My favorite 15 year old

Jaden.  My oldest boy.  My tender hearted son.  My thoughtful child.  My helper.  My wonderful boy. 15 years with this young man has flown by, and yet, it seems like he's always been in my life.  He loves ice cream, video games, playing his trombone and baritone, snowboarding, and wrestling his mom.  I think he likes this last one because he can pin me pretty quick.  He is an amazing older brother.  He is Gabe's biggest hero.  He is a spiritual giant.  He blows his YM leaders away every time he teaches Teachers Quorum.  He is quick to apologize and much more humble than me.  He is an endless tease to his sisters.  One day they'll love him for it.  He always follows up any request from me with, "sure thing Mom".    I love being his mom.  I am so happy to watch the man he is growing up to be.  Happy Birthday Jaden, 15 looks good on you.  

   How do you celebrate someone so fabulous?  All week long!  Sunday we had a dinner with Grandma Judy and Grandpa.  We had one of Jaden's favorite's, Hawaiian haystacks.  Grandma made an awesome cake served with one of Jaden's 4 food groups, vanilla ice cream.  Jaden's wish list is getting more expensive with age.  This year we gave him a pass to the Park City ski resort so he can hone his newly acquired snowboarding skills.  Grandma and Grandpa spoiled him with snowboarding gear.  What a lucky dude.  

Monday night we had the Taintor side of the family over for pizza and cake.  He got more snowboarding gear from GrandMerry, Papa, Adam, and Danielle.  Janie and Ryan picked the perfect gift for Jaden with a Game Stop gift certificate.  I love it when our family gets together to celebrate birthdays.  This time of year it's about once a month.

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Today I got up early to make him breakfast.  This is usually a family affair but with him having to be up early for Jazz Band, I let everyone else sleep in.  We will be having our traditional birthday breakfast of homemade Kneaders french toast on Saturday.  Scott surprised Jaden by taking donuts to Jazz Band and hanging out with him during his class.  What a great dad.  Tonight Jaden, Scott, and Gabe all went to the church for a celebration of scouting.  Chili dogs and s'mores was a pretty awesome birthday dinner.  

We had a great time celebrating this cool kid.   I love you Jaden.  

blogging again

I am going to start blogging again!  Last night I was in bed racking my brain trying to remember something.  I went to my blog and I had posted about it!  It was in that moment I realized I need my blog.  I need it so I can remember my life.  I need it so when I'm old and grey I don't have to sit down and try to write my life history.  Since I can't remember what I did last week, let alone 20 years ago, this is a necessity.  I may go back and do some back blogging.  Who knows.  I'll just start from today and see how I do.  Yippee!

our thank you cards

Many Memories Tree Holiday Thank You 3x5 folded card

Turn your photo into this year's holiday party invitations.

View the entire collection of cards.

5 months

smiles at everyone. she also stares with a penetrating gaze.

trying to grab. such an intensity about it. still doesn't have good control. when she does get something it goes straight in her mouth.

her nick name from me is "squishy squishy". so original. i also tend to call her fatty von fatso but that's doesn't sound as nice. i love the squish!!

still sleeps with me. i know i know. i am too tired to move her.

found her voice. uses it often.

still loves to be held. why shouldn't she be carried around like a princess. she has enough slaves.

she will tolerate being in her swing if she is fed, changed and happy. that swing has saved life.

she can make a total strangers day with a simple smile.

grabs her feet. especially when I am changing her diaper. it always surprises me that even after

six kids I am totally giddy when my babies do something new.

she can almost roll over. she'd learn if she was allowed to lie down for more then 5 seconds. i just can't leave a baby lying on the floor with wild animals stampeding about. the wild animals also see a baby on the floor as something to be picked up immediately.

dang i love this baby.

numero uno thanksgivingo

Over the past few years we have developed a tradition of holding two Thanksgiving dinners. One is on the actual day and the second is on Friday. It is simply wonderful to get my favorite meal two days in a row. I like it even better that I am not expected to eat them both on the same day. Our first meal was at the Turners. Yum yum yum! Everything was perfect. We even got to enjoy the company of Scott's great Aunt Doris.

15 weeks

Gabe always wants to get in on the action. He sure loves his "Baby Melia"

because adam and danielle are so worth the trip.

My brother is a big fat smarty pants. His super-mega brains have taken him to medical school and now all the way to Wisconsin for his residency. Three years is not so long these days, but it's long enough to start missing them.

Adam had a deal of some flights that he just wasn't going to be able to use. I wanted to use them. Really I did. It's just with six kids and a new baby I didn't see how I'd swing it. Not by myself anyway. Then one day Adam talked Janie into coming too. That was that. I had my ticket and with a bit of finagling was on my way. My mom is a life saver. Thanks. It was weird going without Scott and the kids. I had Amelia, but that was it. It was a strange mixture of freedom and homesickness all wrapped together.

Kennedy was nice enough to let me stay in her beautiful pink princess room. Amelia and I shared the twin bed. I couldn't have been more welcomed. The first night we went to Kennedy and Seth's German school to a light festival. It was fun to hear Kennedy and Seth sing and speak in German.

Friday Adam had to work so Danielle took us to the quaint little town of Cedarburg. We then went to a fish fry with long lines, greasy delicious fish, and polka music. Good times.

Saturday we headed out to Chicago. Traffic was horrible but it was well worth the drive. We only lost one of Adam's kids and she was shortly recovered. We visited Wrigley field, played with the giant "Bean", rode the subway, and ate some delicious pizza.

Sunday all got up bright and early for 9 a.m. church. This was not an easy task with 5 adults, 6 kids, and one bathroom. We pulled it off, and even though Danielle was coming down with the Flu, we all made it to church. Living in Utah we are indeed spoiled. Within a mile of my house there are at least six LDS meetinghouses. In Wisconsin we had to drive 30 minutes to reach the nearest one. I am ruined. I love going to the church in different areas. I love to see how the church is the same wherever you go. It is such a testimony to me of the truthfulness of the gospel. Their ward also has a lot of residents and med students from Utah.

After the meeting Adam took us on a tour of the hospital where he works. My brother is a doctor. I think somehow that makes me cooler. I am sure of it.

Monday Danielle most assuredly had the flu. She was far to sick to take us out, so instead gave us a map and her keys and we were on our way. We visited the most amazing little "hole in the wall" spice shop called The Spice House. They had the most awesome blends of spices. I am now going to get all my spices by mail order. We then headed down to the Milwaukee Public Market. With our tour guide sick we weren't quite sure what to do. Even wandering around aimlessly were were able to have a good time.

Thanks Taintor's for having us out. It was a great trip.

good bye Grandpa

We will miss you Grandpa. We're sad our time with you is at an end. We're glad you are now with your sweetheart again. It's the way it should be, you two together.

Scott's Grandpa Hilton passed November 6, 2009. With both of my grandpa's gone before I left Jr. High, he became a grandpa to me. My kids loved him too, and he loved them. He had an especially soft spot for Gabe and Isabella, who always had kisses and hugs for him.

He was an extremely generous man who always took care of his family. He was notorious for slipping his us money. He loved to visit but was sure to keep it short. He was always the first to arrive (10 minutes early) and the first to leave. He loved books and nuts which made buying him presents easy. There is so much more that could be said about Grandpa that I am failing to mention. I think the thing that impressed me the most about him is his love of his family. He will be sorely missed.

We all gathered together to remember and celebrate his life. As sad as funerals are, I always enjoy the side effect of having the whole family gather together.

After the service we headed off to the only place you really can take a group as big ours, Chuck-o-rama. I think Grandpa would have been pleased.

GO UTES!!!

Because I have a little baby my ticket for extra cold home games goes to my kids. Aunt Lisa was kind enough to loan her extra to us and Mariah and Jaden both got to go. They profess to be die hard Ute fans but I suspect they're real motivation for wanting to go to the games is to eat treats and spend time with Grandma Judy.

13 weeks

12 weeks

Watch me grow!!! The first 12 weeks.

Hallo "weeee" n

Halloween this year was quite the party. We began the festivities with some good old pumpkin carving.

My family then came over and we finished up Jaden's birthday celebrations by opening gifts from them.

Then we suited up and headed out to gather way to gather up candy candy candy. Yum yum.

"Big Kid" Halloween Bash

I like to dress up. Scott really likes to dress up. Thankfully not in women's clothing (unless you count that time he was Juliet and I was Romeo.) For about 10 years we have attended an annual Halloween Party. No Kids. This allows us to become the children you see? We have gone as everything from a Jack Sparrow and Pirate Wench to the "Corpse Bride" and Jack Skellington. We are starting to run low on ideas. A couple of years ago we finally discovered Hale Center Theatre costume rentals. We mean business. Serious business. This year we were at a complete loss. Then the wondrous folks at Hale pulled out this great costume for Scott. It was a breeze from there. Rumplestiltskin, the Queen, and a baby princess to boot. I was simply tickled to find another use for that blessing dress.

These friends of ours are serious too. Have you ever seen a better looking group? I guess I shouldn't say we all love dressing up. Some are harassed into it. More of us love it than hate it so for now we're dressing up.

The childlike behavior doesn't end with dressing up. Oh no. We have twinkie eating contests, blindfolded spoon games and eating until we are sick. I'm Holly and I like to dress up like a princess. Between you and me I think Scott likes the tights.

halloween parade

Ah, the yearly Halloween parade. Why is it the kids have to move so fast that I get motion sick? Where are they going in such a hurry? I can't believe my pictures aren't blurry. Oh and if you're wondering who Jaden is, he's Toad from Super Mario Brothers. I let my kids pick their own costumes.

11 years old

11 years old. Dang. Time flies when you're having fun I suppose. What a great kid I have. Indeed. He's smart, funny, silly, helpful, tenderhearted, and yadda yadda yadda I really could go on forever. He is in a word, superb.

To celebrate his sheer awesomeness we began the day with heart shaped waffles. What 11 year old boy doesn't like heart shaped waffles on his birthday? Really it's the only waffle maker we have, so he was nice and ate them anyway.

That night we met Scott's family at Tepanyaki for dinner. Yum yum. He was showered with legos and starwars stuff and lego star wars stuff. 11 year old bliss. When we got home there was a shiny new bike waiting for Jaden. Yeah. We're partying with the Taintors on Halloween. There's nothing better than dragging out your birthday. Happy Birthday Jaden.

1st snowfall=1st snowman

Right after school Jaden and his friend K got right to work on this beauty. Nice.

eleven weeks

Amelia is joined this week by Isabella and Gabe. I think they like her.

ten weeks

this is EXACTLY how I feel

For Hayley's Art class she was assigned to draw a picture of her hero. She decided to draw me. Okay, so I suggested she choose me, but she fell for it. I think she pegged me. My pile of laundry really is that big.

arrow of light

When the boys in our ward earn their Arrow of Light they get to have a special ceremony. Jaden wanted to have an "Indiana Jones" themed to-do. Scott was the only man silly enough to the honors. They went on a grand adventure together around the cultural hall. They gathered clues and finally found his arrow. Scott made everyone laugh and Jaden loved having his dad be part of the action. Good job Jaden and Scott. You two boys make me smile.

nine weeks

another three months-another belt test

Belt testing seems to be coming around more and more often. This time Hayley and Jaden got their Red Belts, Mariah got her Blue Belt and Isabella got her Green Dragon.

Even though she's not in Tae Kwon Do just yet, I had to include these pictures.