The Tietjen Family

Sunday, May 16, 2010

We survived!

Well, we did it!! Devin and I survived our 1st semester of college. I'm not even sure how we did it? But we finished and what a learning experience this has been! It has been crazy stressful but we both have learned what things we will do differently next semester. Summer session I am taking class during the day for EMT and Devin has classes in the evening, I actually think it might work a lot better. I will be home by 1:00 which will be really nice and Devin only goes 2 nights a week. He is still deciding what degree he wants to go for and as for me, as long as I love EMT as much as I think I will, I will continue in medical and become an RN. Although I really enjoy school I do miss being a full time mom though. I miss having time to do things like make things for my kids or making it to their scout stuff. It is all for a good purpose and I will get better and better at balancing everything......I hope :) I do wish that I would not have taken summer classes and just enjoyed the summer, BUT we are probably moving into the campus housing for families and we have to be enrolled, so I guess its a good trade; there is a community pool and fitness center which I hope to visit on a regular basis. No back yard but plenty of places for the kids to ride their bike and playgrounds. We will know in July if we get the house or not. Hoping to have a really great summer no matter what!!

Begining of Summer fun!

We were supposed to make a trip to the Gila Valley Temple Open house, but our plans got messed up at the last minute and we were not able to go which we were all very sad about, but we decided to find something fun do to with the kids anyways. So I jumped on my new favorite website that this lady put together and you can find all kinds of stuff going on in our area and found a store in Scottsdale that was having a free activity that ended up being really fun! Each of the kids got a free backpack, a wristband, and free toys (there was a table where you could build something with these toys calls Zoops and you could keep 12 pieces, well multiply that by eight and we have quite a collection now hahaha!)

There were toys everywhere for the kids to try out. Like jousting.

Ryker with his cute backpack

There was a super cool fountain they put these cute fish in and the pole they fished with had a magnet that would attract the fish and you could reel it in. The little kids LOVED it!!

Hunter trying out the stilts

Then we stopped by The Golden Corral for a yummy lunch

AND the sandboxes and sprinklers helped cool everyone off.

(sorry these are out of order, got tired of messing with it)

With school full time for both of us we haven't gone and done too many things with the kids so this was a nice treat. We are going to work harder and spending time doing fun things on the weekends instead of cleaning.....it's messy all the time anyways right! :)

Sisters

Good parenting times! Sometimes when you get so tired of kids doing the same thing over and over you have to get creative. I have done this before, but why I forget and don't do it EVERYTIME they fight I have no idea! They really loved it can you tell?? LOL

End of the year concerts

Austin and Hunter have really enjoyed playing instruments this year. They each came to me on their own and asked if they could be in band/orchestra and I'm so glad they did. They have both worked really hard and have done really well. Austin chose to be in the band and play the drums, which entails actually learning all of the percussion instruments, bass drum, snare, bells, and everything else. Hunter decided to try out orchestra, at first the choice was because in 4th grade you can only do orchestra not band, but now that he is done for the year he told me that he does want to continue with it next year. I'm proud of both the boys for working hard and sticking with something!!

Hunter and Mr. Felton

Austin and Ms.Janeroe

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Updates

Last week when I finished getting the little ones all ready to go run errands Brinley said, "mom, we all look so cute, we need to take a picture" I was laughing so hard cuz I thought, man we don't get out much HAHAHA! So I have to find the cord to my phone cuz most of my pictures are on my phone and I hate posting without pictures, but here are a few things going on.

Devin and I have a week and a half left of our first semester of college and 1st lesson learned...Devin wont take 4 late start classes again! And 2nd lesson learned is organization is Key! It has been a little bumpy figuring out how to keep up with the house, tend to all the kiddos and both of us get our homework done, BUT all a wonderful learning experience and we will get better and better as we go. Devin may take off 1st summer session to have time to get some things taken care of and I start my EMT classes on the 17th! I am SO excited and can't wait to jump in! The kids are getting really excited for summer vacation and we are too! We are still living across the street from my mom and dad which has been so wonderful, but later this summer we will be moving AGAIN! UGH!! 4 times in one year is NOT fun! At least a lot of our stuff is still in boxes! I am going to be an aunt again....Jacob and Crystal are expecting their 1st baby in November and I am ecstatic to have a new baby around again!!!!! Lucky girl is feeling great and excited to be a mommy.

Austin is becoming quite the teenager and loves going to YM and is serving as the 1st counselor and is such a good example to the other kids. Hunter is such a little social bug and has girls calling the house for him already! It has been tough realizing that we are going to have to start making some serious decisions about how to raise teenagers which scares the heck out of me, but we will just try to do what we feel is best for our kids. Mason is doing much better in school and still is our little jokester! Emmy is loving school and enjoys flirting with Austin and Hunters friends..........this is going to be trouble! Liberty still is my thumb sucking cutie with a scream that will put anyone down! She is the WORST to get up in the morning, very particular about what she wears, how her hair is done and what shoes she has on, it's always drama! Brinley is such a little girl, I don't know how she has grown up so fast and she is so tall, Brigham still relys on her for a lot but I love that they get along so well. Then there is my baby, who isn't a baby anymore and I miss having a little baby. Life is good, we are getting ready to enter our stream of birthdays which I love. We are busy as ever but enjoying school life and being a family. Hopefully I will find my cord soon so I can start downloading more pics and getting caught up on posts I need to get done.

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

My little Baby!!

I wish these pictures were better, but I am in love with this little man! What an amazing blessing this little guy has been in my life. He is the light of everyone’s life and all of his siblings LOVE to treat him like he is the baby and he loves it as well! I can't believe that he is two years old already; maybe since he came out so huge it made the time go by so much faster.

This is what my little man is like at 2;

* loves to show off and get laughs from everyone
* I LOVE his exploding knuckles that he does. He will go from person to person until everyone gives him knuckles, and after Jacob taught him exploding knuckles, now he has to make the exploding sound too. SO funny!
* decided 6 months ago that he was too big for his baby crib; I cried!
* Loves to play with cars, blocks, be outside and read books.......everything boy!
* he is a total climber and we are constantly getting him off of things
* he has started talking a TON, and among his favorites is asking to watch SpongeBob (sheesh!)
* loves to go to nursery and has never given us a problem
* he does throw some pretty fun fits, on the tummy, legs kicking.....it's hysterical!
* he has the ability to make everyone he comes in contact with light up and smile
I couldn't imagine our lives without this sweet adorable boy and I want him to stay my baby boy forever.......here’s to wishing!

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Garden time!

We have really missed our beautiful garden from when we lived in Queen Creek and I have had the gardening bug for quite a while!! So my mom had some extra room in her garden and offered to let me put some stuff in. So we decided to sprout some seeds of our own which was a new adventure. All the kids got involved and they all took turns helping me plant the seeds. I had to hide the tray of seeds on the top of the fridge to keep them away from it while they sprouted LOL.

It wasn't long till they were HUGE and needed to be planted. Hopefully they will survive the transplant and we will have some yummy veggies this summer!!!

Sunday, March 28, 2010

Pretty Teeth

No more braces!! I have been in braces for about 9 months (for the 2nd time in the past 8 years) and am SUPER happy with my new smile! It is so incredibly worth it! I hate to see my kids go through their teen years with crazy crooked teeth but at the same time, I think I appreciate my pretty teeth WAY more than I would have if my mom and dad would have gotten me braces as a little kid. Either way, I'm happy!

Great Aunt?? Sheeeesh!!!

I love being an aunt......but am constantly reminded how freakin old I am getting!! 20 YEARS ago a family moved across the street from me and my family, little did I know they would end up being my family.

(The family is Devins sister Colleen.....thats how Dev and I met) I was their full time babysitter and watched their kids grow from the time the oldest two were about 3 and 1. NOW, these two little kids are married and having kids of their own! The little Jessica I babysat from the time she was a baby, became MY babysitter and is now babysitter her OWN baby! CRAZY!!!! They both have had babies in the past few months and I love it! I wish I could camp out at their houses and get my baby fix!!!

Love you Ty and Jess (and sweet little babies!)