tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5794451804597850432012-01-25T11:20:18.563-05:00This is the true story [TRUE STORY!] of a family of five living in a 2 bedroom, 2 bath apartment having their lives blogged about to find out what happens when blood relatives stop being polite and start getting real. The Real World.Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.comBlogger731100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-579445180459785043.post-18164129338723077602011-09-12T14:55:00.004-04:002011-09-12T16:03:43.538-04:00

Where was I on September 11, 2001?  I was at my home in New Mexico.  My husband and I had just moved there a few months prior because his company transferred him.  I was unemployed at the time, looking for a job as a legal assistant and coming up empty-handed.  Duane had just left for work and I started reading over the lesson I was to teach that upcoming Sunday at church.  This was a strange

Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-579445180459785043.post-84565134297560345272011-05-08T16:42:00.001-04:002011-05-08T18:21:59.347-04:00

One week ago my Relief Society president asked if I wouldn't mind sharing a little something about my mother during the Mother's Day lesson.  Now I'm the first to admit that I should never speak to a room full of people because of all the anxiety it causes me, but because of the subject matter I didn't think twice before saying yes.  Why is this?  Because there is so much to say about my mother.

Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-579445180459785043.post-32274140628336784122011-04-11T09:57:00.001-04:002011-04-11T10:31:44.988-04:00

Hey, so Mayah turned 8 in February.  That was a while ago, I know, but better late then never, right?  Instead of getting baptized on the first Saturday of March we had her baptized on March 18 because we had family in town then--my parents. It was such a nice experience, seeing my little girl get baptized by Duane.  It was also pretty surreal.  I mean, I still can't believe I have a child

Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-579445180459785043.post-71591172292348165802011-03-07T16:10:00.002-05:002011-03-10T17:51:41.848-05:00

Yeah, it's been a while.  No, my absence had nothing to do with illness or any other legitimate reason.  Turns out I'm just lazy when it comes to blogging and I had this crazy idea that only hilarious or interesting things were blogworthy.  Not that much happens 'round Casa Bitner.  No wacky goings-on, ya know?   Also, much to my disappointment, I'm not a supermom.  I'm just a person doing

Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-579445180459785043.post-9387615360576640552010-05-25T22:38:00.001-04:002010-05-25T23:14:00.874-04:00

This is a picture of my carpet covered in chocolate ice cream.  Matilda is the little booger that put it there, not to mention various other places around the house.  It was Malia who got the ice cream out of the freezer, without permission (clearly), and left it on the kitchen counter.  I'm the moron who thought I could put on a movie for the kids--Monsters Vs. Aliens--and take a little break,

Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-579445180459785043.post-39160796784613283492010-05-23T15:18:00.001-04:002010-05-23T15:19:54.733-04:00

Duane was supposed to be watching the girls when this happened.  Clearly he was. (+10 Parenting Points to Duane for paying attention to what they were doing)

Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-579445180459785043.post-67957205530084777502010-03-11T22:19:00.006-05:002010-03-12T15:44:34.749-05:00

I know, this isn't Bitner family related, but--well, I really want to get my hands on this book.  And since we're trying to be thrifty at Casa Bitner, I'm entering book contests like a mad woman.  Which is why I'll be posting blogs about books (until my book review blog is officially up and running--I'll keep you updated).    So.  Yeah.  Brightly Woven.  The first chapter of this book is

Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-579445180459785043.post-55036441594569137042010-03-07T21:29:00.004-05:002010-03-07T21:46:22.369-05:00

If you know me personally, you know I love to read, a lot.  If I could, I'd read all the live-long day. And night.  And and, to be honest, my love of reading is the real reason I've neglected to post anything here since November--my bad.     As of late, I'm really into the whole dystopian society genre.  I believe my fascination began March 2009 when I read The Hunger Games for the first time--

Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-579445180459785043.post-2737294145296726962009-11-24T17:37:00.000-05:002009-11-24T17:37:46.580-05:00

Thanksgiving just a few days away?  Already???  Wow, where did the year go?  More importantly, why didn't I do more blogging?  A whole year of semi-interesting things happened and I don't bother to blog about any of it?  Huh.  Well, as they say: "what's done is done".  And strangely enough, I'm okay with that. Anyway, I figure it's about time I let you all know how things are going on 'round

Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-579445180459785043.post-19940846452063030762009-11-20T03:59:00.005-05:002009-11-20T08:46:01.496-05:00

So, I just got home from the theater and I've got some good news. First off, GNO was a success.  I feel like I just had a vacation.  My friends and I had a lot of fun. Second (and the part everyone wants to know), the movie was good.  That's right, I said good.  Actually, now that I think about it I'm going to go ahead and say it was really great!  I loved it.  A lot. I feel that the

Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-579445180459785043.post-8079683915401874972009-11-19T13:39:00.003-05:002009-11-19T15:40:29.194-05:00

It is Girls Night Out at Bitner Manor. Tonight I am going out sans kids and husband and meeting up with a few of my close friends. What are we going to do, you ask? Oh, you know, the usual: dinner, dessert, girls' talk--nothing out of the ordinary... unless you think it's weird that--around at the stroke of midnight--we'll transform into these squeeing, love-sick fangirls: That's right,

Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-579445180459785043.post-53260730408610448062009-10-20T08:10:00.006-04:002009-10-20T10:00:38.422-04:00

Matilda and Malia patiently waiting for the Nurse Practitioner.So, the other day I took Malia and Matilda to the pediatrician for their check-ups. Overall it was a good visit, until the needles came out--I'll talk about that later. Get this: Matilda weighed in at 30 lbs, 1 oz! And Malia? Weighed in at 40 lbs, even. The best part is Malia is 4 years old (-ish... her birthday is in July) and

Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-579445180459785043.post-31335212175221411052009-09-24T14:43:00.008-04:002009-09-26T02:45:22.265-04:00

I swiped the following blog post off a blog belonging to my friend, Alisa. My reasons are two-fold: 1. I could see how my list stacks up to Alisa's and, 2. I could blog about it. 'Cause, we all know that I've been a major slacker in the posting department (okay, also in the reading-of-other-blogs-and-commenting department. My bad). Basically, I'm trying to get into the habit of blogging

Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-579445180459785043.post-14429043147810442052009-09-13T23:00:00.008-04:002009-10-20T12:17:48.365-04:00

Matilda enjoying snack time in NurseryCan you believe it? Yeah, neither can I. It seemed like she was never going to be old enough to be in Nursery. Okay, so eighteen months isn't that long. But, when I measure that time in the amount of stinky diapers I've changed--for her alone--well, then it just seems like forever.Now I give time permission to really, really slow down so I can savor the

Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-579445180459785043.post-59548683355701196792009-06-10T21:42:00.009-04:002009-06-10T22:07:32.862-04:00

I'll let the photos speak for themselves.

Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-579445180459785043.post-26994897569843009612009-05-15T21:11:00.005-04:002009-05-15T21:37:40.986-04:00

No, I did not just purchase a puppy for my kids - I'm not crazy. But my kids, particularly Malia, are quite fond of puppies. So we have quite a few stuffed toy puppies. A lot, actually.The best part about all the stuffed puppies?All the puppy parties I discover...Just one of many puppy parties I've had to break up recently.I especially love the real slice of bread they seem to be sharing.

Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-579445180459785043.post-18730022688447297622009-05-08T12:52:00.005-04:002009-10-20T12:16:58.396-04:00

So...Duane has a mustache. A Mustache! This isn't a new development though. No, he's been mustachioed for a few months now. What do I think about the mangy ferret that has taken up residence between his nose and lips? Well, that last sentence says it all, doesn't it?What do you think? Should Duane get rid of the mustache?

Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-579445180459785043.post-80436606794137164642009-02-12T18:45:00.007-05:002009-10-20T12:16:11.060-04:00

Mayah and her big sister ArielIt's official! As of February 7th I am the mother of a six-year-old. A six-year-old! I'm still coming to terms with this. But Mayah is super excited about being six (how I miss the days when I looked forward to my birthdays. As of right now I'm horrified that my thirtieth birthday--from this point on, I will refer to it as the First Anniversary of My

Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-579445180459785043.post-74065326381031094542009-01-26T08:58:00.002-05:002009-10-20T12:15:33.490-04:00

Guess what everybody? I just discovered the worst way to wake up in the wee hours of the morning (after having stayed up the majority of the night putting out vomit-related fires, doing load after load of laundry AND barely having the opportunity to hop into bed myself).The Worst Way To Wake Up In The Morning is to have your 10 month old vomiting ON YOUR FACE! Yeah, you read that right: My baby

Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-579445180459785043.post-31120682660695447012009-01-16T14:43:00.006-05:002009-10-20T12:14:13.241-04:00

Blerg. I am so not in the mood to blog (am I seriously the only one?). At all . I just feel so... blah. I blame the holidays and the freezing cold weather.But I have so many cute photos from Christmas break and I know I should post them. Because the longer I wait to post them the likelihood of me posting them will go down. Besides, perhaps posting something will get me in the mood to blog

Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-579445180459785043.post-39068196747129991592008-12-22T22:07:00.013-05:002009-10-20T12:13:16.927-04:00

Ariel and I went shopping this afternoon and left the kids home with Duane. When we got home, we discovered a story (or possibly a poem???) that Mayah wrote, all by herself. No joke. Duane swears he didn't help her write it.Here it is: Are words like, Flopping, Hopping, Stopping and Narrow part of the kindergarten curriculum now? Because, when I was in kindergarten, I was reading words like

Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-579445180459785043.post-30400836643614383772008-12-18T20:56:00.007-05:002009-10-20T12:12:32.560-04:00

So, we went to my brothers house for Thanksgiving this year, and he had just purchased Rayman Raving Rabbid's TV Party for their Wii system. Right off, it was a favorite with all the kids because they could all play it and it's pretty cute to boot.Ever since then Mayah has been talking about the game, asking for it non-stop, and we don't even have a Wii system...yet. She's even been drawing

Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-579445180459785043.post-74444735235925979362008-12-17T12:59:00.004-05:002009-10-20T12:08:00.735-04:00

So, I'm supposed to be cleaning because Ariel is coming to visit, TONIGHT. But my Malia and Matilda are sick and between taking care of them and all the cleaning, I'm tired. So, I'm taking a break and watching viral videos.I LOVE this one:I wish I could travel around the world, DANCING!!!P.S. Mayah wants me to type her name, so I am. MAYAH. MAYAH!!!

Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-579445180459785043.post-62887912438415429012008-12-17T12:43:00.004-05:002009-10-20T12:06:22.640-04:00

Yep. Ariel is going to be here tonight. We couldn't be more excited!

Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-579445180459785043.post-39856118344573640392008-12-17T12:42:00.002-05:002009-10-20T12:05:18.675-04:00

This is probably one of the cutest viral videos of 2008.Remember Beaker?

Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-579445180459785043.post-44660876232806663302008-12-14T20:25:00.002-05:002008-12-14T20:41:03.214-05:00

That's right, Duane and I are 'LOSTIES' (and proud of it!). Aaaaand, we're basically counting down the days until January 21st.Check out the following clip! (don't forget to mute the music player)

Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-579445180459785043.post-61224123062117469392008-12-09T23:50:00.005-05:002009-10-20T12:03:59.895-04:00

Okay, so, Duane and I went out on a (real) date tonight because his parents are in town and wanted to give us a date night before they left (By-the-way, thanks Lee and Marilyn).So...We went to the Temple and then we went a restaurant afterward. The former was nice, as it always is. The latter was...hilarious? Maybe?As you can tell, I'm not entirely sure how I feel about our time at the

Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-579445180459785043.post-81241921052111072502008-11-21T14:50:00.006-05:002008-11-21T15:31:27.267-05:00

I saw the movie early this morning. It was...um...uh...So, I had a lot of fun with my friends. Really, I did. Plus, we went out to eat at J. Alexanders before going to the theater and the food was really good. I ordered some good chocolate cake and shared it with-...Okay, I'll stop avoiding the subject.Truth is, I found it incredibly funny (but only when it wasn't supposed to be funny). I

Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-579445180459785043.post-77290735618445416912008-11-18T15:03:00.007-05:002008-11-18T15:36:26.196-05:00

I have a confession to make. Despite my absolute loathing of Breaking Dawn, I'm still super psyched about the Twilight movie, and...I'm going to the Thursday/Friday midnight showing with my friends. The tickets are purchased, Duane's cool with it so basically everything is set to go (I know, Kristi, I still owe you money and you'll totally get it the second I stop being lazy and actually go to

Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-579445180459785043.post-21845048831680524282008-11-13T13:12:00.014-05:002008-11-13T15:11:37.360-05:00

My friend, Renae K., tagged me a while ago (okay, almost two months ago) to do a Question & Answer session with Mayah. So, without further ado... 1. What is something mom always says to you? "Get you"(??? - Apparently I'm always threatening to 'get her'.) 2. What makes mom happy? "You can have a pet"(In Mayah's mind, animals make everything better, so a pet would make me happy...not. Cute

Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-579445180459785043.post-3117044716897708372008-11-13T04:50:00.013-05:002009-10-20T12:02:45.013-04:00

I was going to write an elaborate story about why I'm feeling inspired but I really can't say it in words, at least not my words. Visit adailyscoop.blogspot.com and read what has been inspiring me (you really must skip back to this post and go from there. Warning: You will cry). All I will say is, I feel inspired to take pleasure in all the little things; to not take anything for granted. I feel

Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-579445180459785043.post-83756147821172868562008-11-08T10:03:00.006-05:002008-11-08T11:39:48.761-05:00

Don't worry, we haven't moved into a van (yet). We're still living in an apartment complex by a forested area. I got your attention though (Hee). After my election night posts, I thought I'd lighten things up by doing another short update:Duane is losing weight and looking great. In fact, he's lost so much weight he had to have his suit taken in and purchase new clothing because his old stuff

Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-579445180459785043.post-89427997669529381662008-11-04T23:27:00.012-05:002009-10-20T12:02:25.154-04:00

Barak Obama is the next President. Fine. Whatever. I'll live (I think).I was not a huge fan of McCain, but I voted for McCain because I couldn't in good conscience vote for Obama (no matter how much Duane was campaigning for him). No, I'm not racist, so please don't go there. Heck, I'm hardly even a Republican. I just don't believe Obama has it in him to lead this country in the right

Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-579445180459785043.post-47167933435989111212008-11-04T19:35:00.007-05:002009-10-20T12:00:05.585-04:00

I have five older brothers, all of which are awesome and I love them equally. This post is about the brother that is one year older then me. His name is Perry. When we were growing up, we weren't super close (okay, we didn't really talk much), but we're family which is why we were always loyal to each other. Now that we're adults, we get along.Anyway (getting to the point), Perry is in the

Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-579445180459785043.post-66498238092523254232008-11-04T19:21:00.004-05:002009-10-20T11:59:34.546-04:00

Happy Election Day! I hope everyone got out to vote. I voted...yesterday (by absentee ballot).I went to the city clerks office, got my ballot and voted. It really was as simple as that. Okay, not totally because we couldn't leave the building with our ballots, which makes sense, but we were all crammed into a tiny room with limited chairs and no writing surfaces. I ended up sitting on the

Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-579445180459785043.post-40138352580963906922008-10-02T13:50:00.006-04:002009-10-20T11:57:32.492-04:00

Hey friends and family that still check here from time to time. Sorry I haven't done anything with this for a long time. I have no valid excuse for all the slackin', heck its not even like there was anything good on TV to distract me (which is funny because I'm getting going on the blogging thing again just as the new fall season starts up).Anyway, this isn't going to be all that neat of an

Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-579445180459785043.post-27799184775613180442008-08-17T00:03:00.006-04:002009-10-20T11:56:30.999-04:00

What can I say about the guy? Um...he's freakin' amazing! Duane and I have really enjoyed watching him swim his way into the history books. Eight Gold Metals! GO PHELPS!

Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-579445180459785043.post-74335031294725675752008-08-14T14:13:00.016-04:002009-11-22T15:36:22.770-05:00

*Warning, the following review contains 'Breaking Dawn' spoilers* I wanted to love this book; to read it over and over until my head exploded. I tried to love it, even after page 360, and my complete disappointment of Jacob imprinting – on Bella’s mutant baby, no less. But I kept reading because I just knew that Stephenie was going to make it up to me. The more I read, the more difficult it

Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-579445180459785043.post-32736995813843293532008-08-11T14:21:00.022-04:002009-10-20T11:49:25.395-04:00

Anyone that didn't see it the the olympic opening ceremony totally missed out. It was AMAZING! I've never seen anything like it and I've watched every single Olympic opening ceremony since I was 5 (1984 - Los Angeles).Duane and I let the girls stay up late so they could watch the opening ceremony with us. We also ate chinese food while we watched. It was really fun. I know the girls really

Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-579445180459785043.post-75928527500742841232008-08-11T14:09:00.002-04:002009-10-20T11:48:39.391-04:00

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-579445180459785043.post-78785193992282682772008-08-08T10:32:00.005-04:002009-10-20T11:32:30.257-04:00

The other day Ariel reminded me of cute youtube video of two little boys named Charlie and Harry starring in 'Charlie bit me - again!'. I let Mayah and Malia see it and now it's one of their favorite youtube videos (In order to hear the following videos, mute the music player on my page).Mayah and Malia also really enjoy 'Charlie the Unicorn'. You have no idea how much we hear '

Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-579445180459785043.post-13622979675497536252008-07-31T23:36:00.003-04:002008-07-31T23:50:55.587-04:00

So yeah, I finally got a spare minute to get back on here so I could edit my family reunion post and publish it. When I logged in, I was surprised to find that I had already published something about my family's reunion. I was like, "I really don't remember publishing this. Am I really getting so old that my memory is slipping?".Turns out that I am not suffering from dementia. Mayah DID, in fact,

Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-579445180459785043.post-67167704130868830602008-07-28T09:40:00.019-04:002008-12-11T08:46:11.609-05:00

Not everyone knows this, but every year my family has a reunion at Camp Pendleton, CA. We camp out on the beach. Literally, ON THE BEACH. It's like heaven. We love it! Duane and I attempt to attend every year but aren't always successful. Luckily, we were able to attend the reunion this year. And yes, we had so much fun!!!

Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-579445180459785043.post-49320682760300932002008-07-17T12:14:00.012-04:002009-10-20T12:00:27.327-04:00

I realize that the 4th was a while ago, but I still wanted to share these darling photos of the occasion. We spent Independence day in Utah this year. We kicked the day off in Provo, watching their parade. We ended up in Park City at Bitner Ranch. It was such a fun day!Watching the parade in ProvoMatilda and Grandma BitnerMayah and cousin Morgan watching Underdog float by.Me and my beautiful

Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-579445180459785043.post-69827154151567791732008-07-05T04:09:00.031-04:002009-10-20T11:51:49.279-04:00

Recently, I was lucky enough to escort Ariel around BYU during new freshmen orientation. She and I had a great time together. We met her roommates (and some of their parents) and even went on a scavenger hunt. It was a fun day.Ariel with the $100 bill she found at the end of the scavenger hunt. Ariel with the key to her first apartment, EVER! And, YES, I made her pose for both of these

Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-579445180459785043.post-45906881860561708522008-06-25T11:34:00.012-04:002009-10-20T11:50:29.912-04:00

Here are some photos of the girls at Renae's house. They had quite a bit of fun playing with Owen and Ava and the rest of the neighborhood kids. They ran around in their swimsuits and held a 'bike wash'. Some of the neighborhood kids brought over their own bikes to be washed. The bike wash lasted quite some time but they sure had fun.It was so cute because Mayah and Malia just blended in with

Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-579445180459785043.post-74696048314312824302008-06-25T10:42:00.004-04:002009-10-20T11:48:12.573-04:00

I had Mayah sing for Duane on Fathers day. Duane was still in Europe at the time and I knew he was disappointed about not being able to have Mayah sing to him that day. I tried hard to get the following clip posted on Fathers Day but I just could not make it work. Sorry Duane (he's back in Michigan this week and still has not had the privilage of viewing it). Anyway, Happy Belated Fathers

Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-579445180459785043.post-29065373227184151252008-06-23T16:24:00.011-04:002009-10-20T11:47:15.769-04:00

Well, the girls and I have been driving all over the place during the last few weeks (while Duane was on a business trip to Europe). We are currently in Utah and have logged well over 4,500 miles (1900 of those miles were with Duane).We drove from Michigan to Spokane, WA, Spokane to Vancouver, WA, Vancouver to Sandy, Utah, Sandy to Highlands Ranch, CO and Highlands Ranch to Sandy Utah. It's

Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-579445180459785043.post-33871367044113371382008-06-13T14:47:00.004-04:002009-10-20T11:44:59.877-04:00

While going through my posts, I realized that there is a member of our family that I have not really blogged about all that much. I am so embarrassed that I haven't written any blogs about one of the most accomplished members of our family. And that person is (Drumroll, please.) ....................Ariel Jessica Seriously, isn't she gorgeous? (Yeah, I know, right?) Not only that, but she is quite

Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-579445180459785043.post-16591345764442867832008-05-27T14:21:00.008-04:002009-10-20T11:44:41.394-04:00

We finally got our camera back from the repair shop. I am glad because Matilda is growing like a weed and it would be a shame to miss out on anymore photo opportunities.Matilda is now a little over 2 months old and at her last 'well baby' visit, she weighed 10 lbs, 11 oz. Matilda is quite healthy and happy. She started smiling at us a while ago but this is probably the first photo of her

Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-579445180459785043.post-64648330181953729072008-05-16T14:37:00.009-04:002009-10-20T11:43:11.926-04:00

Sorry that I haven't kept you all up to date with what is going on around here. There are a number of reasons as to why I haven't taken the time to sit down and update our blog. Here are some reasons I have not been a faithful blogger(in no particular order):All is well in Bitner Land. We haven't had any crazy/hilarious drama going on. Not much to blog about.Our camera is broken, AGAIN. It

Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-579445180459785043.post-50526949857178682362008-04-25T12:56:00.006-04:002009-10-20T11:41:47.250-04:00

Wow, can you believe it's already Arbor Day 2008? Yeah, me neither. Actually I totally forgot that Arbor Day existed until this morning when I was reading the news. Since I know so little about this particular 'holiday' I did a little reading on the subject and learned some facts about Arbor Day. Very interesting.Of course the whole point of Arbor day is to plant a tree. If you are like me,

Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-579445180459785043.post-61082840925802015902008-04-24T17:41:00.009-04:002009-10-20T11:57:55.263-04:00

For the last 2-3 months I've been debating whether or not I should add a music player to my blog. I've been worried that my music preferences would be 'too wild' or alternative for some tastes. I finally came to the conclusion that this is my blog and I can do whatever I want with it. So, from now on, my blog will feature a play list.If my music isn't exactly your cup of tea, feel free to pause

Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-579445180459785043.post-56538636521474571742008-04-17T23:05:00.004-04:002009-10-20T11:39:55.738-04:00

When I first started this blog, I was determined to keep it updated on a regular basis. Yeah, that hasn't happened. Sorry about that. I want to post some awesome story about something but...I got nothin'...So instead I will just post pictures of my kids.

Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-579445180459785043.post-6967104779539399962008-03-26T16:46:00.014-04:002009-10-20T11:38:55.720-04:00

Hello Friends and Family! As you can see from my last post, we have a new baby in our home. Sorry about not posting more then just one picture and NO information about our new little angel. I would have gotten to it sooner but I've been feeling a little under the weather since we welcomed our new little one into the world.Matilda made her appearance nearly three weeks early on March 13, weighing

Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-579445180459785043.post-12722038610274051782008-03-16T21:47:00.003-04:002009-10-20T11:37:28.416-04:00

Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-579445180459785043.post-28166833917911247022008-02-27T10:59:00.002-05:002009-10-20T11:36:34.285-04:00

Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-579445180459785043.post-26791407334112879342008-02-12T10:32:00.001-05:002009-10-20T11:35:51.239-04:00

Just when I thought we were all getting back to feeling healthy, Mayah surprises me. Last night we got the girls to sleep at a decent time and we were feeling quite good about it. Duane decided to take the child free time and play some Halo 3 and I caught up on my friends blogs. While we were happily doing our thing, we heard a suspicious cough come from the girls room. The coughing soon

Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-579445180459785043.post-68678073142755302292008-02-09T23:40:00.001-05:002009-10-20T11:34:01.422-04:00

We celebrated Mayah's 5th Birthday this past Thursday (February 7th). We made sure her day was very special by spoiling her silly from the moment she woke up.She got to celebrate with her preschool friends.She also got a fun party at home with us.And she got her very first digital camera!It is still hard to believe that she is 5 years old, though. It really does seem like just yesterday that

Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-579445180459785043.post-55283878591607809072008-02-09T22:50:00.001-05:002009-10-20T11:33:12.774-04:00

This morning I discovered that my little Malia has a horrible, horrible ear infection. Its pretty bad. No, it is SUPER BAD! She's got a lot of junk coming out of her ear! I haven't seen anything like it before in my life. I didn't even know that such a thing was possible.Anyway, I rushed her to an urgent care facility and they prescribed some ear drops and an antibiotic. According to the

Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-579445180459785043.post-51232749390265144132008-02-06T21:59:00.002-05:002009-10-20T11:31:49.855-04:00

Over the past month or so, I have been asked a few times about my blog background. I made my background with the help of this website which gives simple instructions on how to do it; this website that offers free digital scrapbook paper; and this website that will host your images for free. Anyway, best of luck to everyone!

Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-579445180459785043.post-29329736526391945142008-02-04T14:00:00.001-05:002009-10-20T11:31:00.257-04:00

I just wanted to post a little something regarding the passing of President Gordon B. Hinckley and the new president of our church, Thomas S. Monson.First off, I just want to say that President Hinckley's passing was a bitter-sweet thing for Duane and I. President Hinckley was our prophet in the sense that he was so special to both Duane and myself, for different reasons. President Hinckley is

Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-579445180459785043.post-60186630159077434242007-12-26T00:57:00.001-05:002009-10-20T11:27:27.645-04:00

Greetings again this Christmas season. It’s been a great year for the Bitners and we hope it’s been a great one for you as well. Here’s our 2007 news, youngest to oldest.On Mommy’s birthday our youngest gave us a great big surprise by making a pink line appear on a pregnancy test. (Actually 3 pregnancy tests so Mommy & Daddy were sure they weren’t hallucinating.). We’re excited for her arrival

Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-579445180459785043.post-53715967505716588802007-12-16T15:23:00.001-05:002009-10-20T11:25:25.281-04:00

Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-579445180459785043.post-72049982665859201412007-11-08T11:59:00.001-05:002009-10-20T11:24:32.271-04:00

I was tagged by Renae-naeA: available or single? Happily married (very much so)B: best friend: DuaneC: cake or pie? BOTHD: drink of choice? WaterE: essential items used daily? My meds!F: favorite color? I have two favorite colors Lavender and Chocolate BrownG: gummy bears or gummy worms? Gummy BearsH: hometown? I was born in Utah but I spent most of my life in Highlands Ranch, Colorado.I:

Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-579445180459785043.post-26663773990768484562007-10-14T19:01:00.001-04:002009-10-20T11:22:53.310-04:00

This is one of my favorite pictures. I believe it was taken October 1983 and I was four at the time-same age as Mayah is now. In this photo my brother, Perry is dressed up as Charlie Brown and my other brother, Paul, is Sylvester the Cat. This particular Halloween I dressed up as Lucy from Charlie Brown--obviously, I am not wearing the costume in this picture. But yeah, I totally loved my

Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-579445180459785043.post-53624879071004568012007-10-14T12:56:00.001-04:002009-10-20T11:11:46.925-04:00

As I was getting the girls ready for church this morning, I discovered a few suspicious spots on Malia. I freaked out immediately because I know for a fact they weren't there yesterday evening. I hoped that a bug had gotten to her last night but my suspicions were confirmed after closer examination of Malia's spots--she definitely has chicken pox!!!It turns out that I exposed Malia to the

Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-579445180459785043.post-82118986347985881342007-10-11T10:18:00.002-04:002009-10-20T11:14:38.279-04:00

It is finally cooling down here in Michigan. As of yesterday (Wednesday, October 10), we are finally getting the weather one would expect for this time of year. There were days last week that we were getting 89 degree weather. YIKES!!! Since the weather has finally changed, I have been putting the girls summer clothing away. I couldn't help but get a little teary eyed when I realized that most

Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-579445180459785043.post-15613112779344001992007-10-05T08:57:00.001-04:002009-10-20T11:05:54.259-04:00

Things have been a bit crazy in our house for the last week.Earlier in the week I discovered that the "bug bites" on my back are actually shingles. Apparently the pregnancy is not only lowering my immunity but it is also stressing me out enough to bring on the shingles. Luckily I don't have more then a small patch on my back. They already seem to be healing up but they are quite itchy and sort

Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-579445180459785043.post-34119298331462045572007-09-29T23:10:00.001-04:002009-10-20T11:00:56.131-04:00

On September 25, 2007 the world was apparently forever changed when Halo 3 finally hit stores. Since my husband is a "gamer" I know all about Halo 3 and its effect on the Universe. Unfortunately for Duane he was not able to get his copy of Halo 3 until today--September 29. Anyway, he got it in the mail today but was really good about not cracking it open until the girls were put to sleep.Right

Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-579445180459785043.post-53897506019811393112007-09-29T22:25:00.002-04:002009-10-20T11:00:12.374-04:00

I must have an evil twin or something like that. I keep being told that I look like a girl that is on an internet video called 'One Semester of Spanish--Love Song'. For those of you that haven't seen or heard of it, here it is:I won't flatter myself and pretend I have a small waist like that girl but I must admit that I also see the similarities in our faces but only at certain angles. From

Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-579445180459785043.post-72528709590043787492007-09-27T14:37:00.001-04:002009-10-20T10:59:16.306-04:00

Say hello to 'Baby' Bitner. This ultrasound was done September 4, 2007 and at that time the baby was measuring to be about 9 weeks 6 days along. I am positive that the measurement is off by a few days but that is besides the point.We are quite excited for this new addition to our family. Duane doesn't mind if we have another girl so long as she is a healthy baby. Actually, Duane would prefer

Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-579445180459785043.post-52993375519171595512007-09-21T22:54:00.002-04:002009-10-20T10:55:59.193-04:00

As the summer comes to an end I can't help but feel sad that it is already over. Fall is a beautiful time of year but it only reminds me of the looming winter ahead and how I am going to freeze to death. Michigan is known for its winter temperatures as it is often described as "bone chilling".In order to get my mind off the upcoming Fall and Winter, I've decided to reminisce about this past

Pennyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12286406125596902373noreply@blogger.com1