Christmas 2011

Jenny and her Castle

                                                              Bailey and her doll

                                                                   Josh and Zelda

Zane actually smiling

Matching overalls

Brothers getting along

                                                        Bailey out at 6pm on Christmas Night

Christmas was nice this year. I don't think I did very good with taking pictures... but I did get a picture of each kid with their favorite present and Grandpa and Grandma in Matching Overalls. :) We had company all of Christmas break and Jake worked clear up to Christmas Eve. Bailey was our peeker and sneekee one this year. I noticed tears in a package of hers and she woke up at 3am and looked thru everything and didnt ever go back to sleep and totally crashed at 6pm that night. I am glad that it is over and went well.

Josh turns 12

Josh and his "Triforce" Cake

Not THRILLED to with the new white shirt and tie

Whew! That wasnt the only thing he got..

                                                   Getting the priesthood in Utah

Josh turned twelve on the 22nd.. and we had Grandpa and Grandma M here for Christmas and Uncle Brian and family up to see the temple lights and of course eat some birthday cake. I got Josh a new white shirt and tie which didnt impress him much. I also had gotten him a new 3ds game but I had completly LOST it with all the christmas presents that I had hidden in my bedroom. I felt so bad... so he got a "replacement" family gift bday gift until I could find it. Poor boy, his mother is losing it. We left to go up to Utah with Grandpa M and Grandma M to Joseph for him to get ordained up there. It was nice to have so many of Jake's brothers there.

Zane is Three

Zane's Cake... we threw together last  minute

Bike ride with the family

Zane's favorite thing to do "THROW ROCKS"

All the Kids skipping rocks..

                                                                             Birthday Presents

Jenny was sick of me trying to get Zane to smile for a picture so she helped...

Zane's bday was pretty low-key this year. We stayed home went on a bike ride to the lake by our house to throw rocks.. (his favorite thing in the WORLD to do) and ate some cake and opened presents and that's it. Zane still loves anything CARS and  TRAINS. He still won't sit  still for a Thomas movie but LOVES seeing Trains esp. Thomas. Zane is still not talking much.. I'm starting to get a little worried and he is already signed up for speech starting this next month. I don't know how much of not talking is being the baby and having such" helpful" brothers and sisters or if its a problem. So we are now starting the speech testing and therapy. Zane is still loved so much by his family. He sure makes our life busier and crazier but we are so glad he came to our family.

Turkey Day 2011

All Ears..

Walking at the museum

Katelyn, Bailey and Garret

All the cousins except Brady and Zane

Brady and Zane Digging for Dinosaurs

7 Boys in a tiny Jeep

The Little Boys in the Dog House

Motorcylce rides

Tooth Fairys

                                                                     Pretty Nails

For Thanksgiving Becky and Brian's families came up to our house. We had 16 people in my little house. I worried about how we were going to fit everyone but we did it... and Shan and Brian and Becky and Shawn didn't even mind the bunkbeds. :) The kids camped out in the living room and it all worked out good. We met Brian and Shan the first day in Tucson and went to the Desert Musuem. It is a huge place set in the desert outside, wher you walk and walk. It was a beautiful day except I got lost with my girls.. long story but we used our "WITS" and found the rest of the gang. The Big Boys worked on motorcylces and trucks.. which led Becky and me on a wild goose chase for a part we weren't sure what it was called or where it went in the truck (Jake and Shawn were out on a motorcylce day trip) but again we used our "WITS" and camera phone and after 3 different auto parts stores found it!! We tried to go Black Friday shopping but decided it wasn't worth the lines and got back in the car and went home.. We didnt use our "WITS" on that one. I got to pull Garret's tooth out.. making my grand total of neices and nephews teeth pulled by Aunt Beth FIVE.. Merinda, Megan (hers fell out while I was babysitting so totally counting her) Katelyn, Dallin, Garret. I should start charging :) The last day we took all the girls and got pedis which cost us a pretty penny so I hoped they all enjoyed it. All and all it was a wonderful Thanksgiving spent with Family.

Desert Rats

Josh (almost) 12

Bailey 9

Jenny 7

Zane( almost) 3

Z would not sit still...

Owens Family 2011

I finally got my "Desert Pictures" taken by our friend BreannWashburn in our ward. She was nice enough to fight with Zane and Josh who were being pills and try and help us get a family pictures. For you that dont know they call kids that have been born and raised in Arizona "Desert Rats" and all my kids dont know anything different now so here's our pictures to prove it.

Halloween 2011

I opted for Cookie Halloween Houses instead of Pumpkins

Zane wouldn't stop eating his to even decorate it but he was happy

                                                                The Costumes...

This year for Halloween we had a Skeleton knight,  an animal vet (small animal btw), woody the cowboy and Link from the video game Zelda. My kids think they are TOO BIG for theme halloween costumes..  SO they got to be whatever they wanted this year, although I begged Josh to be BUZZ LIGHT YEAR , he didnt go for it. We went to the wards trunk or trick.. The kids got  enough candy to make them happy and we were done at 7:30 pm, which was nice. This is the only way my kids know how to trick or treat in the back of peoples cars.... in a parking lot ..in thedark. Maybe we need to take them for the "REAL" experience at least ONCE. All the kids Halloween costumes were fairly easy for me to put together EXCEPT Josh's. I tried to talk him out of it for weeks because I knew how much time and energy I was going to put into it.. but nope he wouldn't change his mind. So I enlisted Jake's help and we got it done... mostly. AHHHH!! Sometimes I feel like a SCROOGE and hate all the work that go into these coming holidays..yes I said ALL THE HOLIDAYS cause guess what is around the corner birthdays for the boys and CHRISTMAS.. I know I am awful right. ( I need a little christmas right this very minute...cue the music)

Dirty Laundry

Josh bet Jenny she couldnt fit in the washer..

 mystery solved

Josh waiting for his turn

Jenny shouting her white shirts.. Bailey was on folding and putting away duty

When I started having kids  the ONLY thing I thought about was BABIES ARE CUTE....

Some of the things I didn't think about were :

#1. MONEY-how much dang money they cost to clothe, feed, entertain and for schooling, piano, sports, books etc.
#2. TIME- how much time they need and take from me and Jake
#3. PATIENCE- oh how they test your patience and make you want to SCREAM!!
#4. MORAL COMPASS- they need one taught by you.
#5. TESTIMONY- Another thing we are held accountable for and so important that
  and so so many more .... but lastly the LAUNDRY having 4 kids makes... SOOOOO MUCH laundry. I dont think I did my own laundry till I was in college. I know I folded and put away laundry several times but actually sorting, starting the wash and changing it over to the dryer and folding and putting away all myself ... I can't remember doing till then. By the end of the week I am swimming in DIRTY laundry (or those clothes presumed DIRTY) It would take me 10 loads or more to get everyones laundry done and folded and put away.. until a few weeks ago when  I decided I'm done. Josh and Bailey are old enough to do their own .. from start to finish and I was willing to help the others still. The first week went smooth and the kids thought it was mostly fun. The second week it came back to bite me a little when I realized that BOTH Josh and Bailey had decided to RE-WEAR their clothes so they had less laundry to do. I am embrassed to say it took me till Wednesday to notice they hadn't changed their clothes (they do wear uniforms every day so they do all look alike somewhat) what made me notice was the dried food and stains all over their shirts and empty dirty clothes baskets. Oh well, We are powering on little by little all these kids are going to be pitching in and making life easier for EVERYONE esp. ME  and OF COURSE turning into responsiable little people.

Oh, and I blame Parents for making raising a good well adjusted family look so do-able and easy... and wish I could hug my mom and tell her just how much I love her and how much I appreicate all she did for me and all of us growing up... I hope she knows and knew. I guess my dad will have to do :) 

October Hunt

                                                               The leaves changing

Josh was thrilled to get the NEW Percy Jackson Book from Grandma

AND..not so thrilled when Jake took it away to pose for a picture and enjoy the GREAT OUTDOORS..

                            Chillin' with Grandpa and Grandma Owens and Sam in the camp trailer

Here's the HAPPY camper...

Jake and Josh got to go DEER HUNTING a couple of week ago in Utah with Grandpa and Grandma Owens and some of Jake's Brothers. Some of  Jake's favorite memories are getting to spend time with all the MEN of the family for the deer hunt. He grew up with hunter orange, guns, bows and his favorite weekend of the year.. OPENING OF THE DEER HUNT. I did not ... although I do remember Blake being quite dangerous with a BB gun. :) However this is something I support WHOLE- HEARTLY and can't wait until BOTH boys can go.. and have this time with their dad and grandpa and uncles and cousins..

Dont Worry Be Happy...

In Line for the Toy Mania Ride (My favorite)

                                                            It was Halloween Time ALREADY

Z finally put his glasses on but wasn't very happy about it

Ride Buddies.. these two rode every ride together

Trapped in the Toy Story Box

                                                          The Swinging Ferris Wheel..

                                               We're not scared ... well maybe a little..

Coming  in 2012

                                    

Tea Cups

                                             The BIG seven year old asleep waiting for the shuttle bus

      The Big kids fell asleep too .. the only kid still awake was Zane who was running around and around..


SO we went to the to the HAPPIEST PLACE ON THE EARTH.. DISNEYLAND!! Jake and I surprised the kids and went to Disneyland the weekend of Jenny's Birthday. We both felt like we were being completely irresponsiable but WHO CARES!!  I have been so sad and depressed with life for the last year... Jake has been busy just trying to keep me happy. I wrote a couple of months ago that we were finally going to make some changes in our lives and I was so excited about that.. to feel SETTLED mostly. Jake did not get a transfer last year. So the deal was we were going to look for a bigger home for our family and just settle here in Arizona. So ....we started looking and since March we have put 4 offers on 4 different houses and have been outbid or its fallen through.
When we were in Canada and traveling both Jake and I loved the scenery and the green  so much!! And then we came back to Arizona.. which I have grown to love too and have friends and family here  but we WOULD really rather live somewhere with seasons and to get Jake in a safer job environment.  Jake's been dealing with more and more drugs and criminals that are coming through the border. It seems like it is getting more and more dangerous. He IS willing to stay and SETTLE in Arizona but we both know his heart is not here. So we are tired of fighting to get into a home we arent sure we even want anymore so we are offically back in LIMBO. Hoping and praying to get to the place that is a good place for us and Jake  can be in a safer environment and we can just be HAPPY is the main goal. I am giving all my worries and prayers to the Lord cause it is truely is his hands and we will go or stay whenever he wants us. AND I JUST CAN NOT MENTALLY HANDLE IT anymore so I'm letting go of them.

ANYHOW... Disneyland was fun. Zane screamed and cried the whole most of the time because he wanted all the toys that were EVERYWHERE.

SIDE NOTE*** I got a new nice expensive camera for my birthday last year and Zane threw it and broke it our first day BEFORE we left for disneyland so on the last day we broke down and went and bought a cheap one.. so not the best pictures but at least we got some right!