Love Love Peace & Stuff

This or That

2011-03-30T09:36:00.000-06:00

I have been thinking about our roles as parents lately. When our children are young, probably even until they are 14 or 15, we are the protector, the teacher, the stability in their lives. We take on this role with all of the love and seriousness that we can possibly possess. It is when these beautiful children become teenagers and have minds of their own that we get lost in our roles. We can no longer be the same kind of parent that we were when they were young and looked to us for everything in their lives. At this point in their lives, they have decisions to make that will affect them for the rest of their lives.

Sometimes there are decisions that they make that we just don't agree with. I think that one of the hardest things I have learned in raising my teenagers (I now have 4 living in my house right now - 3 17-yr olds and 1 14-yr old) is how to allow them their agency and respect their decisions, even if I don't agree with that decision. During those times, it is best for me to ask myself, "which would be worse for the relationship, me allowing them to make this decision and face the consequences or me forcing my choice on them and me face the consequences."

Just thoughts going on in my head today. Being a mom is certainly not very easy at times but has provided the most rewarding and fun experiences I could have imagined including emotions that I never thought could be felt at the same time.

In the pictures Santi, Chase and Spencer went to the Festival of Colors. Brooke is in the middle with her two life-long friends at the same event.

Today I choose to take control

2011-03-22T14:35:00.000-06:00

While in the middle of difficult times in our lives, I have found it necessary to feel that I am in control of at least some aspect of my life. This has been a very busy year and a half and I am now to the point of feeling a little out of control. I mentioned in an earlier post that Rick is changing careers. After 19 years in the mortgage industry and helping thousands of people, including close friends and family, realize their dream of owning a home or refinancing their mortgage, he has chosen to go a different direction with his career. What direction that is, we are not yet clear. However, I feel confident that it will be revealed to us in the manner and time that it's supposed to be. Too many people that I have talked to lately have said that their husband wanted to do the same thing years ago but didn't have the nerve and now feels locked into a miserable situation that they can do nothing about.

I choose to not worry.

I choose to have faith.

I am excited for what the future holds for us and now is the best time to make such a change.

Today I choose to take control of my own personal life and my own personal situation.

I'll let you know how it goes.

Obsessed with this Song/Video

2011-03-18T12:09:00.000-06:00

This pretty much sums it up...

2011-03-15T14:54:00.000-06:00

Things on my brain since last ...July!

2011-03-15T13:38:00.001-06:00

For pete's sake. Why has it taken me 8 months to open my blog again? Honestly, because I thought it was ugly. But my cute friend at work, Jamyn, helped me clean it up and make it cute. So... this is what's been on my brain since then.

1. Trek was an amazing experience. From the planning to the execution. Especially getting to plan and execute with my husband.

2. Santi's arrival. GREAT kid. He calls us his family and has now decided to try and figure out a way to stay. Not sure the government will allow it but it warms my heart that he's so happy here.

3. Ali's engagement and wedding. Pure bliss for them and me. We LOVE our new son-in-law (that still sounds so weird to me). We LOVE that our family is extending and growing and becoming more and more fun. The wedding day was so perfectly perfect I can't even think of words to describe it other than that. I hope that all mom's are able to enjoy the engagement, planning and wedding day or their daughters as much as I did.

4. The new year. I love fresh starts. I love goal setting. I love the new possibilities that the new year brings. This year Rick will be making a major career change which brings along with it great excitement. Can't wait to see what's next for him.

5. My new job with Barbara Barrington Jones. Each day I learn something new about either myself or human nature. Barbara is an amazing woman who is able to reach and teach people in such a unique way. Check her website out here Barbara Barrington Jones.

6. Our new addition to our home -- Diesel. Our Mastiff puppy. Some are in favor and others are not so much but no matter the opinion he is adorable!

7. Our nephew staying with us. WE LOVE SPENCER!

8. Brooke's Dance Company Concert this week.

9. Chase is possibly the most incredible 14 year old there has ever come to earth. The amazing love that is in his body would be enough to cure all world problems. And with all of the changes and things happening, he just goes with the flow.

10. And finally... Ty's service during his amazing mission. He is so incredible to me and so inspiring. I still live for Mondays.

That's it.

Be True to Who You Are

2011-03-15T10:05:00.003-06:00

Once upon a time there was a duck. He was the kindest duck on the pond but one day he decided that being a duck was not good enough. He thought his life was a little dull and that there would be more excitement in his life if he were to act more like some of the other animals he saw around him. Hard as he tried, he just couldn't get himself to bark like the dog who seemed to be having so much fun. The more he tried, the more frustrated he became with himself and the more ornery and mean he became to those who once thought he was so kind. After living two separate lives, the life of the duck that he was, and trying to live the life of a dog that he thought he wanted to be, he eventually was so dissatisfied with his once satisfying and fulfilling life, that he saw negativity in everything. Nothing and no one brought him happiness anymore. All of his duck friends were no longer enjoyable to him. The beautiful pond that he often swam in was suddenly less enjoyable and no longer a place of beauty for him. Everything around him was dreary and depressing and he wondered what was wrong with his life. When had everyone turned on him and why were they trying to make his life so miserable?

The moral of the story is two fold, be true to who you are ... and take responsibility for your own actions.

First, if you don't like the person that you are, improve on those things that you don't care for but don't try and be someone else. Each of us have unique characteristics that, when woven together, whether within a family unit, a work place or within a group of friends, can make a beautiful tapestry of love, friendship and cohesiveness.

Second, just like the duck, there are those who have never learned to take responsibility for their own actions and place blame on everyone and everything around them for their own disappointments, discouragement, sadness and negative experiences. Rather than looking for someplace to put blame, move forward and create solutions in a positive atmosphere.

In other words, if you look like a duck and talk like a duck, then you probably are a duck. So embrace it!

I'm excited for

2010-07-09T16:15:00.000-06:00

Little things I'm excited for that are happening in the next couple of weeks

Boating - We took Ty on this trip with us. He loved it.

Monday Emails from this Boy! - They are great for a Weekly laugh session.

Our exchange student - Santiago from Spain - he'll be with us from August to next June.

Trek - 12 days! Aaaagh!! - Rick and I were called as Trek Master's on August 8 of last year. Can't believe it's already here!

Pedicure with Brooklyn

Our Garden and the peaches we can grow in it.

Looking forward to these and many other events!

As long as I can remember, I have loved having things to look forward to. My parents were so good about doing this for me. It was always, "You know what this Friday is!!!??? Lagoon!!!" Or "let's go shopping for our vacation clothes which is in only 2 weeks!" So it's stuck. That feeling of NEEDING stuff to look forward to. But if you didn't have things to look forward to, where would the fun in life be, right?

No matter how big or small, we all need stuff to look forward to.

My Amazonian Boy

2010-05-05T16:30:00.000-06:00

Do you remember that feeling that you got a couple days before Christmas, your birthday and a fun vacation when you were a kid? The kind of feeling where you were so excited about the event that you could hardly contain yourself. I even remember a couple of times just wanting to squeal or make a weird noise because the excitement was almost too much to stay inside my body. This is how I feel about getting a call on Mother's Day from this boy . . .

an excerpt from . . .

2010-05-03T06:40:00.001-06:00

Wow! I did it! I finished an entire journal for the first time in my life. The rest of the times I get very bored with whatever particular journal I'm keeping but this time it was different. This was a type of therapy for me after mom passed away. I have loved everything about this journal, from the purchase of it to feeling the need to put all of my thoughts and feelings somewhere that would normally be shared with my dear Mom. It has created a love for journaling that has only deepened over the past two years. I've always loved journaling but now I have a passion for it.

I have loved everything about this journal. The orange embossed leather cover, the leather place marker, the printed "Fleur de Lis" at the bottom of each page. Everytime I have written I have looked forward to feeling like a "fancy lady". I've even written with beautiful colored pens (one of my other obsessions. Especially if they don't bleed all over my left hand as I write. Very difficult to find).

So now I get to go on my ritualistic shopping trip of finding a new beautiful journal. I'm excited to see what it's contents will hold. If you don't journal, I highly recommend it.

Kicking Butt and taking names

2010-04-20T14:12:00.000-06:00

When I was in 5th grade, one memory that stands out quite vividly is when my mom decided that she wanted to go walking with some ladies from our neighborhood. She didn't want to go alone so she invited me to go with them. It was winter and I remember bundling up in all of my snow gear and then sweating profusely as we briskly walked with mom's new friends. I only remember this one walk because I think that was all there was for mom. I believe that shortly after that she was in the hospital for one of her many visits. It is this memory that has triggered a desire for me to start working out. The reason? I don't want to be frail and scrawny as I get older.

So, Rick and I decided to motivate each other (actually he is motivating me). Last Wednesday we borrowed P90x from a good friend and allowed it to kick our butts. Seriously. But while we are getting our trash kicked, I have never felt better! Maybe it's because as I now pick up anything that has any weight to it at all, I can look down and see a growing bicep! Feels Great. now if I can just get that back fat and belly flab kicked, all would be well.

getting back to the basics

2010-04-16T11:03:00.000-06:00

Last night I had about 1/2 hour to kill before I had to take Chase to soccer. Looking around the house I thought to myself, "Hmm. . . house is clean enough, don't really want to start something new there. Laundry is done enough. Certainly not in the mood to go looking for clothes to wash. Not enough time to try and start quilting the quilt (I'll discuss that on a later post). Oh! When is the last time you just sat down and played the piano like you used to?!" so I did.

Now I remember why I started, continued and loved piano lessons. So the first step in "finding" the lost me, was getting back to one of the things I loved and playing because I love it. Not because I had to practice a church choir song or prepare to play the organ in church. But actually play music I love to play. Good experience. For anyone who may be reading this, Ali, please let me know what you loved to do when you were younger that you should probably not forget to do as you grow.

Where in the world did I put myself?

2010-04-14T14:54:00.004-06:00

Almost 22 years ago I was about ready to give up my "self" and become the "self-less" mom I have been since then. I haven't regretted a single day. There are actually days I would love to live over again just because they were so much fun.

There have also been embarrassing moments, as a mom, that i would rather forget about. Oh, like the time I was so mad at the 15 year old Ali (she will never let me live this down so I might as well put it out there for all to see) that I accidently called her a "little s_ _ t". I NEVER swear so this was a really big deal. Please don't think I'm a horrible mom. OR there was the really embarrassing time that I was standing in the kitchen, Ali (again about 15) was standing upstairs in the loft and I was looking at her, yelling about something as I proceeded to try and walk through the closed screen door to the deck. Obviously the argument of the moment was quickly forgotten as both of us dropped to our knees in laughter.

That being said, now that my children are all growing up without me, whether I want them to or not, I realize that I am finding myself where I think that many other women in the history of mommies find themselves at one point or another. Maybe some just arent brave enough to admit it.

I think I have lost myself. It's not a tragic event. Just one that will require some creativity and bravery on my part. So. . . . This is my quest and I will probably take you along with me and my journey to find Lisa Christine Hughes Evenson. All of those names mean something so special to me. I'll save that for another post. In the meantime, wish me luck. This should be nothing but fun!

725 DAYS!

2010-01-10T22:21:00.005-07:00

The Evenson Siblings

So, we have only 725 days left. i'm really kidding. Well, not kidding about how many days that he has left but that I'm really counting down. Well, I am counting down but I promise I won't be obnoxious about it.

Anyway, all of those first pictures were the day of the farewell. Brooke was a little bored waiting for Ty to get off the phone. There were many more Hilarious Bored Brooke pictures but she would get mad if I posted them. The farewell was amazing. So many friends and family came out to support Ty and our family. We had plenty of soup to go around thanks to our friends and family that brought soups and desserts and appetizers. The amount of people in our home was probably the most it's ever had but it held up well. I think I heard the walls breath a sigh of relief that night.

The last picture is last Wednesday dropping him off at the MTC. Quite the experience it was. The day before Ty and I went to the Salt Lake Temple for him to go through a session there. That was a great experience for both of us. That temple's architecture is amazing. The walls in each of the rooms are rounded and the furniture, carpets, lighting accessories are all so beautiful and "antiquish" for lack of a better word. After the temple we went to lunch at Janbo, Ty's favorite Chinese restaurant. While there he pulled out his wallet and showed me all of the fortunes that he has saved from his lunches there. One he received in March said "In your travels to the South, you will receive much happiness." This was well before his mission call. maybe there is something to those fortune cookies. Then that night he was set apart in our stake presidents office which will go down as one of my favorite memories.

Wednesday morning we were able to just "hang out" at home because he was all packed and ready. Finally, the kids all came home from a morning of school and work and we took off to Zupas for lunch then headed to Provo and the MTC. Once we arrived at the MTC, there were so many Host Missionaries guiding us to where we needed to take him. They aren't kidding when they say that they give you no time to say goodbye there and that your goodbyes need to be done by the time you get there. We were guided to spot number 22 of 24. We pulled up, they sucked Tyler out of the car, sucked his luggage out of the car, and before I knew it we were all saying goodbye. Then one of the Host Missionaries said to me, "Where are you guys from?" At the time I didn't realize this was a distraction tactic. I said, "Draper", and he said, 'Oh Elder Christensen is from Draper. See, he's down there." I turned and looked at Elder Christensen and no sooner did I turn back and Ty was gone! That fast! I had no idea which direction he went and whether or not everyone was able to give him hugs goodbye. They don't even give you a chance to cry or wave as they are walking away in the sunset. Okay, that's a little dramatic but you get the idea. So, finally we piled back in our car and as we are driving down the street a bit I looked down at the middle console and there are all of Ty's important papers: Immunizations, Criminal background check, driving record, 4 generation pedigree chart. "Aaagh! Rick! Call Ty and tell him we forgot to give him all of this!" Can't call Ty. So we turned around, we back to the MTC, back to being guided and went to the administration building. I was really checking around everywhere to see if I could spot my son. Unfortunately no. Rick even went to the bathroom hoping to get a glimpse of him to no avail.

However, we are all doing quite well. We miss him something fierce but can't imagine anywhere I would rather have him than serving the Lord and sharing the best message there is out there.

We are proud of our missionary.

Gwendolyn Riedel Hughes

2009-12-29T22:06:00.005-07:00

Two years ago, December 30, 2007, my sweet mom, Gwendolyn Riedel Hughes, passed through the veil and into the arms of our Heavenly Father and her earthly father, William Riedel. (Mom always wanted a middle name but wasn't given one at birth. Sometimes she would make one up for herself. Her favorite was Gwendolyn Marie). I am sure the reunion has been and continues to be a blast! She had a great laugh and was always ready for an adventure (when she felt well). However, being her only daughter, I continue to miss her deeply. I think that the emptiness gets more profound with each passing event.

I have thought a lot lately, as this date has approached, about the things that I most remember mom teaching me. I am grateful for her life lessons.

She taught me to believe in myself. When I was in 7th grade I decided that I wanted to try out for cheerleader. I had absolutely no coordination and had never had a tumbling or dance class. I don't even have a voice that can yell. None of that mattered though. Mom encouraged me all the way through the humiliating try outs and when I was not picked (obviously), there was a darling arrangement of yellow carnations and white roses in my room with a poster stating "YOU'RE STILL NUMBER 1 TO ME!". This was the beginning of many times mom reminded me of my value with that little statement. It never mattered the outcome, regardless of the competition, I always knew I was number 1.

She taught me to work hard. Mom's life was filled with illness and surgeries. Regardless of how she felt, she would always work hard to provide the best for her family. After working all day she would come home and make incredible meals for us every night. Most nights dinner was at 9:00-10:00 but it was important for her to make us full course dinners every night. She was an amazing cook.

She taught me to be organized and clean and use my time wisely. Cleanliness and organization was not an option. I always knew what was expected of me when it came to how my room was to be kept, including when I was a teenager. Needless to say, I didn't lose a lot of things because mom always said that everything has a place and if you are the one to put it in that place, then you should know where to find it. I am so grateful now for the gift of organization and time management.

She taught me to be generous. Mom was always giving gifts to everyone she knew needed something. If a neighbor had a baby, they were showered with an abundance of gifts. She was known for giving all of her nieces and grandchildren pajamas for Christmas. Something they all miss. I remember one time in particular, Rick was a home teacher for a family who were struggling. We decided that we would buy some groceries and help them out a little. When I mentioned this to mom, she decided that even though she didn't even know the family, she would double what we were able to provide.

She taught me of the importance of faith and the power of prayer. Mom's relationship with Heavenly Father was one that was built upon faith. She knew that if she would just pray, everything would be okay. She had so many faith building experiences and always gave credit to Heavenly Father for all of her blessings.

I miss calling her and telling her simple things about my life and getting the exact response I need, whether it's a good laugh or a good swear word because I don't dare say them myself. She wasn't perfect but she wanted so badly to be a good person. Mom was feisty and had a glare that could scare anyone. You knew you were in the "dog house" if you were the recipient of "the look". Fortunately, she never held a grudge and your time in the dog house didn't last long.

I loved watching movies with her, shopping with her, talking on the phone with her, working side by side with her (most of the time), helping her decorate her house, going to lunch at The Tiffin Room at ZCMI where we really felt like fancy ladies, and talking about the girls' trips that we were going to take "someday". We never did.

Mom was a beautiful lady who loved me with a mother's love that always made me feel safe. I think that is the thing I miss the most. I also have the knowledge that mom knew how much I loved her too. I have no regrets about my relationship with her.

Mom, I miss you. You're still number 1 to me.

and this girl

2009-12-03T16:34:00.003-07:00

She's pretty too. (Sorry if I'm bragging today).

I kinda like this girl

2009-12-03T16:31:00.003-07:00

She's Pretty - The girl in the purple. Not the girl in the background. Well, I'm sure she's pretty too but that's not who I was referring to. (gotta make sure I'm being politically correct.)

Congrats Ali on being asked to be the Head Counselor for Barbara Barrington Jones! I couldn't be more proud! You'll do great! Love love peace and stuff, my dotter!

Chase has been busy

2009-12-03T16:19:00.002-07:00

With all of the attention that Brooke received with Thriller and Tyler received with the mission call and Ali receives on an ongoing basis while waiting for Travis (that's not a dig Ali, just shows you how much you are loved), I figured I would dedicate this post to Chase. He is the happiest person I know. From the moment he wakes up to the second he falls asleep he is singing, talking, laughing or just smiling. The only time he's a grump is . . .. i'm thinking . . . . . Oh, when he's so completely stressed out and overwhelmed with Mr. Totland's class. Or when his siblings are bugging the crud out of him. So all in all, he's just happy! And he loves his mom. That's the best part. He thinks I'm beautiful and smart and tells me all the time what he thinks about me. Great kid. Below are pictures of him in the Alta play, "The King and I". He played the part of Prince Chululongkorn. He did a fantastic job and clearly loves being on stage and performing. He said his favorite part of the whole experience was the applause at the end and greeting people out in the hall afterward.

The second picture is of Chase with David Archuleta. We received a phone call from David's voice coach asking Chase to be part of a 10-child choir for one of David's songs at his Christmas concert. This was such a fun experience for him - and me. We both made new friends and enjoyed meeting David. Chase even got to meet and shake hands with Kurt Bestor. Probably the first time I have actually been jealous of him. Anyway, it's been a busy month for Chase and, as a result of me being his mom, me too. What's next Chase? I can't wait to see!

2009-10-26T13:24:00.006-06:00

This has been the fastest, craziest, funniest, most life changing 4 weeks of our lives . . . .lately. So, this post may be a little long but there are pictures for those who don't like to read. However, there's a great story about Brooke and a bunch of BYU college boys that you must check out.

To start off our month, Brooke made Thriller and has had "the funnest time of her life". She loves scaring the crap out of people and has actually looked to see if that is a literal thing sometimes because of the screams she gets. She really is creepy looking. To prove how scary she can be we decided to pull a prank on Ty's roommates. I apologize in advance of this story that I wasn't able to take video. Ty wanted to have his roommates down for a sleep over and hot tubbing. So, while all 6 college boys were in the hot tub, talking about Christmas' past (true story), we had Brooke go down the side of the house after she got home from her performance, looking like she does in the pictures. She does her own make up and we are quite impressed with the road rash look she's got going on. Anyway, of course the boys are not expecting anything of the sort to crawl up to the hot tub and stare at them but that's exactly what she did. She just quietly crawled up the side of the hot tub, in the pitch darkness of night, only as Brooke can, and just stared through the steamy red hot tub lights. I can't even describe in words the sounds that were coming from the hot tub other than to say there was an awful lot of screaming and splashing as they tried to get away from the zombie. I don't think any of us have laughed that hard for a long time. . . except Brooke, who didn't even break character for a moment. She just creepily walked back up the side of the house and left the boys traumatized.

QUITO, ECUADOR

Ty's mission call came! They only made us wait a week and a half which was really surprising to all of us when it came. But, leave it to Ty, it only took him 3 1/2 hours notice to get about 50 friends and family to come and listen to him open his call. We are so excited and so proud of him. He leaves on January 6. So, of course, we are loving running around together to get everything ready. Well, I'm loving running around with him. Not quite thinking about what I'm going to do without him for two years. I just don't go there quite yet. These two pictures are of him being measured for his suits. I'll stop on that subject for now. (lump in throat)

LITTLE BROOKE TURNS 16. Plus since I blew it on making a cake for Ali's 21'st birthday this year, I made enough cupcakes to celebrate both girls' big days. So now that little Brookie is driving, little Brookie won't stop asking for a car. hahahahahahahahaha. Love her

made salsa

Of course no fall is complete without driving up the canyon to check out the leaves. This year we were one family member short but still had a blast. I'm not sure you'll be able to see any of us though because we all blended so well with nature. Good luck finding us.

I love life! Even though the kids are growing and life is changing so rapidly, I feel like I have so much to look forward to. I'm excited to see what the holiday have in store for us and next year.

LAKE POWELL!!!!

2009-09-23T09:51:00.002-06:00

I've been thinking a lot about hard work. On Sunday we had a lesson in Sunday School about the pioneers and what it must have been like for them as they entered the Salt Lake Valley. After walking for so long and enduring so much, they couldn't just hop on over to Subway for dinner. They had to grow their own food and build their houses and life was just hard. They didn't know any better. But neither should we. Life is about hard work. We, through Adam was told it would be a lot of hard work. So, why are there so many people that think life should be easy for them? I guess the next time I'm not in the mood to go to work and get my hands dirty, I'll think about my ancestors and all they had to endure. It's in my blood to work hard and do it without complaining. My ancestors would be very disappointed in me if I did otherwise.

Rick left this morning to drive down to Lake Powell for the weekend. I will be joining him tomorrow but had a ton of stuff to get done before I leave including a young women's activity that I would feel way to guilty if I left Ali and Tresa to do themselves. It'll be a 6 hour lone road trip where I'll have lots of time to think and dream and sing to whatever song comes up on the ipod. There will probably be a lot of Neil Diamond and Josh Grobin and Cat Stevens.

FYI, Chase accomplished one more of his 2009 goals by trying out for and getting a part in the Alta High School play, "The King and I". October and November are going to be insanely busy. I love it!!!

That's all for now. Look Mandy, that's two posts within one week!

Where do I start?

2009-09-17T20:05:00.002-06:00

Since my mom passed away, two years ago this December 30, I have often though how incredibly fast life's events are passing by. I wish I would have asked her if she felt the same way. I would love to have asked her if she felt as though the older her kids got, the more time sped up. So now that I have two college kids, one high schooler and my baby is in middle school (so thus, no longer a baby), I have many thoughts about where I am in life. What am I going to do now that my kids aren't completely dependent on me? I have so many goals and dreams and things that I want to do, I don't want anything to stop me.

Another thought is, I AM ABSOLUTELY NOT OLD ENOUGH TO HAVE THESE PEOPLE BE MY CHILDREN!. Seriously. I heard it from other moms in my stage of life and didn't really know what to think of them. Now I understand.

I will try to be more regular at blogging. No promises. This is really a statement for myself and an outlet for myself as a practice and preparation for bigger things to come. i know, makes no sense

In the meantime time, the following are the top ten things that have happened since Ty got his BYU acceptance letter:

10. Rick and Lisa finished off Brooke's Dance Room in the basement. Now our house is 100% complete after living here for 10 years.

9. Lisa and her sister's-in-law and I went to Idaho for our annual girl's trip and hung out with Kenneth Cope. I love my sisters!

8. Ty graduated from high school, Brooke "graduated" from Jr. High, Chase "graduated" from elementary and Ali continues to count down the days till her Trav (missionary) gets home (At the time of this post, we have 9 1/2 months left), work for orthopedic surgeons and finish up her associates degree at UVU

7. The Evenson Family purchases a boat!!!! They are now no longer seen doing yard work every Saturday, but rather are "at the lake".

6. Brooke Mich'l gets her patriarchal blessing. Amazing experience for Dotter and Parents.

5. Lisa and Ali try to talk Father into getting a new puppy. Getting no where fast. He's still in mourning for Duke.

4. Towne & Country Mortgage moves to a larger office space. This is a big deal believe it or not

3. Evenson Family moves Tyler to his new home away from home. No tears were shed (for the most part.)

2. Brooke makes Odyssey Dance Company's Halloween Production "Thriller"! Tears were shed from Mother out of pure excitement!

1. Rick and Lisa get called to be Stake Trek Masters for next year's Pioneer Trek. (After Rick was released from his Single's Branch which was merged with another singles ward).

bugged. I just tried to upload pictures to make this interest. It won't do it. I hate being technology challenged. I'll have ali help me.

Tyler James Evenson

2009-02-13T11:12:00.003-07:00

TYLER GOT ACCEPTED

TO BYU!!!!!!!!

WE'RE SO PROUD OF

YOU TY!!!!!!!!!!!

Chase's Cell Phone To Do List

2009-02-12T14:24:00.002-07:00

This is what has been present to Chase so far. I can't think of 100 things for him to do.

Chase’s cell phone “to do list”

1. Learn Guitar and play for 1 year
2. No losing temper for 1 month
3. Make bed every day for 1 year
4. Play baseball on dad’s baseball team this spring and sign up for another sport in the fall
5. Read at least one chapter book each month
6. do baptisms for the dead at least once a month. You have to plan it and plan on the ride.
7. Get B’s and above all year in your grades
8. Stay caught up at school. Turn things in on time
9. Keep your room clean
10. Read your scriptures alone for at least 4 days a week
11. Train for a 5k to run in the summer (Draper Days?) (Mandy, see, I thought it was a good idea)
12. Give your mom a hug every day in the morning and night.
13. Be nicer to brother and sisters.
14. Keep room clean and organized at least 4 days a week.
15. Dishes for 1 week a month every month
16. Dump garbage for 1 week a month every month
17. Morning and night prayers every day
18. Attend Young Men’s activities

The following were Chase's additions to my list of 18
19. no t.v for week every two months.
20 no computer for week every two months.
21 be in one play (try out for a play).
22 make at least 5 or more new friends
23 go running 3 times a month with dad
24 play with Gage, Jayden etc
25 study about an animal and tell mom 5 cool facts about it
26 make one dinner with out mom or anybodys help
27
28
29
30

To Cell Phone or Not To Cell Phone

2009-02-09T08:44:00.002-07:00

I know this sounds absolutely ridiculous but Chase has been begging for a cell phone for about two years now. I have been consistently resisting the nagging however, now it's kind of starting to make sense to me. But he doesn't just get one handed over to him. He came up with an idea yesterday that may make sense and be a lot of fun. He said if I were to come up with a list of 100 things that he needs to do by the end of the year, and he does all of them, then I have to get him a phone. If he doesn't do all of them by the end of the year, then he won't bug me again until he's 15. Hmm. I'm liking this idea. So, help me come up with some ideas. I think number one on the list is he has to learn the guitar.

Cruisin' with the Evensons - part 1

2009-02-04T22:08:00.017-07:00

Evenson family vacation 2009! Finally, after much prodding from Rick I'm posting pics from our trip.

Waiting to board the Norweigian Spirit!

Once on board, we all just acquainted ourselves to our new home for the next 7 days. Each of the kids kicked back while some of us just were amazed at the view. (and others of us did head stands on the bed)

And others had ice cream. lots of it

First Stop: Costa Maya, Mexico - We rented two-man speed boats and went zippin' out to a reef to snorkle. At least this time the snorkles were clean and new and not pulled out of the bottom of an old fisherman's boat (like in Cancun). We also did a little bit of shopping after and the kids got to hold a cute monkey. Chase hasn't stopped bugging me to buy him one. Reminds me of Veruca Salt on Willy Wonka who wants a squirrel now.

The boys - way too cool for us

This man was amazing with a thin blad saw. He made rings for Ty, Brooke and I. He would saw into the ring whatever we wanted. Ty did TEVO and Brooke did her name and i did R heart L. Awww.

Formal night on the ship - about as formal as our family can get.

Second day - Guatemala (This was all of our favorite day-- if that made any sense). Rick served his mission here 22 years ago and really wanted to go to one of the areas where he had baptized several people. Only problem, we didn't know how to get where we needed to go, how long it would take, how we would find the people he baptized one we got there and if they would remember him. But that didn't stop us.

By the way, if you haven't noticed, Brooke can't take a serious picture. There's always some sort of goofy face.

Upon arriving in Guatemala, which is absolutely gorgeous with the green rainforest everywhere you look, we figured the first thing we needed to do was find a tax driver that wouldn't mind going on an adventure with us.

You can see Rick in the background negotiating taxi fare. Finally he agreed on a price and we got Julio for the day (below). Our own Guatemalan tour guide. We grew to love Julio in the 9 hours that we were with him . He drove us around Teculutan and was so patient while Rick tried to find the "River" where all of his families lived. The people in Guatemala are so incredibly kind and loving and happy. I never really appreciated or understood what Rick was talking about when he would talk about his love for the people. he would also talk about the children in Guatemala and how beautiful their faces are and in spirit. Now I understand. He was right.

Teculutan was a 2 1/2 hour drive. They drive like crazies but are so incredibly nice to each other as they are cutting each other off.

As we were driving around aimlessly lost, we saw this woman on the side of the road making tortillas just like Rick used to show us. Julio stopped and Rick asked her (in Spanish) if we could please buy some. We paid a premium because Rick can't help it and he was instantly in Heaven eating the tortillas that he always talks about.

Once in Teculutan, nothing looked familiar to Rick since it had been such a long time since he had been there. After driving around for a little while and everything looking different, we stopped on the side of the road and went into a small hair styling place and Rick asked this woman (below) if she knew any of the families that he was looking for. She said she could help him and spent the next 2 1/2 hours driving around with us helping Rick find the families that he had baptized. It turned out the she happened to be LDS and knew how to find the people that Rick was looking for. Tender mercies.

This little boy was at the first house we stopped at. He visited with us for awhile and then as we were in the van getting ready to go to the next place, he came running outside with this pink chick. I tried packing him and the chick in my suitcase.

This little boy had a baby sister that was only 16 days old. I love her. I want her to be mine. You can see a picture of President Monson in this home if you look hard.

I guess I can't get my computer to load any more pictures during this session so I will try again tonight.

This is easy - I can do this post fast

2009-02-03T15:31:00.005-07:00

wanna know a lil bit? well heres a lot.
Rules are: Anything you have done has to be in bold. How much have you done?!
1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band (Charlotte harlots..rock band counts right? )
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a Praying Mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon (does a 1/2 count)
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David (did we ali?)
41. Sung karaoke (thanks to ali:( )
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted (by my dad)
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma (never weighed enough now too scared)
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London (but in athens!!!)
77. Broken a bone (arms - 5 times)
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle (with my dad driving it)
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book.
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had the Chicken Pox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury (almost)
91. Met someone famous (Donny Osmond!!!)
92. Joined a book club (joined is the key word)
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby (4)
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee (never, weird?)
100. Visited Italy

60%!!

Tyler turns 18

2008-12-20T23:16:00.004-07:00

Have 18 years really passed that fast? One of my favorite memories is of the day after Tyler's birth. 18 years ago, the only station that played Christmas music was FM 100 and they only played straight Christmas music 100 hours before Christmas. So on December 20, I had my cute baby boy and on December 21 I hung out in my hospital room, just Ty and me listening to FM100, watching the snow fall and staring at my new baby boy. (I know, it sounds cheesy but I loved it). Funny thing is, now that he's 18, he's still my "Christmas music listening" buddy but now we get to starting listening to it on Halloween night. For Ty's 18th today, he got to go snowboarding with Ali on probably the coldest day he could have. The wind chill was -35 degrees. Then he went for his first ever massage. Finally tonight we had a large party. . . . very large. Here's how large.

There were more shoes throughout the night.

I don't know where my son is in this. I had to climb through people on the stairs, through the entry and into the family room. Most all of them are much taller that I.

He had a good day.

More family pics - i love them

2008-12-16T22:33:00.002-07:00

Skiing

2008-12-16T22:15:00.003-07:00

So. . . I went skiing last Friday. First time in 10 years or so. Ali and Brooke were so patient with me. Chase was so bummed he couldn't go. (his words) It was a perfectly great ski day and I stayed pretty warm. How could I not being bundled up so much? As always, Brooke being true to form, always gives us something great to laugh at. At lunch we got some hot chocolates and chili. For some reason, I didn't say anything when I saw Brooke put her hot chocolate on the edge of the table even though I knew something would happen. Sure enough, as she was gesturing about something in a story, her elbow hit the drink off the table, onto the floor and all over a man's very nice and very expensive Spider ski jacket. It's always something:).

Life goes on

2008-12-16T21:49:00.008-07:00

Dad got married today. Pictures to come later, however, the day was perfect for Bonnie and Dad. The reception was held at the Salt Lake Country Club and the setting couldn't have been more beautiful. The country club was decorated so beautifully with Christmas so close but Mother Nature certainly helped out with snow falling all day. It was so fun to look out the window and watch the huge snowflakes and the snow covered landscape. Dad and Bonnie looked darling and so happy. I'm sure they are thrilled to have the day over as they are now probably in St. George. Tomorrow they will go to San Diego for a week honeymoon. We are all so happy for them. Hey, I now have three step brothers! That's funny.

Saturday we did family pictures. Ali's friend Courtney Winnie took them for us since our favorite photographer needed to be in the pictures with us. Court did a fantastic job and is now a second favorite photographer:). Thanks Court!

Things I am grateful for today:

1. Christmas music since Halloween night

2.Books

3.Christmas lights and ornaments

4. Our cat Emma and her cute face

5. Good friends and family that supported Dad today and took a day off of work.

6. Tooth Brushes

7. cameras

8. my car

9. new jeans

10. fireplaces

11. snow flakes

12. my family

13. my new extended family

QUIRKS

2008-11-05T19:25:00.004-07:00

Ali did a funny post today about her quirks, you'll have to read it. But then i got to thinking, do I have any quirks? I don't know if I do. That's so boring. Ali said that two of mine are that I like dough of any kind - cookie, bread, brownie, pancake batter. I didn't think that was a quirk. I just thought that everyone did. Also, I listen to Christmas music the day after Halloween. Doesn't everyone? Tyler said I'm a clean freak. Now that's really boring. I need to be more like Ali and get some good quirks. Help me think of some please.

A day (or two) in the life . . . (part 2)

2008-11-05T16:51:00.007-07:00

Brooke's 15th birthday party. This was one of the funniest birthday parties we have ever had. Renting the sumo suits was a riot.

This was probably one of the saddest days of our 21 years of marriage. We had to put our Duke down after months of deliberation on whether or not to do it. He was the best dog.

Picking out pumpkins. (I can't believe how old they are all getting.)

Brooke learning to drive!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Chase found this the other day. It was not planned - I promise. But we got a good laugh out of it. It doesn't take much.

Do you think Ali is missing her missionary?

Chase on his first motorcycle riding day. Needless to say, he loved it. We're saving up.

And finally . . . Halloween. (I know, Brooke, I'm in trouble) Chase was that dummy, Slappy from the Goosebumps books and we aren't sure what Brooke was.

A day (or two) in the life . . .

2008-11-05T16:28:00.003-07:00

This is a perfect example of what Rick does to entertain me sometimes.

Warning -- do not try this at home.

So Rick has been working really hard on getting healthy and started making protein shakes for the last month or so. Today he had a very important meeting and needed to be out of the house early. He was all dressed up, looking quite handsome, and ready to leave the house but wanted to hurry and make the shake. In his haste to quickly get it finished, he noticed there was some of the healthy stuff on the top that wasn't getting sucked down so he decided to gingerly take a metal spoon and stir it . . . with the blender going. Needless to say, the blade grabbed the spoon and sucked it down and then proceeded to throw the berry shake all over the kitchen and Rick. Therefore, hot tip of the day. . . do not try and stir your berry shake with a metal spoon while the blender is going.

Ode to Rick

2008-10-27T11:39:00.006-06:00

Husband Tag!!

1. Where did you meet your husband? Dancing at The Palace in Provo three days before school started.

2. How long did you date before you got married? 11 months.

3. How long have you been married? 21 years 81 days 3 hours 13 minutes, but who's counting?

4. What does he do that surprises you? Randomly does the laundry, makes dinner on a whim, surprises us with concert tickets - like Jason Mraz on Tuesday:)

5. What is your favorite feature of his? his cute laugh lines around his blue eyes. Especially when he smiles. Also his laugh. And his hands. Oh, and the way he used to dance while driving.

6.What is his best quality? He's absolutely hilarious and makes friends with everyone.

7. Does he have a nickname for you? Weesa or Lis

8. What is his favorite food? He's an Idaho boy - Potatoes

9. What is his favorite sport? Basketball and golf. Also, is fishing a sport?

10. When and where did you first kiss? Under the tree in front of my BYU apartment

11. What is your favorite thing to do as a couple? Go on walks, go to movies with friends, ride the scooter to dinner, watch the kids activities, have family dinners with his sisters.

12. Do you have any children? Ali (20), Tyler (17), Brooke (15), Chase (11) and a couple of fosters at any given time.

13. Does he have any hidden talents? He can juggle eggs without dropping them.

14. How old is he? 43

15. Who said I love you first? He did but I meant it first.

16. What is his favorite music? Anything that has a good beat.

17. What do you admire most about him? He's a great motivator and enthusiastic about being the best we can be. He's driven. He's so friendly.

18. What is his favorite color? Green. Probably because it's the color of the trees in the summer

19. Will he read this? hmm. Not really sure about that. i don't know if he reads this or not.

20. Who will you tag? I tag Mandy, Debbie, Jill, Marty, Tonya

Life is always changing. . .

2008-10-22T11:12:00.003-06:00

I think I am having my share of changes this week. First of all, we transferred our foster children, Nicholas and Katelynn, yesterday to their Grandparents. That will be a good thing for them and they were excited to be going to live with them while their dad works on a few things. I still need to finish her Belle Halloween costume and get that to her (she reminded me a couple of times).

Second, I have learned that Dad and Bonnie are getting married on December 18! We are really excited for that big event. We thought Ali would be the next one in our family to get married but no. We were wrong on that one. Anyway, we all love Bonnie and her and dad make eachother so happy. What more could a proud daughter want? Roles are reversed here if you can't tell

Third, as many of you already know, we have to put Duke down tomorrow. We actually thought it was going to be today and had the appointment already set up for this morning at 9:00 but Rick had too many meetings that he had to be in top form for so we moved it to 9:30 tomorrow. All I can say about this is it's going to be crappy.

I guess that's all for now. I put this in Orange because it makes me happy and right now that's how i choose to feel in spite of Duke.

I can't sleep

2008-10-15T23:21:00.016-06:00

I have this cute friend, Mandy, and I love to copy some of her posts. This one is funny so since I can't sleep, I figured this would kill some time while I wait for Tyler to get home.

Here's what you do: Answer the following questions. Type your answer in google images to get a picture. Whichever picture pops up first (as long as it's appropriate)... put it on your blog.. just like so:

My name is: LISA

My middle name is: CHRISTINE

My last name is: EVENSON

My favorite vacation spot: Italy

How old I am: 40

Where I'd like to go someday: ENGLAND

Where I grew up: Holladay, Utah

Favorite Food: Mexican, Italian, Japanese

Favorite Treat: Brownies with Ice Cream

Where I live right now: Draper, Utah

Favorite Animal: Dog, cat or horse

Favorite Color: Red & Orange

Who I'm married to: Rick

Describe hubby: Funny, hard working

What do I do for work: Mortgage Broker

Wow. Good timing. Now I'm tired AND Tyler just got home AND I'm all done.

more . . .

2008-10-15T19:26:00.010-06:00

I wasn't done. I just had to pick up Brooke from piano and run her to the orthodontist, fix dinner, work on homework, finish working on a file and run and pick up Ali from work (she accidentally sold her car). So here's the rest of what's been happening.

We got a hot tub. (I can't believe I'm putting this picture in here) While we were sitting in here last Saturday night, Ali was skiing on the side of the house during the first snow storm of the year. The minute she heard it was going to snow, she threw the goggles on. Once there was 3 inches of snow on the ground, on went the skiis.

BROOKIE'S 15TH BIRTHDAY!!!

Before. . .

After . . .

I think Brooke had a pretty good 15th birthday. She got her braces off first thing in the morning after she had German pancakes. Then she got bagels delivered to her lunch for her and all of her friends. After school her cute friend Sarah delivered a Jamba Juice. Then it was off to the Spaghetti Factory for dinner with the family and finally she had a peach pie for her birthday dessert. All Brooke wanted for her birthday was a long board. I hope I don't regret this.

Brooke and the long board.

Rick and Nicholas (hmmm. Is that a gangster sign?)

Lisa and Katie

This is Bonnie, my Dad's cute friend. She and my Dad, who is ever present to all of the kids activities, birthdays, important events, etc., came to Brooke's birthday celebration. Poor Bonnie was thrown into our families chaos. I hope we didn't scare her away!! She's so sweet and is absolutely a darling friend for my Dad.

TIME FLIES

2008-10-15T14:25:00.015-06:00

Seriously. Am I the only one that can't keep up? Okay, much has happened in the last couple of weeks so I'll just condense everything into a picture post and see if you can keep up with me.

This was from our family "staycation" this year. Even though it doesn't really show here what we did, I liked the pic. Look how tall Ty is getting!

This is one of the activities that we did that week. We went on a hot air balloon ride over Park City. This was on my list of things I wanted to do before I die. I was so excited I could hardly stand it and it definately met my expectations. The company that we went with is owned by my best friend, Angie, from high school so it made it even more fun to see her hubby after all these years. My Recommendation No. 1: For your next hot air balloon experience is to call Darin with http://www.morningstarballoons.com/

We've been debating since last November whether or not we should buy a boat. Finally we decided we would just rent a boat for one weekend and see how it goes. Needless to say, we had a blast. However, it was very cold. Only the bravest of the brave got out in the cold water and wind, Rick, Tyler, Ali, Brooke, Chase and our cute nephew Spencer. So, that leaves me as the unbrave. . . No, I was just in charge of making sure everyone had towels and food and such. Also, I had to drive for Rick when he got out there! I would have been in the water if it had been 90 degrees and glass.

Recommendation no. 2 - rent a boat rather than buy one. No storage, no insurance payments, easy to just pick it up and drop it off!

This is Chase on the wakeboard.

Brookie showing that she's really no guts no glory.

Watch Chase in the background

My studly 17 year old Ty James. Nice hair Ty.

First date of school for Brooke (9th grade) and Chase (6th grade). Ty (senior) left too early for me to get his pic.

Every morning Emma (Brooke's crazy cat) goes downstairs to my craft room, opens the closet door, pulls out (with her teeth) a pipe cleaner, brings it upstairs and plays around with it for awhile. Then we noticed one day that she goes over to the oven and throws it under the oven when she is done playing with it. So the other morning I decided to see how many pipe cleaners were under the oven. There were 26. She wasn't very happy that the gig was up.

Recommendation No. 3: check under your oven if you have a cat. You never know what you will find.

These are our latest foster kids, Nicholas (8) and Katelynn (6). Lots of high energy!!!! But cute just the same.

Recommendation No. 4: Everyone should foster at least once in their life. You learn a lot about yourself and what your family is capable of.

Ali and I went to the Reba McIntyre concert last Friday. We had such a good time together.

Recommendation No. ?: Enjoy your kids at all stages because before you know it they are all grown up!!!!!!

That's my boy

2008-08-23T23:20:00.002-06:00

(warning, this is a little long)

Today Ali and I took Chase down to an audition to what we thought was going to be a respectable audition for a TV show. You may have heard about it on the radio. Ali and Brooke thought it would be great for Chase to audition since his true passion is acting and singing and he's such a natural. So Ali pretended to be me and called in and schedule a time for him. We were told to go down to the Hilton at 7:15 and that his time slot was 8:00. Ali even asked them if this was like John Robert Power's acting school and was told no. Wrong. It was an audition for two things. One was an audition in front of a talent scout for a new tv show. He's looking for one kid. They let 700 kids audition. The main one was ACT Talent School with a tuition of $9900/year. There was a lot of hype and excitement and music and the whole time I wanted to stand up and yell at Miss Hollywood and say, "You deceived all of us! Do any of us look like we can affort $9900 for our little children to go to your school?! I don't think so!" However, I didn't. Chase was so excited for his chance at stardom I couldn't possibly burst his bubble. Then the lady started in on how much work it is to be a child actor and they have to miss out on school and holidays and birthday parties and normal kid things. Chase didn't hear any of it. He was too excited and nervous. Finally the lady sat down and let the kids start to show their stuff.

When all is said and done, Chase was probably looked at for 5 seconds. The "interview" consisted of:

Typical LA guy (we'll call him Him): What's your name?
Chase: Chase Evenson
Him: How old are you?
Chase: 11 years old
Him: On a scale of 1-10 how much do you want to act?
Chase: 10 for sure
Him: Have you ever thought of modeling because you have a great look.
Chase: No. Just acting
Him: (to me as he points to the tuition page ranging from $2000 to $10000) Mom, are you willing to spend this kind of money to help your son fulfill his dream? ( I wanted to smack the imbecile)
Me: Um what?
Him: Do you see any prices here that you could affort for tuition?
Me: Oh, yes. i can afford this one (point at $2000)
Him: Great. and are you willing to spend the time to help your son fulfill his dream?
Me: Of course (dough head as my mom used to say to stupid people)

Then Chase had to read a two liner pop tarts reading in front of the manager guy who looked like he really could care less about being there. Then we were done.

On the way home Chase said, "Mom if I feel great about how I did tonight, then why do I have such a horrible feeling in my stomach?" I said, "that's the spirit telling you that what you just tried out for isn't right". We went on to have a long discussion about the things in our lives that we think are going to be amazing experiences and when it comes down to the actual experience, it may not be everything that we wanted it to be because Heavenly Father has different plans for us. Tomorrow morning I am supposed to call the place and find out if he made it for callbacks to their school. (Of course he did.) Chase told me that if he did make it, to tell them no. It's not the right thing for him becuase he still wants to serve a mission and stay with his family on Christmas.

That's my boy.

MEMORIES

2008-07-28T23:05:00.001-06:00

So, I am a CRAZY sentimental freak-- I saw this on Mandy Woodhouse's blog and decided totally copy her. What a cute idea! I'm very curious to hear some of your favorite memories-- here's what you do:Here are the directions:1. As a 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 (or I'll email it to you)

Pee Wee Herman

2008-07-22T19:18:00.007-06:00

This post has nothing to do with Pee Wee Herman other than the fact that as I am typing this post, I am listening to Rick do a Pee Wee Herman imitation. It's entertaining.

The past week has been very busy. Last Friday I took the kids to the zoo - Ali, Tyler, Brooke, Chase, Marcela & Aron. My advice to you is don't go in the middle of the day. Not only is it extremely hot but the animals are also hot and sleepy. So, we saw either a lot of sleeping animals or what appeared to be empty cages because they were hiding in the shade. My thought on the zoo is have you ever thought about what a strange animal a giraffe is?

Tyler, Brooke, Chase, Ali, Aron, Marcela

Then on Saturday, we continued our 9 year tradition at attended the Draper Days Parade and the Rodeo that night. This has been one of my favorite things about living in Draper. Especially now that I don't have anything to do with the pageant or float. I love hanging out with our circle friends and the kids and just enjoying everything about the day. Everyone drives around on their four-wheelers or scooters. I have no idea where the police go for the day because it seems that there are none to be found.

The kids anxiously awaiting the candy. Forget about the floats and marching bands!

Finally, yesterday was a sad day. We had to say goodbye to our cute little Marcela and Aron. We absolutely loved these children. Aron reminded me what it's like to have a 3 year old living in the house. It will take me awhile to clean all of the finger prints off the walls, counters, windows, floors, bedding, toilet - you get the point. And Marcela was the sweetest little girl who just loved to give hugs - on her terms. I wish we could see where they will be in 10 years. Would be interesting. But they are the reason why we do shelter care.

Marcela (Aron is throwing one of his silent fits - so funny)
Aron

Catchin' up again

2008-07-17T21:06:00.026-06:00

THE BIG 40

My birthday present from Rick for my 29th, I mean 40th, birthday! Yes, I turned 40 this year but riding my scooter I feel like a kid again. I love my scooter!!!! Plus I am being economically frugal and smart. (Yes, Dad, I do wear my helmet most everywhere) My favorite outing was when I went over the mountain by way of Suncrest and visited Debbie and Jill in Lehi.

THE BIG DUKE

Duke Evenson of Draper. 9 1/2 years old, 120 pounds, probably 6 ft tall if he was a person walking around on his back legs. He's only eaten a couple of leashes, pulled out some of the neighbors trees and don't leave your shoes in our yard because they will become his chew toys. We feel bad that he probably has never tasted any of the steak we have given him because he eats it all whole. Rick decided that it was time for his annual bath in the kiddie pool. As you can see, Duke is very happy about this. Actually what he's thinking is, "Mom, please put the camera away. Can't you let a dog have his dignity and privacy while he's bathing?"

4th of July in Snowbird
We love these children!!! Almost three weeks ago Marcella (6) and Aron (3) came to stay with us, thus the reason for the blog title sixormore. They are the sweetest children and we have all fallen in love with them. They LOVE hugging us. And Aron is probably the most accident prone child I have ever seen. They are supposed to come to be safe at our house and we have already had to take him to the emergency room to get four stitches in his lip from a little scooter mishap. (No, we were not letting him ride on it) We've decided there is so much to learn from a little three year old foster boy, like how important it is to give as many hugs and kisses as you can in one day and how important that makes people feel. However, there are some Spanish swear words that he is also trying to teach us which is not so good.

This is after Aron was running down a hill at Snowbird and we kept yelling "slow down Aron! You're going to fall!" Sure enough . . . It's one of the funniest things to watch his little legs going faster and faster than his upper body. . . then down he goes.

This video was one of 10 videos of Chase riding the bull. The guy operating the bull started him out slow, real slow, thinking "this kid is going to be easy to knock off." Then after about 2 minutes, he sped it up, still couldn't get him off. Finally this video was after about three and a half minutes of Chase showing his cowboy roots. Maybe there's a future in this for him. On second thought, I hope not.

DAVID ARCHULETTA AT THE AMERICAN IDOL CONCERT

PROPS TO RICK!!!!

Gotta Love Rick and thanks to Craig Martin! Because of Rick and his friend Craig, we were able to go to the American Idol Tour concert Tuesday night. The whole experience was so fun all the way from the inviting of people, my favorite being Chase's friend, Kaitlyn Neff, to hearing the girls' ear piercing screams when David Archuletta come out. They say that he had to use two ear buds because he couldn't hear himself over all of the screaming. I love going to concerts!

ALI AND REBECCA

DAN AND RICK (I know, Rick looks a little odd here but that is Rootbeer only!!!)

Debbie was a little star struck all night long.

BROOKE AND SUMMER

CHASE AND KAITLYN (SHE NEARLY BLEW MY EARDRUM WHEN I TOLD HER SHE WAS GOING WITH US) ((THEY ARE ONLY A YEAR APART)) (((JUST WAIT TILL CHASE STARTS TO GROW!)))

DEBBIE (ON HER ANNIVERSARY NIGHT, THANKS MATT!), JILL, ME, MARTY

TY AND BAILEY

DAN, HEATHER AND DANE EVANS

I thought this was hilarious. Summer was taking a picture of David on her phone through the binoculars.

RICK AND ME

BY THE END OF THE NIGHT, SOME JUST COULDN'T KEEP UP WITH OTHERS.
WHAT A FUN NIGHT!!!

Lame Blogger

2008-06-25T23:40:00.009-06:00

I know. i am a horrible blogger. I intend to take the time to post but time just slips away from me. So I can't sleep because my mind is running a million miles an hour right now. We've been preparing for Nick's (my nephew) wedding lunch which will be held at our house tomorrow. Everything's ready. The yard. The house. It all looks great for Nick. So. . . Congratulations to Nick and Kylie. Welcome to the family Kylie. It gets a little crazy sometimes but what a great family it is.

******

The other thing on my mind at 11:43 pm is that Ali turned 20 yesterday! I remember when she was born and I turned 20 and I remember thinking, "Wow, when this little baby turns 20, I'll be 40. Holy cow that is so old!" Well, it isn't old. You're only as old as you feel. I still feel 20. HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALI! So a shout out to Ali. She's amazing. Really. A true professional photographer. A great sister, friend, daughter. She's got great common sense and can do a mean shimmie. . . but don't ask her because she won't do it unless she's in a really weird mood. She has her own style which is often mimmicked. She finds the best music and shares with her mom and Aunts. She always trys to find the best in people. And she is missing her missionary but she'll accomplish much in the next two years. She's definately one of a kind.

****

This picture is of us miniature golfing on Rick's 43rd birthday a couple of Saturdays ago. We had a smiliar picture taken about 9 years ago. I'll try and scan it in later. (I know, you're thinking it'll be another month before that happens).Birthday dinner at Chili's. Don't the three of them look alike?
I'm also thinking about Ali, Jill and my trip to Greece and Italy. It was absolutely incredible. We had such a great time and I need to take Rick to Italy. Italy was my favorite place to visit. I loved everything about it, the crepes, the ravioli, the shopping, the architecture the Vatican, the Sistine Chapel, the huge rain storm, the bus system. The list goes on and on.

Jill got in trouble for sitting on these stairs. They blew their whistle at here. She wasn't too scared though. She's such a rebel. (That's her hard core "Hard Rock Cafe - Athens" t-shirt she has on. It enabled her to have attitude)

The other day Rick brought home a box. it looked innocent enough. This would be a great experiment on human curiousity. As soon as you slide the top door open, a mouse pops up. This was Tyler trying to be cool after getting freaked out. I am sure he would never admit that he was scared. (he just read this post and said, "I was not scared") Here's the proof. . .

GOOD NIGHT. I'll try and do better.- Lisa

Thoughts from Chase

2008-05-13T21:56:00.002-06:00

Well, first I like to sing . . . a lot. And my mom told me about Dean Kaelin who is David Archuleta's singing coach. And so we called him and signed me up for singing lessons. I went to my first lesson yesterday. He told me lots of things and how to sing. He also said that if I practice every single day, he might take me on as a student for real. So, I've practiced every day . . . well so far since yesterday. Well, got to go, I haven't practiced yet. Better go do that. if you are someone who likes to sing like me, there's only one thing I can tell you. Practice Practice Practice. and ps. don't move your head up and down with the notes. - Chase

19 days till Greece and other random thoughts

2008-05-13T21:48:00.002-06:00

Jill (my cute sister-in-law, not that they aren't all cute but she's one of the cute ones, well, they are all cute, anyway) and I are 19 days and counting till we head off to Denver (again) and take off to Greece! So excited! Ali said the other day that she'll be able to experience Greece two different ways, one as a local and the other as a tourist with her mom. I think she'll like the tourist part quite a bit. I guarantee it'll be a party.
Tonight I went to a baby shower for a friend of mine who is just a little younger than me and is having a girl soon. Why on earth didn't they have the cute things she received when i was having my babies?! Now it just leaves me baby hungry. Okay, it's gone.
We get to have my nephew's wedding luncheon here at our house in June. We definately have some work to do to get ready for that. Nothing like a deadline to kick you into gear! Anything for Nick.
Thought for the night: For a brief moment of entertainment, watch your 17 year old son listen to David Archuleta sing a Dan Fogelberg song. Now that's entertaining! I didn't think he could be in such pain. David did great but why would they have a 17 year old sing a Dan Fogelberg song?
Boring post but so am I right now.

Thinking about Ali in a better way

2008-05-12T23:17:00.002-06:00

Just a quick update on the Greek Traveler. She is doing great!!! We found an amazing couple that took her in and have loved her like their own granddaughter. We are so grateful for amazing people like them. Ali definately must be living right to have received the blessings that she did last week. Check out her near-daily updates on her blog at www.alievenson.blogspot.com. It's quite entertaining to say the least! She's having a great time and the pictures definately prove it. Thanks for all of your prayers in her behalf!

David Archuleta Day

2008-05-12T22:17:00.001-06:00

IT'S DAVID ARCHULETA DAY FOR

BROOKE AND CHASE AND FRIENDS!

They were give VIP passes by our friend at Fox 13 so we woke up at 5:00 Friday morning, got ready and were on our way to see American Idol Contestant David Archuleta up close.

The kids were just a little excited. See the smile on Brooke's face? Does anyone else notice that Chase is the only guy? He knows where it's at.

The excitement increases as David's limo arrives.

It was pretty tough to get a decent picture of him because of all of the people that were pushing and shoving just to see the boy. Brooke being the pushiest of all. . . jk

We're not sure but we think that he was singing just for Brooke.

This was when Dan, Keri and David were looking at Chase asking David a question, "What is your favorite thing that Paula has said to you?" (interesting question). Keri answered for David who seemed a little stumped by the question, "My favorite thing was when she said that she wanted to squish David so tight that his head would pop off and she would dangle it from her review mirror." Okay, that's weird Paula!

And then he was gone. All in all, it was a fun experience for them. It gave Chase the bug for singing even more than he had. So, he had a singing lesson today with Dean Kaelin, David's voice coach. Dean really knows his stuff. In just a half an hour, Chase had already improved on his talent. It was a lot of fun to watch the change.

THINKING ABOUT ALI

2008-05-04T00:00:00.000-06:00

I'm not sure that I know anyone more crazy or brave then Al. Fortunately she made it to Greece safe. However, that was not the end of our worries. Oh no. What we didn't know was that was only the beginning. When I spoke with the host mom I thought, "what a sweet lady! I'm so glad she's taking an interest in Ali and will take such good care of her." Hmm. Not quite what we thought. Maybe things will get better. I think that the experience is not turning out quite like she thought it would. However, as always, every experience can be for our good, even if it appears to be the opposite. The good in Ali's situation is that she is certainly learning to lean on Heavenly Father and will need to dig deep to feel him in her life right now. She is also being faced with the opportunities to stand up for what she believes in. I think that if she can stick with this experience, she will have grown up more in the next month than she has in the past 19 years. In the meantime, pray for Al. -- Lisa

1st Annual Chick Trip

2008-04-27T21:46:00.000-06:00

So it's the Evenson girl's 1st annual chick trip. We decided to use our trip to drop Ali off in Denver for her Greece trip as our excuse to start an annual chick trip. What a riot the girls are.

Day 1 - Friday -- We thought we'd get an early start by planning on leaving at 7:00. We got out at 11:00. Typical... Anyway, we drove 8 hours through Wyoming with Brooke in the back seat, reading Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Ali manning the radio and talking the whole time about her boyfriend, Travis, and me driving, thinking about where the 2nd annual chick trip will be. By the time we reached our hotel (very nice, however, very close to a railroad track and nightly we wake up, several times, to the sound of a train engineer who is horn happy.), Brooke had a fever. She had absolutely no energy and slept the entire evening while Ali and I played Nerts. I was worried that Brooke would not feel well the entire weekend but she, once again, proved that she can recover faster than anyone I know.

Day 2 - Saturday --We woke up at 8:30 (felt great to sleep in!) We went to breakfast at IHOP and had a fun time watching Brooke be amazed at the diversity in Denver. What a sheltered child. After our bellies were filled, we got pedicures. We love doing this on vacation. Then we went shopping. What? The Evenson girls shop? We were able to hit two of the four malls that we plan on going to. Great mall. As evening approached, we decided we needed to get dinner and since we were right by the Hard Rock Cafe, and we were starving, we'd eat there. We didn't realize when we put in our names for a 1/2 hour wait that we would end up waiting about a full hour due to the fact that it was Denver's prom night. We had a good time watching all of the high school couples parade around in their prom attire. At the same time, we were able to watch a table of middle-aged couples get plastered as they were having a 70's flashback night. They were decked out in KISS wigs and rock duds. Two women were dancing on the tables. Wow, Brooke really does live a very sheltered life. I think she had sensory overload. We decided at this point, 9:00 pm, that we were too tired to go out to a movie so we just bought movie theater popcorn and went back to our room and watched 27 Dresses.

Ali's feet with her toes ready for Greece

Day 3 - Sunday. Long day when you keep the Sabbath Day holy. But it was a nice day. We decided that we needed to feel like we were spiritual so we listened to church music while we got ready and dressed in dresses. Immediately as we stepped out of our hotel room and saw that we were the only ones in dresses, the girls felt over-dressed. I reminded them that it didn't matter and since we were going to find the Denver Temple we needed to be dressed appropriately. Then we took off and were on a quest for the Temple. After going in the wrong direction for 20 minutes, I backtracked and finally found it. Beautiful but anti-climatic because I thought they would have a visitor's center or at least we could walk around it. So we took two pics and then hopped back in the car.

Denver Temple (as close as we could get)

Ali taking our picture in a window. Coldstone Ice Cream, just can't get enough of it!

One of about a hundred pictures of the girls freak jumping into the hot tub

As you can tell from the pictures, we are definately enjoying ourselves. We miss our boys and will be happy to get back... well, without Ali that is. We will be dropping her off at the Denver airport tomorrow for her flight to Germany and then on to Greece!

Next year's trip? Maybe New York!

Why can't time stand still?

2008-04-03T20:46:00.000-06:00

I'm thinking today about a lot of things. You know those days where your mind just keeps on going, jumping from thought to thought? I would love to freeze frame our life as it is right now. All of the kids are like mini adults. All of them have fun personalities and I'm enjoying being a mom but there's never enough time to enjoy it all. I think someone sped the clock up and it's going faster and faster.

Ali is leaving for Greece in 25 days, actually Brooke and I are driving her to Denver in 21 days and then she'll leave 4 days later. I'm amazed at the incredible goal that she set and has accomplished. I'm afraid to admit that deep down I didn't think it would really happen. I'm impressed and want to thank those that have contributed to her dream.

I am also thinking about:
Spring, fixing up our yard, fixing up our house (after 9 1/2 years, things are looking like they need fixing up) the blessing of work, the blessing of THREE new babies to our extended family, my darling next-door-neighbors (Lindsey and Ryan, our new bishop), Chase's constant singing love songs to me and the extra long hug he gave me this morning, Ali's best friend now married, listening to the sound of Tyler playing basketball and him announcing to me that he is going to run for senior class president (GO TY!), our busy busy lives right now and how I wouldn't change it for anything, the desire I have to learn charity, looking forward to conference weekend, the proud feeling I have about my dad and how good he's doing, my visit with my brother today, missing my mom, looking forward to summer and hopefully BOATING!, ...

I could go on and on. Life is good!

guitar or singing

2008-03-30T21:36:00.000-06:00

I'm a boy who loves to sing and act. but my mom (lisa) says you can only be in a play if you play guitar. i HATE guitar. there is one good thing, my mom will put me in voice lessons. so i am going to ask for your help which would you do... guitar or singing? from chase

Chase again. I'm 11 and I have a BIG secert... I still have my baby blanket. I have had it since I was born. It is now rags but I still sleep with it. I love it so much... my dad will hide it my brother will take it. It makes me so mad. The bad thing is I have only told my mom, dad, brother, sisters, everybody else in my family and now you. It sounds weird but... I still have it and I still love it. But the real reason I told you was because you don't need to hide your life "you only live once so have as much fun as you can". That's what my Grandma Hughes always said to me. Chase

My many trips

2008-03-10T19:00:00.001-06:00

Well i just thought i would write whats on my mind and whats on my mind is the many trips i am going on this summer. Just thought i would share them. Well i am going to Denver with my mom and sister so we can just shop and play! then i am going to Florida! for a dance competition. we will get to visit all the amusement parks and beaches florida has to offer! then i have efy for my first year, and girls camp, the first year with my mom! Then of course i have my family vacation but were not sure where were going yet. This is going to be a great summer! I cant wait! ( thats me and chase skiing
-brooke in the winter time. But that

time has passed! its summer
TIME!)

BLOG ENVY...

2008-03-10T16:49:00.000-06:00

Yes, I am green with Blog Envy. I've just been checking out what's out there and who's doing what with their blogs, and again, my lack of time and creativity are showing through. How in the world do they do it? There are so many cute and creative things out there. One of these days I promise... Anyway...

I'm thinking about yesterday. For some reason, the first time ever, I forgot it was the day to change the clocks. I was busy doing my lesson for YW and sewing little "Family Fun" bags for my Mia Maid class of 12 girls. Ali came into the craft room and said, "Mom, Dad just texted me (he was at his ward), and said to tell mom that it's 11:00". My mind starting racing. 11:00? what does that mean? What's at 11:00? What could he be talking abo...." "Oh my gosh!!! Everybody run!!!". Luckily it wasn't really 11:00 but 10:15 and I had to be to church at 10:45 to play prelude for the sacrament. Anyway, somehow, I was able to shower, make-up, hair, get dressed, grab my stuff, and get the kids out the door and be there at 10:50. However, in my frenzy hurried state, I didn't bother checking how the kids looked. You would think they are all old enough to get themselves ready and look decent. Mostly yes. However, after I had played the first two songs and went to sitdown, I asked the kids (Brooke and Chase) if they had gotten a program. No. I asked Chase to go get one for us. Mind you, we are sitting in the third to the front row. He walked all the way to the back of the chapel and then all the way to the front and as he is slipping past me I notice that his tie is neatly tied, by him, and the long part of it is down to his knees. I said to him in a whisper, "Oh, Chase! Your tie is supposed to only go to your belt buckle!" "No, mom, it's supposed to go to your knees." "No, Chase, it's supposed to go to your belt buckle." "no, mom, it's supposed to go to your knees. Just ask Ty." Needless to say, fortunately I have a 17 year old that has some sort of Tie Fashion Sense and retied his brother's tie.

They still keep me laughing... -- lisa

2008-03-05T23:33:00.000-07:00

I've been trying to find some good pictures of my kids on my computer and don't have many to choose from until Ali downloads them for me. But I did find this from Christmas and absolutely love it. They look so old to me. Tonight was Young Men's/Young Women's. I had three of the four there with me (I'm 1st counselor). Ali was working. Yes, Chase was at YM tonight, pretending to be a big kid. The funny thing is that in 10 months, he will legally be there! That's weird. Thank goodness it's only the kids getting older and not Rick and I. --lisa

TIME GOES TOO FAST

2008-03-05T11:26:00.000-07:00

I just read Ali's post on her own blog. The title is Saying my sorries. Reminded me of when she was a little girl. When she would do something that would make someone feel bad we would say, "Ali, say your sorry." She would say, "I said my sorry!". Seems like yesterday. Time goes too fast. Enjoy each moment. (mainly for my cute sisters-in-law) -- lisa

Boat Boat i want a BOAT!!!!

2008-03-05T09:30:00.001-07:00

So.. I want a boat.. all in agree-ance? is that a word if so how do you spell it? anyway I think a boat would be benificial to our family for the following reasons.

1 We would have more friends. (always a good thing)

2 We would have more reasons to get together.

3 We would all have to go on diets and we'd all look better

4 Family quality time ;)

5 Because we can.

I made a pie chart to show some stuff... ---Ali

First Blog Ever (whatever a Blog is)

2008-03-03T16:56:00.000-07:00

I never thought I would see the day when I would use the word "blog" and actually have to ask my daughter what on earth it is and if she can set one up for me. Technology is blowing my mind. Anyway, we have to keep up on these things so here we go. Our lives have been in fast forward motion for about the last . . . 20 years. I can't believe we have been married that long. So this "post" is all about 20 years of bliss (for the most part). As those that are close to us know, we have definately been through our trials but we believe that we have learned so much from them and are cetainly better off because of them. Therefore, overall, we can say life has been blissful. It's all about the attitude. We can choose to be happy through the trials, with the knowledge that "that too shall pass" (as Great-Grandma Hughes used to say), or we can choose to muddle through it. I, personally, choose to be happy. Besides, what is life without moments of crap? Just pure joy? That'd be boring... ---Lisa