Happy Birthday Rachel and Olivia!

Happy 11th birthday to Rachel and 7th birthday to Olivia!!

Gotta LUV Christmas birthdays!!

We started off with Dinner at Logan's....

The waitress had them stand up on the bench and totally embarassed them!!

And then we had a family party with cousins!!

(we only do the big parties on even years at our house!!)

Gotta luv new clothes!!!

and CUTE scripture bags!!

Twilight

As I was looking for "Bella's Lullaby" to add to my playlist for our blog, I realized I had never posted pictures from my awesome Twilight evening!! Katie and I went with my sister-in-law, Sheryl, and her daughter Kendall to see the movie on opening day. Both of the girls had read the book and were DYING to see the movie! (As were we...!)

We went to the theater our friend Sarah Plewe rented out and then to dinner at Pei Wei. We all wore our matching Twilight T-Shirts that Sheryl designed and had printed just for us!!

It was a BLAST!!

(It was quite the experience sitting next to my daughter during the kissing scene.... when I was "wooo-who-ing" at the screen!!)

A Few More Pictures.....

Here's a few more for you Grandma and Grandpa!!!.....

Joy and Sadness and Puppy Breathe

Yesterday morning I woke up to our pregnant dog crying to go outside. I let her out and then waited for her to come back in. The moment her paw hit the floor inside the back door, her water broke. Less than 10 minutes later a puppy was born.... or something resembling a puppy but was actually more of a malformed fetus that would never take a breathe.

The next 6 hours were rotations of calming her down, walking her outside even taking her for rides in the car. The next puppy just wouldn't come. For those who do not know... more than 2 hours between puppies can be a sign of big trouble. We were just on our way up to the reproductive specialist up in Scottsdale when she finally delivered a squealing, healthy 11 oz baby girl in the back of my Excursion. So we head back home.

And then we were back to waiting.... and waiting... and waiting. Three hours pass and we load up to go to the vet.... again. This time I decide to go to Jake Degraffenried instead since he's closer. Jake examines her and can't find anything wrong so gives her a shot of oxytocin. This kicks her into hard labor and she pushes out a healthy boy followed shortly by another healthy girl.

We had done an ultrasound so we know there are 6 or 7 puppies. I decide to drive home so that we can be back in our own house to deliver the the last 2 or 3 and not on the dirty floor of the vet clinic.

When I get home (less than 10 minutes) I open the back of the Excursion and there is another puppy. dead. I don't know if he was born dead or not. I wish I had just stayed at the clinic.

An hour later she delivers another puppy. I am right there and even tear open the sack myself. This puppy is dead too. I worked and worked on her.... with visions of a happy ending like on the 101 Dalmatians movie.... but this life definitely isn't a cartoon. The puppy never takes a breathe.

At this point it has been 10 hours since the first puppy. I am exhausted and finally just break down. I am not the business like breeder. Losing puppies is really hard.... especially on the kids.

Two hours pass. We think she is all done but John gives her one more shot of oxytocin to make sure. Half an hour later she pushes out another puppy... no sack.... not moving. I cut the cord and whisk him away......and I rub and rub and rub. This time I get my happy ending. He sputters and coughs and lets out a little squeal. I think we should name him Miracle...

In the end, we have 2 boys and 2 girls. Right now its almost 6 am and I have only slept for 2 1/2 hours. We have to keep a very close eye the first couple of days to make sure mom doesn't accidentally lay on a puppy..... especially since its her first litter. There are only 4 of them and they are so very tiny - the biggest only 13 oz. We have to keep them safe. Luckily mom is a very good mom. The puppies will grow big and fat quickly..... because there are only 4. (Golden Retrievers usually have between 8 and 12.)

Its a good thing we love puppy breathe so much around here!

Finding Joy in the Journey

A few nights ago I had the wonderful opportunity to go out to dinner with a good friend. We spent the evening talking about our current stages of life, about our kids and even our relationships with our husbands. A big topic was President Monsons's talk about Finding Joy in the Journey.... We had both seen a post about it on Mindi's blog.

This time of year can be so stressful and busy.... it is so hard to stop and actually enjoy the moment. There is sooo much Christmas shopping yet to be done, Christmas cards to finish, presents to wrap, more decorations to put up, Christmas dinner to be planned, bought and prepared, too many teacher's gifts to put together, goodies to be baked for all the friends and neighbors..... not to mention volunteering to handle ticket sales and to help with costumes for the Gilbert Fine Arts upcoming youth production of Thoroughly Modern Millie (that Adam, Katie and Rachel all have parts in.....) and oh ya.... puppies are coming this weekend!!

How do you enjoy it all when there is so much that it is totally overwhelming and you just can't wait for it all to be over?!

That great evening out with my friend really helped me to put it all in better perspective. NOTHING is more important than our families. Nothing is more important this holiday season than teaching them about Christ and the significance of his birth. We can't let ourselves get so stressed that we can't enjoy those special little moments..... watching the lights in their eyes while decorating the tree together as a family, taking each of the kids shopping by themselves so they can buy a gift for their brother or sister, taking that quiet moment to talk a little about the Savior.... maybe even while you are baking sugar cookies for the neighbor! ANYTHING!

I just keep thinking that Katie is already 12 years old. She is running out of Christmas Holidays at home! We only have so much time with her under our roof....under our wing! We only have so much time to teach her all she needs to know before she heads out into this crazy and often scary world.

I don't want to miss anything. I don't want to miss ANY opportunities to share a special moment.

I DO want to find joy in the JOURNEY.....even though it is so HARD sometimes ... but I am in no hurry to be at the end, are you?

A Great Photographer = Photos You Love!

We did it!!! We took family pictures with 6 kids and a crazy stressed out mommy! (and a very patient and tolerant daddy!)

I spent hours looking for matching outfits. Then I took them all back and started over. I started with fairly formal black and pink and ended on brown and denim.

...and then there was the hair accessories, shoes and jewelery.....

A date..... Trying to get every one's schedules to work with the weather and perfect lighting.....

We finally decided on a location. We wanted something a little more funky and different from the more formal pictures we usually take. We thought about the Riparian Preserve, inside our home, inside a beautiful custom Tuscan home (that I WISH was our home...), in a field, by a farmhouse, in a cute, shabby Chic hair salon..... and finally decided on the Mesa Arts Center downtown.

Getting everyone ready is tricky.... Sophie definitely needs a nap and it would be helpful if Eric slept too. That worked out real well... NOT! Four girls is a lot of hair to do.... especially with almost waist length hair!! And oh ya..... I would like to do my hair too! Dad does the boys hair..... ooops..... Oh well...better luck next time!

Two hours, dozens of Sophie meltdowns, Eric being a clown with his finger continually up his nose, mom having a few stress meltdowns and more than 600 pictures later..... We were finished!

She even took pictures of John and I .... together and by ourselves!! Definately a first!

And we LOVE them!!!

THANK YOU APRIL! You are AWESOME!

I posted just a few.....

Happy THANKSgiving

1.) Drive to Salt Lake with 6 kids and a dog with LOTS of rain, some snow, sleet and hail....

CHECK!

2.) Have Thanksgiving dinner with 34 relatives.

CHECK!

3.) Hold Adam's baptism, out-of-state, with 37 people coming, remembering to bring everything from Arizona AND don't stress when the first speaker shows up 25 minutes late and the presiding bishop forgets the baptism all together and someone has to go get him!

CHECK CHECK CHECK!!

4.) Have a Lundgreen family picture taken outside in the freezing cold, immediately after the baptism, before the luncheon even though our friend/photographer gets the flu and can't make it.....

CHECK!

WE DID IT!!!

What I am Thankful For These Past 3 Days:
1.) A 45 gallon gas tank = driving to Salt Lake on one tank of gas = only one 10 minutes potty break = drive to Salt Lake in 10 1/2 hours....
2.) Garden Park ward's beautiful building reserved for Thanksgiving dinner and Adam's baptism luncheon.
3.) Costco and Sams Club!!
4.) Disposable "china" and plastic "silver".
5.) Beautiful scenery and crisp air to jog in to get away... just for an hour...

6.) Advil to make the "oh-so-timely" cramping, headache and horrific varicose vein pain go AWAY when it wakes you up the morning of the baptism.
7.) Great friends to talk you down from stress overload over the phone (Thank you April!) and other friends that drive HOURS to come to a baptism and HELP you!!
(THANK YOU Suni and Shawna!!!!)
8.) Compact digital cameras that take pretty darn good pictures anyway!!
9.) A little boy oblivious to any stress ...... just so excited to get baptized surrounded by family and friends .... with a HUGE smile on his face!

A VERY Close Call

I'm shaking so hard right now its hard to type....

Half an hour ago Olivia was late to her tumbling class. We jumped in the Excursion and were on our way down Higley. I was driving probably between 45 - 50 miles an hour. Suddenly, at the light at Guadalupe, a noticed a car turning left. I was surprised that they decided to turn .... I knew it would be close.... but in the end it was fine and I didn't even have to slow down.

UNTIL

The car BEHIND that one decided to turn too.

I SLAMMED on my breaks. I slammed my fist down on the horn. My wheels screeched; smoke was pouring out from under them. I'm sure it left long, black skid marks on the road. I turned the car slightly to the right to avoid hitting her head on..... which really wasn't a question in my mind. I WAS going to hit this car. My big, monster vehicle even started to fishtail....

My car finally came to a shocking stop. Luckily so did hers.

Our cars were only a couple of feet apart.....

I have never come so close to being in an accident. And the scariest part...

I wasn't wearing my seat belt.

Fun FREE Event for Kids and Families!!!!

Do you have children (or spouses...) that LOVE dogs?? This Saturday, November 22nd, you can take your family to the Arizona Canine Experience sponsored by the American Kennel Club. This is a FREE event with FREE parking at Westworld in Scottsdale.

http://www.fiestacluster.com/ace.htm

If you are looking for a dog and are still in the research phase.... this event is a must!

It will be a GREAT way to see all the AKC breeds! There will be booths set up for almost every breed. Each booth will have informational fliers about that specific breed, coloring books and give-a-ways for the kids and will have dogs representing their breed for you to meet and greet!

All day there will be events running for people to see examples of dogs performing obedience, rally, agility (when they run up ramps, jump hurdles, etc.) and conformation shows.

And for you ladies that HATE dogs but your kids LOVE them.... It should give them a fill for awhile!!

A WIN - WIN!!

(and yes.... I will be working at the Golden Retriever booth all day!!)

Sunday Peep Show

Today we arrived at church only 5 minutes early. The pews were full (except the front rows.... not my thing...) so we had to sit in the overflow. After sacrament started, I had Sophie on my lap and she was wiggling around like usual. After awhile she decided she wanted to sit on the floor instead. So she sits down with her legs wide open and looks up at me.....and I thought I was going to DIE!!!

Under her dress.... SHE WAS NAKED!! I HAD FORGOTTEN TO PUT A DIAPER ON HER!!

Luckily no one was paying attention to her antics but me so it was a totally private viewing!!

Some GREAT Thoughts

If you want to read something really great.... go to:

http://erikagarner.blogspot.com/2008/10/just-some-thoughts.html

I hope you don't mind Erika!!! :)

Halloween 2008

6th Ward's AWESOME Fall Festival!!!

Greek Goddess Artemis (Katie) , Lady from Lady and the Tramp (Sophie), Star Wars Captain Rex (Adam), Batman (Eric), Fairy Princess (Olivia) and Vampire (Rachel)

When they tried to take Sophie off the horse she slapped his hand and commanded, "NO!! Again!!"

and then Trick-or-Treating with the cousins!!.....

2 Greek Goddesses!...

The Whole Arizona Lundgreen Gang!

Ariel and the Princess (no troublesome fairy wings tonight....)

Scary Rach!!

Star Wars, Batman and Indiana Jones!!

Katie's "Back to 80's" Birthday - 12 years old!!!

All the girls came decked out in their best 80's Fashions.... totally Flashdance!!

Dinner is served .... Pizza and Soda in hot pink goblets!

No cake for Katie!! She wanted an Ice cream bar.....

Hey Hailey... ya want some ice cream with that whipped cream???

Mom forgot new candles so .... a "6" + a "4" plus 2 singels = 12!!!

The Skittles game....

There's like 20 in there!!!... EEwwwww...

Dance Dance Revolution...

What's more 80's than ROLLER SKATING!!!

(Even mom, April and Aunt Sheryl skated.... but there are no pictures of that!!)

There are spandex shorts under that tu-tu btw!!!

I think all the girls had a totally RAD time!!