Carla's Place

Its so hard to say goodbye!

2010-09-22T09:07:00.004-07:00

The kids got to spend a little time with their cousins right before we left.

While we were in AZ, Auralee got to visit her very best friend. They've been friends since they were babies!

On our way out of AZ, we stopped in Coolidge and got to spend lunch with some more friends. We miss you!

A Birthday and a Baby Shower!

2010-08-24T11:11:00.004-07:00

Durring the couple minutes of free time we had for our Christmas break, we threw Candace a surprise baby shower. It was so much fun sneaking around and she really loved it. My sister Mechelle made a yummy, yummy, yummy cake that was beautiful, and we all got her gifts. I made her a blanket cake. Normally I would have done a diaper cake, but Candace, bless her brave soul, is doing cloth diapering.

We were also able to throw my nephew, Eli a birthday party complete with another cake by Mechelle (she was kept very busy). Happy Birthday Eli! We love you!

A Bath in the Sink at Nancy's

2010-08-24T10:53:00.007-07:00

We got ready to get our Engstrom family pictures at auntie Nancy's house. I gave Connor a bath in the sink and the girls got showers. I love giving my babies baths in the sink!

SO CUTE!

Engstrom/Snyder Family Pics 2009

2010-08-24T09:34:00.007-07:00

I love family pictures! This year we were able to participate in them from Luc's and my side of the family. Luc was only able to join us for the weekend and then he had to go right back to work. Oh the life of the responsible! Someday it will get easier :)

All the Engstrom cousins.

The whole Engstrom Clan.

My beautiful little family!

The Snyder kids and mom and dad.

The sitting pose.

The nerdy pose.

Everybody except Lucas. He couldn't make it because of work.

The whole fam being goofy!

Christmas With the Engstroms 2009

2010-08-24T09:31:00.003-07:00

At the Engstrom's everybody went in shifts to open gifts. We got there after everyone else had opened their gifts, so it was our turn. The kids had a blast!

Taryn sure did miss her Nancy. She wouldn't leave her almost the entire time!

Auralee enjoyed all her gifts and even got an MP3 player!

Yay for family!

Christmas With the Snyders 2009

2010-08-24T08:50:00.007-07:00

My Family!

Early morning pics of the little ones and the tree before the masses decended.

All the above pics are by Alisha

We all gathered at my sister Mechelle's house for Christmas morning. Each family had their own little corner to open their gifts. It was so much fun watching all the kids opening their gifts!

Luc was able to join us for the Christmas weekend. It was so good to have him with us!

Hooray for family and Christmas!

Giant Customers

2010-08-24T08:01:00.005-07:00

For Christmas I was able to go to Arizona to visit my family. On our way there, we went to Luna and visited my grandparents. A couple of my siblings and their spouses were there and we had a great time!

Collage by Alisha

We all convoyed back to Phoenix, stopping at a Giant gas station to fill up. My brother Marc is 6' 8", so when he stood next to this sign we all thought it was particularly funny.

This guy is GREAT! I was on my own this trip (Luc had to stay home and work - no vaca for the first year with this job) and I was taking care of my 3 kiddos by my self. The truck's heater doesn't work, so it was cold and Connor would cry as soon as it got dark (he hates the dark in the car for some reason) and keep crying 'till we stopped and I picked him up. On the 5-6hr trip from Luna to Phoenix, he left his beautiful wife Candace in the car with my sister Alisha and her husband Tommy and drove my dumpy, cold truck so I could sit in the passenger seat and take care of kids easier (Auralee took his place in the nice warm car). What a saint! Thanks Marc! I love you!

Baby Laughs!

2010-08-24T07:40:00.002-07:00

I love it when Luc plays with the baby. It's even more fun when Connor laughs!

November 2009

Look What I Made!

2010-08-24T07:36:00.005-07:00

For our Christmas activity for Relief Society we made gingerbread houses. I made my house frame at home from a recipe they gave us earlier and then I frosted it at our activity. I really enjoyed it and it made my house smell really good!

November 2009

2010-08-24T07:30:00.003-07:00

Connor holds up his head!

So, heres the story...

2010-06-26T08:13:00.003-07:00

While we were living in that hole of an extended stay hotel, it was my job to find us a place to live. Luckily, we were put in contact with a Realtor who was willing to help us out. I left the girls with my MIL and we searched and searched until we found a house to rent that would work for our family. Its a good house in a nice neighborhood and is only three houses away from the school Auralee attends. I couldn't sign Auralee up for school until we signed the lease, so I tried to get things moving as quickly as possible.

We signed the lease and moved in on Halloween. Our new ward was great! They sent over lots of people to help us move our things in and we were able to get it all done fairly quickly. During the day, while Luc was at work training to be an insurance adjuster, my friend Heidi would come over and help me put things away in the kitchen.

One day, about 4 days after we moved in, I had been invited to go to another new mom's house where three of us with new babies got together and just visited. I had a good time. When I got home, Luc was laying on our bed in our room. It was early for him to be home, so I asked him if they let him come home early. He said that they had fired him. Something about Luc, he doesn't deal with uncomfortable situations like most people I know. When hes uncomfortable, he smiles and laughs, so at first I thought he was joking. After assuring me that he was not, I felt like I was going to throw up. My head was spinning and the only thing I could think of to ask was "why?" He said when he got to work, they called him in to the office and told him that they no longer needed him. When he asked them why, they said that he was "not a good fit for their team" and if he had more questions he could contact human resources. They were no help either. They could not give any good reason why they fired Luc. We had moved all the way to Texas for this job on our own dime and they just dumped us. The man who had hired Luc wasn't even there for Luc to talk to. He was out with shoulder surgery or something like that. Luc was devastated. All the fire was gone out of him. He had found the perfect job that could give us stability and a way to get out of debt, and it was just pulled out from under him.

Luckily, a position at the business where my friend Heidi's husband is a manager, came available and he offered it to Luc. Now we are able to pay rent and bills but we lost our house in AZ to foreclosure. It seams like every time it looks like our ship has come in, it sinks as its coming into port.

Even so, I'm determined to make our stay here in Texas the best I can. We have a great ward full of wonderful people and our church callings and raising our 3 beautiful children fill up our lives. God will keep an eye on us and I know things will work out for the best.

Sisters, Sisters...

2010-06-01T09:41:00.002-07:00

...there were never such devoted sisters!

The Princesses and the Frog

2010-06-01T08:47:00.003-07:00

We moved into our house on Halloween day. I couldn't let my kids miss out on Halloween, so we put together some quick costumes and headed out. Of course I planned Connors. When I saw it, I couldn't resist!

Happy Boy!

2010-06-01T08:30:00.002-07:00

Connor at 2 months

Sunday!

2010-06-01T08:21:00.002-07:00

While Luc was at work I found us a house to rent in Arlington. We found out where our church building was and decided to drive the hour to attend. The drive was beautiful, but our little ones didn't see it. ;)

A day at the park

2010-06-01T07:49:00.003-07:00

Durring the day, when it wasn't raining, we found a great park near where we were staying in Dallas.

The fall colors and fallen leaves made everything that much prettier.

The girls had fun picking flowers and finding cattapillars. We followed a bike trail for a little while as well. It was a nice day.

The Big Move

2010-05-27T07:39:00.006-07:00

On Tuesday, October 6th, 2009, all my family's earthly belongings were packed up in a Uhaul truck and Luc, my girls and my mother-in-law started the long drive to the Plano, TX area for Luc's new job.

I knew the drive wouldn't work out with me and a new nursing baby, so I stayed with my sister (thanks Mechelle) for a few days and flew out the following Saturday with Connor in tow.

After I got there, we moved into an extended stay hotel for two weeks while Luc did his training and we looked for a house to rent. It was very cramped and since it was in a rainy season there and our AC unit wasn't working right, we were all very sticky.

Connor @ 1 month

2010-05-27T07:14:00.006-07:00

Before we left for Texas, my wonderful sister Alisha did a photo shoot with Connor. The pictures turned out GREAT!

She's very creative and has a good eye.

Connor's Blessing

2010-05-25T13:36:00.004-07:00

In the middle of moving, we had Connor's Blessing. I'm so grateful for the family members who could make it. It made it all the more special.

Isn't he beautiful!

In To The Wild Blue Yonder!

2010-05-25T13:02:00.001-07:00

After a year of being mostly unemployed, Luc was finally able to get a job! The catch, its in Texas! Luckily, our ward in Coolidge is the best ever and they came to our rescue. With a brand new baby, I could have never done it on my own. If I could have stayed in my beautiful home a few more years, I would not have been sad about it. I love my little house! I will miss you!

Happy 30th Birthday Luc!

2010-05-25T12:49:00.002-07:00

My wonderful husband Luc turned 30 in October!
I wanted to do something amazing for him, but since we were moving, everything got put on the back burner. :( Maybe 31 will be the big one!

I love you!

Well Hello There!

2010-05-25T12:39:00.003-07:00

I love my son!

Evolution

2010-05-25T12:26:00.002-07:00

Taryn's people are getting more and more detailed.

I hope she keeps up the art work. I love it!

The Eyes Have It

2010-05-25T12:23:00.001-07:00

I love my girls big brown eyes!

The boys are going to be in trouble when they get older!

Free At Last!

2010-05-25T11:50:00.002-07:00

Auralee finally got her cast off and boy was she happy!

Her arm was really puney (not that it isn't anyway) and very icky from the cast, but it got back to normal fairly quickly.

The Errand of Angels

2010-05-25T11:08:00.001-07:00

My sister Brianne came down from Idaho and helped me out for two weeks after Connor was born. Isn't she great?!

Taryn Turns 3!!!

2010-05-25T10:44:00.003-07:00

My sweet little Taryn is growing and growing! For her 3rd birthday, we had a pool party at grandma Engstrom's house. Aunty Sarah made her a great cake and everyone had fun (except for maybe Auralee, she couldn't go swimming because of her cast)!

At home I had a little party for her. I couldn't do much because I just had Connor, but she loved it anyway. I sure do love that girl!

And now, the moment you've all been waiting for...

2009-09-20T09:24:00.004-07:00

We welcome
Connor Jaxon Engstrom
Born August 30th 2009
At 11:55 am
Weighing 8lb 8oz
20 in long

This whole giving birth thing really stressed me out. Not the actual giving birth, but the when. Everyone seemed to have an opinion on when I should have him, and I just couldn't accommodate everyone. I had an induction scheduled for the 31st, but Connor had other plans (THANK GOODNESS!). Sunday morning at about 4:30, I was feeling uncomfortable. I squirmed for about a half hour then at about 5 I decided to get up. I found that my water had broken so I went to wake up Luc. Because of my pregnancy, I've been snoring a lot, so Luc has been sleeping on the couch. I went in and shook his shoulder a little and said "Luc, my water broke." He replied "It did?" I was so happy! We both took showers and I got the girls things together so we could send them to grandmas house. We loaded everyone up in the car at about 6 and headed off to the hospital. My contractions started on the way there and were quite painful. Taryn noticed and asked me what was wrong. I explained that the baby was coming and that it hurt a lot. She said, "Its OK mom, you can do it." When we got to the hospital, Luc dropped me off at the front door and went to deliver the girls. By the time he got back, I was in a room and had my epidural. I LOVE THE DRUGS! No pain, No shame, I say. From there everything went pretty quickly. At about 11, the nurses said I was ready, but I had to wait because the doctor was doing an operation. They had hoped the epidural would slow down my progress, but it didn't. The doctor came and a few pushes later I had my beautiful baby boy.

I have a SON! Isn't that WONDERFUL!

Changing of the hardwear

2009-09-16T16:14:00.002-07:00

Auralee went to the orthopedist to get her cast changed. She had wanted a purple cast, but her dad talked her into getting a red one instead (it goes better with the D-backs and the Cardinals).

The saw is pretty loud and Auralee spooks easily. At least now she can bend her elbow.

Art is life

2009-09-16T16:06:00.002-07:00

Both my girls love to draw and I just love it! It makes me happy to see them create something all their own. I hope they keep it up.

Auralee's pic of the Mesa Temple.

Another of Taryn's people.

Antisipation

2009-09-16T15:59:00.002-07:00

Since I was about 6 months pregnant, people have been asking me if I was about to deliver. When I told them how much longer I had, they would then ask me if I was having twins.

As frustrating as this is for me, I accept it. I'm big. He's all out in front.

My future starving artist

2009-09-16T15:51:00.002-07:00

This is Taryn's first picture of a person. She says it is her and that she is smiling and that the little things that look like ears are her cheeks. She made sure to let me know that she has two eyes.

Should I start planning for art school? ;)

Happy Birthday!

2009-09-16T15:47:00.003-07:00

I am now 33 yrs old! Crazy huh?!

I got a chocolate cake with chocolate pudding and cherries topped with whipped cream. Soooooo yummy!

First Day of School!

2009-09-16T10:45:00.007-07:00

My baby started 1st grade this year! Can you believe it?!

She was so cute for her first day. She even let me put a barrette in her hair, which is unusual. I love you Auralee!

You Never Listen!

2009-08-27T18:12:00.002-07:00

Sounds like something I would be writing about my kids, huh? Well it's me, ALL me.

I asked my doctor if it would be OK to go ATV riding while I'm pregnant. They said no. I didn't listen and went anyway. Ive been riding ATVs all Summer, and nothing has happened. I thought if I was careful that I would be just fine. Not the case.

The last day we were in Luna, Luc wanted to go for an ATV ride. We had had lots of fun with them and he wanted to check out one more spot before we headed back to the Valley. The sites were beautiful and we were having an enjoyable time. It was past lunch time and the storm clouds were rolling in, so we figured we should head back. Luc mentioned that if I was comfortable with it that I could go a little faster. I did. There is no speedometer on the ATV, so I don't know how fast I was going, but a curve in the road surprised me and I could feel the ATV tipping. A cousin of mine was killed when an ATV fell on him so I figured rather than taking the chance of rolling, I would straiten out and take my chances going through the trees. I made it through an opening in some saplings, but the branches hit me in the face and knocked my glasses off. I was disoriented and not thinking, so I didn't hit the break and I didn't clear the trees. I drove over another sapling and hit a tree. I had Auralee on the back with me and we both went flying off. I must have hit the handle bar with my leg, because I ended up landing sitting up facing the opposite way I had been with Auralee just in front of me. We both started crying and I scooped up my girl all the while telling her how sorry I was and that I had made a bad choice. Then, so Luc would be able to find us, I started screaming. It was all very traumatic. Auralee complained that her arm hurt, but when we asked her to wiggle her fingers she could. We thought she might have sprained it. Luc spent some time locating my glasses which were thankfully intact and then he got the ATV back on the road. He was able to straiten it out enough so that I could drive it back to my grandparents house. We were about 15 miles away and there was no phone service. The baby hadn't moved in a while and I got really worried. I cried most of the way home and prayed that everything would be OK. When we got to my grandparents, I asked my aunt Lorraine to take Auralee and me to the hospital so we could get checked out. It was an hour away, so Luc stayed behind to pack up our things and then meet us there later so we could just go home from there. I got a full work up and all was well with the baby and me. I was so relieved that my baby didn't have to suffer because of my stupidity. Auralee, on the other hand, was a different story. After some X-rays, they found that she had indeed broken her arm. They put it in a splint and a sling and told us to make sure it was casted within the next 5 days. My poor baby! The doc that was looking at us asked if I was wearing a helmet. When I said no, he said "I say that people who don't wear helmets don't need them because there's nothing up there to protect." Talk about a little dose of humility. When we told him that Auralee was wearing a helmet, he said "good, then I don't have to call CPS." All in all everything turned out well, but thinking about what could have happened scares me. I will do my best to be smarter about my decisions in the future.

Luna Reunions 2009

2009-08-27T12:40:00.004-07:00

Just one week after getting home from a 10 day camping trip, we were off for another 10 day trip. Every summer my family has family reunions in a little town called Luna. Luna is my favorite place to visit in the whole world. I have tons of memories from growing up and visiting there every year. My grandparents grew up there and after living away for years, moved back to retire there. This gives everyone a little extra incentive to go visit. I love the wonderful food my grandma makes and her bread is the best I've ever tasted. My grandpa has a big garden he grows every year and harvests lots of yummy veggies that we eat with our meals. It's heaven for me.

This year, our Fuentes reunion was earlier to accommodate early school starting. We always have it at the Head of the Ditch, named so because it's the head of the ditch. :) We have a huge potluck dinner where my cousin makes pit barbecue from a cow from his ranch. It's soooo good! My cousin Mini makes her wonderful sopapillas and I drench mine in honey. My mouth is just watering just thinking about them. We visit a lot and then there are activities to do. We also have an auction with donated items, usually homemade or handcrafted, to fund the next years reunion. I enjoy it very much. This year most of my family was there, except my brothers and their families. We missed them a lot. :(

Me and my girls (Luc was doing job stuff) stayed the week along with my sister Mechelle and her family. One of the days, my grandpa took us on a drive to see some of the old homesteads. It was a beautiful drive and we were even able to see some Elk. I love country drives! To fill the rest of the time there my sister and I brought projects to do. We worked on quilts. Its nice to have someone to help you when you take on a project you don't have a pattern for. ;)

Our Snyder reunion has always been on the weekend of the 24th of July for the Pioneer celebration. Luna's population skyrockets for the festivities. They have a big parade, although it was a lot better when I was a kid because they had huge floats then, a rodeo, a lunch at the community center and a dance. It can be lots of fun.

Our family always has a spot where some (it used to be all of us) camp out. It's out at Trout Creek. Every year someone climbs the big oak tree and hangs the rope swing. It's tons of fun and the kids love it. Most of the adults sit around the big fire pit and visit. I love my family. I've known these people my whole life and just sitting (and eating of course) and visiting is just fine for me.

The Neves Family

2009-08-25T17:20:00.002-07:00

While we stayed in Duck Creek, we took a little trip to Cedar City to do laundry and shower. While we were there, we visited some of our friends, the Neves family. We used to live next door to them when they lived in Mesa. We met them for lunch and had a great visit. It was all very timely, because now they have moved to Michigan. They are a great family and I miss them a lot.

It was a nice part of our trip. I was so glad to get home after being away from my bed and indoor plumbing, but I would defiantly do it again.

Zion National Park 2009

2009-08-25T17:10:00.007-07:00

One of the last places we visited was Zion National Park. It was beautiful!

To get to the canyon through the east entrance, you had to go through a tunnel that was a mile long. You had to wait for a while to get through sometimes, because if a motor home was going through, they had to be escorted through the center of the tunnel and took up both lanes.

I was really impressed by some of the formations, especially the Checkerboard Mesa.

We hiked up to Weeping Rock and saw formations that were called things like, Angels Landing, The Three Patriarchs, The Alter of Sacrifice and The Temple.

The girls and I spent the majority of our time on our own while Luc and his dad hiked The Narrows. Most of the hike was through the water and I knew I wouldn't be able to make it. Instead, the girls and I visited a museum, a visitors center and watched a movie about the canyon and rode the shuttle up the canyon. I enjoyed it, but the girls didn't really start having fun until...

...we went and started playing in the water at the foot of The Narrows. Water is always a good way to pass the time. :)

On out way out of the park, we passed a Doe with TWO babies! It was so fun to see them! It was really strange, because she was with them in this little island of trees and brush surrounded by roads and trails and people, yet she was calmly taking care of her young. I'm glad I got to see it.

Duck Creek 2009

2009-08-24T19:42:00.004-07:00

Duck Creek was a really fun place to camp. Other than having to put a jacket and shoes on to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, I loved it. When we weren't off at a National Park, we took turns with the rest of the family riding ATVs.

We explored lots of different trails and visited an ice cave. I didn't go down inside the cave because the climb was too steep, but Auralee and Luc enjoyed it. Of course, Taryn fell asleep while driving around. I don't know how she does it, but it happens every time. :) We were also able to go fishing on one of the off days at a big pond near our campground. Everything was GREAT!

Auralee's auntie Nancy took her horseback riding one of the days we were there. She had a blast! They put her on her own horse and then let her ride ALL BY HER SELF! What a great thing for her! I was told she did a really good job and was even able to get her horse to go fast when she wanted him to.

At the campground everyone had lots of fun as well. The kids spent lots of time digging in the dirt and playing with the buckets we brought (a total life saver and completely worth bringing) and exploring around the camp site. They played with cousins and had a favorite log they liked to climb. Luc spent a lot of time playing horseshoes with his brother and dad and we all enjoyed dutch oven meals. MMMMMMM, yummy! I got some reading and relaxing done as well.

After playing in the dirt and getting pretty messy all by herself, Taryn's cousin Dwayne helped her out a little more by dumping a bucket of dirt on her head. This photo op was so great, we couldn't miss it. :) Thankfully, we had access to showers a couple times during the week, so we all got cleaned up from the grit and grime we collected.

Every time we ate at our campsite, we had several visitors of the furry kind. They knew exactly what was going on when we got the food out and would come right up to us, ready to dash away as soon as we moved. Much to my kids dismay, I would not let them feed the animals. They were fun to watch though.

Bryce Canyon 2009

2009-08-24T19:03:00.002-07:00

Our next stop on our camping trip was Utah. We camped outside a little place called Duck Creek. It was great because it was just a short distance to two National Parks. One of those parks was Bryce Canyon. I had never been there, so it was a new experience for me as well as the rest of my little family.

The formations were amazing. There were these huge strangely shaped protrusions called Hoodoos. They started out as solid formations and then over time, the outside soil was washed away by wind and rain. Lots of the earth was rust colored. That's because there is a lot of iron in the soil and when it was exposed to the air and water, it rusted! Pretty cool huh?!

We were at the same camp ground as Luc's family and were able to spend part of our day with them at Bryce before separating and seeing our own sites.

We had lots of fun, and, of course, Taryn fell asleep.

The Grand Canyon 2009

2009-08-24T18:26:00.004-07:00

At the end of June, we started our 10 day Engstrom Family 4th of July camping trip. Our little family decided to start at the Grand Canyon. Luc really wanted to take Auralee there since she had mentioned several times that she'd never been. We camped just outside the park at a nice little camp ground. We slept in a tent and Luc and I had an air mattress. I wasn't sure how I would do, being pregnant, but surprisingly, I did quite well.

The weather was beautiful and the canyon was gorgeous!

We walked all over the place. Up and down trails and to lots of overlooks. The places we couldn't get to quickly offered a shuttle. They were always crowded, but since I'm pregnant, I always seemed to get a seat. We spent quite a bit of time there and enjoyed it all. We packed our lunch and snacks and water as well. It was a wonderful experience and I'm so glad we went. I'm also glad my girls has a great time :)

Take me out to the ball game!

2009-08-24T17:40:00.002-07:00

Back in May, Luc got some tickets to a D-Backs game from a friend. I'm not very enthusiastic about baseball on TV, but I really enjoy going to a live game. We had a lot of fun. It was a great date and I hope we can have a lot more of them like it.

Little girls bring such delight with hearts so warm and smiles so bright!

2009-08-24T14:38:00.006-07:00

In June, my friend Heidi offered to take some pictures of my girls. I gladly accepted and boy am I glad I did. She did a wonderful job! My girls are beautiful!

The 1st Ray and Freeda Costner Family Reunion 2009

2009-08-18T13:18:00.008-07:00

A while ago my aunt Christine suggested that we have a Costner Reunion for my mom's side of the family. My sister Mechelle and I agreed, but that was the last I heard about it. Sometimes I can't stand having an idea in my head and not doing anything about it. So, since no one else was doing anything about it, I took it upon myself to plan it. Let me tell you, that was a lot of hard work! It was so nice to see it come to fruition though. I was able to get all 7 Costner siblings to come and participate. We got a nice place reserved to meet at, had lots of good food, fun games and activities and everyone got to visit and catch up. I'm so glad it was a success. The next one wont be for another two years, so I have some time to relax. :)

(collage courtesy of Mechelle)

A small portion of my mom's family.

The brothers and sisters and the sister-in-laws.

The brothers and sisters and a portion (if not all) of their families.

My grandpa Costner lives in a home, so everyone took some time while we were there to go and visit him. My girls don't have very long attention spans, so we didn't stay long, but I thought it was important for them to be able to see him. My sister named her baby after him, so it was nice to see them together. His name is Ray Lee and my niece is Raeleigh.

Gone Fishin'

2009-08-18T12:58:00.002-07:00

Auralee got a fishing pole for Easter. Since she had one, her dad thought he should have one as well. They've been fishing a lot at the local man-made lakes in the Valley. Auralee finally caught a fish and was so proud of herself! Unfortunantly, she had to put it back. When she asked her dad why, he told her its because it wasn't big enough and hadn't had babies yet. She accepted his explanation and was content with a picture.

The Cabin 2009

2009-08-10T11:47:00.007-07:00

Memorial Day weekend, we went up to Payson and stayed at Luc's grandparents cabin. We had tons of fun. Luc brought his dutch oven and made some yummy chicken. We roasted marshmallows and made s'mores, and spent lots of time with family.

We went ATV riding all over the back roads.

We went fishing and Luc caught several fish. It was nice and relaxing.

We explored a little and the girls played in the water with their cousins. Taryn loved her grandpa John.

I took some cute pictures of the girls by the water.

I had to post this one just because Taryn is so cute!

Que?

2009-08-10T11:21:00.002-07:00

Taryn loves looking at books. When I ask her what she is doing, she says "I'm reading." This particular time though, the book was in Spanish :)

Graduation Day!

2009-08-10T11:14:00.003-07:00

Luc graduated from the University of Phoenix in January, but got to go through graduation proceedings in May. Graduating is a big deal. He put a lot of hard work into his classes and deserved that diploma, however overpriced his schooling may have been ;)

Isn't he handsome?!

They had the proceedings at the new Cardinal Football Stadium. There were a lot of people there, including some family members from both Luc's and my side. Thanks to all who came. Your support mean a lot!

That evening, we had a graduation party for Luc. It was really nice. We were able to have it at Luc's parents house and include swimming in the mix. I pre-ordered the cake, but I wasn't warned about the use of black frosting until AFTER I paid for it.

This is why you don't use black frosting :)

I LOVE my mom!

2009-08-10T11:05:00.001-07:00

My mom was able to come and visit me for almost a week a little while ago. She helped me get some things done that I needed help with, mainly painting. I have a dresser for the baby's room, but Its been stripped for years without any paint. My sister Alisha bought me a color she thought would go great with the bedding and my mom did the painting. I also commissioned my dad to make me a bench. What I wanted wouldn't fit in their car, so he divided it and made two. We bought some beautiful dark brown paint and my mom painted them as well. I love her so much! She is always willing to help when the need arises. What a great example she has been to me throughout my life.

Drum roll please...

2009-04-16T20:29:00.003-07:00

Hoppy Easter!

2009-04-16T19:48:00.004-07:00

Easter was a lot of fun! We had a family Easter basket. Auralee got a fishing pole, Taryn got a giant caterpillar, Luc got a CD and I got a DVD. Fun stuff :) The girls were able to color eggs before we went to church and they enjoyed that. Next year we'll do it on a Saturday so we will have more time and can do more.

My sister-in-law, Sarah, made this great bunny cake for desert at my in-laws. Isn't it cute!

All the (walking) Engstrom grand-kids got to hunt for candy filled eggs inside for a little while.

They all had lots of fun and scored on the candy.

Then the hunt moved outside where they hunted for more candy filled eggs and a few hard-boiled ones. The boiled ones didn't make out very well.

The whole time, I just let the girls eat whatever candy they wanted. Taryn went a little overboard and ate ALL of her candy. By the end of the evening she was paying for it and had a huge stomach ache. I don't think she learned her lesson though.

Visit from mom and dad

2009-04-16T19:28:00.002-07:00

Around the end of March, my parents came to visit. They brought their foreign exchange students Nat and Ling. They are both so great! Taryn really took to them.

As they were leaving, I was able to get some pictures, but Auralee refused to smile. You can't force that girl to do anything if she doesn't want to!

Nat and Ling loved everything I cooked for them. They are the kinds of people I like to cook for ;) They took pictures of everything. It was great!

I love my parents so much!

Of course, Auralee had to go take a nap because she was so grumpy. :(

Lets go fly a kite

2009-04-16T19:12:00.002-07:00

For her birthday, Auralee got a kite. It came at just the right time to fly it. Her dad helped her set it up and she was able to fly it very well all by herself.

Happy, Happy Birthday Baby

2009-04-16T19:09:00.004-07:00

Six years ago, I woke up early to help Luc get ready for work. I thought my water might have broken, but I wasn't sure. I called the hospital and they said to come in and they would check me out. I packed Luc's lunch (which I never do any more since Ive had children) and saw him off, then I took a shower and went to our rental office and paid rent. I drove myself to the hospital where they checked me out and found that my water had indeed broken. I had to stay there because of it, so I called Luc and told him what was going on. When he asked if he should come, I told him nothing was going to happen for a while and he could just stay at work. His boss disagreed and sent him on his way. Needless to say, I was there all day and didn't start having hard contractions till around 5pm that evening. I dealt with that for about an hour and then I was ready for my epidural! Lots of family were able to make it and, after driving 7hrs, my mom was even able to make it on time. I wasn't prepared for my baby to come. She was 15 days early and I didn't even have any onesies or receiving blankets for her. Regardless, at 23:23 on 3-3-03 weighing in at 7lbs 15 1/2 oz, there came my beautiful baby girl, Auralee Rose Engstrom. My grandmother, Frieda Rose, had died 5 years before to the day, so everyone thought it was appropriate that Rose be my little bundles middle name. I like to think that it was my grandma who brought her little spirit here to earth to us.

My sister, Mechelle, made a yummy, yummy, yummy chocolate mint cake with chocolate ganache and whipped frosting. It was so good, my mouth waters just thinking about it. She also did a fabulous job decorating it. The theme was the Princess and the frog.

She got lots of great presents, all of which she loved. Her dad and I got her a bike. Thanks to everyone!

After-wards, her grandparents took us all out ATV riding. On our way there, we were met at the cattle guard by a herd of cattle intent on not letting us pass. It was pretty funny. We all had a great time and it was a nice top off to a good day. Our friends, the Dodges, were able to come with us.

New Mexico in January 2009

2009-04-16T14:55:00.004-07:00

We were so excited to have snow when we got to NM where my parents live. We had gotten the girls some snow gear while in Colorado so we bundled them up in it to go play. Of course, Taryn fell asleep on the short drive there. Everyone knows you don't wake a sleeping baby, so Luc and I took turns waiting in the car while the other spent time outside with Auralee.

I picked up a sled while we were there and my parents told us where there was a good little sledding hill close by. It was fun and Auralee was having a blast!

If course, right when we pulled up to my parents house, Taryn woke up and wanted to go sledding. She was NOT happy when she found out we were already done :(

Poor baby! At least she looks cute ;)

I love seeing snow at my parents house. I remember it snowing a lot when I was little, but as Ive gotten older, its snowed less and less. I love having things back to normal! Its also nice to visit my parents. Their foreign exchange students this year, Nat and Ling, are the best!

The trip back home to AZ was nice. Surprisingly enough, my hometown had more snow than the rest of the towns we passed through. Shiprock looked great with the low cloud cover.

Our Colorado Trip

2009-04-16T14:18:00.005-07:00

This past December our family took a trip to Denver for Grandpa Greats funeral. Although the reason for the trip was sad, we were able to have an enjoyable time while were there. The drive there through New Mexico and on through Colorado was beautiful. I love seeing the snow covered landscapes while being safely bundled up in my warm car ;)

While we were in Denver, we were able to stay with Luc's aunt and uncle.

They are a fun family and we are grateful we were able to stay with them. From l-r; Kent, Bryce, Cody, uncle Jim, aunt Coreen and Chandra.

The girls had tons of fun jumping on the trampoline in the back yard.

Every time the Engstrom family got together with Grandpa Great, he would treat us all to a nice dinner at Red Lobster. The uncles thought it would be a nice tribute to grandpa to have one last meal there in his honor. Everyone had an enjoyable time and the kids even got to touch a live lobster.

Another place Luc's family likes to visit in Denver is Casa Bonita. The food is OK, but the big reason to go is the atmosphere. Once you get inside, it is HUGE! You go through a cafeteria style line for your food and then they seat you in one of the cubbies that are spread out maze-like throughout the building. A Mariachi band plays and they have a little variety show comprised of the same three actors doing each spot. They even have a little cliff diving mixed in. After you eat, you can go through their pirate cave and then the kids can try to get in on breaking the pinata. They also have a puppet show, but we missed that. Their gift shop was also nice to wander through.

While Luc and others in his family went skiing, I took the girls to McDonalds and then to a movie. They had lots of fun doing both and were really good for me.

This is the house in Littleton that Luc lived in when he was little.

Luc went to Pifer Elementary School. He would walk or ride his bike every school day to get there.

We took the scenic rout down through Colorado to get to my parents house in New Mexico. We even went through Wolf Creek Pass, which was thankfully opened at the time. Everything was so beautiful! I wouldn't mind taking the trip again.

Lloyd Junior Engstrom

2009-04-16T13:19:00.007-07:00

June 22, 1917-December 19, 2008

"When King Lear dies in Act V, do you know what Shakespeare has written? He's written "He dies." That's all, nothing more. No fanfare, no metaphor, no brilliant final words. The culmination of the most influential work of dramatic literature is "He dies." It takes Shakespeare, a genius, to come up with "He dies." And yet every time I read those two words, I find myself overwhelmed with dysphoria. And I know it's only natural to be sad, but not because of the words "He dies." but because of the life we saw prior to the words."

- Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium -

The five sons; Ralph, Carl, Rex, Jim and Bob Engtstrom

The casket

The Engstrom family home in Colorado

At the viewing, Auralee asked her grandma Engstrom where grandpa great's blanket was. Every time the girls saw grandpa when he was at Luc's parents house he was sitting in the recliner with a blanket on his lap.

When Taryn saw grandpa in his casket, she put her finger up to her mouth and whispered "shh, grandpa's sleeping."

It was nice that my girls had a comfortable experience and weren't scared. Lloyd was such a good grandpa to them and they love him still.

Grandpa Great

2009-04-16T13:09:00.003-07:00

We got a call from Luc's mom letting us know that grandpa great wasn't doing well, so we went to visit him. It was so good that the girls and Luc were able to visit him and that he was awake and a little coherent. He is one of the best men I have known.

A few days after we saw him, he passed away. We will all miss him.

Fairy Princesses

2009-04-16T13:07:00.001-07:00

For Christmas, my sister-in-law sent Auralee and Taryn these great tutus she found.

The girls looked so cute, I had to take a picture of them! Someday (maybe for Halloween), I'll do their hair and glitter them up and get some really great pictures of them.

Thanks Candace!

My little artist

2009-04-16T12:54:00.001-07:00

Auralee loves to draw and every once in a while she draws something that is really good and I just have to take a picture.

For Christmas I got the girls this great easel from Ikea (I got it on sale for $10, thank you very much!) I also got them the Tinkerbell movie so Auralee was really into fairies. She drew a great Tinkerbell in chalk and copied the name from the video. Someday I'll post some other pictures she's drawn.

Merry Christmas 2008

2009-04-16T12:52:00.002-07:00

We got up around 6:30 or 7 and got the girls up to open presents. They were both kind of excited, but for different reasons. Auralee knew that presents were coming, so she was ready to go, but Taryn was ready for breakfast. The only way we could get her to turn around and go into the living room was to give her a doughnut to munch on. It worked and we got right to it. I don't know who was more excited, me or the girls.

Some friends of ours gave us their old tree, and I loved decorating it with the ornamants Ive been gathering over the past few years. I hope to refine it in the future. Every year we get a new family ornament for our tree that has some meaning for our family. I love it and have lots of fun picking it out with the kids.

After they did the presents Santa left for them and opened their stockings, we opened presents.

Everyone got some really nice presents and enjoyed everything they got. Luc knew I needed some storage for my scrap booking stuff so he got me a great drawer for a lot of it. He had been wanting a football, so I looked around and found a really good one. The girls got some nice toys and a couple great outfits. My sister made me some really great decorative plates and got me a beautiful rack to hang them on.

After a nice breakfast, we went to grandma Engstrom's house where we got to open more presents. It was all a lot of fun and we all had a great day.

A visit from grandma and grandpa

2009-04-16T11:33:00.002-07:00

My grandma and grandpa Snyder are two of my MOST favorite people in the world. A while back they were in town to pick up my cousins from the airport and they stayed at my sister Alisha's house. Of course, I had to go see them!

It was nice to visit with them even if it was for just a little while. I cant wait for the summer when I'll get a whole week! I love them soooooooo much.

What a Show!

2009-04-16T11:21:00.002-07:00

Auralee's school put on a couple plays where all the kids sang. It would have been really good, but the sound system went out right before the show and they couldn't get it to work. Every speaking part had to be said through the bull horn and no one told the kids (or the teacher) that in order for the audience to hear what they were saying they had to point it TOWARDS us :) Even though we couldn't hear a thing, all the kids sang their songs really well. I enjoyed the music, so that was worth it. The only other draw back was that they didn't have risers for the kids to stand on and they put the kindergartners in the back rows so we couldn't see them.

Because of that, I decided to take a picture of Auralee in her classroom after the performance. Some of her classmates wanted in on the picture as well.

Isn't she pretty in her dress? And still that smile ;)

Fudge

2009-04-16T11:15:00.002-07:00

I've made it a tradition for myself that every year I'm going to make fudge. The first year I just made the plane kind and then I figured out how to branch out. I experimented with different flavors and I found quite a few that I really like. For the past two years I've had the help of my friend and distant cousin, Natalie. Her payoff is that she gets to go home with a nice mix of fudge and she doesn't have to mess up her kitchen. Now who do you think is the smarter of the two :)

This year we made eight batches. There were two batches of plain, two of nuts, one raspberry, one cherry, one mint and one peppermint with little chunks of peppermint candy in it. It all turned out great and we all loved eating it. I like to give it away for the holidays and there was just enough for everyone I wanted it for.

After Christmas Wal-mart has all their Christmas merchandise on sale and this year I bought up ALL of their cookie tins in preparation for next year. I love having everything ready and having Natalie to help makes it tons more fun! Until next year...

Ward Christmas Party

2009-04-16T11:13:00.001-07:00

OK, so I'm slowly but surely going to get caught up with all my blogging. I have to go way back to before Christmas, but Ive gotta start somewhere. Here goes :)

We had a really nice ward Christmas party. The stage was set up great and all the kids looked wonderful. We had to do a makeshift white dress for Auralee, because she doesn't have one. I wrapped my white skirt around her and cinched it up with my white belt and she wore her own white shirt. My little devil looked like an angel ;) by the end of the performance, her halo was off her head and crumpled, but she did great non-the-less.

Taryn "sang" a song with the nursery kids and stayed up there without crying. Afterwards while the other kids were performing, she slowly made her way to the stage and eventually ended up on the little rocking horse. It was very funny and she wasnt hurting anything, so I let her stay up there for a while. She just wanted to be a part of the action!

After the play, everyone go to eat doughnuts and have hot chocolate, which Auralee LOVED, and then all the kids got in line and got to sit on Santa's lap. Auralee did just fine, of course, but Taryn wanted OFF. She wasn't having any of it. I thought she would do good since she was a little older, but I was wrong.

Auralee loved sitting on Santa's lap and telling him all the things she wanted for Christmas. She looked great in the pretty dress her grandma Engstrom got her and some day she'll show everyone what a pretty smile she has.

Disclaimer

2009-01-28T17:12:00.003-07:00

OK, I know its not good to give excuses about why I haven't been keeping up with my blog, but Ive got one and I'm going to milk it for all its worth. After much crying and pleading and praying and begging, I am now "accidentally" pregnant. Really, it wasn't planned (on Luc's part), but it happened (I warned him my birth control was running out and I even gave him the count-down to my last pill), and I'm very happy about it.

Luc has a few months to get happy about it :)

Thanksgiving 2008

2008-12-24T15:22:00.005-07:00

Even though Thanksgiving was way too short, I enjoyed it lots. Every two years, we have a reunion in Payson for the Moody side of my family. Usually, not all of my family can make it since they are so spread out everywhere. I love reunions. I love to visit with my family and hear old stories.

Auralee had lots of fun running around with her cousins and playing outside. The weather was great for it. Taryn, on the other hand was sick and threw up. Poor baby.

They had outdoor games that some enjoyed and some years they even have a pinata.

My sister Brianne came down from Idaho. It was great to see her! My Kent (my mom's brother) and his wife Christine and most of their kids came too. I hadn't seen them in a couple of years, so that was great as well.

Its also fun to see my grandma's brothers and sisters. Not all of them came this year, but my aunt Lily, my uncle Frank, my aunt Ruby and my uncle Tommy were there. My grandma died in a car accident 11 years ago. I miss her a lot, so its nice to be around people who knew and loved her like me.

Every year they file all the families outside for a family picture. Its fun to look at the albums and see how much everyone has changed over the years. My dad wasn't able to make it this year, as well as Marc and Brant and their families. :( I love my family soooooo much!

The food was great and the company was wonderful. There's nothing like family and food to fill you up.

Movie Review

2008-12-24T14:11:00.003-07:00

OK, I went to see the new Twilight movie (the day it came out, but at least I'm catching up, right), and I liked it. I had to take it for what it is, but I liked it. The book was really good, so of course, the movie doesn't compare, but if you look at it by itself, its good. I was able to get Luc to go along with me. I felt it needed more of the build up scenes to fill in a lot of the gaps and it was missing a lot of the background to explain the parts they did show. It was all the intense scenes crammed together, but without all the "fluff" they didn't seem as intense. Luc thought it needed more violence :) Men. It had a couple really cheesy parts I could have done without, but all in all, I give it 3 out of 5 stars. My SIL Candace said it gets a lot better the more you watch it. Ill try again :)

Really?!

2008-11-11T11:51:00.006-07:00

Ive always been nervous sharing my beliefs with people not of my faith. I cant stand confrontation. I get really nervous and I feel trapped if I cant answer a question or accusation. Lately I have felt that pressure because of the most recent election. No one has confronted me, but I have had the fear of being put on the spot mostly because of prop 102, the marriage amendment here in AZ. California's is prop 8. I supported this amendment, but I think I was a closet supporter. The only reason I had a sign in my front yard was because my husband brought one home and put it there. I'm sad to say this. I have some friends who are homosexual, although I have not had contact with them for a long time. I also have a couple friends who have a son who is gay. He is a good and kind man. I love and respect the latter two, and it was mostly them who I have been afraid to talk to about this issue. I believe in tolerance, but I also believe that tolerance is not acceptance. I believe in the "ability to hate the sin and not the sinner." I believe in my religion and what my God has told me is true and right.

I was recently made aware of an article here, written by an LDS police officer in California. Reading it made me sad. A lot of the opposition of the propositions I read about were carrying signs that were for love, but they sent a message of hate that completely overrode it. I will never condemn anyone for the lifestyle they choose to live, and I would hope the same would be given to me. I choose to live my religion and not be ashamed, but I hope I can stand tall while doing so and not be afraid of the consequences. I know God will help me in my time of need.

Eta: here is a link with Elder Bednar talking about it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZE35Tz4lgQ

VOTE!!!!

2008-11-04T22:59:00.002-07:00

Nuff Said!

Grandpa Great

2008-11-04T22:58:00.001-07:00

Grandpa Great is the best! His name is Lloyd. Ever since I joined the Engstrom family, he has taken an interest in my life and my children. He remembers everything and if something big is happening in your life, he asks you about it. I love him bunches. Right now he is very sick and needs lots of care. Its really hard on him after being so independent for so long. My wonderful mother-in-law has been selflessly taking care of him in her home for the past few weeks as his health has failed. She said that he doesn't really need to be talked to that much, he just really loves physical contact. That's why I love this picture. We were in the other room and my mil said for me to come and look. We peeked around the corner and Auralee was holding her Grandpa Greats hand. It was very sweet. You always have to find the sweet moments in the hard times. We love you Grandpa Great!

Happy Halloween

2008-11-04T22:56:00.002-07:00

Halloween was fun. The girls got lots of candy even though most of our little neighborhood didn't hand any out. They got lots of compliments on their costumes. Somehow we lost Taryn's little wings and after frantically trying to make some more at the last minute, Luc suggested she use the wings I made for myself a few years ago. I thought they would be wayyyy too big and heavy for her, but I lashed them to her pretty good and they worked great! Everyone loved them. Auralee had to work on her door aproach. Sometimes she would just stand there, but after a little coaxing, she started to say "Tirck or Treat." Next year we'll have to work on her volume and exuberence. She kind of fell flat :( I like a lot of yelling and excitement.

Because we were out, we missed a lot of the trick or treaters and ended up with a lot of leftover candy. We always end up throwing out lots of candy a year later because it never got eaten. Its really my fault. I dont let my kids have a lot of candy. Im such a mean mom!

If all else fails, pretend you're asleep

2008-11-04T22:50:00.002-07:00

Sometimes Taryn just doesn't want to eat her dinner. It can be the same exact thing she ate at someone elses house with gusto, but when its served at ours, it just wont do. I tried feeding her, but that didn't work. I even tried the airplane noises, but to no avail. I think she got tired of me trying, because she then just pretended to be sleeping. I gave up and let her down, but she didnt get any desert. Poor thing.

Trunk or Treat

2008-11-04T22:47:00.002-07:00

Our Trunk or Treat was a week before Halloween. I wanted to do something simple, and I kind of got my wish. Auralee wanted to be Ariel AGAIN this year. Luckily I didn't have to make another wig, I just used the one from last year and the top fit her still. The skirt from last year was too small for her last year, so I knew I couldn't use it again. I found some really cool fabric that worked great for fish scales and tulle is great for fins. It was just a straight seem, so it was easy. All I had to do was measure Auralee to make sure I cut the fabric out correctly and it would fit her. It turned out GREAT! Taryn got the REALLY EASY costume. I went to the dollar store and spent 3 bucks on a couple tu tus and a green onsie and dug through the dressup stuff for the tinkerbell wings. Owala! The girls had lots of fun. There were lots of fun activities and lots of great friends to play with.

Happy Birthday Luc!

2008-11-04T22:42:00.001-07:00

My wonderful husband just (in October) had his 29th birthday. Yes, to all of those who care to keep track, he is 3 years younger than I am :] He likes to rub it in and during the two months between our birthdays, he likes to tell people its 4 years. Im looking forward to next year when he turns 30, because once you hit the big 3 0, you cant really use your age to claim youre a young buck ;) It will be a more even playing field then, right? Besides, he might BE younger, but I LOOK younger!

Hair Cuts!

2008-11-04T22:38:00.002-07:00

Ok, so a while ago I stated that I was in need of a hair intervention. My sister, Mechelle, gladly obliged and hooked me up with a nice new do :) She always seems to know just what to do to make it work for me. Now, if I could just take the time to style it like its meant to be, all would be good.

Mechelle also cut my girls hair. Auralee was going to school with really cute hair and coming home looking like a tangled mess. She needed a style with more staying power, so Mechelle to the rescue! Taryn's hair was just thin and stringy. Mechelle gave them both a bob to help them out. Its GREAT on Auralee. She has gotten lots of compliments on it and it is easy to take care of. Her hair falls just the right way and if I part it on her front cowlick, there are no problems. Taryn, on the other hand, has hair like mine. One half curls beautifully under while the other half flips out. It takes a little time to style to make it look like it should. Someone suggested that I get one of those curling iron/round brush combos. It seems like that would work well on Taryn, so I think I'll try it.

I bet you didnt know this...

2008-10-13T19:26:00.008-07:00

...when I was about a year old, my parents bought an acre and 3 quarters of land and decided to move onto it even without a house. Here is my mothers account of how it all was;

"I graduated from Ricks College in 1976 at the end of April. Dad couldn't get a job with the Forest Service up there, so we came home. About a month later, the Dam broke and the place we were living above the Porter Bookstore was flooded--I heard they changed and rebuilt that old part of Rexburg. The flood waters came up part way on the football field where President Kimball landed in a helicopter. We lived a few blocks east of that.

"So we came home to Bloomfield. I had saved enough from my 3 jobs to pay for baby Carla. When Carla was born 9 August 1976, we rented and lived in an old trailer across from Grandpa and Grandma Snyder. We had our first Christmas there. After living in a trailer where the windows didn't open we were desperate to get another place. We had checked with FHA housing, and they kept changing our floor plan and coming up with more restrictions. We were looking at 3/4 acre on Mangum Road to buy from Brother Cluff. We finally gave up on the FHA loan and refinanced the car and took a signature loan for just under $10,000 for 1 and 3/4 acres. We still didn't have a place to live even though we now had an alfalfa field and we couldn't pay rent and make our loan payments that came to about $157 a month. Dad made abt $3 dollars an hour at General Supply in Farmington.

"Grandma Costner helped us put up the barn with a permanent foundation, so the electric company could place a drop pole, and we ran a water line beside the barn (our first water bills were about $5 a month.) The septic was a barrel buried in the ground, and we had a burn barrel for trash.

"Mom had an old Campers tent and I was investigating that idea (and Dad was saying, to himself, yeah right, she can go out there by herself), when Cecil and Alma Schofield heard about it. Cecil thought that was so funny, They offered us the use of their little camper trailer.

"Carla's bed was made every day by taking down the table and placing the seat pads across the table. We had a safety rod for the side, and we covered it all with blankets. We kept cans and jars of food and mustard and salad dressing under the seat on the right. The refrigerator held 1 gallon of milk and about 1 dozen eggs.

"It does seem like there were two lights in the camper, one electric, the other kerosene--we might have lit it once. We had an orange battery light."

Below are a compilation of several different trailers so you can kind of get an idea of what it looked like and how little space there was. Enjoy.

Movie Review

2008-10-13T18:49:00.005-07:00

Marie Antoinette

This was one of the worst movies I have EVER seen. They put 80s music to a period piece and didn't really tell a story. It could have been done so much better. I know people are trying to make movies that are new and different, but every time a song came on my stomach turned and I really had a hard time taking the movie seriously. I understand that the 80s was a time of excess and laziness and so was Marie's story, but come on! None of the scenes flowed together well, no one even tried to use a foreign accent unless they already had one and Molly Shannon! Seriously! Seeing her in this movie just made me roll my eyes. So out of character. Using foreign actors would have been at least a good start to fixing this disaster. They also didn't tell the entire story. I was expecting a dramatic ending, but NO, nothing, it just ends. The costumes were the one saving grace of the film. They were beautiful.
The End

Ive been tagged

2008-10-06T16:13:00.003-07:00

8 T.V. Shows I Love To Watch

1. Heroes
2. Chuck
3.Stargate Atlantis
4. Eureka
5. Pushing Daisies
6. Smallville
7. A lot of the crime dramas (reality based and fiction based)
8. Ghost Whisperer

8 Things that Happened Yesterday

1. Watched Conference
2. Took a shower
3. Played on the computer
4. Stayed in my jammies for most of the day
5. Cooked Honey Mustard Chicken (yummy!)
6. Posted a blog
7. Caught up on c-jane's blog
8. Washed dishes

8 Favorite Places to Eat

1. Golden Canyon Chinese Resturaunt
2. Chili's
3. Olive Garden
4. Sonic
5. Chic-Fil-Et
6.Taco Bell
7. Applebee's
8. Charlie's Grilled Subs

8 Things I Look Forward To:

1. Spending time with my family
2. Going to Luna
3. Date night
4. Having our house paid off
5. Luc getting a REALLY GREAT JOB!
6. Succeeding in a garden
7. Getting pregnant again --no were not trying yet :(
8. Getting a back yard put in

8 Things on My Wish List

1. A back yard
2. A soft water system
3. A weekly massage
4. To loose my baby fat
5. To have zero debt
6. To finish decorating my house
7. To help my parents make-over their house
8. To be completely organized

8 People I tag (in case you don't know what "tagged" means it indicates that you will post a blog with your own list of all these '8 things':

1. Lara
2. Heidi
3. Nicole
4. Natalie
5. Im not sure
6. who reads my blog
7. and my sister
8. already took the people I know :)

Auralee lost a tooth!

2008-10-05T21:19:00.003-07:00

Ok, so I'm a little late getting this done. Nobody's perfect :) Sunday, September 28th, Auralee woke up and started banging on my door.

Mom! I need to show you something

What!

Just come see!

What is it?

My tooth
(she opens her mouth and shows me her missing tooth as I open the door)

Where is it?

I don't know, its gone.

Ok, so we look everywhere and still cant find it, so we figure she must have swallowed it in her sleep. I'm not quite sure how the tooth fairy works in situations like this. I didn't put any money under her pillow, but I'm thinking Ill put a $.50 piece somewhere in her room and when she cleans her room she'll find it and then Ill just chalk it up to how she lost her tooth. Is that too complicated?

She got really sick later before bed, do you think that could have something to do with swallowing a tooth?

Color Career Test

2008-09-19T14:54:00.005-07:00

My friend Lara found this color career test and posted it on her blog. It seemed pretty cool, so I went and took it here. I think its somewhat accurate, but you tell me. Others see people differently than they see themselves. Here are my results;

Best Occupational Category

You're a CREATOR

Key Words:
Nonconforming, Impulsive, Expressive, Romantic, Intuitive, Sensitive, and Emotional
These original types place a high value on aesthetic qualities and have a great need for self-expression. They enjoy working independently, being creative, using their imagination, and constantly learning something new. Fields of interest are art, drama, music, and writing or places where they can express, assemble, or implement creative ideas.
CREATOR OCCUPATIONS
Suggested careers are Advertising Executive, Architect, Web Designer, Creative Director, Public Relations, Fine or Commercial Artist, Interior Decorator, Lawyer, Librarian, Musician, Reporter, Art Teacher, Broadcaster, Technical Writer, English Teacher, Architect, Photographer, Medical Illustrator, Corporate Trainer, Author, Editor, Landscape Architect, Exhibit Builder, and Package Designer.
CREATOR WORKPLACES
Consider workplaces where you can create and improve beauty and aesthetic qualities. Unstructured, flexible organizations that allow self-expression work best with your free-spirited nature.
Suggested Creator workplaces are advertising, public relations, and interior decorating firms; artistic studios, theaters and concert halls; institutions that teach crafts, universities, music, and dance schools. Other workplaces to consider are art institutes, museums, libraries, and galleries.
2nd Best Occupational Category

You're a SOCIAL MANAGER

Key Words:
Tactful, Cooperative, Generous, Understanding, Insightful, Friendly, and Cheerful
This very social type enjoys working in groups, sharing responsibilities, and being the center of attention. Fields of interest are instructing, helping, nurturing, care giving and instructing-especially young people. They discuss and consider feelings in order to solve problems, lead, direct, persuade, guide, organize and enlighten others.

Oh What a Mess

2008-09-17T09:23:00.001-07:00

Sunday we went to my in laws house for dinner and a combined birthday celebration(I know, my birthday was in Aug, but we hadn't been able to go there for almost a month) for Taryn and I. We had a yummy dinner and a scrumptious dessert complete with candles.

Later, while all the adults were playing games, Taryn and Lily found the tissue boxes and decided to have a little fun. Lily's mom, Sarah, caught them and we all got our cameras and took pictures of the evidence. What a mess, but boy did they have fun!

Speaking of messes...I don't know whats up with my hair. All my life its been a little wavy, but the last few years, its gotten considerably more so. I cant figure out how to control it and make it look good. ARAAAAGHHHH! I need a hair intervention.

Taryn's 2nd Birthday

2008-09-15T17:49:00.005-07:00

Friday was my baby's 2nd birthday. We had a nice little party for her and she got gifts that she LOVES! Every one was well thought out--my thanks to all on her behalf. She is getting So Big and her vocabulary has taken off. Shes very smart and perceptive. Sometimes I get a kick out of the things she says and amazed at some of the things she understands.

I had Taryn practice telling people she was two for about a week before her birthday so she could wow everyone :)

We had a nice birthday breakfast for Taryn. We had to get up early so we could do it before Auralee left for school. Banana chocolate chip pancakes are pretty good. YUMMMM!

Here's a little clip of Taryn blowing out her candles. She needs a hair cut, but shes still a cutie!

Its all in how you look at it

2008-09-11T21:35:00.004-07:00

I got a visit from my friendly not-so-close-neighborhood Kirby guy. Ive been around Kirbys for a while, and I know how good they are, but I wont be able to afford one for A VERY LONG TIME. I was promised a carpet cleaning and I really needed one, so I let the 19 year old kid who REALLY wanted to win a trip on a cruise, show me all the things I already knew. I like my current vacuum, don't get me wrong, but Kirbys are really good. I also believe a healthy dose of denial is a good thing. When you don't know what your missing, you can be content that what you have is good enough. You can believe that your house is clean when you cant SEE the evidence that its not. I mean REALLY, who is it hurting when you are ignorant of the truth. I really didn't need to see all the dirt my vacuum left behind and I REALLY DIDN'T NEED TO SEE ALL THE CRUD PULLED FROM MY MATTRESS! I was blissfully unaware of my filth. But, Taryn's birthday is tomorrow and now I have a REALLY CLEAN CARPET for my guests.

And hey, IT WAS FREE! Even if I will have nightmares because of it.

PS hopefully my computer will be fixed soon so I can get back to my regular blogging. I'll have lots of pics from Taryn's birthday party to post, so wish me luck!

Computer Problems

2008-09-04T21:35:00.005-07:00

My computer has been making funny noises. Since it has crashed 3 times since we bought it 4 or so years ago, we don't want to take any chances. We've even replaced the hard drive recently, but still something is wrong. My wonderful brother-in-law, Tommy, helped me back my important stuff up and we've had it off unless absolutely necessary. It makes it kind of hard to keep up with my blogging, but since I can use my husbands laptop, I can do a little bit. I REALLY hope nothing serious is wrong and whatever is can be fixed quickly and easily. Wish me luck!

Proof

2008-08-24T16:40:00.003-07:00

When I was a kid, I remember eating peanut butter and honey sandwiches a lot. So much that now I cant stand them. I also remember having bologna sandwiches and hating them so much that I told my mom they made me throw up so she wouldn't make me eat them anymore.

Now its my turn to be the mom and to pack my kids lunch. Ive never forced Auralee to eat anything. I let her choose what she wants most of the time, and what she wants is peanut butter and honey sandwiches and bologna Lunchables. Not at the same time of course, but often. I just wanted to have proof that its what she likes so that when shes older and I'm "such a mean mom" she cant blame it on me like I blamed it on my mother.

Taryn

2008-08-15T12:59:00.004-07:00

Now that we are home by ourselves, sometimes its hard to find things to do. Today, we decided to do a little photo shoot. Taryn, like her sister, can be a great poser. The only problem is that she isn't very patient in holding the pose. You have to be quick or you lose out on something really cute.

I couldn't help but put this one in. She looks so squishy, I just want to squeeze her and pinch those cheeks.

She likes to be silly a lot. Here she asked, "Taryn funny? Momma, Taryn funny?" Yes Taryn, of course you are funny.

Here we are just chattin'. She really does have a big vocabulary, but when she gets around other people she doesn't talk much. She understands a lot and can follow simple instructions I give her without any difficulty. I sure love this baby of mine!

The Big 32!

2008-08-12T17:48:00.002-07:00

OK, so age hasn't really bothered me yet, but not being recognized for ageing kind of does. Silly huh? My baby sister, bless her heart, decided to help me out. She had her house warming party on my birthday (don't worry, she called and asked if it was OK first) and decided to make me a cake as well. I enjoyed being sung to but all 32 candles were a bit much :)

I think here, Kaleb was teasing me acting like he was going to blow out my candles. I had to challenge him, right?

I was really surprised, but I blew out all my candles at once and really quickly. It was good cake. Luc gave me a hair straightener. I liked it so much, I straitened my hair on Sunday. It was nice. Thanks Alisha for my moment. Its nice not to be forgotten.

Auralee's 1st day of Kindergarten

2008-08-12T16:59:00.002-07:00

Yesterday was Auralee's first day of Kindergarten. I set my alarm for 6:30 so I would have enough time to get her ready and off to school. By the amount of toys strewn about the play room, she had been up for quite a while before that. She had decided what she was going to wear the night before and had decided what she wanted to take in her lunch. Everything was ready, including her backpack full of school supplies. She got dressed, we fixed her hair and topped it off with a nice bow to match her shirt, she ate breakfast (cereal, im not June Cleaver), we took a few pictures and she was ready to go. It was 7:20 and school didnt start till 8:15. What to do with that extra 1/2 hour. Daddy gave her a fathers blessing and then we read scriptures. It was a nice way to top off the morning.

Then we were off --> As we were pulling up to the school, I saw how crowded it was and I saw other parents walking their children to their classes, so I asked;

Auralee, do you want me to park and walk you to your class?

No, I can do it by myself.

I got closer and I saw more parents taking their kids in.

Auralee, are you sure you don't want me to take you to your class?

No, maybe tomorrow.

Alright (sighhh)

I dropped her off at the sidewalk with one of the teachers and drove off. Now, I don't usually cry at anything but movies and the occasional "discussion" with my husband, and I didn't think I would then, but driving away from my "big girl" and just thinking about how much shes grown, my eyes got a little moist. I couldn't help it. It didn't last very long, but I felt it for a while.

Picking her up took a long time. The school is brand new and they haven't gotten all the kinks out yet. When I finally got her, she was a little disheveled, but still intact. Every zipper on her backpack and her lunch box were undone, her water bottle was empty (good girl) and her pretty red ribbon was missing (not so happy about that, but Ill live). She had a good time and was ready to go home. Now, to keep up the bar that was set that first day.

We'll see.

Happy Birthday To Me (early)

2008-08-06T11:32:00.000-07:00

I was talking to my S-I-L Candace and she wondered if I had read the new Stephanie Meyer book. I was in Luna, so I really had no access to it. Feeling sorry for my booklessness, Candace (and Marc) said they would send one immediately to my home for a birthday present so it would be waiting for me when I got there. It came yesterday and I am so excited to read it. Sorry to all those who want to talk about it right now, but I have to pace myself. Ive been gone a week and there are a lot of things to get done around my house. I'm trying really hard to do the important things first, ie, wash laundry, do the dishes, sweep and vacuum, grocery shopping, shower, feed my kids, you know, the usual. I cant let it take over my life like I want it to, but even so, Ill probably have it finished in two or three days. I love the series and cant wait to find out what happens. THANK YOU CANDACE!!!!!

Fly Me To The Moon!

2008-08-06T08:38:00.001-07:00

Luna NM is the best place on earth! I love going there! Every year we have a couple family reunions there and I like to make at least one. I spent time there every summer camping out when I was a kid, and then when my grandparents moved back there I got to spend even more time there. I love it! I love it! I love it! The mountains are so beautiful, the grass is so green, the air is so fresh and the water is so pure. I would live there permanently if it wasn't so cut off from the rest of the world, but that's what makes it such a wonderful place to visit.

These are my grandparents, George and Lillie. They are two of the best people I'm ever likely to meet. They're like my own parents, I love them so much. They both grew up and met in Luna and even though life and kids took them away from it for a while, they always new it was home and so they came back (lucky for the rest of the family!).

Auralee and Taryn had a blast! They got to go outside whenever they wanted. Auralee ran around barefoot all week long! She was so free and happy! Taryn was introduced to a whole new world of animals. Shes never really been around animals, so in the beginning, she was terrified. There were dogs, cats, horses and pigs and after being around them for a week, she became quite comfortable around them and would even touch them.

Mechelle and I stayed for a week with our kids and one day, while the babies stayed at home, we took Auralee and Kaleb down to Trout Creek. Every year since I was a kid, there was water in the creek, but its been empty for the past few years Ive been there. It was so exciting to see, we had to take the kids. They had a blast "fishing", throwing rocks and just playing in the water. One of these pictures had a picture of Mechelle in it, but when I collaged it, it cut her off, sorry Mechelle.

We were there for two weekends for two separate reunions. One was during the 24th celebration. Luna does it big. They have a parade, a big lunch a rodeo and a dance, and people come from all over to attend. I didn't get any pictures of those things, but Ill try next year. My mom got to come one weekend and it was nice to see her. Auralee had spent 3 weeks with my parents and it was really convenient to get her back in Luna. I know some of you might be looking at that picture of Taryn and saying "poor child, look at all that hair in her cute little face. Why doesn't her mother do something about that?" Well Mechelle took pity on her and gave her bangs a cut. She looks much better now and can see where shes going :).

This is one of my favorite pictures EVER! I loved seeing my grandpa and my daughter just sittin' on the front porch talkin'. It made my heart feel good. That's what Luna does to you.

Failure or Learning Experience?

2008-07-18T16:31:00.005-07:00

My garden failed :( I watered it almost every day and I thought I had prepared the soil enough, but the hot Arizona sun took some casualties.

I don't know what happened to my tomatoes. I'm sad about them the most. The ones I tried to eat were sour. Some of them split at the stem and two of my plants' leaves just shriveled up.

This strange thing happened to a lot of my tomatoes. This one wasn't even sitting on the ground, it was hanging deceivingly luscious, and then I turned it over. I didn't even try to eat those. I don't want to make myself sick.

Poor droopy tomato plants!

My corn never grew very high. The cobs started growing anyway and didn't turn out either.

The kernels were sporadic and strange looking. That made me sad too, I was looking forward to some good ole corn on the cob right out of my own back yard.

My jalapenos didn't grow very big. I was afraid they would be too hot, so I didn't even try them. I was really looking forward to some great salsa too.

When my parents were here, my mom helped me try to save my garden. We put some mulch down to try to protect the roots of my plants. It seemed to help my jalapenos because the plants grew twice as big and they are flowering again.

I'm not sure if it will help my tomatoes at all, but its worth a try.

I started my own mulch pile with my failed crops and other fruit and veggie remnants from my kitchen. I know it needs some help. I would love to find a mulch container for it and I need some manure to break it down, but Walmart is out. Hopefully next year will be better and Ill have learned from all my mistakes. Its just too bad that Ill have to wait another year to try again.

Recycle

2008-07-18T16:00:00.003-07:00

I recycled today. That might sound funny to some of you because you do it all the time, but here in little old Coolidge, we don't have recycle pick up. Ive been wanting to do it for a while, but I never got around to finding where I could take it. Its been piling up out in my garage making my husband mad. Finally I looked up drop off locations on the Internet and I went and did it.

I found out some things, they don't take glass and you have to sort it yourself. I got pretty lazy with the ease of recycling in Mesa. Its really hot here, so if you don't have it presorted, you have to stand out in the sweltering heat and do it. Now I need to get different bins for everything so I don't have to do that.

Im a big kid now

2008-07-13T17:10:00.001-07:00

My baby is getting so big! While auntie Nadine was here, she took care of Taryn's "mullet". It was her first official hair cut. She has had her bangs trimmed before, but never inches off the back. It wasn't as hard for me to let go as it was with Auralee, but I was still a little sad. Her hair isn't as curly as it used to be.

She did pretty good. She didn't cry at all, and she barely fussed. She also didn't wiggle as much as I thought she might. She was a little apprehensive, but it didn't take too long, so everything was alright.

They grow up so fast. Just this weekend we moved her into Auralee's room to the bottom bunk. She rolled off a couple times onto a pillow I put on the floor, so I put another one on the edge of the bed and she was fine the rest of the night. Auralee is gone to my moms house for three weeks, so we took this opportunity to get Taryn used to sleeping in a big girl bed. Man, it seems like just yesterday that we did the same thing with Auralee, and now she'll be starting kindergarten next month!

Karma

2008-07-13T16:57:00.001-07:00

If you'll remember an earlier post, Auralee had put Taryn under the toy bin and in a dress up trunk and locked her in. This time Auralee was playing in the bin and Taryn took the opportunity to climb on top and rest a while :) Its not so fun when the shoe is on the other foot.

Water Babies

2008-07-10T18:31:00.006-07:00

This summer my girls had swim lessons. Because of such a great price I was able to sign them up for two sessions. It was really great for them. At first they were both scared, but they gained a lot of confidence and ended up enjoying themselves.

It wasnt until the end of the four weeks that Auralee was brave enough to jump off the diving board. After some practice at grandmas and some bribery from her instructor, she finally did it. Then she wanted to do it over and over again. I am so proud of her!

For the first couple of weeks, Taryn clung to me with her head pressed into my neck. After a while I was able to get her to relax her arms and then later her legs. By the fourth week, she was doing the monky crawl (along the side of the pool) by herself and wanting our instructor more than me. It was great to see her improvement.

The first time Auralee went off the diving board, her instructor dropped her off, but after that she did it all by herself every time.

Taryn loved her instructor Amanda. They had lots of fun together. When Amanda asked Taryn if she wanted to go see mommy, Taryn would push me away and say "NO!" It was pretty funny.

My Brothers

2008-07-10T18:08:00.005-07:00

A couple weeks ago, my brothers came to visit for a couple days. It was so fun to have them around. The visit was definitely too short. They both stayed a night at my house and we had lots of fun visiting and playing games.

We all got together at my house for dinner and took a few pictures. All of my siblings were there except Brianne. She was definitely missed. From L to R is Mechelle holding her new baby Raeleigh, Marc, Me, Alisha and Brant. As you can see, my brothers are mutants. Brant is 6'4" and Marc is 6'8". None of us girls are over 5'6". Crazy.

This is Marc with my girls. Hes a nuclear engineer. Most kids love Marc. Hes very funny and hes lots of fun to climb on and he can put kids up to the ceiling. Even so, he couldn't even get close to Taryn until about 10 min before he left, and she was still a little wary. Marc came without his wonderful wife Candace, sob. She had to work and didn't have the time off. Shes a special ed teacher specializing in autism.

My brother Brant is great. Hes one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet, and hes got male model looks and style to go along with it. Hes going to school to become a counselor for kids. He married one of the best girls out there. Nadine is fabulous and shes a great hairstylist. They have two of the cutest kids ever!

This is Eli. Hes very shy, but you can tell hes really smart! I think it runs in the family :)

This is LillyAnne. She is one of the prettiest babies Ive ever seen. She is so cuddly and she'll let anyone hold her.

Brianne to the rescue

2008-06-26T21:13:00.002-07:00

After my sister Mechelle was able to bring her baby home from the hospital and after her husband John had to go back to work, Mechelle still needed a lot of help. She has two crazy little boys and with her C-section and a preemie, she couldn't do much on her own. So, it was our sister Brianne to the rescue. She knew Mechelle would need someone, so she took off work and booked her flight from Idaho. She was amazing! She took over mommy duties as well as household chores. She helped Mechelle out more than she knows and I'm so proud of her!

From l-r, Mechelle, Brianne, Alisha and me (I know, I should have dressed up and fixed my hair too, but I was tired from cooking and cleaning for this little get together and I ran out of time. Ill do better next time). It was so great to have all my sisters together. We dont get to see Brianne very often and when we do its such a treat!

This is baby Raeleigh, just a little bit bigger, but still a tiny little thing.

Diaper Cake

2008-06-26T21:00:00.001-07:00

I made this diaper cake for my sister Mechelle's baby shower. I had seen some others at baby showers I went to, but none of them were really great looking to me. I went online and got some great ideas and just went from there. It was sooooo much fun and I was so excited to see her get it. I stuffed it full of baby odds and ends. I'm sure Ill do this again and again, I'm already stocking up on supplies!

Raeleigh Dawn Bierman

2008-06-26T20:26:00.001-07:00

Raeleigh Dawn Bierman
Born Thursday, April 17, 2008 at 10:40 am
4lbs 15oz
18 in long

Raeleigh was born about 5 weeks early by emergency C-section. She turned, so Mechelle couldn't deliver her herself. Mechelle has what is called Rh E, which is a rare form of Rh syndrome where the antibodies in the mother can attack the red blood cells of the baby and could cause harm or even death to the unborn baby. You can read a little about it here. This form of the syndrome is untreatable, so they had to deliver Raeleigh as soon as her lungs were developed enough. Mechelle has had some of the worst pregnancies of any one I know. She is usually nauseous throughout along with having gestational diabetes. Her first baby, Zach, was also born 5 weeks early because Mechelle had Toxemia and they were afraid she was going to have kidney failure. Shes such a trouper. I hope her kids, Zach, Kaleb and now Raeleigh, will all know and appreciate how much she has done for them and how much she really loves them. I love her so much and I'm continually amazed by her strength.

Carla's Place

Its so hard to say goodbye!

A Birthday and a Baby Shower!

A Bath in the Sink at Nancy's

Engstrom/Snyder Family Pics 2009

Christmas With the Engstroms 2009

Christmas With the Snyders 2009

Giant Customers

Baby Laughs!

Look What I Made!

November 2009

So, heres the story...

Sisters, Sisters...

The Princesses and the Frog

Happy Boy!

Sunday!

A day at the park

The Big Move

Connor @ 1 month

Connor's Blessing

In To The Wild Blue Yonder!

Happy 30th Birthday Luc!

Well Hello There!

Evolution

The Eyes Have It

Free At Last!

The Errand of Angels

Taryn Turns 3!!!

And now, the moment you've all been waiting for...

Changing of the hardwear

Art is life

Antisipation

My future starving artist

Happy Birthday!

First Day of School!

You Never Listen!

Luna Reunions 2009

The Neves Family

Zion National Park 2009

Duck Creek 2009

Bryce Canyon 2009

The Grand Canyon 2009

Take me out to the ball game!

Little girls bring such delight with hearts so warm and smiles so bright!

The 1st Ray and Freeda Costner Family Reunion 2009

Gone Fishin'

The Cabin 2009

Que?

Graduation Day!

I LOVE my mom!

Drum roll please...

Hoppy Easter!

Visit from mom and dad

Lets go fly a kite

Happy, Happy Birthday Baby

New Mexico in January 2009

Our Colorado Trip

Lloyd Junior Engstrom

Grandpa Great

Fairy Princesses

My little artist

Merry Christmas 2008

A visit from grandma and grandpa

What a Show!

Fudge

Ward Christmas Party

Disclaimer

Thanksgiving 2008

Movie Review

Really?!

VOTE!!!!

Grandpa Great

*Happy Halloween*

If all else fails, pretend you're asleep

Trunk or Treat

Happy Birthday Luc!

Hair Cuts!

I bet you didnt know this...

Movie Review

Ive been tagged

Happy Halloween