Happier Times

I just hate getting on and seeing that my last post was such a sad one! So I am putting up a quick jot to tell you all that I am finally feeling better! I hope to put up some happy Christmas pictures soon. At least the kids were happy!!!! To better times and happier posts!

Finally got Megs Dance to Upload

Pneumonia for Christmas.... leads to blogging at 4AM

Why am I blogging at 4AM? The day after Christmas?
Well, on December 22 I got home from work and Brent and I were busy trying to get things done. All I wanted to do was sit on the couch and sleep. That afternoon my legs started to ache. We went out to dinner that evening. As we were eating I started to feel worse. I hurt everywhere. I hurt from the tip of my hair to the ends of my toe nails. The next morning I got up and made myself go to work. I had my neighbor, friend, coworker Katie listen to my lungs because I was starting to feel tightness in my chest. She said I just didn't sound so good. I still hurt everywhere and was feeling very weak and tired. I decided that since it was December 23rd I would get it checked out early and used my local family (AKA) Cache Valley ER as a recourse. I had a chest X-ray and headed out to punish myself and work some more. The ER doc told me he thought I had Bronchitis and to take some antibiotics. Well, when I finally got home I felt horrible. I went right to my bed. Melissa called me a few hours later and told me the Radiologist had read my X-ray and I had left lower lobe Pneumonia. Since then I have only gotten worse. Thankfully my great coworkers covered my patients I was supposed to see on Christmas eve. I have had a continual fever with severe body aches (with Tylenol and Ibuprofen). I cough and it just hurts. It doesn't do any good... it just hurts. And, I am just tired. Christmas is a crappy time to be sick. I think I am a compassionate person. I don't think I actually needed to have pneumonia, to feel bad for those who I take care of who have it. Anyway, I am blogging in the middle of the night because I am anxious trying to sleep. I am anxious because my chest is tight, and rattles, and crackles every time I take a breath. Thus, making it very hard to sleep. So, here is my little pitty party post. Thanks in advance for feeling bad for me! :0) Thanks to Brent for pulling off Christmas with a poor excuse for Santa's helper wife. Thanks to my kids for helping to take care of me... Thanks to my family for being supportive and understanding. I love you all. Here is to feeling better soon!

Meet Lucy

This is our newest friend Lucy! When we got Tank the boys really wanted a LUCY. Not a girl... but a big dog. In specific... a hunting dog. I was worried about having a dog at all so I decided that if we were going to try to have a dog again it should be a small little non shedding thing that I could stand to have around. Well, Tank has worked out really really well. I actually quite like him think we would be sad without him. Well, thanks to uncle Drew and his new puppy!!!! We now have LUCY! Landon has begged and begged since we got Tank to have his own dog. Tank really did bond to Tanner right away and if you ask anyone in the house Tank is Tanners dog. When T comes home from school Tank runs to meet him as Tanner falls to the floor and lets Tank jump all over him. Or Tanner picks him and and cuddles him like a baby. Megan also really loves Tank and holds him like a baby as she bounces on one hip and tells him "It's alright". Meg loves Tank and Tank puts up with Meg. Well, one day I made the mistake of taking my three kids to meet Drew's new puppy. Her name is JUNO! :) (I would link you over but Rae has not posted about her... However she has put her on facebook) Anyway, while we were there meeting Juno and her 10 or so brothers and sisters... one of them was offered to Landon. As Landon begged with huge tears streaming down each cheek........ I thought..... and thought......and Brent and I talked and talked..... then we looked and looked for a breed that would be right, and not shed to much. When we finally came up with the breed a Viszla . We looked for anyone who actually had any. There were only two litters we could find. One litter was three hours north of us in Idaho Falls. The other six hours South in Orangeville. Yes, there is a place in Utah called Orangeville. Well, obviously we wanted to go to Idaho Falls but they wanted more money.... After emails and phone calls we ended up going to Idaho Falls on a weekend when Tanner was in St George with his soccer team and Landon and Meg were sleeping at Aunt Amie's. We picked her up and brought her home. We thought maybe we would leave her with Aunt Kristen for a week or two until Landon's birthday or maybe even Christmas. But, We decided maybe we would let she and Landon have a couple of days to bond before Tanner got home. So, the next morning when we picked Landon up we surprised him. We did get his reaction of video *but I can't get it to work* maybe someday? He was so very very happy. It really was fun to see his face. Lucy has been doing quite well with Kennel training, although not perfect! I think I need to show Landon his video every time he has to take care of that! She and Tank have become the very best of friends. I think Tank is happier now than he has ever been. When we first got Lucy she and Tank were about the same height and size although she outweighed him be far. She is bone and muscle. Tank is all fluff. She has now been in our family for three weeks and is Twice the size she was when we got her. She has very very long legs. She is well mannered for a puppy. We have enjoyed having her. All three boys have watched training video's on how to help her to hunt. They say I have to watch it too so I don't ruin her. They are already teaching her commands and shooting a cap gun around her so she will not be gun shy. So far... So good. I hope that she does all that they want her to do come the next bird hunt! :) So that's LUCY! Yes, I know you all think I must have lost my mind..... Me..... having two dogs??? Well, I have come to love them. I always thought people must just be plain crazy to ever love a dog. I still don't like to cuddle with them or have them lick me... but I do love to watch them with my kids and she how much they love them. They are a part of the family. That's a good place to be!

More pictures of the Baptism

These are the pictures taken after the baptism at the luncheon. I also wanted to comment on the the talk that day and the cake that was made. Amie gave a wonderful talk during the baptism. She talked to the boys about the holy ghost. She made each boy a present and told them how there was nothing in it... it was a box to remind them of the gift that they received that day. The Holy Ghost. I felt the spirit very strongly when she talked that day. I wanted to say thank you Amie. Thank you for doing this for us and the boys. And thank you for helping me to feel the spirit! You did a great job. I am so proud of you and the women that you are. You are a wonderful example to me!
And the cake.... My aunt Michelle has developed this wonderful talent. She is making wedding cakes. She made this beautiful cake for the four kids that were baptized that day. I think she does a wonderful job. Thanks Michelle for making this cake and sharing your talents with us. I am so glad you and your family were able to join us this day!

Megan's First Dance Recital

Megan started dancing in September this year. She has loved every minute of it. She is always excited to dress up and go. She has been dancing around the house her whole life. Now she does some moves that look at little more like dancing moves. She had her first recital on December 6th. She did such a great job. She knew all the steps. I loved watching her. It was such a fun change from the soccer and football games. Great job Meg! I love you!
I took a few pictures of her at home and then caught a couple on stage!

Landon turn eight last December. At that time he said that he wanted to get baptized. Brent and I were unsure if Landon really knew what the meant. Over the last year Landon and the family have had the missionaries come to our home and give the discussions. In November Melissa and Carson approached Landon to see if he would like to baptized the same day as Carson. Landon did a lot of thinking and preying and decided that he would like to be baptized. On December 6th, 2009 Landon, Carson and Brayden were all baptized in Melissa's ward in Logan. Landon was baptized by his dad, and confirmed by his great grandpa Glen Israelsen. After the baptism we went to Grandma Izzy's club house and had a nice lunch. At the luncheon we had Kimmie Israelsen my cousin join us. She has also been baptized that day. We had a wonderful time. It was a wonderful day. I am so proud of you Landon for the choice that you made to be baptized. You are such a wonderful thoughtful little boy. I am so glad that you are in our family! I hope that you will continue to make great choices in your life and remember this day that you were baptized and the way you felt this day!!

These pictures are for Landon!!!

And, These pictures are for me! Actually I love them all!! The pictures above
just fit his personality so well!! As we were taking pictures he would
just bust out with a crazy face or move! I love you Landon!

Good boys ready for Christmas

This year the kids did all the decorating for Christmas. Brent and I have been busy working and preparing for Christmas. One Sunday Tanner and Landon decided they were ready. Tanner and Landon hauled our huge tree up from the basement by themselves. They fluffed the tree and put on all the decorations. Tanner even put up the decorations above the fire place and on top of my cabinets. The only help they really got was putting up the decorations on the self above my stairs. We needed Brent for that! I was so proud of them. They did a great job!!!

Halloween! Really....

Yes, I am posting Halloween in December. I am that pathetic!
So, this year for Halloween we had a party at my house. We also called it a slash Birthday party for Carson. We had hot soup, home made root beer and a fun pumpkin face cake that I made... (I was so proud of myself) The face was made out of M&M's. Then we went out trick or treating. We came back to the house and played some more. It was a great night. This year Megan was a crazy looking princess (I guess). We were not prepared for her costume this year, we ended up just using some things out of the closet. Tanner, Landon and Tank were all clowns. Tank looked so darn cute in his costume but he was not pleased with it.
We had a great time with family like we always do!!!

Tanner! You make me so proud! l0l! :)

Landon's serious face!

The non stop princess!

The whole gang! (At least those who dressed up!)

Our cute Tank!!!! We love you!

Poor Adam... for the last several years he had had a problem
getting so excited that he trips, and or drops his candy. It happened so much we all just
had to laugh and catch a picture!

Our little girls. Anna and Lena!

Megan and Anna

What a face!

Chow time for all!

Drew used his magic wand to make the root beer brew!!

My Pumpkin cake!



Each person got to decorate their own cup cake

Happy Brent cooking soup!

Our Biker Grandma! (Grandma, your always a biker Grandma, Oh! I guess the wig counts)

Painting faces!

Hunting

For those of you who don't know. To my dislike my husband shot a deer this year. I don't mind them going off and hunting. In fact I love that they all love to go together and enjoy being together. I just wish they could do that without bringing home a dead animal that I don't want to eat.
They shot this deer up on the east side of Bear Lake. They really had a great time this year due to the fact that they had the camper. They spent the whole weekend. I guess I cannot complain to loudly. This is the first year that Brent has not shot a deer since we started dating. I jinxed him. He says it is because he has been trophy hunting. This is not trophy deer. This year he decided he would shoot this small deer just so the boys could experience gutting one. Tanner will be 12 this year and will be eligible to hunt big game next year. He has been hunting birds for several years now. They all love it. Tanner and Landon have both asked Santa for guns this year. Tanner a hunting rifle and Landon a 22. We will see??? So, We shipped the poor animal off to the meat man, and now have plenty of deer jerky I wont eat... Want some!
BTW this is the only picture that turned out from their hunt. SAD!

Cookies.... and fun

I decided to really make it an effort to update our family blog. The first pictures I came upon were these. Meg, Brent and I made sugar cookies on day. Just out of the Blue. Brent made the dough, and Meg and I rolled and cut out cookies. Megan made a Meg cookie with the last bit of the dough. This is Meg eating Meg! :)