Merry Christmas

From our family to yours...

I'm Speechless...

Click on 99 Balloons to see why...

Many Thanks...

Since it is Thanksgiving this week, I thought I would write a little post about the MANY things I am thankful for.
I am thankful for Ken. He is my best friend, my partner, my better half, my soul mate. I often just sit and think about how lucky I was to find him, and how happy I am that he married me. I love that I get to come home to him every night.
I am thankful for Jayne. She is not only a daughter, but one of my best friends. She is only 12, but she is so mature that sometimes I forget she is only 12. She is such a big help around the house and with her little brothers. She is always there for me when I need someone to talk to or make me laugh.
I am thankful for Jared. He has such a mellow, carefree personality. I couldn't be more opposite, but it's so nice to have Jared around to make me laugh. He is the sweetest kid, and he tells all of us he loves us about 50 times a day. <3<3<3
I am thankful for Aden. He has been my little buddy from day one. He is my mini me. He makes me laugh all the time, and he knows how to make me feel loved. He still lets me snuggle him, and he promises to let me do that forever!
I am thankful for my parents. They are true examples of unconditional love. They have always been so good to me, and they have been a huge help in raising Aden. I don't know what I would have done without them.
I am thankful for my siblings. They are my best friends. I look forward to every time I get to hang out with one or all of them. They are all so different, but we all get along so well.
I am thankful for my in-laws. Dave and Minnie are the best in-laws anyone could ask for. They are always there when you need them, and they truly know how to love. My brother and sister in laws are also the best I could ask for.
I am thankful for my friends. Really close friends, or not as close, I am surrounded by good friends that I can always count on.
I am thankful for the gospel. I was blessed to be raised in the gospel, but recently it has become more important in my life, and I am so blessed to have that wonderful gift.
I am thankful for my job (well, sorta), my house, my health, the health of my family, and the blessing of living in the USA.
This is just scratching the surface of the many things I have to be thankful for. I truly am so blessed...

Family Pics 2009

Mama’s Holiday Wish List Meme

HOLY EXCITEMENT!!!

Mama’s Holiday Wish List Meme
TodaysMama and Provo Craft are giving away a sleighful of gifts this holiday season and to enter I’m sharing this meme with you.

1. What 5 items are on your holiday wish list this year?
1. EVERYTHING in this awesome give-away, but that's not fair, so I would
choose the Cricut as my top choice. Oh, I could do amazing things if I had a
Cricut! ;)
2. I want my kids to have a "magical" Christmas like I did as a child.
3. A bike or some new running shoes (something has got to happen here!)
4. Health and happiness for the whole year. (Santa can handle that, right??)
5. Tools. I really am a crafty person, I just need the right tools so the real
me can truly emerge! :)
2. What is your favorite handmade gift you have received?
My baby blanket that my mom made me. I still have/LOVE it.
3. What handmade gift have you always wanted to tackle?
Stamped jewelry, and it's going to happen this year! I ordered the tools. YAY!
4. What was the best Christmas gift you received as a child?
My Samantha (American Girl) doll when I was 9.
5. What items are on your kid’s wish list this year?
Legos, Wii games, board games, clothes.
6. What is your favorite holiday food?
Peppermint Ice cream...that counts as food, right??
7. What will you be hand-crafting for the holidays?
ALL of my gifts this year will be hand made. Jewelry, pictures, hats, home decor.
8. What is your favorite holiday movie?
Christmas Vacation!
9. Favorite holiday song?
The Christmas Shoes, Oh Holy Night, Gingerbread House
10. Favorite holiday pastime?
Wrapping presents. LOVE it! And of course, the gift giving.

Seriously, you guys! I want this SOOOOOO BADLY, I am like shaking with excitement! Ken would be so excited too, because I don't think I would ever want for anything else. EVER! :) Well, I am sure I still would...but not for a LONG time! (I never win anything, but it's always fun to hope.)

Jay-Rod's Quote of the Day...

We were in the car on Sunday night and Jared said: "Ooh, we watched Ghost Busters at school on Thursday, and we get to finish it on Monday!"
Me: "Wait, hold on, you watched WHAT movie at school?? And how is that even okay??"
Jared: "Yeah, well, we did, but we only got through about a penny of it."
Me: "Huh?! What does that even mean?"
Jared: "You know, like instead of a QUARTER of it, we only got through a PENNY of it!" (DUH!)
We laughed...Funny kid! :)

But, I'm still annoyed that his teacher is letting them watch movies instead of TEACHING them! (????)

Pumpkin Pics

Aden's Adoption Anniversary

One year ago today, we all headed down to the courthouse to make Aden an official (legal) Gentry. That was such a happy day for all of us, especially me. We were both very lucky to find Ken and his kids. In fact, just the other day as Ken was walking out the door Aden said to me, "I have a good daddy. I'm so glad he is my daddy." It made my heart smile, because I am so glad too. every.single.day.

Big Boy!!

Aden lost his first tooth today at church. He said he was singing, and it just fell out! He started crying when we got home because he was sad that his tooth was gone, and he didn't know another one was going to grow in! He thought it was just going to be missing forever! :) He is very excited about it now...and he is looking forward to the Tooth Fairy coming tonight.

How We Met...

Here's the scoop on how Ken and I met, for any of you who don't know, or who even care. :) Mostly, I just wanted another post on the blog so that every time I look at it I don't have to see those naked bums! Sorry guys! Oh, and I stole this from Melissa...thanks! ;)

1.Where did you meet? At eBay. Ken was my supervisor, and I had an instant crush!!

2.What was the first thought that went through your head when you met? UM, how am I supposed to work when my boss is so hot?!? :)

3.Do you remember what he was wearing? Yes, a blue Lacoste shirt and jeans. And cute shoes!

4.Where was the first time you kissed this person? In his car, after our first date! (I know, I know!)

5.Where did you go for your first date? We went to Tepanyaki and then to a movie, but it was lame (the movie), and I think we walked out.

6.How long did you know this person before you became a couple? I'm pretty sure it was like the second or third date when we decided we didn't want to date other people. We knew pretty quick! :)

7.How did he ask you out? Well, we had been talking on IM at work, and he said he had something to ask me. I assumed it was work related, and we went on talking about other things...but I guess he had found my phone number, and he sent me a text later that night that said: 'Are you ready for me to ask?' I didn't have his number, but I was hoping it was him! I immediately called him, and he very nervously asked me out! So cute!!!

8.Has this person ever proposed to you? Yes! Cutest thing ever! We were downtown walking around the skating rink and he sat me down on a bench and popped the question!

9.Do you and this person have kids together? Well, not "together", but together we have 3.

10.Have you ever broken the law with this person? Hmmm...don't think so.

11.When was the first time you realized you liked this person? Um, the second I saw him! But I really started liking him when I heard him on the phone with Jayne, and he was so stinkin cute when he talked to her! It melted my heart right away...

12.Do you trust this person? Completely.

13.Do you see him as your partner in the future? For all eternity!

14.What is the best gift he gave you? His love and commitment...and I'm still waiting on the baby! ;)

15.What is the one thing he does that gets on your nerves? Hmmm...if you ask him he is always on my nerves! But he really isn't.

16.Where do you see each other 15 years from now? Wow, 15 years from now Aden will be 20, which means we wouldn't have kids at home anymore (fingers crossed)! Weird! Hopefully we will be doing a lot of traveling and playing.

17.What causes the most arguments? The kids. I always say if we didn't have kids we would probably never fight!

18.How long have you been together? We have been dating for 3 1/2 years, and married for 2 years and 7 months.

19.Are you married? Yes, obviously.

20.Who do you tag? Anyone who feels the urge.

LOTOJA

I just wanted to give a little shout out to my 2 brothers and my dad who are participating in Lotoja this weekend. For those of you who don't know what Lotoja is, it is a bicycle race from Logan, UT to Jackson Hole, WY. All done in ONE DAY! Crazy! I think it is so awesome that my 62 year old dad is going to do something so challenging! I love and respect all my crazy biker family members so much! Good luck guys! Maybe next year I'll join you! ;)

School Days

Well, the kids have all officially survived the first day of school, and I must say, they all handled it better than me. Especially Aden. Ken and I dropped him off at school today, and we hadn't even stopped the car before he was unbuckled and saying goodbye. He wasn't nervous at all! And he didn't even expect us to walk him to his line...we did anyway though...for mom's sake...
I can't believe how fast they all grow up!




And this is how Aden relaxed after a hard first day of school...

35 Truisms...couldn't be truer!

I just found this little gem on the internet, and I had to share! Frickin hilarious! I hope my family doesn't get offended by number 31...sorry guys! I didn't write it! :)


1. There is a great need for sarcasm font.

2. I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired.

3. Bad decisions make good stories.

4. How the hell are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?

5. I would rather try to carry 10 plastic grocery bags in each hand than take 2 trips to bring my groceries in.

6. The only time I look forward to a red light is when I'm trying to finish a text.

7. The letters T and G are very close to each other on a keyboard. This recently became all too apparent to me and consequently I will never be ending a work email with the phrase "Regards" again

8. A recent study has shown that playing beer pong contributes to the spread of mono and the flu. Yeah, if you suck at it.

9. Was learning cursive really necessary?

10. I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.

11. Answering the same letter three times or more in a row on a Scantron test is absolutely petrifying.

12. Whenever someone says "I'm not book smart, but I'm street smart", all I hear is "I'm not real smart, but I'm imaginary smart".

13. I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars teams up to prevent a dick from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers!

14. Every time I have to spell a word over the phone using 'as in' examples, I will undoubtedly draw a blank and sound like a complete idiot. Today I had to spell my boss's last name to an attorney and said "Yes that's G as in...(10 second lapse)..ummm...Goonies"

15. What would happen if I hired two private investigators to follow each other?

16. While driving yesterday I saw a banana peel in the road and instinctively swerved to avoid it...thanks Mario Kart.

17. MapQuest really needs to start their directions on #5. Pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.

18. Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.

19. I find it hard to believe there are actually people who get in the shower first and THEN turn on the water.

20. Whenever I'm Facebook stalking someone and I find out that their profile is public I feel like a kid on Christmas morning who just got the Red Ryder BB gun that I always wanted. 546 pictures? Don't mind if I do!

21. If Carmen San Diego and Waldo ever got together, their offspring would probably just be completely invisible.

22. Why is it that during an ice-breaker, when the whole room has to go around and say their name and where they are from, I get so incredibly nervous? I know my name, I know where I'm from, this shouldn't be a problem....

23. You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you've made up your mind that you just aren't doing anything productive for the rest of the day.

24. Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after DVDs? I don't want to have to restart my collection.

25. There's no worse feeling than that millisecond you're sure you are going to die after leaning your chair back a little too far.

26. I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten page research paper that I swear I did not make any changes to.

27. "Do not machine wash or tumble dry" means I will never wash this ever.

28. I hate leaving my house confident and looking good and then not seeing anyone of importance the entire day. What a waste.

29. I like all of the music in my iTunes, except when it's on shuffle, then I like about one in every fifteen songs in my iTunes.

30. Why is a school zone 15 mph? That seems like the optimal cruising speed for pedophiles...

31. As a driver I hate pedestrians, and as a pedestrian I hate drivers, but no matter what the mode of transportation, I always hate cyclists.

32. Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.

33. It should probably be called Unplanned Parenthood.

34. I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.

35. I think that if, years down the road when I'm trying to have a kid, I find out that I'm sterile, most of my disappointment will stem from the fact that I was not aware of my condition in college.

39 Reasons Why...

I love my man--
1. He really is my BEST friend
2. He listens to me (most of the time)
3. He sends me random texts throughout the day reminding me that he loves me
4. He is the BEST dad any kid could ask for
5. He is a rock star husband too
6. He lets me lay on his hairy chest and he tickles my back ALMOST every night
7. He smells his own socks, and even admits when they stink
8. He makes me laugh
9. He can't sleep under the covers when they are tucked in at the bottom
10. He has a drink with him at all times
11. He has the most willpower of anyone I know
12. He wanders around IKEA with me and even "pretends" he likes it
13. He has mad poker skills
14. He loves to golf
15. He is funny
16. He has great hair
17. He poops with the bathroom door open
18. He pretty much always lets me pick the movie, even though I ALWAYS fall asleep
19. He isn't afraid to tell me when I am wrong (which is RARE)
20. He puts up with my bad attitude 3 weeks out of the month ;)
21. He lets me do all the decorating, and always says he loves it
22. He is very protective of his kids
23. He has amazing singing skills
24. He has his own way of doing his laundry-- it's quite the process
25. He is a hard worker
26. He makes the best bean dip
27. He doesn't get mad at me when I snore
28. He isn't afraid to show emotion (cry)
29. He has a strong testimony
30. He loves to talk about his scars, and tells me about them like I've never heard the story before
32. He can keep up with me in the "gas department"
33. He was a football star in High School
34. He loves his family
35. He gives the best hugs
36. He puts me first, ALWAYS
37. He is honest
38. He loves babies
39. He is MINE!

Happy birthday, love! Thanks for being born! I LOVE YOU!
And the number 39 was just a random number. It has NOTHING to do with his age! ;)

Sprinklers & Squirrels...

Aden has a new nightly ritual. We go over to the church across the street from our house and he runs through the sprinklers. Sometimes Jared joins us. Aden loves it!!






We also have a new pet. It's a squirrel. The kids have named him Cutie but they call him "Chub Dub" for "short". :) Aden loves to just sit at the end of the driveway and watch him eat the pine cones.


He eats a ton for such a small animal, and then he so kindly drops them down on our driveway...

Dish Brush, Anyone???

Just one of the MANY reasons I love my Kenny...
He had the day off work today, and he decided to go to the store and get us a couple of items that we have been in need of. A mop (he broke ours), some dishwasher soap, and a dish scrubber brush (whatever the proper name for it is?).
I came home and this is what I found for our "dish brush"!!

I could not stop laughing!! All I could say was, "It's huge!" His reply--"I thought it would save some time!"
Oh, how I love him! (And I will be getting us a REAL dish brush soon...)

Edit-- I just realized you can't tell how big that brush is, but it's like one of the big ones that you use for the bathtubs and stuff. :)

"Ordinary, No..."

Kenny Chesney is Ken's all time fave, so I decided I would get him tickets to the concert as an early birthday present. I was so excited because I got FLOOR tickets, and I have never been to a concert and had FLOOR seats. I thought they were pretty dang good seats...until we got there...So, we were in Section A. Pretty good, right??

NO! We got there and found our seats, only to realize that we are stuck on fat people central row. Every single person on our row was huge! And the seats were TINY! We were so squished, and I had one cheek on and one cheek off the whole time! Not to mention that it was about 900 degrees, and Mister sweaty HUGE pants next to me was dripping on me...SICK! Then he stands up, so I go to stand as well, and he is frickin like 9 feet tall and I can't see a thing! I was so annoyed...I was about ready to go find me one of these...

But once Kenny started singing and we started groovin I forgot all about how uncomfy I was just minutes before. He is AWESOME! We ended up having a really good time!
Happy early birthday, Ken..."I don't see how you could ever be ANYTHING BUT MINE."
Oh, and sorry my pics suck. My good camera broke, and I was stuck with my crap one...BOO.