Today is my 30th birthday. Although I am not technically considered old, today has really reminded me how fast time goes and how much I should cherish the time my family is here with me. So my goal for the next year is to slow down, and to really enjoy my husband & children, so I don't miss out!!!! Sometimes it is too easy to let life get in the way. I don't want that regret 25 years down the road.
I also wanted to say Happy Birthday to my little birthday buddy.
Happy Birthday Logan, you are the best birthday gift I ever received!!!! I love you. (MOM)

Reflections 2009
I was informed tonight that this photo, taken by my 5 year old Landon took 1rst place for the photography division at his elementary school.
I took Landon out earlier this week to take pictures. The theme was Beauty is....... We had taken several pictures and were taking a close up of some berries. Landon took the picture and when I looked at it, this is what was on the screen.
Later we looked at all of the pictures on the computer and he told me that this was the on he wanted.
I went to Walmart and had it printed.
I asked Landon what he wanted to name his picture and he told me: Beauty is Poky things.
How cute is that, that in the eyes of a 5 year old boy and his mom, beauty IS poky things.

We had a family home evening with my children and talked about being thankful for all we have been blessed with. I found a thankful tree online, cut it out and laminated it. I told my children that we are going to take turns each night thinking of something we are thankful for, then write it on the leaf and tape it to the tree. I have been really happy with how excited my children have been for their turn to come around. I guess I should write about the things that I am grateful for, so here is my top 20 list.
1. For a wonderful husband who loves me and takes care of our family.
2. To be blessed to have 4 awesome boys who teach me something new each day and help me to be a better person.
3. For Terry's job and the home that we live in.
4. For the food that fills our table.
5. For good parents who taught me what is right.
6. For my brothers and sister and the fun we have together.
7. For good friends, who are always there with a listening ear and comforting words.
8. For Grandparents who left wonderful memories and their example to follow.
9. For good in laws, who never made me their out law and helped us so much while Terry was in school.
10. For a vehicle that gets me where I need to go; has soft seats, air conditioning in the summer, and a heater in the winter.
11. To be blessed to have the gospel in my life, and all the happiness and comfort it brings.
12. For my Savior Jesus Christ and his ultimate sacrifice for me.
13. For a loving Heavenly Father, who never gives up on me and loves me despite my imperfections.
14.For the chance to start new each day to try to improve myself.
15. For the beautiful world we live in that lets me enjoy Gods canvas nonstop.
16. To live in America where we are free from so many of the problems the rest of the world faces.
17. For technology like this that keeps me in touch with the family and friends I care about.
18. For every single person that has touched my life for good in some way or another.
19. For the trials that have made me a stronger person.
20. For the good and happy times in my life so far.
There is so much to be thankful for.
I hope all of you have a wonderful Thanksgiving and remember to give thanks for the things you are grateful for.

Halloween 2009

We had a really fun Halloween this year. We went to the Willard City trunk or treat. My kids ended up with a big bag of candy, but we missed out on the toothbrushes someone handed out later.
After they got candy, we went to the city building and ate hot dogs, chili, and scones. They had hot chocolate and wassail to drink.( YUMMY)
We decided after to take the kids trick or treating door to door, so they could see how Halloween was when we were young.

This is Darth Maul from Star Wars










They had a blast running from door to door, although it took them some time to get the hang of yelling trick or treat.
This is a picture of Casper the good ghost.

And this is a picture of Casper the scary ghost.

This is my Chunky Monkey
Dylan Ryan Dean
he is now about 24lbs













This is my cute niece Gracie Jill. She is Terry's sister Ashley's little girl.











My kids love Halloween and are already talking about what they could be next year.

I have been really bad about keeping my blog updated. (Maybe that is because we are pretty boring!!!!!!!!)
So here is an update boring or not.
Dylan is now 4 1/2 months old. Man, time goes too fast.
He has been such a fun baby. He weighs 21lbs ( little chunk) we like to call him Hoss. He has the cutest smile and a dimple on his left cheek. He is starting to laugh a lot and can roll over from his tummy to his back. My other boys really love him. (Sometimes too much, he gets mauled).
I have been pretty busy taking pictures. I have done pictures for Jeffs sisters weddings and a wedding video for one of them. I took pictures of my friend Ruthanns kids, and I did the photography for bodybuilding contests in April (9 months pregnant) and at the end of May (with a newborn baby.) I think I am ready for a break, as much as I love photography.
I would really like to make a quilt. Terry & his Mom gave me a Grace Company Quilting frame for my birthday last year and I have not had a chance to use it yet, so I hope that will be my next project.
I now have a calling in my new ward. I am a Relief Society teacher on the second Sunday of each month. I am grateful that it is only 1 time a month. I think it is the perfect calling for me right now with a baby.
Landon started Kindergarten on the 31st of August. He was really excited about going to school. I just can't believe that he is already five. On his first day of school, he was really strict about how many pictures I could take of him. When he got to his classroom I took one more picture, he looked at me pointed his finger and said " Mom, now that is the last one you can take!!!"
I was a little scared & sad, because it made me realize, that he won't be my little boy forever. He is going to grow up and be introduced to this wicked world without me there to protect him. I just hope that what I have done as a parent to teach him what is right, is enough.
Landon has also been playing Soccer this past month. I don't think that he loves sports that much, but he doesn't act like he completely hates it either, so I feel that it is a good thing to be involved in to keep him busy and to get some exercise.
Logan has adjusted to the new house, having a new brother and having Landon start Kindergarten way better than I thought he would.
I am doing preschool books with him every day and next year I will either do a neighborhood preschool with him, or I will enroll him in a local preschool. He has been curious about words lately and there definitions. He is my Mr. Fix It. He likes hands on learning a lot.
Over Labor Day weekend, we went camping with 6 different couples and their kids. They are all of our closest friends and we had a great time.
We went up Logan Canyon and we stayed for 3 nights. It was nice to get away from everyday life and relax a little. The guys had fun swimming in the river, and the girls had fun talking & playing games while the guys took most of the kids fishing.
(You can wake up now because my update is now over)

We went to Lagoon the last weekend of June and had a great time. This is our newest family picture. My kids loved all of the rides and really understood what Lagoon is all about this year. It was good time together as a family.

It has been a while since I last updated my blog.
Life has been pretty busy for us. We moved into our new home on the 8th of May. I have really loved having our own home. Heavenly Father really blessed me with such a beautiful home that is exactly what I prayed for and what my family needed.
Dylan is growing very fast already. He is 6 weeks old today and already weighs 14 lbs. I guess he takes after his dad who was 26 lbs by the time he was 6 months old. He is also very tall- the Dr. said he is in the 95 percentile for both height and weight.
He is a very good baby and is content most of the time unless he is hungry or needs to be changed.
Landon and Logan really love him. Logan loves to kiss him (almost too much sometimes), but Dylan is really lucky to have brothers who love him so much.
Terry really likes his job with the Garland Police Department, and already has developed fans who egged our house and his car.
That pretty much sums up what is new for us

This is Dylan Ryan Dean our newest addition to our family. He has been a really good baby so far and we are really enjoying him. My boys love to kiss him and hold him. They are both really good big brothers.

We had our baby on May 14, 2009 at 12:41 am. He was 8#13 oz and 21.5" long.
I was surprised at his size since my biggest before him was 7# 13 oz.
He and I are both doing really well.
We named him Dylan Ryan Dean he has lots of light brown hair and has been a wonderful baby so far.
I will post pictures really soon.

I saw my Doctor today and everything looked good. He said I was dialated to a 4 and 80% effaced. He said that on Thursday he will not let the hospital bump me, that they will work me in no matter what. Hopefully he is right.
My kids and Terry are still sick, which really is not very fun this close to having a baby.

So I was supposed to be induced tomorrow, but when the hospital called me to tell me the time, they told me that they were too full for tomorrow and it would have to be Thursday morning instead. I am supposed to call 1 hour before I go in to make sure they have room for me. I just started to cry, because it makes me really nervous to be this close to my due date after what happened with Preston. I called my Doctors office and they scheduled me to see my Doctor first thing in the morning to ease my mind that things will still be ok.
We moved into our new home on Saturday and I am really loving it. We are starting to get everything put away and I already feel a lot more organized.
Logan has struggled a little with the fact that this is our new home. He keeps telling us that he wants to go home and we have to tell him that he is home. I think today though he has done a lot better, he is starting to understand and feel comfortable there.
My neighbors seem great, several of them came right over to help us move in, even a few of their kids came to help- and I really appreciated it.

Things seem to be looking up, and like always- for the better. Why is learning that God has a time line such a difficult thing to learn? We finally went and closed on our home yesterday and my Doctor said that I was still dialated to a 3 1/2. He said that the hospital had so many deliveries this weekend, that the only way to get a bed was to go into labor on my own. If I do not go on my own this weekend, he will call me Monday with a time to be induced on Tuesday. My kids seem to be doing better from the sickness they have had, and will be normal again before our new baby comes.
So, like I said before, things seem to be working out for the better. I will be moved into my new house this weekend, my kids will be well enough to come see their new brother in the Hospital, Terry's mom had her surgeries and is home doing well, and I will have the baby here no later than Tuesday. :)

So once again, we were supposed to close on our house today and it did not happen, but the good news is that the papers are all ready to close in the afternoon tomorrow. I am so sick of this whole buying a house thing, so it better happen tomorrow!!!!
Today has kind of been a lousy day for me, apart from the house drama, Terry's mom was admitted to the hospital on Monday because she was having really bad back/chest pain and some nausea. They did some tests and found that she has 4 gallstones in her gallbladder and 1 in her Pancreas. They have started her on IV antibiotics to clear the infection in her pancreas before they can go in and retrieve that one. Once they get the Pancreas under control then they have to take out her gallbladder. She has been very miserable with pain and they won't let her eat or drink until after her surgery on the gallbladder which will be who knows when?
To top off such a great day, I was on my way into Walmart to buy Mothers day gifts in case my Doctor decided to induce me, when Logan got sick and threw up all over my car that I just cleaned the upholstery and carpets in so they would look nice when I went to the hospital.
( CRAZY DAY).
Any way on a happier note just in case any of you did not know, Tenneal and Jeff had their baby on April 30th at 1:00 am
She weighed 7lbs 6 oz and had lot's of black hair. They named her Marissa. She is really a Q.T.

We are pretty excited that our loan was finally approved and by Wednesday we can close on our house.
At my Doctor's appointment this last week, I was told that I am dialated to a 3 and 75% effaced. I am due on the 19th, but my Dr. thought that the baby was already 7lb 13oz. He thought that maybe he had grown a little faster to come a little early. That appointment was on Wednesday of last week and I am still waiting for that early baby. I have been having contractions but they don't stay consistent.
My Dr. told me that if he does not come on his own by my next appointment, that I could choose a day to be induced.
So I guess that means we will close on our house, have a baby, and move next week.( Sounds Crazy)

On April 10th we went to Baby Animal Days at the American West Heritage Center in Hyrum.
They had all kinds of baby animals there that the kids could hold.
It was fun to see this softer side of Landon, that he really does love animals.

They had baby bunnies, chicks, goats, horses, calfs, turtles, snakes and many other animals.
If you have never been to this with your kids I would recommend going, we go every year and my kids really look forward to it.
They also give pony rides, the Easter Bunny is there and they do a candy canon.

I am a little frustrated with the people who are doing our loan.
They keep sending it back from underwriting asking for more things, and then it takes at least one week to hear anything back from them again.
Our loan officer decided that he would try a different company than Wells Fargo because it is really getting to be a joke.
We hope that it won't take longer than 2 weeks to process the loan through this new company.
I wanted to be in our new house by the time we have the baby, but I don't know if that is going to happen.
I went and bought all the things I need for the baby, because I don't want to be unprepared when he comes.

We had to extend our contract on our home, because we are still waiting on the loan.
They say they have been really backed up because of the FHA refinances.
I guess that is somewhat of a blessing because it snowed most of last week and Terry's back has been bothering him.
I hope that it all goes through this week, because I only have about 2-2 1/2 weeks before our baby gets here. I really want to be in the house and settled in a little before he comes.
We are still trying to come up with a name for our little guy, boy names have become difficult for us.(Mostly Terry) I have several that I like, but he does not. I like Tanner, Skyler, and Porter. I wish he'd quit being so difficult.

We have about 1-1 1/2 weeks until we close on our new house. I am really excited about it.
I really appreciate what Terry's parents have done for us the 3 1/2 years we have been living here with them. They have been saints to put up with us. I know without them I would not have been able to stay home with my sweet boys, and I owe them a lot for allowing us to be here so I could stay with them. Thank you Jerry and Blair.
I am really happy that Terry will be so close to his job and that we will have a fenced yard that my kids and (finally) my dogs can run and play in. I have been very blessed.
It is probably kind of crazy to move 2-3 weeks before our baby comes, but that seems to be the pattern for us. I moved from Roy when I was 7 months pregnant with Preston and we moved from Brigham when I was 6 months pregnant with Logan. Things always seem to happen all at once for us. I guess that is ok though, because I don't like change that much and it is better to have it happen all at once so I only have to adjust one time.
I hope my boys do well with the move, they have become pretty accustomed to having their grandparents around. I think that is all Landon remembers and I know that is all Logan knows.
They love them very much and it will be an adjustment to not wake up every day to them.
Logans whole life is going to be turned upside down with the move, a new brother and then Landon starting kindergarten in the fall. I guess we will just have to take things one day at a time, and make a special time to do the things he wants to do.
Landon is very excited to start kindergarten. I took him to kindergarten round up and he aced everything except when the lady asked him where she would start reading if she was going to read the book to him. ( She had the book upside down and Landon was a little confused as to what she wanted him to tell her.) He just pointed to a section. Later in the car I told him what a good job he did, but that we needed to work on where to start reading a book. He said yeah mom, that lady had the book upside down. I just laughed and told him that next time he needed to tell the lady that.

Sledding.

We decided to go sledding in Willard as a family.
I really like this picture of Terry and the boys. It was their first time down the hill and the tube was going nowhere, I think it is a fun picture.

Landon just wanted to eat the snow

Logan got a face full of snow, which he didn't like very much

But he still had a great time.

Logan ended up with some pretty funky hat hair, but it was a really fun day. I enjoyed taking all of the pictures.

We have been looking for a new home within 5 miles from the Garland City limits. We found 1 home that we really liked and decided to make an offer on it, they came back with a counter offer and the realtor did not feel they were willing to budge on the price much. We decided to counter offer one more time. The day we were supposed to hear back we were told that they were showing the home that day, so I assumed we probably would not get the house. That night around 8:00 pm the realtor called us and told us that the couple had accepted our offer.
I feel so blessed, the home is just what our family needs. It was built in 1995 and has 5 bedrooms 2 bathrooms. I wanted a room I could invite people into without the rest of my home being exposed, which it has, it also has a nice living room and a fenced yard for my kids and dogs. I could not have asked for a better place for the price for us. We will also be in the house before our new baby is born.
We are going to be closing the 15th of April and will move that weekend. I am really excited and really thankful to my Heavenly Father for the blessings he has given me.

Terry started his new job with Garland Police Department, and so far has really enjoyed it.
His treaining was supposed to go until the end of April, but they have shortened it to march 31rst.
We are excited for all the change because it is good change.
We hope to find a home in Garland or Tremonton and move by the end of March.
I am glad that I will have a month before our baby comes to settle into our new place.

CHANGE!!!! is the word for our family for the next few months.
We are excited that Terry will be starting his new job with Garland City Police Department on the 20th of January.
We are also expecting an addition to our family in May. I am due on the 19th of May and we are having another boy. My boys are really excited. Terry asked Landon if he like the idea of having another brother and he said " Yah, what are we waiting for."
We are also preparing to move out to Garland since we are supposed to live withing 5 miles of the city.
So- lot's of change coming.