Can you guess who?

Well considering that this picture was taken on November 19, 1927 it would be hard to tell who it is. I came across it while cleaning out my basement a while ago. It was definitely a treasure because it wasn't a copy it was the original. It is a picture of my Grandpa and Grandma Kener while they were still dating. This is my Dad's Mom and Dad. It was taken at my Grandma's house in Logan. She use to write on the back of everything so she would remember what it was. They died over 20 years ago....can't believe it has been that long. So I had Dan scan the picture into the computer so I could send it to snap fish and order a 8x10 for my Dad for Father's day. I don't think he even knows that I have this picture so I am excited to give it to him. My Grandma and Grandpa were truly special to me as a little girl. I am so glad my Mom and Dad are young and will be around in all my kids lives. They are truly special to my kids.

And the date is....

When ever anybody hears that Dan and I are engaged they ask "When is the date?" OK your entitled to ask. I guess its been like we are married already. Living together, raising three kids, everything that goes along with being married. Except for the fact that I really can't wait to change my name to Roman. I didn't go back to Kener after the divorce because I thought Dan and I would be married by now. I will be honest...I get lots of benefits being a single mom of three....and we will leave it at that. Well we decided to make the date for next summer. Everyone keeps saying why wait that long you have waited long enough? I don't need a piece of paper to tell me that I am going to be with Dan the rest of my life. However I know its the right thing to do. After going through one horrible marriage I just don't want to ever do it again. Not that Dan is anything like my ex-husband...he is quit the opposite actually...anyway getting off subject. We decided to tie the knot next summer. I would like to do it on the day we met which is July 2. We talked about going somewhere and getting married on a beach. But my two older kids really want to be there. So it may be something here in Utah...very small and sweet. And then we can go on the honeymoon. Oh my heck we have not gone away alone since way before Chloe was born. Way before!!! I am ready for my alone time with Dan. We have a lot going on in our lives with two pre-teens, his job, my school, my ex moving into the neighborhood.....I think it is time for us. We are not even married yet and it feels like we have been for 15 years and forgot to be selfish for us. I will let you know when we have more details on the wedding. I am sure we will do some sort of invite.

Chloe Laughing

This video was taken a while ago, but it is Dan's favorite so I wanted to post it.

Bye, Bye Contacts....and glasses!

You won't see many pictures of me wearing my glasses. However I have to wear them for a week because I am finally getting laser eye surgery. When I was a kid I always said if I had one wish it would be to be able to see without my glasses. However since laser eye surgery came out the prices have gone up. But is will be worth it. It is hard to go outside without sunglasses. My eyes are so sensitive to sun light. I went biking this morning and realized how much I love my sunglasses. I cut the cycle short this morning. I guess the only bad thing about being able to see always is that now I have to keep my shower clean because I will always be able to see it.

Have owie...need band aid..

This is what Chloe kept saying to me when she woke up from her nap yesterday. "Have owie need band aid". Which I figured it was for her tow week old owie on her elbow she obsesses about every time she sees it. Than she developed a fever of 99.9. By the time Dan got home at 5:30 she became very listless so we took her to after hours kids care. Her fever was up to 101.5 by now. She kept saying "have owie need band aid". I thought it may be ear infections. The doctor checked and no ear infection. So she diagnosed with hands foot mouth disease, HMMM I don't know if this was very accurate which makes me a little irritated. The nurse gave her Motrin and sent us on our way. As soon as we walked in the door she threw up everything. Ten minutes late she was back to herself. I decided it must have been too many grapes at lunch...not really. Luckily she slept until 11:30 with no problems. I guess I was tuned into her all night because I ran into her room right before she threw up again and caught her as she tried to cough up an undigested grape. Mom's instincts are amazing. Her fever shot up to 102.9..............scary I know!!! So I brought her into bed with us and kicked Dan on the couch so one of us could get some sleep. Her fever finally broke at 3:00 a.m. . But she was still so restless and she almost fell off the bed numerous times....poor baby. I had to put her in her crib and try to sleep for an hour before I had to get up and start the day. Needless to say I think it is just the flu...and we will be napping lots today.....again...thank goodness I drink coffee!!

Our Wet Memorial Day BBQ!!!

We had fun despite the rain. The kids kept busy by playing hide and seek in the basement. We were missing our brother Mike(we see few and far between anyway these days) our sister Amanda...although Grandpa and Grandma brought her 2 year old Tanner, and little sister Kellee who is about to have baby #3 and just doesn't want to go anywhere. I take lots of pictures because we love to look back and remember. This one will be remembered by being all wet but actually quite relaxing....enjoy the slide show...let me know what you think!!

Memorial Day?

top 2007-bottom 2008

It is seriously sad to see our pool closed up this year as the rain pours down. However the annual BBQ must go on. The family is still coming over for our annual BBQ. The pool not included this year. This means I will have to endure all 15 grand kids in my house. I love all the kids but that's a lot and they are crazy when they are all together and they can't go outside. I guess they can still jump on the tramp in the rain and pretend they are really big sprinklers. Oh well.....we need the moisture right? I will take lots of pictures of this crazy day and post a slide show tomorrow!!

7's about my kids

I have been tagged by Shalise.........Ok I will play along

Preston
1. Can make anyone laugh(I don't care how serious you are)
2. Is the top reader in his class(learned to read at 3)
3. Excellent skateboarder
4. Teaching himself to play guitar by ear
5. Over protective of his little sisters
6. Loves his cousins and loves when we have get together with them
7. Loves to be tucked in still my his mom(don't tell him I said so........but I love this)

Hannah
1. Champion Gymnast
2. Loves to argue about everything(she will either be on the debate team in high school or grow up to be a lawyer)
3. Very good artist and loves to draw
4. Says the cutest things but hates when we point them out
5. She is the best behaved student in class(no I am not kidding the teacher says so every year)
6. Loves animals of all kinds and wishes she could have one of each species in her room.
7. She is not a girly girl....she tells me all the time....and wants everyone to know.

Chloe
1. She is 22 months and knows all her colors
2. Her blankie is called her "boo" because its what we used when we first played peek a boo
3. Loud noises scare her, and she loves to be home
4. She knows all the words to itsy bitsy spider
5. She is very shy and you have to earn her affection
6. She loves her popo(preston) and her nana(hannah)
7. She has the cutest laugh ever and I will tickle her just to hear her laugh

suspended five times this year AHAHA!!

Preston was suspended again this week. This makes five times this year. I don't know what to do with him. I am pretty strict at home and I feel like we have a pretty stable home life. Well except when he goes to his dad's but that's a whole other story. I am so tired of blaming everything on his ADHD. His doctor just upped his dose back up to 40mg from 18 mg. I hold him responsible every time he gets suspended. And every time hads been his fault....except this time. First of all his class had a sub, and she left the class alone for an inside recess day. HELLO....duh!!! Well Preston found out that this girls(who is been a bug to him all year) wrote some notes about him and was sharing them around class. So he tried to get them from her desk. Yes, I held him responsible for getting into someones desk. So anyway he got the notes and was trying to read them when the girls saw ans freaked out(I think they were love notes and she was freaking out he found them) so her and four..yes 4....other girls cornered him and began kicking and hitting him.......remember no teacher in the room. Then one girl threw a ball at his face so he tried to retaliate and throw it back at her....then the girl picked up her pen and began stabbing Preston in the arm and broke his skin.......not only was there no teacher but the kids in the room were not helping and another UN supervised class was in the door way watching. So he picked up a bat and told them to back off. He didn't hit anyone thank goodness.....the Principal said he may even get expelled this time.....I am so angry about this whole thing. So Dan and I are going in this afternoon in his defense. I just feel so bad and wish I could have popped in and helped him. I don't care if it was girls. It reminds me of when I was his age and was picked on until graduation day. Its hard on your self esteem for a long time. I just hope we can nip this in the but and he can have a better year next year.

Terrible 2's

OK Dan and I have decided to call it the challenging 2's. Chloe May has always been extremely shy. She's a home body and very attached to her dad and I and Hannah and Preston. Even Grandpa and Grandma make her cry. Its so sad because she won't go to anyone. The funny thing is the only one she is really fond of in the family is my little sister Kellee who is expecting a baby girl any day. We think that the girls were best of friends in heaven and Chloe can't wait for her to be born. Apart from being totally shy, Chloe has been on this new screaming kick. Anything she is serious about she screams it. Not out of anger or fear....she just screams anything. She is very loud too. I am home with her all day now(which I love) but by the time dinner is on the table and things get crazy at night I have about had it. She loves to throw herself on the ground to for anything that makes her mad. I doesn't even have to be a big thing. Besides her being an almost 2 year old, I love being home with her and she is my little shadow. I cherish my time with her and I cherish my time when she is napping and when I take her to the gym day care for an hour each morning. She is such the little miracle that I am grateful to have in my life.

Cherishing My Weekends...

OK we all cherish our weekends. However, my weekends are a little different than others. Some weekends I have Preston and Hannah and sometimes I don't. Dan and I don't go out(we hardly ever go out anyway)when they are with us for the weekend. We have movie nights and big breakfast mornings. I don't cook when they are not here...not even dinner. So when they are home I plan big breakfasts in the morning and a big Sunday dinner with dessert(the only night we eat dessert). Well now my ex........their dad.......lives down the street so our weekends are sporadic. When they are suppose to be home with us they are over there and want to spend the night. His new soon to be wife(there getting married in August) has four kids and two of them are very good friends with Preston and Hannah. Although I am grateful that they get along with their new step-sibling, I cherish my weekend time with them. This was suppose to be our weekend with them and Preston almost being a teenager, wanted to sleep over there with his new step brother. They don't have a curfew over at dad's. I let him Friday night...missing him for our Saturday waffles and sausage. Then he wanted to last night......but I rented the water horse and we were having a movie night. Holy cow this kid has to fight me on everything. Then he tells me, as I tuck him in(at least he still likes me to tuck him in :)) "I am going fishing at 5:00 am tomorrow with Conner(step bro) and Devon(bf)." I was like ya right you won't get up that early..."good night I love ya bud." Well sure enough he got up and left at five o clock this morning. I made scones and bacon without him. I am a little sad...cause I cherish this time with my kids...it so carefree. I guess I should be glad that its almost summer and most days will be carefree now. I should also be grateful that they come home when they are suppose to be with their dad. I am not grateful for the four extra kids that tag along....but that is a whole other post topic....

Its good to be home...now I'm ready for the honeymoon

Our trip to Florida was so much fun. It was hard to leave but good to be home. I think I forced myself to get better before the four hour flight with the two girls. It was a struggle with Chloe. She had a hard time sitting on my lap for that long and hated getting her diaper changed in those tiny bathrooms. The flight home she screamed for what seemed like an hour because I didn't give her a nap. It will be a while before I take a baby on a flight that long again. It was bitter sweet for the kids to be home. They missed the cats and their friends, but they loved Florida. I don't think I could go to Disney Land ever again. It would be so boring compared to Disney World. I am still recovering from our trip though. I am glad the semester is over at least and I can just stay home. I have a couple of on-line classes this summer. But for the most part I get to be home with the kids. It will finally be warm enough to get our pool ready this weekend. The kids are already talking about planning an end of the year pool party. I guess after I plan a Memorial day party for me family I can plan a party for their friends. You can't have a pool in your backyard and not expect everyone over all summer. But if you know me well enough you would know that I LOVE to entertain and have people over. I hope you all enjoyed the slide shows of our trip....it was so much fun....only five weeks until we leave for Nebraska....I LOVE SUMMER!!

Here is day 2 and 4 at the beach club pool and clear water beach

Florida day 1 & 3...push pause on my music player so you can here the music on the slide show

Florida day 1

Day 1 on our trip...

Day 1 on our trip in Florida...this is us taking off in the plane!!

Note from my death bed

OK I am not dying but I feel like it. Two days before we are going to fly off to Florida I get the Flu. I am flat on my back while my house is in chaos. I feel so helpless when I am sick and I have a family to take care of and a trip to pack for. I suppose to have my mom and dad over for dinner tonight for an early mother's day dinner for my mom. I bought everything for it plus dessert and I can't even go into my kitchen without getting sick. There are five of us I have to pack for.......we will be there for8 days........laundry to be done and I wanted the yard to look half decent before we left. I am not planting anything until we get back, because it will just be dead when we get home. I need to make a list of all the things to take on the plane. The girls and I are going on a separate flight from Dan and Preston and I am a little nervous about that because I have not been on an air plane for 13 years. I mean do I bring snacks and movies or just let the airline provide everything? And what the heck do they do with poopy diapers? Well I am one to be overly prepared especially on a four and half flight with a 9 year old and a 22 month old. I just hope I feel better by then and I hope no one else gets it as we are going to Disney world or sea world. It will be so much fun. My next post will probably be from Florida................

Baby Mama

My sister and I went out to a movie last night. We went and saw Baby Mama. Besides this movie being super funny, my sisters and I got out without all the kids and hubby's. This is very rare for us. We went to Archibald's restaurant afterwards and just sat and ate and chatted for what seemed like hours. It was a lot of fun. I feel very fortunate to have so many sisters so close in age in my family. So go see Baby Mama and spend time with your sisters.

This ones for you baby!

With all the crazy things that I blog about in my life...whether it be kids, school, ex-husbands....anything I complain or triumph about..........just wouldn't be possible to deal with or celebrate without my wonderful fiance'. It is so nice to be able to call him that. After being together for almost three years I did start to call him my husband to certain people. Now I can officially call him my fiance and have it be true. He is the most wonderful person in the world. He has been so good to me since the day we met. He was willing to take me and my 2 kids on without hesitation. He supports our family well enough that I am able to go back to school and finish my teaching degree. He puts up with my pre-teen, my ex drama(which is something new monthly). He is the most patient man with our 2 year old and comes home from a hard day at work and takes over being daddy as well as dishes and laundry. He always adds a pillow under my feet when I have time to put them up and lets my sleep in on the weekends. If I were to go on this post would be pages long. He is my better half and I am glad all those foolish women gave him up so he could be mine. I love you baby and you are my everything............

Hannah's Gymnastics Routine

I just have to show off how well Hannah is getting at gymnastics. She has been doing it since she was 5. We are hoping to start competing next year.

31 cent ice cream and entertainment

We went to baskin robins for their yearly 31 cent scoop night last night. Preston fought with me about going because he wants to be with his friends 24/7.....I made it very clear it was a family night so off we went. After getting our scoops and sitting down, Preston made his way out the doors onto the grass(we were at the one on state street). He began running into the door pretending not to see it. After a couple of times of this he had an audience of kids ages 2-7...about!! They were all gathered around him watching his little act.....just laughing at him. Well once you laugh at Preston it gets him going and he doesn't know when to stop! So he added onto his act and more kids gathered around to watch his goofiness....oh my heck he is going to be the next Jim Carey. After he was done one little boy about four, came up to him and said "thanks for making me laugh." It was so cute. Well I guess if he doesn't make it to college then he has other options