All About Us

I am Deanna Householder, the writer, editor, historian, creative mind and critic of this blog. I have no idea how long this will last or how many posts you will get out of me, but I am going to give it a good effort!

I have always loved journaling...used to be a faithful weekly journal writer (with somewhere around 12 volumes of journals). Now with four, and soon to be five, lives to keep track of, I'm hoping this will be a little easier and even funner to keep a current history of our lives for friends and family. I love the idea of having photos available too. Sometimes I am just blown away by technology!

Anyway, more about me and my family. At the time of this post, I am 38 years old. I am blessed to be the wife of Shawn Paul Householder and I am a mother of our two very active, handsome little boys, Ethan Shawn (4) and McKay Samuel (2). Currently, I am 14 weeks pregnant with our third child (hopefully a girl this time) and I am due July 4th!

I always make myself too busy and I'm trying to model my husband's more laid-back personality more often. I am blessed to have the gospel of Jesus Christ in my life and to be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. We live in Mesa, AZ, although I was born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah. We have lived in Orem, Utah, as well as two years in Northridge, CA where we made many friends and lasting memories (but driving in traffic there is not a fond one!)

I love to sing (solo or in choirs) and use my creative talents. This last year, I built and started a personal concierge business, North Star Concierge, LLC. It was very exciting to see my ideas become a reality, but the reality was really that it was taking way too much time away from my family and too much money to continue on with it. Although I know that it could have been a very successful business, I chose to stick with my first roles and responsibility of mother and wife. Heaven knows, that is enough to keep any woman busy! I have been known to play and really enjoy softball, basketball, go walking, hiking, camping (I LOVE the mountains!) as well as water ski and ride wave runners. I hope that in the future my family will enjoy an active recreational life.

Shawn Householder is my dear husband of 7 years now. We were married in the Salt Lake Temple on December 5, 2000 (the same anniversary day as my parents). Don't even ask me how he has managed to put up with me for that long. He is a blessing in my life, with his patience, his acceptance of me and tolerance for my overzealous productive nature. It is true we are so opposite in many ways, but we share the things that matter most to each of us and know that we were meant to be together to help us become all that we need to be and to learn all that we need to learn while we are here. For those of you who may not know, our "claim to fame" is being engaged after only 12 days of meeting each other, and making it to the alter without kissing first! (Long story.....)

Shawn works currently as a Compliance Analyst for Capitolbancorp, Ltd., a bank holding company out of Lansing, MI. He travels about once a month. We miss him a lot when he is gone but we are so grateful for his hard work for our family.

Shawn has a talent for building computers, enjoys video games (Guild Wars is his current interest) and is a champion chocolate chip cookie maker! He is famous for his cookies! He loves his "Z" (a '90 Nissan 300 ZX) but I admire him so much for being willing to drive the little '87 Celica GTS to work every day that we bought in CA 6 years ago that isn't the most beautiful car to drive anymore. But it sure has been a great car for us.

Ethan is our oldest child (4). He is most like his mom in so many ways, and as a result, we sometimes clash. He loves to play with his digger and dump truck, but also enjoys Thomas the Train, going to the zoo (he loves animals) and watching movies. He is tall for his age, and was finally successful at mastering the potty this last summer! Hurray! He loves to eat yogurt, apples, pineapple pizza, pop, and any kind of candy, oh and of course, ice cream! He is also very very strong and energetic and we hope to enroll him in gymnastics some day. It has truly been an amazing experience to watch and hear him grow and pass through all the stages from newborn to a young little boy. His favorite word right now seems to be "why?"

McKay, our second son is now two. How the time flies! He is our cuddle bug and sensitive one (which makes him more like Shawn). From the beginning he has been what I called "My little light bulb" because he is usually always happy and smiling. McKay's favorite pastime would have anything to do with water! He enjoys sipping some and then spitting it out...on the table, in a cup, on himself...it doesn't matter! Ugh. He also just can't resist playing with his food. It just has to become a part of him somehow! He too likes yogurt, pineapple, corn, peas, Bush's country beans, pop and ice cream...and whatever cereal you happen to be eating.

As I said before, we will be welcoming Baby #3 in July or maybe late June. I will be grateful for a healthy baby no matter what the gender, but I must admit that I have strong hopes for a girl this time.

Well, that is just a bit, or maybe too much about us. I'm sure from this point, you will learn much more! Enjoy!

Here is a slideshow of our favorite photo moments of 2007 (at least July through December).