Calandrino Chaos!!

What? A child beating???

2011-12-17T19:43:00.000-07:00

What? Is Louie beating our children? What why would she put this on the blog as proof? Well let me tell you this all started just like this...........

Wait for it!!!

Louie was just saving the kid from dying...look again!!

Camden goes to double digits!!

2011-12-17T19:37:00.000-07:00

Camden turned from single digits to double digits and wecouldn’t be prouder of our little man. Camden always is the kind of kid thatpeople want to be around. Camden always has something either sweet or funny tosay. He is the kindest of kids and has tons a friends and he always makespeople smile. He is the best to cuddle up with and talk to. W are super proudof the kid!! He was such a happy birthday boy because he got cereal…yep that’s rightcereal it’s like his coffee we don’t talk to the kid until he has his cerealbut he is a really great kid and we are so happy that God gave him to us.

Cracking Nuts with the girls!!!

2011-12-15T19:19:00.000-07:00

This year we had great company with us at the Nutcracker…andall our ladies got dressed to impress!! Jane and I took the girls to see theNutcracker here in town, just when I thought we would have to go to Vegas andspend a small fortune tada!! Louie took our boys over to the roller skatingrink so we enjoyed The Russian Ballet and then an ice cream afterwards….yep itwas so nice to see the Nutcracker and even better to see the Nutcracker withthe besties!!!

Tis'ing the Season

2011-11-30T23:44:00.001-07:00

The tree is all up and ready, and is making our little twinhome feel just a little bit more like home.

Thankful for Grandma and Grandpa

2011-11-30T23:41:00.001-07:00

This Thanksgiving we were thankful to have Grandma and Grandpa here!! My parents made the long journey to come be with us for the almost week. We had good times, we put the kinex coaster together, cooked an amazing thanksgiving dinner, walked Christmas Lane, watched the Christmas Parade, Saw Santa, Went up to the lake, played in the snow, got a Christmas tree and decorated it and just hung out and spent time together. It was so much fun we were definitely thankful to have them here!

Pioneering for Quiet!!

2011-11-30T23:36:00.001-07:00

Louie has the amazing shift on Friday nights from 6 at night to 6 in the morning so my goal on Saturday morning has been to keep them halfway quiet and calm and I managed to find a Saturday activity that did just that, pioneer day at the local museum. The kids absolutely loved it they had activities from baking bread in a huge oven to dipping candles, making apple juice, making yarn, making bricks, throwing arrows, cutting logs ect ect ect. The kids are amazed to see how it could have been to be a pioneer child and how different things were. Plus daddy got some sleep which is good for all of us.

Crazy Hair Lily

2011-11-10T23:20:00.000-07:00

I love crazy hair day at school and this time I might have just gone a tad bit too far!!

Corning Around

2011-11-06T23:04:00.000-07:00

With all the craziness that has been going on we managed to breathe for a minute and take the Peterinos to the corn maze/halloween paradise. We had a super great time (we always do when we get together) but add a huge corn maze and games it was amazing we love the peterinos!! Lily even managed to figure out what she wanted to be for Halloween thanks to the "witch" that was there so a zombie pirate it is!)

Jim

2011-11-05T22:38:00.000-06:00

Sadly I have to write another sad post about our loss of a close family member. On October 31st on our way to the funeral of our friend's father we got the horrible news that our brother in law Jim had passed away. Jim was a good man, no other real word for him he was always there when we needed anything. Jim has been in Louie's life as long as he can pretty much remember so he was like a brother to him and he was one of the first people in Louie's family that I met when Louie and I started dating. Jim became my alli when the Calandrinos all get together he would hang out in the kitchen with me and his dinners ahhh his dinners!! That man had the cooking skills of a magic man. Jim will be dearly missed through the trials of life I will always remember him as a person that would give you the shirt off his back if you needed it. Our prayers and love will be with Marlene, Corey, Taylor, and Mason the world should grieve knowing that they lost a good one.

Halloween

2011-10-31T23:24:00.000-06:00

Halloween worked out to be a rotten day around here, with finding out about the loss of Jim and being there as Jane had to lay her father to rest Halloween just basically sucked but we did get together with the Peterinos to trick or treat where Logan harassed Kaylee as every time someone would answer the door he would say "Hi I'm Logan and this is my date Kaylee" Yeah I don't think she thought it was so funny LOL

Moving around and around and around

2011-10-15T22:31:00.000-06:00

Moving is a rough thing...let me set the mood for you. 3 kids 2 dogs 1 cat 1 fish 1 Uhaul (The biggest you can get filled to the brim to the point we were putting stuff underneath before we shoved it closed and still had to leave things in Arizona.) 1 ford explorer filled to the brim in every area, 1 8 hour ride through the Arizona desert we finally pull into Cedar to the townhome that we were going to stay in as the relief of being out of the car and actually in cedar poured out so did the words of the meanest man in Cedar City. A not so powerful man who had found his power in being part of his condo HOA came running out telling us that the condo we were to stay in could not be stayed in and that it was undoable now I am a baby and freaked by the mere mention of lawsuits and cops so we crawled back into the car homeless ready to head over to our friends home. We left the uhaul there and I went with Fiona to the pizza place to pick up dinner when in the middle of Papa Johns I lost it, I realized that we were homeless and I just couldn't stand it they probably thought I was insane (but not enough to offer a free pizza). By the time I got back to the Flowers household Charlie had already made a call to his friend and Louie was already looking at a house up on Snob Hill (our affectionate term that the kids call the fancy house district) we signed up a lease and were ready to stay there until we were able to move back home. Well the novelty was short lived two days after we were in they foreclosed on the house and the bank got ahold of us. Yes we could have fought, we had a lease but once again I am the baby about things like this plus they offered to give us cold hard cash to leave so with just a little more then a month into the house we were all packed up again and now we find ourselves in a twin home a block from where we were going to stay on a month to month lease and 75 days to go until we move back home (even though our realtor Asset Management in Cedar City would feel horrible if our tenants who are in their 20s with no furniture or kids had to move for just a bit if their work is not finished by the time we have to move home, stupid lady I am just a bit bitter) But one day we will be home our adventure is getting better everyday.

We're going home

2011-10-08T22:18:00.000-06:00

There's no place like home, there's no place like home....well there's no place like being close to home. Since we moved out to Joseph City we rented out our house thinking that we would be gone for awhile and then tada Loves wants us to move back and give Louie a merchandising position which is going to be hopefully a much better oppurtunity for Louie back in CEDAR CITY. We are super excited to be coming home.

Smart Calandrinos

2011-10-07T22:14:00.000-06:00

It is great when one of your children earn an award through their school to show off their accomplishments, even better when two of your children do it but when all three manage to get up there and show the entire school that they are amazing just makes a mother's heart beat with more joy then anything else could. All of my kiddos made it up to the last ceremony that they will have in Joseph City before we move home. I have to say that the school here is going to be one thing that I immensely miss. I am just overjoyed and overproud of my little Calandrinos.

Navajo County Fair

2011-09-19T22:41:00.002-06:00

The Navajo County fair was the place to be! This too was just a reminder of how fast our kids are growing up. Logan spent most of his time accompanying different girls on rides and Camden was always ready to ride up with a friend with Lily tagging along behind. This gave Louie and I an opportunity to just be by ourselves which was fun but also kind of sad, they were out doing their own thing and we were just following them around they are growing up so fast. They had a great time though and so did we!

Lily's 7~~~

2011-09-19T22:20:00.002-06:00

It's crazy to think but our baby girl just celebrated her 7th birthday! She is such a joy to have around, she loves with every piece of her heart. She is always willing to help out doing whatever needs to be done and she loves to give her brothers a hard time. She is our special lil angel and I thank God that the girl he gave us is her!!

Watch out Joseph City Elementary

2011-09-19T21:59:00.000-06:00

The kids got to start school in Arizona this year. Joseph City Elementary is the place that our kids will make their appearance everyday! On the first day they had an assembly and I kid you not they called every child's name and the principle didn't even have to look at a paper, yep this is going to be good times! The kids were super excited to be the new kids and they have seemed to make lots of friends.

Utah Trip

2011-09-19T21:41:00.002-06:00

The kids and I met Uncle Ben, Bonehead, Aunt Jen, Grandma, Grandpa and Grammy up at the lake for a week vacation. It was full of fun, fishing, and family. The kids had such a good time fishing with everyone and hiking around everywhere! I enjoyed cuddling up with my lil Autumn!

New Mexico Fly Fishing

2011-09-19T21:33:00.002-06:00

On our way home we made time for Camden's favorite activity….fishing, and the best part it was in New Mexico. We found a really pretty river with tons of fly fishermen, only they were professional us not so much. The kids had tons of fun even Lily who one kept catching her pants because they wouldn't stay up LoL .

B-E-A-utiful

2011-09-10T16:17:00.000-06:00

Colorado has to be one of the most beautiful places I have ever been! It was so amazing!!

My favorite part of the trip

2011-09-10T15:39:00.001-06:00

The most memorable part of our trip to Colorado for me will be the Christ of the mines statue that stands high up on a mountain above Silverton guarding those who work in the mines. The best part was that there was a place to write your prayers or just words to leave there. I happened to have a small receipt with me and Camden and I wrote on it "Thanks for Everything" (I never really thought about what I would write on just a little slip of paper to God and what else is there to say?) So a few minutes later Louie brought me over to the box where all the words were kept and pulled ours out, Camden had taken it out and written "Take Care of Jammie and Grandpa, Love You" I immediately teared up and was so proud of him!!

Silverton Colorado!!

2011-09-10T15:21:00.001-06:00

Silverton Colorado is now one of my favorite places of all time. It is a living ghost town full of history and intrigue. We rode a stage coach, watched a gunfight, shopped and shopped and walked through the cemetary. My favorite part of the entire time was when I was given an entire town walking tour by an lady who was dressed for the part, the rest of my family made it only a little ways and I kicked them out for not paying attention I loved hearing about all the different aspects of the town especially how the bordellos were on one side of the town and the honorable ladies wouldn't cross the road to be on their side. So much history!!

Feeding Frenzy!

2011-09-10T14:46:00.000-06:00

The cheapest part of the trip was feeding the fish at the hatchery! The kids had the best time on a dollars worth of quarters just feeding the fish and making them do tricks…ok Louie and I did too. They would follow you wherever you were and the kids took advantage of that fact once they figured it out!! Oh if we only had a pole.

Silverton Museum

2011-09-10T14:30:00.001-06:00

The Silverton Museum was a fun place they had everything from rocks to mining equipment and everything in between. The kids got to see the jail cell and sit at old school desks which was pretty amazing to them. The lady even had fresh baked cookies which I bet the kids thought was the best part!

Mining our own business

2011-09-10T14:19:00.000-06:00

Silverton Colorado home of the real mine tour and that’s where we went! The let you mine for "gold" which I am pretty sure there is none of but I wasn’t going to be the party pooper so my family panned and panned and panned, even getting the tweezers out of the car to make sure they didn't miss a piece. After that we jumped into the mine car that took us back three miles into the mine where we had a whole history and visual tour. It was really interesting and scary all at the same time!

Mesa Verde

2011-09-10T14:03:00.000-06:00

Our first stop on our Colorado trip was Mesa Verde, an entire cliff dwelling area for native Americans back in the day! The kids liked it we hiked down to a couple to see how amazing it was and how they lived it was a good time. The best part must have been when right after they had taken thier junior ranger oath I asked them to step right off the path to take the photo when Lily just looked at Camden and said..remember what we just promised!! Too funny!

Rafting!!

2011-09-10T13:54:00.000-06:00

While in Durango Colorado we decided to brave it up and go rafting down the animas river! After a brief discussion of whether Louie wanted to sign his life away and his worrying about how we might end up drifting down the river with huge rapids we finally braved it up enough to get on the boat. It was just us and our guide and honestly it was relaxing, there were parts the kids even jumped in the river and swam for a bit, the photos were taken at the most scary part which left us just wanting more!! We loved it and will totally do it again!

Calandrino Skies

2011-09-10T13:45:00.002-06:00

Flagstaff not only has amazing people and culture but an amazing observatory which Louie was so excited to visit, only to his dismay I am not the most fascinated person by the skies above. Apparently we even came on a special night, they hadn't had the big telescope out due to clouds for two weeks and we were the first in quite awhile. We stood in line to get a glimpse at Saturn which to me looked like they had just put an illuminated sticker on the telescope but Louie was amazed. The kids had a great time going through the exhibits and looking at the moon while I found the most excited part of the trip to be the polka band that was playing there!

Checking out a CASTLE

2011-09-10T13:32:00.002-06:00

We visited Montezumas Castle…which is also known to us as a big old rock with rooms in it! It was crazy to try and picture people actually living in the cliffs and dwelling up there!! Pretty ingenious if you ask me!! Oh and it has nothing to do with Montezumas Revenge at Knotts Berry Farm LOL the kids were pretty disappointed about that!

Cataract Prettiness!

2011-09-10T10:08:00.000-06:00

Who could have ever guessed that Arizona had so many pretty lakes and areas here, and we found another one, Cataract Lake. Louie and the boys went about their fishing ways while Lily and I sat around the lake, for the ten minutes before the storm came through! And Louie was the first one up and under the shelter while the kids and I grabbed all the supplies! It was so much fun!

Beary happy in Bearizona

2011-09-10T09:51:00.000-06:00

Bearizona, the closest place you can get to being eating by a bear. We headed there to get our thrills! The thing is you stay in your car and drive through different areas of the exhibit in what feels like a Jurassic park feel. They have everything from donkey to wolves, bison to bears!! The bears literally just walk around your car, the kids and Louie were disappointed to not have thought to rub meat all over our car…maybe next time. They also have a walkthrough area where there is a petting zoo, in which Mr. Calandrino chose to not touch anything and a bird show where the birds go flying right over the top our your head. It was such a good time the kids loved it!

Flagstaff Fourth!

2011-09-10T09:25:00.000-06:00

For the fourth of July we headed down to Flagstaff to view the fireworks and decided to stay the night! The fireworks were so so nothing overly amazing but I think we fell deeply in love with Flagstaff, the people there are always so nice and overly expressive, they wear whatever they want and are just what you would call "free". So fireworks were topped off with a midnight snack which the kids thought was the coolest because anything done in a hotel room is 100% cooler (and I have to agree) The next morning we let them swim until their hearts were content!

We can't stay away!!! Utah trip!

2011-09-10T09:00:00.001-06:00

We can't seem to stay away from Utah!! Louie had a few days off in a row so we decided to go and visit Grammy. Lots and Lots and Lots of fishing was done, especially by Camden who is our newest fisherman! Louie even gutted and filleted his own fish a first!! We had sooooo much fun!! The most memorable part of the trip might have been stopping by Wal-Mart and having Dingo leave a surprise on Louie's seat for him, yep that always adds to a good time.

Laughlin around with Bonehead and Jen!

2011-09-10T08:55:00.002-06:00

Logan spent a week with Uncle Bonehead and Aunt Jen so we met in the middle to pick him up in Laughlin which meant we got to see our baby Autumn, so freaking cute!! We had such a good time just hanging out with them. We had a buffet and then dragged everyone to the mall. What could be better?

Our New Digs!!

2011-09-10T08:35:00.000-06:00

our new digs are finally unpacked and feeling homey!! I hung a sign my cousin bought me one year for Christmas that says "No matter what, no matter where, it's always home if love is there!!" This is so true! Good new times and experiences lie in wait in places you don't expect!!

Father's Day Camping (June 2011)

2011-08-01T08:09:00.000-06:00

We found an awesome camping spot called Fools Hollow Lake, so it was our first attempt at camping and I have to say it went great!! The kids had a great time catching what they called Crobster Lobsters and just fishing, Lily and I just relaxed it made for an awesome Father's Day Weekend! We now have all the stuff for camping and I can't wait to do it again!!

Mud Fun

2011-07-23T15:12:00.002-06:00

Well our house here in good old Arizona has no grass…honestly there isn't any grass within miles so what did the kids do? Play in the mud apparently through the summer mopping will be done multiple times a day.

14 years of wedded bliss

2011-07-23T15:03:00.000-06:00

June 7 1997 (14 years ago) Louie and I joined together and got married. We were so young and just so in love I am so proud of us we have just stood by eachother through everything that life throws at you and I couldn't have asked for a better partner in life. Louie is my best friend and I am happy we have eachother to go through the rest of our life with. This anniversary Aunt Jen helped Logan make a replica of our wedding cake and like the kids we were when we got married we still shoved the cake in eachother's faces and kissed it off here's to eternity.

Second Visitor~~~

2011-07-23T14:57:00.001-06:00

Our second visitor to our house in Arizona was this thing which I have found out is a centipede, apparently he was hungry for cereal. Needless to say Louie woke up to me saying "Get up there is a snake with legs in the cupboard" ewwww Arizona is for sure not my cup of tea.

Our first visitors!!

2011-07-23T14:55:00.000-06:00

15 minutes after pulling up to the new Arizona house Uncle Bonehead, Aunt Jen, Autumn and Uncle Ben showed up which was a breathe of fresh air. It was nice to have the extra help both physical and emotional. Jen helped me get my kitchen unpacked and my brothers kept the tone up by making us laugh. Having them here was a total lifesaver!! I love it I am so thankful for them.

Last day of school, last day of school

2011-07-23T14:38:00.000-06:00

For our last day of kindergarten Lily joined her three best friends for a picnic and day in the park, complete with a new best friend necklace from her friend Shelby, she has made such good friends but half of the foursome is moving (including us) so it was so much fun.

Etched children

2011-07-23T14:25:00.000-06:00

For the boys gifts at the end of the school year this year I took them to get their hair etched. Logan was ecstatic with his soccer ball and Camden loved his flame. Now as long as they grow out before next year…wonder what our new neighbors will say. LoL

Moving on up

2011-07-23T14:12:00.002-06:00

We have graduated…Logan is now in 6th grade, Camden is in 4th and our baby Lily is in 1st. It is crazy how fast they grow up, and sad too. It was rough for them on their last day knowing that they won't be coming back to that school next year but I am sure they will have as much fun then as they did here!

Fondant Logan

2011-07-23T14:08:00.002-06:00

(435) 238-7708

Bittersweet Kindergarten Program

2011-05-12T09:39:00.000-06:00

Lily's kindergarten program was a bit rough on her. They lined all the kids up in the back of the auditorium and had them walk down the middle aisle to the front. Well I am a professional MOM so I know to sit in an aisle seat, plus it's where you get the best photos. As Lily was walking down with her partner she reached over and grabbed the man's arm who was sitting behind me, apparently thinking that Louie had actually been able to come back from Arizona for the program. As soon as she saw that it was not her daddy she immediately jumped into my arms crying and crying which of course made me cry too because I knew exactly what she had done and thought. I finally walked her up to the front when the rest of the class was up and poor thing sang as she sobbed, it was so sad. The worst part I think was telling Louie because of course he felt horrible even though there was nothing that he could do he had to be at work. An ice cream trip with her friends and sleeping in my bed I think made it feel better. It just goes to show how much she loves her daddy and how much we miss him!!

Peterino Easter

2011-05-12T09:24:00.000-06:00

Peterinos+Easter+The WaterPark= Amazing times

After church on Easter we went down to visit Jane and Jerry. There we had an easter egg hunt, and then headed over to the water park. It's always a good time no really always a good time!!

Easter Morn

2011-05-12T08:50:00.000-06:00

The Easter bunny had all the intentions of the world to hide eggs outside, needless to say it rained on her parade so the house had to do the trick. The kids had a blast while Louie and I could barely keep our eyes opened. I think they got a pretty good hull after all was said and done.

Dying the eggs

2011-05-12T08:44:00.000-06:00

So much was different about this years dying of the eggs, first off we were at our house which NEVER happens and we were basically dying eggs in a workzone (aka our dining room). The kids loved that Louie was home to dye eggs with us and that we were able to do it as a family. Of course our artist at heart Lily decided to forgo the useful wire thing that comes in the decorating kit and just use her hands.

Kinder Easter

2011-05-12T08:39:00.000-06:00

Kindergarten doesn't get any cuter does it? The kids loved hunting for their eggs. So much fun!!

Logan the baker

2011-05-12T08:34:00.000-06:00

Logan really really really likes to decorate cakes, it could be that I have made him watch the cake challenges with me since he was a baby but he really has a passion for it. For his birthday present Grandma gave him money so that he could take the cake decorating courses at joanns. His first class was a success it was beautiful and he had fun doing it too.

Swimming Daddy

2011-05-12T08:31:00.000-06:00

Cedar opened up the aquatic center not very long ago and since then it has been our kids favorite past time too. They love to swim all day and Louie and I love to just hang out and watch them while they are wearing themselves out This day Louie decided that he would join them swimming which was a huge hit!!

Willis Work Weekend!

2011-05-09T11:22:00.001-06:00

So a few posts ago I introduced the Willis's and we were lucky once again to host the male population of them for a weekend because Mr. Woody provided his amazing trim services to us. Apparently he had never trimmed doors before but he did an amazing job. Poor guys worked sun up to sun down and we got our doors trimmed (which hadn't been done in a year and a half) and our kitchen put up. Let me tell you as much crap as I give Woody Mr Willis is a true true friend!!

First "warm" rain

2011-05-09T10:52:00.001-06:00

Although it didn't look like a warm rain it kinda was, at least it was the first rain that we could run in. If there is one thing I am sure that my children will pass on is the love of run and dancing in thunderstorms!! And then hot chocolate and toast afterwards!!

i DARE you

2011-05-09T10:50:00.001-06:00

Logan recently graduated from his dare program which sadly I have heard not many schools have anymore. I am sure he had a bunch of interesting discussions when it comes to alcohol (pretty sure he spouted off the fact that a glass of wine a day for you is good) but he learned soooo much. I know that knowledge is the key is making the right choices so I hope this sticks in his mind forever and he won't ever touch any drugs or smoke ect ect. As for drinking he knows that is must be done moderately AFTER HE IS 21!

Aunt Rene

2011-05-09T10:45:00.002-06:00

In California we got to visit Aunt Rene who is recovering from having surgery. My Aunt Rene is the coolest person ever. She is my Grandma's sister and has never been married or had any children in all fact she is like having a second grammy. She spoils us rotten, she loves the kids, and genuinely cares about all people. She is also ornery and likes to tell you what is on her mind!! We are praying that she gets home soon!!

Calandrino Cousins!!!

2011-05-09T09:38:00.000-06:00

While we were in California we got to spend an evening with the Calandrino Cousins (minus Toni Faye and Layne) it was so much fun a picnic in the park with everyone and a football game followed by a night of intruding in Auntie Marlene's house!! Always good times!! We even got to see Willow's prom dress which is crazy because when I started dating Louie she was not even one yet and now she is all grown up and beyond beautiful!! We love our nieces and nephews so much even though we don't get to see them all of the time we love them more and more!!

Visiting Autumn!

2011-05-09T09:24:00.002-06:00

Oh how we love Ms Autumn Elizabeth Hope!! We love that girl!! We are so blessed to have her she is a happy smiley sweet girl who even likes to put up with her cousins!

Knotts!

2011-05-07T15:18:00.000-06:00

Every time we go to California we hit Disneyland so we decided to mix it up this time and try out Knotts Berry Farm. The kids seemed to have a ton of fun especially Logan who dragged ME on every single roller coaster there! He is nuts! Louie is such a baby he hates rollar coaster so Lily and him headed to Camp Snoopy where they were super happy together! Camden hit most of the coasters but the biggest one he chose to sit out (Logan and I rode it three times in row). Next time I feel a sea world trip coming on!

Babies Babies Babies

2011-05-07T10:22:00.001-06:00

The best best best part of going to California is seeing the babies Autumn and JR they are the sweetest things ever I can't get enough of them, I would love to grab them and smuggle them home in my suitcase but I think I would have a fight they are very loved kids! Plus I love being Auntie Chrystal especially as they get older candy and ice cream paybacks are in order.

Science Fair Procrastination

2011-05-07T10:17:00.000-06:00

Let me be the first to say I hate science fairs!! It may be one of two things 1. I am a total believer of the child actually doing it (which we know never happens) or 2. I am a complete procrastinator!! Needless to say even though we actually started the work two days before the science fair (which is a huge success for us) the boys managed to win honorable mentions woot woot. The infamous projects Iron in my cereal and growing crystals!!! Does it get much better than that, simplicity at it's best???

Tiniest Tooth

2011-05-07T10:05:00.001-06:00

Our baby finally lost her front tooth, after tricking the tooth fairy with another tooth she found hers finally came out, oh and in the Calandrino house the tooth fairy brings a dollar for every tooth you have lost so Lily came out 2 dollars richer for being a cheater. The tooth fairy also brought flossers and new toothpaste what a good tooth fairy she wants to keep those things shiny bright apparently!(or she just doesn't want to pay for cavities)

Scouting For Snakes????EWWW

2011-05-07T10:01:00.002-06:00

Girls and snakes how does this even go together? It doesn't if you ask me but I am not in charge of the Utah Girl Scouts and apparently they do. Now I was excited for her when Daddy was going to take her but then a stomach issue happened and there I was, mom who HATES snakes no really I have a thing with snakes they freak me out beyond control. My worst fear was walking in there and seeing cages of the slimey nasty things all over the place crawling on the floor I don't know what I was expecting but I was pleasantly surprised to see one little contained snake in a box. Lily had a good time with her friend (only one other girl from her troop showed up) tasting their way through a maze and making clay snakes. Lily really enjoyed teasing me she has no fear she would have held the thing if the guy would have let her. I am just hoping that girl scouts sticks to cookie sales and crafting. Oh and I forgot to mention that to the snake convention Lily chose to wear a poofy tea party dress, at least there was that to be thankful for!

Let me introduce the Willis'

2011-03-20T19:21:00.002-06:00

Let me introduce the Willis'

Woody and Angelina have been friends of ours even before we got married and had babies and all that jazz. And they are part of the bestest friends you could ever ask for. This weekend they came down just to say goodbye before we head down to Arizona. Now picture an older version of Logan and Camden and you have Woody and Louie I swear Woody can't say two words without Louie cracking up. They are always laughing when they get together. Now picture a much prettier Martha Stewart and you have Angelina! She makes the most amazing meals ever and is beyond helpful definitely not a bumby houseguest. We couldn't ask for better friends!!

Patty's Day

2011-03-20T19:11:00.002-06:00

Saint Patrick's Day

Calandrino Style

Follow the arrows to my heart!!

2011-03-20T19:07:00.000-06:00

The other night I went in to check on Lily and found this sight……She had made arrows to her bed and then hung a sign over her bed telling me she loves me and I rock!! That’s a tearjerker right there!

Snow Day

2011-03-20T19:01:00.001-06:00

I grew up in California meaning that at the first snowflake they were calling in a snow day well here in good old Utah we NEVER have snow days so I decided that we would. I let the kids stay home from school, they watched movies, they made a cake they played games we got in the cuzzi it was so much fun!! I love snowdays!!

Calandrino's newest journey

2011-03-20T18:27:00.000-06:00

HE GOT IT!!

Yep so we can now officially announce that we are leaving the Sears team and moving on over to a new job with Love's Travel Centers. Louie is beyond thrilled and so are we. Sears has been at the least unaccommodating to Louie's needs or our family's needs so we are happy to be done with them. Love's is sounding like a wonderful opportunity the only rough part is that Louie's training will have to be done in Arizona but like we all know God loves to throw curve balls and although I have always said I would never move out to Arizona it sure looks like it is going to happen. So this summer the Calandrino's will pack our bags and make our way to Northern Arizona for a journey of training!! We are so proud of Louie!!

Hoteling it

2011-03-20T18:21:00.003-06:00

My kids LOVE staying in a hotel, and it's not like it is any different than being home someone cooks and cleans for you ect ect. We recently had to go to Flagstaff for a job interview for Louie which entailed us staying in a hotel. Even though we arrived well past midnight the kids were excited Lily wanted to know where the ice maker was they wanted to jump all over the place it was quite the night.

The next day we drove around looking at where we might live in the future ended up at a mall in Flagstaff then off to Olive Garden for a good luck lunch for Louie. Louie ended up interviewing for quite the while so the kids and I took off looking at a cemetery (yes creepy but tons of fun) and we went to target and we got shamrock shakes.

Finally Louie was done with his interview and…………

Making up my Lily

2011-03-20T18:09:00.000-06:00

So one thing I totally love about having a girl is all the fun stuff we get to do together. Recently Lily discovered curlers!! She is so adorable with her curlers in looking like an old lady. Also she has loved getting into my makeup and she does a pretty good job of it too. She does everything but her eyeliner even her mascara and such. One day all these beauty treatments will become everyday occurances for her but until then they are my joy!!

Our other animals.

2011-03-03T16:04:00.002-07:00

So not everyone knows about the other members of our family Ella, Pikachu, and Moose.Lily's favorite stuffed animal is actually not an cuddly stuffed animal but a backpack. Ella goes everywhere with us and although Lily sleeps with a complete entourage of animals it is a necessity that Ella gets tucked in right next to her. Lily loves her Ella and can become very upset with her brothers when she realizes at night that they have hidden Ella, not something that goes unpunished around here. Logan's favorite is Pikachu, Pika is HUGE he is a HUGE pillow that Logan wanted for his birthday a couple of years ago. Pika serves many uses but I think the most important is the one of helping Logan hold on to his childhood for as long as he can, the fact that he still has a stuffed animal favorite makes me a happy mommy.

Finally Camden's Moose, now Moose's story lies not what he does for Camden but what he did for Camden. Camden was given Moose by John when we were in California right after Jammie had passed away. Camden just needed something to hold onto and something to love and John more than willing gave it to Camden while we were staying at his house. To this Moose also goes everywhere with us and will probably always be a special animal for Camden.

Daddy's new toy

2011-03-03T15:56:00.000-07:00

Louie finally got his SLR something he has wanted for as long as they have been around. So after watching the video that came with it Louie and I took the kiddos up the mountain to take some photos. I hate paying people to take photos and now I honestly don't ever have to look for someone to do it for me this camera is amazing!! I love how our photos turned out we would have had a ton more but Louie's unprofessional photographer self sat down on his knee to get the shot...in the snow it says something about his determination. I am happy we have this awesome new toy!

Daddy's little girl

2011-03-03T15:53:00.000-07:00

As everyone who knows us well knows that Lily and Louie have a special connection. Be it that she is daddy's little girl and he is going to cherish this for as long as she likes him, hence before she becomes ready to date ect ect ect. This day I had a test I had to take for school in Saint George so Louie took Lily out shopping to the mall with him, needless to say she came back in a totally new outfit all the way from the new shoes to the new ring he had bought her. I love that they love each other so much and that they have such a strong bond!

The biggest turns 11~!

2011-02-25T13:45:00.000-07:00

Our eldest baby turned 11 he is a super cool kiddo, yeah there are times that we wish he could sit down for two minutes but what would be the fun in that? LOL. We love Logan he is super funny and sarcastic and super caring and loving. For his birthday we took him and his friend to the pool where they swam forever. Then on his actual birthday of course we made him the traditional waffles with All the toppings. We also picked him up early and took him out to eat at Chilis where they brought him a big old molten lava cake!!! WE ARE SO PROUD OF OUR BOY!

Valentines Calandrino Style

2011-02-25T13:32:00.002-07:00

Valentines oh Valentines this year was pretty average around here Louie had to close so I headed out to the kids school walking around in knee boots with a four inch heal was not a wise choice. When I finally gathered them all up we came home and watched a scary movie..."something wicked this way comes" which when I was younger scared the snot out of me...apparently I was a baby! My kids liked the movie but thought little of it being scary.

Baptizing the baby

2011-02-25T13:22:00.001-07:00

January 9th we were honored to attend the baptism of our newest niece Autumn. It was a really nice service although very emotional because as I sat there I could remember when Louie and I baptized Jammie so there were a few tears held back so that we could enjoy the celebration for Autumn. She is so stinking cute!!

Minute to the new years!

2011-02-25T13:12:00.000-07:00

We rung in the New Years Minute to Win it style thanks to John and Emma who got us the game for Christmas!! Everyone had so much fun! We of course continued the tradition of waking up our neighborhood with the car horn, fireworks, and pots and pans!! Good times!!

Pj's

2011-02-25T13:02:00.002-07:00

Our pj's theme this year you ask...cookies and milk!! Lily insisted that I make her a night gown which I think turned out amazingly cute!! I

Happy Birthday Jesus!

2011-02-25T12:27:00.001-07:00

Christmas night around 11 is when we got finally got home from our Christmas in Vegas, the kids insisted that we open the presents that Santa had dropped off at our house, so we opened our presents, sang Happy Birthday to Jesus ate some birthday cake and then headed to bed, well Louie and I did the kids enjoyed their new toys!

Calandrino Christmas!

2011-02-25T12:21:00.001-07:00

Christmas Morning we headed up to Vegas to spend time with the Calandrino side. The kids loved playing with all their cousins, minus the two in Sacramento,. It was a good time. Unfortunately my camera started to act up so we didn't get too many good photos!

California Christmas

2011-02-25T12:15:00.001-07:00

One thing to be grateful for this Christmas was for the first time in I don't even know how long Louie actually got Christmas Eve off!! We left the night before and we headed down to Justin and Jens where we celebrated Camden's Birthday with them, Justin even made him an awesome monkey cake. On Christmas Eve we opened presents with my family so that the kids could run around with Uncle Justin, Uncle Jon, and Uncle Ben with cap guns and laser guns ect ect. Then we headed down to church where my parents took the kiddos while Louie and I chose to stay with my Aunt Rene who is in the hospital. Afterwards we headed over to Grammy's for the annual Christmas Celebration! I love these times with everyone!!

Calandrino's visit Santa!

2011-02-25T12:09:00.000-07:00

Oh what fun it must have been for Santa to have us take these with him.....

Camden's Breakfast Birthday Bash

2011-02-25T12:02:00.002-07:00

Camden hosted his annual Breakfast Birthday Bash this year with tons of friends, food, and fun!! We played a cereal scramble game where boxes of cereal were like puzzles, we did an orange toss, and we ate lots of waffles that were Mickey faces. Everyone came in the pajamas and they all seemed to have an awesome time!!

Camden parade's around town!

2011-02-25T11:28:00.002-07:00

For our town's Christmas Parade Camden got to join in the school's choir on a float in the parade. The best part about it is with only one car we got to walk ourselves, which turned out to be awfully fun. We dropped Camden off at the top of Main Street while Logan and Lily walked with me down to the end of the parade route where we waited for Camden, after that we headed over to the Chinese buffet and then back down the road, it was a super fun day.

Autumn Arrives!!

2011-01-04T19:54:00.001-07:00

Welcome Autumn Elizabeth Hope Johnson!!
Our new niece arrived in the world November 16 at 3:54 pm weighing in at a tiny little 7 lbs 5 ozs and 19 inches long.
She is so awesome we got to meet her when the kids and I went to California for Thanksgiving needless to say there was tons of smothering with kisses and cuddling, we are so lucky to have her in our lives and know that she will be a blessing to Justin and Jen. The hardest part is knowing how much her sister would have loved her!

Grandma Lillie

2011-01-04T19:51:00.001-07:00

Logan created his ancestor project and used my Great Grandma Lillie! Fortunately for us my Aunt and Uncle once sat with her and talked with her and then put the entire interview on DVD!! So we got to hear her life story in her own words which was really neat. Logan did a great job and I swear was in the 2% of the entire school that didn't have the words..."came over for the church" imprinted on his page, good old Utah!

Cookies for santa

2011-01-04T19:39:00.002-07:00

Cookie decorating may be the messiest thing that we do in our house every year......................NOT!!

Gone Fish'n

2011-01-04T19:31:00.001-07:00

Louie took all the kiddos up to the reservoir to go fishin' and well the male species of our family decided that it was a good idea, the female child not so much being a vegetarian she just looked at it as an absolute horror and decided to exercise and walk around the pond. The boys had an awesome time, lots of knots, and lost hooks and tied up lines but they loved every minute of it!

Halloween!!

2011-01-04T19:21:00.001-07:00

Halloween turned out to be a complete ordeal this year....First off it was rainy and cold. Second two thirds of the children had parties on that day. Needless to say we celebrated on a Saturday due to the fact that Halloween fell on a Sunday and around here that is a huge no no! So after carting everyone to thier respective parties, stopping to get our pumpkins, and getting the annual jack o lantern pizza the skies cleared for us which led to a night full of trick or treating only this year we decided to work smarter and not harder, we drove the car to the bestest spot in town and then walked up and down the streets, so much fun the kids even heard about the hook up at the doctor's house in which he was giving away full candy bars with a pez dispenser! Made our secondhand nasty candy pile look really bad!

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2010-11-26T09:12:00.001-07:00

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Apple Dumplin Gang

2010-11-11T16:54:00.003-07:00

While in California we took a day trip to Oak Glen which is full of apple orchards. We went with my Grammy, Ben, jen, Justin, my mom, Emma and jess. My Grandma loves thier apple dumplings...well that put Bonehead on a mission we drove through the crowded city over and over to find apple dumplings..ok a huge line that lead to apple dumplings. It was lots of fun and nice to just be doing a traditional thing with people I really love.

Showering Autumn!

2010-11-09T09:18:00.001-07:00

We got to celebrate our new baby girl who is due to come in November..baby Autumn. Auntie Emma threw Bonehead and Jen a baby shower it was so much fun everyone showed up and we had a great time playing games, the kids LOVED all the games and the company was amazing. Autumn is going to be so special and so loved.

Bonehead and Jens

2010-11-09T09:11:00.000-07:00

We made the trip to California for Autumn's shower we stayed of course with Uncle Bonehead and Auntie Jen. I braved the drive all by myself and the three kiddos and made it in pretty good time minus a stop for food we kept going and going and going. We surprised Uncle Bonehead at his work. Grammy and Uncle Ben came and stayed too we love getting together with everyone even though it we were missing one, Jammie. The kids had a good time, Auntie Jen is getting baby big and the kiddos got to feel Autumn moving and thought it was amazing! We can't wait to meet her!

Volcano Day

2010-11-07T13:07:00.001-07:00

This was our first volcano day which all the fifth graders had to participate in. Of course I thought I was being overly creative with our idea of using spray insulation to create our Mt. Rushmore but apparently it takes more than just one can or else as Logan informed me it looks like a pile of white (well you get the idea). By the time that we walked up to the school I realized then that what we thought was going to blow the socks off everyone else actually ended up being the unpainted, undecorated version of EVERY other volcano that was to erupt that day (Minus the girl that blew a balloon through a plain cake). Needless to say I still stood tall and pretended to be proud of it. The good news is Logan has a mentos erruptor which worked beautifully and did the job I would say one of the best displays. After every child in the fifth grade class had blown up their handcrafted volcanoes we all made our way to the dumpster and I bet the trashman doesn't even care whether or not ours was painted. Camden' s will be much more spectacular but that is the benefit of being the second child!

Soccer Mommy!

2010-11-07T13:04:00.000-07:00

I LOVE being a soccer mom!

The difference between Martha and Chrystal you ask?

2010-09-23T16:50:00.003-06:00

Well the difference you ask is not the quality of the food of the jellies or the pickles...it is not the amount of stuff or the love that is put into that stuff....it is the fact that Martha Stewart has a crew to clean up behind her.....Chrystal Calandrino has a crew to clean up after. Needless to say we have zuchinni pickles, dill pickles, zuchinni bread, plum jelly, zuchinni relish and sweet pickles. Yummy days!! Messy Days By the way the house was cleaned that night LOL.

Louie rides the bus!

2010-09-23T16:42:00.003-06:00

Lily had a field trip which is always exciting but this one was even more exciting because Louie had the day off with us and got to go with us. To his dismay Louie got volunteered to ride the bus too...up the mountain. It was nice to get partially up the mountain and go for a hike with a classroom full of five year olds and look for signs that fall is among us. Lily LOVED having Louie around with us and I think he really enjoyed it!

Partying with the kindergartners!

2010-09-23T16:28:00.002-06:00

Lily's birthday was not my normal amazing parties I will be the first to admit but Lily and all the kids had fun and that is all that matters right? I don't htink I could have done it without Fiona and Louie they prepared all the PB&J's and Louie printed out all the party favors and I tried to keep 13 lil kindergartners under control playing duck duck goose, pin the tail on the donkey. Ect She had a great time and I think the best part was when the boys let the kindergartners throw water balloons at the the entire time...needless to say that two hour party equaled into a tired mommy and daddy but a happy Lily and that is all that matters.

Back to School Bashing

2010-09-14T18:32:00.004-06:00

The back to school bash is always a favorite around the Calandrino house! This year we had crazy fun, I think the kids got to do everything they wanted and Louie even showed up in time to see them do all the "boy" things like climbing the rock wall and seeing how fast they could throw a baseball (turns out Louie throws at a 50). Lily had a good time bounce housing it and going down the big slide and practicing (aka showing off) her gymnastic skills. It was tons of fun and they ended the night with a dance party with Cody and Parker!!

Happy Sixth Lil!

2010-09-14T17:46:00.005-06:00

Pretty sure Lily had an amazing 6th Birthday~~~ Can you believe it SIX?
Grandma, Uncle Bill, and Penny Lou Who came over after church and then Cody, Mrs. Fiona, Parker, and Mr. Flowers came over to share the day, apparently Cody wasn't going to let her have a birthday without him. She opened presents and served mickey mouse waffles for breakfast, sorry no bacon or sausage and then served bean and cheese burritos once again no meat! Her and Cody had such a good time working with the blizzard ice cream maker that he got her and the magic dough.

There are so many special things that we love about Lily

#1 she is her own person, she never falters or changes her opinons for anyone

#2 She hates farts!!

#3 She believes she is a vegitarian-yep all by herself

#4 She dresses like punky brewster and doesn't even know who she is

#5 She loves her daddy and treats him like a king, then reminds him she is his little princess

#6 She wears adorable glasses

#7 She is an amazing gymnist and is always willing to show off

#8 She is a princess inside and out

#9 She is an amazingly caring and understanding SIX year old, yep better then some sixty six year olds!

#10 She is our special gift from God~

Our baby goes to Kindergarten

2010-09-08T09:56:00.003-06:00

Well the final Calandrino has started school. Our baby girl is finally in kindergarten. She started a week behind all the other's due to us being in California and grieving our loss so her first day wasn't full of a bunch of crying kindergartners. Louie being the amazing daddy he is took his lunch and drove all the way back to Cedar just to walk her into school and let me cry on his shoulder. Lily's only hesistation that she said to us was "I am still a wittle nervous" and when I picked her up she said "Recess is total choas and out of control". Her "best" friend Cody actually ended up being sick so he wasn't there and I was worried she would be upset but she just said "Now I can help him when he gets back". And now I am all alone everyday for a couple of hours, the house is wierdly quiet hopefully I can get lots done now.

Mackenzie Elizabeth Johnson aka. Jam Jam- God's newest angel

2010-09-07T18:45:00.006-06:00

This will be the hardest post that I will ever write. We recently lost our niece, Goddaughter, cousin, and favorite 20 month year old ever.

A tragic accident ended her life and God decided that he wanted her even though I am pretty sure we all needed her here more. These past two weeks have been the hardest I have ever had to endure, the weeping, the crying, and not being able to make anyone feel better or even be able to stop. It is times like these that I can not help but to question what God is doing up there and what he is thinking, I know in God's eyes I am only a child with the ability to only see what I can and his eyes are full of everything, and as Louie keeps telling me God looks at death differently than we humans do but it is so painful and hard to understand that he took her. We loved her so much, we had just spent so much time together over the summer, her and Lily sneaking off and playing and her screaming at me (how she showed she loved me) and her holding Louie's hand to make him hum the smurf tune, it is crazy to me to think that I will never be able to hold her again it almost seems surreal at times like it is a horrible horrible dream that I just can't wake up from.

My brother and Jen have been pillars of strength for eachother when they see one falling they are there to pick the other up and hold them. All we can do is pray and yes it is hard when I am so angry at God. Two nights after the accident I looked up and prayed for strength to get through it and I didn't get the feeling I normallly do then as my smart self I looked up at the stars and said aloud "seriously? nothing?" at that moment a shooting star shot through the sky and I found the strength to be there for everyone, even to get up and speak at the standing room only church service. This week being home is painful, the time that I didn't mourn down there because I was trying to be there for everyone else is catching up with me I find myself going from teary to ready to tear a strangers head off. I will miss my Jam Jam and I will miss all of the fun times we had together and what I like to call our "special" relationship, I still cry for my brother and jen and can't even comprehend the pain they are going through and I pray that when God decides to reveal his glory to us in the end he has an explaination for taking her away to quickly. And as I have said all week all I can do is praise God in this storm and know he has my Goddaughter and is holding her close.

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