The 7 legged dog and how to 'jridle' the ball.

Jack the Dog.

By: Beckham Westenskow age 3...almost 4.


How to Play Soccer

By: Ethan Westenskow Age 7

Lucky 13

Kerry and I celebrated our anniversary last weekend. 13 Years....!!

..... and I have never been the same since.

He is an incredible man. I feel extremely blessed to be by his side.

Happy Anniversary Baby.

So I have about a million things I should be doing..

other than watching this, but my sister sent this to me this morning and I think I am now this girls biggest fan!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BVvNE78lyc

WARNING: Do not watch if you are going to tell me I'm mean. I think she has quite the following on you tube. I just felt I should share this with the rest of those who may not have had the opportunity to hear her! It made my whole day!

P.S. Don't watch it if you have already put mascara on.

Lookin' good for the ladies.

In the morning with Becks:

He takes a bath. Usually it is not blue water, but if you'll notice that half empty bottle of bubble bath you'll see that Becks decided to add additional bubbles while I was not paying attention. That was a brand new bottle.

He decided to pull all of the tools out to do his "do". It was an intoxicating amount of gel.

Hmmm....where to start.

He has a secret weapon called the Pat Riley look. Smooth.

And a man is only as good as his Thomas knee high socks and velcro boat shoe loafers.

He figured out this secret very early on.

Let the swooning begin! Or maybe not - maybe in like 16 years or so.

Smokin' Hot!

How do you know you have friends that love you forever and ever? You go on a weekend retreat and show them pictures of your "got hit with an ugly stick" years - and instead of saying, "They're not that bad!" they laugh and laugh and laugh and laugh and laugh.. And try and catch their breath because they are doubled over and in tears. Then they recruit everyone else in the room to come over and see these pictures, where people who don't even know you say, "Is that really you?" To which I would reply, "Yes. It was kind of like walking around for a year with your zipper down before anyone ever told you." And then comments would follow such as, "Wow. Kerry must REALLY love you!" or "You look like a 12 year old boy that just gave birth!" or "Don't worry. As long as we are friends you'll never look like that again, sister." To which started a whole new round where they would laugh and laugh and laugh and laugh...

Kristin told me she now feels closer to me than ever.

Just picture a cute, short short short Annette Benning haircut that was hip before you add 75 pregnancy pounds to your body - the majority in your face and boobs, that is no longer cute because you now look like a pre-pubescent boy with freckles, no makeup, and no sense of what you really look like, and 24 hours of labor, along with a new nickname from your own siblings, "Ralph" that has stuck for the last 11 years. Then, just for fun, add an amish looking denim jumper and pleated pants. It is hot. Smokin hot. And I have pictures to prove it. And No, They will never EVER be posted. Just use your imagination and try not to get too jealous.

Catching up with Becks

Today Becks told me that he loves me soooo much that he loves me MORE THAN 5!!!

So to all you mom's whose kids only love you more than 4......Sorry! Maybe next time :)

Oh yeah. Yesterday he told me that he hated me because I wouldn't do what he wanted right that instant and he was so mad that he was going to" wear out your battery" in the desk lamp as he pushed the on/off switch a thousand times a minute. I tried not to laugh, because that really was a good effort on his part and quite a creative revenge.

This morning Becks got himself dressed - all buttoned up and everything!

This morning Becks also made a picture for pre-school of a 7-eyed crazy turkey.

And last night he asked me quite sincerely if Jack our dog was a genius? And then he asked me what a genius was.

Really Becks? You think our dog that eats his own POOP is a genius? (I know, it's disgusting and we are doing everything we can to stop this poo eating habit)

And I think I'll end on that lovely note!

Eva's Party at the Lion House

We celebrated Eva's 10th Birthday with her friends at the Lion House. 10 Years Old~! Honestly, when did that happen? I am seeing my kids getting older faster than I ever imagined. Eva is quite the girl. She is generous and loving, independent and decisive, creative and loves to do things for her family and friends. She takes good care of her brothers and is definitely the first to say she is sorry, which is a fantastic trait. I am so proud of her and love her so much. Happy Birthday Eva Deev!

We had Eva's party the day before her actual birthday. This was something I really wanted to do for her. I went to my cousin KC's party at the Lion House when we were just kids and had always wanted to have a party there . It was fun to see her looking forward to it this year!

Playing the hide the thimble game. Eva called her friends and asked them all to bring their dolls. This was something she planned on her own - it was really cute to see them all.

This is one of my favorite pictures of her cousin Katie. I love the expression on her face after the girls finally found the thimble on top of Eva's crown.

Pulling Glycerin Taffy and later having a ribbon sandwich tea party.

My mom came with us to help and to spend time with her first grandchild. The Lion House lets the birthday girl where a crown and pick out a porcelain doll to take home. She was so excited about this. There is something about having a porcelain doll when your little...

This is Betsy, our party host. She took them on a tour of the Lion House, taught them etiquette at the tea, and told them stories about growing up as a daughter of Brigham Young in that big house.

Eva with Kaitlyn, Elisabeth, and McKall

Eva and Donnell

Eva with Amanda, Natalie, Anna, Aspen, Katie, and Amy.

Happy Birthday Beepbop. 10 years old!!! I love you!

Eva had a great birthday weekend, starting with her party at the Lion House and ending at a REAL Salt Lake soccer game. Kerry was in Honduras, so it was just mom and the kiddos. Eva received cards in the mail from her Grandma Idaho and her Auntie - who STILL included birthday cash even after she already bought her a doll in N.Y. I tell ya...

After Ethan's soccer game Saturday morning, her Grandma Darrohn and Aunt Britter took her out for lunch and shopping. Eva was so excited for this part of the day to be able spend time with them. Eva got to pick out her white puffy vest at Justice from her grandma and wears it every single day.

We had great tickets from Dave at work for the final REAL game, so after the school Halloween carnival we headed down to the stadium. They had a blast watching the players, getting hot dogs and watching REAL make it into the playoffs!

Our little brood on our way home after a jam packed birthday weekend.

Update:

I just have to clarify something from a previous post. I have since changed my feelings on the whole Miley Cyrus Party in the USA song. It is NOT a party when you are jammin to the CD on the way home from Idaho and get pulled over by the Idaho State Police. I must have been a little too excited to get home to see Kerry after missing him for a week. I was going 75 in a 65, saw the lights, yelled, Oh Crap!, and my kids then asked me if I was going to jail.

When the cop walked up to my window Beckham yells out, "HEY! You're Nice!"

After waiting 10 minutes, he comes back to the car and hands me a roll of Idaho State Police badge stickers and says, "These are for the kids so they'll still think I'm nice after I give you THIS!"

It's been a good run for over a decade of no tickets. But alas, that time came to an end somewhere around mile post 133. I blame it on Miley, but I'm not sure if the judge will agree with me. Maybe he's a big fan and he will totally adios the ticket?! Yeah. Uh huh. I'm sure that's what will happen.

Between this and my loverly stitched up toilet/finger incident, Kerry is calling me a train wreck. But I'm HIS train wreck and that's all that matters.

Ode to Halloween

Four score and seven years ago......

Ethan was Abraham Lincoln

Eva was the original Peace Sign Pajama Girl

And Beckham was Thomas the Train. Again.

We traveled up to Rexburg while Kerry was away, the kids hung out with cousins every hour of every day.

Cousin Colton transformed into Batman with his trusty side-kick Abe,

and Eva and Cousin Katie were Peace Sign Pajama Girl Babes.

"Bad to the Bone" was Jack our little Dog

Beckham was the candy Nazi, saying, "Only ONE piece! Don't hog!" (ok, he didn't say don't hog, but I had to make it rhyme.)

Grandma Westenskow fed us ham and rolls to get ready to go..

Mom wanted to get in a picture with them all, but she was too slow!

"Canvasing EVERY neighborhood" was the strategy they had in mind,

I took them for hours, so chocolate in their bags their mother could find!

WAhh Ahh Ahh Ahhh.

The End.

P.S.

Only 2 days before trick-or treating was here....

Eva told Ethan that going as a soccer player was lame and quite weird, So out of his mouth it flew like a flash, "Then I'll be Abraham Lincoln. Let's go find a beard!

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that

all men are created equal.

Today I was attacked by a toilet. And the toilet almost won.

Here are all the details:

One daughter helping us change closets over at our new church.

One daughter left to use the bathroom and returned to get help with a broken toilet handle.

One mom who went in to help get the toilet to flush.

An attempt to manually flush the toilet by lifting off the porcelain top and pulling the chain.

Inadvertently pulling off the water hose and unsuccessfully reattaching it...not to my knowledge at the time.

Lifting the chain, hearing it flush, and then realizing the joy of being sprayed with a powerful force of water by the now unattached, posessed hose that looked like a loose firehose.

One frantically freaking out mom getting sprayed all over her face and clothes alone in a church bathroom.

Same mom reacting by grabbing the porcelain lid to cover the spray and realizing that it wasn't stopping.

Same mom lifting the lid, getting sprayed again as she reattaches the hose.

Relieved, puts the lid back on and notices red spots all over the place.

Looks down and sees a large gash in her finger - porcelain lid chipped and guilty as charged.

Travels home and is told by 2 different people that this one was a stitcher.

Mom who was attacked by the toilet is now sporting her new blue finger splint and 3 lovely stitches, and a new tetnus shot.

Mom 0. Toilet 1.

One husband gone to meetings. 2 awesome friends that helped watch my kids.

Both friends fed my kids. One of them even saved some salmon, squash, and bananas with dark chocolate for when I got home.

One awesome doctor/family friend who stayed late and bypassed me through the huge waiting list at the after hours clinics.

One very grateful mom.

So IN YOUR FACE, TOILET!