Joy in the Journey

Lucky

2010-06-22T14:02:00.000-07:00

Here's a quick shout out to the man of my dreams....

And the wonderful Father of my children... aren't we LUCKY?

Happy Father's Day!

Sweet, Sweet Girl

2010-06-21T15:40:00.000-07:00

Happy Happy Birthday to my baby whose no longer a baby!

Who knew that in 4 short years, she could go from THIS sweet innocent baby girl (note the proud papa)

To THIS...still sweet(now, with a little bit of spice) girl enjoying a snow cone on her grandma's back porch.

Here are some things we love about our little Katers.

Her uncanny resemblence to her older sister and idol, Morgan.

Her beautiful blue eyes, that change shades depending on the mood and the weather.

Her chubby, kissable cheeks.

Her spicy attitude that can make me laugh or want to pull my hair out in the same five minutes.

Her cute imagination and ability to entertain herself in any surroundings.

But most of all, how she completes our family. She gets along famously with her brother and sisters, and watching them all play together makes me smile. We love you Kate, Happy 4th Birthday!

The New and Improved...

2010-05-27T16:48:00.000-07:00

Cedar Creek Dental!

Quinn, I'm so proud of you and thrilled that you now get to

work in such a beautiful place. Thanks for all your hard work! WE LOVE YOU!

Bountiful Basket Anyone??

2010-05-25T18:31:00.000-07:00

Can you believe I scored all this farm-fresh goodness for $15? I KNOW!! All I had to do was log into their website (www.bountifulbaskets.org) on Monday, pay my fifteen bucks, and pick up my basket at the designated location on Saturday. Easy Peasy. Each week I get different items in my basket which has greatly enhanced my cooking creativity, and here's a bonus..my kids actually grab for the fresh stuff instead of cookies and fruit snacks! There are locations in Idaho, Utah, Arizona, and Wyoming, and new locations are opening all the time..check it out!

Through the eyes of a 3 year old...

2010-05-12T13:06:00.001-07:00

One day when I was busy sitting in front of the computer screen for possibly a little too long....

This little one got a hold of my camera and proceeded to entertain herself taking random pictures around the house. (After she stripped herself of the cute white sweater that her mother insists she wears with this dress!)

This is what I discovered after the camera was confiscated....

Not bad for a three year old. A budding photographer? We'll see.

Excuse My Rookiness

2010-05-11T14:50:00.000-07:00

Okay...I said it was my first video upload! Sorry about the private thing. But I think it is fixed now, you may have to give it a minute or two to load...and we did have a bit of a rough start so just bear with! :)

Sunday Stew (day old)

2010-05-10T09:20:00.001-07:00

This is how my Mother's Day went...

Kate making sure there is NO peeking going on...

Then.... SURPRISE!! Holy Cow, are you serious?

Let me take a closer look at this gem.

Definately a keeper!

Complete with amp, mic, and music stand, it will no longer be Angie "Unplugged"! How did I get so lucky?

And since stew tastes even better the second day....

I had a surprise visit from my Grandma and Grandpa Herbst today! I can't tell you how excited I was to open the door and see those two standing there.

My Grandpa is a master guitar player. I remember sitting for hours when I was a kid listening to he and my dad play together. When I was about 15 I decided I wanted to learn to play like that and so it began. I wasn't the only one with a desire to learn to play. I also have a dad, a brother, 3 cousins and an aunt that all play as well. All because of this guy. What a legacy my grandpa has left! I am nowhere near as good a player as he is, but I hope someday I will be. It was such a treat today to be able to sit and watch him strum away on my new Mother's Day present. Then I got my old trusty out and we had a little jam session. So now, for your viewing pleasure, (well, at least mine) is my grandpa and I playing a song that has been sung in my family ever since I can remember. It's called "Pearly Shells". (this is my first time uploading my own videos, so I hope it works)

Sunday Stew... a whole 2 weeks worth!

2010-05-02T15:19:00.001-07:00

or 3...or 4...

Sunday Stew (thanks Kara) is my new solution to bloggers block. My utter lack of storytelling skills shows repeatedly on this blog and in hopes of making things a little more interesting, or maybe just easier for me, Sunday Stew will be random mixture of all the good things that go on in our family.
So this is coming at ya in no particular order, and the obsessive compulsiveness in me is screaming at me to fix it, but it's not gonna happen today. So here goes.

A few months ago, 3 to be exact, I signed Morgan up for club volleyball and thought about how fun it would be to go watch her play every Saturday. Ha. I then get a phone call from the coordinator saying they need a coach for Morgans team and that I was the last one on the list. And because I have no concept telling someone "No", well yeah, you guessed it. So much for leisurely Saturdays watching from the bleachers. Mind you, I have zero experience in anything besides Young Womens volleyball that I played when I was 14, so I was a little nervous. But what started out as something to dread, became something I really looked forward to. We had a great group of girls on the team, and for most of them being fairly new to the sport, they were really good! It was so fun to watch them improve throughout the season...and who knows...maybe my coaching days aren't over just yet.....

Layton had his first Pinewood Derby last week! Here is his car and his award for "Best Design". His Dad worked so hard. (wink)

Layton with a couple of his cute scout buddies, waiting for the races to begin.

Quinn "helping" Layton with his car. I love how into it the Dad's get.

I had to throw this one in for flavor. I love this kid's grin. He makes me smile.

And this one too. What can I say? They all make me smile.

This is cute Allie with her Great-Grandma and Great-Grandpa Herbst(my grandparents) at her 6th birthday party. They have never missed a birthday(NOT ONE)and I'm so glad they are around for my kids to know them. Notice the camera on my Grandma's lap. She probably had those pictures downloaded and into books before the night was up. She is a master historian and computer wiz and a regular facebooker. Yup. She's amazing.

Allie with her traditional birthday breakfast in bed. Something we all look forward to each year!

This gorgeous lady is my SIL and her cute little girl. We had Quinn's family up for dinner on Easter Sunday after conference. It was even pleasant enough that we were able to go outside and have a small easter egg hunt.

Here are all the kids waiting patiently as the eggs were hidden outside.

I love this pic of Kate and her Grandpa looking through an old photo album. He was telling her stories and she was eating it up.
And there you have it. Sunday Stew. Next week will be bite size.

New-Found FAV

2010-04-21T09:25:00.000-07:00

This incredible looking dip is HUMMUS and let me tell you, can transform a piece of celery from tasteless watery crunch into something near heavenly. It is an awesome spread for sandwiches and wraps, and the health benefits are great to boot! I'm hooked! Here is a fantastic recipe for you if you get the urge to try hummus:

Turkey Hummus Wrap
Spread 3 tbsp. hummus on a whole wheat tortilla
Layer:
3 oz. skinless white turkey breast meat
1/4 of a sliced avocado
1/4 cup alfalfa sprouts
2 slices tomato
romaine lettuce
Roll up and enjoy!

(Hummus is store-bought by the way, I'm sure you could make it if you wanted to, but it's very good and much easier from the store!)

That's My Girl

2010-04-08T20:44:00.000-07:00

And it's time for another birthday at our house. Allie, our third baby, second girl, is celebrating her 6th birthday tomorrow. When she was a baby, everyone always told me she looked like a cabbage patch doll. And Oh, what a doll she is. Just can't get enough of this girl's million dollar smile.
Here is a peek at our sweet Alliecat. (I wanted to start with a hospital pic, but our scanner was being a bugger, so we'll start with: )
Age 1

Age 2

Age 3

Age 4

Age 5

Here is what makes our Allie so special:
*Her smile is contagious.
*She is 98.7% instantly obedient.
*She was so excited to get into this world, she came 4 weeks early!
*When she grows up, she wants to be a mom or maybe a bus driver.
*She reminds me at least once a day that I am the best mom in the world. I never get tired of hearing it.
*She is our best eater, always the first one to the table, and the last one down.
*She adores, and is adored by, her siblings. She makes the perfect older and younger sister.
We love you Allie, and hope you have a special day!

Hello out there?? Has anyone missed me???

2010-04-07T07:19:00.000-07:00

Wow. It's amazing how time can fly without even realizing it. Here we are four months later and it still feels like Christmas outside. Yup, that's right. My kids just had thier first day of cancelled school because of snow, and it happened in April. Is this what it's like in Alaska? Here's a quick recap of our 2010 so far.

Cute Layton turned 8 and started scouts, and he is all business.

He was baptized in February by his dad. His little toe popped up, so he had to do it twice, but made sure to get it right the second time!

Did I mention the snow we've been having? Yeah, we've been pretty busy trying to get the most out of it. Quinn and I took a quick overnight trip to Big Sky for our 12th anniversary. We love to ski with our kids, but it was really nice to spend a quiet day together and enjoy the awesome slopes.

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We were able to get the kids up to Kelly's quite a bit...Allie is becoming quite the little skier. Her favorite thing is to play movie trivia on the chair lift. Morgan tried snowboarding for the first time this year, and I don't think she'll ever go back to skiing.

As much fun as it is to play in the snow, I am ready for spring!! My garden thumb is starting to itch.

Birthday Boy

2010-01-10T12:53:00.000-08:00

Dear Layton,
It's hard for me to believe that you are turning 8 years old! It seems like just yesterday I was holding you in my arms and cuddling my brand-new baby boy. What a blessing you have been to our family. I always tell everyone, if there was ever a boy that was perfect for having 3 sisters, you would be it. You are so good to them. And they love you. I smiled this morning when Kate came in all ready for church and said "Look at me, Layton", and you responded with a smile on your face, "Ooooh. Pretty Kate." I am grateful for your tender heart and concern for others. You are and have always been my buddy. I love it when you come up behind me in the kitchen and give me a hug for no reason at all. I love that I can always count on you to do the right thing. I am proud of your decision to be baptized in a few weeks and can hardly wait for the day to come. I hope you have a wonderful 8th birthday and I hope you know how blessed we feel to have you in our family!

Love.This.Kid.

THIS.......

2010-01-05T08:46:00.000-08:00

..is what I get to do today. ALL DAY. Seriously.

Comin at ya a little late....

2009-12-29T19:44:00.001-08:00

Not the typical vacation spot!

2009-12-18T17:10:00.000-08:00

Don't ya just love free trips? Quinn is in the process of building a new dental office and the headquarters for some of the equipment that he has to purchase is in Portland. So the first week of December we were able to fly out to the coast, mainly for the purpose of choosing dental equipment, but we decided to make a little mini-vacation out of it. When I think of taking a trip, Oregon is not typically the first place that comes to mind...but I was surprised at how beautiful it was! Here are some of the highlights of our quick trip.

We decided to take a drive out to the coast one of the days, and on the way we found this cool Air and Space Museum. Inside this building is the actual Spruce Goose built by Howard Hughes. It is huge!! On the lawn in front of this building they have another huge 747 that they are planning on turning into a water park...with 4 water slides based off the airplane itself. Way cool.

This is as close as I have ever been to the pacific ocean. It's so beautiful. The waves were roaring this particular day and I found myself awed at the amazing creations that make up this world we live in.

I love this guy.

We were driving up the coast and found this cool place to stop and watch the sun fade into the endless expanse of ocean. What an awesome sunset!

We drove out to this place on Sunday after we visited a ward in Portland (which is always very interesting). It's called Multnomah Falls and is located just outside of Portland. Very cool waterfall. I love the bridge connecting the two canyon walls.

Somewhere in the middle of all this we actually did pick out some dental equipment!!

I LOVE it when:

2009-11-09T19:54:00.000-08:00

Quinn helps Morgan with her math....

...I am quickly realizing that I am NOT smarter than a 5th grader!

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-31T20:23:00.000-07:00

Don't we all just LOVE Halloween?? The ultimate kid fantasy holiday. Here are the kids on the big day, just before heading out to claim their loot...

Morgan, a.k.a Hermione Granger. "Swish and flick"

Layton a.k.a Indiana Jones...Kate lovingly calls him "IndYIana Jones."

Allie, my darling 50's girl...caught her mid-spin on this pic.

Cute Kate...little Tinkerbell. Sometimes referred to as "Stinkerbell". (Only when she's being a stinker of course.)

One holiday down, two to go...Christmas is just around the corner folks! Ready or not...

Yeahhhh! I can SEE!!

2009-10-28T13:47:00.001-07:00

Little Miss Rigby

2009-10-19T08:13:00.000-07:00

Every year the Rigby High School dance team holds a fundraiser called Little Miss Rigby. Now before I continue, I need to add the disclaimer that I am sooo not a pageant mom and I don't believe in exploiting little girls in that way. That being said, this particular program is kind of like a Junior Miss for little girls. There is no talent portion, they just learn a little physical fitness routine, followed by a poise and interview segment. This is Morgan's second year participating and she has really enjoyed it. They assign each girl a "big sister" from the dance team to help them learn their routines and cheer them on. I think this is Morgan's favorite part. At the end, each girl recieves a rose, and a special award from their "big sister". Morgan's award was Little Miss Hard-Worker. Can't ask for a better award than that! We love you and we're proud of you Morg!

All the girls on stage at the end of the program. There were 42 participants this year!

Morgan after the show...barefoot because her shoes were hurting her feet!

Mom and Morg

Her faithful supporters

Blast from the Past, part duex

2009-10-01T20:42:00.000-07:00

While we were on our trip to Boise a few weeks ago, we stopped off for a moment in a little town that has a big place in my heart. In fact, I still like to call it my "hometown" because so much of my growing up happened there. I will always consider myself a blessed person for having the opportunites and friendships that were cultivated there. Here are a few pics of my old stompin' ground.

My old house on Juniper Street. When we lived there it was brown with yellow trim. It has unfortunately fallen into disrepair, but so many good memories remain!

North Elementary where I attended 5th and 6th grade.

Mountain Home Junior High School -- Home of the Patriots

Mountain Home High School -- Home of the Tigers
I took this picture from the back of the school... my friend Forrest and I RAN up this sidewalk nearly every day because we were late...most often it was HIS fault!! :)

Mountain Home High School was unique in the fact that they allowed the art students to paint big murals on the walls of the school. Nearly every wall in the school was covered with some kind of cool painting. Some of them became "landmarks" to me, helping me remember exactly where my classes were. (Chemistry was right next to the Beetles) I heard that soon after we moved from Mountain Home, they painted over all the murals and were no longer allowed to paint on the walls of the school. This is one of the only murals left, painted on the concession stand just outside the school, and happens to be the one my older brother, Mike, painted. Way to go, Mike!

The Seminary building...Brother Roberts was one of the best seminary teachers ever!

Mountain Home City Pool where I worked as a lifeguard and taught swimming lessons for two summers in High School.

Mountain Home Stake Center where I attended church and had some of the most amazing leaders. Not to mention super-fun stake dances!

Anyone from Mountain Home recognizes this iconic landmark just outside of town! Nuff said.

Blast From the Past, Part 1

2009-09-21T20:09:00.000-07:00

Every once in a while, you find yourself part of something really special. You may not realize it at the time, and it may even be years down the road before you do, but eventually memories will come and take root in your heart and maybe even in your tear ducts, and you will realize that you are a blessed person because of one such experience in your life. When I was about 14, I had a friend who was 3 years older than me... yes three years. She was a Laurel and I was barely a Mia Maid. She was the one that everyone wanted to be friends with because of her dynamic, positive, magnetic personality. This amazing person would call me on the phone and offer to come pick me up so we could hang out. A lot of the time we would play softball, or go to the lake and swim, or just hang out with her and her friends. They (she, and all her cool friends) even threw me a birthday party when I turned 15! This proved to be a pivitol time in my life when all around me were girls my age trying to figure out who they were and what direction they were going to go...myself included. So you can only imagine the impact this friendship had on me. From then on and to this day, she has been one of my greatest friends. I am so thankful for her reaching out to me and taking me under her wing. I had the privelege this weekend to attend her wedding reception in Boise, and oh, what a welcome reunion. She looked beautiful and soooo happy! Rebecca, I'm so happy for you, and I wish you all the very best!!!

I was so happy that my husband and kids got to meet Rebecca, and got to see first hand, the crazy, bubbly, fun person that she is. In the middle of Rebecca's "thankyou" speech, she broke into a pre-choreographed lip-sink of "I will survive"! Just LOVE this girl!

Morgan and Layton took a little bit to break out of their shells on the dancefloor, but once they did, there was no holding back!

They were both so excited to dance with Mom and Dad, and Layton even had me twirling under his arm! What a leader that boy is!

Super Mega Summer/Fall Post (brace yourselves)

2009-09-14T21:02:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe that summer is over and fall is right around the corner! We had one heck of a summer, and it doesn't seem to be slowing any time soon. Here are a few things we've been up to in no particular order....okay, so there is some order...

In late August we were able to have a short reunion with some of our best friends from Dental School. I love these pics of Allie and Ellie. They were only 1 year old when we moved from Kentucky. But they play as if they've known eachother their whole lives!

Allie and Ellie deep in conversation. (how cute is that?)

Isaac, Kate, Morgan, and Allie

Layton and Lauren

Nothing like a day spent with good friends. We love you guys!

Brenda talked me into running the Top of Utah 1/2 marathon with her. She must know I'll do anything to see her! It really was fun though, and a good goal to keep me focused all summer.

Note to self: next time wear a shirt that doesn't change color when you sweat! Good grief! I promise I'm not lactating!

My cousin Darci lives in Logan and my brother Ryan was there supporting his wife who was also in the race (a few miles ahead of me!)

One Sunday night a couple of weeks ago, after dinner and in the middle of putting kids to bed, we discovered that our sump pump decided to quit working in the basement and there was water all over the storage room floor. (and a little on the carpet surrounding the storage room) So what I was hoping to be a relaxing Sunday evening, turned out to be spent vaccuuming water and emptying a much-too-full-of-junk storage room. Sounds fun huh?

The upside to this story is that since the storage room was now empty, it was the perfect opportunity to build long-overdue shelves and get organized! So over the next few days Quinn and his dad (Thanks Wayne!) worked to build shelves for me and I am LOVING my new storage room!

Who can forget the Eastern Idaho State Fair? Here are Quinn and Kate outside my Grandma's house waiting for the parade to start.

And all the kids standing with their candy bags at attention!

Allie with my cousin Darci's kids, Jada and Brecka

All the kids sitting on the curb in front of my grandma's house. The cool thing is that somewhere there is a picture taken about 20 years ago with me and all my siblings and cousins sitting in front of the exact same house on the same curb. My grandpa said this was the 39th year they have watched the parade in front of thier house!

In mid-September I participated in my last race of the year, the DuExtreme Road Duathlon in Pocatello. This one was extra special though, because I had two of my favorite people in the world participating as well.. They also hold a kids bike race, and Morgan and Layton couldn't wait!

Layton getting all "pumped up" before the race!

They both did great, but Layton's chain came off his bike half-way through, so he had to wait for someone to come help him put it back on. Tough break, bud. He said he can't wait for next year though.

Morgan coming in to the finish line

The kids with their medals and a really proud grandma!

..Not to mention the proud Mom!

Morgan snapping pics as I finished the bike leg.

Transitioning to the run

Coming across the finish line...4th overall! Not a bad way to end the season.

Whew!!! Is this post done yet???

Happy, Happy Birthday Morgan!

2009-09-02T11:41:00.000-07:00

Morgan's birthday was a couple of weeks ago, so this is coming a little late, but I couldn't not post about such a great kid.
I can't believe my little girl is 10 years old! And what a beautiful 10-year-old she is! This girl never ceases to amaze me with her ability to show love and concern to those around her. I absolutely adore her and I am proud to call her my best friend.
Here are a few things that I love about Morgan...

* She is a morning person...rarely a day goes by that Morgan is not a ray of sunshine in the morning.
* She is becoming quite the little babysitter...(Quinn and I LOVE it.)
* I love that even after 10 years, she still sleeps with her blanket that she had as an infant.
* Her brother and sisters are truly her best friends.
* She is a great shopper! (we have a little too much fun sometimes!)
* I love that even though Morgan loves to dance and is good at it, she wants to give it up to play basketball this year.
* She has lots of friends, and is never afraid to reach out and make new ones.
* She thinks boys have cooties.

Morgan and her best friend, Kait

Morgan playing with her little baby cousin, Tyler

Morgan and Kate, aka "mini-me"

Layton made a lego letter H (for "H"appy Birthday), special for Morgan on her big day. What a guy.

My four great kids.

Morgan and I were asked to sing a few weeks ago at a Young Women's mother/daughter picnic. It was so great for me to share that experience with her. She didn't even seem nervous!

In light of her special day, I wanted to document Morgan's birth story. (Mainly for my own records, but read on if you wish.)

Morgan was born on September 1, 1999. Literally one of the last babies of the 20th century...kinda cool! Being my first pregnancy, I had no idea what to expect, so when the doctor told me I would be ready any day, I didn't really think twice about it even though my due date was still three weeks away. I went to work the next day and when I got home that night, I was having pretty intense contractions. So we packed a bag and headed to the hospital at about 8:30. By 9:30 I was settled into my room, and dialating faster than they expected. The time for an epidural came and went, and they decided to do an introthecal for lack of time. Morgan was just coming too fast. She was born at 11:47 PM and wieghed 6 lbs. 9 oz. She was fairly difficult to get here, they even had to use the vaccuum to help her out. But the labor was quick, only 2 hours...so quick they pretty much told me to camp out at the hospital the next time because it could happen even faster. Quinn and I couldn't believe the miracle we were suddenly holding in our arms and we were instantly smitten. I remember the intense love that came over me and I knew I would never be the same. We are so grateful to have Morgan in our family. She is the perfect big sister, daughter, and friend. We love you Morg!

When the family gets together....

2009-08-23T12:21:00.000-07:00

Summer time is full of reunions and this summer was no exception. We started with our Mikesell reunion in Lava Hot Springs where we camped, swam, ate, relaxed, and got a tan. (For the record, Tiffany and I jumped off the highest platform too, except nobody took a picture to document the event.) The next day, we headed into local Chesterfield which was founded by Quinn's great uncle, and where many of his ancestors had homes that are still standing today. I thought my kids would get bored, but they loved every minute of it. And I have to say, I found myself rather intrigued and wanting to learn more of our family history and stories. I am continually amazed at their hard work and inginuity and all that they accomplished even that many years ago. There is some rich blood running through my kids veins and I am so grateful for the examples of our ancestors that they can look to.

Mikesell Family Reunion 2009 -- Lava Hot Springs, ID

Last week was the Herbst family Reunion at the Dent's cabin in Heber Canyon. We had such a great time boating, playing bingo, doing crafts, riding 4 wheelers, shopping in Park City, eating yummy food, and laughing way into the night. Thanks Mike and Camille for a great time and for planning such a wonderful reunion. It was a great way to end the summer!

Herbst Family Reunion 2009 --Heber Canyon, UT

The FaBUloUs First Day!!!

2009-08-20T20:20:00.000-07:00

A welcome day for a mother, an unsure day for a kindergartner, a "NOT YET" (whine included) day for a second grader and a fashion show for a fifth grader....I wish I were one of those moms who hates to see the summer end, and granted, I do miss my kids when they go back to school, but I admit it. I really enjoy the peace and quiet of the first day back. I got all my bathrooms cleaned, floors mopped, cookies made, and still had vacuum lines in my carpet when the kids arrived home on the bus! Kate was an angel all day and we even sat down and talked about the letter A. And though I teared up as they stepped onto the bus this morning, it was a FaBulOus day!

I cannot believe how grown up this girl is getting. I absolutely adore her and can't wait to see what this year has in store for her. She was such a huge help to Allie, making sure she found her classroom okay and had someone to sit by on the bus. Such a great big sister.

Layton was not quite sure he was ready to start school yet, but he was the one who had the most to say when he got home! He was also a great help to Allie, watching out for her in the hall and helping her find the right bus line.

And cute little Allie. What a big day for her. They changed the kindergarten schedule this year, so she goes all day, every other day. I could tell she was pretty spent when she got home. She did great though, only getting lost once, and finding Morgan at just the right time to help her find her way. (a little tender mercy for mom, who was home praying for her all day!)

I love these kids. They really are eachother's best friends. Don't get me wrong, they do have thier moments of teasing and tattling (which is why this is a welcome day for mom), but when it comes right down to it, they truly love eachother, and it makes me smile.

A few pics of the morning...

Our neighbor is a police officer and I thought it was funny that her kids were getting out of a squad car at the bus stop...

Waiting in the bus line

Allie getting on the bus for the first time (right about the time I teared up)

And they're off....

It's all fun and games....

2009-07-24T07:10:00.000-07:00

Until someone falls off the blasted monkey bars and breaks their arm! Poor Morgan! We were all having a good ole' time at our Stake Pioneer Day picnic until Morgan's friend came to me and said "I think Morgan dislocated her wrist." What??? So I ran to her and found her ghost-white and holding her wrist that was swollen almost to the size of a tennis ball. Apparently she was jumping for the 4th bar, missed, and came down backwards on her arm. So Quinn and our good Bishop (who happens to be a doctor) took her to the clinic and got her a splint for the night. It was after hours so we had to go back today for the x-ray and a more permanent cast. Looks like she may become a "lefty" after all! We love you Morg!

Is this the saddest face you've ever seen??

This is a slightly happier face after a FULL day of watching TV and being waited on hand and foot by the best brother and sister in the world...

Surprise Morgan!! We even cleaned your room and made your bed!

4th of July recap

2009-07-14T15:36:00.000-07:00

I love the 4th of July. Definately one of my favorite holidays. The weather is usually awesome, the food is fab, and there are plenty of fun things to do to keep us all busy! This was our Saturday in a nutshell....

Quinn and I started our day at 7 am with a 5 mile trail run at Kelly Canyon. We ran this race last year and I think it will become a tradition...such a fun race!

After a nice hot shower to wash the mud off our legs, we headed out to the Menan community picnic and parade. Lots of good food, and fun games for the kids, not to mention the pockets full of candy after the parade!

Ahhhh... NAPTIME! (at least for SOME of us)

Then, my favorite part, the fireworks. I love a good firework show, but after experiencing Thunder over Louisville, nothing quite compares. So we just have to take what we can get. It's still fun, especially when you have awesome friends and neighbors to share it with.

Anyone ready for bed yet?

Girls Camp 2009 -- Island Park Scout Camp

2009-06-29T16:11:00.000-07:00

Ahhh...nothing like life in the outdoors. Especially when you have an amazing outdoor kitchen...thanks to Sister Miller it was almost as good as the real thing!

The girls were able to participate in a lot of team-building exercises like having to retrieve this rope hanging in the center of this pool and then swing across one by one. It was fun to see them be so inventive!

Our awesome Priesthood Leaders...amazing that he can sleep among all these loud girls!

For our craft the girls made wedding cans that were filled with letters from special people in their lives, keepsakes and cutouts of their favorites dresses, flowers, cakes, and rings and then were sealed up with a dry-pack canner. When they get engaged and start planning their wedding, they can open the cans and cherish the contents. Sooo fun!

This was one of my favorite parts of girls camp this year. The High Rope Course. It consists of about 8 telephone poles all connected with a series of ropes about 35 feet in the air set up in different obstacles. You have to put on a harness and clip into the ropes and make your way through the course...it was hard and scary! I am so proud of these girls! They really conquered their fears and had a great time doing it!

LOVE THESE GIRLS!!!!

All in a days work...

2009-06-09T20:38:00.000-07:00

This is my amazingly talented mother,who one day, decided she wanted to make wedding cakes. No classes, no training, just pure creativity. So I enlisted her help with a pre-girls camp activity centered around temples and weddings, and this is what we came up with! It was so much fun to do and surprisingly easy! Who knew! One thing's for sure, making a wedding cake for no one in particular was really fun! I may just have to do it again...someday.

Meet Jack...

2009-06-03T20:51:00.001-07:00

"Wait til we get out of school..."
"Wait til we get a house..."
"We don't have our yard in yet..."
"Ummm...

After 6 years of begging, we ran out of excuses and we bUcKLEd! And ya know what? I actually kind of like him! He's such a sweet little guy and so far proving to be pretty mellow..I wonder how long that will last?

Layton was so excited that we got a boy, now he finally has a "brother"!
(Not sure what Kate's up to... :)

He SOOO deserved the title!

2009-05-22T08:30:00.001-07:00

I love American Idol and watching the contestants progress throughout the season, and this season the talent was amazing! Kris Allen was one of my favorites from the beginning. He has a great sound, and seems like a genuine, nice person. I really liked Adam Lambert too, and so many think that America got this wrong, but I think Kris deserved to win. And I love that he was so humble about it!

What's your FAV???

2009-05-21T17:54:00.000-07:00

I'm headed to Sottsdale next week for a Dental Meeting with my husband, and there's not a whole lot on the agenda for the wives. So I'm thinking I'll be spending the majority of my time hanging out by the pool...more than likely by myself. Nice I know. I'm actually really looking forward to some quiet time. So here's my question. What is the best book you've read lately? I'm done with the Twilight saga, so on to bigger and better things...I need suggestions ladies so get typing!

I don't think we're in Kansas anymore, Toto

2009-05-07T17:52:00.000-07:00

Okay, I know we live in a wind tunnel, but this is ridiculous. This is what we found when we got home today....

Wait! It gets better!

What happened was just this.
The wind began to SWITCH - the house to PITCH and suddenly
the hinges started to UNHITCH...

Can you believe what a gust of wind can do? Dorothy can.

Kentucky Blues

2009-05-01T17:32:00.000-07:00

It's that time again. What time you ask? The time when it's supposed to be spring and it's not really spring. The time when all of my trees are in shock and don't know if they should wake up or go back to sleep. The time when the birds start building their nests in my barbecue grill (ugh) because there are no trees suitable enough for a home. This is about the time every year that I find myself a little homesick for Kentucky. So I decided that this year, I would bring a little Kentucky to Idaho and have a Derby Party! This could be interesting because I'm finding that not a lot of people actually know what Derby is. One of my neighbors even asked me: "Like... the Pinewood Derby??" Umm, not quite. So today the girls and I fashioned some fancy little Derby hats for them to wear on the big day. They were so fun (and cheap) to make! I found the plain hats at Michaels for $2.39, then just bought some ribbon and flowers to embellish. So fun! Totally put me in the mood to throw this party! Maybe then I'll get my "Louisville" fix and won't be quite so homesick anymore...until next year.

Are ya kiddin me?

2009-04-26T08:34:00.001-07:00

This is the view out our front door this morning.

This is our garden which I worked in all day yesterday in shorts and a t-shirt.
All you people in Arizona and St. George, eat your heart out...we get to build a snowman today! (sigh)

Wordless Wednesday

2009-04-22T14:27:00.000-07:00

Allie and Easter

2009-04-14T20:14:00.001-07:00

Five years ago on Good Friday of Easter weekend, our sweet Allie joined our family. So every Easter we have more than one reason to celebrate. We are so blessed to have Allie in our family. She has quite the knack for making everyone laugh. Her own laugh is infectious her smile brightens our day. Her favorite thing of all is to sneak up behind and scare you...and she's getting really good at it. Sneaky, sneaky! Here is Allie and our traditional birthday breakfast-in-bed. It was her first one and she was pretty excited. Morgan and Layton were so cute to make sure it happened before they left on the bus for school. This has really become a highlight of birthdays in our house.

Allie and her Grandma and Grandpa Mikesell

Does this just say it all?? This cute sign was given to Allie by her grandma and grandpa Herbst.
Happy Birthday Allie! We love you!

Here are a few pics of our Saturday neighborhood Easter Egg Hunt. Kate was so cute this year...she really caught on to "hunting" the eggs and got so excited every time she spotted an "eesa egg".

Hmmm...how many do I have, and how many more can I find????

Layton being his usual analytical self, "hmmm....which one has the best candy inside?"

Beautiful sunny Easter Sunday. Not many to be had here in Idaho, so we enjoyed it to the fullest.

An attempt at Ariel Photography

2009-04-14T19:56:00.000-07:00

What were you doing last Saturday night? Here's what Quinn and I were doing. We were up enjoying the beautiful clear Idaho sky from the seat of a little Sesna 172 (?? I hope I got that right!) owned by our good friends Brad and Katie Wells. Brad is a pilot and kindly agreed to take Quinn and I up so we could take some ariel shots of Quinn's grandmother's farm, which we will frame and give to her for her
90th birthday celebration this weekend. Let me tell you, it was quite the ride! Brad is a great pilot and even taught Quinn a few tricks of the trade, letting him take off and land (with a little assistance here and there). But what a fun date night!
Thanks Brad and Katie!

Called to Serve.....

2009-03-18T13:49:00.000-07:00

Who can resist a cute little boy in a white shirt and tie? I was called the other day by a primary chorister in another ward who needed some of my best singers to participate in a primary boys choir and sing at the upcoming Stake Priesthood Meeting. So I gathered up Layton and about 5 other little boys from our ward, all dressed up in their Sunday best, and we headed to the stake center where they stood in the front of the chaple and sang Called to Serve with every ounce of enthusiasm they could muster. One of the cute moms made little "future missionary" tags for them to wear. It was a great experience for me to hear these awesome little guys sing this wonderful hymn and be SOOO excited to do it. Ohhh, what the future holds for these sweet boys....

Cabin Fever!

2009-03-03T19:27:00.000-08:00

Families are the best. My brother Mike and his sweet wife Camille invited us to her parents cabin in Heber Canyon for the weekend and ohhh, it was a welcome invitation! My kids have been so cooped up lately, we really needed the getaway. We were able to spend 3 days and 2 nights in the mountains above beautiful Heber City. We had snowmobiles, sleds, and 4-wheelers during the day, and yummy food, good conversation, and lots of laughs late into the night. Not to mention the excited squeals of cousins who hadn't seen eachother in way too long! Thanks Mike and Camille for a much-needed break and to the Dents for sharing their beautiful cabin with us!

What do you LOVE???

2009-02-13T13:21:00.000-08:00

I thought in perfect timing for the Valentine's holiday, I would list the things that I cannot do without...so here goes...
(Thanks Andra, for the idea!)

1. I LOVE the sound of my children playing house together, yes, Layton included.
2. I LOVE hugs from behind when I'm standing at stove or the kitchen sink.
3. I LOVE the few hours I get to spend with my husband after the kids are in bed.
4. I LOVE knowing that our family can be together forever.
5. I LOVE chocolate covered strawberries.
6. I LOVE skiing and riding snowmobiles in this amazing Idaho snow!
7. I LOVE date night with my incredibe husband, and that Morgan is almost old enough to babysit!
8. I LOVE hiding around the corners and scaring my kids! (I got Quinn really good last night!)
9. I LOVE finding that GREAT deal at Target.
10. I LOVE singing and playing the guitar with my kids before bedtime.
11. I LOVE reminiscing over old photos.
12. I LOVE catching up with long lost friends over the internet.
13. I LOVE receiving "love note texts" from my husband.
14. I LOVE Kate's bedhead every morning.
15. I LOVE peanut butter crunch cereal. (I know, weird, but I'm hooked.)
16. I LOVE running.
17. I LOVE going on vacation (and I'm long overdue)
18. I LOVE my home.
19. I LOVE sleeping by the fireplace.
20. I LOVE good movies and a bowl of popcorn.

So let's hear it...what do you LOVE???

Sisters, Sisters.....

2009-02-09T19:03:00.000-08:00

This is the cute little 2nd grade sister that always wanted to wear my clothes and read my journal when I wasn't looking! I know, she looks innocent enough!

Sari and I took dance together for 1 year...Sari went on to become an excellent dancer...me, not so much!

So I couldn't let this day go by without documenting one of my greatest blessings. My little sister turned 26 years old today! There is almost 4 years between us and you can bet we had our share of some pretty good fights! We shared a room (and a bed for that matter) for much of our growing up years, and we used to lay in bed at night and kick eachother for at least 10 minutes before finally giving up and going to sleep! One of my favorites was the one that started with her plopping down on my freshly made bed (one of my pet peeves, which of course she knew) and ended with us tearing eachother's mattresses off onto the ground! Then there was the one where she threw a fork at me and actually punctured my side just above my hip bone! Not to mention countless fights over her wearing my clothes and tagging along with my friends! But amidst the bickering and fighting, we formed a bond that to this day is unbreakable. She is one of my very best friends, and someone that I trust and admire. She is a gentle, loving wife and mother of three, and I am so blessed to have her as my one and only sister. Love you Sari! Happy Birthday!

Sar, you look a little dazed in this picture...it wasn't New Year's Eve and past midnight was it? :)

Wonders of a 4 year old

2009-01-30T08:12:00.000-08:00

I've wished so many times I could jump into my kids' heads and see thier thought processes and understand better how thier little minds work. Allie has all of the sudden discovered the freezer and is completely intrigued that whatever you put in there, within a few hours will be a solid lump. It started out with sippy cups full of water, then evolved to half-eaten yogurt cups, and here is the latest...

I wonder what I'll find tomarrow.....

7 Years old Today!!

2009-01-11T22:20:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday buddy! I can't believe our little man is seven years old already! There are so many things we love about Layton! He is thoughtful, kind, always a peacemaker, and I can always count on him doing the right thing. He has a genuine love for people and a wonderful smile! Sometimes he can't even speak because he's smiling so big! We are so thankful for you Layton!

Layton loved his vintage airplanes from Great-Grandma and Grandpa Herbst!

Here are some of Layton's other loves right now:

Star Wars
Legos
Star Wars Legos
Motorcycles
the Wii (Lego Star Wars of course!)

The day started out with breakfast in bed (I had good intentions to make waffles, but fruit loops are good too, right?)

After church, Grandma and Grandpa Herbst and Mikesell came up for dinner and a little birthday celebration!

We love you Layton!

It's the MoSt Wonderful TiMe of the YeAr

2009-01-08T21:29:00.000-08:00

Is it really another 11 months til Christmas? What a wonderful time and oh how quickly it passes. I love getting Christmas cards in the mail, and having conversations with friends and family that are long overdue. It's a good thing we have cameras and computers to help us document such special occasions! Here are a few highlights of our week-long celebration!

Happy New Year!!! How 'bout we celebrate by having another Christmas party?

Morgan and her cousin Nate opening gifts from Grandma

Cousins Madyson, Cason, and Reygan join the fun

Layton and Grandma showin the love

We tried something new in our family this year. Instead of having a couples exchange, we all put together gift baskets centered around a theme of our choice and brought the baskets with us to our party. Then we drew names at the party to see who recieved which basket. It was so much fun to see what each couple came up with for their gift basket. Here are some of the baskets recieved...

Mom and Dad recieved a car washing kit. Complete with bucket and everything needed to shine up your ride!

Mike and Camille recieved a basket entitled "My favorite things" including a hot cocoa maker and vinyl decor plate, Idaho spud bars, and lots of yummies.

Ryan and Cody recieved a "Family Fun Night" basket, also including things needed for breakfast the next morning!

Quinn and I also recieved a "fun night" basket with games, movies, and lots of yummy treats!

Sari and Derek recieved a "snowman in a box" gift basket with everything needed to make a snowman except the snow!

This was really such a fun way to get the creative juices flowing and challenging to stay within a certain budget, and I'm already thinking of what next year's theme just might be. Hmmmmm.....

I Couldn't Resist

2008-12-15T21:32:00.001-08:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Determined

2008-12-12T10:26:00.000-08:00

Wasn't Halloween seriously just last week? What happened to November? Here's what happened... I set a goal to be completely done with Christmas preparations by November 30th and you know what? Here it is 13 days until Christmas and I'm still scrambling! I have had a few setbacks though a.k.a. 3 kids with the stomach flu, one of them, bless her heart, made it to the toilet every single time. The others, not so much. So in the midst of cleaning my carpets and doing insurmountable loads of laundry, most of which is still in a giant heap on my bed waiting patiently for me to fold, there are of course the cards to mail, presents to wrap, staff Christmas party to plan and carry out, pageants to attend, neighbor gifts to bake and send out, my blog to keep updated (ha, ha) and make sure my kids understand the true meaning of Christmas! I always wonder why I get the post-holiday blues and now I think I'm starting to understand a little more. We, or at least I, spend the whole month of December running around like crazy trying to please everyone and accomplish all of our "to do's" and hardly take any time at all to sit and contemplate that very first Christmas night, which something tells me, was slightly more peaceful than Christmas today.
Above all else, I really want my kids to know and feel the peace and love that this time of year brings. I want their first thought to be of what others need and not themselves. I want them to realize that the "magic" of Christmas comes from giving and not recieving. We are so blessed. I love my family more than anything in this world, I have an amazing husband and wonderful kids and I couldn't ask for any better Christmas present than that. So I hope all of you have a wonderful holiday season and that we can all take a "time out" and truly feel the peace of the holiday.

Trick or Treat...sMeLL mY FeEt!

2008-11-01T14:54:00.000-07:00

Can I just say how much I love Halloween? Not necessarily all the hype and materialism, but seeing my kids all dressed up in cute little costumes is such a highlight for me! So much fun! We actually had a "traditional" Halloween last night instead of the ward "Trunk-or-treat" which has taken its place for the past few years. The kids had a blast going from house to house trick-or-treating and each had a boat-load by the time we were done! Kate is such a candy fiend and was in HoG HeAvEn all night! She couldn't believe that you just say TricK or TreAt and they put candy in your bucket! She had those words down perfect by the end of the night! Here are a few pics to document our fun!

Hannah Montana A.K.A. Morgan

Layton as Optimus Prime

Allie and her blonde hair make the perfect Cinderella

Kate wearing the same witch costume that both Morgan and Allie have worn. How sad that I don't have any more girls to put this cute costume on! Seeing Kate in this costume was like seeing Morgan in instant replay...they look so much alike! (Morgan 13 mo.)

My four little kiddos knocking on the neighbors door. How cute are they?

Irony

2008-10-29T20:40:00.000-07:00

So I'm driving down the road the other day just minding my own business, and kind of gazing out my window preparing for a left hand turn, when the lady in the next lane who is slightly ahead of me, decides to change lanes right into my front right bumper. I KNOW! So we stop, a policeman approaches and analyzes the situation. He asked for all of our information, tells us to wait in the car, and he'll be right with us. So after sitting in my car for (no kidding) 45 minutes, he comes back and this is pretty much how it went...
Officer: So what happened?
Blind spot lady: I think I changed lanes and didn't see her.
Me: hmmph. (just kidding I didn't really hmmph.)
Officer to Blind spot lady: Well, you are being cited for the accident. Here is a ticket for $75 just pay at the courthouse as soon as possible.
Officer (turning in my direction): And YOU. Here is a ticket for your EXPIRED drivers liscense and a court date set for November 18..You better show up or they will have a warrent out for your ARREST!
Me: (Dying inside)Umm, what day is that? (I know, like it matters)

My ARREST? But I'm a good person! I'm a stay at home mom! I have four kids and a mortgage and I try to do what is right! Did he just say MY ARREST?

I guess that's what I get for living in Idaho for 3 years and still having a Kentucky drivers liscense. Oops, lesson learned.

I wonder.....

2008-10-28T13:09:00.000-07:00

How many families were doing THIS for Family Home Evening last night?

The fun part was watching our pumpkins go from THIS....

To THIS...

To THIS...

And to watch our kids' excitement as they carved the pumpkins grown in their own backyard!

A favorite.....

2008-10-18T12:02:00.000-07:00

I saw this on a friend's blog and loved it so I thought I'd share...

"Boys are found everywhere-- on top of, underneath, inside of, climbing on, swinging from, running around, or jumping into. Mothers love them, little girls hate them, older brothers/sisters tolerate them, adults ignore them, Heaven protects them. A boy is truth with dirt on its face, Beauty with a cut on its finger, Wisdom with gum in its hair and the Hope of the future with a frog in its pocket."
--Alan Beck

Love and Logic Moment

2008-10-13T14:00:00.000-07:00

I love those moments when the opportunity presents itself for you to teach your kids a profound lesson in responsiblity...which in our home happens quite often. Sometimes I'm not prepared for it and the opportunity passes me by much to my regret, but not this time. Here are my two oldest kids doing the dinner dishes. Note the look on Morgan's face. She's not happy about it because it is 6 AM and she and Layton just had a rude awakening that the dishes would not do themselves, and since they chose not to finish the night before, they would do it before they got on the bus. It is really hard for me to leave dirty dishes in the sink when I go to bed, and I almost did them, but Quinn stopped me. And I'm so glad. What a perfect chance for them to learn something! And I have to say, my kitchen was clean and dishes were done as my kids headed out the door that morning...and I made sure to give them a big kiss as they went! (I love that Morgan was so tired, she couldn't even stand at the sink and had to sit on a stool the whole time!)

Pack your bags kids, we're goin to Utah....

2008-10-07T19:54:00.000-07:00

Or so we told them. What we didn't tell them was that we were headed to the AIRPORT in Utah, where we would then catch a plane to DISNEYLAND! All the way down for 3 hours they kept asking, when are we going to see our cousins? Are we there yet? And Quinn and I would just glance at eachother and smile. I was dying to tell them, but held out until we were in the parking lot at the airport, then I let the cat out of the bag...Kids, we're flying to Disneyland! And you know what? No one believed me! It wasn't until we were settled in the terminal waiting to board the plane that it finally sunk in.

So we boarded the plane and were off to "The Happiest Place on Earth". We arrived in L.A. at about 4:30 on Thursday afternoon, then rented a car and drove to Anaheim just in time to catch some dinner, and make a quick walk through "Downtown Disney", this great little shopping area with all sorts of cute little shops and cafes including Build-a-Bear and Lego Land...much to my kids delight!
We got up early Friday after much coaxing and pleading with my now super-excited kids who were "too excited to sleep" and headed off to Disneyland! Oh what a magical place..I think I had just as much fun as my kids. They had a blast. Kate being our one exception, the two year old stuck in the stroller all day who pretty much just tolerated it. She did get excited to meet all the characters though. And she did ride a few rides including the Madderhorn (I KNOW!!). Quinn said she was covering her eyes the whole time and when we finally got off, her poor little face was red from holding them so tight! Morgan and Layton's favorite ride was Space Mountain and Allie loved the Alice in Wonderland ride. We stayed in the park until 9:30 that night, after the fireworks were cancelled due to high winds that were apparently really high, because we felt nothing down on the ground! But we had a great day and REALLY sleepy kids!

The next day, after a quick stop at the beautiful San Diego Temple, we were off to Sea World! I was especially excited about this having never been, and wanting to ever since I was a kid. And I was not disappointed! I was completely enthralled with those amazing animals. They seem so happy and truly have such neat personalities. After seeing the Shamu show, we were able to have lunch pool side and watch the whales practice with their trainers. It was so fun to see them up so close. It was a very quick trip and the next morning we woke up early to catch our flight back to Utah... with some pretty happy and exhausted kids!

Allie

2008-10-01T09:44:00.000-07:00

Allie was tagged by her cousin Madyson so here are five things that you may not know about Allie..

Allie was born in Louisville, Kentucky.

Allie has a special blankie that she has slept with since she was a baby. Her favorite part about it is actually the tag, which in her subconscious sleep state, she will feel around for until she finds it then rubs it between her fingers.

Speaking of sleep, Allie is always the one to say "I'm tired Mom, put me to bed. I've never had a tough time getting that kid to sleep!

Allie is definately a non-conformer. If everyone is doing it, she won't. Which is great except when it comes to the "fun days" at preschool...like last week was clown day when all the kids dressed up like clowns...except Allie. She's allergic to clowns she informed me.

Allie has a knack for making everyone laugh with her little antics...Here's the latest...
Allie and Kate in the bathtub:
Allie: Hey Kate, listen to this song...Don't you wish girlfriend HOPPED like me...

Allie is a great kid and we love her so much...she is my little shadow and I couldn't think of a better little companion to have around.

We tag:
1. Abby
2. Halle
3. Ella
4. Tyler
5. Emma

With my limited understanding of politics.....

2008-09-30T07:31:00.000-07:00

I'm not usually the one to get on a political soapbox, or any kind of soapbox for that matter, but I guess with the current election, state of the economy, and media all combined into one, I can't help but feel a little concerned and frankly a little helpless. It makes me more than a little nervous that our future is in the hands of men in Washington who are less than honest and trustworthy, and definately NOT Godfearing.(Give or take a limited few) I can only take comfort in knowing that our Heavenly Father is very aware of our situation and that if we are prepared, we shouldn't be afraid. I received this in an email from my brother recently and I loved it so much I had to share. I have always been a Diamond Rio fan, and this is awesome! Beautiful pictures, inspiring song! Not all of us can write music like this to get our voices heard, but we can research, study up, and definately be prayerful, and get out and vote this November! Okay, I'm off now.

Good Mail

2008-09-17T22:08:00.000-07:00

THIS is what I call "good mail"! An email received from Layton's teacher last week:

I just wanted you to know how much I enjoy teaching Layton. He is a ray of sunshine in our class. I can count on him being "in the right place" and "doing the right thing". He deserves a hug for this! Mrs. C

And hug him is exactly what I did!

Happy Birthday

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

Happy Birthday Morgan!

Ten years ago when Quinn and I were married, we received a serving tray from my aunt and uncle that has become one of our most cherished wedding gifts. It has been used, abused, and used again. We've used it for serving dinner to sick kids in bed, surprises for Mother's Day, Father's Day, anniversaries, birthdays, and just because. I mean, really, how fun is it to wake up to the wonderful smell of fresh waffles and orange juice and know that someone loves you enough to get out of bed and go to all that trouble? Cute Quinn did just that for Morgan on her 9th birthday. What a great dad. And what a deserving kid. Here are a few things that we adore about our sweet Morgan:

*She has a heart of pure gold.
*She loves to help "be the Mom"
*She is becoming a wonderful babysitter..slowly but surely!
*She is very aware of other people's needs and is right there to help!
*She still sleeps with her "blanky" that she recieved at her baby shower!
*She loves music and often is seen bopping around the house with her ipod in her ears and the said "blanky" around her neck.
*She is a wonderful sister, daughter, and friend.
WE LOVE YOU MORG!

What is your most memorable wedding gift?

Funnies

2008-08-28T21:45:00.001-07:00

Allie overheard me talking with Quinn on the phone the other day about his mom needing to come up to have her bridge fixed...she couldn't quite grasp the concept of a bridge in someone's mouth and after a lengthy explanation, I assumed she understood. Later that day when we were driving in the car, she leaned over to Layton and
said " Layton, guess what? Grandma ate a bridge!"

Sneak Preview

2008-08-28T21:25:00.000-07:00

I finally got around to having Kate's two year old pictures taken and I'm so glad I did! My amazing friend, Katie, lives just around the corner and has a studio in her house( see more of Katie's awesome pictures by clicking on Katie Portraits on my sidebar)...she has such an amazing talent and captures the most precious moments. Here is a sneak preview of our sweet Kate....

Since I neglected to post this on her actual birthday, here are a few things I love about Kate..
* She is so happy when she wakes up in the morning and greets me with an excited squeal when I walk in the room.
* She loves her sisters and brother and often follows them around trying her best to be one of the "big kids".
* When she says "no" with a smile, it means yes. When she says "no" with a frown, it means no.
* She loves baby dolls, strollers, bottles, blankies, all things babies.
* When I'm getting dressed in the morning, she often walks in and tugs on my pantleg, and says " Tyute(cute), Mommy!"
* She adores her daddy...often preferring him, but most often stuck with me! Good thing I come in a close second!
We love you Kate

Super Mega Summer Post part deux

2008-08-27T20:59:00.000-07:00

Summer's over already? Yup, it's officially the start of the new school year. And boy did we go out with a bang! Here's a tribute to the last month of our summer....

The kids loved taking swimming lessons at Heise Hot Springs, but their favorite was swimming with their dad after lessons were over.

The Mikesell Family Reunion was the first weekend in August. After a picnic in the park and a family softball game, we went to the Riot Zone in Rigby and had a blast on the climbing wall, the bumper boats, and the go-carts.

The second weekend in August was filled with another reunion...we met up with the Burtons for a fun-filled day at Lagoon! Believe it or not, my kids had never been there so it was a total blast for them. The kids played like they had never been apart! It was so fun to see them together again.

Brenda up to her old tricks! Whatcha seein' in there Bren?

We also ran into a few other friends from Louisville completely by chance... Mike and Stephanie Cook and Alan and Jennie Davies were there as well! What a fun surprise! It was great to catch up with everyone.

The next morning, Quinn and I woke up at 3:30 AM and traveled to Provo to meet Brian and Brenda where we ran the Provo half marathon. It was our first and the Burton's second. Brenda's sister Amber and her husband also ran with us...I mean, ahead of us! I'm proud to admit that I brought up the rear! It was a fun race and even though we were stinky at the end, (some of us VERY stinky!) it was great to be together. Thanks Burtons!

Now fast forward a few days to reunion #3... The Herbst Family at Bear Lake.
The following are pictures from an awesome trip with my family.

Kate was thoroughly entertained with the sand..and her sunglasses! Allie was my waterbaby that day!
My cute mom and dad on the four-wheeler!
Poor Austin at the mercy of girl cousins!
Layton playing with the surprise sand digger that Grandma and Grandpa brought for each of the families! Thanks mom and dad!
Cute Colby riding his own 4-wheeler!

Our family at the Minnitonka Caves just outside of Bear Lake.

Now, here we are. It's the first day of school, the bus has just arrived home, it's time to breathe that sigh of relief...then jump right into piano, dance, gymnastics...and the list goes on.....Is there any rest for the weary?

Tagged!!

2008-08-04T21:00:00.000-07:00

Thanks Becca!

Ten Years Ago:
1. I was 19 and had been married for six months.
2. I worked as a Dental Assistant for Dr. Transtrum.
3. We had just purchased our first home that was only about 800 square feet and $400 a month! (wow)
4. I was second counselor in the Primary Presidency in our ward.
5. We were in the thick of firesides with Bro. Glenn Rawson sometimes doing two or three a week.

Today's to do list:
1. Run
2. Register my kids for school.
3. Clean my bathrooms.
4. Get a massage. (I know, can't wait)
5. Pick beans out of our garden. (yummy)

Places I have lived:
1. Blackfoot, ID
2. Mountain Home,ID
3. Rexburg, ID
4. Louisville, KY
5. Rigby, ID

If I were a millionare:
1. I would NOT spoil my children.
2. I would buy land.
3. I would buy a hybrid car that gets super good gas mileage.
4. Pay off loans (UGH)
5. Travel

Snacks I enjoy:
1. yogurt
2. anything with peanut butter
3. Mint chocolate chip ice cream
4. snow cones (we have a really good snow cone shack here that gets them PERFECT.)
5. chips and salsa (preferably homemade)

Pheww! Sorry that took so long Becca! I tag Jenni, Jami, and Deanna and anyone else who wants to answer a few random questions...

Salad Anyone?

2008-07-18T23:20:00.001-07:00

Here is my nightly pleasure lately...

and here's where it came from...(minus the tomatoes and crutons...the tomatoes aren't quite ready and crutons don't grow in a garden)

Quinn and I decided to try our hand at gardening this year and I have learned a few things about myself in the process..
**I really don't mind getting my hands dirty
**If there's work to be done outside, the inside stuff waits
**I love picking weeds along side my kids and hearing Layton shout "Mom, look at the root on this one!"
**I love putting a little seed into the ground and watching it grow into something I can eat!
**I have no idea how to can, but I'm going to learn really quickly!

This is definatley something that will become a lasting tradition in our family and something I didn't know I would love as much as I do. Who knows..maybe one day I'll buy myself a pair of overalls and a goofy hat...(if that happens, someone please stop me!) But until then, bring on the salad!

It's about time!! (Julie this one's for you!)

2008-07-07T13:24:00.000-07:00

Guess who fell off the turnip truck? No, I really have no excuse for being such a lazy blogger except we've had a really busy 5 months! Here's the rundown...

For our 10th anniversary, Quinn and I took off to New York City for 4 days and had such a great time together! We were able to see Wicked, Phantom, and enjoy the view of Time Square from our 50th floor corner hotel room. It was way cold, but all the more reason to snuggle right? :)

Quinn turned 32 in March and spent the whole day on his snow machine...yes, it is a man's world! :)

Morgan was in the thick of dance competitions until the end of April and loved every minute.

Allie turned 4 in April! She had her first "friend party" and we had 8 little princesses running around our house. It was the princess party of her dreams!

Kate finally decided she could walk at a whopping 22 months old! Way to got Kate! It's nice to finally have 4(somewhat)independant kids!

I finished my first sprint triathlon at the end of May! It was awesome and I think it just may become a tradition! How fun to have my kids running beside me to the finish line!

We have been camping a few times, definately not enough...but whether it is on the mountain trails or making hot laps around our backyard, Layton is LOVING his motorbike!

Our baby turned 2 at the end of June and we can hardly believe it. She is such a doll and we all adore her. If I could freeze-frame her right now, I would do it in a heartbeat.

The day after Kate's birthday I headed out for a week of Girls Camp for our ward. I was the ward camp director and let me tell you I need to write a long overdue thankyou note to each of my young women leaders for all their hard work when I was young! Wow! But this group of girls and leaders couldn't have been better. We had an awesome week. Now I'm down to one calling in the ward (for the moment), and loving life.

Sorry for the trip down memory lane...I just figured I had better catch up on a little blogging. Now that things have slowed considerably, I will try to be better, but I'm not making any promises! For now all I want to do is sit back, enjoy a popcicle with my kids, and breath a big sigh of relief! Whewwwwwww!

10 years and counting!

2008-02-21T11:44:00.000-08:00

This day I married my friend.....

Now, 10 years later I would marry him all over again, and here are a few reasons why....

* He truly is my best friend
* He can make me laugh even when I'm steaming mad(which usually makes it worse!)
* He inspires me to be the very best me.
* He's not afraid of a pile of laundry!
* He doesn't mind a good "chick flick" every now and then!
* Not only is he a wonderful father, he is a really good daddy.
* He is very ambitious and a hard worker.
* He has great legs!
* He's not afraid to ask for directions.(or for help when he gets stuck...I've
actually pulled him out 3 times in the past month! LOVE THE SNOW!!) :o)
* He is the man of my dreams and there is no one else in the world I would
rather take this awesome journey with!

I am so grateful for this wonderful man and I look forward to many more great years to come!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2008-02-14T19:20:00.000-08:00

At the Mikesell home we celebrate Valentine's Day as a family holiday...our anniversary is in two weeks, so Quinn and I have OUR time then. So as a family we had our annual candle-lit dinner. I first tried this last year and the kids loved it so we went ahead with it again this year. It's amazing the ambiance that a few candles add to a dinner...even with four kids around the table.

After dinner we watched a quick movie and I caught this cute picture of Allie and Kate sharing a love sac. I love my family and it's fun to have a day set aside to show them how much I love them. (Not that I don't every other day of the year, but you know what I mean!) Hope everyone had a great day!

Alive and well!!!

2008-02-01T13:17:00.000-08:00

Okay, I'm sure some of you were beginning to wonder if I fell off the face of the earth or something, nope, still here and praying for life to slow down! It's now February and I find myself wondering what happened to January! Here's my excuse....Quinn bought me a digital scrapbooking program for Christmas and I kid you not, I have been on that thing 24/7! It is the most awesome thing in the world! I feel like such a stumbling block has been removed! Since Christmas day I have done about 70 or more pages! I can scrapbook anytime day or night with no mess and no little hands in the middle of my stamps and markers! It has totally saved my life! Anyway, off the scrapbooking soapbox, I am recommitting myself to updating my blog at least ONCE a month! :) So just so everyone knows, I AM alive and well! Here's a sample of what has been taking up all my time lately...well maybe not ALL but lets just say a good portion of it!!

aLL i wAnt fOr ChriStmAs is mY tWo frOnt TeeTh

2007-12-17T12:25:00.000-08:00

Layton lost both of his front teeth yesterday (Sunday)! A picture is worth a thousand words, right? So here is the play by play....

Apparently it isn't any easier just because your dad does this for a living! Needless to say, the tooth fairy was very generous, especially when it's both front teeth at Christmas time!

Freedom of the Seas!

2007-11-28T20:28:00.000-08:00

Quinn and I had such a great time onboard the Freedom of the Seas. What a perfect opportunity to "reconnect and get to know eachother again! And do you know what I found out? I would marry him all over again! He is truly my best friend and there is no one in the whole world I'd rather spend time with! (No offense to you close friends out there!) :) It was a perfect week in every sense of the word and I couldn't have dreamt of a better vacation. We had so much fun surfing, rock climbing, eating, scuba diving, soaking up the sun, having dinner with friends, singing kareoke (yes, even Quinn!), dancing the night away, and those quiet moments in sweet conversation....only to name a few! We missed our kids, and were so excited to see them when we got home, but I would go again in a heartbeat..

Travel Update!

2007-10-25T20:58:00.000-07:00

Okay, so this took place a few weeks ago, but I couldn't let it go unposted. Over conference weekend, we made a mad dash to Grand Junction, CO to see the Burtons and their new home. It was such a quick trip, but SO worth the drive! The kids played like they had never been apart and it was so fun to see Allie and Ellie get to know eachother a little more. We love the Burtons and are so grateful for their friendship and for letting us literally "drop in" for the weekend. We had quite the crew with 8 kids between the two families! I'm sure it was a little crazy, but we had such a good time.

We were able to do some hiking in Arches National Park, but it was so windy that day we were afraid it was going to blow us all off the rock, so we didn't get to stay as long as we all hoped.

We were also able to go to dinner with Jeff and Nicole Cornelious and their beautiful baby girl! They are doing well in Moab and it was so great to see them too. (Leave it to me to forget my camera)

It was a great weekend and we hope for many more to come!
Thanks Burtons!

Halloween Overload

2007-10-24T20:14:00.000-07:00

Does everyone else celebrate Halloween as a week long holiday? I love Halloween and getting my kids all dressed up and taking tons of pictures, but it seems my kids are already in sugar shock and it's not even the big day yet! We began our festivities last night with Allie's preschool Halloween carnival...so fun! The kids really enjoy it, so you know, we do too. Poor Allie had to make due with a make-shift pirate costume...I won one on ebay, but the darn thing didn't make it in time, so I had to get creative last minute. Maybe we'll get lucky and she'll actually have a real pirate costume for Halloween! We will be dressing up again tomarrow for Music Makers, then again next week for our ward trunk-or-treat, and on and on and on.....at least the kids love it and don't think I'm trying to torture them...Kate actually laughs the whole time I'm putting her in her "duck" costume! Maybe by the time Thanksgiving gets here, they'll be down off their sugar high! Happy Halloween!

Fire! Fire!

2007-10-01T20:09:00.000-07:00

With or without grass, we decided to take advantage of what I'm sure was one of the last "nice evenings" of the year and try out our new firepit. This is the result of a family home evening project we undertook earlier in the summer. The kids were so excited at the prospect of having a campfire right in their own backyard! We had a great time singing a few songs and roasting slightly hardened marshmallows.(All I could find was what was leftover from a previous camping trip!) Only a few of which turned out a beautiful shade of black!

Update: In just a few short weeks, we are actually starting to see a slight "green haze" covering the backyard! GRASS!!

I can't wait until I'm Eight

2007-09-30T20:29:00.001-07:00

I can't believe this day has come and gone! What happened to the last 8 years? We were so proud of Morgan and her choice to be baptized. The day was full of surprises starting in the morning when we woke up to gently falling SNOWFLAKES outside our window! Yes, only in Idaho, however I thought perfect for the occasion! Not expecting the sudden turn in the weather, it took us a while to locate coats for everyone...finally making it to the church just in time for the 9 AM baptism! It was so great to have all of our family there...my brothers came all the way from Utah with their cute kids! We love you guys! Morgan looked beautiful in her white dress, I could'nt help but marvel at how innocent and pure these young kids are. Layton and Allie were so excited all week and were thrilled when they were invited to kneel right next to the font for an unobstructed view. It was a very emotional time and I found myself wishing I had used my waterproof mascara! Then, to prove what a rookie I am, I forgot to bring a towel for Morgan to dry off with, so we had to use her coat! I made a mental note to make sure to think ahead next time! It was a very special day. I am so proud of Morgan and so thankful to be her mom!

Here is our family gathered after the baptism for a quick picture before everyone showed up for the post-game party! As you can see, Allie is entering the "cheese" phase!

What's for dinner?

2007-09-30T20:18:00.000-07:00

This is Kate's first taste of Lasagna.....I think she liked it! Kate is definitely proving to be one of my messiest eaters...often spiking her hair with peanut butter and jelly or whatever happens to be on the menu for the day.

Precious Moments

2007-09-18T21:39:00.001-07:00

Ground Breakers!

2007-09-18T14:21:00.000-07:00

Grass? Who needs grass?

We have worked so hard the past couple of weeks to get our backyard in, and we only have a FEW blisters to show for it! It really has been fun though, we did most of it ourselves except for the sprinkler system, so it's fun to look out and get that feeling of accomplishment. Quinn learned a few new skills in the process too, like how to dig down a ditch bank with a bobcat and how to weld steel edging into the ground! Good job Quinn! Hopefully sometime in the next few weeks we'll start to see a little green peek out of the ground!

The Rockstar Life!

2007-09-06T19:47:00.000-07:00

I have finally achieved it....well, almost. School is back in session, Allie started preschool, and 3 days a week I am down to ONE kid in the house! The first day I almost didn't know what to do with myself. I found myself wandering aimlessly around my house, not sure where to go or what to do first. It didn't take long though, I have found that I am just as busy as before, only in different ways. It has been so fun watching Allie get so excited to go to school. She's definately one of the BIG kids now. I am really enjoying the time with Kate...maybe one of these days we will get her crawling! Then, in about 2 more years give or take, I will really have achieved the Rockstar Life! (These are some recent pics of Allie that were taken right before school started.)

New Blogger

2007-07-25T15:14:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone! Knowing how computer illiterate I am, I'm suprised to see myself as a blogger, but could not fight the urge or the peer pressure to get started! I guess I'll start with a quick update on our family. We currently live in Rigby, Idaho, about 15 miles north of Idaho Falls. We have lived here for 2 years and have grown to love it here. Quinn is in his second year of owning a practice and it is busy and growing. He is loving his Fridays off and often finds himself trying to improve his game on the golf course. We have 4 kids-- Morgan (almost 8),will be in 3rd grade this year and loves gymnastics, music, and Hannah Montana. Layton (5), fell in love with t- ball this summer and starts kindergarten in the fall. Allie (3), loves bubblegum, teasing her siblings, and making everyone laugh (or scream). And Kate (13 mo.), is just simply a doll and we couldn't love her more. I am loving being a mom and trying to come up with creative ways to keep 4 kids entertained during these long summer days. We spend lots of time at Rigby Lake and the local SnowCone Shack. I am finding that any type of routine is just not possible in the summertime, and we won't see any resemblence of one until school starts. Well, that's us in a nutshell, more will come later. (pay no attention to the kid on the far left....he somehow snuck into the picture!)