4 Cute Girls

Dad, you're...

2011-08-23T16:38:00.000-07:00

Just a quick line from the Brin-ster that cracked me up. Matt was heading out the door for work this morning and Brinley said, "Dad, you're stupid." She immediately realized that this was not appropriate and changed it quickly to, "Dad, you're (looking around to find a replacement word) pants."

This is Brin at Aunt Katie's wedding. Looking at this, it's hard to imagine her being naughty.

Koolaid is not Kool

2011-07-27T12:41:00.000-07:00

Today, my girls and I were making taffy to celebrate pioneer day (a few days late, I know). I had all of my ingredients out, just like a professional chef, when I see that Brinley is checking out the koolaid packet. I know that my insticts should have told me to smile at her and subtley move it to an unreachable location, but they didn't. Instead, my mom alarm went off about 10 minutes later when I noticed that the koolaid and Brinley are AWL. I run praying that she hadn't ripped it open on the carpet. I find her in her bathroom with a fuming red mouth, hands, and dress. She was trying to clean off the mess to conceal the evidence but the more water she used, the redder she became. I was thankful that she was in the bathroom but the package of drinkable fun was still missing. I do a quick scan of the area and found it on my bathroom floor. Yeah! I can sweep and mop it...easy, peasy. Not easy, peasy. The more I tried to clean it, the redder my bathroom tile became. I used about 50 wipes to get the tile clean but the grout was still redder than red. I started having visions of me being 80 years old still looking at that hideous tile grout. Then I had a revelation...clorox bleach sticks. I love those things. I wasn't convinced that they'd work but within two minutes, my grout was back to normal and my bathroom was saved!

Now, I was very thankful that it did not end up on my carpet, but this brings me to another story, involving Brinley. A few weeks ago before church, she came up to me with bright red fingernails that she had obviously done herself. I sent the troops looking for the location, and we discovered that she had painted her nails behind a chair in our basement and left some evidence on our new beige-ie carpet. I was sick. Are we going to be one of those families that trashes everything nice in sight? Can't we have anything nice? Thank goodness for google. After a minute of research, I learned that baking soda works well on removing fingernail polish. And it did. Put that one down in your mental filing cabinet.

Now, I'm going to turn my up my alarm and remember that Brinley is obviously a lot more mischevious than all of my other girls combined. It's time to hide everything red and stainable and keep her in my sight.

The Month of Paige

2011-04-25T17:04:00.000-07:00

Note: I originally started writing this post in April, but got gave up when I experienced technical difficulties. I wanted to post her baptism video, and even though all my ducks seem to line up, I still can't get it to work. So anyway... here is my April post in June...minus the video. I'm having blogging issues today...what is up with the spacing?

It seems as though we have been celebrating Paige's birthday for an entire month. She turned eight on March 27th, was baptized on April 9th, had a b-day party April 15th, and just spent the last of the $$$ from her gift cards a couple of days ago. Here are some of the highlights...

Her b-day was on a Sunday, so here she is in her new church dress with her new scriptures and bag. (Pictured next to Paige is the family camera hog. She never misses a photo op.)

Here she is glowing in her baptism dress. We were lucky enough to go to Logan (for Katie's wedding) the week before she was baptized and take pics of her at the ole alma mater and the temple.

I let Paige pick out her dress (with a little bit of direction), and I think she did a great job. It was a little painful ruling out all of the bedazzled dresses, but it was worth it in the end.

I don't know who thought it was a good idea to put parking behind the bride's bench (a man, I'm sure), but I still love this view.

Baptism day with G-pa and G-ma Anderson

G-pa, Sue, Adam, Debbie, Abbey, and our fam

Here Paige is with her hilarious friends. I never thought I would throw a hamster party, but I did it, and it was awesome! I'll have to post my tutorial for making hamster beds and bedding, so you won't have to reinvent the wheel for your next hamster party. Stay tuned.

Pretty in Pink

2011-04-20T15:05:00.001-07:00

Catch up time again...For Macy's party this year we went with the "Pretty in Pink" theme...ahhhhh! Once the guests arrived, they received a little purse with coupons to buy lots of girly pink gear. They bought tutus, bracelets, ring pops, rings, notebooks, and hair flowers. Girl heaven. (P.S. I hope you recognize Macy. She has lost a couple of teeth and worries that no one will know who she is anymore.)

The new and improved 6 year old Macy.
My new favorite word is tutorial. The handles of these bags are made from bracelets. Very clever!
The smorgasbord. The party girls.

Here's Macy gliding on her new pink scooter. Look at that form...I think I should sign her up for ice skating lessons.

A Post For My Dad and Mom

2011-02-01T10:43:00.000-08:00

If you've ever been in my parent's home chances are you've probably seen my dad leaning over a garbage can sanding. He is the king of wood projects. He's supplied the whole Relief Society with cut and sanded wood for "homemaking" meetings...for years. The women in our family have also utilized his skills and woodworking shop. If he had a nickel for every frame he made, he would be one rich muchacho. He's very talented. I used to think that I would marry a woodworker. I thought it was in men's blood. I was shocked when Matt didn't really have an interest in making furniture. So I've decided to make it my calling. I decided that I might have a little bit of my dad's woodworking DNA in mine. Anyway, here's what we've been up to.

A cute little farmhouse bed for Avery's AGD

Avery helped me assemble it. She also woodfilled, sanded, primed, and painted it.

This picture is for my mom. I'm sure she thought that those painful days of 4H sewing projects would never end, but they did, and I can sew. (Note: I need someone to have a real baby, so I can make this blanket in full size. I love it.) Avery (very meticulously) sewed the mattress and pillows. She did a great job!

Here's a bed I made for Macy. This was my first project and holy cow, I learned a lot. First being...make sure the Home Depot guy supplies you with the correct wood.

I also DIY'ed the duvet from Target sheets. I plan on making pillows...maybe I'll take advantage of Avery's newly acquired skills and have her whip them out for me.

It is FAR from perfect, but I'm glad it's done.

A big thanks to Matt for letting me live the dream. He didn't once question the credit card bill for my many trips to Home Depot, he was my human clamp when I needed an extra hand, he donated an air compressor from work, and he was master of the nail gun.

She Looks Like An Angel

2011-01-23T13:38:00.000-08:00

It's amazing how quickly a mom can forget what a handful a 2 year old can be. I'm no psychiatrist, but she seems a little bipolar to me...either a super sweetie or super terror. Here is some evidence...

Here she is being a cute little mommy with her baby...how sweet.

Oh, she fell asleep on the stairs, how innocent.

Look there is Brinley with Hello Kitty panties on her head. What a ham!

What a funny kid, with a funny face!

But the tides turn. Here she is with her latest artwork. Matt and I had JUST finished painting our walls and were putting the supplies away when we heard the sound any parent would recognize...crayons on the wall. (Note: Brinley is on my lap as I am typing. Now she is acting as though she has multiple personalities. She just said,"Oh no, she wrote on the wall, not on paper. She is sick.)

She attacked some bread I had made for a primary fireside. You think a mother would know better.

We definitely have our ups and downs, but she is laugh out loud funny and a blessing to our family. For the record...

*She likes to put socks on her hands and call herself a princess.
*Here is a conversation she has multiple times a day with Matt...

-------Matt: You're goofy.

-------Brinley: (at mock speed) No, I not goofy, I Brinley.

*The other day I was buttoning up my pants and she sincerely said,"What-sa-matter? Your pants fall down?"

*Loves, loves, loves her cell phone and CTR ring.

*Her favorite church song is "Stars are Gleaming"

*Her favorite musician is Katy Perry. Nothing warms a mother's heart more than to hear her two year old singing about Daisy Dukes and Bikini's.

*She likes to eat with a "Foon".

Note: To close my case, she just put panties on her head again and got the leg hole stuck under her chin. The funny never ends.

NoteII: We have 4 little moms in this house, so I'm often heard saying..."you're not the mom" to one of my children. On Tuesday (Jan. 25th), Brinley said,"I'm not the mom, I Brinley."

Smart #@$

2010-11-20T22:13:00.000-08:00

My memory is not what it used to be, so I'm going to hurry and jot down a conversation that happened during lunch today.

Paige: (said something witty, that I have already forgotten)
Matt: You're quite a Smart "A"! (Note: He really said the letter "A", though still inappropriate).
Paige: No, I should be a Smart "P".
Avery: Yeah, I'm a Smart "A".

Got to love these special family moments!

Boo "Who"!!!

2010-11-01T10:15:00.001-07:00

Brinley Lou Who

Nice Bum...where ya from?

Mace sporting her 50's wear.

"Slug Bug!"

Paige's Jack-o-lantern Grin. She lost 2 teeth in one day last week. It's a Hansen Family record!

"Slug Bug!"

Our punkins at the Pumpkin Patch

Not many things beat kids and their love of Halloween. I have had so many memories swimming through my head this week that I thought I'd take a moment and share. (Note: Every memory involves by eternal friend...Cindy. We had a great run together!)

Memory #1: I was in third grade, and we had a Halloween school carnival. Karen Christenson was running the cakewalk. She was my friend's mom, so she let us hop in (for free) whenever there were some open squares. Needless to say, I won! I picked out a prize that was actually two cakes. I was so excited that I could have one and my friend could have the other, that I failed to notice that the frosted "cakes" were shaped like loaves of bread. When we finally got back to her house, we sliced them open only to find fruit cake. Who donates fruit cake to a school cakewalk? Probably a "fruitcake".

Memory #2: When it came to costumes as a kid, I think I was on my own for the most part. When I was in 4th grade, Cindy and I were brainstorming and came up with the idea of being "Old Granny Racecar Drivers". We wore wigs, motorcycle helmets, granny clothes, and made ourselves a cardboard car to cruise around in. We were the hit of Heyburn Elementary. (This is where I came up with the "slug bug" idea. I tried to get them to wear motorcycyle helmets and grandma wigs, but they both declined my offer.)

Memory #3: One year, there was a rumor going around that there were devil worshippers in the area looking for blonde/blue eyed girls to sacrifice. I was in the clear, but Cindy was about as blonde and blue eyed as a girl can get. We were out making the candy rounds and a guy in a mask started to approach us. We were convinced that it had to be a devil worshipper coming for Cindy. We ran for our lives until we found a safe haven in a ward member's home. Come to find out it was the bishop's son who I think was about 30. Creepy!

Memory #4: Back in the 80's, candy was not given out in abundance like it is today. When a house had the "goods", everyone knew it. Anyway, there was a scouting report out that a family we knew was giving out popcorn balls. I was sure I knew where the house was, but Cindy was sure it was another house. Cindy was semi-related to this family, so I trusted her. We were SOOO tired after hitting the pavement for hours but decided that walking a few blocks for a popcorn ball was worth it. Come to find out, it wasn't the right house, and instead of getting an oversized popcorn ball, we got a tiny tootsie roll. I think we both wanted to cry.

You've gotta love Halloween!

10!

2010-08-27T13:39:00.000-07:00

Hard to believe, I know, but Avery has hit the big 1-0! We've been so blessed to have her in our lives this long.

She was supposed to have a camping themed b-day party with friends, but yadayadayada she got in big, big trouble and ended up with just a family party.

Here are the dancing queens...having the time of their lives.

Here is Matt BBQing in the rain again. Our last 3 b-days have been cursed by bad weather.

Just some things about Avery....

*She loves to read. Her goal is to make her school's Battle of the Books team this year. They have to read and study 40 novels and then compete against other schools in a quiz bowl. Our school has won the past few years, so this is a really big deal.

*She plays the violin in the Colorado Springs Youth Symphony. She started playing when she was 7, and the only reason I let her start so young is that she used to pretend to play the violin when she was tiny, probably 2. She'd get out 2 spaghetti noodles, put one under her chin and move the other one across it like a bow.

*She has a great little memory. I love it when it comes to practicing spelling words but hate it when she remembers what a terrible mom I've been in the past.

*She's willing to try anything.

*She has a cute little singing voice.

*She is snuggly. She loves to nuzzle up to anyone who will sit still long enough. I worry about her being a teenager.

Kali and Maka

2010-08-22T16:58:00.001-07:00

Kali and Maka are our official Hawaiian names according to some PCC keychains. Cute, huh. Anyway, here are a few of our favorite spots in paradise.

Welcome to the Jungle. This was a little walk on the way down to Honolau Bay -- our favorite snorkeling spot.

Our hotel in was in the cute town of Lahaina. The pool here was "soooo creamy" - inside joke -and so were the macadamia nuts covered in coconut and chocolate.

Matt eating his Cheeseburger in Paradise. We ate at a handful of resturants that were RIGHT on the ocean. It was fun having waves splash into our drink water.

The black sand beach on the Road to Hana -- Beautiful!

The Olivine Pools - Yep, that's me braving a swim mini on my blog.

The Iao Needle

I could go on and on...but I don't want to be one of those people who go on and on. A big shout out to Aunt Katie and Grandpa for watching the kidos and a big mahalo to Maka for an amazing V-day gift. I can't wait to see how he's going to top that next year.

Garett and Ashlie's Wedding

2010-06-20T19:00:00.000-07:00

The Beautiful Bride with all of the Beautiful Nieces (This is really sad, but I don't have a pic with the groom. Sorry Uncle G.)

Grandpa and his Girls

They were married in Bountiful but had the luncheon at the Joseph Smith Mem. Bldg. I couldn't miss this photo op.

Wiped out!

It is hard for me to believe that Garett is old enough to get married. I think I first met him when he was 7, before Matt and I were even dating. We couldn't be happier for him, though. He met a great girl, and they are an adorable couple. I have to admit that I was hoping that Garett would marry a "Cougar" (not the BYU kind but cougar meaning older woman). That way I wouldn't have to be the oldest sister-in-law. I have age issues. Honestly, I am excited to have Ashlie be part of our family, and are happy for the new life they are starting together.

If you like Pina Coladas...

2010-06-20T18:52:00.000-07:00

Brinley and her B-Day Cake (Note: The divit in the front/center was done by Macy. This is the 3rd cake she hasn't been able to keep her fingers off of. She needs to learn the art of being sneaky. One time she put finger tracks over an entire sheet cake and another time she ate the whole face off her 2nd birthday ballerina cake.)

Playin' in the Pool

Enjoying a Pina Colada...hold the rum

Our favorite grin...extra cheese!

If you like Pina Coladas and getting caught in the rain, you would have loved Brin's birthday. I planned a pool party, but it was rained out. We had to wait couple of days post-birthday to whip out the pool, but we still had a great time. When she saw her cake she said, "Ew, funny." She also sang the whole b-day song with the "cha cha chas" at the end. Avery tried to give her a candle to lick, and she put the wick side in her mouth. Never a dull moment.

2 is such a fun/funny age. Even when she is being naughty, we can't help smiling at her. These are some little things that keep us laughing...

*She has to get in my bed the second after I get done making it. She loves to be snuggly.

*She just started saying, "No, I don't want to." I think this was her first real sentence.

*She likes the word AWESOME. She's very hip.

*She loves to eat NeeNaws (bananas) and Crackers. She would eat them all day if I would let her.

*She is adorable when she's about to take a nap and says, "Night, night. Love you!"

*She is a hoarder. She wants to take everything she sees to bed with her. I have to slowly sneak things out so there is room for her to lay down.

*She likes to shower with her big sisters and has just figured out how to take off her clothes and diaper.

*She loves to sing "Happy Family", "Moon Moon Moon", and "ABC's".

*Matt gave her a shoulder rub the other day and she said, "Tickle Me."

*She really sees the sense of humor of things and will call them funny.

*She has to climb up on the dining room table every time she is done eating. I think she does this, so we will put her down on the ground. We need to work on her manners.

*Absolutely hates having her teeth brushed. Even Dr. Matt has a hard time getting her to open up.

Paige, Paige, Paige of the Jungle

2010-06-08T12:47:00.000-07:00

Paige's Homemade Pizza Creation

Bravin' the rope swing at "Jungle Quest"

The Denver Aquarium

Paige, Macy, and Dory

The girls with "Sharky" --Brinley followed this guy all over the place and loved him despite that fact that he knocked her over multiple times.

Photoshoot at Fox Run Park

This post is LONG (with a capital L-O-N-and G) overdue. Yes, Paige turned seven over 2 whole months ago, but she still deserves her own post. Her b-day was during Spring Break, so we spent a weekend of fun in sunny Denver. Alright, it wasn't sunny, but it was still nice to get away. We went to the Aquarium, Rodizio's Brazillian BBQ (Paige's (and Matt's) favorite), and Jungle Quest (a super fun play place with rockwalls, rope swings, and ziplines). We also stayed at a hotel with a mongo TV--Paige (wink wink) was very excited to keep up on all of her March Madness games. It was a fun weekend with our fun little 7 year old.

Baby Gaga

2010-04-13T20:44:00.000-07:00

Here is Brin ... al naturale in the morning. Ew La La!!!

What's Cookin'?

2010-03-24T15:18:00.001-07:00

the birthday girl and her new cookware

a heartfelt letter from Paige...In case you can't decifer it, it says..."Dear Mom, I love you so much. You are the best mom in the holl wide wrold. Your not the best coock but I think your good at coocking lemin creme bars. To: Mom Love, Paige"

my manly man at the BBQ grilling up some dinner

It wasn't meant to be this way but my b-day ended up being cooking themed. Matt had to work the whole day, so the girls and I partied it up while he was gone. OK, it wasn't much of a party...we made dessert, cleaned the kitchen, and watched "Julie & Julia". Avery's card even talked about cooking. She said. "Mom, oh Mom, Of all the things U do for me, I love your caring heart the most. Maybe your cooking." I'm so confused, am I a good cook or not? I know I shouldn't look into things too deeply, but one kid thinks I'm great, one doesn't . I just asked Macy to break the tie and she said, "I like some and I like some not." It looks like the vote is Even Steven, so I guess I'll never know. One more question...What does it mean when your husband buys you workout clothes???

Look Who's 5!!!

2010-03-13T14:45:00.000-08:00

The countdown to 5 has ended!

Macy and her 5 BFFs at McDonald's

Brinley eating a low carb version of her happy meal. She honestly ate the entire thing...minus the fry on the ground, but I'm sure she would have eaten that if I had let her.

Her sophisticated cake made with Fruit-by-the-Foot and Skittles. The more kids I have, the simplier the cakes have become.

Well, kiddo number 3 has turned the big 5! We started the day with Fruit Loops for breakfast. It amazes me that a $2 box of cereal can bring so much joy. Macy didn't have an official party this year, but we did take all of her friends to McDonald's after preschool to help kill time during the day (Matt and Avery weren't going to be home until 7 that night, and I knew the wait would be brutal if we didn't do something). We had pancakes, strawberries, and sausage for dinner. She was hoping to have rootbeer to drink but decided against it because she didn't want to burp. What a lady. She settled for apple juice instead. Her big gift was MarioKart for the Wii. The girls have been playing it every spare moment they've had. Today when we were coming home from the Y, Macy said,"I'm going to run to the Wii when I get home, but first I'll have to wash my hands. Mom, can I have the hand sanitizer?" (My kids love it when they don't have to wash their hands when they get home. I'm a hand washing Nazi).

Macy told me that being 5 means she is ready to go to Kindergarten. It's hard for me to believe that she is as big as she is. It seems like only yesterday she was eating hail with a spoon and falling asleep at our front door while waiting for me to come home. Sunrise, Sunset. Let the countdown to 6 begin.

Stockton 'n Malone

2010-02-16T17:37:00.001-08:00

The Dribbling Duo

Paige's Action Shot

Avery's Action Shot

We decided to give BB a go this season, and it has been pretty fun. I'm really enjoying having our girls on an INDOOR sports team. Soccer in Colorado is brutal. Unfortunately, Avery and Paige are both the team shorties. It makes sense, tall people put their tall children in BB leagues. Matt told Paige that she is going to be a great "point guard". She told him, "but I didn't make any points." The only downside we've experienced is a team that Avery has to play a lot. They don't have many teams in her league, so we are going to face this very stacked team over and over. These girls have sports glasses and are pivoting all over the place. It is crazy. I think the last time we played them the score was 30-2, and we weren't the 30.

Holiday Happenings

2010-01-12T12:02:00.000-08:00

Here are some random holiday pics for your viewing enjoyment.

Melted Snowman Slushie--the hit of the 4th grade holiday party

Shopper-in-Training

Star Cookies for Santa

Our baby with her baby

The princesses seeing "The Princess and the Frog".... we loved it!

Our non-commercial Christmas picture

"...love to see the temple"

Sisters+Sleeping Bags=Sister Slumber Party

It's fun to play at the YMCA!!!

"Back to School Party"-I had a couple parents ask if the party was for me or for the kids...hmmm, no comment.

Feliz Navidad!

2009-12-06T18:29:00.001-08:00

Our Mexican Feast

Macy and Matt "Siamese Present Wrapping"

Avery and Paige "Siamese Present Wrapping"... Picture #1

Avery and Paige "Siamese Present Wrapping"... Picture #2

Avery and Paige "Siamese Present Wrapping"... Picture #3

Me n' Matt

The Party Pooper (that's why her pants are missing)

We couldn't go to our Ward Christmas Party this year, so we had our very own party at home. We had festive Mexican food (question: are Navajo Tacos considered Mexican food?), played a rousing game of Siamese Present Wrapping, made ornaments, drank Grandpa's Holiday Punch, and played "Sleds" (aka Spoons, only with Sled ornaments from our tree...so creative). The party was a success, with the exception of the present wrapping game. Deep down I knew this was a bad idea, but I didn't follow my intuition. Instead we had 10 minutes of Avery yelling at Paige for not helping and Paige screaming to delete these pictures from the camera. Sorry babe, they are goin' on the blog. Merry??? Christmas!

#66.....Check

2009-11-19T13:34:00.000-08:00

Well, I'm able to mark off item #66 on my bucket list....serve on a jury. O.K., it really wasn't on my bucket list, but it should have been. It was quite the experience. I was summoned to show up for jury duty on October 27th and I finished up yesterday...3 + weeks later. From jury selection to the actual trial to deliberation to the reading of the verdict, my inner core was overflowing with a strange combination of frustration, sympathy, interest, and confusion. My case consisted of a soldier stationed in our area gunning down and killing 2 people standing on a street corner hanging up garage sale signs...with an AK47. He also shot at 2 other guys, hitting one, on another street corner on a different night. My 11 new best friends and I found him guilty of on 12 different counts. The thickness of the air during deliberation and the reading of the verdict will be permanently tattooed in my brain. I thought the weight of the matter would be lifting by now, but I have either been crying or on the verge of crying all day today. My heart goes out to the families of the victims and others that were involved.

On a lighter note...there were a few, I mean very few, funny moments, but I have to share them. Lawyer: Who is your cell phone carrier? Witness: I am. Lawyer: No, I mean, which company do you get your cell phone service through. Witness: T-Mobile, they have good rates!

Here's one more... Lawyer: What does a flash suppressor do (to the layman, it's an end of an assault rifle used to minimize the amount of light that comes out when a gun is shot)? Witness: (smugly) It suppresses the flash.

Well, I have to give a shout out to those who helped us or offered to help us these past few weeks. To my parents for dropping everything and showing up 2 days after I was selected. To my sisters for leaving their families to serve mine. To friends who either took the girls for a playdate or helped transport them. We wouldn't have survived without you!

Fright Night!

2009-11-11T12:30:00.000-08:00

The Boo Crew

Avery-Greek Goddess

Paige-Kitty

Macy-Tinkerbell

Brinley-Witch

If you feel like your having a de ja vu moment, you're not. I bribed my children with a whole $5/kid, to select a costume from the dress-up box verses buying one at the store. I honestly thought they wouldn't go for it, but they thought it was the best plan ever. This was my easiest Halloween ever! (Now that Paige has some cash, she can stop wiggling all of her teeth praying for one to fall out.)

Britt's Big Day!

2009-10-28T20:17:00.001-07:00

The bride and groom (Brittany and Andy)

Brittany and her #1 aunt

Amazing cake made by my sister-in-law, Judy

Here's Brinley with cousin Austin wrapped around her little finger

Here's Brinley dragging Uncle Dale around with her little fingers

Here's Jamie and Collin (thanks to a George Bush cut out and a color copier), so funny

Here's Laura, Brin, Dale, Elder Jensen, and Amanda

and one last pic of Brinley (in case you were wondering, she was my only child there)

I know it's hard to believe that someone as young and hip as I am could possibly have a niece get married, but it's true. My little Brittany Jensen is now Brittany Pinkston...crazy! It seems like only yesterday she was lathered up with Vaseline (thanks to Amanda) and drinking bathwater. Brittany and Andy were married in beautiful Logan on a beautiful fall day.

Apples of My Eye

2009-10-10T15:25:00.001-07:00

gourmet caramel apples...kid style

Brin's lickin' the chocolate bowl clean...what a helper

It may feel like Christmas outside (30 degrees is our high today...brrrr), but we decided to do something Halloween-ie inside. We ususally get so junk fooded out that we don't ever make caramel apples, so we decided to make them earlier in the month. The kidos smashed as many goodies on top as they could get to stick and then added a few more for good luck. Yum...better than Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory's (almost).

Brin's Grins

2009-09-13T17:18:00.000-07:00

Little Brinley turned 1 this summer, so I decided save some cash (and anxiety) and take her out on a homemade photoshot with mom. I wish I could say that she loved every minute of it and was more than cooperative, but she wasn't. My big goal was to get one adorable picture of her in the flowers, but instead she is wailing. I was disappointed at first, but now the crying picture is my favorite. Mom doesn't always know best.

Here are the updates on Brinley...

*She has just started to really say words. She says mama, dad, bow (ball), hi, bye, hot, teeth, tickle, quack, oh oh (woof woof), up up up, and dinky dinky dink (lyrics to her favorite song), and kind of an amen at the end of our family prayer.

*She also blows on her hot food, says shhhh when it's time to be quiet, blows kisses with with the back side of her hand, loves to click her tongue and spit, and pretends to read books out loud.

*She gets most excited when her sisters leave for school. It's become quite a ritual to wave bye bye and scream as they head up the street.

*She's got some moves. She is a expert at twirling, stomping, and bobbing to the beat.

*She's our human garbage disposal...she will eat anything.

*She is also very regular, if you know what I mean.

Zoo Crew

2009-09-07T19:21:00.000-07:00

Big Giraffe, Little Brin

"Egg"cellent smiles

Our View From the Zoo

My "Little" Girls

Well, it's our bi-yearly (does this mean every two years, cause that's what I'm aiming for) trip to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. Matt was rooting for the pet store or the fish tanks at Walmart, but with a little coercion, we talked him into spending the big bucks to see undomestic animals. The girls loved the Budgie Buddies (these little Australian birds that are adorable and eat off of a stick that you purchase from the zoo keepers...Grandma J nightmare). We also saw an adorable baby chimpanzee and baby wallaby that was pet-able (but of course I didn't because I think I have an obscure petting animal phobia). My favorite part of the day had to be the giraffes, but for all the wrong reasons. There was a male giraffe that kept trying to mate with a female giraffe. Avery thought this was hilarious. "Look at that crazy giraffe, I think that he wants a piggy back ride." She kept going on and on and on and was really, really loud. All of these little grandmas thought that it was the funniest thing. I think that it is time to have a little talk about the bird and the bees (elbow, elbow). Unfortunately, our day wasn't perfect. I don't know how many times we had to say "it's not snack time/lunch time" or "we're here to see the animals, not to _____." I know it's not healthy to spoil them and give into every carousel ride and giant, overpriced snow cone, but I don't want them to think I'm a stick in the mud. Anyway to ease my guilty feelings, I bought them a giant Smartie at the grocery store and bingo, I'm the coolest again.

Thirty Somthing

2009-05-24T20:55:00.001-07:00

We celebrated Matt's big day this month, and boy, it was a good time had by all. Matt received tons of bike stuff to go along with his brand new road bike (compliments of his business Visa points). We gave him an airpump, on odometer, legwarmers, and a purse ("It's European!" ... for all the Seinfeld buffs.) We then blindfolded him and took him to a restaurant called Fatburger. Now, we are classy people and don't typically eat at joints with the word "fat" in the title, but we made the exception today. (I don't know how it all started, but we've joked about going there for over a year. I figured it was finally time.) We then went home, ate chocolate trifle, and watched Twilight, which surprisingly entertained the birthday boy. Feliz Cumpleanos!

blindfolded on our way to a secret destination

the birthday boy with his Fatburger

This is my all time favorite picture of Matt (if you can't tell which one he is, he's wearing the navy leisure outfit, has square glasses, is giving a big thumbs up, and is sporting a foam hat entitled "Matt"). Whistle, Whistle!!!

Paige's Post

2009-05-14T13:49:00.000-07:00

here is our concessions stand

Paige on her big day (nice horsie socks)

Macy and Paige tearin' up the hill

I initially thought that blogging was my easy answer to keeping everyone updated on our happenings, but no ... I'm playing catchup once again. Paige's birthday was a month and a half ago and I'm finally getting to it. Anyway...Paige turned the big 6 this year. We had a Matinee Movie Party showing Barbie's "Thumbelina"! All the party goers received their own little purse with $, faux cell phone, and lip gloss when they arrived. Macy and her best friend, Anna, manned the ticket booth, Paige was the ticket taker, and Avery and her best friend, Aubree, ran the concession stand. It was so much fun and surprisingly quiet. The girls actually sat and watched the movie while eating a mass of goodies. I honestly went upstairs and folded laundry while the big girls took charge. It was heaven! After the party, we took the girls to Tabogan Hill (creative name for our sledding hill) and sledded the afternoon away.

About Paige...

*She is the family "Food Policeman". (I guess this is a common trait in the Hansen family (cough)...Adam).

*She is also always on "Fairness Alert"

*She loves loves loves Kindergarten.

*Like Macy, she also wants to change her name to Gabriella Montez when she turns 18. Sharpay and Kelsie are a close 2nd and 3rd. (from High School Musical)

*Paige is the "Countdown Queen". She is constantly keeping track of the days to our next family member's b-day, the days until she gets to bring home Chester (the class sock monkey), the days until she gets to be the special helper, etc. She gets upset when someone in the class messes up her rotation.

*She calls Skittles, Skeeters. How Cute!

*Everyone loves to play with Paige. Boys in her class and Macy's friends naturally gravitate towards her.

*She desperately wants to visit China and Alabama.

*Mrs. Ray, her K teacher, says she cries more at school that any other kid she's had in years. In fact, the other day Mrs. Ray asked Paige if she had a stuffy nose and the tears started flowing.
*Competitive whether it's soccer, Old Maid, or simply running up the stairs.

All dressed up with no...

2009-04-12T20:13:00.001-07:00

the girls in their new Easter apparel

my two babes

...place to go. I know this is crazy but it is April 12th/Easter Sunday, and our church was cancelled. There was honestly about 3 inches of snow on the ground and the roads were wet...no wind or ice in sight. Now I can understand cancelling church if we lived in Phoeniz, AZ where weather like this is an anonomoly, but we live in Colorado! Since we are saints (and we were already dressed when we got the call), we just headed to another building. Though the wet roads were treacherous, we were blessed to go and return safely (ha ha). Anyway the day turned out better than we could have hoped... the ward we went to had an amazing program, we were able to see some friends that moved to NJ and another family from our old CS ward, and we made it back to see a good chunk of the Masters. Hoppy Easter!

Ode to Macy (our joy)

2009-03-22T13:46:00.000-07:00

Well...Macy turned the big 4 last week, so I thought I would devote a post to her and her big day. We had a cooking party where the kiddo's cooked their own pizzas, made salad on a stick, and frosted cupcakes galore. We also played a couple of games and made personalized place mats. It was tons of fun but tons of work. Being a little "over the top" like I tend to be, I decided to make personalized aprons that were cute but not fun to be doing hours before the party started.

Funny things about Macy:

*Macy has OCD issues when it comes to "toe fuzzies". She is constantly checking between her toes and Brinley's for lint.

*She loves to wear makeup...on her forehead. I think that she thinks she is putting it on her eyelids but is missing the mark.

*She loves to cook and wishes she could do it all by herself. The other day she said to me, "I can't wait until I'm 10, so I can use a sharp knife. I want to cut!"

*Macy has a bionic nose and bionic ears. She can sniff out treats in the tallest cupboard or hear our pantry door open from the neighbor's house.

*She is soooo sneaky. Just yesterday, I was missing sick little Brinley's bottle of apple juice. I searched all of the usual places and finally found it in her play house....empty.

*One more sneaky (and unfortunately destructive) thing. I had made 2 Texas Sheetcakes for our YW's New Beginnings Program. Just as I was packing up my gear and heading out the door, I noticed finger tracks not only in the frosting but digging into the cake...the entire cake! I didn't even have to ask who the responsible party was. Matt had noticed about an hour earlier and Macy told him that I had done it. Why would I destroy my own cake? The funny thing is is that he believed her. Love is blind.

*Wants to change her name to Gabriella Montez when she turns 18.

*The other day I was singing, "I'm so glad when Daddy comes home" for her bedtime song. When I came to the last word I stopped singing, so she could fill in the blank. Me: "A great big"

Macy: "snug". How cute!

*Always good for a laugh.

Toothless Gums n' Diaper Bums

2009-01-29T14:15:00.000-08:00

I have 2 major weaknesses when it comes to babies....gums and bums. Last night Matt noticed that Brinley's two bottom teeth are almost ready to errupt. It honestly broke my heart. No more empty gummers to knaw and slobber on me. My baby's growing up. Fortunately, she will still have a diaper bum to pat for another year and a half. (One quick Avery funny....Last night Avery was fuming mad that we wouldn't take her to the Air Force Women's BB game. In the middle of her tantrum (yes, she is 8) she said,"Brinley gets EVERYTHING she wants!" Yeah, it's rough being the big sister.)

Christmas Catchup

2009-01-16T12:05:00.000-08:00

Brinley's "First Christmas" Photoshoot

The Hansen Girl's Nativity (our Baby Jesus wasn't silent)

Our traditional "top of the stairs Christmas morning" picture

"Holiday Hottie"

Happy (belated) Holidays everyone! I know it's cliche but .... it really is the "most wonderful time of the year"! We were able to spend Christmas Day in Colorado Springs and the rest of the vacation in SLC, Heyburn, Logan, Soda Springs, and Bear Lake. Lots of packing and unpacking and repacking, but it was sooooo worth it. We were blessed to attend my nephew's farewell (look out Indiana!) and see a nephew who just returned from Costa Rica. It's hard for me to believe that I have nephews who are old enough to be missionaries, but I'm glad that I do. I know they think I'm the crazy aunt, but I just want to squeeze em'. Anyway, we hope that we're able to see more of you the next time we grace Utah and Idaho, because we luv you all!

Too Cute to Spook!

2008-11-03T13:18:00.000-08:00

Happy post-Halloween everyone! Our weeklong carnival going, pumpkin carving, candy getting, cookie decorating, mummy making, candy eating extravaganza has finally come to a close. Here are our little monsters in their Halloween garb. Enjoy their pearly whites for the last time because they are sure to be toothless the next time you see them in person.

Speaking of teeth...a couple of days ago Macy asked Matt, "When are you going to give Brinley her teeth?". Spoken like a daughter of a dentist.

Am I That Boring?

2008-10-12T20:25:00.000-07:00

Macy has been so bored without her older sisters to entertain her that she has been crashing in the oddest places. She is constantly asking when her "guys" are going to come home from school.

She is the funniest kid, though. A couple of weeks ago, we had a craft day at our church. As I was leaving, I gave the girls (and Matt) my "don't trash the house while I'm gone" speech. She turned to me and said, "How 'bout I put fire on it?" I think we'd better keep a close eye on this kid.

Something Old/Something New

2008-09-14T16:19:00.000-07:00

*First of all, here are some old and some new pictures of Brinley. She is a smiling fool these days (note the carseat picture). When she flashes a big one, she gets collective--ohhhhhhhs--from her admiring fans... Avery, Paige, and Macy. If you would like to see her in person, our door is always open (guilt trip).

*Secondly, here is a health update on the littlest Hansen, for inquiring minds who want to know. We are happy to say that she is 100% with no future problems anticipated. (FYI (for those who didn't hear) ... Brinley was born with ulcers and had to be in the NICU for a week. The poor thing had to be intubated, have 2 blood transfusions, and an endoscopy before she was even 5 days old.)

Dressed in White Pics

2008-09-08T15:23:00.001-07:00

Dressed in White

2008-09-08T14:59:00.000-07:00

Since, I'm new to the blogging world, I thought I would do a little catching up on recent events. Here is Princess Avery in her baptism dress. I let her pick it out, and surprise, she picked out a mini-wedding dress. Aves honestly counted down the days to her baptism was fortunate to be baptized on her actual birthday. Brinley was also blessed the same weekend, so even though things were a little crazy in our household, it was a great blessing to have family here for both.

Hiking Pics

2008-09-02T22:37:00.001-07:00

Labor Day Hike-o-rama

2008-09-02T15:54:00.000-07:00

We stayed in town for Labor Day and decided to do a local hike that we had never done before. It's called the Helen Hunt Falls Hike (no relation to the actress Helen Hunt). It was short and sweet. The girls were a little disappointed that they weren't allowed to wade in the stream but soon discovered that playing with rocks could be just as fun. After the hike we went to the "America the Beautiful Park". It has a huge playground and water fountain that unfortunately doesn't allow wading either. The evening was cut a little short because poor Paige had to go potty and didn't want to use the restrooms there. (She has an issue with loud toilets, funny kid). We came home and ate cereal for dinner. The kids were in heaven, but Matt was a little disappointed. I think he was expecting a traditional Labor Day BBQ, but no....we're having Raisin Bran!!!

Blogging Bandwagon

2008-09-01T21:25:00.001-07:00

Well it's official, the Hansen's are blogging! I have realized (after my mom sent me a little email hinting that pictures of Brinley are long overdue) that it is time to keep friends and family better informed of our happenings, so ....... here they are for your viewing pleasure.