Poulsen Playground

Who am I....really?

2011-05-04T14:48:00.000-07:00

I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I am a daughter of God. I KNOW my Savior, Jesus Christ lives! I know he knows me personally, by name, and he LOVES me! I know he suffered excruciating pain and died for ME...not just me but every single person who has ever lived or will ever live on this earth! His love is endless, limitless, unconditional and eternal.
Does this mean that because I have a testimony, my challenges in life will end? I believe it is almost the opposite. Because I know my Savior lives and he loves me, Satan wants to try and confuse me and convince me that I am worthless. He wants me to believe there is no HOPE in this life and so when I feel down, I should just stay down. I am choosing right now....TODAY to try my very hardest not to listen or be confused by his lies anymore!!!
Forgiveness is available to ALL those who seek it. Repentance is possible. The Atonement can bring us peace even in the most painful situations we experience but we have to ASK! Christ is waiting for us to accept His love in our life. I realize I cannot succed without His help. I am imperfect every single day. Accepting ALL He has to offer me is the only way to truly come unto Him.
I am so grateful for the knowledge that I have and I hope to learn from hard experiences so that I can become stronger.

A Shout Out

2011-02-24T23:39:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to make you all aware of an amazing, uplifting blog to follow. My good friend (from a million years ago) Shanna has a blog that makes me smile, everyday! She is so very honest about her feelings but still has a way of bringing the love of our Savior into every aspect of her life. She is truly an inspiration to me for so very many reasons! I love you Shanna!

www.myotherglassslipper.blogspot.com

A New Day

2011-02-03T07:27:00.000-08:00

The sun came up today. Even though it's freezing outside, the Lord knows how much I need The Son! It is so easy in this world of reality to become bitter over things we can't control. To wonder, how do these things happen and where do I go from here. I have had many of these experiences in my life and sadly the older I get I am less accepting of them. Why do our bodies not work the way they should......over and over...why do our hearts get broken, why must we see our children cry, why must we grow and become stronger? All these questions have no answer for me but for some reason I get up each day, breathe in and out, resolve to do better and be better, try to find a purpose and keep going. Father in Heaven, thank you for the sun today to lift my spirits and for Thy Son to attain everlasting life.

What is going on?

2011-02-01T19:32:00.001-08:00

Could someone please tell me.....Can this world become any more corrupt? Can there be any more justifications? Will our families, our leaders, out teachers, our politicians and our government ever take responsibility for their actions? Where do we go from here and how do we protect our families? Is it ever possible to escape this world entirely? Just asking

Prayer of Thanks

2011-01-23T02:08:00.000-08:00

Thank you Lord for thy tender mercies and keeping me ever in thy care. Thank you for friends who have no idea the impact they have on my life. Thank you for the 3 beautiful, amazing, perfect children you have entrusted in my care, they mean more to me than the air I breathe. Thank you for parents whose love is unconditional and show me through all they've done and continue to do for me. May I be worthy of your love and tenderness always, Amen.

Give me Strength

2011-01-15T20:04:00.000-08:00

Wow, this is so unusual for me. Not only is this a post without a picture but its a reflective post.

With the New Year always comes new challenges it seems. This year of course is no different. Why does the Lord ask so much of us? Why does he seem to push us to our limit over and over again. Am I not learning my lesson? Am I not growing as He would have me do? Or is it just so I will remember how much I am loved by Him and trusted with difficult things? Whatever the reason, I don't accept it very well.

Tomorrow is Sunday. Another day to strengthen myself. Another day to feel the Spirit in my life. Another day to renew to be better, to try harder to be Christlike. I just LOVE Sundays!

Christmas Day

2011-01-08T12:57:00.000-08:00

Yay, new pajamas

Kids got everything they wanted and the best part of the whole holidays was having Grandpa and Grandma Grover here.

That is one very happy Grandpa!!!

First Real Snow

2011-01-08T12:53:00.000-08:00

Who would've thought we'd get this much snow in one storm and before Thanksgiving. Luckily for the kids the storm made a week-long Thanksgiving break and they made the most of every snowflake!

Conner's Sandbox

2010-11-14T19:43:00.000-08:00

So, this is Conner's Sandbox. I was so excited when we moved into our house to have a completely finished yard with no dirt for the kids to get messy in. You see, I HATE DIRT! I hate messes of anykind but especially the ones that require washing and hosing of kids.

Conner and his buddies Hailey and Valerie discovered HEAVEN! Behind our church is a volleyball pit filled with sand. For days he would come home from school telling me he was going to the church yard to play. He finally wised up and took his sand bucket one time and brought some sand HOME!

Oh boy, yes he is a total boy and loves his dirt! I really missed the mark with this boy. He loves to color, play playdough, play legos and video games but dirt is his true love!

OOOPS!!!! Watch out for the noggin!

2010-11-14T19:33:00.000-08:00

Just a warning, shoes and a trampoline plus two rambuncious boys are not a good combination. I swear Kaden doesn't need to play football to have a constant injury to his head. Somehow it just always gets in the way!

I don't know if you can tell from the picture but he had some pretty bad swelling on one side of his head, I was pretty worried about a concussion but I'll never know if he had one or not......I just kept him awake, gave him some Motrin and kept asking him questions till he totally crashed about 3 hours later. I sure do love this kid....injuries and all!!

What a beautiful Fall!

2010-11-13T08:54:00.000-08:00

I just love these 3! They make everyday worth it!

I have to be the luckiest girl in the world to have this amazing man to spend eternity with! Now if we could just relax and enjoy life a little more.....you know, let the work slide a little.

I'm Back!!!

2010-11-08T11:01:00.000-08:00

I feel like I can never write a post without a picture so I never say anything, well that's gonna change. It's been since JUNE since I last posted and a lot has happened since then. I'm not going to try and catch up but just hit the high points.

Kenzie is a Sophomore at Burley High School, in the marching band and jazz band and she LOVES them both so much!!! She has grown into such an amazing, beautiful young lady! I'm so proud of her. Kaden is in 7th grade at Burley Jr. High. He is doing great in school as usual except one particular class....drama! What? He's very dramatic! :) I think it has a lot to do with the new teacher they had to hire last minute for this school year. He loves to read, read, and read some more! I am running out of books for him to read. I think he's read every fantasy fiction series ever made. He is such a great kid and Loves to hang with his friends every chance he gets. Conner is in the 1st grade this year! He loves recess and school lunch! Who likes school lunch? He starting to read and although he doesn't love it yet.....his big brother is a great example. Wow, all my kids are in school, I never thought I'd see this day. It does get pretty quiet around the house during the day but I am able to get a lot done AND grab a nap almost every day.

Jeff is busy as usual but he did make time for some fun this summer. We got a boat and we took it out every opportunity we got.

Life is good! We are all healthy and looking forward to a Wonderful Holiday Season this year......snow and all!

My easily entertained child!

2010-05-05T21:07:00.000-07:00

I think since, and because of my illness, Conner has learned to really entertain himself. Of course he loves to have friends around but if not, he's okay with that too. He will draw for hours, on ANY piece of paper he finds especially his homework. What a doodler! Loves Legos! Loves video games! Loves playdough! Only problem, he doesn't love cleaning up! He just makes me smile!

Are you kidding me?

2010-05-05T21:02:00.000-07:00

This kid can fall asleep ANYWHERE, and has! You name it, while sitting reading, on the stairs, in the bathtub, while brushing his teeth and this one....within about 10 minutes after leaving our house....just on our way to dinner!

Kaden's Special Day!

2010-05-05T20:57:00.000-07:00

What a special day for our family and Kaden especially! He's been anxiously waiting for this day for a long time. On May 2, 12 days after his 12th birthday at approximately 12:00 pm, he received the priesthood! It was so neat to have his dad ordain him and have both of his grandpas there. Definitely a day we will all remember! Congrats Kaden!

Temple Square

2010-04-27T09:59:00.000-07:00

Makenzie and Kaden are very familiar with Temple Square because we went there so often when we lived in Utah. Conner on the other hand hasn't been there much. Since we were already in Utah we decided to go spend Sunday on Temple Square and show him around. During Conference he asked us if it was "real" if the people were real and the place that they were. What better way to show him how "real" it is than a tour of the Conference Center. Wow, that building is so beautiful and so amazing!

This is one of my favorite ways to signify our Eternal Family! Wrapped in the arms of our Saviors love! How blessed we are to have these amazing opportunities so close to us and so available to our children!

Our first Lagoon trip of the season!

2010-04-27T09:52:00.000-07:00

What better activity can there be to do after Tax Season ends? Why head to Lagoon of course! This will be the 3rd year that we have had season passes and the best part about this year is that cousins got them too!!! My kids just love to be with their Boehlen cousins and they are super excited to be able to go to Lagoon with them all summer (because the cousins live in Farmington)!

The weather couldn't have been more perfect! It was an absolutely gorgeous day to spend outside! That was some great luck!

Remember the Days!

2010-04-27T09:17:00.000-07:00

While Kenzie was gone to dance competition in Boise, her best buddies Camille and Sierra, decorated her room! She was very shocked and very happy when she came home to her surprise.
It makes me reflect WAY back when I was in high school. I remember doing fun things like this whether to celebrate something fun with friends or asking out "that special boy" for a dance. Why does life have to become such a responsibility? The spontenaity and fun of that time of life is so short lived! I hope my kids enjoy every single minute of it!

Elder Carey, we'll miss you!

2010-03-06T15:09:00.000-08:00

Elder Christopher Carey (my nephew)

Stephanie Carey (my neice) and her boyfriend Bobby

My nephew Christopher has been called to serve in the China, Hong Kong mission. We had my whole family (my parents and four girls) together up in Seattle for his farewell. What a great weekend, the Carey's sure know how to put on a party!!!! Chris will be an amazing missionary and already had his first baptism when he was a senior in High School. The people in China will be amazed by his height too, like 6 ft. 6!!! Good luck Elder Carey, we'll miss you!

Kitchen Mini-Remodel

2010-02-11T10:02:00.000-08:00

When we bought our house I knew the kitchen was one of the first changes I wanted to make! The large, inefective light box, the small island and dark, dated countertops had to go. I absolutely LOVE the finished result! Recessed lighting and pendants over the bar! Unercabinet lighting! New granite sink and beautiful faucet! Fabulous new giant island and new countertops! We still need to finish the tile backsplash and change out appliances to stainless steel as they quit working (that may be a while) but I am loving cooking in my new space!

Christmas Eve

2010-01-04T08:00:00.000-08:00

It was a quiet Christmas Eve at our house. We enjoyed a great dinner together, Kenzie did an amazing job on our program, onto Christmas pajamas and then off to bed!

A Few of My Favorite Things

2010-01-04T07:56:00.000-08:00

I took this idea from my friend Julie's blog. I just love seeing a group of things that make me happy!
Although Christmas is over, now I can look back at all the things that made me smile for a few weeks!

Christmas Preparations

2009-12-24T13:36:00.000-08:00

We started preparing for Christmas the day after Thanksgiving by putting up the tree and getting the house decorated. Kaden and Kenzie both had their band concerts and we attended many Christmas parties. As an annual tradition, we decorated a gingerbread house and made sugar cookies. This year we invited the Shirley's to come decorate cookies with us. What a great way to spend the season...with family and friends! We are looking forward to a special visitor tonight so we will be going to bed "uncharacteristically early"!

Being a mother, the greatest job EVER!!!!!!

2009-12-14T19:46:00.000-08:00

So I was blessed enough to go to the hospital to see my friend Stephanie's new baby, Ty. He is absolutely adorable and perfect and it made me reflect on the birth of my own children. Each one was a unique, personal experience that made me part of who I am today. I love each one of my children so very much! They each have their own personalities and special qualities and make my life more enjoyable by their being a part of it. My life is so blessed because of these 3 special Spirits in my home. Is there any "job" better than being a mother and watching children grow, learn and develop? I think not! How very lucky I am to have such a fantastic husband who works so hard for our family so I can stay home and be a mom! This time of year makes me truly grateful for all of my blessings but none more so than my family!!!

More Thanksgiving

2009-12-03T17:19:00.000-08:00

The kids table. It's hard to fit all of us in one house!

These boys are so "COOL"! Check out the whoosh hair! They are just anxious for some food and then on to other activities.

Thanksgiving at the Stokes

2009-12-03T17:14:00.000-08:00

It's so good to be back in Burley with the "gang"! We didn't feel like traveling this Thanksgiving so we just got together with some friends and their families. It was a really kick back day. Great food, good conversation, lots of Black Friday planning and kids running crazy! The best part about getting together with friends is that we all have kids about the same ages so they are very entertained.

The Shirley's: Dave and Steph

The Stokes: Steve and Sarah

My beautiful Kenzie and darling Valerie. They are such a cute duo!

New Moon Premier Dinner

2009-12-03T17:06:00.000-08:00

I'm a girl who likes a good party! What could be better than a New Moon Premier Party? I have to admit, the planning was actually just as much fun as the party! We had the party at Sarah's house (thanks Sarah). We went all out on the decorations and it was a blast! Too bad the movie was a disappointment though. Okay, don't shoot me but, I wasn't a big fan. I love the books but the movies....ugh! The choice of actors couldn't be worse (except Jacob, they actually did good on that one)and the acting itself....oh my gosh! It was still a good reason to party though!

The Lovely Vampires: Marilyn, Sarah, Stephanie and Melanie. I didn't get any good photos of the rest of the group but there were 10 of us in all!

Halloween in Burley!

2009-11-01T19:19:00.000-08:00

Oh so cute!

Kaden, the zombie freak!

So, Halloween in Burley goes something like this: We have some neighbors who totally deck out their house for Halloween, even make a Spook Alley out of it so, needless to say it is quite the draw for our small town. We have local police officers who block off the entrance into our neighborhood so all the kids can walk through without a lot of traffic. We have something like 700-800 trick or treaters every year! This year, I sat on the front porch for over 4 hours handing out candy! It's not even worth going inside and closing the door because the stream of ghosts and goblins is so steady. Yes, we knew what we were getting into, coming back to this neighborhood but we love it!

A long drive for dinner!

2009-11-01T19:12:00.000-08:00

So after much planning...that didn't come of much, we had an evening out with our husbands. We did make some cute invitations and delivered them at work but our other plans kindof didn't pan out. We still had a great night of laughs and conversations even if we had to drive all the way to Pocatello to do it. We always have such a great time together! Thanks girls, I needed that!

The Shirleys: Dave and Steph
Nice face Dave!

The Stokes: Steve and Sarah

Halloween Fun!

2009-11-01T19:05:00.000-08:00

Conner's first Halloween Parade at school! He loved the Mohawk, I'm not so sure!

Kenzie wanted to make a Halloween craft so she instigated this whole thing! She did an amazing job! She is so creative and such a great little mother to Conner, he is soooo lucky to have such a great big sister!

Kenzie's finished Haunted Patch!

Painting and Carving!

2009-11-01T19:00:00.000-08:00

So I just couldn't wait to get started on painting our new house! I really HATE painting but I love the feel of a freshly painted room. I must really be loosening up cuz this time I let the kids get involved! Conner got to paint under the desk all by himself! He was SO proud! After falling off a chair and seriously spraining my ankle, I welcomed Kenzie's help! She was a great help too!

We haven't actually "carved" pumpkins in years! I have not felt well enough to tackle the whole project but this year, WE CARVED!!!
Jeff carved out the tops, the kids dug out their own "guts" and we all got to work on the faces! It is so fun making these fall memories, even if the cleanup is a pain!

The Annual Pumpkin Patch

2009-10-25T18:27:00.000-07:00

Since our move to Idaho Falls, we missed our trip to the greatest pumpkin patch. This year, we made it back.

Kaden and his friend Brigham got the biggest pumpkins they could carry!

I just love fall pictures, no one is too hot or too cold and usually smiles great! Conner obviously had something more important on his mind!

How About That Swine Flu?

2009-10-19T09:47:00.000-07:00

So, I know the swine flu is becoming a real problem but I can't seem to get too rattled about it! It's the flu! It sucks to be sick but is it really worth all the press coverage and scares in the school? I'm not wishing this on anyone and I feel terrible for anyone who gets it but the media makes it sound like Anthrax or something! Keep washing your hands, eat your fruits and veggies and stay home if you're sick! Just my 2 cents worth! (Not worth much!!!)

Decades Day

2009-10-14T17:22:00.000-07:00

For Homecoming Week, they had "Decades Day". The stores here in Burley don't have much to offer in the way of costumes so we took a dress Kenzie already had, ratted some Big Hair and called it "The 60's"! Notice the lovely addition of the bandage on her hand. She had some surgery yesterday to remove a cyst. I think it was a little more painful than she anticipated but she still looks great! What a beautiful girl!

Welcome Company!

2009-10-08T18:20:00.000-07:00

Welcome to our new Home!!

Our guest room is ready for company and so are we! Hopefully our company doesn't mind sharing a room with all of my scrapbook stuff, this room is doing double duty but I'm happy with the way it turned out! Still needing to paint but that will come in time!

When my scraproom is clean and displayed.....you know I'm ready for some company so who is going to be first?

Dad's 80th Birthday

2009-10-08T18:15:00.000-07:00

The smile on dad's face says it all! We got together as a family for my dad's 80th Birthday Party! Thing was, it was a total surprise to him! We haven't been together as a whole family in probably 4 years. He was totally in shock and couldn't be happier when he showed up at the Brick Oven in Provo and the whole family was there! The only one missing is my neice Stephanie who couldn't get away from work to come, maybe next time. I sure hope it isn't another 4 years before we find a reason to get together again!

Me, Susan, Karen, Connie, Dad and Mom

The whole crew modeling their balloons from the Balloon Guy at The Brick Oven

The New House!

2009-09-25T11:54:00.000-07:00

So I'm a little behind on our blog!!! That is an understatement! We've had a little bit of a busy summer, then to top it off....we moved back to Burley (in a rush) just in time for school! This is a photo of our new (and hopefully our LAST) house! We love the neighborhood, we love the ward and we love the location! How do we know that? This house is about 8 houses down the road from our last house here. We love the layout of the house, now we just need to make it feel like home to us. We are so glad to be back together as a family. Being apart for most of the week and Jeff commuting 2 hours each way to work just really didn't work out. As much as we loved Idaho Falls and our friends and neighbors there, we are happy to be back in Burley and all together again.

2009-05-28T13:35:00.000-07:00

I went with Makenzie and the 8th Grade Band to Lagoon. She had a couple of good friends that were there along with one of mine. I sat under my umbrella the whole day, looking like a freak, while everyone else had a great time in the sun! Getting up at 5:00 to ride with a bus full of 13 year olds took its toll on all of us. By about 4:00 we were wiped out! Luckily we didn't have to ride the bus home cuz Jeff came down with the boys that afternoon and then back to Lagoon again on Saturday!

2009-05-28T13:28:00.000-07:00

Preschool Trip to the Zoo and Graduation! Conner hanging with his buddies, Peyton and Ethan. These three must have been trouble for Miss Becky this year! They all made it through Preschool though and are headed for Kindergarten!

Happy Anniversary!

2009-05-04T19:47:00.000-07:00

My hubby spoils me! For our anniversary we went to Salt Lake and SHOPPED! Our big purchase was this beautiful desk unit for our front room. I love having a computer upstairs and just off the kitchen, it is so convenient. It's also great for me to keep an eye on the kids while they are engrossed in Facebook! Love it, Love it! My house is finally coming together after being here for 2 years. Each room now has it's own purpose and the furniture to go with it!

Night of Dance!

2009-04-13T14:46:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday was Makenzie's last night of dance. They performed all their team dances, grade dance and she even did a solo! It was totally her choice and she did awesome! Our good friend Julie Grigg did the choreography and she did a fantastic job. If you want to see her perform it, you'll just have to come visit! Aren't my 3 fabulous kids beautiful!

Say what?

Isn't she beautiful?!

A little Spring Break action!

2009-04-13T14:38:00.000-07:00

Conner didn't even come close to finishing all of his Bubblegum Ice Cream but her sure tried!

Oh Yeah, that's my "Dude"! Socks rolled down, pants rolled up and the nice glasses, he really has a style all his own and not afraid to show it!

2009-04-13T14:34:00.000-07:00

Go Carts at TSR, what a great way to start out our Spring Break! Jeff was flyin!

Conner was too small for the go carts but they had a room full of blow up jumpers and slides. He didn't feel left out at all, he loved running, jumping and sliding.

After go carts its off to Sundae's for Ice Cream and my goofy children posing for the camera!

ONLY 3 DAYS LEFT!!!!

2009-04-12T21:56:00.000-07:00

Oh, and did I mention.....ONLY 3 DAYS LEFT OF TAX SEASON! I know I should be grateful for all the work Jeff has but, I want my husband back! And my kids want their Daddy!

29 AGAIN!!!!!

2009-04-07T09:18:00.000-07:00

I just love that I get to have the same birthday over and over again! No really, 38 really isn't THAT bad! Some of my good friends and I went to Chili's to celebrate. I was quite shocked when we ALL got dessert. We had such great conversation and forgot that we'd been gone for 3 hours! Thanks girls for being a part of my Birthday, you ROCK!!!

A Tribute To Lana and Emma

2009-03-10T16:39:00.000-07:00

All of us girls that could make it, went to the temple the day that Emma Gibbons had her bone marrow transplant. What a great experience to be surrounded by the love of great friends in such a wonderful place. After the temple we went to lunch at "The Garden" restaurant in Twin Falls for Lisa's birthday. The best part of the day was when we got the news that Emma's BMT went very well and her little brother Ty (her donor) was doing great also. What an ordeal the Gibbons family has been through since Emma's diagnosis! Hopefully the sun will shine on them (literally and figuretively) and they will see continual progress in the future! We love you Lana!

A Quick Getaway!

2009-03-10T16:34:00.000-07:00

Can you believe I actually left the house? You'd think I was agrophobic or something! Once Jeff gets home on the weekend the last thing he wants to do is DRIVE anywhere but I really needed an out so we made a quick trip to Burley. We stayed at the Fairfield Inn, went to dinner with our friends the Mallory's, let the kids play and swim, had a great breakfast at the hotel and then.....came home! Such an excitinig life we live. We all really enjoyed a little time away and being back in Burley for a little while.

You've got to be kidding me!

2009-03-10T16:29:00.000-07:00

Yes, this actually is my "shy, quiet" child! He came home from school in the afternoon with a MOHAWK! He had stuck his head in the snow and then combed it with his hands into a mohawk. The best part was that we had the Blue and Gold Banquet for scouts that evening and he insisted on leaving his hair this way. Then after the cake walk, he thought it would be fun to do a face plant in his cake! Oh my gosh is this really my child? Well if this is as out of control as he gets, I guess I can handle it! Kaden, you crack me up!

My baby is FIVE YEARS OLD!!!!!

2009-01-31T16:48:00.000-08:00

We had Conner's birthday party at Leo's Place in Idaho Falls. We were missing a few friends but he still had a GREAT time! He is such a social butterfly! He just LOVES playing with friends and thinks he needs a friend here all the time! He is so independent and does so much for himself. I guess I am moving into a new era......my babies don't need me all the time anymore!! What am I going to do? Scrap more or sleep more, maybe both!!!!

I can't believe it has been five years since our little bundle was born. In the middle of the SuperBowl, five years ago, during the Janet Jackson incident, he was born!! It seems impossible for him to be 5 and ready for Kindergarten. He is just growing up too fast, or I'm just getting old!!!!

Isn't She Beautiful!

2009-01-31T16:38:00.000-08:00

My beautiful 13 year old! I've gotta be careful trying to keep her away from the boys for the next 3 years! It's not going to be easy with her looking so beautiful all the time and really coming out of her shell! Luv You Kenz!

Mel, you're HOW old?

2009-01-21T21:06:00.000-08:00

The whole gang, minus Sarah. These are 9 (including Sarah, where were you again?) of the most amazing women in my life. We have been there for each other through some very rough times and will continue to support each other through all that is still to come. We each have a unique personality that adds a special blend to the friendships. Some of us drink Diet Pepsi and some drink Chloryphyl, some exercise way too much and some of us think that idea stinks. One thing is for sure, we all love each other a great deal and would do anything when one of us is in need. You guys are awesome!

Yes, Emily eats M&M's on occasion but she doesn't like the peanuts so she just sucks off the chocolate, asked if she wouldn't just like the plain better, "nope" she likes the flavor of peanut M&M's just not the peanut. Thanks Diane for the use of your house, hopefully the neighbors weren't too worried!

Back to School

2009-01-06T08:21:00.000-08:00

Wow, was I ever ready to send the kids back to school today! Not that I haven't enjoyed having them home, I was just ready to put my house back together and have some peace and quiet! I was able to run errands.....all by myself......while kids were at school, Jeff and I went to lunch....just the two of us and I was even able to prepare a REAL Family Home Evening! What a great way to start the new year. I am enjoying getting back to a schedule, I know, summer will come too soon!

Family Photo

2008-12-26T16:27:00.000-08:00

Jeff doesn't have any current family photos in his office so I made this layout for him to put up. Give me some paper, glue, stickers and embellishments and I am soooo in my element. I just love spending time in my office and with a few more days of Christmas Vacation, I hope to do even more scrapping!

All the Excitement of Christmas!!

2008-12-26T16:25:00.000-08:00

My parents joined us Christmas Eve for dinner and then spent the night to watch the kids open presents the next morning.

What a great Christmas! Very low key but lots of fun family memories. We all got spoiled by Santa. He seems to know just what everyone wants!

Family Tradtitions

2008-12-26T16:21:00.000-08:00

Each year we make a family gingerbread house. We put it off till the last minute this year because the past few years, Conner has started eating it as soon as it is finished. To my surprise, he didn't eat any of it this year. What I beautiful family I have! Life is GOOD!

Preschool Christmas Party

2008-12-26T16:18:00.000-08:00

Looking a little mischevious! Conner wouldn't perform the program in front of the parents but he would definitely sit on Santa's lap!

Wow, making his very own gingerbread house was so much fun!!

Christmas Lights

2008-12-17T17:27:00.001-08:00

No this isn't my house, (I actually like my house better) but I am just wishing mine were lit up this beautifully! I have been trying to get Jeff to hang lights for years and he thinks lighting up the inside is enough, besides he starts his busiest time of year in October, just the right time to hang lights. I have to say, I love having many trees and lights inside too but I think it is just so beautiful to drive up to a beautifully lit house. Who knows maybe next year, I can keep hoping!! Maybe I'll have to ask Santa!

Ohhhh I love it!!!!

2008-12-13T14:50:00.000-08:00

I subscribe to the most amazing scrapbook kit club EVER!!! It is called Scarlet Lime and is amazing every month. I don't know how Christy does it but she comes up with the funnest products I've never seen before. She has all the connections! In addition to the monthly kit club, she does a monthly project kit also. The December kit was these darling Christmas Ornaments! The pictures don't do them justice but they are so stinkin cute I can hardly stand it!!! There is beads, ribbon, glitter, felt (yes, I cut and sewed the cute bird) and rhinestones. If you've ever thought about becoming a member of a kit club before, (I know, I'm obsessed) Scarlet Lime is THE BEST!!!! Check out their website of past artist galleries @ www.scarletlime.com

OOOH ARTHUR!!

2008-12-11T08:33:00.000-08:00

So, I took Conner to the library the other day and he picked out some Arthur books. Well, he loved them so much we had to go back a few days later and get some new ones and we visited the video department and found a bunch of Arthur DVD's as well. Kenzie and Kaden loved Arthur when they were little too so when I put in the DVD's it was just like old times for all the kids to be enjoying Arthur. It sure beats Spongebob!!!!!!

Poulsen Cousins

2008-12-11T08:28:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving was at our house this year and guess what..... we went to Chuck A Rama for dinner! I just couldn't deal with the stress of the whole dinner thing this year. We loved having the family here but we were missing a couple. Jeff's brother Kevin didn't make it and stayed in Arizona and his Nephew Josh is serving a mission in Brazil. Other than that we had the whole family here and my parents as well. It is so great to spend time with family and especially around the holidays.

Prayers Needed

2008-11-24T18:18:00.000-08:00

Isn't it interesting how just when we get really down on ourselves and our problems, the Lord has a way of putting things in perspective? My dear friend Lana just found out her 8 year old daughter has leukemia. It sure makes me grateful for the health of my children but my heart breaks for her family. Why do some people seem to be given more than they need to handle? The Lord must know how strong she is and her family also. Please remember them and their sweet Emma in your prayers. It is going to be a long road ahead for them, I pray for added strength and comfort for their family.

More Las Vegas

2008-11-19T18:39:00.000-08:00

These are just some more views of the Halloween display that didn't fit on my last post!

Las Vegas Getaway

2008-11-19T18:36:00.000-08:00

Jeff and I just got back from a conference in Las Vegas. It was a great little break from real life. The Blue Man Group had a great show, a little slow at times but overall very entertaining!

It is hard to believe that with a city this beautiful, it is so scummy at the same time. Just cover your eyes, plug your ears and nose and you'll be just fine!

Some of the sights weren't all bad, I have nothing bad to say about this chocolate fountain inside the Bellagio. The Halloween display below was also INSIDE the Bellagio. It is amazing what these resorts do to bring in the tourists! And thanks Julie! We couldn't have done this without you!!!

Steph's belated birthday!

2008-11-19T18:26:00.000-08:00

So about a week after Steph's real birthday, all "the girls" (minus Sarah and Marianne), took Steph to lunch. It is always a good time and a good laugh with these women. And Emily, I know you have 6 children but get off the phone and join the party! ha ha

The pumpkin patch!!

2008-10-17T09:35:00.000-07:00

What a beautiful Fall we have had! I won't even complain about the snow we got last weekend because it was beautiful and didn't stay long. So we made our annual trek to the pumpkin patch and let the kids pick their pumkpins to carve. As usual...Kaden was the last to pick his...he is terrible with making decisions. There was a small corn maze there also and the kids had fun chasing each other through it. We didn't stay long but it is always worth a photo op!

My baby is getting soooo big!

Kaden showing off his muscles!

Lagoon Frightmares

2008-10-17T09:29:00.000-07:00

So did you think I fell off the face of the earth? Well, kindof. Just trying to get a grip on life. So we had a long weekend and decided to get out of town and play. We went to Frightmares at Lagoon and had a GREAT time! We went to Utah Friday afternoon and went to Lagoon Friday night. Saturday morning we let the kids swim at the hotel, then we got ready and headed home. Quick trip but we had a lot of fun!

2008-09-11T07:19:00.000-07:00

Is there any way to slow down time? Conner is 4 1/2 and in his last year of preschool! As you can tell he was quite excited to go back to Miss Becky's this year. She is so sweet with the kids and Conner just loves her. It always amazes me the things he learns. Miss Becky must have a way of teaching that makes the kids just love learning. Well we are officially deep into another year of school with all the kids. What will I do next year when all the kids are gone everyday? Well, I guess there's always more scrapbooking that "needs" to be done!!!

2008-09-11T07:13:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it, we have a "real" teenager in the house! Boy did she make that transition without any problems....give a girl a cell phone and she morphs into something else!!! Makenzie turned 13 on August 25 and we celebrated with her closest friends at Craigo's. She had been anticipating the party and fun friend time for weeks. Luckily the actual event didn't disappoint! Her friends spoiled her as well as mom and dad. She got a new cell phone with "unlimited text" and MP3 player and a camera. Now we have some bargaining power when it comes to grades! She carries it with her everywhere and texts her friends non-stop! Overall, we made the move into teen world quite smoothly!

Back to School!

2008-08-22T08:13:00.000-07:00

Even though Conner didn't get to go to school on the "first" day, he wanted to be in the pictures too. Kenzi and Kaden had GREAT first days of school. They are both so excited about their teachers. It may be hard to pull them away any time soon if we sell our house, they seem ready to hunker down for another year of school here. Only time will tell but I am sure proud of them and their enthusiasm about school.

Youth Conference at West Piney

2008-08-10T19:16:00.000-07:00

Jeff and I were asked to be adult leaders at Youth Conference. I was sooo looking forward to getting to know some of the youth of our ward better. The beginning of the day started out kindof hectic but once we were on the road to West Piney I was so excited to start all of the activities. I guess I totally underestimated my limits with my new diagnosis. By the afternoon of the first day (dinner time) I was in quite a bit of pain and knew I wasn't doing well. The night was quite rough as the girls didn't go to sleep and I had a killer headache. By the end of breakfast the next morning, Jeff and I were packing up to come home. Bummer, I really hated having to leave but I knew if I didn't I would be in real trouble. The time we spent there was so fun and the food was amazing! The youth are great and have some outstanding leadership abilities. The church is in great hands with these kids!

Mom's tub!

2008-08-10T19:09:00.000-07:00

And if it is too late for the hot tub, or mom "really" wants us clean, there's always mom's big tub! The boys love getting in the tub together and having bubble fights and playing "guys". I will miss this tub when we move, but I miss "the girls" more!

Jeff's 20th Class Reunion!

2008-08-10T19:06:00.000-07:00

Please tell me it isn't true, are we really getting OLD? Wow, that means my 20th class reunion is next year! We actually had a lot of fun and I even know quite a few people from Jeff's class so it was great! I sure don't feel 20 years older and I hope I don't look it!

Better than a pool!

2008-08-10T19:02:00.000-07:00

Although we didn't use our hot tub much during the winter (too windy and too expensive to keep heated) we have loved it during the summer. It is just a little swimming pool for the kids. It is heated, clean and not too deep for Conner. They spend hours out there stopping long enough to eat and sleep. With the days of summer winding down, we will miss these fun lazy days!

Connerism

2008-07-25T10:20:00.000-07:00

Okay so I have this child who has a personality that I don't know where it came from. He is the most happy, independent, singing, funny child we have.The other day we were on our way to dinner(Me, Kenzie and Conner). It was sprinkling a little bit and there were some bugs on the windshield so I used my window sprayers to clean it. About two minutes later, out of the blue came:

"Look at those little fellas go."
"What little fellas, Conner?" Looking into the sky thinking he was looking at some birds.
"Those cute little fellas, look at them go."
Still looking around to see what "little fellas" he could be talking about.
"Those little fellas dripping down the window, look at them go."

He was looking at the drops on the side of the window that were left over from the sprayer and dripping down the window. His little mind never ceases to amaze me. He is so much fun, we just love him!

Memory Tag

2008-07-22T04:40:00.000-07:00

1 - Add a comment to my blog, leave a memory that you and I had together. Forever ago or a good one from last week. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot. Anything you remember!
2- Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty funny to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you are playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you!

4th of July

2008-07-11T15:30:00.000-07:00

Our 4th of July tradition over the past several years has become: going to the parade in Idaho Falls, BBQing and swimming at the Nadauld's house and then finally, going to the fireworks over the Falls in the evening. We have really enjoyed this tradition and look forward to this each year.

It's Official!

2008-07-04T07:55:00.000-07:00

Okay, it is really official now! We are selling our house in Idaho Falls and moving back to
Burley! We have come to a realization as a family that actualizing your dreams may not always be what you thought they would. We had finally moved "home" had our dream house and neighborhood and without Jeff with us we just weren't a family. This has been a difficult year for us and although we will miss many things about Idaho Falls, we are thrilled to be moving back to Burley. We realize now that Burley is our "home" and we are settled with that. Jeff has a fantastic job, we have amazing friends and the small town feel has really become my speed. I love all the spontaneous get togethers and just hanging out with friends. We aren't sure how long it will take to pull this all together but we finally have a plan and I am very excited about it! Hey all you extraordinary housewives...get ready, here we come!!

Family Reunion

2008-06-25T21:12:00.000-07:00

Before heading to St. George, we had a family reunion at Jeff's sister's house in Spanish Fork. It was quick but we all had a great time. We had yummy food and a lot of fun at the pond near their house. The paddle boat was great! The last photo is of Jeff's mom and his two sisters. They are a super great family and fun to be around. Thanks Rhonda for putting up with the whole crew at your house this year!!!

The Drive

2008-06-25T21:08:00.000-07:00

Driving to St. George is REALLY FAR!!!!

Summer in St. George

2008-06-25T21:05:00.000-07:00

Okay, so could the weather GET any better? NOPE!!!! The weather was perfect for a day at the lake!! About 102 degrees and not a cloud in the sky! I had forgotten the weather could be this great! While spending the week in St. George for Jeff's work, we took an afternoon and went to Sand Hollow Lake for a little boating and jet ski fun. We had a blast! Everyone got in on the action: Kenzie, mom and dad, drove jet skis, Kaden and dad skied and Conner played on the beach. Then we went out for great burgers and fries and In & Out burger. Even Kaden loved his burger. Thanks to the Harrah's for being super great hosts for the week and letting us make ourselves at home in their amazing guest quarters. Great friends and great fun made for a great week!

Could this wind stop already??!!!!!

2008-06-07T14:30:00.000-07:00

Okay, so as many of you know....my attitude is directly linked to the weather! Why, I'm not sure but it seems to get worse every year. I thought it was just the winter but I'm discovering it is ANY weather that makes me feel homebound. Snow, rain, cold, WIND!!!!! I know, I live in Idaho so what do I expect but come on...Isn't 9 months of horribly, crappy weather enough? Give me a break and give me some 90's with no wind and no rain. Is that too much to ask? It is summer break after all!!!

And even more Portugal

2008-05-30T07:52:00.000-07:00

The first photo is of some Roman ruins in the town of Evora. The second is a creepy cathedral in the same town called the Cathedral of the bones. There is a story behind this one. The last two are of the beach in Portimao. Absolutely beautiful!!!

And More Portugal

2008-05-30T07:47:00.000-07:00

Seeing these two families in Castelo Branco was definitely the highlight of the trip for me. Jeff had a hand in their conversions and their families are doing great! How amazing too see the work of the Lord move forward face to face. Even though the language divided us, the Spirit was definitely there. We Love you Diaz and Cruz families!!!!

More Portugal

2008-05-30T07:44:00.000-07:00

Portugal was Awesome!!!

2008-05-30T07:39:00.000-07:00

We landed in Lisbon and just took off from there! We traveled almost the whole country in two weeks but it was Amazing!!!! The first photo is of a palace in Sintra it is amazing that all of these structures are still standing after thousands of years. You can definitely see the aging process but the fact that they are still so beautiful after all this time is truly astounding. The next photo is of a famous cathedral in Batalha, I have many more pictures of this but you'll have to come visit me to see them. The king and queen of Portugal are buried there and they have carved statues of them on top of their tomb. Next photo is on top of a cliff overlooking the town of Nazare. And the last one, of course we had to keep an eye out for the Elders while we were there. We found these elders in Figueira Da Foz. We caught them a little off gaurd as you can imagine. One Elder is from California and the other is from Utah.

On our way to PORTUGAL!!!

2008-05-13T08:14:00.000-07:00

We leave tomorrow morning for Portugal!!! Wow, we have waited for this trip for 15 years. We are so excited! We don't get back till the end of the month so I'll catch up with y'all when we return...hopefully with many great pictures of my own.

Weekend in Deer Valley

2008-05-01T16:58:00.000-07:00

We had our little end of tax season and anniversary getaway in Park City and Deer Valley last weekend. We stayed at the Stein Erikson Lodge. Wow, pretty posh place, they even made our fire for us. The first photo is the view out our room. Yup right at the top of the mountain and yup, still plenty of snow. The room was great and very warm and cozy, the jetted tub was HUGE. Just a note, red rose petals stain on white sheets, maybe I should've known that but I didn't. We had lots of fun shopping in Park City and we met some friends and ate at PF Chang's! OHHHH so yummy!!!!

2008-04-24T10:09:00.000-07:00

Kaden is 10!!!

2008-04-24T10:01:00.000-07:00

Wow, my babies are growing up too fast. Kaden turned 10 on Sunday but we had his party Saturday evening. We offered to let him take his friends bowling, to play laser tag, to the movies or whatever and all he wanted to do was have his friends over, eat pizza and play games. Pizza it was with chips, breadsticks, cake and ice cream. Then presents......ta da the much anticipated Guitar Hero for the Wii. He was very excited! The weather was amazingly nice that evening and the boys all went out to play football in our huge backyard. Wow, nice to play in....going to be hard to maintain. Anyway, they topped off the evening by sucking helium out or all the balloons and laughing so hard. I know Kaden had a great time...I hope the other boys did too. Happy Birthday Sweet Boy!!!! I love you!

Last Night of Dance

2008-04-24T09:55:00.000-07:00

This has been such a great year for Makenzie. She has loved being on the Sandcreek Middle School Dance Team! Even with the early morning practices. She has been so good at getting herself up..I certainly don't get up at 6:00 am! April 17 was their "Night of Dance" the team performed all the dances from the year and then the 7th and 8th grades each made up their own dances, came up with their own costumes and performed them for the first time. Kenzi was absolutely beautiful and did a great job. After it was all done we took the family out for ice cream at Cold Stone. Grandma and Grandpa Poulsen were there too. We sure appreciate their support. It was a fun night!

TAX SEASON IS FINALLY OVER!!!!

2008-04-17T07:54:00.000-07:00

Wow, Tuesday couldn't come soon enough for me (or Jeff either). This has been the hardest tax season we can remember. Being apart so much didn't help either. I'm not sure how much longer I can handle this long distance work situation. Anyway, we are so glad to have Jeff home. We had a big banner waiting for him when he got home and then we took the kids and went to dinner. He is spending the rest of the week at home and I am LOVING every minute of it. I enjoy his company soooo much! We are really looking forward to some great family time now that he isn't going to be so busy, not to mention our great trip to Portugal in May!!! I can hardly wait!!!!

Spring at the Zoo

2008-04-17T07:44:00.000-07:00

What a great day to be at the zoo. Makenzie's comment was that we used to come to Tautphaus for vacation with Grandma and Grandpa and now we can come anytime we want. She is really enjoying our move and all the fun things to do in I.F. especially her fun outings at the mall with her friends. Conner is very funny about the weather, even worse than me. He was worried that there might be some wind, (in Idaho, what a crazy thought) so he wouldn't take his hat off. The funniest thing about the day was that Conner plugged his nose all over the zoo, just like his mom. I definitely passed on the "super smeller" to this child. Kenzie could care less, she just LOVES animals!!!!
Our great friends, the Griggs invited us to go with them. Julie and I are insane, obsessed scrapbookers and her son Ethan and Conner and inseparable. I'm sure glad Conner has such a gread buddy to be creating all these wonderful memories with.

Finally, Spring!!!

2008-04-17T07:33:00.000-07:00

So this is what the kids do on the first real Spring day in Idaho Falls. Last Saturday and Sunday were the best days we've had this year. Seriously, the kids lived outside both days. They couldn't wait to get home from church Sunday so they could get outside and enjoy what they knew wouldn't last. Spring in Idaho is so random. Especially this year. Sure enough, by Tuesday we had another blizzard and freezing cold temps. I'm sure glad they got the chance to be outside for a little bit.

Baseball

2008-04-09T14:57:00.001-07:00

So, Kaden got on a great baseball team. They are the Diamondbacks and had their first practice last night, in the freezing cold! He knows 3 of the boys on the team so he wasn't so scared to play. Makenzie has her end of the year "night of dance" next week and Jeff finishes tax season in 6 DAYS!!!!! We are looking forward to getting on with the summer (or even spring) with Jeff around!

Little League Try Outs

2008-04-03T08:03:00.000-07:00

Kaden tried out for Little League last night. He was pretty nervous because he has never had to try out to play baseball before. There were about 90 kids from 8-11 years old trying out. All the coaches sat lined up at tables taking notes of the kids they want for their teams. Pretty nerve racking for some little boys. Kaden did great though, he has got one heck of an arm on him. Hopefully he gets on a good team with some of his friends. He really didn't even want to play because he just wants to play with his friends from Burley but we told him he will still make friends here and needs to play. It is probably taking him the longest to make the adjustment to the move. The only friends he remembers are his friends in Burley and he misses them. I guess time will tell.

2008-04-03T07:57:00.000-07:00

Love the new purse Lana. Whoever said people in Burley have no sense of style never met Lana Gibbons, she IS a sense of style all her own and with 6 kids to boot!!! Wow! Really, the box was just her way of cleaning out all of her vending machines, it was full of quarters.

Lunch at Stevo's, YUM!

2008-04-03T07:53:00.000-07:00

While in Burley for Spring Break I got to go to lunch with "the girls". They all agreed to go to my favorite restaurant up there, "Stevo's" . Oh yeah, it is really the only restaurant I like in Burley. It was a pretty spur of the moment lunch but we still had a good turnout. I sure do Love these special ladies!!

Easter

2008-04-03T07:48:00.000-07:00

Okay so Easter was a few weeks ago but I just downloaded my media card and found these pics. We have fun coloring eggs and our friends the Mallory's came down from Burley and colored them with us. We used a magic crayon and the kids had a ball writing and coloring on their eggs. The next photo is just to show the kind of personality my Kaden has. The other two took all the grass and candy out of their basket but Kaden, oh no, that would be too messy. He had to line up all his candy just so. Needless to say, I am quite sure I have passed on some of my OCD tendancies to him! The last photo is of Easter dinner. My mom and dad came and I told my mom she didn't need to bring anything, that I had everything under control. It wouldn't be mom if she didn't come with a whole meal under her arm though. She made the little nests by all of our plates, chocolate dipped strawberries, deviled eggs, and a fruit salad. I thought I had it under control but everything she brought was a perfect addition!!! Thanks mom you're the best!!

Spring Break??????

2008-03-31T08:11:00.001-07:00

Okay, isn't Spring supposed to involve, flowers, mild weather and sunshine? Well, not this Spring!!! We spent spring break in Burley with our great friends (like family) there. The kids were missing their friends, especially Kaden. It was great to be with all of them just like old times but the weather, come on, rain, snow, wind!!! This winter is going to kill me! I didn't take many pictures of our vacation but my friend Stephanie did so check out my extraordinary housewives link to see the party. To top it all off, it is snowing and blizzarding AGAIN here in Idaho Falls. I guess it is a definite hot chocolate and cookie day, anyone want to join in?

My 37th Birthday!!!!

2008-03-22T20:12:00.000-07:00

I can't believe I am such a loser....I forgot my camera today to take pictures of my birthday and now it is over and all I have are the great memories and no photos!!!! It started out with sleeping in until 9:00, breakfast in bed, easter egg hunt with the kids then they refilled the eggs and hid them for Jeff and I. Then Jeff and I went shopping for the afternoon and met some great friends for dinner (Roman & Julie Grigg, Steve & Devanie Denison). Great food and fun, then came back to our house and played games (Grigg's couldn't stay but our good friends the Nadauld's came with their kids). We played Sequence and then Settler's of Catan, Adam isn't the birthday girl supposed to win, even if much cheating is involved???? All in all a great day with family, friends and food. What could be better....maybe if it was only my 25th birthday!!!!!!!