Happy Birthday, Benny!

I'm two days late with this post--and I hope Ben will forgive me. We got home on Saturday afternoon; we went straight to the adult meeting of stake conference; and Lucy had a stomach bug all day yesterday!

Happy birthday to my #1 brother on May 3rd. I can't believe you're 28 because that means tham I'm not. You are a great example of a loving father, a thoughtful husband, and a fun brother. We have always been close and I'm thankful for our relationship. I hope you had a great day--and you should have invited me to the Cheesecake Factory! Yum.

Tomorrow! Tomorrow! I love ya, Tomorrow!

One more sleep until DISNEYLAND!!!!! Those of you who know me know that I can't get enough of this place. This will be the boys' fifth trip and they'll be six in May. We have gone every May since they turned two, and we love it. It really is my happiest place on Earth--when it comes to vacationing with my family. I honestly think I could go every other week and still love it.

So, today looks like laundry, changing sheets, cleaning bathrooms, book exchange for the kindergarten classes, primary presidency meeting, store for last minute items like sunscreen and snacks, and packing.

Happy 2nd Birthday, Sophie Love!

We love this girl! She and Lucy are less than a month apart. Sophie has always been happy, easy-going, smart--and she used to be a little on the chubby side.

We hope your day is happy, that your brothers and sisters spoil you, and that your mom doesn't make you take a nap! :)

Happy Birthday Zak!

Shea's little brother is 30 today. Man! I'm glad I'm not that old! :) We hope you have a great birthday, Zak. (My picture of Zak won't load, so no photo today.)

Also, I need some packing advice. We leave for Disneyland on Tuesday. I have that figured out. But...what items should I NOT FORGET when I pack for Israel in the next week or so? What do you have to have when you travel? What are some nice things to make a really long flight more comfortable? Any and all advice is welcome. (I have traveled long distances before, but I'm ready to maximize my comfort level and try to get some sleep on the plane.)

Candace and Kelly, I may have to borrow Great Expectations. Does anyone else have good book recommendations?

Happy Birthday Aunt Kelly!

To one of the most amazing, compassionate, strong, stable, happy, optomistic people we know...we hope you have a wonderful day! Some of our favorite memories are Disneyland, being in the same ward for so long, NYC, any and all Sunday afternoon chats, movie nights at our house, St. Patty's Day, and soon Israel!

Spring Break so far

We had a great Hansen family party on Saturday. Annually we get together for an Easter party, but Shea's aunt in charge decided to do it when the weather was nicer. It was a beautiful day, and we all had a great time. The kids hit a pinata (they were very hesitant to start beating a pink pony), found treat bags, made bug jars and darling purses, hula hooped, played games, and ate good food.

Sunday we had church and Uncle Cam over for dinner.

Monday when I asked the boys what fun thing they wanted to do for Spring Break, they both answered, "go to Carl's Junior." Yuck. But it's their break, so that's what we did. After letting them play for 30 minutes, I ordered lunch and we went to the park to eat. Shea joined us and we had a good afternoon running and swinging. That evening I had to get a new phone. Lucy had ruined mine...and she'd been working on it since it was new 18 months ago. She is not allowed to touch my new phone, and it has to stay in its case to protect it from my clumsiness. I don't know why, but I've gotten less graceful over the years. (I need some of you to call me so I can get your phone numbers again. My old phone wouldn't even turn on to transfer my contacts. Pain in the behind! Julie, Andrea Brown, Heidi, Renee, Ramee call me!)

Tuesday was a stay-at-home and hang out day. You would think I would have accomplished something, but you'd be wrong. I hung out too. We did go to Max 'n Cheese for dinner. It was fun for the kids and the food was pretty good. I was surprised at how expensive it was though. I guess I didn't expect to spend $36 that night. It was worth it to try, and I would definitely go back for a girls' lunch to visit while the kids play.

Today...phew! We made up for our lounging around yesterday for sure. We went to Backyard Adventures and played on their inflatable toys and indoor swingsets for 1 1/2 hours this morning with some neighbor friends. After, most of us went to Ikea for lunch and shopping. It was a cheap lunch and great company. My kids were in heaven. We got to drop the big kids off in the babysitting area so we could shop for an hour in peace. Lucy and I found some fun plastic dinnerware for her and the boys. I also invested in two new garbage cans to replace the nasty ones in our upstairs bathrooms. I'd rather replace than scrub who knows what out of the bottom--think abc gum.

After a brief stop at home, we headed to the Thanksgiving Point Dino Museum to meet my friend from high school, Ashley, her hubby, and their three adorable kids. We let the kids play while we chased them and visited. We grabbed some dinner together at the cafe and ice cream parlor. It was fun to be with them, and our kids got along really well together.

Now, the boys are in bed, Lucy will be as soon as I sit next to her, and I'm ready to crash!

Happy

30th Anniversary to my wonderful parents! They are lucky enough to get to spend this day in NYC with Matt and Marc. How romantic! (Sadly, these are the only pictures I have with both of my parents in them. I'll have to fix that.)

Birthday to Todd! What a great oldest brother for Shea and the rest to admire. You are a fun dad and a wonderful brother (in-law.) We hope you have a great day--and that your taxes are done! :)

I'm a super sleuth!

So, Camden and Cooper are in the habit of taking off their pants and underwear when they go in the bathroom to do their business. Today was no exception. Cam finished and was getting redressed for school. He came out and asked me where his underwear was. He and I quickly looked everywhere. When we couldn't find it he went to his room and got a new pair.

I just changed Lucy's diaper and look what I found!

I can't get the picture to rotate, just tip your head to the side.

What a darling little trouble maker!

Friday funnies

Here are a few funny things the boys have said lately...

Camden, while helping Shea count the tithing money a while ago and seeing a few hundred dollar bills-- "Dad, Heavenly Father is rich, huh?"

Camden, while not being able to find both church shoes at 8:55 a.m. (with me trying to get myself and all three kids ready)-- I told him he could just wear his brown Puma sneakers for that day. He asked me so sweetly and with much concern in his voice, "Mom, will Heavenly Father be mad at me for not wearing my church shoes?" We have talked recently about dressing up for church to show respect and to make the day different from the rest of the week.

Cooper, after scoring a goal in his indoor soccer game and being congratulated by his teammates-- As he ran to Cam, who was playing goalie, he made sure I was watching and had seen his amazing feat. I was yelling at him and he had the most beaming, happy face! He ran to Cam, hugged him, and yelled, "that was SO EASY!"

When Cam told me he wanted the Tooth Fairy to bring him "a million hundred thousand kajillion dollars," Cooper looked at him and in all seriousness (and sounding a little too much like me) said, "you have to be happy with what you get, Cam. Huh, Mom?"

Sometimes I worry about that kid. He is so much like me; it's scary. Camden, on the other hand, reminds me so much of Shea. I realize they are identical twins, but I'm talking about their personalities, likes and dislikes, sayings, and even movement.

In other news, we leave for Israel in one month from today! I am so excited to finally be able to take Shea and show him some of the places that mean so much to me--the places that I see in my mind while I read the scriptures, listen in church, and sing the hymns. It is going to be amazing!

The information in this post can only be used for flattery or compliments. No blackmail allowed.

Where did you go on your first date? Our first first date (don't worry, we dated twice) was dinner at Macaroni Grill, a stop to watch the BYU rugby game (or was it lacrosse? I was too interested in the "getting to know you" questions we were asking and answering to watch much), and seeing Johnny B the comedian at his club.

How long have you been together? married 8 years this coming August and we dated for real (not counting the two or three months or about 5 dates in 1999) from February until June when we got engaged.

Who eats more? sweet stuff--me, everything else--Shea

Who said I love you first? I don't remember, but I do remember having a conversation in his truck where I said that I wasn't "as in control of my emotions as I would like to be." Yeah, I'm pretty lame. Come to find out, he was thinking of breaking up with me that night because #1 he was afraid of commitment and #2 my parents were being a little psycho about letting their only daughter/oldest child go.

Who is taller? Shea

Who is hotter? Shea for sure.

Who sings better? that's a relative question. I love to hear Shea sing, and we both sing a lot. I have to be careful not to sing too loudly in the car though, since that is one reason he broke up with a previous girlfriend. That, and her make up was stinky. His words, not mine.

Who does the laundry? Me. With my new appliances, I actually enjoy it! I don't enjoy folding and putting away, but I do it anyway. Shea uses the "I don't want to ruin anything" excuse, but I've ruined enough by myself for that to actually work.

Who pays the bills? we both have, and we would both have the other one do it. Ignorance is bliss, you know? He has bills that he pays, and I have a few that I pay from our personal account. With your own business, there is so much that can be written off.

Who mows the lawn? Shea. He LOVES yardwork. I never had to mow the lawn growing up, but he has let me do it once or twice. I think he redid it after I finished though.

Who cooks dinner? Mostly me, but Shea does lunch and breakfast a lot. He also likes to tweak whatever our main dish is. He adds garlic, pepper, or hot sauce and thinks I don't know.

Who drives when you are together? I try to make him drive; he tries to make me. He has a better record though, so usually he drives.

Who is more stubborn? We can both be very stubborn at times. He would say me, but I wouldn't admit it.

Whose parents do you see the most? Since we live 5 minutes from each set, we try to be very fair. Personally, I think it is pretty even!

Who kissed who first? Shea came 90; I came 10, but I was definitely asking for it! It was part of a bet with my dad. I got a new dress out of the deal, but Shea didn't know that at the time. He does now though, and it's a family joke.

Who proposed? Shea--what a great day!

Who is more sensitive? me for sure.

Who has more friends? me, but now they're all our friends. Shea gets along really well with my friends' husbands, and most of his friends are not married or live across the country.

Who has more siblings?Shea is 5 of 8. I am 1 of 6--the oldest and only girl!

Who wears the pants in the family? Shea...we really want the same things, so I always get what I want!

Jerianne, have you done this yet? If not, you're it.

Jenna and Debbie, you too!

Happy Birthday, Eli!

Darling Baby E is 1 today. What a handsome kid. I can't wait to see this slender boy since he and his fun mom are here visiting for a while. Yea for me!

Lucy is still miserable. Her sores are getting much better, but the poor girl hasn't eaten since Thursday. She has had maybe 10 oz. of milk a day and a little water, but that's it. I hate feeling so helpless. She and I have been stuck to each other for the last four days. It's a good thing the boys were in St. George since I haven't been able to do anything but try and comfort Lucy. They had a great time and are still telling me everything they did. All I can say is, Adam, you and I need to talk. You're in trouble.

Now I have to figure out how I'm going to go to the school and do the take home reading book exchange. Hmm. It may take longer than usual with a baby on my lap.

Sick babies and canceled plans

I've said it a million times (and especially with twins)...it is the hardest thing in the world to have a sick baby.
Lucy started being really grumpy yesterday. She is usually the happiest kid and so easy-going. Of course I didn't suspect anything until I found sores in her mouth. Last evening I finally called two doctors' offices and both nurses suggested alternating Tylenol and Motrin every three hours. The poor baby had hand, foot and mouth disease last June and I feared another round of that. We had a miserable night with her crying every time she swallowed, and with both of us waking up with a wet pillow. I checked the sores when we got up and they were huge! It's no wonder she couldn't sleep. They cover her tongue and the sides of her mouth.
We had planned to go to St. George with my family for the Conference weekend. I had been looking forward to swimming, eating out, 75 degree weather, and a change of pace. With Lucy as sad as she has been today, Shea and I decided to send the boys with my mom and Olivia thinking that we would come down a little later.
I took Lucy in to the doctor hoping for some bacteria and an antibiotic. I was also secretly hoping the doctor would tell me she wasn't contagious (yeah right.) Unfortunately, Lucy has the herpes virus which 98% of people carry. It's nasty the first time it attacks the body. Most other times it just shows up as a cold sore. The worst thing is that all I can do for my sweet daughter is give her pain medicine. Iwish I could just trade her places. I would gladly suffer through the not eating and feeling horrible so I could have my sweet, pleasant baby back.
Having a sick baby is hard...and having to cancel fun plans is life!

For a great time

play Simon Says, Mother May I, or Mr. Fox, What Time Is It? with your kids.
We were all laughing, and it didn't get boring as quickly as a lot of other games I play with the boys. Lucy was into it too--my favorite was to say, "Simon says...shake your booty!" and watch as all the kids and Shea danced around.
I love my little family!

Valances

Has anyone found a good place to purchase custom made valances for windows? I know of a few online places, but it's so hard to pick fabrics from the swatches they send. I know what I want--I just can't find it for the price I want to pay. (isn't that always the case?) I also want matching/coordinating throw pillows. That brings me to a whole new issue. The stuff I like makes me want to buy new accessories to make it all work.
Will it ever end?
Will I ever love my windows?
Will my main floor ever feel completely decorated?
Am I the only one with these issues?
I'm pretty sure the last answer is "yes" since I've seen most of your homes.

for Jenna and Jesse

as per our conversation yesterday about what boys like to do...

My boys can dress up like princesses with the best of them! I think everyone appreciates a break from the normal routine every now and then.

Lucy loved playing with Josh. He made sure they went to the "store," and to do that they had to put their shoes on. It was quite comical to watch 3-year-old Josh try to help Lucy with her shoes. He was so sweet!

Easter weekend and Lucy's bonk

Camden's tiger egg
Cooper's Cars egg
The best strawberry shortcake ever! I borrowed the recipe from my good friend, an amazing cook, Jerianne. Everything she has made me has been divine! Here's the link to her recipe blog http://stiroccasionally.blogspot.com

Look under desserts for the strawberry shortcake!
Moms love blue Robin Eggs! Lucy can't resist anything that could double as "lippies!" (lipgloss, lipstick, chapstick, etc.)
Lucy took a nasty spill down some stone stairs while thinking she was as big as the boys and all the neighborhood kids today. I don't think she was expecting them to be as uneven as they were. The goosebump over her right eye looked so much worse this afternoon. Poor baby!
The kids were so excited to color their eggs! They love to peel them and they only eat the whites. Kelly gave me the Martha secret to perfect hard boiled eggs. Place eggs in pot; cover with water. Bring to a boil and then remove from burner. Let eggs sit 8 min. for a soft boil and 16 min. for a hard boil. They turned out great and without the yucky greenish ring around the yolk. Good thing I even care since my kids don't eat it anyway!
Lucy loves to color

and be silly!

We had a great weekend with our families. It is a blessing to have both sets of our parents so close!
Tonight for FHE we went to the Hogi Yogi in Provo. They were introducing their new yogurt, Yoasis, to friends and family. It's supposed to be like a Pinkberry, which I haven't tried. The yogurt has active cultures and more health benefits than the old stuff. It was tart and refreshing. Kinda like vanilla yogurt--frozen.

St. Patrick's Day Festivities

I usually don't make a big deal out of the smaller holidays. For some reason though, I wanted to make yesterday fun. Maybe it's because my boys have never really cared about wearing green until this year. They had been planning their (and my) outfits for weeks! They are so funny sometimes. One day I'm going to find out where the 10 pinches rule for not wearing green originated. Not today.
The kids woke up and I made green eggs for breakfast. I make Lucy eggs every day anyway, so it wasn't that much of a stretch. We had also been planning to see "Horton Hears a Who" that day with some Taylor cousins, Nana and Grandma. We all met up at the theater at 3:20 and enjoyed the show. It was darling!
Thanks to Kelly, we had a fun meal last night. She brought the steamed veggies (leeks, cabbage, cauliflower, sweet potatoes, and potatoes) while I made the beef (actually London broil and not corned beef), pistaschio pudding with Cool Whip and marshmallows, green drink, and green salad. It was festive for us.
After our yummy meal we watched "Waking Ned Divine" together. It's become a tradition for St. Patty's Day. I was pretty proud of how the day went and how entertained the kids were.
Today has been spent doing pretty mundane stuff. Cleaning four bathrooms is never exciting when compared to going to a movie and spending time with family. At least it's done though!

Hit me with your best shot!

Update...the boys did so well! Shea and I picked them up from school, and as we were driving to the doctor's office, Shea started the explanation.
"Boys, the nurse at your school called mom this week. (True) There is a disease at your school (then he defined "disease" and its subsequent levels of severity.) We are going to the doctor to get protection from the disease."
They immediately caught on and asked if they were going to get a poke. I had to admit that that may be a possibility. They were all right with it once they learned that Little Shea didn't cry last time she had to get a shot. They're obsessed with her lately.
As a side note, Cooper asked me the other day if he could marry a cousin. I said no. He then asked if he could marry a friend. I said he could. He then told me he was going to marry Little Shea. That sounds great to me--but he'll have to get used to having a father and a wife with the same name!
Anyway, after the hour wait at the doctor's office--which really irks me and infuriates Shea--Cooper jumped up on the table, dropped his drawers, and barely flinched when he was poked. Camden was a little more emotional and cried for a few minutes, but they haven't been affected since.
We will be taking them to the Kangaroo Zoo tomorrow to fulfill our end of the bargain, so anyone can join us!
All that worry for nothing. Ah the life of a mother!

Seeking advice...

This Fall, after their kindergarten check ups, I made the silly mistake of telling Camden and Cooper that they didn't have to get any more shots. Well, today they have to go and get a booster for one of the vaccines. What do I do? They are going to have a complete melt down when we pull up to the doctor's office this afternoon. I'm feeling like the worst mom ever since now I have to break my promise. I've been worrying about it since the school nurse called and reminded me and I then called and made the appointments on Tuesday.
Does anyone want to nominate me for the worst mom of the year?

Do you ever not want to blog?

I do. I still check others' blogs, but sometimes I'm too lazy to write what we've been doing.
With that said, we've been playing outside a lot lately. Lucy and the boys are in heaven when they can run around with the neighbor kids and play make-believe. Camden and Cooper are always very sweet and very inclusive of their little sister. It warms my heart to see how much they want her to love them and how much they want to protect and entertain her. (I wish they were here since she is hitting the keyboard with a sword right now--makes it a little difficult to blog a coherent sentence.)
Last week was a book club at my house, sharing time, baptism preview, a date to Tepanyaki and Old Navy with my wonderfully handsome husband, housekeeping, laundry, and other exciting events. This week has been slower. Shea and I have colds, so I'm happy to just hang around and stay home. I did exchange books on Monday, volunteer in kindergarten Tuesday, and clean the entire kitchen after the kids spilled powdered sugar all over and then tried to mop, vacuum, and sweep it up before I got out of the shower. That was fun. At least my kitchen is clean.

A Perfect 10

In case you didn't already know, my husband is the most amazing person on the planet. He's hot, he's incredibly spiritual, he's brilliant, he's fun, he's kinda nerdy, he's hilarious, and he is a computer genius! He brought my old computer back to life! All it took was a little love and some magic skills and the thing works again. I couldn't be happier.

awestruck...

is the best word I can think of to explain how I feel about my new washer and dryer. Who knew the cleanliness of your clothes was so directly related to how fabulous your appliances were? I'm a believer.
I had started to tell people that I was inept at doing laundry. I washed, soaked, pre-treated, hand washed, air dried, scrubbed, bizzed and whatever. I tried everything everyone ever told me to try and get my laundry to look as clean as other people's. (The scary thing is that I have a mental list of friends whose laundry skills I coveted...my mother,Shannon, Candy, Jane, Jenna, Jerianne to name a few.) Why couldn't my whites be white? Why did EVERYTHING Camden, Cooper and Lucy wore get stained and ruined beyond recognition? I was baffled. Now...bring on the Lucy-sized, white pants, man!
Today, my perspective and my self-esteem has changed. I can do laundry! I put a load of the kids' clothes in, pushed all sorts of fancy buttons for brilliant settings (like stain cycle and pre wash.) You should have seen how clean the kids clothes came out! They were things that I have washed a hundred times before and could never get clean...think boys' sleeves. Wow! I have a new favorite pasttime.
Granted, Shea and I have never purchased a washer/dryer. We have always inherited them from my parents or grandparents, for which we will always be grateful. That was an expense I didn't want until I was ready, and it was so nice to not worry about it. My time came. I chose new appliances over a new computer, and they did not disappoint!
I thought I'd be sad to see the old ones go. They were born in 1984. 1984!!! That is older that some people who read this blog. I'm trying to scan the photo of the lady in the instruction manual so you can all appreciate. She has big hair.
So, I'm one happy girl today. If you need me, I'll be in my laundry room!

Happy Birthday Matt, Marc and Holli!

Happy 17th birthday to my twin brothers. I can't believe it's been that many years ago since I became a "mother." They really are good uncles to my kids (most of the time.) Who knows what they are doing today--we hope to get to see them at some point. 17-year-olds don't exactly schedule their birthday festivities to include their family. Cam and Coop have asked repeatedly if they are invited to the party. Matt and Marc will have some explaining to do if not.
I hope you have a good day, guys! We love you.
Happy birthday to Shea's sweet sister, Holli. She's not 17. I couldn't ask for a better sister-in-law. She is an amazing wife, a wonderful mother, and a perfect example to everyone! I love her so much. We hope your day is fabulous, too.

Happy Birthday, Judd!

(Judd is on the left. After the great Computer Crash of Jan. '08, this is the only photo I can find!)
Happy birthday to a wonderful, playful, loving, and strong-stomached brother-in-law! If we have any medical questions, we ask Judd. If we need band-aids, we ask Judd. If we want to have a great time, we ask Judd to come.
Thanks for being so great to us and our kids! We hope your day is wonderful!

I needed a day like this

And I'm not talking about the constant precipitation we've received today. Could it be Spring already? I'm done with coats, boots, salty cars, slick roads, shoveling, monitoring Lucy's dirty snow intake, and wearing shoes with socks.
In spite of my unhappiness with the weather, I did get a nice day to hang out at home and read.
Let me explain. I LOVE having my husband work from home. It is one of the greatest blessings in my and my children's lives. I love spending so much time together. But every once in a very long while, I like to have a day where he is busy and I can just do my thing. He always lets me do my thing, but sometimes I feel guilty for excluding him or leaving him to work while I do whatever I want.
So, today he was busy with work and gone from 9 to 5. I missed him when I had to reheat leftovers for lunch and get the boys to school, but I really enjoyed my time while I held Lucy while she napped and dove into a good book. I'm reading Pope Joan for a bookclub next month. While it is depressing because of the repression of women in the 9th century, it is informative and gripping. I remember now why I enjoy reading historical fiction. I love reading in general, and it's nice to read something outside of my normal genre. Aside from 150 pages in that book, I was also able to read my scriptures. It was so nice!
Now, it's 9:45 p.m. My whole family has been asleep for an hour. Shea always falls asleep early when he's been busy with work like this. I'll forgive him, and continue exploring another world!

photos

Lucy was so tired!

What boys do at weddings

playing catch up

Last week was a busy one. Valentine's Day, another kindergarten party, Jake and Andrea's wedding plus all that goes with that, a soccer game, and church duties pretty much filled our week. I feel like I haven't been home forever! This week will be a little slower with only a Blue and Gold cub scout banquet, donating blood, visiting teaching, and stake women's conference. That's all that's on the calendar at least. We'll see how it goes.
We took the kids to the Living Planet Aquarium in Sandy today. They liked it, but Shea and I thought it was pretty lame. We did get to see jelly fish, sting rays, seahorses, and small sharks. We also went to a show where they brought out a hissing cockroach (it was the nastiest thing I've ever seen), a tarantula, an empire scorpion (I don't know how you deal with those things, Jane), a nasty snake, and some birds. It was funny to hear one bird talk, sing, and burp. My boys were laughing their heads off.
After the aquarium we ate at Texas Roadhouse and watched the boys play soccer. Cooper scored three goals and Camden scored one. It was so fun to watch. They had to play on opposing teams some of the time because the other team only had a few players show up. How does a mother of twins cheer for one son on each team? It was exciting to watch anyway.
Stay tuned for some wedding pictures!

Saturday morning

Shea and I went to the 9 a.m. broadcast of the worldwide leadership training. It was all about families and living in today's world. I loved the message that as faithful members of the Church, we should not live in fear but in faith. I sometimes wonder what I'm thinking when bringing and raising children in today's times. No matter what problems we face, and there have always been problems in the world, we can be happy and have a full life when we live according to the Church teachings.
President Monson taught us in our families to
1. Make our homes a place of prayer
2. Make in our homes a library of learning
3. Live with a legacy of love
I am grateful for inspired leaders and for a newly ordained, living prophet. My advice for the day...go to the broadcast!

Now there is plenty of time to go to the store, make Valentine boxes with the boys, fold laundry, and watch Meet the Robinsons as a family.

Happy Saturday!

While the women are at book club...

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