Eight is Great....Or is it Eight is Enough!?

Bam Bam or Pebbles?

2009-12-23T11:47:00.000-08:00

This was Lily's first time eating my ribs. She LOVED them. It was so funny to watch her chew on the bones.

Ali Z's Debut Dance Video

2009-08-29T22:45:00.001-07:00

So, tonight the kids were outside playing and Trevor turned some music on for them. Of course, Ali couldn't help but dance. The first few videos we took were the best, but when I thought I was taping I really wasn't. Darn. I just can't believe how amazing Ali is at moving her body exactly to the beat of the music. I could watch her dance for hours. I hope you enjoy it too.

Our first photo shoot by Ali

2009-08-23T15:20:00.000-07:00

Next time maybe our heads will be included.

Ward Family Temple Trip

2009-08-22T14:50:00.000-07:00

We went with a few other families from our ward to do baptisms for the dead. What a wonderful experience we had.

Ali and her friend Isabel on the side of the Los Angeles Temple. Aren't they so cute. I can't beleive Ali is going to be 13 in less than 2 weeks.

Temple apartments, or is that a jail cell?

2009-08-22T14:13:00.000-07:00

This was my first experience with the temple apartments. I didn't expect extravagant rooms by any means, but come on. I felt like I was in jail. It was a fun adventure, but next time I will be roughing it at The Doubletree.

The Beach (my family's favorite place to be)

2009-08-22T14:07:00.000-07:00

After the temple we went to The Santa Monica Pier beach for some fun in the sun.

Lunch With Friends

2009-08-20T08:51:00.000-07:00

Before school started, I was invited to lunch with two of my favorite ladies. We stayed and chatted for two hours. It has been a long Summer with not much time to spend with my friends. I have missed them. They always uplift me and make me laugh. What would this world be without great friends and great examples to follow

Reid's Baptism

2009-08-01T09:00:00.000-07:00

Precious Picture

2009-07-30T08:55:00.000-07:00

This picture is one of my favorites. I don't consider myself a photographer at all. I am always cutting off heads and getting way to much background in my shots, but this picture is one in a million. It is proof that anyone can eventually take a priceless picture. SO SWEET!

Happy 35th Birthday to Me

2009-07-29T12:10:00.000-07:00

I had the best birthday ever. Heidi (with the help of my friend Lisa Slaughter) made dinner for our whole family and a delicious eclair cake for my birthday. I think dinner and dessert on your birthday might possibly be the best gift that I have ever received.

To top it all off, my friend Emily organized a girl's lunch for my birthday. Nothing beats a lunch with friends, except for maybe a day with friends. Just so you all know, that huge bowl with 6 scoops of ice cream and 6 brownies was for all of us to share.

Reid's 8th Birthday

2009-07-22T09:08:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Reid's birthday a couple days early because Trevor was going to be gone at Young Men's camp on the 22nd. Then we celebrated all of the July birthdays at Kandy's house. On Reid's actual birthday we were in Ukiah so we had to celebrate there too. My mom treated everyone to a day of roller skating. Reid had lots of opportunities to celebrate his birthday, but no special birthday cake from Mom. It was a crazy time and I just didn't get the time to make a special cake. Next year's cake will have to be extra special.

Grammie's Birthday

2009-06-27T12:26:00.000-07:00

My Mom was in town visiting for her birthday this year, so we had to celebrate. My niece Natalie also came with her for this trip. She is the cute blond, oh wait, there are a lot of cute blonds in this picture.

Reid's 2nd baseball season

2009-04-21T13:38:00.000-07:00

The Great Race of Life"

2009-04-15T21:32:00.000-07:00

Trevor and I had the opportunity to prepare and train for a memorial run in memory of his sister, Ginger. Last year, just two months before she passed away, Ging ran in the same race. This is what she said in her blog about the race, "I wanted to have a goal for the 5K, so here's mine: I want to finish in 30 minutes or less. I'm not even sure that is realistic, but that's an average of 10 minutes per mile. Surely I can do that, right? thinking positive thoughts....wish me luck.." Her finish time was 29:59.55

Trevor's brother Jason wrote this after Ginger had passed away: "Ginge, you ran a great race and you finished at 30 (at least this leg of the race). You didn't let anyone hold you back, but you definitely helped countless others along your way. You broke the tape first in our family and we look forward to seeing you when we cross the line and giving you a huge Ginger-style victory hug on the other side of the finish line. Until then, we know you will be watching us, cheering us on."

This is a picture of all of the friends and family that ran in the race in honor of Ging. Our shirts all had Happiness... written on the front. That was the title of Ginger's last blog entry the night before she died.

"We are part of something amazing! Enjoy the memories!"(g.d.c.)

2009-04-15T20:35:00.000-07:00

That is a quote from my sister-in-law, Ginger Dee Clinton. Ginger and Wendy put together a very special picture book for the whole family in 2007. That quote was on the inside cover.
I am part of something amazing. I could not have asked for a more amazing family to have married into. What a blessing it is to be a "Zierenberg". I will forever be grateful to Ginger for teaching all of us how lucky we are to be a part of this family. I can't wait til our whole family is reunited again.
The picture is of some of the family the night before our 5K run in The Great Race of Agoura.

Lilia THE MODEL

2009-04-15T18:34:00.000-07:00

One night Lily decided that it was time for her very first solo photo shoot. She was hilarious as she posed for these pictures. She was eating the camera up.

Happy 9th Birthday Maddi! We love you.

2009-03-23T18:46:00.000-07:00

We had a family party for Maddi's birthday this year.

I am so lucky to have Maddi in our family. She is a special girl. She looks so much like I did when I was her age. She even loves to be with adults like I did when I was young. She has blessed and touched all of our lives. Her smile is infectious and she is always happy.

Our Valentine's Day trip to the snow

2009-02-14T16:42:00.000-08:00

Lilia's 1st birthday party

2009-02-10T16:24:00.000-08:00

Our tradition is to let our kids have their own birthday cake to dig into when they turn 1. The expectation is that the child will just go wild and start stuffing their face. That has yet to happen at our house. I remember with Ali I had made a chocolate cake and she thought it was dirt. Anyone who knew Ali at that age, knew that she did not like to get dirty. She started to scream and tried to shake off the cake. So, one of the children in attendance (Brooklyn Benson) ate the cake for her.

This time I made the mistake of covering Lily's cake with sprinkles. So, she spent about 10 minutes just trying to pick off and eat every sprinkle.

Her brother and sisters were more than happy to help her eat her cake.

"My Goal"

2009-02-09T09:24:00.001-08:00

I am letting you all know that after a year and a half break, I am back on the workout wagon. Hip, Hip Hooray! Nothing is going to stop me now. I had to include these two pictures because they are the only ones that show the smallest I have ever been. I know that size doesn't matter, but feeling good does. I was on top of the world in these pictures. I was working out 3-4 times a week and I felt great.

I have been meaning to start working out since I had Lilia (she is a year old now). I just kept having excuse after excuse as to why I couldn't do it.

Then, came my inspiration..........

Many family and friends of my sister-in-law Ginger are going to run "The Great Race" in her honor. This is the same race that Ginger ran in last year. Most of the family are running the 5K portion. I decided that I couldn't very well run a 5K without any training. So, I started last Tuesday at 4:30 AM. That's right, you read it right, AM. The time that I have to workout might give you all some perspective as to why I have been dreading getting back to it.
I thought that the first day after not working out for a year and a half would be pretty grueling, but I made it through. There was one point where I thought "Why am I doing this to myself? I can just stop right now and no one will know." Then I pictured Ginger cheering me on and I knew that I could go on. I am grateful for Ginger's cheering on in so many instances in all of our lives. I will run this 5K race and when I feel like I can run no more, I will remember who it is that I am running for and her strength will pull me through.

This morning was the 4th time that I have worked out and I ran two miles and walked one and I am still alive to blog about it. In an excerpt from Ginger's blog about her great race time she said, "I knew I could do it." Those words will continue to ring through my head as I train for this race. "I can do it!"

Kandrea's Interview

2009-02-04T19:01:00.000-08:00

So, just when I was ready to quit, throw in the towel and just go to bed and leave the kids to fend for themselves while Trevor and Ali are at Mutual, I hear Kandrea answering some interview questions that my girls had prepared for her.

Heidi: "Why are the things you love about your Mom?"
Kandrea: "I love it when she cleans up my Barbies."
It's amazing how one sweet, heartfelt statement can turn my night around. I continued to listen to the interview and here are some of the highlights:

Heidi: What are your goals?
Kandrea: Red, blue and pink.

Heidi: How many kids do you want?
Kandrea: 5 daughters and 2 brothers

Maddi: When are your parents most proud of you?
Kandrea: When I clean up my Polly Dolls. When I first started singing.

Heidi: What is your least favorite part about school?
Kandrea: Recess

Heidi: What are your favorite days of the week?
Kandrea: Red, blue and pink.

Heidi: What is your favorite summer activity?
Kandrea: The Temple

Heidi: What is your favorite summer food?
Kandrea: Carrots and ranch, strawberries.

2009-01-28T09:51:00.001-08:00

Make a Smilebox postcard

2008-12-24T09:33:00.000-08:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

A few of our Family Traditions

2008-12-24T08:38:00.000-08:00

It has always been a tradition in my family to get to open one present on Christmas Eve and it is always our new pajamas. This year the kids requested robes instead of jammies. You will notice Reid and Lily are missing from the photo. Reid refuses to wear jammies and Lily was already in bed. Everyone loved their robes, except little miss Kandrea. As soon as she opened the present she ran away screaming and crying. I always love that reaction when you give someone a gift you thought they would love.

Got ribs?

2008-12-23T12:11:00.000-08:00

This is Lilia's first taste of her mommy's ribs. She loved them. It is always funny to me to see my babies chewing on a big bone.

Merry Christmas

2008-12-20T11:31:00.000-08:00

Every year we take the kids to Haggin Oaks here in Bakersfield. It is a really nice community that has their homes decorated to the hilt. One of the houses always has the Disney princesses and Mickey and Minnie to entertain the public. The Disney princesses and princes sing for everyone. Their house is always a favorite to visit. I just found out this year that they are members of the church. One of the young men from our ward played Mickey this year.

Gingerbread Anyone?

2008-12-18T11:19:00.000-08:00

In case you can't read the signs, they say "We did these all by ourselves". They sure did. For those of you who know me, that is a big deal. I am somewhat of a control freak. I think I am turning over a new leaf.

2008-12-18T09:25:00.000-08:00

2008-12-10T11:06:00.000-08:00

Where did she get those eyes?

I wish I had eyelashes like these!

Happy 4th Birthday Kandrea

2008-12-09T10:15:00.000-08:00

Shopping.......REALLY?

2008-11-25T09:39:00.000-08:00

Don't I look pretty. I ended up getting the flu the night before Thanksgiving. I was up all night throwing up. It was one of the shortest, but worst flus I have ever had. Making Thanksgiving dinner the next day was the last thing I wanted to do. Luckily, Trevor and I had done most of the prep work the day before. Trevor did most of the dealing with the raw bird on Thanksgiving morning. I basically ate two to three bites of our Thanksgiving dinner.
I still don't know why I even bothered making a huge dinner. At 2:00 PM when we called all of the kids to the table for our Thanksgiving feast, let's just say they were less than grateful. Every single one of them was griping about having to eat. Hilarious. Here I thought I couldn't let my family not have a special Thanksgiving dinner and they could have cared less. At least I know Trevor enjoyed it.

Dress Up, Dress up Everywhere

2008-11-24T11:29:00.000-08:00

So, is Kandrea a ballerina or a burger flipper? I never know what ensemble my children are going to put together when they go through our dress up box. It is fun to see all of the combinations and sizes that they come up with.

My New Cleaning Lady

2008-11-24T09:18:00.000-08:00

I love that even my BIG girls still love to dress up. Maybe cleaning would be more fun for us Moms if we dressed up too.

Thanksgving, REALLY?

2008-11-23T09:07:00.000-08:00

We were really looking forward to Thanksgiving this year. We had big plans to spend four to five days in Moorpark with our family. I was suppose to do a bunch of mylar bagging with Kandy (Trevor's Mom) and WEndy and I were looking forward to showing everyone what we learned at our Energy Medicine conference. Two days before Thanksgiving our family came down with the flu. Can I just say I HATE the flu. I am sorry for the inappropriate language, but this situation warrants strong expletives. The worst part of it all is that Lily got really sick. Here she is with her Daddy, notice the towel to keep him clean. Poor baby Lily.

Our Own Little Model

2008-11-12T20:17:00.000-08:00

Trevor and I were out cleaning the garage on Saturday and out comes Kandrea in her bathing suit. Yes, it is cold here, but Maddi, Reid and Kandrea had decided they were going to go swimming. Anyway, Kandrea plopped herself right down on this Rubbermaid bin and said "Mommy take a picture of me". So, here she is in all her glory.

Tired Girl

2008-11-12T20:05:00.000-08:00

The other day, I left the kids at home with Heidi while I went to pick up the babysitter. Trevor arrived home before I did and this is what he found. Reid is an amazing big brother. He always makes time for Lily. She is the first one that he greets when he gets home from school. I think she has taken a liking to him too.

Our Future Looks Bright

2008-11-04T08:01:00.000-08:00

These pictures should restore your faith in our younger generation. What a sight to see all of these youth devoting their time last night and on Sunday to call the YES voters and remind them to get out to the polls. I wish you all could have been there with me, it was two days that I will never forget.

YES ON PROP 8!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-11-03T16:13:00.000-08:00

Well everyone...the election of a lifetime is only a day away. I was able to spend four hours yesterday with at least 30 members of my ward calling all of the YES on 8 voters to thank them for their support and to remind them to get out to vote early tomorrow. All of us gathered at Kathy McKeon's business, she and her husband own a Thomasville furniture store. It was a sight to see all of us perched on different couches, chairs, tables and even comfy beds phoning the people that were on our list. Again, I forgot my camera. I was so sad that I couldn't capture forever the sight that my eyes beheld. The feeling that I had inside was something that I can not put into words. What a blessing to come together as a family to fight for what we know is right. I stand all amazed by the devotion of people to do what is right, no matter the sacrifice. As Kathy McKeon said on Sunday, during our Fast and Testimony meeting, members of the church are some of the busiest people on the earth and yet we stop everything that we have to to devote our time to The Lord's work. I testify that fighting for YES on prop 8 is the Lord's work!

America The Beautiful

2008-10-31T08:45:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I had the opportunity to go to Maddi's class with Kandrea and Lily to watch her class perform a patriotic skit. I was not at all prepared for the effect that it had on me. The children recited the Preamble and after each line they explained what it meant. They went over all of the rules for dealing with our country's flag. They then recited quotes from many different former Presidents. The quote that hit me was by FDR, "There is nothing to fear, but fear itself." With the election of a new President on the forefront and this scary Prop 8 business, I have felt a lot of fear. I know that that is the opposite of faith, but it has been a major struggle for me. I can take the things that affect me as an adult, but my children. I feel like a mother bear wanting to protect my cubs from danger. When the well being of my children is threatened, I want to tear someone's throat out. I have been actively helping with Yes on Prop 8, but I have made it a point not to go out on the streets or to meetings where the opposition will be. I know that the church needs those people that are even keel to be at those places and that is not me right now. I am afraid I would end up being one of those people on the nightly news punching some dumb youth (from the opposition) in the face.
Back to Maddi's program, until this year, I have never truly appreciated the freedoms that we enjoy in this country. I have always loved my country, but now that passion is deeply embedded in me. Just saying the Pledge of Allegiance yesterday got me all choked up. Do we really realize the freedoms that we enjoy? Do we think about the abundance that we have in this country? Do we think twice about the opportunity that we have to fight for what we know is right? I hope that we can all find joy in fighting for this awesome cause. We must not stay complacent anymore. It is time to stand up for what we believe in, in all things and in all places. Stand up and be counted. Let's show the Lord and all mankind whom it is that we serve.

FHE FUN

2008-10-29T09:20:00.000-07:00

Trevor was in charge of the activity for FHE last night. I think he chose this one because he thought he could beat everyone. Well, he did beat everybody's time, but he is paying for it now. He has a rug burn and a hurt hip.

And The Award for Best Mom of the Year Goes to........................ME!

2008-10-27T20:39:00.000-07:00

Lately, Kandrea has become a very strong willed little girl. If anyone in the house even looks at her a way that she doesn't like, she screams her head off. One moment there is quiet, the next you moment you would think someone had ripped a chunk of her hair out. We have been trying for some time now to curtail this behavior. At first, we used baking soda and when she began to like that (Yuck!) we resorted to using soap. Soap worked for about a week, then we moved to the squirt bottle (Trevor's personal favorite). I am not sure that ever worked. Needless to say, we have tried everything we can think of. She just jumps off of her timeouts over and over again. Lately, I have even spanked her and it doesn't seem to phase her much at all, within minutes she is being naughty again. Apparently she is only this angelic for us. I asked my friend Lucinda, who keeps Kandrea two half days a week, how Kandrea behaves at her house. She told me that she is always so even keel and that she plays wonderfully with all of the little girls. She is always willing to share her toys and her puzzles with everyone. She said that Kandrea never raises her voice or does anything mean. I guess I should be grateful for this blessing, but I am left wishing she acted that way at home too.
I do have a story to share, I just have to give you some background to the situation so that you will still love me after you hear what I did. The other day, Kandrea was especially rotten. Let's see, after I told her no to one of her questions, she screamed at me and then I proceeded to put her on a timeout for the next 20 minutes. She got off every 20 seconds or so. I forgot to mention that while this was going on, I kept having to put Lily down on the ground in order to place Kandrea back on her timeout and Lily was screaming her head off. Finally, I gave up and I put Kandrea in her bed. In my head, I was trying to figure out what I was going to do with her the next time we had an issue. The first thought that I had was to put her in a cold shower, but I quickly realized that that was a little harsh. The next thought, the swimming pool....Within 4 minutes, Kandrea threw the straw the broke this camel's back. I whisked her up and we quickly walked out to the pool. I dunked her right in up to her belly button, jeans, long shirt and all and then I placed her on a chair outside and I told her to stay there. I walked in the house and I informed Trevor of what I had just done and I walked out the garage door to pick Heidi up from the bus. I texted Trevor to ask how Kandrea was doing and he said that she was still sitting very still in the chair outside. When I got home (10 minutes later) I went outside and I explained to Kandrea that she cannot keep behaving this way. She agreed and said that she was sorry. So, I said let's go get you some new clothes, she said "Yeah, I am a little wet." Inside her room, I told her that she needed to behave. I said "I do not want to spank you anymore." Her reply, "Why Mommy, does your hand hurt?"
If you all want to start a vote, I am sure that my actions will earn me the Mom of the Year Award for that one. Don't tell too many people about this experience though, the last thing I need is Oprah knocking down my door!

Doesn't She Look Like Abby

2008-10-27T20:31:00.001-07:00

I decided to see if I could put a bow in Lily's hair tonight and it stayed. While she was crawling around, I could totally picture Abby as a little baby with her hair in cute bows. I am sure that you will all think that I am crazy and not see the same thing.

Just a day in the life of a Mom

2008-10-23T10:15:00.000-07:00

Some family funnies that I have to share. The other night Heidi came out of her room after we had already put her to bed to tell us that Ali informed her that she had already said her personal prayer. Heidi asked her when she had said her personal prayer. Usually the girls say their prayer after I scratch their backs and kiss them goodnight. Ali replied, "I said my personal prayer while you were saying the family prayer." Now, if you know Ali, you can imagine just how she said this to Heidi. I am picturing her looking at her like duh. So, we called Ali out and asked her if this was true. She, of course, said "Yeah?" She was really bugged that we were even asking her such a silly question. Trevor and I could barely hold back our laughter. Brother, she brings new meaning to my favorite saying of killing two birds with one stone.

CAUTION: This story could cause discomfort for the male gender

Then, the other night at dinner, we were talking about bad guys or something like that. Reid said that he wasn't scared he would just punch him right "there". It seems this Summer Reid learned a very valuable lesson about that area for a boy. One of his friends was over and they were all playing in the hot tub. They were taking turns doing flips under the water and splashing about when Reid accidentally kicked his friend "there". His friend was pretty mad and so he proceeded to punch Reid in the same spot as hard as he could. I came outside because Reid was screaming and crying. I couldn't imagine what had happened to him. When I got to the hot tub and asked what was wrong, Reid couldn't talk. His friend said we both accidentally hit each other in the balls (those are not my words and I would never use that saying, nor would my kids. So, you can imagine the look on my face and on my children's faces when he said this.) As I pried a little more, I found out the real story and I explained to this boy that that was never an okay thing to do to someone. I told him that Reid would never have intentionally done that to him and that it was a complete accident. This friend of Reids comes from a family of all brothers. Is this really what boys do to each other. I am glad I am a girl.

When Mom's Away, The Kids Will Play

2008-10-15T12:43:00.000-07:00

So, I had to go to a meeting last night and before I left, Trevor asked me if the kids could watch TV. Week nights are so busy for us that the rule is no TV usually, but I said that they could watch a show if they had their rooms clean and all of their jobs done. Basically, no. I knew they weren't going to be able to get all of that done before bedtime. I guess I was wrong. It looks like they also had time to play a little.

Too darn cute!

2008-10-15T08:29:00.000-07:00

This picture of Lily sleeping in her Daddy's arms was just too darn cute. Wow, I guess sixth time is a charm. I always say, Lily is an angel baby. I just hope she stays that way.

Halloween Already

2008-10-15T07:56:00.000-07:00

So, the kids made me get out the Halloween box on Sunday. They all had fun trying different things on. It looks like Reid had the most fun though. For some reason he ran around the house in this panda suit that was way too small for him. So, Trevor chased him around and tried to take pictures. Reid try to do everything he could to stop him from getting a good shot. If Reid finds out that I posted these pictures, I will be in so much trouble. Shhhhhhh, it will just be our little secret.

We love to read

2008-10-15T07:51:00.000-07:00

So, Trevor has been telling Maddi and Reid his own version of The Lord of the Rings at bedtime. They have been loving it and so he decided they were ready to read the books. On one of the first nights of reading, they lasted about five minutes. I guess Trevor's version was a little more interesting than the books.

Me and my girls (well, 2 of my 5 girls)

2008-10-06T10:14:00.000-07:00

Cute Cousins

2008-10-06T09:56:00.000-07:00

Sleeping Beauties

2008-10-06T09:51:00.000-07:00

Have you ever heard the expression, it is easier to ask for forgiveness than permission? Well, I am going to need Mark and Kate's forgiveness after this post. I just couldn't resist taking this picture. We love conference, but 8 hours is bound to induce sleep.

Cookie Fun

2008-10-06T09:42:00.000-07:00

I made Trevor a deal when we do sugar cookies. I make the dough, he rolls it out and cuts them with the kids, I bake them and frost. I think I got the good end of the deal. He is so good to have agreed to it. Anyone who has done sugar cookies with kids knows how hard it is to roll them out and cut them efficiently with little ones helping.

Say "Cheese"

2008-10-05T09:25:00.000-07:00

When we got home from dinner, Kate and I realized that we hadn't taken any pictures together, so we asked Trevor to take one. Well, one turned into many. Am I the only one that has the fattest arms ever in pictures? Maybe my arms are that fat. So, I was trying to find a way to make them look slimmer. Kate showed me some tricks that she thought might work and that is when it happened. We started laughing and we couldn't stop. It took quite a few pictures before we got a normal one. I have to admit, it felt so good to laugh, to really laugh. Thanks Kate.

2008-10-05T09:15:00.000-07:00

We were able to get a babysitter and have a night out together. We went to Tokyo Gardens, where they cook right in front of you and do lots of fun tricks with the food and utensils. I was thinking how great it would be to have my own personal chef.

Conference Weekend Fun

2008-10-05T08:45:00.000-07:00

These are just a few glimpses of the fun that we had.

Happy Early Birthday Kate

2008-10-04T08:41:00.000-07:00

Kate, Mark and their kids came for our semi-annual General Conference weekend get together. It just happens to fall close to both of their birthdays. I am always looking for a reason to bake and celebrate.

Tender Mercies

2008-09-29T13:49:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was our ward's Primary Program. Ali was assigned to give a talk on the May theme which is, Heavenly Father planned for me to come to a family. "The family is central to the Creator's plan for the eternal destiny of His children" ("Proclomation," paragraph 1). Trevor and I asked her to start working on her talk by herself and then we would help her elaborate. So, she came to me a week or so ago and handed me a small piece of paper. This is what was written on it:

A couple of months ago my aunt died. I was so sad that I never got to say goodbye. But I know that when I pass away, that I will be able to say "Hello" to her. I am so glad that I know that families are together forever. I couldn't imagine how sad I would be if I didn't know that.

While I was reading those words, the tears began to flow. I think she was surprised by that. I reassured her that my emotions were already on the surface and her words just made them overflow. Needless to say, she didn't end up including this in her talk. She was worried that she would get too emotional to talk. I was so grateful for these words that she wrote down. I had begun to wonder if my children were missing their Aunt Ginger. They seemed so unaffected by her passing. I know that they are each dealing with this loss in their own way. Thank goodness for the answers that the Gospel offers in these trying times. It is wonderful to know that my children know that families can be together forever. We will see Ginger again and what a joyous reunion that will be.

Maddi? Are you sure it was My Maddi?

2008-09-28T14:08:00.000-07:00

Well, it happened today........Madison not only participated in her first ever Primary Program, but she even sang a song with two other girls in front of the whole congregation. Those of you who know my shy little girl, will know how impressive this is. Next we just have to get her to be baptized. I am open for suggestions on that one.

What a Beautiful Baby

2008-09-27T09:53:00.000-07:00

I have been tagged, YEAH, finally.

2008-09-24T08:59:00.000-07:00

Some of Ginger's (my sister-in-law) most precious posts were from when she was tagged. These questions make you really think. They reveal a lot about a person. Let's hope you all still love me after you read my answers.

Three joys:
1. My husband of 13 years this December
2. Ali, Heidi, Madison, Reid, Kandrea and Lilia
3. Being part of this huge Zierenberg Forever Family

Three fears:
1. Not being a good mom
2. Not being a good wife
3. Letting anyone down

Three goals:
1. To lose 5-10 more pounds
2. To keep my family healthy
3. To tackle the chaos that is my household

Three of my Current Obsessions:
1. Pictures, pictures and more pictures and blogging. I just got a new camera and I can't seem to take enough pictures
2. No sugar diet (both Trevor and I are off sugar til Halloween) and trying to be healthier all around
3. Essential oils and foot zoning (it's a long story, you will have to ask me.) So far Trevor and I have seen great results

Three Regrets:
1. Worrying away most of my time on this Earth
2. Not taking more pictures
3. Not relishing in every moment that I have had with people I love.

Three Facts about Me:
1. I expect a lot from people
2. I use to love animals more than anything. Don't get me wrong, I still love them, it's just that that love seems to have transfered to my kids.
3. My plan growing up was to never have children (haha). My friends said that I would be living alone with tons of dogs and cats and a huge pool out back full of dolphins.

I am going to tag Summer, Jason and Jen, Heidi and Rod and Monica

Ali and Mom's 1st time doing baptisms for the dead

2008-09-13T12:04:00.000-07:00

Our stake had a temple trip planned shortly after Ali turned 12. I am still nursing Lily, but I didn't want to miss Ali's first time in the temple. So, we brought along Justin Lee and he stayed outside and babysat while we did baptisms for the dead. I can't believe I have been a member for 14 years this December and I have never done baptisms for the dead. It was neat to share this first with my first daughter. I am still in awe at how she is maturing. I love to watch her grow.

Believe it or Not......My baby is 12

2008-09-04T10:06:00.000-07:00

Ali's 12th birthday was a bitter sweet thing for me. Turning 12 marks that Ali is really growing up. I don't know when it happened, but Ali has turned into an amazing young woman. Did I blink between her turning 8 and now 12? I feel like the time has flown by.

3 things that Ali loves about being 12
1. Being in Young Women's
2. Getting her ears pierced
3. And, last but not least being able to go to the temple.

3 things that I love
1. Watching her grow up as a member of The church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
2. Being able to be her Mom and witness her growth first hand
3. That Heavenly father decided to bless me with her special Spirit

Mermaid, Again?

2008-09-04T08:50:00.000-07:00

I let my kids choose what cake they want me to make for their birthday and oddly enough, Ali chose the same birthday cake that she did for her 8th birthday.

Mermaid cake 2008

Mermaid cake 2004

I get yet another Mom of the Year award. Is this life as #6?

2008-09-02T12:47:00.000-07:00

The Puzzler

2008-09-02T11:56:00.000-07:00

I don't know how it happened, but one day we got out some puzzles for Kandrea and the rest is history. She is doing 100 piece puzzles on her own with no help from us. She gets quite possessive over her puzzles. You are pretty special if she will let you help her do the puzzle. The girl must have a photographic memory. It is interesting to watch her put the puzzle together. I have yet to figure out her strategy.

Ginger Dee Clinton (Mom, Wife, Sister and Friend...)

2008-09-01T12:50:00.000-07:00

My sister-in-law (I think of her as my sister), Ginger, passed away on July 20, 2008 in the early morning from a rare heart condition. She leaves behind an amazing husband, Jason and their four children, Erin(8), Jenna(6), Brady(3) and Holly(1). All of our hearts are breaking for the loss of our sister and friend. We all feel a void without her presence here with us. None of us feel what her sweet husband and amazing children have to be feeling at this time. Our hearts and prayers go out to them. What peace the Gospel can bring at this devastating time of loss. I am truly grateful for the knowledge that I will see my sister again. The other night, I had a dream about Ginger. It gave me the opportunity to see her sweet smiling face in person once again. Right as I went to hug her, I woke up. I am awaiting the day when I will get my hug....You are loved Ginger Dee Clinton...You will live in our hearts until we meet again...

Ginger's Sweet Family

2008-09-01T12:48:00.000-07:00

A Mom's Words of Wisdom

This is a letter that Ginger wrote for Erin and Jenna's school emergency kit. What a sweet note that her children will always have. It is great advice for the rest of their lives. While I was preparing my talk on The Gift of The Holy Ghost for Erin's baptism, this letter kept coming to my mind. I felt like I should incorporate it in my talk. I likened the letter to something similar to what Jesus would have written to his followers before he had to leave this Earth. I think that He would have said a lot of the same things that Ginger said. What a priceless gift for her children.

Mary or Martha?

2008-09-01T12:47:00.002-07:00

When Ginger and I were together it was a case of Mary and Martha. Which was Ginger do you ask? Well, those of you who knew Ginger, knew the answer to that question right away...she was Mary and I was Martha. In the New Testament, it reads, Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word. But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou are careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her. (St. Luke 10:38-42)
Let me explain a little. Ginger spent her time building relationships with the loved ones and friends around her. She didn't sweat the small stuff. She didn't waste her time trying to put on a show for others to admire. She was always the first person to be willing to just hang out and talk. When I really needed to talk about everything and nothing at the same time, she was the one I would call. She was never too busy to talk. I am sure that she was busy when I would call, but she never let me know it. She understood that time here on this earth is precious and I feel that she knew without really knowing that we do not have a moment to waste stressing and sweating the small stuff. I hope that in time, I can learn that wonderful lesson that she so freely lived.

Lilia's Baby Blessing

2008-09-01T12:47:00.001-07:00

Photo Anyone?

2008-09-01T12:47:00.000-07:00

I use to get a little bothered by all of the picture taking that goes on in The Zierenberg famiy, but thank goodness for all of the amazing memories that have been captured by all of the photo enthusiasts. The thanks goes to my mother-in-law for passing this trait on.

Annual Beach House Trip

2008-09-01T12:44:00.000-07:00

I will probably get in trouble for posting this picture. Don't worry girls, we all look equally as pretty. It doesn't happen often that the girls find time to go out in the ocean together

Ahhhhhh...Naptime, Mom's favorite time of the day!

2008-09-01T09:50:00.000-07:00

Fun new steps for Lily girl

2008-09-01T09:18:00.000-07:00

Our little sweet Lily pad is growing up. She is trying to crawl, but she just mostly sits in the start position and then eventually lays down. She gets tired really quick. Then she is ready for a snack. Lily is one of the best eaters we have ever had. The girl can put the food away. She loves every veggie that we have given her, but Cheerios have to be her favorite treat.

Can you say Buckers?

2008-08-24T09:31:00.000-07:00

Kandrea is showing Grandpa how much fun sucking your thumb can be. The other day Kandrea told me that she needed to visit the dentist. When I asked her why, she explained that she needed him to pull her two front, bottom teeth because they were giving her a sore on her thumb when she sucked it. I couldn't help but crack up at her logic. Everything is so simple to kids, huh?

Sunday morning

2008-08-23T08:35:00.000-07:00

Trevor's Mom and Dad were staying with us and so it was the perfect opportunity for a photo shoot before church. The family photo might be the only family picture we get all year, so don't be surprised if it is in your Christmas card. As a side note, we had to bribe the children with gum if they would smile for the picture. I had to put the picture on of Trevor and I, because I actually like it.

Skipper

2008-08-22T11:18:00.000-07:00

This is our new puppy Skipper. We got him about two months ago. He is such a good dog and the kids love to torment them, as you can see.

Lilia DeVonne

2008-08-22T10:41:00.000-07:00

Oh Little Lily... I just love this baby girl. She has to be the best baby ever. She rarely cries, she sleeps well and she is starting to make all of us laugh. She has this new thing where she will wrinkle up her nose, lift her upper lip and breathe in and out of her nose real fast. She is just a love!

Hooray...1st Day of School

2008-08-18T11:09:00.000-07:00

The first day of school was Monday, August 18th. Ali started 7th grade this year. I can't believe my baby is in junior high. Heidi is in 5th grade, Maddi is in 3rd and Reid is in 2nd. Kandrea won't go to kindegarten until Ali starts high school. Now, that is a crazy thought. Everyone had a great first day. There were only a few tears shed, because they are going to miss ME!

Erin Kate turns 8

2008-08-10T11:50:00.000-07:00

Happy 8th Birthday Erin. We love you. Trevor, the kids and I went to Moorpark to help Erin celebrate her 8th birthday. We had a great time with family. It seems I can't get enough of family time lately.

Eat Some Cake

2008-08-10T11:31:00.000-07:00

The 2000 girls want to help you eat your cake.

SLEEPING BEAUTY

2008-08-10T11:22:00.000-07:00

We were all busy getting ready for church, so I put Lily down and when I came back she was snoozin...zzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

Our Night Away...

2008-08-08T10:52:00.000-07:00

Some friends of ours, The Morris's, offered to take our kids (except Lilia) and sent us off to their cabin in the woods. The cabin is about an hour and a half from Bakersfield in Glenville. It was nice and cool when we got there and so we set up the hammock out on the deck. We rocked Lily to sleep and then we cuddled up under a blanket and enjoyed the stars. We left around 6:00 PM on Friday, August 8th and returned back home about the same time on Saturday. It was a short getaway, but such a blessing for us. It afforded us the opportunity to talk and reconnect with each other. Thank You, Thank You, Thank You to The Morris Family!

Did someone say Jiffy Pop?

2008-08-02T11:36:00.000-07:00

YES THEY DID

2008-08-02T11:10:00.000-07:00

It was a great night of jiffy popping. This was our children's first experience with the amazing Jiffy Pop.

Reid's 7th Birthday Party

2008-08-02T10:33:00.000-07:00

Reid and the kids had a great time swimming and boxing at his party. Reid chose the fire breathing dragon birthday cake and it really turned out cute (thanks to Trevor's help).

Mom of the Year award goes to........

2008-07-31T21:50:00.000-07:00

I had put Lily in her walker for awhile to do some things around the house and I was amazed at how happy and quiet she was for soo long. Well, this is what I found when I looked over at her. I felt so bad. She must have really been tired.

GIRL'S WEEKEND, HERE WE COME!

2008-03-02T21:37:00.000-08:00

I just can't wait for girl's weekend. Aren't these pictures fun?

Lilia's Blessing

2008-03-02T13:56:00.000-08:00

Since I have Kate with me, we were able to get these pictures posted just hours after they were taken. Isn't she as sweet as a rose? She is 6 weeks and two days old. I can't believe how big she is. She is much bigger than I remember any of my children being at six weeks old.

Just practicing

2008-02-27T17:35:00.000-08:00

My friend just gave Lilia the prettiest blanket. One side looks like a bed or roses. So, I spent some time last night trying to get a great picture. Out of 25 pictures, this is all I got.

She is as pretty as a flower

2008-02-25T13:47:00.000-08:00

1 month

2008-02-25T13:46:00.000-08:00

Isn't she cute

2008-02-25T13:43:00.000-08:00

Little Lilia is such a cutie

Lilia's first visitors

2008-02-24T19:14:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I know the collage thing is getting really old, but I can't figure out how to do anything else. So, until I have Kate around, this is all I can do.

Lilia's first few days

2008-02-24T19:10:00.000-08:00

What an adventure Lilia's first few days were. She got to listen to an ipod before she was even 24 hours old!

Patiently awaiting the arrival of #6 (Reid is taking the picture)

2008-02-24T19:01:00.000-08:00

37 weeks and ready to pop

2008-02-24T18:59:00.000-08:00

practice blog

2008-02-24T16:09:00.000-08:00

practice

2008-02-24T16:00:00.001-08:00

Whoa nerds

2007-10-08T15:52:00.000-07:00

I just had to publish this picture of the three stooges. Hilarious!

Too much fun in Washington

2007-10-08T12:10:00.000-07:00

These are some of my favorite pictures from our trip. We had an awesome time in Washington. The kids were overjoyed to spend so much time with their cousins.

Our day in Seattle

2007-10-08T12:06:00.000-07:00

These are some of the cute pictures of our day in Seattle. We got to drive onto the fairy and then walk around the boat. It was great fun. Then we went to Seattle's version of a water park.