The Sorensen's Spot

Christmas 2010

2011-05-23T15:26:00.000-07:00

This year we spent Christmas in Idaho with our family. We always have so much fun visiting there and the kids loved being able to spend Christmas with their grandparents. Here are a few highlights from our trip...
The boys LOVE to play in the big bathtub with bubbles. They act like it's a swimming pool. This is D.J., Luke, and their cousin Isaac making a mess in the bathroom.

The kids also had a blast 'sledding' in the backyard. Trevor drove his Dad's riding lawnmower around the yard and pulled the kids on the sled. That's my kind of sledding, no hills to walk up. LOL

Trevor & Luke

D.J., Libby, and Trevor

Libby & Luke

D.J. & Libby

Trevor's mom is a really good cook and around Christmas it seems like she is cooking 24 hours a day. :) The kids had a great time making lots of yummy treats with her for all of us to enjoy.

Grandma, Libby, & Isaac making brownies.

Grandma, Grandpa, Luke, & D.J. making cinnamon rolls.

Libby joined in the fun too.

Luke, Isaac, Tim, & Grandma making sugar cookies.

On Christmas Eve some of Trevor's siblings came over with their families and we had a little party. We played games, ate LOTS of food, and read the Christmas story from the Bible. Then the kids got to open their presents from Grandma & Grandpa. They loved their new pajama pants that Grandma made and they each got a new C.D..

The kids opening their gifts from Grandma & Grandpa.

One of my favorite Christmas Eve traditions is giving the kids new pajamas. Aren't they the cutest kids ever!

D.J., Liberty, & Luke

Christmas 2010

Christmas Morning...

The boys were so excited to show Libby her gifts. They ran to her pile first and showed her all her gifts.

D.J.

Luke was VERY excited that Santa brought him a motorized scooter.

More presents!

D.J. loved his scooter as well.

Libby had been begging for a play kitchen for months so she was one happy girl when Santa finally brought her one.

I will say that her favorite gift of the year was the makeup she got in her stocking. Her Dad on the other hand was not so happy. LOL

She went straight to the bathroom and made herself 'pretty'. Doesn't she look great. LOL We did have to make a rule that she can't use the black anymore since we couldn't get it to wash off all the way for two days. :)

Our family

Christmas 2010

Later that morning Trevor and I gave the kids a present from us. We told them we were going to Disneyland & Seaworld in 2 weeks and they were so excited. So watch out for a LONG post on our trip to California...it was a BLAST!

We hope you all had a great Christmas as well!

December Fun

2011-04-27T14:10:00.000-07:00

December is always a busy month and it was no different this year. Here's a glimpse into our crazy month...

Ivins Family Christmas Party

My Mom was in charge of the nativity story at the Christmas party this year. Of course she went all out and made it quit the production. She made the cutest nativity scene with animals, the inn's, and the manger. It was darling.

The beautiful angel choir

D.J. was Joseph this year and wasn't too happy about it. LOL I think he liked the attention, he just didn't like that he had to 'pretend' he was married. Girls are gross remember. :)

Luke was a handsome little shepard.

After eating and the nativity we had a special visitor...Santa Claus!

D.J. 9 years old

Luke 6 years old

Liberty 3 years old

Happy Birthday Trevor!

During the first week of December we celebrated Trevor's 33rd birthday. The kids decorated the kitchen for him and we made his favorite, spice cake with brown sugar frosting.

Making a Gingerbread House

Each year in December we have a family home evening where we make a gingerbread house. The kids really got into it this year. Each of them picked a side and made it their own. I think it turned out great.

The finished project...perfect!

This is just a few of the fun things we enjoyed in December.

Of course Christmas was a blast...I'll be posting about that soon. :)

Libby's preschool Christmas program

2011-04-27T13:55:00.000-07:00

In December Libby's preschool class performed a really cute Christmas program. One of Libby's favorite part of school is learning all the silly songs. Although she is quiet and shy around people she doesn't know very well she never hesitates to perform in front of anyone. LOL

Libby and her class coming into the auditorium.

Trevor wasn't able to make it but her Grandpa Ivins came to watch her and that made her very happy.

I can't believe that Libby is almost done with her first year of preschool. She is growing up way too fast!

Libby's Dance Recital

2011-04-27T13:45:00.000-07:00

In an attempt to get our blog updated I'm not going to worry about putting everything in order. I have LOTS of updating to do so I think I'll just start with Libby's dance recital she had last December (I think). She loves her dance class and is learning so much this year. In May she is having her last recital before summer break and I'll post videos of her doing her ladybug dance. It's so cute!

Happy Anniversary Mom & Dad

2011-03-07T13:27:00.000-08:00

In November my parents celebrated their 35th wedding anniversary. To celebrate the adults in my family had a delicious 7 course meal made by a family friend of ours that is a WONDERFUL chef. It was unbelievable! We held it at my Grandma Ivins' home and it was decorated beautifully. We had such a fun night together.

Harmony & Todd (Todd isn't capable of taking a normal picture, LOL)

Trevor & I

Nick & Annette

Jeff & Mandy

Tony & Jayanne

I hope you had a great night Mom & Dad. Thank you for being such wonderful parents. We love you so much!

Thanksgiving 2010...better late than never!

2011-03-06T16:38:00.000-08:00

Wow! It's been forever since I've updated this blog. I was thinking about just skipping over all the months I've missed and just start fresh but I couldn't do it. There is so much that has been going on that I couldn't just forget about it. :) I guess I'll start at Thanksgiving.

I was lucky enough to be able to help at Libby's school during their Thanksgiving feast. It was fun to see Libby at school. She has really started to love school and the friends she has there.

Here is Libby with the place mat she made in class.

Enjoying her feast!

Her favorite part of the day was making a turkey to hang on our front door at home.

This year we spent Thanksgiving with my family which meant we ate at my Grandma Ivins' house. It was wonderful as always.

I don't want to alarm anyone but I made homemade mashed potatoes for our Thanksgiving dinner. I know, it's crazy, but I didn't think that people would enjoy me bringing instant mashed potatoes. LOL I even pulled out my apron, yes I have one, and wore it while I cooked. Trevor felt like my making them was worth taking a picture. :)

The Ivins family November 2010

Of course there was a football game in the backyard.

The girls spent an hour painting each others nails after dinner. Aren't girls fun?!

Then there were important football games to watch.

And ads to be read. Alexa was amazed at all the great deals she found. LOL

During Thanksgiving break the whole Ivins family went to see 'Tangled'. Libby had been counting down the days since she saw the previews and it didn't disappoint. I loved it myself.
We watched it in 3D and the kids loved wearing the funny glasses.

There were so many of us we almost filled two whole rows. :)

Our family has so many things to be grateful for this year. I think it's interesting that the years when you have the most trials are the years you are the most grateful for later on. We do grow into stronger more faithful people during those times. Although I would be OK 'learning' a little less in 2011. LOL

Halloween 2010

2010-11-28T20:59:00.000-08:00

Wow...time is flying! October & November were gone before I knew it and all of a sudden Christmas is right around the corner. I thought I better try to get updated before I get anymore behind. :)
Halloween this year was really fun. We seemed to celebrate for 3 days since Halloween was on Sunday this year. Here are a few pictures of our Halloween weekend.

D.J. and Luke wore their costumes to school on Friday and they each had a Halloween party with their class. I was a little bummed that I am not the room mom in each of their classes this year and didn't get to help with the parties. This is the first year I haven't been the room mom and I really miss it. Libby and I did get to go and see them at school for the Halloween parade. Kindergarten through 3rd grade line up in the halls and the parents come and see all the cute kids. Since D.J. is in 4th grade he was too old to participate. (talk about making me feel OLD) We did run into him in the hallway and Libby ran to him instantly. She LOVES D.J., he is one of her favorite people in the world. She kept hugging him and wouldn't leave him alone. He didn't mind though. What he did mind was me taking tons of pictures. LOL

Here is Luke in the parade. Isn't he funny! He was humiliated and hated every minute of it. He hates having people look at him, hates me embarrassing him by taking pictures, and just wanted to go back to his classroom and get candy. LOL I love my Bubba so much!

After the parade we headed over to Libby's preschool Halloween performance and carnival. Her school did such a great job with the carnival. The whole gym was decorated and there were fun booths for the kids to play at. Libby's favorite's were the bounce house, blow up slide, and the spook alley.

One of the reasons I wanted to put Libby in preschool this year was to help her come out of her shell. She is really shy around people she doesn't know and usually sticks by my side constantly. She has come such a long way in the past couple of months. I was surprised when she sat with her class and sang all the songs without even crying. She did a fabulous job!

Here are pictures of Libby eating her pizza lunch while watching Scooby Doo on the big screen, playing a game with one of her teachers Miss Mckell, playing mini golf, and riding a bike through the spook alley.

After her party we went and met Annette, Nicole, and their kids in American Fork for trick-or-treating on Main Street. She had a fun time but kept dropping her candy all over the ground. At the end of the day she was worn out as you can see from the picture. The boys went with a couple of their friends to a Halloween party at 'Adobe' were their friends Dad works. They had a blast and came home with WAY too much candy.

That night the kids had a sleepover with their cousins at Harmony's house. In the morning I took them Halloween donuts for breakfast. I mean what's better than starting Halloween morning off with a little sugar? And yes, Libby and Oakley have swimming suits on in these pictures even though it was raining outside. They LOVE wearing their suits and sneak into them constantly.

For lunch Aspen & Autumn made the kids Halloween shaped Mac & Cheese and of course we had our traditional pumpkin pizza from Papa Murphy's for dinner. It obviously wasn't a day of healthy eating for us.

We had fun decorating sugar cookies for dessert on Sunday.

It was pouring rain the night we went trick or treating. It didn't seem to slow down the kids a bit. D.J. & Luke went with their friends who had a really nice Dad that drove them around the neighborhood with the back of their van up so they could jump in and out. They had a ton of fun. I really wanted them to come with me and Libby but I have to realize they are growing up and want to do other things sometimes. :) Libbby and I went with Nick's family and luckily Libby was done after about 15 houses. It was perfect. I have no pictures since like I said, it was pouring rain and my hands were full holding umbrellas and Libby. :) Trevor stayed home and handed out candy to the trick or treaters. I feel so bad when kids go to houses where no one is home so Trevor 'sacrifed' and stayed home in the nice warm, dry house. LOL !

I'm not sure why the boys look like going trick-or-treating was going to be torture. :) I think since their mustaches were so big they didn't think they needed to smile. Or maybe they are just sick of me taking pictures of them constantly? No! They couldn't be it.
It was another fun Halloween!

Pumpkin Carving FHE

2010-10-31T21:43:00.000-07:00

The Monday before Halloween we had a pumpkin carving Family Home Evening and invited some of our neighbors and friends to join in our fun. We set tables up in the garage and had fun carving, painting, and visiting.

This is the first year that D.J. and Luke actually carved most of their pumpkins all by themselves. It feels like they are growing up so fast.

The little ones had their very own table where they painted pumpkins.

Working hard!

Libby was hilarious painting her pumpkin. She would stand back, admire the pumpkin, paint a little more and then repeat it over and over. She had her hand behind her and her toes pointed each time. Everything she does is dramatic. :)

Here are some of our finished pumpkins.

After we were done we enjoyed Halloween treats. Our neighbors brought cookies, and brownies. The boys and I made witch fingers (string cheese & almonds) and monster mouths (apples and almonds).

We had a great night getting ready for Halloween!

Ivins Family Halloween Party

2010-10-27T23:35:00.000-07:00

It's that time of the year again! Time for the annual Ivins family Halloween party. We look forward to this party every year. It's so fun to dress up in our costumes and be silly together as a family.
This year we were...
Trevor: A Blind Referee
Sarah: A Prisoner
D.J: Luigi
Luke: Mario
Libby: A Witch
I was stunned when D.J & Luke decided to be Mario and Luigi this year. Usually they don't like to do anything alike but they saw these costumes and thought it would be so fun. I love them. I think they look so cute in them. In true Libby fashion, Libby has changed her mind about her costume on a daily basis. She was going to be Rapunzel but decided to be something different for each party so goes to. I told her I would only buy her one costume so she has gone through her dress up clothes and found a few more costumes. She is a funny girl.

My Crazy Boys

The Tony Ivins Family

Tony & Jayanne's costumes were my favorite.

They were Popeye & Olive Oil. Aren't they cute?

The Jeff Ivins Family

Grandma & Grandpa

Baby Gwen was the cutest poodle ever.

This year we held our party at a barn in American Fork

instead of the senior citizens center. It was a really fun place.

My Aunt Chris was in charge of the party and did an amazing job. Thanks Aunt Chris!

I love this picture of Bubba and my Mom. He loves his grandma so much. She is one of his best friends. I get jealous of her because he constantly gives her hugs and I have to chase him around the house for just one hug.

There were lots of games for the kids to play. One of the favorites was a donut eating contest. Libby couldn't figure out why people didn't just hold on to the donut and eat it like she did. LOL

There was also face painting, ring toss, and coloring activities.

My Mom & I were in charge of the face painting. I am NOT a good artist so the poor kids were walking around with the most bizarre pictures on their faces but I tried. :)

It was another awesome Halloween party! I love getting together with my family. No matter what we are doing we always have fun.

Thanks again Aunt Chris, you did an amazing job!

This & That

2010-10-24T20:32:00.001-07:00

D.J. has been studying Native Americans in school. His teacher assigned the kids to do a diarama of an Indian tribe of their choice. D.J. chose to do his on the Shoshone Indians. He worked very hard. I decided that I really wanted D.J. to do this project on his own and at times although it would have been easier to just do some of it for him, I took a step back and let D.J. figure it out on his own. He used salt dough, sticks and rocks, clay, and paper for his project. He was very proud of it and he should be. He did a great job!

The diarama's were on display in the school library for a week so we went to see them. The kids did an amazing job!

Libby has become fascinated with tea sets. She has two sets and uses them everyday. This is what a typical tea party looks like in Libby's room. Isn't it cute? Man, little girls are so fun!

Libby visits the farm & pumpkin patch

2010-10-23T22:29:00.000-07:00

Libby's preschool field trip in October was to a local petting farm and pumpkin patch. We were able to go on a hayride, pet baby animals, and pick out a pumpkin in the patch. Libby loved all of it. She wouldn't even look at the camera when she was petting the animals because she was so fascinated with them. Unfortunately that means all the pictures are of the back of her head. LOL

Libby was very proud of her pumpkin.

We had such a fun afternoon together enjoying one of the last warm days of the year. We can't wait until the next field trip!

Our hike to Timpanogos Cave

2010-10-21T20:16:00.000-07:00

I have intended to take Trevor and my boys to Timpanogos cave for a couple of years now and haven't done it. The summer seems to fly by before we get a chance. This year I was determined to do it. Trevor had never been there and D.J. is a science nut so I knew they would love it. I even talked my Dad into coming along with us, he's such a good sport. My Mom kept Libby home with her since I couldn't imagine taking her on that trail. I would have been a basket case worrying about her. It was a beautiful hike and just like I had hoped they loved it. D.J. was in heaven the whole time.

We left early in the morning so it was a little chilly. The boys wanted to wear their arm warmers from school. They are a little funny looking but they love them. The kids wear these on spirit day with their school shirts. I guess it's the 'cool' thing to do this year. :)

D.J. has always been fascinated with Science and has read many books about cave formations. He knew a lot of the names of things in the cave before the ranger even told us. I was so impressed. (He got his smarts from his Dad) LOL During the tour D.J. was right behind the ranger the whole time even when the rest of us were in the back. After the tour was over D.J. sat and asked her TONS of questions. She was so kind and answered all of them. It was a great day for him.

Trevor has decided that next year we are going to do a real backpacking trip with the boys. He's even bought a new backpack and a new tent. Hopefully I'll have a good excuse by next summer to get out of it. LOL

Libby's visit to the fire station

2010-10-20T22:13:00.000-07:00

Liberty went on her first field trip in September. I was able to go with her to the fire station in Pleasant Grove. First we enjoyed a picnic lunch in the park next to the station and then we rotated to different activities.

Liberty enjoying her lunch while dancing. :)

Libby then completed an obstacle course that taught the kids how to Stop, Drop and Roll.

Posing on the firetruck.
Libby & Mom

Coloring pictures about fire safety.

She earned her Firefighter hat!

Libby's first field trip was awesome! She couldn't wait to go to the pumpkin patch this month. Stay tuned for those pictures...

Let the Season Begin!

2010-10-20T21:52:00.000-07:00

Our boys have officially become obsessed with the NFL! D.J. is a big Pittsburgh Steelers fan and Luke likes the NY Giants. Sundays at our house now consist of church, food, and football. Being such big fans it was necessary to make the opening day of football a party. I was babysitting some of my nieces and nephews on that day so we had lots of people to celebrate with us. D.J. & Luke were very happy little boys that day. Who wouldn't be? They had football, pizza, bean dip, cookies, and their cousins...life was good!

Our last camping trip of the season 2010

2010-10-19T17:26:00.000-07:00

The weekend after school started we took a quick camping trip together as a family. We wanted to take the trailer out one more time before it got cold. We took walks, ate yummy soup & scones, played lots of games, and roasted marshmallows. We had a great time!

Of course Libby had to bring her Sleeping Beauty barbie with us and they had lots of intense conversations as you can tell from this picture. LOL

D.J. helped me make dinner and was being so silly. He told me to get my camera and take pictures of him. These are just 2 of many. I love this boy.

Miss Liberty's first day of Preschool

2010-10-18T22:30:00.000-07:00

The big day arrived for Liberty to start preschool. She's a little bit of a mama's girl so she wasn't very excited to go at first. She kept telling me she was too little to go to school. She did become a little more excited when she got to go shopping for school clothes (she LOVES shopping) and got to buy a new Barbie backpack.
I'm not sure which I love more...her cute backpack or her skinny jeans?

Oh my goodness...isn't she a cutie pie!

I was so proud of Libby but I really didn't want her to go. It is hard for me to watch my baby grow up. I think school has been as good for me as it's been for her. We are a little....attached. :)

Here is Libby putting her backpack away at school.

Her first assignment was to make a necklace with beads.

She was very excited to make jewelry.

She did so well, not even a tear which is more than I can say for me. Luckily I was wearing sunglasses.There have been a couple of days since then that have been a struggle but for the most part she is doing so well.

School wore her out!

We are so happy that you are having fun at school Libby and can't wait to continue watching you grow up. I promise I won't embarrass you and cry every time you start school. Probably just until about the 5th of 6th grade. :) We love you Libby Lou!

Back to School Dinner

2010-10-18T22:09:00.001-07:00

I wanted to start a new tradition on the first day of school so I decided to have a fun back to school dinner. I made pizzas shaped in the number of the grade the kids are starting. The kids thought it was so fun and asked if I would do it for them every year so I guess it was a success!

D.J.
4th Grade

Luke

1st Grade

Liberty
Preschool

Back to School

2010-10-18T20:14:00.000-07:00

This school year has been a whirlwind for D.J. & Luke. We decided to send the boys to a new charter school that opened this year close to our house. I was really excited with the curriculum they were teaching and the hands on philosophy they have. Unfortunately the school wasn't run the way they had implied, not even a little. It is kind of a long story but in a nutshell after spending almost EVERYDAY at the school to make sure they were safe (yes, I said safe, it was that bad), the school bus driver going the wrong direction and dropping my poor kids off 2 hours late (5:15 to be exact), a meeting with the administration where I was told to be patient while they try to make the school safe (ummm...no, safety is a must) and 2 teachers picking Luke up off the floor by the collar of his shirt and having him sit in the corner the whole class period, I was DONE! (these things were only the tip of the iceberg) After 6 days there I talked to the boys and they were ready to go back to their old school. So 3 weeks after school started the boys went back to their old public school and they couldn't be happier. It was one of the hardest weeks I have ever had as a mom but I learned a lot of good lessons and realized sometimes we as parents make bad decisions and need to admit it and fix them. These pictures are on their first day at the charter school in their uniforms. Aren't they handsome?! I think so!

This picture cracks me up. I was trying to get a picture of D.J. at the school while he waited for his teacher but no matter what he wouldn't look at the camera. He keeped looking around at the other kids with this look on his face that said "whose Mom is that?" Notice most of the other kids were looking at me, but not D.J.. I finally left him alone. He's growing up too fast!
Luke's teacher told the kids to grab a book on the shelf and start reading while they waited for school to start. Luke grabbed a chapter book and tried to convinced the teacher he could read it. It didn't take long for her to realize he tends to 'stretch the truth'. LOL
Libby and I made the boys some school bus cookies for an after school snack. The bus didn't drop them off until 5:15 p.m. so by the time they got home they were starving and they ate the WHOLE plate of cookies. I felt so bad for them so I just let them. Not my best Mom moment. :)

After all the chaos of the first couple of weeks at school I'm happy to report that things are going great at their school and most important D.J. and Luke are learning a lot, feel safe, and are happy, to me, that is what's important!

Last Minute Summer Fun

2010-10-18T16:11:00.000-07:00

This summer flew by for us! The boys were not ready to go back to school and wanted to do a couple more fun things before they had to go back. We went to the splash pad in Highland one afternoon so the kids could cool down. D.J. says I like it there because it's free fun and I'm cheap. Hahahaha, funny kid! He's right by the way. :)

Another afternoon we went to Kangroo Zoo. It's a place full of bounce houses and slides for the kids to play on. We took the kids cousin Isaac with us and he and Libby had a blast together. It was a great day to go, we almost had the whole place to ourselves.

Silly D.J.!

I know the sign says "6 and under only" and I'm not usually a rule breaker but like I said we were almost the only ones there so I let D.J. play on this slide with the rest of the kids. I'm not sure what he liked more, the slide, or breaking the rules. :)

It was a fun afternoon!

Going to the Temple

2010-10-18T15:01:00.001-07:00

This summer was wonderful for our family. We are so blessed that my Grandma Ivins decided to go back to the temple after more than 60 year. My Grandpa and Grandma were sealed in the temple when they got married and never went back. I have had a few conversations with my Grandma about going back to the temple and she always told me she is too old to change. As a family we have prayed for years that she would realize that it's never too late. Our prayers were answered and the day finally came! A few months ago she came to watch Liberty's dance recital and as I walked her to her car after it was over she said she had something to tell us, "she had been meeting with her bishop, going to church, and reading the Book of Mormon and had decided it was time to go back to the temple." I started crying as soon as she told me, that moment will always be a highlight in my life. My Grandma is an amazing woman and I look up to her so much. Her testimony has strengthened mine. I am so proud to be her granddaughter.

Grandma and her kids.

Grandma's support group. She is so loved!
(she also has many more that couldn't make it that day)

My beautiful Grandma

A week after my Grandma went through the temple we were able to go back and celebrate again. My brother Jeff and his wife Amanda went through the temple for the first time and were sealed together for eternity! Their baby girl Kaidence was also sealed to her Mommy & Daddy. She looked so beautiful in her white dress. It was a beautiful sealing and many happy tears were shed. I sat next to my Mom in the sealing room and she leaned over and told me that it was the happiest day of her life. She was finally in the temple with all five of their children and their spouses. It was a powerful day, one I will never forget.

Families can be together Forever

Our family

Nick, Jeff, Tony, Harmony, Mom, Dad, and Sarah

I am so grateful for the gospel in my life. It has taught me how important families are and that miracles DO happen everyday. I know that someday, if we follow the commandments and endure to the end we will be together forever and I can not imagine anything better than that.

More Birthday Fun!

2010-10-03T20:10:00.000-07:00

During D.J. & Libby's birthday week we had a little family party to celebrate.

We ate tons of cupcakes and had lots of fun.

The Birthday Kids!

Time to blow out the candles!

D.J. & Libby with Great Grandma Ivins

We hope you kiddos had a great party...we love you both so much!

Look who turned 9!

2010-09-29T20:12:00.000-07:00

My little man is growing up. D.J. turned 9 years old in August and celebrated with a laser tag party. He started his big day with his favorite breakfast eggs, toast, sausage, & hashbrowns.
The Birthday Boy!

This year D.J. asked for a laser tag vest cake so I decided to let the local bakery try to make it instead of me. :) D.J. went with me to the bakery and explained to her what he wanted it to look like. He wanted a black laser tag vest with a red light in the middle. Oh and of course, it had to say 'Happy Birthday D.J.'! He LOVED it, he said it was just what he had pictured.

D.J. had a few friends come over for cake and ice cream...
(yes, the black frosting turned all their mouths black)

and presents. He was really excited about this one. LOL

Then we headed to Boondocks to play laser tag.

The party crowd!

Time for some tag!

D.J. and I were the top scorers on our team. :)

It was a great day.

I hope you had a wonderful birthday D.J.,

we love you more and more every year.

Liberty is 3!

2010-09-18T14:59:00.001-07:00

During the first week of August Libby turned 3 years old. I can't believe my baby is already 3. Libby chose flower shaped pancakes for her birthday breakfast.
She told me while we ate breakfast that she needed a new crown for her birthday so that everyone would know that it was her birthday. She knows how to get what she wants. :) So after breakfast we went to the store and bought a new crown and she even got a new princess ring from the cashier. She was so excited.

Libby wanted a princess party this year and wanted Sleeping Beauty to come. After some searching on the internet I found a company that does princess parties. Sleeping Beauty was out of town for a couple of weeks so Libby had to wait a little while to have her party. Since D.J.'s birthday is two days after Libby's we decided to celebrate them both with a family 'date night'. We went to dinner at McDonald's and then went and saw Toy Story 3. The kids had a great time.
Party Day

Libby had waited very patiently for her party day to arrive. When the big day finally came she woke up asking if Sleeping Beauty was here yet. :) We went shopping for a new princess dress at the Disney Store and she picked out the Rapunzel dress from the new movie 'Tangled' that is coming out in November right away. Although she already knew she wanted that one she still felt like she needed to try on EVERY princess dress in the store. Her brothers told me that I should let her because it was her birthday so we sat in the dressing room while she tried on all the dresses. She would put them on, twirl, smile at herself in the mirror and then move on to the next dress. She LOVES to shop.

The Cake

Princess Libby

She gave the party two thumbs up!

The girls danced with Grandma (who was dressed up like a princess as well. Best Grandma ever!) while they waited for Sleeping Beauty to arrive.

When Sleeping Beauty arrived she played a game with the kids where she would sing a Disney song and they would guess what princess sang the song. Libby was very shy at first and wouldn't talk very much but she warmed up after a little while.

Sleeping Beauty then read them her story.

After the story she taught all the princess's how to curtsy and the prince's how to bow. D.J. & Luke were very embarrassed. :)

Sleeping Beauty brought Libby a very special birthday crown.

The party crowd

Libby was one happy girl!

The kids each made a princess crown.

Sleeping Beauty then painted all their faces. Yes, that's Trevor wearing a crown. He really is the best Dad ever. He will do anything for his little girl. :)

Playing games

Sleeping Beauty then let the kids hold her special crown. Libby didn't want to let it go.

Libby's Great Grandma came to the party and even dressed in her princess best. She is such a good sport. Doesn't she look beautiful?

Great Grandma, Sleeping Beauty, Libby, & Grandma

I love these girls!

After Sleeping Beauty headed back to her castle we enjoyed some cake and ice cream and opened presents.

Libby is still talking about her party so I guess that it was a success. Thanks to everyone who came to celebrate with Liberty. She is so lucky to have so many people that love her.

Happy Birthday Libby!

We love you!

July is just a blur...

2010-09-16T12:16:00.000-07:00

So I am not doing so hot at getting our blog up to date. I had really good intentions a couple of weeks ago to get it all done and then, well, life happened and it just didn't work out. In an effort to get caught up I'm going to cruise through July in one post...

July marked a year since the pain in my back started and I'm really disappointed to report that it's still here...every single day. I'm trying to stay hopeful that the doctors will be able to find a way to help me but in the meantime I've learned that all I can do is pray, be patient, and try (no matter how hard it is) to not complain about it. I'm sure everyone around me is as sick of hearing about it as I am feeling it. As of now, the doctors still feel like the cause of the pain is endometriosis. It sounds like I will probably be getting a minor surgery to try and help it. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it will help and I can get back to normal.

The first week of July I went to Youth Conference with our young woman. It was a lot of fun. I would show you the pictures but I was warned by the girls that I was not allowed to show pictures of them camping, with no make up, on my blog. LOL A couple of weeks later we went to Girls Camp. We went to Mutual Dell this year for stake camp and had a great time. I was told not to show pictures again but I wanted to post at least a couple. Don't tell them. I love these girls so much, even if they do think they are gangsters. :)

One of the highlights of July was the week that Trevor and I were able to go river rafting in Wyoming with some of our friends. This was our second year going and we had been looking forward to it all year. The first night we went to Jackson Hole and had dinner. It's such a fun place to visit. The rest of our trip was spent camping and rafting, it was awesome! I was lucky last year and never fell in the river so I knew I wouldn't be that lucky two years in a row. I was right. I fell in while we were floating the Big Kahuna. It wasn't as bad as I had imagined but I won't lie and say it was fun. LOL It's so nice to get away as a couple and spend time together. I hope we get to go again next year. It's Trevor's turn to fall in.

Here's Trevor being, well...Trevor. He loved this bear chair he found in Jackson Hole.

The kids finally talked Harmony and I into taking them to the zoo. The zoo isn't my favorite place to visit, I'm not what you would call an animal lover, but the kids love it so off we went. Libby wasn't feeling very good that day and as soon as we got there she started getting a fever. She wasn't very happy and spent a lot of time crying and napping in the wagon. I felt so bad for her. I was getting ready to take her home when she threw up in front of the tiger cage. After that she felt a lot better and enjoyed the rest of the day. I felt so bad for the people who had to see her get sick but I was glad she felt better. :)

Watching the monkeys

Libby was so sick that she would lean against the glass while she looked at the animals. :(

The highlight of the day was going to the animal show where the kids got to pet some wild animals.

Another exciting thing that happened in July was that D.J. earned his Wolf award in Cub Scouts. He has been working very hard all year and was so excited to earn this award.

Way to go D.J., we are so proud of you!

Is there anything cuter than a boy in a cub scouts uniform? I don't think so! :)

Each Summer Trevor's Mom and Dad let the boys come to Idaho for a week and have a 'Boys Week' at their house. This year their cousins Isaac and Jake were able to go too. They had SO MUCH FUN! On the way to Nampa we went to Blackfoot to pick up Jake and got to visit Lori, Trevor's sister, and her family. Libby had so much fun playing with Katelynn while we were there. I'm pretty sure they changed their clothes at least 10 times in 12 hours. Girls are so fun!
Libby & Katelynn

Helping Lori make breakfast.

Trevor and the boys rode Jake's motorcycle in the morning. Trevor had fun up until he crashed the motorcycle. Everyone was laughing hysterically except for Jake. He wasn't too happy that Trevor got his bike dirty. :)

Libby got sick of me taking pictures. Here she is telling me to 'STOP'! LOL

D.J., Isaac, Grandpa, Grandma, Libby, Luke, and Jake

They were spoiled rotten at Grandma & Grandpa's house. They went swimming, rode the paddle boats, played games, and ate like kings. Their favorite part of the whole week was driving Grandpa's golf cart. They talked about it for days after they got back. D.J. does owe his Grandpa a new fence post, he lost control and crashed. Sorry!

Thanks Mom & Dad for making such great memories for our boys. They love being at your house, and being with you. You are the best!

Whew....I think that's most of the highlights from our July this year.

What a fun & crazy month!

4th of July 2010 Part 2

2010-08-23T21:27:00.000-07:00

We had a BBQ at my parents house to celebrate the 4th. We had a great time visiting, eating, and watching fireworks. To start the night off my Mom had a couple of the grandkids hold the American flag and we all recited the pledge of allegiance.

The 4th of July is my favorite holiday. There are so many fun things to do to celebrate. I made these red, white, & blue drinks for the BBQ. They turned out really good. I'm sure I'll be making these again next year.
I snapped this picture of Libby while she was sneaking the olives from the table.
Isn't she a cutie?

Trevor did awesome on the barbecue!

The waterslide was a huge hit with the kids. Trevor's sister Kristi gave this slide to our family and Tim's family to share. Isn't she nice!?!? My kids have used it a few times this Summer and stay on it for hours at a time. Thanks Kristi!

Here is Tim, Trevor's brother, trying the red, white, and blue cupcakes I made. I thought they were cute. I won't lie though, I did burn them a little. :)

Isn't my Grandma Ivins cute in her 4th of July t-shirt? I love her so much!

Ryann and Libby liked the baby pool.

Grandpa's lap is one of Libby's favorite places to be.

Time for the fireworks!

My Mom makes rootbeer floats for us every year. She's the best!

It was an amazing 4th of July weekend!

(Can you tell that D.J. and Luke don't like me to take there picture very much? They run from me when there is a camera in my hand. Libby on the other hand chases me! She loves her picture taken. Silly kids.)

4th of July 2010 Part 1

2010-08-21T22:11:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite traditions to do during the 4th of July is to go to an Orem Owlz baseball game. What's more American than baseball right? :) This was our 4th year going to the game and watching the fireworks after it's over. The kids are starting to look forward to it each year. Some of our family joined us this year which made the night even better.

Libby wanted a 'special' hairdo for the baseball game.

Have I mentioned lately how much I love having a girl? :)

The boys each got a poster and were able to have some
of the players from the team sign it.

They also liked watching the players warm up. Most of the kids would watch for a minute and then run off and play but Luke stayed and watched them the whole time. After they were done the players came and gave Luke the ball they were using. He was so excited. He even had it signed. Luke LOVES baseball!

No baseball game is complete without a hot dog!

Luke had a great night...can you tell?

Here are Trevor & Libby enjoying the fireworks.

Good game, good food, and even better company...definitely a night of good memories!

Golf Camp

2010-08-20T14:34:00.001-07:00

D.J. and Luke went to golf camp in June at the Cedar Hills Golf course. They loved every minute of it. The golf pros there were so nice to the kids and made D.J. & Luke feel so cool. On the last day of camp their coaches gave us pictures of them golfing with things written on the back that they need to work on. My scanner is not working so I had to take a picture of the picture which means, a REALLY bad quality picture...sorry.

D.J. is suppose to work on keeping his hands together all the way through his swing.

Luke likes to move his feet while he swings, like he is swing a baseball bat. He has been working on it and is doing much better.

The other fun part was riding all around the course in the golf carts. It was a really fun thing to do this summer, they will definitely be going to camp again next year!

Sorensen Family Reunion 2010

2010-08-15T21:41:00.001-07:00

I can't believe the Summer is almost over! I am so behind on my blog, I haven't posted any of our Summer adventures yet. We have been so busy. I am going to get the blog updated this week.

Here's the first post of many...
In June the Sorensen Family had our annual Family Reunion in Logan Canyon. We had so much fun spending time together. With some of us in Utah and the rest in Idaho we don't get to be together as much as we would like. Here are a few highlights from our trip. The pictures are not in order because my computer is going crazy and won't let me fix them but that's OK, you'll still get the idea. :)

We had a lot of fun playing in the water at the first dam. It was freezing cold but the kids didn't seem to mind.

We had a western theme for our reunion and it turned out so cute. This is a picture of the kids making 'Wanted Posters' with pictures of themselves.

Trevor went fishing and came back with a fish for Luke to eat. Luke loves fish. He shared it with some of his cousins and they all enjoyed it.

This is Josh and Libby with baby Quincy.
They love to kiss her and take her on walks in her stroller.

Dinner Time!

Of course each night was a party in the trailer.

Luke & Libby played with this caterpillar for an hour. They made me take a picture of them holding it and then told me I had to put it on our blog. LOL

Tim brought this wood to burn.

The kids had lots of fun building things with them.

D.J.'s favorite spot to be was here...the hammock.

Mom & Steph made this cute poster to welcome us to camp.

Our family is getting pretty big and it is getting hard and expensive to celebrate all the kids birthdays. A couple of years ago we came up with a solution. At the reunion we have one big birthday party for all the kids. They draw names and each bring a present for one person. We sing happy birthday, play games, and each child gets a gift. It's the kids favorite part of the reunion. This is a picture of the gift exchange game. Libby got a Sleeping Beauty barbie so she was in heaven. D.J.'s Uncle B.J. just couldn't resist giving him a hug. :)

Here are Grandma and the kids playing go fish. She is the most patient grandma ever. She'll play games, and read to them for hours. Ours kids are so lucky.

Luke got marbles for his gift and all the kids gave it a try.

Going on a walk

Each family was given a certain color of bandanna to represent them. Our family was given yellow. Here we are in our bandannas.

Mom & Dad Sorensen

Our Camp Hosts...B.J. & Steph...and cute Josh too.

Steph is so amazing. When she does something she goes all out. This was the table on her night for dinner. She decorated it so cute and had appetizers for us to enjoy while they made dinner. How cute is that?!?!?

Libby and Sleeping Beauty.

This is what she spent the majority of her time doing, combing sleeping beauty's hair.

It happened to be my thirtieth birthday while we were camping and B.J. & Steph surprised me with my very own cake. Aren't they sweet! I would have been fine forgetting about my birthday all together but it was fun to be with our family to celebrate.

I know this picture is awful...please remember this is day 3 of camping and there were no showers! :)

We had a great time together. Thanks for an amazing reunion B.J. & Steph, you did a great job planning it. We can't wait until next year!

Turning 30...

2010-08-05T20:42:00.000-07:00

In June I celebrated my 30th birthday. I'm not going to lie, I wasn't too excited about my birthday. Everyone kept telling me to embrace it, 30 isn't so bad...well, I just couldn't. No matter how much I tried I wasn't excited to be leaving my twenties. Trevor asked me if I wanted a party and I QUICKLY said "no!" He still wanted to celebrate and planned a surprise get away for the two of us. It was so much fun! We went shopping in Park City, stayed at the Anniversary Inn for two nights, saw a play at Hale Center Theatre (The Wedding Singer, one of my favorites), went to the movies, and ate at The Roof on temple square. It was the best birthday gift ever. I loved being alone with Trevor for 3 whole days. He really can cheer me up no matter what...even when I'm depressed about becoming an old lady. :)

This is the only picture we took. I know it's a BAD picture but I didn't have another option, LOL. It was so relaxing I didn't even think about getting out the camera.

Thanks Trevor for the best vacation I've had in years. Let's do it every birthday!

D.J's new hobby!

2010-07-25T19:28:00.002-07:00

D.J. played lacrosse for the first time this year. He really enjoyed it and was actually really good. He loved being able to hit people. Each of the kids on the team got to choose a nickname and they wore them on the back of their helmets during the season. D.J. chose the name 'Ka Boom'! He chose it because he said that when he hits people that's the sound it makes.

You did great this season 'Ka Boom', we are so proud of you!

Art Camp

2010-07-18T23:08:00.000-07:00

D.J. and Luke went to art camp a couple times in June. The first week they learned about painting ceramics. Luke picked a dragon to paint and D.J. painted a football piggybank. The next week they learned how to tye dye shirts. I think they did a great job. They love their shirts and try and wear them everyday.

I think we have a couple little artists on our hands!

Summer Fun with Grandma & Grandpa

2010-07-03T22:51:00.000-07:00

(I am fully aware that there are an obscene amount of pictures on this post, sorry, I want them all in our blog book...LOL)

My Mom decided to take a couple of days off of work and spend some time with the grandkids. The kids were so excited for the 'Cousins Party'. It started on Monday night with a family home evening where we talked about how important families are and learned about some of our ancestors. After the lesson we each packed a sack lunch for our trip the next day. Bright and early we headed up to Salt Lake to This is the Place State Park. I've never been there and was amazed at all the things there is to do. We spent 5 hours there and still didn't see everything.

Lunch time!

Waiting for the train.

The kids were so excited to sit in the front of the train.

This is Libby trying out the 'milking bear'. It was a game that kids used to play to learn how to milk a cow. As soon as they could get the bear to the top of the ropes they were ready to do the milking.

The kids got to learn how to do some of the work kids there age did in the old days. Libby's favorite was doing the laundry. Luke liked to beat the rugs. D.J. didn't like any of the jobs but he didn't mind hanging up the towels to dry when Libby was done washing them. Michael would have plowed the garden all day if we let him.

Tony was a champ on the stilts.

Libby, Ryann, & Oakley

Weston, Luke, Alexa & Autumn with the peacocks. Unfortunately 3 days after we visited the park there was a fire and the barn that the peacocks, baby lambs, and pigs were in burned down. Only a couple of the lambs were able to escape. The kids were so sad to hear that the peacocks died.

Pony rides were a highlight of the day.

Aspen loved the animals.

D.J. favorite spot to visit was the blacksmith shop.

There were so many of us that we took up the whole train.

Grandpa & Baby Gwen

At the end of the day we went panning for gold. Luke was the only one to find any gold and was very excited.
After our fun day at This is the Place park we headed home to Grandma & Grandpa's house for a BBQ and an outside movie.

Todd did all the grilling.
It was Yummy!

The kids absolute favorite part of the whole party was sleeping outside with Grandma & Grandpa. I wasn't sure how long they would last but they surprised me and everyone slept through the night and had a blast. Baby Gwen & Kaidence got to sleep inside where it was warm. :) I think it's time for a new 'tent', we've outgrown this one already.

The whole crew!

After breakfast the next morning they had a water party in the backyard.

Grandma even bought these little princesses their own pool.

Thanks for the fun Grandma & Grandpa!

Our kids are so blessed to have you in their lives...you're the best!

Celebrating Donuts

2010-06-19T19:03:00.001-07:00

June 4th was National Donut Day so we decided to celebrate. We went to Krispy Kreme Donuts for breakfast and each got a free donut. I love free stuff! Harmony and her kids joined us as well as my Mom. The kids loved watching the donuts being made and wearing the hats the cashier gave them.

Memorial Day Weekend

2010-06-06T17:01:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend this year. On Saturday morning we visited the cemetery with my Mom. Memorial Day is one of my Mom's favorite holidays. She brought pictures of our relatives who have passed away and told the kids about them. It was neat for the kids to be able to see what the people looked liked. She also brought supplies to clean around the graves and to wash the headstones.

On Saturday night we went to Orem to support Weston at his

baseball tournament. He did a great job.

Sunday morning Trevor and I decided to would be fun to take the trailer up the canyon and camp for a night. After church we headed up American Fork canyon and had some fun as a family. We love living so close to the canyon. The boys favorite part was chopping the wood. Libby loved going on walks looking for pink ponies. I'm not sure why she thought there were pink ponies in the mountains but she did so we went looking for them.

My strong boys.

Libby & I playing her Strawberry Shortcake game.

Libby was being a little thief. :)

Luke liked helping his Dad make dinner. They made our favorite, tinfoil dinners, yummy!

Dinnertime!

SMORES!

Luke & Libby having a bedtime snack.

It was another fun weekend. It's always fun to spend time with our family. Weston did a great job in his baseball game. We are looking forward to his next tournament. We also can't wait to do more camping this Summer.

Last Day of School!

2010-06-03T21:14:00.000-07:00

Summer has finally arrived! Here's how we celebrated the last day of school...

D.J. & Luke made t-shirts to wear the last day of school. The front of D.J.'s says 'Hello 4th grade' and the back says 'Bye Bye 3rd grade'. He had all his friends in his class sign it. Luke wanted me to write on his and then he decorated it. The front of his says '1st grade here I come!' and the back says 'So long Kindergarten'. They were so proud of their shirts.

Libby and I walked to school to pick up the boys. When we walked home they found this sign Libby and I had made for them. I got the idea from Family Fun magazine. Libby had a lot of fun coloring on it.

I had the boys run through it to kick-off the Summer!

Of course Libby wanted a turn.

We went to McDonald's for lunch and played in the playground for awhile.

Last year we had a water party at the park on the last day of school and the boys wanted to do that again but the weather was being very unpredictable that week, as in SNOW on Monday, so we had to do something a little different. All Luke wanted to do was go to McDonald's so he was easy to please. D.J. wanted to have a sleepover with some friends from school. We don't do sleepovers unless it's family so I agreed to let him have a 'lateover'. He invited a few of his friends over from 5:00 pm - 10:00 pm. It was a really big deal for him. Luke and Libby went and played at Grandma's for the night so it was just D.J. and his friends.

First they went miniature golfing at Trafalga.

Then it was time for pizza...

and games! They also played basketball, rockband on the Xbox, and jumped on the trampoline. D.J. had a great time!

It was the perfect beginning to the Summer!

D.J.'s last 3rd grade party!

2010-05-27T14:45:00.000-07:00

D.J's third grade year is coming to an end and today was his last class party. I have really enjoyed being the room mom for D.J.'s class this year. We had fun today playing games, eating Popsicle's, and decorating t-shirts to wear on the last day of school. After we decorated them the kids had all their classmates sign their shirt. Unfortunately I was so busy that I didn't get a chance to take a lot of pictures.

Both of the boys had great teachers this year. It makes it so nice as a parent to have teachers that really care about their students. These are the gifts I made for their teachers. They each got a beach towel, a magazine, drink mixes, and sunscreen with a note that said, 'I hope you have a relaxing summer... you deserve it!' (I found this idea on tipjunkie.com)

This is D.J. giving Mrs. Davis her present.

Mrs Davis signing D.J.'s shirt.

Sleepover in Libby's room

2010-05-25T18:51:00.000-07:00

Last weekend Libby got a new bed. I'm not sure who was more excited Libby or her brothers. Of course they all HAD to sleep in it the first night. They loaded the bed with books, turned the lamp on and had a party. The party quickly turned into a chorus of..."MOM! Luke's touching me!" "MOM! Libby's taking all the blanket!" "MOM! I'm tired and Luke and Libby won't stop talking!" After a couple hours of this they finally fell asleep. In the morning they all woke up and said, "that was fun, let's do it again tonight." Trevor and I just looked at each other and laughed. We will have to see about that.

Kindergarten Water Day

2010-05-22T15:21:00.000-07:00

The school year is coming to an end and that can only mean one thing...lots of parties! Friday was Water Day for Luke's kindergarten class. I love being the class room Mom so that I can help with the class parties. Luke had lots of fun. The kids enjoyed bubbles, playing with the sand/water table, writing in shaving cream on the tables, sponge tag, water relays, and snowcones. It was another fun day at school. :)

Dance Festival 2010

2010-05-21T20:44:00.000-07:00

The boys elementary school held a dance festival on Wednesday. Luke & D.J. did a great job. D.J.'s class danced to 'Footloose' and Luke's class danced the macarena. It's was really cute. I'm sorry the pictures aren't the greatest, our seats were really far away from the boys.

My Handsome Boys

D.J. loved every second of the festival. He loves to sing and perform.

He got really into it. He was so fun to watch.

Luke on the other hand was very uncomfortable. He doesn't like to be

the center of attention and couldn't wait for the dance to be over.

I was so proud of him for pulling his hands out of his

pockets and trying to do it. He is such an awesome little kid.

After the festival the kids got to go home early so we decided to do something fun. The kids and I went to see a movie that they've been waiting to see, 'How to train your Dragon'. It was cute. Libby got scared a couple of times because it was in 3D and she didn't like the dragons jumping out at her. She keeps telling us, "Dragon movie too scary for me". LOL She did love the candy and drink though.

Mother's Day 2010

2010-05-09T22:35:00.000-07:00

I had such a great Mother's Day today. The kids & Trevor spoiled me rotten which was so nice. :) I really am the luckiest girl in the world. I have been blessed with the 3 most wonderful kids in the world. They make me laugh all the time and teach me so much.

Trevor gave me a gift certificate to the nursery to buy flowers for the front yard, soap, & lotion.

Luke gave me a crown magnet he painted in school because I am a queen. It was darling.

Libby made me a card (with Daddy's help) and a flower.

D.J. gave me a decoration for the house with notes to me glued on the sides. I loved it! I have to record what he wrote so I'll never forget. All of you know how sweet D.J. is. He is so kind and sensitive. Here's what he wrote...

You make me laugh most when you tickle me and you are funny. You help us in weird ways.
I have fun with you when you take us a lot of fun places and play with us.

You are the best Mom because you help us when we are dreary and bring us in the light. (Isn't he a doll!)

You are a good example to me because you followed the right path and you think about the positives.

I think you are pretty because you wear marvelous clothes. :)

The thing I love about you the most is you care about the family.

Honestly, I don't know how I got so lucky. My kids are amazing!

I love you D.J., Luke, & Liberty! You make me the happiest Mom in the world!

Luke's Kindergarten Program

2010-05-09T22:04:00.000-07:00

Luke's Kindergarten class had their end of year program on Friday. They have been working really hard preparing for it. I still can't believe that Luke is almost done with Kindergarten and will be a 1st grader next year. He's still my little Bubba and I miss his company so much when he's gone to school. I'm really going to hate it when he's gone all day.

The kids sang cute songs and then we watched a slide show of the kids throughout the year. I was so excited to see that Luke's teacher likes to take pictures as much as me. :) There were so many cute pictures of Luke learning in the classroom, playing on the playground, and celebrating holidays. I admit it, I teared up a little. I just hate how fast time flies...I want things to slow down.

The class also displayed the ABC & 123 books they have been working on. This is Luke with the book he made. He did a sports counting book.

Luke lost 6 teeth this year. 4 of them had to be pulled but he still had the most teeth lost in his class and he was very proud. :)

Here are Luke and his teacher Mrs. Reiber. She has been a great teacher for Luke and he has really grown to love her. He is going to miss her next year.

You did a great job Luke, I love you!

D.J.'s 3rd grade Math Night

2010-05-09T21:40:00.000-07:00

The 3rd grade held a fun sports themed Math Night last week for all the 3rd graders and their parents. We played lots of games that helped the kids practice the things they have learned this year in math. D.J.'s favorite game was the pitching station. I love being able to spend some one on one time D.J.. He felt really special having Trevor and I all to himself. Thanks for a fun night D.J., we had such a great time!

Dentist visit...round 2

2010-05-09T21:25:00.000-07:00

It was that time again. Luke and Libby had their 6 month check-up at the dentist. D.J. had testing at school so he is going to go next month. If any of you remember how the last dentist visit went with Libby you will know why I was DREADING it. D.J. and Luke love the dentist. They get to play video games the whole time and then get prizes at the end. What's not to love. Libby on the other hand, well let's just say, it's a nightmare. I am happy to report that thanks to lots of prayers and bribery (I'm not above bribery at all LOL) she was GREAT! There were a few tears and a little whining but other than that she was so good. It helped that she got to watch 'The Princess and the Frog' movie while they cleaned her teeth. She will do anything if princesses are involved. I was so relieved. And to make things even better, Luke and Libby were both cavity free! Good job kiddos!

Recital Time...

2010-05-06T14:03:00.000-07:00

Libby has been taking a dance class once a week for about 8 months now and has loved every minute of it. She had her 2nd dance recital this week and did a great job. Libby's cousins Ryann & Oakley are in her class now and the three of them were darling.
Our little dancer.
Isn't she the prettiest girl in the world?
These three have a hard time paying attention when they are together. This is Ryann giving Oakley and Libby a hug during the recital.
The balance beam

Tumbling

Jumping in the hula-hoops

The hula-hoop dance

Each time they had a costume change Libby would run over to

me and pose for a picture. I've trained her well.

Here she is with her butterfly wings on.

The princess dance

The hula dance

Miss Bobi & Liberty

This is Libby's dance teacher. She is so great with the girls and

has more patience than anyone I know. Libby has really

grown to love her. If you ask her who her best friend

is she will say, "Oakie, Ry Ry, & Miss Bobi."

It was so fun to watch Libby perform for us. I love watching my kids grow up and find there talents. I think that dance will be something that Libby will continue to love for a long time.

Spring Break 2010

2010-04-29T13:02:00.001-07:00

Every Spring Break the Ivins family gets together for a little reunion and we go camping. This year we went to Goblin Valley State Park. I remember going there as a kid and couldn't wait to take my kids to enjoy it. We had a blast! We enjoyed lots of hiking, biking, four wheeling, & playing! (as you will see from my obvious overload of pictures)

The first night we got there it was chilly, well, it was down right COLD! Luckily we had prepared and brought lots of warm clothes. It did warm up the next day and other than lots of wind it was a beautiful week.

The kids brought there bikes and rode them to their hearts content. The parking lot at our group campsite was huge so they had lots of room to ride around.

The Valley of the Goblins was one of the kids favorite places to visit. They could have stayed there all week and been happy.

We spent lots of time on the four wheelers.

The best part of camping...tin foil dinners!

Our whole family hiked up Little Wild Horse canyon about 1 mile and then had a picnic. Trevor, Todd, Harmony, Jeff, my Dad, Michael, Aspen, Autumn, & Weston decided to do the whole hike which wasn't easy with all the water that was in the canyon. The rest of us turned around and went back to camp. It took them about 4 hours but they did it. Good job guys!

We had fun around the campsite. We played lots of Bocce Ball and baseball. The kids also liked blowing bubbles off the top of one of the hills close by. There was also Bingo, rock painting, and playdough. We were never bored.

This was baby Gwen's first camping trip. She was only 6 weeks old but she did great!

We hiked up Crack Canyon on the third day we were there. I think this was my favorite hike. It was so beautiful and there were so many places the kids could explore.

Nick, Trevor, Jeff, Tony, & Todd

They are CRAZY, but we LOVE them!

Of course one of the best things about camping is playing games in the trailer. It's fun that the kids are getting old enough that they really know how to play now. D.J. beats us all at Rummikub.

This is the Anderton family. They are like part of our family. They joined us on our trip this year. We had such a great time.

I just had to put this picture on here of Trevor. I love it, isn't he the most handsome man ever? I know, I'm a lucky girl. Trevor reminds me of that daily. LOL

The last night of our camping trip my Mom, Nick & Annette did a treasure hunt for the kids. Of course in good old 'Nick' fashion he found a flare in one of the cars and decided to light it and lead the kids on the hunt with it. As usual the kids thought Nick was the coolest thing ever.

Libby loved every minute of our camping trip. It kind of surprised me because she is the girliest girl I know but she loves it. Her favorite part was riding the four wheelers. She could ride them all day and be happy.
The park had a cute little booklet that the kids could complete and become Junior Rangers. They had to do things like learn the names of plants, pick up garbage in the park, and learn about animals in that area. Here they are with their Junior Ranger Badges.

It was another great Spring Break spent together as a family. Lots of memories made and relationships strengthened, just what we wanted to accomplish.

Easter 2010

2010-04-12T22:03:00.001-07:00

Easter morning was a lot of fun. It started at 2:45 a.m. when the boys decided to wake up and see what the Easter bunny had brought them. After they checked out their baskets they turned on cartoons to wait for the rest of us to wake up. I woke up shortly after and sent them back to bed but they were up again at 5:30. I made them wait downstairs until 7:30 and then we finally woke up Libby and went to see the kids baskets.

We had lots of yummy food on Easter. Trevor made his famous donuts for breakfast before General Conference. After Conference we went to my Mom's house for a turkey dinner. It was yummy!

It was then time for the egg hunt!

Great Grandma came over to enjoy dinner with us. My kids love Grandma Ivins and celebrations are always better when she is with us.

What a great weekend!

Some exciting news...

2010-03-25T10:53:00.000-07:00

This little cutie pie is POTTY TRAINED!

No more diapers at our house!

Can you hear the angels singing? I sure can.

St. Patrick's Day at our house!

2010-03-24T20:47:00.001-07:00

The boys were excited to wear their new St. Patrick's Day shirts. Well D.J.'s was new, Luke's was recycled from last year. I gave Luke D.J.'s shirt from last St. Patrick's Day and hoped he wouldn't recognize it but he did. Luckily he thought it was cool that he got to have D.J.'s shirt so he was happy. Libby on the other hand wouldn't have anything to do with wearing green. She HAS to wear pink everyday or apparently she'll die. I did sneak a green bow in her hair when she wasn't looking so she wouldn't get pinched at dance class. :)
When I was younger my Mom would give us Lucky Charms for breakfast every St. Patrick's Day. She now buys them for all the grand kids to enjoy. Of course they had to eat it with the milk the leprechaun colored green while we were sleeping. He also changed all our toilet water and bath water green. Luke saw it and yelled, "MOM! The leprechaun peed in all of our toilets and then he peed in our bath water. I'm not getting in there!" Not exactly what I had pictured but it was hilarious.

After school we decorated shamrock sugar cookies.

I had to throw in this picture of Luke helping me clean-up.

This kid will not let anything with sugar in it go to waste. Gross, I know!

For dinner we enjoyed grilled cheese sandwiches made out of green bread, green applesauce, sour cream & onion chips, and the sugar cookies the kids decorated.

It was another great holiday at our house!

Happy Birthday Luke!

2010-03-23T16:02:00.000-07:00

My little Bubba is growing up! He celebrated his 6th birthday last week. After changing what he wanted to do for his party about 10 times he finally decided on a Pokemon party. It was a lot of fun. I hope you had a great birthday Bubba! Thanks for making the last 6 years so wonderful! :)

D.J. made Luke a homemade gift this year. He cut up the party invitation

and made a picture out of it. He then added a balloon and a jolly rancher. Luke loved it!

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!

2010-03-23T12:47:00.000-07:00

March 2nd is Dr. Seuss's birthday. We like to celebrate it every year by watching The Cat in the Hat DVD and having green eggs and hams for dinner. This year I decided that while we ate dinner we would make a rule that you could only talk in rhyme since that's how Dr. Seuss wrote his books. It was hilarious. Honestly, I don't think we have laughed that hard together in a long time. Trevor really got into it and the boys could barely eat there dinner because that couldn't stop laughing. Libby had no idea what we were doing but she laughed right along with us. For dessert we enjoyed Cat in the Hat bubble gum guys from the Peppermint Place. What a great night. Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!

Our weekend in Nampa!

2010-03-23T12:27:00.000-07:00

Last month we took a quick trip to Nampa to visit our family. We were able to meet our new niece Quincy Jo, who is absolutely adorable. It was a nice relaxing vacation. I didn't take many pictures and the ones I did take were all of Libby. The boys run away every time I pull the camera out. Darn kids.

The highlight of Libby's trip was having her Grandpa read to her. I'm not sure how long this went on because after the first 30 minutes I finally went to bed. She's a spoiled little girl. :)

Libby & her new cousin Quincy

Valentine's Day 2010

2010-02-14T21:00:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Day this year was great! We kept it really low-key and that made it so much more enjoyable. We decided not to fight the crowds during the weekend and went out on Wednesday night instead. We went to the Jazz/Lakers game. We are HUGE Lakers fans so it was a fun game for us.

On Saturday night some of the adults in my family got together at my Grandma's for dinner. The Anderton family are friends of ours and were in town visited so they came to dinner as well. My Mom made a roast that was delicious. After dinner we relaxed and visited for a few hours. Thanks Mom & Dad for dinner, it was wonderful!

My Valentine and I

Isn't he handsome?!?!

On Valentine's day the kids woke up and found there gifts from Trevor and I. They loved their balloons and spent most of the morning running through the house with them. We also gave them some chocolates and new shirts.

The kids really enjoyed their balloons.

On Friday my amazing older brother Tony sent Libby and I roses. He is so nice to think of us. He actually sent them to all the girls in our family. Libby was in heaven and made us all call her Snow White for the rest of the day. I guess the rose made her feel like a princess. At first I didn't let her hold it but after she cried for a while I realized that Tony sent it to her and I'm sure he would want me to let her hold it if she wanted. She danced with it, kissed it, smelled it, slept with it, and even though the stem broke she continued to carry it around all day. Thanks Tony, you made Libby's Valentine's Day really special.

The kids helped their Dad make me a 'candygram' that was really cute. The boys HAD to have their picture taken by it. They were so proud. I gave Trevor some treats and a note. Like I said, we kept in really simple this year and it turned out to be one of my favorite Valentine's Days ever.

After church I made cinnamon rolls for everyone and shaped them like hearts. They were pretty good. Not as good as my Mother-in-laws but no one makes them like her. It was a yummy way to end a great Valentine's day!

I hope you all had a wonderful Valentine's Day as well!

My Two Favorite Girls

2010-01-24T16:10:00.000-08:00

At church this morning I looked at Libby sitting by Grandma and realized that they were twins. They were both wearing black, red, & white. It was so cute. I had to take Libby over to Grandma's house after church to get a few pictures.

Our Basketball Star

2010-01-17T22:36:00.001-08:00

D.J. started Junior Jazz last week which means on top of football, baseball, and video games he has a new passion. :) I was so proud of him at his game on Saturday. He played really hard, and even scored. He was so excited!
Go #15!

This & That

2010-01-17T22:09:00.000-08:00

D.J. was the Star Student in his class last month. He worked really hard on his poster and made it all by himself. Isn't he handsome? He's growing up WAY too fast.
It's official...Luke can read! He has been working so hard and although he has a long way to go he is well on his way. This is the first book he ever read by himself. Since then he has read about 5 more. He's growing up as well...what is going on.

My brother Nick and his darling family have been living with my Mom & Dad for the past few months while waiting to hear back on a house that was a short sale. It took a lot longer than planned but they finally heard back and got the house! This is them leaving my parents house to go to there new home.

Across the street! How fun is that? We are thrilled to have new neighbors. :) I know, it's a little strange that my parents, brother and I all live within a few houses of each other but it works for us. Libby absolutely loves having Ryann so close and is with her almost everyday.

Welcome to the neighborhood guys!

The kids love sliding down the stairs on a blanket together. I don't love it so much since every time they do it someone ends up crying. At least they are playing together right?

Time to party!

2010-01-17T20:59:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite parts of being a stay-at-home Mom is being able to help in the kids classroom. I was able to help with both of the boys Christmas parties this year. Luke's Kindergarten class had the cutest Polar Express party. Luke favorite part was wearing his pajama's to school.

Here they are riding the polar express to the North Pole. They are going up a really big mountain. :)

Enjoying cookies and hot chocolate on the train.

Luke holding his 'snowball'.

SNOWBALL FIGHT!!!

Luke also loved the indoor ice skating rink. It was such a cute idea. We did this on Christmas Eve with our family, you have to try it. Use pieces of wax paper and slide on the carpet, it really works.

For D.J.'s class party his teacher took them to a retirement community that is next to the school to sing Christmas carols to the residents. We then went back to the school for hot chocolate and donuts. D.J.'s cousin Weston was out of school for Christmas break and came to stay with us for a few days so he was able to come to D.J.'s party with me. D.J. loved having Weston in his class and introducing him to his friends.

D.J. & Weston

The carolers. D.J. & Weston are somewhere in the back. :)

My Grandma's dear friend Hazel lives in the retirement community that the boys went to and came to listen to them sing. D.J. has heard a lot about Hazel from his Great Grandma and was very excited to finally meet her.

The boys and I had a great time at their class parties!

Family Christmas Parties...

2010-01-17T20:29:00.000-08:00

I know, it's already January and I am just barely getting around to posting about our family Christmas parties but better late than never right?

The Ivins family Christmas party was fun as always! The boys liked seeing Santa, Libby wasn't so sure.

Me & my Grandma Ivins
I love this lady so much!

D.J.

Luke

Liberty

Luke was so excited to be a shepherd for the nativity.

D.J. on the other hand wasn't so happy to be Joseph. I couldn't figure out why until he told me later that he didn't want to be 'married' to anyone. Ha ha ha...such a boy!

A few of the kiddos. Notice Luke in the back, he was not happy about eating his soup.

We also celebrated Christmas with the Hansen side of the family. We had breakfast at my Mom's house the Saturday before Christmas. Unfortunately I didn't get very many pictures, I was too busy eating and visiting. It was so great to see everyone and can't wait until next year.

Funny Girl

2010-01-17T20:03:00.001-08:00

Libby is turning into such a funny little girl. D.J. & Luke say she is the funniest girl in the world. I'm not sure where she got her spunky little personality but we'll take it. She definitely adds a lot of fun to our household.

She is now obsessed with Barbies. Her favorite part about them are their shoes.

She takes them on and off all day long.

This picture completely captures Libby's personality. She wears dress up clothes everyday and usually has a crown or wings on as well. She also loves to hide from us. If we can't find her we just look in her two favorite places, in my closet or under her bed.

Her favorite chore to do is to sweep the kitchen. It will usually keep her busy for a good 10 minutes which is amazing for this girl.
Here she is doing her 'homework'. Each time her brothers do their homework she will find some paper and crayons and find me and say, "homework Mommy."

We love having Libby in our family. She is wild and crazy just like her brothers, as well as sweet and girly...we wouldn't change her for the world!

Our Little Dancer

2010-01-17T18:50:00.000-08:00

Liberty started taking a dance class in October. She LOVES it! Every morning she asks me if she gets to go to dance class. I know what you're thinking, she is too young for dance class but it is a really fun, low-key, cute class for 2-3 year old girls, they even enjoy a tea party at the end of every class. How cute is that? It's also pretty cheap so I just couldn't pass it up. Libby had her first recital in November and did a great job. I was worried that she would be embarrassed and not dance but she loved all the attention and danced the whole time.

They learn to point their toes while they rock baby dolls to sleep. Cute!

Tea Party Time

Libby's Class

For the last dance all the girls danced with their Daddy's. Trevor & Libby are way in the back.

I was so proud of our little Libby!

Our Christmas 2009

2009-12-28T15:04:00.000-08:00

This year we had Christmas with the Ivins side of our family. Everyone was able to make it, that makes 26 in all. On Christmas eve my Mom made us a delicious turkey dinner and lots of yummy treats. My Grandma Ivins, Annette's family, and Jayanne's parents were about to come and enjoy dinner with us as well. It was so fun to have them there. We played games, sang Christmas songs, listened to Autumn & Aspen play songs on the piano and opened our gifts from my parents. We all slept at my parents house so we could enjoy Christmas morning together.

Here we are in our matching pajamas that my Mom gave us this year. She also gave each of the kids a pillow pet. You would have thought she gave them all a million dollars, they were so excited and hardly put them down all night.
Annette, Harmony, Jayanne, Amanda, and Me

The Ivins Girls

Tyler, Oakley, & Libby waiting for some turkey!

Some of the kids wanted to watch Trevor carve the turkey. I think Michael was pretty grossed out.

The 'baby' table

The boys table.

The girls table.

Amanda & Jeff

Nick & Annette

Oakley loves Ryann

Nick & Grandma Ivins ready to party. She is such a good sport.

The Ivins family

The Saunders family

The Ivins family

Our family

Before bed the kids went outside and sprinkled reindeer dust on the lawn for Santa's reindeer.

Christmas Morning

It has been a family tradition of ours to take a picture on the stairs before we can see what Santa brought us. We have pictures like this from before my little brother Nick was even born. Our family has grown a lot since then. We are now up to 26...and still counting.

Santa was here!

D.J. & Luke were excited about the new arcade basketball game Santa brought.

Libby got some dress up clothes and a new princess crown.

She also got a new doll house. I was just as excited as her!

Do you think D.J. liked his Nerf gun? LOL

Here are the Saunders' enjoying their presents.

Christmas morning chaos!

Alexa was very happy to get a new Barbie camper.

More fun chaos!!!

On the top of Luke's list this year was an ipod. He was very excited to finally have his very own and D.J. is happy he doesn't have to share his anymore. :)

Me & Libby

Thank you Santa!

Alexa loves Aunt Mandy. She even talked her into playing beauty shop at 7:00 a.m., what a nice Aunt.

Libby and I playing dolls.

Oakley & Libby enjoying a Christmas tea party.

Christmas this year was so wonderful. I loved being with our family and watching the kids enjoy all the special things that happen during this time of year. D.J. said that this was the best Christmas ever, and I have to agree.

I hope you all had a great Christmas as well!

Merry Christmas to you from us!

2009-12-24T15:18:00.000-08:00

Just another reason why I love living so close to my parents...

2009-12-13T21:01:00.000-08:00

We can borrow their snow blower on days like today!

Let it snow!

Luke Lost a Tooth...or Two!

2009-12-13T19:46:00.001-08:00

Luke had a very exciting week a couple of weeks ago. He finally lost his first tooth. He has been telling us for months that he had a loose tooth but he really didn't. He wanted to be like his big brother and get money from the tooth fairy. His wish finally came true.

A couple of days after his first tooth fell out another one fell out! He was so excited! I love how such a little thing can make a 5 year old smile for days.

Congratulations Bubba!

Thanksgiving 2009

2009-12-13T15:45:00.000-08:00

This year we traveled to Idaho to spend Thanksgiving with the Sorensen side of the family. We love going to Idaho. The kids count down the days for weeks before we go. They even enjoy the 6-7 hour drive in the car. They load up their backpacks full of books, crayons, movies, & most important their ipods the night before we leave and put it by the door. The drive this year was awesome. There was no snow, Trevor had loaded the ipods with lots of new songs for the kids (which they sang at the top of their lungs most of the way), and he surprised me and set his phone up as a modem so I had the Internet on my laptop the whole way. We were all set!

We fits so much fun stuff into our 5 days in Idaho. On Wednesday we went to Boise and visited the Festival of Trees. Our nephew Michael had a choir concert there that we were able to see. He did a great job. We saw lots of beautiful trees, made some crafts, and visited Santa. D.J. and Luke sat right on his lap with no problem but Libby was a different story. She would get close enough to yell "Barbie!" and that was about it. As long as he knew to bring her a Barbie she was good.

Luke, Isaac, D.J., & Grandpa talking to the 'Talking Tree'.

Libby found a Barbie tree and was in heaven. She sat in front of it forever.

Making ornaments.
This is the best picture we got. Libby was actually on my lap but I cropped myself out.

Thanksgiving day was wonderful. It was so relaxing. Trevor's Mom is a great cook, thank goodness since I couldn't cook a turkey to save my life. I did warm up the green beans, with a little help, but then they sent me to set the table with Dad. I am NOT a cook! We relaxed all day, ate a TON, and looked at the ads in the paper to map out a plan for our Black Friday shopping.

Luke peeling potatoes.

D.J. helping as well. At least these two are helpful in the kitchen since I'm not.

While the kids waited for dinner they played some computer games. I think we had more laptops in the house than people.

Our Feast!
Table #1

Table #2

Luke age 5

D.J. age 8

Libby age 2

After pie when all bundled up in our warm clothes and headed to Boise to the botanical gardens. They had decorated the garden in millions of lights, it was beautiful. When we were done we went back to Trevor's sister Kristi's house for hot chocolate and donuts. The boys then had a sleepover with their cousin Michael. It was definitely one of the highlights of their trip.

Our Family

Thanksgiving 2009

Libby copying her brother...see below.

D.J. being silly!

Friday started off bright and early. Trevor, Don, Lori, Steph, B.J., and I joined the crowds in Walmart at 5:00 a.m.. Tim and Nicole took their lives in their own hands and went to Target.

We love to go shopping on Black Friday. I went for the first time a few years ago with my Father-in-law and it is now one of my favorite traditions. We didn't buy much this year but it's still fun to go out and be together. My Mother-in-law had the hard job of staying home and babysitting the kids. Thanks Mom!

The rest of the weekend was spent relaxing, playing games, and having fun. Trevor and his Dad helped D.J. work on some of his cub scout requirements. They built birdhouses with D.J. and Luke and taught them about different tools and how to use them.
D.J. hard at work.

We had such a great time in Idaho, as always. Trevor even got to go to breakfast with some his friends that he hadn't seen in over 10 years. As we drove home we decided that we are going to make sure we go and visit more next year. No more excuses!!! Life is busy but not THAT busy.

♥ Our Hollywood Adventure, Days 3 & 4♥

2009-11-21T21:33:00.000-08:00

The day had finally arrived! I had been looking forward to that day ever since Harmony knocked on my door at 11:30 at night to tell me she had gotten us tickets to Dancing with the Stars.

I don't think I have mentioned how she got the tickets. Harmony was invited to attend the V.I.P. opening of the Living Planet Aquarium in Sandy. While she was there they had an auction to raise money for the exhibits. One of the employees at the aquarium has a sister who is a producer of Dancing with the Stars and donated 4 plane tickets and 4 tickets to the show to be auctioned off. After Harmony won the tickets she was given the producers phone number and started corresponding with her to make plans. She was AMAZING! When Harmony called her to tell her the date we wanted she told Harmony that if we were coming all the way from Utah that she would love to give us tickets to the Tuesday night show as well! Of course the screaming started all over again and I was in Heaven counting down the days.

Marcy, our producer friend ( I like to think we are friends) told us that no cameras were allowed in the studio but to bring one and she would take it in for us to take pictures. Marcy wasn't at the Monday show so we didn't get pictures inside that night just a couple outside. Tuesday Marcy was there and came and got us out of line to go on a little tour. She was SO nice! Originally we were going to be able to go back stage but due to a stalker that broke in last season to try and get to Shawn Johnson they won't allow anyone backstage. They won't even let the families of the dancers backstage unless the dancer is injured or something. She did take us around the studio, to the hair & makeup trailers, and to the trailer where they film interviews with the dancers. She also talked to us for over an hour and let us (O.K., mostly me) ask her a million questions. On Monday night our seats were amazing. We were a few rows behind the actor and actress from the show Castle and Latoya Jackson. Luckily our row was the first one that was raised a little bit so we had no one directly in front of us to block our view. We were sitting right by Ozzy Osbourne as well. He has a little entourage that followed him everywhere, even when he went to the bathroom during commercial breaks. Across the ballroom was Soleil Moon Frye (aka Punky Brewster). She is one of Melissa Joan Hart's best friends and was there to watch her dance. On Tuesday night our seats were right to the side of the judges on the first row. Marcy got us great seats! It was fun to get to talk to the judges and be by Tom & Samantha during the elimination. I could go on and on about my nights at Dancing with the Stars but here are just a few things I remember from that night...

*The 'ballroom' is a lot smaller than it looks on T.V.

*Before, during and after the show there is a guy named Cory who talks to the audience and tells us what they need us to know. When to clap, who they need to move while they change the set, and he keeps us all excited. He is such a huge part of the show and yet you never even know he's there when you watch it on T.V.. He was really funny and was actually one of my favorite parts of being there.

*During the Monday show we didn't see much of Samantha Harris because she was backstage interviewing the dancers after they danced.

*Tom Bergeron & Samantha Harris are both really nice. On Tuesday's show we were able to sit right by the judges and Tom & Samantha would stand right by us during the eliminations. They were really nice to everyone in the audience. After the show I said, "Good show Tom" and he laughed and said "Oh, thanks." LOL, did I mentioned how much fun I had. :)

*Samantha Harris is tiny! You could probably put both your hands around her waist.

*Tom had a tear in the back of his jacket on Tuesday night. I laughed every time I saw it. He also doesn't say everything that's on the teleprompter, he just makes it up as he goes.

*All three judges were also really nice. Bruno is CRAZY, and the redbull that he and CariAnn both have under the table probably doesn't help. CariAnn also had a tear in her dress on Tuesday, the wardrobe department must have had a bad night. :)

*The judges and Samantha were all very upset when Natalie was eliminated on Tuesday. CariAnn and Samantha thought it was crazy and Len walked right out of the room as soon as the camera's were off.

*While we were back by the trailers Jamie Pressly from the show 'My name is Earl' drove by us looking for her parking spot. She was there to watch Melissa Joan Hart as well. She texted on her phone during every commercial break. I don't think she wanted anyone to talk to her. :)

*The actor from the show Castle, is very polite. Every time a lady would pass by him he would stand up and help them down the stair. I've never seen Castle but I think I'll watch now just because he was such a nice guy. He's cuter in person than on T.V. too!

*On Tuesday's show the professional dancer did a tribute to Michael Jackson that was so cool. During the performance some of them had to hide behind the judges table right by us. My Mom had to slide over a little bit to make room for Jonathan, Max, and Mark. It was so smoky in there from all the smoke machines and they were asking us if we were dying from inhaling it.

*After the show we ran into Chelsie Hightower's Mom and Louie's Dad. Harmony told them that we were from Utah too and they sat and talked to us for a minute. They said that Chelsie and Louie are having so much fun working together and that Louie's Dad didn't think that he would make it past the first week.

*After Monday's show I was in line buying a T-shirt (I love that shirt so much!) and Soleil Moon Frye touched my arm while walking past me! Holy cow, what I would have given when I was 8 years old to have Punky Brewster touch me! LOL

Here are a few things that Marcy told us...

*Louie really is in love with Chelsie. He tells anyone who will listen how much he likes her. Chelsie is a little hesitant, since they have different standards. (Chelsie is LDS, stick to your guns Chelsie!)

*Aaron Carter also likes Chelsie and keeps asking her out but she says no. This had made Louie upset and so Aaron and Louie don't really like each other. They are very competitive with each other.

*It's really awkward to work with Max and Karina ever since they broke off their engagement. Karina broke up with him because he wants to start a family soon and she doesn't. He is still madly in love with her and is very heartbroken. Marcy said he is nicer to work with now because he isn't as arrogant as he used to be.

*Marcy said that Ty Murray was one of her favorite stars to work with. She said he is so humble and polite, a real cowboy.

*She thinks Donny has a real shot at winning because of all his fans.

*Some of the stars join the show with certain stipulations like, who they want as a partner, how much they want to be paid, etc. If the producers can make it work then they will but sometimes they don't get the partner they want.

*She said the stars get paid VERY well, but the professionals don't get too much. The professional does get a big bonus if they win though.

Alright, I'll stop rambling on about my adventures in Hollywood. It really was a trip of a lifetime. I'll never forget it. Thanks again Harmony! You really are the greatest sister a girl could have. (and not only because you got me tickets to my favorite show, although that helped)

Since the season finale is on Tuesday I thought I would give my prediction of the winner...Donny Osmond all the way!
Monday Night

Outside the studio.

Enjoying dinner at the Cheescake Factory after the show.

Here we are on T.V.. Our kids loved seeing us on the show and thought we were movie stars. It was so funny. You can tell in this picture that I was loving it. I was screaming and yelling all night. :)
Tuesday Night

Leaving the hotel for the show.

Inside the studio.

On the back lot by the trailers.

In our seats before the show started.

In the ballroom.

After the show.

Jayanne, Harmony, Marcy (the producer) and my Mom.

Our 15 minutes of fame. Hahaha!

After the Tuesday night show we had the town car meet us outside the studio gates to take us right to the airport.

Here we are on our way back to reality. Yep, me and all 4 of my chins! LOL

It was an amazing trip, one I will always remember!

Thanks for the memories Harmony, Jayanne and Mom!