3 posts in one day

I got a nice email from one of my sisters today about my lack of posting. Here is the thing...I take WAY TOO MANY pictures. I think about posting all the time and then I get to my computer and get overwhelmed. I want to post them all and realize that is too many so I just put them in my blog folder and say I will do it later. So Liseanne three posts in one day...just for you (and my many many other blog fans who have been waiting (so like 5 other people) :)

mother of the year/cheesecake for dinner

Here is what I had for dinner tonight! Brownie, Cheesecake, White Chocolate Mousse and Chocolate, Covered with Hot Fudge and Almonds. Here is what T had-Chocolate Cheesecake Loaded with Peanut Butter Cookie Dough and Topped with Chocolate
C's dinner- Creamy Cheesecake Swirled with Caramel, Peanut Butter, Butterfingers® and Reeses Peanut Butter Cups®
E- Key Lime Pie in a Cheesecake! Deliciously Tart and Creamy on a Vanilla Crumb Crust
Am's dinner- The Original Topped with Glazed Fresh Strawberries. Our Most Popular Flavor for 28 Years!
and Ab's- Raspberry Vanilla Cake, Creamy Lemon Cheesecake, Raspberry Lady Fingers and Lemon Mousse
I love the look on Ab's face and her tongue in the whipped cream.
It really is PAINFUL to watch this kid eat.

All I can say is he LOVES his food.
Today was The Cheesecake factory's 30 year anniversary so all cheesecake slices were $1.50 (normal price is $6.95 per slice)
We decided to go right after swimming lessons to beat the crowd. We were sat right away. It looked a little like "Big Love" it was Chris, me, Deborah, Suzy and 12 kids. The kids were in HEAVEN!
The only thing better than spending time with your friends and having cheese cake for dinner is the total on the check!
You figure out how much we saved!

Concert in the Park

Last night we went to the free concert in our town park. We thought it was kids music, but it was Jazz. The Pulleys rode their bikes over to meet us there. It was so nice to be out of the house and doing something different. The weather was GREAT! Deborah and I just sat and chatted a little, sang and listened. The kids had other plans. These three played imaginary baseball.

and Uno!

They climbed the fence

rolled down the small hill

this darling girl doesn't belong to me, but she danced to every song. It was very cute.
She wanted her picture taken and me being the good mother that I am happily obliged.
Bea is one of her best friends. I love these last few pictures of them.


So much love between them.
Next week is Big Band music. I can't wait!

Air Show

Look who made it home! He had a GREAT time, but was so happy to be home. All the kids were SO happy to see him. We decided very last minute to go to the air show that was happening last weekend. Poor kid was so tired, but he was a trooper. Some people go to airshows to look at the planes, but MAN look at that lens...or as photographers say, "glass"
Here is the moment we were all waiting for. The US Air force Thunderbirds.

I love how they take off together.
I loved going. I thought the kids would really love this part.
Really look at the four of them and then out of the blue...
this one come flying through very fast.
I love when they go so fast you can feel it!
This is how little Ab was for a good part of it. She didn't love it as much as me.
Neither did this one. She wrote in her journal "I went to the airshow, it was boring"

This one made it through most of it until her dad got tired of holding her.
At least C knows how to watch.
These two were really happy to be back together. They really are the best of friends and poor C was a little lost this past week with out him.
He usually doesn't like me to take him picture, but he asked for this one.
We had a great time. We ended the day with dinner and a movie at Wegmans!

Our Weekend

Saturday we said good bye to T for a week away at scout camp. He was THRILLED to be able to go. The kids really miss him already. Today at the breakfast table E took a vote to see who missed him already and they all raised their hands. It was very sweet. The next vote at the table was to see who was glad that the Jensens were back from pageant. Again the vote was unanimous! It was so fun to go to pageant this year for many reason. Seeing our good friends was one of the reasons. Here is E with one of her best friends.
C was equally excited to see D! These two are two peas in a pod.
We all love this kid. He is SO GREAT with the kids. Am really loves him and LOVES it when he babysits.
As soon as pageant was over my cell phone rang and it was JODY!!! She was there and I am SO happy I was there. I haven't seen her for 2 years. I could say so many WONDERFUL things about her. I LOVE her!! I babysat her kids when they were younger then my kids. LOVE HER!
This was the best part of the night. We got to see Sheldon and Wendy. The two girls sat on Sheldons lap for a good part of the pageant. I kept trying to get Am to sit with me, but she wouldn't. He was great and kept saying don't worry. I think maybe he liked being with kids again.
Sunday I went and picked up Sheldon and Wendy at the Hill Cumorah and brought them home for dinner. We had grilled chicken, salt potatoes, fresh yellow squash, and zucchini. For dessert we had chocolate cake from Wegmans and ice cream. The best part of the night was after dinner sitting around the table telling stories.
This was the bribe to get at least one good picture. 1 funny one for 1 good one.
This is as good as we got. Hopefully C will out grow this faze he is in with silly faces in pictures- SOON!! Thanks guys for spending part of your tour with us. The kids LOVED having you here, as did I.

the bad, the bad and the ugly!

No pictures with this post. Although I am very mad I didn't have my camera. I almost ALWAYS have my camera. Let me back up. Today started like any other day. Chris went to work. I went to run a few errands before swimming lessons. I got a text message from Chris saying his car was broken again and I would probably have to pick him up from work. Not really a big deal except that he is working in Geneva, which is 45 minutes from our home (one way) When I got to swimming lessons I started to call around to see how much it would be to have him towed. It is VERY expensive. As I was giving him the estimates he said, "Do you want to know another really cool thing." I am thinking all kinds of things, but what he said was "Our server room went up in flames today." Going up in flames could mean a lot of things, but he literally meant fire. Steve (Chris' business partner) was teaching a class and his lights went off. He went to check the breaker and when he went into the server room he looked up and saw the fire. He then proceeded to have someone call 911 and he tells the students to get out. There was a company just renting a room from them and he walked in there and said "there is a fire in the building and you need to get out now." He said people looked at him and then started to slowly pack up their things, "He said I don't think you understand. You need to get out NOW." To which they replied, "You don't have to be so rude" Anyway, I decided to take the two smallest girls and drive over to the office to see what was up. I thought I should run home and get my camera. Then I thought no I am already half way there. Am I the only person who has conversations with herself? I pull up to Chris work and there are 3 fire trucks and firefighters every where. I left the girls in the car for a minute while I talked to Steve. He said when the firefighters first got there they came in with huge fire extinguishers and after about a minute they realized this wasn't going to cut it so they ran out and brought in the hoses to put it out. It was a small fire that could have been so much worse had it happened on the weekend (the building would be gone) or had Steve not seen it. No one smelled anything. I got the girls out of the car and the fire lady was SO nice to them. She made sure they had water (it was VERY hot today) and told them to stay in the shade. I left them out with another fireman (yes a stranger) while I walked in to see the damage. It was confined to one room and there is NO structural damage. The best part in all of this. When the fire chief was showing us what happened and showed us all the wires from where it started I was a little afraid it was from all the computers, but it wasn't any thing from our business. It was faulty wiring from the building! YEAH for that. I walked outside and the kids wanted to sit in the fire trucks so they got to climb in them. Am was sitting in the drivers seat and the fireman asked if she wanted to drive to which she replied yes. He said just don't go far and then shut the door. The next thing you see is her face disappearing as she is sliding down to try and reach the gas peddle. She is too funny! They were all so kind to the girls. I kept kicking myself as I was watching them talk to the girls and lift them in the trucks. I WISH I had my camera! Oh well. The server is good and there is very little damage at all to our business. I got back to swimming lessons and our good friend Alissa, whose husband works in Syracuse, said he would pick up Chris on his way home from work so I wouldn't have to drive down there to get him. THANK YOU JOHNATHON!! Now if we can just figure out a way to get Chris' car home from Geneva or as Deborah might say, "Good luck with that" :)

Birthday FUN!

The ONLY thing she wanted to do for her birthday was to have her "party" at the Pulleys. We have spent all but one of her birthdays with them. They were so kind and let us hang out (again) We ordered Chinese noodles (this is what she calls it) and swam. She is a fish. The day before her birthday I was trying to get her to go off the diving board during swimming lessons and she ran away screaming. Today I said, "You are 5 now and 5 year old are big enough to go off the diving board." That is all it took. A few jumps into the swimming teachers arms and now she will do it alone. making a wish
does she look happy to you?
grandma Betty and grandpa Mike sent her a gift card and she was thrilled to spend it on whatever she wanted. She has been eyeing this jewelry for a while now and finally was able to buy it.
She is a bundle of fun. Grandma Annice and grandpa Galen sent a ten dollar bill. I was explaining she could get something else and she asked if the store would get to keep her money. When I told her yes she decided she wanted to keep it. I wonder how long that will last.
She had the perfect day.

Happy 5th Birthday Am

Today my little firecracker turned 5! WOW! I started out the day going through pictures to post, but realized I should have done it a few days ago. I lost track of time looking and remembering. Here are a few of my favorite pictures. This is the day she was born. I pretty much lived on Snickers candy bars with her can you tell? Isn't it funny that she was my 2nd smallest baby!
This is the day we brought her home.
She LOVES make up!
I love how the trampoline makes their hair look like this.
This was her birthday last year
Her first birthday
One of my all time favorites of her.
Her first ice cream sandwich

A birthday party for her oldest brother.
Turning 2!
She LOVES to swim!
I know you have all seen this before, but I just LOVE this picture and laugh every time I see it.
My beautiful girl. I love you!