Happy Birthday to you!!

I would post a most recent picture of Monica but it is in the last post so just scroll down a little bit and you will see it! :) I just want to wish a big HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my Monica Rose! She turns 6 today!

Monica was due January 4 but I knew and hoped she would come sooner. I was miserable at the end of this pregnancy. There was so much pressure that it hurt to walk. But walk we did, got Megan and Karly strapped into the double stroller to walk around the mall. I felt a lot of contractions while I was walking. The only thing was that it was a Sunday night so we chose the Newgate Mall in Ogden because we were sure no one there would know us. I mean it was Sunday. Got to keep it holy! ;) No luck so I told her in-utero that she had to come the 23rd or wait until the 26th. I did not want a baby born on Christmas Eve or Day. Crazy me because I like it now and so does she. She announces to everyone that she is a Christmas baby! So she actually listened and came the next day on Monday, December 23, 2002 at 12:22 pm weighing 6 lbs. 10 oz. and 20 inches long.

Monica is my sweet and crazy girl. We told her that Joseph Smith's birthday is also December 23rd. She replied, "but he's dead already, right?"

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MONICA ROSE!!! WE LOVE YOU!!!

You can't escape genetics....

It has happened. My third child has gotten glasses. Monica got her glasses this last week. She is actually quite excited to have them! And she looks quite cute I might add! Mike took her and helped her pick the frames. He is better at that than I am. So now Megan, Karly, and Monica all now have glasses. Mike has tried to blame it on my family genetics. Not gonna work. I informed him of all the people in his family that wore glasses, two-thirds of his immediate family were glasses. I got my glasses in kindergarten. I still wear contacts. I feel bad for Katelyn and Mikayla because it is just a matter of time.

....and then California.

First some backround info. Mike is the second child of Merle and Kathryn Jacobson. But they go by Jake and Kitty. I mean if your name was Merle Omar, wouldn't you choose a nick name also? I agree. Mike has 1 older brother, 5 younger sisters, and 2 younger brothers. He is the second of nine. The order is Kevin(37), Mike(35 basically, his b-day is Dec. 12), Michelle(33), Katie(32), Kim(29), Melissa(26), Kristin(24), Matthew(21), and Kyle(15). Now there is a little bit of a guide so if I mention someone you can refer to this list! :)

Anyhoo, Matthew came home from the Texas Fort Worth Mission on November 26th. Yeah!! We have not seen him in 2 years. I got pregnant with Mikayla 2 weeks after he left. So he had never seen Mikayla except in pictures. So we left Utah on Tuesday the 25th, planned to spend the night at the California state line and make it the Ontario airport in time for his flight to come in at 12:20. It was a command performance by Kitty that EVERYONE had to be there to see him of the plane. So we were all there to see him come down to the baggage claim. It was fun. Kitty bought all her grandkids "cowboy" hats for them to wear. They were supposed to yell "Yee-haw!" when they saw him, but you know that this did not happen because they are kids and forgot when they saw him. He hugged Kitty first. And it took him a while to hug everyone else. But it was sweet and good to see him. My kids were way excited and had made signs for him to see.

Matthew when he got off the plane and got closer to the "mob" waiting to see him.


Matthew and Mikayla meeting for the first time. She was not sure about him but she did not cry!

The next day was Thanksgiving. We ate dinner at Jake and Kitty's and had dessert at my parents' house. Becky, Greg, their kids, Mike, Nikki, their kids, my Aunt Ellen, Uncle Larry, Sarah, Hayden, their baby, Greg's parents, and my parents were there. It was good and a lot of fun to see them. Sarah and Hayden's baby, Emily, is getting so big!! She's over 12 pounds now. Not bad considering she was just over 4 pounds starting out in life. She has tripled her birth weight in 4 months! I will post some pics of her another time. She is so cute!

The day after Thanksgiving we did not go shopping. Instead we went to SeaWorld. We were very lucky to have one of Mike's suppliers give us free tickets for our whole family! And the coolest thing is that when you bought day passes they automatically converted to season passes for the entire year of 2009! We live in Utah and have season passes for our entire family for the year of 2009! Very cool!! The kids were thrilled because they had never been there and I hadn't either from what I could remember. We went with Mike's sister, Michelle, and her family. Michelle's husband, Jason, and her kids, Kaylee and Austin, were great. They showed us around and told us what we should see. We also met up with Mike's brother, Kevin, and his family about lunch time. So it was a group of 6 adults and 12 kids! We had a blast and the kids loved spending the day with their cousins.

After we left SeaWorld, Michelle and Jason suggested that we go for dinner at a place in downtown San Diego called Dick's Last Stand. It was a hoot! They gave you cloth napkins to use for your dinner because the dispensers of paper napkins that are on the table are used to throw at people! Seriously!! You have paper napkins fights with any one that you see! It was crazy and so much fun! I mean, who would not have fun when you can have a paper napkins fight during dinner!

Saturday was spent at my parents house. But late in the afternoon we met up with Mike's family for family pictures. Then we had dinner back at my Mom and Dad's with Becky, Greg, Mike, Nikki, Sarah, Hayden, and all their kids.

Sunday we went to Mike's parents ward to hear Matthew report his mission. He did a very good job and it was great to hear some of his experiences in Texas. We left right after Sacrament Meeting because we had to get home. We drove home all in one day on Sunday. We were planning to drive home on Monday but Mike's boss said he had to be there for a meeting Monday morning so home we went.

Monica seeing the dolphins. She also petted them too with Uncle Jason's help!

The kids with their cousins, Kaylee and Austin. Austin is easy to pick out because he was the only boy in this picture! They are such great kids! We love them!

The Beluga whales (or at least one of them). I thought they were the coolest animals there. Sure the polar bear, the penquins, sharks, killer whales, and dolphins were cool. But I loved these!! They way that they move through the water is amazing!

I will post some more pictures later! There was a lot more!

First, Arizona....

First, I am going to write about our trip to Arizona. Leaving the day after Halloween is not very bright I tell ya, but we survived. Packing for a trip plus 5 costumes is a little crazy but you just make it through. Mike had to be down to Nogales by Monday so we left Saturday. We decided to drive it in 2 days because it is a very LOOONNNGGG trip. It takes about 12 to 14 hours depending how much you stop. So we get to my sister, Susan's late afternoon on Sunday and had dinner. Mike had some guys from work pick up and he headed down to Nogales. I mean Mike working was the whole reason we were there. He was helping with a third party food safety audit that was on Wednesday. So Susan took me and all my kids in. Bless her soul! Monday we took the kids to the park because the weather is about perfect down there this time of year. Tuesday is when all the "fun" started. Susan broke her hand when she tripped and fell down taking a neighbor's daughter to school because the neighbor had broken her leg. Susan had a double compound fracture of her right leg almost exactly 4 years earlier. She is quite talented I know. Then that night I started feeling sick to my stomach and threw up from 8:30 pm to 2:30 am. I felt better the next day but weak. Katelyn started to throw up Wednesday night but was better Thursday morning. On Thursday, Susan and her oldest daughter Amy got sick. Karly got sick Thursday evening, threw up twice and was over it. Lucky! On Friday, Susan felt better, Amy was still sick, Sean (Susan's husband) got sick, as did Daniel and Kimmy (2 of Susan's other kids). On Saturday, Becca (Susan's youngest) got sick. By Sunday, everyone felt better. We only had 3 holdouts who never got sick, Aaron (Susan's oldest son), Monica and Mikayla. Sadly Aaron lost the fight on Sunday afternoon. So of the 13 people in the house on 2 did not get sick. Megan got sick Halloween night and threw up. I thought it was too much candy. So I guess we took it to Susan's house. I felt so bad and kept apologizing. She felt bad that we couldn't do all she planned. So we forgave each other. I was glad that I was there to at least help out after her hand. On Monday, all the former sick people had a cook out in their back yard. Arizona uses a lot of rock in their landscaping so in their side yard they made a fire pit and we roasted hot dogs and marshmallows. The kids had a blast! It was a lot of fun! We headed home on Tuesday about lunch time. We got home on Wednesday, November 12th and relaxed until it was time to get ready for the trip to California!

Here is Susan's dog, Missy Good Puppy. Very sweet dog. She would sit in Sean's chair when he is not home. :) Katelyn loved her and called her Missy Puppy.

Cousins having fun and wrestling.

Susan holding Mikayla and watching the wresting.

Karly, Monica, and Megan in front of the Christus statue in the Mesa Temple Visitor's Center.

The fire pit in their back yard. The kids thought it was so cool!!

Ok, I'm a little behind....

Halloween...it was so long ago, I know and I am just getting around to posting the pictures the day before I leav on another trip. Crazy!! So during the month of November we have only been home for almost 2 weeks. We left November 1st for Phoenix. Mike had a business... thing in Nogales so my eldest sister, Susan, was good enough to take my 5 children and I in for a week and a half. During which time Susan broke her hand and all but 2 of the 13 people got the stomach flu! Good times!! We got home November 12th. Now we are leaving again for California for 6 days because Mike's brother Matthew is coming home from his mission in Texas. Everyone, and I mean, everyone is commanded by my Mother-in-law to be there at the airport on the 26th to see him get off the plane. So 2 parents, 8 siblings, 6 in-laws, and 18 nieces and nephews are going to be waiting to greet him. Fun!! We get back December 1st. Just in time for the girls to go back on track for school. Actually, they will miss the 1st day back but I'm sure we will all survive.

Anyhoo, Halloween pictures...


Mikayla as Piglet


Katelyn as Cinderella (her obsession)


Monica as a black cat


Karly as Cruella De Vil


Megan a doctor

All very cute I know!! :) More details about Arizona and California later!! Let's see if I can survive it all first!!

200 things...

I found this list on my friend, Lisa's blog. If you want to do it, just copy and paste it onto your blog. Then just high-light or bold the things you have done!


1. Touched an iceberg
2. Slept under the stars
3. Been a part of a hockey fight
4. Changed a baby's diaper
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Swam with wild dolphins
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a tarantula
10. Said "I love you" and meant it!
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Stayed up all night long and watched the sun rise
15. Seen the Northern Lights
16. Gone to a huge sports game
17. Walked the stairs to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
19. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
20. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Bet on a winning horse
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Taken an ice cold bath
28. Had a meaningful conversation with a beggar
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Ridden a roller coaster
31. Hit a home run
32. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
33. Adopted an accent for fun
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Felt very happy about your life, even for just a moment
36. Loved your job 90% of the time
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Watched wild whales
39. Gone rock climbing (indoor and outdoor)
40. Gone on a midnight walk on the beach
41. Gone sky diving
42. Visited Ireland
43. Ever bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited India
45. Bench-pressed your own weight
46. Milked a cow
47. Alphabetized your personal files
48. Ever worn a superhero costume
49. Sung karaoke
50. Lounged around in bed all day
51. Gone scuba diving
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Done something you should regret, but don't
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Been in a movie (self production or local)
60. Gone without food for 3 days
61. Made cookies from scratch
62. Won first prize in a costume contest
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Been in a combat zone
65. Spoken more than one language fluently
66. Gotten into a fight while attempting to defend someone - verbal not physical
67. Bounced a check
68. Read - and understood - your credit report
69. Recently bought and played with a favorite childhood toy
70. Found out something significant that your ancestors did
71. Called or written your Congress person
72. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
73. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
74. Helped an animal give birth
75. Been fired or laid off from a job
76. Won money
77. Broken a bone
78. Ridden a motorcycle
79. Driven any land vehicle at a speed of greater than 100 mph
80. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
81. Slept through an entire flight: takeoff, flight, and landing
82. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
83. Eaten sushi
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read The Bible cover to cover
86. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about
87. Gotten someone fired for their actions
88. Gone back to school
89. Changed your name
90. Caught a fly in the air with your bare hands
91. Eaten fried green tomatoes
92. Read The Iliad
93. Taught yourself an art from scratch
94. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
95. Apologized to someone years after inflicting the hurt
96. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
97. Been elected to public office
98. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream
99. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
100. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you
101. Had a booth at a street fair
102. Dyed your hair
103. Been a DJ
104. Rocked a baby to sleep
105. Ever dropped a cat from a high place to see if it really lands on all four
106. Raked your carpet
107. Brought out the best in people .
108. Brought out the worst in people
109. Worn a mood ring
110. Ridden a horse
111. Carved an animal from a piece of wood or bar of soap
112. Cooked a dish where four people asked for the recipe.
113. Buried a child
114. Gone to a Broadway (or equivalent ) play
115. Been inside the pyramids
116. Shot a basketball into a basket
117. Danced at a disco
118. Played in a band
119. Shot a bird
120. Gone to an arboretum
121. Tutored someone
122. Ridden a train
123. Brought an old fad back into style
124. Eaten caviar
125. Let a salesman talk you into something you didn’t need
126. Ridden a giraffe or elephant
127. Published a book
128. Pieced a quilt
129. Lived in an historic place
130. Acted in a play or performed on a stage
131. Asked for a raise
132. Made a hole-in-one (miniature golf)
133. Gone deep sea fishing
134. Gone roller skating
135. Run a marathon
136. Learned to surf
137. Invented something
138. Flown first class
139. Spent the night in a 5-star luxury suite
140. Flown in a helicopter
141. Visited Africa
142. Sang a solo
143. Gone spelunking
144. Learned how to take a compliment
145. Written a love-story
146. Seen Michelangelo’s David
147. Had your portrait painted
148. Written a fan letter
149. Spent the night in something haunted
150. Owned a St. Bernard or Great Dane
151. Ran away
152. Learned to juggle
153. Been a boss
154. Sat on a jury
155. Lied about your weight
156. Gone on a diet
157. Found an arrowhead or a gold nugget
158. Written a poem
159. Carried your lunch in a lunch box
160. Gotten food poisoning
161. Gone on a service, humanitarian or religious mission
162. Hiked the Grand Canyon
163. Sat on a park bench and fed the ducks
164. Gone to the opera
165. Gotten a letter from someone famous
166. Worn knickers
167. Ridden in a limousine
168. Attended the Olympics
169. Can hula or waltz (waltz)
170. Read a half dozen Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys books
171. Been stuck in an elevator
172. Had a revelatory dream
173. Thought you might crash in an airplane
174. Had a song dedicated to you on the radio or at a concert
175. Saved someone’s life
176. Eaten raw whale
177. Know how to tat, smock or do needlepoint
178. Laughed till your side hurt
179. Straddled the equator
180. Taken a photograph of something other than people that is worth framing
181. Gone to a Shakespeare Festival
182. Sent a message in a bottle
183. Spent the night in a hostel
184. Been a cashier
185. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
186. Joined a union
187. Donated blood or plasma
188. Built a camp fire
189. Kept a blog
190. Had hives
191. Worn custom made shoes or boots
192. Made a PowerPoint presentation
193. Taken a Hunter’s Safety Course
194. Served at a soup kitchen
195. Conquered the Rubik’s cube
196. Know CPR
197. Ridden in or owned a convertible
198. Found a long lost friend
199. Helped solve a crime
200. Responded to a NJP newsletter

Tagged....

I have been tagged! I have seen these blog posts where people get "tagged" to post things they have done and so on. I was asking how on earth people get tagged until it happened to me. Thanks Lisa! :) I may actually have a little fun with this!

I honestly don't remember much about what was going on 10 years ago. I had just had my first baby, Megan. :) So between covering from an unplanned c-section (32 hour labor and 2 hours of pushing and then a C-section) and having a new baby, I honestly don't remember what was going on 10 years ago. It was all...baby stuff. So I agree with Lisa, and I will do 5 things you may not know about me.

5 Things you may not know about me:

1. I was on the swim team in high school. It was my life. I made varsity my freshman year. I also DQed my first race on varsity. My feet in the breaststroke were wrong. Oh, well. I swam for 3 years. I was always on varsity but never lettered. I was incredibly consistent but never a stand out.

2. My movies and DVDs have to be in alphabetical order. It's just logical to me. My great room could be trashed but as long as my movies are in order there is some sense of order for me. Crazy I know.

3. I do not like chocolate ice cream. I love chocolate, the candy kind. But I do not care for chocolate ice cream, mousse, pudding, or anything like that. My sister, Karen, says that I am just weird. Okay, I will give her that one.

4. I just barely bought my first pair of tennis shoes in almost 8 years. I do not like tennis shoes. I do not like wearing socks and shoes. I love flip flops. I will wear them in freezing weather if I can avoid stepping in the snow. I just don't like the way shoes fit my feet. I did buy a pair hoping to get in better shape. Baby steps, people, baby steps.

5. I make homemade pizza. The frozen ones are fine and I do buy them for a quick and easy dinner. But for real pizza I make my own dough. It is my sister, Susan's recipe. It is very good but I have to start the dough about 2 hours before dinner. So if dinner is at 6 then I have to start the dough about 4. As it has been said before, I am weird.


5 things on my do-list today:

1. Take Katelyn to and from preschool. Make sure she is wearing her costume for the party.
2. Go grocery shopping. Every Thursday with a weeks menu planned.
3. Take Monica to afternoon kindergarten.
4. Do the dishes, pick up the great room, and clean the kitchen.
5. Pick up my kids and 2 others (carpool) from school.

Only five, huh. I could keep listing if needed.


5 snacks I enjoy:

1. Tootsie Rolls
2. Cheesecake!!
3. Chips and dip or chips and salsa
4. Ben & Jerry's Mint Chocolate Cookie ice cream (I said I didn't like CHOCOLATE ice cream)
5. Fruit (mainly apples, strawberries and pears)


5 things I would do if I were a millionaire:

1. Hire a housekeeper and part-time nanny.
2. Pay off my house sooner.
3. Make sure our parents (Mike's and mine) can retire comfortably.
4. Give some to Humanitarian Aid, General Mission Fund, and Perpetual Education Fund.
5. Set up HUGE saving account and trust funds for my kids.


5 places I have lived:

1. Rowland Heights, CA
2. Rexburg, ID
3. Provo, UT
4. Riverton, UT
5. Clearfield, UT


5 jobs I have had:

1. Barro's Pizza in Diamond Bar, CA
2. Carrows in Diamond Bar, CA
3. Western Insurance (data input for my Dad :0)
4. Casa Blanca Mexican Restuarant
5. Rowley & Co. (Produce company after I got married. Bankrupt now and not because of me!)


5 people I tag:

1. Stacy
2. Jenifer
3. Crystal
4. Amy
5. Rebecca

And of course, any one who does want to do this for fun! I tag you too! :)