OUR life, OUR memories... MY journal

Our Baby Birthday Boy!

August 8th, 2009 our little Jensen "Ding" Banks turned 2!!!

Because we celebrated so much...there will be lot's of pictures!!!

We began celebrating early in the morning.

Our little Family spent the day at the Zoo.

This is about the time Jack said "Hey bubs...look at his balls, they are HUGE!!!"

Dad and I wanted to DIE!

HAPPY Birthday Boy!!!

Lovin life!

Don't you just love it when your kid "poops" in public!

"US"

2 Lizards (at least thats what we paid for) and a baby!

Jaden and a monkey of some sort!

Poor Jackee was scared of all types of monkeys. He was being a good sport letting me take his picture and right when it flashed, the monkey moved and I caught this...LOL

Monkey see Monkey do!

When we left the Zoo we went home an unwrapped gifts!

Jensen got a new Big Wheel CARS bike!

He LOVED it, I can't believe how fast he got the hang of it!

When he gets tired...he walks it!

After the Zoo, Presents and lots of bike riding... you just need a good snooze!

We decided on Red Robin for Birthday dinner, Jensey planned on sleeping right thru!

Jack decided he would be our entertainment for the evening!

Finally he's awake after a little soda!

"I'm so glad...I woke up! Look at my dessert, it's BIGGER than me!

Here we are at breakfast, getting lot's of nutrients for another day of celebrating!

Dad decided that Jens should get "real" soda and not just rootbeer or sprite since it was "JENSEN DAY"

So, here he is at 9am drinking a Dr. Pepper!

Look at these TWINERS!!!

Daddy and Ding sharing sausage!

After lots of sweeping, cleaning, decorating and cooking we are ready to

PARTY!!!

"Who rocks this house...?

Daddy rocks this house!!!"

YUMMY food!

Just takin it all in!

Mommy Jadie, Daddy and Dingy

"I'm not waiting any longer...I'll get my own sandwich!"

HOLY...Kid Oly!

"Put my present down..."

Opening Gifts!

"Grandpa Brad bought me a throne,

Grandma Donna laughed because it kept tipping me over!"

More CARS, cars!

"What could it be...?"

Playing in the dirt.

"Mowing the lawn with my new bubble mower from Aunt Rylee"

You've gotta love our Jack!

Wagon time with Reagy

I love this picture of Jaden in his tree house!

Aunt Lee La and me!

CARS birthday cake!

Make a Wish...

"MORE PRESENTS..............?"

My FAVORITE thing from Aunt Hannah is COKE!!!

Jensen and Thomas fighting over toys!

Aunt Rylee and a wagon full of Kids!

This is the L I F E!!!

Our Family!

The Guests!

More of the Guests!

Mommy Jadie's Friends from work even came!

"My Great Aunt LaRaine and 2nd Cousin Bree!

I'm so lucky cuz they are both so good to me!"

"MORE suga...I want more."

Coleman and Blake cute little twin/step-brothers!

Aunt Jeannie, Mackenzie and Aunt Hannah

We sent all of the balloons to Heaven...we're positve they were celebrating there too!

Thanks EVERYONE for celebrating my 2nd Birthday! I can't believe how LOVED I am by so many people! I love you all, Jensen

99 and Counting...
This was on a blog that I stalk & it looked fun!
The object is to copy & paste the list of "99 things" to your blog.
Color and answer the things you've done!!

1. Started your own blog? Yes and I LOVE IT!!!
2. Slept under the stars? Many times!!!
3. Played in a band?
4. Visited Hawaii? My Mom and Dad took me there 5 times during my Childhood!!!
5. Watched a meteor shower?
6. Given more than you can afford to charity? YES and I felt good about it!
7. Been to Disneyland? Yep!
8. Climbed a mountain? I love our mountains!
9. Held a praying mantis?
10. Sang a solo? YES!!! We were in Nashville, TN at the Grand Ol' Opry. My Brother was a great singer but would not go into the recording booth so...I had to show him up! I went in and rocked "Any Man of Mine" by Shania Twain. Within minutes it was being played over the speakers of the WHOLE park. I flipped out, I ran to the booth and cried "turn it off, turn it off!" The recording studio was called BIG TIME, I still have the cassette tape (which only I know at all times, where it is!)
11. Bungee jumped? Yes at the State Fair with Rylee and Shaunie!
12. Visited Paris?
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea?
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch?
15. Adopted a child? Not legally, by heart!
16. Had food poisoning?
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty?
18. Grown your own vegetables? Yes, I had a killer garden last year!
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France?
20. Slept on an overnight train?
21. Had a pillow fight?
22. Hitch hiked?
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill? Me?
24. Built a snow fort? With my bestie's the Kemps!
25. Held a lamb? Yes... My Grandma & Grandpa Winberg raised Sheep! I loved when the Moms would abandon them (sad) so I could hold and feed them!
26. Gone skinny dipping? Ummm... I think! Ask Rylee!
27. Run a Marathon?
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice?
29. Seen a total eclipse?
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset? In Hawaii!
31. Hit a home run?
32. Been on a cruise?
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person?
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors? I have seen the house my Grandpa Ralph was born in!
35. Seen an Amish community?
36. Taught yourself a new language? Yes, Ben and I have a made up language that we use around our Boys!
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied?
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person?
39. Gone rock climbing?
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David?
41. Sung karaoke? Soooo many good memories!
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt? Awesome!
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant? At Applebees my Mom and I bought lunch for a US Soldier!
44. Visited Africa?
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight? Kaanapali Beach Maui, HI
46. Been transported in an ambulance? As a Patient and a Mom!
47. Had your portrait painted?
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person?
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris?
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling? BOTH...I hated both also!
52. Kissed in the rain?
53. Played in the mud? As a child!
54. Gone to a drive-in theater? Only a few times!
55. Been in a movie? The China Buffet, a full length film by Mark DeWolfe/Damien Productions
56. Visited the Great Wall of China?
57. Started a business?
58. Taken a martial arts class?
59. Visited Russia?
60. Served at a soup kitchen?
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies?
62. Gone whale watching? YES a few times...I've seen 2 different species of Whales in the wild, Killer and Humpback!!! Probably THE best memories in my life!
63. Got flowers for no reason? Yep
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma? BLOOD!
65. Gone sky diving?
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp?
67. Bounced a check? Yes.
68. Flown in a helicopter?
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy? Every Cabbage Patch I have ever owned I have saved!
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial?
71. Eaten Caviar?
72. Pieced a quilt?
73. Stood in Times Square? Yes! My Mom, My little Brother, Me and my Jaden (he was 6 months)
74. Toured the Everglades?
75. Been fired from a job?
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London?
77. Broken a bone?
78. Been a passenger on a motorcycle? Yes, with my Benj!
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person?
80. Have been published?
81. Visited the Redwoods?
82. Bought a brand new car?
83. Walked in Jerusalem? No but I would LOVE to!
84. Had your picture in the newspaper?
85. Kissed a stranger at midnight on New Year’s Eve?
86. Visited the White House?
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating? Fish...is that an animal!
88. Had chickenpox? Yes, I was 5 and I remember it!
89. Saved someone’s life? I did the Heimlich on Reagan when she was about a year. I had just finished First Aid training for work. It was amazing how fast I did it, there wasn't a second to think!
90. Sat on a jury?
91. Met someone famous? Charly!
92. Joined a book club?
93. Got a tattoo? A few!
94. Had a baby? I've been pregnant 3 times, given birth 2 times and have 3 kids! Figure it out!
95. Seen the Alamo in person? Yep, My Mom took my Best Buddy Cody Kemp and Me when we were in 6th grade!
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake?
97. Been involved in a law suit?
98. Owned a cell phone? Duh!
99. Been stung by a bee? YES and it hurts!

A very expensive Day's of 47 Rodeo...

On July 21, 2009 we were lucky enough to get free tickets to the:

Uncle Woody received a free suite and invited all of us! SO you're probably thinking...if the tickets were free, why was the Rodeo so expensive?! Keep reading to get the answer!

My Handsome Pa keeping score!

My Lil Jack~ee

My Mom and I

The love of my life and I

Jensey playing with his cars and trucks. I always carry a few in my purse

because they keep him entertained anywhere and everywhere we go!

Mommy and Jack BEST BUDS

Everyone needs a good beverage at the RODEO!

Whiplash the Monkey... He is always our FAVORITE part of the Rodeo!

About 1/2 way thru the Rodeo I noticed Jaden run outside of the suite so I quickly followed him. He was stopped just outside the door and was gasping for air. He told me he was fine but was having a hard time breathing. I ran and grabbed his inhaler, gave him a few hits, waited... while waiting I noticed Ben was struggling to breath as well! At this point I grabbed Jack and Jensen and told everyone we had to leave because Jaden and Ben could not breathe. We went home that night and immediately I started Jaden on his emergency dose of steroids. Usually when we start steroids we are in the clear after a day. Unfortunately that was not the case this time. The week came and went then the weekend came... I knew he wasn't doing the best BUT I didn't think he was real bad either. On Sunday evening Jaden came to me asking for his inhaler, when I looked at him I noticed his lips were blue! Not the best thing to see on your Son. I grabbed my shoes, yelled to Ben I was off to the Instacare and we left. I am so thankful to God that we left when we did! Good Oxygen Sats are 95-100, under 90 is dangerous, when you get in the low 80s...your loosing brain cells due to the lack of Oxygen, Jaden was between 82-85. The lowest I have ever seen him.

They immediately started inhaled steroids and oxygen then...

They whisked him away in an ambulance. I wish I could say this was a first for him BUT it wasn't. This was the 3rd time in his life he has been taken by ambulance to Primary Children's due to his asthma.

Jaden's AMAZING Daddy rode with him because I get so dang sick (the last time I threw up in the ambulance and I was so embarrassed I wanted to die in it!)

Taking a break from the O2 trying to see if he can breathe on room air.

We were so thankful when we noticed we had Dad/Ben as a Resident that night!

The Resident should have known where,

whatever he was looking for was! LOL

In our room watching a movie...

We watched tonz... Free Willy, Flipper, The Indian in the Cupboard to name a few!

Primary's is such an amazing hospital. They brought crafts and toys and video games and great food and WHATEVER else you want to keep Parents and Kids happy!