our trip to arizona

On Friday we left to go to Arizona. The trip was nice and long... especially for Livia! We stayed with Jason's cousin and his wife, Scott and Tiffany. They were so sweet and generous to invite us to stay with them. I realized the morning we left that I never took any pictures of them. It was so fun to get to know them a little better.

Two of my dear mission friends live in the Mesa area, so I was super excited to see them again. Mary Ann was my mission trainer, (aka mi mami) and I haven't seen her since she left Argentina almost 7 years ago. Erika and I were at BYU together, so I've seen her a lot more since the mission. But she's been back in AZ for a while now, so it was so good to see her again and catch up on both their lives. We met for brunch at Crackers and chatted it up!


Mary Ann, Sophie, Joe, Carter (hidden), Chris, Erika, Livia, Sally, Jason, and (a very uncooperative) Sam

After Brunch we went over to Jason's cousin's home for the Cook Family Christmas Reunion. We went to Heath and Michelle's house, and they had a very fun place for little boys! Usually Sam is a little shy at first to play and adventurize.... not at this place! He was quite excited to see this little site:


Heath recently bought these three giant toys from a rental company that was going out of business.... which means we'll get to see these little beauties every time we go down for a Cook Family Reunion!
After about an hour or two of bouncing and sliding fun.... Sam made a new discovery:

He drove this little toy around for another hour... and eventually let his cousin, Brigham, hop on for a ride. I was really surprised with how well he handled it. He learned to put it in reverse if he got stuck and was able to follow the curves of the paved path he liked to drive on.
Meanwhile Jason found some exciting times at the basketball court. He even won a game of Horse.

This is the back side of the pool. But it was pretty nippy, so no one jumped in (except for the two teenage girls that spent the entire afternoon making a list of how much everyone would pay them to jump into the pool... which they did after it got dark and even colder. I have no idea how much they made though.... I doubt it was worth it!)
I didn't think to take a picture of the front of the pool until after it was dark, but it was a super awesome pool so sorry for the darkity.

We all gathered inside and began the little program.

Our family sang Jingle Bells as the little boys rang the bells. I had to take pictures, so I couldn't stand up with them and sing.... ;) Way to go Jenny and Brian... you're good sports!

On Monday we went on a little Memory Lane Tour with Jason's parents. It was so neat to see the places that were significant to them in their early marriage. We started at the temple where Jason's dad proposed to Jason's mom... we even got to see the re-enactment! Very cute. Jason got a good picture on his phone of his mom jumping as she said, YES! We also got to see the homes where they both grew up, and the newspaper office where Jason's dad earned enough money for his mission and shared the amazing story that he had there. We saw each of their first apartments and homes, along with the home Dad's parents moved to while he was on his mission and the now-empty lot where Grandma Elsie (Livia's namesake) once lived. Most of the tour was spent in the car, listening to their stories via walkie-talkie. We really enjoyed sharing in their memories and hearing each of their thoughts as they started their life together. Not only was it great to see the sites, but it was also a blessing to hear some of their special experiences that greatly affected their lives and the lives of others.

Jason had some work to do, so after lunch we went back to Scott's house and laid the kids down for naps. Then I had some serious shoe shopping to do.... And let me tell you.... I did it. My friend, Erika, came with me (since she lives a mile away from Scott!) We both thought we might buy one or two pairs at the most.... we walked away with 4 pairs each. (Don't worry Jason, I only spent $50 which is pretty darn good!)

Later that evening was the night that we originally planned to make the trip for. Jason's mom's side was having their annual Christmas Family Home Evening. Since there would be 1 or 2 hundred people at the party, it was held at the church. We knew we wouldn't get to see Grandpa and Grandma Schlink much there, so we stopped by their house earlier on Monday to visit with them. They are such a sweet couple! They have been married for less than 10 years (Jason's Grandma passed away in the late 90's) and they are so good for each other. Grandma Jane was so excited to get toys for the kids and hold them and hug them. I forgot to get a picture of the little car ramp that Sam played with the entire time we were there.





We are so lucky to have such amazing people in our lives. It was such a blessing to be able to see them (and in my case meet some of them!) and to enjoy a portion of this Christmas season with them. We look forward to going again some year, hopefully not too many years away.
It was a great start to a great Holiday Season!

don't cry for me...

Argentina... a very different (from what I am used to) and amazing place. A country that I love and whose people I love even more. (Most of them anyway....)
Today is the 6th anniversary of my return from Argentina. Yesterday marked the day that I left that awesome place. I left at 10:30 pm as scared to leave as I was to come! After 18 months of always having someone around... I had to fly halfway across the world by myself. I sat next to an 80-something year old grandpa who didn't speak Spanish (my English was a bit rough by then) and was hard of hearing. He finally just went to sleep.... I took the hint. And the tears rolled down my cheek as I watched the lights of Buenos Aires diminish from my sights. I wondered then, and I wonder still, will I ever see those lights again? It was bittersweet.
After 24 hours of airports and airplanes... I arrived in Bismarck, North Dakota.... only to be greeted by most of my extended family and several members of the Bismarck Ward. I was reminded how blessed I was to have such dear family and friends!
And I am still blessed by those same people! And more! I am blessed for the amazing time I had in Buenos Aires and I wouldn't change my decision to go on a mission for anything!

Here are a few photos I pulled from a mission friend's facebook page... sorry for the mini-ness of them all.

bye bye love...

...sac that is.

Yes, it is true. After almost 5 years we have decided to sell our CuddleBag.

On February 14, 2005, Jason said he had our first Valentine's Day all planned out. It was a Monday, so after we got home from school, I asked him what our plans were. He told me to tell him my thoughts on his plan.
The plan:
We buy a big love sac, buy a movie with our Ultimate Electronics Gift Card we got as a wedding present, then watch that movie on our new love sac.
I was a little hesitant since love sacs were not cheap... and we were poor students.
The decision-maker:
We put a 'yes' and a 'no' in a little box and Jason picked one to tell us if we should buy one or not.
As he reached in and grabbed one, I saw 'yes' on the paper that he did not pick... and I made a disappointed face.... so he dropped it, and grabbed the other one.
The decision:
Yeah! Jason picked the one that said 'yes' so we knew that's what we were going to do!
The result:
The purchasing of an 8-foot CuddleBag.

It has pretty much always taken up most of whichever room it has been kept in. So we decided a few days ago that it was time to sell it. Later that day, a lady came and took it away. We were sad, but lately it has not been used at all, and it seemed to be mostly in the way.
And trust me.... it is a beast to move.

So, fare well, dear cuddle bag... you will be missed.

silly turkeyness

I have officially hosted my first Thanksgiving. Let's just say I'm glad that only 14 people were affected, and I won't be surprised if my sisters strongly suggest that someone else host from now on.
Ok, so it wasn't horrible, but the turkey was a little dry and over cooked in my opinion. Jason said it tasted great, but I think he knew that he had to tell me that since he's my husband.
Thankfully my mother-in-law was available that morning to walk me through the whole turkey-going-in-the-oven process. Then, my brother-in-law, Ron, assisted in the whole turkey-coming-out-of-the-oven process.
I'm embarrassed to say that I've never even made mashed potatoes! So clearly I needed help in that department as well. Thank you Ron and Ronda and Dan and Leesa for all your help!




The kids had to stay in the kitchen... for obvious reasons!

Adam and Brynja even had their own little table.

And did I mention I only have enough silverware to feed 8 people? This was the silverware tray before we even got to the pie! Thank goodness for plastic forks!

Maybe by the next time I get to host I will be a little better equipped for such an occasion! But even without the proper dishware and seating, it was so nice to be with 2 of my 3 sisters (Swensons and mom and dad, we really missed you!) We enjoyed the day together and I am so grateful for my family and the closeness we share. I have the best family ever!
(Then to make my day even better, Ronda invited Sam to go to her house for a couple of days... I don't think she realized at the time what she was in for though!) Thanks Ronda! It's always nice to get a break from a 3 year old!

5 years

This past Friday Jason and I celebrated our 5th Anniversary. It was my turn to plan our celebration. We had an awesome weekend together, and we both feel that the time we had together really refreshed our relationship. (Thanks to Jason's parents for watching the kids, and to Ronda who offered to watch them and was very willing to do so as well.)

We started off our date by checking into the Little America Hotel in Salt Lake.





I didn't have any specific plans for dinner that night. I left that up to Jason. Instead of eating right then, he thought we should go to a movie. He suggested New Moon. (How many women out there are so super jealous right now?)

We quickly bought tickets online and ran out the door since we only had about 20 minutes to get to the Gateway and find parking! But we made it!

After the movie, we walked around the Gateway looking for a place to eat dinner. We were hoping for a nice steak...

We got it. And it. was. delicious.

We returned to the hotel and took a quick dip in the hot tub.

The rest of the evening is none of your business.

The next morning was so nice because we didn't wake up to a loud child, a crying baby, or a noisy dog! (Perfect!)

Since the hotel wanted $13 for each Continental Breakfast (and I always thought "continental" meant free) we decided to make a quick run to my personal favorite...


By the time I returned to the hotel, I found Jason watching this:

Because he thought I would like to watch it. Isn't he so sweet?

We needed to check out by noon, so we eventually got showered and ready for the day. We went to the Salt Lake Temple and enjoyed the peace there as we did a session.


We also planned on going target shooting, but the weather was a little cold for that activity, so we're hoping to do that sometime soon.

The only disappointing part of our time together was when it came to an end. But it was nice to see the kids. I guess.

Anyway, Happy Anniversary Jason! I love you more and more every year we have together! I am so blessed to have you forever!

cream referral

Livia has very sensitive skin. I think that she has had a red bottom for well over half her life. I have tried so many kinds of diapers and diaper rash creams and prescriptions, and they help some, but my neighbor used Aveeno diaper rash cream once and I was so impressed with how well it seemed to work in just one dose.


When I put this on her, her bottom always looks better the next time I change her diaper. Now I just need to remember to put it on every time... or the redness returns.
So if you are in the market for a new diaper rash cream.... give Aveeno a try! I recommend it!

MY-time.... where are you?

I only have two kids, yet I feel pretty lucky when I get to take a shower. And I will admit, there are many days that my shower is probably twice as long as it needs to be because I am finally alone... and I can't hear anything but the running water.

Yet, a little being has foiled my awesome plan of daily solitude...
and destroyed my daily dose of silence.

She didn't even care that she was getting drenched. She was there the entire time. And she wanted to make sure I knew she was there. (I was fully aware.)





Fortunately for me, she can't open bathroom doors yet. Tomorrow, I promise it will be closed.

Crazy4KenKen

Recently I have discovered a new number game. It's called KenKen. It's similar to Sudoku, but adds math to the puzzle. Jason thinks I'm crazy... since he calls it homework! But I love it! The Readers Digest had for several months a sample of it, and I went back through all of them and found them. Now I have done them all. They just have the 4x4 and 6x6 puzzles, but I just discovered that they have all sizes! I'm so excited to try out the harder ones! It's so fun!! You can click on KenKen to check it out. You can print them off and enjoy!

Here is a sample puzzle:

Here are the rules:

For a 3x3 puzzle, fill in with numbers 1-3. For a 4x4 puzzle, fill in with numbers 1-4. For a 5x5 puzzle, fill in with numbers 1-5. For a 6x6 puzzle, fill in with the numbers 1-6. For a 7x7 puzzle, fill in with the numbers 1-7. For a 8x8 puzzle, fill in with the numbers 1-8. For a 9x9 puzzle, fill in with the numbers 1-9.

Do not repeat a number in any row or column.

The numbers in each heavily outlined set of squares, called cages, must combine (in any order) to produce the target number in the top corner of the cage using the mathematical operation indicated.

Cages with just one box should be filled in with the target number in the top corner.

A number can be repeated within a cage as long as it is not in the same row or column.

tell me a story....

For the last couple of months, we have been using the new Gospel Art Book to teach Sam the different stories in the scriptures. We find a picture for him to look at and Jason tells him the story. Sam absolutely loves it! This past week, he asked if we could have Family Home Evening almost every night.
So he can retain the stories better, we review the names with him each week. He first learned about Joseph Smith. During General Conference, every time one of the speakers said the name Joseph Smith, Sam would look up and tell us that, "he said Joseph Smith!"
I've been so impressed with how well he remembers the names. At times he will get a couple of them confused, but he has done so well with remembering them.
I'm so lucky that my little boy loves Family Home Evening and encourages us to make time in our Monday evening to sit down as a family and learn about Jesus and His Gospel!

stabbing puh-weens

In case the title doesn't make sense, view the following clip, and let it enlighten you.


Livia participated in this way:
And only for about 5 minutes (just enough time to eat all the cheese) then she was done and went to bed.

We started (and later finished) gutting out Sam's pumpkin.
Apparently he doesn't like the squishiness of pumpkin innards...

Hence the pouty face when daddy stopped working on his....


Sam's completed puh-ween:
Mommy's:
Daddy's:

Livia's pumpkin gets to be behind the rose bush, since it's still just a pumpkin. (Boring!)

And the darkness sets in....

A few dark close-ups:
Sam's:
Mommy's:
Daddy's:


Happy Halloween!

fun with maggie

A couple of nights ago, Sam started playing with Maggie, and Livia decided to join in on the fun! She likes to play with Sam. And she likes to play with Maggie, but she usually doesn't get to play with them at the same time. We had lots of fun seeing them all play together.