A House of Renegades

Feel the Beat!

2011-03-17T06:15:00.000-07:00

Summer Family Pictures

2011-02-27T18:35:00.000-08:00

Trina did an AWESOME job taking our pictures, it's unfortunate they never made it to a Christmas card! And if you notice Talmage looking a little out of it, he was actually pretty sick...but our photographer was leaving the next day and he was total trooper.

It seems kind of immature now, but at the time of these pictures, Craig and I had read a funny article about how extreme some Twilight fans are in pretending they are Bella and Edward, so Craig and I had some fun playing around...

July 2010

2011-02-19T08:48:00.000-08:00

This was a pretty busy month...so brace yourself.

July 4th--We didn't make it out to Oregon this year for our annual Fourth of July trip. Craig's mom had just had a very successful kidney transplant and was still in the hospital in Portland. The transplant went so well, in fact, that the new kidney has been named (Bruce) and is now a family super hero! We had a very blase 4th planned until some good friends invited us to join in on their family/neighborhood festivities. We had a really great time! The neighborhood does an annual children's parade and breakfast. So the kids got to ride on an amazing yellow submarine built by Andrew Smith. I can't believe I didn't get a full picture of it! But here is a picture of the kids riding on it...and Wyatt wanting off. Afterward we swam and enjoyed a great BBQ.

Later that week Talmage started his first of many cookie/lemonade stands on the sidewalk in front. It was amazing to see how motivated he was! He would sit for hours without a single customer! Later, I had many people in the ward who had stopped at his little stand come up and tell me how polite and professional he was. He did pretty good and was able to buy a Lego toy he was really wanting. Once again, I'm kicking myself because I didn't get out there and get a picture of him. I had to laugh a little at the irony of kid stands though. There were many times when people would significantly over pay Talmage and then insist that he keep the change. This was pretty magical for him and he was incredibly grateful. But the irony is the way people are totally opposite with adults when we have a yard sale. They will haggle you down from .25 to .20 just to save a nickel. I'm glad the kids get the better end of it.

Anyway, the month of July was filled with lots 'o' fun, including:

Back yard roasts...though next year I'm talking Craig into letting us do them on the grass.

Hanging out with Daddy on the couch,
Fighting over who gets to hold Ava...still a daily occurrence. She is blessed to be so loved!I ventured out with all five by myself quite a bit this summer and we enjoyed many adventures together. One of which we spent an entire day in downtown Salt Lake City. We visited the Church History Museum-which was amazing, highly recommend it if you haven't already. When we finally made it up to the children section I discovered that Ava had had a HUGE blow out. (these were a CONSTANT occurrence until we switched to cloth diapers--just her shape I guess) It was so bad that it dripped though the car seat (where the straps attach) and onto the stroller seat below. The sweet sisters serving in the children's section kindly entertained my other children while I headed to the ladies room to give her a bath in the sink. Luckily I had listened to a prompting to bring an extra outfit, something I had stopped doing with my other children because I never needed it. Here's a shot of the girls in the nativity dress-ups.
Then we headed off in search of somewhere to have a picnic. It turned out to be quite a hike! It was a very hot, sunny, morning (perfect) and you can see how red in the face the kids were. This was the first of many outdoor meals we coined 'tooth-pic-nics'. This is where everything we pack for our picnic can be eaten with a toothpick or fingers. So refreshing and easy on clean-up!

Afterward we headed back to temple square and made it to the Joseph Smith Memorial building just as it began to rain. So we went up and enjoyed the view from the top. Wyatt had a tendency to run off and explore as soon as I stepped back far enough to take the shot, and I confess after a while I gave up and just took pictures of the older three...Our Garden--we didn't do as much with it this year. But we did enjoy a good crop of tomatoes, zucchini, basil, cucumbers, cantaloupe and pumpkins. We would frequently find renegade cucumbers growing unrestrained beneath the leaves, here is one such cucumber. I set off committed to eat the whole thing, but only made it half way.We discovered Ava's smile! Getting pictures of it was quite a challenge! As soon as she'd see the camera she was totally intent on studying it and wasn't interested in smiling for it.
One of July's highlights was Trina & family coming out for a visit! I think we probably ran her ragged, but she is always such a joy to have around! Jaci and Laree were off at EFY and soccer camp for the majority of the time, but the kids had a blast with Olivia and Jesse.

Ava was such a trooper though it all...
And, here's my very favorite person in the whole world, EVER...he makes all our adventures possible, yet, sadly, rarely gets to join in on them....but still manages to smile! And check out the glasses. When he first got these $9 Wal-mart glasses I couldn't help giggling every time I saw him...we fondly called them his 'nerd' specks. But then I came to love them because when he's sporting his nerd specks I know he's done for the day and ready to relax. I even went out and got a pair for myself, but as I am usually too tightly wound to ever relax, I rarely wear them. Someday...we'll be nerdy, relaxed and go on all our adventures together...

June 2010

2011-02-13T17:29:00.000-08:00

All year I have been promising myself that I would update this blog. Now that we are six weeks into it, I figure I'd better get going! So, we'll see how far I actually get...

Last summer was probably one of the best summers ever, we had a sweet little new one and because of that we took everything really easy. We didn't sign up for any sports, swimming or go anywhere very far. The only stressful thing was when 1-2 times a week someone would call to see our house (yes, it is still on the market) and I would have to turbo clean the whole thing in 2 hrs, pack the kids up and go 'somewhere' (usually across the street) and wait for them to come and go. Sometimes they didn't come at all and that was frustrating. But mostly the summer was very relaxed, low-key and perfect.
So, here's June:

On the 6th Ava was blessed. We felt so blessed to have so much family join us, especially the Gregson's who arrived just in time from driving all night, luckily her blessing was the weekend before Ty went into the MTC.

We spent a day at the zoo before our membership expired with the Hamelins...and we even ran into Captain Jack Sparrow right outside the giraffe habitat.
The girls planted some Sir William seeds late last summer and while I was sure we were planting them to late, we did it anyway hoping they would bloom. Well, they grew and by the time it snowed they were just looked like tall grass and I thought for sure they would die and we'd try again in the spring. But instead those tough little plants lasted the entire winter and as soon as the warm spring weather hit they picked up where they left off and turned out to be the prettiest flowers we have ever grown! The girls and I couldn't ooh and aah over them enough! There is something almost magical in the beauty of flowers. It actually made me sad when they would pick them, but Abi really couldn't seem help herself. I had told them in the beginning when we planted them that these were their flowers to do what they wanted with. They bloomed all summer long and in the fall the girls were playing with some of the dead blooms and figured out how to gather the seeds.
Our cherry tree gave us all of three cherries. We cut them up and shared them, reminiscent of the Cratchit family's Christmas dinner in the Mickey's Christmas Carol movie. They were very tasty. Hopefully this year we will get more.

This is Sadie in her Ballet recital. She is a toy fairy waiting in the background for when the bigger girls come and 'wind' her for her part. She did so good and memorized her dance routine so fast!

Wyatt discovered the stool and is now a permanent fixture when ever I cook. And pretty much always half naked too.
Ava slept and grew and was held and adored...

Ava-tar!

2011-01-17T20:20:00.000-08:00

Get it?

Stick with the animated version. Why they keep funding M. Knight is beyond me...

talmage posts about his own broken arm...

2011-01-02T13:40:00.000-08:00

ok it's a long story but I will tell you how I broke my arm. ok we were going sledding and I was not sure about it but then I went when mom said I could maybe buy my own sled. we went to the store I purchased a $30.00 dollar sled that could switch from riding prone (laying) and sitting then we went sledding.and this is when the action comes,there was very big slippery jump it was so big that dad did not want to go down so when he hit the jump he jumped off then I went down on my boots I went down perfect, jump perfect then I broke my arm. then we went to the doctor they fixed it up and I went home so now I have to go to church bye.

Random-ness

2010-06-01T12:55:00.000-07:00

For Memorial Day we thought that since we have lived here in Utah for nearly 5 years now, it might be fun to actually go visit the Great Salt Lake. So after Craig and Talmage attended a flag ceremony (gotta work on those cub scout requirements) and we cleaned the house for a potential buyer that was going to look at it while we were out--though it turned out that they saw it was on a busy road and just drove away--we headed up to Antelope Island. I had heard that it smelled bad, but it wasn't too bad. What surprised us was the gnats! They were everywhere and they especially liked biting us on the head! Last night when I was washing the girls' hair I could still see a ton of little red spots where they had been bitten. But it was fun to see live buffalo and the kids had a lot of fun wading and playing in the water.

This picture makes me laugh! He is totally decked out and enjoying a ride on the living room chair-train. I especially love the pink binky! He is desperate for binkies and not picky about the color. We used to have a bunch of binkies hanging around the house because no one else ever used them (as babies) and they were kind of like a toy. Well...Wyatt LOVES binkies and this poor pink one is the only one left--and we probably should have gotten rid of them all long ago, but he goes to sleep so well with them. Too bad the girls will never run out of thumbs to suck on!

This is probably my favorite picture of Ava so far. She is such a sweet little angel! She loves to snuggle up and snooze on anyone willing to hold still for her. In an alternate reality where someone else does all the cooking, cleaning, laundry, diaper changing and grocery shopping, I could spend all day just holding her. But luckily, in the real world, she sleeps pretty well in her car seat as well.
I love this picture because it captures so well how much this tenderhearted little boy loves his little sister. He comes up to her any chance he gets and gives her the softest hugs and kisses. It is so gratifying as a mom to see how much your kids love each other and how excited they all are about having a new sibling.

The kids are posing with their new plumber/noodle swords! Unlimited wild rambuncous play...with only the occasional head injury. ;-) Thanks Craigs for the great idea! If anyone is interested in building their own...it only takes 3 ft of 1/2" schedule 40 PVC pipe, half of a swimming noodle and some fittings.

Peepers!

2010-05-16T19:25:00.000-07:00

And, we have a name! Ava Rose Hassell. Sorry, Annie - we didn't realize until it was too late that you'd already used the name. Guess we can't hang out now.

Also, it was Wyatt's birthday on Saturday, turning the big 2. It wasn't big ordeal, but hey, he's only two, right? I can't remember my second birthday.

Baby #5 (Name Pending)

2010-05-11T14:55:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Sadie!

2010-04-29T20:26:00.000-07:00

Last Friday our 'not so little anymore' Sadie turned six! We are so happy to have such a sweet, loving little girl in our family.

Right now she is really into dogs, so we did a dog cake. I'm so grateful that my kids are too young to realize what a flop most of my cakes are! It's the effort that counts, right?

Someone scheduled to come to look at our house on her birthday, so we had an hour to waste and did our annual pre-summer Children's Place flip-flop, sunglasses run--and who could pass up those headbands?! So cute! Anyway, this is them being 'cool girls' in some homemade Tutu skirts Sadie got for her birthday. I don't know where they got the whole 'cool girl' thing from, but I love how they are such good buddies!

A Talented Man...

2010-04-26T08:12:00.000-07:00

I just have to take a minute and brag on Craig. This past fall/winter/spring in his spare moments he has been getting reacquainted with woodworking, and has really been enjoying it. Last fall I asked him to make me some bookshelves for homeschooling and he made me these...The pictures turned out dark, but the shelves turned out sooo nice!

He enjoyed making them so much that he told me to pick out something else for him to make and two weeks ago presented me with these.... I love them!

To My Grown-Up Son

2010-02-07T15:09:00.000-08:00

I found this touching poem in, of all places, a ward cookbook.

To My Grown-Up Son

My hands were busy through the day,
I didn't have much time to play
The little games you asked me to,
I didn't have much time for you.

I'd wash you clothes; I'd sew and cook
But when you'd bring your picture book
And ask me, please, to share your fun,
I'd say, "A little later, son."

I'd tuck you in all safe at night,
And hear your prayers, turn out the light,
Then tiptoe softly to the door,
I wish I'd stayed a minute more.

For life is short, and years rush past,
A little boy grows up so fast,
No longer is he at your side,
His precious secrets to confide.

The picture books are put away,
There are no children's games to play,
No goodnight kiss, no prayers to hear,
That all belongs to yesteryear.

My hands once busy, now lie still,
The days are long and hard to fill,
I wish I might go back and do,
The little things you asked me to.

-----Alice E Chase-----

Where's the beef?

2010-02-02T20:36:00.000-08:00

I'm wondering what it is about pregnancy that brings out the my carnivorous side? And it isn't even healthy meat like chicken breast. Seriously who wants to eat a dry lean peace of chicken breast (yuk) or turkey when you can eat dripping savory things like bacon, beef, salmon and fatty juicy chicken legs? I know, most of you are thinking, Lois...aren't you, like, mostly vegetarian?...well, yes, usually. So, call me a hypocrite if you want, but I'm a total slave to my meaty cravings right now. I do try to limit my gorging to about once a week, but I don't feel bad about it...I'm sure I won't miss meat a bit once I have the baby, but for now, I might as well enjoy a nice juicy burger when the craving hits. My favorite are those frozen, pre-cooked, 100% Angus Beef patties they sell at Costco....and the frozen Salmon...
The other night Craig took me out to Tucanos, if you've never heard of it, it's a Brazilian restaurant where there is a salad bar buffet, and then servers bring out a constant stream of hot meat slabs right your table and you eat as much as you want. YUM! They were so juicy and spicy-licious! (The grilled pineapple was divine also!) Definitely a new favorite!
Maybe it's just how my body copes with female pregnancies. With Sadie it was ribs, with Abi it was eggs and cheese and now with this one it's basically anything fatty and meaty. So...bring on the beef for now!

Also, totally unrelated, but now that our house is officially clean, organized and up for sell (as much as I'm willing to stress over anyways) I've been totally nesting! I've kind of had this romantic notion for homemade rag dolls lately. They seem like such a personal/traditional thing for a little girl to have. I really wanted to make the girls each one for Christmas but was too busy with house stuff and catching up on a million things after being so overwhelmed and I needed to do Abi's quilt first. So, I got Abi's quilt done (basically a replica of Sadie's), and last week finally made the girls some 'rag dolls'. It was so fun to finally do something so crafty again after months of only having time for laundry, cooking, laundry, and cleaning, laundry and did I mention laundry?!! Elder Uchtdorf wasn't kidding a while back when he talked about how women have an inherent need to 'create'. It was extremely therapeutic for me to 'create' something.

Anyway, as you can tell, the girls absolutely loved the dolls! I tried to make the dolls look like them and we pulled out some of their old 18mo/2T clothes to dress them in and they really loved that!
I know a lot of you have little girls too, so if you want to try making some, here are some great and fairly easy patterns and they hardly cost anything to make.
I did the "mommymakeme" off of this website:
http://www.poly-fil.com/craftsprojects.asp

Another great website with a lot of choices is this one: (I just made two of the "baby bows" and those were a SUPER easy project!)
http://www.clothdollconnection.com/FreePatterns.html
I call these the ugly twins because I got the wrong kind of fabric (too stretchy) and their bodies turned out a little odd...but they'll work for what I made them for. But when this baby (still no name) is old enough to be interested in dolls, I'll definitely make another one for her...with the right kind of fabric!

Talmage of course didn't want to miss out on the action so he made these for he and Wyatt. He even did hand sewing around the edges. After which it took me a long time and delicate wording to convince him that as awesome as his sewing was (and he really did put admirable effort into it), he might want me to do just one little go around with the machine so the stuffing would stay in.

On a more positive note...

2010-01-02T12:53:00.000-08:00

Sorry to have left the negativity hanging like that for so long!
Here are some positive updates...

1. I am feeling A LOT better...I wouldn't say great, but I'll take what I can get! Thanks for all your well wishes!

2. We have our house totally back to ourselves...no extra kids or in-laws! Now we can make out on the couch all we want! ;-)

3. We had a great anniversary...I can't believe it's been 10 years! We sure have aged!

4. Abi turned 4! It's funny how she suddenly seems older...I think it may have something to do with how she thinks she is so much older...a big girl now, and is trying to act the part. She had been talking about having a mermaid cake since the day after her 3rd birthday...of course I didn't get to figuring out how to do it until the day of (which happened to be a Sunday) so we had to improvise a little. But she was happy with it, so it's all good. Abi also remodeled our house...we now have a 'royal staircase'!

5. Christmas was great!

This year I was taking too long in the kitchen with ginger bread cookies and the kids were getting super impatient, so we let them put the tree together on their own. Talmage and Sadie made a great team and the whole time they kept bragging about how kids can put it together better than adults! They did such a good job, this might become a new tradition! Then we made snowflake cutouts for decor. (With all the packing I've been doing the thought of unpacking all the Christmas stuff and repacking two weeks later seemed counterproductive, so we decided to go totally touchable/disposable with the decor)

And Santa came to visit again! How lucky can 4 little kids get?!

6. Our house is nearly ready to put on the market and everything is getting so organized! I'm even organizing all the CD's/itunes right now so we can pack those up. Someday I guess we can all just throw out all our hard copies of movies and music.
7. We have had a lot of fun enjoying the Utah snow! I was even still able to fit into my snow suit and join in on the sledding. We forgot the camera, but Talmage is really getting into going down the hill standing up on the sled. Maybe it's time to introduce him to snowboarding?
8. Oh...and if you haven't heard already, we are having a little girl in May! We have narrowed the names down to Anabel, Clara Grace, Madison, or Lucy. The one I love, Craig hates; the one Craig loves, I hate and the other two we are both luke warm about. I guess we have 18-20 more weeks to iron it out...

Sadie did a great job on her Christmas ballet recital and as you can see from her smile, she was sooo excited!This shot I just had to include...after a night in Salt Lake, the back of the suburban got pretty quiet and when I looked back this is what I saw. They were two tired little girls!

Venting

2009-11-11T19:58:00.001-08:00

So, I'm sitting here feeling super barfy and thought I would air a few thoughts and maybe complain a little.

I know I've been though this like 4/5 times already, but it seriously feels like I will never feel GOOD again. I should just be grateful that I do feel a little better, right? I actually have a few very productive hours in the mornings now, and that is really divine.
But oh, to enjoy eating and drinking again...to feel satisfied & satiated! I mean just the thought of being able to guzzle down a full glass of cold WATER again would be heaven! Seriously, everyone reading this should go eat whatever they want and just enjoy it because it tastes good and you know you won't throw it up, or wish you could throw it up because it isn't digesting well. The only thing I know I can safely eat right now is grapefruit...and then I'm just hungry again 5 minutes later. But the juicy part of it is awesome for keeping me somewhat hydrated.

This is totally off subject, but am I missing something with the whole hand sanitizer thing? I am seeing it everywhere. The swine flu is a virus, right? Hand Sanitizer is an anti-bacterial, two totally different things right? I say, just wash your hands, then whatever you touched actually gets washed off--dead or not.

Craig is amazing, because while I'm upstairs feeling sorry for my lame self and blogging away my woes, I can hear him down stairs cleaning all the floors and the entire kitchen. I so don't deserve him. (and yes, I know you are all agreeing with me and don't blame you a bit!)
Last night he even offered to sleep on the couch just so I wouldn't have to smell his breath. I don't think it really smells bad to normal people (the kids thought it was fine) just really bad to me with the cursedly uber-sensitive sense of smell.
He is also amazing because he let me hire my sister to do all my housework everyday for a whole month when I was really feeling horrible. It was awesome and I don't know how we would have survived! Ella was amazing to do it and we would have tried to keep her longer coming a few days a week, but she got pregnant and is now feeling horrible herself. Poor girl. (But funny little side note...when I told Talmage she was sick pregnant and wouldn't be coming anymore he said "Oh! (with a facial expression like he'd just solved some great mystery) It's contagious and she caught it from you!")

Also, why is it that I weigh a little less now than when I got pregnant, but my belly totally protrudes like I'm months further than I am? It's not even the baby (that's like all together probably the size of a grapefruit right now). It's embarrassing. I wish it would go to my thighs or somewhere more shapely.

I know some of you may be curious about whether or not the h. pylori treatments I did when I was pregnant with Wyatt made a difference with this pregnancy, so I'll tell you. Yes and No. Yes, because my stomach doesn't hurt like there is a festering rotten animal in it this time. But the hormonal nauseousness is way worse this time, so I have thrown up a lot more, the queasiness just isn't as painful--so that's good. Of course, now I know for certain that I can no longer delude myself into believing that 'the next time it will be better'--because it won't, it only gets worse and worse and worse. And it's so unforgiving to be so sick when you have so many people to take care of and be pleasant to.

A lot of people talk about postpartum depression, but what about prenatal depression? I would be happy to sign up for a research group or something. I would say I get prenatal depression and postpartum euphoria. I don't know if it's because I'm so thrilled I'm not pregnant anymore or if it's some wonderful rush of happy feel good hormones. I'm guessing it's both, but probably more hormonal because I seriously always feel so absurdly good and hopeful after I have a baby--and totally wired. I can't even relax enough to sleep for the first two days. Maybe this time I will ask for a sleeping pill in the hospital.

Well, I just threw up and now I feel much better, I'm going to sleep.

A Good Choice

2009-11-07T18:38:00.000-08:00

Today Talmage got baptized and it was perfect. I am so proud of him. He handled it all very maturely I could tell he felt extra happy that he got to have his dad next to him the whole time. I am so grateful for all the family that was able to come and I know it made Talmage feel very loved! It was especially cute that when he was being confirmed Wyatt went up to join all the other men. Of course, someone quickly grabbed him, but Talmage had noticed and afterward when the men were all waiting to shake Talmage's hand (oops, we forgot to teach him that little tradition) instead he went right to where Wyatt was and gave him a big hug and kiss.

We went to pick out his scriptures yesterday and he was so excited to have his own that he actually came home and started reading them. Then today after everyone left our house he read some more...all by himself.
later: Craig just came down from checking on the kids and he said Talmage is up in his bed reading his scriptures again...this is what he hears outside the door:

Talmage: "Chazz! I know where the dinosaurs come from now! It says in here...and God created the beasts of the fields..."

Oh...a special thanks to Gretchen for being such an angel and helping me get the house presentable this morning!
And a special apology to Michele and myself (because I am very mad at myself for this, so Michele you can be too)....I did a horrible job of getting pictures! Everyone was here at our house, having a great time visiting and I didn't get a single shot! Curses!

Finally catching up!

2009-10-26T11:05:00.000-07:00

So, I should probably do a post/update or just get rid of the blog altogether. So here's my attempt at 'catching up'.

Here's a little rundown of our summer. It was crazy. It was fun. There were 10 people living in our house with visitors nearly weekly...which we are really grateful that we had the space for, because it was really fun seeing everyone!

We also spent a lot of time at the zoo, thanksgiving point, and swimming. In July we had a great time in Oregon for our traditional Fourth of July visit.

So these pics will cover May-Aug.

Sadie graduated from preschool!

The kids playing in the tent in the backyard. I think it took them a lot longer to clean up all the stuff they put in it than the time they actually spent playing in it. But the gathering for fun is all part of the play for them...the cleaning up, not so much.
Chazz & Tal taking a break after hunting for Geodes. Somehow they managed to find a mud spot in the total dessert--which was way more fun than the hunting for Geodes.

I love the faces that little babies make! This one just totally captures that displeased "HEY!" you know he's thinking.
Sadie has turned out to be quite the little mermaid this summer and even taught herself to do flips underwater.
This our favorite place to swim...well, actually the only place we swim and we are so grateful the Nydeggers still let us!
I love how Abi's personality is always bursting out like her body's too small to keep it contained.

Riding the ponies is the highlight for the kids when we go to TGP's farm country.
I was pretty surprised that Abi actually wanted to ride the ponies too and then was brave enough to actually do it. Though, she did make sure she was on smallest pony.
We hit the air show this year up in Ogden and aside from the 2 mile walk because we had to park so far away, the blistering heat, occasional ear shattering noises and well...the MASSES of densly packed people we sort of enjoyed it...o.k. not really. But I do think Craig and the boys would have had a blast by themselves.

A little mini pool party with Baby D from next door.

Zoe all decked out for her ballet recital.

And even more!

2009-10-26T08:21:00.000-07:00

On our way to Ashland, we made a pit stop at the Ordyna's house. We all had so much fun visiting with our good friends! If only we could live across the street from each other again!

Grandma & Grandpa were awesome to rent a waterslide again this year...the kids had so much fun!

This is a three year running tradition of Halloween in July. The kids dress up and hit all the homes on the Hassell commune. Luckily, everyone kindly humors them and plays along. Not something I would normally allow because I have anxiety attacks about my kids imposing on others, but they start at Brett's (where the dress-ups are) and never come to the main house (where I am) until they have already hit all the other houses at least 3 times each and the damage (0r should I say the fun) is already done and there's nothing I can do about it. Aunt Leslie you are awesome to always play along so graciously!

The boys had a blast this year driving around the go cart! Especially since they were old enough to go with out an adult.

The kids decorating the street getting ready for the parade.
This year they had a real bald eagle at the parade and the guy let us get really close up to look at, which was really cool for the kids to see.
Wyatt hanging out with Grandma.
Wyatt sneaking off during our family photo shoot, luckily we found him behind a tree before he crawled onto the driveway.
The kids trying to spin the massive ball at the zoo. I love the look on Ash's face!
We were thrilled to have some Ashland cousins visit this summer! This picture is of Sadie and Zoe sleeping on the air mattress with Ashlynn...only I think she got a little crowded out!
I had to laugh at all the funny games they played together. I think this is the one where Severin bangs the sticks together and the others all have to dance to the beat.
It was fun to see little Bonnie and Wyatt check each other out. At one point I think they even fought over trying to get out the door at the same time.
Jerilyn, you can come stay and do all the cooking again any time you want!
Random, but this summer we saw ALOT of rainbows.
Abi...sometimes her hair is even more vivacious than her personality.
The kids posing for me in front of the waterfall at Thankgiving Point Gardens! And I am not ashamed to confess that sometimes I took them there just to wear them out while the house stayed clean!
This shot is from a fun family gathering we had at Zach and Tara's clubhouse while Alan and Michele were in town. There is a pool entrance at the back and it wasn't until later after we left that we realized Sadie had never gotten out of the water once...not even to eat or go to the bathroom. I will easily confess that I'm not very good at keeping track of 6 kids...good thing we are calling it good with 5.
The kids posing at the zoo with their cousin Emma. Abi calls her 'my big Emma'. Because she adores her and because she has a 'little Emma' in Sunday School.

Most of the kids posing with their cousins LaRee, Jaci, Olivia, Jesse, and Julianne at the Dino Museum.

We took the kids on a hike up to Stewart Falls and I don't think Wyatt could have been happier to spend some time with his dad!

Abi is lucky she has such a soft-hearted daddy who will carry her when her legs get tired even though he already has Wyatt on his back.

These three girls are always playing make-believe and doing the most creative things. One morning I woke up and they had all gone outside and cut grass with scissors and stuffed paper animals they had taped together with it. Very creative. Makes me feel bad when I have to tell them they aren't allowed to use my scissors to cut the grass.
Craig rented this Camero to spice things up when he drove Glenn 1/2 way back home.
Cowgirl kittens just back from a birthday party.
The crew having a movie night with their cousins Lleyton and Amie.

Check out the Link

2009-10-18T16:20:00.001-07:00

For those of you who don't visit the main Hassell Blog.

Our little gang of animals ;-)

2009-08-18T21:36:00.000-07:00

I know, I know...we are soooo behind on pics! But these kiddos are so cute and proud of their faces. They got them painted at Craig's company party Friday night and we had to take a lot of pictures before they would let us wash them off. (yeah, I'm not nice enough to let them sleep with such potentially messy faces). Such short lived beauty...
Can you tell Chazz is extra proud of his bubble gum mustache? Luckily, olive oil was really helpful in getting that off!
Sadie's face was done so well! (by the time we took this pic it had smeared a lot around the mouth.) When she first came up to me after having it done and I looked down to see who was tugging on me, it totally took me a second to realize it was her.

Life is good.

2009-06-21T21:09:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted in a long time, but I felt I should at least let you all know we are still alive and kicking. For those of you who don't already know, we are now foster parents. It was a long process, part of which included selling our van and buying a suburban. [I still really miss the van and don't really see the draw of a suburban/SUV. Well, except for that day we went out to the Dugway Geode beds and drove 3 hrs on dirt roads...probably couldn't have done that with the van. But in general, our van was so much easier with small kids and felt so much more spacious. (o.k. I am now offically done whining about having to sell the van)] We originally went into it to adopt, but were told by many people it is best to start with foster care. So right now we have two children in our home. Chazz is eight and Zoe is 6. They are very sweet kids and our children adore them. But things are also pretty crazy at times and I almost never have time to get on the computer anymore. But I find that I don't really care so much, living life is so much more fun than sitting at the computer.
Life is good. We are enjoying the summer and trying to get out as much as possible. Sadie is excited for Kindergarten next year and Wyatt is almost walking. I am exciting about doing homeschool again with Talmage next year and wish I had the guts to do Sadie as well. Our garden is producing an amazing amount of sugar snap peas and I have no idea what to do with them once they turn into real peas. And I think we are going to have enough tomatoes for all our canning and a roadside stand--now if only the strawberries would actually produce something edible.

What a Little Girl Will Do for a Stuffed Animal!

2009-05-19T13:52:00.000-07:00

I couldn't stop laughing at this because I have a little girl who I'm sure is capable of the same thing!

Shooting Comic

2009-05-03T10:17:00.001-07:00

I took Talmage shooting about a week ago. He shot my .22 pistol for the first time, and he also helped launch clay pigeons. This is the comic he drew up for me the next morning.

Happy Birthday Sadie!

2009-04-26T20:03:00.000-07:00

Have you ever gotten so excited about something that by the time it actually happened it was ruined by the very act of having been so excited about it? Well, we had Sadie's birthday party on Saturday, and I have never seen a girl so excited. I hadn't realized how long it would take to get some of the activities I had planned ready, so I ended up working on it pretty late Friday night. But, it was a good thing I was already awake because Sadie was so excited that she couldn't sleep and ended up staying up until about 12:30. (and waking up super early the next morning). So that morning it was a total roller coaster of her being giddy with excitement and a total inability to cope due to lack of sleep. Then during her party she looked so worn out. But I think overall the girls all had a good time. I am learning (perhaps too slowly) that each of my kids are so different and that Sadie does better with surprises than anticipation. I also learned that while putting the balloons in the trampoline appeared to be a great idea...it actually ended up being more like jumping on a land mine. Even with no one in the tramp, we lost about a 1/3 of the balloons to random popping.
The girls made butterfly wings then went to the magical world of balloons (in the tramp) for a scavenger hunt and of course the pizza was a butterfly too. Thank goodness the weather cooperated! (of course our snow castle was still melting on the sidelines.)

Please note that Talmage's wings are different...they are boy wings like the prince in Barbie's Mariposa.

Butterfly pizzas, of course!Here are some shots from the family celebration later in the week...
I was a little caked and baked out, so I just used some leftover cupcake batter from taking cupcakes to Sadie's preschool. It was just enough cake for one slice each...perfect! All the coloring is from beets and I really like how it turned out.
She is having alot of fun with all her new toys!

Hassell Happenings

2009-04-26T17:20:00.001-07:00

Have you ever had someone tell you they love you in laundry? I have been having Talmage help out more around the house. So one day when we were working on sorting laundry together, he said he wanted to do it all by himself and told me not to peek until he was totally done. So I leave him to it, just wondering what he's up to. (If you know Talmage, you know his mind is always up to something!) So awhile later he tells me to come look and he had sorted all the laundry and then written I Love You on my bedroom floor with it! It was so sweet and I could tell he had put alot of thought into it! I don't have a wide angle, so I couldn't capture it all in one shot, but how sweet!

We have an old mask book from when I was a kid and the kids have fun making all sorts of masks!
Just thought I would snap a picture of Talmage working on his school work.

Now they both have bangs...only Sadie's were cut by me. I obviously need more practice. I kept having to go shorter to get them straight...which they still aren't.
Sometimes the kids games just make me laugh. They are pretending to be a horse. No box goes unused around here! (and yes, I think they did run into a few walls...but didn't go down the stairs, so it's all good.)
Wyatt loves to hang out outside in this car!
A Family Fun Night Slumber Party...at least until 9 p.m. Craig borrowed the projector from work and we had a fun movie night on the air mattress. I can't believe we all fit!
Talmage was very proud of his work on this hopscotch cake. Mmmm...organic candy is so yummy!
Wyatt's first experience with crawling on the grass. You can see from his face that he's a little mystified by the poky green stuff. He kind of reminds me of a little puppy dog the way he longingly looks outside when he others are playing and he can't. I know, so sad!

Wyatt basically never holds still, unless Craig is rubbing his belly. He loves it!

Just 13 more years and this could be a real scenario.
He's finally crawling on his knees...this is good news for the laundry lady/clothing shopper! (The sunburn is my fault and the tattoo on his arm is Abi's.)

Can you believe this was just a few days after the snow fort?
Craig took the kids to their first basketball game last Monday. (The Utah Flash)

Sadie's preschool went on a field trip last week to the dinosaur museum. She is discovering dino bones of course! She turned 5 the day before and her face is already starting to look so grown up! It's so nice to have my sister Ella living so close and that she's willing to watch the kids for me whenever so I could go with Sadie.

Easter & Spring

2009-04-26T15:07:00.001-07:00

Ooops. I forgot to do the Easter post. We had a great family dinner here the weekend before Easter and the kids got to decorate and then hunt eggs. It was really great to get both of our local family together and hope to do it again soon. We let the younger ones get a head start on the hunt, they did look a little confused, perhaps wondering why everyone was telling them to pick up eggs?

Here are some of the shots...

Couldn't pass up showing off these yummy nests! Mmmm....
Sadie and Abi ADORE their cousin Julianne!
These guys made some pretty funny videos on photo booth. I'll have Talmage post one on the grandkid blog.

one wish

2009-04-19T20:56:00.001-07:00

Lately the kids and I have been reading stories of children who discover a magical charms and go on fun adventures. (I highly recommend both Half-Magic and The Enchanted Castle--probably best for 8-12 yr olds) So, I was thinking about what I would wish for if I had a magical charm and could get anything I wanted. I decided the one thing I could use more than anything else would be more time. Like maybe, once the kids went to bed time slowed down only for adults, (for kids time would be normal so they wouldn't wake up any earlier). Like maybe the hour between 9:00 PM and 10:00 PM could stretch out to four hours. Then I could tidy up, hang out with Craig, read books, write in my journal, relax for a few hours and still get to bed before 10.

Or, maybe I would get a remote like Adam Sandler on the movie "Click". How great would it be to just pause everyone around you when....you need a nap, want to make dinner without constant interruptions or background whining/fighting, want to get a mess cleaned up before the baby crawls through it, want to get things cleaned up before someone comes over, want to shower but the kids are already awake, want to take a nap, or just need to pause in the middle of a conflict with your children so you can think through the best way to hand the situation...

Someone in church today said mortality is time. So I guess stealing more of it would be cheating during the 'test' of life. So I guess I will have better luck on my current track of trying things the Book of Mormon way and praying that I am better able to handle my burdens that I may be better able to handle them, they may be made light! That is magical in a way too--only better because it's real.

Winter, I mean, Spring, Break

2009-04-19T20:40:00.001-07:00

When you wake up to this:

(please note the beautiful red picnic table beneath the snow that Craig built for us about a month ago...when it was sunny.)

It only makes sense to do this:
Ta Da...our very own snow castle!
With beautiful green carpeting!
When there is that much snow, it really would have been a waste to not put a built-in slide on the snow castle. I will say that spring snow is a lot more fun than winter snow because it sticks so much better and getting too cold isn't an issue. And of course, it's even more fun the next day when it isn't cold at all and you still have a nice pile of snow to play in. Though Abi is pushing it a bit with by wearing sandals.

Favorite Pianist

2009-04-18T19:08:00.000-07:00

Stimulus

2009-03-29T20:44:00.000-07:00

Can We Get This Guy To Speak To Our Leadership?

2009-03-25T18:30:00.001-07:00

Random

2009-03-25T14:34:00.000-07:00

I know my recent posts have been very random lately--and this one definitely is. I was watching Twilight last night. I got it from Redbox because I haven't decided I like it enough to buy it yet. But it did seem better on the small screen.

Anyway, has anyone else noticed this resemblance?

Spiderus's smile is very out of character for him--which kind of ruins the match, but I couldn't find any other shots of him online.

The Honored Place of Women

2009-03-23T14:06:00.001-07:00

I came across a talk today (The Honored Place of Women) given to our mothers by President Benson back in 1981. It is probably the one of the best talks on the role of motherhood I have ever read so I thought I would share. I am so grateful for such excellent, on target, counsel.

St. Patrick's Day 101

2009-03-17T20:27:00.000-07:00

Forgive me, but I'm going to be my nerdy self for a moment. Since today is St. Patrick's Day and, technically, I am Talmage's teacher, I thought it would be good to learn a little history behind the holiday. Maybe the rest of you paid better attention in school than I did, but the only thing I ever gleaned from my years of schooling is as follows: Irish, Leprechauns with pots of gold at the end of rainbows, lucky clovers, and wear green or you'll get pinched. And for many it's a good excuse to drink it up.

So, here's the real scoop on the holiday, according to Professor Owens, Irish literature expert and Professor Emeritus of English at George Mason University.

St. Patrick was a boy (not Irish) who was kidnapped at the age of 16 (around 432-461 AD) from his home in the Roman British Isles by a band of pirates and sold into slavery in Ireland. He worked as a sheperd and turned to religion for solace. After six years he escaped to the Irish coast and fled home to Britian where he decided to become a priest. He then decided to return to Ireland after dreaming that the voices of the Irish people were calling him to convert them to Christianity. And perhaps they were, because after many years of preparation he returned to Ireland as a missionary and was able to bring about a massive religious shift to Christianity by converting people of power. He ran into trouble with the local pagan priesthood, the druids and there are many stories of his survival of their many plots. He laid the groundwork for hundreds of monasteries and churches that eventually popped up across the Irish country. He is also credited with bringing the written word to Ireland through the promotion of the study of legal texts and the Bible. They say his mission lasted 30 years and it is believed he died on March 17th--now St. Patrick's Day.

After reading that together, I felt silly when I gave him his Leprechaun coloring sheet and puzzle cutout. But then, aren't most of the Holidays like that--what we celebrate is totally out of touch with why we celebrate them.

Toyota Prius vs. BMW M3?

2009-03-11T21:35:00.000-07:00

Sisters!

2009-03-09T23:21:00.001-07:00

At Sadie's preschool they periodically send the kids home with an alphabet page for them to draw/cut/paste etc. things that start with that letter, then they put them all together at the end of the year and the kids have a binder of the alphabet they made. So the other day Sadie brought home the letter 'S', so I went through our pictures to find a picture of her and Abi for the word 'Sisters' and I was just touched by all the cute pictures I have of these two girls who are such great friends and love each other so much. It has been so fun to watch them grow together in the past year! So this is my blog tribute to my girls:

Fun in California!

2009-03-09T21:08:00.000-07:00

We went to California the second week in February and we had such a great time! The kids did great on the trip out and we got to California early enough Sunday afternoon to visit and have dinner with some old college friends (the Snows) that live in Valencia. It was so fun to see them again and still have a fun time together--Snows you guys are the best! Here's a shot of our kids, who had a great time playing together. Craig was in a glow the whole rest of the trip after he got to drive Steve's Z4 BMW, I'm bummed I didn't get a picture.

On Monday the weather was overcast and rainy, so we spent the day shopping for groceries for the week and then braved an ocean visit, which was across the street from our hotel. It was totally cold so we only lasted 10 minutes. Then after dinner Craig took the kids to the hotel's outdoor pool where they played in the middle of a total wind storm. The wind was so strong that Craig had to bring Abi back in because she could barely stand up. She was throwing the biggest tantrum I've ever seen (she was obviously very worn out) until I told her she could play in the tub in her swimsuit. It was all the same to her and she was totally happy!

Tuesday was bright and sunny and perfect! We spent the entire day at Disneyland and it was amazing! Or, rather, it was Magical! I don't think any of us have ever smiled so much in one day! We were able to hold Wyatt on our laps for nearly all the rides and the lines were really short, so we were able to just run from one thing to the next. The kids never even wanted to stop and eat, there was too much to do. So much fun! One of our funniest memories is of when we took Talmage and Sadie on their first roller coaster ride. Craig took them first and he said he looked over and on both of their faces were looks of sheer terror. Talmage wouldn't try another roller coaster, but Sadie was ready to go again with me. With Sadie, her love and desire to do something with Craig or I usually out weighs her fear. So our ride starts and I think it's great, then I look over into her face and she looks likes she is scared out of her wits! She was totally quiet, but look in her eyes was so terrified that I felt horrible for encouraging her to go with me. But afterward she said she loved it and was game for all the coasters--even waving her arms up in the air. She is such brave little thrill seeker! We were having so much fun we didn't get that many pictures--oops!

On Wednesday we headed down to La Jolla beach and tried to find the 7 caves that were praised all over the internet. We didn't see any, but we all had a great time playing and exploring on the beach! (And we couldn't help cruising around and checking out all the amazing beach houses!) I think Wyatt was just in heaven being allowed to play in all that sand and water! Thankfully, his binking kept the sand out of his mouth! (The hotel/resort had wagons and buckets you could check out for the day which was totally rad!)

On Thursday we visited Legoland, which was great but paled in comparison to Disneyland--Mainly because we couldn't take Wyatt on anything--they were very strict amd somewhat complicated about allowable heights for the rides. But we did have alot of fun! The kids especially loved the car rides...though I think Abi really gave the guy attendant a workout when it was her turn! It was fun to see all the huge Lego statues. The SpongeBob one was especially fun for the kids because that was all they watched when we were at our condo...non-stop SpongeBob on Nick Jr...good thing there were two TVs!

I don't know if you can tell from the picture above, but Craig and Sadie are in one boat and Talmage and Abi were in the other one. What were we thinking?! I don't think I've ever been closer to a heart attack than I was watching Talmage and Abi do that ride! Talmage was driving/steering the boat great...but Abi would not stay in her seat. She kept standing up in the boat and then on her seat and rocking the boat. I mean the little ledge holding her in was maybe 12 inches high, the water was pretty deep and if she had fallen out there was no way any of us could have gotten to her soon enough. (during most of the ride Craig & Sadie were pretty far away) ooohh I'm getting all freaked out again just thinking about it.

This was the only fun thing Wyatt got to do that whole day, so we let him hang out in this swing for a good 20 minutes!

The bathroom signs were a riot!

On Friday because we had spent so much money at the Lego gift shop that they gave us two free tickets, we went to the Legoland Aquarium. It was a great little aquarium and sorta but not really made up for us not going to sea world. That afternoon the kids swam again, only this time we went to the outdoor 'family' hot tub instead because it was warmer. (the resort had a 'family' pool and hot tub seperate from the 'adult' ones) .

On Saturday we went up to Newport beach and took a ferry over to Balboa Island and enjoyed the famous Balboa Bar. It was delish and it was fun to ride the ferry. Craig was really nice and watched the kids at a park while I went off to visit some of the shops. We were also surprised to learn that that tiny little island has some of the highest property values per sq. foot in the entire US.
Then we went back down to La Jolla again to watch the sunset.

Don't you just love Talmage's face in this shot? Right when we got to the beach he ran in really close to the rising tide (which we had told him not to do) and slipped and fell and got soaked. So he was cold and pretty upset about it.
Then to cap it all off the night before we left Talmage finally lost another tooth (he lost the bottom two a whole year ago).
We had so much fun getting to spend so much fun time with our kids and each other, it was a real bummer when we got back to have Craig go back to work! But we are grateful that he has work to go back to!

To Catch up or not?

2009-03-09T20:39:00.001-07:00

We are so behind on our posts...where has the time gone? Here are some random moments from the last few months!

This was so cute to see them all in the office learning to draw together!

I love this shot because he looks like he is laughing at some secret little joke. He is such a fun little guy!

Rub-a-dub-dub, three little nakeds in a tub...or a chest, as the case my be. The girls were "giving Wyatt a bath". He has that face I see a lot these days..."Mom, some help please?!"

We had a great visit with Grandma and Grandpa Hassell right after Christmas. How does grandpa always escape the photos?

Star Wars - Retold by Someone Who Hasn't Seen It.

2009-02-13T10:12:00.000-08:00

Star Wars: Retold (by someone who hasn't seen it) from Joe Nicolosi on Vimeo.

Bunny Twilight Parody

2009-01-28T20:42:00.000-08:00

This is pretty funny.

Manners?

2009-01-14T19:53:00.000-08:00

I thought this was a great article in the NY Times this week. Makes you realize no one ever talks much about manners anymore. (Aside from Strawberry Shortcake's Manners Matter song ;) So I took the bate and I'm going to check out the book from the library. Heaven knows we could use more manners around here!

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/13/health/13klas.html?_r=1

2009 is off to a start!

2009-01-07T19:47:00.000-08:00

We are only seven days into it, but this year has started off great, so I thought I would share:

1. We have already had a blessing and a sealing in the family. While we were a minute too late to actually hear the blessing, we are still grateful for the blessings of being part of such a good family--and especially to be close enough to be around for these things!

2. In Fast and Testimony meeting on Sunday a previously wayward teenager got up and bore his testimony and is really excited to be coming back to church. It was really a special experience for our whole ward. His parents have been very open about what's been going on over the past two years as he left home, got into drugs, alcohol, had an out of wed-lock baby, etc. He shared how three weeks ago he had been in one of the most horrible places and was feeling about as low as he ever had when he happened to look around him and there in one of the most unlikely of places was sitting a Book of Mormon. He can't explain why, but he just picked it up and started reading. He said that even though he had always had to read the scriptures with his family, it was the first time he had really read them on his own and he just couldn't put them down! He also talked about how much he appreciated how over the past few years that even though he was rude and horrible to everyone, especially all the boys in the ward his age, they all never stopped being kind and welcoming to him. It was especially neat to watch as hordes of people all clambered around him for hugs after the meeting. It's not very often, especially in Utah, where you get to see the gospel of repentance, hope and love in action in such a real and personal way like that. I was just really struck with how that is what the gospel is all about. Being a member of Christ's Church isn't about being perfect and never failing...and making sure no one else sees us fail...it's about knowing who to look to when we do fail, loving others as they struggle, and rejoicing with them when they start coming back...and still non-judgmentally embracing them even if they don't ever. What a great perspective to start the year out with.

3. Talmage will get the opportunity to be baptized this year. Which I am really excited about, but he isn't yet. I'm sure he will as it gets closer but, if not, we'll go on his time table.

4. We just booked our very first real (no business trip or family event attached) family vacation! I know, not such a big deal for those of you who go lots of places and do lots of things much more exciting. But we don't, so for us this is a big deal and I am really excited! We are going to spend a sunny week next month in San Diego (chosen for medicinal purposes to combat the winter blues that are certain to hit soon)! We will be a whole 1/2 mile from the Ocean and 4 miles from Legoland. I'm sure we'll do Legoland one day, but we are still debating Disneyland and Sea World, as we are still in shock with how much all the tickets will cost. I'm not saying they are over-priced (I've never been, but I have a feeling most people will say it's totally worth it) but I think we both grew up too poor for too long not to totally flinch about spending that much money at once and then not walk away with something tangible...but we are trying to get over it, because I'm sure the kids would have a total blast and that's priceless. (Though I wish there were some kind of guarantee that memories will, in fact, last forever.)

5. While over the break I got doubtful thinking about it, but now that we are back up and running, homeschool is still great and totally the right thing to be doing.

6. Maybe living here is finally starting to rub off on me, but I am totally loving the winter wonderland outside! And because I don't have to drive far, I am even loving the occassional spinning-out and fishtailing. Utah has such distinct seasons! (As long as winter doesn't overhaul spring again this year! In which case, I would have to renig on all this 'Utah really is great' stuff. )

-7. This one gets a negative for us, but a 7 for them, it's our one not-so-great so far this year...but a really great thing for them. (and hopefully it doesn't embarrass you getting a public mention like this :-). Our really good friends that we made in South Carolina, and who then moved out here, just moved up to Idaho. We are totally thrilled for them, but it's rare to find another family where you have something in common and your kids all match up with genders and ages--except Katelyn, who handled not having a match-up so splendidly! Ordynas we wish you the best!

To Laugh or Cry?

2008-12-24T13:41:00.000-08:00

We frequently get comments on Abi's cute curly hair and blue eyes.

The blue eyes are still totally sparkly (with mischief!) ... but the hair... I think we will now meet with stunned silence as people try to hide their shock and think of something polite to say. I actually laughed when I first saw it because... well, you can see it! But then I had to hide my face because this is something I definitely shouldn't encourage! And thinking about how long it will be before she looks normal again makes me want to cry. On the positive side... at least her hair won't be in her eyes anymore. And it is winter... so I think she will be sporting a hat often.

At first it appeared to be a one girl job, but later it came out that Sadie did the initial cut in the back and then Abi went to town on the front. (I don't know if the picture does it justice...but she actually nearly nicked her scalp in some areas) I'm hoping it will grow out into a semblance of bangs, because for now I can't bear the thought of shaving it all off. Can you imagine all the questions I would get about if she was in chemo?

(Kristin...if it wasn't Christmas Eve, I nearly ran strait over to your house for moral support because I know the first thing we both think of when we see this is Jocelyn!)

An Unexpected Visitor

2008-12-24T13:24:00.000-08:00

On Saturday after Abi's Birthday, just before the kids went to bed, we had a surprise visit from Santa! (The REAL one!)
The kids got to sit on his lap and he loaded them with candies, treats and gifts. And to our pleased amazement they behaved the best they ever have for company! He even had Craig and I sit on his lap--which we only agreed to after he assured us that he has had titanium hip replacements. It was magical for the kids and something we will all remember for years to come!

Happy Birthday Abi!

2008-12-21T17:23:00.000-08:00

When Lois asked what she wanted for her birthday dinner she said "potstickers"! She can eat her own weight in those things!

A Cinderella cake (of course).

What to do When Your Own Supply Runs Out

2008-12-20T16:13:00.000-08:00

We've had problems with the older siblings wanting to touch a baby's eyeball, but this is new.

*Update*

We didn't pose him for this shot. It was during our Christmas pictures and I was taking candid photos while Lois was positioning everyone. I couldn't help capturing the moment!

Thanksgiving in Oregon

2008-12-16T19:59:00.000-08:00

Craig and the kids had such a blast in Oregon that they even ended up staying an extra day. Here are some of the highlights.

I loved this picture because it captures so much. Oh...to be a kid again with a rope swing!

What else are uncles for?

This is one happy kid!
When Abi realized I didn't pack any of her nightgowns--on purpose--she went in search of the next best thing and this is what she found. I was hoping a trip away from Ariel and Dora (the names of her two favorite nightgowns and the only thing she ever wears) would break the addiction... no such luck.
Abi and Jesse finally made friends... though I think in the end Jesse got the raw end of the deal...
This is from Abi SITTING on his head. Poor Jesse!
And running away afterward! Not really, but it is a cute running shot.
Talmage jumping from...?

This was the hit of the trip...making a blanket hammock suspended from the staircase. Gramma was so nice to let them!

Remind anyone of "Disturbia"?

Thanksgiving BREAK

2008-12-11T05:42:00.000-08:00

We had a non-traditional Thanksgiving this year. Since I am now homeschooling Talmage and Wyatt is spending a lot more time awake, you can imagine the housework is really suffering. Though, honestly, I've never been very good at staying on top of things anyway. So in a fit of exhausted frustration, I sent my family away for Thanksgiving. Or rather, Craig in his thoughtful mercy offered to take them away. With only 24 hr notice, Craig and I packed up the kids and he took them to Oregon while I stayed home and did things like wash walls, windows, baseboards, and organize all while Pandora blasted in the background with music I wanted to listen to. Wyatt stayed with me and that kept me grounded, but really, it was heaven! And you wouldn't believe how long Wyatt's naps last with the house so quiet. However, with as much as I did accomplished, I probably would have been even more productive if I hadn't stayed up till wee hours each night reading...why is it so hard to go to bed when you are alone? Now, two weeks later I don't think it made a huge difference, but at least my laundry room is still organized and I can actually fold my laundry in it.

I read a quote once that is helping me keep it in perspective:

"A house should be clean enough to be sanitary, but messy enough to be comfortable."

Pictures from the Oregon trip coming soon...

great quote...

2008-11-28T15:56:00.001-08:00

Television is an invention that permits you
to be entertained in your living room
by people you wouldn't have in your home.
—David Frost

Good thing the bathrooms are tiled!

2008-11-23T14:15:00.000-08:00

I don't have a picture for this, but Abi's rein of two-year-old mischievousness is going out with a bang! (or I guess 'with a flood' would be more accurate!) (and I certainly hope this is a grand finale!)

Abigail is a frequent toilet paper un-roller, she thinks it's cool to see the pile it makes on the floor. Sometime she'll even roll it back up herself and I'll later just find the roll all messily put back together. But this week we lost two whole rolls of the Charmin double-sized rolls to the toilet. She discovered how cool it is to see the paper seemingly disappear into the toilet. The first one she tried to flush down and oooohhh the flood we had! The second I caught in time and had to just fish the wads out with my hands. Some of you may still be young enough parents for that to actually gross you out, I was oddly comfortable with putting my hand down the toilet. (Contrast this to one time pre-children when my brush fell into the toilet in one of our apartments and I actually just tried to flush it down. Yeah... a new toilet and alot of embarrassment later I realized that was not smart!) As I was squishing out the water to put it into a doubled grocery bag I actually wondered to myself what kind of cool sculptures you could make with wet toilet paper. Maybe we'll have to try that some day as a craft project... only we will use tap water!

Twilight Movie

2008-11-22T09:31:00.000-08:00

I ended up getting a random ticket and was able to go to the midnight showing of Twilight. Craig and I already had tickets to see it tonight...so I may feel differently after watching it a second time, but I just have to get off my chest what I thought of it the first time around. Please pardon while I vent. (and if you don't make it through this whole post...if you watch the movie, please comment on what you thought of it!)

First, I must preface that I absolutely LOVE the books and adore Stephenie Meyers as an author, so I hope this review won't offend anyone.

Having said that, I thought the movie was painfully awkward and poorly done. Originally, I wasn't expecting much from the first trailers/spoilers I saw, but then the last trailer came out and I was hoping I was wrong. I wasn't. Part of it may have been I was trying to get the movie to fit into the context of the book and it didn't. A lot of the storyline was modified and I had a hard time following it. It was like they took vital parts of the book and just tried to throw them in and at times, I felt like it was going to turn into a music video. Alot of the camera movements and angles where horrible and at times made me dizzy. (these negative aspects for me probably appealed to the teen/MTV demographic?) Would it have been so wrong to have made the movie longer to preserve the storyline? I can't help but think a thorough BBC production would have been so much better. The fans would have loved it! Bella was fairly how I imagined, but Edward was not. I have read many reviews saying that Robert Pattinson really pulled it off. I disagree. Edward's character is very confident, self-assured and virtuous. Pattinson just played the thin tortured soul with a slight Elvis/James Dean tint. His personality just wasn't a fit for the role. I thought he was good looking enough for the part, but maybe he could have worked out a bit? I imagined Edward more 'all american/old fashioned/Mr. Darcy' not metro. Someone like James Franko would have been a better fit.
And what may I ask did they do to Jasper?! Alice was very good. Rosalee was not physically what I expected, but played the personality well. Carlise did an excellent job and was exactly how I imagined--which to be honest, in the book I had a hard time imagining a real life version of someone so compassionate. But in the movie I really felt that about him, Esme too.
And the kissing scene...Bella in underwear?! The reason Edward likes her is because she is 'good, kind and brave', not naughty.
And...what was with all the gratuitous ethnic diversity? Wasn't the setting supposed to be Forks, WA not CA? I'm not racist, but I'd wager the population there is either white or Native American, and probably 95% white in non-reservation areas.

Having said all that... why am I still so dang excited to see it again tonight? And I definitely want to re-read the books... again and again and again.

And since I'm already venting, I just have to say why I love Stephenie Meyer. She is such a good author. And I mean that in a 'virtuous personality' way. She is very generous and kind about her characters. She writes characters with integrity and character and wants good things to happen for them. She doesn't do the whole 'redeemed womanizer' main male role or someone must die for this story line to work type thing that I find so annoying.

This article showed up on KSL.com

2008-11-21T08:25:00.000-08:00

(contrary to what this article says... if the write-in's cost McCain the election, then they did count)

SL County: Write-in votes for Rommey didn't count
November 20th, 2008 @ 8:19am
By Tom Callan
In this month's presidential election, President-elect Barack Obama eked out a narrow win over John McCain in Salt Lake County. Write-in votes for Mitt Romney might have made a difference.

Salt Lake County Clerk Sherrie Swensen says if you voted for Romney Nov. 4, your vote was not counted.

"A lot of people do not realize that write-in candidates do have to file a declaration to be a write-in," she said.

She says Romney did not do that, so votes for him were not added up.

"There were actually 3,718 write-in votes," Swensen said.

Only 20 of those votes were counted for official write-ins. "Sometimes people write in 'Mickey Mouse,' and we don't count those," Swensen added.

If less than 300 of the write-in votes for Romney had been changed to votes for McCain, McCain would have won the vote in Salt Lake County.

E-mail: tcallan@ksl.com

Comparing Sami and Wyatt

2008-11-17T20:39:00.001-08:00

Good Books

2008-11-11T20:55:00.000-08:00

Okay, okay! (Stop rolling your eyes, some of you!) I know with the movie about to come out there is a lot of buzz about the Twilight series, and by "buzz" I mean OBSESSION. People (mostly females) are really crazy about these books! Lois is as well, but at least she's not to the point of speaking Edward's name in her sleep. After much convincing (I have my weaknesses) she finally prevailed upon me to read the book. And I did - with the promise that she could tell no one! I am now comfortable with admitting that I've read them. It was a good read. Entertaining. Even though it's centered around a dark, obsessive, unrealistic, and cheezey love story (I found myself laughing out loud at some of the cheesiest lines I've ever read!) Lois and I have tickets to see the movie next Saturday. I'm not expecting much although, again, I did enjoy the book.

Before Twilight, Lois first convinced me to read this:

Now this book I really enjoyed! Much,much more than Twilight. There is kind of a love story, but the book is not written around it. It's great science fiction and a truly unique approach to an alien invasion. The Host is the first in a trilogy and I eagerly anticipate the next two.

This past week I finished up another great recommendation from Lois:

Again, this was an enthralling read! It felt like 1984 but was much more readable and entertaining. This is, as well, the first in a trilogy. It's a quick read and I recommend it to anyone who enjoyed The Host.

Lois likes to say that we have our own little book club now. I like to say she's made some great recommendations!

Homeschool?!

2008-11-07T14:43:00.000-08:00

Now that we have successfully completed our first real week, I figured I'd better announce that, yes...we have decided to home school Talmage. After a year and a half of running from promptings, I finally prayed about it and got a totally peaceful feeling that it was the right thing for us to do. So his birthday last week was his last day of public school. When I told his school administrator that we were going to pull Talmage out they acted like someone in the family had died. They were "SO SAD" for us! For Talmage's "socialization". I thought it was all a bit dramatic! Though to be honest, Craig and I were both wary of how it would go. I was in mourning a bit for the loss of my perceived freedom and Craig was worried about me not being able to handle so much un-diluted Talmage.

However, I am happy to report that after working out the kinks last week (and waiting for all the texts to arrive), this week went awesome and we can't believe how good it feels to have him home all day. More than once this week when Craig came home for lunch he commented..."Wow, I really like having him home!" I find myself thinking periodically though the days that it is so nice to have them all home together with me. It just feels right. The school part is going amazing and doesn't take very long to cover all his material each day. Talmage is totally cooperative and diligent. We finish around noon and then Talmage is able to just be a kid the rest of the day. He and the girls play together a lot, or he works on random craft projects that he figures out himself. Talmage seems to be becoming more pleasant over all and I think the stability is good for him. He has always been so incredibly impressionable, that I think it will be good for him to get to mature a bit more at home.

As for this picture...at night Talmage does random things before he falls asleep, this is when his genius really comes out. So every night before we go to bed, we check on him and will sometimes find a note written to us laying on the floor, a lego creation, a comic book, a new cardboard something, a huge mess....well the other night we came in to find this. He modeled all his transformers into running poses and has all the decepticons chasing the autobots. Later he said he knew what poses to do because he would run in place and then freeze so he'd know what they should look like.

Hassell Halloween Fun!

2008-11-07T14:22:00.000-08:00

This year the kids were able to really do their own pumpkins!
Yes, Abi does have real clothes, she is just in eternal nightgown mode!

We all had a great time trick-or-treating! It was the best weather I can ever remember on a Halloween. Even the little bit of rain didn't phase us. The kids got a TON of candy... which was totally gone by Monday--and I promise, Craig and I did not snitch a single piece! (at least not while they were looking ;-)

Oh funny thing... as we were trick-or-treating the kids would come running from each door yelling out what they scored. Craig mentioned early on that one of the candies was his favorite, so after that they came back from every door yelling..."Daddy, look what I got you!" It was so fun to see how excited they were to find something they could do for their daddy. But it was especially funny as we were within our ward boundaries and it sounded to everyone we saw like the kids were just out to get candy for Craig.

Happy Birthday Mom!

2008-11-07T13:36:00.002-08:00

For my mom's birthday we had all the local family over for dinner and games. It's nice to have family around to get together with!

Family Outing

2008-11-07T13:07:00.000-08:00

So... on a Friday night in October during a school break, we told the kids... we are going on a little trip tomorrow to a place called 9 mile canyon. It will be super cool and we'll get to see petroglyphs. The next morning we get up, ready and head off (2 hrs late). So, hours later in the middle of no where, we find what we think is the turn off, it turns into a dirt road so we turn around and go down another road that is totally deserted, so we go back to the unmarked dirt road which is also deserted at which point we are feeling a little lost, but still in good spirits. I want to ask the next living soul we see for directions, but Craig is playing the male role very well at this point and looks at me like I'm crazy. He says... "How will they be able to help us?" ..."Um," I laugh "they might know where we are?" Finally I flag down a guy driving the other direction who sees me and stops. So Craig stops and lets me talk to him... turns out the dirt road was the right road and yes..9 mile canyon is really a 70 mile dirt road trail. So we stop at the in let to someone's ranch and have lunch while the kids are feeling a little misled! So we distract them with anthills while we pull out the map trying to redeem a day this is already half over. On the map, about an hour away is a 'Dinosaur National Monument' just outside of Vernal. We arrive at 3 (they close at 5) and make the most of it. (It's not every day that we get to spend 8 hrs with Craig's undivided attention in the van and 2 hours in a beautiful canyon!) We didn't see any dinosaur stuff, but the canyon and petroglyphs were so cool--and the weather perfect! On our way back through Vernal we found an awesome Chinese buffet, so we decided all in all the day was a smashing success.

This is a tiny little homestead way up in the canyon that you can walk through. Complete with dirt floors and three rooms. I can't remember the name of the lady who homesteaded it, but she lived there for 40 years mostly alone. Aside from it being hours from civilization (and she didn't have a car) it would have been a totally majestic place to raise a family.

If you look behind us, you can see the petroglyphs...

Happy Birthday Talmage!

2008-11-07T12:38:00.000-08:00

Because he wants to be a race car driver when he grows up, we did a race car theme for Talmage's birthday. He had a blast with old friends and some new ones from school. Craig sprayed a 'race track' onto the grass in the backyard, the boys got to 'build' their own race cars and then they got to race one another. It was so fun to watch all these little men interact--oh and Sadie too!

Fall Fun

2008-11-07T12:01:00.000-08:00

We have had a lot of problems uploading images, so I'm going to back track a bit...

Talmage finally got a real haircut! What a heart throb!

My girls...

The girls were 'taking a nap'... it is so fun to see them becoming such buddies!

Sadie's preschool took a field trip to Hee-Haw farms. I'm so glad I was able to tag along!

When I asked Sadie why she was dressed like this she said it was because she was 'poor' and the other leg was for Abi...apparently we are so tight for money (in her mind) that they now have to share pants! (please ignore the state of the room...risking criticism for a messy house is just the risk I take when I blog!)

Wyatt keeps busy...drooling and just being overall totally adorable!

Wish This Guy Was Running Again

2008-10-27T06:21:00.000-07:00

I had this email forwarded to me and I can't help but post it. Although Reagan wasn't perfect, he sure had a great understanding of the government's role. I really wish someone like he was running...

'Here's my strategy on the Cold War: We win, they lose.'
- Ronald Reagan

'The most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government and I'm here to help.' - Ronald Reagan

'The trouble with our liberal friends is not that they're ignorant; it's just that they know so much that isn't so.'
- Ronald Reagan

'Of the four wars in my lifetime, none came about because the U.S. was too strong.' - Ronald Reagan

'I have wondered at times about what the Ten Commandments would have looked like if Moses had run them through the U.S. Congress.' - Ronald Reagan

'The taxpayer: That's someone who works for the federal government but doesn't have to take the civil service examination.'- Ronald Reagan

'Government is like a baby: An alimentary canal with a big appetite at one end and no sense of responsibility at the other.'- Ronald Reagan

'The nearest thing to eternal life we will ever see on this earth is a government program.' - Ronald Reagan

'It has been said that politics is the second oldest profession. I have learned that it bears a striking resemblance to the first.'- Ronald Reagan

'Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.'
- Ronald Reagan

'Politics is not a bad profession. If you succeed, there are many rewards; if you disgrace yourself, you can always write a book.'- Ronald Reagan

'No arsenal, or no weapon in the arsenals of the world, is as formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women.'- Ronald Reagan

'If we ever forget that we're one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under.'- Ronald Reagan

My 2 cents..

2008-10-25T22:15:00.000-07:00

O.k. it really is only 2 cents...but since we don't really like either of the guys running, Craig and I came up with a new slogan....

Write in Romney!

Wouldn't it really prove the power of the democratic process if a guy that wasn't even on the ballot won?!

New MacBook

2008-10-14T20:41:00.000-07:00

This one will have to wait for a while. Still glad we got the iMac first - and loving it. If you have a minute, watch new video. I love how Apple has a passion for making the best products, not for making money.

Abi Doodle Strikes Again

2008-10-12T14:15:00.000-07:00

Yea, that's permanent marker. Curses!!

Very Nearly Healthy Cookies

2008-10-03T14:17:00.000-07:00

I don't know that I would consider any cookies healthy, but these get really close and they use up some of that darn Zucchini! They are delish!

Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 egg (I un-vegan-ed them just for you ;)
1/3 c. applesauce
1/3 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. honey
1 T. Vanilla extract
1 c. ground oats (you can do this in your blender)
1/2 c. quick oats
1 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 c. finely shredded zucchini
1/2 bag (6 oz.) of choco chips. (the original recipe called for a whole bag, but 1/2 is great)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper (I used a silpat--they rock!)
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the egg, applesauce, brown sugar, honey and vanilla.
3. In a small bowl, stir together the flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.
4. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until combined. Add the grated zucchini and choco chips.
5. Spoon the dough onto your cookie sheets and bake for about 12 minutes.

August & September Pics

2008-09-27T23:05:00.001-07:00

Our little Wy guy!

Birthday festivities
This never happens!
Pics at Cascade Springs--check out Tal's hair...or lack of it

Happy Birthday Craig!
First day of school...okay..it's actually a few weeks late, but still captures the excitement!
Where is Sadie?...oh there she is...how cute!

Sadie's first day of preschool...the real deal. Talmage had this same teacher and we love Mrs. Annette!

Craig hiked Timp with the YM.

Gretchen brought Haili out to BYU. It was so fun having them here!

Talmage rocks!

2008-09-27T22:19:00.000-07:00

Every so often the stars align and the kids all happily work together. Last weekend was one of those moments. Here are some pics from last Saturday when the kids helped me can 43 quarts of peaches. It was really one of those glowing mommy moments for me. Talmage floored me by being a total helper the whole day. He did such a great job! We had a great time together. (Craig was at the BYU game...he got home just in time to help me clean up! He's so good at that...or maybe I'm just really good at making a mess!)

Tag--Six Random Facts

2008-09-25T20:31:00.000-07:00

O.k....so I am finally going to take a tag...

Here are the rules:
1. link to the person who tagged you. (http://sparmargirl.blogspot.com/)
2. state 6 random facts about yourself.
3. tag 6 people.

1. I love popcorn...like... I eat it nearly every single night. Really. Some nights I even eat two huge bowls. I think it calms me down and I love to chew. On my 21st birthday when Craig and I were engaged he got me an air popper and a large bowl with the word popcorn inscribed. It was my best present ever because I just knew we were meant to be together if he understood me that well! I later found another matching bowl that had four little bowls to go with it and now my kids LOVE popcorn.
Here is a link to the best popper in the world: http://www.sgw.ca/shopping/product.php?id=19

2. I am very uncomfortable and often nervous talking on the phone...most of you have probably caught onto this? I am notorious for not returning calls...it's nothing personal--it's just a quirk that I am trying to overcome...or maybe it's getting worse?

3. I totally idealize the 'simple life.' If it weren't for the whole religion aspect of things...I would love to go join the Amish people.

4. Craig is a hottie and I must add that he is aging exceptionally well.

5. I'm glad Talmage will sweetly tell me he loves me "so much" and then proceed to add in...as if he doesn't want me to let that go to my head...that he loves daddy the most, because he's more fun. It makes me happy.

6. I am so excited to finally have a computer again and extra excited about all those cool mac features...okay, so maybe I would only love to be Amish in theory.

I tag the next six people who would like to be tagged ;)

Up

2008-09-25T19:37:00.000-07:00

I love Pixar movies. They are the best of the best when it comes to animated films. I've always looked forward to the newest film and I've especially liked that they are coming out every year now instead of every two years. I also enjoy seeing a teaser of next year's film at the release of the new film. The shorts are great too. Incredibles is still my favorite film. Anyway, I was confused as to why they did not show a teaser this year when Wall e was released. Alas, I have found it on Pixar's website. You can see it here.

We've Given In

2008-09-23T20:57:00.000-07:00

We got tired of waiting for the new MacBook and realized a desktop might be better photo and kid usage wise. The iMac is on its way.

Also, who thinks we should change the word "Brood" in the blog title to "Horde"? I vote yes since the kid tally is at four, but Lois says no.

Thirty Years...

2008-09-14T14:41:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, Craig and I have both turned 30 this month. Craig on the 1st and today for me. So, I've had the song "My Next Thirty Years" by Phil Vassar/Tim McGraw in my head all month!

Quoting the first stanza:

I think I'll take a moment to celebrate my age
The ending of an era and the turning of a page
Now it's time to focus in on where I go from here
Lord have mercy on my next thirty years...

I am excited about our next thirty years!

In my reflections lately I've felt a lot of gratitude for the many things I've enjoyed as I've aged thus far. The past 15 years have been better than I could have possibly fathomed during the first 15 years--which are only charming to me now through the softening filter of childhood nostalgia. I will now have more memories to look back upon as being a member than those of not. Here are some of the things I am particularly grateful for--not written in any specific order.

Thank you to...my mom for having me! Thank you for enduring my strong and at times hard personality.

Thank you to...my dad for loving me in a special way among so many others. I am sad for them, but still grateful for what affection you had left to bestow on me.

Thank you to...all of you who are likely to look at this posting. You represent a small but dear number of people I feel incredibly honored to call my friends and family. (Would you believe that as a small child I was INCREDIBLY, PAINFULLY shy and the only friend I had up until about 4Th grade was my sister?) Thank you for your kindness, thoughtfulness, unique personalities and great examples.

Thank you to....the amazing little people in my life named Talmage, Sadie, Abigail and Wyatt. Oh...the things you have taught me that I didn't even know I needed to learn before I had children! I am especially grateful for your sweet forgiving natures as I blunder around at motherhood!

Thank you to....Stepenie Meyers for reawakening my love of fiction! Thank you to all the other great authors who inspired me to love fiction in the first place. Good literature has been a positive undercurrent shaping the way I experience and judge the world.

Thank you to...Chalene Johnson's Turbo Jam that makes it worth getting up at 5:45 AM every morning to work out.

Thank you to...Craig, of course! I won't embarrass you here, but seriously, you are amazing! Oh the fun we have together! Thank you for loving me in such a liberating way. Your faith in me has been a catalyst for positive change and growth more than any amount of criticism or nagging ever would have. Hopefully you will continue to forbear my many idiosyncrasies for many years to come!

Thank you to...Magleby Companies. I love that Craig loves working for you! I especially love how you make it easy for him to make his family his highest priority!

Thank you to...Gretchen. You are so good and constant and selfless and I love you for it!

Thank you to...Joseph Smith for being the person and doing the things Heavenly Father knew He could trust you to do. Your sacrifices were many and I can't fathom how you endured, but I'm forever grateful you did.

Thank you to...my sisters who are my best friends. You know the worst of who I have been and come from and yet I wouldn't trade any of it if it meant I'd have to give up any of you. I am forever grateful for being related to you.

Thank you to...my Maker, my Father, The Gospel, etc. It is the reason the last 15 years have been wonderful and the reason that reguardless of what the future holds, I know I can have peace and hope because of who I believe in and what I hope for.

Happy Birthday to me!

Fun with the new camera

2008-08-15T20:15:00.000-07:00

This has been the summer of electronic replacements...so far this summer we have had to replace our camera, printer, computer (coming soon), and TV. Not good for the budget, but fun nonetheless!
This is a picture using our new camera of the enormous sunflower plant growing in our garden. (The ONE sunflower plant has taken over the entire cucumber box. The poor cucumbers are still the size they were three months ago when we planted them.)

Carrots anyone? Mutant carrots, that is. These too are from our garden...on the plus side it is an adventure to pull them up and see what freaky creation we have grown...on the down side--what are we doing wrong here? I mean, have you ever seen them look like this in the stores?!

Summer Fun!

2008-08-15T19:29:00.000-07:00

Mr. Smiley!

Cup Stacking Champion! (Thanks Gramma & Grampa for all the cups!)
Hiking to Timp. Cave

Hanging out in the back yard eating frozen grapes

Lovin' the grass! (Utah summers & grass are the best!)
Note the rain boots Sadie is wearing...apparently she wants her feet to stay dry. Kids are so funny!

Trying to fish with Daddy...Craig took Sadie and Talmage fishing three times...still no luck

They love laying on the grass and hanging out.
She loves to get dirty! And still wears p.j.'s all day (I do dress her in 'normal' clothes...but that never lasts for longer than a few minutes--she loves nightgowns!)

Catching up!

2008-08-15T18:15:00.000-07:00

Craig and Talmage are out on a Father/Son campout...so I have some time to update you all on our summer (the whole computer situation has really backlogged the blog)...so here goes a walk down memory lane...

Happy Father's Day!

The kids did an awesome job helping me make Craig a breakfast bar in bed! I think Craig would agree that Mother's Day and Father's Day have been our favorite Sundays of the year so far! (Zach...note all the bacon, eggs, sausage and cheese sticks on his plate...)

My two handsome boys! They are so happy to have each other.

Crazy Hair Week at Karate:

I missed getting a picture of his Wolverine do. Personally, I think Talmage is a perfect kid version of what Edward must look like.

Off to Ashland, OR for the 4th of July!
Totally worn out after a full day of playing!
Cinderella's favorite pasttime: raiding grandpa's strawberry patch.
It was so nice to have a vacation--giving me alot more time to just hold Wyatt. Thanks Derek for doing all the cooking! it was delish! What a vacation!
Candids from our Family Pics: Thanks Trina!

Best Chocolate Cake Ever!

2008-08-07T11:09:00.000-07:00

I found this recipe a few weeks ago and, according to Craig, it is the best chocolate cake ever. (He would know--he is a total sugar alcholic) And, of course, I'm stoked because it's vegan! I know most of you aren't into that, but it really is delish. Also, good to keep in mind if it's a Sunday and you are out of eggs & milk and you have to make something...

Ingredients
3 cups flour (680 grams)
2 cups sugar (450 grams) (read this first)
6 tablespoons cocoa (100 grams)
2 teaspoons baking soda (10 cc's = 10 ml)
1 teaspoon salt (5 cc's = 5 ml)
3/4 cup vegetable oil (200 cc's)
2 tablespoon vinegar (30 cc's)
2 teaspoon vanilla (10 cc's)
2 cup cold water (480 cc's)
Directions: Mix the dry ingredients. Add the wet ingredients. Stir until smooth. Bake two greased, floured pans at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Makes two layers of a two-layer 9-inch or 8-inch round cake, or one small sheet cake. When cool, frost it.
Eat.

Frosting:
One pound (one box) confectioner's sugar (read this first)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup (2/3 stick) Earth Balance or Soy Garden vegan margarine, room temperature
1/4 cup thin liquid
1-2 teaspoons flavoring, optional (usually vanilla extract)
some drops of coloring, optional (juice of crushed berries works well)

To end on a healthy note:

Because we have Zucchini coming out of our ears...I tried using zucchini in place of noodles (peeled with a veggie peeler-no seeds) with spagetti sauce and it was actually really good.

I Finally Have My Wife Back

2008-08-03T08:35:00.000-07:00

Read in ~18 hours. NOW she wants me to be a vampire! I wouldn't mind the superhuman strength, but I don't think I'd like the pale complexion.

New Family Pics

2008-08-03T08:11:00.001-07:00

While at the reunion in Oregon, we availed ourselves of Trina's excellent photography skills:

One Hit Wonder?

2008-07-25T21:55:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to drop a line and let any of you who may still bother checking our blog that we are still here! We must look like the one hit wonders of the blogging community. But...alas, I am still computer-less....if only Apple would get in gear and release the new laptops already! Craig promises me it will be worth the wait. It better be. In the mean time the summer is hot, our house is full (my sister & co. will be moving out next week) and I am finding myself getting really excited for school to start. Is it wrong to want to nap the entire 6 hrs Talmage will be in school? (I have no good excuse for being so tired...Wyatt is even sleeping through the night already--blessed child!)
I am also really excited for Sadie to start preschool, she is going to be in heaven. Though I think Abi will really miss her. If Sadie is anything like Talmage, she might be reading by the end of the year and that is way exciting! Reading is power--and oh so helpful in every practical sense.

The Waiting Game

2008-06-09T21:44:00.001-07:00

Okay, those of you (including myself) who've voted in our little which-computer-should-we-get poll have all pushed for the MacBook Pro. Except for the vote for a typewriter...anyway after much deliberation I really can't justify spending $700 more for a dedicated video card and some cool bells & whistles. So it's the MacBook for us. HOWEVER, after poking around on the web rumors point to a major revision of the MacBook coming very soon, so I guess we'll just have to keep using this darn work computer for a while (poor computer-less Lois). Anybody else hear any rumors?

Is This Really June?!

2008-06-07T06:10:00.001-07:00

The bad thing is, I know it's going to go from this to 110 degree days. Can't we just enjoy some sunny 80-ish days for a while? This isn't helping chase away the winter blues. It's like March with leaves...

So Glad I Have a Company Truck

2008-06-06T09:37:00.001-07:00

Legends of Rock

2008-05-25T14:31:00.000-07:00

Every couple of months we get together with my college friends who still live here in Utah. When it's just the guys we usually eat junk and try to kill each other in Halo, but recently Steve introduced us to Guitar Hero and I'm hooked! That last time we even got the girls to play. Rock gear courtesy of Steve!

Sweet Baby

2008-05-25T08:36:00.000-07:00

We're crossing our fingers, but this kid has turned out to be a jewel so far! He sleeps great (one feeding per night which he has to be woken up for) and when he's awake he's content to just look around and take things in. Thank Heaven for an easy fourth baby (knocking on wood) because I could have sworn that #3 was beelzebub for the first nine months!

Sunday Stroll

2008-05-25T08:33:00.001-07:00

The Sunday before Wyatt was born we took a walk up Provo Canyon (read: trying to induce labor). The weather was great!

Substantial Completion

2008-05-25T08:24:00.001-07:00

Two weeks before Wyatt arrived we FINALLY finished the yard - for the most part. The fence was installed and we finished the sod. I'm now trying to convince Lois to hold off selling the house so I can actually rediscover some sort of hobby...

Fun Project

2008-05-25T08:18:00.000-07:00

Since my last solid project was last August, I've been bouncing around the company tying up loose ends and working on many small projects. Luckily I've recently started a larger project in Highland, but it was a lot of fun in the mean time doing a lot more hands-on stuff and less management. Here's an arched pergola and fireplace we did for a client in Holladay. It was a ton of fun to build!

He Cleans Up Good

2008-05-16T09:38:00.001-07:00

After a bath and a night of working out some maconium (sp?), Wyatt was peacefully sleeping this morning when the kids and I visited. He was sound asleep for the kids pics but then the pediatrician came in and gave him a rude awakening (circumcision). The awake pics are post pain and he even looks like he's brooding in one of them!

The Brood Grows!

2008-05-15T21:25:00.000-07:00

Wyatt has arrived. Lois went into labor around 6 p.m. this evening. At first we thought it was false labor, but then the water broke . . .

Here's Lois getting psyched for her first natural delivery. This time she was determined.

Here's Wyatt ready to make his entrance. Can you tell Lois is excited to lose the belly (kind of)?

Wyatt Alan Hassell. 7lbs 6oz. 19-1/2 inches. Born at 9:49 p.m. mdt. Yes, Lois did it naturally this time - and she says it's the last! You should have heard her yell, but the labor was quick and after she reached a ten the baby was out two contractions later.

Disclaimer: we know newborns are freaky looking, but he looks great to us!

I'm a New Convert

2008-05-14T19:47:00.001-07:00

The PC we purchased in 2002 finally bit the dust. After nearly a year of exponential increases in error messages, shut-downs, and BSOD's, it embarked on a continuous loop of startup-crash-startup-crash. It's now in pieces on the office floor, the last vestiges of vital information sucked from its rattling hard drive.

For some time I've felt drawn to Mac. Perhaps it's the witty commercials, or the beauty of the machine. More likely it's the promised ease of OS/software use and the fact that I've never met a PC person who converted from Mac. Naw, it's the commercials. They're really funny. Plus that hip Mac guy makes it look so cool to own a Mac. But then again He was clearly using a PC in Live Free or Die Hard.

At any rate I'm done doing the research. It didn't take much. Everywhere I went online there were previous converts like me berating themselves for not switching to Mac sooner. It also helps that everyone I know who uses Vista hates it and if I don't switch that's where I'll find myself. I fear I've lost many important years. I'm no longer on the fence. I have leaped to the greener side with a little shove from what I hope to be my last personal PC. I'll let you know what I find when I land . . . if I land. I just need to convince Lois.

Women's Conference

2008-05-10T16:06:00.001-07:00

My 'old' roommates and I were able to get together this year and go to BYU's Women's Conference. It was seriously awesome! I learned a lot from the classes and it was sooo fun to hang out with the girls again! Thank you Craig for taking such good care of the homefront!

Gunther Basement Kitchen

2008-04-27T20:15:00.000-07:00

I got to help our friends the Gunther's do their basement kitchen. I did the cabinet design/ordering and Craig did the installation. It doesn't have all the appliances or countertops yet, but I thought it turned out really great looking, so I though I would share it.

Happy Birthday Sadie!

2008-04-27T19:21:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday Sadie turned the big '4'! At first she was dreading her birthday because she said she didn't want to become a "human", she wanted to stay a little girl. ??? After thinking about that for awhile and talking more with her. I realized she meant she didn't want to become a 'woman'...so I assured her that she wouldn't be a woman for a very long time and that her birthday would be a lot of fun, and it was!

After dropping Talmage off at school we went on a little mid-day girls outing to the Build-A Bear workshop where Leah (the little pink poodle in the pictures) was born. I was so mad at myself when I realized I forgot my camera! She had so much fun stuffing her, then bathing her and then picking out her outfit. I think we tried every outfit in the store on her. Luckily Abi is still too young and just happy to be with us to care that she didn't get to do what Sadie was doing. I love that age!

Sadie really wanted another strawberry cake this year, which turned out looking great...but not so much with the tasting great...I couldn't help but include the belly shot!

She loved all her presents and of course changed into all the new clothes right off! Even Talmage loved playing with the 'girly' toys.--as you can see below in the picture of him totally enthralled with the 'little petshop' toy.

Ok...so by showing these pictures you can see how gross our table has become. We did buy it new 'rustic' but...it is beyond that now! Definitely on our 'to-do' list to refinish once the yard is done! (and yes...Abi is still in those same Dora p.j.'s she wears in ALL her pictures...she is two, need I say more?)

I love my job . . .

2008-04-27T19:17:00.000-07:00

Because I often get to enjoy scenes like this while I work:

This is the back (east) side of Timpanogos as seen across the Heber Valley from the Wolf Creek development. I think it beats a corner office any day.

Abi strikes again

2008-04-17T18:05:00.000-07:00

So, Abi walks into the kitchen rubbing her hands together and says "wash hans peez"....so we discover this in the office... She really is so proud of all her conquests. But...on the good side, thanks to religious locking of the bathroom doors, we haven't had a bathroom incident in a week or so. We've had about 5 bathroom incidents. The pump on my shampoo and conditioner containers were just too tempting to pass up...and a toothbrush makes such a great toilet scrubber...and oh the things you can do with toothpaste! Luckily all these things are easy enough to clean up and she'll outgrow it soon? I fear my down time nursing Wyatt may make for great 'adventure' time for her!

Fishing with Dad

2008-04-17T17:46:00.001-07:00

Talmage got to tag along with Dad again this year on one of the scout campouts. Last year he caught his first fish. This year he caught alot of branches! But still had a lot of fun. He also took a Flintstone Joke book with him and he read jokes to all the scouts around the fire. From the sounds of it, I don't think they appreciated it the way he had hoped and Craig said he got really mad when they would listen just long enough to do a courtesy laugh. It's good for him to get the experience of 'little brother' status occasionally.

For Gretchen

2008-04-17T17:41:00.001-07:00

Last week Gretchen requested that I post a picture of my belly. (33 wks) As huge and fat as I feel, I'm glad to be reminded to get a snapshot of it. I don't think I have a single belly shot from when I was pregnant with Abi...and that belly must have been a record breaker! 5 1/2 weeks to go!

Fun at the Aquarium

2008-04-09T07:28:00.001-07:00

This FHE we went to the Living Planet Aquarium. The kids loved seeing the fish and especially getting to touch the sting rays. By the time we left Talmage and Abi were soaked. Talmage from reaching for the sting rays and Abi from playing in the sink they have for you to wash your hands in. Sadie got really brave and touched the sting ray's tail, but couldn't reach their body.

Conference Box

2008-04-09T07:24:00.000-07:00

Craig was able to get ahold of a large cabinet box for the kids to play in during Conference weekend. They loved it! After awhile the house got turned over in a tornado, thus the upside down windows.

Hanging around the house

2008-04-09T07:13:00.000-07:00

Abigail is already getting excited to go to school. She is also dressing herself alot these days, note the backwards pjs. (though, once this week she actually dressed in real clothes!) Also, can you see the cameo of cinderella in the background.

Visitors from Texas

2008-03-31T11:18:00.001-07:00

Our dear Friends Nathan and Lydel Bertasz were able to come and spend a few days with us. The kids adored them and we had lots of fun together. An intense game of chess.

I think we may have worn them out!
Talmage found his namesake in the hall of prophets at the Tabernacle.
Sadie was in heaven will her new best friend 'badel.'