It's All Good

Bob the Batter

2010-03-07T21:03:00.000-08:00

It's baseball time!! My boys are so so pumped. I'm a touch hesitant to get back in the swing of baseball 5 days a week but they can hardly wait. Both will be pitching this year and have been practicing in the back yard. Matt made a side comment to me last week that what they really needed to help their aim was a "fake batter."

Of course, I had to go inside and google "fake batter." Guess what? There are fake batters out there. They run you from $300-400. There was no way that was going to happen, so, I got this crazy idea that we could build our own. When I mentioned it to Matt he just rolled his eyes. Another one of my crazy ideas. He had no clue, but Home Depot with 4 kids, here we come!

A nice man helped us gather our necessities and away we went. We unloaded our plywood and traced our baseball batter. I grabbed my power tools without having to call Matt at work. :)

We cut out a right handed batter (Ben's right handed) and a leftie - just like Brett.

They each painted their batter.

And waaaalaaaaa! It cost us about 10% of the ones online and a fun day.

Matt was pretty shocked and we loved every second of it!! You can see the batting cage is up and ready for action.

Let's just hope "Bob the Batter" makes a difference! :)

He's a singer. . . dancer . . . chef . . .

2010-03-02T22:03:00.000-08:00

Multiple times a day, Brik will plow through my pots and pans, searching for just the right one. Then he'll dig through the drawer filled with spatulas, spoons, and ice cream scoops and pick out about 6 things to cook with. Then he'll shove a stool over to the stove and load all of his stuff on the counter and start "cooking." He will stand there mixing and singing and dancing for the longest time.

I wish I had pulled out the camera sooner. His little head shake, shoulder wiggle and knee bend were in full force a few minutes before I grabbed my camera - of course!

Happy Chinese New Year!!

2010-02-24T12:20:00.000-08:00

The Bay Area is one of the most culturally diverse areas in the entire world. You can't imagine how difficult it is to memorize some of the names of kids on our baseball teams! It's amazing! It has allowed us many opportunities to share what we believe and learn about others beliefs. The first big chunk of our married life was spent in a ward that included all of the Tongans south of San Francisco. It was WONDERFUL! The love, strength, testimonies ( and food!) of those Tongans left lasting impressions on our lives.

For the last 11 years, we have been in a ward that includes all of the Chinese on the East Bay. Once again, it has been an amazing experience. We are immersed in more ways than we realize. Just last week, Gracie put on a cowboy hat and yelled, "Ni Hao" instead of "Yee haw!" "Ni Hao" means "hi" in Chinese. Our kids learn primary songs in Chinese, every church meeting is translated into Chinese, and for Enrichment meeting we learn how to make pot stickers. It's awesome!

One of my callings is the Activities Committee and this last week we learned how to throw a Chinese New Year party.
Brett happily had the job of transferring the fish to each bowl as part of our centerpieces. (Yuck!)

Here's a little quiz:

Which of the following ISN'T a true Chinese tradition?

a. fortune cookies

b. Chinese jump rope

c. Chinese finger tortures (you know those things you stick your fingers in and the more you pull the harder it is to get your fingers out.)

d. rice candies that have the cellophane paper on them. ( I may be so immersed that I assume everyone has had these. I could be so wrong!)

e. soy sauce on white rice

Answer: All of the above!! What a shocker to us as we thought of fun ideas for our party. Everything "Chinese" that we knew had NO connection to the Chinese. Fortune cookies originated in San Francisco. Who knew? The Chinese in our ward had no idea what Chinese jump rope was, and they'd never heard of the finger tortures or the rice candy. When I mentioned that we might want some soy sauce for all of the white rice that was coming, I just heard gasps. I learned that the extremely poor in China put either sugar or soy sauce on their rice to give it flavor. :)

They roasted a full pig.

And I can't even begin to tell you how yummy the food was.

And it kept coming!!

Our party was "American-ized" because there was a HUGE amount of (my favorite) chow mein which isn't a true Chinese dish.

Chinese New Year is a time for families to be together. It is also a time to give "red envelopes" to the kids. (Kind of like Christmas for us.) The kids are given little red envelopes that are filled with money. My kids were into that one.

They also had a "ribbon dance" for all the kids. My boys weren't so great at following the lead dancer and ended up doing their own rendition of Stayin' Alive from the back row. :)

Happy Valentine's Day

2010-02-13T23:58:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago I was reading an email out loud about a 5K family fun run for Valentine's Day that the city was putting on. Ben latched on to it and decided that he really wanted to participate. I didn't think much of it, but he would go out and run on the treadmill periodically to "get in shape for the race." Last night he asked when we had to be up and ready. Matt and I looked and each other with a look that said, " I guess we are running tomorrow!" Thankfully it was a beautiful day. Here are the boys "getting ready." I don't know why they are stretching - I was the one that ran with the double jogger filled with Brik and Gracie.

Actually, what I really needed was my ipod to drown out the complaints that it was taking too long and that I wasn't running fast enough and that the snacks were all gone. Those comments really help you on your run! Here's Ben about to cross the finish line. As soon as he crossed, he took three steps towards me and bent over and puked. The puke was worth it. He took first place in the 7-10 year old division as a 7 year old. Way to go, Ben!

Brett came in right behind him (and has been fighting bronchitis for two weeks).

Ben is getting his box of chocolates from the Valentine Dude after the race was over.

I'm sure we'll do it again next year!
Brett wants to show Ben who is really the boss.

The Pinewood Derby

2010-02-13T23:50:00.000-08:00

Ben and Brett managed to pull in 1st and 2nd place at the Pinewood Derby this year. Way to go, Matt!! :) We always watch the movie "Down and Derby" the night before the Pinewood Derby. If you haven't seen it - and have ever participated in any part of a Pinewood Derby - it's hilarious. We had a dad or two at our "derby" that wouldn't let their boys touch the cars. The dads were at the finish line and would carry the cars up to the start for their next race. The boys just got to sit and watch!! So funny!

If you need a few tips - I'm happy to share all of Matt's secrets! :) Just let me know.

Our late Christmas present - Maui!

2010-02-13T22:40:00.000-08:00

Boy, do we love Matt. Did I mention that we love Matt? We had so much rain through January that I thought I would cry! I am a sun loving girl and boy did Matt pull through. We were able to finagle a trip to Maui right in the middle of the huge storms that were pounding the heck out of California. It was pure happiness for me. Love you, Matty!

The bugs in Hawaii are amazing. The boys found a huge preying mantis and had so much fun "playing" with it.

They even managed to get it to eat ice cream from their spoon. Gross, I know. (In case you are wondering, preying mantis' are spelled "preying" instead of "praying." We had one as a pet and named it "Enos" for the "Praying Mantis." The more we studied them we found out they are pretty serious carnivores and got the name "Preying Mantis because of it. There's your science lesson for the day.)

While we were there, the Skins Game was going on and Matt was in heaven.

The boys managed to get signatures from all the players and were even called out on the course - during the game - for this one!

Can you see how pumped they were? :)
Gracie hated every second of it. She didn't like being told to be quiet while the players were hitting. She complained that it was hot and she wanted to either go to the pool or go shopping. That was lovely for all of us.

Matt likes to think he makes good sandcastles - but I'm the master. Anyone up for a challenge?

The boys loved doing crazy back flips off the hotel rope swing.

Gracie didn't shy away from the challenge, but was a little more traditional in her entry.

Thanks again, Matty! Love you.

A Day in the "City"

2010-02-13T22:25:00.000-08:00

We started out with a hike through Muir Woods to see the amazing redwood trees.

Then stopped off at the Marin Headlands for a beautiful look at San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge. I never get tired of this view!

Isn't this an awesome view? It's taken from the WWII bunkers that were built to protect the San Francisco bay from attacking ships. You can still walk through the bunkers on both sides of the bridge. The boys loved this!!

Of course a day in San Fran isn't complete without a stop at Pier 39, a view of Alcatraz (see it in the background?) and . . .

Boudin bread bowls filled with clam chowder and an ice cream sundae at Ghiradelli's. Yum.

Where have we been?

2010-02-13T21:39:00.000-08:00

December found us . . .

At the Oakland Temple organizing a ward "hot cocoa and treats" night.
(Don't you love how we know how to close our car doors?)

On the roof, hanging our Christmas lights. (Gracie was FINALLY allowed to help, and she loved every second of it.)

Ben and I spent the greatest night volunteering at a kids toy drive. We spent hours helping organize toys for over 25,000 needy kids in the bay area. (We are organizing a group visit next year so let me know if you want to join us! Space is already filling up fast!)

Below is the "wrapping room" that was buzzing with activity.

This is 1/3 of the toys that we helped organize. There were warehouses filled like this one in numerous parts of the building. It was the most amazing way to feel the spirit of Christmas. Every single homeless shelter in the bay area had a specific gift for every child there. It was awesome!

Mom and Dad joined us and hustled just as fast as the 7 year old! We were sweaty when we were done!

We braved the rain and trekked through the Santa Cruz mountains for our annual "Chopping of the Christmas Tree."

Found it!!

The rain wasn't bothering Gracie!

Christmas night also found Gracie, and her best friend-in-the-whole-wide-world-partner-in-crime-cousin, Kate, in Mom's bathroom with her brand new, Christmas gift make-up ALL OVER their faces.

It was a moment to remember.

(We owe you some eye cream, Mom.)

A New Year . . . a little late

2010-02-10T21:11:00.000-08:00

I've avoided this little baby (myblog - not Brik!) until I felt like I had a better handle on my crazy, busy life. Baseball is about to start, basketball is just winding down, swim team forms are due this week . . . Laundry, dinners, poopy diapers, whiny crying, school work and a stack of papers to go through can't touch what I "enjoyed" today. A huge puke in the car. (Thanks, Brik.) Anyone been there? After today, it looks like it will be another month until I get a handle on things. :)

Thanks for listening. :)

A "not so jolly" Santa

2009-12-07T22:31:00.000-08:00

As we walked away from Santa, Brett leaned over and while chuckling said, "Santa sure wasn't that jolly today!" I think it must have been a long day, and the sight of Brik sure didn't put a smile on his face! :)

Halloween - "Hansen style" - part 2

2009-11-09T21:56:00.000-08:00

Erika - this one's for you! :)

Halloween "Hansen style ". . . over the last few years.

My kids are already on the prowl for next year . . . :)

Halloween "Hansen style"

2009-11-04T21:09:00.000-08:00

Ever heard of Half Moon Bay?

It's half way between Santa Cruz and San Francisco on the coast and is called "the Pumpkin Capital of the World." It's beautiful. It's full of organic farms, rolling hills and coastline that takes your breath away. It is home to Maverick's - the biggest surf waves in the continental U.S. and happens to be our favorite Halloween tradition.

(There's also a Ritz Carlton there that offers pumpkin facials, pumpkin massages, pumpkin wraps, . . . Unfortunately, I couldn't fit that one in this year!)

This is always where we start out. Barbara's Fish Trap. Hole in the wall, right on the water, doesn't accept credit cards (?!!), and the BEST crab sandwiches on earth. The harbor is a 30 second walk away and you can watch them catch crab practically as you eat.

Brik making friends.

This little guy wasn't quite big enough and just walked right off the pier and dropped back into the water.

Here we are!! :)

Gracie and I at our ward party.

It was a good Halloween. :)

Die Hard Dodger Fans

2009-10-19T21:40:00.000-07:00

This is what my house looked like tonight! There's no hope for a Giants fan! Matt surprised the boys last weekend and took them to a Dodger playoff game in LA. They were beyond excited. Ben's favorite part of the game was watching a fan on the big screen sing his heart out to Journey's song, 'Don't Stop Believin'. Thanks to parents that grew up in the 80's - they already have the song on their ipods. :)

Aloha . . .

2009-09-04T22:09:00.000-07:00

I should start this post out by explaining that my Dad is an amazing photographer. He has a huge-er than huge camera that takes beautiful pictures. He took 1600 pictures (we took 500) on this trip to Hawaii and nearly killed the memory on my laptop when I loaded them.

Thanks, Dad, for helping us preserve such great memories.

My Dad was born and raised on Oahu and is our real link to why we love Hawaii so much. We managed to coordinate the schedules of 13 of us and had a great time together.

I'm going to start right out with one of my most favorite places. Remember singing the song, "Puff the Magic Dragon?" "Puff the magic dragon, lived by the sea, and frolicked in the ocean mist in a land called Hanalei. . . " Well - this is Hanalei. It is a little tiny town on the island of Kauai that is so beautiful. It is a bay surrounded by these massive green mountains and filled with fields full of taro patches. It truly is beyond breathtaking.

"us" sitting on the pier

We sat and watched the sun set as Brett and Ben did cannon balls off the end of the pier. You can see their silhouettes.

These are the taro fields.

The pictures don't even do them justice. It is so peaceful when you look out over these valleys.

My awesome sister and her cute family.

Now I know you've belted out a few Beach Boys' songs, and so have we. Remember hearing the words Waimea Bay in "Surfin' USA?" Yep, this is it. Waimea Bay and it is one of Brett and Ben's favorite places. It is a massive rock/cliff to jump off of, a beautiful beach and they LOVE it.

Matt, Brett and Ben. (Notice I'm missing in this picture.)

No thanks.

Doesn't look fun to me.

I enjoyed this view from the beach.
The funny thing about this is that we were all relaxing and watching the boys jump off the rock when this massive rain cloud blew in in matter of seconds and started dumping buckets of rain on us. The "wimpy" ones ( as we were labelled for not going off the cliff) had to sprint across a huge beach to the car with four screaming little ones, towels, cameras, coolers, sand toys. My legs haven't burned like that in ages. Talk to me about wimp. Hmph.

Boogie boarding and body surfing.

Gracie and Kate are best friends. They are three months apart and act more like sisters at times . . . On this trip we saw lots of this ...

The girls . . . shopping.

Our diva.

BG with his girls.

And we also saw a lot of this! :) Feel the love . . .

This is another of our family's favorite spots. If it looks even a tiny bit familiar, it's because it is where the opening scene was filmed for one of the Indiana Jones movies. It is called Kipu Falls and is a place that makes me want to pee my pants. There are no signs to this spot. It is one of those "word of mouth" places that takes you down a dirt road until you see other cars parked near a trail. You hike through sugar cane fields that are 12 feet high all around you until a little oasis opens up and you hear people screaming. There is a small river, a 25 foot cliff, a pond/lake and the scariest rope swing ever. I hate it. The boys in my family LOVE it.

Here's Matt getting some good air.

And Ben taking on the rope swing.

Dad going off the cliff. (I did go off the cliff once. I also have a picture to prove it - but you'd have to offer me a lot of $ to post that one. It wasn't pretty and you'd probably laugh so hard you'd wet your pants. Just thank me for saving you the change of clothes.)

I jump off this rope swing purely for my boys. I want them to think their Mom still has a tiny bit of "cool" in her. They had gone off the swing probably 8 times before I got the courage to even hike over to it.

We are all about "hang time" and who gets the best. I "over hung" on this one. Bummer. Afraid to let go, I guess. Can you see how far down those guys are that are watching. It seriously is scary.

My less than glamorous entry. I'm just glad I didn't die.

If you can, pull this picture up (Julie is going to just love me for this one)and see the expression on her face. It is exactly how you feel the entire time on the dumb thing. Love you Boo!! Please don't do payback!!

Brett jumping off the cliff.

And going off the rope swing.

After all of my nervousness to get the courage to jump, I looked up and saw this Hawaiian dude shimmy up the tree that the rope swing was TIED TO. This crazy guy jumped from the tree branch - probably 80 feet up - and took the trophy for the day. Not going to compete with that one.

I sure love this guy. I couldn't be luckier. Big ol' smooch to you, Matty!

Brik has just about the cutest guy on earth as his partner in crime. Jake and Brik are also 3 months apart and have yet to learn from their big sisters how to rip toys out of each others hands and hoard whatever is within arms reach.

True beach boys!

Looking for a cold one.

Sandy ice kept these guys busy forever! Who would have thought?

BG ( Big Guy) with the little guys!

This cute face never minded being covered in sand.

Mom and Dad with their grand kiddies.

Our fam.

The boys survived an awesome hike along the Napali coastline. They hiked miles into a waterfall that emptied into a freshwater lake that was breathtaking.

Just to give you a perspective at how big the waterfall was! They were able to swim out behind it.

I think this is my favorite picture my Dad took on our trip. No special editing to get this picture. This is what you eyes would have seen if you were hiking with them and standing on this cliff. Amazing.

They made it!

Ben loved "crabbing." He'd be up before the sun to be out on the beach and searching for crabs.

After watching the boys have so much fun with the boogie boards and body surfing, Julie and I decided to join them. We didn't look as smooth as they did - but it was fun!

I love my sister. We joke about her daugher, Kate, having the most amazing expressions on her face. I think we know exactly where she got that trait. What would I do without you Boo!!

I'm in about 8 inches of water here. It is where I feel comfortable letting go of one side of the boogie board and giving the hang loose sign. :)

Here's my brother, Chris, taking a gnarly wave. :)

We love to tease him that this shot should be on Surfer magazine or something or at least as his facebook profile picture. Maybe he'd have a few more girls say yes when he asked them out! (Just kidding Chris!!)

Brett - trying his best to be Uncle Chris.

And Ben right behind him.

Gracie just sat and watched.
We are proud of my cute Mom. She's had a tough year. xoxo. Love you Mom.

That's it . . . until next time.

Alaska!

2009-07-22T21:08:00.000-07:00

Matt took Brett and Ben to Alaska earlier this month. It was their first time joining the big boys. My Dad, and brother, Chris, were in for the week-long adventure as well. Brace yourself. There's a ton of pictures. :)

Killing time in the Seattle airport. A "little" Kodiak grizzly in the airport. Nice. I'm sending my little boys off to a land where these things ROAM????!Don't you love all the cammo luggage? The boys were in heaven already.After Seattle, they flew to Anchorage, then to Dillingham where they caught this float plane to their river camp.Doesn't this remind you of Indiana Jones??!!!Not exactly my idea of a comfy plane ride . . . View of the "camp" from their plane.Unloading after a smooth landing in the river. How cool! I've never done anything like this! I think Matt's afraid to take me - I've thrown up too many times on his "high adventures!" :)Heading to camp and then straight out fishing . . . This is Brett - hooking a 33 pound king salmon!I know this is fuzzy near his face - from what I heard, the fish was freaking out and splashing everything around it. I guess the camera got it too!I've learned that moose are good swimmers.Matt's gorilla!!Go Ben!!I guess this should be rated PG-13 because of this nasty picture. Blood and some would say - violence. My Dad LOVES it. I think it's gross. I kept asking Matt why they didn't wipe the fish off before pictures and he looked at me like I'd grown a third arm.Chris caught the monster of them all. It weighed in at 35 lbs. Way to go Chris! Ben was really bummed because Matt promised $5 to the winner of the heaviest fish. Ben's always in it for the buck.This is Ben's "trophy trout." He was so pumped to have pulled in a 4 1/2 lb. rainbow trout. I, on the other hand, can't stand trout. It was the only fish we ate growing up and all the bones were just too much for me. Blech. I'm completely converted to salmon though!Here's the mess hall . . . yum. They look like they are really enjoying the food don't they? Notice the 4th of July decorations. I think that's pretty neat! Actually, they were eating prime rib, smoked salmon fetuccini, and pork tenderloin while I was home downing mac-n-cheese with Brik and Gracie. Sounds like Jen deserves a few nice meals out. :)The sleeping quarters. Not your Ritz Carlton, but I'm told that they had some sort of heater inside. Fireworks celebrating the 4th that the guides put on - notice how light it is outside -at 11:45pm!!!!Matt tells me he is holding a sockeye. I have no clue what kind of salmon is what, other than I like to eat the king salmon best. :) I'm all about the food.Now this picture just grosses me out (again) -but all the boys think this is the coolest. Here's your science lesson for the day. This is a male sockeye that has already swam upstream and fertilized eggs and is ready to die. That's why it's red. Still gross to me. (You don't want to eat them when they look like this!)I LOVE this picture. All of this salmon is being smoked. Yum!Brett got a nice chunk of smoked salmon to chew on. The boys became pros at skipping rocks. I'm sure those fishing around them loved that. No bat, no ball -who cares?A stick and some rocks and Brett and Ben are happy. . .

I get that "Tom Sawyer/Huckleberry Finn" feel when I see some of these pictures. A cool place to be a boy.

Their plane just landed to take them all home.
Matt, Brett and Ben brought 150 pounds of salmon home to cram in our freezer. We are loving it!

I'm just glad they are home safe and sound -the boys and the salmon. :)

Sure love my boys!!

Gracie Girl!

2009-07-20T22:23:00.000-07:00

This picture just "is" Gracie. A tad bit daredevil with princess flair. Always taking something or someone along for the ride.

After months of spending 2 hours, 5-6 days a week watching her brothers at swim practice, she decided she needed to be ready for swim team next year "when I am 4." Not sure the princess swimsuit will fly at swim practice, but maybe they'll make an exception. :)

Happy Birthday Brik!

2009-07-17T15:36:00.000-07:00

When we decided to name Brik, "Brik," Matt had one hesistation. He was afraid that we would have a little, tiny, scrawny kid with a huge name like Brik. And that just wouldn't work for Matt. I googled the name "Brik Hansen" and only one link came up and it was some guy in Norway or Sweden. (He was cute too - so that was a bonus!) Since almost 90% of our ancestors come from Scandinavia, I figured the name would fit just fine. Brik is the farthest thing from a little, scrawny kid. On his one year check up, he rang in at 34" tall- the biggest of all of our kiddies (and we seem to grow them huge).

With a name like "Brik," what else can you have for your first birthday cake, than a brick? (Or brick wall in our case!)A little help from Gracie and cousin Kate.Can I touch it???A bite for Brik . . . a bite for BG ( aka Big Guy) . . . a bite for Brik . . . a bite for BG Squishy boy - we love you!!!

Happy day . . .

The only girl . . . .

2009-07-14T09:08:00.000-07:00

Growing up the only girl in a house full of boys is bound to bring a few challenges.

One afternoon, I was *gently* reminding the boys about their diligence in keeping the bathroom clean. Of course, I gave them the opportunity to find joy in gloves and Lysol and a huge roll of paper towels and let them "go to work!" You can imagine their excitement!

A few hours later, as I walked by the bathroom, I found it looking like the picture above. Gracie walked in and announced that the bathroom was GROSS and that she now needed to put toilet paper down on the seat because of the BOYS!!! I wish I had a video of the way she waved her arms around as she showed me the disasterous state of the now- clean bathroom.

Watch out boys!! Gracie's mad!!

It's OVER!

2009-07-11T16:48:00.000-07:00

Two days ago - thanks to All Stars - baseball finally ended. Today, the batting cage that fills a huge chunk of our yard, just came down. Aaahhhhhhhhhh. Is it really true?Ben set a goal this year to hit 10 home runs. Here's his favorite picture. He just crushed one and is watching how far it will go.Every day he would talk about meeting his goal and what he needed to do to accomplish it. He managed to head into his last game with seven homeruns under his belt. His first two at bats he hit two more home runs. And the count is at nine. One last at bat and one more homerun to accomplish this 7 month goal. I have to admit I was slipping in a few tiny prayers between innings that he would have the chance to make it. He'd worked so hard! He had an awesome hit but didn't quite hit it far enough. Nine homeruns in one season is awesome, and something to really be proud of, but Ben was bummed. Who wouldn't be? He set a goal and wanted to accomplish it. Seven year old's assume that's how it all works. He's a better kid because of it though. Life's full of those character building little lessons. We'll see what next year holds. He still ranks as my #1 pick for the homerun derby! Love you Ben!!

Who would have thought baseball season could have lasted 5 months????? For as much as I love baseball, I never thought it would actually end.

I spent 6 days a week shuffling the kids from one baseball game or practice to another. My dear Matty coached every single one of those practices and games so he was gone just as much as the boys. We ate more dinners on the run, at the snack shack or at 8pm than I care to remember. I reconfirmed to myself that I'm a nervous Mom. Brett LOVES to pitch and he did well this year.

(Can you see the ball whizzing toward a batter in the top corner of this picture?) I'm a wreck when he's pitching. It all started with the first kid he hit. Matt replied to my anxiety with, "It's part of the game." That didn't make it any easier. Then it lead to the pressure that can come from bases loaded, full count and up by one run and you are the guy throwing the next ball. Nightmare for me. Brett lives for it. Deep down I just want to run out to the mound, pluck him up and run for the hills. :) Run Brett, Run!!! This is more than any nine year old should have to bear! :)
I know it's a mom thing. I'll survive. My boys love every single teeny tiny thing there is to love about baseball. For that reason alone, I will gladly spend the next 16 years at little league parks cheering on my favorite players. Go team!

Fan #1. Can't even count how much Big League Chew she went through this season.

Fan #2. Who whould have thought a baby could learn to crawl and then walk at a baseball park? He's even smart enough to know that the snack shack is a cool place to be. Snow cones were his snack of choice.

Until next year . . .

Hair - glorious HAIR!!!

2009-06-28T23:32:00.000-07:00

Hair. It's been a big topic around our house over the last few months. How long does it take to grow? When should she ditch the wigs? Is it long enough now? How about NOW???? My cute Mom, after months of chemo and radiation for breast cancer, now had HAIR!!!! We think she looks awesome - you'll have to judge for yourself. She now has curls that she never had before!

Dad-Mom - Chris (at BYU)-Me - Julie (my awesome sis) - Joe (her "strong man" husband)

Nine months ago Matt bought some awesome tickets to go see Wicked in San Francisco for the family. As the night approached, I noticed a little anxiety in our home. Brett's baseball team, that Matt was coaching, was winning everything!! They were in first place and their second TOC (Tournament of Champions for all of you without baseball kids) game was the same night as Wicked. Isn't that just great? What to do? Matt coached the game and I took my cute brother as my date. The play started at 8. At 7:58, my phone rang and I got the news that they WON. :) It sure made the play much more enjoyable. Way to go Brett! (I have to share one highlight of the play. Chris went surfing at 5 that morning and crashed half way through. Nice. Hundred dollar tickets and he's snoring next to me! Chris. You owe me!) :)

Don't breakdown - break through!

2009-06-26T14:23:00.000-07:00

This is my new motto. What do you think?

Six weeks since I wrote last. Six weeks of good, bad, fun and not so fun. Mostly busy, rarely slow. Somehow (???) I got overwhelmed, overtired and overdone - but I'm back. :)

It's good to be back. I'm sure Matt agrees. He was putting up quite well with the "stressed-out Me" but I know how tiring that can be. :) Although, I have a cold right now. Thanks a lot Gracie and Brik! As if wiping their noses a hundred times a day isn't enough! It should be against the laws of nature to catch a cold in the summer. I love every single thing that has to do with summer and adding a stuffy, runny nose to it just doesn't fit. I'm downing all the herbs and vitamins in our cupboard. Hope they help!! Any suggestions??

So, what's happened over the last six weeks?

It all started with another funeral. Matt's sweet Grandma, or "3G" as the kids called her, died. That would be our third grandparent to die in the last 6 months. *sigh* Our kids are getting way too comfortable at funerals. We had Brik's picture with her at Easter and then about 2 weeks later she was gone.

She is the reason my kids will be lifelong Dodger fans. (I have yet to convert.) She is the reason that baseball is such a HUGE part of our home.

(the great-granddaughters on the Hansen side)

She always had a dollar in her wallet to give each of our kids and loved to call them cute little "toads." We love and miss her.

One of the grandkiddies accidentally got locked in the car, in a car seat, at the cemetery. A huge fire engine came to the rescue. The kids loved it.

Matt, Mark, Big Mark, DeeDee, Jen and Becca

Cookin' with Marsha

2009-05-04T14:34:00.000-07:00

This is my cute Mom. Right now she looks a little different from this picture. We are celebrating because her hair is finally starting to grow back. She has about a 1/2 inch of hair all over her hear and she looks great!!!

Each year when we go to Hawaii, our favorite place to shop is on the Marine base because you can get AMAZING deals on great clothes. We always come away with some USMC (U.S. Marine Corps) t-shirt or sweat shirt or something. Well, my cute-short haired- Mom was walking around last week with her USMC sweat shirt on and was wig-less. :) Yea Mom! She looked the picture perfect Marine with her short hair and actually had people ask her in awe if she was in the Marines! I need to get a picture of her and post it. You'd be amazed how cute she looks!

Anyway, now to the reason for my post. This is my Mom ( did I already mention that she's cute??) in her kitchen. Her favorite place to be. She is the most amazing cook and loves every second of it. She had her own catering company for years. Unfortunately Julie and I didn't inherit her skill or passion for cooking. (We did inherit the desire to EAT all the yummy things Mom makes but spent most of our growing up years washing all the dishes she messed up!!) She once spent 3 days making a new recipe for dinner. No kidding!! So, Mom gets weekly phone calls from us when some part of our meal is failing or a recipe needs explaining. Usually she is in hysterics as she answers our lame questions. We love her for being our culinary encyclopedia. :) BUT, when we are able to wow her with one of our own recipes, it is a true feeling of euphoria.

Julie ( a.k.a. Wonder woman) wowed us all with an awesome meal. I'm sharing the recipe below. It is a definite keeper. Enjoy!!

Cafe Rio Sweet Pork

4 lbs pork roast
5 (8-oz) cans tomato sauce
3 cloves garlic
3 cups brown sugar
4 tsp. cumin
4 cups Dr. Pepper
4 TBSP molasses
1/2 tsp. salt
pepper to taste

Cook in crock pot on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours. Shred meat an hour or two before finished and then let finish cooking in sauce. Use this meat in burritos, salads, sandwiches--- whatever!

We did pork salads. We got the flour tortillas at Costco that you cook yourself. Put cooked tortilla on a plate. Pile plenty of lettuce next, then the sweet pork, black beans, lime rice, shredded cheese, tomatoes and Cilantro-Ranch Salad Dressing. The recipe for the lime rice and the dressing is below:

Lime Rice

2 Tbsp. Butter
1 1/4 Cup uncooked rice
2 1/4 cups chicken broth
3/4 tsp salt
1 large lime
2 TBSP chopped cilantro
1/4 tsp cumin

In a skillet, melt butter with rice, add liquid and other ingredients, bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and cook for 20 minutes. (Or if you have a rice cooker, dump it all in the cooker and adjust the liquid according to your cooker's instructions),

Cilantro -Ranch Salad Dressing

1 1/3 cups sour cream
3/4 cups mayonnaise
1/2 bunch cilantro
1 pkg ranch dressing mix
4 TBSP Salsa Verde
2 cloves garlic
1/8 tsp Tabasco
1 lime, juiced

Mix together in food processor or blender

YUM!

Go BEN!!!!

2009-04-29T22:40:00.000-07:00

When we were in Provo, the boys wanted to go see the baseball field because they are both planning on playing for BYU. :) I don't know why it was open, but we walked right in and were able to head right down on the field. We probably shouldn't have - but it was "soo cool" according to the guys! They peeked in the dugout and the mysterious "other side of the dugout." (There's actually a huge batting cage in there as well as the locker room!)

They even took a few practice swings with a bat left in the dugout and "ran" the bases - just to get a feel for the field. :)

It must have been lucky because Ben crashed 2 home runs in his game today! Way to go Ben!!! BYU - here we come!!

We love skiing!!

2009-04-24T16:07:00.000-07:00

I started learning to ski when I was 6 years old. We were living in Germany at the time. My rather vivid memories are of my Mom and Dad dropping me off at all day ski school where no one spoke a word of English. I hated it. I cried. I hated it. I was furious that they abandoned me!! I hated it. (Poor Julie was only a 6 month old and they left her with some random German nanny! Nice guys!!) My Dad now laughs when I remind him of the torture he put me through. He loves to remind me that I learned to ski in the Alps. No 6 year old cares one whit about that. He and my Mom were in similar classes of their own, learning to ski. Now, in hindsight, I'm so glad that I learned when the distance from my rear to the snow was much closer than it is today. Thanks Dad. I forgive you.

Fast forward to the next time I was living in a land of snow. Utah. BYU. Matt had never had much of an opportunity to ski because he was so involved with basketball and basketball coaches that wouldn't allow him to ski. I think the first time we skied together was Matt's second or third time in his life. I was LOVING it. It was the one and only sport that I could whip him in. Needless to say, the competitive Matt didn't love that so much.

We've had lots of practice since then, but still fondly recall the wipeout of '97. It was one of those falls that you see on tv that makes you grab your eyes and peek through your fingers. Thankfully, it wasn't me. Poor Matt. If only I had video. He managed a triple back flip, double cartwheel, back handspring, and finished it off with a wicked roundoff. All the while he left a trail of glasses, gloves, hat, poles, skies, granola bars, prayers, a scarf, chapstick and a few choice words from the top to the bottom of the mountain. I giggle each time I think of it.

Fast forward to two weeks ago. All of the above feelings were replayed when we took Brett and Ben to Alta for a beautiful day of skiing. Someday they'll thank us.

Happy Easter!

2009-04-17T18:11:00.000-07:00

You can see who gets all the attention at our home!

the boys

All 10 cousins!

Easter Sunday in Utah

2009-04-17T17:31:00.000-07:00

We started early with Easter baskets in the morning before church. The Easter bunny didn't visit until after we got home. Gotta love 11 am church!!Brik is pumped to get his See's chocolate egg! So is his Dad!

You can imagine the flurry of activity to get all these bodies dressed for church in a hour! But look what turned out . . .

Gracie still doesnt' really "get" the crazy pictures. She likes to strut her stuff on her own! :)

Go girl.

Now home from church, the kids were all ready for the easter egg hunt! The little kiddies were out first and the older crew had to wait a few minutes. They smiled nice for this picture but 3 seconds later I took the next picture! :)

After making sure everyone had an equal amount of eggs the kids started cracking them open. One of the coolest things about this group of cousins is the "Candy-Soda Bet" they are all on. They have almost gone an entire year without candy. There are a few days off (like Halloween, Christmas, Easter and birthdays) but other than that, these kids haven't had a bite of candy or a can of soda all year! (Don't worry, cookies, cake, ice cream and popsicles are still legal and consumed in large quantities at our home.) They get rewarded with a wad of cash if they make it and I'm sure they will. It's a fun thing to do, knowing your cousins in Idaho and Utah are doing the same thing! Way to go guys we are proud of you!!

Guess who eats all of the candy at our house now . . .

Coloring Eggs

2009-04-17T17:20:00.000-07:00

Jameson, Brett, Jake and Ben
Savy, Gracie and Jameson

McCall, JJ and Savy

The onlooker . . . maybe next year!

The best part about Utah!

2009-04-17T17:13:00.000-07:00

The best part about Utah . . . COUSINS!

Our kids are in heaven when they are with their cousins! The kids just wanted to hang out all day, every day!
The bunk room is often the last to fall asleep . . .
Monsters vs. Aliens in 3D!

our BESTEST friends!!

2009-04-17T17:00:00.000-07:00

One of the FIRST things we did when we got to Utah was visit our bestest friends . . . the Ostler's! We sure love you guys!!

Brett and Andrew ( 2 months apart), Justy and Ben ( 3 months apart), Ellie and Gracie ( 3 months apart), now we think they need a 4th so Brik has a buddy!

Brett and Andrew met in swim lessons at 2 years old and had the most amazing connection! We are all sure they were buddies in heaven. In fact, they often referred to each other as, "My brother from another mother!" :) They still consider each other best friends and are hoping to room together at BYU and then head off on missions to the same location so they can be companions together . . .Who knows . . . Justin and Ben were nicknamed "Trouble One and Trouble Two" when they were just a few months old! They are peas in a pod and love all the same things - army, guns, Wii and especially blue ice cream!!

Ellie and Gracie had a fun time getting to know each other all over again. Obviously they took to each other quite well!

Not the way you want to start your day.

2009-04-04T16:25:00.000-07:00

Setting: 7:30 am in Matt and Jen's bedroom. Gracie is on the floor watching cartoons. Enter Matt.

Gracie: Dad, where'd you go?
Matt: Out running.
Gracie: Why?
Matt: So I can keep up with you when you are 15.
Gracie: (chuckling) Dad, I'm almost 16!
Matt: (scared speechless, had no response)

The Painted Ladies

2009-04-03T23:23:00.000-07:00

We've had a million butterflies pass through our backyard over the last week. It's been just amazing! We counted well over a hundred in a matter of about 3 minutes. We read about them and found out that they are all headed north to Washington. What's so great about Washington? Why not stay here? I like butterflies in our backyard. Gracie, who's been around boys maybe a touch too much, had no qualms about catching one, and then showing it to anyone that would listen, while the wings where frantically fluttering about. Didn't bother her one bit. Nice job Grace. You made your brothers proud.

Baseball!!

2009-04-03T23:05:00.000-07:00

I love baseball season. I know lots of moms out there just dread this time of year. Not me. I can hardly wait to be out in the sun on beautiful Saturdays and warm evenings during the week. I love sitting on a blanket, on the grass, cheering my guys on. I love watching little guys make great catches and then watching their dads lose all control and yell, "That's my boy!!" I love the chance to learn inner grit when you've struck out three times in a row and then have to walk back to the dugout and hold in the tears, and head right back out on the field. I love the snack shack. Yep, I do. I love how my boys can talk for hours about line ups and discuss who should play where. I love hearing them promise each other that when they are in the "bigs" (aka major league baseball) they will only sign a contract if they can go together. I think that's my favorite.

I don't love the nervous belly I get each time Brett walks out to the pitching mound. I'm a wreck inside for him even though I know he loves it. I don't love that the first two Saturdays were absolutely FREEZING. We called it "Utah cold." Not good. I don't love that my sweet Matty is just exhausted from coaching two baseball teams for the 4th year in a row. Poor guy is just pooped at night! Thank heavens he loves baseball too!Don't you love that these are the only two pictures I got of our first two weeks of baseball. Not one picture of Brett, Ben or Coach Matt. I'll do better. I have LOTS of baseball games to watch . . .

The EBF-25!

2009-04-03T22:42:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Ben!!Ben had two major requests for his birthday this year. He wanted an EBF-25 and an afternoon at Boomers. Have you ever heard of the EBF-25? It is THE most powerful Nerf gun on the market (according to Ben). The thing requires 6 D batteries so you can imagine just how heavy it is. It fires about 30 bullets, nonstop, and brings the greatest smile to Ben's face. He thrills in hiding behind corners and the opening fire as you come near him. Every single visitor that comes to our door has been showerd with bullets as a welcome. It's lovely.Even Gracie has learned how to handle it now and she's a pretty good shot. Boomers is a go-cart, miniature golf, video game, laser tag type of place. Tuesdays are the day to go! We were the ONLY people there for most of the day and Ben was in heaven.I even got a few rounds of laser tag in. I think it was the first time in my life that I've played laser tag and I loved it. Of course it was just Brett, Ben and me in there, running around like crazy and shooting each other. I think I would have been scared to death if there were other people in there!

Matt and Gracie rode this a hundred times while we played laser tag. Gracie could have gone another hundred!

We finished the day off with Ben's choice for dessert, flan!! (What 7 year old wants flan for his birthday?) We love you, Ben!!!

I guess it was a bad hair day. I didn't know.

2009-03-23T22:30:00.000-07:00

Tonight as we were saying our final "good nights" to all the kiddos, I walked into Brett's room and sat down on his bed. He put his hand on my arm and gently said, "Mom, I hope tomorrow is a better hair day for you!" :) Didn't know it was a bad hair day. I wish he had told me a little earlier!

Yes, I was driving and yes, I took the picture!

2009-03-19T15:55:00.000-07:00

So when was the last time you were able to hit 120 mph and actually had your camera ready to prove it? I'd say it was a pretty good day for me! :) Yes, I was driving when I took this picture. Yes, it was last week! We were late for scouts!
What do you think? My boys LOVED it!

Now, to explain. (Just don't tell the police . . . ) My speedometer has been a little fritzy lately. Often times, when it's early and cold outside and we are racing down the freeway late to church, my speedometer would read 20 mph, my car would be going about 70 mph ( i think!) and my heart would be racing 100 mph. We were completely out of sync. I think my car was trying to tell me something. :)

During a leisurely drive on a warm afternoon, my speedometer clocked in at 120. Ca-ching. I was hoping I'd hit 120!! The funny thing was that my heart rate was much slower! What was up?

I've come to a rather profound conclusion. And no, it's not because my awesome-retired-police-detective-father-in-law got me out of a ticket a few months ago! My speedometer was working then! Life wants us to slow down. I actually like not knowing how fast everyone else is going. I find myself driving UNDER the speed limit which is not normal for me! Why is that? It's funny. I think I'm enjoying things a little more and am not so prone to race around. I still have a million places to go and get all the kids to, but the "getting there" seems to be more fun.

I'm sure we'll fix it soon, but for now, I'm enjoying the slow lane . . . Try it sometime! Just cover your speedometer for a quick trip to the grocery store. (Although I'll deny that I ever recommended it!) Let me know how it goes . . .

The first mow of the season! Wahoo!

2009-03-14T21:35:00.000-07:00

Brett is usually our "mow-to" guy when it comes to the front and backyard. Gracie wanted to help out so Matt and Gracie performed the first mow of the season. Wahoo! Could it be getting warmer?

As I watched Gracie push the mower around the yard with Matt, it quickly reminded me of a Saturday around Father's Day when I was in junior high school. Being the oldest, my Dad taught me to mow the lawn, and it was much better than pulling weeds, so I liked it. Julie and I were out in the yard arguing over who was going to pull the weeds, as I was mowing the lawn. This was supposed to be a Father's Day gift for Dad. What a laugh. I ended up mowing off every sprinkler head and my Dad spent the whole day digging up the lawn and repairing my mess. He never asked me to mow the lawn again. :)

When was the last time you hit Lombard Street?

2009-03-14T19:41:00.000-07:00

When was the last time you hit Lombard Street? Forget the curvy road, I have a new reason for you to go!

It's been a while since we've hit San Fran and boy are we glad we did! We left the babes at home and thanks to Dad's planning, we celebrated Mom's completion of chemo! We had to wait a few weeks because she was so wiped out and sick from it all - but it was worth the wait.

This one is a keeper! Wow. Deelish. Fantastic. Yum. Mouth watering. A definite do over. Can you tell I like to eat? Crab and mussels that my kids would devour. That's why we didn't take them! :)

Are they smiling because the kids are home with a babysitter or because the food is so good? Thanks, Dad, for planning such a fun night and creating a great memory. Love you!

Is spring really here?

2009-03-09T21:56:00.000-07:00

All of our fruit trees are blooming!! Yeah!
Could winter (pleeeeze) be over??

Like Mother, Like Daughter

2009-03-09T21:33:00.001-07:00

I have a very clear memory of sitting back in the dental chair as a kid and sobbing. I had so many tears streaming down my face that my ears filled up! Not great when your Dad is the dentist. Fast forward to today. I felt like I was reliving it all over again.

Both boys zipped in and out, got their teeth cleaned and. . . . dum dum dum . . . no cavities!!! A huge feat for our family! Last up was Gracie, and things weren't quite as smooth. As Matt walked out to get her, she looked up at him and announced she wasn't getting her teeth cleaned and then clenched her mouth shut. Nice. Tears, more tears, (no bribery though!) and then finally my Dad walked over and asked if HE could see her teeth. She opened right up. I wish I could have captured the victorious smile my Dad gave Matt! :)

We survived.

Brik is ready to go!

Ben wants muscles!

2009-03-05T15:32:00.000-08:00

We celebrated Mom's birthday this last weekend at one of our favorite restaurants, Maggiano's. One word - YUM.

Mom has 4 more weeks of radiation and we are all counting down!

Ben has been into his muscles lately. He likes to check them out in the mirror. One of the appetizers at the restaurant happened to be mussels. For some reason I think Ben connected muscles with mussels and managed to put down 50 of them! Thankfully it is family style eating and they bring out as much as you'd like. By the 3rd bowl, the waiter just put it in front of Ben. He's looking stronger to me already.

Gracie liked the pasta and the dessert was my favorite. Their apple crostata is just to die for.

Happy birthday Mom. Love you.

I said I'd never do it again. I lied.

2009-03-02T11:31:00.000-08:00

After a particularly rough visit to the grocery store, I vowed I'd never go again with all four kiddos. Too many bodies, too many "Mom, can we get this?," and just hard for me to think. (My brain is slowly shrinking, so it seems to take more energy for me to focus . . . )

Last week we were totally out of food, so I loaded everyone up and away we went. I was desperate. We overfilled the cart so full that I actually had to hold Brik and fill the baby seat with the last few items. I'm sure you get a great visual of that one.

When we got home, I stood in the kitchen emptying bags while the kids unloaded the car. Suddenly I started finding random items that I did NOT put in our cart. Uh oh! Maybe I ended up with some other person's food?? No such luck. Gracie comes waltzing in with her princess dress on and says, "Oh, there's my food."

Great. Somehow, Gracie was able to sneak in 5 rather large items in the shopping cart. I had NO clue. Shows how aware I am of my kids. When was the last time you bought Cheeseburger Macaroni Hamburger Helper???? I think it's the first time in our 15 years of marriage that I've bought one. Yuck! (If you honestly like the stuff - I'm sorry!)

The boys think she's a great shopper and are loving the extra snacks she added. She is a true girl. Loves to shop no matter where we are. I have a feeling this won't be the first time she introduces me to "new" things.

My Joke.

2009-03-02T11:30:00.001-08:00

How do you make a tissue dance?

You put a little boogie in it! :)

Tell this one to your kiddos they will love it.

Joke-of-the-day!

2009-02-26T22:44:00.000-08:00

Mornings at our home usually begin with groans and moans. I homeschool our kiddos, so breakfast and school and twenty other things are often happening at the same time. Each night I create a list for each kid of the things they need to accomplish the following day. (Yes, I LOVE lists. ) After tiring of the moans and groans I heard each morning, I decided to add a "joke of the day" on each of their "to do" lists. What a difference a dumb joke can make to a kid! Usually the boys are rolling their eyes at how corny they are, but it certainly changes our morning mood.

I always wanted to be one of those people that could just rattle off a few witty jokes. No such luck. I forget them as fast as I hear them. I did commit one to memory though so I have "a joke." It's my favorite.

How do you make a tissue dance???

Chili Picante Corn Nuts con Limon

2009-02-24T22:41:00.000-08:00

I made a conscious decision a few days ago to focus on my own reaction to the world around me. No one makes me frustrated or upset or stressed. That is MY reaction to what is going on. (Thanks Caroline for getting me thinking . . . )

So, I tried really hard today to "act" instead of "react." I was doing great all day long until it got to be about 8:30 p.m. I was sitting here at the computer with my two sweet boys not far away. The other item not far away was a big bag of corn nuts. Anyone had a corn nut lately?

As I was sitting here, typing away, both boys were within a few feet and were eating corn nuts at lightning speed. The noise could have awakened the dead. I slowly felt my irritation level rise from my stomach, up to my chest and on up to my neck. I tried so hard to swallow it down and failed miserably. Thankfully the boys just laughed at my frustration and started chomping even louder. I'm back in control, hopefully tomorrow will be better.

It's going to be a long time before I buy another bag of corn nuts.

"What do you do?"

2009-02-22T23:46:00.000-08:00

Matt and I went out this weekend with some of his best friends while in high school. He hasn't seen them in almost 20 years. It was a couple from his home stake that dated while in high school and married shortly after he returned from a mission.

I completely enjoyed our dinner. We ate in Berkeley right on the bay. It was beautiful. I learned little tidbits about Matt that I didn't know. :) The food was yummy and the conversation easy. That is, until one question was asked. It stopped me in my tracks.

I'll give you a little background first. This pretty woman knew that I stayed home with our kiddos. She has 5 kids of her own and is home with them! She is active in their schools and church, runs marathons, and plays sports. She is a happy person.

Now, back to the question. She leaned over the table and asked, "So, what do you do?"

Sounds simple and innocent enough. What do I do? Do you know how your brain can run a millions miles a minute and at the same time feel like you are trudging through waist deep snow? That was me. I immediately pictured myself running from the stove to the laundry to the phone to the bathroom to help a little one and back to pick up a crying babe back to the stove and then to the fridge and then running out the door to move the wash to the dryer back to the fridge ( this time for me) and then off to change a diaper only to realize the new diaper is now dirty and change another diaper and then running to the wash to start a new load and then to the calendar and realize the missionaries are coming for dinner tonight and back to the fridge to see what we had on hand and maybe check and see if any of you have sent a hello on my email . . . You get the picture.

Then the "trudging through waist-deep snow" part of my brain sat in a stupor and thought, "What do I do???"

I can't remember what I answered but it's stuck with me for the last 2 days. What do I do?

I've refocused a bit and now I have a list a mile long.
I do a lot.
And it's good stuff.

I dare you to ask me again.

What's your mission statement?

2009-02-15T23:12:00.000-08:00

When Matt and I were sophomores at BYU, we were in the same ward and had a fantastic bishop by the name of Stephen Covey (he was the oldest son of the famous author). It was 2 years after the well know book, "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" had hit the bestsellers list. Our bishop took 3 months and put a few of us through the leadership course that was taught at the Covey Leadership Center. Matt and I were fortunate to be in that group. It was terrific.

Fast forward to now. I saw the above book in a bookstore and thought it would be great to read. The idea of the book is to teach young children the 7 Habits and implement it in their lives. Easy, right? I finished the book this weekend and was excited to put it into action. In the last chapter, the construction of a family mission statement is discussed. Decided where you want your family to go and how you want to get there and put it into a statement. I was excited. This was going to be great. We needed a family mission statement. (I tend to get a touch over-excited about things like this.)

I was talking about it to Matt and the kids were wandering in and out as we were discussing it. Brett came in and asked, "Hey, don't we already have a family mission statement?" I started to think that we had already done this and I'd completely forgotten. This was entirely possible the way my brain has been working lately. Just as I was about to pat myself on the back, I asked him if he remembered our statement. "Oh, sure," he said. "Don't be an idiot."

Matt was eating a bowl of cereal at the time and I thought he would have milk come out of his nose he was laughing so hard. Me and my grand ideas.

Isn't that nice? Our family mission statement is "Don't be an idiot." Short. Sweet. To the point. At least they won't forget it.

I think I need a new book.

David and Goliath

2009-02-12T20:21:00.000-08:00

Ever since Ben learned about the story of David and Goliath, he's been begging for a slingshot. How cool to have the power to take down a giant with the flick of your wrist. This last Christmas, we finally gave in - with ONE condition. Instead of firing the bb's that come with a slingshot, ( can you say neighbor's broken windows??!!), we insisted on marshmallows to be the bullet of choice. He reluctantly agreed and has blanketed our yard in white as he worked on his aim.

We have a squirrel in our backyard that is bordering on obese, thanks to all of the fruit he enjoys from our trees. Lately, he's been picking oranges, balancing them on the fence and enjoying lunch.

Can you see where this is heading?? Yesterday, Ben came tearing into the house, pumping his fist in the air and with a huge grin, yelled, "I nailed him!!!!" Yep. Ben managed to pluck the squirrel in the head with his slingshot and a marshmallow. He sees himself as a modern day David taking down one giant at a time. . .

Can I make a suggestion?

2009-02-09T16:01:00.001-08:00

Can I make a suggestion? Cracker and cheese packs don't make good snacks for church.

Should I explain? Yesterday was one of those days I desperately wished Matt sat with us at church. We were late getting out of the house, so I was throwing granola bars and cereal in bags for "breakfast on the go." (No, I don't consider crackers and cheese a breakfast option. Gracie snuck them in the church bag!) Not long into the meeting, Brik became his usual busy and noisy self and on top of that, we were sitting in a quite crowded row, which didn't help. You know when you get itchy/sweaty because everyone is just too close. I was there. No elbow room.

I stood up with Brik in the back of church, not far away, so I could keep an eye on the three other kiddos sitting alone. Gracie came back and stood by me for a short while and then decided she wanted her sippy cup. I watched her walk back to our row, pick up her milk and then disappear. Not good. A few seconds went by and she didn't reappear and I happened to notice the people around her looking in the aisle. I figured out I better check out what was going on and as I rounded the corner, Gracie was sitting in the middle of the aisle with bright orange cheese all over her hand, face and the bottom of her shoe. She was holding her shoe in the air as if she didn't know what to do. She found her cheese and crackers.

Of course the wipes were at the bottom of the church bag and as I went to get them and bring Gracie back to our row, Ben dropped his bag of cereal ( breakfast!!!) and "Oh's" rolled everywhere. While this was happening, Brik was pulling my hair, squealing and trying to squirm out of my arms. It was lovely. Remember, we are sitting in a tight row with NO elbow room. Can you just get a visual of the circus we created yesterday? I took a split second to glace at Matt, sitting calmly, listening to the speaker. . . completely oblivious to my chaos. I just hope we put a smile on someone's face yesterday. Maybe they pointed out to their children how not to act in church. For that, you are welcome. Glad I could help. Next week it's your turn.

Rollerskating anyone?

2009-02-06T17:03:00.000-08:00

From the above pictures, I'm sure you can get an idea of how lame we are at roller skating. We gave it a shot though! Actually, I take that back. Matt is great at roller skating. All he needed was a walkman clipped to his belt and some fuzzy headphones along with a really cool headband and he would have owned that rollerskating rink.

Gracie was actually better than Brett. He came off the rink after an especially bad fall and announced that his butt was bleeding. When we got home, he kept complaining about his sore rear end. After a little more investigating, we discovered a huge bruise! Poor guy!

Brett and Ben's buddies who were also skating with us. Ben named Kyle the "professional."

We escaped without any broken bones. Miracle.

A Little Princess Time . . .

2009-02-06T16:51:00.000-08:00

Gracie doesn't get too much princess time around our home. She can do some wicked damage with a light saber, but was thrilled to leave that behind and go to her cousin Cammie's princess party. Gracie and Cousin KatePinata time. I'm proud to say that Gracie took a pretty good swing! She's certainly had enough practice with all the baseball around our home!

Thanks, Cammie for a great day!

Anyone need a NAP?

2009-02-02T16:51:00.000-08:00

I am a sucker for gimmicks. I love them. Matt, on the other hand, hates them. He is convinced they are a waste of money and time. I'm always willing to give them a chance.

We were flying home from somewhere that I can't remember, and I was flipping through the Skymall magazine. I love the stuff they have in there. So many neat ideas that I'd love to fill my house with, from cobweb cleaners to garage organizers. I found a full page add on the "Powernap." Anything with the word "nap" catches my attention. I read the first line and was hooked. It said, "Get a 3 hour nap in 20 minutes!" Just what I need.

I leaned over and mentioned to Matt that I would just LOVE something like this for Christmas. (Sleep seems the be the one thing that takes a major hit in my life when things are busy. ) He just laughed at me, rolled his eyes and told me that those things never work. I sort of believed him, but just hoped . . . Christmas came and went and I forgot about my coveted Powernap. About two weeks after Christmas, Matt got home from work and with a huge grin on his face, tossed me a brown envelope. I opened it up and waaalaaaaaa . . . POWERNAP! My knight in shining armor pulled through! :)

Now, I'm sure you are wondering, " Does it work???" I can only give you my opinion. I LOVE it, although I'm pretty easy to please. Every time I've used it, I am out cold and in a deep, deep sleep. I wake up feeling good. Maybe it's because I'm pooped and just needed a plain old nap. Maybe it's because it really does synchronize my REM's and puts me in a deep restful sleep for 20 minutes. All I know is that it works for me, and when I'm exhausted, I can find 20 minutes in my day to refresh. Yea!

(Matt's used it and he reluctantly agreed that it actually might work!!)

Think I'll go take a nap . . . :)

Cute Buns

2009-02-02T16:45:00.000-08:00

Why are little buns so cute? I've never had a kid LOVE the bath as much as Brik. He starts shaking with excitement at just the mention of a bath. Can a kid named Brik actually be a good swimmer? We think so.

Forget fashion, we are all about function!

2009-01-26T15:58:00.000-08:00

See that car in the lead with what looks like band-aids on it? Yep, that's ours! Matt and Brett worked for hours getting his car "just right." Paint, axels, wheels, stickers, weights, (and a few things I'm sworn to secrecy about) . . . I could go on and on. They weighed this car over and over to get it just perfect. It was hand carried in a ziploc bag -UPSIDE DOWN - to the derby. I'm not sure why it had to be upside down - maybe I'm giving away another secret. Who knows? Matt was going to meet us there, straight from work.

We arrived, checked the car in, and it was weighing way too light!! Brett started freaking out. I knew Matt would be dying as well. I whipped out my wallet, dumped out a load of quarters and started taping them to the top of the car. All that time getting the car "just right" and now it's got a load of quarters taped to the top. So much for the paint job! We were all about function at that point. A quick call to Matt, who was stuck in traffic, just got me giggling. I thought he would have a heart attack as he tried to reach us.

Cheering Brett's car on!

Amazingly, he ended up with first place! Wahoo Brett! I kind of like to think that a few band aids and some extra weight can make you a real winner! If it's good for a car, why not people? Think I'll go have a cookie! :)

It all started with a bb gun . . .

2009-01-16T16:26:00.000-08:00

Ben can talk all day, every day, about hunting. He is planning to go to Africa and go "Big Game Hunting." I think the Outdoor Channel is on our tv way too much.

Brett is a great shot, but doesn't like touching whatever he's shot. Matt about died when he asked for hand santizer after holding a duck. I was a proud mom when I heard that one. Way to go Brett!

The boys have gone down numerous times this winter to go "hunting." The first time they went, they didn't get a thing, so they decided to shoot up Ben's hat. It was a cammo Giants hat so those dumb Dodger fans didn't even blink at it. This poor hat had a hundred bb holes in it and now is a trophy in our home. On their last hunt, they were a little more successful. We had to eat duck and dove. Blech. Not my idea of a good meal but the boys LOVED it.

Christmas Day!

2009-01-16T16:08:00.001-08:00

New hats - with hair included!!

Breakfast . . .

Everyone LOVES Uncle Chris!

Notice the "boys" are playing with their new

Christmas present.

Santa visits on Christmas Eve!!

2009-01-16T12:39:00.000-08:00

Santa took time out of a busy evening to visit us on Christmas Eve!

Serious body language!!

Grandee and Choka Save the Day!

2009-01-16T11:25:00.000-08:00

Grandee and Choka came out and saved the day! We were in the middle of so much yuck in the month of December. They came out for a few days to bring us some happiness and gave me a chance to start shopping! Thank you soo much!! We love you!!

BYU fans!! New BYU shirts for everyone!!

So far, I think Matt has enjoyed this one just as much, if not more than the boys!

Oakland Temple at Christmas

2009-01-11T00:23:00.000-08:00

I guess I have a lot of favorite family traditions, because this is another one. Each year, we go to get awesome pizza at this great place called Pyzano's and then head up to the temple.We love to hear Richard King sing Christmas songs in the interstake center, see the lights and the visitor's center. It is always such a wonderful way to feel the spirit of Christ during Christmas.

Julie was worried that someone had eaten all of her pineapple and ham pizza! Don't worry Julie. We saved you a piece. :)

Sweet Nans

2009-01-10T23:59:00.000-08:00

This is my Sweet Nana. We call her Nans. She is famous in our family for her lasagna, her "telling it to you straight," her brains and most importantly, her unconditional love and protection for her family. She pretty much was the most perfect grandma you could think of. She always had cookies for us in her cookie jar. We had sleepovers and made forts in her backyard. (She didn't even care if we used her good sheets!) She still adored us even though we hid all of her cigarettes she had packed to take on a cruise. (We thought she should quit!) She sent us little bits of cash and told us to keep a stash for a rainy day. "It's good for the soul," she used to say. She could play double solitaire with us for hours and she never let us win! She called and left I love you messages on our answering machine. I loved conversations that began, "Swear you won't breath a word!" and then she'd continue to tell me some bit of juicy Nana gossip. She taught us how to cook. We always joked that Mom had us washing dishes all the time so we never got a chance to learn anything. Nana corrected that. She taught me how to forgive and how to love. She gave me my Mom. She loved me. She loved my kids. She taught me how to decide who I am and have the strength to back it up. I love her.

She died three weeks ago. Cancer that was diagnosed six days before. Two days before she died, I had the chance to spend and afternoon with her. I treasure that time. We talked about a lot of things, but what I remember most was that she told me she loved me, and I did the same to her. We ended with the phrase we always said good bye with, "Love you more than you know." Nana. I love you more than you know. Thank you for loving me.

The Greatest Love Story EVER!

2009-01-10T22:22:00.000-08:00

I swear this story will be a movie some day. Wish I was a better story teller, but here goes.

The picture above is of my Tutu and Grandpa. (Tutu means Grandma in Hawaiian.) They met in Logan, Utah while attending Utah State University, at the rollerskating rink. They started dating and became skating partners on a travelling team. (We still have their original roller skates!)

It was 1941 and war time. My Grandpa was Forestry major and was drafted. He said good bye to Tutu, promised he would write, and was sent to Pearl Harbor. At that time, you worked 7 days on and had one day off. Grandpa had been on Oahu for 7 days, and had his first day of leave. It was December 7, 1941. He and a friend took their cameras and decided to see "paradise" on their first day off.

They were taking pictures of taro patches, green mountains and beautiful beaches. They were also photographing planes flying above. It didn't take long to realized they weren't our planes and that bombs were being dropped from those planes. Grandpa and his friend hid in a ditch and took pictures of the Japanese planes flying in to bomb Pearl Harbor. (He kept his film for years before he developed it, because he knew it would have been confiscated. )

He and Tutu sent many edited letters back and forth for two years. Grandpa tried desperately to get clearance for her to come to Hawaii but it was denied over and over again. Only wives of soldiers were being brought over. The military didn't want any distractions for it's soldiers. Finally, after a vow to marry this sweet girl, he was given the ok to bring her over. Grandpa proposed in a letter and Tutu said yes.

She was born and raised in Logan, Utah and had never left that valley. She packed her bags, boarded a train and travelled to San Francisco. She waited for days in San Francisco, each day, checking in at the Ferry Building to see if the Navy Cargo ship to Honolulu had arrived. It was war time and that kind of info was top secret. When the boat finally arrived, she was one of a handful of women ( and the only single woman) on a cargo ship filled with hundreds of sailors, travelling to Hawaii.

When the cargo ship arrived at Pearl Harbor, Grandpa was there to meet her. They hadn't seen each other in two years. They had two days to get married or Tutu was going back. Military orders. In her trunk was the wedding dress that she had made and a few other belongings. It was the beginning of a completely new life for her.

When they married, Tutu had to fulfill a 2 year commitment to the Navy in return for bringing her over. She worked as a secretary and Grandpa was working in the Navy shipyard. They were also discovering the magic of Hawaii that still is with our family today. Two years later, my Dad was born.

Grandpa made huge, beautiful balsa wood surfboards and spent much of his time out in the ocean. He swears he was in the water when Duke was surfing. (If you've been to Hawaii, you've probably eaten at Duke's restaurant- one of the most famous old-time surfers.) He does have a bunch of pictures of Duke in his photo album. Isn't he cool? (He's holding an eel!)

Tutu and Grandpa had all three of their kids in Hawaii and lived on the islands for about 15 years. Their kids learned to swim in the Pacific Ocean. They were asked not to wear shoes to school because not all the kids had them. They traded their peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for rice balls at lunch.

Tutu and Grandpa spend the rest of their married life along the California coast. They served a mission together and spent most of their time visiting their kids and grandkids. About 14 years ago Tutu developed Alzheimer's disease and Grandpa spent many years tirelessly loving and caring for her. He was a wonderful example to our entire family of how a devoted husband truly loves his wife. Tutu died 7 years ago.

Grandpa, 89, was living in San Diego. He drove a convertible, had a trainer at the gym, and loved to drive to the ocean to watch the surfers. Two months ago he bought a time share with the anticipation of many years to enjoy it. Talk about optimism. That was one trait of his I love! Three days after Thanksgiving, Grandpa suddenly died.

Thankfully, my Dad drove all night and was at his side. Grandpa was in a coma, but Dad had each of us talk to him over the phone before they removed his life support. It was a Sunday morning, early, and I was trying to get all the kids ready for church. It was a morning I won't forget. What do you say to someone in a minute that has had such a grand impact on your life? Grandpa died 10 minutes later. His temple recommend expired that day. We found a love letter he had written Tutu on the top of his nightstand, with her picture on it. He is a man I love and admire. I'm proud to be his granddaughter. He loved this country, loved the Lord and adored his family. I am thrilled that he and Tutu are concluding the greatest love story ever, in the best way possible, they are together.

Comfort

2009-01-10T18:52:00.000-08:00

How do you help your Mom, when she's going through Chemotherapy? That's a question we've all been asking. It is really a helpless feeling for me. I wish there was some way I could take away some of her nausea, pain, itching, dizzyness, worry, . . . It hurts me to see her hurt.

We had just returned from cutting down our Christmas trees and were all downstairs at Mom and Dad's. We were eating Togo's sandwiches and trying not to disturb Mom. Suddenly Julie and I realized that Kate and Gracie were awfully quiet and so we started the search. Usually they are trying on lip glosses in a makeup drawer. We found them quietly cuddled up in Mom and Dad's bed loving Mom the best way they knew how. It was a little piece of heaven in the room that evening.

Christmas Tree Chopping in Santa Cruz

2009-01-10T16:49:00.000-08:00

The best part about the day after Thanksgiving around our home has nothing to do with shopping. We always spend the day in the Santa Cruz mountains searching for the perfect Christmas tree. We usually bring lunch and hot cider. It is one of my most favorite family traditions!
Ben is always the first to grab the saw and go for it.

Hauling the tree down to the truck is always a family affair. Thanks Chris and Joe!! We couldn't have done it without you! This year we chopped a 22 footer!!

Thanksgiving

2009-01-10T16:17:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving this year was at Dick and Laurie's home. It was almost perfect, except for the minor detail that Mom and Nana were missing. Mom was recovering from her second round of chemo and Nana just wasn't feeling well.

The food was fantastic, company

even better -

just missing two integral parts of our family!

We had basketball games for the big boys, "Bringing Down the Big Guy" for the girls, and a chat session for the little boys!

Mom!

2008-11-18T16:14:00.000-08:00

I spent the day today with my cute Mom. She starts chemotherapy in three days for her breast cancer. Today was the day she went to cut her hair and get fitted for a wig. Not an easy thing, but she did it all with a huge smile on her face. She is my hero.

I like this one best! Does't she look cute?

I love you, Mom!

Happy Birthday Gracie!

2008-11-18T15:59:00.000-08:00

Happy birthday Gracie! She was up early, got dressed and then had to drag her brothers out of bed to celebrate! (As you can see!)

We were princessed to the hilt this birthday. Gracie was in heaven. Brett and Ben now know ALL the princesses and have them ranked - just like you would a baseball team.

Tinkerbell and Cinderella. Matt said he would order the cake this year. Next thing I know there are TWO cakes. He couldn't decide which one she would like more. Someone is whooped for his only girl. :)

Gracie spent the rest of the evening painting any toes that would sit still for her! I wish you could see Matt's pink and purple feet. They are priceless. We love you, Gracie!

Birthday shopping for Gracie

2008-11-18T15:53:00.000-08:00

We went birthday shopping for Gracie at ToysRUs. It was so funny, my boys (including Matt), had never been to the "pink" side of the store. They weren't even aware it existed! Did you know that rolls of princess wrapping paper make great swords??? Who knew???

Happy Birthday Brett!

2008-11-18T15:49:00.000-08:00

Life has been busy around our house! Brett turned 9 and started the day out with his favorite breakfast. Swedish pancakes - filled with sugar and smothered with strawberries. The birthday hat is a tradition in our home. Each kiddo has to wear it for one picture on their birthday.

Brett has wised up and realized that if he wears it all day long, wherever we go, he gets attention. Smart kid.

Prop 8!

2008-11-09T15:53:00.000-08:00

Matt and I invited a few friends to spend 2 hours on Saturday afternoon holding Prop 8 signs. We had a crowd and lined the streets. It was awesome! We set up over a hundred signs and hoped a few of them would be used. They were.

It poured rain for two solid hours and we had a fantasic time!

2008-11-02T23:01:00.000-08:00

The Hansen Harlem Globetrotters!

2008-11-01T00:20:00.000-07:00

These pictures just make me happy. We were relaxing on a blanket after Brett's soccer game and it was one of those "moments." We felt so blessed for what we have.

2008-11-01T00:08:00.001-07:00

Here is my first post to this blog. Can I really do this? I feel like I'm so "behind" when it comes to these things!

2008-10-15T22:29:00.000-07:00

Here we go!