Christmastime at Disneyland!

We had the wonderful opportunity to go to the "Happiest Place on Earth" together yesterday. We had a lot of fun and wanted to share some pictures with you all!

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We all took turns going on rides and watching the little ones! Here is Grandma with Hayden! He actually went on 6 rides with us and LOVED it!



We went on Space Mountain and sat in the very front! We couldn't believe how brave Alena was riding all the "big-kid" rides!




Besides the mullet, we have no clue how Ricky spotted the lunch lady from this past season of Survivor at Disneyland with her family! But nonetheless, we got a picture with someone "famous" at California Adventure. She was very happy she was noticed and very nice.



We enjoyed the Aladdin Show, lot's of rides and Grandma even rode the "Tower of Terror!" ( I didn't think she was ever going to speak to me again!!! But we were so proud of her.) We stayed there until 11:00 p.m. (when the park closed) and had a great time. The fireworks and the snow in the park was the icing on the cake.

It is Almost That Time!!!

Only a few more days until we will be together again. We need to be sure to sit down and watch Kevin Defend his house against Marv and Harry or as we know them "The Wet Bandits." Here is a little preview to wet your whistle. I know it is not the greatest video, but it is the best I could do at 11:20pm.

We are doing very good here in Santee. We took our pictures for our Christmas cards today at Mom and Dads. Alena and Dean were really cute. Don't they look like they are having fun?

Can't wait to see everyone together again. It should be a fun Christmas!!!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

Since everyone has different schedules over the holidays I thought it would be fun if we could coordinate dates and plan activities so we can make the most of our time together.

Each couple (Jared & Marla can team up, or plan something individually) chooses a date and plans an activity that we all can participate in together. It doesn't have to be something big or cost any money. For example, we could all go down to the Temple and see the Nativity and lights, or go down to Seaport village and have ice cream or hot chocolate, etc. You get the point. Let's decide now so we can plan around everyones' work schedule.

We'll be in town from around the 22nd to the 2nd (the 23rd we're at Grandma Hutchings)... first come, first serve on the dates and activities!

We can't wait to see everyone!

Birthday Wishes

You've had a birthday shout hooray!
We want to sing to you today!
One year older and wiser too!
Happy Birthday to you!

Happy, Happy Birthday Ricky dear
Happy days will come to you all year!
If we had one wish than it would be!
A happy happy birthday to you from we:)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY RICK!

We know that the experience you both(Tricky)
went through must have been super traumatic, but you
guys are seriously awesome! I wish I had you for neighbors!
Thanks for setting a great example of taking care
and looking out for our neighbors!

We LOVE you!

Let it Snow!

Oh how I love the snow and I know that many of you are jealous of the beautiful winter season I am experiencing here in Utah. I have the joy of putting on layers and layers of clothes, always scared that I might slip and fall (which happened the other day at work. I was covered in snow. Haha), actually have to drive slower than the speed limit to avoid sliding on ice, and so, so many other wonderful things.
So it snowed last weekend and it is supposed to snow and I mean snow this weekend. Oh how I am so excited. haha. I think you all need to come and visit so we can play in the snow and you can get a little enjoyment of what I live in and love hahahahaha!

I love you all! Peace out Suckas!

What to expect from Cristian at Christmas . . .

steal all of Papa's hats

















help clean up the house

















throw a screaming tantrum

















play a game of peek-a-boo

















share his slobbery kisses with you















Cristian can't wait to see you in less than a month!

Hayden's First Turkey Day!

Hi Family!

We hope that everyone had an enjoyable Thanksgiving. It was Hayden's first Turkey Day and he had a great time! His Uncle Trent flew in from Nor Cal for this joyous event. Even though he didn't get to eat any Turkey, he had a fun time with everyone. He went to the Dead Sea Scrolls Exhibit today with Ricky and the Lemperle's. (I had to work-hey it was the busiest shopping day of the year!) He didn't cry the entire day! He is excited to meet Marla for the first time and play with Cristian in a couple of weeks! Yeah! Maybe all the kids can visit Santa together? I know he will be at Santee Lakes Dec. 16th or 17th if we want to skip the lines at the malls! We are so grateful to have each and every single one of you in our lives. We love you!

Los Amigos

What Mom & Dad really do when they "cruise" down to Mexico...



(This is the last one, I swear)

Disco Anniversary

Today Nick and I celebrate our 3 year anniversary. This past weekend Nick took me out on the town for a little dinner and dancing. Little did we know, someone captured us on video while tearing up the dance floor. Watch out dancing with the stars!



Ok, so we really just went out to dinner at PF Changs and went and saw Dan in Real life. We had a fun time even if there was no disco party. Maybe next year. . . .

CHRISTMAS EVE IDEA

It's been awhile since the Hartpence's have performed at Grandma's for Christmas Eve. I was thinking this would be the perfect addition to this years celebration.

TWO BANANA KIDS

BANANA FREAKS! Who knew that in Santee California live TWO little monkeys by the name of Alena and Dean who are CRAZY about bananas!?! Their father, knowing of their love of bananas, considerately brought home TWO bunches and TWO days later, the bananas are GONE!! Who would ever imagine that faces such as these TWO could shovel in so much fruit! I think Dean ate a whole bunch by himself!! (No wonder daddy changed TWO poopy diapers, today--HA!)

TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES

Ever since I was little I loved to play with The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in the backyard with Jared and also that sweet pizza shooter. So secertly in my mind and in my heart I have always dreamed of being a teenage mutant nijna turtle and I'm here today to announce my dream has come true. Turtles in a half shell... Turtle POWER!
I was also pondering and hoping that for our family picture we can take a picture of just the kids and we can all be ninja turtles but I guess since there are only 4, Rachel has been voted to be Splinter.. the rat. Haha. I call dibs on Rafael.

GET WELL

Grandma,

Good luck with your knee surgery. I know everything is going to go great and you'll be back on your feet in NO time! Get well soon, so you can chase me around at Christmas. We're all praying for you. WE LOVE YOU!

love, Cristian

What does a LION SAY?

Hey everybody!!! I hope all is well with everyone. For some strange reason our Kids did not want to be MEATBALLS for Halloween. On our way into Ricky and Troy's party, Alena asked us why we had to be FOOD for Halloween. As much as they enjoyed being a part of a great Italian (Fake Italian) meal, they just did not want to go out in public again dressed as part of a main dish. Alena really wanted to be a princess and we wanted Dean to be Tigger but it did not seem to work out that way.


.


Instead they both decide to be LIONS!!! Alena went to school as a lion because we told her that every other Girl would dress up as a princess and she needed to be different. Of course if Alena is a lion then Dean has to most definitely be one too. You have to admit this is a much more noble and prestigious costume that being a MEATBALL.

Who knew that Dean had so much hair. He left it that way ALL DAY. They had a great time trick or treating and definitely did not over indulge on candy. (Either did I, I did not even have 1 piece)

LOVE YOU ALL!!!

Larry

A day at the park

With winter fast approaching, soon it will be too cold for me to want to leave the house and play outside. We've been trying to use every warm minute we have playing at the park. We bought Cristian some balls at Target for 5 bucks, and if he could, he'd play with them all day long. Here are a few pictures from our day at the park last Saturday

NAMES!

Here is how we did the drawing for Christmas this year! KIDS: $10-$20 Cristian has Dean Dean has Hayden Hayden has Alena Alena has Cristian ADULTS: $40 Larry has Marla Christine has Troy Ricky has Jared Troy has Christine Rachel has Ricky Nick has Larry Jared has Nick Marla has Rachel Love ya!

Tis almost the Season!

We cannot believe that it's already November and Christmas is right around the corner! Rach and Marla-have you guys booked your airfare yet? We cannot wait to see all of you in less than a month and a half! Yeah!

What is everyone thinking about wearing for our Family Portrait? Do we want to match? Any ideas?

P.S. Do we want to draw names soon for our gift exchange? We would love to get our Christmas Shopping finished early this year!

"Tricks and Treats!"

Boo! Happy Halloween! As you all know, Halloween is our favorite holiday-From Hayden's first Halloween to our 2007 Halloween Bash, we've had lot's of treats. Hayden was "Sweet Pea" and we also got him a cute lil black cat outfit (of course!)

Here are some pictures of everyone from our party! Everyone looked really great especially Larry & Christine & Fam who won "Most Creative Costume" and Jared who won "Best Last-Minute Costume." I know that Grandma Diane isn't a big fan of Halloween but she looked adorable as a black cat!

Well, Ricky is at the Haunted House and Hayden and I are passing out candy. We are headed there soon to see Daddy spook everyone! Have fun tonight and make sure you check your candy!

LITTLE STINKER

Last Friday we went to a Halloween birthday party, so I had a chance to give Cristian's costume a "test drive." Here are the results . . . . (turn up the volume for full effect)

After about an hour or so of torture at the party, I told him we could go home and change. He immediately got excited clapped his hands and we headed home. I got a few pictures of a much happier Cristian before I took off his dreaded costume. We'll see how tonight goes!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Large Order of Spaghetti with Meatballs!

I know I'm the last one to write in this blog and I know you're wondering what my problem is....but I was waiting for something really exciting to share with you all...

Okay....look at the picture......get it?? Hint: There's a reason we chose this brand of spaghetti sauce.... YUP!! Dean is going to be a BIG BROTHER now!!!! You can't really see it but on the bottom of the label it says "Expires May 15 2008" (that would be the due date)

We told the kids today about it today and we asked Alena if she would like a little brother or a little sister and she said "Oh yeah! A little sister!!" So she gets it a little bit but Dean doesn't have a clue. I'm sure it'll sink in sooner or later.

Too bad Mary Jo has to shop at Albertson's in Santee, though. Thanks for keeping it a secret, Jared. (if you did!!)

Well, Larry keeps telling me to write more and more BUT we need to make our entrance at Ricky and Troy's Halloween Party!

WANTED!!!

Please be advised there is a terribly cute boy on the loose! He answers to the name "Hayden."
Hayden is always hungry and has been seen eating his own hands. You have been warned and know that he is armed with a sweet smile and a cute giggle. Dont let these things fool you! If you have seen him, please contact the Sheriff A.K.A. Daddy!

Calling Tricky & Jed Butt

For those of you who have not yet come come, back back, to Boise Boise (Tricky & Jed Butt) - we cordially invite you to visit the beautiful, adventure-packed tourist destination that is Idaho.

As you can see, there are a multitude of notable activities in which one might indulge.

You might be interested in visiting what some affectionately call a "calf farm". On this farm you can look forward to smelling and making friends with baby calves.


Though stinky and destined for happy meals - these calves are quite friendly and are always excited to see someone who doesn't prod them or habla espanol to them.


If calves aren't yo thang, Idaho has ample rocks and trees - perfect for climbing and sitting on. As you can see, some of our guests have enjoyed these activities very much as well.


If rocks and trees aren't your cup of tea, you can always play with, hold or swing with Cristian. In our backyard or at the park.


Aside from playing with Cristian, climbing trees, talking to cows and sitting on rocks - other guests have also enjoyed exploring houses in the noteworthy Jaydan Village subdivision (prices have been reduced!).

Idaho is famous for far more than potato consumption and Senators hitting on guys in bathroom stalls. We have cows, swings, parks, rocks, trees and a playful little Cristian (we even have indoor plumbing and potable drinking water). So forget about Mexico, exotic beaches or really fun theme parks and make Idaho your next weekend getaway or summer vacation and come visit us!

IDAHO: VISITORS & CALF FARM ENTHUSIASTS WELCOME!

We know we are COOL!!!

We are excited to be able to hear from everyone on a daily basis. As easy as it is to pick and the phone and call, it just doesn't seem to happen. All is going really good with our family.

Alena loves Kindergarten more and more each day. She is learning so much. She comes home everyday with a new song or story to share with us. Remember the characters that went along with every letter of the Alphabet? For me it was just an animal, but now those animals have names, a story to go along with it, and their own personal song. Alena knows every word and is not afraid to share it with everyone. She talks to people as if they were right there in class with her, using phrases like "remember when the teacher said" and "you know all about Sammy Seal right?" She definitely likes to share with us her new found knowledge.

Dean loves his extra time with his Mom in the mornings. Although he misses Alena, I think he enjoys being home alone. He is certainly stays out of trouble when he is by himself. He enjoys tackling, hitting, biting, and of course pinching (his favorite), typical boy things and likes to practice all of these skills on his sister. They remind me a lot of myself and Ricky. Dean sits there and goes after Alena but she will do nothing in retaliation. She just sits there and takes it and Dean keeps on giving it. But like all easy going individuals she too has a breaking point, and believe me you do not want to see her when Dean has pushed her to that point. Dean is getting REALLY FAST and is learning to recognize the look of Alena when she has had TOO MUCH. Dean is definitely an exciting part of our family and we love him a ton.

We love you and can't wait to hear from every one of you. There are still a few that I have not seen on the blog and would love to hear from you, even if it be a simple comment.

Love you

Larry III

Hi Family!

Hi Family!

We are looking forward to hearing about all of the exciting moments life brings your way and are happy to share our experiences with you as a new little family.

It has been a busy week! From Hayden's Blessing (What a special day!) to Roadshow weekend finally being here (Ricky helped write the show and I was in charge of the choreography. Oh! And Grandma and Papa babysat during all the rehearsals) we are learning how to balance life with the joys of parenthood and we are loving every second.

Hayden had his 2 month Doctor visit on Monday and he received his first shots. (I think it hurt Mommy more than him!) But, he did really good and the Doctor was so impressed that he didn't cry! He weighed in almost at 14 lbs! Wow! Rach- we might have to borrow some of Cristian's 12-month clothing already! Believe it or not, Hayden stills fits in Newborn sizing, but probably not for long. Here is a picture of him at his visit! He is in the 90th percentile for height and weight.



We love you all and look forward to hearing from you! This is such a wonderful idea and we are looking forward to this Christmas when everyone can soon be together!
Love,
Ricky, Troy and Hayden

Hey Marla I think I was the one who taught you how to make a mean corndog, or was that a frozen burrito? It looks good to me! Yeah family this is an awesome idea and if you forget our last name you know you can always ask me to turn around. I love you all!

DINNER IS SERVED!

You know every mothers dream is to have taught their children something that will help them in their lives. All I have to say is mom for sure taught me how to make one mean corndog. Haha! It really has come in handy while I've been here in Utah... Last break the fast my apartment was one out of many others who were in charge of bringing the main dish.... Sunday morning came along and of course we all forgot. So scrounging through the food I have, which is not much, I found none other than corndogs. So we slaved over a hot oven all afternnoon but as you can see our beautiful casseroll... corndogs and chicken nuggets. All I can say is everyone loved it. Mom you should be proud!

Wazzzzuupppppp!

Wazzzzuuupppppp! I am Cristian. I love cell phones. I might accidentally call you when I am pushing numbers on mommy's phone. If I do, it is because I love you. I'm excited to see everyone on here - especially my cousins. Talk to you later. Peace out.

I am going to make sure to blog often. This will be cool. Now I will have to do something exciting each day so I can tell you all about it and not be bored by hearing about my job and calling. I guess each of the kids do things incredibly interesting that I can share everyday.

I love you all and look forward to seeing you here.

Larry

it's time to blog!

Larry Dean II, Mary Diane, Little Larry, Christine, Alena, Dean, Ricky, Troy, Hayden, Rachel, Nick, Cristian, Jared and Marla . . . .

We've succumb to the pressures of the blog world. In an attempt to stay better connected, we've invited those with the credentials below to join us.

If you've ever . . . had a bone broken, something split open, or any another wound "accidentally" caused by Ricky; left the dinner table crying because you were "dum diddy dum dum dum"; rode your bike two houses up-one house down; spent endless summers swimming at grandma Hutchings; jumped from couch to couch playing the timeless game alligator; been pegged being a free target in shirt tag; danced in the living room to ghostbusters or ummm bop (thanks to the tape we forced Marla to buy); had a board game thrown at you; left the room angry after an intense game of Cranium; roller skated the trails of mast park; went around the country in a motor home; searched for a bite plate at San onofre; watched "chars" at grandma and papa's; wanted the receipt so you could take it back; biffed it on the skis, tubes or wake board; lost your glasses or some other article at Don Pedro; ate corn beef witches, ghoolosh, CHICKEN CHEESE MC NUGGETS or buffalo; learned all of Larry's skafety skids skongs; played skipbo with Great Grandparents-knock; stole a sip of dad's super big gulp while he left the room; sang the words to shut ups a bad word; carried rocks in a bucket up the hill; swam in Dad's beautiful pool; gave your child the come back" beep beep beep, I do not compute"; worked at Albertsons; wondered where Coco and Dakota magically disappeared to; broken a window-being thrown through one counts; dreaded having Fraulein call your name at Dr. Beckers office; driven to all the Mc Donalds in San Diego to collect Olympic basketball cups; given a talk in primary and have the whole family show up; ate texas sheet cake for your birthday; performed in an airband; craved Teo leos; listened to one of grandpa's jokes; had or given a hair cut on the piano bench; laughed at something Ricky said or did during the prayer; stayed after school to read your poetry ONLY in front of your teacher; been spanked by the paddle; ate breakfast with a cereal box in front of your face; sat on the third row in church; matched perfectly with your siblings at Disneyland; rarely ate a salad without homemade ranch dressing; piled into the back of the station wagon for some sporting event; been hogged tied with bike chains-and cried (Larry); watched every episode of Saved by the Bell atleast 10 times and could name each character by their real first name; . . . . . . . and the list goes on.

If you answered yes to any of the above, consider yourself welcome and obligated to contribute to our family blog. The idea is to post random happenings, and day to day experiences spanning from Santee to Provo to Meridian and everywhere in between. Please include stories, events and OF COURSE pictures for our viewing enjoyment.