Happy Sweet Sixteen!

Eighteen years ago, I went out on my first date with the man that I would marry two years later to the day on June 18th, 1998, in the Idaho Falls Temple.  There aren't words that can express what we share together, words cannot go deep enough or wide enough to capture it all...but to put it simply and to be very understated...after all of these years together, we would be lost without each other.  We complete each other in every way...

Words cannot describe the feelings that we share...but pictures start to tell the story a little better. 

On the day of our wedding, we were in love with each other.  We were excited about the life ahead of us, and had these wonderful ideals of what it would be like...

And right from the beginning, we also knew that life wouldn't be easy...our very own wedding day was made more difficult than most couples' because Andy's dad was too far progressed and sick with his disease to attend our wedding.  Our smiles of happiness also held the element of pain.  But as we've looked back, we've come to realize that it made us come to depend on one another so much faster and so much more completely. 

Through our years together, we have experienced so much happiness, joy, and sacrifice, and sorrow...and through it all have come closer and closer together...the love that you can see in our eyes as we look at each other in this picture tells the story so much better than any words.

I cannot imagine living my life with anyone else!  We were made for each other...and I can truly say that we are more in love with each other today than we were sixteen years ago...

And with him at my side and I at his...I know that this journey we call life will continue to be a great one, even with all the ups and downs!

Happy Sixteenth Anniversary Andrew Aaron!!! 

I'm so glad that I get to spend forever with you at my side!

How to Enjoy a Smoothie



Smoothies have become the health-food rage.  Green smoothies with "icky" things like spinach, kale, broccoli, green beans, lettuce, guacamole, and pickles???  Okay, maybe not all of those green things, but still.  Everyone does smoothies nowadays.  Well, here at the Thuernagle house, we've been doing smoothies ever since we fell in love with Jamba Juice about 10 years ago when Andy was a pharmaceutical sales rep and brought them home to us all the time.  Yumm......

 

Keeping with family tradition, little 2 year old Addy is going to demonstrate the correct way to enjoy a smoothie.  (Without the green...I may add.)

 

First:  Take a delicate sip...just to make sure Mom put in the right amount of bananas, berries...and other yummy ingredients that we can't disclose because it's a secret family recipe...

Then:  Once you know Mom did it right, you go all the way back and chug a lug lug...until it's all gone.  Make sure that your belly sticks out over the table edge...this aids in proper digestion.

Next:  You show Mom your approval by your big, eyes-closed, cheesy grin complete with smoothie marks on forehead, chin, cheeks, and upper lip.  Yummmmmy!

 

Finally:  You get a sweet smile on your face...and say, "Mo Smoovie?"

 

For best results:  Practice this method only on non-green smoothies.  Results may vary.



Girl's Camp!

It's hard to believe that this cutie is 12 years old and off to her first year of girls camp!  She has been so excited for the past few weeks, and I've had fun telling her about some of my funniest memories from my old girl's camp days.

Last week she put together all of her little gifts for her "Secret Sister."  She was so excited about who she got, and we had fun putting together fun little surprises for each day.

Rachey made this cute little washcloth organizer.  Her person's favorite candy is Jolly Ranchers...so with each little surprise we added in a handful.  We also added some dental supplies into this little organizer...we were about to put in one of the many toothbrushes we have on hand...but had to go buy one from the store because ours all say "Clearwater Dental" on them...which we thought would be a dead giveaway as to who was the giver.  hee hee.  Andy just laughed that we were putting candy in with floss, mouthwash, and toothpaste.  Hey, it works!

She's been getting more and more anxious as the departure day came closer...worried about getting carsick on the 2 hour busride (we gave her a Dramamine) worried about forgetting something...worried about getting up late and missing the bus...worried that other girls may not like her...

But I think this goofball princess will be just fine. 

She asked me to give her a "pre-camp" manicure yesterday...and since her ward's color is purple...we went with that color theme. 

So now that her nails are all beautiful...she's ready to go up into the mountains and camp.  Too funny!

Here she was this morning at 7:00 am, ready to go and not a minute late!

I'm so proud of myself, I only sobbed for a few minutes, and I waited until I was in my car driving home.  She is missed already!  Little Addy was looking for her this morning, and I told her Rachey was away for a little while so she walked around the house saying, "Rachel?  Rachel!  Come back!" 

 

Too sweet.  We will all be so excited to hear about her fun adventures at the end of the week! 



Happy Father's Day 2014!

Andy first became a father nearly 14 years ago (on the 23rd) when Taylor was born.  We had been married for two years...and I remember how amazing it was for our little family of two to grow to three.  How tiny Taylor looked in Andy's big hands!  I also remember how intimidating it was to think of taking care of a little baby and having the responsibility of providing for all of his needs.  16 years later...Andy is now the father of six children with the 7th on her way in just a few short weeks and he has done an amazing job at always being there for each one of them. 

Through the years, our kids have given him stacks of cards, and letters, and pieces of "art" that they have drawn or colored for him.  He is so sweet, he keeps all of it...but it's just stashed away and not organized or able to be viewed very well, so this year I decided to make him a scrapbook where he can keep all of the little lovenotes and keepsakes the kids have made for him.  I wanted him to be able to look at all of the "love" we have for him.

So here's his Father's Day binder...

with a section for cards...

a section for artwork...

and a section for letters and miscellaneous stuff from the kids and I.

He opened it up to find that we had already put in his stash of cards and pictures the kids had made.  He just grinned, and started going through it...and laughed at the funny things...and got tender over some of the other things the kids had made him.  I always stress over what I could possibly give him to show him what an amazing husband and father he is...but this year I think it became obvious that sometimes its just the simple things that mean the most.

Addy's Birthday feast and Andy's Father's Day Feast all in one!

I don't know how I got so lucky...Heaven must have been smiling down on me when Andy and I crossed paths 16 years ago.  I couldn't be happier, and the kids couldn't have a better daddy than him, he is awesome!  What a fun Father's Day we had this year...it was also Addy's birthday so we had double the fun at our house!

But really the fun began at church.  I love Father's Day...because the primary kids sing up front, and I love to watch our little kids singing to him.  This year was awesome.  Lainah (5 yrs) had just left the chapel to use the bathroom when they announced that it was now time for the primary children to come up front.  I quickly sent Rachel out to grab her...but it was too late...she was already in the bathroom doing her business.  I was so worried because I knew she would be SO disappointed if she missed singing to him!  Rachey was a great helper though...she hurried her along, and helped her wash her hands speedy quick...and just as the director had the kids all arranged and standing ready to start...our little Lainah came running into the chapel and jogged up the aisle and up onto the stage area.  When she got into place, she had the biggest grin on her face...and Andy and I were just laughing away.  I had tears in my eyes from laughing...it was just the funniest thing ever.  I leaned over to him and told him "I hope this isn't a foreshadowing of what her wedding day is going to be like."  To which he just laughed even more.

 

And Addyson had an itch to sing to daddy too...but she's too young to go up front.  Instead, she sat on Rachel's lap and we couldn't keep her quiet!  She kept singing "Elsa?  I know you're in there....we used to be best buddies, but now we're NOT!!!  I wish you would tell my WHY!!!!  Do you want to build a snowman?"  Let's just say it wasn't the Thuernagle's most reverent day at church...but it certainly was entertaining!

 

Happy Father's Day Andy!



Happy Birthday Addyson!

 Yesterday was Addy's 2nd birthday!  As tradition goes, we fix the birthday boy or girl their favorite foods for dinner...Addy loves rolls and chicken, so I made a bunch of rolls (I think she ate 3) and crockpot chicken.  And we had to have "jelly" which is strawberry jello...she loves that stuff!

Our little birthday princess got to share her special day with Daddy this year since it was also Father's Day.  They got to open presents together, and she made sure to share her birthday princess crown too.  So cute!

She actually kept taking her crown off, here Rachel is recrowning her...I can't remember what she was saying to us, but whatever it was...she meant it! 

The girls made her a huge balloon bouquet and she had lots of fun dancing around with it!

She saw this present and said, "a purple box!" 

She seems to like what came inside the purple box...

 

Because she didn't want to let go of it while she opened her other gifts!

And because she's two...we got her a cute little Minnie Mouse toilet.  She loves that when you push the flush handle down, it cheers "Hip Hip Hooray!"  We may get tired of hearing that little flusher.

But for now, she thinks it's pretty awesome.

Addy loves cupcakes, so...we made her a giant cupcake for her birthday.  She loved it.

We sure do love this little girly...she had fun blowing out her candles...

but liked the frosting most of all.

Happy 2nd Birthday to our sweet Addyson!

Where Does the Time Go?

Two years ago, this little sweetie was born and we loved her immediately.  

 Addyson loved to snuggle and be held close, and she still does.  She still has not outgrown wanting to be snuggled up close everyday.

 

Most people in the world wouldn't understand how much a sixth baby could be loved.  People are always stunned to find out how many children we have.  But just with all my others, I would watch little Addy sleep and sometimes just cry over her because my heart was so full of love for her.  She was the most precious, beautiful baby.

 

Two years later...she has grown to be our dimpled little toddler who loves to sing songs, snuggle, and read books.  Our house wouldn't be the same without her.

I love how in the mornings, she calls for me from her crib saying, "Mama!?!  I'm awake!"  or "Mama!  Wake up!"  It's the cutest, funniest thing and I love hearing it.

I cannot believe that she's already two years old.

Happy Birthday to our sweet Addyson Adelle Thuernagle!

If Not Field Trips...then Bakies

I started having regular contractions, and have felt the past week and a half like I usually do the week before my babies are born.  My doctor asked me what I'd been up to...I gave him a list of excursions I'd taken the kids on.  He just kind of raised his eyebrows, smirked...and said, "no more field trips...how about a nice trip to the movie theater instead...or the library.  It requires very little walking on your part."  hmm...

 

So this past week we've slowed down.  And Taylor has discovered that along with his sisters...he's a pretty decent "bakie" cook.   Here he is making us some yummy chocolate chip cookies.

 

And I have truly slowed down.  I didn't even police the dough like I usually do.  We only had enough to make two batches.  So glad no one got food poisoning. 

Maybe slowing down isn't such a bad thing.  Next I think I'll teach him how to bake bread, crock pot meals, or super nachos.

Ladybug Quilt!

For this little baby girl, I decided to make a ladybug-themed quilt.  I saw a quilt on Pinterest that I sorta liked...it was black and white with pink flowers appliqued on it.  When I saw it, it inspired me with this ladybug project.  I completely changed the color-scheme and design of the quilt, but the basic idea is the same.  

 

I love it when I can visualize something in my mind, draw it out on paper like this...

 

 figure out all the dimensions and how much fabric I need

 

 go to the store and pull bolts of fabric off the shelves that will look good in my color scheme

 

cut out my ladybugs...each of them has three pieces...

 and carefully arrange the "random" color block pattern so that it looks good

 

 and then piece it, applique the design, and make that quilt that I had visualized in my mind come to life.  It doesn't always turn out exactly how I'd imagined it...but this one came pretty close.

 

 I've spent the past few weeks quilting it by hand, one little stitch at a time...

 

And here it is, ready for baby girl to arrive in a few weeks!  

While You Were Sleeping...

 

 Here is proof:  even tough guys have a soft spot for My Little Ponies.  Ha!  Four of my kids have had a gunky cold that has turned into ear infections this past week.  Not fun!  Andy had just given Taylor some medication that also made him sleepy...he was out on the couch for the entire afternoon.  I kept coming in to check on him, and then noticed what he was holding.  I couldn't help it.  I HAD to document this one.

 

A few days later, when I asked him what he had been doing holding this pony, he grinned and said that "in my delirium...I noticed the button on the side of the pony that when you push it moves its head and tail.  I was holding the head still while pushing the button to see if the tail would move independently of the head."  Ahem.  When he told us this, Rachel and I just looked at each other and said, "ya right!"  Andy and I gave him a bad time about it...he's such a good sport.  His 14th birthday is coming up...maybe we'll get him a pony.

 

As I was blogging this picture, I had this weird random thought.  I can remember the very first time that Taylor got sick.  Maybe its because he was my first baby, and it's such a huge traumatic experience when your little baby gets sick, but even after 14 years, I remember how worried I was over my little infant baby boy who couldn't keep any milk down.  I remember asking Andy to give him a blessing, and just watching over him until he was completely better. 

 

Some things don't change much.  I still fuss and worry over my kids when they're sick, no matter how old and "tough" they appear to be...because let's get real, when we're sick...we like to be pampered.  And sometimes, holding a cute little purple pony helps.