The Cute Jensen, Pickle and Peterson Kids!

On Thanksgiving, I took pictures of all of my nieces and nephews (on my side) and my kids. Look how flippin' cute they all are!

Cameron (my sister's oldest... will be 17 in a few months) who is a master on the swim team!


Next come's Cody, who is 15 and on his high school basketball team (my brother's son):


Then my brother's second son, Neal, who just turned 14, and is one of the smartest kids I know:


Just 4 days after Neal was born, comes my sister's daughter Emily, who may be extremely beautiful and popular but is an absolute sweetie:


Then comes my sister's youngest, Nathan, who will be 12 in a few months. He is one of those kids that just radiates warmth and happiness!


Then comes my brother's youngest, Kaylee who will be 12 next summer. She loves to talk but more importantly knows how to really listen.


My kids bring up the end of the grandkids.

Ally, who just turned 9:


And, then comes Devin, who trails really far behind at 2:


And that makes up my adorable family of nieces, nephews and of course my own sweeties!

Thankful

Last month was the month to be thankful. I hate how November is kind of a crazy jump from Halloween straight into Christmas. It's even crazy for us because we have immediate family members with Birthday's on the 11th, 13th, 15th, 19th, 21st, 25th and 29th... add all that up to a crazy month.

November was an ENTIRE month of pure sickness. You know it has been a bad month when you get a text from your mom every morning asking who is sick that day, and you can never answer "no one". I *think* we may have a pause in the sickness, but I can never be too sure.

So, I really wanted to find ways to celebrate this beautiful time of year and really remember what it is about... being thankful. I found an easy way to do this. I created a big poster and wrote "I AM THANKFUL FOR..." on it. At least every day we each try and write something on it. True, there is "nyquil" and "no one threw up today" on it, but those really have been things to be thankful for this month. It has been really great to see how everyone checks it out and loves to see what we write.

I took this picture mid month, so it got even fuller by the time the month was over.


I really am so very thankful for all the many blessings in my life!!!

Nine

Dear Ally,

Today you turned nine years old... Nine years and nine whole months you have been in my life. What a blessing each precious second has been to me. We've spent a lot of time lately talking with you about the past, our past. From talking about your seizures as a baby, to the time you left Scooby in the Tucson airport and we finally came clean that it was in fact a new Scooby and the flight attendants hadn't really mailed him back to us.

I will never forget my first moments with you alone. Daddy was gone and even the nurses had disappeared. I remember stroking your soft, fuzzy, dark hair and looking at your big dark eyes. I remember feeling scared, not knowing what to do with something so tiny and so completely mine. But those few moments of fear quickly got lost in complete wonder at the tiny fingers curled around one of mine and the fact that you were mine... and then the wonder disappeared, and it was just you and me, and I finally knew what unconditional love meant.

You've always been mine. As a toddler you were forever attached to me and I wondered if I would ever get a moments peace from you... but those days are gone. You are still mine, but as you are constantly with friends, playing on your own, going to school so many hours a day, I sometimes wish you were the toddler that would scream if I was ever a few steps away. I never understood how hard it is to let someone grow up. Sometimes you probably wonder why I come into your room to listen to some music with you, even when you know I really can't stand The Jonas Brothers... it's simple. I'm still a little too attached, and even if I can't scream when you're too many steps away, I sneak in ways all I can to just be near you.

You are the most amazing nine-year-old I have ever met. Yes, you are beautiful and smart, but you are also the most caring, sweet and tender-hearted too! Your compassion and patience for your brother is amazing, and your hugs can make the whole world seem right again. You are honest, and amaze me how you always try to do what is right. I know you are only nine years old, but you are one of the few people I can really count on.

So, please be patient with this mom that still wants to hold your hand, and hug you when you leave for school every morning. I am not quite as ready as you are to let go, but I am trying. You have made me so proud of you and the beautiful young lady you are today.

So, Happy Birthday, my not-so, little one.

Love,
Mom

Another Weekend of Parties

It was another busy, crazy, fun weekend for us. This time we were celebrating Ally's birthday. On Saturday, we had a few of Ally's closest friends come over for a party. She wanted to have a Halloween/Birthday party... interesting. Anyway, we invited everyone to wear their costumes.


The pictures are from a game of candy corn catch. The girls threw the candy corn and their partner had to catch it in the pumpkin. This was Devin's favorite game! He sat underneath them and tried to catch as much candy corn as possible that dropped and eat it.

We also did a mummy wrap with toilet paper.


We played some more games and then we fed the girls pizza.

Then it was time to open presents.

Then it was time for cupcakes and ice cream.


Ally had a lot of fun!!!

On Sunday morning around 4 am, Ally came into our room saying she didn't feel good... and then proceeded to throw up all over our carpeted floor... the last thing she had eaten was orange jello... just sayin'... So, we get her all settled with a bucket and scrub the floor and I am thinking I am going to call all of our family and cancel her party later... but she doesn't throw up again and feels fine. So we figure she just had too much sugar or something... the party is still on! (and I am extremely thankful because I had already made her huge cake and it takes me HOURS to do it!)
We gave her the option to open her presents from us Sunday morning or wait until her actual Birthday on the 11th... what do you think she picked? Of course she wanted to open them!



Here is Ally in the outfit and boots we got for her:

We didn't go to church... we weren't still sure at that point if she was actually sick or not, but then that evening our family came over and she opened even more presents!


Then time for more cake (made to Ally's specifications) and ice cream.

So, that was our fun weekend celebrating a beautiful young lady!!!

Halloween Festivities

Wow, has it been a crazy several days of parties, and while I must say it has been fun, I must also say that I am SO glad it is over.

It all started with carving pumpkins. My parent's came to watch Ally's Primary Program (which I must say she did an amazing job) and we decided to carve pumpkins that day.


Ally doesn't really mind carving pumpkins.

But Devin was completely grossed out by the insides and would freak out if any of it touched him... we were all laughing at him, because it was pretty hilarious.

The result...


A few days later Alex got sick... he still is.
On Thursday, October 28th, I hosted Devin's play group Halloween party at our house.
I put on a luncheon and had the kids make spider cookies.



Once again we tried to get a picture of all the kids... and once again it didn't work out so well...

Did I mention that Ally woke up with a cold this morning?... yeah, she had to stay upstairs while we had the party downstairs.

On Friday, October 29th was Ally's Halloween activities at school. So we, got her all dressed up as a witch.



My parents came down to watch Ally's Halloween Parade at her school.

We waited for 45 minutes to see her walk by for less than a minute around the gym... but that's all part of it...

Then my parents watched Devin so I could go back to Ally's class Halloween Party... did I mention I was in charge of it? For my part I had the kids make spider cookies and pom pom spiders.


The it was time for actual Halloween... well, since Halloween was on a Sunday this year, all of the trick-or-treating was done on the 30th... and who woke up with a cold this day? Devin.




We went with some friends to the mall, where the kids got candy from the stores and played around. Then we went to Wingers after for some dinner all together.


Then we went trick-or-treating with those same friends and their kids that night. Devin didn't want anything to do with trick-or-treating, so after a few houses Alex took him back to our house to pass out candy. Ally, got lots of candy though.

Who do you think woke up sick today???? Miraculously, no one NEW was sick.
The actual Halloween day brought another party... only this time for only half of us. Devin and Alex were just too sick to join in this time. So, Ally and I drove up to Salt Lake to spend the evening with my family. Here are some of the pics from our evening:

My niece, Kaylee:

And my other niece, Emily:

And my favorite witch:

We also all got in on turtle races.

And who was the overall winner?

My mom!

So, that was our crazy week of parties and sickness... and should I mention who woke up sick on Monday morning?.... hmmmm, there was only one person left in our little family to get sick.... yep, that's me, lucky, sick me.