Catching up

WOW! Spring is such a busy time of year at the Hansen house, it seems we can barely catch our breath after the holidays before we jump into a string of small holidays and then the kids' birthdays followed quickly by Easter, Mother's Day, my birthday, Father's Day and then John's birthday......INSANE!!! So here's a quick recap of the happenings at the Hansen's....

The big birthday boy enjoying cake! I can't believe it's already been a year.....I'm SO cliche but it seems like yesterday I was nuzzling his sweet soft cheeks in the quiet late night hours of the hospital after he was born!

All dressed and pressed for church, ready to open a present before we head out!

Trying to get a little cooperation for a brother sister picture! These two actually play really well together for now, Carter is such a good big sister always calling after Owen saying "Come on buddy lets go play" or "Come get me buddy" She was very helpful when Owen was opening his presents...secretly wishing that it was her birthday already!

Taking a moment in the Sunday morning light for a Mommy Owen picture

Birthday boy Owen and his new shirt

Two weeks after Owen's birthday we celebrated Carter's 3rd birthday....WOW seriously can NOT believe that she's been with us for 3 years...what a SPUNKY FUNKY little gal we've got on our hands! We have SO much fun together ALL DAY LONG I can't stop laughing because she's always coming up with new and fun things to do and say! What a blessing this little lady has been!

Of course we started the day with opening presents...who says a birthday morning can't be like Christmas morning?!!! After presents we made a nice big birthday pancake breakfast for the little miss, one of her favorite delights!

I wanted SO badly to throw Carter a BIG bash with lots of games and prizes and a pinata, but I just had surgery just the week before and was TOO tired to do much of anything, so we invited some friends to play and have a little tea party, for a three year old who doesn't know the difference it was FAB!

My mom was in town helping with the kids post surgery while John was studying and in class, the night of Carter's birthday was our stakes Easter musical program, we were lucky to get to have a nice uplifting mini date together while Nana and the kids spent some last minute quality time before Nana had to go home the next day.

A quick little photo before we sent the birthday girl off to bed!

We love being up here in Moscow, and have made some really good friends...we were sad to miss all of the usual Easter festivities with John's family but were thankful to have a sudo family to celebrate with...we ended up having a fabulous potluck spread of food, a lot of good laughs and conversation and the best part....the kids played to the point of exhaustion and got along SO WELL!!!

Olivia, Carter, Emily and Cale

Emily, Cale, Carter, Hunter and Tristan (Carter's new BFF and neighbor)

Coloring with chalk in the last bit of sun of the evening

Owen and Emma chilling in the stroller watching the kids play

Emily and Carter Easter egg hunting at our stake primary Easter brunch

This week the weather has finally decided to warm up and stay that way for a few days...I had already over done it physically (post surgery) preparing for and helping put on Easter dinner, but the sun was just calling to me...so I set up the play pen outside for Owen to play in while Carter and I pulled weeds in our little flower patch out front.

I love this kids big cheeser grin....he's now learned to say "cheese" and show me his big teeth every time I pull out the camera!!! What a HAM! Love the dimple!

We found quite a few worms, I had such fun talking to Carter about worms and how they live and sleep in the dirt, I let a tiny one crawl on my hand and asked if she wanted to hold it...she emphatically told me NO that it needed to go back to sleep in the dirt, and that she only liked snakes!

Riding her bike down the hill....we don't have a very good flat spot for her to ride on very easily so she pushes her trike up the hill on the sidewalk and then rides it down sometimes hitting our car...sometimes running into the side of the building...BUT she's a toughy and always pull through with barely a scratch!

Aaaaaannnnndddd this is what happens when Daddy drinks Mountain Dew all day, and shares little sips with sister.....we get an ANGRY one year old who finds a can of Dew in the pantry and throws a MAJOR FIT because he can't get it open for a drink....what a sad little man he was indeed!

Valentine's recap

Too bad it all ended with this.....my sweet little Carter girl with a 104 degree temp.....at least we got some fun in before it really hit........

Who can resist getting together with friends to decorate cookies on Valentine's day??? Not us!!! We met up at the church for our usual "play group" with other moms and kids in our ward.....

Eli, Jacob, Emma (Carter's best friend) and Oakley

Lucy, Carter, Ellie and Lea

Of course you get all sorts of goofy faces when you're taking pictures of a kid with an extreme sugar high!

Our photo shoot of course would not be complete without the "Kissy Face" or "Blue Steel" If you please!!!

We decided to try and stat the tradition that my sister and her family holds, by dressing up all spanking pretty for a valentine's dinner at home! Truly John will be Carter's first "date", we want her to know how boys should treat her, and we wanted her to feel special....it's the first round of holidays and birthday where she's actually understanding what it's all about so it's fun to play it up....besides....NOT like we were going to have some grand romantic valentine's as a couple....besides...I pretty much HATE valentine's day....just because you shouldn't need a holiday and marketing ploys to motivate you to show how much you love some one.

All dressed up make up and all, ready for our dinner date at home with Daddy and Owen

At this point I think she was starting to feel pretty icky...something we hadn't quite picked up on....so we got a lot of grumpy stares in pictures.

The table set and ready to go....too bad I ran out of energy and instead of making our delicious dinner...Applebees provided us with a delicious meal...good thing kids eat for 99 cents on Tuesdays because Carter wouldn't TOUCH her "corn hog gog" that she was previously SOOOO excited to eat...

Oh yes...and the chocolate glazed homemade cheesecake was absolutely delish!!!

We decided to end the night watching "Tangled" an all ages appropriate love story for the whole family to enjoy....that is, until we realized Carter was burning up with a fever, grumpy as all get out....fussiness rivaling that of her almost one year old brother who refused to take an afternoon nap that day, so he was SUPER tired and crabby too.....wasn't quite the fabulous evening I had in mind...but it worked....gotta expect the unexpected when you have kids in the mix...at least there wasn't vomit thrown in it all too!!!

Big Bold and Beautiful

Usually I reserve our family blog to post updates on the kids and family...basically it's my ultramodern.....OK, just flat out lazy way of journaling...but it works right??!!! But this post is more of a mind blllaaaaahhh-gggggg....more for me than anyone else (lets face it a post without pictures is lame and boring, so if you actually make it to the end of this thing without falling asleep-my hat goes off to you!)

Lately I've really enjoyed getting to know a lot of different girls in our ward...THANK heaven for church, it's like an instant social network that I'm SOOOO grateful for!!! What a great support system we have...so many shoulder's to cry on, and sister's to lean on....we're all in the same boat (relatively) with husbands in school, little babies running a muck...etc...

Through MANY conversations with MANY different women, I'm quite frankly saddened by the lack of confidence and feelings of inadequacy that are expressed...most often this comes up when we're "girl talking" about food, our bodies and motherhood.....

Well let me just say.... I'm BIG BOLD and BEAUTIFUL!!! That's right....I said it....I wish more girls could say it in honesty and with confidence instead of as a humorous ploy to deflect those feelings of inadequacy that lurk about.......(something I've certainly done before)....anyways, here are a few things that I've repetitively come across that have been bothersome.....

*Why do women grieve over their "lost figure" after having children....certainly it's a worthwhile goal to shed a few pounds...BUT LADIES.....most of you had teenage stick bodies before (don't forget I'm surrounded by mostly young newlyweds/moms), and now that you've had tremendous hormonal and physical changes you have the curvaceous body of a WOMAN!!! Yes, most of us wish we could fit into those jeans from when we were dating our husbands...but what's wrong with being what you are and who you are right now??? You still are BEAUTIFUL, you still can be FASHIONABLE, you still can ROCK your husbands world...I know my husband enjoys having a thinner wife because we've talked about it openly and honestly....BUT I also know that he's still in love with me and still attracted to me...yup my body is a work in progress and always will be....BUT guess what I'm BIG BOLD and BEAUTIFUL!!!

*Why do I hear comments like... "I really like taking my kids on outings to I can take them to McDonald's for lunch and justify eating a Big Mac" (Ok, so I've made similar comments jokingly on occasion) BUT seriously comments like these are an epidemic around here......WHY do we have to use our children as an excuse to enjoy a Big Mac once in a while? (my personal preference is the double cheeseburger...but to each their own!) WHY can't we just enjoy a little indulgence without feeling like we've "blown" it....Yup it's true, if you haven't heard by now...NEWSFLASH fast food is horrible for you, BUT i'm guessing you already new that because of your guilt complex over eating at McDonald's......SO if you're smart enough to know that, than I'm pretty sure you're smart enough to not eat it every day, multiple times a day......SO AGAIN I say....what is SO wrong with purposefully leaving your house intent on eating a Big Mac just for your own satisfaction....LEAVE the excuses of children and outings behind and march your BOLD self out the door....NO ONE is watching you with binoculars criticizing your lunch choice, astonished that you didn't choose the veggie sub on whole wheat without mayo at Subway!!!

*Why do women play the game of "I'm so perfect I_________" fill in the blank.....

-Exercise everyday (but secretly only hit 3 or 4 days and beat myself up over it)

-Only eat 1100 calories a day (But I'm starved and miss the joy of moderate indulgences)

-Give and do everything for my husband and family (but feel guilty for "doing" for myself)

...etc...etc...etc.....

Why do we put SO much pressure on ourselves to be the "perfect" that no one expects us to be....why can't we say....

Hi I'm Joy Hansen, I weigh more than my husband and I am a women's size 18.....I eat fast food about once a week, and really enjoy pastry sweets. I try to cook healthy and balanced meals but some nights we eat pizza or pancakes and drink chocolate milk....Once in a while I get motivated to exercise-that usually only lasts for a about a week....Sunday's are about the only day of the week that I actually get ready make-up hair and all, most days i'll be in my comfy clothes un-showered with stinky breath until about noon, I could do with less hips and more boobs but I look in the mirror and see a beautiful woman-a bold mommy that's got it going on!!! I am a smart educated woman with opinions that matter, I'm not afraid to be selfish once in a while because I deserve it, I am strong, I am a doer and I believe in myself, and I'm proud of myself....I'm proud of ALL that I am, of who I am...I don't feel guilty for not being more humble in my confidence, I don't think I'm better than another, I'm just thankful that I've learned to embrace being BIG BOLD AND BEAUTIFUL!!!

Photo-Palooza

Probably the longest blog post ever...but worth putting some words with pictures to preserve a few memories and moments!!! I've neglected the blog because it's just so much faster to put pictures on FB....but then I don't get to journal all of the little stuff that goes along, and the holiday's and traveling have eaten up my brain.... so this quiet evening while laying in bed watching the office in the background, I'm quite content to do a little journaling for the Hansen Family!

My little Owen man, he's really starting to really show his personality....a tender sweetie at the core, but a rascally, demanding, babbling little tyke every minute of every day!

Anyone else see the mischief in those eyes?!!!!

After MONTHS of NO SNOW, we finally are getting hit hard!!! I'm a person that LOVES well defined seasons, and I hate being hot so when it snows I'm in heaven!!! Carter really loves to see the snow, and play in it too! Tonight after dinner, Owen went to bed early and on a somewhat UN-conventional whim decided to go play in the snow in the dark!

Carter really enjoyed making "balls" to create our Hansen Snow family....somehow mom and dad ended up with extra balls on top!

This is my creative take on a unicorn style Loch Ness Monster....didn't have a clue what I was creating until it just kind of took shape!

This was the best way EVER to kill that horrible time between dinner and bedtime for the kids, usually we dawdle in the bath, but when you have this much snow...the bath can wait until morning!

Carter really liked the snow couch that I built

This picture was taken the night before....it had snowed ALL day, we got 10-12 inched, and by evening it had warmed up and turned into a rainy mist...hence, a nice crunchy layer of ice on our beautiful powder....I thought the flood lights in the parking lot made the snow look super slick...as it was!!!

The snow beckoned us outside, so as our sweet babies slumbered upstairs, we went outside to take a few pictures, and shovel the side walk....John was such a stud and shoveled out our car for the second time that day...knowing that if we needed to go anywhere the next day we would be completely snowed/iced in our parking spot!

A nice deep crunchy foot print....and a nice quiet moment together....we are LOVING being in Moscow together as a family, we're having such fun with our kids, learning and growing together as a family, and also as a couple!!!

We're in a great married student ward, and have made some fast friends, as well as re-connected with some old ones (the Mormon world is a small one!) We've worked hard to put ourselves "out there" so that we could quickly find our "place" here and have reaped great rewards!!!

Yesterday my new friend Suzie came over with her three kids for the day....Her Emma is the same age as Carter, it's so fun to watch them play as princesses and fairies....they were using special crayons to color on the window in the toy room....the ended up both sporting forehead stamps and interesting colored "lipstick"!

A few days before Christmas we were able to adventure up to Sandpoint, ID to visit some friends and stay the night with them at their family's house....we really enjoyed playing games and visiting...and of course doing a little exploring!!! We're definitely going to return to explore Lake Pend Orielle, and the other surrounding areas and lakes!

Carter really enjoyed visiting the Al Paca herd in the barn, and what did we happen upon.....it's sheep....it's a polar bear....NOPE it's just a gigantic dog!!!

What a sad photo to introduce our Christmas!!! This was Christmas morning, right before we headed out the door to church...Owen was SOOOOO TIRED and just done!!!

Carter was feeling very princess-like in her dress (which still fit her from last summer-it was made for her to wear at my sister's wedding!) She could hardly stop twirling long enough for me to take a picture!

A little cheesy I know, but I brought our camera to church so we could get at least ONE family picture on Christmas....two parents+two kids= someone is always left out of the picture!!!

I was so PROUD of myself...I LOVE to play the piano, I learned a lot of my skill (note reading, timing and such) through school choir, and have taught myself the rest....My sister's play beautifully and I've always felt like I couldn't measure up, that I was stuck in their shadows.....BUT I decided when we moved here that I have a talent, and I need to share it

Well, here came Christmas, and our little ward was basically disappearing over the Christmas break, BUT we were in charge of a special musical number for our combined sacrament meeting with the other wards....so I decided to put myself out there, and volunteered...after a lot of practice and nervous sweating.....I NAILED IT!!! I played a beautiful arrangement of silent night, along with a violin and a singer...something I've NEVER done....I get HUGE performance anxiety....or stage fright if you will, causing my fingers to make horrible blunders, my eyes then get lost in the music and once that happens....it's over....BUT the Lord truly blessed me to successfully share my talent!!! I feel so blessed, and improved, and MUCH more confident to do it again!

Owen on Christmas morning with his new elephant pillow pet, ball and boat...oh yes, and all with the binky in hand....it's never to far from his reach!

Carter on Christmas morning with her new Lady Bug pillow pet that Santa brought, and her new doll house and car.....she LOVES it all, and will play pretend with the dolls and furniture for HOURS!!!! What a good girl, I love to listen and watch her play, she's so creative and gets SOO deep into her own imaginative play!

Christmas Eve...all hopped up on cookies and milk, excited for Santa to come bring "peasants" and

"tandy" in our "sockings"!!!!