The Baltzers

My Life... and what I have learned.

2012-01-23T15:24:00.000-08:00

Wow! I can't believe that I am almost caught up on Blogging.

Here is why I was so behind in my blogging:
These last 2 months have honestly been non stop craziness. It started off with Kylies Birthday, which took us right to Thanksgiving, then back home for me to receive a new calling in church... the 2nd counselor in the Relief Society Presidency over the activities. This meant I needed to help pull together the Christmas activity for the Relief Society. I then needed to help put together a photo slide show for the ward Christmas Party. During that week everyone in my family expect Tad and Saxon got the stomach flu which meant I was not only helping sick kids all day I was doing about 4 loads of Laundry a Day. If that wasnt enough I was also preparing to give a Talk in Sacrament meeting. As soon as the talk was over I was able to focus my efforts on Christmas gifts, shopping, and baking for those we love. I then was able to attend all of the kids Christmas parties and activities... which then leads us to the Christmas break which means 4 kids at home all day everyday. We played as a family and had a fun time but I had no free time. Christmas came and then New Years came and in between the holiday's I was preparing a Relief Society Lesson which I gave Jan 1st. Oh and did I mention... the waves where AMAZING. So of course, if I ever had a free moment it was not going to be blogging, I would be in the water.

Over all this crazy time I never want to forget lessons that I learned:
#1 I Love my Children and even though I get weird looks everyday and get the comment "you have your hands full" 100 times a day... I wouldn't want my life any other way. As I prepared my Sacrament talk I was instructed to read "Waiting upon the Lord" by Robert D Hales in the Oct 2011 General Conference talk. As I over and over again read this talk tears continued to flow down my cheeks and I I was reminded of what a miracle my family is and how much my Heavenly Father Loves me.

Here is part of my talk:

I grew up in a great family and was blessed with lots of good friends. At the young age of 18 I met Tad and fell in love. One year later we were married for time and all eternity in the San Diego Temple. Life was good and easy.

Tad and I moved into the Mormon manor in Huntington Beach. We enjoyed the Honeymoon stage, working, going to school, and having fun. Both of us graduated from College after being married for 3 years and decide that starting a family is the logical next step.

A year went by and no pregnancy. With no children, no real careers, and no schooling left to do we decide to move to Hawaii and live the dream. We found the surf and the sun but still no sign of pregnancy.

Sadness and concern began to creep into our hearts as our dreams of a family started to darken. Doctors, Consultations, Treatments, Injections, Bed rest, left us nothing but days full of tears, hearts broken, and the question “why” unanswered.

As I reflected on this time of my life I am filled with so much emotion. I opened up my journal and read some of my entries during that time. Oct. 3 2004, we were going to complete an Invitro Fertilization cycle (a very intense infertility treatment) I had asked Tad for a priesthood blessing and in the blessing I was told that

“The Lords ways are not our ways”

I quickly learned what that meant two weeks later we found out the Invitro Cycle was not successful and we were not pregnant. My heart shattered… the doctors had all been so positive and really had no explanation of why we could not get pregnant and yet with the most intense infertility treatment we still were not pregnant.

I could not give up. Feb 3 2005 I was getting the results of our second cycle of Invitro. I write; “I just got off the phone with the nurse from the infertility clinic and it was bad news once again the results were negative. I am so upset, angry, sad, and confused. I can’t understand why Heavenly Father allows me to suffer so much for so long when I feel my desires were righteous.”

At that point I was at a crossroads. I had two choices I could follow Satan by believing that Heavenly Father didn’t love me and didn’t trust me to be a mom and raise his children on this earth. Satan wanted me to be bitter, sad and miserable. Or I could wait upon the lord by trusting Heavenly Father and his plan for me.

What choice was I gong to make, I felt so helpless… I went visiting teaching and the message was about humility and how the only way that I was going to have the power to get through this experience is to be humble and to know that God is in Charge. I was so grateful that even though I was in a dark place in my life I still choose to go visiting teaching. This message was so powerful to me I knew that I was not going to listen to Satan, my choice to wait upon the Lord.

I soon felt as if I was the most blessed person on this earth.

I felt like I was at school and Heavenly Father was giving me this super hard test but yet giving me a cheat sheet right in front of me and an teachers aid to help me when I needed extra help.

All the basic principles of the gospel became my cheat sheet through my test.

As I prayed I knew that Heavenly Father was listening to my prayers and I could feel his love.

As I read the scriptures I was being directed to read exactly what I needed to read at that time.

As I attended the temple I would feel the peace and comfort that I needed.

As I attended church I would be blessed to listen to talks and lessons that I felt were directly for me and as I partook of the sacrament I became closer to my Savior.

As I was in the fertile land of Hawaii with every women around me pregnant I felt so alone and yet I gained a eternal relationship with my savior as I knew that he knew what I was feeling and I could rely on him.

I truly felt the words of the Hymn know that my redeemer lives: In the 2^nd verse it states: He lives to comfort me when faint. He lives to hear my souls complaint, He lives to silence all my fears, He lives to wipe away my tears, He lives to calm my troubled heart he lives all blessings to impart.

I love my Savior.

Priesthood blessings, Patriarchal blessings, Friends, and Family were also all tender mercies from my loving Heavenly Father during this hard time,

My faith was being tested, my character was being molded, and my testimonies strengthened. Through my years of trials I was becoming the person my Heavenly Father needed me to be.

We moved back to California to start “real life”. We bought our first home in Huntington Beach. After 5 years of trying to get pregnant and our 3^rd unsuccessful IVF cycles, we felt a strong impression to explore adoption.

We contacted the LDS family services and within 6 weeks we were approved for adoption. Two weeks later, we received the call that would change our lives forever. There was a birth mom who was 9 months pregnant with a little boy and has chosen us to be his parents.

January 2007 our son Saxon was born. We walked into the hospital room where our little boy was laying in his little bassinet and our spirits rejoiced. Through the spirit of the Holy Ghost we knew he was our son and meant to come to our family at that time.

Saxon turned 1 and we were once again eligible to start the adoption process. We were approved and shortly after, we received another phone call that a birth mom wanted to meet us. We instantly felt a connection to her. Once again our prayers were answered. We were thrilled to be blessed with another miracle from our Heavenly Father.

As we anxiously awaited the arrival of our second son Micah and I started to feel nauseous and tired. Pregnancy was almost completely ruled out due to the past 6 years of infertility, until the pregnancy test was finally taken and the results were positive.

Our question of “why we couldn’t get pregnant” was now answered. Heavenly Father had a special and unique plan for our little family. The doctors were all right… we should technically be able to get pregnant. However as I learned early on in my infertility stages Heavenly Father’s ways are not always our ways.

We put our trust in Heavenly Father and his plan for us and he in turn blessed us in ways we could never have imagined. Our second son Micah was born August 2008 and our 3^rd son Dane was born January 2009.

When Dane turned 1 we once again had a huge surprise as we found out once again we were pregnant. November 2010 Kylie was born. Our little princess had arrived.

Within 3 years and 9 months our 4 children were born and our family of 2 quickly became a family of 6. They all came to our family in different ways and circumstances but we know they all came from our Heavenly Father to our family at the time they were meant to come.

I am so grateful for my trials and the strong testimony that I gained from it.

Robert D Hales states;

Every one of us is more beloved to the Lord than we can possibly understand or imagine. Let us therefore be kinder to one another and kinder toward ourselves. Let us remember that as we wait upon the Lord, we are becoming “saint[s] through [His] atonement, … submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon [us], even as a child doth submit to his father.” Mosiah 3:19

I know this to be true.

Heavenly Father and Jesus live and love us and have a special plan for each one of us, specific to our needs. I am so grateful for his plan for me.

#2 Heavenly Father doesn't give us anything we can't handle.

When the Bishop called to be in the Relief Society Presidency I cried. I do not have the talent or the time for that calling... i just didn't think I could do that. Saxon was in preschool MWF until March because of a computer error he didn't get enrolled in the last session of preschool. Micah was in preschool two days a week for 3 hours. Dane and Micah have playgroup 2 days for a couple hours but I always would have some kids with me and for most of the time I would have at least 3. So time was something I did not have. But I said yes to the calling having faith that some how I could accomplish the things I needed to accomplish.

Then the phone call came. Micah got into speech! This is a huge blessing... Micah needed this so bad and now he is in... and it is at our home school. The time conflicted with his old school so we changed him to Saxon's school which will work out perfectly. Then a second phone call came. Saxon got into the extended k program. This year the cut off was one day before Saxon's birthday so he didnt get into the class but they decided to add another class and Saxon got in! This is huge! He was originally going to go to a neighboring school but then a Third phone call came asking if we wanted Saxon to go to our home school! I could not believe it... in a couple weeks he will be going to school everyday for 5 hours a day. Micah will be busy with Preschool, speech, and playgroup all week long. Dane will have playgroup a couple days a week. And Kylie and I will have time to get somethings accomplished. I really have felt the Lords Hands in my life.

I am grateful everyday for the gospel and the knowledge that Heavenly Father knows me and loves me.

Happy New Year

2012-01-23T14:28:00.000-08:00

We celebrated our New Years in Style. My friend Michelle's birthday is Jan 31st so she threw a birthday/new years eve party at here house. It was a Hilly Billy/ White trash theme and it was so much fun.

We played some white trash games like soda chugging contest, donut eating, pie eating, and Fuzzy Bunny where you stuff your face with Marshmallows. This is my friend Hanne (the winner) she had some outrageous number of marshmallows in her mouth.

Then at 12 we got out the horns and the sparklers and went crazy. That night it was super foggy that is why the pictures look super weird.

Then we sang Happy Birthday to Michelle and ate her Ding Dong/ Twinkies cake. It was a blast!

December Beach Days

2012-01-22T21:53:00.000-08:00

Have I told you lately how much I love the beach. The weather was amazing the last week of December and the waves were crazy good. So we spent the week playing at the beach. Saxon got a new surfboard and Dane and Micah got new wetsuits and they were all loving the water.

Dane and his BFF Hugh

Brotherly effort getting the surfboard to the water.

See that little head in the water... that's micah taking a swim. Wetsuits... the best investment!

Christmas 2011

2012-01-22T16:34:00.000-08:00

Christmas... The day my kids look forward to all year long has finally arrived and we could not have been more excited. We started off Christmas Eve with a fancy meal made by Tad's mom and Tad. They did a great job making all the yummy food.

We then acted out the Nativity Scene which was very hilarious. I wish I had it recorded.

This is the Shepard's visiting Mary and Baby Jesus.. but I am sure you could tell!

Then we went to bed hoping that St. Nick soon would be there. And guess what he came! We decided that since church was at 9 am we were going to keep the kids waiting to see what they got from Santa until after church. So we put up a Sheet and had guards. We kept the kids occupied with food and stickers and kept them strapped in their seats.

9 am finally came and we hurried to church. We enjoyed a great Sacrament celebrating the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ. It was a great way to remember and keep the true meaning of Christmas in our hearts.

Then we came home and had a great morning seeing what Santa brought us and opening the presents. It was a fun time with a lot of little ones bouncing off the walls and full of excitement.

To Saxon from Santa... just what you wanted "your very own surfboard"

To Kylie from Santa.. you didn't tell me what you wanted so I just guessed.

To Dane from Santa.. just what you wanted a bouncy ball

To Micah from Santa.. just what you wanted a BIG motorcycle.

I love Christmas for so many reasons. I am sad that it is over. We ended the day with the kids wearing their new Christmas PJ's which the kids are obsessed with and wear when ever they are clean.

The kids got to benefit from the clean up as they got to eat the gingerbread houses.

And we get to benefit from Christmas as our kids are entertained by all their new toys.

Christmas Break

2012-01-22T14:54:00.000-08:00

Christmas Break was full of fun. Tad's parents came down for a few days and it was fun to spend time with them.

Our neighbor works for the fire department and got us in to Knotts Berry Farm. It was so crazy crowded and Tad's Dad did not feel good so we spent about an hour there and went on one ride and decided to get a rain check and come back another day.

Here is Saxon and Dane on the one ride... Micah was too afraid to go on it.

We went over to April's house and she gave the kids there Christmas presents which they LOVED. Nothing is better then ATV's and Motorcycles.

Grandma Baltzer brought a ginger bread house to decorate they had so much fun decorating them and of course eating the candy!

And my favorite activity... hanging out at the beach. What is better then spending Christmas Break at the beach especially when the waves are amazing!

It has only just begun!

2012-01-22T14:18:00.000-08:00

So I was just recently talking to my friends about how I have never been to the emergency room with my children. I has been such a blessing. My kids are crazy and very brave but they are for the most part pretty athletic and always catch themselves before they fall hard. So of course... because I said it I ended up in the emergency room with one of my kids.

Tad went out of town to visit one of his friends for two days. It was 7 pm my kids were feed and bathed and ready for bed. We all sat down to watch a show when Dane tripped walking and decided to not put his arms out to catch him. Instead he allowed his head to break the fall right on the corner of our fireplace step. Then the blood came gushing out. I ran and grabbed him and threw him in the bath applied pressure and waited for the blood to stop. It eventually did so i rushed to the family room to spray the carpet so the blood would get out. As I was doing this Dane called for me. I rushed over to the bathroom (leaving the carpet cleaner on the floor) and then Saxon starts screaming. Micah had picked up the carpet cleaner spray and squirted right in Saxons eyes. I rushed and grabbed Saxon threw him under the sink and poured the water on his eyes until it was flushed out (still leaving the carpet cleaner on the floor.. really not thinking straight). Then go back to the carpet when of course Micah had opened the carpet cleaner and dumped it all over the carpet. Luckily it was right where the blood was and the blood came right off.

Luckily I have a nurse as a friend so I call Cheryl Pitt up and she comes over to let me know if Dane needed to go to the emergency room. She said he is going to need stitches. I put the rest of the kids to bed and Dane and i luckily were able to go to the prompt care next to my house. They glued his head together and all was good.

I never want to relive that night again but for some reason I feel like it has only just begun!

Disneyland Days

2012-01-21T15:08:00.000-08:00

I love Disneyland. It is so much fun and my kids are obsessed with it. Well really Saxon... he looks at the iphone app everyday to see how long the lines are for the rides. He watches the rides on youtube and pretty much everyday asks when are we going back.

we would go once a week on a t or th while Micah was in preschool. At first I felt bad not taking Micah but he had turned 3 and we didnt want to buy him a pass until we renewed ours. Plus Micah hates waiting in lines so it is hard to go there with him alone. And he liked preschool better then Disneyland.. he would say you guys go to Disneyland I will go to School (I hope that attitude stays!). So Me, Kylie, Dane, and Saxon would go for a couple hours. Here are some pictures...

In December my Mom decided to get most of the family together to go to Disneyland. It was a fun day.

Disneyland Is super fun at Christmas time because of all the fun decorations... the reindeers and the big Christmas tree are some of my favorites.

But I am super excited the Holiday Crowds are gone and we are back to walking on rides.

Christmas Party's

2012-01-21T14:44:00.000-08:00

Christmas time is so fun with little kids. I love how my kids are so excited about every detail of Christmas. Especially that Santa is watching them.

I also love the party's and fun times during the Holidays. Here are some pictures from Saxon and Micah's preschool parties.

Saxon had a great time at his party. They had a book exchange. Then they sang a song which was so awesome.. because Saxon decided to not sing at all and I could not stop laughing.

They ate yummy food

and got to decorate cookies. Then they had a snowball fight outside with paper. It was a really cute party. I am really liking his school this year.

Micah also had a great Christmas party. "Santa" came and sang with them.

Then read a story and they ate some yummy food. I love his classroom and his teachers they are all great.

Joys of Groupons

2012-01-19T21:28:00.000-08:00

Groupons and all the other fun sights that give you deals are amazing for people like me. Kids are expensive and so if you want to do anything fun it costs a lot. So I am really excited when I buy a fun groupon. I got one for Zoomars in San Juan. We had a lot of fun.

The boys got to have a train ride.

They played in a corn box.

They played on a horse carriage

They feed and played with the animals.

Kylie was not sure about the little animals.

I love this picture because I look like death! I just got over a crazy flu the day before.

I need a copy of this sign and I need to hang it in my house! Especially the last rule!

Oh Christmas Tree

2012-01-19T20:58:00.000-08:00

This year we were home for Christmas so we decided to get a real tree. We were super excited about this. We headed up to the local Home Depot where we had a great time.

We searched high and low trying to see what tree was the best.

Micah could just not decide which one was the best

We finally choose a cute little tree with a crooked stump. It was perfect for our family.

Then we went home and decorated the fake tree and the real tree. I Love Christmas Time.

We invited some of our neighbors over to help finish the decorating.

Kylie super excited about all these fun lights and ornaments

Simple Days

2012-01-19T20:44:00.000-08:00

The Holiday Days get crazy. I often forget to document the simple fun times we have with our little family. Here are some of the simple days.

Art. I am not a crafty lady, but I when i am feeling brave I get out the paint to let my kids go wild. Enjoy!


Micah so impressed that Saxon can paint a S. That is Micah's favorite Letter.

Me..."Micah you have something on your face!"


Micah.. "did i get it?" Me... "yep".

I am always at the park but I never take pictures. Now that i have a fun phone that takes pictures I can capture fun moments.

Saxon decided to be Captain America that day

What do you do at the park if you cant walk.... you lay there. Kylie loves the soft floors at some of these parks.

Soccer is officially over! Woohoo

2012-01-19T20:27:00.000-08:00

I am not meant to be a soccer mom. Did you know they have a soccer practice every week and a game every Saturday! I know.... I sound lame but it was a huge commitment. I just am not use to commitments like that. Saxon had fun for the most part and Tad ( as an assistant coach had fun for the most part and the rest of us had fun watching for the most part, but I am so glad it is over!

The last game was super fun to watch and Atomic Fire was on fire. Here are some of the Highlights.

After Thanksgiving they had a soccer party and they handed out the Trophies. Saxon was so extremely excited about having his very own Trophy. Here are some of the highlights of the party.

I am excited that Saxon got to be part of a great team and got to have a great time. Not sure if I can handle all of this x4 kids! What did I get myself into.

Thanksgiving Time

2012-01-19T19:41:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving time. We went up to San Jose for Thanksgiving this year. It was so much fun. Tad decided he wanted to try a new way of cooking a Turkey go he researched the Internet and found out how to cook a Turkey in the Garbage Can. He got it all set up and was so excited about it. Then after all of his hard work he opened up the can and there was his burnt turkey laying there. He was so sad. Luckily we had a back up cooking in the bag in the oven. This is the second experimental Turkey and this is the second burnt turkey. I think we will keep to the bagged Turkey from now on.

While the others were cooking away. I took all the grand kids 2 years and older on a long ATV ride. Micah was super excited he got to be in the front. The rest of the crew was on the back.

On our ride I stopped at my favorite tree. It was the tree my friends and I hung out at. We built a tree house there (well really just a board across to sit on) and we would sit and talk about life.

When we got home from our adventures the kids got there very own special thanksgiving dinner. It was super fun for them. They went around and said what they were thankful for and then ate together.

Then we put the kids to bed for naps and we had a great yummy thanksgiving dinner that we adults could actually enjoy.

The rest of the trip was great. The Next day our great friends Erika and Mason and their cute kids came and played with us. It was so fun to hang out with them again.

The last day we went to Monterrey Bay. We went to the Aquarium. Which was amazing.

They had all these amazing sea creatures and my Kids favorite was the Scuba Divers.

After the Aquarium we went to the Denis the Menus Park played and had a picnic. Which was so much fun. I really wish I had a cool park like this close to home.

After the fun day we headed home. It was a great trip as usual!

Happy Birthday Kylie-girl!

2012-01-05T21:38:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Kylie Girl. We decided to Celebrate our little girls day in style!

We woke up and had yummy waffles.

Then we headed as a family to disneyland. It was so fun going with all of us. It was a great celebration.

Here is Micah, Saxon, and J stopping to say hi to Sulley on the way to Tower of Terror. That is right all these little boys conquered the tower and it was so fun to watch them! They pretty much freaked out on the ride but when the ride was over they were so excited that they went on the ride and it is now their favorite ride.

Aunt April came to Dland for a little bit to say happy birthday to little Kylie.

Kylie got to go on her favorite ride (small world).

We got to visit Santa. What could be better Santa at Disneyland.

Then we visited riendeer.

After a day full of fun we stopped at a great ice cream shop on main st at Disneyland and Kylie got to go crazy with Ice Cream.

She had such a great day at Disneyland and we are so Happy to have our little princess in our family.

Thank you Kylie for being such a sweet baby girl. I am grateful for your calm disposition and your love. Thank you for surviving all your older brothers and all their hugs and kisses everyday. Thank you for sleeping in until 10 every morning and napping from 1 until 5:30 (or when I wake you up) every afternoon. Thank you for always wanting to be by me. Thank you for only army crawling when you are 1, I always know where you are. Thank you for always sharing with others and always wanting to give others hugs and kisses. We love you!

Because we love Kylie so much we had 2 parties for her. When we went up for Thanksgiving at my parents house we had some cake and let her dig in. She loved it so much!

And so did Lyla her cousin.

Family Pictures

2011-12-14T22:12:00.000-08:00

I LOVE talented friends. I have a friend Michelle who is an AMAZING photographer. I grabbed her and booked a session before she got too crazy with the holidays. Here are my favorites enjoy. If you want some amazing pictures of your family go to www.momentsbymichelle.com to see her work and contact her.

the girls

The boys

Saw this on Pintrest and thought it was cute idea. Of course none of my kids would hold their letter correctly but I think the photo captures a true "FAMILY" picture.

Kylie is so cute here.

For sure the easiest picture to take!

Yes I really did jump that high... off the bench!

My favorite family picture

Captures their true personalities

Brotherly Love at it's finest.

Family hug

this was the last picture of the day... so glad we did it! I LOVE IT

Happy Halloween

2011-12-14T21:18:00.000-08:00

Happy Halloween! We started off our Halloween evening carving our pumpkins which is always fun!

Then we got dressed in our costumes and headed out to go trick or treating. We went to a neighborhood that seriously was like Disneyland with a little horror story twist. It was CRAZY crowded and I was scared the whole time I was going to loose a kid but it was cool to see a local neighborhood get crazy!

After we survived the madness we came back to our neighborhood and trick or treated. It was so fun. I love Halloween with little kids.

Then the kids favorite part.. going home and eating CANDY!

Then we said goodnight to our pumpkins and called it good. FUN TIMES

Trunk or Treat

2011-11-11T21:06:00.000-08:00

Our ward had a trunk or treat the Saturday before Halloween. We had so much fun. It was the first year that Micah and Dane really understood trick or treating. It was so cute to see all the boys so excited! And of course... it was so fun to FINALLY dress a little girl for Halloween. This was Kylie's first halloween and she was so cute as a little bee.

April came with her friend Chris.. my boys were so afraid of the Gorilla Man.

In fact... the next day when their candy had disappeared Micah immediately said "the Gorilla man took my candy". It was so funny!

Saxon's Preschool Halloween party

2011-11-06T20:15:00.000-08:00

Saxon had a great Halloween party at his preschool. They all dressed up and had a parade and went trick or treating, they sang songs and had a lot of fun. I am really loving his preschool this year. The teachers are doing a great job and he loves all his friends in class.

These are some of his best friends in class.

Micah's Preschool Halloween Party

2011-11-06T15:42:00.000-08:00

Micah had so much fun at his Preschool Halloween Party

Micah and Ms. Cindy

They decorated pumpkins

They played

They went on a little parade around the school

and they had fun with their class

Playgroup again

2011-11-06T15:24:00.000-08:00

It's Playgroup time.. again. I love having all these cute boys at my house they always have so much fun. This week we learned about the Letter G and we went on a ghost hunt around the neighborhood. It was just pure fun for little 2 and 3 year old boys.

Our Halloween Surprise

2011-11-06T15:15:00.000-08:00

Right before Halloween we received a fun package in the mail from Grandma and Grandpa Baltzer. My kids were super excited about all the fun presents. The package was full of coloring books, stickers, pumpkins to decorate, books, and love from their Grandparents. It has been hours and hours of entertainment for the kids. Thanks for the Package! We loved it!

The Pumpkin Patch

2011-11-06T14:58:00.000-08:00

I love Halloween time because the community has so many fun things going on. One of my favorites is the Orange County Park. We had so much fun at the Pumpkin Patch.

There is a free haunted house.. which Saxon was obsessed with this year.

They had tractor races which my boys were LOVING! The rule was they had to be 5 to drive but Micah barely 3 and Saxon 4 were able to take the wheel because of their talent in driving.

We looked at all the pumpkins.

We took pictures..

We played in the maze

We enjoyed the time at the pumpkin patch

Go to Hawaii for Cheap!

2011-10-30T15:17:00.000-07:00

Just thinking about trips...

If you are my friend, you know that I am looking at flights to Hawaii everyday! I love Hawaii and if I can get there for not a lot of money, I am there.

Well there is a deal that ends tomorrow the 31st that you can fly for 169 each way from LA to Honolulu (but those are not the only airports that have the deals). Click HERE to view the deal and buy your tickets.

And of course... when you are there stay at my condo for an amazingly cheap price and enjoy a little R and R without spending a lot of money! Click here to book my turtle bay condo HERE.. and mention you are my friend (if you are) and you can get a hook up!

I am for sure booking my trip by tomorrow... who wants to come with me?

A boy and a girl in a little Canoe

2011-10-30T15:01:00.000-07:00

This October Tad and I went with a bunch of friends on a super fun Canoe trip. I had gone on this canoe trip before with the young women, so it was fun to go again. My parents watched our kids while we were gone. It was a fun to have a little vacation kids free.

We started out at the Hoover Dam and headed down the Colorado River.

Our first stop we went inside a sauna cave

Then we hiked up the mountains to some fun hot springs

After the hike we continued down the river until we got to our campsite.

Once we got to our campsite we set up camp and then went cliff jumping.

Then Tad and I hiked around the mountains and explored

We then came back from the hike and hung out in the hot springs

We cooked dinner and talked story... then slept.

Then next morning we continued down river enjoying the beautiful surroundings

And of course one more cliff jump before the trip was over.

It was such a great trip full of fun, friends, and adventure. We loved it!

Heavenly Father

2011-10-19T17:11:00.000-07:00

I love the stage of questions... some people think it is annoying...but I love it.

Lately Saxon has been really into questions about Heavenly Father.

1) Q: Where does he live?
He really really wants to know where he lives... Heaven is just not good enough. He wants to know what exact cloud is Heaven! So one day we were driving home from the beach and we passed a church with the word GOD in front. Since he just started reading, he read the word GOD.. and he all of sudden got really excited.. he finally found the house that God lives in. I thought it was really cute.
A: apparently he lives on 6th street in HB

2) Q: Does he answer prayers?
One night Saxon was not listening when we wanted him to brush his teeth so we told him if he continues to be crazy he will not brush his teeth that night. Well he continued to be crazy so we sent him to bed with his teeth not brushed. Of course, he freaked out and started crying and crying he didnt want green teeth. He started his night time prayer and started balling to Heavenly Father asking him if he could tell his parents to let him brush his teeth. Of course I heard the prayer and instantly my heart was softened. It was such a sincere prayer that immediately after the prayer I helped him brush his teeth. Saxon was so excited that Heavenly Father heard his prayer.
A: Yes

3) Q: What is Heavenly Father going to be for Halloween?
Yesterday we were talking about Halloween...and we where talking about what we were going to be and then Saxon asked what is Heavenly Father going to be for Halloween? I really didnt know what to say so I just said I do not know, he should ask him in his prayer tonight.
A: I am pretty sure that Heavenly Father doesn't dress up for Halloween but I wasn't going to crush my little 4 year old's heart.

As I am reading this blog to Dane.. Dane just said Heavenly Father is going to be a pumpkin for Halloween. (probably)

Friends

2011-10-10T21:11:00.000-07:00

Ahh.. memories..

I was just in the garage... trying to clean it...when I got distracted by my box of memories. I opened up my box and looked through my journals. I LOVED them. It brought me back to all of my high school memories and I thought about all of my amazing friends. I got all warm and fuzzy as I thought what a blessing good friends are. I am so grateful for my friends past and present.

Thank you friends for making life so much fun!

Aunt April

2011-10-09T15:06:00.000-07:00

April is one of best Aunts ever ... My kids LOVE her. She spoils them. Here she is feeding Kylie Ice Cream and Kylie was LOVING it. I am so thankful she lives so close to us and that she is so rad.

September Beach Days

2011-10-09T14:57:00.000-07:00

Beach days... I love them and especially in September when the sun is out and the crowds are gone. Our friends the Kontoes came to So Cal to play. We went to San O and surf and hung out. It was a lot of fun.

Tad and Chris on a party mushy wave

Dane in the Sand

Micah and Saxon in the water

Saxon at his favorite place (the beach)

Mister tough guy

Kylie loving the beach

Me taking Saxon out surfing

Disneyland

2011-10-09T14:35:00.000-07:00

Summer is over and that means only one thing to my kids... Disneyland is now open for them to go! Before all the crazy preschool schedules began I grabbed my 4 kids and we played at Disneyland. Sorry for the crazy pictures (i am just impressed that I took a couple of pictures being alone with my 4 kids at Disneyland).

Thanks Disneyland for the hours of entertainment for my little kids (and the great workout for me!).

Preschool and playgroup back in session...

2011-09-29T22:51:00.000-07:00

Last March I went to the temple and was sitting in the session when I felt a prompting to potty train Micah. Weird, i know. I wasn't even thinking about potty training him at that time but I felt so strongly about it I went to the store and bought the potty presents and took the diapers off Micah. Within a couple days he was potty trained. Now what does this have to do with preschool... well with Micah being potty trained I was able to sign him up for a great preschool. He is going through the Huntington Beach School district and it is an amazing school and he LOVES it.

The first day was a meet and greet and Micah was hyperventilating over the bins and bins of Dinosaurs and cars his favorite things in life!

Saxon also was able to start his 2nd year of preschool.... He was super sad he couldn't go back to "julie's preschool" but he was glad his friends are with him at preschool.

Dane was excited to start a playgroup with 6 little boys. Both Micah and Dane go and they LOVE playing with their friends. The only time they cry is when they have to go home.

As for little Kylie girl... she gets a little r and r with her mommy or daddy (if the surf is good!)

Love playing with my kids... and will be really sad when they all go to school everyday. BUT preschool and playgroups are the best! really! drop them off for a couple of hours for some education and fun and I get a little break.

Dane's Swimming

2011-09-29T21:55:00.000-07:00

Dane made a huge break through in swimming this summer. He LOVES it so much... and now swims across the whole pool! Wuhoo! He knows how to take a breath and this is so fun for him so now all he wants to do ALL DAY is swim. He wakes up and jumps right into the pool. It is great to have all mobile kids water safe! Here is a video of Dane playing in the water.

Atomic Fire

2011-09-18T15:07:00.000-07:00

The same week Saxon started soccer camp he also had his first soccer practice. Atomic Fire is the team and it is a great team!

Saxon already knew 3 kids on the team from our ward so he loves it. Our friend Craig is the coach and Tad is the assistant coach. They work great with the boys and it shows.

Last Saturday they had their first game and the team was amazing. They do not keep score but it was a major victory for Atomic Fire... something like 20 to 3. It was so fun watching them.

Here is the team pep talk before the game (dont mind the Utah hat)

Here is Saxon after a goal doing a victory dance!

Soccer Soccer Soccer

2011-09-18T13:41:00.000-07:00

When we got back from Hawaii Soccer season began. Saxon went to a soccer camp for a week. He loved it. It was 3 hours a day and he had so much fun.

He learned soccer skills

He played games

He won awards... (the Wacky Wednesday award)... so appropriate for Saxon.

He loved his Coach Mike from England... it was a great way to start the soccer Season.

Aloha!

2011-09-18T13:09:00.000-07:00

My favorite place to play with my family is Hawaii! We had so much fun.. besides the birthday celebrations already blogged about, here are some of our favorite parts of our trip.

Saxons Favorites:

1) Jumping off the rock in Waimea (of course not the big one).

2) Hanging with his cousins Luke and Livi(and everyone else)

3) Catching the waves

Micah's favorites..

1) Swimming in the water

2) Playing in the water (snorkeling and Boogie boarding)

3) Hanging with the family (especially Grandpa)

Dane's Favorite's...

1) Playing in the sand

2) Playing on his board

3) Throwing the ball

Of course he LOVED hanging with the Aunts, Cousins, Gigi and Grandpa too!

Kylie's Favorites..

1) Sitting in the beach...

2) Playing in the water

3) Getting so much love from the family

Tad and Amber's Favorites...
Hanging with the family... and of course (surfing and for Tad golfing)

thanks Mom and Dad for the great Family vacation

Happy Birthday Grandma Smith!

2011-09-13T16:40:00.000-07:00

We had a Family Reunion for my mom's side of the family in Hawaii. We all got together to celebrate my Grandma's 85th birthday. It was great to see the family.

Everyone gathering together to sing and eat a Ted's pie

Kylie and her Grandpa

Me, Tiffany, and Jule (I am pretty sure that smile is in our genes)

Kylie enjoying my Grandma's beautiful backyard on the Kailua Bay

Happy Birthday Micah!

2011-09-13T15:38:00.000-07:00

Our big boy turned 3 and we went all the way to Hawaii to celebrate! Micah woke up that morning and opened all of his gifts... Lots of Dinosaurs (his favorite things) and beach toys. We then played at the beach all day and he learned how to boogie board all by himself! pretty impressive for a little guy.. i didn't get a good video but I have a great video of his smiles after a ride!

Then that night we went over to my uncles house to have a birthday party with friends and family...

Grandma Smith and Kylie

Micah with his huge cake

The family eating

Micah loving the blue frosting on the cake

We then had pony rides after the food... (my uncle lives on a ranch)

Saxon

Micah

Dane

Kylie

Happy Birthday Micah! We love you!

Colorado

2011-09-09T15:42:00.000-07:00

Our Bags are packed and we are ready to go... next step Colorado.

We were super excited to get together with the whole Gustavson Family in Estes Park. It was an amazing family reunion.

We took our boys fishing for their first time... they loved it!

Micah's first fish.. he was so excited

Saxon's first fish.. he couldn't believe it!

Dane fishing

We went to the big slides and go carts... many many times.. it was so fun.

We went to the Estes park visitors center

Dane and Luke dressed up as rangers

We went hiking...

We went to the top of the world.. the view was amazing.

We went to the Stanley Hotel were Stephen Spielsberg was inspired to write the Shinning


We saw Ghosts... not really

Room 217

We had a campfire...

We went boating...

We rode bikes...

We went bowling...

Gotta love Saxon's bowling style

And some more hiking... It was such a great trip

Take me out to the ball game

2011-09-04T16:08:00.000-07:00

This summer we signed Saxon up for pee wee baseball. It was just a little community league, but it was so much fun for Saxon.

Micah and Dane loved to watch the boys play... while I spoiled them with some of their favorite things in life (fruit Snacks).

Saxon learned how to hit the ball

to run the bases

and to play in the field.

He also got to play with his bff J... Which was so great for both of them.

At the end of the 6 weeks they received a certificate that Saxon could not be happier about.

It was a fun activity to do this summer... can't wait until next summer when all the boys can play.

Happy 4th of July

2011-08-25T21:46:00.000-07:00

Happy 4th of July! We did it once again... joined the masses and masses of people to celebrate the 4th in HB. All 6 of us hopped on 2 bikes and cruised down to main st to watch the parade. We grabbed the best seat in the house (right on the Dukes sign) and enjoyed the show.

We then went down to the beach and played.

I had to add this picture.. it just brought me back to childhood...foreigners coming up to the family "take your picha"

After the beach we rode our bikes home and jumped in the pool to swim.

Kylie in her little 4th of July outfit.

That night we again joined the millions and watched the fireworks at the beach. The kids were in awe.

It was such a fun celebration!

Happy Birthday Tad!

2011-08-25T21:08:00.000-07:00

The last day of Utah we celebrated Tad's Birthday. We hung out with Tad's parents and then visited with Tad's best friend Ben and his family. We then had to rush to the airport and fly home. It was a busy Day but I managed to take one picture of Tad with his take out dinner from the LOFT when we got home. Happy 35th Birthday Tad, I love you!

To Grandmother's house we go...

2011-08-15T22:01:00.000-07:00

We did it! We finally made it to Orangeville Utah were Tad's parents live. It was so much fun.

We rode bikes..

Played in the Sand box...

Swam at this great community aquatic center...

We played with Cousins...

We played video games...

We went to Thanksgiving Point...

We finally attended one the great Nielsen Family Reunions...

I am so glad we made it to Utah this summer. it was so great!

Happy Father's Day

2011-07-30T17:03:00.000-07:00

Happy Father's Day! I had so much fun this year preparing the Father's day gifts...
My friend Michelle has this amazing tradition of making a tie for her husband on Father's Day and having him wear at church. So this year she asked if anyone wanted to join her and of course we all jumped on it. It was fun making the ties and even better seeing half the guys at church proudly wearing their homemade ties. After I made Tad's tie I decided that my dad and Tad's dad needed one.

Here is My Dad's tie...

Here is Tad's Dad's tie..

Then when Father's day came around we spoiled Tad. We made him a yummy breakfast and gave him some homemade cards...

Then we he opened his gifts...

Tad showing off his tie

My Dad wearing his tie at church

I am so grateful for all the amazing Father's in my life! I love them all.

Surfer Boy

2011-07-26T16:10:00.000-07:00

Saxon really has fallen in love with Surfing this summer. We are so excited! Here is some videos of him surfing in oceanside (the quality is junk because our camera is jacked)

2011-07-14T21:02:00.000-07:00

Oh how I love my Mom. She decided that she wanted to take all of my boys for a couple days to her house. Wow such a break for Tad and I and so much fun for my boys. They LOVE her house and talk about it everyday...so it was such a treat for our whole family.

They got to swim...

They got to play with their cousins...

They got to go on ATV rides and they even got to drive it this time...

My parents have a new "park" in their backyard... which is so fun for everyone

Oh and have I mentioned they put a whole new field in their yard so the kids can play sports and run around.

After the couple of days of freedom... Tad, Kylie, and I drove up to San Jose to play for a couple days, go to Luke and Livi's birthday party, and then take the boys home. It was a great weekend

The teeter totter experiment...

Not even

Even

Dane playing in the sand box

The fun times at Luke and Livi's birthday party

Luke and Livi's Angry Bird Party

The great cake my mom and Jule made

Micah Eating

Saxon playing Crack the egg.. do you remember that game.. i can't believe kids still play that

Dane in the bounce house

LOVE this park

2011-07-14T20:15:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I just get bored of the same old parks and beaches. I need a change. My friend Hanne introduced us to this great park last year and invited us back this year. It was so FUN. It has a little road where my kids ride their bikes around. I loved it because it was something different and kept my kids occupied for a long time!

Dane

Saxon

Micah (i swear he did have a helmet on)

Filling up gas in his bike

Summer Time

2011-07-13T21:50:00.000-07:00

Ahh.. summer time. Gotta love the fun times with chocolate faces and splashing in the water.

Preschool and Playgroup coming to an end

2011-07-13T20:51:00.000-07:00

As summer comes, Playgroup and Preschool go... which is really sad. My kids love their friends and all the fun activities they do at preschool and playgroups. And of course I LOVE the little 2 hour break I get every T and TH. But I guess that is life...

Here are some pictures of the last day of Playgroup at my house.

The crew sitting on their mats ready to learn..

That lasted about 5 minutes... now it is time to play

Dallin practicing his amazing swing

Micah protecting the universe as spiderman

Hugh as Batman cruising on his batmobil


Dane enjoying fun times with friends

Here are some pictures of Saxon's Graduations from Busy Bee Preschool. It was such a great school. He LOVED it and he learned so much.

The class

His rewards

proud mom

Micah wanting to graduate preschool before he even started.

Dane just trying to keep it cool all the time.

Kylie's new tricks

2011-07-12T22:02:00.000-07:00

Kylie is 6 months has been doing some new tricks... she is a mover...she rolls all over the place.

She also has learned to get out of her swaddle... so sad I have no more burrito babies.

She is officially eating... rice cereal, veggies, and fruits.

And my favorite...she mimics your facial expressions.. This is me smiling at her and her smiling back

This is me scrunching my nose and Kylie scrunching her nose right back at me.. I laugh so hard.

I I love this little girl!

Father's and Son camp out

2011-07-12T21:48:00.000-07:00

Our stake has a tradition to have the father's son camp out Mother's day weekend. At first this was not fun for me because I was home with all the babies and Tad was out playing with his friends... but this year the tide has turned.. Just girls weekend...so fun. Tad took ALL the boys camping. Pretty brave! he did it and no one died. They had such a fun time. Besides almost loosing Micah as he followed another camper out to the parking lot, it was a great success.

Strawberry Fields Forever

2011-07-10T22:09:00.000-07:00

The Strawberry Fields in Carlsbad are so fun. My kids love it. They get their little baskets and can go wild...they eat, eat, and eat strawberries and occasionally put a strawberry in their basket. Amazing!

Even Kylie had a strawberry for the first time

The strawberries that actually made it off the field

Then after the fun at the fields we went to beach and played... what a fun day!

OK no really...Happy Mothers day

2011-07-10T21:31:00.000-07:00

So my friend Amber has made this great tradition of getting some girls together and having some fun at Glen Ivy Hot Springs. We do it around Mother's Day for a perfect Mother's Day gift.

It really is one of my favorite days of the year. It is pure relaxation and fun with friends. A great break for me mentally and physically. I can't wait for next year.

Enjoying the mud bath

The grotto

Water Aerobics

all clean, relaxed, and in the best mood...ready to go back to our 17 almost 18 children waiting for us at our homes.

Happy Mother's Day

2011-07-10T15:31:00.000-07:00

This year for Mother's Day I decided to get my kids together and take some pictures to give to my mom and Tad's mom. Taking pictures of my kids is fun when they are just running around playing but when I am trying to get them look good and look at the camera it is pretty much impossible.

Here is how I accomplished the impossible.

Step 1: I attended an www.icandyhandmade.blogspot.com project night...where they taught us how to make ties.. that is right... i made the boys ties... ok truth.. Autie made Saxon's tie but I did Micah and Dane's. It is really fun to have such talented friends.

Step 2: I bought some bubble blower guns for the kids to play with... it ended up to be not such a great idea with the sand but it was fun for the boys.

Step 3: Let the kids play!

Step 4: Bring an assistant... in my case Tad.. who will make the kids laugh and run around

Step 5: Never stop shooting.. eventually you will get some great shots

Step 6: Find your favorite pictures and then edit them... I have this super talented friend Michelle who does photography www.momentsbymichelle.com and she edited some of my pictures I love them!

Happy Mother's Day to all the mother's in my life... I am so grateful for my Mother in law and my Mom they are both AMAZING!

I had such a great day with my mom and family on Mother's day and getting spoiled by Tad.

Swimming, Swimming, Swimming

2011-06-19T20:43:00.000-07:00

Our pool is Open! In April I heated the pool for my kids to swim in. My swim school opened up in May so I wanted to let my kids get a ton of swimming in before their pool was full of swim students. They loved it. They are my little fishies...

Dane is 2 and swims with little arms and kicks but doesn't know how to breathe yet on his own... that's our goal for the summer!

Saxon is 4 and has mastered...freestyle, backstroke, elementary backstroke, breaststroke, and his working on his butterfly!

Micah 2 (almost 3) swims all around the pool with his own unique stroke he is a true fish and is one with the water.. he started diving off the diving board at my mom's house last week.

One of my favorite things about swimming is the tired little boys afterwards... Here is Micah completely asleep at the dinner table.. and Saxon almost there.

May 2nd my swim school opened and I have been so proud of my little boys... they have been really good about understanding swim lesson time... but you know that right after swim lessons is over they jump into the pool.

If you are interested in swim lessons go to www.amberswimschool.com

One of my greatest blessings.... a pool in my backyard and kids who know how to enjoy it!

Happy Easter

2011-06-04T21:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter!

Micah and Dane made these super cute bunny ear hats at their playgroup a little before Easter. They LOVE them and wear them all the time hopping around.

Then Tad and I decided (at the last minute) to do a Easter Egg hunt for the kids. It was so much fun. I am really glad we did it.

here are all the kids lined up ready to run

the little kids got a head start

then the rest of the kids took off

the crew with the goods

Tad and Kylie

Smiley Kylie

Then Easter morning we got dressed up in our Sunday Best and went to church to celebrate Easter and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The kids were not really in the mood to take pictures before but I snapped some quick pictures of the boys.

Then after church and dinner the kids searched for their Easter Baskets and had fun playing with the toys inside.

And then they opened a great Easter Package they got from their Grandma and Grandpa. They were in Heaven such a great day!

Boys wil be Boys

2011-05-29T20:53:00.000-07:00

In ancient times they had the "hunters" and the "gatherers".. my boys came directly from the hunter group! They love sticks, rocks, and anything else that would remotely resemble a some kind of weapon and then they love to attack.

I love going to parks that let them release their wild beast inside. Here are some pictures of my boys with some of their BFF's J and Hugh. It just give's you a little glimps of what my life is like.

Kylie is not sure what to think about her brothers

And then.... as soon as they get home from their day full of hunting and killing... they come home jump in their super hero outfits and resume their super hero work here at the home front.

Spider man working his super hero powers on the baby toy

Captain America rescuing the distressed in the house

Fire Fighter checking making sure that the house is clear of Danger.

Kylie 6 months

2011-05-29T20:15:00.000-07:00

Somebody needs to help me find a time freezer... where is the time going??? Kylie is already 6 months. Have I mentioned lately how amazing she is. I love her so much. She is such a great little baby here are some fun pictures of her and what she has been up.

She is always happy even though most of her life in spent in the bouncer or the infant carrier.

She never complains. One afternoon i was putting all the boys into their beds for nap time and i went back to get Kylie and put her in her bed and i found this...Kylie totally asleep under her play gym... just one of her ways of saying don't worry about it mom I got it covered!

I rarely leave Kylie alone (meaning alone with her brothers around) for safety reasons... however this one afternoon I had to get dinner going so I thought I am going to take a chance with kylie alone with micah. I quickly fixed dinner and came back to this...

Micah laying next to Kylie on her blanket holding hands and watching a movie.. it was so cute!

Then Dane jumped in the action.. These guys love their sister SOOO much.

We have been swimming a lot and because of the craziness in the water I rarely take her in the pool. But she loves laying on her blanket and playing with the toys while her brothers swim.

Here she is in her little Easter dress, laying on the blanket her gigi made her.

Oh and for her 6 month she got her two bottom teeth... and not a single sign she was getting them...just one day they were there. Thank you Kylie Girl for being my little angel!

A trip to the zoo

2011-05-27T22:44:00.000-07:00

At the end of March we went to the zoo for a field trip. It was hot day full of lots of monkeys... my little monkeys felt right at home!

Saxon's preschool class

the crew in the jeep

Kylie was wiped out

J and Dane on the train

Micah

Cousin's come play

2011-05-27T21:46:00.000-07:00

I have to document my long lost second cousin once removed (or something like that) came to visit from Sweden. It was neat to meet him. His kids are super star skiers... now I know where i get my skills... haha jk. It was a great day full of family, food, and fun.

Then Saxon and Micah were so thrilled because their second cousin Landon brought his ATV over and they rode their ATV's together..

Hudson and Dane got to drive their cool cars

Happy St. Patricks Day

2011-05-09T20:30:00.000-07:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day! I love this day because it is so random. I also love that you look around and everyone around you is wearing green. It is so fun.

I had playgroup that day so we got to party!

We made rainbow snacks

We made rainbows

Saxon our little green Leprechaun came home from school

Kylie was our little prize at the end of the rainbow

After naps we went to the park and played with the ducks.

Relaxed in the Grass

And climbed the rocks

Thank you America for celebrating St. Patrick's Day! It is always so much fun.

Happy Birthday to me

2011-04-27T22:46:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to me! I had such a great birthday this year. You can snowboard for free on your birthday so of course I had to go! It was so much fun. Just us girls riding... I need to do this more often.


Lauren, Melody, me, and Autumn

After snowboarding all day.. i came home to flowers and presents. Thanks Tad for being so amazing!

Then a week later we rented a duffy boat and went with some of our friends to cruise the Newport Harbor for a little more birthday celebration. It was so fun eating, hanging with friends, and cruising.

Tad and me


The girls...

the boys

My little Monster

2011-04-27T21:51:00.000-07:00

Saxon my little monster. The beginning of September Saxon started preschool, at the same time he started talking in what we called his "monster voice". Naturally we thought he had learned this "monster talk" from one of his preschool friends. In the beginning he would occasionally talk with his "monster voice" but by Dec. I could barely get him to talk in his "normal voice". I would practice with him over and over and he would try hard to talk normal but it was hard for him.

Saxon turned 4 in Jan. and he had his annual doctors check up. I told his Dr. about his voice problem and she told us to go to the ears nose throat doc. We got an appointment right away... and we discovered my little monster had a huge growth in his throat (almost blocking his whole airway). He needed surgery!

We scheduled his surgery for the following week (the end of Feb). Tad took the morning off and I went with Saxon for what was suppose to be an in and out 2 hour surgery.

He got dressed in his little hospital clothes.

He got his bubbles to play with

He played with his ipod touch while waiting for the surgery

I got dressed in the scrubs to help put Saxon to sleep before the surgery. That was so hard for me (helping with putting him to sleep). He is my little boy!

He was suppose to have his growth and adnoids taken out, but during the surgery they decided the tonsils needed to come out as well. And of course when he came out of the surgery I started to cry and really couldn't stop. Cry of relief that he was ok, crying because I was so grateful for Saxon, Crying because he is so little and had to go through this crazy surgery, crying because he was in so much pain. crying because he is such a good little boy, crying because he coughed up blood and I almost fainted. you get the picture.. the emotions we high.

The 2 hour surgery became a 2 day stay at the hospital. Luckily April my sister helped out with the kids. After watching the kids she came to visit Saxon. This is what he looked like for the next couple of days.

The pediatric ward was not expecting Saxon to come so he had to share a room with a little 9 month baby (whose mom blasted the spanish soap opera ALL DAY). It was sooo annoying. The rooms were soo small and the nurses basically were non existent. You all know me.. i had to speak my mind. So I eventually got Saxon his own private room and eventually after many many hours he finally got his popsicle. Tad spent the night at the hospital with Saxon. The next day we all came to meet Saxon as he left the hospital and we gave him balloons which he was super excited about. I am sad that Saxon had to go through this tough time.. and even more sad that Saxon had this horrible growth in his throat for such a long time... but you can always make lemonade out of lemons. Here is my lemonade: I have never felt to so much love for my little boy. I am so blessed to have him as my son.

Pretend City Fun!

2011-04-18T21:52:00.000-07:00

Luke, Livi, and Saxon had so much fun at pretend city. I love this place.... you can be anything you want to be.

You can work at the grocery store

You can go to the beach

You can be a stage manager or a performer on stage

You can work at the cafe

You can go fishing

You can be a patient at the doctors office

or you can be the doctor

You can be a construction worker

Or you can be a firefighter

Or how about being rich and famous

Thank you Pretend City for hours and hours of entertainment!

Fire Station

2011-04-13T14:59:00.000-07:00

Saxon's preschool went on a field trip to the fire station. It was a lot of fun exploring and learning more about the station.

Happy Valentines Day

2011-04-06T22:19:00.000-07:00

Happy Love Day!

Saxon's preschool had a great little vday party the Thursday before vday. It was great they ate, read a book, sang, and showed us their love!

On the actual Valentines day I played with my favorite little people! I woke up to my happy little children.

Here is my Smiley Kylie

I made them heart shape french toast.

We went to pretend city and played to our hearts content

We got home and they opened some great valentines day cards from their great grandma gustavson. They were so excited about them it was really cute.

Then Tad came home from golfing all day (yes I am the best wife ever. ha) and the kids gave him their vday cards that they made at pretend city... look out people I think we got some hallmark card makers in the making!

Ahhh.. then a little date with the hubby! Happy Valentines Day to all of you! (ok i know i am 2 months too late but you know i love you!)

Las Vegas

2011-03-17T20:48:00.000-07:00

Viva Las Vegas! Teague (our nephew) turned 8! He invited us to his baptism in Las Vegas. We were so excited to go and be at the great event. He asked Tad to baptize him. Tad was so honored.

Tad arranged for our family to stay at this amazing suite at the Aliante Station (Thanks to his client that owns the hotel). It was so fun..2 huge rooms with 2 crazy fabulous bathrooms... a full kitchen, dining room, living room, and another bathroom.

We loved hanging out with the family. All the cousins were so nice and fun to all our little kids. Here are some of the pictures of the trip.

Kylie and Grandma Baltzer at the Hotel

Tad and Teague after the baptism (micah wanted to hop in the picture)

The whole Baltzer family (gotta love the bats)

Nash and his family

Tad and his whole family

Dad and Mom Baltzer

Thanks Teague for the invite! It was a great trip.