I love Ryan!!

Munchkin. Pumpernickel. Poochie. Ryers. Padawon. Pookums. Mooch. Junebug. Soybean. Cheekers. Pooper. Bubby. Bud. Buddy. Mister. Mister guy. Tiny one. Fuzzy. Sugar tush. Sugar buns. Cutest boo. Mini bop. Peachie. 

And on I could go, but they all serve as names for my Ryan!! And every nickname fits him just perfectly. He is perfect. 

Here, look at him! 

Ahhhh!!! He is the sweetest and the cutest and he is mine!! ALL MINE till the end of time!  I worry sometimes that I'm just going to pass out because I can't the sweetness. I am going to explode. I love this little baby boy. 

Fun In Utah!!

So we were in Utah last week for Steven's brother Kevin's wedding! 

It was so nice to be back for a bit and get to spend some good quality Hansen time. Here's a few pics from the trip. 

On the airplane heading down. 

Me and Ol George! 

So when we were younger and they were building the Smith's (that's now Hobby Lobby over by seagull book and UCCU) in American Fork, we would ride our bikes over to watch. One time after they had poured the cement for a pole on the right of the main entrance, Jay wanted to leave his legacy and carved his initials at the top, and a smiley face at the base of the new yellow pole. And how cool is it that it's still there!! We got to see it when we went to Hobby Lobby to get pinwheels to put at the cemetery. My mom loves pinwheels and would always leave them at Jay's headstone. So we picked the most colorful we could find and put them right in between Mom and Jay. I hope they like them. :)

Isn't that funny? His JW is still there. Jay Wentz' legacy is set in stone in good ol American Fork. 

Happy Pinwheels. 

I was thankful it was such a happy sunny day when we went to visit.

So after spending a bit of Wentz time we got to stay with the Hansen's the rest of the week. It was a BLAST. 

Playing with 'Pops' and the grand kids. 

Such cute nieces and nephews! I love them SO much!!! 

Steven got to play some basketball with his brother Brian, Uncle Lee, and cousin Jacob. 

And of course we got to see Alli and Kevin sealed! It was so pretty- I LOVE weddings!! 

 

Such an awesome trip. It was nice to see some good Utah friends, some family, the mountains, and a wedding!! Woot woot!! 

Summer Time!

It's finally summertime! Steven finished school the first of June, I just finishes summer school last week, and it's finally time to relax! Which I'm really terrible at- I just can't sit still, I always have to be doing something- so it's a good thing I have Steven.

Steve is now a fourth of the way done with TCOM, and I finished a full year of teaching fourth grade!

For the summer we're just hanging out, then going to Steve's brother's wedding the end of July.
I'm excited to see my mountains again! I love Utah.

Well, here's some pics of what we've been up to! It's been a while since I've written on this thing, but here is pretty much my life for the past year- These Kiddos!

This is a baby shower cake I made that I was really proud of!

Texas Rangers Game! 

More baby showers! Sheep cookies and cute fluffy cupcakes.

Our first "family pictures" since we got married. At the botannical gardens here in Fort Worth. It's a beautiful place!

-Kellie

Five Years

It's been 5 years today since I had to say goodbye to Jay.

5 years is a long time. But also 5 years flies by real quick. 5 years ago I would have done anything for 5 years to go by as fast as possible. Now that it has trudged by so slowly,  I get to look back over those years and see all that's happened and how far everything has come.

I'm married to Steve. I'm teaching elementary. I graduated from college. We are in Texas for heaven's sake! Steve and Syl have 2 more kids. Kyle served a mission in Jay's "territory" of Ft. Lauderdale. My mom passed away 4 months ago. I never thought 5 years could hold so much! Either way, time has past, and we still will miss Jay.

We love him so much and will always miss him! Love you Jay! 

 

What Happens in Texas

I need to share some tidbits with the world.


First, quotes from my classroom:

a. "Mrs. Hansen, do you wear dentures?"

b. Student: "Look Mrs. H, I finished this book finally!"
    Me:  "Oh tight! I'm so glad! I hoped you would like it."
    Student: "Ya know, you don't need to say that to impress me. I'll think you're cool even if you don't say 'tight' all the time.".
    Me:  "Huh. I guess it's just habit...."

c. "Look, I can run like an Ostrich!"  after which he runs around the classroom with his arms out behind him.

d. Girl: "When were you born Mrs. Hansen?"
    Me: "1812."
   Girl:  "Whoa! That's a really long time ago!"
   Me: "I know it. I'm just really old!".

I love this class. They are such good kids, but so insane, and chatty and young. Oh so young. I forget sometimes that 9 and 10 really is so young! I love them. :)
 

Also, it's funny to me some things I see here that I never did in Utah. For instance, when did this whole "beverage" fad begin? Or was it always there and I never noticed. People say that cell phones have become an extension of people's hands, but in my opinion they can't be cause people's hands are already too busy holding drinks. Coffee, tea, coke, water, crystal light- it doesn't even matter. There are a few people at my school that I have never yet seen withOUT a beverage in their hands.
I see a lot of this.

 

And it perplexes me cause I never see this. Which doesn't add up. Where does all this liquid go!?

Yet people are drinking something constantly. CONSTANTLY. It's new to me. And I think it's so funny.

Also the mutton chops.  I've seen me A LOT of mutton chops just like this critter has here.

  

I've seen some other funny things lately too.

Christmas chocolates at a Big Lots. If this is the sampler, what on earth does King Size look like!? 

This was on the wall at a school we had a training at. I'm really not even sure if this really means what it seems like it means. But each toilet had a garbage can on top of it, so...yikes. Glad that's not my school! 

Anyways, the Holidays are now coming! I had to scrape my car off today for the first time. How grateful I am that it's been in the 70's here. We have Christmas set up too! 

Check out our cutesy pie mantle. 

 

And check out this cutesy pie boy holding our neighbor's little baby. There are some dang cute little kiddos here in our ward. We are in nursery right now and we love it. I've always wanted to get called to the nursery. We get to play with toddlers all day at church. I Love it!

Imagine how cute our own kids will be someday with that cute husband of mine! 

Well Happy Holidays! I hope you enjoy your week. :)

Round Two

There are no more adequate more for how I feel right now than these. Thank you Robert Keen, for writing this hymn. I'll forever be grateful. 

" In every condition, in sickness in health, in poverty's vale or abounding in wealth, at home or abroad, on the land or the sea As thy days may demand, so thy succor shall be. 

Fear not, I am with thee; oh be not dismayed, for I am thy God and will still give thee aid. I'll strengthen thee, help the, and cause thee to stand, upheld by my righteous omnipotent hand.

When through the deep waters I call the to go, the rivers of sorrow shall  not thee o'erflow, for I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless, and sanctify to thee thy deepest distress. 

When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie, my grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply. The flame shall not hurt thee, I only design thy dross to consume and thy gold to refine. 

The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose, I will not, I cannot, desert to his foes; That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake, I'll never, no never, no never forsake." 

                                                                                         -How Firm a Foundation, Hymn 85

We are Texan.

Last Thursday morning we set off at 6am to drive to Colorado, the first part of our travelings to Texas. It was a 10 hour drive to Fountain, where we stayed for 2 days with my big bro Steve, his wife Sylvia, and their 3 kids, Sabrinna, Tanner, and Baby Brianne. Call me crazy if they aren't the funnest to hang out with. Check out them telling us about where we're going on this car ride. (Hint, we are heading to a water park called pirate's cove.)

It was so fun chasing them around the waterpark! I love these little hooligans, and we had so much fun seeing Syl and Steve. They are moving to Virginia in the fall, so it was good to get a visit in before they leave us for the east coast.

We went and saw  Brave in 3D. It was their first 3D movie. Sabrinna loved it, but Tanner didn't like keeping his glasses on. :)

They took this picture themselves with my phone. Is your heart melted yet? Cause mine sure is.

Thanks Steve and Syl for such a fun time!


Sunday morning, again at 6am, we began the problem free, but super sweaty 12 hour drive to Fort Worth.
Texas is flat as a pancake. This is a picture from the truck as we were getting close to Amarillo. Yes, we definitely listened to "Amarillo Skies" as we drove through. Thank you Mr. Aldean.

 This little grasshopper hitch hiked on our windshield wiper for about 200 miles. What a lazy way to migrate! 

AND I always thought it was just a stereotype, but everyone seriously has a southern drawl and says y'all.


Our apartment is great. It seems so big after our last place! It has higher ceilings and just a little more space in every room. We're on the 2nd floor, we have a cute little wood patio, a dishwasher-thank heavens, and a washer and dryer. It's already painted a light tan color which looks really good. This place is my blank canvas. I get to spend the next few years making it adorable. Here's our mantle so far, and the shower curtain I found and fell in love with!

  This is Steven's suggestion for decor: 

That's a Derek Fisher bobblehead, a Magic Johnson doll, a voodoo doll and alligator head from his mission, and Jerry West Doll. Unacceptable.

We're excited to be here and so far so good! It's crazy hot and humid (I love the hot, it's the humidity that kills me!), but we are here, and all unpacked, and ready to head to Aruba! Steven's parents live there and we'll get there tomorrow and stay until next Saturday. It'll be my first time leaving the country, and for a beautiful island none the less! Let's hope I come back super tan. :)