Tagged, Again.

Ok, Jess, you got me. I will try it out. 20 Random things about me.

1 I think I have strep throat right now but don't want to pay for the dr. visit to find out for sure.

2 I should be in bed right now because I have to get up pretty soon.

3 Don't like cats

4 I'm thrilled that Obama won!

5 I want a tiller for Christmas

6 I love to read

7 I love to do crafts

8 It really hurts to swallow right now

9 Love to travel

10 Just grossed my husband out. Not telling how.

11 Ate chicken for lunch

12 Love to garden and do almost any kind of manual labor

13 Put myself through college as a shoe salesperson

14 Love reading the scriptures and the Ensign

15 Love reading to my kids, although don't do it as much as I should

16 I know I'm a weirdo and I'm ok with it.

17 Dance with my kids, A LOT. They LOVE it!

18 I truly believe that I was made to be a mother and meant to be at home with my kids and hope to be home with them until they are on their own.

19 I love my Stevie weevie

20 I really admire all my friends who are such great moms and work so hard to raise their kids. I learn a lot from all of you. Thanks ladies. You are all BEAUTIFUL!


Now, I tag everyone who will do this!

So what are all your plans for Christmas? What about Christmas break with the kids out of school? I am really wanting to do some fun things with the kids while Nikoli is out of school. If you have any fun ideas, I would love to hear them. What are your favorite family traditions? I don't know that I have made any tradition all that concrete. When I was very young, my family would act out the Nativity on Christmas eve. I would generally get to be Mary. That was fine until Baby Jesus went from being played by a doll to my little brother! Who wants to be their little brothers mother?! Then we would all open one gift. Christmas morning was for all the other gift exchanges and Mom would always make a huge breakfast. Then the family dinner at whoever's house. It was fun. I am the 6th of 7 children, so when all the older siblings moved out we ran out of actors for the whole scene and that tradition kind of dwindled. Now I have my own family and I really want some concrete traditions for the kids to look forward to as children and reflect on as adults. Please share any of your favorite traditions.

Merry Christmas!

Catch Up

Hey! Remember us? Here I am again doing a blog. Can you believe it? Someday I will be on top of this just like the rest of you, some who seem to blog everyday! But for now, this is what you get! Here are a few Halloween pics. Aren't they cute? Nikoli was Iron Man, Zion was a Fairy Princess (I am proud to say I made her costume) and Elijah was the cutest little bumble bee I have ever seen.

Obviously, lots of time has passed since all this, so I'll try to catch ya'll up on the missing parts.




My sweetie pie didn't seem to mind his costume at all. Funny because he usually protests anything out of the ordinary

OK, so no new pics, but I finally have a computer again. Yippee!!!!! My sweet, curious, busy baby boy enjoyed the flashing power button on my old/new computer just a little too much. The boy fried my motherboard! And the computers, too! Ha ha. Hopefully I will be able to salvage some pictures as most of my pics were no where but on the computer that has recently passed. R.I.P. Hey, if any of you have pictures that I have sent you in emails, will you please email them back to me?

So, the race is on. Thanksgiving morning will be my first official marathon (if you could call it that). As some of you already know, Monica and I are training to run in a half marathon next Sept. We are going to try out our running legs in a 5k run on Thanksgiving. I think it should be fun. I had considered foregoing the 5k to play flag football with Steve and the guys from elders quorum, but Steve is really supportive of this marathon thing and he has encouraged me to do the 5k. I will listen to my husband . . . if only just this once. So, Monica . . . Here we gooooooooo.

The kids are doing awesome as usual. Nikoli's still keeping me on my toes, and brainy as ever. Zion is still gorgeous and sweet with the perfect amount of spunk mixed in, and Elijah, oh, Elijah . . . I always tell him it's a good thing he's so dang cute or he'd be in trouble all the time! Between playing in the toilet, climbing on tables, chairs, desks, and destroying computers, he has just enough time to wrap us around his chubby little finger! The boy has such an amazing personality! I can't believe how quick he is, in every way! I am so glad we have him. Just like the others.

Steve is busy as usual. He has been working a LOT, but that's a good thing. He plays a lot of soccer, too. He's still Dad of the decade around here! The kids love when he comes home. He is so good about playing with them and just being a great daddy.

Hopefully the lack of pics hasn't made this post too unbelievably boring! Take care, everyone! Later Alligators!

Grandpa Staten

Last night my Grandpa Staten passed away. He had been diagnosed with pancreatic and liver cancer about 5 weeks ago. It was very aggressive. The picture with he, Zion and Elijah was taken only 4 weeks ago. He left us around 7:00. We will miss him immensely, but we are happy that he is now comfortable. He had been in so much pain. We miss you Grandpa!

7 Interesting things about me

You know, I don't know that I'm the most interesting person in the world, but since my cuz tagged me to do this . . . here is my best shot! Oh, I see the rules are that they are to be weird or random facts. That should be easier.

*1* I have double vision.

*2* When I was 4 years old my ENTIRE family was hospitalized from carbon monoxide poisoning.

*3* When I was around the same age I was boating with my family and our boat stopped working in the middle of Henry's Lake when a massive storm rolled in. Our boat almost capsized (at least we all felt that way). I now have a fear of swimming in lakes, rivers, or any other natural water spot. I don't know if this has anything to do with it, but the fear is real!

*4* I think the worst part about cooking meals is coming up with what to make!

*5* I don't think I cry enough. Not that I don't have reason to, I just can't seem to do it! Sometimes, but it's pretty rare.

*6* Believe it or not, my friend Monica and I are training to run a 1/2 marathon (13.2 mi.) that takes place next September.

*7* I prefer Hillary Clinton over Sarah Palin (in politics). Sorry mom.

Ok, now . . . Jeanne, Monica, Jessie, Summer, Viki, Tauni and Shannon TAG, YOU'RE IT!!!

Happy Anniversary to us!

No, Nikoli's not brushing his teeth with dynamite, he just put his tongue in jail! Ok, I'll stop killing you with my humor. He lost his third tooth. No tooth fairy though. He had that one figured out a couple years ago.

Hip, hip, Hooray!

Ok, Ok, Ok, here is a new blog . . . so get of my @!$@!%$#@ back! Just kidding! I am thrilled that ya'll are looking and noticing enough to remind me to get on top of things. Right, Monica? We have been busy, like everyone else. Maybe I need to work on the time management skills? Anyway . . .

So here is my Nikoli's birthday. It was waaaaaaaaay back on July 25 and we had so much fun! Nikoli and I went to have breakfast at IHOP (yummy yummy yummy). Then we dropped off a gift at my cousin Kellie's. She and her twin share a birthday with Nikoli, along with my niece, Olivia, Uncle Rex, and who else??? I know there are more.

Aunt Tara had dropped off Kaylen (Nikoli's best friend/cousin), so we went home and picked he and Zion up and the four of us went to Wall-E. LOVED IT!!!! Anyway, here are some fun pics to share the experience.

Zion's Birthday Party

I guess it's a good thing 3 year olds don't really put a lot of stock into their birthdays because Zion's really fizzled. She had been sick for a couple days before her birthday, on her birthday, and a couple days after, too. She really had us worried. We finally decided to just have the party, anyway! She didn't have any appetite at all so she didn't get any of her own cake (Nikoli was very happy to help out in that area). As of yesterday, she has been feeling a lot better. She has lost some weight, but she is getting her appetite back and she's back to playing. Today I took her shopping for some new church shoes. She LOVES to shop! She found the shoes she wanted right away and refuses to take them off! They are a metalic pink sandal with a transparent one-ince heel and a butterfly made out of diamonds on the toe. They really fit her personality! She got a bunch of bike stuff for her birthday and Nikoli doesn't know it yet, but he's getting a bigger bike for his birthday, too. It will be fun to all be able to bike together in the park.

Torgerson Family Campout

We have been home from the family reunion for a week now, but I am just getting this posting up because of some annoying sicknesses that we've been dealing with. But that's a whole different story! Anyway . . .

Our campout was a lot of fun. EVERYONE was there this year, except for Colby who is working in New York for the summer. We missed you Colbiss!! We even played a fun game where we had to write down 3 things that no one knew about us. Jackie read them and then we had to guess who's secret it was. It was kinda funny! We all learned that Dad was hot stuff in high school, Jackie is an undercover potty mouth, and there are several vandals in the family. Who knew?!

Poor Stevie-weevie got sick Friday. It was no fun for him or any of us from there on out as it spread like wildfire through the rest of us the following week. Only Nikoli hasn't been sick.

Tiffini and Jordan's dad, Daryl, joined us this year. It was so great to see him again. He fit right in and we all loved having him.

Well, I have put some pictures up of the blessed event, so have a look. If you scroll down, there are more at the bottom that are a bit bigger and easier to see.

Independence Day

For the 4th of July, we took a short jaunt to Mesa Falls. It is such a beautiful place. If it was green and warm all year long, I'd live there for sure! It was so much FUN! The kids really liked it. We were able to escape with only a couple of mosquito bites. Elijah LOVED it! The closer we got to the water, the louder he'd get. He discovered his voice about a month ago and he is very free about using it LOUD AND CLEAR! Hope you all have an amazing fourth! Love you!

Mama Time

If you have spent any time with me in the past 3 years, you know that I feel a little scattered most of the time. I work at home for my awesome sister, Jackie, doing books and stuff. Don't ask me what my title is, I really don't have a clue. Anyway, I am so blessed to be able to stay home with my kids AND have a job at the same time, but let me tell you, it isn't easy to take care of kids and work at the same time! I really do like my job, but it is difficult to balance kid time, work time, clean time, church-calling time, excercise time, cook time, husband time, and everything else that you all understand! So, I have finally decided to stop all my whining and do something about it! Starting yesterday (ha ha ha) I have decided that from 11 am to 3 pm, it is strictly kid time. We have lunch together, then we play together.
Yesterday, we went to a park and had a little picnic. It was lots of fun. Elijah was SO upset when I took him out of the swing. Zion wasn't thrilled about leaving, either. Today, we made sun-catchers. Luckily both Nikoli and Zion love artsy things because I do too! Nikoli now has 6 suncatchers on the window next to his bed. What a cutee! Of course, Zion painted all of hers purple, ENTIRELY purple, but did such a good job and didn't get one drop of glass stain on her clothes. I really like mine, too, but I let Nikoli put them up in his window.

It's All About the Bubbles, Baby!

For playgroup we went to our friend, Jana's, house and had a party that was all about bubbles. It was lots of fun! All 3 had such a great time and when we got in the car to leave, Nikoli told me that Wednesday's were his favorite day. When I asked why he said, "Because we get to go to playgroup!" This was only his third one since he was in school when I started going right before Elijah was born. Sure glad he likes it! It's a definite necessary break from the monotony.

Our Three Works of Art

I can't believe we already have three kids! I feel so . . . OLD! Who would have thought that a blind date could have lead to all this?!

These three munchkins are amazing in their own ways. They make quite a team all together. Nikoli is crowd control, Zion's in charge of entertainment, and Elijah is an innocent spectator/student, learning the ways of charm, negotiation, and superheroes.

We never thought three kids could take so much effort, but the rewards far outweigh the work. We all enjoy our individual family roles that give us such a sense of purpose, responsibility, and reward.