BARNHISEL

Jadon's 8th Birthday

2010-07-14T18:18:00.000-07:00

Jadon turned 8 this year and boy has it been a big year for him! He turned 8, got into scouts, starts 3rd grade and is having his first football year! Here is some pictures of his 8th birthday party! We had it at our house and had my family join us this year! Jadon got a ton of, no suprise, LEGO STAR WARS stuff!

Thanksgiving Point with Grandpa

2010-07-04T18:08:00.000-07:00

We called up Grandpa Curtis and asked if he would join us for a trip to the Dino Museum! We had lots of fun! Grandpa had never been there before and enjoyed seeing the Big ULTRASAURUS as well as the TYRANOSAURUS REX! Grandpa laughed with the boys and showed them all the dinosaurs!

Tyler's birthday big Number 6

2010-06-15T17:59:00.000-07:00

Tyler's birthday this year got celebrated at Melissa's house! Randy and Melissa threw a fun barbecue and bought Tyler an amazing STAR WARS LEGO SET! Tyler couldn't have been more happy! He also got lots of other fun LEGO sets and immediately gave them to Jadon to put together! Within one day they were lots of separate pieces again! But that's ok he loves to play with them and design lots of different things! I also took Tyler up to Farm country to spend some time with our Herriman friends, the Richard family. I bought pizza and drinks and we had a fun picnic enjoying Tyler's day with his friends!

A month with the DOC and family

2010-06-15T17:47:00.000-07:00

We got the fun opportunity to spend some time over at aunt Melissa's home! It was really great to get to know her and Randy and the kiddos! I admit that before that month I didn't know the kids that well and I sure got to have a blast getting to know them! I have never seen such an amazing shirt collection as Sean has and Cate has the cutest bum I have ever seen! And I got to see a lot of bumm!!! It was really fun hanging out with them! I especially liked being able to talk to Melissa and getting to know her better! We had lots of barbecue's and a fun trip up the canyon and zoo time and fun in the sun! We also enjoyed lots of time in the delux hot tub! Which my kids called the "warm swimming pool!" Here are some pics of fun in the sun! I wouldn't mind bunking at Melissa's house for a week or so each summer...Think she'll take us? HAHA!

Koen and a way to stay warm

2010-06-10T17:38:00.000-07:00

Oh it is really cold out here! But look at this soft sand! It's soft and it goes deep down! WOW!

Oh look at this...Its kind of warm! This is warming my hands up hmmmmm.....

Mommmm...look at this. I can lay down and get warm! My whole body!

Ohhhh! This feels so good! I am so warm now! I think I may stay here a while!

Ahh! What the heck! I might as well give myself a snack too! HMMM..SALTY!!!

Koen cracked me up! It doesn't look like much from the pictures but he layed in the sand for over 20 minutes without moving! It was pretty cold that day with high winds. The other boys were out in the water and we were just watching them. Koen was so cute. He started eating the sand and crunching it between his teeth! He got pretty upset when it was time to go because he was really warm laying in the sand!

Fun on the Coast of Oregon

2010-06-08T17:09:00.000-07:00

Tyler getting a bit too close to the girls!!! He always has had a way with women!!!!!

Woot woo Jadon! Never seen you so dressed up!!!!

Digging for sea stars!

On our way down to the ocean with a bit of hiking!

Koen touching his first sea urchin!

LETS GET WILD!!!

What's in there mommy? Is that a seal?

YIKES A SHARK

While down in Oregon we took a three day trip down to the coast with the boys! These are some of the places we hung out at! The Aquarium, the beach, the lighthouse and some shops around the corner! The water was freezing at the beach but we were lucky to get a beautiful three days out of the coast! The boys, being fearless, jumped right on in the water and loved it! Koen and I stayed back a bit and played in the sand! I am not quite as daring as I used to be! For some reason....the cold doesn't sit well with me HA HA!!! We stayed in this cute home right down the way from the beach. About a 2 minute walk..and thats with kiddos! The sunsets were amazing, the flowers, the sea life and just laughing with my family. I am so greatful that I have a hubby that is happy and willing to take us everywhere! I own everything to him! I love you sweetie!! Here are some of the pictures we took of us and the beautiful things we were able to see and discover!

Fun in Oregon

2010-06-07T16:47:00.000-07:00

We went to Oregon for our family vacation this year! We had so much fun! Grandpa came with us on long drives up the falls and on two LONG trips to the Air and Space museum. What I mean is WELL.....Grandpa and Dad got lost the first time and we had to go back home. So we went the next day! We had a blast this year up there! The first morning we got up and went on a walk and saw the most beautiful flowers I have ever seen! We then went to the Falls and to the museum! We had good eats and laughed a lot! Grandpa was doing really well when we were there and laughed more than ever!!! Grandma was lots of fun too! We had really fun dinners and played on the raft that grandma made and had the best vacation ever! It was really good to see Grandma and Grandpa and we hope to make it up there again next year!

Thanksgiving Point Garden

2010-05-01T16:27:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wanted to visit the Garden's at Thanksgiving Point? Well I have for years and finally decided to go! We went with our friends the Richards and had a blast! Aren't my kiddos adorable! Love is in the air when it comes to Jadon and his girl Nyah! They are such a cute couple! My boys had a really good time hanging out here with all these beautiful flowers! I think I must have done something right having such a pain in the butt garden that my boys actually love to look at flowers! Check out these amazing shots!

Broken now renewed

2010-04-17T14:38:00.000-07:00

These are pictures of Jadon and Tyler that have been in my family room for over 3 years. Somehow the pictures got water damage on them and were stuck to the frame an glass. The only way to save them without ripping them were to take pictures with my own camera which didn't work out to well and make new ones! I got these at JC Penny years ago and loved the innocence of my two boys! This last one is of Jadon actually holding Tyler because Tyler was scared and crying. It was NOT planned but was the most touching picture I have ever gotten of the boys! Jadon 4, Tyler 2 Summer of 2006

Going to the Aquarium

2010-04-14T14:59:00.000-07:00

The Aquarium came out with some new exhibits! Penguins I hear!! So...lets pack the kiddos in the car and head on over. Nothing is cooler than a new exhibit!!! Jadon now has a new fascination with sting ray's and wants to know everything about them! Tyler got a kick out of the new jungle area with the penguins and anaconda's and HUGE fish! I really enjoyed the sea turtles and the jelly fish! Koen liked running around and pointing the the fish and saying "ish" ! We decided to get a pass because there is so much to learn and have fun looking at! They also came out with a new seahorse exhibit which I thought was really neat! They have big seahorses down to tiny ones. The boys also got a kick out of the shrimp. They kept saying..shrimp clean the tanks!!! I think they got that from Finding Nemo!!! What a blast we had!!!

DRAGONS, DRAGONS, DRAGONS

2010-04-04T14:51:00.000-07:00

HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON......OR BOYS FOR THAT MATTER?

Still figuring that one out..I have a feeling its a lifetime journey!! For Easter the boys got dragon jammies and a few coloring books! The candy was joyfully ignored except a big chocoate bunny which Tyler couldn't pass up. I don't know why the Easter Bunny or Santa even bother with the candy sometimes! My boys just don't care about it which to me is GREAT except its there and I like it!!! URGH!!! The boys dressed up in their dragon jammies and had a blast running around the house pretending and then packing up for a trip to Grandma Curtis' house! What a fun holiday Easter is. I am hoping that maybe next year we will be able to talk more about the real meaning of Easter as well as Christmas! One day they will get it! RIGHT??? Having boys...is really fun! Dragons, dinosaurs, cars, tractors, airplanes...whatever it is they think its AWESOME!!!!!

Happy Easter Boys!!

XOXOXO

mom!

Easter at Melissa's house

2010-04-03T14:48:00.000-07:00

Easter was really fun at Melissa's house!! She had a fun bounce house, toys galore and LOTS of yummy food and eggs! What more could a kid ask for??? Or me??? Sounds like my type of place!!!

Koen's 1/2 birthday!

2010-03-01T14:22:00.000-08:00

A very very 1/2 birthday to you!! Koen was born on leap day so we celebrated his 2 year bday with style!! He enjoyed having ALL of his family join us for his celebration! He gobbled up all his racecar chocolate cake and didn't spare a piece for later!! He got a Brand NEW Motorcycle to add to his buggy he got for Christmas! Koen had a fabulous day!!

Three men in a tub..one of them said....

2010-02-25T14:01:00.000-08:00

SCOOT OVER!!! Three little boys swimming in the tub...three little boys laughing out loud...three little boys making a waterterriffic mess!! But most important three little boys....HAVING A BLAST! I LOVE MY THREE LITTLE BOYS!! WISH I WAS IN THERE TOO!

Trip to a museum with the Richards

2010-02-24T14:31:00.000-08:00

The Richards...hopefully lifelong friends! Kelsey and her 4 kiddos invited us to go to a museum down in South Jordan. This was a pretty fun trip considering how cold it was outside! The kids got to see a really old cabin and learned all about it from our guide! They enjoyed playing and learning about our bodies, the trains, mines, and playing pretend in the play area! This was such a fun trip for us since it is not often we get to go with another family somewhere fun! Hopefully this is one of many trips for our future!!!

LAS VEGAS BABY!!!

2010-02-12T13:27:00.000-08:00

Treasure Island

The Famous Golden Nuggett

Swimming with the Sharks!!!

My Harley is cooler than your Harley...No way DUDE...my Harley is cooler!!!

M & M Store

May the Force be with you....

Yeah, we went to Las Vegas...but it is NOT what you think!!! Every year in February we go down to ST. George and have a mini vacation to get out of the icky weather here in Salt Lake. This year we decided to try Vegas for something a little different!! Not quite what I imagined! BUT still a blast! We drove down ready for a six hour drive which turned out to be just a bit longer! The boys did absolutely amazing!! I WAS IMPRESSED! Even Koen did fairly well on the long drive! We stopped a couple of times and played at McDonalds and then in St. George where we played in the park for an hour or two. We then got to our destination...The Golden Nuggett! Darren got a great deal on this room and the pool had SHARKS in it! Yes, SHARKS! They were enclosed in a tank in the middle of the pool. Other than the weather NOT cooperating with us the pool was really fun! There were all sorts of sharks and rays and HUGE fish! The best part was that there were scuba divers in the tank cleaning it! Wow, the kids got a kick out of that! We then went to the M&M store and Treasure Island and the kids LOVED that too! After two days in Vegas we were ....burned out...(grossed out) and we decided to spend the last day in St. George but on the way there it started to storm badly and we kept going all the way home!! All in all, it was a fun trip but I think next year it will be back to Sunny St. George and Snow Canyon with the trucks and lizards!!!

Four wheeling with daddy

2010-01-15T13:21:00.000-08:00

January has become the best time to go fourwheeling!! YES you heard that right...four wheeling!!! Darren bought an ATV this year and the boys were beyond words!! Then Darren did something incredible....he bought a shovel to put on his ATV! What boy/man doesn't LOVE that? Darren took the boys sledding with his ATV! We usually snake one of the ATV's from the family cabin and bring it down during the winter but this year we were able to use our own and the boys LOVED it!! Even little Koen did!! He is hooked just like his brothers!! Check out these fun moments the boys had Sledwheeling!!!!

Christmas Morning

2009-12-25T13:09:00.000-08:00

Koen woke up and ran to daddy! Darren brought him down and Koen's face was priceless. He found his new buggy! Wow! Was he excited! We couldn't get him out for at least an hour and then after breakfast he was right back in his buggy! Koen loves cars and couldn't believe that Santa had brought him his very own car!!!

Christmas was so much fun this year! The boys got up really early and gathered in our room. Jadon and Tyler get so excited to do our Choo choo train and head down the stairs! Koen was still asleep and so we thought about just letting him sleep while we ran down and saw what Santa brought the boys this year! To my utter suprise there were many, many toys down there! The tree was packed with packages and lights and stockings!!! Jadon and Tyler found their new games for the Wii and trucks and airplanes as well as lots of toy camping gear!

YUMMY! i luv markers

2009-12-01T12:20:00.000-08:00

YUMMY! i luv markers! They are so yummy, they come in all sorts of colors and they......... Turn my mouth all different shades of colors. Like this one! It turned my mouth BLUE! HEY??

Where did they go? Where are my markers? MOM...did you take them away again?

YEAH! That's me..I am really cute huh! I love to crawl on the table because that's where my brothers leave the markers! I bet I could find more...

OH BABY! ROCK ON!!!

Who's in the driver seat now???

2009-11-01T12:09:00.000-08:00

Watch out everyone!! We have a one year old driver at the wheel!!

Spooky but not feeling well kiddos!

2009-10-31T13:53:00.000-07:00

This year Halloween had its ups and downs! The kiddos were absolutely adorable in their costumes but their tummy's weren't doing the best! But on the good side we had a really fun halloween party this year at our home and the kids got to have lots of fun! We were also able to go Trick or Treating with friends Zach and Parker Freeman! Here is Jadon, Tyler and Koen!

Jadon is a bat! Tyler is Wolverine and Koen is A cuddly lion! Don't ask me what or who Darren is supposed to be...and I am a cute vampire chic from Twilight!!!

Scarecrow festival at Thanksgiving Point

2009-10-15T11:26:00.000-07:00

Fall is our favorite time of year! I think our family does more activities this time of year than at any other! And that's saying a lot!! My family loves to be outside doing everything possible, to laugh, play, and be together as a family!

Watching my boys grow with lots of laughter and enjoyment of being outside fills my heart with amazing joy! I am so Thankful that my children and husband love to spend most of their time outside playing and enjoying what our Father in Heaven gave us. I want to thank both my parents and Darren's parents for giving both of us the passion for being outside and for enjoying our childhood up in the mountains and outdoor recreation. I hope to raise my children in this same fashion so when they grow up they also will raise their children with a never ending love of the outdoors!

Our family went to the scarecrow festival this year. We got tickets through the boys school! It cost us ten bucks for all of us to get in and ALL the rides and activities were FREE! Yes you heard right....FREE! We are so going back again next year! This was the cheapest and FUNNEST event we have ever done!! Jadon and Tyler did the rock wall , the tower of doom, train rides and tonz of big bouncy slides! Here are just a few of the fun things we did! Koen even had a great time running around and grabbing pumpkins and anything else he could get his hands on!!!

Jadon's first chapter book ALL BY HIMSELF

2009-10-08T11:21:00.000-07:00

Jadon read his first chapter book this week! I am really proud of him! He also was able to get off of his IEP that he has had since he was four. Jadon wasn't supposed to be re-evaluated till he was 8 but since he was doing so well they did it a whoppin 8 months prior!

He is doing so well in school! He gets 100% on ALL of his spelling tests and math tests! He is now reading at a 3rd grade level. I am super proud of him!! I love you Jadon!!!

Jadon's first soccer team!

2009-09-28T11:18:00.000-07:00

This was Jadon's first soccer team ever!! Jadon is amazingly coordinated and by his second game for the season he had already scored his first goal! It didn't take long for him to score more goals this season! Jadon can go far in Soccer!! He is really interested in Basketball so we signed him up this December!

Tyler's first outdoor soccer team

2009-09-28T11:11:00.000-07:00

This is Tyler's first outdoor soccer team! He did really well this year! I was very proud of him! Last year when he played he just ran after the other players this year he kicked the ball a few times! Way to go Tyler! I think I am going to sign him up for Wrestling and see if he "Tackles" a bit better in that sport!!!

Sundance with the family

2009-09-20T10:59:00.000-07:00

What a beautiful time of year! As with our tradition, we go and pick leaves to decorate our house. This year we decided to go to Sundance since it had been several years since we had been there. It was absolutely amazing. More colors than I thought existed! I love our family of five! Jadon and Tyler were more excited to pick the leaves this year and got really into it. Koen prefers more than anything to be out of doors (like the rest of us) and enjoyed climbing rocks and everything else in sight! Not sure where we will go next year but hopefully it will be as beautiful as it was here.

four wheeling at the cabin

2009-09-07T12:41:00.000-07:00

Here is us wheelin' at the cabin! We found this fun little trail that led to a beautiful grove of trees and clearcut! There was also a little bridge somebody made that let us across the river! My boys would rather be out in the wilderness than anywhere else! Nothing is funner than running through trees, hitting sticks, and throwing rocks in a river...nothing except four wheeling to the place! My boys are such outdoorsmen! Wouldn't have it any other way!!

RIBS ANYONE?

2009-09-06T12:36:00.000-07:00

Darren can't walk past a place selling ribs and NOT get some! So of course, at the rendevoux he got a rack of ribs! I asked him if he would share some with Koen...he gave some to Koen and this is what we get!!!! Isn't he adorable? This is my baby following in his daddy's footsteps!

Fun being a mountain man! Indian????

2009-09-05T12:25:00.000-07:00

We went to the rendevoux (is that how you spell it?) in Wyoming this year! The boys sure enjoyed seeing all the animal skins and guns and the older boys sure enjoyed the aromas of cooking BEEF and PORK!!! This is Jadon, Tyler, Brandon and Eric being warrior's! I thought it would be fun to let the boys get their face painted by a mountain man! $2.00 is always worth the joy of imagination!!!

Lost tooth...oops I swallowed it! EWWW!!

2009-09-01T16:05:00.001-07:00

Jadon lost his first tooth this morning! He was eating his yogurt when I said "Jadon, you lost your tooth"!! He said NO WAY!! Jadon was so excited. He has had a loose tooth for about a week now and sure enough during the night he somehow swallowed it. Of course, Jadon doesn't worry, he said "the tooth fairy will come anyways right!!!" I said "what do you think the tooth fairy will bring you" He said "Oh this tooth is worth at least...hmmm FIVE DOLLARS" I thought...good luck with that!!! First one down....at five dollars a piece (not really) this is gonna be expensive!!!

Fishing with Gramma!!!

2009-08-31T16:30:00.000-07:00

Darren took the boys for an overnight campout, which turned out to be two nights!! Gramma Chris wanted to go with them. Gramma caught "the biggest fish ever" Woot wooo!!! Go gramma...go gramma!!! What a hottie!!! Jadon and Tyler had so much fun riding in the boat and they couldn't say enough about Gramma's really cool trailer. Guess we are gonna have to get a tent trailer, cuz my boys thought it was the COOLEST!!! Thanks Grandma for going with my boys and laughing like crazy with them! These memories will NEVER be forgotten! We love you!

The beautiful Jordanelle

2009-08-30T16:37:00.000-07:00

Who are the BRAVEST boys in the whole wide world? MINE ARE! I was so proud of my boys for being brave enough to go on the "jeep" this year! Jadon has gone on it before but never without me. Tyler hasn't dared to go on anything outside of the boat! I was extremely proud of my boys and the best part is they did it twice!! We have so much fun on our boat! I can't wait every year to see how much my boys grow and how brave they become on the boat every time we get on it! The next thing you know they will be waterskiing or wakeboarding! We had so much fun on the boat this year! No rainstorms came our way..only laughter and Tyler's favorite...YUMMY (bad for you) food!!! That's the first thing Tyler says on the boat.."I'm hungry" He always knows I pack a really fun lunch on the boat!!!

MOM AND DAD ARE HOME!!!!

2009-08-11T16:44:00.000-07:00

Ok I know A HORRIBLE picture of me! But hey the moment is right! Tyler is taking this picture of us and I don't think he did to bad!! The angle may not be my best side...but what can you ask of a five year old photographer!!! Jadon, Tyler, and Koen were so excited mommy and daddy got home from Maui!! They wanted to take lots of pictures!!

Maui for our TEN year anniversary

2009-08-08T16:48:00.000-07:00

A PICTURE SAYS A THOUSAND WORDS!! DARREN AND I HAD AN AMAZING TIME IN MAUI! WE WENT ON A BEAUTIFUL SUNSET CRUISE, SNORKELED FOR SEA TURTLES AND TROPICAL FISH, DINED AND AMAZING RESTRAUNTS, MADE OUT IN PARKING LOTS, AND SAW BEAUTIFUL SUNRISES ON HALEAKALA! WHAT MORE CAN I SAY OTHER THAN AFTER TEN YEARS I COULDN'T LOVE A MAN MORE! I LOVE YOU DARREN! THANKS FOR TEN AMAZING YEARS AND THREE WONDERFUL BOYS! I COULD NEVER ASK FOR MORE THAN WHAT YOU HAVE GIVEN ME! I LOVE EVERY MOMENT WITH YOU AND CAN'T WAIT FOR THE NEXT 50 YEARS OR MORE! XOXOXOXO AND MAYBE SOME MORE XXXXXXX'S

First day of school

2009-07-27T18:12:00.000-07:00

Jadon and Tyler started year round school this year! They also get to ride the bus everyday!! What a cool way to go to school when you are in "gradeschool"!!!! I can' t believe Jadon is in 2nd grade already and Tyler starts kindergarten! Where did the time go? Life feels like it just passes you by and if you don't celebrate every moment you have wasted it! I hope my boys remember and feel like they have celebrated every moment with me! I hope that each year they can look back and say and know that their "mommy" loves them and had SO MUCH FUN!! I would do anything for my boys! All FOUR Of THEM!!! I hope the year goes great for you Jadon and Tyler and I look forward to hearing how every one of your days go! Kisses and hugs! DON'T FORGET!! LISTEN TO YOUR TEACHER, MAKE FRIENDS AND DON'T FORGET TO SMILE!!! (i say this every day to them) I love you!

boating at Flaming Gorge

2009-07-20T17:58:00.000-07:00

As per our yearly custom, we went to Flaming Gorge again this year! Amazing how fast everyone grows! Koen as you can see is now able to drive the boat, Jadon and Tyler love to play in the sand and Daddy is as always...relaxing in his chair!!! What a wonderful trip this year! Challenging as it may be to take three kids camping all under age of 7 we conquered with 5 stars! We came home alive! What more can a mom ask for, right?!!!! Can't wait for next year!

BEAR LAKE WITH THE CURTIS FAMILY

2009-07-20T16:57:00.000-07:00

I have no idea why I didn't take any pictures of anybody other than my kiddos! There is one of Colton playing in the sand with Jadon but I am not very good at taking other people's pictues when my kiddos are OH SO CUTE!!! Sorry,I will do better at that! Anyways, we went to Bear Lake for the weekend with my family and had an absolute blast! The kids had so much fun playing in the sand that I thought I would join them! This is my sand butterfly! Not bad eh!!! I have loved butterflies since 7th grade when I found a zoobooks magazine that had them throughout the book. I have been hooked since!! We had such a great time with the family! Can't wait to go again next year! I will do better on the family pictures I promise!!!
Don't my kiddos look so grown up! Oh its going by way to fast!

Happy "JET" Birthday #7

2009-07-14T18:04:00.000-07:00

"What kind of birthday party do you want this year Jadon?" I asked! "A JET PARTY" says Jadon! "Hmmm" I think! "OK" So here goes nothing!! Can't say we have EVER had a funner party!! I had all the kids line up to get their dog tags because no pilot should leave the ground without one!! "YES CAPTAIN" they all say aloud!! We flew our jets around the house, had water grenades and drank "jet fuel" and fueled up our "tanks" with cake! Don't forget bullseye practice with the pinata!! What a blast!! Jadon will hopefully remember this one forever!! I think I may have had more fun the the kids did! And instead of ice cream...we had snow cones!!!
Happy Birthday Jadon! Big number 7! I can't believe how fast you are growing up! I hope you never forget how much I love you and am proud of you every day!!! LOVE MOM!!!

Perks of moving

2009-06-16T09:52:00.000-07:00

So we all hate moving right? Well there are some perks...like learning about the new places in your new area! Darren and I have talked several times about going to the copper mine in Butterfield Canyon and looking at the big trucks but we never made it out there. Well sure enough...its not that far anymore!!! We took the boys out the the mines to see the big trucks and WOW was it a success! All three of them were mesmerized! Plus, it was really neat to see all the tourists out there too! Its funny to think that something we could do everyday without much effort people drive or fly thousands of miles to see. The copper mine really is worth going to. ESPECIALLY if you have boys who love trucks...which mine do!! Here are some pictures....ENJOY!

Tyler's birthday

2009-06-16T09:19:00.000-07:00

Tyler's birthday was yesterday but we celebrated it on Sunday with family. It was really fun to have everyone over!! Grandma Jinx even suprised us by showing up here. Tyler had so much fun and got lots of transformers, clothes, outdoor swimming things, and lots and lots of popcycles! I think his favorite toys are the swords he got and the bumblee transformer costume. He plays with these the most and is constantly laughing and pretending! Tyler has this wonderful imagination and creativity. He is always making us laugh and giggle with his creative personality. I can't believe Tyler is already five years old. How fast the time has gone. He starts kindergarten next month. My boys got on the "C" track so they start school on July 27th. Tyler has been such a wonderful blessing in my life. I am so grateful to our Father in Heaven for sending me him when He did. I didn't know it at the time and couldn't understand why...but I know that he came at the perfect time to be with our family. Jadon and Koen love him so much and enjoy the funny things he does. I love you Tyler ....I hope you had a fantastic birthday!!!

New home...new life!!!

2009-06-16T09:07:00.001-07:00

Well we just moved to our new home in Herriman! I LOVE IT HERE!! My boys have wonderful friends to play with and don't fight like they used to. Can I tell you how wonderful that is! Now instead of me getting mad at my kiddos all the time because they don't have anything to do but fight and wrestle... they tell me how happy they are and how they are so glad we moved into our new home. We have two boys that live across the street from us. They are Zack who is 6 and Parker who is 4. They are over at our house constantly and are such great kids. My boys love having them to play with everyday. We had 9 kids over the other day playing in our backyard. I don't think we have ever had that many kids at our house before in our lifetime!! It was wonderful. My house is wonderful but I feel like we were led to this area for the atmosphere and fun people and kids that we get to meet on a daily basis. Everyone is new here so there aren't any cliques and I feel like I am going to make amazing new friends. I miss my friends back in Taylorsville. Hopefully, I will get to stay in touch with them, but I don't regret the decision to move. I decided that with the change of moving that I would change a few more things too. I have started making my own bread...(Thanks Jenilee for inspiring me) and I have started sewing again...(Thanks Annika and Tammy for your inspiration) My projects for this week is to make WHO bread and to make bread bags and a new skirt. I have made a few loaves of white bread already and one skirt but I love both these new projects. I am really into cooking too. I have been trying new recipies for several months and continue to enjoy it. Who knew I would ever be into the "food channel" HA HA !! Its pretty crazy how things change as you get older. I have really enjoyed all the changes in my life. I hope many more positive changes will happen in the coming months and years.

Jadon and Tyler swimming

2009-03-08T10:00:00.000-07:00

So Jadon has been taking swimming lessons off and on for three years and absolutely loves it. He is now learning the butterfly and the back and front stroke. He is doing awesome. Tyler started this year and is now on his third month and is doing really great too. Tyler started soccer this year for the first time and is really good at running and kicking the ball. We have to teach him how to be ruff and tuff on the field like he is at home. Jadon has also started piano lessons with me. He is doing really well and loves to practice. Tyler is also on his sixth book and is enjoying reading. I am really proud of my boys...all three of them!! Tyler also got his big wheel bike and loves riding it. Here are some pictures of a little bit of everything that has been going on in the last month or so!

Koko Beans Birthday!!!

2009-03-01T09:34:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful birthday party for Koko this year!! We celebrated it on March 1st instead of his real birthday which is in another 3 years. LEAP YEAR!!! We had all sorts of family join us and had Bruchetta chicken and puppy cupcakes!! It was really fun to have everyone over. Koen turned the big "ONE" and is so excited to be growing up. He isn't quite walking but is definately on the same track as his two older brothers. They didn't walk till 13 and 14 months. My kids just love crawling but hey...who am I to argue. They are definately much easier to catch that way. Koen got some super fun toys and clothes! We got him his very own ride in car which he loves to take walks in. He just loves the wheel and having his brothers drive him from "here to there" and "there to here"! He has said a few words..MA MA of course and DA DA and JA JA and TA TA ! We are working on BALL and DOG and FISH and MILK. He hasn't quite got the hang of those yet! Its so fun to see him growing up but it is going way to fast. My baby is already a year old and its not fair cuz I want him to be my adorable baby forever!!! Kisses Koko beans!! We also call him MR. WIGGLES because he can't sit still for more than a nano-second. He loves to explore and is EVERYWHERE!!! We love you KOKO!!

St. George in February

2009-02-24T05:53:00.000-08:00

I love this time of year when I have just had it with winter and Darren and I take the boys down to ST. George for the weekend. We had so much fun down there. We left Friday morning and came back Sunday night. We took our bikes down there this year and biked everywhere. There were some really fun trails at Snow Canyon and we went to Zions but it was a little to cold and windy there. We also were shocked at the fact our pool was open at our hotel. We didn't bring suits so Darren went to Walmart and bought the boys some shorts and took them swimming while I went up to the room and had quiet nap time with Koen. I read while he napped! BEST TWO HOURS EVER!!! I love when I can be by myself and its quiet! We love heading down there because its about 60 degrees which is just perfect for us. We love the cooler temp. and love taking the kiddos out and not be cold or hot. We also love taking them to a park down there and playing soccer and football. Jadon climbed the trees while Tyler took pictures with his new camera. Darren and I love St. George and would love to have a WINTER home down there!!! Way too hot for summer. Funny part is we saw Clark and Chris on the way down as we passed them up. That was pretty funny. They were looking at homes down there and went biking. We didn't hook up but it was still fun to know they were down there.

So its been a pretty slow beginning of the year. Jadon and Tyler have been in swimming lessons the last few months and absolutely love it. I put them in every winter so they have something fun to look forward to during the long winter. Darren bought a new motorcycle and can't wait to drive it this spring. Me, well I am still working on losing weight. I am down eight pounds but am at a standstill! URGH, very frustrating. I will keep at it though. I love that my clothes are too big and I can't wait to lose a few more so I can go spring shopping and be a size smaller! Koen turns a year old next week. I can't believe my baby is a year old. Its crazy how one minute you find out your pregnant and the next thing you know he is already a year old. He is so much fun right now. He popped four teeth in two weeks and he is a little biter. He bit my shoulder yesterday when I was hugging him. Little stinker that he is loves to wiggle and squirm and is absolutely EVERYWHERE. He sure makes me laugh though. He loves to talk and is always saying something....not that I know half of what he says but he sure loves to babble!!

So, I am really into this new couponing thing! I have built up my food storage from nothing to now overflowing! I have been doing my research and found that if you pair certain coupons up with sales (which are EVERYWHERE) then you can get stuff super cheap and a lot of times free. YES, I said FREE!! I love it! I used to bargain shop for clothes and absolutely loved it because I could get pants and shirts, shoes, socks, underwear and you name it for so super cheap...still can but my kiddos have so many clothes I don't know where to put them. Plus, they aren't growing as fast now. So, I am focusing my energy on finding stuff to fill up my pantry for food storage as well as cleaning supplies, etc. Problem now is I don't have the space anymore. We are growing out of our home with three boys and all of their stuff as well as mine and Darren's. I am now going to only focus on purchasing things that are especially cheap or free. Its quite the challenge but I absolutely love going into a store and coming out with a lot of stuff for super cheap. Well, I gotta get the kiddos ready for school now. I have been up since 5:30am trying to get all of my extra fun activities done, like this, because there aren't enough hours in my day!!!

Dinosaurs

2009-01-16T15:15:00.000-08:00

In Jadon and Tylers words.....First, we saw some dinosaurs in the museum. My favorite dinosaurs are T-rex, Supersaurus and the big turtle, and I had fun playing in the sand and digging up dinosaur bones. Tyler says...I liked the tynasarus REX URRRRRGGGHHH. UM, I like the big turtle, the big Triceratops. I like the long dinosaur, oh yeah, the supersaurus.

Darren and I had fun taking the boys to see all the dinosaurs. Cousin Brandon and Eric are really into dinosaurs and I thought it would be fun to teach the boys a little about them so they could talk to their cousins about all things Dinosaurs. However, I don't think my little knowledge could ever catch up with Brandon's knowledge. My boys have now figured out the difference between Carnivors and Herbivors. We always talk about the different kinds of dinosaurs but I honestly don't know much else about them. We have a few books but I don't really know where to start! Anyways, here are our pictures of the Thanksgiving Point museum dinosaurs.

sledding at Jeremy Ranch

2009-01-10T14:55:00.000-08:00

Although I said it wasn't as fun...it was for the boys! They all had a blast! They had so much fun being pulled by the truck. I was so scared thinking that they would end up under the truck but DAD was super careful. He went really slow, but on a sled that is super fast to a 6 and 4 year old. Lots and Lots of laughing and giggling going on here!!! They can't wait to go again soon.

Elk Refuge

2009-01-08T15:45:00.000-08:00

About every 3 years we go to the Elk Refuge up by Hyrum, Utah. There are hundreds of elk that live there during the winter months. This year was really fun since the boys REALLY understood what an elk was since Daddy talks about them every Fall time!!! The boys thought the Elk were amazing and super cool...their words...This was a perfect day to go, it was beautiful weather and not too cold. We love to do lots of fun things with our boys and this is a tradition that we plan to continue. Next time we are going to take our sleds and go down the big mountain.

Christmas 2008

2009-01-08T14:23:00.000-08:00

I forgot to take pictures, completely guilty. I did take a few after the fact when the boys were playing with their toys but I admit I love to just sit down and play instead of take pictures. I will get better at this. The boys got lots of toys as usual. We decided for a few more pricey toys than quantity this year. Jadon and Tyler got a really cool Remote control spider that shoots darts from Santa Claus and Dad got them really fun Trucks and trailers with an elk, trailer, tent, cot and little tiny shotgun! They LOVED these. I got Jadon a basketball, Tyler a soccer ball and Koen a CARS ball for pushing around the room. Koen got a big dump truck and his first little train and a popper toy. Darren got me a beautiful watch which I get tonz of compliments on and a KOHLS giftcard as well as an ITUNES card. I got Darren a ski pass which he purchased 2 months prior and some crablegs for dinner and a "DRY FLY" stencil for his car. We had a great time for Christmas. We went over to the Layton family's home for Christmas Eve and the Curtis home for Christmas day.

Skiing with Dad

2009-01-07T19:57:00.000-08:00

Darren took Jadon skiing for the first time this year! Jadon absolutely loved it. He got ski lessons and did really well. The snow plow was pretty hard for him but he can't wait till he gets to go again. Darren plans to take Jadon skiing at least four more times this year. This is a dream come true for Darren. He has taken Jadon hunting and now skiing. Can't wait till he gets to take Tyler too. They will have so much fun. I am also hoping to learn to ski but am scared to death of getting hurt. I have never been and definately plan on having Jadon teach me how. I think he will go easy on me. They had so much fun and got to go down the hill with uncle Brian too. He was there skiing at the same time. His favorite thing was going up the ski lift! I wish I could have been there to see how happy he was. He was quite upset when we had to return the ski's to Solitude. Maybe we will get him some for Christmas next year. Right now its so much cheaper to rent them. Jadon is just like his dad...has to have everything of his own! I am so glad they had fun, wish I could have been brave like Jadon. Maybe I will get the chance soon.

I am a princess, Tyler says so!

2009-01-07T13:45:00.000-08:00

So, who needs a daughter when you have a prince tell you that you are a princess? Here is my story. I was getting out of the shower when Tyler came into my room. No privacy for this mom!!! I started to blow dry my hair when Tyler asked if he could do it for me. I said "Sure, why not". Tyler then got my hair all dry and then asked if he could brush it. Again, why not!!! This is not an occuring thing! After my hair is all brushed...into my face, he pulls back the front and looks into my eyes and says "Mommy, you look like a princess". Now how can you get any better than that. Yes, my son says I am a princess! Who am I to argue? Thanks Tyler. Mommy needed to hear that!! I love you!
Also I think I am on my way with teaching Tyler to read. He just read his first book this week. He has read it 3 times now and getting faster. So, maybe it only has 15 words in it...HE DID IT!!!
I think I am accomplishing goals already!!! I have a few more goals in mind that I want to put on my blog!!
What do you think of these?

Be a "YES" person!
Be more outgoing
Find a hobby! I did that already, started YOGA on Monday
Make sure laundry is put away every week
Flirt with Darren more...he told me to put this on my list!
Keep closet clean
STOP buying BAGGY clothes
Clean carpets every month
Build Self-esteem and every boy in my house!!!
Keep truck clean, its always dirty!

OK so, you have obviously figured me out...I HATE CLEANING! But I am trying to get better!

There are so many other things to do and cleaning just takes up so much time when the second my kiddos get home it is back to normal...MESSY!!! Yes, this is my goal and I WILL fulfill it!

What would life be like without the JOY of my children....and hubby! I couldn't think of a better life!

New Years Goals

2008-12-29T19:57:00.000-08:00

So, its almost a new year and I can't wait to write down all my goals! Yes, I do this every year and I think I did most of them except of course lose 20 pounds! Well what can I say, I will put it again for 2009 goals! I am really hoping to do it this year! Darren said he would even try with me! He said this morning that he is going to try and not eat ice cream every night! Think he can do it? I am not so sure. Its pretty hard not eating yummy ice cream when he makes eating it look SO good. He has this way of eating it that makes him look like he's two years old and having it for the first time! I love it! Well, this has been a hard year and I am really excited for the new year. More than anything I want this year to be a blast. Having three amazing boys makes everything so much more fun! We plan to go camping a lot and we talked about possibly going to Portland this year on a roadtrip to see Don and Jinx. We haven't been there in three years and I know the kids miss seeing grandpa and grandma. Plus, I absolutely love it up there, it is so beautiful.
Well about those goals, here are a few I am going to try and do:

LOSE WEIGHT!!! HA HA
Read the Doctrine and Covenants
Get Tyler to stop being SO LAZY!!!
CLEAN MY HOUSE...URGH I feel like I am always doing this but its NEVER clean!
Teach Jadon and Tyler to read, Jadon is already, just needs to be faster.
Keep up on my blog!
Stop overreacting when my kiddos do something wrong!
Realize I have three boys and accept my house is going to be a war zone!
Learn all I can about Dinosaurs, Trains, Cars, Trucks, Bugs, and all things boys love!
Convince Darren I need monthly massages if he wants a completely satisfied woman!!

Well these are just a few of the things I can think about right now. I am sure there are a million more. Just give me ten more minutes and I will think of tonz of things that I can improve about myself. See I can't wait for the new year cuz I already thought of more and its only been 30 seconds. Oh well, we will talk about those another day!

2008-12-21T12:10:00.001-08:00

Bathtime with Koen

2008-12-21T11:55:00.001-08:00

2008-12-08T13:27:00.000-08:00

2008-12-08T13:09:00.000-08:00

Jadon, Tyler and Koen are all best buds! Every day I have to literally pull

Jadon and Tyler off of Koen they love him so much! I am so lucky to have

three wonderful boys as my children! I am so thankful to Darren for giving me

such a wonderful life as a mother and homemaker. I know I wouldn't want it

any other way! Thanks Darren for all you do for me and for loving me so much!

I could never ask for a better life than the one Darren has provided for me. I am

truly blessed in more ways than I could count! I love ALL MY BOYS!

2008-11-15T12:04:00.000-08:00

Look at them baby blues! Koen is the most sweet tempered baby!

And he actually sleeps at night! Wow thats a first in a long time!

Koen is so much fun to have around. He learned how to crawl by eight months.

A whoppin month and a half earlier than my other two boys! We expect a

walker by the time he is 11 months old. He loves to be on his feet and hates

to be on his back! Koen loves to learn, laugh and play!

2008-11-05T12:56:00.000-08:00

Tyler and Koen have lots of time together during the day! This was

such a beautiful fall morning that we got into the car and went to

Gardener Village and took some Fall pictures! Tyler, Koen and I

love to go on morning walks and decided that a different view would be fun!

Look at the perfect pictures we got for just deciding to choose a different place to

go walking!

Are those my boys??? AHHHH

2008-10-31T20:40:00.000-07:00

We go to Gardener Village every year and take pictures. Jadon and Tyler were so spooky that everyone who saw them, including little old ladies, were frightened! Koen just got the normal response "OH HE IS SO ADORABLE" Yeah I know, he is perfect isn't he! We had so much fun running around and taking pictures. Halloween is our favorite time of year now that the boys have gotten older. I can't wait till Koen is running around with them!!

Halloween what a blast

2008-10-31T10:14:00.000-07:00

Every year I look forward to Halloween more and more! I love this holiday because my boys get so excited. Each SEPTEMBER my boys start to prepare for Halloween, YES two months early!!!

This year they saw these Skeleton constumes and got so excited. My boys love scary things. Tyler scared this little boy in our Ward so badly that we had to leave the Halloween party. I honestly didn't know how much more "Trey" could take!!! (little boy) The boys went Trick or Treating this year over at my mom's house. It was really fun to visit my old stomping grounds and see all my friends mom's again. As Garfield says....CANDY CANDY CANDY!!! Yes lots of candy came our way this year. Even more than last! I am lucky though I swiped most of it and gave it to my sister for her school class!! We kept only the chocolate and the boys shared that for about a month and crazy enough we still have some left. I put it in Jadon's lunch box each day for a special treat!

Jungle Jim's Playland

2008-09-15T20:18:00.000-07:00

Jadon, Tyler, Koen and Cousin Colton went to Jungle Jim's Playland. We spend 2 long, but fun hours there. Ride after Ride they went. After a while they got hungry, little did I know that after food they wanted to go longer but I just didn't have it in me! We sure had a good time. We went to a park and had pizza and played on the playground. Colton was really fun to have with us. The boys all had a blast!

Koen had so much fun watching the boys go around and around and around! Who knew that entertaining a baby could be so easy. He eventually watched them go around one to many times and fell fast asleep in mommy's arms!

Fun at the Family Cabin

2008-09-05T10:08:00.000-07:00

Every year we enjoy going up to Jinx's cabin. I honestly don't know what we would do without it! My boys love it and look forward to going every summer. In fact, Tyler asked just this morning if we could go up for the week. I absolutely love the mountains and love taking all of my boys up there. The cabin has been such a blessing in our lives and given us so much time together having fun and exploring new things. I am grateful for Don and Jinx for letting us use their cabin and for giving us the opportunity to be there. Jadon, Tyler and Koen have such a love of the out of doors just like their mom and dad. We hope to one day have a cabin of our very own.

Hawaii

2008-06-05T19:40:00.000-07:00

We took Koen to Hawaii this year. Darren and I had so much fun with him. We left Jadon and Tyler in the capable hands of his other family members...grandma's and grandpa's and aunts!!! We went to MAUI and went snorkeling and on two boat trips as well as a Luau. We saw many sea turtles in the ocean and were well within touching distance of them. We also saw many tropical fish and even an eel. My favorite thing was sitting out on the deck of our room and watching the ocean and reading the Twilight series....yes I read on our vacation, it is one of my favorite pasttimes. (Darren was biking down the Haleakula volcano) someone had to watch Koen while Darren was off playing Ha Ha!! I didn't mind, he had to wake up at 2:00am to make it to the volcano while I slept in! This was a much needed vacation for us and something we will always treasure and remember for the remainder of our lifetime. We are hoping to go back as soon as possible!!

Koens Smile

2008-04-15T19:29:00.000-07:00

Koen has a contagious smile. He reminds us so much of his brothers, Jadon and Tyler. He is growing so fast already and is always happy to be with his family. He especially likes to be held by his brothers. They are always laughing and giggling with each other. Who knew that having three boys could be so much fun, not to mention entertaining!!! We always have so much laughter in our home.

New baby boy

2008-02-29T09:05:00.000-08:00

The year of 2008 has brought our family many wonderful and exciting things. The best thing that has happened this year is the birth of our third son, Koen John Barnhisel. He was 18.5 inches and 7.5 pounds. He was born two weeks early and arrived on February 29, 2008. (Leap year baby)
He has been so much fun and his two older brothers and mom and dad love him so much.