SHES SO CONFUSED!

Can I just say...I LOVE living life though my kids, especially Cayla right now. Its so much fun!!! Where to start.... What I mean is...Cayla was asked to another Prom, ok I'm her mom so of course I think, she'll be asked to lots of Proms, as her mom...I think shes cute (grandma went to something like 5 of them when she was Cays age~way to go mom). This one is in Ahwatukee, the first part of May (again can I just say...already have the dress~am I good or what). Well NOW we have her school Prom coming up. Cayla's getting kind of worried about it. She knows there's a few people who might ask her...BUT WHO.

Well, it started today. One of her best guy friends came up and asked if shes been asked yet. She says, "Well, not exactly." Cuz here's why. Another guy friend, from another school told her she should tell all the guys from her school that she has a date and go with him! (They really didn't know each other before his Prom and he'd already asked someone to his~understand)

Anyways, back to this first guy...he says that he has a friend (not him) who wants to take her. They are all friends and that she would be ok with going with this guy. Now any of you who know Cayla, knows she is going CRAZY right now. She thinks she knows who it is...but then again, it could be someone else and she could be...whats that word...WRONG. Does she go with the unknown guy...or does she go with the guy that says just go with me, even though its not my school Prom (and hes a nice guy, which makes it hard too). WHAT TO DO~WHAT TO DO!

I LOVE IT! Shes so CONFUSED! And we all know it don't take much to do that to that child of mine! And she informs me that I'm NO help at all~ GO FIGURE!

Shameless plug...

OK...we all know I'm not above promoting things, putting in my shameless plugs and things like that, you know like my schools silent auction and spaghetti dinner that's coming up on Friday, April 24 from 6 to 9...the tickets for pre-sale are only $5.00 per plate for adults and kids are $3.00. At the door they are $8 for adults and $6 for kids...

But I digress...back to my main point...I've talked before about our families non-daughter-daughter. She's the one who we have taken into our family as a big sister...the one Seth calls booger (sorry Jerrae), anywho...I wanted to put out there for anyone who reads my blog that Jerrae's hubby Chris (who we all love and adore) has started a side job.

What is this side job you ask...WELL, I'll tell you, its Photography. That's right. I've seen his work. Hes really good. If your interested, lets say...ummm, wedding pics, family pics, or even Senior pics, well, Chris is your man!

We will be having him do our family pics! And hes going to do Cayla's Senior pics this summer!

If you want to check out some of his work...its called Kissable Photos... so go to www.kissablephotos.com

Spring Break...

...came and went at our place and what did we do, well I'll tell you...NOT A WHOLE LOT OF ANYTHING! It was kind of nice, NOT DOING ANYTHING, really. Well, some of us didn't do a lot and some of us did.

So we started of the break of course with PROM. And again, if I do say so myself...Cayla looked so pretty (but I'm her mom, I have to say that RIGHT? Not really, ask Cayla, sometimes I'm too honest with her about stuff, oops).

She did have a blast!

DJ took the boys archery shooting. Josh really loves it, but Seth, after a little, while lost interest. That boy sometimes. Josh use to shoot all the time, so we are hoping to get him back into it. And as Seth gets older...who knows with him. Again...Seth is just Seth.

Sunday, again it was all about Cayla (wonder if the boys are beginning to feel left out). She sang at church. Shes been working on this song "Be thou an Example" for a couple of weeks with a brothern from our ward, who just happens to be a teacher at her school. It really worked out perfect for her to practice cuz shes never home, always at work or school. Again, I'm the mom and if I do say so myself...It sounded really good. But if the boys are feeling left out I could always do what DJ's mom use to do when they were kids...just tell them they are singing in Sacrament. I think Seth would be ok with that, but I think Josh would rather have is eyeballs cut out of his head then sing (I just don't understand the kid, everyone in the family loves to sing but him and he grew up around it...CRAZY BOY).

Monday, Josh went over to his friends Maxs for a while. While he was gone, DJ, Seth and I went to Big Grandma and Grandpas...I had to take Grandpa shopping for Grandmas b-day. After we got back, DJ and Seth worked on their yard while I did some stuff in the house. We also had to get Cayla ready to go on another Pioneer Trek with my dads stake, West Maricopa. Yes, thats right, Cayla wanted to go on anther one, she had such a fun time with our stake she really wanted to go on another one...STRANGE CHILD!

Tuesday was ST. PATTYS DAY or also known as Big Grandmas Birthday. And are you ready for this...her name is Patricia, aka...Pat...Patty. Favorite color, yes you guess it...GREEN! We've been getting together for years and having a traditional Irish boiled dinner on her birthday. Last year my mom and I took over making it, cuz well, it takes all day to do, WELL, the way my grandpa makes it-it does. He makes it like they do in Boston! So we headed over to moms and started cooking. Cayla met up with her friend Stanley and went to lunch and the movies. Oh and he asked her to his PROM...So know we have another prom to get ready for (hey wait, were already ready...we have a dress, its pink!) Dinner went really good...and it TASTED good. I think the funnest part of the whole night was as we were sitting down to eat, my sister texts me and Cayla from ID...I don't normally answer text during dinner but I'm glad I did these...they were funny. She HATES the boiled dinner of cabbage and cornbeef, but we all love it, so it was a back and forth about how it was better us then her type of thing (guess you had to read it, but it was funny, trust me!)

Wed. at 4 a.m I gave mom a call to see if dad and Cayla had left yet and they had, so I called dad. Wished them good luck. I'm so glad that the weather is warming up cuz it would have been really cold where they were going, Heber area. The boys and I just spent the day around the house doing stuff...you know, cleaning.

Thursday, the boys spent most of the day at their friends house, the Burns. Poor Robin, I really don't know what she was thinking...not only did she invite both of my boys, but she invited their other friends the Thompsons. WOW! Thats a lot of boys! And Seth...I just don't know what to say...shes a brave woman! This is also when DJ was off to play army for the weekend. He was heading up to Flagstaff. I'm know he enjoyed the weather!

Friday, I gave the boys these gel guns. They are kind of cool. The shoot out a color gel. They spent hours playing with them. Josh the little pill...SHOT ME! Can you believe that! That little stink bug.

Saturday, was an early day. Josh had this big Scout thing he needed be at the building at 7. So that left Seth and I home alone to do shopping for the week and clean and get things ready. Josh had a lot of fun. They worked on rope, wood and metal projects.

Cayla got home about dinner time and was dead to the world. She had a great time. Things were very similar to our Stakes trek but for Cayla she had a very different experience with it. She had her own trials and tribulations that she had to over come this trip. It really helped her build her testimony. It gave her a new understanding of some of the things the saints had to endure. She really felt angels with her at times. (Shes still trying to recover from her illness that she got on the trip).

Sunday brought a morning of sleepy kids. Cayla was really not doing too good and was having a hard time getting going for Church, but we managed to get everyone going and made it JUST in time. Spent a quite day at Church and at home waiting for DJ to come home. He got home at around dinner time, which shocked us, cuz we thought we'd have to pick him up from some place but he managed to get a ride home.

While he was up at drill DJ was officially promoted to his E-8 rank~a Master Sergeant.:) We all wish we could have been there for that but hey, you can't have everything. According to DJ, hes already getting his feet wet with this unit and making changes his first week there. Way to take charge DJ! Let them know your the boss man!

So, all in all, the Hansen family lived separate lives during spring break, some of us travel and some of us,well, vegged. Its not really what we wanted to do~DISNEYLAND, anyone, but I've noticed as Cayla gets older, its harder to do the family things all the time, together. BUT when we do...THEY MEAN MORE TO US! Really they do, I promise!

Jiber Jaber in the Head....

Have you ever just had one of those weeks when you just feel...well...like your life just really stinks?!? (if you havn't then your pretty lucky and blessed in life~Good for you, really...BUT for the millions of us that have had those days I understand)

Well that would be me this week, ok, maybe not just this week but for awhile (ok I was trying to find the positive note, but I guess I failed). I really do find myself LAUGHING at what I consider to be problems when the rest of the world is kind of falling apart. But hey, they are my problems, and right now I feel like they are pretty BIG! So if I want to have a poor-poor- pitiful me party...WELL THAN I WILL, so there! And you can't tell me at times you don't feel the same way, cuz I know you do! I'm not going to go into details as to what my problems are, cuz well, they are MY problems, and some of them might HURT some peoples feelings, and some of them might seem kind of STUPID to others and some might seem pretty BIG to others, then again maybe not, you get the idea. But one day I'll figure out a way to get pass them (maybe). I know I'm not a lone, but just like you, when your trials are happening...you do kind of feel alone at times. Oh well.

BUT...like I always say...IT'S ALL GOOD and lets not forget (this ones for you Steph...) THE CHURCH IS STILL TRUE!

I'm just fine, really, sometimes you just have to write the JIBER JABER thats in the head and thats what I'm doing today. Hope you all don't mind it. Wait...I have JIBER JABER in the head all the time, so if you read the blog than I guess you really don't mind!

The Music of the Night...

Last night was PROM!!! And yes, my little girl went....

She looked so beautiful (if I do say so myself, and I do).

One of the gals at work, who loves Cayla like a little sister asked if she could please do Cayla's hair and make-up. She wanted to see what Cayla was wearing and what the theme was so she could do her hair to match. It was perfect...it looked like something they would wear in the Phantom of the Opera.

But you talk about cutting it close! Cayla was going to get off work at noon to be home and get ready but when Trish offered to do her hair it was going to set her back. They figured they would be done by 5 and Cayla would get home in plenty of time. Her date was picking her up at 6. At 5:20 when we hadn't heard from her, we called. She was JUST leaving work...work is 20 minutes away...Not like cutting it close or anything. (It must run in the family...I remember my prom and I had rehearsal for the Miss Western Maricopa Pageant that night and didn't got home until right before).

Cayla gets home, runs up stairs, gets dress...we still had to figure out jewelry and purses...They are a must you know. And then there was the shoe situation. She had two pairs that went perfectly with the dress. The black pair looked great with the dress, but the white pair were a little bit taller. See Cayla has a little problem ~ She's short!! (Yes I know that 5'4 1/2 is tall to some, but in our family...come on). Cayla's date for Prom is something like 6'2. Cayla needed the taller shoes. Oh and did I mention that her dress dragged on the ground because she...whats that word...Oh yah, SHORT!! White shoes it was!

Next mom and dad needed pictures, right? So of course we took pictures. We are out side at 5:55 trying to get them done before her date arrived...oops here he came down the road...so Cayla ran inside.

Now who is her date you ask...Some of you may know him...Cayla and him have know each other for years. I LOVE this kid. Hes such a cutie. I've know his family since I was a girl and his sister is Cayla's BIG sis...That's right if some of you have tried to guess...ITS BRYNDAN HOLMAN (from West Maricopa Stake).

He was too cute...He brought her a corsage and a Phantom Mask (TOO CUTE!). His tux was perfect, it looked like something from the Phantom movie its self. He even, with the help of his sister, made goodies for our family with a little note attached..."Cayla's Family ~ thank you... for giving me a chance to take your daughter/sister to the dance! Enjoy your brownie/cookie treat mixture. We'll be sure, for you, to take a picture! ~ Bryndan Holman (Cayla's Prom Date)" It was cute.

Of course we were the doting parents and took pictures, but had to be fast cuz they had Jacob Cozza with them and they still needed to go and get his date and make it to dinner!

So Cinderella was off to the BALL and THE MUSIC OF THE NIGHT!

ITS SATURDAY...

...and my crazy week has finally come to an end. Last Sunday when I looked at the week that was planned, I screamed. I thought what I had on the calendar was crazy, but when I woke up Monday morning and went to school, life got more crazy, if you can believe that.

Where to start...where to start. Well I guess with the BOOK FAIR. Yes, we who have kids in school, know this time of year. Its when you hear over and over "Can I have money", or the "Please, can I get this?" It really never ends. But it is worse if you happen to be one of the parents who has to work in the fair all week and your kids get endless hours of looking at everything, so they WANT everything. My pockets are NOT, I repeat NOT lined with money!

The book fair was a little crazy this time. We got kicked out of our room for some math meetings taking place (yes we really miss our room). So they put us in the Library, yeah that wasn't going to work because they have meetings in there on Sundays and we couldn't set up. SO, they found us a room that was only used 3 days a week in the afternoons (we kind of made the teacher that used it upset, oh well, you can only please some of the people some of the time). So we finsihed setting up, just in time for DONUTS FOR DADS. That was a hug success on Monday morning, bright and early (my Mom Mafia partner and I were at Walmart even before the sun came up to get the donuts fresh). At one time we think we had well over 150 dads and kids, and alot had already come and gone. TOO COOL!

Well, 9am rolls around and it begins, the endless roll of kids and change. I don't think I have ever seen soooo many quarters in my life. The book fair really was crazy cuz it was just me and my other partner in crime. Normally we have 3 of us but not this time. Our other side kick had to leave us and grow up and get a job. Who would guess that one person could make such a big difference! WE MISSED HER THIS WEEK!

Monday was also the day I got the e-mail about the interview board. You see I was asked to be on the board to pick the new principle for Jasinski. No big deal, except for when they decided to do the board...On the Wed during book fair, on a Wed-which means half day for the kids, and also that was the Wed of Psych Night at the church for camp and I'm one of the YCL leaders. Thats when the stress started.

After school Monday I went over to my other partner in crime for camp and we worked out Psych Night for the girls. I had a fun time but you could tell we both were a little slap happy. She was working her fair at there school this week too. POOR POOR US!

Tuesday started out ok, except you could just tell that life was going to get crazy. Why you ask, well it was parent teacher conferences and we were staying open till 5 and then have Weinersnitzel night from 5:30 to 7:30. After that I had to run to Party city and get stuff for Psych Night. PLEASE KILL ME ALREADY.

Wed. by this time, everyone knows the fair is open. They bring in 50 cents just so they can buy something, anything, but they'll spend hours shopping. NUTS!!! Why you ask am I so crazy this day, well DJ couldn't be home, he had drill. So it meant that the kids were stuck with me ALL DAY ~ ALL NIGHT, with ALL my meetings... POOR LITTLE GUYS!

I went to the board. It was suppose to run from 3:30 til 5. That would be perfect, I need to be at the church by 5:30. I could still have time to drop by and get my boys a healthy nutritional meal from a fast food restaurant. Life was going to work out, that is until 5 came and went! I finally made it through all my applications I had to review at 5:35 and told them I had another meeting to get to, so I missed the last hour of my first meeting cuz I found out they went til 6:30, WOW! But the next day they reviewed with me what I missed.

Now Psych night. Have you ever had everything just catch up with you and then have something happen that just set it all off...Well, that was the night. Psych Night was a huge success. I've ran into girls at school who said they had fun. YEAH!! But it was there that somethings happened that just pushed me over the edge. Nothing too bad, just family stuff. I really do love my kids but at times...I don't know. So after the night was over I sent Cayla home with the boys to get the dinner.

Yes you read that right, it was 8:30 I still hadn't feed my boys. WAIT, I did bring some nutritional junk food for them to munch on, lets not forget that.

Thursday, the alarm went off and I just pulled the covers over my head. Again WHY? Because tonight was late night at the fair. I was at the school til 7:40, thats P.M, NOT A.M! My other MOM MAFIA partner was feeling the long week too. We were ready for Friday~ the end of the fair.

We closed our doors Friday at noon!!! NO MORE KIDS...Don't get me wrong, I love having the kids come, some of them were really funny, but Friday... We had little ones come in with 1.00 and the gathered up 30dollars worth of stuff. Then we had to be the ones to break the bad news to them. Then of coarse there was the runny noises and the coughing and the sticky coins.

Lets just say, Mom Mafia partner had a red noise by the end of the day and my throat didn't feel too good. BUT we did do, now consider the times we are in right now, we did almost 4,000 dollars worth of sales. NOT BAD AT ALL. I guess it will be worth the nice little colds the kids shared with us. YOU GOT TO LOVE BOOK FAIRS!!!!!!!