The nine most memorable moments of oh nine

9-Spending a week on Mexico with the "big kids" only to come back and realize I had been replaced by grandpa Don!!!

8-Louis stopped sucking his thumb....he was 7 mind you....this was monumental!!!!

7-Learning that sharpie can be removed from wood doors with minimal damage!

6-New couches!!! Never owned couches of my own until now...we're the hand-me-down crew here :)

5-Spending countless hours having wii tournaments! I love spending time with the kids that doesn't involve yelling and making them do chores or homework!!!

4-Cole moving into a big boy bed. Not sure if this is a good memory, but it's pretty darn cute to see that little snugly bug in that huge bed at night and kneel up to it to say prayers...it's basically adorable!

3-Me, learning to say no. I know this sounds weird...it took me until I was 32. But I have finally (kind of ) learned how to say no. If I'm too busy to work, I can say no. If I don't have time to do something or the ability to do something for someone, I have learned that it's okay. People won't hate me and I am not an awful person because I can't be everything and do everything for everyone!

2-Christmas morning. It was seriously one of the most memorable and fun Christmas mornings on record at our house. Not because of what we received, but just the fun we had and time spent playing and enjoying each other.

1-The most memorable thing for me this year is my family. I know that's vague. I tend to be a "what's coming up" person. I am so concerned and consumed with what's next, that I don't stop and enjoy the moment. I have been trying really hard to stop myself and take mental pictures of special moments. Nothing fancy, just a smile, a funny conversation, a look from Cole. I am trying to soak it all in. I sound like my dad when I say...time goes way too fast. We can never get a moment back..don't waste it and enjoy it all....my dad used to get so emotional about this. Realizing how fast time goes and how much we waste and do not savor our moments together. I think with the passing of my grandmother this fall, I have taken this very seriously. You never know how much time you have with you loved ones. It saddens me that it takes a death of a special lady to bring this to my mind, but it has. I really feel like this has affected the way I parent, react to situations and just am in general. I really hope that next year I can continue to enjoy my family, spend more fun, down time with them and just let them know how much I love them and enjoy being their mom, and wife!!!! Here's to a great new year. May you all have a fabulous 2010. Enjoy your families and friends and love like there's no tomorrow!!!!!!

Lou's Wrestling Tournament

Well, the wrestling season has come and gone. Sad day! It is so much fun. It's crazy hectic for about 4 weeks and then poof....it's over!

Louis really had a great year. He is learning a lot and becoming a very good wrestler. Unfortunately for him, he's a big kid. In wrestling, that is not a good thing. Then you get matched up with the older, bigger, more experienced kids, usually....oh well, he comes by it honestly!!! He's literally a head or a head and a half taller than almost all kids his age!!!!!!


Here are a few pictures from the year end tournament. Don't mind the tears, it was a rough night! He did really well. He got pinned (bad call!!!) in the first match, he won the second match handidly....and lost the third match...only because he got head butted in the eye and was so upset he couldn't get his composure back and just got beat. Darn it. Oh well...he had fun and he and Ross only got in a few arguments!!!! :)

It ends with a bronze medal! Louis we're so proud of you. You're becoming such a nice young boy! I love you so much!!!!

How can you not love that face!!??!!

Things That Make Me Want To Reconsider EVER Seeing Nutcracker AGAIN!!

Now, don't get me wrong...we all had a great time. I am so glad that I saw it and I Kennedy and I had so much with our friends!!!

Here are a few things that made that night sPeCiAl!!!!

1-We saw a grandma almost get run over. I mean...literally almost hit! It was funny.

2-The Snow Queen had a complete wedgie the.whole.time.

3-The fact that it was an hour and 45 minutes too long. The story could have been wrapped up in about 15 minutes.

4- Bailey (our friend's daughter) took a $50 nap. So worth it!

5- Tepanyaki was ...iffy at best. I KNOW!!! It is my all time favorite restaurant. My chicken wasn't even cooked through. Ick.

6- The male ballerina's (?) tights were so incredibly snug that right when Kennedy saw them her first comment was "Holy groinage, mom". Wow. That's my girl.

7- I really was a little jealous of their (the male ballerinas) glutes. Really. They were awesome!!!

That is all.

That's right....2 months and 1 day. Woop woop!!!

My Crazy, Sweet, Awesome TEN YEAR OLD!!!

I so can not believe that I have a TEN year old! Time flies!! Kennedy turned 10 on December 13th. True to Kennedy form, it snowed! She was born on a snowy, beautiful night!! I still remember every detail of that night. Wow. She made me a mother. That's something so special and so unforgettable. She's such a special girl!! She gets a bad wrap sometimes, because she's got the Olsen "sass"....but she is smart, beautiful, kind, helpful and really funny! She's a great dancer, piano player, student and daughter!! Thank you KK for being my first baby and only daughter, I treasure our relationship and "mother daughter" time! You're the best!!!

Here are some highlights from Kennedy's birthday!!

For Kennedy's birthday present this year, we (Kennedy and I ) went out to dinner, to Tepanyaki and to see the Nutcracker ballet. We went with our fun friends Jami and Bailey. We really, really had a fun time!!! It was so much fun to just be with the girls and not have to worry about brothers taking up all the attention :) Thanks Jami for the fun idea!! True to Emily form, I left my camera home!!! So, just close your eyes and imagine!!!!!! It was fabulous.....(post to come on what I learned at the ballet....it'll be worth the wait)

Sunday afternoon, we had her grandparents over for cake, ice cream and presents!!!



Here's the cake. Boo.....it did not turn out as planned!!! But, it had pink and flowers. Just two of the many requirements!!!

The birthday girl :)

Kennedy with grandma Linda and grandpa Peter

Kennedy with Grandma T and grandpa Don

Kennedy with Grandpa and Grandma Olsen

....with the big fat disappointment of a cake!! At least she's pretending to like it!!!

Getting ready to open gifts...

The Peace necklace!!!

Her very own purse...make just for her from Grandma Olsen....oh to be talented!!!!

Cute Christmas outfit from Grandma Linda!

A new book series...bring it on!!

Thank you grandparents for all of the fun gifts!! She gets to go shopping and out to dinner with grandma and grandpa Olsen tonight!!! Good times :)

Mandatory Date Night

We have a fun tradition with Ross' mom. We get to go to the Kurt Bestor Christmas concert with her and her husband every year! It's become something that I look forward to every Christmas season. It means, no matter what, I get a date with my husband!! :) We had dinner at the Little America restaurant and then walked across the street to the Trax station and rode Trax to Abravanel Hall. The concert was great and we really enjoyed it!!!


Proof that we were there!!

Here are some things that made that night memorable:

(in no particular order)

Um....it was cold.

Kissing Ross on the Jumbo tron (yep, they have those at Kurt Bestor concerts)

Ross yelling a greeting to Kurt's mom, Phyllis Bestor (an English teacher from OHS) and calling her Melodie. Which happens to be his ex-wife's name (also an English teacher from OHS). Awkward.

Um...it was really cold.

Ross tying a ladies shoe lace on the street corner while waiting for the light to change.

Hot rolls at dinner. I think I ate my weight in warm, yummy rolls.

Last but not least..I learned that my father is a visionary man. Kurt Bestor's stage was decorated in these cone shaped Christmas trees. You know the kind that look like upside down sugar cones?? Lit up and colorful? Well, it looked almost exactly like a Christmas tree my father made out of a wooden frame and grapevines. I know it's hard to imagine. But it was awesome and I'm quite certain that some people didn't quite get the ....."vision"....but we did. And apparently it was 20 years ahead of it's time. Way to go dad.....


Anywho. Good times had by all and oh, did I mention??? IT WAS COLD!!!!!!

Ready???

I'm feeling really excited this year. I am already ready for Christmas....I know. I'm never this prepared or on top of things. I'm quite certain that next week or even the next I won't be feeling this confident!! But for now....I'm ready!!! I hope I can just sit back, relax and enjoy the season!

Our Thanksgiving FEAST

This year we were lucky enough to get to enjoy Thanksgiving with my whole family. I MEAN WHOLE FAMILY!!! Every brother, sister, niece, nephew, parent and my dad's parents and his aunt. Phew!!! It was a crowd, it reminded me of Thanksgiving of old in the Olsen house (my grandma)!! We're a big bunch, but I love it when we all get together. It doesn't happen often, so it's fun!!! :)


Cole in his assigned seat

The "big kids" table. Oh, to be at the big kids table. Such a fun place to be.

The adults spot. Really. It was a sight to behold. It was fabulous food and fun company and if you walked away from this feast hungry....it was SO your fault!!

I mean, really...who needs all of these pies?? UM, US!!!!!

Yup. It's official.

So, in case you were wondering... I have officially captured the title "Mother of the Year". I always knew I was a good mom, but this just sealed the deal.

About a month ago, Kennedy was playing on the monkey bars at school and she slipped off and fell back on her arm, straight. She was really upset about it and crying that it hurt. Now, if you know Kennedy, she cried over a hang nail. So....I'm sure you know where this is going. "Kennedy, you're fine. Let's ice it and give you some ibuprofen. You'll be fine!" It wasn't swollen and it didn't hurt to the touch, just hurt when she moved it a certain way. So, being the medical professional that I am, considered it a sprain or just a jammed elbow. Done. Case closed. Look how smart I am.


Yep. Stupid thing was broken. She walked around for TWO WEEKS!!!! with a broken elbow. Now, now, come on. I'm sure I'm not the only one. Don't think horrible things about me. I have already thought all of them already.

Don't you worry....the next time one of my kids sniffles, I'm going to the ER to get blood work, x rays and possibly a cat scan. Just so ya' know!!

Wrestling...always wrestling

Louis has started his second wrestling season. He absolutely loves it!!!! Without a doubt, this is his thing.

It couldn't make daddy more proud, frustrated, happy and excited. Ross was a state champion wrestler when we were in High School. He was really good, so he was excited to get the opportunity to assistant-coach this little team. We have the cutest boys on our team. It is so much fun to watch them learn the new skills and watch them grown and become better wrestlers.

Now, I know wrestling isn't for everyone coughmerileecough. So...bear with me. There will be pictures of little boys in wrestling singlets. If you are not okay with this....move on.

We are so proud of Louis. He is learning a lot about self discipline and being part of a team. Good job, dude. You rock!


(stupid pictures are in reverse order and my blog won't let me rearrange them..sorry...so last is first I guess)



Louis finishing his match. He won 16-2.


Getting a little coaching from dad.

Kickin' some trash.

Getting some tips from coach right before our duel starts.

Stretching out his neck and apparently he's a fan of rock music!!! SLAYER!!

Here's a video of one of the one minute rounds in his winning match.

Just complaining again!!!!!

I am not sure why, but when signs are misspelled or they use improper english...it DrIVeS ME nUTs!!!!

Especially when it is advertising for a business or on the front of a store. Seriously.

McDonald's (in Payson):

Try A Angus burger today.

I despise when people use the word "seen" instead of saw or in some other random way. I don't know why this drives me so crazy, it's not like I am an english major or anything!! I also notice it quite frequently in the blogging world. Yikes! I know that I am a freak about misspelling (sorry Jamie!!!) even though I do it sometimes!! I guess it's just one of my funny quirks.

I can also not stand when words are used improperly. Like " We went too the store" or "Their not coming to the play".

Sorry. I really am not this big of a hag, I just had to voice my frustration.

And, as the saying goes in my household:

We live IN Santaquin, we are not FROM Santaquin.

(Sorry peeps who are from Santaquin, I know I am generalizing, but you know who I'm talking about!!!!)

Things I Learned While In Salt Lake

People don't know how to drive.

If you go to the Energy Solutions Arena at 2:30 you can get a parking spot right in front of the building. Yep. I did it!

Stiletto boots look hot with the right jeans.....but suck to walk in!!

It's cold.

Peppermint Hot cocoa is yummy!

You can roller blade down the escalator at the Gateway and come away fairly unscathed.

The higher your seats are at the ESA the better the people watching is.

Applebee's Oriental Chicken Salad makes me cry a little bit.

Kennedy is awesome!

The higher you get in the ESA the bigger the hair is!

Don't mess with mom's who want to videotape their daughters dancing. They will claw your eyes out and knock you down the stairs.

My brother in law is the luckiest sucker. EVER. He got 5th row seats, by chance....we couldn't even tell who was playing on the floor, that's how high we were....

People from Vernal like their hair SpIkeY!!!

I told my daughter to hurry up and get her fish net tights on. Words I never thought I would utter. Oh well. Somebody's gotta look good in 'em!!!

I could be a professional "people watcher". I get it from my dad.

My zipper kept falling down on my jeans, I constantly looked like I just came out of the bathroom. Talk about hOt!!!

That is all. I'm sure there's more. I just forgot!!!

Kennedy's Big Day

Kennedy and I spend the day in Salt Lake yesterday. She had practice for her "Jazz halftime" performance from 2:30 until 4. We had a break from 4-6:30 so we had some time to chill.

We had such a great time just being with "the girls". It is so much fun having one on one time with the kids. They love it! I forget sometimes, I get so busy with Cole and work and life that I forget how much fun it was as a kid to have that special one on one time with the parents. When there was no one to interrupt your attention-getting!!!!!

Here are a few highlights from our afternoon and evening!!


Practicing on the big floor. It was quite an intimidating site to walk onto that floor and realize all of those seats are going to be full of people watching you!!!!

Her scary starting pose for "Thriller"

After practice, we headed over to Gateway to shop. We stopped at Starbucks and got peppermint hot cocoa. She felt so grown up and special!!

Dinner at Applebees!

All gussied up and ready to go on stage...

SHE'S ON!!!! It was such a proud moment to watch her smile and dance and perform!!! She's such a cute girl!

Look who joined us for dinner and the game! Thanks grandma and grandpa for joining us, it made Kennedy feel really special that you came all that way and paid all that money just to see her!!!! :)

This is just a nice shot of my nostrils!!!!! We had a fun night and it is so much fun to watch your kids become better at their talents and to show the world how great you know they are :) I'm so lucky, I have such great kids!

Oh yea.....that's the Energy Solutions Arena from my parking spot. Yep. That's right. RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET!!!! Yea baby!






Here's the performance!!! Enjoy.

KK's dance

Sorry....I know you all want to hear Adam Sandler's song....but go to the bottom and pause it for a minute so you can hear the music in the videos!!!

Yesterday Kennedy's dance group gave us a little sneak peek at some of the dances they've been working on....sorry the videos don't do it justice, they're so cute!!! Good job KK!!

Did You Know?

Did you know that I love Christmas music?

Did you know that I am VERY PICKY about said music?

I can not listen to just anyone sing Christmas music. I can't bring myself to listen to Boys II Men Christmas or *NSYNC does Christmas. Just can't do it. Maybe it's a boy band thing, maybe not...still. can't do it!

Did you know that it is not Christmas at my house if Kenny G "Miracles" isn't playing somewhere, some time? (I highly recommend it!)

Did you know that I have replaced that CD like 3 times? It's getting harder to find.

Did you know that the instant I hear the first note of the first song on that album-Christmas can begin?

By the way, I also love SheDaisey Christmas, too. My little sister recommended it to me. I am not a big pop star turned Christmas music star fan, but this one works.

I love putting up my Christmas tree listening to Christmas music.

Did you know I have a fake Christmas tree? I really love real ones, but my grandparents gave this one to me and it is beautiful and I can't bring myself to rid of it, just yet!!

I burn an evergreen candle all season so it smells like a real one.

Did you know that I love Christmas....the feeling, the smells, the tastes, the family, the parties, the service, the giving, the excitement??

I know I'm jumping the gun, I'm just getting warmed up!!!

I also love Brenda Lee's version of "Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree". Not only because it's a great song, but also because it is from Home Alone. That movie is a great memory to me of when I was an adult child living at home. It is a time we all went to the movie theater together. Dad, boys, me, mom , sis. All of us at home. I am not sure why it is such a great memory for me, I just remember looking down the row of all of us sitting there in the theater laughing and taking a mental picture as a very happy moment in my life!

Have a happy holiday season with your family!! I'm thankful for all of you, all of my friends, family and blog stalkers....thank you for being a part of my life. I love the seasoning that you all bring to my life. I life a blessed life....(How's that for ending a Christmas post with a Thanksgiving feel??) :)

Oh my holy longest halloween post ever!!!!!

I figured I'd wait and get it all over in one long smelly post. So....here ya' go....

My mom had a Halloween party for all of the grand kids.

Pretty darn cute if you ask me!!

So...what was I, you ask?

That's right. I was the swine flu. I think I'm pretty funny!!

Next stop...school party. Each class in the kids school had different themes for their dress up party for Halloween. For Kennedy's she had to read a biography on someone they wanted to learn more about and then find 10 interesting facts about that person. They also dressed up as that person for their party.

She did hers on Princess Diana. She is now officially obsessed.

That is how you make shoulder length brown hair look like Princess Diana's signature 'do.

Well, almost.

Just FYI. Princess Diana was totally into the "leggings under a dress with flats" look.





In Louis' class they had to dress up like a historical figure and learn a little bit about them and present it to the class.

He chose a pirate. How convenient.

Kennedy with her favorite teacher's little "hulk".

Louis with his teacher "Jackie O"

Kennedy, doing her princess Diana presentation to her class.

Louis workin' it in the parade.

"Elbow, elbow, wrist, wrist. Touch the pearls, blow a kiss."

Weirdos.

It was a good one.