Team Hildesheim

Our New Girl

2011-04-16T09:36:00.000-07:00

Chad is a married man!

On April 12, 2011 Chad Sturman Carey and Elena LaRee Rogers married for Time and Eternity in the Mesa, Arizona L.D.S. Temple

I love Elena- correction- We ALL LOVE Elena. I'm so excited that Chad found such a great girl to join in with our crazy family. They are a perfect match.

Parents of the Bride, Wayne and Trisha Rogers. They are wonderful people! I was fortunate to spend a lot of time with Trisha during the trip. We went shopping, out to lunch, picked oranges and had a lot of 'girl talk' time with my mom, too! I can't wait to see her in a few days.

I love this picture of Elena looking at her reflection, with my mom and her cousin smiling in the background. We felt honored to help her get ready for her big day!

Mom and Chad at the after wedding luncheon. Don't they look so amazing?

Elena's sister-in law, cousins and aunts hosted a very nice Bridal Shower for her. This was one of my gifts... I thought it suited her perfectly. :-)

Christmas Staycation

2010-12-23T10:23:00.000-08:00

I love my wonderful little family.

Evan Thomas Hildesheim

2010-11-08T19:41:00.000-08:00

My Babies,

have grown so much.

To my sweet little man,

I love you, Happy Birthday!

Kids and Eggs

2010-11-07T10:15:00.000-08:00

Evan, Evalie and Brenden: The best cupcake makers ever!

Mom: "Evan, it's your turn. Crack the egg and toss it in!"

Mom: "Uh, OK. Let's try that again."

Evie to the rescue.

The End.

Sunday Baking

2010-10-24T18:46:00.000-07:00

When we returned home from church I told Evalie to change her clothes and then we would bake bannana bread. Apparently, this is what she considers to be appropriate baking attire. :-) She was just so cute that I didn't have the heart to ask her to change.

Apparently, her brother doesn't share the same opinion of what is appropriate baking attire. Captain Underpants here, only assisted with the clean up process. I have a No-Baking-in-the-Kitchen-while-Naked policy.

Playing Cinderella

2010-10-10T09:36:00.000-07:00

Only in Rathdrum Idaho you can see guys wearing flannel shirts and jeans to a wedding reception. Poor Isaac, he was out of his element. The whole night he complained that he should be out duck hunting with our Dad. Despite his disappointment, he still shared a dance or two with my little girl. What a great uncle!

I love these kiddos! Happy Birthday Tan-man!

2010-07-31T10:55:00.000-07:00

READY, SET, DRIVE what turned out to be seventeen long hours to Antioch, California! From this pic. you can tell that Shawn wasn't too thrilled about this idea. Me, on the other hand, couldn't have been more giddy about the entire thing. Of course, we'll give Shawn a break, it was five a.m.

To make it through the day, happy and alert, we downed two Red Bull's and two Monster power drinks. Kids, don't try that at home.

We saw so many beautiful landscapes during our drive. This is Mt.Shasta, and um, maybe a smeared bug on the windshield.

2010-07-31T10:21:00.000-07:00

Look, it's Patrick!

"Shark-Bait, Ooo-Ha-Ha!" (c'mon you know that movie.)

And, Mr. Crabs!

Nicole: "I wonder what will happen if I step on it....?" :-)

2010-07-31T09:43:00.000-07:00

Riding bikes around the Bay was so fantastic! We first tried riding on the streets of San Fransisco, but then decided it wasn't the safest idea. Not only did I lose a shoe while zipping downhill, but I hit two cars. We came to a sudden stop while trying to go up hill, and well, being short-legged, I wasn't able to fully reach the ground at that incline. I immediately tipped over onto the car to my left, and just when I thought I had gained my balance, I fell fully onto a parked car to my right. And you know what, I loved every minute of it.

On Pier 39 there were tons of street performers. The really goofy-looking ones were 'pop and locking' on the street for cash! It was so stinkin' hilarious that I couldn't resist jumping right in for this photo-op. It makes me wonder though, are these guys for real? Or are they under-cover insurance agents who get jiggy-with- it on the weekends?

San Francisco

2010-06-16T20:27:00.000-07:00

I am so stinkin' excited right now! In about 32 hrs I will be on my way to Antioch, California to visit our awesome friends, Josh and Nicole Evans. They asked us to drive their U-Haul down and enjoy a fun weekend in San Francisco. I have never been to California, much less anywhere like San Francisco. I'm excited to experience the cultural shock everyone has told me I' m in for. Bring it on! I am hoping to see the lighthouse at Alcatraz, ( I have a thing for lighthouses,) and the Aquarium of the Bay. I really want to see a shark, something that terrifies and fascinates me. I shared this with one of my co-workers, and she just laughed at me. Apparently I haven't 'lived' much. Whatever. I'm okay with being excited over the little things in life....

I can't wait to post pictures and tell you about my trip . Hopefully the fifteen hour drive down won't be too horrible. :-) I am looking forward to the one-on-one uninterrupted time with Shawn though. We haven't had that much face time in, well maybe since our honey moon six years ago? But, I'm still relieved that we will be flying home!!!

This weekend we are also celebrating our 6th wedding anniversary. Can you believe I've been married that long? It has gone by so quickly. I am so grateful for my amazing husband and my two little monsters. I really am a very lucky lady.

2010-05-31T21:47:00.000-07:00

There's No Place Like Home...

2010-05-31T19:51:00.000-07:00

OK, so I believe that the Lord will always provide what is best for each family. It may not be on our terms, our time frame, or what we wanted, but it's always what we need. Even if we just haven't figured it out yet. I feel like that has been the nutshell explanation of my life for last six years.

The Lord always provides, given we do our part. This is one of the ways I'm going to do that. I want to get the word out to everyone that my family is searching for a new home. The situation we are in now has been wonderful, but it has come to a scheduled close. We have been living with our friends, the Cysewski family for the past year. We would have loved to keep this arrangement going, but they will soon be headed south to finish up school. I'm really going to miss them and their beautiful daughters!!!

We had a new home arranged, but unfortunately three days after we put down the deposit and signed the paper work, it all fell through. The landlord wanted more money. She assumed we couldn't afford what she wanted, and therefor informed me I wasn't qualified to rent her house. The lamest part of this story is that she is a member of the church. I guess I just expect better from a fellow sister, but I'm relieved that her character came out before we moved into her house.

So, Team Hildesheim is on the hunt. It would be easy to find a decent apartment, but we would like to find a house to call home. Our children have become accustomed to having a big back yard to play in, and the thought of having no yard, flowerbeds and grass just breaks my heart. And to be honest, it is imperative to my sanity to toss the kiddos in the back yard and let them run off their unyielding energy!

So, if you know anyone who has a house that will be coming available at the end of July, please send them my way! We would prefer a three bedroom, but we can make do with two. We need to stay in the Hayden/Coeur d' Alene area so I can be close to my babysitter and my work.

I know the Lord has a plan for us, and I'm looking forward to our family's upcoming adventure. I've always thought that 'word of mouth' was the best way to get something accomplished, so here we go! Words out, please let me know if you can help!

Thanks!

2010-05-30T19:08:00.000-07:00

Beautiful Babies and the Miracle of Goldfish

2010-04-25T18:01:00.000-07:00

I'll share a fool proof trick with you....Shawn and I rewarded the kids with goldfish crackers after each pose they cooperated together on. I felt like a very successful mom that day by accomplishing two tasks- snack time and family pictures, all at once! Family pictures can be very scary business, you know. The Butterfly wings were Evalie's inspiration. She's a genius, her idea made this truly picture-perfect. If you look closely you will see the necklace she is wearing. It is actually the necklace that I wore on my wedding day. I'm so grateful that she asked to wear it that day because not long after it broke. Tragically, I ran it over with my car. I can't help but giggle a little bit now, even though at the time it really upset me. If you know me well, you won't be surprised that I would do something like that....so typical!

Mommy's Little Man

2009-11-22T18:48:00.000-08:00

Happy 2nd Birthday, Evan Thomas! I am so grateful to have you as my son. You will always be my little man, no matter how big and tough you become.

So Chic...and cat-like?

2009-11-19T17:00:00.000-08:00

It's gone.

After years and years of having long hair it was time for a change. I am now the proud owner of a short, chic and sassy new do. (Thank you Eleasha!)

Think....business in the front & party in the back.
(Ha-ha; j.k).

One of my male customers told me, "Your hair makes you look like the Cheshire Cat, from Alice in Wonderland. But, your smile is nice, and real. The cat's wasn't."

Confussed? Me too. Some men sure know how to sweet talk a lady. Whatever, Cat Woman is sexy.

Stayed tuned for photos.

Sisters

2009-09-05T18:13:00.000-07:00

My little sisters are Superstars. (Bros-I love guys too, but this is about the girls today.) Rachel and Noelle always have my back and step up to help me out. When they babysit, (which is a lot!) all they usually expect in return is free pizza. Sounds fair, right? Considering I used to change their diapers, I think the return on my investment is very profitable.

Because of so many nasty illnessess flying around, last week my usual day care providers started dropping like pigs from the sky. (I know that was lame, but I couldn't resist). Anyway, it goes with out saying that I was a little freaked out about finding someone to watch my kiddos while I went to work.

Guess who saved the day...my sisters!

Thanks girls for dropping everything at the very last minute to help me out. I know you were broken hearted about setting your school work aside for one whole day. I appriciate your commitment to your niece and nephew. They love spending time with you and I'm grateful that they have such wonderful aunties.

And Mom, I know they learned that from your example. Thank you for giving me such wonderful little sisters, even if they were accidents. :-D

I came across these quotes, and just had to post them. It's so true.

"If you don’t understand how a woman could both love her sister dearly and want to wring her neck at the same time, then you were probably an only child.”–Linda Sunshine

"More than Santa Claus, your sister knows if you’ve been bad or good.”–Linda Sunshine

Rachel & Noelle, you are totally not getting coal in your stockings this year!

The Oregon Coast

2009-09-05T17:23:00.000-07:00

Shawn, I love you.....

Even when you terrorize our children with dead crab claws.

Mrs. Randomness

2009-09-05T16:34:00.000-07:00

My room mate, Karlee and I have way too much fun together. We went to the Relient K concert, (haha Rachel) at the Knitting Factory. We totally felt like the old fogies in the room. This little fourteen year old girl asked us to lift her up so she could crowd surf. I was like, "what the heck, I don't want to be liable when you fall and crack your skull open!"

But, I did tap on the shoulder of the nearest sweaty teen-age boy. He was more than happy to help; his eyes practically popped out of his head when he looked at the little cutie.

Our home.
Okay, true to character, I'm late putting out my flower pots. BUT, I just had to have flowers before the end of this year. So, two Home Depot trips later, and with some trial and error, I finally have beautiful Mums that brighten up my front yard. Yes, Green Thumbs, I know it will snow soon and they will die, BUT it's been totally worth it.

My Boys

2009-08-23T18:53:00.000-07:00

Random Summer 2009 Photos...

(Seaside, Oregon)
So Thirsty...

Shawn's idea of a good time.

Hildesheim Updates

2009-07-30T19:50:00.000-07:00

Let me tell you what the Hildesheim family has been up to the last three months....

First of all, Shawn has a new exciting job! He is a car salesman for Dave Smith in Kellogg Idaho. AND NO, we did not move to Kellogg. No way.

He is doing incredibly well considering he has only been out of training for three days and has already sold five cars. I'm very proud of him. He does have to work long days, and in the last three weeks he has been working there, I think he has had a total of two days off. However, I am not complaining. In this economy we are grateful that he even has a job. Working for Dave Smith is a dream job for Shawn -they have their own gym on site. If he does have a lunch break he can work out, shower and get back to selling. Plus his direct manager is a power lifter, so they have a lot in common. The managers are also pretty excited about him, and have been introducing him to the owners.

We did move though. We found a nice house in Hayden, just minutes away from my job. We are renting it out with friends. They live in the basement and keep to themselves for the most part. We love hanging out and playing video games, board games, etc. Sometime the other wife and I stay up late just having girl talk. I love it. We share the laundry room and kitchen. It is actually working out very nicely because we take turns cooking, cleaning and doing the yard work. They have two little girls. Autumn is a baby, but the other Leah, is only a year younger than Evalie. They love playing together!

Evan is becoming just like his dad. It scares me just a little. I know we have many more emergency room visits to come in his future. The kid is crazy. Yesterday, he dived off of the couch, landed on his feet, sprang forward and did a handstand then bounced back and landed on his feet again. Seriously. The kid isn't even two years old. Shawn and I decided to enroll him in gymnastics this fall. He needs an outlet to channel his energy.
Also....yesterday Evan (with a very serious look) stood up on the seat of his sister's bike, raised his arms up into a diving position, yelled out "CROCK!" and dived head first into his play tractor. He is now the proud owner of a fat bloodied lip. No stitches, this time. Crock, is his new favorite word. It's what he calls the vacuum, and just yells out randomly through out the day.
He also is addicted to cleaning. He gets so excited when you give him permission to sweep, vacuum, etc. If he sees dirty dishes, clothes or whatever, he picks it up and puts it in its place. He's just awesome.

Evalie is such a spunky little thing. She is really into learning her alphabet song, numbers and painting. She love water colors. We also recently bought her a purple Beta fish that she has named, Belle. We call Evie our little "Fish Mommy." She takes her role very seriously, too. She is constantly reminding us to feed Belle, change her water; and tells Belle to take naps too. :-)
Evalie is loving her new house, especially her new room and our amazing back yard. She and her brother spend hours every day playing out there. The grass is so nice, its fenced and partially shaded. It's the perfect retreat for my toddlers. We put a kiddie pool out there and I swear my kids are the loudest in the neighborhood when they are playing in the water. Evalie is also loving having neighbors to talk to. We have a 2nd story deck, all the house do on the block and our backyards are backed up to each other. So, when we are out there we can see everyone else on their decks. (All the guys BBQ every night). Anyway, Evie goes out there and starts calling out, "Hey neighbor, I like your...whatever it is she notices. It's hilarious. I just hope she's not annoying to them. If she is then, well it's their problem.

I'm still working for Mountain West Bank as a teller. I really like my job. There isn't really anything too exciting going on with it. Haven't been robbed yet... ;-)

The most EXCITING NEWS is that we are planning a trip to Oregon next weekend. (Grandpa Mitchell, call us) We are going to be in town Friday-Sunday morning. Just a quick trip to see all the family.
We also have new cell phone numbers:

Kayla: (208) 277-6873
Shawn: (208)277-6716

By the way, Shawn is going by "Lewis" these days. LOL. He has to because at work there are too many Shawns, and he needed to stand out from the crowd. So if you call his cell he will answer, "Lewis Hildesheim." :-) It was wierd for the first few days...

I am in the process of loading my pictures to the computer. So look for new photos this weekend! ;-)

Braggin' Rights

2009-04-26T18:14:00.001-07:00

Last weekend Shawn and I went out to dinner with his boss, Matt and his wife, Malia. It was such a great experience because it makes me feel more and more confident that Shawn is in the right place. And, at dinner Matt told us what Corporate thought of their new store. To sum it all up, Matt is a very happy boss and referred to Shawn as a "stud." This past week Matt pulled Shawn into his office to give him a job review. Not only is he a stud, Corporate was amazed that he had only been working w/Les Schwab for five weeks. AND he already earned his first raise!!!! Usually, new hires have to wait a year for their first pay jump...but not my man! If things keep going well, and Shawn is happy there I can see him running his own store someday.

The raise wasn't a cheesy-cheap one either. It's obvious at this point, but I'll say it anyway: I'm so PROUD of my husband.

Oh Crap

2009-04-21T12:00:00.000-07:00

The best thing to wake up to on a Monday morning at 5am is plumbing problems. YAY! No toilet, no shower, no way to clean my very dirty dishes....
I will never, ever take clean water for granted. Next time you sit on your throne think of me and say a prayer of gratitude that you don't have to trek to the parent's house for a gallon of water to flush your toilet. :-D

If you are thinking, "Jeeze, those Hildesheim's are probably getting really stinky by now..."
Don't worry, mom and dad live ten minutes away and we have been mooching off their water.
Thanks Guys!!!!

Anyone know a good plumber???

LOL.

Life in the Fab Lane

2009-04-15T12:43:00.000-07:00

Have you seen the show, "Kimora's Life in the Fab Lane?" If not, don't worry. Here's the just of it all... She's gorgeous, she's rich, she has perfect clothes, hair, children...blah blah blah.

WHO CARES!

What is up with all of these reality shows that show off just how rich and spoiled celebrities are, even b-rate celebrities like Kimora...

Ok, my point is not to just rag on this washed up model. What I'm getting at is I think I have a pretty fabulous life myself, thank you very much.

I ...

Live in a cabin on five quiet acres
I have two crazy & beautiful children
I have a loving & goofy husband
I have a great job that I love
I have a husband with a great job that pays a ton in overtime hours
I have amazing parents and siblings
I have an amazing babysitter, (thanks Megan!)
I have the gospel and a temple marriage
I am exhausted, fullfilled, happy, stressed out and extremely grateful and aware of just how much I am blessed.

So there you go, Kimora. I have a pretty Fabulous Life, too.

Tough Love

2009-03-13T19:55:00.000-07:00

Today I got up early, kissed my kids goodbye and told them that mommy had to go to work because she loves them. When I got home, my daughter was already asleep and down for the night. I spent a few precious hours this evening with Evan before he zonked out. I'm having a rough day and I feel like the only way to work through my feelings is by sharing them. I don't know, but maybe there is another mom out there who knows what I'm feeling.

I feel guilty because I'm not with my children during the day. I feel guilty because I don't have as much time to spend teaching them things. But, I also felt guilty before I started working because I didn't know how we would be able to afford the simple necessities in life like diapers, groceries, rent. Now that I'm working I can afford these things, and a little more. There is just no winning. I know I made the right decision for my family, but knowing doesn't make the decision easier. It doesn't ease my guilt of being away from my children 45+ hours a week.

My children are so great and resilient. They are not having any behavioural problems since I returned to work and I'm so grateful for that. When I'm home or go into work later in the morning, Evalie always says to me, " Mommy, Your HOME! I love you mommy. You work so you can buy my house?" (she talking about the cabin we are renting).

I am so grateful for the job that I have. When I am in my work mode I can push my feeling aside. That is, until I get home and my children are already in bed. It's been a tough day. But, tomorrow I'll get up early and do it again because I love my family.

Shawn's New Job

2009-03-03T12:28:00.000-08:00

Les Schwab is coming to Rathdrum!

On Sunday, Shawn told me that a year ago, he would never had considered working at Les Schwab. He never thought working in the tire industry could be fun and rewarding for his family. I'm glad to say, that he was wrong! He interviewed for a position, simply to have a paycheck while he went back to school this summer.

Now, it is starting to look like it will be so much more than that! During the interview, the store manager opened my husband's eyes to their company. Shawn was impressed. Yes, he starts at an hourly wage, but with Shawn's experience he will be eligible for promotion in two short years. Even the assistant managers make an impressive salary, much more than we both previously assumed. The store manager has already shown a great deal of respect and acknowledgement in Shawn's capabilities. I think he recognized that in hiring Shawn he made a very smart decision! He privately pulled my husband aside and let him know that he could ask for a raise within a few months. Shawn overheard the other guys gripping that they wouldn't get a raise for one year. As you can imagine, that really humbled and boosted my husband's spirits.

Our five years of marriage have not been easy. At times we felt like we had been given a double dose of trials and more than our share of life-lessons. But, we feel immensely blessed. We just realize that all of those crazy/tough experiences we had to go through were not to punish us, but to make us stronger. Even if, at the time we felt miserable and defeated. Shawn and I both have a strong desire to do what is best for our family, even if it isn't exactly what we had planned, or imagined in the beginning. Whatever our path is meant to be, we will make it work.

Today my husband was excited to go to work. I thought he was about to bust out the Tigger moves and hop up and down with anticipation. I guess they are working on putting together machines of some sort...which is totally up my man's alley. I love having a happy husband.

By the way, all of this happened the day after we paid our tithing.

2009-02-08T10:19:00.000-08:00

I feel immensley blessed. The bank I used to work for just welcomed me back two weeks ago. I was offered a full-time position as a CSR at the branch in Hayden. I started at the bank as the courier/mail girl. Then I was promoted, (thankfully!) to the Customer Suppport/E-Banking department. I loved that job. It was fun and challenging and from there I was able to learn about all the other departments of the bank. Then I became the lead trainer for that department.

When Evalie was born I decided to be a stay at home mom. That was the best desicion I have ever made. Now that I've returned, I see the people who I trained and I hear about the promotions that they have gone on to earn. My friend (who also works at this bank) commented that if I hadn't stayed at home with Evie, that I'd be one of the "Top Dogs" right about now. She wondered if it bothered me to come back and practically start over again. And, the answer is NO! I can always go back to work and pursue my career. But, I could never go back and have those three years at home with my children.

I have accepted that life is ever-changing and evolving and I have learned to just roll with it. I am so excited about this new development because I don't look at this opportunity as just 'a job,' or 'a paycheck.' At MWB there are so many opportunities for me to continuously learn about banking and work my way up what I refer to as the, "Food Chain." If this is what Heavenly Father wants me to do long-term I'd like to be a bank manager. My goal is to do it by the time I'm thirty. (My current manager is 29, and he started out as MWB's mailboy and courier, too!)

Shawn is still pursuing his career in law-enforcement. This Tuesday he has an oral board test with the Kootenai County Sheriff's department. His Plan B is to go back to school this summer and finish his A.A. degree and continue to test for other police agencies. Our children are blessed by having their daddy stay at home with them. The best part about it is that Shawn admitts he now understands why I was so frazzled and exhausted by the end of the day. It's kinda fun to switch places and see things from one another's perspectives. Holy-Moley, that's been a growing experience!!!

Short n' Sweet

2009-02-08T10:08:00.001-08:00

Get your own Family Sticker Maker & MySpace Layouts.

We call him, Mr. Clean

2009-01-31T09:56:00.000-08:00

Evan thinks that it is O.K to wash the dishes in his birthday suit!!!

Little Pink Snow Bunny

2009-01-31T09:55:00.000-08:00

Church and Toddlers...is it worth it?

2009-01-25T15:42:00.000-08:00

The infamous question many (if not all) parents ask themselves, every Sunday as they roam the halls with their noisy creations: "is it worth it?"

We had one of those days, today. Evalie is our little bundle of joy, and exuberance and craziness and energy and curiosity and well, I'm sure you get my point. Her volume is set to one level: LOUD. Ironically when she promises, "Mommy, I will be reverent" this plead is on full blast. Any amount of shh hing falls on cute little deaf ears. Then there is my son, Evan Thomas... it's like they are each other's batteries. They feed and grow off each other's energy.

Sacrament meeting, it's always fun. ha ha. My son lost patience early on, and thankfully my sister was able to take him out. Shawn was busy passing the Sacrament and this turned out to be a huge distraction for Evalie. Try as I might, I couldn't pursued (or even threaten) her to sit reverently, or even sit at all. When Shawn was close by our pew she would say, "Hi Daddy!" and because she didn't receive any acknowledgement, she said again unbelievably louder, "Daddy!!!" I lost the battle, it was time to retreat to the Fourier.

Let the races begin!

Tom thought it was super fun to have his sissy join him in the hall. Great, two against one. I wish I could have taken a video of them playing together at church today. It really was hilarious. They know Mommy is trying to quiet them down, which of course makes their game more fun. And, how can I discipline my babies when they are being nice to each other, smiling and giggling?

Evalie is now a Sunbeam...Yay! Unfortunately, she doesn't understand that in Primary we don't have snack, water and run around the room breaks. She loves singing time, and did a great job sitting in her chair and participating. You can hear her singing over the other children's voices. She sings out of tune and the wrong words, but who cares?! I think it's adorable. However, as soon as the singing and games stopped, Evalie lost all patience. First it was, I'm hungry, then I'm thirsty, and finally "Mommy, I have to pee!" At this point, we abandoned the idea of making it to her Sunbeam class.

So, I know that I'm not the only parent dealing with this, thank goodness. I'm getting thru it by reciting in my head the well-used phrase, "This too shall pass." Eventually, my kids will make it thru church and I will someday be able to attend Sunday school class. Then I will probably miss chasing my babies in the hall and wrestling with them in Primary. Whenever I think about this one of my new favorite songs, by Trace Adkins pops into my head:

"You're gonna miss this, you're gonna want this back, you're gonna wish these days didn't go by so fast, these are some good times, you may not know it now, but you're gonna miss this."

So True.

Happy New Year!

2009-01-01T13:11:00.000-08:00

I'm so happy that I was able to stay home last night with my family. I was on call at work and after working Christmas Eve and Christmas, I really didn't want to miss out this time. I work for Beehive Homes, an assisted living facility and I really love what I do.

I work the swing shift, so I'm not around when it's dinner and bed time. That is why last night was a huge treat for us all. I made sure the house was clean and festive and prepared a nice home cooked meal. We actually sat at the dinner table, which generally doesn't happen 99% of the time. Shawn and the kids usually microwave something and sit on the couch to watch cartoons during dinner. Sometimes Grandma will feed them. (Thanks Mom!)

Our family was too exhausted to stay up and welcome in the new year. That was until Evan decided that he needed a bottle at exactly 12pm. Daddy was the only coherent one, and after retrieving the bottle, gave me a very nice New Year's celebratory kiss. Thanks son!

Today Shawn and I are working, but I have had all morning with my kids. Evalie decided that she wanted us to rock the same hair-do. She calls it the, "Barbie and the Diamond Castle Princess hair!" She's so adorable.

Happy New Year everyone. I hope that 2009 will bring much happiness and prosperity to you and your families!

Our Winter Wonderland

2008-12-29T17:48:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T11:18:00.000-08:00

I would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas! I hope you are healthy, happy and feeling the love from your family and friends today. I know I am!

(...and Kudos to my hubby, he did a great job this year. I love my Pearls, babe and I Love You!)

"That's Hot."

2008-12-19T12:07:00.000-08:00

So, This is what is left of our four year investment. Melted plastic and charred insulation. Two weeks ago Shawn was at a customer's house, cleaning their carpet when the machine suddenly came to a stop. He went to investigate and found our cleaning van engulfed in flames. Shawn grabbed a garden hose and quickly put out the fire. Thankfully, there were no other casualties. It could have been catastrophic because the van was parked next to other vehicles and the customer's home! I felt numb when Shawn called and told me the news. The rest of the day we felt like we were walking around in a fog. Don't worry about us though, we have full coverage insurance and so far we have been given the impression that we will settle on a fair number.

I'm grateful that my husband wasn't hurt. I'm grateful that I had been able to secure a good job just one week before this incident. Especially when the economy is in the porta-potty and finding a job, (and a decent one) is so difficult. And, I'm grateful that I did most of my Christmas shopping through out the summer!

Tree Scouting

2008-12-10T12:49:00.000-08:00

On the search for the perfect Christmas Tree...

Found IT!

Watch out girls, this is Man's work.

Check back soon for pictures of our decorated tree!!!

So Much Going On...

2008-11-27T18:11:00.000-08:00

Girls Night Out

My sisters, like every other girl, are addicted to Twilight. My Mom has read all the books and seen the movie, but she won't admit she's addicted too. I went along with them to see the opening of the movie, at midnight. Jeez, ya think I love my sisters? I have just starting reading the first book, and of course, I love it.

We look as white as the vampires in this photo! Right after snapping this picture, (before the previews had even started) the mini-manager came over to threaten to take my camera away from me. What a Goober. She doesn't understand that I must feed my blogging addiction.

I promised Cabin updates, so here we go.

My project. I felt so HGTV-like when I fixed and re-used this chandelier from Habitat for Humanity.

My husband installed a slate entry way. A big thanks to my brother, Jake for donating the materials! (by the way, he does amazing stonework if anyone is interested). The tree came out so the new carpet could be installed. We were greatly blessed to have a friend with Copper Basin Construction. They gave us a smoking deal on the carpet. Thank you so much Linda and Robert!
Still to come...a new door, kitchen counter tops and we are thinking about sanding down and re-staining the cabinets. All materials of course will be scouted out at Habitat for Humanity. What a great find!

The Newest Dunkee...

Luke Patterson and my husband Shawn have been friends for about eight years. They met and worked together at 24 Hour Fitness, both as personal trainers. Luke was baptized on Saturday November 1. 2008, in Coeur d' Alene, Idaho. When Shawn joined the church five years ago I remember him telling me that he was so excited to share the gospel and see his friends and family convert. So far, Luke is the first. (And, yes they are standing next to each other. Think...David and Goliath, only instead of a rock at his head, we just dunked him).

Evan's 1st Birthday!

2008-11-27T17:32:00.000-08:00

Mowing down his Birthday Cake.

Most of you have heard by now that Evan severely burned his hands on a wood stove. So, as you can see they are wrapped up and protected by his winter gloves. I was so sad that I wouldn't be able to strip him down and give him a piece of cake to go to town on. But, my brave little man made the best of the situation. As I am sure you can imagine, the entire family cracked into hysterics when he used his birthday present to push his cake all around the living room. This game lasted until Grandpa realized that this could (OK, most likely) cause a big slimy chocolaty mess. Party Pooper!

My Favorite Pictures This Week!

2008-11-27T17:09:00.000-08:00

Evalie and Tori...Best Friends Forever!
Beauty vrs. Beast, we know who won this wrestling match!

Evalie and Uncle Tanner during Family Home Evening. These guys are inseparable! For the duration of our family scripture time they were in their own little world, reading aloud to themselves. Of course, these scripture stories were of their own creation.

My KidLitts

2008-11-14T19:14:00.000-08:00

I have such beautiful children and I am addicted to taking pictures. Can you blame me? So my camera card is full of adorable photos that I want to put on my blog and create a theme around, but that is SO much work and I'm crazy busy right now. So....here's a picture collage of some of my favorite days.

My Monkeys

Remember the phrase: "Take a picture, it will last longer." So True.

Cutest produce in town!

Future Mike Delfino? (Desperate Housewives!!)

Lovin' on the gramps.

Evalie and Grandma sewing her "pink puppy bone" pillow. This girl loves the fabric store.

"Thumbs up for my awesome mommy!"

"What can make me feel this way? My girl, talkin' bout my girl!"

Our Cozy Cabin

2008-11-02T18:28:00.001-08:00

Our little cabin is located in Athol, Idaho and sits on five treed acres. Yes, friends we are moving back to Athol. Just when we thought we had escaped. I guess we are just destined to be "Athols". Sorry, I know its a bad joke. I couldn't resist. :-)

Shawn and I are having fun picking out carpeting, paint and lighting fixtures. Tomorrow we are going to stop by Habitat for Humanity and find an inexpensive dining room light chandelier. The large living/dining room is really cool. There is built in shelving. Two walls and the ceiling are rough blue pine. And, all the windows and door ways in the house are trimmed out in rough blue pine as well. In the open doorway you can see part of the kitchen/laundry room. Its small and missing a dishwasher. But, I'm optimistic and I have a plan. I will train my husband to wash, dry and put his dishes away right after using them! Is that even possible...or am I just dreaming? Shawn would tell you that it comes equipped with a "two-handed dish washer, called The Wife."

This is a log that shoots from floor to ceiling in the middle of the room. At first I thought: "OK, this is a decorative feature, but what the heck am I supposed to do about furniture placement?" After our second viewing, and pulling out my measuring tape I figured it out. Now I actually like the tree. It has three small shelves in between the V of the branches that I am going to place candles on.

I am so excited to recruit my husband to put up Christmas lights! Can you imagine how adorable this place will look surrounded by snow and decked out in blinking red and green lights?

Just for the record, this will be our third move in 2008! Crazy. Hopefully some day we will buy a home and put down some roots. Until that day comes, I am going to enjoy our rental adventures.

Date Night

2008-10-12T19:07:00.000-07:00

Friday night was date night at O'Malleys! The deep fat fried food was disgusting, the pool table and shuffle board cheap, and free soft-drink refills. We had a blast!

"Woo-hoo!!! Who are those hot blonds?"

Me, Megan and Lauren

After playing with the girls, Shawn declared it was time for a real man's game. Which means no women/cheaters allowed. Sorry babe, how else am I supposed to win... or even finish a game?

Best Buds

2008-10-12T18:53:00.000-07:00

Being a Mom is a full time job. It is a very rewarding position and provides the very best benefits available, moments like these...

Puppy (not shown) love and wonder
My Backyardigans!!!
The Next Ultimate Fighters! Yes, my kids watch that w/us and play along with what they see! Other kids will think twice before they mess with my kids on the playground.

"These are a Few of My Favorite Things!

2008-09-29T18:36:00.000-07:00

"Bacon and

'matoes, I don't really like those.... Jerky from Deer parts...

and Red Vine mustaches...

Ice Cream at Grandma's with marshmallow cream, these are a few of my favorite things...

When my dad hunts, there' s moose sausage and I'm feeling great!

"I daily remember my favorite things...and then I just ask for more!!!!"

Summer with our Family

2008-09-21T15:33:00.000-07:00

Our family had a great summer together this year. We didn't need to go on big trips, or have over the top activities. I have found that there is more joy in just doing the simple things. We loved taking our kids to the county fair, and teaching my daughter that if you stand too close to large horses, they just might try and eat your dad. We only hit the beach a few times, (bathing suits are not my friend!)But, we had an awesome impromptu swim at Coeur d' Alene Lake. Evan was hungry so he did what all little boys do, eat sand! Apparently, this was repulsive to a fellow beach-mom and she freaked out about it. (I think she just had daughters.)
After cleaning him up, he wasn't too happy.

After cleaning him up, he wasn't too happy.

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After cleaning him up, he wasn't too happy.
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Summer Fun!

2008-09-21T14:23:00.000-07:00

My parent's gave Shawn a smoker for his 30th birthday. Finally, he can use the meat grinder I gave him three years ago for Christmas! This has become Daddy & Daughter Time at my house! Evalie has proclaimed herself the honorary meat grinder and Shawn is always trying to come up with the perfect seasoning. I don't like
beef jerky, but it has been great quality time for the two of them...so that makes me happy!
Now that he has mastered the craft of smoking meat...maybe he can master cleaning up the mess? Please? Love you babe!

Current Events

2008-09-01T14:07:00.000-07:00

Shawn and I are in the process of selling our carpet cleaning business. (know anyone who would be interested?) We have been running the business since 2005, and its been extremely challenging. However, I am grateful that it has allowed me the opportunity to stay at home with my children. During the tough months I get through knowing that Heavenly Father must be preparing me for whatever is to come in the future...

On that note, Shawn will be testing for the Coeur d' Alene police department on September 15 and then the Seattle police department on October 11. He has also thrown the idea around of testing in Las Vegas and Alaska, if he isn't hired on locally. I think that the stress level of running our own business will be the same caliber as having my husband in law enforcement. I'm so excited for him, it's something he has wanted to do for a long time and I'm finally on board with the decision.

Double Trouble

2008-09-01T13:34:00.000-07:00

I was so excited to finally have our family pictures taken...silly me for thinking that my adorable children would actually cooperate. The entire time they were more interested in chasing dogs and running/crawling through the park!

... so we gave them props and that did the trick!
Evalie is high-maintenance...(and I'll admit) just like her mom!

2008-09-01T13:22:00.001-07:00

Yeah, we throw our kids around to get their grumpies out.

My Girl

2008-08-31T16:44:00.000-07:00

Of course my family photos wouldn't be complete if I didn't include a picture of my best friend, Wendy. She and I have been "attached at the hip" since we were 15. (and I have a lot of hip to be attached to, so I keep friends well).

Our Little Man

2008-08-24T18:43:00.000-07:00

The Next Morning...I think I look GREAT!

What a sweet little boy! I couldn't stand to leave him in the incubator all night. I felt like I was having seperation anxiety. So, I held him on my chest and we slept soundly...at least until I needed more pain medication!!!

When Evalie meets her little brother for the first time she let's us know, "It's MY baby!"

Father and son meet for the first time. It felt so amazing to watch them together. Shawn was so anxious during the delivery, he was in more of a hurry than I was to deliver the baby!

Grandma is in love!

sweet relief

Re-Charging My Batteries...

2008-08-04T17:33:00.000-07:00

with a Girls Night Out! And, boy do we need those. A special thanks goes out to all of our husbands and the supermen that they are for watching the kids.

2008-08-04T17:28:00.000-07:00