Love is Spoken Here

Addition and Subtraction!

2011-06-20T18:45:00.000-07:00

The crazy crew at the Sanders Funny Farm would like to introduce the latest addition....Cooper the Raccoon! I know you must be thinking that we are crazy (it's a proven fact) but who could turn this adorable little critter away when he was needing to be cuddled and bottle fed!? We inherited him from John's cousin who found 4 of them abandoned in a hay stack and they were pretty much almost starved to death! I was very pessimistic about bringing him home, but obviously my opinion was out voted! Our kids took right to him and him to them and now they are all best friends! Cooper is about two and a half months old and still being bottle fed with a few solids being introduced. I can't believe how much they are like a real baby...he will hold his own bottle, he is litter box trained, and he plays with his hands just like a person! They really are amazing animals to watch!

Laker and Cooper attempting to play...Lake really isn't choking him! :/

Shad and Cooper

Kailee and Cooper

John and Cooper

Now that you saw the addition to the family it is time to inform you about the subtraction part of the equation! Laker has taken it upon himself to want to learn to ride without his training wheels, and after about 2 hours of practice...courtesy of Shad, he has accomplished his goal! Way to go Idaho!! I couldn't believe that he learned so fast! He was so determined and wasn't about to be the only one in the group of neighborhood kids with training wheels, so he conquered and won! We love you Kakers! :)

He thinks he is so big to be able to "pop wheelies"! He did have his first crash the other day, and got some road rash on his chin, but for the most part he is doing great! (knock on wood)

Help...I need a boost!

2011-05-22T21:22:00.000-07:00

This is how I have been feeling for quite awhile now! I know you are probably thinking "It's called life, and being a Mom", but I feel like I am about 80 years old, and still chasing and caring for a 2 year old! I have been pondering if I should go to the doctor and demand a "life lift" or if he would even agree that there isn't any hope for a wore out old lady! On a serious note though, I am wondering if any of you have ever dealt with the "Natural" Docs out there or if you only go to the regular old family physician? I am pondering going to a kinesiologist to hear their take on the slump I am in! I have taken John before, but you really have to have an open mind, and he seriously thought I had taken him to a witch doctor and was trying not to laugh the whole time she was telling him what was wrong....so needless to say he found no answer to his problem, but I of course am as open minded as they come! ;) Hehe. Please let me know what you think, because I am curious to hear what your opinion is and why!

No pigs aren't flying, but I did update our blog!!!

2011-05-15T17:17:00.000-07:00

I have decided that blogging is a little more beneficial than spending time on Facebook, so I am going to try to keep our blog updated from now on (more often than not) so I at least have a bit of a journal for my kids to read as they get older! I can't believe that it has been more than a year since I last updated! Can you say SLACKER! I really have no excuse other than we have lost our hard drive in our computer twice now, and getting it fixed and re-learning how to down load my photos was just a bit too complicated for me....I know excuses, excuses, excuses! I will stop now and hopefully never have to explain myself again! :)

So Kailee is now a TEENAGER....heaven help us! She is so in love with "The Bieber" it is scary! We let her have her fantasy, since she really has no other interests, and are hoping it will wear off soon! :) She went to her first ever Junior High Dance and was more than excited to go, but Mom and Dad were having other feelings about it! I got a call the day of the dance that informed me that she was chosen by her classmates to be crowned QUEEN! I was in such shock, that I wanted to cry happy tears, yet sad tears that they were being mean and making fun of her! The teachers all informed me that her classmates really like her, and this is what they wanted! I really cried then!

Here is our beautiful daughter!

Here she is being crowned Queen!

Her and the King dancing! She has quite a bit on him for size! :)

Group picture of the 7th and 8th grade royalty!

One of her many Justin Bieber treasures! I will have to post more later after I find them!

Shad is now in the first grade and he is still as full of spit and vinegar as the day he was born! He truly keeps us grounded and reminds us that kids are to be kids and to laugh at the small things in life! He has the biggest heart that is willing and wanting to help whenever the task looks ADVENTUROUS!!

He wanted so bad to learn to drive the lawn mower, and I think due to the fact that now he can start it by himself....not such a good idea! :)

Laker is the shadow of Shad, and soaks up everything that his older brother does! He truly believes that he is 7 and can do anything! The only thing that he didn't inherit from his older brother was an out going personality! Laker is still very timid and shy and hopefully will be going to school in 1 year without needing Mommy!!! He is so fun and cuddly that I am glad he has another year to spend with me at home! :)

This face doesn't really fit the description I just gave, but believe me he really is shy!!

Laker and his best friend Tori...can you just see them in about 12 years!

This is our other child....Jake. He is a 2 year old chocolate lab, and if you can't tell the kids LOVE him! He has been so fun for Laker to have around while the older kids are at school. They have really formed quite a bond! He is great and we sure like him! :)

These next few pics are just a peek at what John and the boys have been up to for the last couple of years! For those of you that know John know that he has a love for fishing....actually I call it an OBSESSION...but that is just me! Since we have the room in the house now for fish tanks he has been collecting and trading and driving me nuts with them...at one point we had 7 in the house! Yes that is right S E V E N!!!! The largest of them all is the ply-wood one that he built from the ground up all by himself it is 540 gallons! This tank was named the divorce kit while in the making, because the wife was not happy about it! I guess you can see who won that fight and yes we are still married! ;) There are lots and lots of fish and even piranhas if you call that a fish! :)

John building the "Divorce kit"

The boys helping clean it!

The final project!

John in the big tank with his "babies!"

The Sanders Boys with a couple of fish caught throughout the last couple of years!

Sorry for the extremely long and boring post, but if I don't start somewhere with all this chaos I will never get it done! Till the next time! :)

Yipee....Laker is 3!!!!

2010-06-25T08:09:00.000-07:00

Laker John was born on Valentines day three years ago. He was no exception to the rule of me having holiday babies! He is sure a joy to have in our family and we sure do love you "Kaker"!!!
We celebrated at our house with Grandma Ula coming over and having pizza, and cake and ice cream, and then opening presents. Happy Birthday Laker!

Laker opening a present....he insisted on opening the games to the vtech before opening the vtech machine....did I mention how stubborn this little guy can be??? His way or the highway...literally!

A vtech game....what a surprise!! :)

Uncle Stacey and Aunt Ruthie asked Laker what he wanted for his birthday, and he randomly said a basketball hoop....he has never even played with one.....so that is what they got him, and he LOVES it! I guess he is smarter than I give him credit for!!

Laker and Shad blowing out the candles on his birthday cake (I, as you can see, am no Betty Crocker!)

We decorated cookies for Valentines Day and these are just some random pics of the kids enjoying their creations!

Laker ate more than he decorated, which is ok, after all it is HIS birthday!

Sledding at Rigby Lake

2010-06-23T21:44:00.000-07:00

We were invited by one of John's co-workers to go sledding at Rigby Lake. The kids thought it was great, because the hills weren't too big to climb back up. I have to say that Steve and John look kind of mischievous in this picture, and I am thinking it was because John had "helped" Shad down the hill!

Laker and Kailee both just enjoyed sitting and eating the snow. I did warn her about yellow snow everyone! :) Laker wasn't a big fan of going down any hill, and I think he went maybe once with John and of course I didn't get a picture!

Shad is our dare devil and will try anything once. He saw some other friends of his surfing down the hill and decided that is the way it is to be dine, and he did it! He is so adventurous it scares me!

When Shad got to the bottom he conned Steve into hauling him back to the top! He gets his smarts from his Mom! :)

John and Kailee playing around with A.C.'s puppy. Aren't they cute!?

Someone is 12!!!

2010-06-23T21:28:00.000-07:00

Twelve years ago today I was given the most awesome gift! I was given a beautiful daughter and the opportunity to become a Mom! I have to admit that there have been alot of ups and downs over the last 12 years, but none I would trade for anything! Kailee is such a special spirit that brings alot of joy to our home. She is admired by her younger brothers and she admires them just as much! I love her more and more everyday and couldn't imagine where I would be without her sweet smile and the love she is always willing to share! We love you Kailee!

She loves to play UNO. She first played UNO Flash with her cousin Taylor, and had to have one of her own!

Hannah Montana music cd! Just what she wanted and needed for her new cd player!

Christmas at the Sanders' House

2010-06-23T20:37:00.000-07:00

Christmas at the Sanders house was quite an event considering that this was the first Christmas in our new house. Ever since my Dad passed away we have spent Christmas at my Mom's house so she doesn't have to be alone. Well this year we actually had the room to have her over to our house! It was great, and the kids loved having Grandma stay at our house!

Grandma Harris, Laker, Shad, and Kailee getting ready for bed so Santa can come visit!

Kailee has really been into music lately. Santa brought her a cd player and some cds and a bunch of other "pre-teen" things!

Shad got some video games, hunting supplies, and some toys! He wasn't so excited about the clothes, but definitely something he needed since he is growing like a weed!

Laker got some tractors and a firetruck, and other toys and clothes. He was so fun this year. I love this age and wish everyday that he would stay just like he is!

We're baaaaack!

2010-06-22T22:01:00.001-07:00

If you are standing, please sit down! If you are sitting, please try not to faint! I know this is
CrAzY, but the Sanders family is back on the BLOG! I have been such a slacker, and I really do
feel bad, because I must say the only excuse I have is......Facebook. I have spent way too much
time on that stinkin website, and now I have decided to try and use my time wisely by blogging
instead. Don't get me wrong, I still like facebook and will still be on from time to time, but I am
going to keep the blog updated, because that is my way of keeping a journal for my family! So
stay tuned for alot of exciting updates from the Sanders clan!!!

School Christmas programs and parties!

2010-01-06T15:37:00.000-08:00

The kids were busy this year with Christmas singing programs for the school. Shad had a singing program at the nursing home in St.Anthony and they performed really well. He was busy preparing all month singing songs at home all the time! I loved hearing his cute little voice singing away! Kailee's class performed the Polar Express this year so they were dressed in pajamas and hats and scarves. It was very cute! The kids did awesome and I have to admit that the Polar Express is one of my favorite albums since it came out! We were busy with Christmas parties throughout the month of December. To start them all off we went to Leo's Place in Idaho Falls with the Klingler families. The kids had a blast playing in the fun zone, arcade, and the laser tag room. Unfortunately I forgot my camera so no pics of this fun party! :(

The next party on the agenda was the BIG Klingler family party. This is the party where Shad is determined that the "real" Santa comes and gives them a gift. It as always had good food and company. The kids like I said really enjoyed seeing Santa, except for Laker, he jumped in my lap the minute Santa appeared and said " I don't like him." As you can see in the pics below he is not a fan and probably never will be! He truly is opposite of Shad's out going personality, and maybe that is a good thing!

Kailee with Santa!

Shad with Santa! Laker hating every minute with Santa!

This is where Laker ended up after sitting on Santa's lap......the comfort of Daddy's lap!!

Happy Birthday Shad!

2010-01-02T20:35:00.000-08:00

It's official Shad is the ripe old age of 6! He has been counting down the days till hos birthday and I am feeling kind of bad, because we really didn't do much for his this year. We have decided to do a "half-year" birthday party for him in July! That way it is alot easier for us and for the kids to come and celebrate without having to worry about Christmas Eve activities! He said he was okay with that, but I still feel as though I am short changing him. We as a family still celebrated and took him to McDonald's on Christmas Eve, and then we opened presents and had cake! This is the "Birthday Hat" that Miss Scott, his kindergarten teacher made for him to wear the day they celebrated his birthday at school. Creative isn't it!?

Shad opening his presents. Notice the distressed look on Laker's face? He just doesn't understand why he doesn't get to open any presents. Shad being the nice brother that he is, lets Laker open one of his presents for him! Shad you really are an awesome big brother!
Grandma Harris got him a remote control motorcycle! That was the hit of the night for the boys!

He also got a new bike, and can hardly wait for the snow to melt so he can get to the skate park with Dad and try it out!

Happy 6th birthday buddy! Dad and I are truly grateful to have you in our family and even though we don't always agree we love you more than you will ever know! I would be lost if I didn't have you to help me with the "Kids" (that is what he calls Kailee and Laker) and I definitely would be lost if I didn't have a partner in the car to sing with! You are a very talented and smart young man and I hope you always remember that you are a son of our Heavenly Father, and he loves you too! Love you Shadow!!

Christmas Letter

2009-12-11T07:12:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to post a letter about what has been going on in our lives the last year! This is the cheapest way for me to wish all of you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Click on the image below and it will enlarge.

Halloween 2009

2009-11-02T18:35:00.000-08:00

Another Halloween has come and gone. I can't believe how fast this year has gone by already! For Halloween this year we went to the Trunk or Treat at the Wilford church and then back home for some HOT taco soup! Yummy! It was great to have Grandma Harris over to celebrate with us. I was expecting to get a lot of trick or treaters and only ended up with about 10. Lots of left over candy that none of us need! The kids' pumpkins, that they cleaned, I traced, and John cut.....it took all of us to get them done!!:)My little vampire, monkey, and devil. We tried to get Shad to dress as an old man, but he insisted on vampire....again!Kailee wasn't sure about dressing up this year (she informed me this will be the last year for her) so I found a devil tail and ears and that was good enough for her!!The vampire with an attitude!!!My little monkey! I could just squeeze him, he is so dang cute!!
Carnival at the Jr.HighTrunk or Treat time at the Wilford church. We brought Grandma along, and it is a good thing, because John found some friends that he ended up talking to the whole time, so we left Grandma to hand out the candy, and I took the kids around to the cars. Whoever said women are more talkative than men was WRONG!! Love ya still sweetie!!!:)

Ahh Mom I am scared!!!

2009-11-02T18:17:00.000-08:00

This is what I found the other day when I went into Shad's bedroom! He had taken a scream mask and tied it to the post of his bed and put a snorkel and goggles on it! When I asked him why he did that he said it was to scare off any of the monsters that try to get him when he is in bed. I tell you that kid has one active and creative imagination! Way to protect yourself Shad!!

The Happenings of Kailee

2009-11-02T18:03:00.000-08:00

Kailee has been pretty busy since school has started. She is going to a therapy group three times a week, and is loving every minute of it! They teach her the "living skills" needed for a handicapped person to survive in the world. She is learning a lot of different things and doing a lot of crafts. It is hard to believe she is in the 6th grade and becoming a young lady faster than I would like! I have always longed for the day that she is able to take care of her little brothers, and now that she is that age it seems I am telling Shad on a regular basis to help Kailee! He is so good to help her to and from school, crossing the street, finding lost things and anything that he can so to help! She is lucky to have him for a brother! We are lucky to have her for our little angel!! We love you Kailee-bug!! This was her costume for school for Egyptian Days. I think it turned out rather cute for being thrown together at the last minute!!

This was at the Wilford Dam for achievement days. John was asked to take the girls fishing. He had a blast and Kailee was extremely excited to have her Dad be the one to help teach fishing to all the girls!

Jake

2009-10-05T08:22:00.000-07:00

We have added a new addition to the Sanders family.......Jake. He was given to us by one of John's co-workers. He is a pure bred chocolate lab, and the dog that John has always wanted. He will tell you it was or the kids, but I know better!! He is a well mannered (better than my kids at times) 6 month old bundle of energy. It is so fun to watch how him and Shad interact together. Shad is so worried about him being cold at night and insists putting a pillow and blanket out for him to sleep with. Laker on the other hand is petrified of him and screams whenever he is around him. Kailee is kind of neutral to the whole thing and just goes with the flow.

Shad and Jake

Laker's Twin

2009-10-04T19:39:00.000-07:00

This Summer I have been babysitting my friends little girl. Laker and her are 6 months apart and they are so fun!! I love how cute they are together. It has been great having her here on some of the days that Shad is gone to school, because it occupies Laker. Sometimes we venture out into public, and I have had alot of comments about my"twins"!!!! They do look alike in some ways, and they are the exact same height!Laker and Tori walking to the swing set, their favorite past time!!

Can you say mischievous?!!? No not these two!!

Always full of hugs, these two are!!

This is the art work that Laker decided to add to the decor of the new house! I was just saying I needed to get some things up on my bare walls, and he took matters into his own hands!! Thank heavens for the Mr. Clean sponge and Spot Shot (thanks Tiff for the advice)!!!

Fishin' Fools!!

2009-10-04T18:49:00.000-07:00

Lately my boys have been doing alot of this...........................

and catching alot of these................................

Good job guys!! Glad to see that they are having a good time doing what they love

best.....FISHING!!!! Shad out fished his Dad 5 or 6 times out of a half-dozen times! Guess that is what John gets for teaching him how to do it so well!!!

Where's the Fire?!?

2009-09-04T20:45:00.000-07:00

The kindergarten class got to go for a ride on the fire truck and parade through town! The kids thought this was the neatest thing ever. It was funny to see how many of them looked petrified about falling off. Shad was one of them that wasn't too sure about being up that high. Definitely my kid in the heights department....hate em'!!!

Sirens, lights, and laughs! They paraded through town and thought that was the best!!

Shad and Laker

Shad with his new fire hat!

Grandpa Wayne

2009-08-31T15:35:00.000-07:00

Five years ago on August 30th we lost a very special and awesome Dad, Grandpa, and friend! He was such a neat person to be around. He was always playing with the grandkids and kept things lively! It is so hard to believe that it has been five years! We went to the cemetery and then went on to Bart and Nicki's house to visit for awhile. It is so nice to get to see the kids and how big they are all getting!

The kids at the cemetery in Mud Lake by Grandpa Wayne and Grandma Kathy's headstones.

Grandpa Wayne and his big catch! The good old days when he and John used to go fishing all the time!

Our wedding day! We miss and love you lots Grandpa Wayne!!

Back to School!

2009-08-21T08:10:00.000-07:00

Kailee asked me the other day why Summer was so short this year, and I responded that it isn't officially over yet. She said "Yes it is Mom, because school has started." I guess she is pretty much right though, because we will no longer be doing the "Summer" things we do now that school is in. The Day before school started a good friend of ours invited us over for a back to school hot dog roast. The kids had a blast roasting hot dogs, marshmallows, and even starbursts. I know it sounds weird, but they are actually pretty good and gooey!

Everyone enjoying their yummy food! Thanks Michelle for the fun party!

Laker, Shad, and Kyler roasting their starbursts!

Cute little Laker!

The kids were pretty excited for their first day of school this year. Kailee is in the 6th grade, so she is now in the junior high. Yikes! Shad started kindergarten and thinks he knows it all. Laker is enjoying his two and a half days a week alone at home with Mom! The kindergarten schedule this year was changed to in town kids going on Tuesday and Thursday and half day on Friday. The country kids go Monday, Wednesday, and half day Friday. That makes for a long day for little kids. Shad has complained about how long the days are and how tired and hot he gets! I feel for the kids that are going to Lincoln, because there is no air conditioning and it is HOT!!!

Kailee's first day of "Junior High"!! She said she was a little nervous, but she did very well. She has Rod Perkins for her homeroom and Katina Smith for her resource room. They are patient and understanding with her so far. She came home the first day and announced that her "First day of school was absolutely perfect and she loved it!" She is such a special spirit and I am sure glad she's mine!!

Shad couldn't decide if he was excited or not for his first day of Kindergarten. He went to summer school all of July, so I think he thought it was just like that. I drove him to school the first day and he informed me that he could go in by himself, because he already knew where to go. I was insistent on walking him because it was the first day! He is so stinking independent. It sure makes it easier to leave him than Kailee because of that. I have cried every year that Kailee has went to school (yes even this year!) because I so worry about her and want to forever keep her under my wing.

Little Laker had to be in the first day of school pictures too. He is so fun, but he sure is a Mommy's boy! If I get in the shower he gets himself dressed and stands by the door and waits for me. No way am I going anywhere without him!! We are enjoying our quiet one on one time every other day!

It's TWINS!

2009-08-21T07:19:00.002-07:00

Well the saga continues with my dear sweet husband. He called me from work the other day and informed me that he was trying to pass another kidney stone! Of course I immediately panic. We pawn the kids off on friends and away to the E.R. we go. After getting his kidney stone "cocktail" they scan him and find that there is one lodged in the ureter. In the past the doctor has been able to use the lithotrypsy machine to blast them, and they break up and come out. Well this time the stone had already moved to a spot that litho wasn't possible. So we came home with pain meds and waited for Friday to arrive hoping John would pass it on his own before then. Of course this guy doesn't do anything the easy way and wasn't about to let the stone go on his own! So we arrive bright and early at the hospital, and after an hour the doctor announced it was TWINS! The stone had lodged in the ureter and broke in half, and according to the doc it wasn't about to budge without his help! So with scope and pinchers in hand out it came!

Laker awaiting the news that Daddy is o.k. Yes he came to the hospital with us. This is one child that can't seem to be away from Mommy, and I was a stress case that day and wasn't about to worry if he was crying or not. He is a great kid to take places and I am a softy when it comes to my Baby:)

Ahhhh back with Dad. Now if only he would wake up and play!!

Daddy wouldn't wake up so Mommy and I played with dad's cute hat!

He came out of surgery with one less stone, but with a stint in place. OUCH is all he can say about it. He has been so miserable. We are a week post-op and still living on pain meds. The stint will be in for 3 weeks and hopefully when it comes out he will be a new man. Poor John! He is such a trooper! This is officially baby number 7 and 8 for him:) Hopefully we are done now. I know I am, but he just can't seem to make up his mind!

Maritn Harris Pageant and Bear Lake

2009-08-16T07:27:00.000-07:00

On August 7th we loaded up and took off to Logan to go to the Martin Harris Pageant. We stopped at Shane and Kellie's new house in Afton Wyoming and then went to Logan from there. Driving through the Logan canyon proved to be interesting due to Shad getting car sick from all the curves!

Here we are at the cemetery site of Martin Harris The Witness. It is so neat to think that he actually helped to get the Book of Mormon printed!

John holding Laker, myself, Mom, Kailee, Taylor Harris, Shad, Brennen Harris, Shane Harris holding Parker, Kellie Harris, and my sweet Aunt Deb:)

Waiting for the pageant to begin. It was so neat! What an awesome experience. I recommend it to everyone!

Aunt Deb enjoying some grub!!

We also celebrated her birthday while we were at Shane's! Happy Birthday to you!!!

We had plans to go to Bear Lake on Saturday to let the kids swim, and the weather didn't cooperate at all! We woke up to rain Saturday morning and it lasted until abut noon, so we just shopped in Logan all day. This is as close to Bear Lake as we got:( It sure was pretty though.

Aunt Deb and Grandma Ula with the grand kids overlooking Bear Lake.

My little family minus Laker. He fell asleep in the car and I wasn't about to wake him!!!

Shad and John's wildlife adventures

2009-07-31T18:29:00.000-07:00

John and Shad have been busy fishing and catching raccoons the past few days. I guess the bonding time is great for them, I just can't wait until Laker is old enough to go with them!! Shad caught this 20 inch brown at the City park in St.Anthony. Way to go Shad!!!

These are the cute little critters that John trapped. They sure are cute, but definitely mean! I have never heard them snort and hiss like they do. It is kind of funny to see how mad they get. I guess they are just trying to protect themselves.

Here they are being released back into the "wild". John wanted to make sure that I made it known that none of these raccoons were harmed or mistreated in the making of this post! We are all about catch and release:) At least when it comes to critters, fish is a different story, because we love to eat them!!

Soccer season

2009-07-31T16:39:00.000-07:00

Well soccer is now officially over and I must say it is bittersweet. I kinda like the fact that it is over, because I feel like I have been running like a mad man. Yet on the other hand knowing that it is over means that summer is almost over too! It feels like we just began with summer and now school starts in less than a month....CRAZY! This is the sweet little team that Shad played on. They are so cute at this age, because they are really starting to learn the concept of soccer. I want to give a shout out to the coach, Kim, because she was awesome!!

24th of July Celebrations

2009-07-28T10:01:00.001-07:00

This year for the 24th of July events it was pretty busy! We started the day off by watching the runners of the 5 and 10k run past our house. We probably wouldn't have thought about watching, but Aunt Kellie was one of the participants and we wanted to show our support for her hard work! Way to go Kellie, and sorry we didn't take any pictures! Next we walked over to the school and watched the parade. I love this parade, because it is short and sweet! We were able to make it back to our house and were blessed enough to watch it again. Not in the plan, but we were kinda stuck at our house, because all the streets were blocked to get out! It wasn't all bad though, because Justin and Teresina were at our house watching and so we got to watch with them:)

Waiting for the parade to begin.

Broulim's had this huge shopping cart that was so cool! It is always neat to see things that are either way big or way little! The kids thought this was way neat! I have to admit I liked it too, and not just because John works for Broulim's;)

After going to the parade we were invited to join John's aunts and their families up to the Ririe reservoir where they were camping. It was so fun to get together and just visit. It is always nice to see family and friends that you hardly ever get to see.
Kailee and Cameron chatting with Aunt Jackie.John and Uncle Brian telling stories!!

When we first arrived at the reservoir John and Shad went down to the water and put a trap in trying to catch some crawdads. They were somewhat successful and caught two. That was enough for the kids to have a ball with! Now they are residing in our fish tank at home:0

This puppy is Steel and Misty's and it's name is Wall-E. He was so dang cute, but was sure wore out from all the loves the kids had to give. Here he is all protected from the wind with Kailee!

Isn't he sooo cute!?

John, Laker, and Shad catching fish! This is my kind of fishing!

Laker hitting the ball after Uncle Chad taught him how! He loved this and I think we might have a ball player on our hands!

Grandpa Sid and Grandma Judy! Aren't they so cute together?! We love you guys and appreciate all you have done for us! Thanks for including us in all your family activities and making us feel like you do! Your the best and I hope things get better for you! We Love you!!!

Spray Park/Seussical the Musical

2009-07-26T20:09:00.000-07:00

On Friday I decided to cool off and take the kids to the spray park for awhile. It was quite refreshing to get in the cold water, well at least for the kids!

Taylor and Kailee standing on the water jets!

Shad getting cooled off!

Laker thinking about getting wet! Goofy kids!

Waiting for Seussical to open the doors. Kailee, Taylor (my niece),

me, my mom, and sis-in-law Kellie.

Mom, Kellie and I decided to take Kailee and Taylor to the musical this year for a girls night out. It was so fun. The production this year was Seussical the Musical. They did an awesome job and it was so entertaining! Kailee was so funny, when she found out we were going she said "Yay, I get to clap for the people when they do a good job!" I love that girl! Always thinking of others. Had a great time out with the girls!

Around the World Parade

2009-07-26T19:42:00.000-07:00

For our Stake activity we had an Around the World parade. The kids were asked to dress up representing other countries and they were allowed to decorate their bikes,scooters, wagons, etc. I had a hard time deciding what to have them be......walked into the dollar store and found a sombrero right off, so Shad was going as Mexico! I rounded another corner and found Hawaiian attire. I know Hawaii isn't a country, but I was desperate! It turned out to be way fun for the kids and they had a ball riding around the high school parking lot for their parade!

My little Jose!

Hula girl!

My little Laker John!

14 Years Together!

2009-07-20T09:31:00.000-07:00

Today is our anniversary....14 years! Wow I can't believe how fast time flies. It seems like yesterday that I was looking into John's eyes and saying "I do." Now we have three kids, grey hairs, debt, and aches and pains in places we never knew existed!! One thing that is still the same as the day we married, is the love that I feel for this wonderful man! Words cannot express how I feel about him. I would never have been able to bear the burdens of life if it weren't for John...thanks for the memories, good times, and lots of laughs Sweetie, I LOVE YOU!!!!

Egin Lakes Fun

2009-07-16T07:27:00.000-07:00

We decided to venture out to a popular recreation area by the Sand Dunes called Egin Lakes. It is in the middle of some dunes and is only about knee deep at the deepest point. Great for kids, except the fact that the water isn't the cleanest in the world, but what kid is gonna care about dirty water? John's brother and his kids went too, so that made it all the more fun.

Kailee and Shelby tying their hardest to get Justin wet. I think they are going to need a little more man power!

Uncle Justin was a good sport and let Kailee get him wet after a few minutes!
Sweetie enjoying the sun.
Laker and Keltsler enjoying the warm water.

After being there for a few minutes Shad had announced that he caught a fish (with his hands). John went to observe and sure enough he caught something.....a tadpole! They were cute in an ugly sort of way! You can see the tail off the back and they had back legs out and some had front legs out too. They kids had a blast trying to catch "Pollywogs" that is what John used to call them when he was little.

Kailee was wondering if this was the beach, and I told her this is as close to the beach we will probably ever get. It must be the beach she said, because there is sand, water, and sea shells (snail shells)! I said yep I think you are right. I love how that girls mind works.....priceless.

Fourth of July

2009-07-13T12:54:00.001-07:00

This year for the Fourth of July we followed protocol and went to the parade in Rexburg. The kids had fun catching candy and watching all the pretty girls (Shad), pretty dresses (Kailee), and animals (Laker). Laker was so funny...every time something that he felt was threatening such as a truck, animal, or best of all the Broulim's bear, he would jump out of his little plastic chair and stand between my legs and put the chair in front of him like a guard. He is the most timid little guy! He is so unsure of everything. Hopefully he will outgrow this phase.

Here is Kailee...see how good her face looks?!!!
Stacey and Ruthie gave her this hat, and it has
truly been a lifesaver for her face:) Thanks guys!

Hoping for lots of candy!

This is the DREADED Broulim's Bear that Laker
was petrified of! I thought he was kinda cool!

Crazy days of summer!

2009-07-13T12:21:00.000-07:00

One word can describe this summer so far....CrAzY! I have been going fifty different directions as I know all of you have, but I need a moment to complain!! Kailee went through her laser surgery with flying colors and absolutely no pain!!! Woohoo! She was pretty swollen for about three days and then it went to just being red and blistered and then it was almost like she had never had anything done! I wish I had known that is was going to be this easy and I would have had it done along time ago...live and learn...that's my motto!

This is one day post op. Pretty swollen and gross!
This is day two post op...better yet!:)

Day three post op! Looking good sissy!

Shad decided that he wanted to play soccer again this year, much to my dismay after last year. He wouldn't run after the ball at all last year and complained that he wasn't as fast as the others, blah, blah, blah! So I refused to agree to another year till he was in school. Well he promised that he would like it this year with no complaining and he has proven to be right! He has been such a go getter and runs the whole time he is out there! I can't believe how much he has improved.

He couldn't resist climbing on the goal posts! I guess boys will be boys!

Happy Father's Day!!

2009-06-24T11:13:00.000-07:00

Walk a little slower, Daddy,

Said a little child so small.

I'm following in your footsteps

And I don't want to fall.

Sometimes your steps are very fast,

Sometimes they are hard to see;

So, walk a little slower, Daddy,

For you are leading me.

Someday when I'm all grown up,

You're what I want to be;

Then I will have a little child

Who'll want to follow me.

And I would want to lead just right,

And know that I was true;

So walk a little slower, Daddy,

For I must follow you.

I just want to let my sweet husband know how much I love and appreciate all that he does for me and our children. He is so AWESOME! I don't think I would be able to bear the burdens life has given me without him. He has dealt with alot of crying over the ups and downs of life. He has lifted me up when I am at my lowest. I truly love him for what he is and hope for many more adventures with my best friend and husband! I love you, John!!!

Kailee's laser surgery and Flash Flood

2009-06-17T18:34:00.000-07:00

Kailee, Mom, and I went to Salt Lake Tuesday to have the tumors (angiofibromas) on her face lasered. We were supposed to have this done last year, but due to the tumor that started to grow in her brain we had to do that surgery first. So now we finally got the nerve up (I was extremely nervous) to get it done. This is a procedure that will be done at least once a year if not sooner on an as needed basis. The good thing about this is that the first is the worst, because now it should only be touch up "spots" instead of the whole face. I want to warn you that the pictures below are pretty "nasty"!

This is Kailee and Grandma Ula the morning of surgery. Don't they look alike?

Kailee and me the same morning.

I know it looks horrific, but she really did do good. When the nurse came to get my Mom and I to go back to see her after it was done, I gasped and said "That is not what I was expecting!" I have to admit it took us by surprise. It is so hard to see your child go through so much, I wish I could take away the pain and misery. Kailee never complains and she is always so upbeat about life no matter what she has to have done! The laser actually burns the skin and it will be like this for about two weeks and then it will fade to bruises and then eventually go away. The hard part is that she has to be in the house for two weeks straight then when the bruising fades she can go outside with a lot of sunscreen and a hat on. Makes for a long and boring summer!

This is about six hours post-op and it already is looking better. She is always willing to put on her smile no matter what! Shad is having some issues with the "new look" his sister came home with. He came to me about an hour after we were home and whispered in my ear "I want Kailee back, I don't like the way she looks." Broke my heart:(!

As if the surgery wasn't enough excitement for one day, we had a little flash flood at the Sanders' house tonight. There was a massive cloud burst and it started to pour rain. Not two minutes later our driveway, front lawn, and side lawn were flooded! CRAZY! For those of you that don't know the area around our house these pics might be meaningless to you.These are of the side of the house and there should be a road here somewhere:)!

Front of the house and main road.

Another side lawn view. It was ankle deep or better in some parts.

This is the front walk and it was way deep here! Worried about the basement flooding, but thankfully it was okay!

John wondering how bad will it get?!

Happy Birthday Mom!!!

2009-06-14T20:00:00.000-07:00

What is a Mother?

A mother is someone who loves you

Who cares for you in every way

She sits down and listens to what you have to say

She always thinks your beautiful

Never puts you down

She always has a smile to wipe away your frown

A mother is someone who believes in you

Always pushes you to go far

Tells you to believe in yourself no matter who you are

A mother is like an angel although without the wings

She tells you to enjoy life's most smallest things

I really love my mother she means so much to me

Mom I really love you and that's how it always will be.

Happy Birthday Mom! We celebrated my Mom's birthday tonight. The kids were trying to guess her age and they guessed some pretty good numbers....32, 35, 40! I wish she were only 32, because that would make me a lot younger! I have to admit though if I age as gracefully as my Mom has I hope to look as good as she does when I am her age! Hope you had a WONDERFUL birthday Mom, We love you!!!!

Circus Fun!!

2009-06-13T08:28:00.000-07:00

The circus came to Rexburg last Monday, so we decided to take the kids. It was a pretty good circus considering it was just in Rexburg. The cost of the cotton candy, popcorn, and other goodies was highway robbery though. Trying to tell the kids that I can't AFFORD to spend 20.00 on just goodies was hard! We ended up negotiating going to Wendy's after and that satisfied them....thank goodness!

Some pics while waiting for the circus to begin. Aren't they adorable?!

Some of the pictures are extremely dark and blurry, but I didn't figure out the whole flash thing till a few pics later (duh)!

These were black bears that did some neat tricks with chairs and strollers. They were pretty cute!

This bear is riding a rocking horse.

The elephants were the hit for Laker! He just stared at them like he wasn't too sure what to think. They were pretty cool.

When the elephants were out the song they played was "I like to move it, move it" off the cartoon Madagascar 2. My kids thought this was great, especially Shad, because he loves that cartoon!

This guy and another one at the other end of the arena were doing free fall acrobatics. They climbed up these curtains and did tricks and free fall stuff. The guy at the other end of the arena was about 20 feet or more up in the air when his rope holding the curtain broke and he fell on his head! It was quite intense for awhile and they hauled him off in the ambulance. I read in the paper that he was okay.

More acrobatics! Kailee was in heaven watching these girls!

A guy stacking chairs and then standing on them and doing tricks up high in the air!

This was the favorite of John and Shad by far! There are three motorcycles in the globe of death! They rode around and it was amazing how they do that without hitting each other!

Calling all Couponeers (is that really a word?)

2009-06-02T15:44:00.000-07:00

Over the last couple of weeks I have read or been talked to about cutting coupons. I am totally oblivious to the whole coupon game and don't even know where to start. So this post is to ask for help from any of you that have coupon cutting experience to teach me or anyone else that is reading this! I have found a few websites and they are helpful, but I get OVERWHELMED when I try to actually go to the store and use the coupons! I know that some stores won't accept some and others will double, and yada yada yada! There goes the A.D.D. thing again! So if anyone out there has any helpful suggestions do tell PLEASE! I would love to be able to brag about spending $50 for $100 worth of groceries! John would be so proud of me :) I am all about finding an awesome deal, so if i get any other advice I will surely pass it on!!!!

Our New House!

2009-06-01T07:54:00.000-07:00

I am finally getting around to posting about our new house! We have been in this home since about March and are loving it! Loving the space, warmth, and newness!! John is not loving being in town so much, but gotta sacrifice some things! I actually kind of like being in town...I have access to lots of things that are just a short walk or bike ride away. After 14 years of marriage and 3 kids we have sure accumulated a lot of CRAP! I honestly don't know where we put all this stuff in the trailer. We have a basement and it is already starting to fill up. I definitely have my Dad's clutter gene! Heaven help me!

This is the computer room and also where the animals are residing. There is a main bathroom just off this room.

This is the living room. It has pot shelves around the ceiling. This is also "NEW" furniture! We have never owned any new furniture except our bedroom set the whole 14 years of marriage! Now I am extremely paranoid about the kids getting it dirty! The t.v. is John's purchase he thinks he is pretty special! It is kinda nice to watch a movie on a big t.v.!

The Crazy Sac was a necessity to try to keep the kids off the furniture:) I say that with love. Shad and Laker love to jump and are used to rough housing on the old furniture, so this gives them a place to wrestle and not ruin my couch! They love to put Laker on one side and jump on the other and watch him fly!

I absolutely love my kitchen! The cabinets are made from hickory and the appliances are black. I have a lot of cupboard space and I don't have MICE!!!! LOVE IT!!!!!

The dining room that has the kitchen table we purchased off of Craig's List. I know those of you who have been in our trailer are thinking"wow they have a table!" I am thinking the same thing. John and I used to stand to eat or sit in the living room and the kids would sit at the bar. I love eating as a family!!!

This is Kailee-bugs bedroom. She inherited a cedar chest from John's dad, a quilt from our wedding, and a bean bag from the D.I. My wonderful mom saved material from the quilt and made her pillows and curtains to match. The curtain rod is on the honey-do list as many other things! I am so glad Kailee has her own room and that she likes it. She locks herself in and we have to remind her that she has a family!!!!

This is the boys room and it is pretty boring still. We are in need of getting some decorations, but that will come with time and money right!? If anyone has any decorating ideas feel free to share......I could use all the help I can get (Jen this means you! Little miss crafty pants!)

This would be the master bedroom and bath. It is awesome to get out of the shower and not have to dart down the hall to the bedroom! Yes those are deer on the bedroom. I didn't have much say.....other than "Yes Dear!" No pun intended!

This is John's man cave. It used to have ugly green siding on it, but John added his magic touch and this is what it looks like now! WONDERFUL!

Here is the back yard!

Last of all this is the sand box that John built for the boys. They like it, but mom isn't so much a fan of the sand on my floor! Oh well they are only young once!!!!!! Thanks for taking the tour of the Sanders' House! We are forever thankful for the prayers answered in getting this house!

Mother's Day

2009-05-11T09:46:00.000-07:00

I love being a mom, and being able to celebrate the joy of Mother's Day! I remember as a little girl when asked the question "What do you want to be when you grow up" my answer was always "A mommy and a nurse." Well I have fulfilled one of those dreams and hope to someday fulfill the other. I have to thank my own Mom for the inspiration of me wanting to become a mother myself, she is the BEST! We have been best friends from day one and I wouldn't change that for the world! My Mom stepped in and filled the void of not having a sister with her wonderful and sweet spirit. My Mom is the reason I am where I am at today. She has endured many tearful conversations about whys and not fairs and she always ends up making me smile. She has had a rough road herself and I guess that is why I feel like I can always ask her for advice...she truly understands the trials of life. I hope I can be an example to my kids like my Mom is to hers. I want to thank her for being to best Mom and Grandma in the whole world! I LOVE YOU MOM!

For Mother's Day we went to visit John's mom and then we came to our house for a dinner. Mom and I went to I.F. the night before and shopped, just the two of us and Laker of course! It was fun. Upon returning home Kailee and Shad had been busy making cards for us. They gave us each a mother's day card that contained MONEY! Gotta love em! I guess I should have expected it, since I am always giving money in cards! It was precious though! Overall it was a quiet and nice mother's day!

Hoppy Easter!

2009-04-28T07:48:00.000-07:00

I know it is a month late, but what can I say other than I am a major SLACKER! I have been so involved in the new house and stuff that I completely forgot to post the Easter holiday! It was a new and different experience this year for Easter, because we were actually at our own home instead of Mom's. I think this is the first year that we have celebrated in our own house since we have been married. By celebrate I mean dinner, egg hunt, etc....! I loved it!! It is such a neat feeling to think this is how all the holidays are gonna be! Can't wait.....bring on Christmas! Not literally:)

Laker decorating eggs. Take note that he is naked in alot of the pictures. He has decided to start a new trend in the new house by refusing to wear clothes. I don't know if it is a phase or if he is warmer in the house than in the trailer and isn't sure how to deal with it?
Kailee and Shad enjoying some time to get their fingers dirty!

Shadow's new pillowcase from Grandma Ula!

Kailee's new pillow case from Grandma Ula. Purple her favorite color!

Laker was a little more interested in the sidewalk chalk than anything. He also got a pillowcase from Grandma, but wasn't up for a picture with it!

Grandma and Laker were a team in the egg hunt. Surprisingly though Laker did very well on his own! He found as many as the big kids and Grandma wasn't helping much! He helped John and I hide the eggs and remembered where they were hidden! Good job Laker!

Blizzard!!!!

2009-03-29T17:00:00.000-07:00

This post is for all of you that are enjoying 70 degree weather and having picnics and playing outdoors with no jacket. I am not happy about this, and if I am miserable then I am going to let everyone know:) It started to snow at about 1:00 this afternoon and the wind is howling and now we have a couple of inches of snow and it is still coming down. John is thinking of getting the snow blower out if he can find his way!!! Well I hope you all enjoy your warm weather and think of us!!! As for the crew that took off yesterday to Saint George, remember you have to eventually come home and look what awaits you!! You can run but you can't hide!!!! Hahaha!! Oh by the way grandma Ula you will need to put your snow tires back on, Summer is over!!!!!

Winning Art

2009-03-29T16:44:00.000-07:00

At school the 4th and 5th graders were asked to draw a picture for some of the local businesses. They chose one that they had to design an advertisement for and then two winners from each grade were chosen. Kailee's was for the Rexburg Orthodontics and SHE WON!!!!! She was so proud that she talked about it for days. She has even carried around this laminated picture and showed everyone. It is so cute to see her be so excited for it. We are so proud of her accomplishment!! Way to go Kailee!!!!

Allergies and a New Reward System!!!!!

2009-03-20T19:59:00.000-07:00

A few months ago I posted about Kailee's hives. We have never been able to figure out how or why they are happening. Well a few weeks after the hives she started to get swollen lips for no reason at all. I was a little nervous about this, because it involves the mouth. I made an appointment with an allergy specialist and took her in last week and put her through the whole torture of the pokes on her back (84 pokes to be exact). She was a real trooper and didn't even cry! The results came back showing she was allergic to.....................TOBACCO! Of all the things that they tested for and she is only allergic to tobacco! We aren't ever around that so the doctor doesn't think it is the cause of the hives. I was shocked and so was the doctor that she wasn't allergic to alot more things like animal dander, trees, or some foods. He is kinda thinking it is something she is eating and the test didn't pick it up for some reason. We also found out that she has asthma and is now using an inhaler. She is on daily antihistamines and for the bad flare-ups she has to take steroids. I tell you if its not one thing its another!!!

This is one of the episodes where she had a swollen bottom lip. It was so swollen it was shiny!

I have a friend that was telling me about a new reward system that she is doing and how well it is working for her kids. She calls it the gem jar, but Shad prefers to call it the rock jar. I went to the dollar store and bought a glass container for each child and different colored rocks (one color for each child) and some foam stickers to decorate the jars with. If I catch them being good or doing something after only being asked once they get a rock in their jar. If I catch them being bad they get a rock taken away. At the end of the week if they have 10 rocks they get to go and do something fun, such as ice cream, bowling, swimming, etc. They also have the option to trade the rocks for a quarter each. If after a month of being good I am thinking of something extra special such as Leo's Place or somewhere like that. It has really been working good. I was in Wal-Mart the other day and Shad picked up a toy and he usually has to be told five thousand times to put it back, and that day I asked him once and he put it back and said "I only had to be told once Mom, so I should get three rocks for that!" Here are pictures of the jars that they decorated.

We've got a two year old!!!

2009-03-09T08:04:00.000-07:00

On February 14, 2007 our little caboose was born. Laker made his entry a month early and so fast that the doctor wasn't even sure what had happened. Laker is such a sweet little boy. He is so much fun and has a heart that is so big with love! I don't know where we would be without this special little guy in our lives. He has truly blessed us with his sweet little spirit! We love you little Laker John!

Here is Laker with Riley, Shayna, Shad, and Kailee opening some of his presents. He loves his cousin Shayna!

Oh Elefun! Thanks Grandma Harris for the fun of this game! I am forever thankful that we lost most of the butterflies before we made it home!!!!
You probably can't see him, but Uncle Stacey is inside the tent with Laker! My kids love to play with Uncle Stacey because he acts like one of them!

I know this is about a month late, but with the move into a new house and not having a computer for awhile I am lucky it is only about a month past!

Happy Birthday Laker!!!!

We love you!!!

Home Sweet Home!!!

2009-03-02T16:12:00.000-08:00

Well John and I finally have been able to purchase our first house after 14 years of being trailer trash! It is the most awesome feeling of knowing that this is something that is ours! Of course the trailer we were in was ours, but it wasn't a full fledge house! I miss the cozy feeling of the trailer, but I love the space that the house has! It seems surreal that it is ours! After so many health problems and setbacks we are both anxious that we are going to wake up and the dream will be over. I hope this is one dream that never ends!

Now a little bit of history about this little humble abode. My brother, Stacey has been flipping this house over the last few years, and he finished it this last Summer. It originally had one bed, bath, and kitchen and living room. After he did his magic it now has a beautifully remodeled living room, kitchen, and a new addition of three bedrooms and a master bath! I love it! Kailee has her own room and boy is she in heaven. She goes in there after school and we hardly even see her. She loves the power of telling the boys that it is hers and they have to ask to come in. Of course Shad and Laker share a room and they seem to like it. There is a basement that is mostly for storage, but the boys think it is great for running around with their tonka trucks. The walls are concrete so they can't hurt anything and it is wonderful! After we get a little more settled in I will post pictures of the inside.

Happy Birthday Sweetie!!!!

2009-02-16T09:50:00.000-08:00

John celebrated his 36th (holy cow :) birthday on Friday the 13th. It actually went off without anything funky happening! In our family we have four birthdays over the span of two weeks. Kailee, John, Laker, and then mine. I just wanted to list a few things why I am still in love with my sweetie like it was the year 1995!

1. Three beautiful children

2. Awesome Dad

3. Awesome Husband

4. Considerate

5. Caring

6. Hard worker

7. Super SEXY!!!!!

8. Makes me laugh

9. Puts up with me!!

10.He's just FUN to be around!

Happy Birthday Sweetie! We love you!!!!

Happy Birthday Kailee!!!

2009-02-09T18:44:00.000-08:00

On February 9, 1998 and 2:45 P.M. a precious baby girl entered this world! Kailee was so cute and her parents were so proud of her, especially her DAD! She had him wrapped around her finger from the first minute she was born. Now she is 11 years old and still just as precious as she was that first day! We love you Kailee and even though the journey has been hard, you have a family that loves you and a Heavenly Father that will always be there for you! Happy Birthday !!!!!!

Kailee opening some of her birthday presents! A birthday cake in her favorite color, Purple!
This is a candy bar bouquet that I made for her. I delivered it to her at school for her to pass out for her treats. The kids thought this was great!

This year for Kailee's birthday we celebrated a Grandma Harris' house on Sunday. I talked Kailee into waiting until this Summer for her to have a friend party, so we could go and do something fun. Winter birthdays are not much fun, at least after you have about a dozen of them and the choices for activities are the same year after year. So we decided to wait and have a summer party for a change of scenery! Happy Birthday Kailee-Bug we love you!!!!!!!

PAY IT FORWARD!

2009-02-03T08:42:00.000-08:00

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 to this post 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 need to 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. Come and join me who doesn't love a gift or giving gifts???

My list of BUGS!!!!!!!!!

2009-01-31T18:44:00.000-08:00

I was tagged to write a post on the things that really BUG me, and I have to admit this opened my eyes to what a pessimist I can be about things. I could have gone on and on, but I will only list a few:) Here goes:

1. When the BYUI students stand in the tiny isles of Wal-Mart and have Relief Society!

2. Smacking your food! Need I say more?

3. Laundry that is inside out when I am getting ready to put it in the washer!

4. When I buy a brand new bottle of body wash and Shad dumps the whole bottle in the bath with him for the hundredth time. I could be rich for all the bottles of soap he has wasted.

5. When a Doctor asks me what I think we should do, when he is the one making all the money!

6. When people stare at you when your child is having a melt-down in the store.

7. When we pull up to the Wendy's drive thru and my husband makes me yell the order over him from the passenger seat, cuz he is being shy or something. He doesn't do well in public situations:)

8. Piles of laundry due to the fact that my kids are constantly changing their clothes. I think Kaliee changes at least 3 times on a good day and Shad at least 5. Laker on the other hand won't stay dressed.

9. When Laker is poopie and John is doing nada and I am multi-tasking about fifty things and John says "Go tell Mommy you have a poopie!"

10. Finally............SLEEPLESS NIGHTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now that you have heard me gripe about some of my peeves, I tag........

Jen W.

TanalynP.

Kellie H.

Janet C.

Have fun girls and let it out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hole in the mouth!

2009-01-30T15:36:00.001-08:00

Well Shad finally lost the tooth that has been hanging for awhile. I noticed last night that it was pretty loose and told him to let me pull it and he agreed until I yanked kinda hard and made it bleed :) He freaked out about the blood and decided it was going to stay in there, no ifs, ands, or buts! I got a wet wash cloth and went to put it on the tooth and he moved at the same time and WHOOPS out it fell. It took him a few seconds until he noticed it was gone, and then he was pretty okay with it. Kailee reminded him that he was going to get money! He definitely got the money, a day late, but he got it. I just can't seem to get with it when it comes to being a fairy:) So now we are waiting for the next one and he is a little more excited about it. Everyone keeps saying he is too young to lose teeth, but he is 5 barely. I tell you he acts like he is 16 and I guess his body thinks it needs to stay up with him.

You've gotta check out these cool sites!!!!

2009-01-15T12:36:00.001-08:00

I found these cool websites the other day while on a friends blog, and they are actually pretty cool. This one is a site to help you save money and learn how to clip coupons:) Pretty good ideas here.
http://wantitall4free.blogspot.com

This one is about preparing for a natural disaster or pandemic. It also has quite a few ideas that are informative.http://blog.totallyready.com

Where's the Tooth Fairy when I need her!?

2009-01-09T09:05:00.000-08:00

The other morning Kailee had just gotten out of bed and was eating her breakfast when she announced that she lost a tooth. I looked at her and asked her when she lost it. She said last night I think (for all of you that don't know Kailee, she has hardly any short-term memory since the resection of her brain tumor. I describe her as a 10 year old Alzheimer's patient, with lots of love of course) Well I asked her what she did with the tooth, and she said I think I put it under my pillow. Of course the little brother that Shad is, he insist he go and check to see if the tooth fairy left any money. John and I both looked at each other with the uh-oh we're busted look, when I said "Nope, I get to go see if she left anything, and if she did it will be a surprise for both of you, and if not then maybe she will come tonight." Kailee pipes up and says I'm sure she came last night she always comes the night I lose a tooth. So I go into their room and get a dollar out of her bank and act like it is the one that the tooth fairy left! I am just glad she had a dollar I could "Borrow!!!" Well it worked and they were both fooled! Where's that darn Tooth Fairy when I need her!? I know everyone is probably wondering if I replaced the borrowed dollar, and Yes I did!

Christmas, Tonsillectomy, and New Year's

2009-01-01T15:26:00.000-08:00

I can't believe another Christmas has come and gone. It seems like yesterday that we were preparing for the big day, and another has passed in the blink of an eye. It is amazing how you can prepare for months and then it is over in a matter of a few hours. We stayed the night at my mom's house again this year and it was great! We have made this a tradition, and it is fun. Of course not as fun as having the cousins there, but fun. I heard footsteps coming up the stairs at about 5:30 that morning and got up to see which rugrat it was and of course it was Shad. By the time I tried to convince him to go back to bed Laker was awake. So I had him try to wake Kailee and she was not wanting to, but then the mention of Santa brought her up the stairs rather quickly! Laker was so funny that morning, he kept going from person to person to help open presents. When we were all done, he kept saying"more!" I love this age at Christmas, because they are so much fun. After we opened presents and ate a nice breakfast, we shoveled ourselves out, and went to John's moms house for dinner. It was nice to get together with Justin and Bina and Mom and Rayce. After that we went to Dee and Peggy's (John's step-dad) house. It was nice to visit with them also. I love Christmas, but it gets quite hectic at times trying to go to every body's house. Nintendo DS!!!! I thought Santa said it was gonna be a lump of COAL!!!!! Somehow no matter how naughty they are they still end up with a nice present!

The littlest pet shop Nintendo DS game!! Just what she wanted!

Would have been happy with an empty box or bag, but thanks anyway Santa!!!!!

Well as you can tell in the title we had an exciting event at our house this last week!

Husband +tonsillectomy=INSANE WIFE!!!!!

John had to have his tonsills out this last Tuesday and boy are they ever right that it is much harder on you as you get older! I can't believe how miserable he has been. I think it should be mandatory to have them out at the age of 6! Hopefully he will be back to work after a week, or I think I might have to admit myself to Blackfoot South!!! Just kiddin' sweetie! Sorry no pictures for this part of the blog, he wasn't too cooperative for the camera:)

Hope you all have a Happy New Year and wish you the best of luck in the up coming year! You know my New year was pretty low key and not very exciting! I rang it in last night by myself at 10:00. Yeah I know what a life!

Bowling Party

2008-12-23T08:18:00.000-08:00

The other night we went to the bowling alley for a little Christmas Party with some of John's family. It was fun, but boy do I really need to brush up on my bowling skills (be quiet Ty:) I think that I pretty much averaged a gutter ball almost every other time I bowled. It was mainly for the kids to have fun, so I don't feel too bad :( This was Laker's first time to go bowling and he acted as though he has done it before. We had the bumpers up on the lane for the kids and they used the wooden ramp to roll their ball. I think they had a great time. It is always fun to get together with family you don't get to see much. We had a couple of Christmas parties to go to, but because of the bad weather they were all cancelled. Oh well I guess it is better to be safe than sorry. Thanks for good time Klingler, Day, and Sanders families!
Some of the cousins having a good time bowling.

Laker cheesing it the whole way down the lane for luck!!!

Go sweetie!!

I caught Kailee in a quite unique pose after throwing her ball.

Shad the Stud hoping for a strike.

Happy Birthday Shad!

2008-12-23T07:51:00.001-08:00

My little spitfire is turning the BIG 5 on Christmas Eve! We had his party a few days early, because everyone is so busy during this time of year. On Thursday I took him and some of his friends to McDonald's for dinner and then back to the house for cake and ice cream. That was an adventure all in itself. I planned it for Thursday, so John could help because that is his day off, but he ended up working. Then we had a family party on Sunday, and it was fun. Of course we were missing the Harris cousins, so it wasn't the same;) Now Shad thinks we are going to have another one tomorrow on the actual day of his Birthday. It is so hard to have a Birthday this close to Christmas. I think we might start a half year birthday and celebrate it in the Summer. At least that way he doesn't have to wait all year before he gets to celebrate a special day.

Ward Christmas Party

2008-12-09T07:31:00.000-08:00

We had our ward Christmas party the other day. The way our ward does it is the adults and kids 12 and up go on a Friday for a prime rib dinner and program. The kids under the age of 12 go to a breakfast of pancakes and sausage and a special visitor comes to visit. Laker wasn't to sure about the big guy in red and cried every time he got near him. Shad on the other hand was anything but scared. He asked Santa the name of the horse, and Santa told him it was Toby. Of course him and Kailee had a look like Toby isn't the name of one of the reindeer! I think that got Kailee started on the whole "Mom do you believe in Santa?" thing. Then before I could answer she said "Oh yeah these Santa's are just helpers not the real Santa." At what point do you let them know the truth? What age where you and do you remember who broke the big secret? Laker getting on the wagon, and of course not lasting to go on the ride.

You can't see them too well, but they made candy cane reindeer. Laker and Shad have eaten theirs before they even got to hang them on the tree.

Enjoying a lot of good food!!!!

Santa I've Been Naughty!

2008-12-04T11:04:00.000-08:00

Shad took it upon himself to cut his hair this last week. I was so angry I could have screamed, but I just gave him the guilt trip that he wasn't the hottie he was when he had hair. He did it on the side about two weeks ago, but I was able to comb the other hair over it to hide it. Well, this time it was in the front and no hiding that mess. John has shaved Shad's hair since he was about a year old, so he has never had hair. I convinced him awhile ago to let it grow so we could see what he looks like with hair. I have to admit it was so dang cute when it was done. Well he obviously didn't think it was too hot, cuz look at that whack he took out of it! We are now teasing him that Taylor Swift (his girlfriend) will be very disappointed in what he has done and he says he wants to grow it out again.

It went clear down to the scalp. Yes, the scissors were hidden, but this is one kid that nothing is hidden well enough.

Here is the result. After we cut it he said "Taylor will still think I am good lookin!"

Thanksgiving Day

2008-12-03T13:59:00.000-08:00

Another year of turkey, pie, and delicious food is past. I can't believe that another year is almost over. It seems like the days are flying by. For Thanksgiving we went to my mom's house with Shane and Kellie's family and had a great time. I sure do miss having them close by. I guess that is why I like the holidays so much, because then I get to see family that isn't too close. I love the holidays, and wish people would stop trying to rush through them. I have a hard time when Christmas decorations are out before Halloween decorations. I like to savor the holidays for all they are worth. Here is John putting his skills to work carving the turkey. This is awesome to see him actually wanting to help;) Love ya sweetie!

Here is Shad and Brennen being goofy while patiently waiting for the time to roll around to eat.

Here is Laker just chillin and taking it easy!

My mom, Kellie, Angie my friend, and I all went to the Black Friday sales in Idaho Falls this year. It was interesting to say the least. I can't believe that compassion was unheard of by quite a few people. I actually got to witness a fight this year, and it was over a stupid toy. I can't believe how literal people take their toys. Overall we had a great time and I love to go just for the sport of going, but I think it is getting pretty scary how someone is willing to hurt over a savings of a few dollars.

Four Things

2008-11-26T14:26:00.000-08:00

4RANDOM THINGS I LIKE ABOUT MY HUSBAND:
1-His great sense of humor
2-How wonderful he is as a Dad
3-Letting me be a stay-at-home mom to raise our kids
4-His patience and understanding

4JOBS I'VE HAD:
1-Big J's (oh the memories)!
2-Assistant manager and Bookkeeper at Ray's
3-Cleaned houses and businesses
4-Teller at the Bank of Commerce

4TV SHOWS I WATCH:
1-Jon and Kate plus eight
2-Mystery Diagnosis
3- Dr. Phil
4-The Doctors

4PEOPLE WHO E-MAIL ME REGULARLY:
1-Angie Hathaway
2-Tanalyn Parker
3-Stacey and Ruthie Harris
4-Bina Sanders

4 OF MY FAVORITE FOODS:
1-Tacos
2-Oriental Food
3-Pizza
4-Homemade chicken and noodles

4 PLACES I WOULD LIKE TO VISIT:
1-Alaska
2-Bahamas
3-Australia
4-anywhere that is quiet for 24 hours:)

4 THINGS I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO IN THE COMING YEAR:
1-Tax Return
2-Shad going to Kindergarten (this is something I have to have to keep sane):)
3-Laker sleeping through the night (PLEASE)
4- A new house?!?!?!?

4 PEOPLE I TAG:
1-Kellie
2-Sydni
3-Tanalyn
4-Jenny B.

Helping Out

2008-11-20T20:16:00.000-08:00

The other day John and Shad went to the Chester Dam to go fishing. When they got there the Henry's Fork Foundation was there moving fish from the canal to the river. After watching for a few minutes Shad was asked to help net some of the fish. Was he ever excited to take on such a big job! He netted the fish after they were shocked to get them to float to the top. Then he carried them over to the river and let them go. His only request in helping was to get a new hat. He received a new hat and a post card thanking him for his help. This is one of the many fish he helped to transport to the river.

Here he is helping to net a fish .

These are the workers shocking the fish to get them to float to the top to be netted and moved.

*Note-ignore the dates on my pictures. My camera keeps going back to 06 and I can't figure out why.

Why not......

2008-11-04T07:03:00.000-08:00

I just had to post this for a laugh about how Kailee's little mind works. Her teacher at school was telling me that they were doing an activity about problem solving the other day. Mrs. Bell asked if two people went across the river in a boat and got out of the boat and it floated away how could they possibly get back to the other side. Mrs. Bell was trying to get them to say a certain answer and it just wasn't happening so she said "Well they can't walk on the water can they?" Well Kailee answered "Why not Jesus did!?" That girl never ceases to amaze me. I guess I don't give her enough credit how much she is really paying attention to the stories she has heard. Ya gotta love her!

Happy Halloween!!!!!!

2008-11-01T07:55:00.000-07:00

Here is our version of carving pumpkins. I didn't really want to deal with the mess and stuff that comes with carving pumpkins, so I bought plastic faces for the kids to decorate their pumpkins the way they wanted. It seems like in the past it is too hard for them to carve, so John and I end up doing it and it just isn't how they would have them. It was fun and very easy!

Another year of treats, haunts, and fun have come and gone. We took the kids to the trunk-or-treat at the church last night. It was fun, and I love the trunk-or-treat, because then I get out of having to take them door to door for candy. Kailee dressed up as The Cat in the Hat. She was so cute in her costume, and it was so easy to make.Shad was a Vampire, or Edward for all of you who have or are reading Twilight!

Laker was a Bat, and he was adorable. Thanks Aunt Ruthie for coming up with this costume!

After the trunk-or-treat we had Grandma Harris over for homemade chili and scones. Family tradition used to be pizza and homemade rootbeer, but since Shane, Kellie, Stacey, and Ruthie weren't here this year we decided to do something a little different. It was fun and I think the kids had fun. Hope everyone's Halloween was fun too.

Sanders Look-alike Meter

2008-10-26T15:00:00.001-07:00

I knew he looked more like John! I found this web-site, my heritage.com, and you can see which one of you your kids look like.

Sanders Look-alike Meter

2008-10-26T14:42:00.001-07:00

John Jr. for sure, and I am not talking just looks, he acts just like his Dad:)

Sanders Look-alike Meter

2008-10-26T14:18:00.000-07:00

I guess I can take some credit here, she looks like me more than the boys do.

Hives!!!!

2008-10-24T12:39:00.000-07:00

Since Kailee had her tumor removed we have dealt with hives on a daily basis. At first they would only be a nightime problem, but then they became an everyday problem. She is so miserable and itchy. We took her to several doctors and the only thing we can come up with as to why they are happening is because of nerves. I think the fear of surgery has her overly anxious. Hopefully as time goes on they will stop and she can try to be somewhat normal again.

The welts on her legs and arms were huge during this episode.

Birthday Party for Grandpa!

2008-10-21T12:30:00.002-07:00

It has become a tradition since my Dad passed away to celebrate his birthday by letting balloons go at the cemetary. The grankids think this is great and they love to let the balloons go to heaven for Grandpa to catch. His birthday was on October 18th and so we went to the cemetary and let the balloons go after singing Happy Birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY Dad, We love you!

Cave Falls

2008-10-20T06:54:00.000-07:00

We went to Cave Falls with our cousins from St.George to see the beautiful scenery. It was so pretty, especially since the trees are changing colors. I forgot how pretty this part of the country can be. The kids had fun throwing rocks in the water and they also thought the cave was pretty neat too. Thanks to the crew from Utah for a weekend of fun and lots of laughs :) Kailee, Taylor, and Maycee at Cave Falls.
Grandma Harris and Laker
Tetons and the beautiful colors of Fall

Kailee, Laker, and Shad at Cave Falls

Tagged!!!

2008-10-15T08:40:00.000-07:00

A) The rules are posted at the beginning.
B) Each person answers questions about their sweethearts.
C) At the end of the post, the person then tags people and posts their names; then goes to their blog and leaves them a comment, letting them know they have been tagged.
1.What is your husbands name? John Sanders
2.How long have you guys been married? 13 awesome years
3.How long did you date? 2 months and engaged for 5 months
4.How old is he? 35 going on 16. He says he'll never grow up.
5.Who is taller? John
6.Who can sing best? Really neither of us, but we both like to think we can :)
7.Who is smarter? We are pretty equal in this department.
8.Who does laundry? Unfortunately me.
9.Who pays the bills? He makes the money and I pay the bills. Thanks Sweetie;)
10.Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? I do.
11.Who mows the lawn? John
12.Who cooks dinner? I usually do, but if John gets a wild hair for some weird creation he will cook.
13.Who is the first to admit when they are wrong? John does, cuz he hates to fight. He says he is a lover not a fighter!
14.Who kissed who first? John did (he was reading my mind of course.)
15.Who wears the pants? We share:)
I tag Kellie to tell us about her wonderful husband!

BOO!!!!!!

2008-10-09T19:16:00.000-07:00

Last night we got Boo'd (I guess that is what you call it). Someone knocked on our door and when Shad answered it nobody was there, and left on the step was a note and a treat. The kids were in awe after reading the note that said something to the effect that it was a ghost that left the treat and that we have to pass on another treat to two people in twenty-four hours or we will be vexed by his ghostly powers. They were so excited to go and anonymously leave our treats that they talked about it all day today. Well, we did our booing tonight and they had a blast. Shad was so excited that we were so sneaky. He wanted to stop at every house we passed. I love the holidays and listening to the kids get excited over fun times like these. It is a memory I hope my kids will always remember. For all those that have been boo'd I hope you had as much fun as us, and if you haven't maybe you could start a new tradition of booing in your neighborhood. Happy Haunting!!!!!!

Shad's Big Catch!!

2008-10-04T08:40:00.000-07:00

This is the "Big One" that Shad caught at Henry's lake. It weighed 8 lbs and was about 25 inches long. He had a hard time holding it up for pictures.

Anyone that knows my husband knows that John lives to fish. He is out fishing any spare minute that he gets. He has instilled this love into our son Shad. He and Shad went to Henry's Lake fishing and Shad hooked and reeled this Lunker in all by himself. He is sure going to give his Dad a little bit of competition for wall space in our house. He was so excited about it that he could hardly tell me about his day. After they took a few pictures he was ready to take it to the taxidermist. We gave him the fish for his birthday and he proudly hung it where everyone can see it. I love that he and John can bond doing something that they both love to do. I know in a couple of years Laker will be adding his little hands to the mix of fun.

John's Woman

2008-09-29T15:32:00.000-07:00

I know all who are reading this are probably thinking this is going to be about me, but there is a new woman in John's life. Her name is "Maggie" and she is his pride and joy. I am talking about his motorcycle that currently has taken precedence over me and my kids:) I really don't mind, because I love to ride too. I, however do mind when he is more worried about his bike during a rain or wind storm than myself. How RUDE! I am just glad that he has something that he can rant and rave over, because he deserves it after all that the poor guy has been through. It has been a great bonding item for he and Kailee. She loves to go on rides with her Dad. Shad on the other hand won't even get near it, and we are still puzzled why. He acts so tough and mean, but not tough enough to ride on dad's bike. I am sure someday he will have one of his own and I will regret it.

Daddy Daughter Date!!

2008-09-28T16:28:00.001-07:00

John and Kailee had a Daddy Daughter date for Primary. Kailee was so cute, you would have thought that she won the lottery as excited as she was to go out with her Dad. They went to the church and ate pizza, then played a few games. They played the newlywed game (father-daughter style), had to guess each others bare feet from behind a curtain, girls had tie their dads ties, and dads had to paint their daughters fingernails. I think this is a great thing for dads and their daughters to do together. I remember doing it with my dad and those are some very treasured memories.

Kailee's Surgery

2008-09-26T13:49:00.000-07:00

This was the morning of surgery. She was is such good spirits. I would have been a mess, in fact I was a mess.
This is when she was brought out to the PICU after recovery. She was so drugged that she didn't know who John and I were, and we thought it might have been because of the surgery. Thank heavens it was just the meds.
This is the battle wound. It goes from the forehead in a C shape over to the right ear. Hardly had to shave any hair.

Kailee had to have a brain tumor removed from her right front ventricle this last spring. This tumor is part of the gentic disease that her and John have called, Tuberous Sclerosis. This disease causes tumors to grow in parts of the body like the brain, kidneys, heart, eyes, lungs, and skin. Currently she is affected in the brain, heart, eyes, and skin. The tumor removed was starting to block off the spinal fluid in the brain, so it became necessary to remove it. She still has seizures and that will probably be a life long problem, unless a miracle happens. She is going to have her face lasered this coming Spring, in hopes to fade the angiofibromas(facial tumors). Kailee has some short-term memory loss from the surgery and we are doing therapy to hopefully get some of it fixed. She doesn't remember eating, doing things throughout the day, etc. I feel like I am caring for a 10 year old Alzheimer's patient:) She is truly our little miracle and angel sent from God. We have had to endure a lot of pain and heartache over having a daughter with problems, but I know God would never give me more than I can handle. Even though I feel like it has already been more than I can handle, I seem to keep going and I know it is because I am not doing it alone.

Laker John Sanders

2008-09-22T09:38:00.000-07:00

Laker is the caboose of our family. He will be 2 in February, and has hit the "terrible two's" early. He is on Shad's heels all day long soaking up all that he can learn. He is a joy to be around. He has taught all of us the meaning of patience in this family, because I have to admit we have spoiled him. What's a mom to do when it's the last?

Shad Russell Sanders

2008-09-22T09:32:00.000-07:00

Shad is our second child. He is full of spit and vinegar, and always into something. He goes to preschool with 6 other GIRLS and loves that because he is such a "ladies man":). He is more than willing to teach Laker anything he can. He loves to ride his bike, fish, and anything that Dad does he is right behind. He truthfully earned the nickname "shadow" because he is always in his dads footsteps doing whatever John is. We would have a rather boring household if it weren't for Shad that is for sure.

Kailee Julia Sanders

2008-09-22T09:22:00.000-07:00

Kailee is almost 11 years old. She is the first and only girl in our family. She is such a delight and joy to be around. When she was born we noticed some spots on her skin and questioned the doctor about them. He said not to worry and so we didn't. Then at 3 months old she was being examined by another doctor and he was very concerned about the spots, so we were told to go to Primary Children's the next day. We found out that the spots are part of the disease that she and John have called Tuberous Sclerosis. It is a genetic disease that causes tumors to grow in the body. She has tumors in her brain, heart, kidneys, and on her face. She is a great big sister, and likes to be "the mom." She is such a sweetheart and a big help.