V.B.B.Q.

Becky, James, and Jack are in town for a few days, so my family got together for a BBQ. It was some good food so my diet kind of went out the window. Oh well. It is always fun to get the cousins together. We missed you Jake! Hope you had fun in Philly!

Pokie Pines

I could hear Andrew outside this morning yelling mom and I saw him walking up to the door and he was covered with....
Pokie Pines! You all know what these are. Those little stickers that stick to everything. Apparently we have a bush in our "forest" that the boys found. They thought they were pretty funny. I did too until I had to pick them off their clothes. I do love the names they come up with though. They called these little Pokie Pines, that will grow up to be pineapples??? Aiden then informed me it was taking forever to get them off his clothes and we would still be doing it into the dark night. Ya, my thoughts exactly...

Growth Spurt!

Paige and Morgan had their 2 year check up on Monday. They have had a huge growth spurt over the past 3 months. Their weights are actually on the charts now!

Paige

Weight: 22.9 lbs...7%!!!

Height: 32.5"

Head: 19.3"

Morgan

Weight: 22.4...4%!!!

Height: 31.25"

Head: 19.1"

The girls have really started 'growing up.' Here are a few factoids about them:

* They have really started talking over the past few weeks. My favorite is when they say peoples names. GiGi (Brookie) Ahwiwer (Oliver) Will (Jill) Uke (Luke) Mimi (Kim). These are just a few of my faves.

*They are our best eaters.

*Morgan has stopped throwing up all day, that is until this week. Days without incident has been a 0 all week. Go figure.

*They love to pretend play. With their dolls or with the kitchen. Very cute to watch.

*They want to be independent. Putting on their clothes, shoes, brushing teeth, feeding themselves. They actually do a pretty good job at all these things.

*They LOVE to give luvs.

*They still get into everything.

*They are becoming more defiant. Not my favorite thing.

*They love to do anything their brothers and sister do.

We love our girls and are so happy to have them here. It makes our life crazy, but I can't imagine not having our goofy Paige and our squatty Morgan.

The Past Few Days

I am really not enjoying this no laptop business. I miss my friend and hope she comes back soon. Here is a little update on our lives. We have had a really, really busy week.

• The boys had their first swim lessons last week. They loved it. At first Andrew didn't want to get in the water at all. He wanted his life jacket on. It doesn't help that we would tell him he would drown if he ever got into the water without his life jacket...

• We went to the temple last week. It had been way too long since our last visit. I loved it. Thanks to Jill for watching the Hoard so we could go!
  

• Friday I got to spend the day at BYU education week working for the artist Sandra Rast. The great thing about it was that I got paid for the work, I got a break from my kids, I got to spend the day with one of my best friends, and I got a free outfit out of it. I LOVE the skirt, but we all agreed that the tank top was definitely not working. But for a free skirt I can wear anything for a day! BIG shout out to Kim for watching the crew the WHOLE day!

• Right after our day at BYU, we headed up to a ward BBQ. It was a good time. I love my ward and have made a lot of new friends, which makes church going easier and a lot more fun.
• Trent ran his first triathlon Saturday morning. It didn't work out that the Furious Five and I could watch, but he did a great job. His time was 1:20 and he came in 20th! I think that is dang good for a first race. He is already looking forward to his next one...
• We had a delicious BBQ at Dodee's with the Jensen Fam. Always good food and the kids LOVE to play at Dodees! I am sad to say that by the end of last week I just didn't have the energy to take pictures, so no pics of this event.
  
  
• Last but not least, we got the third season of Dexter. We love this show. Love it. We stayed up way too late watching. Once you start you can't stop.
  

So there you go. I hope you all enjoy it. Until next time...

Lifeline

I am a little out of sorts these past few days. Some of you may have wondered where I have gone with my lack of posts, comments, and FB activities. Well, my laptop is not working. It won't even turn on. Therefore, I can't be on the computer constantly (pathetically, I keep it on my kitchen counter so I have access at a moments notice). Our other computer is ALL the way down stairs. Who wants to walk that far every time I need to check on other people's lives? And, more importantly, I can't keep an eye on the Furious Five when I am tucked away in my craft room and that equals trouble. So, I am just venting my frustration to the world wide web and letting you all know the reason behind my disappearance. I fear my comments will be at their lowest and I do apologize. Don't think I don't love you, I just don't have the 'time' to comment anymore. Please don't forget me and know that I am still out there reading all your wonderful postings!

"There No Place Like Pom Pom's"

I love Wyoming. Love the feeling I get when we get through the last mountain range and you see Star Valley for the first time. Love driving down the long highway looking for Hillstead's silo. Love coming up to the little dirt road. And, finally, LOVE arriving at Pom Pom's. I spent so much of my childhood playing in SV with cousins, waiting impatiently for the next time we got to go to WY, and wishing I lived there and never had to leave. I just love it there. We got to see Pom Pom for a bit before we made our way up the Greys. It was fun. I just wish it had been around breakfast time so we could have feasted on her delicious pancakes. There are definitely no pancakes like Pom Pom's.

Paige and Morgan's Party

We celebrated Paige and Morgan's birthday with a real party last night. The blowing out of the matches didn't quite cut it. The girls loved every second of it. The food, the fun, the presents, and the family.

Paige was pretty excited about his gift, even though she had know idea what it was.

Morgan was so funny. She would take every toy and go show it to the people in the kitchen. She was pretty excited about them all.

I still can't believe my babies are 2. Amazing. I am actually surprised we have all survived this long...;)

Thanks to everyone for coming and celebrating with us!

GreysRiver.09

Every year my family goes camping. We love it. Although, the last few years have been a bit challenging. Every year we added a baby or two. And lets just say it isn't easy camping with multiple kids that can't do anything for themselves. However, this year was so nice. Everyone could walk and feed themselves and we, the parents, had a much more enjoyable experience. Still a lot of work and sometimes very hard to handle The Hoard, but enjoyable none the less.

We owe our whole wonderful camping experience to Grandma and Grandpa. They help out a ton, provide delicious food, and supply hours of fun. I love being with my family, especially in Wyoming!

Campfires were a favorite up there. It got pretty cold at night and in the mornings. We all loved Trent sitting in the middle of kids in the top right picture.

Another must is Murphy Lake. My parents bring their canoe and we bring some rafts and it makes for a party on the water.

Dirty. That was the theme of the trip. Trent and I had to let go of our cleanliness. (more Trent than me of course) I think my mom's favorite part was the dirty faces. Every time she saw them she laughed.

Roasting Mallows! This is all Andrew wanted to do. Make a fire and roast a marshmallow. And I do have to say he is a master when it comes to roasting a perfectly browned mallow. He can even do it better than most adults!

Another tradition that HAS to be done is hiking to Stump Lake. Its not a long hike at all, but the first half is straight up hill AND no shade. With a kid on the back it gave me a good workout. I loved it! And to top it off we got to gorge ourselves at the top with the hiking ice cream we made!

The Potato Cannon. The kids loved this! And I guess the adults couldn't get enough of it either.

And the last (full) day of the trip our girls turned 2! We made a delicious dutch oven Rainbow Chip cake and Grandma supplied the ice cream. I forgot the candles so they blew out some matches. Perfect.

Thanks to all the fam for coming, helping, playing, eating, swimming, tubing, eating, shooting, hiking, rock throwing, eating, and laughing with us. It was such a fun week and we loved it!!! Already can't wait for next year. Aiden is pretty upset that it is a whole year away!

Working Out

I really am trying to get out of my rut and exercise again. I weighed myself and, sadly, I have gained 5 pounds since I stopped running! 5 pounds! As mentioned in my previous post we got passes to the rec center. I can't wait to start using it more. Earlier this week Kim invited me to go with her. I had a great time and it is always perfect to exercise with someone skinnier than you. It keeps you motivated to push yourself harder!!!
We are nerds. Who takes pictures of themselves before they go workout.? Well, we do. I am the first to admit I am a blogging nerd, but I love documenting my life, even the hum drum parts. Not that hanging out with Kim is hum drum. I always have fun with her and am so glad Luke talked her into marrying him. We just love Kimmy around here!

Rub a Dub Dub...

This is the first time all of my kids have been in the tub at the same time. Trent and I usually don't tackle all of them at once. Only Awesome Brooke does that.

Trent's Almost Favorite Date!

Brooke called up out of the blue and asked if she could watch our kids on Saturday night. She asked us?!? Who does that? I didn't hesitate at all, just in case she came to her senses and took back the offer. We will always take free babysitting.....

Next was trying to figure out what to do. I was on call, so I have to have my phone with me and be able to leave instantly if I get a call AND we didn't want to spend a lot of money either. So, I came up with the idea of using our freshly purchased Rec Center passes and go exercise. I have been slacking in that department and never have time to do it anymore. Well, I have the time, but I am so depressed that I can't run anymore that I just decide to do nothing. Pathetic.
Here we are ready to go. Trent did laps in the pool and I worked on the elliptical. We both had so much fun. Trent said it was his favorite date, right after snow shoeing that is. I thought it funny that his fave date is when we weren't even together. Does that say something about our marriage? I think it just means we are so much in love and so comfortable with each other, we can do our own thing and not worry about it. Right? ;) Although I did get to look down while I was working out and watch my hot husband do his laps. I am a lucky girl. We ended up eating at Yanni's. It was a perfect meal following a fun workout.

Now Brooke being the fun Aunt that she is brought up a pizza dinner for the kids. Not only does she offer to babysit, but she offers to bring the dinner too? Really, who does this???

Then takes them to Arctic Circle to enjoy some free ice cream cones. I love this picture that she got of my Hoard. I still can't believe all those kids are mine. This picture makes me happy.

Oh and Brooke's awesomeness doesn't end there. After the ice cream treat, she took everyone home, got them in the tub (wish I had the picture Brooke took of that), and got them all ready for bed. We came home and didn't have to do anything! It was perfect. We ended the night with a showing of Fast and Furious. I thought it was dumb, but it was what I expected. Thanks Brooke for a great night out and for staying and watching the movie with us!

While the boys are away...

...the girls will play.

We made some cake batter the first night. I know some of you might think this is strange, but cake batter is one of my all time favorite treats. Perfect for our girls week!

We made an awesome fort that took over our dining room.

Had Sarah, Aaron, and Avery over to play.

Got to enjoy Oliver for a couple days. My girls just love him.

Unfortunately, he doesn't feel the same. He is a little bit scared of the chaos that is my house.

Other highlights of my week:

• Enjoying hanging out with my dad. Which included some good food from the Mandarine.
• Shopping at the Dollar Tree to find stuff for Paige and Morgan's B-day party!
• Getting a little extra work in. Thanks for those that babysat.
• Scrapbook night. I forgot how much fun those are!

We had a fun week, but I am so glad to have the boys back. They complete the family. AND I hate sleeping by myself. All those scary movies I watch come back to haunt me...

"We Went to a Town...

...and shot big fat squirrels." That was the report I got when I asked Aiden and Andrew what they did with Dad and Grandpa over the past few days. "And some of them blew up. And we went and looked at them. And I shot one in a hole!" Those were some more quotes from the boys. I love what Grandpa Brad is teaching my boys....
The boys loved it and I am sure they loved all the "Grandpa Time" they got up in good old Wyoming. We will have to ask Grandpa if he enjoyed his shooting time as much with 2 crazy 4 year olds around. ;) And I just have to add that Andrew is a mini Grandpa Brad. I love the bottom right left with the two of them. And I always think of Brad mimicking Andrew's run. For those that never got to see that show, you missed out!

With all the fun, the boys didn't get much sleep. So, they had to get some here and there. Poor Trent didn't get any sleep and getting him to take a nap today will probably not happen.

Boys being boys. You will have to enlarge the picture and see the the pic of them looking through the gun. I love that Andrew is squinting his eye as Aiden looks through the scope. And of course, you gotta love the peeing shot.

The group. Some of the Neffs joined the fun. I am sure all these boys went through thousands of bullets.

And to top off the trip the boys had their first go at Mini Golf. Trent said they could never quite figure out how to hold the club or hit the ball. I am sure it was funny to watch. And maybe a little frustrating.

All in all it was a great trip for the boys. I, for one, am glad they are back. My life just isn't complete without Trent and the extra chaos that the boys bring into it. Thanks Grandpa Brad for the trip!

My Buddy

After everyone else went to bed. Oakley and I did this:

This girl is so fun....and easy. Loved some of the one-on-one time I have gotten with her the past couple days. We don't always have that opportunity around here.

Starting Over

I am getting more and more depressed AND more and more chubby since I haven't been able to run for the past 2 months. I feel and look yucky. And its driving me crazy. So, yesterday, after swimming with all the skinny Johnson relatives the night before, I finally decided I had to do something. Running is NOT the only form of exercise out there. However, I still believe it is the fastest way to get in shape. Anyways, I got all the kids ready, loaded them up, and set out up the hill. And let me tell you....pushing 5 kids up the hills by my house IS definitely a workout!
I am impressed with this picture that you can see everyone of my kid's faces. The timer is a magical thing. I am so thankful we bought this stroller right after Paige and Morgan were born. We have definitely gotten our moneys worth!

So, on to the next part of my post. I need help keeping myself on track to lose the weight I have gained back and to still lose the last 15 lbs that just won't come off. Some of you may remember the blog Fat Girls No Mo'. Well, I have deleted off all of our old goals and changed it up a little. I am inviting anyone that wants to join me in the FGNM challenge. You don't have to be fat or chubby like yours truly, but if you just want to get motivated to exercise and eat healthier please join! Those that are serious about losing weight/inches will be measuring our bodies, our weight, and taking a picture. I know that sounds horrifying, but I think it is the most motivating when you see yourself and measurements. It helps me anyways. So please let me know if you would like to participate and we can work on each persons new goals and getting everything set up. I am excited to get back into shape again so I can fit into my new jeans I bought at the end of last winter. It is sad that they don't fit me right now!!! :(

Johnson Get Together

Last night we went swimming at Maga's pool with the Johnsons (Trent's Mom's side of the fam). It was a good time. The water was a little cold, but we still had fun. And it is always good to see all you bloggers in 3D. Thanks for the pool time and pizza Maga!!

(And thanks to Jill for the pics. I didn't get my camera out because I was too busy making sure my kids didn't drown.)

Another Great St. George Experience

We traveled down to St. George on Tuesday. The ride down was okay. Paige only cried for 2 hours. My girls really do not travel well. We arrived and the first thing kids wanted to do was swim. I didn't even get my camera out during the first session. In fact, the first time I got my camera out to take the picture of myself below.
It ended up that I got the room all to myself the first night. Oakley was with Josh, Aiden and Andrew with Jenny, and Paige and Morgan had their own room too. I was so excited that I would be able to relax and read. However, I was sooo tired, I fell asleep after a couple pages. Oh well. Sleep is a good thing too.

The next morning I fed the crew. Cereal is the best.

We headed to a splash pad one afternoon. It was so HOT down there. Any water time was greatly appreciated.

Aiden did really well in the water. He even started to learn to swim without his life jacket on. Swimming lessons here he comes!

Andrew does really well too. He loves jumping into the water. And he loved to look under the water with his goggles.

Oakley liked swimming too.....that is on the shamu shelf. She DID NOT like going in the deep and didn't even attempt the slide this time. Some day she will get over her fear.

Paige LOVED the water. Unfortunately for her she hit her chin on the side of the pool and split it open. Trent and I don't go to the Doctor for much of anything, so we fixed it up with some super glue and butterfly bandages. Makes for cute pictures.

Morgan had NO fear of the water. She loved every second of it. The slide, jumping, and swimming. She even put on the arm floaties and was swimming around in the deep all by herself. So cute!

And this is what made the trip so fun. My kids can't get enough of the Bentleys. They are quite a group. What one doesn't think of another one will. It is going to be trouble when they are older.

Other Highlights:

• Getting to see my cousins Autumn, Aaron, and Gina and their cute kids. It has been about 4 years since I had seen Autumn. Much too long if you ask me. AND I am so upset I didn't get a picture. I really can't believe I let that slip. Thanks guys for making time to see me!
• In & Out. Enough said.
• Shopping. Thanks to Sarah, we all got great deals at Old Navy. My boys will no longer have to wear floods and belly shirts.
• Pirate Island. The kids favorite! And the food was much better this time. Definitely a must if you go to St. George with kids!
• Having Trent come down to join in the fun.
• Pizza Factory Bread Sticks.
• Cousin and Grandma time.

Thanks to Grandma, Jenny, and the Bentleys for all the fun and all the extra help! Couldn't have done it without you!