Biggest Loser Competition

Hi Friends!

I am going to do another Biggest Loser Competition and wanted to invite anyone who would like to participate. I know it is the new year and I have a resolution to lose weight and I do so much better when I am accountable to something. The competition will run December 31-February 25. Here are the details:

This is all on your honor, you weigh in on the designated days on the SAME SCALE each time WEARING THE SAME THING with NO SHOES and phone/text/e-mail me your weight.
The first weights are due to me by MIDNIGHT DECEMBER 31st
The cost is $20 due to me by Dec 31 (if you are out of town, get it in the mail asap). IF YOU WRITE A CHECK I WILL NOT DEPOSIT IT UNTIL THE END OF THE COMPETITION
If you lose 10% of your starting weight you get $10 back
There will be 3 intermediate weigh ins for a $10 prize to whoever has lost the most weight DURING THOSE 2 WEEKS. Those weigh ins will be on January 14, 28, and February 11. (every other Friday)
Final weights will be due February 25th at MIDNIGHT
At the end of the competition all remaining money will be split between the top 3 losers 50%/30%/20%
I will keep all weights confidential and the only thing that will be sent out is % lost.

I will open this up to anyone who is interested, so if you know someone who would like to participate send them the details. The more people involved the more prize money to be won!

If you want in let me know and I will send you my phone number and e-mail

Christmas Letter...a little late.

This holiday season came upon us way too fast and I didn't get everthing done that I needed to(not surprised) but at least the important things got done and we spent time with our family and friends! One of the things that didn't get done was sending out Christmas cards. I really had good intentions and bought cards last year after Christmas on sale that hold a picture, and I ordered copies of our family picture to put in them, BUT, when I put the two together Natalie and Lilly were cut out of the window. Now that I am looking at this picture below, I may have been able to use it, but really they didn't get sent out because I just ran out of time.
I would like to share a little about what our family has been up to though, since 2010 was a pretty big year for our family!

Hailey turned 8 this year and was baptized. It was a very special day for all of us and we are so proud of the example that Hailey sets for her younger siblings. Hailey is now in 3rd grade and is one of the top in her class for math and reading. She also enjoys doing ballet and piano and playing with her friends as often as possible. She also played soccer and T-ball again and tried volleyball this year. Hailey is also my biggest helper at home. She is very responsible and is the best at doing her chores.

Allyson turned 6 this year. As you can see she has been losing teeth like crazy. Allyson started 1st grade and is SO smart. She is reading at a 5th grade, 9th month reading level! Allyson is a social butterfly and makes friends with everyone she meets. She is also doing ballet and piano this year and has really worked on focusing her attention. Allyson also played soccer and T-ball again. Allyson has always been a little mommy and she is a big help with taking care of her little brother and sister.

Natalie is our little princess. She loves all things girly and pink. Natalie turned 4 this year and started preschool. She loves being able to play with her friends and learning her ABC's. Natalie loves to sing all the time and is also doing ballet and is very graceful and talented. She played T-ball for the first time this year and had Aunt Robin for her coach. Natalie is also very funny and likes playing jokes, especially anything that teases her siblings.

Lilly has had a big year this year as well. She turned 2 and is learning to talk really well. She is adjusting to no longer being the baby in the family (sort of), but loves having mommy's attention as often as possible. Lilly is very strong willed and knows what she wants. She loves her siblings very much and is always right in on the action with them.

In 2010 (obviously) we went from having four kids to five! Brayden has been a wonderful blessing to our family. He is such a happy and easy-going baby. He is quick to laugh and everyone loves him. He has also been our fastest mover and started walking a few days before he turned 10 months old. He already loves cars and balls and is all boy!

Allan is still working for IHS in Fort Hall. It is a good job and we are grateful to him for working so hard to support our family. He enjoys going out an playing sports whenever he gets the chance including coaching Hailey and Ally in soccer this year. He loves helping out with the youth campouts and went to Girls Camp, Scout Camp and High adventure this year. He also had the chance to go on several hikes including Table Rocka and Mt. Borah.

I have been very busy helping at the kids schools and trying to keep up with the responsibilities a family of 7 bring. I have also started up selling Pampered Chef again. This year I opened up a Bountiful Basket Co-Op site and really love doing that. I also enjoy exersizing and crafting in my "spare" time.

This year marks 10 years since Allan and I met. We love spending time together. One of our favorite things to do is to go down to BYU for as many sporting events as possible. This year we attended football, basketball, soccer, and volleyball games. Also since we have been in this ward we have had the great opportunity of serving together in every calling we have had. This year we spent half the year teaching youth Sunday School and the other half teaching Hailey's primary class. As a family we have had some fun trips together this year to Yellowstone, Utah and Arizona.

We have been very blessed this year and are so grateful for our family and friends! We are thankful for the gospel and the happiness that it brings to us especially at this time of year as we remember the birth of our Savior. Merry Christmas and may 2011 bring you much happiness!

Santa Claus Came to Town!

We heard through the grapevine (Trudy told Zoe) that Santa Claus would be at the John Deer Store one night.
Seeing as how I am not a farmer, and I have 4 daughters we had never been to the John Deer store, even though it's right around the corner.

The kids were pretty impressed with all of the toys, and so was Allan for that matter. (Santa if you're reading this Allan would like a riding lawn mower with a snow plow attachment.)

Plus as you can see they had cookies so who could complain right?

We thought Santa was supposed to be there from 5-8 and we got there about 7.

Turns out he was only supposed to be there until 7, and we got there just in time!

Remember this a couple years ago? She was much more friendly this year. Plus she really wanted canes. (That's what she calls Candy Canes!)

Lilly was pretty friendly herself, I guess she got the memo that he brings presents!

Brayden didn't get the memo or he just doesn't care about the presents, but he wanted nothing to do with the Big Guy.

I am so glad we went! The kids each got coloring books and a bag of candy and a printed picture of them sitting on Santa's lap. Plus there was cookies and juice!

Nutcracker

It's that time of year again! This is Hailey and Ally's 3rd Nutcracker, and Natalie's 2nd. This year Hailey and Ally are attending ballet 3 hours a week and Natalie 1 hour a week. It is exciting to see them progress and they all did so amazing on stage this year!
Natalie's class were mice, and Ally helpped out. Ally got to be the first little mouse that goes on and does a little solo part before the other mice come on.

All of the girls were in the Overture as princesses.

Natalie was funny because when she was a mouse she didn't really want her picture taken, but when she put on her princess tutu she turns into a little DIVA!

This is Natalie with her class.

Hailey and Ally were told to "Catch a Bubble" so they would be quiet back stage.

I convinced them to let it out for a picture though!

This is their Tuesday class, on Tuesdays they go together for an hour and a half, then they each go a different day for another hour and a half.

This is Hailey's Thursday class dressed up in their Chinese outfits.

Ally's other dance was the Madam Ginger dance (they come out from under a giant skirt). She said that was her favorite dance because she gets to dance with a boy (help me). I feel really bad because I never got a picture of her in it. She performed that dance on Friday night and the Wednesday dress rehearsal, and I chaperoned on Thursday/Saturday so I was never back stage when she had it on. You can see her performance pictures HERE and HERE

HaLlOwEeN 2010

Natalie: Cinderella

Hailey: Vampire

Brayden: Dragon

Ally: Hannah Montana

Lilly" Whinnie the Pooh

Tiger Lillies!

Hailey played soccer this fall. In the past I don't think she was really all that into it, but this year she did great!

Allan was her coach again, our team was half from our neighborhood, and half from another school. Back: Allan, Ashley, Natae, Hailey, Lexy, Maddie, Megan
Front: Katie, Tyler, Megan, Lexy, Corbin, and my Hailey.

Both Hailey and Ally have been #3 because that was Allan's number.

Hailey is far left in this picture going for the ball.

Hailey is really quite competative (like her parents) so she wants to be the best. She isn't quite there yet, but in my opinion she may have been the most improved on the team so if she keeps it up she could be great one day!

Charity Auction Event

Last week my best friend's parents lost their home in a fire. They were inside at the time, but luckily were able to get out safely. Unfortunately they did not have insurance and have been hit with a huge financial burden. A blog auction has been organized with all of the proceeds being donated to their family. It will take place December 15th and 16th and all items will be shipped in time for Christmas. There is a link on my blog to go and see the items that will be auctioned, also if you have something to donate to the cause or know someone who does there is information on how to donate on the blog. Please pass the word along!

P.S. Sorry about the lack of blogging, I will try to catch things up before Christmas.

I Can Can, Can You?

This last month has been busy, but uneventful at the same time...does that make sense?
I have been doing a lot of canning, so far I have done peaches, green beans, spaghetti sauce and stewed tomatoes. I still have tons more tomatoes and am planning on making some more sauce and some salsa. I also will be doing apple sauce very shortly, and maybe some apple pie filling.
I put up my Halloween Decorations. I change this planter shelf for each season and try to make most of the other things in my house year round decorations because it's easier on me.
I have a lot of really cute fall/Halloween stuff. This shelf is very busy, I guess my fall stuff may start to expand beyond my "seasonal shelf."
My friend Janae at Thoughts In Vinyl has her craft group this Friday and I am trying to decide if I have more room for fall/halloween crafts, but they are so cute I will probably do them because I can't resist!
This witch one may be my very favorite!
Janae is also doing a give-a-way right now, so go enter!
Here is the whole effect...too busy?
Besides canning and putting up decorations we have been doing the school/homework/reading thing, going to soccer games and practice, ballet 3 days a week, piano lessons (and trying really hard to fit practicing in, sorry Natalie) and heading down to BYU for football games. Also, (I guess I should take pictures and do a post about this) I run a Bountiful Baskets site. It's nice to be back in a routine, but I feel like there isn't anything interesting to blog about because we do the same thing day-to-day.

WARNING

Do not have 5 kids unless you want to do A LOT of this!

WE LOVE BYU!

This may not be something most people are willing to admit this year, but it is true. Win or Lose (and this year has been mostly lose) our family bleeds blue. This has been a tough year so far for BYU and after 4 losses in a row, Allan is still hoping that we can end the season 8-5. I will be happy if we can win more than we lose! No matter what happens, we will be there to cheer on BYU. GO COUGARS!

Family Pictures

I don't have time to blog, but we got these pictures taken a few weeks ago and I have been dying to post them. These are a few of my favorite group shots, when I have more time I will change the individual pictures on the blog to my favorites of them.



This is probably the most realistic picture to portray our lives.
P.S. Thanks to whoever it was who helped me out today, it meant a lot.

Honey Bee Dance Clinic

Saturday the girls went to a dance clinic over at the high school. It was really fun, they got to go and spend the day learning some dances and had lunch and got a T-shirt. Then they had a little performance for the parents before we picked them up.
I am not going to lie, it was pretty hilarious watching them dance, but they had a good time and that's what's important!

Grandpa Fessler

My Grandpa Fessler passed away on Monday morning and his funeral was yesterday. This was a very bitter/sweet moment in my life. Almost 3 years ago he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and given 3-6 months to live. Those 3 years were very hard in many ways watching him suffering, but I realized yesterday how important it was for him to have them. My grandpa has always held his emotions instead of expressing them, in these last 3 years he has softened and been able to express his love to his children and grandchildren in a way that probably never would have happened had he gone quickly. He also had time to get things in order for my grandma and the rest of the family. It was very hard watching this strong man, who I looked up to all my life, become so weak physically.
Growing up I loved my grandpa very much. I love the smell of cut wood because he was a wood shop teacher and I remember going and visiting him in his classroom. I have many treasured things that he made for the grandchildren in his shop each year for Christmas. He was a golf pro and when I was probably about 12 he took me to the golf course and we would drive a cart around and sell drinks to the golfers. He also taught me to play golf although I wish I would have taken more of an interest in it. He loved to play games and was the luckiest person I know! We would play rummy and aggravation. Because I am a very open and emotional person, I thought I didn't have a great relationship with him because he is a man of very few words, I started thinking about our time we spent together and realized how much I now treasure those times.
This is my grandma. I love her so much. Growing up I spent a lot of time at my grandparents house while my parents were working and I have always looked up to my grandma and tried pattern my life after her example. I spent the last 16 hours or so of my grandpa's life with her and the rest of the family that was there, and it was a very special time that I will always remember. My grandma was so strong. She lied by my grandpa's side as his body shut down, comforting him and telling him how much she loves him. After he passed she pinched his nose commented on how handsome he still was. She was sad to lose him and didn't want them to take his body away, but she was once again an example to me, she knows that he is in a better place and is no longer suffering.

(This is a picture of me and my cousin Kim)

At the funeral it was interesting to hear from his children about their experiences with him. Each was very different. I laughed and I cried as they shared their stories. My grandpa touched so many people during his life. His life sketch was amazing hearing about different times in his life. Missionary work was an overwhelmingly big part of his life and he has been and influence in over 100 people joining the church. Even until the very end of his life he was teaching the gospel and his influence was so strong several of the young men in the ward that he taught came to visit him often including the day before he died. My Aunt Vicki composed a life history of my grandpa and gave everyone a copy of it at the funeral. I am very excited to dive into this history and learn even more about my grandpa.
It was great to see and spend time with my dad's side of the family. I am the oldest grandchild and have not lived close to any of them for over 10 years although I lived close to most of them growing up and they are a huge part of my life. I am a little sad that I haven't made more of an effort to spend time with my grandparents in these last few years. We did get to visit them when we were down in Utah from time to time, but it was a little difficult because I have so many small children and the noise and crying etc. that comes along with that were hard for my grandpa. I am grateful to know that I will see my grandpa again, and that we will be a family forever. He was a great man and great example of a faithful follower of Christ and the greatest gift I think I can give my grandpa is to do my best to be the same.