OUR STORIES

Nicole's New Room

2011-09-07T09:20:00.000-07:00

Ponderosa, McCall, Idaho

2011-09-06T12:13:00.001-07:00

First Day of School

2011-08-30T14:05:00.000-07:00

Excuses

2010-03-08T11:49:00.000-08:00

I really have no GOOD reason to not have posted sooner. But, I just wanted to give a few so that I could feel better about myself. Here is what has been occupying my time (in alphabetical order):

Couponing
Four Kids: school, piano, scouts, soccer, baseball, speech, preschool
Lapscrapping
Laundry
Making a headboard for Brendon's new room
Moving Blake from a crib to bed
Planning our trip to Disneyland
POTTY TRAINING!!!!
Preschool
Primary
PTA
Sewing Jen's baby bedding
Training for the Ragnar Relay
Trying to lose weight in my Biggest Loser Competition

So, there are my lame excuses. Here are a few of the pages I completed this weekend while I was lapscaping with my girlfriends.

ps: While I was posting these, I realized my journaling needs to be proofread and fixed. So don't judge me!

Thanks to Aimee and Janel for sharing some of your creative layouts!

Halloween 09

2009-11-03T09:20:00.000-08:00

Halloween started off with an "Adult's Only" party. Joey and I would not classify ourselves as the dressing up type. Therefore, we struggle every year with a costume that we don't feel completely ridiculous in. This year, Joey raided the warehouse at work. Unfortunately, they only provided us with uniforms straight out of the 1800's. I guess the state police doesn't really want us impersonating an officer. But, these worked!

Brendon started middle school this year. I thought this would be a good year to make the break from costumes and trick or treating. He really didn't love the idea, but was a good sport. I did let him take Blake trick or treating and I told him he could have his candy. So don't worry, he isn't too deprived.

What do you get when your 2 year old decides to not take a nap on Halloween....

A Sneak Peak...

2009-11-02T12:14:00.001-08:00

I took pictures of the kids yesterday. Unfortunately, the lighting wasn't great. It will take me a while to make some editing improvements. Here is a little taste...

The last week has been crazy busy...Hayden's birthday, Halloween parties, trunk or treat, costumes...Glad that Halloween is gone for another 365 days. Pictures to come...

Pumpkin Patch 09

2009-10-18T13:47:00.001-07:00

The kids and I went out to the pumpkin patch yesterday while Joey was out hunting. It is our annual tradition, and we had a great time.

Flash Back Friday...

2009-09-18T10:03:00.001-07:00

As promised.... Here is Jennifer in all of her glory!!!

Jen, you didn't have to win a contest to get a post all about you!

Flashback Friday...

2009-09-11T13:35:00.001-07:00

Charles, Steven, Alisa & Karen

1980 or 1981

(Sorry, Jen, you weren't a thought yet. But, don't worry, next weeks picture is all you baby!!)

Flash Back Friday...

2009-09-04T09:01:00.000-07:00

Only one person to blame for this photo....MOM!!!

Why? Why? Why?

Will I make it?

2009-09-03T11:34:00.000-07:00

We've hit the terrible twos! In fact, I think we have jumped in feet first.
Spilled milk happens daily at our house. Does anyone else have this problem?
Hard to get mad at a face like this!

Doing the Happy Dance....

2009-08-31T10:10:00.000-07:00

They're OFF!!! And, I don't mean horses. The kids are gone to school. Oh, how I long for the day! This year I have a middle schooler, elementary schooler and preschooler. Three schools! Should keep me nice and busy. (By the way, this picture was taken at 7:10am. I had to roll myself out of bed to catch a shot before he left for the bus.)

Notice how Hayden is standing on the curbing? He would not walk on the grass because he might get his new shoes wet. I had to carry him over there, and carry him back. That kid cracks me up!

These two are in the same class this year. You would think they had won the lottery when they found out!

And...This is where I end up without children. A long standing tradition. I saw lots of other Mom's dropping off kids in their workout attire. They were getting ready to head to the gym. I, on the other hand, head out for food. What is wrong with this picture?

(We missed you Ang! We totally needed another 2 year old. Two of them in the restaurant just wasn't enough.)

Flashback Friday...

2009-08-28T07:28:00.000-07:00

Wow, check out all that Neon!!! Alisa, Karen, Poppy, Steven, Mom, Jennifer

Brian Head, Utah

Circa 1991

(I'm not sure, but, I think I may have a small baggie of licorice and a granola bar in my pocket.)

Nicole's Birthday Party

2009-08-27T08:06:00.000-07:00

Nicole had her "friend" birthday party last week. The girls came to our house for some crafts, and then headed over to the pool for a little swimming. They had a great time together.

These girls are full of attitude!

Practicing for the 2012 Olympics Synchronized Swim Team

Flashback Friday....

2009-08-21T14:04:00.000-07:00

Lovely ladies of Lake Powell circa 1996

Aly, Alisa, Karen, Jennifer

(Labeled for Karen's benefit)

Bear Lake 09

2009-08-13T13:18:00.000-07:00

We just got back from our Tueller Family Reunion in Bear Lake. We had a great time, but missed Hilary and her family. The cousins loved playing together. We enjoyed dutch ovens, campfires, golfing (well some of us did, rolling my eyes) and milkshakes. Why does this kid insist on being goofing in EVERY picture?

"What marshmallows, where?"

Trouble

Stuck like glue all weekend.

This is a fun one. Those goggles simulate what it is like to be intoxicated. Before you scoff, I put them on, and I was stumbling everywhere. I couldn't walk a straight line. Joey made an obstacle course, and had the kids try to walk through it with the goggles on. It was hilarious. What kind of people take pleasure in seeing what kids would be like drunk?

Nicole celebrated her birthday in Bear Lake this year. All she wanted for her birthday was Molly. Unfortunately, UPS didn't come through for me, and she wasn't delivered until we left. So, this catalog picture had to suffice until we got home.

Joey and I are done planning the Tueller Reunion until 2013! Can't wait to see what Tom and Jodi come up with next year. :)

Flashback Friday...

2009-08-13T13:17:00.000-07:00

It's been so fun going through old pictures. It is amazing to see how everyone has changed over the past years. I just have one thing to say about this next picture:

Who is the YAHOO in the center?Poppy, Steven, Joey, Helmut, Charles

Debbie, if you are reading this, remind Helmut that he made Joey buy that gun, and has only shot it once!

Debbie, Steven, Aly, Joey, Jennifer and Charles

Both pictures were taken at the Cabin in Pine Valley, Utah circa 1994ish?

April, apey, ape face....

2009-08-12T08:53:00.000-07:00

(Once again, I don't have great pictures. I am going to have to get all my pictures from Heber soon)

April, April, April....What can I say about you. Waaaaay too much.

April and I met in 6th grade at Poly. Now, April would have you believe that we met many years before on a random whale watching field trip. My Dad was Devon's (April's sister) 4th grade teacher, and April is positive that she and I were both on that trip. I have no recollection of said trip, but we will let her believe what she wants.

April is what you would call a Poly lifer (a student that attends Poly from pre-K to 12th grade). I started Poly at 6th grade. We became fast friends. I did ruin her Forenza sweatshirt by throwing ink on her. But, she forgave me. Guess what she also forgave me for? Smashing her face with a baseball bat!!! Can you believe it? That is true friendship.

The Story...
Our six grade lockers were outside in a small corridor. I decided that it was a good time and place to practice my softball swing with a nice aluminum bat right in front of the lockers. Not realizing that April was standing behind me, I took a full swing! The bat hit her right in her cheek bone and started bleeding like crazy. We both started to freak out and ran right to the nurse. The nurse had her put some pressure on the wound while she called her parents. An ER trip was in her future. Unfortunately for me, and not just for this occasion, but my Dad also worked at our school. As we were sitting there in the nurses office, my Dad just happened to walk by.

"April, what happened?!!!"

"Well, Mr. Ellis, Alisa hit me in the face with a baseball bat. But, you should take pity on her because she often does lots of stupid things and really doesn't think before she acts. (She really didn't say that last line, but I was sure she was thinking it.)

Needless to say, it wasn't such a happy evening at my house after school.

April got several stitches, I believe in two levels because the cut was so deep. And, to this day you can still see her scar. I like to think of it as a mark of our friendship!!! :)

Memories of April:
Crashing Devon's car in a pole
Shaving my legs
Matching Jammies
Gourmet food
Dropping the watermelon
Many sleepovers
Rumpy is so grumpy
Visions of Sugarplums on Lake St.
The Snake River Stampede
Visits to Emerald Bay
ISLANDS!

This isn't a contest, but can anyone name the exact location of each photo?

And the winner is......

2009-08-05T09:10:00.000-07:00

APRIL!!!!

Congratulations, April! You guessed correctly. It was Islands! Oh, how I miss that restaurant! Anyway, your post is coming soon. I am leaving on vacation tomorrow, so if it isn't up by then, look for it early next week.

Flashback Friday...

2009-07-30T12:06:00.000-07:00

Oh my, this is the CUTEST picture EVER! But, I was looking for a picture such as this one for my next giveaway. Alisa & April

Question: Where is this photo taken? Be specific. The first person to leave a comment with the correct answer wins their very own, personal post!

You have until 12pm mst on Saturday.

Good Luck, and Happy Friday!!!!

Swimming

2009-07-28T13:56:00.001-07:00

We have just finished up two weeks of swimming lessons for Hayden. My kids would not be labeled as fish. In fact, they are so far from fish that they could be considered a land only mammal. But, because we are so spoiled to have several pools in our subdivision, all must learn to swim. Up until a few weeks ago, Hayden just walked around the pool with little or no interest in getting wet. This was a problem, because I enjoy lounging and having to watch two non-swimmers isn't very relaxing. So off to lessons he went. He really wasn't a fan! Most days he would start in early in the morning asking if he was going to lessons. The answer was always yes, and he would follow is a "Ohhhhhhh!" and a crying fit would ensue! Amazingly, he would get into the pool quite easily when we got there. The lesson would last 30 minutes with the first half in the shallow end and then down to the deep for the second half.

He starts off timid, but still ok!Is obedient and blows his bubbles when asked.
Hangs on to the side, awaiting his turn. (Look at the shoulder blade!)
Oh, no, they are moving down to the deep end. Concern is starting to show.
"Hayden, time to jump off the diving board." So sad! I wish I had a picture of the diving board episodes, but I was usually having to prode him off the end as he was shaking like a leaf.
Swimming Teacher lady got smart and had a bake sale everyday. Oh the treats! All only $.25. I miss those rice crispy treats!

We've been swimming out our pool a lot this summer. Some favorite friends.....

Baylee

Nicole

Brooklyn

My baby. Doesn't venture too far from my chair. Doesn't want to touch the water. I'm ok with that for now.

One last picture....
When I asked for an explanation, he said, "The sun was in my eyes!" Ok, whatever you say...

Party at Pojo's

2009-07-28T07:18:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Blake's 2nd birthday at Pojo's (similar to Chuckie Cheese). A good time was had by all! :)

Flash Back Friday....

2009-07-24T06:00:00.000-07:00

Every Friday, I am going to try to post an old picture. I have had a lot of fun going through lots of old photographs the last few days. Here you go....

July, 1994
Boise Wedding Reception

Aly, Hilary, Jennifer, Karen, Me

Sharice!!!

2009-07-23T09:29:00.000-07:00

Let me just start off this post by saying that I should have 100 more photos of Sheri and myself, but unfortunately, they are all in a garage in Heber, Utah. I spent a hour digging through old photos in my garage yesterday looking for at least 1. This is what I found. I really wanted to find all those pictures where we tried on all of my mini skirts. Remember that? I believe this photo was taken at Newport Beach, CA probably before I got married. I am going off of the fact that I got that Dooney & Burke purse while I was in college, and also those cool Esprit Sandals. I loved those sandals. Probably summer after our freshman year.

Sheri and I went to high school together at LCHS!! Go Spartans! We were kinda two different people. She was very responsible, I wasn't so much. She was very diligent about getting her school work done, I wasn't so much. She was polite and respectful to her teachers, I wasn't so much. But, with all that said, we got along great!

One of my favorite memories of Sheri was a trip we took to Valley Forge as chaperones on a 5th grade trip. We were seniors in high school and my grandmother was the teacher in charge of the trip. I somehow talked my way into going and bringing my friend. How lucky is that? Anyway, we were given a group of kids that were our responsibility. Seriously, what were they thinking? We even had our own tour bus where we were the only "adults". I think we were known as the fun bus at times and the mean bus at other times. We had a great trip and made lots of good memories.

Here is a list of memories that will probably only make since to Sheri. But, this post is supposed to be all about her, so the rest of you won't mind.

Escapade
Koala Blue
Chatham Becker
Throwing food out of Jennifer's car
Going back to pick up said food on the road
Lunch trips to McDonalds for a value meal that cost $3.14
Me usually borrowing $3.14 for lunch
Midnight run to the ER at the beach house. Seriously, how did your parents put up with me?
Chips Ahoy
Spiders and Tetris
Senior Prom, Taylor and Jeff
Grad night in heels at Disneyland. Most miserable night EVER!!!

This is us at Sheri's wedding last year. She had quite a year getting married and fighting cancer. Thank goodness she is cancer free now!!!! Well, there you go. A post all about Sheri! Stay tuned everyone, you may get another chance for your own post!

And the winner is.....

2009-07-22T20:03:00.000-07:00

Sheri!!!!

Way to go guys. I am seriously impressed! Sheri, stay tuned for your super, fantastic post!!!

The rest of you, don't despair. I already have an idea for another giveaway. You may just get a post of your own soon.

ps: April, Mr. Ellis would be so proud that you recognized the palindrome. Good for you!

A Giveaway!!!

2009-07-21T09:50:00.000-07:00

Are you excited about my first ever contest! While I was looking for pics of Blake, I realized that unless I start labeling my kids pics, there may come I day I can't remember who is who. So here is the contest part....

The first person to correctly identify each child wins! What do you win? An entire post about you. It might include an old memory, picture or just about whatever I want to post about you. Isn't this exciting. Good Luck!!

Hint: Each child has 2 pictures

Update: Nicole just took the challenge, and rattled them off immediately. It may not be as hard as I think. :)

Update #2: Joey couldn't do it. So even if someone comments, they may be wrong. Make sure you get your entry in. I will take entries until 12pm mst tomorrow (7/22).

D.

E.

My baby is 2!!!!

2009-07-18T13:40:00.001-07:00

Seriously, has it been two years since I had this kid? All I can say is that we are head over heals for this baby. He is so much fun to have around, minus a few tantrums. Here is an update:

Funny words he says:
Muck (milk)
Cole (Nicole)
Pop (otter pop)
acker (cracker)
that? (who is that you were talking to on the phone?)
dish (this)
Uck (truck)
Coke (Coke, said in perfect English!)
knock (word for phone, trying to say talk)
nack (snack)
money (funny)

Blake loves his blanket. He loves it so much that you can usually find him chomping on it. He is a great sleeper and still takes an afternoon nap everyday from 1-3:30ish. Then heads back to bed between 7-8pm. (Take note of the late bedtime, it is summer after all) He loves his sister and goes right to her if I have told him no about something.

(These photos are not in order. I don't have the time to deal with blogger. Let's just call it a collection of photos in no particular order.)

What else can I say, except, that we just adore him!

Happy Birthday, Blakey boy!

A Day at the Zoo

2009-07-16T20:01:00.000-07:00

It is always fun when Hilary and Jeremy come to town. They are here with their two cute girls, Whitney and Bailey. My kids are loving playing with their cousins. Today we went to the zoo, followed up by lunch at the park. After nap time, we headed to the pool and then out for pizza. It was a great day! Brendon
Tom and Bailey (Tom flew into town for a few days of golfing, fishing and playing)
Mary Ann and Joey
Aubrey and Katelyn
Whitney

Macey

Mother and Daughter

Miss N.

The cousins in a large birds nest!

Trey

Hayden

Such a serious look for Mr. Blake

Hilary and Bailey

For April....

2009-07-09T13:29:00.000-07:00

Wow, I haven't posted in a long time. Apparently, I need to take lessons from my little sis, Karen. But, here goes. I hate posting a lot of pictures, because it is hard to have the right order. So, these pictures are from most recent all the way back to May.

We just got home from spending a week in Heber City, Utah! It was so fun. The kids loved hanging out with their cousins and playing from sun up to sun down. Literally, bedtime around 11pm. On the 4th of July, we had a big party for my Grandmother and all of my cousins, aunts and uncles were there. It was great to see so many relatives that I haven't seen for a long time. The kids had so many fun things, but here is what they said were their favorite things...
Brendon: playing pool and golfing
Nicole: getting ice cream and eating lunch at the park
Hayden: getting ice cream and the water slide
Blake: staying up late and unlimited otter pops
Joey: golfing and golfing
Alisa: unlimited Diet Cokes and eating, and sitting and eating and sitting... Holiday Lanes, Heber, Utah (not another soul in the joint)

Aly, Macy dressed herself each day. This was my favorite selection. (For those not in the know, Aly and Steven headed out to Hawaii on the 5th. Luckily, the kids stayed in Heber and entertained my kiddos.)

Summer and Aubrey

Brooklyn and Macy

Trouble

My baby learning to drive.

My other baby learning to drive.

My oldest baby getting ready to drive.

Arts and Crafts were readily abundant on this trip. Clay, beads, watercolors...Nicole's dream come true.

Miss Nicole

Jennifer and Peytie Pie

Two peas in a pod.

Charles and Baby Jack

"Don't mind us, we are blowing this joint for a warm beach and pina coladas!"

"Don't mind us, we are hanging in Heber City, Utah for the next 4 days!"

The girls showing some attitude before heading to Stadium of Fire at BYU to see the Jonas Brothers.

Ellis Great Grandchildren

My baby.

Nicole working on a pottery masterpiece.

Aunt Jennifer and Miss Macy

The horses came for the 4th. Hayden loved going for a ride.

Always a smile on this girls face.
Usually a silly grin on this face.
Nicole going for a ride.

We went camping with the Hunt's and the Hafen's at the end of June to Garden Valley. The kids had a great time playing in the river and rafting.
Twiners, Nicole and Brooklyn This could be the worst possible picture of us, but it is the only one at the top of the mountain. Lookout point 7000 ft.

Joey and Brendon on top of the world.

Hunt's and Tueller kids piled in the car. Seatbelts? Nah! (Looking for Blake? He wasn't invited. He stayed with Nana and Papa. Blake + the woods, fire, river= No fun at all!)

In the beginning of June, Joey took Brendon and Hayden on the Father and sons campout with the church. They had a great time camping with friends.

Michael and Brendon

Brendon's 5th grade play was at the end of May. He had a big part and even sang a solo! I was shocked at what a great singing voice he had. He was great.

Last Violin Concert ever? Brendon seems to think so. He starts middle school next year and doesn't want to continue with the violin. We are kind of sad. He learned so much.

Feeding the ducks for Family Home Evening...

Memorial Day bike ride on the green belt and lunch at the park.

Blake, Macey, Hayden and Trey

April, I hope this will suffice for a while. It may be a while until I post again. Upcoming events...Bear Lake, more camping, football starts...

It's a busy life we lead, but we love it and are having a great summer.

PS: Happy Anniversary to us. 15 years today! Unreal! I couldn't have asked for a better husband or father for my kids!

It's Warming Up

2009-05-20T14:26:00.000-07:00

The weather has started to get warm around here. Blake would be happy if he spend his entire day outside (front yard, not back) pushing his lawn mower. Ahhh, the joys of a one year old.

The pure joy of Daddy coming home. Not only for Blake, but for me!
And, what do we do when it starts to get warm and there is a continual fight over "Hair down, hair up" every SINGLE morning.... We get a hair cut! 4 inches!

Pretty darn cute. Mom and daughter are thrilled!!!

Looking forward to 3 more weeks of school and then lounging by the pool all summer!

Easter

2009-05-09T18:01:00.001-07:00

These are so past due, but better late than never..

We've been spending a lot of time at the baseball fields this spring. Brendon has been pitching and playing short stop. As long as it is warm, we really enjoy being outside. But, whenever we go watch this....
We can't forget to do this.... That's right folks, my child is on a leash. I spent the first game chasing after him around all the fields and into the street. But, no more!!! He pretty much stays right by me now. Genius!!!

Ok, ok, OKAY!!!!

2009-03-30T19:06:00.000-07:00

I'll post already! Seriously, everyone just hounds me and hounds me! When are you going to post? Are you ever going to post again? Are you still alive? Let's see pics of your kids?

The problem is, that I have been very lazy about taking pictures! But, I will clue you in on my life for the last few months. And, I will try to post a little more often!

Joey and I went on a cruise a few weeks ago. It was fantastic! We laid in the sun, ate to our hearts content, read 3 books and just plain relaxed! No kids, no schedules, no jobs! We went to the Mexican Riviera and stopped at Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan and Puerta Vallarta. The weather in Mexico was fabulous and so warm. I am really missing it right about now. My parents came to stay with the kids and spoiled them rotten for 8 days. We can't begin to thank them for their time and generosity. I am already planning our next trip in 2010. (At least in my head)

Puerta Vallarta
Whale Watching in Cabo. That whale was so close, we felt his splash.
Formal night. Not sure what that white spot is on my dress. Must be a reflection.

I started an after-school enrichment program at our elementary school. I am teaching Elementary Art to K-3rd graders. I teach every Tuesday from 3:45-4:45. It is a great job and I am really enjoying it. Nicole is taking a drama class and will be staring in Cinderella in a few weeks. She has the roll of Narrator.

Brendon started baseball practice and has his first game this Saturday.

Hayden is still enjoying preschool and just plain enjoying life.

And, Blake. What can I say. He is the sweetest thing on this earth. Well, that isn't quite true. He does know how to throw a tantrum if he can't get into the pantry and treat himself to some food. You would think I am starving the kid. But, when he isn't screaming for my attention, he is quite angelic!

I have been spending loads of time learning how to coupon. Coupon? you ask. What is this? There is a whole society of couponers in our area who are saving tons of money on groceries. I decided I wanted to save also, and have spent lots of my time learning the ins and outs of coupons, store policies, checking coupon blogs and finding the good deals. I will admit it is a little addicting and I find the hunt quite exciting. When you walk out of a store after saving a TON of money and getting some items free, I feel like I just hit it big on the craps or blackjack table. Kinda the same feeling. I have been stocking up and get my year supply in order. For example, this week I plan on buying 100 boxes of cereal. Yep, I said 100! I bet you are thinking, why would she buy so many boxes. Well, I happen to have four children who eat cereal like it is going out of style. It has a year shelf life, but we won't worry about that. I am sure my kids will eat through that by the end of summer. Then I will have to start looking for another good cereal deal. Oh by the way, I will get 100 boxes for about $33. Yippee!!

Well, I can't think of what else has been going on. We are just making it day to day. Hoping, longing, dreaming of some warm weather. I look forward to a day I can open the back door and let Blake out in the back yard without a coat, hat, shoes and socks.

Last, but not least! Go Uconn!! I can already smell the money!!!

Happy New Year!

2009-01-06T09:15:00.001-08:00

Well, the month of December flew by! We had a great holiday season. We spent lots of time with family, both in Idaho and Utah! We are looking forward to a great 2009!

Some of our activities (Not in any particular order) .....

We finally took the plunge and got Blake's hair cut! It was really hard and took me a very long time to get used to it. He definitely lost the baby look. But now, he looks as if his parents care about his hygiene!

It doesn't matter how many times I protest, Joey still thinks it is appropriate for two minor children to be on the top of the roof to hang Christmas lights. They aren't allowed to move, but I still freak out knowing at any minute they could slide right to the concrete. It is the highlight of the season for them. (Notice that Hayden has his shoes on the wrong feet and Nicole is wearing a pair of crocs. Those should give some good traction!)
PS: Those jeans are Joey's work jeans. He feels the need to hang on to clothes that are out of style because he can always "WORK" in them. Embarrassing!

We had a great Santa party at the Snyder's home this year. The kids love to perform their "Talent" and sit on Santa's lap. (Who gave this kid a candy cane?)

Here Hayden is performing his Talent of somersaults! (Excuse the head in the way. If I had more time and energy, I would photoshop that out, but I don't, so I didn't)

How else can we torture this kid?

Christmas Day was great! Nicole got a Hannah Montana guitar, "Hang down" earrings and a new white board!
Hayden got a baseball tee, an airplane and a gaming system for the TV.

Brendon got a bike, a Peyton Manning jersey and some money towards a DS!

This sweet baby got some snow bibs and some new sippy cups.

Here is some of the crew over at the Tueller's on Christmas.

We drove to Heber the day after Christmas. It took us 9 hrs to get there when it usually takes us about 6. Fortunately, the kids were really good in the car and we made it safely. We had a blast spending time with family and letting the kids play in the snow.

Again, some of these pictures need to have the red eye edited. Sorry!

Calling all orthodontists!!!!

So, there you have it. Our month in pictures. It was great and now we are looking forward to a relaxing January. Oh wait, I found these last few pictures.
Jennifer doing the river dance.
Is that Craig doing the running man?

I think that might be the Kandis dance! (We had way too much time on our hands!)

Happy New Year from The Tueller's!

More Pictures..

2008-12-04T07:53:00.000-08:00

Click HERE to see how Aimee has worked her magic on our pictures!

Here we are...

2008-11-28T14:42:00.000-08:00

Today, our good friend Aimee took pictures of our family. I LOVE them! Here are a few as a teaser! I will post more after some editing! Thanks, Aimee, we are thrilled!

Check us out!

2008-11-22T09:51:00.000-08:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Hayden's Birthday Party

2008-11-06T13:38:00.000-08:00

Can you believe that I have posted everyday this week? Seriously, I am so proud of myself.

Hayden had a birthday party with a few of his little friends. We borrowed a jump house from The Critchfield's that was the hit of the party. I swear those kids could have jumped for hours. That cake says Happy Birthday Hayden. Don't you think it looks kinda sloppy? It is sloppy, because I had to do it myself. I bought the cake at Walmart, but the bakery workers were all on break when I bought it. There wasn't one person who could write on a cake. So, I just went behind the counter, found the frosting in a bag and proceeded to do the deed myself. That's Walmart for you!

We made little bats out of these mini pumpkins. They turned out really cute!

Thanks for the book, Nana and Papa!
Ryan, Ellie, Hayden, Trey and Zack

More Halloween...

2008-11-05T08:32:00.001-08:00

Pretty cute if I do say so myself! The fierce Lion

BSU Football coach (the shirt was donated by Bryan Harsin, the offensive coordinator at Boise State. Pretty cool) And the Tooth Fairy

A Koala Bear

During dinner at the Trunk or Treat at church, the fire alarm went off due to a fog machine in the spook alley. They sent everyone out to start trunk or treating. This row of cars were filled with kids and parents. Before we know it, the fire department shows up with sirens and lights flashing. All of the kids and parents parted ways to let the fire truck through. It wasn't until I got home and downloaded this picture that I realized one person was oblivious to a fire truck with sirens right behind her. Enlarge the picture, you might recognize her. You know when you are driving and that person in front of you refuses to yield to emergency vehicles and then you start yelling in your car, "Move over!" That is what I want to say to this picture.

Decorating Cookies

2008-11-04T08:04:00.001-08:00

My kids love this annual tradition of decorating Halloween Cookies. This year they even got to make ghost suckers. We topped off the evening with homemade chili and fresh baked bread. Thanks, Tuellers!

Farewell to Halloween!

2008-11-03T07:56:00.000-08:00

Is it just me, or has Halloween gotten as busy as Christmas. This season we were super busy. There were pumpkin patches to pick from, parties to go to, cookies to decorate, trunk or treats, school parties, friend parties and of course trick or treating. Throw in a few football games and Hayden's birthday, and this has been our last few weeks. I will try to post pictures from each event everyday this week. It's an attainable goal...

Linder Farms, October 18, 2008

It has been a tradition to go to the pumpkin patch on the opening day of Pheasant Season. Joey is always hunting so I take the kids to the patch to pick out their pumpkins. Last year it was so cold and windy, we only stayed about an hour and had hot chocolate and fresh donuts. This year, it was almost 80*. So, the rest of city decided to visit the patch on the same day. Needless to say, the lines were extremely long. I carried Blake on my back in a backpack. It worked great, except that he is really heavy. After a while I thought my back was going to break. Not to mention, that I had to carry pumpkins at the same time.

See this beautiful pumpkin that Brendon is holding. You know, this pumpkin that he spend 45 minutes trying to find. The one that was perfect. The one that I had to carry with Blake on my back. Well, after we weighed the pumpkins we had to wait in line for about 45 min to pay. The kids and I hid our pumpkins and went to pay because I could not carry it one more minute. When we got back, someone had taken Brendon's pumpkin. Seriously, did it have to be Brendon's. Couldn't it have been Blake's. Brendon was distraught and I was not about to get back on that hay ride out to the patch to look for another one. I took the other three kids out to the car, put a movie on and Brendon and I went in search for another pumpkin. The closest patch was pretty worked over and there was nothing. By this point I was getting to my breaking point. We went back to the weigh station and they had a few pumpkins sitting around. Maybe they could have belonged to other people, I didn't care. I told him to pick the best one. He did, and I grabbed it and we ran to the car. Problem solved. Maybe some other poor family had to do the same thing we did. But, they probably had two adults to help them.

Loving the hair!

Neglect?

2008-11-01T20:01:00.000-07:00

What do you get when you leave a 1 year old unattended while you attend to the wants and needs of 35 other children...... That is red paint. I know some of you thought it was blood. Just call us winner parents!

Hayden Turns 4!!!!!

2008-10-28T12:22:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday, my little Hayden!

My sweet little Hayden turns 4 years old today! Hayden loves going to Miss Cyndi's class for preschool. He gets to bring snacks this week because it is his birthday. He has been waiting for his turn since the first day of school. When you bring snacks, you get to feed Mr. Sparkles the fish and the two little frogs. It has been the highlight of his week.

Mom: Hayden who do you want to invite to your party?

Hayden: Zack, Ryan and Trey. Where are you going to be Mom?

Mom: I will be at the party with you.

Hayden: Mom, no girls allowed!

Mom: Well, I think you are going to need me there. What about Ellie Patterson?

Hayden: Oh yeah, I do want Ellie to come so I guess you can come too.

Mom: Thanks for the invite!
Hayden wants every toy that has been advertised on Nick Jr. for the past month. It doesn't matter if it is a Barbie or a baby toy. He wants it for his "birtday."

Hayden's favorite color is blue.
Hayden's favorite food is a muffin.

Hayden learned how to ride a two wheeler this summer and has mastered many tricks on his razor scooter.

We love having Hayden in our family. He is full of energy. He loves to cuddle with his Mom, play hide and seek with his Dad, play football with Brendon, do "ABC School" with Nicole, and push Blake around. (Literally, we're working on that one!) We love him to death!

Here is a shout out to my sister who shares a birthday with Hayden! Thanks for sharing.

Happy Birthday to you both!

Let's all give a collective sigh.......

2008-10-22T09:26:00.000-07:00

Ahhhhhh..... Football is over!

Another Month Again!!!

2008-10-04T18:00:00.000-07:00

I promised myself that I wasn't going to wait so long to post. I was going to stay on top of it and post more often. But, that hasn't happened and here I am again.

We have had another busy month. We started out by canning up a storm! We got together with two other couples and canned peaches and pears for 16 hours. 10 hours the first day and about 6 hours the second. The men were very helpful and we each yielded about 77 jars.

Blake is at such a fun age, and I can't get enough of him. He has just learned how to come down the stairs on his tummy and this is wonderful. Are you wondering why his hair is so long? Well, his Mom can't bring herself to cut it. Once I cut it, he will no longer look like a baby. He will be a little boy. I can't handle that. He needs to stay a baby forever!
Football still rules our life! Brendon practices 4 days a week and has a game on Saturday. The games are 45 minutes away and he has to be there 45 minutes early. So needless to say, we spend most of our day at the fields. My three other kids find this ritual quite miserable and in turn, make it miserable for us. Today he had a game in Sun Valley (3 hrs away). We got a babysitter and left the three other kids. It was wonderful. It was the first game that I didn't have to take a child to the bathroom three times! Brendon is playing hard and carries the ball many times during the game. He has scored one touchdown this season. Unfortunately, their team hasn't won a game. :( Maybe next week...
Uncle Tom came into town for a hunting trip. The kids love to play with Uncle Tom. He gets them so wild that they are bouncing off the walls. Here is a rousing game of "How many push ups can Tom do with children on his back." The other day, Brendon told me that he thought Hayden was going to be really strong and that Blake was going to be really funny. I asked him why he thought that? He said that Tom is the second boy and so is Hayden and that Mike is so funny and he is the youngest boy. Uh oh, where does that leave Brendon. He and Joey are in the same birth order.
Yesterday, I took the kids to the park for our annual photo shoot. I had great plans to take beautiful pictures of my kids. I did get some really great individuals, but could not get one of all four together. Everytime I put them together, Blake would try to crawl away and the other kids kept looking at him. This picture of Blake isn't the cutest, but I wanted to show you what he does with his mouth all the time. I think he is sucking in his bottom lip. He looks like a fish. He does this all the time and it is so cute! Notice the long hair? Still no hair cut!

I could eat this kid up! I hope he stays this age forever. Ok, maybe I wish he could walk, and then stay this age!
Well, that is about it. I had a great birthday! Thanks for all of the birthday gifts, wishes and calls. I am so horrible about remembering birthdays, so if I have forgotten yours this year, here is a big birthday wish out to all of you.

Hugs and Kisses- Hopefully I will post again before November. (Don't hold your breath)

Has it been a month?

2008-09-09T12:43:00.000-07:00

I'm back!!! Yes, I know it has been a long time and you are all getting sick of seeing "Happy Birthday, baby girl!" But, it has been a very busy and eventful month for the Tueller Family. Let's start at the beginning....
We found out the Blake has a peanut, nut, and egg allergy. I realized that he might be allergic to peanuts when I gave him his first peanut butter sandwich. His eyes started to get puffy and he kept itching them. He had only had 3 small bites. I took him to the allergist and they confirmed my suspicions. They also let me know that he is allergic to all tree nuts and eggs. Lovely!!! I am not sure I am mature enough to have a child with allergies of this nature. But, I am trying to be on top of it so that he doesn't go into anaphylaxic shock.

On Nicole's birthday, we took her to get her ears pieced. She has been asking us, wait, BEGGING us to get her ears "pursed" since she could barely talk. I am not sure where she gets this girly girly attitude. Definitely not her mother. Anyway, as she was sitting in the chair waiting for them to poke a hole through her flesh, she was cool as a cucumber. I on the other hand was getting hot and sweaty. Good thing it was her and not me.

Football has started! Usually this is a major imposition for our family, because Brendon has to be at practice everyday at 6pm. Which means, that either one or all of us have to drive him to practice and either wait for it to be over or come back and pick him up. None of this is convenient when you have three other children, one being a baby. But, this year, this Momma got smart! I merely suggested to the coach that there is a large park in our neighborhood that would be perfect for a practice location. He agreed, and Brendon rides his bike to practice every day! It is fabulous. He had his first game on Saturday, and they lost! :(
We swam a lot towards the end of summer. Blake even got in the pool.
Nicole had a swim party for her birthday at the pool.
We went boating with our friends and had a great time. Here is my first attempt at surfing. I did let go of the rope, but was only able to stay up a few seconds.
Thought I would throw in this picture of my baby. He is getting so close to walking. He walks around furniture, and will occasionally let go and stand before he drops to his knees. He is so fun right now and we are head over heels for him!
School started on Aug. 25th. Everyone take a collective sigh!!! It was a wonderful day. Brendon and Nicole started a brand new school in our neighborhood. They can walk to school in about 3 min. Brendon is in 5th grade and Nicole is in 3rd grade. Both kids really like their teacher and are enjoying not having to deal with Martha the bus driver!

Hayden started preschool this year. He could not have been more excited. He goes to school on Monday and Wednesday mornings. On the first day of school, he kept saying "Bye, Mom" before we even got to the parking lot. Then as we drove in, he tried to open the door and jump out while the car was still moving. He was definitely not one of those kids missing their mom on the first day!
Brendon was thrilled when he found out that he would have a locker this year. Too cool!
Over Labor Day, we drove up to Redfish Lake near Stanley, Idaho! We recently bought a small pop up trailer that is a major fixer upper! The tent needs to be replaced, but there wasn't enough time before the camping trip. So, like the white trash people that we are, we took a nice roll of duct tape and went to work on the tent. It really looked cool! :) We camped with 5 other families and had a great time. Three of the other families took their boats and the kids had a great time playing on the beach and tubing. This picture was taken at the Sawtooth Fish Hatchery. Notice that a family member is missing? We decided to leave our little Blakey home with a babysitter. When we realized that the overnight temperatures would be in the 30's, we thought Blake might be more comfortable in his warm bed at home. OK, who am I kidding, I really just wanted to enjoy myself and be able to eat s'mores without a 1 year old crawling in the dirt and being cranky because he didn't get a nap. I didn't want to deal with diapers, bottles, pack and plays, high chairs, baby food and crying. It turned out to be a great decision. I think we were all happier. The last night we were there, rain was in the forecast. Joey did a little extra duct taping and we hoped for the best. I woke up at 3am to pouring rain and realized that I was still dry. I was thrilled. The kids woke us up in the morning and said that they were wet. I went to their side of the trailer, and their whole bed was soaking. I have no idea how they slept, because Brendon's pillow was so wet, we could have wrung it out. I opened the door, and saw snow dropping from the sky and snow on the ground. Are you kidding me? August in Idaho and it is snowing! The kids were cold and crying and I was right there with them. Not the crying part, but the cold part. We packed up everything and left. Everything that we had was soaking wet. I guess we will always remember that camping trip.

Finally, we are getting close to the end. Hang in there with me. We are almost done. Last weekend, Nicole was baptized. It was a great weekend. Tom, Jodi and their family drove up from St. George. What a sacrifice. Ten hours in the car with 3 kids under the age of 4. I don't know how you did it, but you guys are awesome. Thanks for coming and sharing.

My parents also flew up for the weekend, and we had a great time with them. It is so fun to have supportive families. Karl and Mary Ann, Mike, Aubrey and Family, and Snyders and George Huff also attended the baptism. Joey baptized and confirmed her and she felt very special. This is her good friend Brooklyn Hunt. She was also baptized on September 6th.
For some reason, my camera setting must have gotten switched between these pictures, because all of the individual pictures of Nicole are really grainy. Lovely!
Well, that is it. Why I haven't blogged in so long. We have been super busy and having a great time. Everyone is healthy and happy. Joey and I feel very blessed to have such great friends and a wonderful family.

Happy Birthday, Baby Girl!

2008-08-07T08:24:00.000-07:00

Well, I guess she isn't my baby anymore. But, she is my only girl, so I can call her my baby girl!

Nicole turns 8 yrs old today. She has a very unique personality and we feel very blessed to have her in our family.

August 7, 2000

Happy Birthday, Nicole! We Love You!!

He's Home!!!

2008-07-30T20:25:00.000-07:00

Joey came home last Friday, and what a reunion we had at the Boise Airport! I got there a little early, to make sure that we didn't miss the all important greeting at the door. Due to our promptness, the kids took the opportunity to ask me one million questions and basically drive me and every other person in the waiting area insane. Here's is a sampling of what I heard... Do you think his plane has landed? What does his plane look like? What seat was he sitting in?

Do you think Dad will come home with a goatee? What present do you think he brought us?

Do you think he will remember Blake? Has his plane landed yet? How much longer?
Are those people coming out the door from Dad's plane? Do I have time to go to the bathroom?
Let me run this stroller all over the airport!!!! Has his plane landed yet?
I'm starving!!! I don't have any food! But I am really starving!!! Mom, I am so starving!!!!!
Mom can I see your new phone? Can I take 120 pictures and use up all of your memory?

What happened to my phone? Oh, I think I left it on that chair way over there! Has Dad's plane landed yet!!! Oh, wait, there he is!!! Let's all yell and run and be totally crazy in front of 100 people!!!!

Daddy's home and we couldn't be happier. It is so nice to be together and have a regular family meal and do regular family activities. And, I haven't even had to rock in the fetal position in the corner once since he has been home! Hurray for me! Now all I have to worry about is repairing the damage I have done to my children's psyche (sp?) for the last 8 weeks.

And, by the way, his plane did finally land, we got Hayden some food, they did get some presents, and he didn't come home with a goatee! I couldn't be happier!

2 days and 12 hrs......

2008-07-23T07:32:00.000-07:00

I am not counting down or anything. But, I CAN'T WAIT for this whole experience to be over. I can't say it has been entirely horrible, but it hasn't been the easiest thing I have ever done. Here is a rundown of the highlights and low lights of my summer vacation...

The Highs:
Camping in McCall with friends
Celebrating Brendon turning 10 and Blake turning 1
Enjoying a relaxing week in Heber with Karen, Steven's family, April and Mom & Poppy of course
REALLY relaxing in San Diego for a weekend
Tuesday lunches with my girlfriends
Reading 4 books and counting..
Staying up late to read or blog or just catch up on "Days of Our Lives"
Switched Blake from formula to milk!

The Lows:
Blake having 3 ear infections in 6 weeks and a fever of 105 that lasted for days
The most miserable 6 hour car ride home from Heber. (Still brings a tear to my eye just thinking about it.)
Hayden throwing up all over the hallway at 2am the night we got home from Heber (a few hours after the miserable car ride)
Bedtime being a nightmare, so I took beds apart and moved Hayden into the nursery and Blake with Brendon.
Making sure the yard gets mowed every week. (Thanks Brendon)
Feeding kids 25 times a day and them cleaning up after them.
Giving all baths by myself and changing a million diapers by myself
Dealing with the messiest house I have ever seen (I don't have enough energy or time to do it all)

All in all, I guess you can say we survived. It has been a long 8 weeks, and we are Soooooo excited for Joey to get home. We just are not complete without him.

Here are a few pictures from Blake's B-day. (Note to self, too much light right near the sliding glass door for a good picture.)

My Baby is ONE!!!!!

2008-07-19T06:33:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday, Blake!!!Born July 20, 2007

We love you!

Heber City, Utah/ July 2008

2008-07-18T12:53:00.000-07:00

The kids and I headed to Heber for the 4th of July. We had such a great time playing with cousins, talking, eating, drinking and relaxing. The kids had fun on the four wheelers, the water slide and on the electric cars. The crew- Brendon, Summer, Parker, Steven, Marmie and Hayden
Wow, look at that crazy hair. Time for a hair cut!
I love this picture. Nicole is always taking care of Blake.
Too cute.
Hi, Baby!

Aubrey's dimples are just too much. Also, love the earrings!
Hayden's one and only time down the slide.
There is that one piece again!
"Summer, is that a Diet Coke? Did your mom say you could have that?"
Hey, a normal picture of Hayden.
Mr. Blue Eyes!
Karen and little Paigey!
She is solving world hunger!
Macy and Zack.

The girls gymnastic show. Nicole was the commentator. Now tricks for her!

Aubrey's hand stand.
There is that Hayden again!
What in the world has gotten into these two boys. They head off on a nice four wheeler ride with Steven and come back looking like this. They said something about Steven burning rubber and yelling, "Eat my Dust!!!!" I guess they did.

That looks like a mustache, but make no mistake, it's dirt. Aren't those ski goggles?

Hayden decided to be a dare devil. He would start at the top of the hill and come flying down on his scooter.

Fireworks.
Cousins, Nicole, Summer and Aubrey
The only one token picture of myself from the whole trip.

Well, there you have it. We had a great trip. Thanks Marmie and Poppy for the fabulous hospitality. Can't wait to come again!

San Diego

2008-07-18T11:55:00.000-07:00

While I was in Heber, I decided to make a weekend getaway to San Diego to visit the old man. It was our anniversary on July 9th (14 years! Whew, that is a lot!). I left SLC on July 10th for beautiful San Diego. So I kinda had it in my head that Joey was living in a dumpy apartment and spending most of his time studying and going to school. I certainly didn't want to believe that he was living in the lap of luxury while I was in Boise taking care of our four children 24 hrs a day! But, I was dead wrong. This guy is living the ultimate bachelor life. He is living in an amazing apartment right on the bay side of Coronado Island. The weather is amazing and the beaches spectacular. I am not quite sure he is coming home. He kept telling me he could live in San Diego. I had to remind him that if we lived in San Diego, we would be living in the slums, not in a million dollar house on Coronado Island.

Anywho, we had a great weekend. We slept in, laid by the pool and read, went to my favorite restaurants (Islands, Pei Wei and In and Out), shopped and went to a San Diego Padres vs. Atlanta Braves baseball game. It was a nice break from the daily grind of single parenthood.

Thanks Aly and Steven and Marmie and Poppy for watching the kids while I vacationed!

Visitors!

2008-07-16T21:34:00.000-07:00

While in Heber, April (my BFF from middle school) came with her two beautiful children, Courtney and Parker, to play for a few days. We had a blast. We had a great time catching up and tending to our 6 children. I learned all about organic food, and how I am probably poisoning my children with the Skippy peanut butter and non organic fruit. Who knew!? I am going to make a conscious effort to purchase food with 0 grams of Trans Fat and maybe, if I am feeling like I have a little extra money to burn, organic fruit! Here are some pics of our fun week together.... Courtney learning to drive her first Hummer.
"Courtney, you had better drive. This car is pink and I am a manly, man!"

He is definitely scheming a devious plan in his head!
Courtney loved the water slide!
Watercolor painting on the deck. Isn't Parker adorable?
Nicole's new shirt from the gap. It is really a size 5T dress! I love it!
Why in the world does a camera bring out the retardedness of my son!? If you need more, see Karen's blog.

Ok, April really didn't want to get on this machine! But, she was a good sport, and she didn't even flip over once!
Parker and Blake going for a ride. You can't see it, but this wagon is attached to a small John Deere tractor being pulled by none other than Mr. Hayden!
My attempt at some good photography.
I am trying to decide if I like this picture. Sometimes I think it is cute, and then I look again and think, "Not so much!"

Anyway, it was a great few days. I loved having a friend to play with. Shh, don't tell April's husband, but she did have a two hot chocolate chip cookies from McDonald's. I am such a good influence!

Maison Ellis

2008-07-09T21:34:00.001-07:00

The following is a much sought-after guest post review by none other than the blogger-stalker herself, April D:

This ultra-exclusive, invitation-only resort in the beautiful Heber Valley, just minutes North (East?South? West?) of Park City, Utah, is the ultimate in luxury vacationing. The VERY reasonable all-inclusive rate includes three meals a day, endless activities for children and adults (think electric cars, blow up water slides, painting, 4 wheelers, butterfly chasing), laundry and beautiful accomodations. The guest suites are quaintly named: the Raspberry room - highly recommended, the Pinecone room - also highly recommended, the Princess Room - very nice (shared bathroom), the Dungeon room - not as recommended and the lone upstairs bedroom. I don't know what happened to that one. In any case, days are spent lounging in the warm breezes, drinking your soda of choice out of a wineglass, and taking in the gorgeous vistas from one of the many comfortably furnished look outs. The staff waits on you hand and foot, treats you like royalty and treats you like a life-long friend. I'm telling you, people, if you haven't been here, you need to start working on getting an invite. I recommend starting the conversations with something like "I hear Heber is just BEAUTIFUL this time of year." FOUR STARS

Seriously, though, the kiddies and I have had such a fantastic few days up here. I've had so much fun spending time with Alisa and her 4 perfect children. We hadn't seen each other for almost 5 years, but it just seems like no time at all - 4 children later between the 2 of us and we just picked up where we left off! We've had some great chats reminiscing about the good old days. Like that time she hit me in the face with a baseball bat in 6th grade. I mean, was that funny or WHAT? A broken cheekbone and 9 stitches later and we're still friends. And I don't even CARE that 23 years later there is still a scar on my otherwise unblemished face. Seriously, I don't. Because we're such great friends. I don't even know why I am talking about the time Alisa hit me in the FACE with a BASEBALL BAT because it is really neither here nor there.

Well, it is late and I must retire to the Pinecone Room. Speaking of the Pinecone Room, for those of you reading to whom it is relevant, did you know that Alisa has never spent a night in the Dungeon Room? Not one. Just thought I would throw that out there as food for thought.

Hopefully Alisa will post some cute pics from my visit soon. Courtney and Hayden had some rousing games of dress up that I hope she will document on this site. Let's just say that Hayden makes an extremely handsome princess. (Sorry, Joey, but he does.) My final words: Thank you Ellis' and Alisa for a fantastic end to my vacation. I can't WAIT to come again (hint hint). XOXO

P.S. Good luck to the Montgomery Family on the move!

M

2008-07-09T21:34:00.000-07:00

Not her mother's daughter!

2008-06-23T07:36:00.000-07:00

I just have to say one thing, I LOVE Nicole in a two piece bathing suit! She has the perfect little figure and ultra brown skin. She looks soooo cute! I have been known to buy about 3 news suits a year, because I love them so much.

After our camping trip to McCall, she realized that she was the ONLY girl in a two piece bathing suit. She started begging me to buy her a suit that covered her belly button. I kept asking her why, WHY? I tried to put her off, but she would ask me every day. Brendon's swim party was last Friday, and she was adamant about getting a new suit before the party. On Wednesday night, I went into her room after she had gone to sleep, and this is what was staring at me.
Translation: Buy a swim suit for me Mom and make sure that it is not going to show my belly button. PS Don't talk on the phone, only for emergencies. (Does she think I talk on the phone too much? :)

So, with tears in my eyes, we went and bought her two new suits. And yes, they do cover her belly button. At the store, I kept showing her some cute tankinis, but she wanted nothing to do with them. I keep telling myself that in a few years she will come back around. At least I hope!

She does look cute in her new suits and is very COMFORTABLE (her words!) now that her belly doesn't show.

I Love Camping!

2008-06-17T14:34:00.001-07:00

I have to say, that I LOVE camping! It could be because I didn't have Blake for 4 days, or that I hung out with friends for 4 days, or that I ate good food and treats nonstop for 4 days, or that I didn't have to look at a messy house or do laundry for 4 days, but whatever the reason, we had a great time last weekend!

The kids and I headed up to McCall, Idaho with 60+ friends and camped at scenic Ponderosa State Park. We borrowed an old tent trailer named "Old Green." It doesn't look like much, but this little trailer was perfect. We had electricity, so we had a light, a heater and a small DVD player. All the comforts of home. It got quite cold at night, but we were toasty warm in our trailer.

We went on several bike rides.

We also hiked and played at the beach.

I had the wrong setting on my camera for this picture, which is why it is too bright. This is just a small sampling of children for the weekend.

The kids made their dramatic debut at the Ponderosa Amphitheater. It was right over the hill from our campsite, and they played for HOURS. They created many shows. Brendon directed and stared in "Brendon and the Evil Pine Cone!" It received critical acclaim.

We had a great weekend. I think I could really got into this camping thing. What I wouldn't give for a s'more right now!

So Wrong!

2008-06-05T13:39:00.001-07:00

Does anyone see what is wrong with this picture?

Let me clue you in..

It is June 3rd, people. My boys are in hats, coats, socks, shoes and a blanket! No wonder Blake is upset. I would be too. I am soooooooo tired of this weather!

On a cuter note, look, my baby is standing. He didn't actually pull himself up, but he stood there and played for a while. Too cute!

Look Daddy, I am standing!!!

So far, so good....

2008-06-02T21:30:00.000-07:00

Because of our current situation, I have tried to do some extra fun things for the kids. Tonight for FHE, we rode our bikes to the park and the kids played for a while. Blake loved the swing and was content to hang there for a while. The kids loved the sand box, which I could do without. They came home with sand from head to foot.

Don't you love summer birthdays? The benefit of a summer birthday is, that you can have a party outside because it is warm, and I don't have to take treats to school and celebrate with 30 kids. Both Brendon and Nicole have summer birthdays and I love it. Brendon came home from school and informed me that they are celebrating his birthday tomorrow, and he needs to bring treats for 30 of his closest pals. Are you kidding me? I get one day notice! Didn't Brendon tell his teacher that his Mom isn't interested in feeding his class treats for his unbirthday? So, I finally resolved to the fact that I wasn't going to get out of this, and told Brendon that I would have a treat for him tomorrow. Guess what? Nicole overheard and was distraught that she wasn't going to celebrate her unbirthday with her 30 best friends. That led to a meltdown, which led to me losing my patience. All over stupid treats for 60 kids. It is now 11pm, and I just took out my last dozen cookies from the oven. The things I do! Just call me supermom! (Although, I am not sure my kids would agree after the above mentioned patience problem.)

Notice the grey section at the bottom of this picture? Just another problem with my new camera. I guess I am going to have to send it back AGAIN!!!!!!

Our Memorial Day

2008-05-29T10:21:00.000-07:00

We took advantage of the holiday on Monday by riding bikes along the green belt, and then picnicing at the park. The weather held out, and didn't start to rain until we got into the car to go home. We had a great time with the Sayers.

Look at all those bikes. A lot of work for an hour's worth of riding.
Not sure what she is showing us here.
Hey Mom, look at my big blue eyes.
Assembling trailers and bikes
My baby boys.
Just can't get a good smile out of this kid.
Even though I am wearing a helmet, I will do my best model pose for you.
Eating at the park.
Heading home before the storm.

Miss Nicole

2008-05-24T20:28:00.000-07:00

Part II.....

Nicole Anne Tueller, what can I say about her. Hmmmmmm...Let's see...

Nicole is finishing up second grade and is quite fickle about school. She really likes her teacher, Mr. Woolery. Yeah, that's right, Mr. He is a tall, skinny cowboy. He wears wranglers up to his chest with cowboy boots and a big silver belt buckle. On the down side, she isn't too fond of school work. She does her homework, but it is like pulling teeth.

She wants to be a teacher when she grows up and spends most of her playtime pretending to teach school. The other day, my sister was trying to figure out what to buy her 8 yr old for her birthday. She told me to ask Nicole what she would want. Guess what she said? An overhead projector. Yep, my seven year old wants an overhead projector. I might have to call the school supply store and order that right up. Recently, she invented her own overhead by setting up a chair in front of a mirror. She taped up a clear page protector and got right to work teaching addition. Quite inventive! While we were cleaning out the garage, she found some Vis a Vis pens, which she was super excited about because they are used for overheads. Her birthday is coming up, and I am just thinking, where are we going to store an overhead!?

She played soccer this season and really enjoyed it. I mean, I thought she enjoyed it, until she told her coach at the end of the season party that she would never see him again because she wasn't going to play next year. News to me!

She is a great big sister to both Hayden and Blake. I so enjoy when the clock strikes 4pm because I know she will be walking in the door from the bus. That means that she will play with Blake until about 4:30 when Joey gets home from work. I love having a built in babysitter. She will hold Blake while he drinks his bottle, feed him his dinner, get him more cheerios for his tray, and even get him out of his bed. My fav is when she takes Blake to her room and they play for about and hour! I love it!!!

Nicole's favorites and not so favorites:

Food: Orange Chicken from Panda (renamed Nicole's favorite chicken in our family)
Least Favorite Food: onions and tomatoes (really dislikes spaghetti, but I tend to ignore this and still cook it and get mad when she won't eat it.)
Favorite TV shows: iCarly, family feud and Drake and Josh
Favorite Pastime: Enjoys playing with friends, but is just as content to play by herself

Nicole sometimes struggles to find her place among all of the boys, but she has a very sweet spirit. She is usually easy to please. Example: We sold her bike last weekend because it was getting too small for her. All week, she kept saying that she needed a bike, and I was feeling badly that we didn't have anything for her yet. So, on Friday night we took her on a special date to Target to look for a bike. The selection at target was slim and kind of expensive. We told her we might want to look at Walmart before we made a decision. She didn't complain or get upset that we were leaving without getting her anything. At Walmart, we encountered the same problem. Again, we told her we might want to wait and see if we could find a better deal at another store. Again, she didn't get upset and just said ok! Now, he who will not be named (#1 child) would have been devastated when we left the first store empty handed and could not have functioned as a human being had we left the second store without a bike. I guess it is just the difference before #1 and #2. Before you start feeling badly for her, we did get her a bike today and she loves it. She is very content that way.

Her joys in life would be to have 5 otter pops a day, several pieces of gum and whatever other candy she could find. She is attached to sugar! Oh yeah, and she would want me to paint her toenails every weekend.

Nicole is a sweet little girl, and we feel very fortunate to have her in our family.

Tagged by Letia

2008-05-21T16:59:00.000-07:00

I guess I will post about Nicole tomorrow even though some of you don't deserve it. Hopefully this tag will suffice for now.

Things about me
Four Movies I could Watch over and over:
1. Father of the Bride
2. Never Been Kissed
3. Stealing Home
4. Dead Poets Society

Four Jobs I've Had:
1. Gas Station Attendant (Horkley's, Rexburg, Idaho) A real winner. I added about 3000 free movie rentals to my account.
2. Sears Credit Central- Deceased accounts (We don't want Jr. stealing his grandma's washing machine that is yet to be paid for.)
3. File Attendant at Chatham Becker, La Canada, CA
4. Bagel Pusher :)

Four Places I've Lived:
1. Altadena, CA
2. Milwaukee, WI
3. Rexburg, ID
4. Boise, ID

Four of My Favorite dishes/foods:
1. Lettuce Wraps from PF Changs
2. Orange Chicken from Panda
3. Boom dip from Oreganos
4. Anything with BBQ sauce

Four T.V. Shows I Love: Way too many to list!!!!
1. Days of Our Lives (proud of it!)
2. Grey's Anatomy
3. Brother's and Sisters
4. The Office

Four sites I visit daily:
1. Blogs
2. MSN
3. Cruisedeals
4. Craigslist

Four Places I have Vacationed:
1. Australia & New Zealand
2. Russia, Finland, Sweden
3. The Caribbean
4. Alaska

Four Places I'd rather be right now:
1. On a cruise eating a fabulous dinner
2. Laying on the Beach
3. Out to dinner with my husband
4. Shopping with lots of money in my wallet

Four Friends I Tag:
1. Karen
2. Jennifer
3. Aly
4. Aimee

I'm Pouting!

2008-05-21T15:17:00.000-07:00

I finally posted, and all I got was two comments. So, I am withholding today's post until I see some support here.

PS..Joey said that Brendon's post was too braggy, so sorry if I sounded retarded.

I'm Alive!

2008-05-20T12:27:00.000-07:00

Have you all been missing me? I know, I know, I have been a total blogging loser lately. It has been pretty busy around here lately. Nothing of a national emergency sort, but just life with 4 kids. Here is the rundown of what everyone has been up to:

Brendon:

Brendon has been playing baseball and loves it. His team could use a bit on the talent side, but he is still really enjoying it. He gets a chance to pitch every few games and enjoys that. He has two more games until the season ends.

He has learned to play the violin this year. He has done this without any encouragement from me, and has done it despite my negative attitude. He approached me in the fall and asked if he could play in the school orchestra. I told him that wasn't a good idea. (Note, my great parenting skills of encouragment) I just knew he was going to decide it was too much work after I had rented the violin for the whole year. But, he kept pushing and pushing (as only Brendon can) and I finally relented. To his credit, he stuck with it all year and I am truly amazed at how much he has learned. He asked me to print him some staff paper on Mother's Day. Again, using my best parenting skills, I reluctantly printed it, but was thinking the whole time at the cost of getting new ink for this "POS" printer I have. Guess what, he wrote me a song. I know, I was shocked also. Not only did he write me a song, but he played it for me on his violin. Amazing! The song even had measures with the appropriate beats per measure with some rests added in and those two lines at the end that lets you know the song is over. He has learned to read music, write music and play the violin all during his lunch hours at shool. He might be the next August Rush. But, I am pretty sure that Heavenly Father knew better than to send me a child prodigy. Apparently, I am more into the theory, "Let's not learn anything new, just go outside and play." Brendon's final orchestra concert is today, where he is playing in a quartet.

Brendon is looking forward to summer, but not looking forward to a summer without his Dad. He keeps asking Joey why he can't go get another job. He will live. He will spend most of his summer riding around the neighborhood looking for kids to play with, swimming and playing in Heber with his cousins. I am going to try to throw a few chores into that schedule, but who are we kidding, getting my kids to work is more work for me. So, I will ask, but if it doesn't get done, I will just pretend not to notice. (Boy, I am just painting myself as super parent!)

Brendon is one achievement away from getting his Bear. This has been a goal for him and he is really excited. He will probably get that at the next pack meeting. He will then be a webelo.

What else, what else....

Favorite Food: Salmon
Least Favorite Food: Almost too many to name. Mayo, Tomatos, Mustard and Onions
Favorite Sport: Football
Favorite Team: Colts
Favorite Player: Peyton Manning
Favorite TV Show: Drake and Josh, iCarly, Zoey 101 (Must admit that I quite enjoy the first two, but haven't really seen Zoey 101)
Favorite Pastime: Playing with friends

Is a major over achiever. Would NEVER dream of showing up at school without his homework done. Is quite positive that he is going to get a scholarship for college and that one math test with an 80% in 4th grade could ruin his chances. Not quite sure where he got that drive, but am quite sure where he got his smarts!!! :)

I had every intention of discussing all of my kids, but this has gotten so long that I thought I would break it up. So, today you only get Brendon. Check in tomorrow for update of another one of my children. (I am just trying to get into your good graces with many posts in a row.)

Just so you know, I am not going to proof read this before I post it. I am in a hurry, and I don't really need to, because Karen and Jennifer will point out all of the grammer and typo mistakes within 10 minutes.

Tune in tomorrow.....

911, What's your emergency?

2008-05-05T19:39:00.000-07:00

I am 34yrs old, and until today, I have never called 911. But, today was the day, and I have to admit that it wasn't as exciting as I thought it would be. In fact, it was rather humiliating. Here is the run down:

6:00 pm- I give Blake a bath and put him on his changing table to get dressed. I lotion him up, and put a diaper on him. I realize that it is kind of hot, and should get some lighter jammies from the closet. I turn my back for one second and hear a loud thud. I turn around to see my sweet baby on the floor. (Now, I will admit that on more than one occasion, I have run down the hallway to the laundry room, or answered the phone in the other room while Blake has been on the changing table. But, this time I only turned my back for one second. Really, only one second!!!!)

I pick him up and he starts holding his breath and I can tell he is going to pass out. After what seemed like 5 minutes (probably only 30 seconds) he starts breathing and crying. I yell for Joey and he takes him from me to make sure that he is breathing. He then starts to struggle to breathe and his eyes and head start to droop. I freak out! Every once in a while he would start to cry, but mostly he would be in and out of a lethargic state. So, I call 911. I knew Joey didn't want me too, but I thought at any minute he was going to pass out. What if he didn't come too? Could I really wait? Did I over react? Maybe, but I was freaking out.

The 911 operator connects me to a paramedic and he starts asking me questions. By the time I have given him a rundown of what happened, and he finishes asking me all the questions, and let's me know that help is on the way, Blake has calmed down and seems fine. Here is where it gets embarrassing. I start to hear sirens when they are still about a mile away. Then the fire truck and ambulance pull up in front of my house with full sirens blaring. I can only image what the neighbors are thinking. Out jump 4 firemen and 2 paramedics. I start to get hot and am dreading the minute that they knock on the door and see my baby who is now smiling in my arms. Maybe I should have pinched him so that at least he was crying when they got there.

Those cute men entered my home and asked lots of questions and listened to his lungs and checked him out. Guess what, he was just fine. He just got the wind knocked out of him. (Just what Joey was telling me when I started dialing 911.) Then they packed up all of their bags, and took their trucks and left. It was awfully humiliating.

So, help me out. Make me feel better about being a paranoid, over reactor! I know some of you might have done the same thing. I think Joey is going to give me a few days to calm down, and then he is going to me a very hard time. I can't help it, I love my babies and do not handle these kind of situations very well.

I am going to run upstairs and give that baby a kiss. Good Night!

So Mundane!

2008-04-29T12:07:00.000-07:00

It has been awhile! Have you been wondering about me? I have enjoyed receiving your emails and phone calls wondering when I am going to start blogging again. The thing is, I don't really have anything to blog about. And, I am not good at making something out of nothing. Sarah, for example, has the ability to keep us enthralled talking about Louisa May Alcott!!! Not many people can pull that off. So you see, nothing major has happened for me to blog about. I sent my camera back to be fixed, so I don't even have any great pictures to wow you with.

I am heading to Park City this weekend for a relaxing girls trip. I can't wait. Four full days of shopping, eating, and lap scrapping (get your head out of the gutter, that is our new term for digital scrapbooking.) I can't wait. I think it may be just enough to get me through the new few months. I mentioned before that Joey is leaving for 8 weeks. He will be gone all of June and July. I am trying to have a positive attitude about the fact that he will be spending his days in sunny San Diego.

Are you bored yet? Is this better than no post at all?

Brendon had his pine wood derby a few weeks ago. I guess I could have blogged about that before now. In honor of Joey, Brendon make an Idaho State Trooper car. He finished 3rd out of 20 cars!!! We were thrilled. My goal is to make sure the car gets down the track without falling apart. And, the best thing is that pine wood derby doesn't come around again until next spring! Brendon will probably give me a few months off and then he will start pestering me about starting his next car. The kid never stops!

Now I am just looking around my desk for something to blog about. This is getting pathetic. I think I will sign off now before I put you all to sleep.

I will leave you with this last picture. How does a child fall asleep with his legs straight in the air?

Five Things!!

2008-04-15T12:11:00.000-07:00

Well, it has been a while since I posted and really, not much has been going on. So I thought I would dig deep and come up with 5 things I am thankful for and 5 things I want to complain about.

I am thankful:

1. that both of my boys are sleeping right now, and that Days of Our Lives is recording on the DVR just waiting for me!

2. that I have eaten healthy for the last two days and exercised.

3. that in 3 short weeks, I get to have another girls weekend!

4. I get to go on a cruise in November. And, I get to think and dream about it everyday until then.

5. I have a warm house to shelter us from the cold and keep us cool in the summer.

5 things I want to complain about:

1. My new camera that I did a ton of research on, and splurged on, is not working, and has probably not ever worked properly. But, I have had it for over three months, so will have to send it back to the manufacturer to get repaired! Ugg@!

2. It is about 40 degrees outside with a windchill of about 30. It is April people. I can't handle this. Plus, we get a sneak peak at nice weather (80deg on Sunday) and then it gets freezing again. Usually on a day that we have soccer or baseball.

3. My husband is going to leave me with 4 children this summer. He is going to be gone for 8 weeks. He is staying in a condo on Coronado Island in San Diego. I can already picture him lounging on the beach drinking a diet coke while I am in the midst of hell.

4. I have to miss Bunco this month because our ward decided to change the date of the Pine Wood derby. I was sure that this was my month to win!

5. My laptop is out of memory and can no longer run Photoshop. Just great! I am probably going to have to spend more money to get an external hard drive. And, then I have to figure out how to get all the stuff off the laptop to the hard drive. I am just not a techy. This sounds like too much work. But remember that girls weekend in just 3 short weeks, I need my laptop to scrapbook. Soooo, I have to figure this out right away. UGGGH!

So, there you have it. This is what you would get if we talked on the phone regularly. And, just so that you don't feel like this is a wasted post, here are a few pictures from the last few weeks.

Notice the trauma on his forehead? He thought it was a good idea to put a stool on his bed during nap time and then try to stand on it.

I just learned how to do ringlets with my flat iron. Unfortunately, they didn't tell me that you aren't supposed to brush them out after you curl them. So, our attempt was a disaster. We will try to improve.
Isn't that cheesecake in her mouth soooooo cute!
Notice how most of the pics are of Nicole? That is because she is just too photogenic. I have just as many of the other three, but none of them are worth posting.
Happy Tuesday!- Alisa

Again!

2008-04-07T09:10:00.000-07:00

Ok, call me crazy, but I am starting the biggest loser again!!! As soon as the last competition ended, I fell off the wagon. I started eating a lot and stopped exercising. I felt a little out of control. So, this time, I am working on losing a little more and them learning how to maintain. I need to figure out a happy and healthy medium. So, I changed my weight lose ticker on the side to lose 9 more lbs and then I am going to work on toning and maintaining. Wish me luck!!!

Opening Day!

2008-04-05T19:16:00.000-07:00

Today was Brendon's first baseball game of the season. He played at 9am. It was clear and sunny and 40 degrees with a nice wind making the wind chill about 35 degrees. It was so miserable. Hayden spent the entire game in the car and Nicole and Blake opted to stay home. (I wish I could have) But, I wanted to support Brendon. He was the starting pitcher, struck out 4 batters and threw a runner out at first. At this age group, they can only throw a limited number of pitches. He pitched 2 innings and played short stop for the rest of the game. They won!
Uh, Oh. We need to work on keeping that shoulder up.

After Brendon's game, we went straight to Nicole's soccer game. It did warm up 3 degrees by then.
Say Cheese!

The cutest fan!

Why do spring sports in Boise have to start so early? Don't they know it is still winter here?

Mr. Fancy Pants!

2008-04-02T11:53:00.000-07:00

I think I have come to the realization that I MIGHT talk on the phone a little too much. I emphasize MIGHT because I don't want to make myself feel bad when I don't do anything to correct my problem. So, while on the phone this morning my little Hayden decides that it is time to give himself a manicure. Lucky for me, he didn't get any nail polish on the carpet or on Nicole's table. Whew!
I think he might have a future as a nail tech! What do you think?

This is his look when I got a little upset with him. But, by the time I got the camera he was over it. So I told him to give me his sad look again. Wow, I couldn't believe he was such a good actor. Just goes to show, that he can bring on the dramatics at the drop of a hat.

(Just in case my husband is reading this, I was being productive while I was talking on the phone. I was folding a super large basket of laundry. Once again, I need to make myself feel better about my problem.)

Paige

2008-03-31T13:27:00.000-07:00

Introducing

Paige Melissa Montgomery

Born March 31, 2008

7lbs 3oz - 20 inches

Easter

2008-03-24T12:50:00.000-07:00

We spent Easter Sunday with The Tuellers, The Snyders and The Huffs. We had a wonderful meal and a great Easter egg hunt for the kids.

It was a long afternoon for Jack!

Soccer has begun!

2008-03-23T10:50:00.000-07:00

Nicole had her first soccer game of the season yesterday. It was a balmy 40 degrees with a constant wind. It was freezing, and Blake screamed for the first five minutes. Joey finally drove him home and put him to bed. Nicole got to play goalie for the second half and had a blast sporting the gloves and green jersey. Her team lost, but she loved playing. Plus, they had a great snack (always very important!)

Is It Good Enough?

2008-03-21T08:25:00.000-07:00

Well, after a long and emotional 4 days, the Biggest Loser is over. I lost 2lbs this week!!! Yipee!!! After Monday's weigh in, I felt totally stressed. I could think of nothing else. By last night, I was an emotional and physical wreck. I now know why the contestants on the biggest loser cry all the time. That was me last night. I was hungry, tired and walking on the treadmill. I wanted to throw the towel in. It is so frustrating, because you don't know if you are making the right decisions. Am I eating enough, or too much? Am I working out too much or not enough? You basically have no clue how your body is going to react to everything. But, I feel a weight off of my back. It's over and now I can relax. I haven't received the final email, but I will let you know asap. I can honestly say, that I did everything in my power to win. No regrets! And if I didn't win, at least I lost 22lbs in the process!!!!!
Update: Well, I lost! It is disappointing. I was pretty confident with 2lbs this week. Especially since it was only four days. But the guy lost 7.5lbs! Anyway, I lost a total 13.97% over 11 weeks. Congrats to me. I should just be happy I lost 22lbs.

Cookies and Cream

2008-03-18T14:00:00.000-07:00

Last night, the Tuellers invited us to an ice cream parlor for a St. Patrick's Day celebration. It was great to be together and the kids had a blast. Tuellers sure know how to enjoy a holiday. Thanks Karl and Mary Ann!

Still Blurry!!!!

I know, I know we are White Trash for taking our baby out in public in a sleeper. But, in our defense, it was past his bedtime and he had spit up all over his other clothes. So cut me a break!

Some of you may be thinking that ice cream and Biggest Loser don't mix. Don't worry, I only ate half of a small nonfat yogurt. It's all good!

Biggest Loser Update! Almost Done!!!

2008-03-17T10:17:00.001-07:00

I weighed in this morning 2.5lbs lighter!! It was quite exciting. It makes for a very pleasant St. Patrick's Day!!! I don't have the standings yet, but will update when I get them. On a very exciting note, we are having the final weigh in this Friday, March 21st. We decided that we all wanted to enjoy Easter, and a few were going to be gone for Spring Break next week. I, unfortunately, am not going anywhere, but am looking forward to eating a good Easter meal. Happy St. Patty's Day!!!!
Update: I am still in First! I am at 12.70%. The next person is at 11.74%. It is still a very tight race and I would feel much more comfortable with a larger lead. I guess I will head upstairs to the treadmill. :(

It's Over!!!

2008-03-14T08:24:00.000-07:00

Last night was our Relief Society Birthday dinner. It all went really well, and I think I went over budget just a little. :) The evening was a success, and now I can start thinking ahead to June when our next dinner will take place. Tonya did an amazing job on the cake. It not only looked fabulous, but it was delicious. Good Job, Tonya!

Biggest Loser Update!

2008-03-10T09:10:00.000-07:00

Good Morning! I just weighed in and lost 2lbs. I exercised really hard last week and am really thrilled with this number. I just hope it is enough to keep me in first. As I get near my goal, I am worried that it is going to be hard to lose those last couple of pounds. I hope I can keep it up to the end of the competition. The last weigh in is Monday, March 24th. I you are trying to reach me on the evening of the 24th, you can find me at Red Robin eating a Whiskey River BBQ burger with bottomless fries dipped in fry sauce. Hmmmmm! I can't wait. I will update later today about the standings for The Biggest Loser.
Update: I am still in first place, but the margin is getting small. I am going to have to be really disciplined these next two weeks!!!!

National Emergency!

2008-03-06T13:53:00.001-08:00

After Karen's shower, Summer and I made a trip to Joann's Fabrics for some much needed craft supplies. We spent almost an hour in that stupid store waiting to get fabric cut, making decisions, and purely wasting time. We then proceeded to wait another 10 minutes in line to check out. Those of you who have been to Joann's can relate. Anyway, as we are waiting in line, Summer comments that it smells like gas. When we finally get to the register, the manager informs our checker that they are to suspend using all electronics due to a gas leak in the building. She is yelling this while on the phone with 911. Are you serious, we were right there. It would take her 2 seconds to check us out. But noooo, she isn't going to go against her managers wishes. I continue to beg, and even tell her I would use the scanner gun to help her out. But, she stands her ground. I think yell to the manager who is still on the phone with 911 and tell her we are in a big hurry and could they PLEASE!!!! just check us out. She gets a little flustered and then says OK! So, the checker does the deed, and we run out, as the fireman run in feeling very grateful that they didn't evacuate the building leaving us with none of our super important craft supplies!!!

Let me brag for a minute!

2008-03-06T13:35:00.001-08:00

Last Friday, Brendon and Nicole were nominated for Breakfast of Champions. Apparently, my children were chosen due to their honesty! Wow, hard to believe. Although now that I think of it, they do usually tell the truth. Anyway, they were presented with these beautiful orange t-shirts (nightshirts) and a lovely certificate. It was quite an honor. PS. We were also presented with some very large, delicious looking, glazed donuts. I didn't even take a bite!
At our last Pack Meeting, (evening when all the scouts get together and I end up wrestling my two babies because they should already be in bed) Brendon earned several badges that his troop worked on together, and his Faith in God which we worked on at home. Brendon is a very diligent scout, and would like a mother that shares his enthusiasm (constant pressure) for earning all of the many badges available to a Bear Scout. If he had his way, we would be working on earning something nightly. I guess I had better step it up so that he doesn't tell his therapist that I just didn't go the distance during his scouting years.
Seriously, could I learn how to use this camera!

Karen's Shower

2008-03-06T13:20:00.000-08:00

Make a slideshow - it's easy!

Sooooo Frustrated!!

2008-03-05T07:45:00.000-08:00

Those of you who know me well, know that I cannot stand change! In fact, that is an understatement. I truly can't deal with it. I like to get in my comfort zone, and stay there forever. We moved into this house two years ago, and I am just now getting comfortable. Anyway, I have gotten this new camera. It was supposed to change my life. It was the best. It was going to take fantastic pictures. It was super fast and had some really cool features. I was going to become an instant professional photographer. In reality, all it has done for me is bring frustration to my life. I can't figure out how to take great pictures. I am never on the right setting and the pictures are either dark or blurry. But, the most frustrating thing for me right now is that I can't get the pictures uploaded to my computer. My last camera was just so easy. I would put it on it's dock, push a button, and all the pictures transferred to a nice little folder that was very convenient to find on my computer. So, here I sit with all of the pictures from my trip to SLC this weekend, my cute kids at their Breakfast of Champions, and Brendon at his Pack meeting bring in the flag. I would really like to post these pictures, but I can't get them off of my camera. Help!!!! Don't worry, I am working on getting someone over here to help me.

Biggest Loser Update:
It is coming down to the wire. I lost 1.5lbs on Monday's weigh in. I was really excited about that, because I wasn't that great this weekend in SLC. The competition is getting stiff. I am still in first place, and am ahead by 1 percentage pt. There are several people right on my tail. I am so burned out, and just want to stop, but I have two more weeks. Keep the support coming, I am going to need it.

SLC and The Biggest Loser Update

2008-02-25T08:33:00.000-08:00

This weekend, Joey, Blake and I went to Salt Lake for my friend Sheri's wedding. It was so fun! It was nice just taking care of one child as opposed to four. The wedding was beautiful, and it was fun seeing old friends. Joey and I ate at lots of fun places and enjoyed a restful weekend.

I weighed in this morning, not really knowing what to expect. I didn't eat horrible this weekend, but I wasn't as careful as I would have been at home. Soooo...I lost 1lb. Not great, but not awful. I will take it. I don't know if that will be enough to keep my 1st place standing. We'll see.

I would love to post some really cute pics of this weekend, but unfortunately, my camera never left the diaper bag. Why do I do that? I always wish I had taken pictures later, but never think to pull out the camera. I will try harder this weekend. I am going back to SLC for Karen's shower. This time, no kids!!!! That should be even more relaxing. But hey, I deserve it. Right?

Christmas....Again?

2008-02-21T09:15:00.000-08:00

About twice a year, Joey goes to a job fair where companies are trying to recruit employees. To achieve this task, they put their logo and information on different (interesting) items for giveaways. So, Joey gets a bag and heads down the aisle to collect more useless items to clutter our already overflowing house. He then brings them home and has an auction. Each kid is allowed 2-3 choices. He pulls one out of the bag at a time and explains what each item can do for them. The kids get so excited. They are sure that they can't live without the pizza cutter with the target logo. What would a three year old need a pizza cutter for? Anyway, this is a very exciting event at our house.

All lined up waiting for a useless item that they can't live without!
The auctioneer stating the importance of a personal, portable sewing kit.
Who couldn't live without these flip flops 10 sizes too big for any of them.
Hayden is going to get a lot of use out of this ruler with a picture of all the presidents!
Received this beautiful lanyard, but can't take his eyes off the next item up for grabs.
Nicole will actually utilize this portable notebook and pen.
Nicole ended up with the sewing kit, or are those birth control pills?
Brendon is really enjoying this spongey potato passed off as a mini football.

Wait for it, Wait for it..................

2008-02-18T10:24:00.000-08:00

4 1/2 lbs!!!! Yep, that is what I lost this week. I can't believe it. I was so excited to weigh in this morning. It felt a little like Christmas morning. I couldn't wait to weigh in this morning. I even got up early to get on the scale. This week, I am going back to a normal exercise schedule. I can really see a difference. My clothes are fitting better and I am getting into my smaller size clothes. Very Exciting!!!

It was a great day!

2008-02-15T12:57:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Day has come and gone. I can honestly say that we did the "Love" thing quite well at our house. When the kids got home from school yesterday, we had a little gift for each one of them. All four were really excited about their gifts. Nicole got a frilly pen, pad of paper and some tights. Doesn't take much to make that girl happy.
Hayden received his first copy of the Book of Mormon. Name engraved and all! He was so excited, he couldn't rip it out of the bag fast enough. Now we don't have to pretend that Brendon's old one is his.
Brendon got a pair of goggles for his big snowboarding day tomorrow. Sorry the picture is fuzzy. I am still learning how to work this camera and it is quite complicated!
Blake received a jar of Bananas. I didn't have to go far to shop for this gift, I just pulled it out of the pantry and wrapped it up.

We went to Chinese food with the Tueller's. It was fun to be together.

Miss Macey looking quite festive for the holiday.
We rounded out the evening with a rousing game of "Don't Eat Pete!" The kids loved it.

Thanks Tuellers for a wonderful evening!

Now that Valentine's Day is behind us, I can lose my "sappy" behavior and return to my usual cold, stonelike self.

On to other important matters! I weigh again in 3 days. I am dying! I have been working especially hard this week. I have eaten really well and exercising twice a day. I don't know what more I can do. I am shooting for 3lbs. I know that is ambitious, but I am shooting for the stars. Wish me luck.

Happy HEART Day!!!

2008-02-14T07:58:00.000-08:00

Five Things I Love About You- Joey:

1. Always honest (sometimes annoyingly (is that a word?))
2. Awesome Dad
3. Keeps me laughing
4. Works hard to provide for our family
5. ALWAYS wants me to be happy

Nicole:
1. Beautiful (Definitely a mother comment!)
2. Great Sister
3. She is super creative
4. She is very independent
5. She is a pleaser!

Blake:
1. Has the biggest open mouth smile!
2. Grabs at everything, including my face
3. Sleeps from 6pm-8am
4. He has beautiful blue eyes (Another mother comment)
5. Will always be my baby

Hayden:

1. Is the cuddliest child

2. Is happy 95% of the time

3. He is extremely funny

4. Is very patient when I can't understand what he is saying

5. Loves his thumb (I probably shouldn't love this, but I must admit I think it is really cute. Probably won't think it is that cute when he is in Kindergarten)

Brendon:

1. Is the best big brother

2. Always wants to do the right thing

3. Is a super over-achiever at school

4. Tries to keep me on the straight and narrow ie. Not breaking the sabbath :(

5. Loves being part of our family

Well, that is about it! If you can't tell, I am head over heels for my family. On this day especially, I can reflect upon how fortunate I am. I have a husband who adores me, and 4 very healthy, happy children. Things can't get much better. (Well, maybe if I lose 4 lbs this week.)

To my extended family and friends, Happy Valentine's Day. I love you and appreciate you!

Hugs and Kisses- Alisa

Tagged!

2008-02-12T10:54:00.000-08:00

I stole this tag from Shannon Hyer. I thought it was great! Here goes-

5 Things I did today:
1. Taught 5 preschoolers how to make sugar cookies and decorate valentine bags.
2. Walked on the treadmill at 6:30am
3. Bought a plane ticket to Karen's shower
4. Dressed 2 kids, laid out clothes for 2 others, made 4 lunches, made 2 bottles, brushed 2 heads of hair, changed one poopy diaper and did one load of laundry. (It's only 12 noon)
5. Checked more blogs than I have time for :)

5 Things I need to do:
1. Fold 3 loads of laundry
2. Walk on the treadmill, again
3. Sew, Sew, Sew!!!
4. Go buy Valentine's for my kids
5. Go through all of the medical bills. Ugh! Definitely putting that one off.

5 Things I'll do when I strike it rich:
1. Dig out a basement or add on to this house
2. Pay all of the above mentioned medical bills!
3. Take my kids on a cruise
4. Quit teaching preschool
5. Go Shopping!

5 Places I've lived:
1. Altadena, CA
2. Rexburg, ID
3. Milwaukee, WI
4. Boise/Meridian, ID
5. That's it, I don't have a 5th location

5 Things I was doing 10 years ago:
1. Student Teaching, nine months prego
2. Graduated from college
3. Had my first baby boy
4. Living in my first house
5. Driving around town in a Jeep Cherokee that stalled at every intersection.

5 of my bad qualities/habits:
1. Spending too much time on the computer
2. Talking WAY too much on the phone!
3. I drink an unhealthy amount of Diet Coke
4. I sometimes swear more than I should. Realized this bad habit this weekend when Nicole forgot something in the car and said "Damn it!"
5. I tend to overlook the dirty bathrooms so that I don't have to clean them!

5 Things that people probably don't know about me:
1. I have about a bazillion stretch marks on my stomach. The things I have done for my children.
2. I can beat my entire family at Ms. Pacman on the PS2.
3. I have played softball in Russia and Sweden. I was pretty good in my day! (About 30 lbs lighter too.)
4. I don't ever cry, but get weepy at Little House on the Prairie. (That Pa gets me every time!)
5. One of my fingernails has a defect and splits from the top to the bottom. I have to keep it trimmed very short, or I get it caught on everything! Ouch!

I tag Karen, Jennifer, Aly and April (April, you can just email all of us with your answers since you don't have a blog! :)

The Biggest Loser Update/ Week 4

2008-02-11T20:40:00.000-08:00

Well, all good things must come to an end. I have been bumped off of my throne and moved down to 4th place. It is very disappointing. I didn't lose anything this week! NOTHING! It is frustrating when I am eating well, but can't exercise. But, on the bright side, I am back on the exercise wagon today! I have decided I am going to try to exercise twice a day this week and see if I can have a better weigh in next Monday! I don't know if I can keep it up, but we'll see.

My Back Sucks!

2008-02-07T08:07:00.000-08:00

It is now Thursday, and I don't feel any improvement in my back. It is so sore and I feel like I can't do anything. The house has gone to pot, the laundry is backed up and I think my husband is starting to lose patience. I am going to see a chiropractor today, and am hoping for a miracle. As for now, I have to teach preschool this morning. That should feel good. My life doesn't stop for any kind of pain. I just have one thing to say to all of you who are reading this. BEND WITH YOUR KNEES!

I'm Still #1 / Biggest Loser Update

2008-02-05T09:16:00.000-08:00

Well, I am still in first place! I am shocked actually, because I didn't have a great week. On Thursday, I went to McCall with a bunch of girlfriends for the weekend. Therefore, I fell off the healthy eating wagon for a few days. Not only did I eat too much, but I didn't exercise at all the whole weekend. So, I was pleasantly surprised when I weighed in Monday morning. I lost 1lb. You might not think that is great, but after a weekend of chocolate fondue, french toast, chocolate muffins and all sorts of yummy treats, I was happy for any lose at all.

I was so excited to get home and get back on the treadmill. I was actually kinda missing it this weekend. But, as I was loading up the car to come home, I threw out my back. Just great! I am getting so old, my body is falling apart. I am on the mend. I have to baby my back with every step. I have to sit up completely stiff and still so as not to send shooting pain down my legs. I am hoping to be able to start exercising later this week, but as for now, I am on the disabled list. I guess I will just continue to keep eating well and hope for the best.

I am going to use this time to sew for Karen's nursery. Which by the way, is looking super fantastic. It is going to be so cute!

Jen, I am thinking of you often and hoping for a speedy recovery for Peyty Pie! Hang in there!

The Biggest Loser- Week 3

2008-01-28T08:45:00.000-08:00

I lost 2 lbs!!!! I can't believe it. It is just dropping off. Well, I can't say dropping off, because I have worked very hard. I have been walking on the treadmill everyday and doing some weights. I have also been eating really healthy, which is quite difficult for me, because I love all things unhealthy. But, it is all worth it. Whenever I want to eat something really fattening, I just tell myself, "It won't taste as good as thin feels!" I haven't gotten the standings for this week for our Biggest Loser competition, but I will update this post when I find out. Congrats to me! :)

Update: I am still in first place with 4.76%. I was fourth place for the week. They are gaining on me. I need to have a really good week!!!

Blake's First Solids!!!

2008-01-24T12:57:00.001-08:00

Well, surprise, surprise, I found these pictures on my old camera. I still don't have a working camera yet, but it should be soon! These pictures are of Blake's first attempt at rice cereal. He wasn't sure at first and kept pushing it out with his tongue. But he soon got the hang of it. You will notice that Joey has to hold his arm down while feeding him. He kept trying to either grab the spoon or put his whole fist in his mouth between bites. He's growing up! (Doesn't the bib look nice and new! :) I actually think it was Parker's that somehow made it back to Boise from one of our trips to SLC when Brendon was a baby! Sorry for the five finger discount, Aly! Just goes to show that baby #4 uses whatever is available. We have even used pink with flowers, but don't think Blake would appreciate it if we captured those Kodak moments.)

Not Enough Sleep!

2008-01-23T07:50:00.000-08:00

A normal evening/night in the Tueller Household:
Blake- Bath, Bottle, Bed at 6:30pm
Hayden- Bath, Books, Bed at 7pm
Nicole and Brendon- Bed at 8pm

Then:
Hayden & Brendon up between 7-7:30
Blake up at 8
Nicole up at 8-8:10 (usually pulled out of bed by me to make the bus at 8:30)

This is a great schedule, one that works very well for our family! Unfortunately, my children have recently decided that we all need to be up during the night. On Monday night, I wake up to Hayden standing by my bed at 3:30, telling me his tummy hurts and then throwing up all over the carpet. He proceeds to throw up about every 20 minutes until 6am. It seems like I would just get back to sleep and he would start in again. He threw up most of the day yesterday, but seems fine today. Then last night, he got up at 3:30 to tell me he was thirsty and needed to go to the bathroom. So I get up, take care of that and get back to bed. Then Nicole wakes up at 4:30 to tell me she has to go to the bathroom. She goes, then asks if it is ok to flush the toilet, then says that she needs me to tuck her back in. Oh my goodness, this is getting ridiculous. But the fun goes on. At 5:30 Blake wakes up crying. We let him cry for a few minutes, but it is obvious he isn't going back to sleep. So, up again I get up, and make him a bottle. I feed him a bottle and put him back to bed. Luckily, he goes to sleep. Just as I lay my head back down, Nicole asks if she can get up and watch TV. I tell her it is too early and to go back to bed. She, of course, needs to be tucked in again. Finally, Brendon wakes me up at 7:45 to tell me I had better get up or they are going to miss the bus. I have really had it. I have put in my time with sleepless nights when my babies were young. This is my time to sleep. I think Jennifer is brushing off on me. Tonight I intend on going to sleep and not waking up until 7:30am. Maybe I will put Joey in charge of the 10pm-7am shift. I am sure that will go over well.

The Biggest Loser!!!- Updated

2008-01-21T12:37:00.000-08:00

I have joined a Biggest Loser competition! There are 19 contestants and a $180 prize! We started by emailing a picture of our weight on a scale on Jan. 7th. Then, every Monday, we email our weight to one person, and she figures out the percentage of weight loss. She then emails the group who the top 10 are for the week. Last week, Jan. 14, I lost 2.5lbs and was #5!!! I couldn't believe it. I was sure that some of the guys were going to blow us away. But, I was right in the hunt. Today, I weighed in and lost 3lbs! I can't tell you how exciting it is. I try not to weigh during the week, so I can be really surprised on Monday morning. I just received this weeks results, and I am in 1st place!!!! I was second for this week, but first overall. I am patting myself on the back! I have posted a ticker so you can track my weight loss, unfortunately, sometimes it doesn't seem to show up. Hopefully, you can view it!

Tagged Again!!!

2008-01-17T14:11:00.001-08:00

1. What two things do you always have with you? My Cell phone and my medicine.

2. What is your favorite TV show? I watch way too much tv...Desperate Housewives, Brothers and Sisters, Private Practice, Grey's Anatomy. Right now, Biggest Loser, because nothing else is on TV

3. What is your middle name? Anne

4. What characteristic do you despise? When people are judgmental

5. Favorite item of clothing? Right now, nothing looks good. But, would probably say a pair of dress pants from Old Navy that I love. Sad that my favorite item only cost probably $20.

6. If you could go anywhere in the world for vacation, where would it be? A cruise through the Panama Canal

7. What color is your bathroom? Chocolate Brown

8. What did you want to be when you were little? Always a teacher (How boring!) (Copied from Karen, but it's true)

9. How are you today? Great! (Also copied from Karen, but again it's true)

10. What is your favorite candy? Hershey Kisses

11. What is your favorite flower? Iris

12. What is your favorite thing to do? Eating Out!!!!! (or, just eating in general)

13. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Black, not that I am dark, but Black is tailored and symmetrical (no idea how to explain what that means)

14. Last person you spoke to on the phone? Shannon

15. Hugs or kisses? Hugs

16. What is under your bed? The doors from our armoire that we took off to make our TV fit and a bag that has Joey's hunting stuff. (ie binoculars, hat, gun cleaning kit)

17. What is your favorite smell? The inside of a brand new book and the smell of Pirates of the Carribean (just added that when I read Jennifer's love of gasoline. Not sure why it brought back that memory. It could be because when you turned on the air conditioner in the old station wagon, it smelled just like Pirates! Wierd!)

18. How many keys on your key ring? 5 (two of which I don't know what they are for)

19. What are the top three qualities you value in a friend? Humor, confidence, trust

20. Who is your favorite friend from high school? April Danz and Sheri Goold

Again, no one to Tag! :( April get going, so I can tag you.

2008-01-17T13:19:00.001-08:00