Walker Time

Walker is to the stage where he absolutely loves the tub. It's more fun than going to the park or playing in the snow or anything! He is mad and intense and then happy and laughing. He cracks me up.

Dress Ups! (Halloween)

We had a lot of fun on Halloween trick or treating with the family! The best part was dressing Landen up. It's sad when your husband is a prettier girl then you are. I think I make a pretty good baseball player... and walker is an awesome spider. Thats just mascara in his hair in case you were wondering. It worked so good! No spray or anything. It stayed all night too! Then washed out really easy. (it's my eye black too- who knew mascara was so useful?)

DareDevil.

So I know I haven't posted in a long time but I will try to update on what has been going on. Walker is just chillin in the top picture. It is so cute when he lays down because he always puts his hands behind his head just like he's doing in the picture. These next ones are a depiction of Walker and River jumping off my couch onto the cushions. They love it. This was back in october I think. Since then Walker has learned to jump off of everything no matter what the height. He loves playing chase and pretending like he is being bitten by spiders... don't ask me why! He is just a boy.

TAG! mom and dad, jill erb, jax lee, misty clark, kacie hanna and brandee hubbard

I was tagged by my sister in law Lindsey! Here goes my eight things!

8 things I am passionate about
family
gospel
music
writing
reading
learning
love
morals

8 things I want or need

piano
be able to play the piano
vanquish (before twilight and even more after)
new wardrobe
to love myself naked (stole that from Linds)
new couches
to play basketball
my little brother to be happy

8 words or phrases I use a lot
i'm gonna get you
no walker!
tractor
what does the say
do you wanna go to your crib?
mommy loves you
really?
great.


8 things I want to do before I die
go to every temple
see the midevil castles in europe
make a CD
write a novel
have a big family in the temple with me
have money like i have air
get an honorary doctorate degree somewhere
invent something

8 things I have learned from the past
never hold back
find happiness in everything
be thankful for what you have
trust your instincts
be there for your friends
love with all your heart
write down your experiences
exercise even when you don't want to

4 shows I love to watch, 4 books i love to read
braveheart
patriot
princess diaries 2
remember the titans

twilight series
magic of thinking big
Book of Mormon
great words from great lives


8 restaurants I love
Johnny Carino's
Fredrico's
El Parrell
Stein Erickson Lodge
Little Caesar's Pizza
Olive Garden
Mimi's Cafe (best!)
Macaroni Grill

Walker Vids!

Thanks for the help with posting these videos guys! Walker is so cute! Please don't mind me talking on here- just listen to his little voice. He is just like his mommy... so caught up in a movie he can't focus on someone talking to him. Ha! Here they are!





He is so cute huh!
love
Jen

How do you post a video??

Hey everyone! How do you post a video on here from you tube? Any help would be great.
Thanks!
jen

Month Long Blogging Hiatus

Hey all you bloggers! I have taken my month hiatus from the blogging world and now i have returned. I have a few excuses but they aren't that great so I will just say I was taking a break.

Life is going great! Landen quit his job at Lewis Cabinet Specialties about two weeks ago. He was thankful for the things he learned there but felt he needed to move on.
We have been looking into a company called Financial Solutions that we have really liked. The mission statement of the company (www.turningdebttowealth.com) is right in line with what our family mission statement says. Landen started working with Bob Cosgrove, the founder, and has loved what he is doing.
It is a little different because right now because we are just on a commission based pay check but we have always known that side of it would be different. With the dreams and goals that we have, we knew eventually we would have to leave the world of a steady paycheck.
A little about what he does from the website: "Imagine paying all of your monthly bills in less than 30 seconds without a computer or the internet. All of your debts are paid off 2 to 3 times faster without using any extra money per month. No new loans are required and we don't negotiate lower settlements with your lenders. Our average client saves over $100,000 in interest and is Debt Free in 8 years." Landen just started and has already helped a lot of his clients drop anywhere from 5-25 years off their debts and saved them tens of thousands of dollars. He works with a lot of businesses and individual families. He loves what he is doing! It has been fun to watch him love his work. It even makes me excited about it because he is so happy!

Walker is growing up so fast. This last month he has really started to talk. He jabbers away but he has started to actually say a lot of words too. The best is when he says his own name. It's hard to describe it in typing but it is so cute! I will post it on here when I record it. He says big tractor a lot too. He is 19 months old and growing up too fast. He really wants a little brother or sister to play with, so mom and dad had better get to work on that. (this is not an announcement) We did just get our Aflac insurance figured out. We have a separate 5,000 dollar maternity deductible with blue cross (CRAZY!!) so we have to wait at least a year for another baby for aflac to kick in. That is the required amount of time with Aflac. Walker is so handsome and looks just like his daddy. He is very smart and has a great memory too. He is so fun and I love him so much!!

Life is a lot of fun right now. We are excited for winter and the snow and all the holidays. Hopefully we will see lots of family during the coming months!!

Love
Jen

Porsche 911

I'm a Porsche 911!

You have a classic style, but you're up-to-date with the latest technology. You're ambitious, competitive, and you love to win. Performance, precision, and prestige - you're one of the elite,and you know it.

Take the Which Sports Car Are You? quiz.

NEW COUCHES!!

 
I am so excited! We found the couches that we want to get and at an amazing price! If you have ever been to our house you have seen our awesome retro red velvet couches. They have been great to have as they were free but we are finally going to get our own set! Here they are- what do y'all think?

My 10K Buddies

I have to say that I am so proud of my workout partners for running their 10k today! I didn't run becuase I have asthma (at least, that sounds a lot better than because I was scared!). They are awesome and i know I would still be working to get pregnancy weight off without them (yes my son is 18 months old, lay off). I love getting up early in the morning and working out with them. It helps my whole day go better! So here's to them! GO ASHLEY AND BRANDEE!!



p.s. notice what she is wearing! a running skirt! Jax- I am not crazy!

His Father's Son

These pictures were taken July 24th. I think Walker looks like his daddy. What do you think? I especially love the poses they are taking!

Sisters and Brothers!

I have to say that the last little while I have really been pondering at how great it is to have sisters and a brother. I don't know exactly what it is, how it happened, or when it became but there is this love for my siblings that i cannot express! It has been fun living closer to Jax and Misty because they were pretty much gone when I was old enough to know anything. I do miss Jill though- no matter what i do it just isn't as fun without her. I think I depened on my siblings growing up more than I realized- and looking back i know i did. I always had their expectations to live up to and had to be a good example to Kevin (even though I wasn't some of the time).

I wanted to post this as a thank-i-mony to them. I know I have the best siblings anyone could ask for! Misty is always there to watch a dramatic love story with me and bawl as we fold one last piece of laundry (at four in the morning!) She is a great listener as well. I remember being really young and crying because she was leaving to go to Chicago and help inner city kids. I was going to miss her so bad.I always looked up to her on the volleyball court because she was always the star in my eyes. Still is.
Jax was my roommate/ guardian in Salt Lake and I feel she has been there to bail me out so many times (ex. a ride home in the middle of the night after wrecking our car- from salt lake to tremonton). She smoothes everything over when things go wrong and usually at her expense. I remember when I was younger admiring her for her loyalty to everyone she was close to. We had some good times watching movies together at our apartment and just talking. She always helped me solve my problems without asking anything in return. She is a rock.
Jill was my second mother growing up- sometimes my first! She always stood up for me no matter what the consequences were for her. We didn't always get along, but since we started to there's been no turning back. She always let me hang out with her and her friend in high school even though I was only an awkward 8th grader. Our memories are too many to list. Running away to her apartment, yielding, snowshacks, can't leave out those screaming matches when we were young, and mostly the nights she stayed up praying and worrying for me. I felt those prayers, and still do.

Kevin has been my ballin buddy since he was old enough to carry a ball. No matter what the sport and no matter how much bigger everyone else was, he always played with me(and last time we played one on one - I won!). Now he kills everyone we play with everytime. I love passing him the ball, it's like and automatic assist. He is so good!! We have fun together no matter what we are doing. My memories of him are of being proud of things that he has done. Once he came home from a friends house because he didn't feel comfortable being there. I loved that. Late night Jamba's and starting movies at midnigh. My favorite thing is when he lets me and talks to me. He's my hero. They all are. My brother and sisters are unparalleled. I love them so much and can never tell them what they mean to me nor how much they have done for me.

jen

P.s. I just want to add that I have some awesome inlaws. On all sides! I've got 3 new sisters and eight (wow) new brothers that all add to my life as well!

Season of Life

I made a very tough choice today. I pulled my application out of the running for head women's basketball coach at bear river high. I have really been wrestling with the choice for the last few weeks and I have come to the conclusion that I have known all along I am not supposed to do it. I had prayed and fasted for an answer (actually I prayed and fasted for a YES answer- the answer I wanted) and didn't feel that I had recieved one.
I kept shrugging off the feeling that i wasn't supposed to do it but it loomed over my head and i couldn't shake it no matter how hard I tried. With an interview scheduled for Wednesday, I knew it couldn't wait any longer so yesterday we drove over to the AD's house and told him about how I felt. He was amazing about it! Coach Van Park (who is also the head men's basketball coach)said that i had to follow those feelings and that I would get another chance later in life. It was like someone took Jacob Marley's chains off of me! I have had a few other opportunities waiting on the back burner because I couldn't get over this opportunity to be the head coach of a (really good) varsity team. Anyways, despite being one of the hardest things I have ever had to do, it was really a testimony to me of answers to prayers and that our lives really do matter to the Lord.

Memory Lane...

Leaving Memories- This is a great idea
1. As you comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember.
2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty funny to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you. If you don't want to play on your blog, or if you don't have a blog, I'll leave my memory of you in my comments.
I thought this looked fun!

Giddy- Up

I thought this was really hilarious. Landen gave me this toy buckskin (it's actually a collector's horse so it wasn't super cheap- but everything eventually turns into a toy right??) because he knows it's my dream to have one someday. Well, walker has been playing with it for a few months. We have the "Eeeee!!" noise going on all the time and the galloping one too (everyone knows those right- tongue clicking). So on sunday he sets the horse down and gets it to stand up just right. Then he plops down on it like he is riding it! It was the cutest thing ever. He would get so mad when it would fall over. It was so fun to watch!!

Happy Birthday Jen!

Hey everyone! It's been a while since I have taken the time to post. Mostly because I am lazy! I am so excited though because I am figuring out how to be better at blogging and pictures and everything. Anyways, I am not going to go back a whole lot even though we have had an eventful summer so far. I was told it's better to start from where you are rather than try to go back. So, I am starting with my birthday.

Landen took me on a date Friday night, which would have been great all by itself, but he made it awesome. He took me up logan canyon and brought a backpack with 3 surprises about me. A book of poetry, my invention, and phase ten. It was the cutest thing ever.


We spent some time that night trying to find a cute swimsuit for me cause we were going to go boating for my birthday. We ended up not going for a myraid of reasons but mainly Julie had Kynlee and couldn't have walker too. So we wasted a lot of time but it was fun to try and find something. I ended up buying a tennis skort that I really liked because the shorts underneath the skirt were a little longer than most of the swimsuit bottoms- so it turned out good anyways!

We ended up going to the brigham city pool saturday morning and got there and found out that it didn't open up until 12 to the public. Someone had rented it out for the morning. So we made the best of it and had a picnic lunch and played on the playground at the park next to the pool.It was a lot of fun and I got some sweet pics of walker and Landen on the toys.



Walker wasn't feeling so great for some reason but we decided to go to the pool anyways hoping he would feel better. That didn't happen though. It was still a lot of fun- they have a slide like porter park's old one and walker loved riding down it with daddy. I took him a couple times but I thought i was going to drown him so I let landen do it most of the time. We only stayed for about and hour (way long enough for me) walker was exhausted and had a fever at that point. Landen's cousins all showed up with their kids too and that was fun.





We came home and put walker in bed then julie got home from taking kynlee to her other grandma's house so she stayed with walker while we went to all the little shops in tremonton. It wasn't as fun as I thought it would be but we didn't really take very much time in each one. It was too hot and some of them didn't have a/c.
I think it was at this point that i turned my phone on and listened to some awesome renditions of happy birthday~ from the clarks and one from the walkers.
Then we went and bought a bunch of fruit (my favorite food: watermelon (i used to hate it!!) kiwi's, peaches, raspberries, red grapes a mango) at Kent's (hats off to ry) so we could have a fruit bar and movies later in the evening.
Landen took me out to eat at the nicest restaurant in town (and no it wasn't wendy's...) and I had a 12 oz teriyaki sirloin steak! It was so yummy! I didn't eat the whole thing even though I really wanted to.
When we got home walker was so feverish and sick that we didn't get to watch our movie cuz we were trying to get him comfortable. He finally went to sleep at about 1030. It was too late to start a movie then because we were tired from the rest of the day.
When I was getting in bed Jax called me and told me happy b day and I listened to a happy b day message from jill. Mom also called to make sure I got the message and to laugh about the stuffed car lady!!

But I just wanted everyone to know how awesome my b-day was and that I have the best family in the world!!

Star of the West

Hey everyone! I have had a really busy week! It has been a lot of fun though. I finally took some of my family's advice and auditioned for a singing competition called star of the west. I decided to do it the day before the auditions so I didn't have a lot of practice time!
The competition goes like this:
1. Closed auditions with three judges
2. Judges pick the top 5 to move on the next level of competition
3. judges pick top 2 to go on to semi finals
4. Judges pick the finalists who will open for Kelly Pickler on July 24th. I think this is where they pick the winner.

GRAND PRIZE:
1: A fully produced album consisting of at least 12 songs arranged by top studio musicians, Star of the West staff will determine what songs are to be recorded and make any and all determinations relative to the artistic nature of all aspects of such album. The winner will receive 300 CDs of the album.
2. $1,000 Cash Prize (subject to forfeiture for failure to perform or meet appearance schedules)
3. Performances will be scheduled to promote Star of the West Contest.

So it's a pretty big deal. I made it through step one and performed step two last night. I had quite the struggle picking me song because I didn't have very many choices of karaoke music (one CD of wedding songs). I chose It feels like home. It was a good song but not very entertaining- and I knew it. After listening to everyone do their mic checks (you sing half the song to make sure that the sound is good) I was really nervous because i had really never heard so many good singers in my life.

I thought I did ok. Definately not the greatest performance of my life- but it wasn't bad either. Everyone there told me they thought i did well- but they were all my family... so take that for what it's worth. I picked out a girl and a guy that did really well that i thought would win. When they told us all to come up to the front, I was really excited! The two people I chose won. I had a feeling that i wasn't going to win but it was so much fun being there and singing again. They announced after that this was the best competition they had ever had in star of the west! They want us to submit a song for the final to see if we could be chosen so sing again. So it ain't over yet!! I need some suggestions for a song to sing. Probably a faster more entertaining song would be better. But it was really fun to get back up in the saddle.

SO there is the low down on my contest. I will keep you all posted as to what they say about performing again!

Thanks so much to Landen for coming! He was so sweet and supportive. My mom and sister drove all the way to logan from salt lake to be there and Landen's mom drove her Yukon so that we could all fit. Then his sister showed up from Hyde Park (close to logan)with Irelynd to watch too!! I have the best family ever!!!

love
jen

Bear WorldCont!

So this is the continuation of my bear world experience (two weeks later). But it was so awesome taht I still have to finish with some more pictures! If you have never been there- you should go! Find some coupons though cuz it is pricy ($17 a person- but worth it! especially if you get daddy to pay!) This one is of grampa and the two boys- we missed you Jayce!! (and liyah and gracie)

This one is really cool! I didn't know that albino elk even existed. They are extremely rare. I heard someone in the store (at bear world- not a grocery store comment) saying 1 in about every 2 million. This is a bull elk just chillin. He is growing fresh antlers (or horns as my husband would say). You can tell by the velvet. They had all dropped their antlers and were growing new ones, which meant there were some awesome sheds sitting on the grass. Ididn't take any pictures of them- should have for all my tremontonites- and the other hicks I know! (hey- don't take offense. I'm one now too...)
I think this wolf really likes bear world- maybe that's how they can solve the wolf problem- create Wolf World!! Walker really liked him too. He kept saying pu... pu.. pu... like puppy.
These bears were huge. I mean huge! It was awesome to see them up so close, lumbering about. I always wondered where that word came from but now I know there's no other word to describe what they are doing... lumbering! Walker and Jake were almost sick of the bears by now I think. We were getting close to the end and it was old hat by now. They thought it was cool to see three at the same time though.

Well- that concludes our trip to bear world! It was lots of fun and I recommend it highly!! It is in Thorton Idaho just south of Rexburg on highway 20. A few people have said they wouldn't go because "the bears can still attack the car!" There are electric wires and all sorts of stuff to keep you safe. Stop and see it next time you are in the area- since everyone goes there all the time...

Bear World!

So i think this warrants a blog...

Walker and I went to Rexburg over the last week to hang out with Wada and Grampa. Landen has been wiring his mom's new house like a madman and we haven't hardly seen him. He has been feeling kinda guilty about it so we figured we would just get out of the way for a few days. It worked! He is really close to being finished- what an amazing man I have.

Anyways, while we were in rexburg we decided to visit yellowstone's bear world (it's a wildlife park- mostly bears but elk, buffalo, ducks, wolves and some others are there too) Walker and Jake (jaclyn's son-my nephew) absolutely loved it! This first picture is of walker and Jake. Walker is signing "more" because he wants to see more animals.

This one is of the grizzly bear. He was lumbering about- I think he is doing track drills in this picture. I can't tell if it's high knees or butt kickers...

I will finish this trip later. Good night for now.

J

Blogging etiquette

Hey guys- so I have been really wondering, what warrants a blog?? I want to tell all of you about my everyday activities but I fear the monotony might kill a few of you off (and there are so few, I would be distraught if you were gone...). So tell me, what do you all blog about??

Also, how often is often enough? I always think I have something on the tip of my tongue to blog about and then i lose track of it by the end of the day- somewhere in the middle of my tongue I guess. But when does everyone blog? Once a week twice and hour- what's the etiquette of blogging?

Someone let me know.

J

walker updates

We have had a fun few days. I had my niece come and stay overnight for her birthday. It was such a blast! I babysat the next morning so I had four kids here. It was crazy! We had fun though. We went on a picnic out at Landen's work and the kids loved that. We pretended they were my kids all day so they were calling me mom and each other brother and sister. It was really funny to me because nothing was different except if I needed them to do something I just asked them as my child and they thought it was part of the game. They were so obedient as my own children...

I just decided to decorate my house and get everything organized. I am going crazy just having piles of papers here and there and stuffed full bookshelves and closets with things I can't remember ever using! Although I hang on to them "just in case one day I might..." I am so done with that!!! My house is clean, but cluttery. There is not very much room so I think I am going to have to get rid of a lot of stuff but I am not too worried about it. I just want everything to have a place- its own little spot that it always goes! Anyways, enough about that, but wish me luck. If anyone has any ideas on organization- I would love to hear them.

Walker went to the doctor's office on monday. He has a little sinus infection. He acts fine most of the time. At first he acted pretty sick, and last night we were at Kaden's birthday party and he was miserable. Other than that he has acted pretty normal. Then there are the green boogers that are constantly running down his nose. It's just so cute... He is getting better though. His boogers are slowing down and he is taking an antibiotic for the first time and doing really well with it. I am very happy about that. So I will keep you posted on the healing process.

He has loved vacuums since he was born. I used to use a wrap i have and wrap him up all tight and vacuum to put him to sleep! He got a vacuum from wada for his birthday and loves it but loves the BIG vacuum too. It's quite an event to vacuum at our house.

Walker is learning sign language and has really started to pick up on it the last few weeks fast. He says a few words; more, please, my turn (not sure he understands what it means but it's in a song on his video) hot, want, thank you (sometimes- when he feels like it). It is really fun to watch and it definately helps us know what he wants!! He has started to jabber to himself too. It is so cute! I love listening to him try to put his jabbers together into sentences...

Well, enough for now I suppose. love you all.

The Magic of Thinking Big

Hey everyone! Well, mostly, Hey all you two people that even know I have a blog!

I have been reading this book for a while now and I think I am finally starting to get it! If you havent read it, you definately should! It is a must read!

The Magic of Thinking Big - David J. Shwartz, Ph. D.

I just want to tell you about this nugget I stumbled across while reading. Make a sell yourself to yourself commercial! It is so fun and amazingly helpful.

Check the book out from the library and turn to page 142. It gives all the instructions there.

love you guys

*~bienvenido~*

Wow! I am so excited about this blog! I am not sure what to say but I guess this first post is just a welcome to everyone who is going to see this. WELCOME!!

blogging is quite an interesting sport (why not? we can argue anythings a sport now a days). I have been reading some blogs and have found most very intriguing and helpful. Some are on the weird side, but hey, you try writing something everyday- I guess you probably do if you are on here. I am excited to journal our life online.

Today we had our mommy minute get together over at Amanda's house. We watched an "old" favorite- Enchanted (yes I thought about you the whole time, Jill). I love our Thursday get together's. Even if all of us aren't moms, it's a chance for the mom's to converse with another human who says something other than "da ma and ball" and a for the non mom's they get some experience with 3 or 4 one year old's. We made jewelry last week and next week we are celebrating Amanda graduting from college! This is my highlight of the week! Thanks girls.

Anyways, looking forward to more blogging...