This is our brother.  Yes, he is Superman! Well at least to four little sisters he is.  He was our Superman growing up. And while he is not included in the title of our blog (we just couldn't fit the J in there), he will probably be showing up a lot in our posts and if we are lucky, we might get him to write a few himself!

 Justin is the instigator of clowning around and having fun in our family! And ya, those mustaches were done in Sharpie!

Justin is SO blessed to be surrounded by beautiful women in his life.  He has four little sisters, a wonderful wife and three sweet daughters!!

Justin with his wife Christina and his three girls

Justin graduated from dental school at USC and is currently doing his residency to become a maxillofacial surgeon at Walter-Reed near Washington DC. He is also a Captain in the Army. He is about a 7 hour drive north of where I live and I have enjoyed being able to visit him a few times a year.

He loves teeth!

Ashley here! Oh the many reasons why my big brother is a super hero to me! First off one time when I was little and him and I were the only ones home, I got scared and he let me sleep on the floor in his room! :) It was really nice! Also he taught me to throw a football; I'm pretty certain he made sure that all of his sisters knew how to throw a football. Mostly he has always been a good example. He has always made sure that my sisters and I weren't being dumb. Hahaha I always looked up to him so if he told me something I was doing was dumb, I would stop! Love you Justy!!

My (Tiffany) fondest memories with Justin include playing board games! He taught us how to play Settlers of Catan and Ticket to Ride.  We are VERY competitive when we play games! There are often tears and name calling when we play games.  Some of the in-laws refuse to even play with us.  Justin almost always wins!  It's a lucky day when one of us beat him.  Ticket to Ride is one of my favorite games because it was one of the first (if not only) games I beat him at! I love Justin very much and am so grateful to have him as my brother.  He has always been there for us and I know he always will be!

Hello, it is Kaylee! I owe so much of who I am to not only the example my brother has been to me but also the friend he has been to me too. At a young girl of 12, my brother had just graduated from high school and was about to leave for a two year mission for our church. Out of all of the sisters, my brother picked me to stay at our cabin in southern Utah with him and his 3 other friends for a few extra days... just me! The fact that my brother let his little 12 year old sister tag along with him and his 19 year old friends meant the world to me. I had so much fun and have always kept that memory dear to my heart. My brother has always been there for me for any advice I need as well. He helped me a lot with deciding what I should major in, how to be successful in college and if it was right to marry Clark. I look up to him so much and use him as my number one guy for serious life advice. We always joke around that in heaven we were the left overs that needed to be in a family and Justin was right there as the captain of the team picking each of us sisters out individually and telling us we would each make a special contribution to the family. I love him so much and really look up to him as the true leader and captain of the Olsen Clan.
P.S. I love his and Christina's example as a beautiful and happy marriage. If Clark and I could love and make a fraction of the family they have I know my life will be successful.

  ^^^What kind of brother will participate in making a star with his feet??  A good one!!^^^

I'm not going to lie because I (Lindsay) am the youngest and Justin is the oldest, we've always had a connection that was different from the others. I think mostly because people say we have a similar sense of humor and I think we look the most alike. We also know how to have fun together whether it be watching college football, laughing on the couch until 1 in the morning looking at awkward family photos or just hanging out with his girls, we always have a blast.

To say the least he truly is one of my best friends. He's been a friend I could turn to about guys, school and my future. He help set the way for the rest of us crazy gals, and I don't think I could have even hoped for a better older brother.

We have been through some rough times as siblings but even though we have grown up most of our lives apart, we are so close.  We cherish the times we are able to be together and we have a blast!  And yes its the cool new thing to take pics with your eyes closed!  Hope you enjoyed getting to know "The Brother".

DIY: BATH BOMBS TUTORIAL

Bath Bombs are all the rage right now. Ever walked through LUSH fresh handmade cosmetics and noticed all the beautifully colored balls scattered around the store that look almost delicious enough to eat but then you see the price tag and second guess that thought? Well have no fear, I found a recipe for you to actually make your own bath bombs where you may soak up in the comfort of your own bathroom, knowing you have created the wonderful aroma you are so blissfully partaking in. 

^^^You will need to purchase Citric Acid. I bought the 4oz bottle on the left for $5 at Whole Foods, later I found a pound for only $6 at a local brewery supply store. Definitely the better choice especially if you plan on making a larger batch!^^^

^^^ I obvs just bought the off brand which was like 80c or something^^^

^^^ You can find epsom salt at your local grocery store. I also just bought the off brand which was 1/2 the price of one of the leading brands. It was less than $4 for 4 lbs whereas the name brand was over $6 for 3 lbs^^^

^^^ At this point you may also use some fun add-ins such as tea leaves, oatmeal, shea or coco butter, or anything else you like to use when soaking in the bath^^^

^^^ Add your favorite scent of essential oils. I just bought this at my local grocery store and picked this scent because it was the cheapest at $5. Whole Foods has almost any scent you could imagine but it can get pretty pricey!^^^

^^^ If you want to add some color, just use everyday food coloring. There is natural food coloring at Whole Foods but it is $15 for 3 colors so that's something to keep in mind. At this point you will also want to add water with a spray bottle. If it is too wet it won't hold up its shape but if it isn't wet enough you won't be able to get it to stick together. ^^^

^^^ Find anything to mold it in. I just used a decorative candle holder as it was the only thing I could find that seemed reasonable. Some other ideas: muffin tins, plastic Easter eggs, and candy molds. The Bath Bombs at LUSH are round so if you choose to do something like that you will want to pack it into two different 1/2 sphere molds and then press the two ends together. Hold it really tight for a minute and then slowly pull the two ends apart. ^^^

And there you have it, your very own homemade bath bombs! I was able to make two large bath bombs from this recipe. I am demonstrating this at a small workshop at my church on Wednesday. Let me know if you'd like to come and I'll give you more details! 

WE BELIEVE WEDNESDAYS.

We believe in Christ.

                                                   (Look at other incredible videos here.)

We believe in Christ, that He came down to this earth to atone for our sins. We wouldn't be able to make it back to our Heavenly Father without Him. There is simply no other way than through Christ and His atonement.

We believe Christ suffered in the Garden of Gethsemane at the deepest point of his life where he suffered for all of the pains of the world. The pains of all mankind. Our Heavenly Father sent His only Begotten son, that we might live and be able to return back to Him some day. He was sacrificed that we might live today. And it is only through Christ and by no other means that we will make it back.

 St. John 15:13 Greater love hath no man this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

We believe He was the perfect example of how we should try to live our lives. He set the way for us, that we might learn of him and live like He did.

In the Book of Mormon we read this:
" 2 Nephi 25: 26 And we ^atalk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we ^bprophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our ^cchildren may know to what source they may look for a ^dremission of their sins."

(My best friend Elyse and me, in front of the Christus in Salt Lake City, Utah.)

(We got this picture of Christ as a wedding gift when we got married!)

If you have any other questions or are interested in more about what we believe check out:
lds.org

HAPPY {belated} VETERANS DAY

As yesterday was Veterans Day, I feel it is appropriate to talk about the veterans in my life and what they mean to me. I have always had an appreciation for those who serve and fight for my freedom but it wasn't until I visited my brother in Washington D.C. over Memorial Day Weekend that I truly took the time to try to understand all they as well as their families sacrifice to protect this wonderful country we live in. While I was in DC I got to talk to my brother who is a captain in the army and my marine cousin, who was visiting as well. I learned a lot about what they have done and gone through to get where they are. We were able to see a lot of historical sites and went to a lot of places that opened up my eyes to how many have served and sacrificed for us Americans. Towards the end of the trip my brother had us watch Saving Private Ryan which truly touched me and really put into perspective the hardships those in the military go through with out much recognition at all. Here are some pictures I took while in DC of the many things I saw that deepened my appreciation and respect for those who so honorably fight for your and my freedom. 

^^^ The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier vvv

^^^ My cousin Colby on the left and my brother Justin in the middle. Thank you for your service!^^^

^^^ So many names vvv

With all of that said, there is one veteran in my life who is my most beloved. This veteran would be my grandpa, Deloy Chad Olsen. This post is in honor of him and all he did and still does for my family and me. 

Is he not the cutest thing you've ever seen? I can say that because he was 15 in this picture! My grandpa left his home at the age of 14 (soon to be 15). He said he was done with the 10th grade, hitch hiked around the west and eventually made it to Colorado where he lied about his age and signed up for the army! Crazy huh? While in the army my grandpa decided to do "jump school" which trains those soldiers to jump out of planes. This point in my grandpa's army career was pivotal as he was of the 2 of the 5 in his training that was courageous enough to go through with the entire training. The others got kicked out of the army and were sent home. While in the army my grandpa was fortunate enough to never have to fight in a battle (he wasn't too happy with it at the time though). Instead he got to travel all over the world and was of the soldiers that occupied Japan. While in Japan my grandfather was tutored by a prominent Japanese leader that my grandpa attributes a lot his success to. 

Once my grandfather got out of the army he used the GI Bill and got an education. He now has a bachelor's degree and 2 master's degrees! ... I honestly cannot remember what they are all in but he ended up being an aeronautical engineer and designed parts on some space shuttles! He married my grandmother, took her to live in California and had 5 wild kids (I can also say that because one of them is my dad :) ) My grandfather made a beautiful wonderful life for himself and his family. I will forever be grateful for all my grandfather sacrificed and went through so I could have the life I do today. You may or may not learn from our blog but our parents struggled a lot and could not always support us financially. At a young age my grandfather told me he would do all he could to get me to college and that I could pick any school I wanted to go to. I'm seriously about to cry thinking about it. I owe so much to this amazing veteran. I would not have all of the wonderful things in my life if it weren't for him helping me out. I'm not sure if I would have even graduated from college, I possibly would have never come out to Utah which means I wouldn't have married Clark. I wouldn't have my job if it weren't for my degree. My life would be so different and like I said before I owe it to my wonderful amazing grandfather who decided to go to the army and make something of his own life for his family.  

Happy {belated} Veterans Day! Take a step back and look around at those who have made it possible for you to be living the life you are today. Thank you to all that have served and fought for our country!