board games and even a soccer game that started in the basement. Later we made hot chocolate, popcorn and put in movies.

At midnight all the girls cheered and screamed!! We ran outside and popped some fireworks. By 1:30 I was exhausted and made the girls turn the TV’s off. (I am getting old.)

Carissa and Callie building their "fort"
Carissa-Callie and Liza

Kirsten-Leslie-Grace-McCall

Mom getting McCall to smile

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2010

Carissa's first sleepover and latest she has ever stayed up.

yipeeeeeeeeeee!

Bindi wanted to stay in the action and sleep with the girls downstairs.

We couldn't pull her away from Kirsten.

My New Years Resolutions

1. I want to be happy for no reason this year except that I am here and alive and I claim this moment as my own.

2.I want to take the time to grieve fully this year, for those people that I have lost and mourn those things that I shall never have or be again.

3.This year, I want to talk less and say more. I want to taste more and eat less.

4.I want to write more about those things that really matter to me, with passion, the things that I know in my gut, the things that stir up my soul, and not give a damn about keywords or tags or where I rank in Google.

5.I want to sit with a flower this year and watch it bloom, and know what it feels like to finally surrender to life, to succumb to a purpose bigger than my own.

6.I want to be much more silly this year, and care much less about what people think of me. I have forgotten just how much fun being silly can be.

7.I want to laugh, harder than I have ever laughed before. And cry less for all of the pain and suffering that I think I can't fix, because I know that I can. Every time that I make the choice to be free, there is less suffering in the world, not a world with less pain, but less pain in the world.

8.I want to appreciate more and complain less, accept more and judge less, forgive more and blame less. I want to ultimately do nothing and allow everything.

So you won't find goals here or projects or time-lines or objectives or plans or directions or bucket lists or targets.

You'll only find me.

Gotta get me one of these.....

Jaren's blessing!

On Sunday Callie and I drove down to Delta to see my cousins’ new baby Jaren and attend his blessing. We got there with enough time to change clothes and get to the church. The blessing was nice and I was able to hold Jaren for a while (until he pooped and needed to be changed.) After a clean diaper and some kisses he smiled at me and made those cute baby “coo”

sounds that we all love.

He melted my heart.

We got some photos and headed to Josh’s family for an awesome soup lunch (clam chowder, taco and chicken noodle.) YUM! I was surrounded by BYU fans, but I held my ground and stayed true to the UTAH UTES! We got to see Uncle Kevin’s geese, exchange Christmas presents and visit more with Grandpa Pete.

Kevin and Callie
Peterson's, Black's and Dekker's

Callie and Sandy
Grandpa and Grandma with Jaren

I love babies. Jaren and Carla

Grandma Sandy and Jaren


Before we left I wanted to stop by the cemetery and see my Grandma’s head stone. It was so beautiful and I know she would be happy with how it turned out. I miss her terribly and wish she was still here for me to call, visit and hug. (Miss you grandma!)

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

Hope everyone had a great day.

We cut back on gifts for the kids this year and decided to help out a family less fortunate than us. (A single mom with not much money with 2 kids 13 and 9.) It was a big undertaking, but worth it to see the looks on their faces when we filled underneath their tree. This is the time for charity and giving to others is the reason for the season. We were able to fill their “wish list” and we hope they will always remember us. It was an awesome experience for our family.

We had a fantastic Christmas and Santa was good to us. McCall got a new digital camera and Callie a new large gymnastic mat. Both girls were excited and surprised. We gave them clothes, DVD’s, 2010’ calendars, shoes and some small misc. stuff.

We spent the rest of the day with grandparents and in-laws. It was nice to see everyone together and enjoying the day.

Hope 2010 is just as good!

Thank you Santa for my gymnatics mat.
Thanks Santa for my new digital camera.

Look how big. WOW!

Girls are getting so big!
McCall looking at all the new clothes she got.
McCall-Daddy-Callie
Janine and Carla