Hansen Family

14 years and counting....

2009-09-08T15:06:00.002-06:00

Our Handsome Guy

Wow! Josh is 14 years old today. I can barely believe it. It seems like yesterday he was the wide eyed inquisitive toddler. He still hasn't lost that spunk or thirst for knowledge.

We woke him up at midnight to sing happy birthday to our big teenager! Today he is at school enjoying all that it has to offer.

Tonight he has requested a trip to the Chinese Gourmet buffet.... and I am sure many will join us to watch the spectacle of him eating mussels by the minute.

Happy Birthday Joshy!

Labor Day Weekend 2009

2009-09-07T14:38:00.000-06:00

We took pictures of bees.
And Brian eating bananas.

And driftwood.

And crawfish.

And adorable teenagers named Josh.

And hawt husbands named Brian

And cute boys named Xander

And brothers fishing.

And Grandparents watching

And fathers with sons.

And goofy faces.

And loving spouses.

And proud boys showing off their catch.

On Saturday we drove up to Strawberry with Richard and Vicki. As you can see we had a great time. We didn't catch one fish. But the boys were able to rake in about 30 crawfish. They seem to enjoy catching those the best. Especially Josh. He loves to see how may he can catch and compare them in size.

The weather was a little chilly and it drizzled rain. But that didn't stop our fun family time. There were lots of laughs, treats, walks, and just plain silliness. Oh... and good food. We headed to the Hub in Heber after fishing and ate yummy greasy goodness.

That night Mark and Molly were babysitting their nephew little Xander. They invited us over to play cards. We hung out, ate pizza, and got our butts kicked by Mark.

On Sunday Mark and Molly had the whole crew over for Sunday dinner. They made a pork dish that is featured on "Once Upon a Time in Mexico". And if I wasn't too lazy to google I would find the name for you. It was pure pork bliss. I will tell you that. Then.... more cards... 2 epic battles raged that night. They were really long poker games. But we all had lots of laughs and fun.

On Monday we spent the day and evening with good friends at a BBQ. Plenty of good food, friends, laughter, and kids to keep us busy all day long.

Great weekend!

School's Back in Session

2009-08-31T14:29:00.000-06:00

The boys just began their 7th and 8th grade years on Monday, August 31st. We are so thrilled they are in a new charter school called Early Light Academy. We love the focus on collaborative learning and customizing the curriculum based about the children's level of knowledge. I know the kids will both strive in this type of environment. They encourage free thinking and discussion. It engages the kids and provides a hands on learning. I am also excited about the parent involvement required at the school. The school is fostering a community and in order for it to run successfully it requires teachers, students, and parents to all be involved. It will be fabulous for both Brian and I to really take an active role in the boys education rather than just sit back and enjoy the ride.

Another aspect we enjoy is the uniform and dress code policy. It made school shopping so easy and allows school to be about learning rather than the latest fashion trends. The boys actually love their uniforms and look so handsome heading off to school each day.

We are just starting into our second week but already can see how much the boys are enjoying the school.

Big Birthday Bash 2009!

2009-08-30T14:15:00.000-06:00

I only took a few pictures... but I don't know where they are located. I will post a link when Brian is able to locate them. :-(

On August 29th we celebrated Josh and Xander's birthdays with a big joint birthday bash. Because the park pavillion worked out so well we decided to reserve it again this year. I loved having the playground and the fishing pond to keep the little and older kids entertained. It makes for easy hosting and clean up too. Plenty of seating and space for everyone.

The night before I prepared the majority of the food. Made 48 "ghetto cupcakes" as I so lovingly referred to them. (ghetto because I tried to frost them all pretty but just wound up making a big old mess) Chopping up fruit. Making mass quantities of pasta salad and preparing the chicken and pork for the next day. Brian was preparing for a business trip and was up until 2 am building a website. Mark actually came over and played Starcraft with the boys until 2 am. So I had plenty of company while cooking.

The party was so much fun. The boys loved having all their cousins there to hang out with. They even fed the ducks with all the little kids. It was very laid back this year and I spent a lot more time visiting then I did last year.

The boys received wonderful gifts as usual. Thanks to everyone who always spoils them rotten! We are excited to have several new games to play.

Xander turns 12!

2009-08-26T13:52:00.000-06:00

Our funny man!

Our baby turned 12 on August 26th, 2009. Where has the time gone? We woke him up at midnight to sing him happy birthday and give him his present. He spent the whole day play his new Wii game. We celebrated with his normal requests of homemade mac n cheese and chocolate cake with chocolate chips.
We had a big birthday celebration later with our extended family.

Viva Las Vegas Part 200...

2009-08-23T18:59:00.004-06:00

Warning... super long... kinda boring post. But the video I made is kinda cute. So you can watch it first and read on if you want.

Okay... so we haven't really gone to Vegas 200 times. But we sure do love to get out there a few times a year.

We hadn't really gone anywhere this summer because of baseball, work, my knee and just life in general. So we planned a quick weekend to Vegas. This time Mark and Molly were able to come along on the adventure. We have never been on a trip with them other then just camping a few times.

On Thursday the 20th of August we got a kind of late start and met up with Mark and Molly in St. George. Then headed out for the short drive into Vegas. There is something magical about driving into Vegas at night. You can't really beat the ethereal glow you can see MILES before you even come near the city. As is customary we blasted "Viva Las Vegas" as we rounded the last bend before you can see the whole city stretched out before us.

This trip we actually stayed on the strip. The Sahara had sent us a free room for 2 night and I cannot pass up freebies. So our 3 night stay only cost 50 dollars. Everyone knows how budget conscious Brian and I are so it was perfect. Definitely not the newest or nicest hotel on the strip. But it was relatively clean, free of bugs, and as Brian puts it "had a bed and shower". So it fit our needs well. Plus... it's VEGAS how much time do you spend in your room?

The first night we got in late. All the guys (Josh and Xander included since they are getting to be pretty manly in their old age) unpacked the 2 cars. Brought it coolers, suitcases, laptops... you know, the necessities. I was wiped out so Brian went down and played for a few minutes before bed.

Friday was our first real day there. We woke up and ate breakfast in our room. Not room service but all the goodies we brought from home. Eating breakfast and lunch with food we bring from home opens up our budget to have so much more fun. Mark and Molly did the same and I think they noticed a good amount of savings too. We headed down to the pool and spent the entire morning in the pool or poolside (even Brian... yes he was in a pool). For being an older hotel the pool area and pool itself were really great. And Friday was a record hot day so the pool was really the place to be. The boys had underwater breath holding contests with Mark. I am pretty sure Mark is most proud that he beat them both.

Lunch was back in our rooms then we got ready for the day. All of us, including Mark and Molly, loaded into the PT Cruiser and headed out to see what kind of adventure we could find for the day. Our favorite place to find discount tickets in Vegas is Tix4Tonight. Once again, they didn't fail us. We were able to get tickets to the Knights of the Roundtable dinner show at the Excalibur. I was thrilled when Mark and Molly said they wanted to go see that show too. We hadn't wanted to bring it up thinking they might not be into it. But they both seemed to have fond memories of going there as children.

Off to the arcade at the Excalibur. I think all the boys, Mark and Brian are counted as boys, had a blast at the arcade. I even slipped in a little air hockey and whooped on Xander. Josh was the big winner and score hundreds of tickets! Mark won Xander a Panda in the crane machine after we had all tried and failed miserably. Unfortunately, we had all left and Mark had no one to celebrate his big win with. However, he is the crane master and did show off his skills many times. Josh even got in on the crane action and won a panda. Xander saved most of his spending money and bought a magic trick. He is our budget master! Little did we know that just across the street the NewYork NewYork houses the best arcade I have seen in Vegas. We will be frequenting that from now on. Because it was THAT good.

The show and dinner were great. Eating with your hands is always fun and takes you back to childhood memories. Well maybe not for me because I don't like to have dirty hands. Xander's expressions and sound effects during the show were priceless. He was truly mesmerized by the entire things. I hope he never loses that sense of wonder. Josh really loved the action and the fight scenes. And Xander had a mystery to figure out during dinner. Someone had kidnapped his new panda and was holding it for ransom. They were sending him pictures and money demands. Thankfully the panda was returned safely.

That night all us over 21ers played a little. None of us won. But it was a lot of fun. I think Mark even took a roll at the craps table for the first time ever. For the most part we all stuck to blackjack. I know that Brian is in heaven playing blackjack with his brother. He has talked about doing that for years and has just had the first opportunity over the summer.

Saturday morning brought more of the same... breakfast... swimming... Brian forgetting to take his iPhone out of his swimsuit before dipping in the pool. Oh wait! That last part was NOT the same. Yup... Brian sent his iPhone to a watery grave. But being an ever prepared boyscout he had his old phone packed with him. So at least he wasn't without communication completely. I have to say I was really impressed with how well he treated the situation. He did not let it adversely affect the fun time we were having.

That afternoon Mark and Molly headed over to visit some friends they have in Vegas. Our little family headed over to the MGM to check out the lions. The boys really loved seeing them that close. Plus they had BABY lions. Josh took so many pictures of them. Then we headed over to M&M World and braved all the CRAZY tourists. Because of course we aren't crazy tourists.

Then that night.... BELLAGIO BUFFET BABY! It makes all the bowls of cereal and PBnJ's worth it when you get to experience a meal like that. Mark and Molly had raved about the buffet from a previous trip they had been on. I have to admit I was a little skeptical. But they were right. It was amazing. Ostrich, duck, elk, sushi, kobe beef, crab, and some of the best shrimp I have ever eaten. And that is just to name a few of the things.

Well since we were already there we of course checked out the fountain show at the Bellagio. I really prefer the show at night with the lights and the glow of the Paris Eiffel Tower right across the street. It is probably one of my favorite parts of Vegas on each of trips.

We hadn't been to the pirate show at Treasure Island for a very long time. And after this trip I don't think we will be going back. It is no longer a pirate show... it is sexy sirens in barely there clothes singing and dancing. Just not the same... and pretty much entirely LAME!

Brian and Mark were the only one's awake enough to play after our long day out. I think Molly and I both were just going to lay down for a "minute" and just slept through the night.

The next day we had to head over to China town and pick up the required pork buns. It isn't a trip to Vegas without pork buns. I was smart this time and called the night before and reserved some for us all! YAY! We wandered through all the little shops and looked at all the fun nick nacks.

I almost forgot... We went to the Vegas sign. Us and about 50 Harley dudes

And I think we created a new Vegas tradition courtesy of Mark and Molly... Hot n Juicy Crawfish. It is in China town right down the road for casa la pork bun. M n M had seen a show on the Travel Channel that featured this restaurant. It was great fun. Plastic bibs and table clothes. Pounds of shrimp and crawfish. Xander tested out the EXTRA hot sauce. He wanted to be like the people in pictures on the wall. Not a place for a first date... but a place for lots of family fun and memories.

We all drank so much water while eating spicy sea creatures we only made it about 15 minutes out of Vegas before we all had to pee.

Yup... ending this post on the note of pee.

Racing and Derbys

2009-08-01T16:59:00.000-06:00

On July 31st were were able to go see some sort of stock car racing (hey, at least I know they are called stock cars) out the the Miller Motor Speedway. We had never been there before and were all excited to go. The race was really fun and we had a decent view of the track. It is difficult to watch races on road courses so we probably won't go back. But it was a fun experience.

After the race we headed over to the Tooele County Fairgrounds for the demolition derby. We got awesome seats at the top of the stand so we could see all the action. I did not get funnel cake and am still traumatized from that. They had so many heats and it was one of the longest derby's we have been to in a long while. Plus... fireworks afterwards. You really cannot beat that!

We were all starving after the Derby so we hit up Del Taco for a midnight taco run. The kids thought it was so fun to go through a drive through this late. I couldn't help thinking we were just preparing them for many teenage years to come.

Pioneer Weekend

2009-07-25T16:34:00.000-06:00

No we didn't trek across the country in a covered wagon. But we did eat some AWESOME BBQ and watch fireworks.

On the 24th we went over to Bachan's to have a great BBQ. Tim is a lean mean grilling machine. He sure can cook a burger! It is always great to hang out with everyone and visit. We really need to do this more often.
On the 25th we had a great and busy day. We were planning on going swimming at the public pool but Molly invited us to swim at the McQueen's. She was going to be there watching her nephew little Zander. The boys created all sorts of tricks to go down the slide. Played with their pool torpedoes and we all just relaxed in the nice warm pool.

That night we headed to the Salt Lake Bee's game. Vicki, Richard, Auntie Sam, Auntie Sharon, and Essence were all able to come. It was a great game even though the Bee's lost. But there were several bat breaks and home runs. Those are always fun to see. After the game was over there was a beautiful fireworks display. They let anyone who wanted go down on the field to watch the show. It was a front row seat and you could really hear them go off. The ground shook a little and you could feel the heat. The boys got to run around the bases and meet Bumble which is always their favorite things to do at the games.

George Strait is Great

2009-07-17T16:01:00.000-06:00

As part of our anniversary gift this year Brian purchases tickets for us to see George Strait at the USANA Amphitheater. It is a great concert because we both actually like George Strait.

I had never been to USANA before so I was concerned that we wouldn't be able to see the stage and just with the general idea of sitting on the grass. Thankfully we got there in time and stood in the longest line I have ever seen. Thankfully we were near the beginning but it literally wrapped around to the back of the HUGE parking lot.

We finally got in and found a great spot on the grass. It felt great to sit on the cool grass because it was over 100 degrees that day. Brian left to find us some drinks and didn't come back for over 30 minutes. He got lost in the crowd. I am sure all the people just look like a sea of vagrants when you are looking for your spot. I kept saying how I felt like we were in a refugee camp full of rednecks.

George Strait was exactly how you would expect him to be... AMAZing

Fabulous concert and a wonderful way to spend date night with my hubby!

Swimming/Karate/New School

2009-07-14T16:10:00.000-06:00

Since the weather has improved in July we have been going swimming at least once a week. I am no longer a scary shade of ghost white, Xander will jump off the high dive, and Josh is swimming like a champ.

Both boys were able to test and receive their orange belts in Karate. In September they will test for their purples belts at which point they can start sparring.

We won the charter school lottery this month. Both boys have been accepted to Early Light Academy. A fabulous new charter school in our area. I am excited to take a larger role in their education which this school will allow.

Obon/District Tournament

2009-07-11T15:57:00.001-06:00

We went to Obon again this year. Another great Hansen Family Tradition. Only this year we could really only go for lunch. We got all the usuals... sushi, teriyaki chicken, somen. All delicious. Great time as usual.

Pictures

Instead of staying for the dancing at Obon we had to make a slight change of plans. Josh's team was playing in the first game of the district tournament that same day. (Thanks to all who came out and supported him) The team did really well but still lost. Thankfully it was double elimination and they had a chance to play again on Monday. Monday's game was cancelled because the other team had to forfeit. So they automatically moved to the 3rd round. Josh did a great job in the game. Catching a ball that was far out in right field. He had to run and really reach for it. But, the team still lost. Herriman placed 3rd in the district and now baseball is officially over. Josh had a great season, learned a lot, and has many new friends and memories to look back on.

Happy Birthday America

2009-07-04T15:47:00.000-06:00

The 4th was on a Saturday this year. Which means we got to have Friday the 3rd of July off of work. YAY!!! We headed out to Willard Bay to play on the beach. We invited Lisa and her little ones and Richard and Vicki to come along.

It was a beautiful sunny day. I stopped at the dollar store and got some fun beach toys for the little kids. It was well worth the money. They loved digging in the sand and playing with the beach balls. The boys and Jalon spent most of the day in the water splashing and swimming around.

I packed a lunch for everyone and we just enjoyed the afternoon together as a family.

Pictures

On the actually 4th of July we had a very busy day. We packed another picnic lunch and headed up to Logan for the big Cache Valley Cruising car show. I cannot even guess how many cars were there. Well over a thousand... or maybe it just seemed that way. All the boys (Especially Brian and Richard) were in car heaven.

Pictures

We made it home just in time to throw together a macaroni salad to take over to Richard and Vicki's for a family BBQ. Then we did our night of fireworks. Josh and Xander put on a great firework show this year. Farrah and Jalon loved the sparklers. Brian and the boys played around with sparklers and the camera to take some cool photos.

Pictures

June, Is That You Summer???

2009-06-30T15:21:00.000-06:00

June brought us warm and sunny weather... OR NOT! June was chilly and rainy. But that wasn't really a big problem for us since our sprinklers were broken. We appreciated the precipitation keeping our lawn mostly green. Thanks Mother Nature!

Xander finished up his baseball season. The Astros were able to pull off one win this season. And Xander was able to get a few hits in. He played 2nd base most of the season and did a great job. His coach noticed a big difference in his ability from last year to this year. But most importantly he loves to play and has a great time.

Josh finished up the regular baseball season and was asked to be part of the Herriman League's 13 year old All-Star team. He was so excited that all his hard work and practice had paid off. He had a great regular season pitching and started off the All-Star tournaments the same way. More info on All-Stars to come in July's post.

Brian replaced the brakes in the truck in June... here are his pictures and stop motion videos.

We had a couple birthday parties in June. Our niece Sara turned 6 and our niece Mya turned 2. Both were supposed to be outdoor parties but rain put a damper on the festivities. Here are some birthday party pictures and videos.

Father's Day was great fun. We were able to use the picnic site Lisa had reserved for Mya's party that got rained out. I bbq'd some ribs and chicken and we all roasted marshmallows. It was a great night and the weather really held up. We all pitched in and got Richard some folding 4-wheeler ramps. Brian fears for Richard's life every time he uses his homemade ones. Pictures.

We were also able to travel to Wendover for our 12th anniversary in June. Mark, Molly, Lisa, and Shay all came along too. We all go rooms and spent the night. It was so much fun. We got to have a great dinner at the seafood buffet. We all hung out, talked, and laughed for over 2 hours. After that I introduced Molly to the wonderful world of penny slots. And Brian got to play Blackjack with Mark. He has been wanting to do this for years and finally got his chance. He was in heaven. Mark did well picking up the game and I think Blackjack may have a new biggest fan. In the morning we all got together for breakfast and then EVERYONE played Blackjack for a while. Such a Kodak moment but you can't take photos in the casino.

Camping Here We Come

2009-06-20T15:32:00.001-06:00

Well our trip to the Snake River was technically in June but it deserves a whole post to itself. We travelled up to Oregon to stay in the Farewell Bend State Park on the Snake River. It is a gorgeous park and the campsites are amazing.

We had planned the trip with my Mom and Danny but were so happy that Richard and Vicki could come along. And thankfully they did. On the way there we ran out of gas... that's right people... gas. Our truck was sputtering along the side of the road begging for some fuel. Richard was close behind us and save the day with a 5 gallon jug full of the good stuff. We severely miscalculated how much gas was in the tank. I guess when the meter reads 20 miles to empty it really means it.

The boys spent most of the time fishing with Danny hoping to catch some giant catfish. Josh had the most luck over the weekend. He caught 4 big ones. Xander had one that got away after getting stuck in a bush. They were also able to swim and splash around the banks of the river.

The weather held up and it was nearly 90 degrees the whole time we were there. I was actually pretty thankfully for the air conditioning in the trailer. And my knee held up even after the 8 hour drive there.

It was really great trip. And more memories to hold on to.

Pictures and videos

First in the Series of Playing Catch Up

2009-05-31T15:08:00.001-06:00

Oh where or where to begin... it has been a long time since I have even paid attention to our poor family blog. I am just going to do an update per month considering how far behind I am.

Spring had sprung and May was fun! Lame attempt at poetry. Baseball was still in full swing. The boys each played at least 2 games a week plus Josh had practice everyday. Add in karate and school=still busy boys.

Xander had a 2 spring concerts this year. He sang at Abravanel Hall again as part of the Discovery Gateway fundraiser. He also sang at his school. It was great fun to see him sing and be his normal animated self. Thank you again to everyone who were able to make it out. Pictures

Josh had his end of the year cello performance at South Hills. He amazed us with his natural ability for playing the cello. He has amazing form and practiced so hard. He did a fabulous job and it made us so proud to be able to witness his success. We didn't snap any pictures because I forgot the camera (I blame my knee surgery 2 days before) But Brian did record it with the camcorder.

I had some knee surgery in the middle of the month. Ouch. We had to cancel our planned trip to Bryce Canyon because of this. Lame me. Oh... and I went through some root canal hell for about 4 weeks leading up to knee surgery. All is well now. YAY

Brian and Richard went to the St. Anthony. They had a great time and both look forward to their annual trip there. Pictures and Videos

LeAnn, Jason, and their new baby Mya along with Marie and Alan were all in town for the last weekend of May. DeAnn was nice enough to host a big family BBQ. It was great seeing everyone that we normally only see around Christmas time. The kids had a blast playing with their cousin and we all had a great time visiting.
Pictures

If I missed anything I will blame the drug induced haze I was in for the majority of May.

Take Me Out to the Ballgame!!!

2009-04-28T21:04:00.002-06:00

Because we in the Hansen house obviously don't get in enough baseball we decided to go to the Bees' game on Saturday night. Actually Richard and Vicki had the whole suite for the night and were nice enough to invite us along. Auntie Sam, Lisa, Jalon, Mark, and Molly also were able to go. The boys were thrilled when we surprised them with the fact we were going

The weather appeared as if it wasn't going to cooperate. Xander had a baseball game earlier in the day. It was so cold and it started to rain. Thankfully the weather cleared up just in time for the game. There was even a little blue sky for all of us spectators. The field was very empty. I guess few were in the mood to brave the cold weather. Being in a suite we were well protected from the elements. Vicki and Richard had the suite stocked with all sorts of goodies and drinks. It was "sweet"! So that last joke was probably more funny in my head. The boys also went and got some giant hotdogs with all sorts of messy toppings.

To be honest I didn't watch much of the game. I was busy playing with my iPhone taking and uploading pictures. I did get to see some awesome plays and a bat breaking. That is always cool. No bat breaking in little league. I would say the highlights of the night were when Bumble, the team mascot, came into the suite and let us take a ton of pictures. Vicki even snuck in a little smooch. Watch out Richard... that bee is a ladies man. Xander was so excited. That was all he had talked about was seeing Bumble. After the game (the Bee's won) Brian and Mark took all the boys down to the field where they got to run the bases. Jalon was very serious about making it all the way around. Then they got to meet Bumble again and get autographs.

Auntie Sam recently won a whole Wii system with all sorts of goodies at a work drawing. That night she gave the boys Mario Kart and an extra wheel from her winnings. They were thrilled and so thankful to say the least. We went immediately home where they proceeded to play. Brian and I even teamed up over the Wii internet and played against Mark and Molly. Brian and I have a little practice to do before the rematch. But we will be victorious!!!

Here are the rest of the pics and videos from the night of fun.

Family Dinner with Presents

2009-04-28T15:17:00.002-06:00

Auntie Sam was so nice and threw Maria and Daniel a baby shower for their upcoming arrival. Because there weren't going to be girly games Auntie invited all the guys to come also. I told Brian about it and he said emphatically (many times) "Boys don't got to baby showers!!!!" I being really quick caught on after about the 10th time he said that. And changed the invitation... "Auntie Sam has invited us over for a family dinner with presents." He was finally in.

We headed up to Bachan's for the party. Well with a slight detour. Brian had forgotten all the NuSkin products he got for Bachan and rad home quickly to get them. Auntie Sam took care of most of the food and had a great BBQ planned. Uncle Tim cooked the meat on his giant man BBQ. I am pretty sure Brian has BBQ envy now. After dinner Ria opened up her gifts. She got some great stuff. Amy had even sent some adorable hand decorated bibs for Ria and Daniel. I didn't make a list of all the other items but I think she got a gift card, a high chair, a pack n play, some cute outfits.

After all the festivities I was able to give Bachan a facial treatment with the Galvanic Spa Brian had just gotten for her. It was fun to do all sorts of girly stuff. I love all the facial products that Brian took to Bachan and Auntie Sharon... I hope they love them too.

Super Fun Utah "Staycation"

2009-04-28T14:02:00.003-06:00

We decided to stay home for spring break this year and explore all the wonders of Utah that are on our back porch. And thankfully the weather cooperated.

Thursday (April 9th) was our first day of Spring Break and Brian had a meeting at work that he was not able to cancel. So I decided to just spend the day with the boys at Classic Skating. Lisa and Shay along with all their kiddies decided to join us. My friend Christy and a few of her kids also came. The boys rollerbladed and spent hours on the bouncy equipment.

Friday was the official start of our "staycation". We decided to go up to Ogden and visit the Eccels Dinosaur Museum and park. We had a great time. They had a few animitronic dinosaurs which were pretty lifelike. They had a decent fossil display also. Xander and Josh love to soak up knowledge so they read about all the different dinosaurs. Josh also continued his love of photography and took so many pictures. Lisa and her little ones were also able to join us this day. Her kids really love walking around outside and seeing all the giant dinosaur statues. The outside was such a perfect set up. Great little trails and scenery. Not to mention the end of the park was a playground for all the kids to play on.

After the dinosaur park we headed over to the Hill Air Force Base Aerospace Museum. I initially was just going for the guys but it turned out to be fascinating. I could not believe some of the planes and helicopters that people actually used to fly around in. And nuclear war heads are giant... just in case you were wondering. Brian and the boys were in heaven. This kind of museum is right up their alley. I can't even list off everything we saw there. Mya was probably the cutest at the museum. She kept following Josh and Xander around pointing at everything the were pointing at. She was acting like a big kid. Truly adorable.

Saturday we went downtown to eat at Brian's favorite, heart attack on a plate, deli... Siegfrieds (I totally spelled that wrong I am sure.)After that we just headed up to the Utah Museum of Natural History. I think our favorite exhibit was the live frog display they have going on right now. The frogs were so vibrant colored. Not to mention a lot of them were poisonous. You wouldn't think a cute little pink frog is poisonous... but you would be wrong. I guess they don't need to use camouflage because they are deadly. Josh had a great time photographing the frogs and the live insect display. A couple of the spider exhibits were empty. I am not sure if that is the best thing to have... EMPTY spider cages!!!! The boys actually spent a large portion of our time at the museum putting on a puppet show. It was great fun. The dinosaur and fossil display was actually far more extensive then at the dinosaur park the day before. We also got to see museum employees uncovering and preserving some fossils. A very delicate process.

Brian and I went out to dinner with a group of friends to Tucanos a little later that night. The food and company was fabulous. Then we went on the great Easter hunt of '09. I typically have all of our Easter shopping done weeks in advance. However, this year I just procrastinated. We hit up 3 stores before stopping at Walgreens where we hit the mother lode. I bought like 40 dollars in candy just to make up for being a slacker mom. I spent the rest of the night stuffing plastic eggs and preparing the boys baskets.

Sunday was Easter and we had Richard, Vicki, Mark, and Molly over for breakfast. I was sick that morning because I took some medication on an empty stomach (thanks root canal). Brian and the boys were very sweet and made breakfast for everyone. Creamed Easter Eggs and biscuits. Then Vicki, Brian, and the boys all headed off to church while I slept off my stomach ache. After church we all headed over to Bachan's for Easter dinner. Tim made a great turkey and there was just too much food to even mention. We just spent the evening chit chatting and having fun with our family. It was a perfect way to top off our "staycation".

The slideshow above is some of our fun. Check out the rest here .

The Busy Season

2009-04-28T12:22:00.003-06:00

Baseball season is upon us again. And while it is one of our most favorite times of the year, it is also our most busy. This year we also have karate added to the mix so we have had a lot of running around. The boys also have spring concerts coming up, Josh for orchestra and Xander for choir. Xander is also part of his school production of Hamlet coming up in June. He is playing Horatio.

This season Xander is playing for the Astros. Josh was on that team for 2 years before moving up. Xander has his same coach, Jason, as he had last year. Jason is great with Xander and recognizes how hard Xander tries. Xander has made amazing improvements in his game over the last year. He even caught a line drive and participated in a couple double plays. He is on 2nd and is very worthy of his post. He knows the rules and follows them well. And the weather has been holding up pretty well. We have only had one freezing cold game so far.

Josh has moved up to the Babe Ruth league. He is playing for the Yankees. Josh has the opportunity to travel a bit and play against the Riverton league. We really like Josh's coach this year. He is no nonsense and keeps the boys (and a girl) in line. Josh is pitching for his team this year. He is an amazing pitcher. Sports really come easy to him and pitching was no exception. He pitches fast and pitches strikes most of the time. Now if we can just get the other teams to stop hitting the balls. Josh plays short stop and tried his hand at catching when he is not pitching. He has made a couple great catches at short and helps his team immensely.

We are really proud of both our boys being able to keep up with the hectic schedule we have right now. They both keep up with their homework and most of their chores. I am sure we will have more updates as the season progresses. Thanks to everyone who has braved the weather so far to come see games. The slideshow is just a few highlights of the baseball season so far.

2009-04-14T13:38:00.000-06:00

HIYA!!!

2009-03-27T13:40:00.000-06:00

I am not sure if that is how you spell it... but you all get my point.

On March 27th Josh and Xander had the opportunity to test for their yellow belts in Karate. They both passed with flying colors. Josh is in the teen adult program and had to do a majority of his test by himself. I was extremely nervous for him. That is a lot of pressure to do all those move alone. But he handled it like a true man. We never saw him sweat. Xander got to do his testing with several other kids. He was really on top of things. I dare say he was one of the best.

I am so impressed with the amount of skill each of our boys have acquired in such a short amount of time. It takes a lot of focus and discipline to do marshal arts and they both have exceeded our expectations. It was a true joy watching them show off their skills. In true Mom fashion, I think I may have shed a tear.

Jalon came along with us to the yellow belt test. He was worn out from his fun day with Josh. He fell asleep sitting up on the floor. It was adorable.

Buddies!

2009-03-27T12:01:00.001-06:00

Jalon was having a bad day on Thursday so Lisa called and asked if Josh could talk to him. Josh is such a nice boy he was able to cheer Jalon right up. Josh told him what a cool big kid he was and invited him to come over and play after school on Friday. Lisa brought him over at about 11:30 am and the boys spent the whole day together. They played Wii and computer games. The played fetch with the dog. They wrestled around. Had a "big boy" lunch. Jalon just chatted and chatted with Josh the whole time. I really think he enjoyed having the full attention of his older cousin without anyone else around. Jalon told Josh several times throughout the day he was having "the best day ever". He also said Josh was his best friend. It was really quite sweet. It also makes me thankful to have such a nice, caring teenager. He really wanted to make sure his little cousin felt special and had a great day.

I wish I would have taken a picture. But I couldn't find the camera.

Super Spring Day Photo's

2009-03-24T18:20:00.001-06:00

Super Spring Day

2009-03-24T17:30:00.004-06:00

It was a beautiful 70 degrees this last Saturday. We decided to go on a picnic, head to the batting cages, and play some mini golf. Brian was in Memphis for work and we had to go without him.

First we headed to Subway and grabbed some lunch. We had our picnic at Rosecrest Park. It was absolutely gorgeous. The boys took their mitts and played a little catch. We headed over to Mulligans in South Jordan for batting practice. The boys each had a chance to hit 60 balls. They had so much fun. Those machines pitch really FAST.

Last, but not least, we played some mini-golf. Some of my children think that I cheat at miniature golf. I prefer to think of it as creative play. Not all of us are gifted. Xander was able to get a hole in one. Which was pretty awesome. However, Josh got the most AMAZING hole in one ever. It bounced off a wall, up into the air, and landed smack in the hole. It was pretty cool. Even with my creative play, I still lost. I guess some people would blame it on my "cheating"... but whatever!!! hahahaha We had an fabulous time.

After our fun day out we headed up to Lisa's for a BBQ and movie. Shay made some great burgers and salmon. Then the boys all watched Hancock and Lisa and I watched Twilight. I actually enjoyed it a lot more the 2nd time around.

Take Me Out to the Ballgame!

2009-03-24T16:46:00.003-06:00

Baseball season is upon us again. It always surprises me how quickly it sneaks up on us. Xander had tryouts on March 12th and Josh had tryouts on March 17th. The were each moving up to a new age group this year.

Xander is going to be on the Astros (the same team Josh was on for the last 2 years). Xander also has his coach from last year, Jason. He is a great coach and really recognizes just how hard Xander listens and tries. Jason mentioned how improved Xander has gotten just since last year. Which of course made Xander grin ear to ear. He has been practicing with Josh and wants to be a baseman again this year.

Josh has moved up to the Babe Ruth league. Which means he will get to travel around Salt Lake County and play other teams in his age bracket. Josh made in on the Blue Jays this year. His coach is great and demands respect from the players. Which is very important when dealing with a bunch of 13 year old boys. Josh is going to have the opportunity to pitch this year. He is over the moon about this development. I think it has been his dream to pitch for a couple of years now. This year that dream is coming true.

Baseball is already taking up a good chunk of our time. The season begins on April 4th and the teams are practicing hard to get ready. We have practice almost every day of the week. Thankfully last week's weather cooperated and it was lovely to sit at the park with the boys. This week is not shaping up to be the same. I am sure I will be spending a lot of time in my heated car.

More Birthday Fun!

2009-03-15T15:26:00.003-06:00

We celebrated Vicki, Bachan, Mom's birthday on March 15th. Her actual birthday is St. Patricks Day, but it was easier to get everyone together on that Sunday. Not to mention Brian was going to be out of town on her actual birthday, so he appreciated being able to celebrate with his mother. Lisa was nice enough to host the party and welcome everyone into her home again. She and Shay BBQ'd some burgers and hot dogs. We offered to bring the salads and cakes. We decorated the cake with shamrocks per Richard's very specific instructions. Brian and I were a little nervous because Vicki doesn't like the color green. Thankfully, she really likes shamrocks on her birthday cake. Phew! The cakes turned out really well. (okay... so I can bake nice things sometimes. Just not often.) Brian and Xander decorated the cakes with the shamrock designs. They are pretty good artists. I am sure Napoleon Dynamite would be jealous of their skills.

It was a nice night and we all had a great time. I know Vicki appreciated having her family with her to celebrate.

Cake at the End of a Rainbow

2009-03-08T15:16:00.002-06:00

Xander read on the Internet how to make a rainbow cake and has been wanting to bake one for a while. I have no clue where he gets his urge to bake from. I would rather walk on hot coals than bake. Cooking I can do. Baking I can do without. And if you have ever seen one of my cakes you would understand why. I am sure they taste okay, but looks wise, they should be taken out back and shot. Luckily I can cook... so all is not lost on me. Back to Xander... so he decided he wanted to make a rainbow cake because it was our turn to make dessert for family dinner. He got the recipe, followed all the directions, and the outcome was fabulous.

Birthday Fun!

2009-02-28T16:15:00.000-07:00

February marks a lot of birthdays in our family. Bachan, Farrah, Jalon, and Aria. We had a great time celebrating each of them.

We headed over to Bachan's to celebrate her and Aria's birthday. Tim and Sharon made a nice dinner and we had cake and ice cream. Aria had a great time devouring her cake. And of course opening presents.

Jalon and Farrah's birthdays are just a couple weeks apart so Lisa had a giant celebration at her house. The kids had so much fun playing with all of their cousins. They also got so many cute presents. Of course my favorite present was the pretty dress I got for Farrah. I absolutely love shopping for little girls.

Click here to see pics from all the fun.

Chinese Food and Windmills

2009-02-21T16:29:00.000-07:00

It was a beautiful (almost) Spring day, on Saturday, February 21st. Brian had been wanting to take us to a Chinese hot pot restaurant down in Provo. He called Mark and Molly and they were able to come too. Mark and Molly lived in China for a while and were familiar with this type of place. They also were able to bring their cute nephew, little Xander. It was pretty funny because he was so shocked that there was another Xander besides him. We had a great meal and it was a lot of fun. Definitely a place to go with family or friends. It would be awkward to fish food out of a pot with people you barely know. I love that our kids are so willing to try and usually like different types of food. It makes our job as parents a little easier.

After lunch we decided to go on a drive to soak up the gorgeous day. Brian had been wanting to take the boys to see the giant windmills at the mouth of Spanish Fork Canyon. So we decided to take a drive. The windmills were not turned on and I forgot to take a picture... but they are really BIG! Brian decided he wanted to get a great family picture somewhere in the canyon. So we kept driving, and driving, and driving. I finally had to mention that we were only about 15 minutes from Price before he stopped. We may have made it all the way to Moab if I didn't say something. We were able to snap a cute picture and head back down the canyon.

I always enjoy talking with the boys and goofing around on our car rides.

Auntie's Visit

2009-02-20T16:39:00.000-07:00

Brian's Great Aunts (Utako, Hatsumi, and Kiku) from California were all able to come out the week of Bachan's birthday. It is always wonderful visiting with them. They are all so much fun to hang out with. We love hearing stories about their family's in California and everything they have been up to.

I made dinner one night while they were here and took it over to Bachan's. Just to give everyone at Bachan's a break from cooking a big meal. We were able to go over the next night too and visit. Then they were able to go to Lisa's house for the kid's birthday party. It was so nice to be able to spend so much time with them while they were here. And it is obvious how much Bachan loves having her sisters around.

The Great Sickness aka Valentines Day

2009-02-14T16:05:00.001-07:00

This year's Valentine's day was marked by the great sickness in our household. Josh was the first one to get sick, right after our trip to Vegas. Next the sickness spread to me, Brian, and Xander respectively. Josh rebounded very quickly with just a day of fever and a few days of congestion and cough. Xander had a fever for about 3 hours. Brian and I were not so lucky. Here is a copy of my personal blog post on the day:

Here are the ingredients for a wonderful Valentine's day:
1-You and your spouse wake up in the middle of the night (at separate times) with raging fevers. 2-Feel a little better in the morning determined to carry out your day's fun plans.
3-Find you 11 year old has also caught the nasty cold that is travelling through your house.
4-Cancel your plans because you don't want to be over 2 hours away from your sick child.
5-Have a stroke of genius and decide that a movie is in order to salvage the day.
6-Take some more cold medicine in hopes to keep your fever down. Remind your husband to also take his meds. And make sure your 11 year old is also medicated.
7-Go to the movie and proceed to be jabbed in the side by the gentlemen sitting next to you.
8-Make up snide comments in your head about said man who is at the movie all alone.
9-Realize your fever is coming back and think that your stroke of genius was really just plain stupid.
10-Barely make it to your car because your whole body aches.
11-Take some ibuprofen and head straight to bed after seeing that 11 year old was feeling better.
12-Tell your feverish hubby to also go to bed on your way up the stairs.
13-Sleep for a glorious 2 hours until a little voice tells you that dinner is done.
14-Come downstairs to a lovely meal of rib-eye steaks, baked potatoes, and corn.
15-Remember that the only semi-healthy person in your house is 13 years old and cannot drive. 16-Know that your very sick and feverish husband went to the store and prepared a delicious meal instead of resting.
17-Notice your husband also bought your favorite steak sauce.
18-Get a cute little stuffed animal from your very sweet kids.
19-Your husband bought you a box of "Turtles" because one of your favorite phrases is "holy turtles".
20-Become humbled and grateful to have such a fabulous family that will put aside their own ailments to make a special night for you.

Anyone that knows me also knows I am not a touchy feely mushy lovey dovey girl. I do not require love notes, chocolates, flowers, or hearing "I love you" all the time. I haven't heard the words "I love you" once today, but my family's actions make that very apparent. I always say actions speak louder than words. Even though it was not conventional, and we are all sick, I wouldn't change a thing. It really was the BEST Valentine's Day ever. Thanks to all my special guys! I love you!!!

Viva Las Vegas!!!

2009-02-10T15:28:00.002-07:00

We have been so busy lately that we decided to take a break and head to Vegas for the weekend. I talked to Brian about going on Wednesday and we left on Friday. Brian decided we should keep it a secret from the boys so we could surprise them. Thankfully we only had to hide it for 2 days. I couldn't keep it a secret for much longer than that. I was far too excited.

We left our house right when Brian got home from work. Took Taffy over to Mark and Molly's (thanks again guys) and were on the road. We left Marks house at about 6:30 pm and were on the open road. The road trip went without a snag. I had packed up lots of snacks and drinks. The boys brought the laptops to play games. And we had plenty of music. I LOVE driving into Vegas in the evening/night. You can see the glow from the city from over an hour away. And there is just something magical about driving over that last hill and around the bend to see the city. It amazes me every time we go.

I was able to find a great deal on a hotel at Sam's Town. It isn't on the strip but it is just about 10 minutes away. It is a great place to go with kids. They have a bowling alley, movie theater, arcade, and a fantastic atrium area. It really exceeded our expectations.

We woke up the first morning and ate a quick breakfast. (I packed cereal and milk... all part of our super budgeting) We all headed down to Tix 4 Tonight to try and get into a show for that day. The boys wanted to go see Popovich Comedy Pet Theater at Planet Hollywood. We were able to get tickets for half price. After that we went back to our hotel and went to the arcade. Xander spent all his tokens trying to win a DS Lite. Josh was a ticket fanatic and earned about 900 tickets. He got a hacky sack, magnetic bearded cowboy, disappearing ink, a bunch of army guys for Xander, and a whole lot of candy. We then had a great lunch of PB and J, grapes, and chips. (packed our lunch too) Like I mentioned, the hotel had an awesome atrium with a giant rock waterfall with animitronic animals. They had a water and laser show several times a day. We we able to catch an afternoon show and evening show. It was really awesome. Almost like a mini-Bellagio water show.

We showed up at the show about an hour early and we the 4th group in line. That was pretty exciting because it was general admission seating and we really wanted good seats. The show the boys picked was great. There was juggling, pet tricks, and dancing. It turned out to be so funny. We all giggled for most of the show. The animals were so hysterical. I find it amazing when people can train animals to do those kind of tricks.

It was dark when we got out of the show so we decided to drive up the strip and enjoy all the lights and signs. Brian did a time lapse video of us driving the strip. It seems as if we drove the whole strip in a matter of a couple minutes.

All the boys love buffets so we decided to eat at one for dinner. The hotel had a really nice buffet that we enjoyed. We we all pretty tired from a busy day so I am not sure if the boys ate to their true potential. The food was great and it was nice to talk about all the fun activities we had done that day.

We woke up the next morning and packed up to head out. Brian made another time lapse video heading down the strip in the daytime. Our first stop was the world famous Las Vegas sign. They have parking there now so it makes it easier to get a picture. We then stopped by the Mirage. It is a very pretty hotel and the GIANT aquarium by the front desk is really cool. Plus the parking garage had a great view over some of the strip and we able get a great family picture. Our next and probably most important stop was China Town to pick up pork buns. We got quite a surprise when we headed that way. They were celebrating Chinese New Year and the place was PACKED! We couldn't find a place to park anywhere. Brian dropped me off and I ran in to get the goods. They were all out! OH NO! We were able to get 4 chicken buns so it wasn't a complete loss. But we are definitely going to order our buns the night before and have them put on hold.

Driving home was pretty uneventful. We were all excited to get home and see our little dog. Taffy had a hard first day when we were gone. But by the second day she was a little more relaxed and enjoyed herself a bit more.

It is so nice to have been able to get away and recharge. And Vegas is probably one of our favorite places to do that.

Check out our fun here.

Date Nights

2009-02-10T15:19:00.002-07:00

Brian and I have never really gone out on "dates" that often. We probably went out 3-6 times a year on average since the boys were small. Everyone with little ones knows how difficult it is to find time to get away and find a babysitter ect ect ect. Now the boys are older and we are getting out of the house a lot more. I would say in the last 5 months we have already gone out 6 times This is a huge record for us. We have been able to see grown up movies, go to quiet dinners, and just hang out. It has been wonderful. It also makes us appreciate our family even more. We have actually found we prefer to take the boys out to dinner with us. Take them to the grocery store. And all the other things that sometimes seem tedious and annoying. We are blessed with great kids that have manners and social skills that allow for us to take them out with minimal worries.

We are definitely going to still have grown up date nights. But just remember how fabulous it is to have as much family time as we do and have had in the past.

Brother Time

2009-02-10T15:04:00.002-07:00

Brian loves spending time with Mark. He really enjoys when Mark invites him to come help with his businesses HanImports and Local Sound Studios.

Brian has helped Mark build a ramp to unload the furniture containers and has helped him unload the containers 1 or 2 times. Brian said he really loves working with his brother and doesn't even think of it as work.

Brian has also got to help build a couple of walls for the music studios. He is so impressed that Mark has learned to do all of the construction work for the studios. It has inspired him to do some future projects around the house.

Here is a link to some pics and video from a couple weeks ago when Brian, Shay, and Richard all came to help out.

Freezing Boys

2009-02-10T14:54:00.002-07:00

Brian, Richard, and the boys took the 4-wheelers out a couple times in January. Yes, it is crazy to all of us who enjoy being warm. However, their love for 4-wheeling supercedes the need for warmth.

Brian and Richard took the first trip alone on 1/3/09. Brian got to test out his new coveralls and they didn't disappoint. I say that because he came home with both his legs. Here is what Brian posted about the trip...

My Dad and I took a short trip to Five Mile Pass ATV Recreation Area on 01/03/2009. We arrived at about 11am and left at about 4pm. We rode nearly to the top of Eagle Peak. Temp at the truck was 19F. I don't know what the temp at the top of the mountain was but I could only stand to have my gloves off for just a minute before my fingertips began to go numb. We also had to make sure to turn some sweet donuts in the parking lot before we left.

A couple of weeks later the boys went along for the 4-wheeling fun. They love riding the ATV's ever since they got their permits. They do a good job following the rules and I think they are now up to going about 20 miles an hour.

It is so great that 3 generations of Hansen men can go out and enjoy a Saturday afternoon.

Check out the pics and video of the trips

Busy Boys

2009-02-10T14:30:00.002-07:00

I really should stay more up to date on this blog. Then I wouldn't have to spend an entire afternoon updating.

The boys are so much busier as they get older. With school, homework, scouts, karate, and their other special interests they never have time to be bored. (Well that is not what they say. Of course they are always "bored") Maybe I am the one who is never bored keeping up with their activities. I am getting slower in my old age. hahaha!

The boys started Karate the first week of January. We were really lucky to find a karate studio we liked with excellent instructors. The boys have already received their white belts and first colored belt tip. They come home sore at least once a week. I am sure they are stretching some muscles that they didn't even know existed. It won't be long before they can start sparring and competing in tournaments. I am really excited for that time. I find that as the boys get older I am valuing the small amount of time I have left with them. (yup, cheesy I know)

Josh has recently become very interested in stop-motion videos. He started out using legos and has quickly moved to clay, humans, dishes, and really anything he can think of. He has spent hours planning out making these short films and enjoys it so much. Mark even was able to take Brian, Josh, and Xander to a local stop-motion animation studio. The boys were in heaven and soaked up the experience. They asked so many questions and gained so much from the experience. Here is a link to a few of the videos Josh has made in his spare time http://www.viddler.com/explore/jhans/

Xander loves to make Linerider tracks in his spare time. He has created a youtube account to share his tracks with other Linerider addicts across the world. Xander is always telling us how many views his account gets from China. That is very exciting to him. Here is a link to his YouTube channel http://www.youtube.com/user/xadr123 .

We Love to See the Temple!

2009-02-04T14:48:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe I forgot to post about this. And I apologize for the less then glorious picture of the temple that I snapped with my cell phone.

We had the opportunity to go visit the new Draper Temple on February 4th. Richard, Vicki, Mark, and Molly all attended the tour with us. The building is nothing short of amazing. Just as you would expect. The wallpaper, paintings, flooring, and light fixtures were all divine. I have to say my most favorite piece of the temple was the giant chandelier in the Celestial room. It was probably one of the most amazing light fixtures I have ever seen. Truly stunning. The boys really enjoyed seeing the baptismal font. It was nothing like simple font they were baptized in. The font is very beautifully sculpted and probably the most original one I have had the opportunity to see. It makes me excited to see the new Oquirrh Mountain Temple that is literally 2 minutes from my house. Not sure when that one opens but it will be fun to go to that open house also.

As a side commentary... I really love that the LDS Church opens their temples to the public before the dedication.

After the temple we went to dinner at Chuck-a-Rama with Richard and Vicki. How Utahn of us. The boys are all about buffets so they of course didn't argue. It was a great way to top off the evening.

Wow! I haven't done this all year...

2009-01-15T14:56:00.005-07:00

Okay... I just love that joke. No matter how old it gets. And Brian can attest to the fact that I use it enough that it gets old really fast.

We woke up around 8:30 am so we could head over to Richard and Vicki's. I wanted to learn how to make the traditional Japanese New Year's Breakfast Soup, aka Zoni. I know have a pretty good idea of how the soup is made. One day when my kids get married and have kids I will need to have this skill.

The Zoni was particularly good this year. Even Shay, who has never tried it before, had some. He said he liked it. Maybe we have him converted to the way of the fish.

Having the soup on New Year's is just another one of many family traditions. It truly fills my heart with joy that our family has so many wonderful traditions. Our boys are growing up in a family that loves to be together. I just had to be mushy for a second. Sorry.

After we cleaned up breakfast we all headed over to the District to see Bedtime Stories. It was a cute movie. Much better than I expected. I guess popcorn and 32 oz of diet coke can make anything enjoyable.

And since we hadn't been to Bachan's all year... queue the sympathy groans... we went over there for leftovers.

Check out the pics of how we started our year.

Last Day of the Year...

2008-12-31T14:36:00.001-07:00

I would say that New Year's Eve and Day are by far our favorite holiday. Not because we are looking forward to a new year. Not because we have amazing resolutions. Not because we are wild party animals. It has to do with the food. And this year didn't disappoint.

The Hansen side was in charge of the shrimp and crab this year. I being a super thrifty budget shopper scoured the sale ads to find the best deal on crab legs and shrimp. We were able to get 11 lbs of crab and 6 lbs of shrimp for a relatively good price. We also drove around to 4 different stores to buy horseradish to make cocktail sauce. We finally found it. I whipped up and amazing batch, and then left it at home. There is another point on my complete moron chart.

I, with the help of Brian, whipped up some amazing salads. We made potato and macaroni salad. Then I made ambrosia which is always a big hit. (don't ask me why, I find it to be icky, but that is just me) We decided to store and transport the stuff in disposable aluminum pans. I guess the salad look very professional because Shay asked if we had the salad's catered.

We left early in order to arrive at Bachan's in time to help with the rest of dinner. We were the first to arrive and were able to help a little. We shredded chicken for the won ton salad and helped roll sushi with the other girls.

Auntie Sam made a delicious dessert which the little girls, Essence and Farrah, helped with. All 3 looked as if they were in heaven working together. It was adorable.

There was so much food and we all ate too much.

We hung out, talked, played cards, played Uno and watched TV. Everyone who stayed watched the ball drop in Time's Square and drank sparkling cider.

Now let the I haven't done this all year jokes begin.... I am usually the perpetrator of those jokes.

Family, Food, and Fun. It can't get better then that. Here are all the pics and video.

Snow Day!!!

2008-12-27T14:27:00.001-07:00

This beginning paragraph really has nothing to do with snow. But, I didn't want to do a whole blog post about Valkyrie. Brian, the boys, and I all went to see Valkyrie the day after Christmas. It was actually a really good movie despite the reviews. A truly wonderful story about heroic men standing up for what is right.

Now to the white stuff....

The boys got new sled/snowboard things from their Auntie Lisa for Christmas. There is a great place to go sledding not too far from our house. We got all bundled up and headed to the hill. It was a really cold day, I think about 20 degrees plus wind. Lisa's crew, Vicki and Richard all met us there. The boys performed some death defying stunts and even created a jump. I cannot even count the number of times they went up and down the hill. Josh helped Farrah and Mya go down the hill several times. He is such a nice big cousin. The girls absolutely loved sledding. Jalon went down one time and then made some snow angels. He didn't seem to be as into sledding as the big boys.

After our toes were about 2 minutes away from frost bite we all headed over to Lisa's for lunch.

Another fun family day.

Pictures and videos here
and here

Christmas 2008

2008-12-25T00:48:00.000-07:00

It all started with a little snow... and it ended with 2 feet of the white stuff!

We woke up Christmas morning around 8 am. When I say we, I mean Brian and me. The kids had been up for a while begging us to drag ourselves out of bed. The boys shuffled through their presents and picked out the biggest one to open. Much to their surprise, it was a laptop. Xander had only been asking for his own laptop for years now. My kids now have more computing power than anyone else in the house. They were very excited and grateful. They know how much laptops cost because Xander had been saving up for one. The last present they decided to open was their Karate Gees. They had tossed those aside thinking it was just clothes. They were THRILLED to get a year of Karate lessons that would start after the holidays. We had been trying to find a local place that we liked for quite a while. Just about a month before Christmas a Bobby Lawerence Karate studio opened about 5 minutes from home.

Oh I can't forget Taffy. She got a bit Dingo bone. Her favorite kind of bone.

Brian was very easy to shop for this year. He had been wanting an air compressor and electric razor for months now. He has me feel his smooth face all the time. (granted it takes him 3 days to grow a 5 o'clock shadow) Now he making lists of all the tools he can get to go with the compressor.

Brian got me the best presents ever. I got a new stainless steel programmable Crock-Pot. (seriously people, I have wanted one of these forever) He also got me a gift card to Zappos.com for new shoes. A new dustbuster. No more lugging the big vacuum out to clean the stairs. YAY! A new trifle dish. And a buffet serving bowl set. It was awesome. I guess he does listen when I ramble on and on about the crazy stuff I want. I am pretty sure he cheated and went over budget on my gifts. But, I cannot complain because everything was fabulous.

The boys made pancakes for breakfast and they were delicious. After that we all looked outside and saw the massive amount of snow we had received over night. And it was still snowing. They all bundled up and went outside to start the massive chore of shovelling snow. It took them almost 2 hours to clear the 2 feet of snow. While they were out there the channel 2 news team came by and interviewed Brian and the boys. Josh was so excited to be on the news again. He had previously been on the news with his boy scout troop while helping neighbors that had their basements flood during a rain storm. Josh actually got the most airtime in the broadcast. And Xander ended up on the cutting room floor.

While the boys were shovelling I was busy getting the turkey ready. This year's turkey was lovingly named "The Redneck Turkey". I had forgotten to buy string to properly truss the bird. I had to zip-tie the legs together and use toothpicks to hold the wings in place. It actually turned out to be a beautiful bird, after the fluorescent green zip-ties were removed.

We packed up the turkey, gravy, and cranberries and made our way in the snow to Lisa's house. She was nice enough to host Christmas this year. She had her basement all set up with tables and chairs. She decorated the tables really nicely with cute centerpieces and candy. Everyone was able to make it despite the blizzard. I guess most of the valley was missed beside West Jordan, South Jordan, and Herriman. We had a great dinner and then opened presents. The boys once again got such wonderful presents. We decided to draw names this year to make the gift giving and receiving a little more manageable.

It started snowing again around 7:30 pm and everyone decided it was time to get packed up and head home. No one wanted to get stuck in the snow and several of the cars did not have 4 wheel drive.

Another Merry Christmas under our belts with many more to follow.

Click here to see pictures and video of all the festivities.

Christmas Eve 2008

2008-12-24T00:36:00.000-07:00

We made our annual trek to Uncle Niels and Aunt Dorothy's for Christmas Eve this year. The drive there and home was free and clear of snow, despite weather reports to the contrary. We had to drive home in a blizzard the year before and were pleased that was not the case this year. Alan and Marie were able to make it out this year. LeeAnn and Jason stayed in Georgia awaiting the birth of their little girl. Hopefully they can join us next year.

Niels and Dorothy were wonderful hosts as usual. It was very kind of them to open up their home considering they were leaving early the next morning. We had a fabulous dinner (I made sugar brown potatoes. 20 cans later and my hands were ready to fall off) and the traditional rice pudding after (there is a Danish name for it but I cannot recall the spelling and I am blogging at 12:45 am and too tired to google). The kids all exchanged gifts and came home with so many presents.

We made it home just in time for the great snow of 2008!

Check out all of the Christmas time festivities here.

Introducing Josh the Cellist

2008-12-17T00:26:00.001-07:00

Josh joined his junior high orchestra this year. He chose the cello, which can be rather challenging for a novice. However, he took on the challenge and has become an amazing cellist. He surprises me everyday with his dedication to learning and practicing. He is playing pieces that you would never expect a novice to tackle.

We had the opportunity to see his first concert of the year. It was a beautiful Christmas program. The school choir also was able to perform at the concert. I think the highlight of the evening was the cello solo. Josh and the few other cellos did a spectacular job. Auntie Sam, Auntie Sharon, Essence, Lisa's crew, Richard, and Vicki all made it out to the concert. They were all as impressed as we are.

Josh was not nervous at all and smiled throughout the concert.

We are proud parents.

Xander's Christmas Program

2008-12-10T00:18:00.000-07:00

As most of you know, Xander is in his school choir again this year. He absolutely loves choir and performing. It takes a lot of dedication because they have to wake up early each Wednesday, even when off track. The choir held a Christmas concert this year. It was so much fun to watch Xander and his friends sing and be filled with so much joy. It helped remind me what Christmas is all about. We were so pleased that Vicki, Richard, Lisa, Shay, and all the little ones could join us that evening. Xander enjoyed having an audience watching him show off some of his self made dance moves. His bum-shake left us all in stitches.

Black (Cold and Wet) Friday

2008-11-28T14:21:00.000-07:00

Brian and I were on the hunt for the perfect Christmas present for the boys. (It is a secret since they read this blog too). And it just so happened that Best Buy had the presents we wanted on sale. Mark was nice enough to come along in case it was only 1 per household. We all got up and met over at Best Buy around 2:30 am. The ad's all said they would give out tickets starting around 3. The line was pretty long when we got there, but it condensed as the tents and canopies were taken down. We waited and waited and waited and it started to snow and rain. We were a little cold and wet. But we toughed it out and continued to wait. Finally around 4:30 am the Best Buy employees came out and started to hand out the tickets. We were about 10-15 people away from getting the tickets for the items we wanted. DARN. Plus Brian and Mark almost had to beat up some guy (well at least in their minds) who was trying to sneak past us in line. So dramatic!

Mark had also seen similar items for sale at another store so we headed over there. This time we were again about 10 people away in line. It just wasn't meant to be. But it was still fun! And a great experience.

Brian and I went home and slept for a while and Mark went shopping for Molly's presents.

Thanksgiving Part Deux

2008-11-27T14:10:00.000-07:00

We had my family over on actual Thanksgiving Day. Well most of them. Jacqui's family, my Mom's Family, and Jean-Marc's family were all able to join us.

I cooked a really big 20 lb turkey that day. I started it at about 2 pm in my awesome roaster (Thanks Vicki). It can cook a 20 lb bird in 3 hours, that is amazing. It was actually a pretty relaxing day. We had spent the day before cleaning carpets so I was really just left to cook the day away.

Dinner was great! Everyone hung out until about 11:30 pm. Brian, Mike, Danny, and Jacqui all played cards. The kids hung out in the boys room playing with IPods and wrestling around. They also played Wii and check out our new Nemo Fish and Anemone.

Here are the pics.

Thanksgiving Part 1 (Hansen Crew)

2008-11-23T13:50:00.001-07:00

We were very lucky and got to host 2 Thanksgiving dinners this year. I know what you are thinking, how is hosting 2 dinners lucky. I actually prefer it. I make a pretty darn good turkey if I do say so myself.

Lisa, Shay, and kids usually go to St. George with the Stucki's for Thanksgiving. Mark and Molly usually spend it with the McQueen Clan. So, for the last few years we have all been getting together to celebrate and early Thanksgiving. This year we were skipping that tradition and were all going to go to Bachan's to celebrate Auntie Sam's birthday. But Auntie Jo came down with a case of Shingles the day before and none of us wanted to catch that. I thankfully had a turkey laying around (really I did. Again, weird I know) and planned an impromptu Thanksgiving Feast for the Hansen crew.

I think we pretty much had all the goods. Turkey, salad, sweet potatoes, cranberries, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, veggies, pumpkin pie, and most importantly each other. (wow... that was cheesy. But true!)

We all hung out and the kids played guitar hero. Good times, good times.

Here are pictures of both Thanksgiving's. Kind of poor quality because they are camera phone pics. Our camera battery died and we didn't get the new one yet.

Twilight

2008-11-22T14:03:00.000-07:00

I will start this post with... YES! I did read all 4 books in the Twilight series in 4 days. So, what?!?!?!

Mark, Molly, Lisa, Shay, Auntie Sam, Brian, and I went out on a Twilight movie date. I reserved seats at The District and we got to see the movie on the 2nd day after it came out. Needless to say I spent most of the movie apologizing to Brian and reminding him he was going to get a steak dinner afterwards. Lisa really enjoyed the movie, minus the annoying people laughing at the most inappropriate times. I thought it could have been made so much better. I was rather disappointed. But, not enough to not go see the next movie in the series.

After the move we all went to Ruby River steakhouse for dinner. That was so much fun. We have not all went out together before so it was a great treat. We will definitely have to do it again.

No pictures... Which is sad because my hair looked really cute that night.

Report Cards

2008-11-10T14:08:00.000-07:00

Just a quick Shout Out to Xander who pulled off STRAIGHT A's for his first report card of the year! YAY Xander!!!!

Halloween!!!

2008-10-31T21:46:00.000-06:00

We love Halloween in the Hansen house. We celebrated many ways this year. We had a thrilling Pumpkin Party, I volunteered at Xander's school carnival, and for Xander's class Halloween Party. I was in charge of the Monster Claw. By far the most fun game!

Of course the most important part of Halloween was trick or treating. We started out by eating dinner at Bachan's like always. She made a wonderful dinner of soup, salad, and bread. Auntie Sam was there too! It is always fun to see her. Then all the kids got ready in their costumes. Josh was a dead person, cleaver through the head accident. That'll get you every time. Xander was Dr. X Death. Maybe he is responsible for the cleaver accident. Michael was the Joker. Pretty scary if you ask me! Jalon was a very realistic Batman. I almost forgot it was Jalon. Farrah was a Princess riding a magical unicorn. She even had beautiful princess makeup and glitter. And Mya was a princess ballerina. Complete with flowing curls and a tiara.

We got a late start at trick or treating, about 7:45 so we had to be quick and efficient this year. Jalon did great keeping up with the big boys. I got the impression that as long as there is candy involved he is willing to run for it. Farrah visited about 10 or 15 houses and just chose to relax after that. She said she had enough candy. Josh, Xander, and Michael agreed there was no such thing as too much candy. Taffy had fun trick or treating too. She got a lot of practice at being calm. She really wanted to chase the boys. People started to turn out their lights about 9:00 pm so we decided to call it a night. The kids got so much candy and then Bachan gave them a GIANT bag to split up between them. The night ended with all the kids playing trade the candy. Even Jalon and Farrah were trading. I am not sure they understood to trade things you don't like for things you do like because they were trading straight across, Doritos for Doritos. So cute.

We got home and packed up Brian for his trip to Chicago...

Pictures are not organized yet on Flickr but you can scroll through the photo stream to see them. And when they are organized they will be under "sets" then Halloween 2008.

Pumpkin Party

2008-10-25T21:08:00.001-06:00

Since Halloween is Brian's favorite holiday I can pretty much plan anything related to it and be sure he is on board. Our family has a tradition of going to the pumpkin patch and spending a good 2 hours searching for the perfect pumpkin. We take 2 wheelbarrows and fill them with any pumpkin that might be the "one". This year we invited Julie, Aimee, and Lisa's family to come along. The kids loved wandering through the patch inspecting each one carefully. The kids also got to wander through the patch's corn maze and play on all the really cool antique tractors. Plus I got to test out my skills as a pumpkin spokes model

We all headed back to my house at which point I sent Lisa and Shay on a date. Pumpkin parties are just for kids. (Yes, Brian and I count as kids) We spread out a large disposable table cloth on the floor and let the kids have at their pumpkins. The older kids were so sweet and helped the little ones. In the end they all made very frightening Jack-o-Lanterns.

I made homemade mac and cheese for dinner per Brian's request. The kids all loved it and there wasn't a leftover to be found. After dinner the kids made haunted graham cracker castles. Pretty much like a gingerbread house, only Halloween themed. There was frosting and candy and messy goo all over. The kids were in sugar craft heaven.

While the houses were being constructed I whipped up a batch of chocolate cupcakes. Julie, Aimee, and I decorated them like jack-o-lanterns. I must say that I may have a new profession as a cupcake decorator. I at least rivaled a 3 or 4 year old with my artistic ability.

While all the bigger kids crafted away Mya and Taffy became even better friends. I cannot even put to words how cute they are together. Mya follows Taffy all around and wants Taffy to lick her fingers. She literally shoves her fingers in the dog's mouth. If Taffy is laying down, Mya will lay next to her. I am kind of worried my dog may want to follow her home one day...

See how the fun went down by clicking HERE!!!

We're Ethnic

2008-10-19T21:30:00.002-06:00

Well... maybe not us exactly. But our taste in food is. One of our family's favorite foods in Vietnamese Spring Rolls. We have shared this meal with my Mom's family on many occasions. She is the one who introduced us to the joy of Vietnamese food.

We decided to share our love of this genre of food with some of our other family members. We invited Mark, Molly, and Vicki over for a wonderful meal. (Lisa's guys were in Disneyland and Richard was stuck in bed with back problems). And because my Mom had fed us this meal soooo many times she and her family came too. The spring rolls are made from thin rice paper dipped in warm/hot water. From there you add rice noodles, meat (we used beef and catfish that night), and various veggies (lettuce, sprouts, purple basil, mint, cucumbers, green onions) and then roll them up. We make a dipping sauce out of fish sauce (yup you guessed it sauce made out of fish) sugar, water, lime, ginger, and garlic.

I guess the meal was a great success because there was NOTHING left over.

Boys and Their Toys

2008-10-10T20:58:00.004-06:00

Brian and his friend Trey took the day off of work and went ATV riding out at 5 mile pass. It is just west of Lehi. They left about 8 am and didn't come home until after 5. They took a long ride on the south side of the pass and almost ended up in Eureka. Very little talking, a lot of fast moving machinery, loud rumbling noise. Perfect atmosphere for male bonding.

T-Mobile

2008-10-04T20:41:00.002-06:00

For about 2 years now, the boys have been asking for cell phones. And for the same amount of time Brian and I have been adamantly saying NO. Xander always sang a little song of "T-Mobile" anytime we passed the store. Where do they ever go that they don't have access to a phone? We know all their friends phone numbers. Cell phones in little boys hands would just get broken. You name it, we probably used that excuse. Then heck froze over.... well close enough.

We decided to disconnect our home line because it was never used except for by the kids. But doing that would leave the boys with no access to a phone. What to do? Well I had been contemplating a cell phone switch and researched the various companies and plans. We found T-Mobile actually had the best family plans. Who would've known Xander's little jingle would be so prophetic.

Well needless to say we were the best parents in the whole world for about an hour. Then came the cell phone rules. No taking it to school, no long conversations, no inappropriate joke texts, no taking it to family houses and or events just to name a few. (with the exception of a few snafus they have been doing pretty good with the rules)

Their reactions were priceless... so much so that I must have to pay to have access to them on video and picture. Because I can't find them anywhere. I am sure we will have them on Flickr at some point.

Happy Birthday Brian!!!

2008-09-23T23:51:00.001-06:00

Brian turned 33 on September 23rd. Notice how I can mention his age with no problem? Strange isn't it? I cooked his traditional birthday dinner of pork roast. It is seriously one of his favorite things to eat. If only all wives could have such a not picky husband. I am very lucky! I usually make him a chocolate cake but was all out of cocoa. So I opted for birthday zucchini bread instead. Brian was so happy that Lisa, Jalon, and Farrah called and sung him happy birthday. Vicki and Richard stopped by and wished him a happy birthday also. Our birthday media players arrived that day so Brian had a fun night loading his up with pictures, music, and movies. He loves electronics and this turned out to be no exception. It was a perfect evening as a family celebrating!

I LOVE YOU! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Steph turns... well... um...

2008-09-21T23:35:00.000-06:00

It was my birthday on September, 21st... yay... rah rah... and all that jazz. I don't care to mention my age... I actually try to just pretend it is like any other day.. Brian and the boys are very sweet and try to remind me. We all went to a very nice dinner at Rodizio on Saturday night to celebrate my and Brian's birthdays. It was great spending time with my 3 boys. On my actually birthday Josh made a tasty pancake breakfast. We then had the usually Sunday dinner crew over to our house for dinner. I made Chicken Kiev for the first time. It was inspired by my Wii game "Cooking Mama". I will say it turned out really good for a video game meal. It was great to see everyone at Sunday dinner. Richard and Vicki got Brian and I some cool dutch oven supplies. We love to dutch oven! Josh and Xander bought me a fantastic professional mandolin slicer. I have wanted one forever and it was a terrific surprise. Brian and I bought each other identical media players for our birthdays. Actually the same one we got Josh for his birthday. Xander is a little sad now that he doesn't have one. I can already foresee what is going to be on his Christmas list!

It was a great birthday thanks to a wonderful family!

Lagoon Day

2008-09-19T23:20:00.002-06:00

Brian's work rented out all of Lagoon on Friday evening. And I can truly say that is the only way to go to Lagoon. It was open from 5-11 pm so the weather was nice and comfortable. The lines for the rides were short in comparison to normal days. And it was free! You really can't beat any of those things.

Brian was able to score a couple extra tickets because his friend at work couldn't go. We decided to take my little sisters. They are nearly the same age as the boys so they all get along well. We grabbed some McDonalds on the way there to save a little money over buying Lagoon food. When we got there the kids wanted to go on the Colossus first. They did that then moved to the Spider (which they wound up going on about 4 times throughout the night). Brian loves the Spider, also. He said it is like a new ride every time. Brian, Josh, and Xander went on the go-carts and Xander was finally tall enought this year to drive his own. They had a great time bumping and trying to get ahead of one another. Xander got a little sick on one of the roller coasters and had to sit a couple rides out. After that he did feel good enough to go on the big white roller coaster. I think everyone's favorite ride was Wicked. Xander and I sat that one out not having death wishes of our own. I can only describe that ride as CRAZY! Brian tried to win my a giant bear by getting a ring over the bottle ... I truly think it is impossible.

Check out our fun here.

Lisa's Birthday

2008-09-17T23:46:00.002-06:00

It was Lisa's birthday on September 17th. We went over to her house to play with the little kids while she and Shay went to dinner. Vicki was there babysitting and we just like to play with little kids. The kids were so cute as usual. They played in the sandbox and showed me all around. Farrah has it all sectioned out: kitchen, bathroom, bedroom. It is a very complete sandbox. When Brian got there Farrah went up to him and said "Do you have some gum? I knows you do I can smell it!" We all got a really great laugh out of that. Brian and Richard ran to the store to get a little birthday cake for Lisa and we all sang her happy birthday. We didn't cut the cake because Jalon wanted so bad to have a cake for Lisa and he was already in bed. She said that when she brought it out the next day he was so happy to celebrate with her.

Happy Birthday Josh!!!

2008-09-10T17:15:00.003-06:00

On September 8th, 2008 Joshua Brian Hansen turned 13 years old. Yes... he is officially a teenager. I can barely believe it. It seems like yesterday when Brian used to sit him on the counter and sneak him Lucky Charms. Now he is in middle school and such a smart and handsome young man. We are lucky to have such a great boy!

Josh got a really cool video MP3 player for his birthday. It is a Zen by Creative. He really loves to listen to music, as do most teenagers, so he was really excited. He also added a bunch of family photos and a couple movies on there too.

We went out for Josh's Birthday dinner at his request. They gave him giant piece of ice cream cake for his birthday. We then stopped by Marble Slab Creamery for dessert. (The picture above is not of the actual dessert. It is just a funny picture of Josh with dessert.)

Big Birthday Bash!

2008-09-10T17:01:00.003-06:00

We had the boys combined birthday party on September 6th. With their birthdays only being a couple weeks apart it is the easiest way to get everyone together. It was a great turn out with 30 people coming out to join us. We reserved a pavilion at a park in Herriman and it worked out great. We had plenty of space to accommodate everyone. We also had a playground and fishing pond to entertain the kids and any some of the adults :-). I spent the late morning into the afternoon preparing food for the party. Brian also helped cut up the fruit we served that night. He also BBQ'd up some awesome chicken. Boy did we have A LOT of food. Brian was smart and told me to buy a cake this year to save stress. I am glad he has some sense in him because I sure don't.

We had a great time visiting with all the family. The boys really liked seeing so many people there to celebrate their birthdays. It started to get a little cold as the sun started to set so we rushed into cake and presents. The boys received such thoughtful gifts from everyone. They loved each and every one.

The party was stress free and went so smoothly... I can't wait til next year!!!

Click here to see party pictures and videos.

Cows and Sheep and Pigs OH MY!

2008-09-10T16:49:00.002-06:00

It was time again for our annual family trip to the Utah State Fair. We went on opening night with Richard and Vicki and got in for 2 dollars a person. A great savings! As everyone knows since Brian and I went on a budget we are conscious of every cent we spend. We started out by looking at all the animals. The boys are a little older now so it isn't "cool" to look at the animals so they protested a little a first. But, as soon as we started into the first building they got so excited to see all the animals and their bodily functions. I think we heard at least 10 times that night "Look that one is peeing!" The pigs are A LOT less smelly opening night then they normally are. We were kind of disappointed at the size of the piglets this year. They were really big. I like them tiny. Bachan had the boys go on a really cool virtual reality rollercoaster ride. They loved it and we could hear them screaming from outside. The boys also did the bungee trampolines. Neither of them flipped but they sure went HIGH! We walked through all of the commercial buildings and saw the usual stuff... salsa makers, super shamee's, knives, and pots and pans. This year there were this really cool snap on caps that make your cans of pop like bottles. Vicki was very nice and bought me some. Brian got some nice welding gloves for his dutch oven cooking. Josh got an awesome pocket knife, he loves to collect things. Xander made a wax hand, something he wanted to do since last year. Even Richard got something, a GIANT knife. Don't mess with him! Josh, Xander, and Brian went on the big yellow slide. A great tradition as Josh pointed out. I am glad to see the boys are starting to appreciate family traditions.

Check out our Flickr site for all the fun!

Labor Day 2008 in Hoop Lake

2008-09-10T15:50:00.001-06:00

We had a wonderful Labor Day this year. We headed up to Hoop Lake for a family camp out. The day before we hit Costco and Walmart to stock up on everything we would need. We left on Friday at about 11:45 am. That was after a last minute stop at Walmart and a run home for a forgotten wallet. We caravaned up with Richard and Vicki. The trip there was really smooth. I had packed everyone lunch and we ate in the car on the way there. We did stop at the store in Mountain View for a couple extra potatoes because for some reason I thought I was short. The road into Hoop Lake was better than ever. It used to be sooooo rocky and uneven but they have really made great improvements.

The spot we normally get was already occupied but we did get a great open spot with a good view of the lake. We got set up very quickly and enjoyed the rest of the afternoon. Grandpa was teasing the boys that he wasn't going to take the 4 wheelers out until Sunday. He knew they were so excited to go riding since they just got their OHV permits. They went on their first ride to help Richard and Brian get firewood. To say the least they are hooked for life. They really loved it. They did a great job even though the bikes are pretty big. That night we had a great campfire and roasted marshmallows.

The next morning Brian made us a delicious pancake breakfast. The boys helped cook and it turn out wonderfully. The boys took their first ride up and around the saddle with Brian and Richard. They had a couple tricky spots to get out of but they did really well. Brian, Josh, Xander, and I took a short ride to go shoot BB guns that afternoon. We found a great private spot and the boys got lots of target practice in. By the time we got back Mark and Molly had arrived with Scout and Uno. They were well on their way to having their AWESOME truck tent set up. Molly helped get the dutch oven stew ready for dinner and we had a great meal. We made S'mores and sat around the campfire talking for most of the evening.

Sunday was our last full day there. Brian, Mark, Josh, and Xander woke up really early to go on a ride. They went to see the giant beaver dams in the area. When they got back Brian again made an awesome meal of dutch oven cowboy breakfast. It was a little chilly and rained off and on throughout the day. We kept a campfire going the whole day. That afternoon we played a really fun card game called "Crap on your neighbor" that Mark and Molly taught us. It is an awesome game and I am sure we will play it again. Mark and Molly decided to stay for dinner, thankfully, because we had tons of ribs. We thought for sure there would be leftovers... but the all the guys took care of that. Mark and Molly left about 8:00 pm and Brian and Richard decided to break down the easy ups. Right after they were taken down the sky opened up and it started to POUR rain. Not just a little, a Ton! We brought as much stuff in from the rain as we could but some stuff was left out to brave the cold and wet. Richard and Vicki came to hang out and play games in our trailer for a while. We drank hot cocoa and had a very nice time.

About 3 am in the morning nature called and I woke up. To complete COLD and DARKNESS. The batteries in the trailer were dead. I gently jostled Brian and said "I think the batteries are dead" and he sprung into action. I seriously have never seen the man move so quickly. He check the breaker and the interior fuses and all seemed to be in tact. Thankfully Richard had a small generator that we borrowed so we could run the heat that night. Little did I know it had been snowing. I went to the bathroom and didn't notice that.

We woke up in the morning to about a half inch of snow and it was STILL snowing. The boys all braved the snow and got all the wet, soggy stuff packed away. We left on a very muddy dirt road. Brian did so well maneuvering the trailer and truck through the slick, muddy hills. There were a couple times I thought we might slide off the road but he was able to save it. On the main road there were a few bags of garbage that were flapping in the back of the truck. Brian was so worried about being embarrassed from garbage flying from our truck he decided we needed to pull over. We found a spot that we could pull over and he proceeded to bungee down the garbage. We wouldn't want to be "embarrassed" by flying garbage you know. As he was doing that we saw my Mom and Danny's truck fly by... then stop. They were on their way home from Flaming Gorge. They turned around to see what was going on. And thankfully they did. Just as they pulled off the road we were trying to get back on the road and got STUCK. The side of the road had thick CLAY/MUD and we had sunk into it. Danny hooked us up to his truck with our tow rope and we were going to get saved. Just then a police car pulled off and was able to stop traffic so we could get onto the road. Now, imagine the main road coming from Flaming Gorge on a holiday with everyone heading home. Now, imagine that road with traffic STOPPED. That line of cars was so long. I am glad we didn't have to go through the embarrassment of garbage on the road... ahahahahahah.

We made it home in one piece and unloaded all of our wet stuff. It was actually a good thing it snowed because it motivated us to clean and organize all of our camping stuff.

It was a very fun trip. We love to camp with our family. Not too mention we had some cool adventures to talk about when we got home. Check out our pictures... until later....

Happy Birthday Xander!!!

2008-09-09T17:00:00.000-06:00

Alexander Hideo Hansen turned 11 years old on August 26th, 2008. He wanted us to wake him up on midnight to get his present. Brian and I woke him up and he looked at his present and went right back to sleep. We got him a Ripstick for his birthday and he loves it. He rides it almost every day. He is turning into a great young man and makes us smile and laugh everyday!

Josh and Xander were able to take their OHV certification class on Xander's birthday. They both passed with flying colors and are both certified OHV riders.

Middle School Already?!?!?!

2008-09-09T15:09:00.000-06:00

On August 25th, 2008 Josh started the 7th grade and middle school. He is now a South Hills Tiger. It is a great school and we really enjoyed visiting it with him on back to school night. He is really excited to be in Pre-Algebra and Orchestra this year. He is learning to play the Cello. Josh reported that the food at school is very good. Also the hallway intersections are very crowded in between classes. He also says he never wants to miss a day because it will be too much work to make up. It is a very exciting time for him as he approaches the teenage years. We are very blessed to live in an area that has such great schools and opportunities for the boys.

Vegas BABY!

2008-09-09T15:08:00.004-06:00

We took an very impromptu trip to Las Vegas on August 23rd. Brian's Great Uncle Tamio was having his 80th (I think) birthday party at the California Club Casino. We were not planning on going but we decided to surprise Vicki/Mom/Bachan and head out there. Luckily we were able to find a great room at Fitzgerald's that was right across from the Fremont where everyone else was staying.

We left home at about 4:00 am on Saturday. (We had dropped Taffy off at my mom's the night before) I had stayed up and packed us breakfast and lunch for the way there. It was a great drive out there. The boys slept most of the way and had DVD's, MP3's, and gameboys to keep them busy.

We got to Vegas about 10 am and went immediately get tickets to see Madame Tussauds Wax Museum. Brian found a great place to get tickets for almost half off. We headed over the Venetian and went to see all the famous people (well at least wax replicas of them). It was really creepy how much they look like the real people. Josh got to see his idol Jeff Gordon which he loved. Xander liked everything. Especially the interactive portions where he could golf with Tiger Woods or play hoops with Shaq. Brian got to see the Rat Pack and compare hair styles. It was so much fun and highly recommended for all.

Right after that we decided to head over to the party so we could see everyone before it was over. We ate our lunch on Las Vegas Blvd out of our awesome 12V cooler that we got from Richard and Vicki. I think one of our favorite part of the trip was that we saved so much money packing food. We did pull off the trip for an amazing price and still had a great time.

We got to the party and proceeded to surprise Vicki. Check out her reaction. She was so happy to introduce us to everyone. It made the whole trip seeing how happy she was. The boys loved surprising Bachan and seeing how glad she was to see them. It was nice to see all of the California crew again.

After the party we headed to the hotel for a quick swim. It was about 105 degrees so the water felt great. We had lots of swimming races in which Brian usually won (he is really long so it wasn't a fair race). Josh did win a few times and was so proud. Josh also could swim underwater and hold his breath longer then anyone else. Xander really built up his confidence in the water and was swimming like a champ. He even came in 2nd on one of the races. Our FAVORITE race was the doggy paddle race. Brian has a very cute way to prepare for the race. Ask him next time you see him.

That night we met Richard and Vicki at the Fremont Buffet for an awesome dinner. The boys all love buffet food. Josh and Xander can put most grown men to shame. After dinner we headed down to the strip to check out the water show at the Bellagio. It took us 2 hours to get there because of traffic and an accident. But the show as usual did not disappoint. We also got to see the flower display at the Bellagio. They change the display every season and it is always so pretty. Not too mention it smells great.

The next morning we met most of the Utah crew at the 4 Queens for breakfast. It was nice to see everyone before we had to head home. We went and picked up pork buns (probably the most important thing to do while in Vegas) and got on the road. We drove home so fast so we could make it to my mom's house for dinner. I think we only stopped for 13 minutes total for gas/potty breaks. Taffy was happy to see us and had a great time playing with my little sisters.

Click here to see all the fun we had in Vegas... hopefully we can go back soon.

Happy Birthday Richard/Dad/Grandpa

2008-09-09T14:56:00.001-06:00

August 28th, 2008 Richard turned 60 years old. YAY! We all went to Richard and Vicki's for carrot cake and ice cream. All the kids and grand kids were able to make it. It turned out to be a great impromptu party. Jalon and Farrah were able to help Grandpa blow out the candles which they loved. We also got to see all the great stuff Richard and Vicki had purchased for the new puppy they were getting for Richard's birthday. How exciting!!!!

Brian Goes to New York

2008-08-31T14:28:00.000-06:00

Brian went to New York to do user testing for his work's new website.

Here are some cool pics from his trip.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/samsushiro/sets/72157622083252529/

The Sky is Falling... REALLY

2008-08-16T15:16:00.003-06:00

Okay... so it was really meteors, but oh well!!! On Monday, August 11th we went on a little adventure. It started out with dinner at El Pollo Loco as all great adventures do. Then we drove up to Wasatch County and went high up Center Creek Canyon. We found a clearing off to the side of the road and set up our mini-camp. We came armed with sleeping bags, pillows, and blankets. Which was perfect seeing that it was under 50 degrees up there. We all snuggled up and looked up at the sky. We saw our first meteor almost immediately. We braced ourselves for a truly amazing experience. We all scanned the sky. Josh was seeing one after another. We were talking, giggling, and enjoying our little family. It turned out we were only able to see a few before we had to head home. Peak viewing time for this meteor shower was about 2 am. But it really isn't about seeing shooting stars in the end, it is about family, and loving the time you are with them.

Who Doesn't Love Crashing Cars?!?!?

2008-08-16T15:04:00.004-06:00

We spent the evening of Saturday, August 9th at the Salt Lake County Fair in South Jordan, UT. We didn't go on rides, or even pet sheep. We saw the demolition derby. It was so much fun, as usual. The derby started a little late due to a couple HUGE rainstorms, but we found a way to stay dry. The cars, smashed, crashed, started on fire, steamed, and kicked up mud. It didn't disappoint. Brian took cool videos and pictures for all to enjoy. After the derby there was an amazing fireworks display. We had a BLAST!

Dear Mom and Dad...

2008-08-16T14:53:00.002-06:00

My first week of school was AWESOME!! I had so much fun. I got to be part of the presidency. I have everything I need, like a nice teacher. I love 6th grade.

Love,

Little Xander

This is a note Xander brought home after completing his first week of 6th grade. Jordan School District has year round school during elementary school, so he started a new grade on July 28th. He has a great teacher name Mrs. Wendling. We met her at parent teacher conference and were very impressed. I will be volunteering in Xander's classroom throughout the year.

Xander loves school. He wakes up every morning at 6 am and gets ready for the day. He does his chores and daily reading in the morning so he can spend the afternoon on homework and playing with friends. He has great habits which will just help him have a terrific 6th grade year.

It Passed the "Trial"

2008-08-16T14:09:00.002-06:00

On August 2nd, 2008 we took a day trip up to Trial Lake in the Wasatch/Uintas... who knows... just right above Kamas, UT. We left home about 6 am and arrived there around 7:30 am. Richard and Vicki were already there waiting for us. Auntie Sam, Auntie Sharon, Lisa, Shay, Essence, Jalon, Farrah, and Mya all came up too. It was so much fun spending time with everyone. We had a great potluck lunch of sandwiches, chips, fruit, and most importantly Rice Crispy Treats. No fish were caught all morning. Then at about 2 pm the fishing started to get HOT. Richard was catching one after another. He caught about 5-6 total. Then Xander started reeling them in. He caught about 5. Josh caught a giant rainbow, not trout... but UMBRELLA HAT. So funny!!! Josh also started to fly fish and was able to catch about 4. Brian and I each caught 1 so we didn't get skunked.

Brian spent most of his day helping the boys and I with our poles. He is always so nice to help us, even though he sacrifices his fishing time. He has really been working with the boys to show them how to set up their own poles. They even started their own tackle boxes. They will be masters just like their Dad soon enough.

Taffy enjoyed splashing in the water and playing with all the kids. She also enjoyed barking at nearby dogs... much to our displeasure.

On Sunday I cooked up all the fish we took home, plus a few we had caught in Lava Hot Springs, ID. Richard, Vickie, Auntie Sam, Mark, and the Stucki guys all came. Everyone ate a good portion of fish, none more than Josh. I think he ate 4 or 5 of those bad boys.

Browse here to check out the pics and videos from our great family day!!!

Directions to Herriman Cove Pond

2008-08-14T16:20:00.005-06:00

Directions to the pond from I-15 Southbound:
click View Larger Map below for exact turn directions

View Larger Map

24th of July 2008

2008-07-30T17:38:00.002-06:00

We haven't been on many camping trips this year. But we took a long 4 day weekend and headed up to Strawberry Reservoir. Here are some pictures/videos and below is a brief recap of the weekend in Brian's words:

Took us about 2 hours total to get to Renegade which we found out was nowhere near Haws Point because I had misread the map online ...duh.
We bought a rotisserie chicken from Costco and Stephie made nigiri with nori and green beans for early dinner.
We went fishing the first night and caught nothing but chubbs. Josh caught a bunch of crawdads that we boiled up and at that night.
The next day Josh and Xander and I hiked up the mountain behind camp and took some neat pictures.
We had dutch oven chicken stew that night. And then more fishing near Big Hole on the north side of Haws Point
The next morning was dutch oven cowboy breakfast. We learned that we need more coals to cook eggs and that you have to have them on the lid even if its just eggs.
We went swimming and we also happened to put some worms in the water even though it's not really fishing at 1:30pm
We came back to camp and found that a family with some cute kids in a black Cadillac Escalade had some battery problems so we fed them and gave them a jump start.
That night we had dutch oven chili with dutch oven cornbread. We stacked the dutch ovens for the first time. Something I have always wanted to do.
The next morning it was off for some more fishing and then back to pack up and head home ...
Great trip overall.

Where do we play on a HOT summer's day?

2008-07-30T17:28:00.002-06:00

Cascade Springs was the place this day. We were sitting around on a Saturday morning trying to figure out a fun activity for our family that day. We thought of Cascade Springs in between Provo and American Fork Canyons. We haven't been there for several years and thought the mountain air would provide some much needed relief from a hot city day. Richard (Grandpa) and Vicki (Bachan) decided to drive up there with us. After a long, scary, and winding road we made it there alive. The boys thought it was hysterical I closed my eyes on the parts of the road with drop offs. We walked through the 3 loops of the springs and saw gorgeous scenery. The ponds are so clear you can actually see the fish as clear as day. There were beautiful small waterfalls, plus tons of trees and plants. Just a wonderful setting for a nature walk. Have a look at the pretty pictures we were able to take. We took the shorter and not so scary road over the mountain and down into Midway. Then cut back over to Provo Canyon. We all stopped at El Pollo Loco for dinner in Lehi. It was a great way to end the day!

Obon 2008

2008-07-30T17:13:00.003-06:00

Obon time came around and we almost missed it. As usual we forget exactly when it was. It just so happened I was looking at pictures from last year and looked at the date. Thankfully we didn't miss out on the fun. We went down to the Salt Lake Buddhist Temple for the festival. We arrive at 1 pm for lunch. Richard, Lisa and her kids, Mark and Molly all came along. We even brought my little sister Julie along for her first time at Obon. We ate wonderful food like sushi, somen, terriyaki chicken, and Spam. I didn't touch the Spam. But those Spam eaters are adamant about how good it is. I will take my food without the jelly coating. Back to the day... after eating lunch Brian, the boys, and I toured the chapel of the temple. A woman asked if the read carpet on the alter had meaning behind it. The tour guide said "I think it was the cheapest carpet." That gave everyone a good chuckle. It was very interesting to learn a bit more about the Buddhist culture.

Later that night Brian, the boys, Julie, and I came back to the temple for the Taiko drums and Obon dancing. It was really hot and I felt bad for the women dressed in Kimono's. They all looked gorgeous and I guess it goes to show beauty is pain. It is so calming to watch the slow and precise movements that the dancers make. I am happy they are dedicated to learning the dancing and sharing them all with us. At the end of the night the audience can join in and dance a few dances also. We all had a great time dancing and embarrassing ourselves with our lack of grace. Check out our Flickr site for videos and pictures of the day.

No dinner plans...

2008-07-30T17:04:00.002-06:00

What does the Hansen Clan do if they have no Sunday dinner plans? Call Bachan and Grandpa and invite them up American Fork Canyon for a barbecue. Most of the picnic spots were under construction and we had to go up about Tibble Fork Reservoir to a campground to find a place to picnic. We found a great little secluded camp spot. I made some nigiri and pasta salad before we left town. We cooked some yummy steaks on our portable BBQ. Bachan and Grandpa cooked some corn on the cob in their rice cooker (courtesy of a portable generator). It was a great meal. Brian and the boys started a camp fire and we all roasted marshmallows. It was a perfect way to spend a Sunday night with the family. You can check out all the fun here.

Skating, Bouncing, and Watersliding!!!

2008-07-30T16:57:00.002-06:00

We have gone to Classic Fun Center a few times this summer. It is a great place to spend a summer day while the kids are out of school. The kids were able to Rollerblade (Lisa's little ones rode their bikes), go on the giant bouncies (All the kids LOVED Bounce Everest), and also go to the water slides outside. We don't have many pictures because the kids were NEVER holding still.

Boy Scout Camp

2008-07-30T16:45:00.002-06:00

Josh had the opportunity to join his Scout Troop (1617) at Camp Tomahawk from July 7th thru July 12th. The camp was located on the east fork of the Bear River in the high Uintas. He had a great time. His favorite story to tell is about getting his Canoeing Merit Badge. He had to row to the middle of the lake with a friend, jump out of the boat, get back in the boat without tipping it, then tip the boat over and drag it back to shore. Then after all that hard work they had to go back out and do it alone. He was very tired that night. Some of his comments on camp were:

The showers were colder than the lake

The food was really good

They went to bed early every night

He told us all about camp when he got home that Friday night. He just failed to tell us one minor detail... One of his friends brought some matches to camp (a big NO NO since a boy scout almost burned down the camp a few years ago, and successfully burned a good portion of the surrounding land) and the boys decided to play with them in the tent. They burned several holes in the troop's tent. Scoutmaster Geist is a saint and was very patient with the boys. Brian went to the troop meeting where a firemarshall came and discussed fire safety. The scoutmaster then said he would patch the tent. Josh had to perform some hard manual labor at home to help understand the severity of his actions. He spent a good 8 hours pulling weeds. I am only writing about this so when Josh looks back in 15 years he remembers the silly things boys do when they are young....

While the cats away...

2008-07-17T18:31:00.002-06:00

Well Brian dislikes cats. And I HATE mice... so maybe that's a bad example....

Xander and I were left to our own devices for almost a week. Brian left for Russia on July 5th and Josh left for Boy Scout Camp on July 7th. Xander was feeling a little lonely with no other testosterone in the house. So to perk him up I tried to keep him busy. We went swimming at Dimple Dell and roller blading at Classic Fun Center. It wasn't enough to keep his spirits up. He is a creature of habit and to have his dad and brother gone really got him out of sorts. He was soooooo happy come Thursday the 10th when Brian was due home. He made him a great welcome home sign and we baked some homemade chocolate chip cookies.

Brian always brings us home thoughtful gifts. I always get a bear... but this trip I got a honeybee, inside Piglet, inside Owl, inside Eeyore, inside Rabbit, inside Tigger, inside Winnie the Pooh. It was AWESOME! Brian got Xander and Josh awesome Communist military hats with all sorts of pins.

4th of July

2008-07-17T18:16:00.003-06:00

What a FUN day! This has to be our little family's favorite holiday. It could be that I am living with 2 aspiring pyrotechnic engineers and 1 pyromaniac... but I am not sure. :-) We started the day at the Sandy City 4th of July Festival. Lisa brought her kids and I took my little sister's Julie and Aimee. The kids did a couple crafts and went on a few of the blow up bouncie rides. It was hot and we all were starving. The food there wasn't as festive as we would have liked. No navajo tacos or funnel cakes!!! What's up with that?!?!?! So we all headed over to Fudruckers and had some MONSTER burgers. Josh and Brian tackled 2/3 lb burgers. We had to roll them out of there.

Later we went to Bachan Shiba's (Brian's Bachan) for dinner. Uncle Tim flexed his dutch oven skills and made some delicious ribs. I dare to say they rivaled mine in tastiness. The kids all had a giant water fight with water guns, balloons, bottles, cups, and whatever they could get their hands on. A lot of the adults joined in. Eli and Vance really kept the kids entertained in the water for hours. After all the food and fun we started the fireworks. First we went to the church right next to Bachan's to light off the parachutes. The kids love chasing them as they float to the ground. Jalon, Essence, and Farrah really seemed to enjoy the sparklers this year. They were so careful and wanted to keep doing more and more. Josh and Xander are becoming experts at putting on a great show. They planned out each display with precision and we weren't disappointed.

We went home that night and started to prepare Brian for Russia. He left the next morning at 6 am.

Check out Flickr for more of our fun pics.

Baby Fuzzy Turns 1

2008-07-17T18:06:00.005-06:00

We celebrated our niece's birthday, Baby Fuzzy (aka Mya Stucki), on June 29th. She turned 1 year old. Her actually birthday was on June 20th but she was a little under the weather for the actual day. We got her the most adorable tutu set from http://www.tutuguru.com/. My friend Deana hand makes them. They are adorable. We got one for Farrah also or she may have swiped Mya's. Mya LOVED her birthday cake and would have eaten the whole thing given the opportunity. What a fun party! Mya also started taking several steps at her party. It was the cutest thing!!!!

Check out our Flickr site for the pictures and videos.

Is that thing safe???

2008-07-17T17:53:00.002-06:00

We went to Herriman Town Days on June 27th with Lisa, her kids, Richard (Grandpa), and Vicki (Bachan). They were having a car show so of course all the boys were thrilled. All the cars seem the same to me after the 5th or 6th. They had some fun little carnival rides and blow up bouncies. I normally think that those rides are assembled using a combination of bubble gum and Popsicle sticks. (I am probably right) But I gave in and let the kids go on a few rides. As you can see the 3 big boys had a great time on the ferris wheel. Xander took Jalon on the spinning swings and got a little bout of motion sickness. All the kids made it off the rides with no injuries. I guess they used Bubblicious instead of the generic stuff. They have an awesome dutch oven cook off at Herriman Days. I plan on entering and DOMINATING next year. I make some mean dutch oven food.

Click here to check out our pics. Brian is pretty serious about his car photography.

A TWISTER?!?!?!

2008-07-17T17:48:00.002-06:00

It was a dark and stormy night. Thunder clapping and lightening flashing. The sky seemed as if it was going to open up and swallow us all....

That could be the beginning of my best selling novel. Or it was just a crazy storm that blew through town on June 23rd, 2008. The boys ran inside to tell me there was a tornado outside. I went outside to see what all the fuss was about. I didn't see a tornado but there was an awesome lightening show and some funky looking clouds. Brian and the boys still swear a tornado was about to start. I just think they watch too many Discovery Channel shows about storms.

Father's Day 2008

2008-07-17T17:26:00.003-06:00

Wow!!!! I am so behind on my blogging.... so here I go in a an attempt to catch up.

Father's day was great this year. The boys bought Brian a really nice aloe vera plant. Sounds like a weird gift, right? Well that is what he wanted. And it was the perfect price range for the boys. They used their own allowance money and purchased it for him. It now sits prominently on the table for our whole family to enjoy. Now if someone could just get a burn so we can use it!!!!!

Brian spent the night before getting his Dad's/Grandpa/Richard's present ready. A little history is needed to explain. Recently, when Grandpa Eli passed away, Brian asked if anyone wanted his extensive stamp collection. No one but Brian had an interest and so he collected THOUSANDS of stamps. Among the treasure we found something REALLY valuable. We opened an manila envelope and found over 40 old letters. They were from Eli's time working at that church office building. They were wonderful letters all expressing their gratitude for the work that Eli had done. It was so amazing to see how his hard work and dedication had touch so many lives. They respected what he did enough to put it in writing. What an awesome testament to the work he did for so many years. Brian knew immediately we needed to preserve these letters for Richard. It was very obvious they had meant something to Eli. The envelope they were stored in had been opened many times. We purchased a book and Brian layed out all the letters/envelopes in chronological order. Needless to say the gift was well received. No one had any clue these letters existed or that Eli had save them all these years. It meant a lot to Brian to pay tribute to his Grandfather for his Father.

We had dinner that night at Mark and Molly's. They BBQ'd some great steaks and we enjoyed spending time as a big extended family.

Anniversary Part Deux

2008-07-17T16:03:00.000-06:00

Brian surprised me and bought us George Straight tickets for our anniversary. But the concert wasn't until July.

We got to the USANA amphitheater pretty earlier because our seats were general admission. And thankfully we did. The line was so long. It nearly circled the entire parking lot. Luckily we got there early enough that we were not at the end. We only had to wait about 45 minutes until they opened the gates. We found a great spot near the middle of the stage on the grass.

Great concert... Blake Shelton was awesome too
Fabulous company... Nights like these remind me of how much I love Brian

Brian parked across the street and got a great spot. We were able to get of the concert, walk to the truck, and make it out on the main road in about 22 minutes. Which apparently is rare. Most people I talk to say it has taken them hours to get out.

Pictures

Russia

2008-07-14T21:18:00.005-06:00

I went to Russia for work. I think we accomplished a lot and even got a bit of sight-seeing done. I'm too lazy to type. I type all day. Making videos is more fun anyway.

Here are the videos that I recorded in Russia. I was never able to upload them there because they were too big and I think the hotel was restricting bandwidth or something.

I am going to try and post descriptions to most of the pictures in the Flickr set as well.

Here Kitty Kitty Kitty... I mean Fishy

2008-07-03T18:32:00.003-06:00

We found an amazing fishing pond in Herriman. It is a great community park located near the Cove at Herriman Springs. The pond is stocked with trout in the spring and catfish once it gets warm. We had a VERY successful fishing trip as you can see. And have gone back a few times. It is a great way to spend time as a family. Lisa guys and Richard and Vicki have also come with us a time or two. Xander is becoming quite a barbecue master and cooked us up some wonderful hamburgers at the pond one night. We have really enjoyed the fishing trips so fart this summer. I am sure we will continue to do more. Check out the videos and pictures of our fishing trips so far...

How to replace brake pads

2008-06-29T23:50:00.003-06:00

I changed my brake pads last night. It had been quite a while since I had done it. I used to change my own brake pads until I figured I had enough money to have someone else do it for me. I have since had a change of heart about finances and decided to do it myself again. The vehicles that I had done brakes on in the past had been older cars. The most recent being a 1995 GMC Jimmy. I thought for sure that my 2005 Chrysler PT Cruiser would be complicated and I was a bit apprehensive. The brakes started making noise while I was out fishing so I came home that night and purchased the pads for $36. When I got home, I immediately hit the net looking for how-to articles and any supporting videos etc. The best article I found was on edmunds.com. I have used Edmunds many times before as a reference for buying and selling cars as well as a wealth of information on the proper way to tow a trailer.

This is not meant to be 100% instructional but rather 100% informational. I am no kind of professional about these things. The information below is a representation of how I did it. If I have done something wrong, feel free to comment and let me know.

Step 1: Remove the wheel and tire:
Loosen the lug nuts on the wheel before you jack the car up. If you try to loosen the lug nuts with the tire in the air, the wheel will turn as you turn the wrench and makes it quite difficult. This is no different than changing a flat tire.

Step 2: Jack up the car:
Using a floor jack or the jack that came with your car, jack the car up and move the safety jack into position. When the safety jack stand is in place, slowly let the jack down and let the car rest on the safety jack stand. Remove the jack. Remove the lug nuts completely and remove the wheel and tire. I like to put the tire under the car. It makes me feel a bit more secure that upon the rare chance something happened to the safety jack stand, the car would fall on the tire and not me ...and it gets the tire out of the way.

Step3: Remove the brake caliper:
This step varies for each type of car. Most follow basic rules of having bolts on the top and bottom of the caliper. Some use allen keys, others use bolts and pins. Chilton's offers repair manuals rich with instruction and illustration for purchase at most big auto parts stores for your year and make. They also have an online service. Something I am seriously thinking about.

Step 4: Remove the caliper and inspect the rotor.
You might need to replace the rotors if they have been damaged. If the surface of the rotor has been damaged, it must be replaced. If it is not damaged but you can feel ridges on the surface you should have it turned. This means taking it to most any auto parts store and having them put it on a machine and ground smooth. This increases the surface area contact with the brake pad and extends the life of your brake pads. These rotors did not need to be turned so I have skipped this step.

Step 5: Remove the brake pads.
Make a note of the placement of the inside and outside brake pads. There might be clips on the old pads that you need to remove and clip onto the new pads.

Step 6: Compress the caliper piston.
Your new pads are thicker than the old pads. That's why you are replacing them. But as you wear them down the piston that pushes them against the rotor also adjusts in to compensate for the amount of pad that you have worn down. To put the new (thicker) pads in you have to compress this piston to a much more open position otherwise it wont fit over the new pads.

Step 7: Apply brake lubrication grease and install pads.
This is a special kind of lubrication sometimes called anti-squeal grease for your brake assembly. Apply it liberally to any surface that moves in or out. Do not get the lubrication on the surface of the rotor or any part of the face of the pad that comes in contact with the rotor.

With the caliper back in place, perform the steps backwards that you used to remove the caliper. Replace the screws and make sure the pads are secure.

Step 8: Replace the wheel and tire and let the car down
Align the studs on the rotor with the holes in the wheel. Replace the lug nuts on the wheel and tighten them as tight as you can with your fingers. Jack the car up a bit and remove the safety jack. Let the car down slowly. Now tighten all of the lug nuts again as tight as you can with the wrench.

So that's how I did it. I will be doing the brakes on my 2005 F150 truck soon. I'll plan to document that project as well.

Baseball had Ended

2008-06-22T13:58:00.003-06:00

We had a great time with Josh and Xander's baseball season. Xander played his last game on June 11th and Josh played his last game on June 14th. Xander even had the opportunity to pitch a couple innings in one of the last games. The boys improved so much over the weeks thanks to their terrific coaches. Notice the score above... that is Josh's team kicking butt!

It was wonderful season and we are so excited for next year. You can check out all of the season's pictures and videos on our Flickr site.

Toothaches and Such

2008-06-22T13:48:00.003-06:00

Sorry it has been a while since our last post. I (Steph) started to have a HORRIBLE toothace over Memorial Day weekend. It progressively got worse and I drug myself to the dreaded dentist. I had a large abcess on on of my molars and he referred me to an Endodontist. A few days later I was knocked out and got a root canal. Unfortunately they were unable to get the infection that had embedded itself in my jaw bone. So, after another weekend of what I can only describe as excrutiating pain, I had to have oral surgery. Thankfully after a week of normal surgical discomfort I was back to normal. I guess it will take a few months for the jaw bone to fully heal but I feel GREAT!!!

Memorial Day 2008

2008-06-09T22:08:00.002-06:00

We took a fantastic trip to Lava Hot Springs, ID over the Memorial Day weekend. We stayed an RV Park called Rivers Edge Campground. It was absolutely beautiful at the campground, green, lush, and giant shade trees all around. The best part was it back up the river and was just off of the quaint little old town main street. There were lots of fun little shops to browse. I think everyone's favorite part was the mineral pools. Even Brian loved them. We went twice. I highly recommend them to all. It is truly unexplainable how wonderful you feel after being in them. The kids really love the olympic pool and water slides. We even got a good day of fishing in on the Portneuf River. Brian and the boys caught 4 fish total. My Mom, Danny, Julie, and Aimee came along for the weekend. The boys love playing with Julie and Aimee. The kids all did some exploring of main street and found 1 dollar root beer floats.

It was a wonderful way to spend a long holiday weekend. Check out the pictures on our Flickr account.

Fish Story

2008-05-22T15:21:00.001-06:00

Brian and his good friend Trey took their first fishing trip of the season on Tuesday night. They go fishing quite a bit during the spring, summer, and fall. Brian loves to fish at Strawberry because of the fond memories of when we used to "catch" not just "fish". The last few years have left Brian with many fishing stories and no catching stories. But, Tuesday night was an exception. He caught a GIANT fish (this is a fish story so I have to exaggerate a little). Just look, a few more inches and it may have swallowed Brian whole. In fact, that fish puts some sharks to shame. In all reality, the fish was a 20 inches cutthroat trout. From the looks of it probably crossed with some rainbow trout too. That is still a pretty decent catch. Definitely big enough to put up a nice fight and make for a GREAT trip. I am sure we will have may more fish and catch stories as the season continues. I am just so happy Brian was able to catch a fish and have a great evening with his friend!

Say Cheese!!!

2008-05-20T22:45:00.000-06:00

Brian has decided our family needs to experience the finer things in life. Well at least when it comes to cheese. He has decided that we are going to buy a new and exciting cheese each week. Something we have never tried. I will take part of the blame for his new passion... if only I never introduced him to brie all those years ago. I am by far the pickiest when it comes to food. Those boys will all eat anything, even if it smells like FEET! This week our cheese came from Deutschland (Germany for all those who didn't take German for a whole year in middle school). It was called Butterkase. Brian, Josh and Xander all had a favorable reaction. Click on their names to watch their critique. Even Taffy got in on the action. She didn't say much though. I think the main consensus was it tasted like a creamy Swiss cheese. I stayed away from cheese tasting this week. Maybe next week I will be more daring.

Josh the Homerun King

2008-05-20T15:52:00.001-06:00

2008 05 10 (156)b, originally uploaded by hansenbrian.

Okay... so this isn't a picture from the actual game where the home run was hit. I don't even have a video clip of it. Why? Because I have won the most forgetful mother of the year award and left the camera at home that day.

Our baseball star Joshua Brian Hansen hit is very first, over the fence, home run on Saturday, May 17th, 2008. It was the Astro's (Josh's Team) against the A's. I will set the scene (you will have to make a mental video) Josh told his coach before he went up to bat in the 1st inning that he was going to hit a home run. Coach Brett told Josh that the pitcher was too slow and it would be too hard to hit a home run. 1st pitch... right over the plate, Josh swings and..... MISSES! It's okay, baseball has 3 strikes you know. The pitcher winds up and what I can only explain as a slow motion moment the ball creeps towards the plate. Josh swings his bat from perfect stance and I hear the crack. The ball is headed toward left field... it is going... going... going... WHAT?!?!?!?! It is now bouncing in the parking lot!!!! Did that ball really just go out of the park?!?!?!?! I was so happy I think the next county heard me screaming. Josh hit a home run. He rounded the bases like a pro with a smile from ear to ear. He jumps on home plate to the cheers of his teammates. A lot of hi 5's follow. Then Josh gets to his coach still wearing that big old grin. And in true coach fashion he says "Get that smirk of your face!" Josh got to keep his home run ball and promises he will have many more!

Mother's Day 2008

2008-05-20T15:42:00.001-06:00

2008 05 11 (123), originally uploaded by hansenbrian.

Mother's Day 2008 was GREAT! I woke up to my wonderful son's giving me a beautiful card and a necklace with matching earrings. They paid for it with their own money and made a great choice. No pictures of me and my jewels that day. I blame the camera man! All the kids (grown up kids that is) got together and gave Vicki/Mom/Bachan a digital photo frame. Lisa came up with a "This is your life" theme and we all ran from there. Everyone gathered pictures of Vicki over the years and Lisa did a wonderful job of scanning all the snapshots. It took some time but it was fun to go through all the old pictures and order them. In the end, I think the present was a success. We all looked at the frame flip through the pictures. All the grand kids really liked seeing their Bachan through the years. You can check out all the pics on the frame too.

Singing Xander

2008-05-20T15:21:00.001-06:00

2008 05 15 (104), originally uploaded by hansenbrian.

Xander has been singing up a storm this spring. He joined the Midas Creek Elementary Choir and has had so much fun entertaining us. He had a patriotic program on April 9th, performed at his school's dedication on 4/15, had the opportunity to sing at Abravanel Hall on 5/7, and wrapped up his singing season with a program at his school on 5/15. They had a pizza party on 5/16 to celebrate the end of a fun year of singing. Check out the video of Xander and his friends doing a little dance. They were so cute the crowd cheered and the boys couldn't stop giggling through the rest of the song. Also, visit our Flickr account to see more pics. Brian and I have had so much fun watching Xander as a budding performer. Thanks to everyone who made it out to see him this year.

2008 05 08 Dodgers @ DRays

2008-05-13T13:20:00.001-06:00

2008 05 08 (1014), originally uploaded by hansenbrian.

Xander playing 3rd again. The runner gets away but 2nd is coming fast. Missed the tag at 3rd but threw him out at Home.

Xander was so excited. You can hear Josh cheering on the side.

Josh and Xander have been practicing catching and throwing at home for a few HOURS a day. It all paid off.

2008 05 08 Dodgers @ DRays

2008-05-13T13:16:00.001-06:00

2008 05 08 (1013), originally uploaded by hansenbrian.

Xander has been playing 3rd base. He made a great catch but missed the tag. He'll get em next time.

2008 05 08 Astros @ Red Sox

2008-05-13T13:13:00.001-06:00

2008 05 08 (1003), originally uploaded by hansenbrian.

Josh had a great hit this game. Brought a runner in.

384 K Street

2008-04-30T01:19:00.001-06:00

1963 JUL-8, originally uploaded by hansenbrian.

I scanned 48 more tonight.

Some neat things turning up like this picture of 384 K St