The Big 1-0, a very BLUE birthday!

Last Sunday we celebrated Sam's 10th birthday. I have been a bad blogger and put off blogging it. It's hard to blog about yet another birthday when I have already blogged about 2 already this month. WOW I used the word blog like 5 time already in this post! Have I ever mentioned I have ADD? Anyway back to our regularly scheduled programing, Samantha! A few days before the big day we got a letter form her that read as follows...

"Dear Mom and Dad,
I have decided to change my favorite color to blue. I would like you
to wrap all of my presents in blue and have blue balloons and a blue
cake. I would also appreciate if you could pass on the message that I
want my presents wrapped in blue to Grandie, Grandma,
Aunt Shell and so on and so forth"

So we tried our best to make Samantha's birthday as blue as possible. She had blue presents and a blue cake. I also made the cutest banner in hues of blue and blue balloons and streamers. She got to have the primary sing to her ON her ACTUAL birthday which like NEVER happens!! She got a blue denim cropped jacket thinger from Justice and some other super cute clothes. she also got a Zumbuddie (what ever the heck that is) that was blue and purple! We had a really fun day totally in honor of Samantha. We also took her out to dinner with just Terry and I (a new family tradition that I ♥ btw!)

10 on Tur-sday

Did you see what I did there? I made Thurdsay sound like tursday so it would still work with the 10 thing. Aren't I clever? I'm not? Really? Ok your right it was a total stretch I know!!

1. I have been totally sucktastick (totally a word) at blogging this week. I have been completely drained for some reason, I haven't had the energy to clean, do laundry or blog. ButI did finish the second book in this series. It's kinda fun totally teenagery (again it's totally a word) but It's what keeps me in touch with the kids these days (and no that did NOT make me sound old)

2. Sam turned 10 on Sunday, I again have been a crappy blogger but I promise I will get to it in the next couple days. I can't believe I now have 2 kids that are in the double digits. I feel so very old, I know in reality I'm not old, I was only 20 when I had Brett and 22 when I had Sam.

3. Bonnie has pooped in her underwear every day for the last week. She NEVER pees but for some reason we have totally regressed in the pooping department! What you don't want to hear about poop, well then go here and never come back. Just kidding you can come back I will forgive you for wanting to leave me.

4. It's Easter time, meaning you know what is in the stores...

I think I gained 5 lbs. just taking this picture. OK so the 5lbs didn't come from taking the picture, it came from eating 4 of these bad boys last night, I know I am weak, I am a weak sad excuse for a human being. I don't thing God realized what he was doing when he made it so you gain weight when you get to enjoy a little piece of heaven, I think if you want to visit heaven you should loose weight, don't you?

5. Speaking of lbs, Sam made me laugh on Monday at her violin lesson when she asked Jenny (her teacher) what No. meant in the title of her song that she is playing right now Concerto No.2 in D Major. Jenny said it meant number which confused Sam because there is no "o" in number, she said it's kinda like pound is lb. She says "Yeah that one is really silly I was reading and was like lub, what's that! LUB!!" It doesn't sound funny now but we giggled for a couple minutes about it!

6. Brett passed the sacrament for the first time on Sunday. Our Stake Presidency was there (read more about that in #7) and he was the boy who passed to the stand, the hardest job and they gave it to the newbie. They neglected to tell him that he needed to pass the sacrament to the Stake Pres. first so he felt kinda dumb but that's ok. He did great for his first time out. I am one proud mama!

7. So the Stake Presidency was at my ward because we got a new Bishopric. Exciting times in the Shadow Ridge Ward. They chose some awesome guys and we have great replacements for the wonderful men leaving our leadership. Terry couldn't stop grinning all day. He was a bit nervous due to some comments made to and by some of the members of our ward and Stake Presidency! He was in the clear though. Looks like he'll be hanging with the young me for a bit longer!

8. Brett and Terry are going on Brett's first official Boy Scout campout tomorrow night. It's a snow camp out. I love snow, just not when I have to sleep in it! Have fun boys!!

9. I am going to WPPI for the 6th through the 11th of March. It is a Photography convention that is here in Vegas at the MGM. I won a free pass to the entire convention (a $400 value), classes, trade show, dinners and all! I have on of my photography peeps coming from California and we are going to stay in a hotel together. I'M GOING ON VACATION!! I can't wait it is going to be so fun and hopefully inspiring!

10. I did a new blog header did you notice? Do you like it? C'mon people you know how I love feedback! All you have to do is click on the "something to add" at the bottom and tell me how awesome (or retarded) I am! KTHANKSBYE!

"hands-on Fun" I ♥ faces

I thought I throw this picture in a little contest over at I ♥ faces. This week is about hands on fun and what is more fun or hands on than pet shops in the bath???

Jessa Jean Leach

My sister mad me and aunt again on Thursday morning. It was as sweet the 24th time as it was the first. We are all evened up on the Zobrist side. We now have 11 boys and 11 girls. I wasn't planning on going to the hospital because Terry had to work ad I had the Bonnie but he called me when he got to work to tell me the bid he needed to get in was postponed so he could come home and I could go to the hospital. I met him up there and passed off the baby to him. I got a call as I pulled into the parking lot saying that I missed it. I could hear her sweet cry in the back ground. I met the Doctor at the nurses station (he was my doctor first, I've been with him for 14 years) and he took me into the room so I could meet my new niece. I got in there only 5 or 6 minutes after she was born. I managed to grab some great shots of the baby as they cleaned her up. She is a sweet heart and already has a new favorite AUNT!!

10 on Tuesday

1. We celebrated Terry's 29th birthday (again) on Friday with a night out on the town. Dinner at the Grand Luxe Cafe in the Venetian and the BLUE MAN GROUP. It rocked! We were even part of the show! Before the lady came and made my put my camera away I got 1 cool picture of the show. I did get some cool close-ups after the show of one of the guys, he even kissed my ticket for an autograph! Terry tried to snap a shot of us together but it was crazy with the amount of people in there!!

2. We left the kids to tend themselves while we went to the show. They have babysat before but never for this long or at this late at night. We made it through with only 10-12 phone calls and 30-40 text messages!

3. I never did a full tribute to Terry blog post like I intended but every one who knows us knows how much I love him and how we have "movie love" and nobody really wants to hear about (at least that is what my brothers say!! So here it is I LOVE TERRY KAY CONK AND WANT THE WORLD TO KNOW HE IS THE BEST HUSBAND/DAD IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD!
There I said it!

4. Valentines was on Sunday as most of you may well know! I have never really done a whole lot for the day, probably because we never did when i was a kid, it was more just a school holiday! I want to be one of those fun mom's who make a fun day with treats and dinner. I didn't. I suck. Maybe next year!

5. I have come to the conclusion that I spend way to much time on the computer. I came to this conclusion all by my self it had nothing to do with last Thursday when my daughter screamed at me for like 20 min about how I was the worst mother in the whole world because I am always on the computer and I never listen to her. (Truthfully, I don't listen to her because if I did pay constant attention to her I would be blogging from either the mental hospital or prison!) But I do think it has become a problem, just since the first of the year when I started this whole picture a day thing. Flickr is my new addiction, I love the whole process...(to be continued in #6.) But I am going to try ti limit myself to just getting on in the evenings when things are calmed down and we are in our various activities, and maybe for a half and hour during lunch so I can check my flickr.

6. So yeah FLICKR...the process I love. I love thinking up what picture I want to take for the day, then loading up and editing on the computer. The little buzz I get when I upload it to flickr and then checking to see what everyone in my group has to say about it. I love seeing what everyone else posts and adding my 2 cents. I love the community and getting to know each and every one of these girls doing it with me and their families. It has been such a positive experience so far!!

7. Terry is addicted to his new xbox came called Civilization. That's all I have to say about that.

8. With money being more than tight right now Terry and I decided NOT to do anything for Valentines day for each other. I am the only one who stuck with that plan. Little turd. I'm not really complaining because look at what I got...

aren't they the cutest thing you have ever seen!! I can't wait to wear them! I saw these a few weeks ago when shoe shopping for the kids and I fell in love, but the practical side of me said..."Kristin, you don't need another pair of shoes, you have sufficient for your needs and you really can't afford to buy those right now!" See so if you use your better judgment and don't spend money you don't have your husband will do it for you and then when you go bankrupt it's not your fault for buying shoes frivolously!

9. I have the best husband in the world.

10. Laundry just might be the death of me! Good night!

Happy ♥ Day

Now go hug and kiss the ones you love today!




These were Samantha and Colby's Valentines for their school parties! I saw the idea on NannyGoat.

the big 1-2

That's right! I am now the mother of a 12 year old. How can this be? How am I, who is still roughly the age of 18, old enough to be the mother of a 12 year old. Well regardless of how old I am it has happened. My Brett has turned 12. We had quite a day. It was a roller coaster of emotions and a long day. Brett woke up promptly at 6:15am, so he could open his presents, to find I had decorated the house with a banner and streamers. He didn't want a party this year so I wanted to make it special in other ways. He open his presents, there were only 2 and 2 cards. He got a Lego Star Wars thing the he had built by 3:00 later that day, and 4 boxes of Just Bunches as well as money in cards!!

We surprised him with a giant box of doughnuts for breakfast, YUM! which everybody enjoyed. Then I packed him a special lunch of frozen meat just in case he wondered why his lunch was light (ain't I tricky) and a Hershey's bar that said "Don't eat me YET." My mom and I surprised him with a lunch in the parking lot of In-N-Out Burger (his favorite) He ate quickly and went back for the rest of his classes. We had at his request tacos for dinner followed by cake and trick candles!

It was a fabulous day but the festivities will continue on Monday when we take Brett and his best friend to breakfast and to see The Lightening Thief. (I think I'm more excited for that than Brett is!)

10 on Tuesday

1. On this day 12 years ago, I became a mom. I can't believe that I am old enough to have a 12 year old. Brett is an amazing young man. He will receive the Priesthood and be ordained to the office of a Deacon. Those of you not familiar with the church we belong to can read more about it here. We had a fabulous day starting with doughnuts and ending with cake. I will do a full blog post to go through the whole day.

2. I received a phone call from the principal telling me that Colby and his friend Dallin were in her office. Apparently these 5 year old boys decided to skip out after recess and walk home. They took off running when the teacher wasn't looking and made it all the way to my house. I wasn't home at the time because I was taking a special birthday lunch to #1. The panic of the entire school ensued. They immediately pulled up the surveillance cameras and saw them headed in the direction of my house. They sent someone over there and found them in my living room playing Nintendo DS. When I got to the school to pick him up the entire office staff looked at me like I was the worlds worst mother. If this is the kind of crap he's pulling in kindergarten what am I in for when he's 15?

3. Bonnie is now 6 days accident free! Life with no diaper changes is a beautiful thing.

4. Yesterday we thought we had a virus on our desktop computer because it wouldn't work so Terry did a complete system restore on the computer only to find out that the keyboard was jacked up and that was the problem. We had backed up most of the computer the only thing not backed up was the most recent purchases made on Itunes. I listen to audio books to clean and they make things go much faster. I had about $200 worth of audio books that are lost now. I am sad but I recently heard some one at church say don't love anything that can't love you back so I am just moving on and not being sad about it.

5. Am I the only person in the world who didn't watch the super bowl? I'm not much of a football fan but the commercials are fun to watch. Terry didn't seem interested in watching so we just didn't

6. I have been really tired lately. Sometimes I wish is was ok for us Mormons to drink coffee. I have been working out regularly on my Wii fit. I bought the neoprene case and yoga mat for it and when I got on it for the first time I magically lost 17lbs. It was amazing the I took it off and gained 2lbs. Sometimes you spend money and it sucks!!

7. When we went to Logandale this weekend we had plans to go and take Family pictures of Terry's brother and his family. WE LIVE IN THE DESERT. It rained non stop ALL DAY LONG! Do you know how hard it is to take pictures when it is a torrential downpour outside. OK maybe it wasn't torrential but to me, a desert rat it was torrential. I did get this shot of such a handsome almost 8 year old!!

8. I just finished listening to the Harry Potter Series on my Ipod AGAIN. I just can't get enough. Call me a freak, I already know I am. I want to go to Universal Orlando when the new Harry Potter Theme Parks opens in April, anyone wanna go with me?

9. I am really tired, it's been a long day.

10. Goodnight!

HOT LAVA

With plans to take some family pictures of my dear brother and sister in law we headed out to Logandale to spend the night on Friday. Becky made a delicious dinner and followed it up with a VERY delicious, high calorie, coma inducing lava cake. She used this rice cooker from pampered chef (now on my shopping list) I didn't see exactly how it was made I just saw the end result. You make it in the microwave and when it is done cooking follow these simple steps.

1. Take out of microwave



2. Grab a really cute assistant in a baseball cap to help. Place a plate on top of cake.



3. Flip



4. Remove rice cooker



5. let all the ooey gooey goodness drip out



6. Enjoy the beauty



7. Slice it up



8. Bring in children and let the sugar induced chaos ensue.



I think Bonnie enjoyed hers the most, well she WORE the most!!



Good times at Grandma's house!

10 on Tuesday vol. 3 oops make that Wednseday

Sorry I didn't get this posted yesterday, I have 5 people in sick in this house and life got in the way! However, I'm pretty proud of myself for making it to week 3 in this adventure of writing more here on the [4]conk kids blog!! I hope you have enjoyed finding out all sorts of useless information pertaining to the life and times of yours truly.

1. Bonnie has discovered "tiny tisses" (kisses) she loves to give tiny tisses, but only to mom and dad. It is quite possibly the cutest thing I have ever seen. I wish she would stay little forever!!

2. For Family home evening on Monday we decided to set weekly goals. We each choose a goal for ourselves and we also worked together to choose a goal as a family. Here is our list...
Dad-Finish grading the backyard with the excavator.
Mom- No Yelling (not doing so good on that one in a house with 5 sick people nerves are running a little short)
Brett- Show more respect to mom and dad
Sam-
Colby- No whining about homework!
Bonnie- give tons of tiny tisses (we picked that one for her)

Our family goal is to pick up after ourselves.

3. I find it amazing how listening to Taylor swift makes me feel 14 again, in a good way. WHAT? You say? 14 GOOD? I know crazy huh, who would want to be 14 again! 14 sucked! But when I listen to her music that's just how I feel! I ♥ Taylor Swift.

4. Speaking of Taylor, on the way to violin Sam wanted to listen to her on her Ipod but I made he listen to her Suzuki music (mean mom, I know) but I said we could listen to it on the way home. AND LISTEN WE DID! And we sang so loudly that I didn't even notice that I drove right past my big brother and didn't see him!! oopsie! I thoroughly ENJOYED it though!

5. My Wii fit told me that I have gained 25 lbs since my last use...Did I mention it had been 510 days since my last use? So yeah I have gained 25 lbs in the last 510 days. I blame it on my IUD!

6. I took this picture for m self portrait Tuesday and I love how it turned out, except I wish I had smiled a little more! Kinda artsy don't ya think?



7. Did you read my last post about 100th day of school? Colby took in 100 M&M's. I mad ethe mistake of buying one of the huge bags at Costco for it now my whole family is constantly sugared up, including myself. Come to think of it maybe it's not all the IUD's fault!

8. February is our month of craziness when it comes to birthdays, Brett is on the 9th, Terry the 12th and Sam on the 21st. We also have 5 nephews and a niece as well as Valentines Day. Then you add it that my Sister is due to have a baby in a few weeks Ahhhh, I hope I can keep up!

9. i bought Terry's birthday present and it's gonna rock! He will love it but since he reads this blog I can't say what it is. YET!

10. I read a lot of blogs, I mean A LOT! some I know some I don't but I have kinda noticed that some that I do know when I read their blogs it doesn't really sound like THEM, do you know what I mean? I can't picture them saying some of the stuff they wrote, not that that is a bad thing it's just something I noticed. I was wondering for those of you who read this blog and DO know me, do I write like I talk or do you feel like you are learning more about me in a different way??

100th Day and other bits of randomness

Today was the 100th day of school for us here in Clark County. Children everywhere counted to their little hearts content! There were crafts and treats and all manor of NUMBERS! Colby's class celebrated by making 100th day glasses, had 100 cupcakes with 100 candles, shared his hundredth day collection. Colby took peanut M&M's.


Samantha had to make a project so we busted out the Dremmel and made the shape of a 100 with 100 colored pencils!



In's Sam's class they celebrated with candy that kids brought in for their projects and she got to stand and tell about her project.



In other randomness occurring around the Conk's...apparently Sleeping beauty is potty training too. Bonnie has regressed a bit after our get away but she is working to get back having NO MORE ACCIDENTS! She seems to do fine when we are out and about it's when we are home the the trouble happens!



There are so many things I want to write about but regretfully you will have to wait, I need to save some material for my 10 on Tuesday tomorrow!