Nothin' to do... but Love and Laugh

Since I last posted

2011-04-06T20:29:00.000-07:00

I guess I've decided that our family blog may be a once a year thing for me now. I don't know how I had time to do it before. But I do realize that there may be some of you out there who may want to know how we're doing. So, I'll give you a quick peek into our lives today.
Last time I wrote we had just decided to move in with our inlaws. It's been about 7 months now, wow! Plenty of new and exciting things have happened in that time frame. First of all, living here has been a blessing in more ways than we could ever have imagined. I know for a fact that it was meant to be and we have been truly blessed. About a month after we moved I started having back pain. I went to the Chiropractor and after several visits and a couple of experiments he couldn't figure out how to make the pain go away. He recommended that I go and get x-rays which I did. It was then that we found out the cause of my back pain. I have a herniated disk, some bone growth and degenerative disk disease(which isn't really a disease so I don't know why they call it that) I opted to get a cortisone shot in my spine to help with the pain(and I was truly in pain). I have been very pleased with the results, it took away the unbearable pain and made it possible for me to go through physical therapy and chiropractic adjustments. I wish I could say that I feel great and I'm all better but the truth is that I will most likely struggle with this my whole life. I am getting stronger and hoping that all the work I'm doing will help me to avoid spinal surgery altogether. The blessings...well, I couldn't have taken care of my family without the help of my in-laws! They helped so much when I just couldn't do it all. So that's been my major focus of the past 6 months.
During the holiday season we got to help pick, dry and pack/bag tons(maybe a ton literally) of Mandarin oranges. It certainly kept the whole family hoppin' for several months. We also got to enjoy the fruits(literally) of our labors as we could eat a mandarin fresh from the tree whenever our hearts desired.
As for the kids, well, they have LOVED it here. The elementary school here has been the best for them. I have had teachers and people at the school offer me more help with my children's education than I have ever had before. They really care about the boys, I love it! We would love for them to continue going to that school through 8th grade there but the catch is that we need to make sure we live close enough to it. As much as we would love that, it seems almost unreachable. Who knows what Heavenly Father has in mind for us though, right? If He needs us here, we'll stay here!! (I don't mean here, here, in this house. I mean in our own house in this area, but I think you probably knew that : )
Which brings us to the other great big thing that has happened. We finally were approved to buy a house on February 16 or so. We started looking and trying to figure out where to move. I wish I could end the story like this...

"We found the perfect house for our little family. We closed in 3 weeks and now we live in our own heavenly, cozy, independent abode." I wish...

No, that wasn't the plan. On February 22 Jacob called me at lunchtime like he normally does. I could tell something wasn't right and I asked him jokingly "So, did you get laid off?" And to my surprise, he said YES! It was weird because we both kind of laughed about it. We've been through this before...alot. We know that Heavenly Father has a plan for our family and that it happened at the right time. I'm so glad that we didn't buy a house and then get laid off! How awful that would have been! It's been a blessing to not have rent or a mortgage to worry about, that part makes being unemployed not quite as awful. Although we are anxious to have our own home again. It will happen.
So, for the past month Jacob has been job hunting, studying for his LAST (woohoo!) "ARE" (Architectural Registration Examination) exam and teaching himself "Revit", a program that most companies want in an employee in his field to know. For now, we'll just keep job hunting and doing what we can to help around here and serve in our ward. The good things will come, we hope.

As for church, I serve in the Primary Presidency as the Secretary. The women I work with are the BEST, I truly enjoy it. Jacob has been Joshua's primary teacher but he now has a new calling in scouts, still working with Joshua once he turns 11 in May. I think he will enjoy being the scoutmaster although it will mean he's gone from home more, bummer for me. (I love having him home)

Oh, and I have to tell you about Katie! She has grown up so much in the last 7 months! She loves being in Sunbeams and looks forward to it each week. She is a true princess. Loves Cinderella and everything princessy. There are some nights when I have to sings a song from EVERY princess movie before I can tuck her in. I love it! She has a pink pair of Barbie cowboy boots that Aunt Sarah gave her and wears them whenever she gets a chance. When it's rainy(and sometimes when it's not), she has a pink pair of "Kitty Cat boots" that she sticks on. So, she's a shoe girl for sure. She has been so fun to have around!

Life is hard but good, we are blessed and I'm thankful for our blessings in spite of the hard things. That's us in a nutshell! Maybe I'll post again before Christmas, you never know....

Moving right along...

2010-09-05T21:23:00.000-07:00

So Summer came and went in the big ball of fun that I completely expected. Mary was here for the summer and we worked out together alot. We went on several trips:Oceanside, camping in the Mountains, Animal Kingdom, Lake Clementine and a couple of other really fun family activities. We celebrated our 12th anniversary August 5th(with a night stay in San Fransisco, Sourdough bread bowls and Ghiradelli Chocolate~Yum) We had visits from Liz and Cameron, then from Megan and John. Overall I have to say it was the most fun filled summer I have ever had as an adult. I enjoyed every minute I had with my kids and we even managed to fit in some reading on most days. The boys both met their reading goals which we are so proud of them for.
So, now that Summer days are over, we have made a big decision that is completely changing our lives. We feel that it is exactly what we need to do in our lives and will be a blessing for all involved. This weekend we are moving in with Jacob's Mom and Dad in Penryn. We have noticed that housing is becoming more and more affordable around this area. But in order to buy a house we will need a down payment, and after living 8 months without a job and relocating recently we don't have that kind of money. So, by moving we will be able to save every month for our new house. Also, the kids started the new school year at Penryn elementary and they absolutely LOVE it. Our other goal in moving now is to help fix up Jacob's Mom and Dad's house and help them take care of some projects that have gone undone for a while. We are excited to build, paint, clean and redo to help them out. They live on a 5 Acre fruit orchard, so we will also be able to help with the Mandarin sales in November and December. This will be an exciting and fun adventure for our kids, their grandparents and us. We know it's the right thing and we are excited.
So... life is full of fun and we are excited to be progressing and following what Heavenly Father wants for us. Here's to the future!!!

Summer Days Are Here Again!

2010-06-05T16:24:00.000-07:00

Wow, I am just so excited that it's summer. My biggest excitement is that we don't have to move this year and that I get to spend some goofing off time with the kids. It has seemed like everything is so structured and we always have to do something or be somewhere. So, I am looking forward to some:

be-silly-and-play-all-you-want-time
go-over-to-Grandmas-and-play-in-the-mud-time
splashin-in-the-pool time
and
staying-up-late and getting-up-late time.

Don't get me wrong, we have big plans for the summer and we will be busy but without homework and teachers telling us what is due and where to be, we are free!
This is what we have going on...

New family pictures

Summer school with Mrs. Mom (i am going to spend a hour each day reading and working on workbooks with the kids to help them stay sharp)
The library's Summer Reading Program
Gold's Gym time-I'm still involved with Team Training and liking the results-I gotta keep that up!
Pool time at our friends house
Mary and Liz are both coming home sometime this summer,
that ALWAYS equals FUN!
Summer Holidays
Watermelon
Laid back Scout activities
Vacation in Oceanside and San Diego for a week
Fresh fruits and veggies from Grandma and Grandpas garden
Canning Fruits and salsa
And just basically spending some quality time with my kids who are growing up
WAY TOO FAST, and our family.

This is going to be good...

Race Day

2010-05-11T16:39:00.000-07:00

Saturday was the Race for the Cure 2010 Sacramento. The people I planned on going with couldn't come (sad) But I was saved by Mary, Liz and Cameron! They came into town late Thursday night and stayed until Sunday morning. They thought it would be fun to run with me so we all got to go. The weather was BEAUTIFUL, perfect for the run! We got there just in time for the "fun" traffic jam but had no problems checking in and getting our shirts. After we got all the fun stuff taken care of, we stretched and found a place close to the front of the race. They led us in a 10 minute warm up(we threw a little dance party in there too!) and we were off. Apparently not everyone had the same idea as we did to RUN so it took a few minutes to get out of the crowd. We all ran together, slowing to a fast walk whenever someone needed a break. It seemed to go by so quickly, I think we could've done a 10K!
At the end of the race we were greeted by tables full of fruits, yogurts and donut holes, muffins and croissants. Oh, and water too! We ate a couple things and then made our way to the booths. We got this picture taken while Cameron graciously held our bags, thanks Cam! We found out later that there were over 22,000 people there! WOW! It was a great experience and so much fun to be a part of. We had a such a good time that we are hoping to make a team next year so if you want to join, let me know!

Excellent Maiasaura

2010-05-10T14:17:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend I found out that Nathan thinks I am an "excellent Maiasaura" and I am actually flattered about this fact. His first grade class has been studying dinosaurs and he has been thrilled at all of the new dinosaur information he is taking in. Imagine my confusion when I opened the Mother's Day card he made for me at school and it said:

Maiasaura
Only the Best
Tall
Helpful
Excellent
Runner

I enjoyed his little poem and then asked him, "Nathan, What is a Maiasaura?" and he replied, "It's a Mother Lizard! You are a good Mother Lizard!" WOW! That's awesome. So, I am a good Mother Lizard and proud of it!!

Here are the "love notes" I enjoyed from Josh and Katie as well:

(Written on a tracing of his hand)
I think your cute.
You are nice.
I Love you.
I Like how you take care of us.
You are the best Mom ever.
Love, Josh

Katie's Nursery teacher got her paint handprints and laminated it with this little poem:

Sometimes you get discouraged
Because I am so small
And I always leave my fingerprints
On Furniture and Walls

But every day I'm growing--
I'll be grown some day
And those tiny fingerprints
Will surely fade away

So here's a little handprint
Just so you can recall
Exactly how my fingers looked
When I was very small.

I hope all of you Maiasaura's had a wonderful Mother's day too!

Race for the Cure 2010

2010-05-06T15:14:00.001-07:00

I had so much fun last time I ran the "Race for the Cure" I decided that I should do it again. Well, Saturday will be my second Race for the Cure and I am super excited. It will be my 3rd 5K, I was able to run one in Lincoln with Jacob back in October. This time will mean even more to me because I have been training hard and I expect to have a much easier time beating my time from the last one. I am also thrilled that my youngest sister Mary will be running with me!! WOOHOO! The last 8 weeks have been very challenging and rewarding for me as I have been participating in a team training session at the Golds Gym right down the street from our house. I met a great friend, Pat and we enjoy working out together. I call her my "gym mom" She pushes me and I push her and we are making progress together. She has a friend who just found out that she has breast cancer so even though I don't know Karrie, I will be running this race for her.
I would love to have all the girls in my family be able to do this race together in the couple of years, that would just be so much fun!
Hopefully we will never have to face breast cancer on a personal level. My heart goes out to all of those who have and will face this challenge. I know that Heavenly Father gives us challenges so that can become stronger.

Here's to all cancer survivors and sufferers,

this race is for you!

Our Bloglift

2010-04-27T12:32:00.000-07:00

I am excited to introduce you to our new family blog. Along with the new design, I am promising to make a conscious effort to blog more often. I have realized that there have been things extremely blog worthy that I have just not taken the time to blog about. I am still working on things but I am pleased with what Jacob and I have changed so far.
Our new title is "Nothin' to do but Love and Laugh" Now that's way more exciting than "Bunting Blog" isn't it? When Jacob was on his mission, and under the direction of his mission president, he made a motto for his life. He said that it has helped him be a better and more focused person. So, we decided several years ago that we needed a "Family Motto." Because we want to encourage our kids to LOVE each other and also to have FUN together, the motto of "Love and Laugh" came to be. We display our motto proudly in our kitchen to remind us to enjoy each other and life.

What's Up with us?!!

2010-03-16T21:04:00.000-07:00

The weather has started to get really nice around here. It's been a nice change after the MONTHS of rain that we are so NOT used to. The kids are loving the fact that they can go outside to play, ride bikes and get to know the neighborhood kids. The boys have also started riding their bikes/scooters to and from school with a couple of families in the ward. I like it because they are getting much needed fresh air and exercise and also because I don't have to wake Katie up to go and pick them up after the school!

We are planning a trip next weekend to go and help clean up a park near Monterrey, CA, as part of the Disney "Give a Day Get a Day" Program. We are excited that this year will be the first time for every member of our family to visit Disneyland.(and we get to do it for FREE, you know I love that art of it!) Jacob and I have never even been there! So, if you have tips for us on how to make it the most enjoyable, please share!
When we go to help clean the park, we are also planning on sightseeing in Monterrey, visiting the beach and just enjoying stress-free together time. Something we are really looking forward to!

Family Parteee!

2010-02-09T16:23:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago Ruth called me and said they would be in town on Saturday. She wondered if she could come over so we could "play". Then we talked about inviting Dan and his family, then Sarah and her family, then Mom and Dad. Then we also realized that Mark would be leaving for San Diego the next day so we had to make sure he could come! We decided to have pizza and play on the Wii. So this is how it all went down:

15 kids
+
11 Adults
+
4 Pizza's(made at home, not ordered)
+
Ceasar Salad
+
Soda's and other Yummy Drinks
+
Cookies
+
Gettin' our Wii on (only 2 remotes and lots of turn taking)
+
A photo session since ALL the Christensen Grandkids were there
+
and a nice enough day to have the kids play outside =

A CRAZY FUN PARTY!

The Christensen Grandkids

Mesmerized by the Wii-MarioCart-yeah!

We sent Mark off with a short Dance Party in the Living Room. Soundtrack: Fireflies by Owl City-Full volume! We miss having you around Mark!

The night was a success and a good time was had by all. I love my family!

Blogpology

2010-01-28T16:16:00.001-08:00

We did survive Christmas, we did survive New Years and we will survive the coming year...hopefully! We have found life to be extremely busy here in CA. We have found tons of joy and lots to keep us busy. The boys have loved the Wii that they earned last year. We got to go and get it when it was $150(after $50 gift card, you know I love a deal!) at Walmart. The Wii has been a delightful addition to our family. We even had my whole family over to play one day, that was hectic, but fun. The boys earned it by doing jobs around the house from June to December. It was a nice thing to keep them motivated for sure.
I don't have as much time to blog as I used to so I apologize. I will do my best.
That's my blogpology.

2009-12-24T14:48:00.000-08:00

To all of our friends and loved ones, both near and far...
We want to wish you a MERRY CHRISTMAS!
I wish I could have sent Christmas cards out to everyone. We do love you and appreciate you in our lives. Thank you for your help in this crazy, mixed up year we've had.
Hopefully next year will be a little less..... exciting.
We are grateful for the Christmas season and that we have been so blessed.
We hope you all have a very Merry Christmas!
Love, Jacob, Becky, Joshua, Nathan and Katie Bunting

Bishop's Pumpkin Farm

2009-11-30T20:58:00.000-08:00

I know it's Christmastime now so this post is a little off season. It was too fun not to share though.
We got to go to Bishop's Pumpkin farm not once, but twice this year. We had missed this experience while we lived in Las Vegas so to the kids delight we went once with Grandma and Grandpa Bunting and once as a family. The farm is amazing. It's a family run farm that seems to be a must-do for most people who live within 50 miles of it. They have hayrides, a petting zoo, corn maze, pig races, a train ride and last, but not least, PUMPKINS!

On our family trip to the farm, Jacob and Joshua took on the Corn Maze while Nathan enjoyed the slide and playing on the tires. All the while Katie had her eye on the pony ride not too far away. The pony had her mesmerized. When Jacob and Joshua found their way back to us, we enjoyed a picnic dinner. Katie batted her big blue eyes, daddy gave in and she got her pony ride! Then we all piled onto a wagon full of hay and headed off into the great big pumpkin patch. We decided not to buy a pumpkin there but we enjoyed the sunset and looking at the funny shaped(and some rotten-EEWWW!) pumpkins.

The hayride back was a little more eventful with a little bit of hay throwing going on-it wasn't us!
The boys enjoyed a snow-cone and we had to indulge in a farm favorite-a fresh baked cinnamon roll. By that time it was dark and we were tired so we headed home. Looks like we have ourselves a new family tradition!

Look at those Blue Eyes!

2009-11-09T13:02:00.000-08:00

Doesn't Katie have the prettiest blue eyes?!

Momma's Shoes

2009-10-20T14:34:00.000-07:00

Katie is a real girlie girl. She squeals at the sight of all the pretty dresses hanging in her closet. If you have on a necklace, you will be her new best friend. She loves cute sweaters, bracelets, earrings, ponytails, and especially shoes. I have never met anyone who loves shoes as much as Katie. I see danger in our future. We may need to start collecting money for a shoe fund! Katie also loves to try on other peoples shoes. So if you are at our house and your shoes have gone missing, there is only one explanation...Katie!

2009-10-16T14:17:00.000-07:00

Bicycling 101

Rule #1: Always wear a Helmet

Rule#2: Make sure you can see out from under the helmet

Rule#3: Try not to get distracted by your surroundings

Rule#4: Bike riding success depends on willingness of Father
to run his heart out
as you do it by yourself for the first time!

Rule#5: After a good bike ride, make sure you drink some water, that boy looks thirsty!

Note to new bike riders: Mother will suffer slight heart heart attack if you ride near enough to a car (BMW) that when you crash, you leave a 5 inch dent in said car door. Mother will also realize what a good teaching opportunity this is in telling the truth and taking responsibility for above action. Yes, a lesson was learned and we are all better for it. Except for the BMW.

Disappeared?

2009-10-14T20:19:00.000-07:00

It seems like we've disappeared off the face of the earth. I know I feel like that some days. We are getting settled in and are very busy here. I am the new Wolf Cub Den assistant, so Josh and I have been doing alot of scouting activities. Katie's becoming a sassy stinker, but still dang cute. Jacob is enjoying his new job and he's busy working to meet a November 1st deadline. Jacob and I ran/walked a 5K together on Saturday. I was going to do it alone but I just wasn't looking forward to that so I convinced Jacob to come with me. He ended up helping me keep up the pace and in the end we finished in 42 minutes and 20 seconds. I beat him! Ha! Just by a step though(He let me). We did it together and we're glad we did. Nothing tasted better than the mini Jamba Juice waiting for me at the finish line though. Maybe we'll do one again sometime.
The coming weeks should be fun. We have fun plans for Halloween and hopefully I'll be able to blog about that.

2009 Summer Vacation

2009-09-09T17:03:00.000-07:00

I really didn't expect that we would get to have a vacation this year. But now with the weddings over and us getting settled we figured it would be good to venture out and see a little more of Northern California. We also wanted to just have so good old family fun.

We went to Great America on Saturday, which the boys totally loved. Katie will enjoy it more when she gets older. It's a giant theme park with AWESOME roller coasters. We went there when we were dating so it was a little bit nostalgic. After we left the park we went to Applebee’s for dinner with Katie sleeping on the booth seat because she was beat from all the fun.
The next morning we decided to drive over by the coast and then up to the Oakland temple, which is where we were sealed 11 years ago. We enjoyed the beautiful and rainy weather on the drive and we even got to see the ocean. At one point while driving, Joshua squished open a ketchup packet and it squirted across the car and all over all three kids. We all laughed and had to stop at a gas station to clean everything up.

It was so nice to be able to go back to the Oakland temple again. We hadn’t been there since my sister and her hubby were sealed about 6 years ago(?). We went in the visitor center where all three kids charmed the sister missionaries. We looked at some paintings of Jesus’s life and talked about what he did for us. After the visitors center, we walked around the temple and took a few pictures. It was such a neat thing to have our whole family there. After we were done at the temple, we took the 2 1/2 drive to Angels camp. The next day we went to visit Mercer Caverns. We liked the cave but thought that the tour guide could have been a lot nicer to us and the kids. I don’t think that the kids noticed though. They loved that cave and they also loved being able to “mine” for gems. Both boys found a small pile of different kinds of gems. Katie just enjoyed sticking her hands in the dirt and washing them off again in the trough. We enjoyed the pool that night and watched a Scooby doo movie with the boys while having caramel popcorn. The next day we went to Columbia historic state park which is an old mining town. The people there were dressed like in olden days. They had an old time candy shop, candle dipping, old time bowling, and gold mining. We actually found some gold. We are pretty sure it isn’t worth more than the $5 we paid to borrow a pan to mine for it though. It was a fun experience. That night we enjoyed swimming once again. The next day we headed home to a week of crazy homework makeup and canning pears. I think things are going to settle down a bit now. It was a nice vacation, time to just be with us and no one else. I liked that! I hope it’s not too long before we get to do it again.

The Carousel at Great America

The Beach in Pacifica, CA

Oakland Temple

Gem Mining

More Gem Mining

Ready to swim!

Cuties!

Gold Mining at Columbia State Park

Wedding Weekend Part 2 ~Liz and Cameron~

2009-08-27T16:30:00.000-07:00

Saturday August 22nd, Liz was sealed to Cameron Lewis in the Sacramento temple. We dropped our kids off at the Loomis Chapel to be watched by the kind people of Loomis First ward. I am so grateful to them for thier service. It was so nice to not have to worry about the kids being outside of the temple. After the sealing we did the whole photo shoot thing again (which was much easier without kids) and then headed back to the chapel to get our kiddos. They had a great time eating snacks, watching movies and charming the YW that helped. We then set up for the luncheon and had a delicious lunch of Taco Salad and Ice Cream sundaes for dessert. Then home for naps and change of clothes. Seems like we just did all this the day before, hhhmmm..... I went back to my mom and dad's house a little early to see if there was anything I could do to help set up and when I got there I got the honor of chauffering the Bride and Groom(and Mark) to Jamba Juice. The teenagers working were a bit suprised to see a Bride and Groom (yes, white dress, tuxedo and all) walk in. We enjoyed our drinks and the LOUD music and then headed back just in time for more pictures in the backyard and the reception. The reception was held in my Mom and Dad's backyard. My Dad worked really hard to make it nice. He took out the trampoline and made a nice circular patio. He installed white lights all around and we had 3 large pictures of Liz and Cameron made and hung them on the wall outside. Ruth made the cake with fondant icing and the Loomis first ward members once again came to the rescue by serving the food and drinks. The evening was really nice and thankfully the weather was nice enough to be outside. We all danced and played and ate and just had a great time. Now they are off in San Diego and having a great first week of thier marriage.
Congrats Liz and Cameron!

I feel so lucky to have 2 new AWESOME brother-in-laws. What a fun wedding weekend!

The Bride and Groom

Mary and Jacob just can't contain themsleves as they wait for Liz and Cameron to come out!

Joshua did a fine job as the greeter. He told everyone they would get a free chocolate (a thank you from the bride and groom) if they signed the guest book. Ya gotta love him!

Katie loving her new purple dress

All the girls with the bride

(From left to right: Ruth, Alaina,Mary,Rachel,Liz,Kaitlin,Sarah, Kaylee, Becky, Katie. The only girl missing from the picture is Emily)

Wedding Weekend Part ONE Megan and John Married!

2009-08-26T08:55:00.000-07:00

The culmination of the summer has come and gone. Last week was quite a busy one for us. The kids started school on Thursday. I wasn't sure what to do with myself since I only had Katie for 6 hours that day. We managed to keep busy though. Friday we dropped the boys off at school and headed off the the Sacramento Temple for Megan and John's Sealing. We had Katie with us and all of Jacob's sisters and brothers, neices and nephews and all of his extended family were there. We enjoyed the sealing and then headed outside for pictures. After we were done with pictures, Jacob and I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to go out for lunch together, no kids besides Katie. It was delicious! We shared a Chilis Three course combo and enjoyed talking with each other. We headed home in time to take a quick nap, pick up the boys and head over to set up for the reception. It was beautiful. There were lights strung across the yard and lots of little candles on all of the tables. During the reception, we enjoyed Chinese chicken salad, a fruit medley and croussant rolls. We got to see alot fo people that we hadn't seen for a long time and enjoy time with the family. We are so excited to have John as part of our family now.
Congrats John and Megan!

Feelin' Peachy

2009-07-22T14:47:00.000-07:00

Jacob grew up on a peach orchard in Penryn CA and since we now live near to his parents we get to enjoy the delicious fruits produced by many different types of trees that his Dad and Mom have in thier yard. So far, we have had grapefruit, lemons, apricots and peaches. My favorite is peaches! We have been able to have some really good peaches, fresh, with ice cream and in Peach Crisp. Jacob has never been able to eat peaches from the store because he says that they are not ripe enough. I agree with him. They just aren't as tasty. And they're hard. We love the ones from his parents tree though and the kids are loving to fruit here too.

So, last week, I had cut and peeled a peach to eat and nibbling on it while doing other things in the kitchen when Jacob says to me "Hey, I think your peach is smiling at you!" I turned around and this is what I saw...

Yeah! I know it's crazy! I had to run and grab the camera because that was like a sign from above telling me"No worries, things are just peachy!"

I Love Peaches!

School is out! No, it's in! Oh, I don't know!

2009-07-18T14:31:00.000-07:00

When we were staying with Jacob Mom and Dad while looking for a rental, we got some little school chairs that someone on thier street was giving away. The kids thought it would be fun to 'play school" so we set up desks with boxes. Josh was the teacher and Nathan and Katie were the students. Katie had adopted a shawl as her "favorite thing to wear around the house" and therefore showed up for school in that attire. They were good students. At one point Katie got out of her chair and Josh said "Katie, get back in your chair or I'll send you to detention!" What's so funny about that is that Katie got right back into her chair, so obedient even though she doesn't have a clue what "detention"is. I love the pictures I was able to get of them, especially Katie.

What we've been up to...

2009-07-17T13:51:00.000-07:00

OK, I know that I've been remiss in my blogging, but I've been busy OooohKaaay! I really do have alot that I want to share so I am going to try to start little by little. First of all, MOVING IS HARD WORK! I am so grateful for all the help we've had, so THANK YOU! You know who you are! It's hard for me to unpack knowing that we're renting and it doesn't feel as permanent as buying. But I am getting settled and learning to love this house as our home. It is a really nice house and neighborhood and we really couldn't be more blessed.
I struggled with finding a house for us here. I felt like I was on the internet or phone all the time. Even Nathan came up to me as I was on the computer and said "Mom, why are you sitting right there ALL the time?" I just laughed and then cringed because I knew it wasn't the best for my kids. However, now we are in our house, sort of unpacked and settled and I have made it up to them. The city of Lincoln has a summer reading program and free book giveaway that we have been involved in and we even went bowling today! We've also gone to Lake Clementine(see my previous post) and spent lots of time with Grandma's and Grandpa's. A few weeks ago we helped Grandma Bunting dry apricots and make apricot freezer jam (a first for all of us.) There is just too much to squish into one little blog so for now, I'll leave you with pictures of our new HOME so you at least know what our new digs look like.

The Kitchen

The Family Room

The Staircase

Living Room and view from the front door

The front of the house

Lake Clementine

2009-07-03T20:04:00.000-07:00

Today we packed up the car and headed to a place that we used to love to go with the Young Men/Young Women's. The one thing we forgot...our camera. So, sorry there are no pictures of us or the area. Next time I'll remember.

Lake Clementine is a beautiful river/swimming area not too far from where we live. It really is more of a river than a lake so I'm not sure why it's called Lake Clementine. The thing I remembered most about it is that the water is clear and that your car gets really dusty when you drive there because there's a dirt road with switchbacks for about the last 8 minutes of the drive. It's so beautiful. There are large trees all the way up the sides of the mountain on either side of the river. We swam, jumped off cliffs and went up and down the river and basically enjoyed the water for about 2 hours. We even had a picnic on the banks. Now, we are home with only a little bit of sunburn. The best thing is that we have finally had a day as a family with no unpacking and not too much stress. (Well, only a little because my younger sister called to tell me that she got engaged last night and that they want the wedding and reception in 7 WEEKS! I am supposed to be a big time helper in the planning so I had alot to think about. I was having too much fun to stress over it though) Nathan cried when we got home because he thought we were going back today, but I assured him that we would go back soon. Here's to beautiful nature and fun family time!

ps. Congrats Elizabeth! We are so excited for you, Cameron is a great guy!

(Here's a picture I found on the internet of a place we were jumping from)

Calling all strong people! (ok, you don't have to be strong)

2009-06-10T18:43:00.000-07:00

Hi all my blogger friends!
As you know our lives have been a bit crazy lately but things are starting to come together. We have been in Northern California for a week and a half now and been busy finding a rental and getting the kids enrolled in school. We finally signed a lease agreement today for a home and we can move in this weekend. THUS, THE CALL FOR HELP! We will be at our house on Calvert street loading the truck on Friday the 12th and we could really use some help. We know it's last minute so we're worried that we won't get much help. We would love to have your help that day. We actually have most of it packed and ready to go, so with enough people, it could go REALLY quick. Plus, I would love to see you all one last time, so stop in to say goodbye and throw a box or two into the truck. We appreciate your love and we'll miss you as we start our new adventure in California. Thanks and hopefully we'll see you FRIDAY!

HE GOT THE JOB!!!

2009-05-20T14:40:00.000-07:00

After just over 6 months of searching for a new job, Jacob will now be an employee of Kelly Architecture and Planning in Rockin California! He will start on June 1st so we have lots of planning and packing to do. We may need some help pulling this off so if you have some packing skills or child tending skills that you may want to offer, we will be open to the help. We will most likely pack up all that we can and then go stay with Jacob's parents for a few weeks while looking for a place to rent. Then we will come back and pack our truck and be outta here.

Our families are so excited to have us close. We will really miss our friends, home, ward and loved ones here in Las Vegas. Thank you for all you have meant to us. It's great to have blogs because we can still keep in touch no matter what! We'll be back to visit too I'm sure, so you haven't seen the last of us yet. Thanks for your prayers and thoughts, WE LOVE YOU!

Things are Lookin' Up!

2009-05-14T15:27:00.000-07:00

Here's the scoop: For 6 months, Jacob has not been employed. Last week an architecture firm in Rocklin CA (near Sacramento CA) called and interviewed him over the phone. This firm works largely in healthcare and is busy and doing well. They asked Jacob if they could fly him up for an in-person interview and that is what he did today. It went really well and he was told that they would most likely send him a job offer at the beginning of the week next week. We are really excited for him to get this job because it would mean that we actually would get to move back by our families.
We moved from the Sacramento Area in 2000 shortly after Joshua was born. Jacob had been accepted into UNLV for the Architecture program. In 2004 he graduated with his bachelor degree and the in 2006 he earned his Masters. We intended on moving away right when he graduated but things worked out for us to stay here instead. At the time, we could not move back to Sacramento because housing prices were at their highest. Now it is somewhat more affordable and we should be able to make it just fine there. Our families are excited to have us closer and we are excited to live close to them again. HOWEVER, we will be so sad to leave all of the wonderful people that we have grown to love in our lives. We will miss you! I am torn because I don't want to leave until I get to say goodbye to everyone and do all the things we love here just one last time. We will see what happens. As of right now, it is not official but is looking like it very well could be. I will let you know when it's for sure! Thanks for your love and prayers.

Happy Mother's Day Mom!

2009-05-10T15:11:00.000-07:00

We wanted to dedicate this post to our moms, Lorna and Kathy. You are two wonderful and amazing women and we are so blessed to have you in our lives. Thank you for raising us to love the gospel and help us to become independent adults. Thanks for being awesome grandmothers to our children, they love you so much. We Love You, with all of our hearts. Thanks for all you do, don't ever stop being who you are! Love, Becky and Jacob

ps. Listen to the song "The Best Day" by Taylor Swift in our playlist, We thought it would be a good Mother's day song! Love us : )

Bunny Surgery

2009-04-29T13:19:00.000-07:00

I performed a life threatening surgery on one of our very own the other day. Nathan was concerned that his bunny's flower was starting to disconnect from his hand and that it called for emergency surgery. Hoppy-Hop was a little bit nervous but very brave. He sat still through the entire process, never moving a muscle, even during the administration of the anesthetic. As you can see both Hoppy-Hop and Nathan are doing well and Hoppy-Hop is excited to not have to worry about losing his flower.

Just in case you have never met Hoppy-Hop, let me introduce you. Hoppy-Hop joined our family shortly after Nathan was born in 2003. He was a gift from a friend of ours. Nathan took to the bunny right away and he has been Nathan's best friend ever since. There was one time they were seperated for several months after the Bunny decided to stay behind at Aunt Ruth's house in California. Ruth decided that Nathan really needed his bunny and sent it back via USPS. Their relationship blossomed from there on out and Nathan recently(in the past 6 months) decided that the Bunny needed a name. He is now known as Hoppy-Hop. He used to sing when you pulled his handle but he is now permanently in the "I can't sing anymore" position. I think he stopped singing about 2-3 years ago and Nathan sometimes wonders why he doesn't sing anymore. Hoppy Hop has been found to be buried in the dirt in the back yard with only head and feet visible and he likes to slide down the slide. He's especially fond of rides in the washer and dryer. He also likes to take car rides with us but is not usually allowed to come inside wherever we are going. He can't sleep without Nathan at night and will make sure he is forgotten until at least 10 minutes after Nathan has been tucked in. This usually leads to a 5-10 minute "Bunny search" (this can be tiring for frazzled parents in a 2000+sqft home) When the search is over, they are usually down for the night. Hoppy Hop has been a nice addition to our family and he will be until he is too thread-bare to go on any longer. I'm glad Nathan has such a great friend, couldn't we all use someone like that?

Easter Mischief and Milestones

2009-04-20T08:00:00.000-07:00

Things were quite and this is what I found Katie doing.

As you can see, her hair is starting to grow in. I'm really happy to see that happening! She's been such a funny girl and loves to make other people laugh. I just realized this weekend that she will be old enough to go into nursery in 4 short weeks. The countdown has begun! She suprised us by going potty on her little toilet this week. She's been interested and will sit on it with her clothes on and play with it throughout the day. Jacob has been the one taking her in to sit down on it so maybe him being home isn't such a bad thing...hmmm. I always dread potty training but this looks like it might not be too bad. I don't want to speak too soon though. We'll see.

Hope you had a great Easter! Love the Buntings

Silly Katie

2009-04-17T17:12:00.001-07:00

I've been meaning to share these pictures for a long time. She cracks me up!

Next time I post, I'll do something more current.

Don't you hate it when...

2009-04-01T13:35:00.000-07:00

This morning I woke up and made my list for Smith's Case Lot sale. I was excited because there are a few things I have been waiting for to stock up on during this next week. One of the items being black beans ($.50 a can) We use them quite often so I thought that I should buy a whole case. I found one of the last 2 that the store had with the help of a Smith's Employee. He put it on the bottom of my cart and I went on my merry way. The lady at the self check out was really nice and scanned it for me along with a few other things I bought. Then I went to the parking lot to unload. This is where things went downhill. I loaded everything...except for the beans. I put my cart away and got in my car and drove away. I made a few other stops and then as I was unloading my trunk at home I realized that I had forgotten the beans. How frustrating!!! I decided that one of my biggest pet peeves is having to drive to somewhere I have just been and in this case trying to same money at the same time. Not only did I not save as much as planned(due to extra gas involved) but I wasted time ARGH! So... I got back in the car and headed back to Smith's to pick up my lonely case of beans that a good samaritan found in the parking lot, absentmindedly abandoned by me. The good news... I have my beans and I am home now and maybe, just maybe I can have a nap today. Life is good...

BTW, they have an awesome deal on shredded cheese! It's a 5lb bag for $7.99! But if you go, don't leave it in your cart in the parking lot OK!
You can check out all that's on sale at GrocerySmarts.com!

It's all fun and games...

2009-03-24T20:38:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to share some of the things that the kids do to pass the time. Katie has really learned to get around and has even started running... away from me mostly-HA! Here are a few pictures of what Katie and Nathan do in thier spare time...

Notice the beater in her right hand-she always plays with them

if she can get her hands on them!

I'm glad they get along!

(Joshua must have been at school)

Nathans Mishap

2009-03-12T13:26:00.000-07:00

A few Sundays ago, Nathan was spinning around in the Living Room and an end table attacked him! It wasn't too tramatizing though. We called an angel that we know and he came over and "glued" the wound shut. As you can tell, Nathan wasn't too hurt. I was just so glad that we could continue with our Sunday and NOT visit the emergency room. The ironic thing is that when Joshua was younger, he fell and cut his eyebrow in almost the same place on a Sunday evening too! I hope Katie doesn't feel the need to follow her brothers.

Show 'em your scars boys!

Job Update...

2009-02-25T09:43:00.000-08:00

First of all I just have to say, No, Jacob has not been able to find a job yet. But, our family has truly been blessed and we have had daily reminders that Heavenly Father is watching over our us. Jacob was able to do some drafting for about 6 weeks which really helped. Now that job is over and he is working feverishly trying to find a job, works on plans for a house for some friends of ours and also study for(and pass) his ARE tests. It seems like he would be less busy... not so! I have learned to be patient with what he needs to do and take it all into stride. It has been fun having him home more. I was able to go on Joshua's field trip to the planetarium last Friday. I wouldn't have been able to do that if he had been gone. I've been able to find the little blessings and not focus on the fact that drastic changes may be headed our way. I'm grateful for the support we have from friends and the strength I get from knowing there is a greater plan for us. I can't wait until I get the details of that plan! Line upon line...

(If anyone has ideas about where architecture is doing well, please let us know!)

Cathy Cook Love

2009-02-07T20:03:00.000-08:00

There's this really wonderful lady in our lives that we like to call

Cathy Cook.
Cathy has been a member of our family for about 6 years. She is our adopted Vegas Mom/Grandma and we love her so much. The kids love to spend the night at her place and we LOVE having frequent swim parties with her during the summertime. (We can't wait for summer! WOO!) She bakes delicious cakes and is just plain FUN to be around. Thanks Cathy for loving us and being a part of our lives!

I am now A Grocery Smarts Instructor!

2009-02-02T14:14:00.000-08:00

In October I went to a friends house for a "Coupon Class." I didn't know anything about it, just that I was interested in saving money for my family. Since the class, I have been able to stock my pantry without spending a penny more than I would have spent before. This has been such a blessing to our family since we have been going through hard financial times. We haven't had to go without and for that I am thankful.
I love the program so much that about a month ago I decided to become qualified to teach Coupon Classes. I am really excited for my first class which is this week. I am having a mid-week activity for my ward and teaching them how to shop smart and spend less! If you haven't heard of GrocerySmarts, check it out at http://www.grocerysmarts.com/ and use passport code g89cbb

You are invited to my first class!

Wednesday February 4th at 7pm

Get Ready to SAVE!!

(at my house,call or email me if you need directions or have questions)

Are YOU in?

2009-01-31T10:09:00.000-08:00

I Dare You!
I LOVE FUN and this is FUN! DO IT!

Pay it Forward Exchange
I copied this straight from my Mom's blog and I was the second to comment on hers so now it's your turn!This is how it works:
Pay it Forward Exchange is based on the concept of the movie "Pay it Forward".I will send a hand made gift to the first three people who leave a comment on my blog requesting to join the PIF exchange.
All the gifts will be made and posted out 'sometime within the next year'. How exciting to not know when your surprise package will arrive!
What you do in return, is pay it forward by making the same promise on your blog.This Exchange is only open to those with active websites or blogs.
ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS PROMISE TO POST THIS SAME 'PAY IT FORWARD' MESSAGE ONTO YOUR BLOG, WHICH MUST BE ACTIVE IN ORDER TO PLAY. YOU WILL PAY IT FORWARD TO THREE PEOPLE WHO COMMENT ON YOUR BLOG.I'd love for you to join me! Will you?
Other comments are welcome,but only the first three will be my Pay it Forward recipients.Sounds like fun, right?
No pressure, just fun.

Where babies come from...

2009-01-29T12:47:00.000-08:00

I was sitting at the table talking with the boys a few days ago, I can't even remember what the subject was. Out of the blue Josh says "I know how babies are made!" I was a little taken aback because I wasn't sure what knowledge he was about to bestow upon his five year old brother. He knows as much as an eight year old needs to know. He proceeded to say "Mom chews some gum and then swallows it, a baby grows in her tummy and then she goes to the hospital to get it out." I laughed so hard and said "That's a great theory!" So, if you are in need of a "story" because you are not prepared to share the details, here is a good one for you!

2009-01-11T21:30:00.000-08:00

Katie's First Steps

Today was a big day for Katie! She took her first step...and then her 2nd,3rd,4th and so on! It was fun to see her finally succeed in something she's been working on for a while now. Note that she is also holding something in her hand, she will be a great multi-tasker! YAY KATIE!!

Our Christmas

2008-12-31T15:13:00.000-08:00

Normally Christmastime would find us driving 10 hours to Northern California for a whirlwind of people and activities on both sides of our family. Last year, after Christmas we were exhausted. We sat talking with my Mom and Dad and invited them to come and stay with us for this Christmas. Arraingments were made and we looked forward to it all year. We even got my 2 youngest sisters a little early visiting from BYU. It was such a nice Christmas. Also, that fact that we had so many people show thier love for us, knowing that Jacob hasn't been working since mid November, has really helped magnify the spirit of Christmas for our family. Thank you to all those who thought of us!
Our many activities included a visits to the cactus garden and Bellagio for the conservatory. Gingerbread making at Julies house, that was GREAT! Liz and Mary (my 2 youngest sisters) put on a fancy dinner for Jacob and I. We had Shrimp Scampi, salad and a Yule Log for dessert that Liz baked that day(it was scrumptious) We dressed our best and Joshua and Nathan were our waiters. It was like a night out, but at home! Thanks Mary and Liz!
Christmas Eve we laid blankets down on the floor by the Christmas tree and had a picnic. The menu was Taco Soup, crackers and hummus, pita chips and spinach dip and Katie's favorite were the slices of Cheddar cheese.(We were going for foods from the Saviors time frame, I'm not sure how close we got) We sang Happy Birthday to Jesus and we read some inspirational quotes. Then after dinner was cleaned up we dressed the kids and acted out the nativity story. It was relaxing and unrushed and just a nice time. After the kids were in bed the adults sat around talkign until 1 in the morning. That's the part I love best about being with my mom and dad. We just sit and talk, it's great!
Christmas day brought the usual present opening. We tried one by one and it worked out really well. I just really wanted to focus on the meaning of Christmas and not rush through it. My favorite part was when my Dad opened a book that I scrapbooked for him and he had tears come to his eyes. I was so happy that he liked it. Then, following Jacob's family tradition, we had cinnamon rolls and hot chocolate for breakfast. Jacob had made them the day before and they turned out GINORMOUS! They were so good though.
Christmas night we had a few good friends over, had a nice ham dinner and play some fun games(like unwrapping a really taped up box with gloves on to get to the prize in the middle) and of course dessert. What a great Christmas it was. Unrushed, full of love, full of remembrance of our Savior and knowing that Heavenly Father shows us in little ways that he loves us and cares for us.

To all of you...

2008-12-26T11:34:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to say a quick Happy Holidays to all of you. This year has been crazy and the time just slipped by so we really didn't do Christmas cards. This doesn't mean we weren't thinking of you, because we were! We hope you had a really nice Christmas and that things for everyone will be brighter in 2009, hey, we can hope can't we! Heavenly Father loves us, that's all that matters.

Community Pet

2008-12-22T06:17:00.000-08:00

For all of those who can never get enough Webkinz or have never heard of Webkinz before, Now your lucky opportunity! I (Jacob) am officially allowing my pet to be a community pet (I don't play with it enough and the panda doesn't like sitting there months just not doing anything :( he get quite lonely).

To play Webkinz (for the inexperienced)- go to http://www.webkinz.com/us_en/ and click log on.

User name: p0da (that's with a zero not an o)

Password: bearcat

Be nice to my panda and have fun. Don't everybody log on at the same time (I have no idea what it'll do),

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

- Ailuropoda melanoleuca is the scientific name for the giant panda.

- Shiong Moa (the pet's name) is Chinese for panda (direct transelation: bear cat)

- in 2004 there were surveyed only 1600 wild pandas in existence.

- fact sheet

SNOW IN VEGAS????!!!

2008-12-17T22:56:00.000-08:00

It was forecast but we weren't sure whether to believe it. We had an incredibly windy day on Saturday, a rainy day all day Monday and this morning the temperature dropped and we had snow falling for at least 9 hours starting around noon today. It's incredible and hasn't happened since 1974. Guess what, we have a snow day tomorrow too! Yep, that's right, the kids don't have school because of the weather. This should be fun. Jacob and I thought of a fun hill that we are going to try to sled on tomorrow, we'll see how that goes. If I can get the pictures in the right order, you can see how the day progressed. I'm glad it's not a normal thing but it sure has been fun!

Grocery Smart Savings

2008-12-15T14:53:00.000-08:00

I don't think I've ever been so excited about 10 boxes of cereal, 2 bags of salad, carrots, 2 bags of marshmallows and a box of Madarins before!

I have been trying out a new thing called "Grocery Smarts" and I wanted to see how well it worked before I recommended it to my friends. The basic idea behind it is that you get several copies of the weekend newspaper and therefore, several copies of the Smart Source coupons. You use thier website to combine your coupons with the sales and voila, stocking up has never been so cheap! They even have a star rating system to tell you if you should really stock up, or if you should save your coupons for a better deal.
Well, I was so excited today because these are the things I got today at VONS. This way of shopping takes much planning, but is totally worth it. I have time and not money so it works well for me. The things I got today would have normally cost $70.24 without sales or coupons. It would have cost $24.69 if I had only gone with the Vons club savings, but I had $14.10 in coupons so guess what my grand total was.... It was $10.59! That averages out to 66 cents per item! What a deal. If you want to check out "Grocery Smarts" GO to the "LINKS I LOVE" section of my blog. Happy shopping!

Job Update

2008-12-12T11:07:00.000-08:00

Jacob had a promising Job interview last week and We hadn't heard back after a whole week so Jacob was finally able to talk to the Principle at CSA and he said that they are really busy and that they don't have time to make a decision until after the new year. So.. I guess Jacob is jobless until next year. Also, He had another co-worker call and ask if he would like to work at a new branch they are opening for Steelman Architecture.....in Dubai! Yes, that's the UAE, Saudi Arabia. WHAT!!!! I guess we can't rule it out and it would be an adventure but we are sure going to see what we can do here first! Keep praying for us, we know Heavenly Father has a plan, we're just waiting to see what it is.

Katie Turns One!

2008-12-11T12:13:00.000-08:00

Katie turned one near the end of November and we just so happened to be in California visiting our families for Thanksgiving. She was just learning to say "HI" so got a cute pink stuffed telephone and is very fluent in "HI" now. She had a huge chocolate cake but refused to dig in with her hands like we encouraged her to do. She really enjoyed the cake once she got a taste of it though. Happy Birthday Baby Girl!

Funny Sleeper

2008-12-05T16:25:00.000-08:00

We found Nathan asleep like this. What good mom wouldn't take a snapshot of that!

Better days in the past and future

2008-11-16T22:03:00.000-08:00

Well, we were pretty sure it would happen eventually but we are still in a little bit of shock. Jacob was laid off on Thursday so now we are on a mission to find him a new job. So, if any of you know anyone who is looking for a really smart and handsome architect please let us know. We aren't too worried (yet.) As I said in my last post, I know Heavenly Father is watching over our family and I have no doubt in my mind that He has a plan for us. We have drawn much comfort from the conference talks and also from our loving family, ward family and friends. Thanks for your support and love! I know we aren't the only ones going through this(quite the opposite) but we will make it, of that I'm sure.

Plus...How can you be sad when you look at this face!

Enjoy the Feast!

2008-11-13T14:23:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to share something that really touched me recently. I was reading the FRIEND magazine and turned to the Matt and Mandy cartoon that they have in each issue. It was about a little girl asking her mom why she was reading the Conference talks when they had just listened to them last month. The mother explains that when we listen to conference on conference weekend, it is just a sampler platter, and when we get the November issue of the Ensign that we can truly feast on the words. I took this to heart and have been reading a little bit of the talks every day. I can't even tell you how much they have blessed me with peace of mind and an overwhelming feeling of the love that our Savior and our leaders have for us. We have been so bless to have modern day wisdom imparted to us so often and I won't ever take it for granted again. I challenge you to enjoy the feast!

Halloween Contest

2008-11-11T14:57:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone! My family has started a new Halloween tradition. Sarah has posted all the families 2008 costumes at http://sandjchapman.blogspot.com/2008/11/halloween-costume-contest.html
Check out her blog to vote for the different categories. Voting ends on Saturday Nov. 15th. Come see how creative and funny my family can be!

October fun

2008-11-04T16:52:00.000-08:00

We had fun during October making a few different things for FHE. First we made our ring around the Ghosties for our yard, then decorated our house like it had been attacked by spiders. Next we attempted to make applehead dolls. They turned out pretty cool. Everyone told us that our yard was so cool, we enjoyed it!(sorry they are all in the wrong order)auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_23rvLfYUsxg/SRDvJ4_LrTI/AAAAAAAAAS0/1SuhQkMuhJg/s320/IMG_4290+%5BDesktop+Resolution%5D.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264970917591362866" />

Christensen Halloween costume Contest

2008-11-04T16:38:00.000-08:00

First of all if I knew we were having a contest, I MIGHT have tried harder. Here are our costumes. (For our readers not in the Christensen Fam, enjoy the pics)
The whole Family as we left for Trick or treating
Nathan right before his school parade on Thursday
Katie in her costume during the only 2 seconds that she kept the hat on
At our ward trunk or treat. My friend's baby was Micheal Phelps, she was his number one fan and I was Betsy Ross. We called our setup "Americana Past and Present" She had flags all over the van and we had a great time handing out candy together
Joshua was a Vampire, Nathan was a ghost(a scary one too)and of course, me as Betsy Ross

2008-10-28T16:46:00.001-07:00

Get your own Family Sticker Maker & MySpace Layouts.

Freebies 4 Mom

2008-10-27T12:52:00.000-07:00

I just heard about a blog that is all about saving Mom's money! It tells you all about coupons and free samples that are available on the internet. Just click on "Freebies" under my "Links I Love" section. I am so excited to have samples of laundry detergent, lotion, shavers, Betty Crocker potatoes and whole bunch more coming my way in the next 6-8 weeks! Also, I have been using the Grocery Smarts website to match my coupons with sales that are going on each week and I am saving $$! Check them out too! I know we all could use a few money saving ideas these days and I am all about that, Happy Saving!

Our weekend in Oceanside

2008-10-16T14:34:00.000-07:00

So, I think we have the whole computer situation under control now. I was able to get pictures from our trip to Oceanside so I hope you enjoy my little slide show. We played on the beach on Saturday, went to church, the San Diego temple, and La Jolla Cove on Sunday and then Monday morning we enjoyed a nice beachfront thunderstorm while we ate breakfast,inside of course. Then the sun came out(for the first time on our trip.) On our way home we stopped at Calico Ghost town which is really close to Barstow. We drive past it all the time but decided that since we weren't in a hurry, we would stop and check it out. It was nice but they do nickel and dime you for all the little attractions. I have to admit there was more there than I expected. We took a train ride, went down in to the mine and they even had a thing where you could pan for silver(we didn't do that). The best thing about the whole trip was being able to be with my Mom and Dad. I hope they had as much fun as we did!

Tagged

2008-10-06T17:08:00.000-07:00

Tagged

Tagged By Ruth

Joys:
1. The love of my family
2. Feeling close to Heavenly Father
3. Hangin' with my Honey

Fears:
1. Fire
2. That me or one of my kids will be diagnosed with Celiac disease and I won't be able to bake good food anymore.
3. Anyone I love getting hurt in an accident or a serious disease.

Current Obsessions/Collections:
1. Trying to read "The Host" (I can never seem to get time!)
2. Winning my Biggest Loser Contest
3. Making sure sure Katie isn't eating random things off the floor, that speedy little crawler!

Random Facts:
1. I like to take naps
2. I am a list maker and have a somewhat photographic memory. I can usually remember which list I need and what notebook I wrote it in
3. I love to see new places and I am constantly reminding myself that being a mother is more important right now...The world can wait!

Now I am tagging Elizabeth, Nancy and Cathy

Things are better!

2008-10-06T16:59:00.000-07:00

Hey all my good friends! I appreciate your comments and love. It's so nice to know that so many people care about me and my family! Our family is doing much better. Katie is back in good shape and it look like Jacobs' job should be secure at least through the end of the year(most likely longer too) We got to enjoy a weekend in Oceanside with my Mom and Dad. If I can get some pictures posted I will. We had a great time and got alot of really good pictures since the weather was cooperable. We also enjoyed conference this last weekend and it really helped me to have courage in these uncertain times. I am so grateful for the Prophet and all the Generel Authorities and thier wisdom.

Compture problems, Sick Babies and Layoffs

2008-09-25T13:07:00.000-07:00

Wow, what a crazy week! I just have to say first that I am very blessed. This past week has been a trial but we are making it through. First of all the motherboard on our 3 week old computer fried itself, so that computer doesn't work and then our other computer got a bunch of viruses when we tried using it for more than games for the kids. Jacob is really smart about that stuff so I know he'll have it fixed in no time, it's just a minor inconvenience and hampers my blogging time! Also, Katie was SOOO sick last wednesday. I took her into the DR and the diagnosis was the Flu...wait there's more! She also had ear infections in both ears, and a tooth about to erupt, POOR BABY! That day wasn't the best as you can imagine. I gave her the antibiotics and she seemed to be doing better but started with a fever again a few days ago. I wasn't sure if the antibiotics just hadn't worked or if something else was wrong. I took her in yet again to the DR this morning and her ear infections are gone but she has a throat infection. So, the DR says it will go away by itself and just to give her tylenol for the pain. Yay, no more medicine! I think we might be on the path to healing and hopefully she won't get some other kind of infection. In the midst of all this we got a little worried because there was one day that 5 people were laid off from Jacob's company. That's alot considering that no more than 25 people worked there. His job is safe for now, supposedly. Wow, it's hard to know what to do these days! We just have to look back and remember that Heavenly Father has always blessed our family with what we need and that we have never been, and hopefully never will be, Homeless. It's crazy how all these things can happen and I can still have a hope that things will be just fine. I'm grateful for the knowledge that I have as a member of the church that this is just a moment in time that we are tested. I have faith that it is all for "our learning and experience." Better days are still to come...

The funniest cupcake

2008-09-11T14:42:00.000-07:00

Yeah, so I realized that I didn't even show you the decoarated cupcakes. Here is the funniest one. It's "Mater, like to-mater, 'cept without the ta" THe other ones had lightening McQeen, lightening bolts, Sally, 95's etc...

Nathan turns 5

2008-09-10T16:44:00.000-07:00

Nathan's fifth birthday was about a month ago but I really want to share the pictures. His Aunt Mary and Aunt Liz came to visit that weekend and we had a CARS party for him. Liz, being the confectionery connoisseur that she is, made the cupcakes sooo cute. Nathan got everything cars and we had a great time. He requested carrot cake but also wanted cupcakes, so we had carrot cupcakes! Happy Birthday Nathan!

School is in session!

2008-08-26T14:27:00.001-07:00

Yesterday BOTH of my boys started school. Joshua is now in third grade and Nathan started Kindergarten. We are so proud of both of them. Nathan has been waiting so long for this special time and I could tell he was just tickled to be going to school when he got home yesterday. I'm sure that every day he will be filled with stories and news of the exciting things he gets to do. I can't wait to hear all about it. I am also excited because now I have a little over 2 hours with just Katie at home. This happens to be her nap time, so I will get to have a little bit of "me" time every day. Actually I still don't know quite what to do with myself, but I am sure to figure it out! Oh, today, I got to take a shower and NO ONE knocked on the door! It was so nice!
The beginning of the school year also makes me feel like there is hope that we will have temperatures below 100 degrees sometime soon! I CAN'T WAIT! We get to do so much more when it is nice outside. Hooray for fall! Enjoy the pictures of my cuties on the first day of school and I wish all your little ones the best if they are in school!

Nathan...So Excited about school!

Joshua in the rain after school

Being goofy as I met them to pick them up

Nathan showing me his homework folder

Nathan's class read a book called the "Kissing Hand" so he was demonstrating...

Our Very First Scout Day Camp

2008-08-22T16:24:00.000-07:00

Joshua is now a cub scout since he turned 8 in May. He has really been enjoying the activities and learning new things as a scout. For a whole week near the beginning of August he was able to attend scout Day Camp which was held from 4-8pm Monday through friday. They played games, did arts and crafts, practiced shooting BB guns, shot bow and arrows, got sprayed by a fire truck hose, and had a big picnic on the last day with all the families. During the picnic they had different era's of Mexican dancing as entertainment and then afterwards they dumped a truck load of Ice Cream on the ground for all to enjoy(all packaged and mostly melting) The weather the whole week was humid, a little rainy and of course, HOT. He had a great time and he's really glad he got to go.

Josh in his camp shirt

Nathan enjoying the park

Playing after the picnic

Katie being cute

Jacob and Katie

Crazy Month

2008-07-28T14:15:00.000-07:00

OK, so I haven't blogged for a while, things have been pretty hectic here! The latest adventure was a camping trip in Northern california with a visit to the Sacramento area to spend time with our families afterwards. Camping was cold at nights but we survived. We were right by a lake and we got to water-ski and have fun evenings around the campfire with Jacob's extended family. The kids loved getting down a dirty and making good friends with some of the cousins kids.
When we left camping, we drove to the foothills above Sacramento, where our parents live, and we had a very fun few days with them. Ruth and Sarah, my sister who live in Clear Lake, CA, came for the weekend too. We had a great time together. Sarah just had her little Kaylee Rose 4 weeks ago and she was blessed on Sunday at church. Also on Sunday, one of Ruth's daughters(Rachel) and our Joshua were baptized together in Auburn. They were so excited! It was fun to see them enjoy the experience.
Monday, My dad took all the boys rafting and the girls and kids stayed home and watched a movie and had a nice relaxing afternoon together. Tuesday morning, Jacob left early to interview with some architecture companies in Sacramento. None of them were hiring at the moment but he was trying to figure out which ones would be best for him in the future. We have always dreamed of moving back there but until now the housing prices have kept us away. It's affordable now so all he needs is a good job! (oh, and we will need to rent out or sell our house here) Now, don't all of you worry, it won't happen for a while. I plan on enjoying the time we have here too!
Our trip was really fun and we are glad to be back home now.

Our Weekend in Washington

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

This past weekend, Jacob, Katie and I got to fly to Washington for the sealing of his brother and sister-in-law. I flew up to Pasco with Katie on Thursday so that we could spend an extra day with a good friend that had moved away from lovely Las Vegas. I was so much fun to be with Melanie again! We chatted for a long time, went to some demonstration flower gardens, and ate a yummmy dinner prepared by Melanie herself, Coconut Chicken...yum! Friday night we picked up Jacob, went back to her house, ate Papa Murphy's Pizza and played her Wii. I had never done this before and it was a blast! We bowled and then we played Guitar Hero...So much fun!
The next day we got our rental car and drove up to Spokane for the sealing. It was so wonderful to see their family finally attain this goal. We were all teary eyed!
We also got to hang out with our nieces and nephew who we hadn't seen for a few years. It was such a nice trip and it meant soooo much to them that we came. Thanks to all those who helped with our kids so that we could have that great experience!

When life hands you Lemons...

2008-06-22T21:17:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday Elizabeth Dover called me and asked if Joshua would like to help Alyssa run a Lemonade stand for the good people of Calvert St. for a little while that morning. I was all for the little business adventure. They brought the lemonade and cups and we provided the ice and the beautiful signage. It was a blast! The kids were funny with their little signs out on the road and serving icy cold cups of Lemonade. They kept yelling "Get it while it's cold!" It was so funny. We met a few new neighbors and even got a shot of a fellow bloggers' husband stopping by for a refreshing drink! The kids are awesome business"men", they sold 44 cups of lemonade! Way to go Josh and Alyssa!

Uri Miller's Super Scientific Video Blog

2008-06-07T18:49:00.000-07:00

I want to direct you to a super video blog presenting my brother...oops, I mean Uri Miller. If you have seen the video's I have links to for Uri Miller and you want more, just visit the link under "My friends and family that Blog-"Uri Miller" It is very entertaining. I know not all of you will appreciate it as much as I do, after all he is related to me, but I believe you will find it entertaining. Enjoy!

http://urimiller.blogspot.com/

Vacation Getaway Part 3

2008-06-02T14:02:00.000-07:00

OK, So after we left the museum to drive to Big Bear, we got stuck in a traffic jam and it took 4 hours instead of 2 and 1/2 to get there. It started to rain and then...to snow. We came to find out that the jam was caused by slush on the freeway and plows were working to remove it. We heard later on the news that there had also been a tornado near the area we were driving, thank goodness we missed that one! So it turned into a pretty dark and gloomy day. The temp in Palm desert was around 70-80 and when we finally got to Big Bear it was 37 degrees and we were freezing! It was beautiful though. Hope you enjoy the pictures! The first one is the slush on the freeway, then Josh and Becky in a "cloud" in the canyon, then a pretty pic of what the lake looked like when we got there around 7pm, then in the next picture it is snowing lightly but it's hard to see. On the day we drove home we went to the zoo up in Big Bear and we got to watch them feed the bears...ooo fun! The whole time were there we just relaxed, read, watched movies, went to the zoo, drank hot chocolate and just enjoyed nature. It was a good ending to our trip. So there you have it. A description of our crazy weather vacation!

Vacation Getaway Part 2

2008-06-02T13:47:00.000-07:00

Sorry, I have been pretty busy since getting back so I have failed to post about the rest of our trip. Better late than never right? So here is a cute picture of Katie that I just HAD to post...she's just so cute. The rest are from the Children's Museum of the Desert in Palm Desert, California. We like to take our kids to whatever children's museum is in the area when we go on trips since number 1, they love 'em, and number 2, they aren't as costly as other things like say, Disneyland. So here we are at the museum painting a car (who ever gets to do that?), playing groceries and baking pretend pizza. What fun we had!
(note: this past week we went to the Lied Children's Museum here and I broke down and bought an annual pass. The kids love it and it is WAY better than it used to be. Stinks that we could've gotten into the other 2 children's museums we went to in the past year for FREE had we purchased it earlier. Hindsight is 20/20, right?! If you have a pass or want to buy one, call me and we can take our kids together.)

Don't Treat me Bad-Part 2

2008-05-27T21:34:00.000-07:00

A great big shout out and hugs to my good friend Courtney! She surprised me tonight by posting and sending a link to the "Don't treat me bad" video that I blogged about earlier. Now you can all enjoy the fun and silliness of yester years. Introducing the members of the band... On lead guitar we have Shawna Westerlund (now married and living in Utah with 2 cute kids), lead singer is Courtney Westerlund (now exploring the world and living it up in Washington DC) and then the Bass guitar is my sister Ruth Mavy (now married with 5 children and living in Clear Lake, California) Enjoy!

Our Vacation Getaway

2008-05-27T13:41:00.000-07:00

Last week we got to go spend a week in Southern California. We invited Cathy Cook and we had a great time with her, she spent the first 2 nights with us in Indio, CA and we had fun swimming, looking at the cute ducks on the resort property, having a birthday party with Joshua at Chuck E Cheese and more swimming! The first three days, it was around 115 degrees! We didn't mind too much because of the fact that we spent most of the time at the pools. They had 2 great big swimming pools, a lazy river, several spas, and a splash pad where the water shot up out of the ground. It was so relaxing! We spent a lot of time with my friend, Ana, who lives in Palm Desert also, we hadn't seen her and her 2 kids for a while. She even cooked us a delicious mexican meal after church on Sunday. It was so good! I'm going to try the recipe this week! There's more to our trip, I'm going to post seperate blogs about each part. Indio was alot of fun and I'm glad we got to do that!
This statement sums up our trip:
If we were trying to get away from any certain type of weather, we weren't successful!

Baby, Don't Treat Me Bad

2008-05-14T15:18:00.000-07:00

The band "Firehouse" and I go way back. When I was a youth I had a crazy bunch of friends who were always doing really funny things. They liked to pretend to be the "Spice Girls" and other various(very hilarious)characters. They knew that I love the song "Don't Treat Me Bad" by Firehouse, so as a wedding present, they all dressed up as the band and recorded a music video for me. It consisted of drawn on facial hair, wooden guitars, and very funny lines. I wish I could share but it was back in the day of the VCR. Anyhow, we were driving down I-95 one day last month and I saw a sign saying that "Firehouse" would be performing at Sunset Station. I was ecstatic! I knew I had to go! I tried to get Ruth and Courtney(they were both in the video) to come but they live far away and it wasn't possible. So I ended up going with Jacob, which was just as great. We had a good time and it's something I will always remember. The tickets were only $10 each and we got there early so we were 3 people back from the stage. We had a good time and I'm really glad we got to go. Here is a picture of our tickets, one of the band "way back when" and a more recent picture of them. I've also included my favorite songs of thiers on my playlist, take a listen!

Grandpa and Grandma Visit!

2008-05-11T20:17:00.000-07:00

My Mom and Dad came to visit this week, they arrived Monday morning and left Wednesday afternoon.. It was a lot of fun! They were on their way back to CA from dropping my 2 youngest sisters off to work for the summer at Zion's Canyon. On Tuesday, my Mom treated us both to a pedicure at the beauty school to celebrate our birthday's. Mine was in April and hers is May 13th, Happy Birthday MOM! We also had a nice lunch at Pei Wei and since Cold Stone was next door...well, we just couldn't resist! We also did some shopping at Burlington Coat Factory and I found a nice new swimsuit. Thanks for a great birthday present and lots of fun Mom, I loved having a fun day with just you! Meanwhile, back at the ranch... Jacob took the day off of work and helped my Dad install a door between our bedroom and bathroom. The builder put the door in a really awkward place, so they moved it to a much better place. Thanks Dad for getting that wonderful project started! We just have a little more to do before it is finished. Mom and Dad were supposed to stay until Thursday morning, but the allergens were flying and my Dad was miserable. They decided to leave early, on Wednesday after lunch. We had our last hoorah by meeting Jacob for lunch at Chipotle and then we bid them farewell in the parking lot. We love them and will miss them until we see them in July. Thanks for coming to visit Mom and Dad, We love you! You are great examples to us and we are lucky to have you! Hugs and Kisses from Becky, Jacob, Joshua, Nathan and Katie

Jury Duty???

2008-05-09T15:54:00.000-07:00

I checked the mail last night after attending a baby shower. I thought I would just get junk mail or maybe a surprise check(Hey, it could happen!), But to my horror it was my grocery ads and a JURY SUMMONS! This is the very phrase that came out of my mouth..."That's not what I wanted!" (muttered under my breath). Well, the good news is that I am going to be excused since I have a little baby depending on me for nourishment. Good timing! So, It's all good until next time I get a surprise in the mail calling me to fulfill my citizenly duties.....

I had to add this comment so that you know that I AM proud to be an American! I do think it would be interesting to do it. I do know that it is my duty but, as Ruth said(in her comment), looking at it from our point of view in life, it is just a hassle to find childcare and be away from our young ones. When I am in a place where my kids don't depend so much on me, I won't mind doing it at all, in fact I think it might be interesting. Plus, I am the type of person easily traumatized and in Las Vegas that could easily happen in the courts. I AM proud to be an American!

Race for the Cure--I did it!!

2008-05-03T12:39:00.000-07:00

Today I ran(loosly) my first 5K in the Race for the Cure on Fremont street in downtown Las Vegas. I went with my workout buddy and good friend, Elizabeth Dover. We had a really great time! I think the hardest part was going to bed early so that I could get up early. I was so anxious and excited that I had a hard time falling asleep and therefore, a hard time getting up. I did it though nd we arrived around 6:30 am, rode the shuttle to Fremont Street walked around until the race started. We hit the food court early and it's a good thing, because after the race it was packed! We loaded up on fruit, nutritious bars, yogurt and sports drinks and then we were off to the starting line. We ran the first little bit close by a group of North Las Vegas Firefighters. We tried to keep up with them because we liked hearing the cheers from the crowds as we ran by. We knew they weren't cheering for us, but we pretended. Then, they got too fast so we just took it slow and enjoyed ouselves(mostly fast walking to be quite honest, I am not a runner). I had a near miss with a parking meter because I was looking up waving at a helicopter, that was pretty funny. When we turned the corner and saw the finish line I got really excited and that's when I started running a little faster. It was so nice to cross the finish line and be greeted by all of the other finishers and other various Las Vegas-like characters( ie. a chippendales dancer) we were also handed water and got to enjoy an ice cream cone at the end. What a fun time and a great accomplishment. I will always remember my first 5K! Thanks for a great time Elizabeth!
(We actually wore 2 different shirts because we got one after we got there from the LVAC, we changed because they said we would get to be on LVAC tv if we wore their shirt...good idea?)

Chicken Soup for the Soul

2008-04-25T11:51:00.000-07:00

I grew up on soup. Soups and stews and whatever else Mom could concoct from leftovers in the fridge. Yeah Mom, I know we ate other things too, but I mainly remember all kinds of different soups. Some were really great and others weren't. It was funny, because when Mom did make a soup that we all loved, she wouldn't be able to make it again because she didn't keep track of what she put in it. So, for the past almost 10 years of my marriage I have made pretty much everything for dinner...except soup. (I hate liver and brussel sprouts, so I have never made them either, but that's beside the point). Last night I made soup. It was....Delicious! I learned the basics of soup making from my mom around Christmastime last year and have only made it once before last night, I think I did a great job. Thanks for teaching me soup making skills Mom! We not only had a great meal for dinner, but I felt like a part of my mom was there with me since I associate soup with my mom. I gave it a mexican flare and I can't tell you the exact amounts that I put in but I can tell you the ingredients, then if you feel inclined, you can make some chicken soup for your soul too!

Becky's Chicken soup recipe (loosely)
2 cups of chopped cooked chicken
2 cups of cooked rice (I used leftover spanish rice that had enchilada sauce and cilantro in it)
4 cups of chicken broth
3 cups of water and 3 cubes of chicken buillion(I could have just used all chicken broth but it costs more)
8 sliced carrots
2 large celery stalks chopped small
1/2 onion chopped
1 sm can of diced green chilies
3 cloves of garlic (minced or pressed)
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp Lawrys seasoning salt
1 TBSP Cumin
1 tsp Bay leaves
some cilantro
It's not exact so you can't mess up too bad. Just have fun with it! Happy souping~

Just one Question for you...

2008-04-22T22:10:00.000-07:00

If all the world were paper,
And all the sea were ink,
And all the trees were bread and cheese,
What would we have to drink?

Race for the Cure

2008-04-17T15:21:00.001-07:00

If there is anyone interested in participating in the Race for the Cure here in Las Vegas on May 3rd let me know. I would really like to do it but I don't want to go alone. It's just a 5K (3 miles), it would be a good starting point for doing a marathon! Comment or email me!

ISN'T SHE LOVELY?

2008-04-13T22:48:00.000-07:00

I just had to post some pictures of Katie from today. Isn't she cute? Holla to Katrina, thanks again for one of the cutest outfits ever!

Thanks to you all!

2008-04-13T22:33:00.000-07:00

I wanted to close my Birthday with thanking all of you for your sweet birthday wishes! It was so fun to be wished Happy Birthday by so many, whether by comment, phone call, or card. It's great to be loved!!! I had a great Birthday! Lots of fun. I got to talk to almost all of my family on the phone. We had tons of birthday cake and fun with friends. Jacob got me a giant pack of sixlets, one of my favorite candies! Just kidding, it's a Bocce Ball set, anyone want to play? Being thirty isn't bad so far. I think I can handle it! Thanks again, I love you all!

"A Farewell and a Rememberance"

2008-04-09T20:37:00.000-07:00

Aahh, as I approach my 30th birthday this weekend, I can't help but wonder, where did it all go? As I think back, alot has happened in the last decade. I got married, lived in 8 different houses in 3 different cities, had 3 kids, supported my Husband through 8 long years of schooling and many other things. I am so different than I was back when I entered my 20's, mostly in a good way. I look forward to my next thirty years and like Tim McGraw I should probably vow to "eat a few more salads and not stay up so late" I actually heard that 30 is the new 20, is that right? Maybe by the time I get to be 40 it will also be the new 20. We'll have to see. I just have to say that I am thankful for where my lifes journey has brought me and I look forward to all the wonderful fun and challenges that I have ahead of me. Farwell to my 20's!

I can Photoshop!

2008-04-06T23:19:00.000-07:00

I am so excited! Jacob just taught me how to use photoshop and it's so cool! Here's my first digitally scrapbooked page. This will make scrapbooking so much fun. Jacob just pointed out that digital scrapbooking takes up way less space and the kids can't really mess up what I'm doing unless they turn off the computer without my consent. I'm sure I'll still scrapbook with paper too, but this is just so neat!

TGIF!

2008-04-04T12:54:00.000-07:00

Wow, Thank goodness it's Friday! I love the weekend because it shakes things up from our normal day to day stuff! We have alot to do this weekend, including haircuts, cleaning the house and working on unfinished projects. I am especially excited for this weekend because it is conference and I LOVE to watch it and listen and feel the spirit! I hope you all have fun plans for the weekend! Enjoy the weather and conference!

My new and improved Blog!

2008-04-04T12:51:00.000-07:00

So, I have a friend who has a blog design business. She just redesigned my blog for me, how do you like it? It's fun to have it look all scrapbooky! If you want to have her do yours just click on the Blogger Boutique link and she'll help you out!

The Chain of Love

2008-04-02T11:42:00.000-07:00

I heard this song ("The Chain of Love" by Clay Walker) this morning and it got me thinking about how important it is to help others. I posted the song tot he right so you can hear it. Anyhow, it reminded me of a story I heard on the news not too long ago about someone who paid for the person behind him in the drive-thru at Starbucks and then that person paid for the person behind him and so forth. I guess people kept it going all day. I'm not sure of how true it all is, but it really shows that people DO care about one another.

I also had an experience that really touched me. It was very soon after I had Katie. We were out doing errands and we got really hungry. I was really craving Chipotle but unfortunately they don't have a drive thru. I decided it was worth it and took Nathan and Katie in. On the way in, Nathan held the door for a couple behind us. Since they actually went in first they were in line ahead of us and I really didn't think anything of it. After ordering and getting ready to pay I heard the Cashier say to the couple in front of us that she had accidentally charged them for my Burrito. The lady in front of us didn't even give a second thought as she said "It's OK, I'll pay for it" I asked if she was sure (probably ten times) and I didn't have any cash to give her. She assured me that it was just fine and told me "Have a nice day!" I left Chipotle that day touched and really glad that people care! I know it was only a little money to her but it really meant alot to me!

Sometimes I get really down because I feel like there's no kindness in the world today but it's nice to have a memory of a kind selfless act. I promised myself that day that I would try to be more kind to everyone I meet, whether I know them or not (even to other cars) I challenge you to suprise someone with kindness and when you do, you can be assured that whether you see the affect or not, it will make that person's day!

More Valley of Fire Pictures...

2008-04-01T14:58:00.000-07:00

The Valley of FIRE!

2008-03-31T20:53:00.000-07:00

I feel like a slacker since the 2 families that we went with have already long blogged about our adventure but here goes...

Saturday we took a journey with our friends the Dover's and the Smith's to spend the day at the Valley of Fire. I have fond memories of this place and the picture perfect setting lends to many wonderful backdrops for picture taking. We left in time to arrive for lunch, which we enjoyed at the Cabins, a set of stone made buildings constructed in the 1930's for passing travelers. (I've yet to figure out how anyone would actually PASS this out of the way place) After lunch we started climbing and realized that we needed an easier trail for the kids. So we hopped into our cars and headed for Mouse's Tank which entails a short hike to a place where a renegade indian used to hide out in the 1890's. We spent most of our time here. We hiked and sat and talked and just had a fun time hanging out while the kids scaled the rocks and hills. We took lots of pictures and had a great time getting dusty and dirty. Katie was the only one who didn't really enjoy the experience. I think she would have liked to have been at home in her crib, sorry little Katie, thanks for taking one for the team! We all survived and were back to good condition after we got home, had dinner, took baths and had a great night's sleep! What a great way to spend a Saturday! It's our favorite place "in" Vegas!

PS:(I'll add more pictures when I have some time to convert them, sorry)

Easter at our house

2008-03-29T22:22:00.000-07:00

Wow, I know this is a week late but we really had a nice Easter and I want to share some pictures. We had Cathy Cook over for dinner and she brought a DELICIOUS chocolate cake. We also had ham, scalloped potatoes,and green bean casserole. We ate at the "nice" table in the dining room. Then afterwards, Cathy and I hid the eggs in the backyard while the boys did the dishes. It was a fun evening and we are thankful for Easter and that we can celebrate our Savior.

Could you please set my clock right?

2008-03-20T17:34:00.000-07:00

Josh just came up to Jacob and asked if he would set his clock to the right time. He said that his clock said it was 5:18 but it was the wrong time and needed to be fixed. He had looked at the oven clock and saw that it was 375.... I am cooking pork chops in the oven and it is set to 375 degrees. I thought it was cute and funny. I am trying a new recipe for pork chops, we'll see how it turns out. I will include the recipe in case any of you want to trick your kids into thinking that their clocks are wrong!

Peach-Glazed Pork Chops

Prep Time:15 min
Total Time:55 min
Makes:6 servings
1 can (8-1/2 oz.) peach slices, undrained
Hot water
1 pkg. (6 oz.) STOVE TOP Stuffing Mix for Pork
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine, cut into pieces
6 pork chops (1/2 inch thick)
1/3 cup peach or apricot preserves
1 Tbsp. GREY POUPON Dijon Mustard

PREHEAT oven to 375°F. Drain peaches, reserving 1 cup syrup. Add enough hot water to syrup to measure 1-1/2 cups. Mix syrup mixture, contents of Vegetable/Seasoning packet and butter in large bowl until butter is melted. Stir in Stuffing Crumbs and peaches. Let stand 5 minutes.
SPOON stuffing mixture into 13x9-inch baking pan. Arrange chops over stuffing mixture. Mix preserves and mustard; spoon over chops.
BAKE 40 minutes or until chops are cooked through.
(In case you do Weight Watchers, this is 9 pts)

Share what you Love

2008-03-14T10:01:00.000-07:00

When I was younger I loved finding poems and quotes that I loved. I'm not sure if I was just bored because I really don't read or write poetry much anymore. I was going through some of my old papers and found a notebook that I wrote the ones I liked in and thought it would be fun to share. The one I thought most related to friends, family and blogging is this:

"Let us never take for granted those our hearts are surest of.

Let us always keep them close to us and tell them of our love...

For our days on Earth are precious,

And our journey all too swift-

The time we share together is lifes most important gift."

I got to chat with my Mom and Dad last night on the phone for over 1/2 an hour and it was great to just be "with them" for a while. I'm so grateful for the people I love and who love me, that IS what life is about!(These pictures are from last summer in St. George. Me with my Mom and my Dad)

She's a thumbsucker alright!

2008-03-13T08:53:00.000-07:00

My boys never sucked thier thumbs, they used pacifiers. I was OK with that because you can take away a pacifier but you can't take away a thumb! Well, try as I might, I cannot get Katie to take a pacifier and she prefers her thumb. I'm trying to be OK with it. She's so cute when she does it and it really does calm her down. I just don't want her to do it when she's 2 or older because then I'm not sure if it would be so cute. Will anyone please offer advice on thumbsucking?

Now, here's the happy thought that I promised in my last blog.... Katie has been a most joyful addition to our family! I love having a little girl! I can really tell that she loves being in our family too. She has been cooing alot and showing her personality more strongly. She is so smiley and she sometimes blows bubbles with her mouth. She is a really good baby! If the boys had been like her, I would probably have more kids by now. She has a really great schedule and is pretty much good with anything we do. I love it! She's getting to a really fun age and I feel truly blessed to have her in our family!

It just gets better/ A word to the wise.

2008-03-12T08:42:00.000-07:00

Hey, I have an even better story for you! I'm not complaining because these have all been faith building experiences. I have to tell you that I actually bought the drawer but only because it is tax return season and if I didn't have that functioning drawer than I would have way less fridge space. Heres the better story though.....

About a month ago we decided to go to Provo to visit my 2 youngest sisters who are attending BYU. On the way, our check engine light went on. Jacob was concerned but I wasn't too worried because the car was running just fine. After we got there and had a short visit with Liz, we headed over to Jacob's Aunt house which os where we stayed for the trip. On the way over there, the car a funny little thing which I can only explain as "eerching" Well, the next morning we took it in to the Toyota dealer because we have a warranty on it. We rented a van (it would be free if it was a warranty problem) and left the car there. They looked at it and said that we needed a fuel injector flush and new spark plugs (something Jacob could have done himself had we been at home.) We told them to go ahead and do it since we wanted our car to get us home properly. So (here's the good part of the story) We had a GREAT TIME! We went sledding, my kids got sleep over at Aunt Donna's house and play Dance Dance Revolution with her kids, we even got to see the demolition of Deseret towers on the BYU campus, but best of all I got to be with my sisters whom I miss dearly. OK, so we had fun and then we started to drive home and wouldn't you know it, the check engine light came back on! After spending almost $500 on repair and van rental(because they were NOT warranty items) THE LIGHT WAS STILL ON!!! After we got home we took it in to our Toyota dealer and they found right away that we had bad gas in our tank and lots of gunk built up. They took care of it for us, to the tune of $300, oh yeah! We then proceeded to call the Provo Toyota dealer and tell them what had transpired and that they didn't fix the problem. I am so proud of my husband, he got them to agree to send us half of the money back!!! So $500+$300=$800-$200=$600. We are $600 poorer. Here's the part you really need to pay attention to though, it WILL save YOU money! At the Henderson Toyota dealer we were advised that in order to avoid this happening again we shouldn't buy gas from cheap gas stations. From now on we are going to only buy gas from Shell, Chevron and Texaco, you know, good gas stations. The other ones sell gas with "gunk" in it and it can really mess up your tank and engine components. So I hope you take this advice to heart and you can avoid wasting money on needless repairs.

Now, about the fridge drawer, what's $80 compared to $600? I have learned that Heavenly Father has always made sure that we have the money we NEED not matter what. This doesn't mean that I go around spending frivolously(quite the opposite) but that I know he will provide. And He knows that I need the fridge space.

(I do hope that I DO NOT have any similar stories in the near future, my next blog will be a very happy thought OK!)

Isn't it Ironic?

2008-03-10T13:30:00.000-07:00

I have something to say about irony! I don't really like it right now. Last week when I went to Costco their milk was a little bit cheaper, by 30 cents (that's 15 cents per gallon) I thought to myself, "Great, I'll stock up so I don't have to come back next week and I will also get a good price!" So I brought my milk home and stuffed my fridge with it. The top shelf was bursting with gallons of milk. Well, I was cleaning up dinner that night and I opened the deli drawer to put the cheese away and all of a sudden a jug of milk jumped off the top shelf and fell to the ground taking out the drawer on it's way down. The first thing I could think was that I knew the drawer would cost at least $50 to replace, because they can do that! Well, the drawer was definitely broken and now does not stay up. I took a trip to Sears this morning. I found out that it costs almost $80 to replace the stupid drawer, but isn't it great that I saved 30 Cents on the price of milk!

"The Office" is now my FAVORITE show

2008-03-07T15:56:00.000-08:00

"The Office".... I had heard it was good but I just couldn't give up Survivor to watch it. Plus, I thought it was wierd from the 2 minutes that I did watch. Then I found out that my sisters and brothers watch it and I decided to give it another try. I was HOOKED! Jacob downloaded seasons 1, 2, and 3 and we have been watching an episode (or 2) almost every night. I knew that Pam and Jim got together eventually(sorry if I ruined this for anyone) but last night we watched the finale of season 2 and I was overjoyed that Jim was finally bold enough to let Pam know his feelings. WOOHOO!! Other things I love about the show are these: Micheal, even though he is rude alot, he says some pretty hilarious stuff and I also love how Jim and Pam torture Dwight without him realizing it. It's great! Tune in Thursday at 8 on NBC, but don't tell me what's happening because I am still on Season 3!

Happy Birthday Jacob!

2008-03-05T07:51:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to let everyone know that it is Jacob's Birthday today and wish him a "HAPPY BIRTHDAY! We love you Jacob!

Who will Share my Lettuce??!!!!

2008-03-03T14:56:00.000-08:00

Over the past few years I have become somewhat of a fan of Costco, a warehouse wonderland of food and fun. I like it because I can get quality groceries for a good price. Mind you, not EVERYTHING is a good price. But, I have about 10 items that I constantly go back for, one of them being milk (ever since the cow started charging more so that we could steal their milk causing the prices to be higher elsewhere.) Lately it has been my goal to get my family and I to eat more healthy and because of this goal, we need MORE VEGIES! I love to buy the package of romaine hearts so that we can have salad virtually everyday, however, it has 5 HEADS in it and we can't eat too much in one week. Luckily, it doesn't go bad very fast and we can usually use it for 2 weeks. I have to say that on the 14th day I am not too excited about my salad that looks like it is on it's way out the door. I also like the Spinach. They sell a 5lb bag of spinach for $3.99, who can beat that?; unless you grow it yourself of course! I like to cook it at least 2-3 times for dinner each week but we never get through ALL of the spinach before it goes bad. We even mix it in with our lettuce for salads but we can never use it all! So I guess my question should actually be " Who will share my spinach?" It's good for you.....and doesn't taste too bad if you cook it right! So, if you live near me and you are thinking that you need a vegetable for dinner and you don't have any, please call me and ask me if I have any extra spinach and the answer will probably be "YES, come and share my spinach! "

Life is good!

2008-02-12T13:56:00.000-08:00

What do I write about? Life is good; a challenge, but good. We love our kids and we are happy that we have been so blessed. Family is the most important thing in life! No matter how much money or stuff you have, you can never be happy unless you have the love of others to surround you. I am blessed to have been raised in a family of nine and I am glad that I have each one of them to love me throughout my life. I wish I could live near at least one of them though! Someday maybe.

We're Bunting's that Blog!

2008-01-27T22:40:00.000-08:00

Hi There! I have been asked too many times lately if I "blogged" to not start my own Blog. So here we are... blogging along! I just want you to see a cool video that my brother made. See "Uri MIller's Family" below. We had alot of fun making this at Christmastime. You will understand it better if you also watch his other Uri Miller videos. You can find them on www.youtube.com search "Uri MIller" We are internet stars! SOOOO much Fun!