McDonald Crew

David Archuleta

2010-07-18T18:59:00.002-05:00

When we were in Vegas the girls were able to go to David Archuleta's book signing!They waited in the heat for over an hour to get his new book "Chords of Strength" at Deseret Book store.

One Fish, Two Fish...

2010-07-16T00:10:00.003-05:00

Grandpa took us fishing over our summer vacation in Las Vegas. We sure had alot of fun! The kids didn't mind catching the fish but they sure didn't want to touch them! We went to a man made lake on some property that some of grandpa's friends own. They had fun paddle boating, fishing, and swinging off a huge swing into the water.

Breast Cancer Awareness!!!

2010-06-25T02:11:00.003-05:00

My Aunt Jody was diagnosed with breast Cancer a few months ago and is undergoing chemotherapy. She is such a strong woman and encourages everyone to educate themselves about breast cancer!! She is a survivor!!

New Cousin Hurray!!

2010-06-25T01:53:00.004-05:00

Aunt Kelly went into labor at 8:57pm June 17, 2010. By 9:57pm Kelly had delivered a healthy baby boy! We barely made it to the hospital at 9:30pm. Kelly your awesome! She went natural and only had to push twice!

Circus

2010-06-25T01:48:00.002-05:00

We got to stay with Papa and Mema while we are here in Vegas! They took us to the circus!

Summer Fun 2010

2010-06-25T01:41:00.003-05:00

We have been in Las Vegas for the last few weeks having alot of fun! Grandma and Grandpa have taken us to the lake a few times! Aunt Kelly and Uncle Steven had a new little one and he is a cutie!!!

Talent show 2010

2010-05-19T08:58:00.005-05:00

I have been so bad with blogging lately! Here are some activities Katelynd has been doing! Talent show 2010! They played eye of the tiger in a quartet! She also had 2 violin concerts this year. Katelynd was so excited to be selected to play in honors orchestra.

NYC!

2010-04-08T13:19:00.003-05:00

For my Sister's 40th birthday my brother in-law planned a surprise trip for her to New York City to go see "Wicked". My sister and Mom had no idea that the rest of us were coming. So my sister and I decided to disguise ourselves. When we saw them coming out of their gate we approached them and asked them to take a picture of us. My Mom looked right at me and told me she didn't know how to use my camera so she wouldn't be able to take the picture for us. My sister was on the phone trying to call for a shuttle to the hotel and just rolled her eyes at us. She was just too busy! Of course I spoke in a strong Italian accent so they didn't realize who we were. Until I turned around to find my sister Kelly busting up laughing! I couldn't fake it any longer I began to laugh! My Mom still looked at us like we were crazy! So I took my wig off! It was priceless. I thought a Mother always new her child! Ha not that day! We had a wonderful time in NYC! Thanks Brandon for all you hard work in putting it together.

NYC!

2010-04-07T14:02:00.000-05:00

I was able to run a 5K on Saturday in Central park before we left. It was beautiful, everything was in bloom.

On top of the "Rock" looking at Empire States Building

Time Square

Lolly's Michael Jackson Impersonation

2010-03-23T23:43:00.002-05:00

St. Patrick's Day Run

2010-03-23T23:36:00.004-05:00

It was fun to get together with some friends last minute to run a 7K. This was Katelynd's first long run, she loved it. The weather wasn't great it was cloudy and cold. By the end of the race it was raining. We still had alot of fun.

St Louis Temple

2010-03-10T21:13:00.004-06:00

We were able to go to the St Louis Temple to do Baptisms for the Dead with Rick and some friends from the ward. What a wonderful day it was. It is such a blessing to have a temple so close to us. Rick had a little over 30 family file names to have work done that day. Thank you Rick for letting us be a part of your spiritual journey. We are part of such an awesome ward out here in O'Fallon.

Ice Skating

2010-02-04T09:08:00.003-06:00

Winter is so hard out here in the Mid-west. The kids feel so trapped inside the house. A few weeks ago we had alot of rain and the kids decided to go ice skating on a patch of ice they found in the backyard. I can't believe how many times they fell. They would get a running start and slide across the ice. It is amazing, if you want to do something so bad how you seem to forget about the pain.

2009 Garden

2009-11-29T20:39:00.002-06:00

So this year I learned a lot about gardening. First, it is a lot of work to maintain a garden. Second, don't always read the back of the seed packet, talk to gardeners in your area that have had success. Third, make sure you have a lot of time to weed, prune and care for your garden. I did have a lot of fun learning more about gardening this year. I had carrots galore! We got sick of eating squash. The Jalapenos grew so hot we couldn't eat them. Next year I have new techniques I am going to try.

Monster Truck

2009-11-19T20:58:00.002-06:00

A few months ago we where driving home and Jake spotted a monster truck parked at a local gas station. Of course we had to stop and take some pictures. He thinks dad needs to get one of these to advertise when he is a Doctor! Jake said people who drive these will need to come see my Dad!

Mod Podge Board

2009-11-19T20:48:00.003-06:00

I was asked to post this so people could see the board I made for one of my friends daughter's baptism. It is a simple piece of 1/2inch press board from home depot. Cut to desired dimensions. Router edges to desired design. Lay up side down on table saw and drop blade to low position. Cut straight lines to desired box size on front of board. Hint mark the back of board with a pencil to indicate where lines should be cut. Boxes that are 3X5 and 4X6 picture sizes are easier to fill when ready to mod podge. After cut mod podge scrapbook paper and pics to front face. Careful not to get mod podge on picture fronts. These make great gifts!

Blue Man

2009-11-18T01:19:00.002-06:00

So we have had fun with Jake's hair this year. Mohawk for the summer and now electric blue for crazy hair day at school. He was so disappointed he had to wash it out!

Mohawk Man

2009-11-18T01:13:00.003-06:00

I let Jake's hair grow out over the summer and Dad finally made me cut it, so here is the end result. Needless to say it only lasted for the day! Not because it didn't hold, Elmer's glue made sure of that! Dad didn't want Jake showing up for church the next day looking like this!

Rick's Baptism August 1st, 2009

2009-11-18T00:55:00.002-06:00

Rick Casagrande was baptised! Thanks for letting us be a part of your journey!

Missionary Work in St. Louis

2009-11-18T00:30:00.004-06:00

These are the Elders that were in our ward when our neighbor Rick Casagrande was baptised. Elder Ferrin and Elder Pace were key in teaching the gospel of Jesus Christ to Rick. What a blessing in Rick's life to hear and believe in the fullness of the gospel. We are so thankful to have shared with him the joy he felt in his life and to see him grow. What a humbling experience we have had as a family to see that we can share the gospel with those we come in contact with. We are all in the Mission field. I know Jesus Christ is our Savior and that only through him can we return to our Heavenly Father. He suffered so that we could be happy and experience joy in our lives. I am so grated for Prophets that lead and guide us through hard times. I know Joseph Smith saw God the Father and Jesus Christ. How blessed we are to have the Book of Mormon and Bible to help guide and warn us in these days. I know if we are doing the right things we will be blessed even when things get tough. I love my family and know that this life is only the beginning! I pray that I will continually share my testimony with those I come in contact with. This life is to short to be afraid of sharing what is most precious to us!

Katelynd's 1st Day of Junior High School

2009-11-18T00:21:00.003-06:00

Katelynd was so embarrassed to have me taking a picture of her first day going to junior high. She wouldn't even introduce me to her bus buddies! Katelynd loves her new school, lots of big changes though. We sure love her! Katelynd wants to try for track this year and has been getting lots of practice running with Mom.

Lindsay's 1st Day of School 2009

2009-11-18T00:15:00.002-06:00

This will be Lindsay's last year in Elementary school. She is already wanting to be in junior high. Lindsay you are growing up to be a beautiful young lady. We love you!
Keep up the good work!

Jakes 1st Day of School

2009-11-18T00:09:00.003-06:00

This is so late to blog about but I have to update my blog! Jake was so excited for his first day of school. I think he was more excited to ride the bus with his sister finally. He loves his new teacher! Jake is growing up so fast. We sure love him. He is always keeping us entertained with his new adventures.

Halloween 2009

2009-11-01T10:49:00.002-06:00

This year we had a big neighborhood halloween party. Rick our neighbor pulled a trailer with the kids through the neighborhood. We had two big fire pits and a lot of treats and food. We had a really good time!

Kids Cluster Picture 2009

2009-09-22T12:45:00.002-05:00

Peace Out!

2009-09-22T12:21:00.003-05:00

Lolly was having fun dressing up and doing her infamous peace out.

Triathlon Day August 23rd 2009

2009-09-22T11:53:00.002-05:00

I am so glad I had people who motivated me. Thanks Summer and Mary!

LSL Triathlon 2009

2009-09-22T11:49:00.001-05:00

It was so fun this year to be able to participate in the LSL Triathlon. These are some of my friends from the Y that I trained with.

Kristins' Birthday Surprise

2009-09-01T20:33:00.001-05:00

This year my neighbors Susie and Abbie Surprised me with a yummy birthday treat. Jason also took me to Kitaro's my favorite Japanese restaurant. It was hard for me to blow out all the candles on the cake. Boy I'm getting old!

Katelynd's new Freedom

2009-08-03T18:18:00.003-05:00

Katelynd was in lala land at the family reunion this year. I finally caved and let her drive a 800 polaris 4 wheeler. She had lots of fun circling grandma and grampa's cabin in Beaver, Utah. I can only hope she wants one of those instead of a car when she turns 16!

Visit with Mema & Papa

2009-08-03T18:12:00.003-05:00

This summer we were able to go to Las Vegas! We got to hang out with Mema and Papa! We had so much fun doing projects and going to the circus.

Jason needs a new ride!

2009-07-29T13:58:00.004-05:00

I found this car in Las Vegas when I was there on vacation! Jason wanted it so bad but I eventually talked him out of it! I told him it was just a little extreme for a students budget. Don't you think! I thought the color was a little off for his complexion too. Maybe next time!

Grandma Surprises Katelynd!

2009-07-29T13:54:00.002-05:00

This is a late post! Katelynd's Grandma Peggy came out in May for her Biography Day at school. Katelynd was so surprised, she had no idea that Grandma was going to be able to come. Grandma Peggy hid on the deck and when Katelynd and Mom came home this is what they found! Thanks Mom for making Katelynds day!

Lindsay's 10th Birthday

2009-07-19T20:31:00.000-05:00

We can't believe Lindsay turned 10 this year. This will be her last year in Elementary school. She is becoming such a beautiful young woman. Lindsay we love you!

Jake's Preschool Graduation May 2009

2009-05-29T17:35:00.003-05:00

Jake graduated from pre-school in May. He loved his class and is already missing his teachers Mrs. Begnal and Mrs. Woodson. They were able to do so many fun activities this year. Jake told us the other day that he is ready for Kindergarten. He said that he learned it all in pre-school. I can't believe how time flys by! I was always told that, now I believe it!

Katelynd & Lindsay Volleyball

2009-05-29T17:28:00.003-05:00

The Volleyball season just ended for Katelynd and Lindsay. They did great this year. In November they will be joining the Cottleville League and they are so excited to play over wintertime.

Boys Like to Have fun too!

2009-05-29T16:59:00.003-05:00

All the boys got to hang out and play in the yard. To bad the lawn didn't get mowed! This was at the Tilman's April 2009.

Lolly Time!

2009-05-29T16:40:00.003-05:00

While we were in Illinois Jason was able to get some good pics of the kids.

Long Lost Friends Found in Illinois

2009-05-26T20:29:00.003-05:00

My husband always teases me for going on facebook to communicate with my friends. But a few months ago I ran across a close friend from Las Vegas. Jason and I met the Tilmans when we first got married. Jason and Scott ended up working together for a few years at Stewart & Sundell a commercial concrete and curbing company. Tina and I became close friends and always had play days with our kids. Tina and I think it has been about 5 years since we have had any contact. When we went out to visit last month we picked up right where we left off. We are so blessed to have good friends. They only live 4 hours away and are actually in our temple district. Thank you for a wonderful weekend Tilman's we had alot of fun.

Sealing Dress

2009-05-23T16:32:00.004-05:00

Our friends from Las Vegas just adopted their second child Maddie. The adoption was just finalized this month. They will be sealing her to the family in July. Maddie just turned 1 year this month. We are so excited for their family. They are such an example of patience and kindness. They have experienced so much with the adoption process. This is the Temple Sealing dress I made for little Maddie Schaumburg. We thought the dress wasn't going to make it in time. It was lost in the mail for a week and I thought I was going to have to make another one to send out. After lots of prayers that it would be found, Stacy called with the good news that they received the package. Congratulations Schaumburg family! We love you!

Birthday Time!

2009-05-23T16:11:00.003-05:00

Katelynd had her 11th Birthday in May. We had our neighbors come over and had Katelynd's favorite meal Navajo Taco's. We still can't believe she is going to junior high this year. She is becoming such a young woman.

5th Grade Violin Concert

2009-05-23T16:02:00.004-05:00

Katelynd had her 5th grade violin concert in April this year. She had a lot of fun. As you can tell she was concentrating really hard on a perfect performance.

Jake up a Tree with no Ladder!

2009-05-23T15:55:00.002-05:00

Katelynd and Lindsay came running in the house screaming "Jake is going to fall." We all ran out side to find Jake at the top of our neighbor's tree. Jake had put gloves on, a hoodie and pulled his socks to his knees to protect himself from the rough pinetree climb. I had to get a picture of it before he got in trouble!

Katy Trail over Spring Break

2009-04-08T22:24:00.003-05:00

I know I am way behind on my blogging. I have been busy transplanting burning bushes and hydrangeas in my front yard. This was our first time to the Katy Trail with the kids. We went with the McCains. Chelsea and I pulled the Laurens behind us. For those of you that don't know about the McCains they were the first family we met when we came to Missouri. They also have four children pretty close to the same ages as our kids. Their last child is also named Lauren. They moved to Missouri for the same reason we did so Dad could go to Chiropractic school. We love to hang out with them, we always have a lot of fun.

Spring Break at the Zoo

2009-04-03T14:29:00.002-05:00

Over the girls spring break we made it out to the St Louis Zoo. We met up with some friends and the kids had a great time. Most of the animals were out even though it was chilly. We only had to plug our nose once when we walked through the penguins home!

Jake's 5th Birthday!

2009-04-02T15:42:00.003-05:00

We can't believe Jake is 5 now! He will be going to Kindergarten this year. Jake has been such a busy boy. He swears when he gets older Dad is going to buy him a monster truck! Yellow of course! Jake has mastered climbing our back tree. I have caught him many times climbing to the top to tie kite strings to see them blow in the wind. I wish he had a little more fear for my sake. I bought a jogging stroller for one of my neighbors the other day at costco. I went in the house for a few minutes to put some things away. When I came back out Jake had pulled the box out of the back of the car. Remember we have a large bike rack that has to be moved every time you open the rear hatch. I caught him in our neighbors' driveway across the street with the box propped up on his skate board. I asked him what he was doing! Jakes reply was "Delivering the package Mom, duh!" Those were his exact words! I have to give it to him that it was very inventive to use the skate board! I never have to worry about him with 3 girls around and no brothers. He is all boy!!

Katelynd's Play

2009-04-01T13:11:00.003-05:00

Katelynd had her 5th grade play this past month. She was the "Yellow rose of Texas."
They practiced long and hard for this play. Katelynd did a great job with her lines! All of the songs they performed were great. They even had motions to go with the music, it was quite entertaining!

1st Time for everything!

2009-03-30T15:06:00.002-05:00

I decided since we have moved out to more fertile ground I would start a garden. This is my first experience with gardening! Before this I only picked the veggies and fruit that had grown to enjoy. I didn't realize how much work it was to prep and till the ground! It didn't help much that the garden is on a downhill grade. Since this was my project Jason made me do everything myself. Oh, I have to give him credit for cutting the 2X4's to hold the fencing. I can't count how many blisters I got from shoveling clay! My friend and I planted the seeds a few days ago. Two days later we got 2 inches of snow. I hope my brown thumb doesn't ware off on this garden. Brown meaning I usually make things go brown not green!

Jake got up close with S.W.A.T.!

2009-02-28T23:22:00.003-06:00

Over Christmas break we were able to go home as a family. My brother is a S.W.A.T. officer there. All of the family was over at my parents when my brother decided to stop by on his break. Jake was so "scary" as he says. Bro had all the get-up on, a gun strapped to each leg and a gun in a holster on his belt. Extra ammo all over the place! Jake was in awe, his mouth didn't shut. Jake wanted to know why his uncle could carry a gun and if he could touch it. It was a good lesson for him on gun safety! Now Jake wants to be a police officer. I hope that idea will fade for moms sake.

Katelynd's Science Project

2009-02-25T17:40:00.002-06:00

Katelynd was busy last week getting her science project done. She decided to test soda pop and juice on teeth. Yes, real teeth. Her project was titled Soda pop and Tooth decay. She got 2nd place and is going to the regionals. Katelynd was so excited! Good job Katelynd Keep working hard!

Flushed Away!! No, not literally!

2009-02-19T20:31:00.004-06:00

OK I had to ask special permission from Lindsay to put this on the blog. Lindsay got her lower braces on the other day. The orthodontist was very busy that day and left Lindsay waiting for sometime in the chair looking like this. It cracked me up, I had to take a picture. As soon as they put that contraption in her mouth I got an image in my head of the girl from flushed away, they were twins. It was even funnier watching her when she was talking. She was so mad at me for taking pictures of her like that. They will only be used for torture later on in life.

Lindsay the Helper!

2009-01-30T18:10:00.003-06:00

The whole time we were sledding Lindsay was helping with Jake and his wipe outs! She's the one in the grey bundled up, she was so cold! We all had alot of fun playing in the snow!

Jake Bombed down the hill!

2009-01-30T18:06:00.002-06:00

Jake had a great time playing in the snow after the big snow storm this week. We went with some friends sledding. Jake climbed that hill so many times. He slept really good that night!

Fun in the Snow!

2009-01-30T18:01:00.002-06:00

We can't find many places out here to snowboard. So Katelynd found a good spot out behind Old Navy. She had fun boarding on the hill.

The Big Talk!

2009-01-22T09:26:00.004-06:00

I can't believe our baby girl is growing up so fast! Katelynd is becoming such a young woman. Well we all know what happens when they get older, their minds start to wonder even more than when they were 3. The Why's become just a little deeper in topic! So last Sunday, Katelynd approached me with a perplexing question. I toyed with answering. Katelynd will turn 11 this May. I began to ask her questions just to find out how much she really knew! The last time we had the big conversation it was left at mom and dad's germs react together to make a baby! Of course Heavenly father helps she said. Well the question I got was pretty deep for blog rating concerns so I won't repeat the question, but I'm sure your mind can create one! I was prompted to answer the question directly. Now mom and dad are just gross! And she questioned me again, "Well when does this happen, I didn't see it happen to get Lauren." Talk about deep! Then began the spiritual side of things, I assured her that this was very sacred between Husband and Wife, a Godly act! HA I turned the deep thinking around and threw the ball straight at her. She was ever so quiet. Then out of no where she asked me if she would have to teach her husband how to do this! For her sake I hope so! Now looking back at the situation I think Katelynd could of waited to know the details. She really didn't know as much as I was assuming. I even asked her if she has heard anything at school from her boy and girl friends. "No I never hear people talking about that, all the girls talk about is bras! She was naive which is OK! Since the big conversation I've notice she listens to her Dad more, she is more loving towards him. I've come to the conclusion that she realizes now that marriage is a partnership. Mom has the important role of carring the child but Dad also has a very important role. I hope this posting doesn't affend anyone. I blogged this to remember the details of the conversation. Just remember it is fine to know more than your children on some things! Innocence is OK! They have plenty of time to grow up and absorb all the things in this world!

Just the two of us!

2009-01-19T18:26:00.002-06:00

Jason was on break for 3 weeks this December. It was nice to have him home. We didn't get to play too much this break but we sure got alot accomplished. We were able to go to Las Vegas and spend some time with our families. It was nice to not worry about school for a little while. This was on our way home from Vegas. We just needed a break from the long trip. I think we locked the kids in the car!

I've Fallen and I can't get up!

2009-01-19T17:58:00.002-06:00

Have you ever had the feeling of being overwhelmed? Well I think I have finally reached that point. I have fallen off the blog wagon. I hope that I can catch up! So much has happened in the last 6 weeks. Christmas, a surgery, in-laws coming to town, renter's in Vegas that got up and left with no notice, a 24 hour trip to Vegas for nothing more than cleaning, painting and stressing. Then a 24 hour trip home with pneumonia. But Life is great! The kids are healthy, I think homework is finally caught up and I get to start working out again after my recovery from a right venous ablation with stab phlebectomy. I keep looking for the positive in life. I am finding "Joy" in the journey.

Jake & His friend playing in the leaves!

2008-12-03T14:34:00.003-06:00

After all of the leaves fell from the tree Jake wanted to play! Jake has a good friend across the street that he just loves to play with all the time. I blew all the leaves into a big pile for them to bury themselves in. While I went to get the camera Jake and Malaya where covering their faces with leaves to hide from me! Soon after the leaves where gone we got our first snow fall. Just in time for a little fun!

Time for bed!

2008-11-22T01:29:00.002-06:00

This is one of those sweet funny moments all of us mother's have. Jake, after eating a good meal is fighting the urge to close his eyes. We kept trying to talk to him to keep him awake. As you can tell that didn't work. He crashed at the kitchen table almost falling out of the chair. My new philosophy is who needs to buy beds for you kids when they will sleep just about anywhere but their own bed.

NKOTB

2008-11-12T14:54:00.000-06:00

NKOTB Yes we went to the New Kids On The Block Concert!

2008-11-12T14:33:00.004-06:00

My friends came into town this last weekend and we went to the NKOTB concert. What flashbacks of the 80's! We had a really fun time. The boys still had all their moves. They sang alot of their old songs you know like Hanging Tough, Step by Step, Cover Girl, and Right Stuff. Wow we are getting old! It has been 15 years since they were together.

The Good, The Bad, an The Just Plain Ugly!

2008-11-08T10:22:00.003-06:00

3- My friends Erin, Ellen and I went to the Virgin Islands. On our way home an engine blew in our plane. We saw dark clouds of smoke and heard alot of noise. We were crying and holding each others hands. We thought we were going to die! But we made it!

2- I put salve on everything. My husband calls me the salve women. Lips, pimples, cuticles, toe nails, scars, stretch marks, bug bites, ingrown hairs, dry skin, noses.
Anywhere on my body! I love salve and chapstick! It works!HA

1- My favorite day is July 12th. That was the day I got everything that was important to me! I recieved my temple endowments and made promises to my Heavenly Father. I Married the love of my life Jason McDonald!

This was fun just read and then forget right! Don't hold it against me! I want to keep seeing other's join in. So whoever reads this now you have to do it!

The Good, The Bad, and The just plain ugly!

2008-11-08T09:34:00.002-06:00

OK can't we just all admit that we are normal. I have just way to much dirt! I tried to forget about it along time ago. But here it goes for fun!!!

10- My junior year of high school I wanted to show off. So I decided to steal my Dad's candy apple red Porshe. Of course he was out of town along with my mom. I marked where the tires were in the driveway with a marker to make sure I parked it back just right. I hit turbo once!! HA

9- I never snuck out of the house without my parents knowing. I just plain left!!

8- When I was pregnant with Jake I was a teacher in Relief Society. I was probably 8 months along so I was pretty big. While teaching my lesson my pantyhose began to slip down spontaneously without stopping. They reached my knees and I had a knee length skirt on. I had to do some serious improv. So I had all the sisters closes their eyes and listen to me read a quote. I tied it all into the lesson. In the mean time I had pulled my pantyhose off and stuck them under the small podium if front of me. Nobody new! Thank goodness!

7- I loved to kiss the boys! But only a little kiss! I won't tell how many but there was alot.

6- My senior year of High school- I got really sick and had to go to many Doctor's to find out the problem. After seeing an ENT (ear,nose,throat specialists) I was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Disease. Which is a cancer of the Lymph system. My Aunt had had this and was in remission. But our family was devastated. Come to find out I was mis-diagnosed and after a biopsy of a lymph node in my neck we found out it was Mononucleosis. Yes I stopped kissing the boys!!

5- I got a 8 point reckless driving ticket traveling back to Provo after visiting with Jason. Here's a little back ground. Jason lived in Las Vegas going to UNLV. I was going to hair school in Provo. We were engaged to be married in 8 months. I had gone to visit him over the weekend and didn't leave till 11:00pm. I was trying to get back to Provo quick. I got pulled over clocked at 108mph. He said he clocked me for 15 miles. I cried he let me go. My brother who is a police officer came with me to court. The ticket was reduced to a non moving violation and no points on my record. I never drove that fast again. Learned my lesson!!

4- I was in the Jr Pre Med program in High School. I wanted to be a Anethesiologist. School would have been 3-4 yr under grad, 4 yr med school and 72 month residency. I decided I would start right away. I was registered for class's the summer after graduation. Got married at 19, baby at 20 plans changed!

We have to what?

2008-11-05T12:43:00.002-06:00

My kids were telling me how boring I am I never dress up for Halloween. So I thought I'd drag some old stuff out to dress up for Halloween. Thank goodness others dressed up too.

BOO!!!

2008-11-03T14:46:00.002-06:00

The weather for Halloween was perfect it was in the high 70's. We decided to have a neighborhood bonfire and roast hot dogs and marshmallows for smores. The kids had alot of fun trick or treating with their friends. It only got scarey when a teenager dressed as Jason from Friday the 13th came running down the street with a chain saw. After Lauren saw him she wouldn't treak or treat anymore.

Lauren at the Trunk or Treat!

2008-10-29T22:42:00.005-05:00

Tonight we went to our ward trunk or treat. Lauren was hilarious. Kristin made a chicken costume for her. She wore it well. She walked and ran like a chicken. Every now and again she would even say "bac bac bac". We think she even layed a couple eggs. Katelynd was a 50's Dancer, Lindsay was a witch, and Jake was a cowboy. They all had lots of fun seeing their friends dressed up.

Somebody is Watching!

2008-10-29T15:00:00.002-05:00

I Love to blog. I just wish I had more time to spend keeping in touch with my family and friends. And when I don't have email address's and blog's it makes it hard. I know many of you have visited our family blog. Well we want to visit yours and keep in touch. It is so fun to see your familys, interests and hobbies. It is good to know that there are others out there that have the same goals, striving to raise a righteous family. We are not alone. We have others to support and strenghen us. Help me to keep in touch with you by leaving comments and your email or blog address.

Jason's Been Editing Photos

2008-10-29T13:16:00.002-05:00

Jason Finally got some more photos edited for me to post. We found this barn in Chesterfield by Jason's school. It is located on a 10 acre parcel that is just next to Logan. The man who rents the home on the property said that it is going up forsale for 1.7 million dollars. It is an old estate passed down to children from the original owner. The barn is amazing.

I Love my Boys!

2008-10-29T13:11:00.000-05:00

2008-10-27T16:43:00.000-05:00

Family Pictures...

2008-10-27T16:38:00.001-05:00

Jason And Kristin Finally got some pictures!

2008-10-27T16:28:00.000-05:00

McDonald Kids

2008-10-27T16:14:00.004-05:00

Halloween Preparations!

2008-10-27T15:58:00.002-05:00

Well with 4 girls in the family you could of guessed this would be the most important halloween decor. Especially when mom can do it for us! The girls talked me into manicures and pedicures for Halloween. With stickers and glow in the dark nail polish they are ready to trick or treat. To bad it is in the 40's out here they will have to keep their little toesies covered.

The Big Camping Adventure

2008-10-16T12:27:00.003-05:00

Well Katelynd finally went to 5th grade camp this last week. It has been long awaited. She was able to earn all of her money to pay for her camp. Lucky her she got to miss a whole week of school Lindsay was so jealous. They went to the Cuiver River State park in Troy, Missouri. Their camp included hikes, cave exploring, fishing, dissecting owl pellets (regurgitated hair balls), group games. I told her she was lucky because they had cabins to camp in and mess halls to eat in and bathrooms to pee in. I thought maybe by the end of the week she would have missed us but she said she didn't. She had lots of fun and met alot of new people. She was missed at home. One night Lindsay slept with a picture of Katelynd by her side on her pillow. That saying "can't live with them can't live without them" they can fight alot, but when their sister's gone they sure do miss them. Lindsay can't wait to go to camp next year. It is good to have Katelynd home. She's been a big helper!

Captain Help me put out the Fire!

2008-10-06T16:05:00.003-05:00

Jake went to the Cottleville Fire Department today for a preschool field trip. He was able to touch the jaws of life, hold the fire hose, and set in their new fire truck. The captain geared up with everything on boots, gloves, mask, coat, helmet and breathing tank. Jake was so scared he wouldn't even touch him. We had a long discussion about why he shouldn't be afraid. That in a fire that is who you would see coming to save you if Mom and Dad couldn't. He told me he wanted me to save him!

Scooter Training!

2008-10-06T16:00:00.002-05:00

Lauren decided she wants to be like the big kids. So she took over their scooter the other day. She worked so hard on getting up on the scooter but it just didn't work. But it sure did keep her entertained for awhile.

Nellena's Wedding

2008-10-05T21:49:00.002-05:00

A few weeks ago I was able to fly out to Salt Lake to do Nellena's hair for her wedding. It was fun to get to visit with everyone. I really enjoyed going to the Bountiful Temple. It was my first time going to that temple. Thank you Nellena for flying my out. I was also able to visit with my sister Jill and her family before they left for France. It was a great little vacation for me.

2008-09-29T15:33:00.002-05:00

Holly Goodrich, Tracy Bonadio, Leslie Harms Tag your IT!
If you don't have a blog put it on your facebook wall! If you do have a blog and read this share your blog with me in the comments Thank You!

This was fun! Thanks chelsea! Just don't hold me accountable for some of the things I said!HA HA Cute idea to get to learn some fun things about others.

2008-09-29T15:18:00.002-05:00

3 SURPRISING FACTS

1. I repelled off a 300 foot cliff comando! Comando is going facefirst not feetfirst!

2. I kissed Ronnie Vannucchi the drummer from the band The Killers. In High school of course.

3. I can cut and highlight my own hair.

2008-09-29T15:06:00.002-05:00

3 OBSESSIONS

1. I'm a neat freak! I've always been told I'm a Perfectionist! Jason says he can't even put a cup down, because I will take it and put it in the dish washer.

2. I must say I am obsessed lately with what I eat. I look at the ingredients of everything I eat. It makes me go crazy sometimes. High fructose corn syrup, bleached flours, hydrogenated oils, and refined sugars are in everything. It's hard to find food that doesn't have those in.

3. OK! You can't repeat this to others. I am a Picker/Popper. I pick anything but noses, and other gross places you may think of. My babies never had baby acne Mom took care of that.

2008-09-29T14:48:00.002-05:00

3 FEARS
1. When Lindsay was 2 she fell into a lake at a family reunion. I had to jump out of a 2cd story window to get down into the water to save her. Now since then I am afraid of my kids drowning. I even have night mares about it.

2. I am terrified of needles! I used to be a Medical Assistant/Phlebotomist. I had no problems sticking other people with needles. But I was never the guinea pig when we were getting trained it terrified me. I had all my kids natural because of that fear! They showed me an epidural needle. There was no way I was getting that in my back!

3. I can't help Jason do any electrical work in the house. Electricity scares me. I thinks its because Jason yells loud every time I touch wires to try to tease me.

TAGGED!

2008-09-29T14:27:00.002-05:00

I GOT TAGGED!
A friend in my ward Tagged me. To find out more about my secrets!
It was so hard to narrow down all of my joys there are so many! I am so blessed, I am so thankful to know this life has a purpose. How grateful I am to be here on this earth to enjoy the simplicity of life and learn how to limit the complexity's in it.

3 JOYS...
1. My FAMILY! My relationship with my Heavenly Father. My relationship with my
husband Jason. My relationships with my children Katelynd, Lindsay, Jacob,and
Lauren. They all are so different and bring me so much joy. That all of this is
eternal that is joy to me. To know that this is Forever. Together as a Family!

2. Laying on a beach in the Carribean watching the sunset!

3. Bike riding on a country road. On a beautiful fall day. Or just having a quiet
moment to organize my thoughts.

Lauren's Jealous she wants Braces!

2008-09-29T14:13:00.002-05:00

This is what I woke up to this morning. Jake and Lauren were playing in the dress up clothes. Lauren decided to use the Billy Bob teeth. At first I thought she was chewing her cud in her mouth. I was wrong this is what I found!

Anyone have a metal detector?

2008-09-29T13:57:00.002-05:00

Lindsay was so excited to get braces on! Until she got them. She didn't realize how much they hurt and how many headaches they can give you. Everyone always told her they were so much fun to have. Mom and Dad weren't prepared either. The orthodondist said Lindsay needed braces and a palletal expander ASAP because of her severe overbite. Thanks to a Mikkelson trait. DR said if she doesn't get this fixed now she will have to have oral surgury later in life to break the jaw and reposition the upper jaw. So we went with the less evasive procedure and put her in braces, palletal expander and full front head gear at night to correct the problem. She has been such a good sport. We call her our own little Silvester you know "I tot I taw a putty tat." It's taking her time to learn how to talk differently. She still sings great though! She joined the Choir this year at her school. We love you Linds.

Katelynd's Bakesale

2008-09-29T13:41:00.003-05:00

This year Katelynd really wanted to go to 5th grade camp. So we told her she had to earn all the money otherwise she couldn't go. She decided to have a bake sale to earn the money. What a great job she did. It took a lot of time and effort. But she made the money she needed so she will be off to camp this fall. Good job Katelynd we love you!!!

Birthday at Maggiano's

2008-09-29T13:18:00.004-05:00

Jason decided to take me to my favorite resturant Maggiano's for my birthday. The food was amazing of course. The only down fall was there wasn't much on the menu to accomidate my new life style change of eating no refined sugars, bleached flours, hydro oils, and high fructose corn syrup. Oh well I took the day off for 1 day! We had lots of fun as a family. All the kids went with and we ate family style. Which included a 4 course meal. We were there for about 2 hours and the kids did great. Only mishap was Lauren hit a knife into her glass and the glass broke all over the table. But we had fun anyways.

Football's Here Again!

2008-09-29T13:11:00.003-05:00

Well Football is back for the season. Jake just started his little tacklers league and loves it. Only when it gets cold outside he says he wants to play basketball.

Busy on Break

2008-09-08T14:14:00.002-05:00

Well I finally got a hold on Jason and got some new countertops over his school break. When we moved in the counters were all spliced together in funny spots. So these are the new ones we put in on a school budget. Thank goodness for home depot! It cost all of about $170.00 and some good old liquid nails. Thank you Honey! I love them!

PRESHOOLER LIFE

2008-09-07T14:34:00.003-05:00

Jake finally made it to preschool with no stitches, bruises or concussions. He loves to go to his new class. I think Mom likes it too. He tell's me everyday now that his teacher told him to read. So now every book he sees he says "My teacher told me to read this book." I hope that sticks with him.

KIDS TRYATHLON 2008

2008-09-07T14:10:00.002-05:00

After seeing Mom having so much fun training for her triathlon the Girls wanted to do the YMCA Tryathlon. I think they just wanted an excuse to ride there bikes a whole lot more, go swimming at the pool more, and go running with mom. It was fun to see them finish. They had to swim 100 yards, bike 2 miles, and run a 1/2 mile. They had alot of fun. I think they will do it again next year.

The Girls Enter the Big Cookie Contest!

2008-09-07T13:51:00.002-05:00

Our Ward had a Labor Day potluck at the park on Monday. We had lots of fun. It was a really hot day though. The girls entered the well known cookie contest of the ward. They wanted to make Grandma Mikkelson's crinkle cookies. They had a blast making the cookies and eating the dough. And I must say grandma they turned out just like yours. They took 3rd place.

I COMPLETED MY GOAL

2008-09-04T20:48:00.002-05:00

On Saturday August 30th I raced in the Lake St Louis Triathlon. I can't believe it is already over with. It took over 3 months to prepare for the race and yet it only took 1 hour and 40 minutes to be over with. I am so glad that I pushed myself to race in a triathlon, it was so much fun. There was several members of our ward and stake that raced that day. It was nice to have friends from the ward to motivate and push you to the finish line. The race started at 8:35am for our Heat. First we swam 1/4 mile, then we biked a 16.9 mile ride, and finished with a 2.6 mile run home. The weather was perfect and the water temp was in the 70's. The race was very organized and well planned, they provided a nice lunch after and all the water and gaterade you could chug. Thank you Cory for the bike. I couldn't have done the race with out your info and gear you gave me. Thank you to all of those who helped me through this expierence I loved every minute of it. From the butt pain from riding my bike so much, to the back pain from running. Thank goodness for Chiropractors! Thank's Ryan! It all pays off in the end when you have your family and friends cheering for you as you cross the finish line. I hope to keep setting new goals and challenge my self in future triathlons and races. All of you who have thought of doing something like this JUST DO IT! It was so worth it. I ended up taking 9 place in my age division. That sounds really good but there was only 11 in my division HA. I took 196 out of 255 short course participants. Give me credit though it was my first race. I hope to beat my time next year. Thank you again for everyone's help to motivate me. It worked!

First Day of School

2008-08-24T21:25:00.003-05:00

The Summer is finally over. The girls were so excited to start the school year out at there new school. Katelynd is now in 5th Grade and Lindsay is in 4th. They both love their new teachers. We thought that they would be afraid to start at a new school again for the second time but they have transitioned very well. They are making new friends easily and love going to class. Now they are trying out for Basketball at the High School. We will keep you posted on if they make it on the Bulldog Team.

Garage Sale August 9th, 2008

2008-08-11T23:10:00.003-05:00

Well I think Jason and I finally decided this was our last Big garage sale. They are so much work. I think the only thing that I got enjoyment out of it was that my house was organized and that I got rid of alot of stuff. Next time I think we are going to just get rid of it instead of sale it. People just want things for free!! It took me a full week to get things together and ready for the sale. The sad thing is the girls Lemonade stand did better than our garage sale. Maybe they can float some loans for the poor student. I did get some good pictures of Jason's special talent though Dumpster Diving. I made him get me some boxes. I couldn't reach. So watch out Dad will just jump on in.

Training For Triathlon On August 30th

2008-08-06T22:27:00.006-05:00

For the last 3 months I have been training for the Lake St Louis Triathlon. Wow what a commitment! I never knew how much time it takes out of your schedule for training. I am now up to a 3 mile run at least 5X a week and I try to ride my bike 25 miles 3X a week, and try to manage to fit in 1 mile swims at the YMCA or at the lake at least once a week. I just want to thank my brother Cory for giving me his rode bike. I definitely found an activity I enjoy. And it makes all the difference when you have the right equipment. So thank you Bro you are helping me complete my goal of getting into shape. Just recently my father-in-law Doug sent me an e-mail of a Father and Son Triathlon duo. You have to see this!! I thought I have it hard. This amazes me. Encourages me. Humbles me.
CLICK ON LINK

Trip to Utah

2008-07-24T14:18:00.014-05:00

During our summer trip I was able to go see my sister Jill and her family who live in West Jordan, Utah. While we were there we were able to visit the grave site of our Grandparents on our mothers side. The Warburton's. I am thankful for the knowledge I have of eternal life and that our lives don't end here. That we will be able to be together again. I love my family so very much and appreciate what they stand for and their example to me and my family. It was nice to visit family this summer, strengthen relationships and make new memories. That is what gets me through being so far away.

Brad and Solange Woods Visit this Spring 2008

2008-07-24T14:18:00.012-05:00

This spring the Missonary that baptized Jason and his mother came out to visit us with his wife Solange. They are from Australia. Brad has not been back to the states since his mission in 1982. It was so much fun getting to know them and hanging out. What a blessing to have had Elder Wood enter Jason's life. I am greatful for Missionary work! It is amazing to think of the impact that Elder Wood had in Baptizing one into the fold. Now there is a temple marriage that is a result and 4 children that will be raised strong in the Gospel. We hope our children will serve missions and remember the happiness that it can bring to Families. We love you Brad and Solange Thank you for coming to visit. We hope to see you in Australia! While here we found out about their famous Magical son. We've put a link on the blog so you can view for fun. He does most of his Magic tricks for charity.

Still New At This Blogging Stuff

2008-07-24T14:18:00.003-05:00

Well I just wanted to aplogized to everyone for wasting their time coming to our blog site. As you have noticed I finally updated everything. Time just flys by and I just wish I had more of it to spend on blogging. I Hope everyone is Healthy and Happy. If you have any Blogging ideas or tricks let me know!

Back From Summers Fun!

2008-07-23T18:15:00.001-05:00

We have made it back from a long Vacation to Las vegas. The Family left April 17th for a 3 week fun vacation with Dad while he was on break between Trimesters. Dad came home May 10th and we stayed another 7 weeks in Las Vegas while Dad was home in Missouri back to the Grind of school and studing how fun!! We had so much fun visiting with family and friends while we where there. We wish we could have stayed longer. It was a sad Goodbye.