Monsen

Year 2010

2011-01-02T21:39:00.000-07:00

Halloween 2010

Day 2- Melissa Learns how to use the T rails

2010-10-16T15:27:00.002-06:00

I purchased a week rail pass and learned the fine art of driving on the "T".

Day 1- Boston arrival-Hotel

2010-10-15T19:59:00.001-06:00

We arrived to Boston Airport and I checked my phone to hear a message from Samantha.

Day 1- Boston Flight- the view from above

2010-10-15T19:52:00.001-06:00

Here are what it looks like looking out from the airplane

For the Kids- Day 1 Boston Flight

2010-10-15T19:49:00.000-06:00

Sammie I took these photos saying- This is for Sammie- they were ones I thought you would take photos of yourself and so here is our day one in photos From dropping the car off to getting on the plane

Family Reunion, Swimming Lessons, and the Zoo Oh My!

2010-06-28T08:32:00.001-06:00

Talk about a dry spell for my blog- I haven't written since Christmas. Six months have flown by and we have completed another school year and all those activities that accompany school and the year. Then there are the sports games, birthdays, and holidays that have passed us by. We now into summer and busy as ever. I guess we will just start from here and see where it all leads.

Here are some highlights of our summer so far:

Swimming lessons:

Our Trip to the Zoo #1:

Family Reunion:

Christmas Morning

2009-12-28T11:38:00.003-07:00

Here are the Kids with their Christmas- They first woke up at 3 and dad told them they had to wait till 4 AM. Needless to say I am still catching up on my sleep.

Christmas Eve

2009-12-28T10:58:00.003-07:00

It is a tradition in our family to have PJs for Christmas eve. This year I also let them open the scrapbooks that I had made for 08-09- as an afternoon "you've got the house cleaned up good job" reward. Here are the pictures- Since our family have been into dress our stuffed animal mode lately I did make matching PJs for our stuffed animals too. (well didn't get Jared's finished, but we improvised)

Samantha's Birthday

2009-12-28T10:45:00.003-07:00

We went to Build a Bear for Samantha's Birthday. This time I took pictures of the experience. We ate at the Village Inn (had a lousy waitress- though) By the time we got home the little boys were asleep so we had her cake the next day. Happy Birthday Sam.

Sarah's Baptism

2009-12-28T10:33:00.004-07:00

I didn't take many Pictures of Sarah's Baptism- That makes me feel bad, but here are are ones I did take. later that Evening we went to SLC and to Temple Square.

Sarah's Party

2009-12-28T10:20:00.004-07:00

Sarah's Birthday Party "who Ate the Birthday Cake?" Similar to Clue JR Game that my kids love we had Blue Balloons with clues and Yellow Balloons with Clues in various parts of the house and the idea is to Rule out Who (in my family) and the Time that it occurred. It was Chaotic and yet everyone seemed to have fun. Everyone Received Detective badges and a detective bag with gear in it. The Birthday Cupcakes had magnifying glasses in them. Later that night we Celebrated as a family. Our family cake I made it look like a magnifying glass. We went to Build a Bear and McDonald's for the Birthday dinner (chosen by the birthday girl). Happy 8th Birthday Sarah.

Finally Halloween Posts

2009-12-06T17:57:00.000-07:00

This Year our ward had a Trick or Trunk- Samantha had a soccer game and Jordan went with Dad and Sam to it. Then we carved pumpkins and that night it snowed. Finally We went trick or treating at Mainstreet Tooele.

Sarah's Baptism Photos

2009-10-25T15:41:00.003-06:00

Some days are like that

2009-10-10T18:36:00.004-06:00

Ever have the days when it seems like all you end up doing is making more work for yourself? I was working on the calendar for the upcoming year. Getting pictures to put on the corresponding months, all it seemed to be that I ended up accomplishing is getting frustrated. Then I came to realize that I could have done to save myself time and aggravation, was 2 simple steps and not the 10 frustrating ones I was taking. I guess some days are like that. I guess that some days we are simply trying to hard to push through, when there is better way to get around from point A to B.

My Soccer Players

2009-09-27T21:02:00.004-06:00

Here is Green Lightning's #5, The Golden Girls #3, & The Crushers #27.

Samantha has several coaches for her team, but one in common to Sarah's Team. Coach Casey- has a great saying that he tells the girls after he has talked to them about what things they need to do different in their playing- He'll ask what was not working and asks them what they need to be doing- His last comment is "Make the adjustment". I liked that statement so much I thought I would share it.

School Midterms already- Quarter #1

2009-09-18T17:55:00.004-06:00

It is time for Midterms and I haven't even posted the first day of school photos- So I will correct that now.

Jordan's First day of Preschool-

Jason's birthday

2009-08-29T06:27:00.003-06:00

It was Jason's 6th birthday here is how we celebrated: Birthday Party a week before. We had a family party at home the day of. And we had his first Soccer Game the night of his birthday. I also took treats to his school class, but I didn't take photos of that.

The Adidas Cup Tournament

2009-08-18T13:37:00.003-06:00

It was quite the weekend for our family. Samantha's Soccer Team participated in the Adidas Cup Tournament. The first game the girls had was on Thursday- Our team won by 1-0. The second game was Friday. The game tied 1-1.

The weather forcast for Saturday was for possible rain in the morning and nice weather in the afternoon. The truth was the there was definitely rain and definitely nice weather in the afternoon. Their first game was at 8 AM and the rain ebbed off for most of the game- till a lightning strike that was too close for comfort drove everyone undercover. The game was called, they lost. However, because they won and tied they were eligible for playing the final game. They played the same team from that morning and lost under blue skies.

Here are the photos of a group hug before the last game and the their metals for "runner-up".

The County Fair

2009-08-01T22:42:00.003-06:00

I am so proud of the girls. 10 Blue Ribbons, 1 Red- and one of the blue was an OUTSTANDING blue ribbon! I was excited and they were excited to see their hard work pay off. I am already anticipating next year. I took pictures of the display I wanted to record their efforts.

July in 4H

2009-07-27T21:12:00.003-06:00

We have had a crazy month of July. The girls have sewn aprons and I took them to the Fair grounds for judging today. It was pretty intense for a while with our sewing. We cut out the aprons, Attached the facings, sewed ties, sewed pockets, put it all together. There was rarely enough time during meetings, so the girls would stay later,come earlier , or come back sometime later that week.

It was a continual process, some days seemed never ending other times I was having more fun than the girls. I took pictures of each girl and their "masterpiece" and will add the images just as soon as I collage them together, so I don't have to post 11 individual photos. I hope they all win blue ribbons.

In the meantime for cooking- we have been following the book pretty closely. We have made Granola bars, Fruit Kabobs and dip, Brownies, and scrambled eggs (not in that order) Some of the girls wanted to wear the aprons right away, but I prevailed in making them wait for after the fair.

Our next sewing project is making some denim square bags. I will let you know how that goes. I just hope the girls complete them before school is back in session.

The 4H ladybugs

2009-06-21T14:22:00.003-06:00

I organized a 4H group for my ward. I was planning on just a few girls from our neighborhood, but felt later to open it up to the girls that were old enough, in our ward. So we have a group of 11. Another mother in the ward offered to help and I asked her if she would teach the cooking lessons, and I would focus on the sewing. So far so good. We are learning as we go. The first meeting we had the girls decided what projects they wanted to do (an apron and a bag) and the group name (the Ladybugs)

The next meeting we learned about how the sewing machine works and sewed thread-less on paper. The assignment was to go home and finish sewing on the lines. We also had chosen our "jobs" assignments. President, Vice President, Secretary, etc. The cooking lesson was on sanitation- keeping our hand washed.

The lesson we just had was sewing on fabric and learning of seam allowances. We may have bitten off more than we could chew when I had them sew "chill ties" for their dads for father's day. The class went much later than I had planned, but everyone had the Chance to nearly finish their project. The cooking lesson was from the workbook "6 easy bites" and they made pizza pockets.

Next week we are planning a field trip to Walmart. I plan on teaching them about different fabrics and choosing fabrics for their projects. I am also going to talk to them about Warp and weft and why straight of grain is important. For the cooking segment she is going to talk about food labels and then the girls can look at various products and compare.

Wish us luck- I think we may need it.

Let the Summer Games Begin!

2009-06-21T14:06:00.002-06:00

Two weeks into the summer vacation and we have swimming lessons behind us now. Jason was very concerned about being in level 2. I woke up that first morning to hear him crying in the living room. It was stressing him out! He was dreading the lessons. So the first day of lessons it was decided to have him repeat level 1. It was the best choice for everyone. He did great, he warmed up to swimming lessons and is comfortable in the water again. Sarah has a few things to improve on before she moves on to level 3 and Samantha needs to practice her strokes before she moves on from level 4. Jordan doesn't like to get his face wet normally, but after the swimming lessons he's a little fish. We went to the pool a couple of times as a family and the only thing that got us out of the water was Jared who would get chilled.

Kindergarten Graduation

2009-05-31T17:39:00.004-06:00

Jason Graduated from Kindergarten this week. Here are a few pictures of Him there.

There are also pictures of him at his Field Day- I got to go and help. We "fished" for paper fish and counted how many fish we caught in one minute. It was an adaption of what I have done sometimes for Primary. The kids thought this was fun to do.

Memorial Day Hike To the "T"

2009-05-31T17:32:00.002-06:00

For Memorial Day we took a family hike to the "T" on the Mountain. Everytime we come home from Salt Lake City we look for our "T". So why not go and see it up close and personal? This summer we want to make many of these trips that will help us explore the area that we live.

Sarah's Dance Recital

2009-05-31T17:05:00.003-06:00

Sarah is the one on the back row on the right hand side (look for her short hair)
Sarah Had her Dance Recital in May 16th. She has been taking dance from the Bizzy Bee Dance Studio here in Tooele. I like Sheila's Policy to keep the costumes modest and her dances to emphasize the basics in Dance.

I am learning simple things like to get pictures before the performance so that I get them, and so there are only a few images- Unfortunately.

Just another day

2009-05-05T07:46:00.003-06:00

We think Jared had help making this mess. Especially since Hot Chocolate Mix was dumped on our head. I picture is worth a thousand words. Right now I am speechless.

2009-03-03T18:31:00.002-07:00

I love to check out the blogs of those that I know. To see what they are doing and to be inspired to write in my own blog. While I don't feel that I have anything inspired to say, I do feel that it gives me the opportunity to express myself in words. Some of the blogs I have seen are like scrapbooks, others are like a Journal, and some are meant to promote their ideas or a product. I don't have anything to sell, so for me this is a culmination of my thoughts and a scrapbook of my activities.

To catch up on the temple trip. We did attend the open house and it was fun and exciting to walk through that beautiful building. It was great to share that with our family and friends. We didn't get pictures unfortunately- because we needed to get dad back to work, but we won't forget doing that as a family.

We celebrated my birthday with little fanfare. We went to lunch on Valentine's Day, and I got to open the presents up on Sunday Morning. I love my new MP3 player- I downloaded my favorite songs to keep me moving while I am working on housework or to listen to soothing music on a Sunday Afternoon.

Life continues to move forward. I am learning to keep my attitude positive as there are days that aren't wonderful and days that are.

The Day of Love

2009-02-10T18:32:00.002-07:00

Valentines day is only a few days away. The kids are anticipating their class parties on Thursday, and I get to anticipate the growing older "thing". I am still amazed how when I was little 1 year seemed so far away like an eternity and now I look back and 10 years has flown by.

I want to shout out that "I have a great life" to everyone that I know- just because I can. I look forward to the next 10 years- which by the end of it I will have a high school graduate- Wow, now if that doesn't slap you down in contemplation, nothing I say will.

My latest thought has been: "out of necessity". Sometimes we are given challenges and we have to learn to do things that are hard to do. It comes down to that phrase- "out of necessity"... Out of Necessity I have learned to use my wheat and make bread that everyone in my family will eat. Out of Necessity I have learned that somethings aren't the priority that I thought they were. Out of Necessity I have learned that a testimony is never finished, complete, or perfect b/c we are never finished, completed, or perfect. Out of necessity I have learned that my husband and the needs of my children should come before a good book. I am not perfect and I will continue to be stretched until "Out of Necessity" I learn the lessons that I need to know, whether it be financial, emotional, physical, or spiritual.

Friday, I am taking my kids to the Draper Temple open house. I am so excited to share this with my kids. That they will have the chance to see for themselves how beautiful the rooms are and share my thoughts on why temples are so important. Not only that, but we have some neighbors who are curious about what a temple looks like inside and I got a couple extra tickets so that they can go with us. I have no doubt that as my kids ask questions, so will they. It will be a great chance for us to help them understand what we believe.

Well that is all for now- I am sure I will have pictures for next time.

Disneyland Trip 09

2009-01-26T20:42:00.008-07:00

We Took our family trip early this year. A friend of Tarren's had gone in October and gave Tarren some maps, while looking at all the fun things we would do and see, I came to the realization that Jared could not go on MOST if not generally all of the rides. I made the decision to leave the baby with Grandma and Grandpa Monsen. They were wonderful and said they'd love to. This turned out to be a wise choice, everytime I saw families with young babies I had to say to myself, "it was a good decision". For the past year our focus has been on meeting the needs of an infant. It was good for the older kids to have some special one on one time. Grandma and Grandpa Best were especially helpful in making this trip special. 4 adults to 4 children means that everyone has a buddy. Memories were made, special moments shared, and time stood still if only for a few moments. Here are some of my favorite photos from our Grand adventure.

Disneyland trip "the Beach"

2009-01-26T20:33:00.008-07:00

Here are some pictures from our day at the beach. Sarah was dancing with the waves, Jason was falling into them, Samantha was shell hunting, and Jordan just wanted to dig.

"Snow Buddies"

2009-01-14T21:50:00.003-07:00

Shelley had more snow than we did in our own yard in Tooele, so the kids had a fabulous time playing at the park. Minimal sledding was done, nevertheless they all had a great time- especially the dog.

Christmas Morning

2009-01-14T21:39:00.003-07:00

Christmas Morning began at 3 AM when Jason woke up everyone. Guess you could say I am learning why my parents didn't like getting up so early on Christmas Mornings. Then we took a drive to Idaho- hitting messy roads from Brigham City to Blackfoot. We enjoyed the time in Shelley, but there's no place like home.

Merry Christmas Letter 2008

2008-12-12T13:11:00.004-07:00

I thought I would post the Christmas Card letter I typed up.

Merry Christmas 2008 to our Family and Friends

It has been an amazing year.
(January) Samantha was baptized and confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. We are proud of her decision. The day was as white as the dress she wore, which made the journey difficult for family to travel to Tooele. Tarren & I celebrated 9 years, AND We completed our family when Jared was born on the 30th.
(February) I, Melissa, turned the big 3-0.
March) We had our baby blessing for Jared. “Thank you” for the support at our family milestones.
(April) Jordan turned 3 years on April Fools. Tarren turned 32, We started digging our trenches for a sprinkler system.
(May) We spent time with the Monsen Clan in Teton, ID over Mother’s Day. We finished the sprinklers and finished “sodding” the backyard and installing Fences and gates. School ended and Summer truly began.
(June) The kids took swimming lessons for the whole of this month,
(July) We enjoyed the fireworks that come with the 4th of July, in Tooele, and the Longhorn Days, in Altamont. Even more than that- my family loves to spend time with our extended family. Tarren went to Scout Camp for a week, it was a long week for the rest of us, we missed him. However, we did have our newly adopted dog, Aspen, to keep us entertained. We adopted her from the Tooele Animal Shelter. She was an answer to my children’s ardent prayers, we had spent many days in May and June driving to various shelters in Salt Lake looking for the “right” dog. As it happened we went one Saturday to look at a Beagle, and came home with Aspen instead.
(August) As summer wound down Samantha began Soccer practices, and school resumed this month, Jason began Kindergarten,, Sarah is a 1st grader, and Samantha is a 3rd grader. Jason also celebrated his 5th Birthday.
(September) School is back in full swing and the girls begin taking Piano Lessons. Sarah begins taking dance lessons, as well. On the first day of fall our family took a drive up the canyon to enjoy the fall colors and to take our family picture. Everyone loved the hike we took.
(October) Halloween, of course, is the main aspect that we look forward to. Samantha “cool girl” Sarah the Vampire, Jason: Luke Skywalker, Jordan: Scooby-doo, and Jared: our Lion.
(November) I broke my wrist (Just call me Graceful). Sarah turned 7 years old. We spent Thanksgiving Day with the Monsen Family.
(December) I am amazed our quickly this month has already flown by. Samantha will turn 9 years old. Christmas will bring time with the Best family. The New Year will enter in reflection of the multitude of blessings we have had this past year.

Naturally I am amazed at how my children have grown, Samantha has grown in confidence in herself, she has amazed her teacher with her piano skills, and right now she is literally my right hand. Sarah has also grownup, she has become quite a reader, and she loves Horses! Jason has loved school. He is always asking “why”. His teacher calls him a “thinker”, I have to agree. Jordan is my mischief maker. He decided one day to see if eggs bounced on the living room floor- Mom was in the other room and 3 dozen eggs later she walked in on his “game”. By the way a few of the eggs do bounce, but most don’t. Finally Jared, amazing what transpires that first year of life. He is already taking a few tentative steps toward walking. Were it possible to keep him little forever I might consider it, but he is growing up and so it is. Life continues to amaze me. I look forward to this New year and the many things that follow.

May your families find the wonderment of the Christmas Season, and safety wherever they roam. Merry Christmas!
Love, The Monsen Family

Sammie Won a Dinosaur

2008-12-12T08:13:00.003-07:00

There was a drawing at the school's book fair for a Large Dinosaur. Sammie bought 3 tickets and won! She is giving it to Jared for Christmas. However, I know of a few more Dino"fans" in our family are going to love it just as much as baby brother.

Mom's Broken Wrist

2008-11-20T12:05:00.002-07:00

It was nearly time to pick up kids from school,when I thought of a brilliant idea for decorating our front porch. So I found a step stool and was attempting to hang up looped grapevine when I took a spill and landed on my arms. I was pretty shook up- Jordan asked me if I was ok. I looked over to him and said I was fine. But something wasn't right with my right wrist. I was feeling light headed and I found myself calling Tarren, and trying to decide what to do. It was almost time to get the kids and I couldn't find anyone to help me. So I drove over to the school. The kids went to the neighbor while I drove myself to the ER. Xrays were taken/ a bone dr came over to consult/ it was broken at the joint and a fracture on the left elbow. Retraction was required for the right and I was bandaged up. I was released and met Tarren and the kids on the way out. Drove home. 2 1/2 weeks later I have a cast- Red for Christmas. Naturally I cannot work as a cashier. life has been interesting these past few weeks.
What Can I say its a story.

Trunk or Treat

2008-10-27T08:27:00.003-06:00

Sam was pop-star in hiding, Sarah was Dracula, Jason was Luke Skywalker, Jordan was Scooby, and Jared was our Lion.

The First Day of Fall

2008-09-25T07:26:00.004-06:00

For FHE we went up the canyon and took some pictures of the family. It was just starting to change, so in a few weeks it will be a riot of colors. We also took a walk up through the hills a little Aspen and the kids all loved it. the older kids found walking sticks and even Jared snagged a leaf as he was being carried by dad. We talked about Enos and his prayer in the forests while we walked. It was nice to make some memories and have the photos to prove that we were there together.

The Eastern Idaho State Fair

2008-09-02T14:20:00.004-06:00

Some of my childhood was spent at the Fair. So it was pretty great to be able take my family there and to share the memories with them.

Jason's Birthday

2008-09-02T14:16:00.002-06:00

Happy Fifth Birthday Jason!

School Days

2008-09-02T10:19:00.003-06:00

We have started school once more. Sam is in 3rd. Sarah is in 1st grade and Jason has started Kindergarten. We are once more, governed by the schedule of school.

Family Night at the Museum

2008-08-07T14:59:00.004-06:00

We picked dad up from work and went to the Museum of Natural History in SLC. The kids really did enjoy themselves. Next time we go we will definitely take more time to talk about what it was we were looking at. The models of the Dinosaur bones were by far the best. I am sure when they get the new building completed it will be even better. Here are some pictures of what we saw. the best part was the Physics demonstration by some professors in the physics department. A Vacuume and balloon made science look so fun. Liquid Air and a lazy-Susan just added to it.

Aspen

2008-08-01T06:41:00.000-06:00

Our Dog Aspen

2008-08-01T06:23:00.002-06:00

As of July 12th we have a new member to our family. As it turned out we went to the shelter to look at a beagle they had, but it wouldn't be available for adoption until the following Tuesday. As we were leaving one of the volunteers was walking a dog outside preparing to take it to SLC for a pet adoption day. Sammie wanted to take her for a walk and of course everyone else wanted a turn too. This dog was so good with the kids, even though Jordan was very afraid of her and waited in the car for us. It was decided that Aspen was going to come home with us. Since then Jordan is no longer afraid of her and we now have a 5 year old heeler/collie mix dog that I have never regretted having in our home. The only complain I have is that she sheds, but the good thing about her is that the kids love her, especially Samantha. She's house broken, she only barks when she hears something outside that concerns her, she loves to play fetch, and she is gentle with my baby. So welcome home Aspen.

Jared's Bee Sting

2008-07-30T22:14:00.004-06:00

While at the Long Horn Days Parade. Uncle Boyd and Jared were both stung by the same wasp. It got Boyd first then flew at Jared. Tarren wasn't even sure if it got him till it started swelling. Poor guy sucked on his fat lip and just kinda endured it without a fuss.

Fouth of July Parade

2008-07-27T22:01:00.001-06:00

Sammie's Baptism

2008-01-23T12:51:00.001-07:00

Samantha's Baptism Day.
The world was wearing white, just like she was.
It made it difficult for the family to be on time, but
was a very special day for her.

2008-01-23T12:48:00.001-07:00

Jason was the first up. He first woke up Mom and Dad telling them that "He brought the stuff" Who did "He did" Who? "You know Santa Claus brought the stuff, come see, come see."

2008-01-23T12:47:00.001-07:00

Samantha and her Christmas STUFF

2008-01-23T12:46:00.001-07:00

Jordan's Christmas Morning

2008-01-23T12:45:00.001-07:00

Christmas Morning for Sarah.

2008-01-23T12:42:00.000-07:00

Our Family at Christmastime.
2007

Dear Santa

2007-12-15T15:15:00.000-07:00

This year for Christmas the kids have asked for Santa to bring them two things. Here is their wish list:
Samantha would like a new bike and a littlest Petshop playset
Sarah would like a Scooter and The Island Princess Barbie
Jason would like a bike and a Pirate Ship
Jordan (doesn't care) but we think a bike would be nice and a truck

That is their Want list and Mom has decided that the "Needs" would be given by mom and dad-

I have a good friend who gives three things each Christmas to her family: 1) a gift of want 2) a gift of need and 3) a gift of learning. I have decided that Wants can be from Santa, but that the needs and learning gifts should be from mom and dad. (let's face it those gifts are the boring ones- let mom and dad give them the books and underwear)

Well, Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and wonderful new year.

Halloween Time

2007-10-23T11:15:00.000-06:00

We are planning for Halloween. Samantha will be a ghost, Sarah is "Puss in Boots", Jason is a Pirate, and Jordan is our "Bob the Builder". The kids are so excited for the holiday. Sarah is counting down, because next is her birthday. The fact comes up repeatedly in conversation.

A side note: we have decided to name this Boy of ours Jared- and JT for short. What can we say when we get the kids names confused we want to be at least consistent with the first letter of their name at least. We can't go wrong.

Oh, Boy!

2007-09-12T06:50:00.000-06:00

Yesterday we learned that with an absolute certainty we are having a boy. You know it is ironic that with the girls we were never quite sure- they always had their legs crossed and would move whenever we tried to determine it, but this little guy was just all boy. We are thrilled.

September 2007

2007-09-07T06:31:00.000-06:00

It has been an amazing year! Already it is September and once again school has resumed. Sarah Started kindergarten, Samantha is in 2nd grade, and even Jason is in Preschool. Our schedule is busy and the kids are having such a great time with it all.

We will be able to find out the gender on our new expectation next week, I for one am so excited to be able to start planning for our 5th little one. We had some real disappointments in the past year with the miscarriages, but already this pregnancy is going so much smoother than previous times. The kids are also excited. February 8th is still a while off though. Samantha asked if she could help us name the baby. I guess we'll listen to her suggestions, but ultimately Dad usually makes the final call, at least that is how it always seems to be the result.

We'll keep you posted on what we learn next Tuesday.