Choices

For one of our FHE's we talked about choice and accountability. We discussed the importance of making good choices, and how every choice has a consequence, whether good or bad. It was kind of a big lesson for the kids, but I think they grasped the idea. Hopefully they've learned something from it.

For dessert we had chocolate fondue, with lots of different "choices" to dip into it. They loved it. I got a fun fondue pot from my SIL for Christmas one year. It's a fun thing to have. We had strawberries, marshmellows, bananas, and angel food cake as our choices. They were yummy! It turned out to be a very fun FHE.

My cute neice Dani and her husband Greg came over. So did our good friends Aaron and Lauren. It's always nice to share a fun evening with family and friends. After the lesson and dessert we put the kids to bed and we stayed up to play "Celestial Companions". We love that game. However, our winning streak was taken away from us by Dani and Greg. We did come in a close second though!!

Toy "Busting"

"Mom, can I bust some of my toys?" That is the question I heard from S the other day. I'm not sure what started it, but he went on a "toy busting" kick. It started with some old cell phones DH brought home from work and went on to unwanted toys. He had a lot of fun "busting" away. What a crazy kid! A once loved Ben 10 guy.

A missing leg.

A happy little boy!

Last Day of School

Last Thursday was our last day of school. For me, it's both a good thing and a bad. I'm SO done with all the homework, trying to get kids to bed on time, fighting them to get ready on time, and all sorts. But, I'm not quite ready to hear "I'm bored" all the time. We'll just have to keep busy. Yeah for another successful school year.

Support Our Troops

Last week my BIL left for Iraq for his 3rd tour of duty. His wife is pregnant with their 3rd child, a little girl, and they have 2 adorable boys. These men and women who go and fight for our freedoms and for our country really do sacrifice a lot. Seeing what my sweet SIL goes through makes me all the more appreciative. I hope Kyle knows how much we love him, how proud we are of him, and how much we'll miss him. Let's try to remember to keep him and all the soldiers out their fighting for us in our prayers.

Saying good-bye to his boys.

Ari and her soldier, Sgt. Love

1st Grade Program

The first grade put on a cute little program. They were supposed to walk down to the park and sing for us and then we were supposed to have a picnic there. Afterwards, the kids were going to be able to play at the park. But, once again the weather has been crazy.

Instead they had their program in the cafeteria and it turned out to be so cute. They sang some cute songs. My favorite one was one about jelly beans. S loves to sing. He gets a cute little smile on his face when he sees me watching him. And then that makes him sing even louder. I love it. After they sang, we ate together in the cafeteria. After a little while, S ended up eating with 2 of his friends who didn't have parents there.

I wanted a picture of the two of us together. This was the pose that he wanted to do. I think it turned out pretty darn cute. Boy, do I love that kid!

My Little Graduate

My little J graduated from Kindergarten last Thursday. I can hardly believe it. How did that happen? It was a bittersweet day for me. I'm excited for her, for her future. She is growing up so fast and is truly enjoying her life right now. She's excited to be a big first grader and to get to eat lunch at school like her brothers and sister. She takes on each new thing with wonder and excitement. She has a love for learning. She is a little sweetheart, but can get a bit moody. I'm afraid I'm in for it. I love watching as my kids grow and love watching each stage they go through.

But, at the same time, I can't believe I'm here. I can't believe my youngest will be gone all day at school next year. For the last 10 years I've been SO busy with little ones running circles around me all day long. I'll still be busy, but in a different way. There won't be as much cuddle time, or as many hugs and kisses. I won't be the most important person in their lives any more. I know this is part of them growing up and it's not bad, it'll just be an adjustment. I love being a mom. It's the best thing I've every done. EVER. I love watching my kids grow. I hope the best for them and hope they remember a happy childhood.

J's program was darling. They sang some cute songs, which of course made me cry. I don't know what it is about watching the kids sing, but when they do I always get teary. She did a great job and had a huge smile on her face the whole time. After the program they had a little BBQ, which ended up being inside since our weather has been so crazy. But with all that, it turned out to be a wonderful day!

Congrats, graduate!

Golfing

(Yeah, that's me golfing! Don't I look like a pro?!?)

Last weekend, DH and I went to go visit my wonderful brother Alec and his family in Boise. We had a blast! DH and Alec really wanted to go golfing, so we did. I'm not a golfer. To tell you the truth I was kind of dreading it because I have no idea what I'm doing. But, it turned out to be a lot of fun. I wish we could've taken our time so that I could actually learn what I was doing, but I did enjoy it. I didn't do great, but I had a blast, and that's what really matters. Right?



I love going to visit my brother. He always makes me laugh and is so much fun to be around. Whenever we go there, DH and I talk about how fun it would be to live by them. I actually wish I could live by all my siblings. We get along so well, and I know we would always be doing things together. But, unfortunately we don't live in a perfect world, and we don't get to live by each other. So, I'm grateful for the times we do spend together.



After we went golfing, they took us out to dinner to a yummy tepanyaki type/sushi restaurant. It was WONDERFUL! Our cook was very entertaining. They gave us SO much food, I couldn't finish everything. We had a great weekend. Thanks Alec, Kelly, & Katie!!

Book #1

I finished my first book for the Southern Reading Challenge. "Gap Creek" by Robert Morgan was a different type of book for me. At first I thought it was SO slow, but it got better towards the end. The book was set in South Carolina and follows the marriage of a young couple struggling to make ends meet while adjusting to married life. It was kind of a depressing book, but I like how it showed that even though life isn't always easy, you can make it through most things. I didn't hate it, but didn't love it. Hopefully #2 will be better.

Dani

My cute neice Dani came over to visit me yesterday. She is SO cute, and I love that she lives close to us. While she was here I put her to work making peanut butter cookies. They turned out YUMMY!! I'm so glad that I'm able to have such a good relationship with her. I love that girl!

Knock Your Socks Off

We played a fun game called "Knock Your Socks Off" after our FHE one night. Here's how you play:

~Move all the furniture, so that you have plenty of floor space.

~Everyone has to take off their shoes, but leave on their socks.

~You get on all fours and chase each other around the room trying to pull their socks off, while trying to keep your own socks on.

~The last person left with a sock on, WINS!

It was actually a very fun game. DH ended up winning, but T gave him a run for his money:)

Go Jaguars!

S had his last soccer game of the season last Saturday. This was the first time the city had a spring soccer league, so it was just a "trial" season and was for a shorter period. But, the kids still loved it. I think S is still trying to figure out what sport he likes. He always wants to play everything, but then sometimes doesn't want to go to all the games. So, it'll be interesting to see what he ends up liking. He did a little better this season than last, so he's slowly improving.

I think he gets a little confused because he sees everyone kick the ball with their right foot, but he's a lefty. Sometimes he'll try to kick with his right foot and then at the last second realizes that his foot won't work and then switches to his left. So, he misses the ball and then gets frustrated. But if we remind him to kick with his left foot, he kicks much better and is much happier.

With all that said, I think he enjoyed the season. Now, it's on to baseball!

Field Day for T

This week was T's turn for the Hershey Track meet. He had mentioned previously that he wanted me to sign him up to be on the track club. But, I didn't becase I didn't know how much he really liked to run until I saw him at the meet.

He had to race against all the fourth graders in his school and they picked the top 4 to run in the 400m relay. He ran the first leg. He also ran in the 400m, which he took 2nd in his heat, and the 100m which he took 1st in his heat. He went on to the semi-finals, and finals in the 100m. He ended up 6th overall in the district. It was awesome! He is quite the little runner and I can tell he really loves it. As soon as the meet was over we headed over to the Parks and Rec. office to sign him up for the track club. I love when the kids find something they love and that they do well.

I Love to Read!

I love to read! I don't always get as much time to read as I'd like, but I try to as much as possible. MSL is doing this challenge, and I decided to give a go at it. It will give me a chance to read something different. I'm excited to do it. If you'd like, you can join Maggie's challenge too!

I haven't decided which books I'll read yet, but I'm having fun investigating some!

Discovery Gateway

Yesterday I went on a field trip with S's class. We went to the Discovery Gateway. I've never been to the museum since they moved, and I really enjoyed myself. There is a ton of stuff for the kids to do. First we went to the food court for lunch, then we made our way to the museum.

S loved the rock wall and could climb all the way to the top without any help. He also liked pretending he was a construction worker, and playing outside on the helicopter. I think it's a great place for the kids to go and explore and use their imagination. I'd really like for us to all go there as a family. It was a fun time!

3rd Grade Hershey Track Day

M had her track meet on Tuesday. The weather was warm which I was grateful for, since it was an all day event. M has never been a strong runner, but she really enjoyed herself. This was a district wide track meet, so all the third graders were there. She got 2nd place in her heat for the 50m dash. She was pretty excited about that. I don't think she realized that there were like 20 heats. As long as she's happy and feels good about what she accomplished then, I'm good with that! It was fun to see her competing and I'm glad I got to be there. Plus, I got a little sun on my oh-so-white skin!

Scouting Expo

On Saturday one of our stops was the Scouting Expo. T sold a bunch of tickets and got to pick up his winnings. He got a ton of stuff. Some of the things were:

~a huge duffel bag

~first aid kit

~kangaroo mess kit

~tackle box filled w/fishing stuff

~fishing pole

~fishing vest & matching hat

~Expo hat

~2 pocket knives

~Scouting Expo patch & Salesman patch

~compass

~flashlight/compass

~flashlight keychain

~mini lantern

~one of those head lamp, flashlight things

~2 Owlz game tickets

~a free meal to Chuckarama

~scorpion stove

~a bommerang type thing

~a camel pack (backpack water container)

It was like Christmas for him. Now next year he is going for a higher prize level so he can win a wii!

Golden Corral

Every year on the kids' birthday, they get to choose where they want to go eat. At first S said Chuck-a-Rama, and then talked to his dad and decided on Golden Corral, since they have more desserts there. He opened his gifts while we were there. He wanted the Liahona, and "wrestling dudes". He got both and was very pleased with his gifts. I think he really enjoyed his birthay. Love you bubba!

Happy Birthday S!

My little bubba turned 7 today! Holy Cow, I can hardly believe it. I love this kid SO much, I can't even put it into words. For his birth story, go here. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Saturday = Crazy Day

Today was a crazy, busy Saturday.

9:00 - Pick T up from sleep over
9:45 - Coach S's soccer game
10:45 -Run home get everyone changed for next event
11:15 - Drive to Thanksgiving Point in Lehi
11:50-1:15 - Scouting Expo ~ He got to pick up his prizes, earned 3 belt loops, walked through a haunted house, ate some treats, did a craft, had some good fun!
1:15 - Drive Home
1:45 - Get M ready for competition
2:00 - Take M to high school for competition
4:00-5:00 - Run home for a snack break
5:00 - Back to competition
7:30 - Awards ~ They got two firsts again!!!
8:00 - Home! DH home from work!
8:30 - Dinner, Clean up house
9:30 - Quick trip to grocery store
10:00 - Laundry
Now - Relaxing, blogging, watching T.V.

It's been a crazy day! I'm exhausted.

How Come?

How come sometimes, they are SO nice and comforting to each other? But, most of the time they fight? One of the times we went out to eat when we were in St. George we had like an hour and half wait and then had to wait to get our food. The kids were tired from travelling, swimming, and waiting. By the time we finally got our food, it was already like 8:45. The kids barely ate anything before they were laying on the seats and draping themselves all over each other. T was so nice and held J for a long time. Then, S wanted in on some love, so he rested his head on T's shoulder. It was so sweet. So, I wonder why they can't just love each other and be nice like this more often? It was so nice.

Matchy Matchy

This is M's best friend Morgan. She lives just down the street from us, which they love. They LOVE to match their clothes. They will call several times each morning to plan their outfits. Sometimes, they even have to style their hair the same. I think one morning they must have talked at least 4 or 5 times. Morgan is a sweet girl and I'm so glad M has such a good friend! They are cuties.

Two Firsts!

They finally took first in both their dances at this last competition!

Toni Jean

One of my best friends growing up stopped by for a quick visit last week. If I'd known she was coming I would have done my hair or put make-up on, but instead this is what she got. It was SO good to see her. It's been way too long. She has 5 boys! It's funny that between the two of us we have 9 kids and we were at my house with no kids around. How did that happen? I'm so grateful that I had such wonderful friends growing up. Even though we live in different states, don't get to talk too often, but yet when we get together it's as if no time has passed at all. I love this girl!

Family Photo

A family photo, and we actually don't have any crying kids!

It was great to spend time with everyone.

It hardly ever happens that we are all together,

and I'm so glad we had the opportunity to be together before Kyle leaves.

I love these guys and am so grateful they are part of my family!!

Classified

The other day we were driving in the car and I heard the girls talking to their friend about wearing glasses. First they talked about sunglasses, and then they started talking about regular glasses. M's friend Morgan wears glasses, and J said, "Yeah, that's because she's Classified!" I started laughing and asked her what she meant. She was talking about being far-sighted. It was so cute!

Celestial Companions

We went over to our friends house for dinner and games. This is one of the games we played. It was SO fun. It's kind of like the Newly Wed Game. DH and I totally rocked! We like it so much that we went and got ourselves one. Fun times:)

My 3rd Son

I have been watching this little cutie for the past 14 months. I never I thought I could get SO attached to a child that wasn't my own (or a neice or nephew). He's with us for about 10 hours a day, 5 days a week. I love him to pieces. He's a good baby, which is so nice. He loves my kids. The other day I was talking to my neighbor while I was holding Corbin, and she looked at him and said, "Where's your mommy?" He immediately looked up at me and pointed at my face. I've never seen him do that before. I thought it was soooo cute! But, at the same time, I felt a little bad. His hours that he's awake during the day, he is with me more than his own mom, so I guess it makes sense. Plus he hears my kids call me mom all day. DH has been Dad to him for a long time. His mom is a single mom, and dad isn't in the picture much, so DH is Dad. We love him!

We're In The Army Now

My BIL and SIL are here visiting from Colorado. Kyle is in the Army and is getting ready to be deployed next month, so they are here visiting for a little bit before he has to go. He brought along some things for us to try out.

DH and I tried on his vest (if that's what you even call it), and his helmet. HOLY CRAP! That sucker is heavy. And, that wasn't even the actual weight of it all. There weren't any of his guns, and the magazines were empty. His water canteen was empty too. So once you add all that stuff, it's even heavier. I got down on my knees and then needed help getting up. I can't imagine all the running around and going up and down that they have to do. They are strong, that is for certain. They've got to be tuff. I never realized how heavy their uniform actually was. And, the helmet was heavy too. You would definitely get strong neck muscles from holding your head up with that helmet on.

He also broufght some MRE's for us to try. We got one with ribs, chicken and salsa, and one with ravioli. There were brownies, beef jerkey, cookies, fruit cocktail, crackers, wheat bread, cheese spread, and much more. They sure put a lot of stuff in each of those MRE'. I guess you get one a day when you're out, and they have 3000 calories each. Some of the stuff wasn't too bad, others I could do without.

The boys thought it was SO cool that we got to try all that food. They kept asking everyone if we wanted to try "army cookies", or "army gum", or "army meat". It was pretty cute! They really look up to Kyle. I'm glad that they have a good example that they can look up to. He is a great guy, and I'm sad to see him go again. This will be his 3rd tour of duty. Keep him and his family in your thoughts and prayers.

St. George Outlets

We went to the outlet stores in St. George because I wanted to find some clothes for M. While we were looking I found this cute dress. It was only $6.99! So, of course I had to buy it. I don't really own dresses because I can never find a cute one. But, I loved this one!

Brigham Young Winter Home

When we were in St. George, DH wanted to drive around to see if we could find Brigham Young's winter home. Well, we found it, and much to our surprise it was open for tours. The kids loved it! We were going to go bowling, but it wasn't open, so we decided to find this. As we were taking the tour, S turned to us and said, "This is WAY better than bowling, because this is like real stuff, church stuff." It was so cute. T thought it was cool that we were actually walking on the same path that Brigham Young once did. It was interesting to see how much they enjoyed themselves. And, to make things even better, they acted like angels! That was a miracle, since we've been having behavior issues lately.

DH loves history, especially church history. He served his mission in Independence, MO and really wants to go back, so we can see all of the church sites. I'd love to go to, especially since he has been there before and knows so much about all the sites that he could be our guide.



This is a tree in the backyard that was split in two when it was struck by lightning. Brigham Young and some other men performed "surgery" on it, so that it would not die. It was pretty cool! The tree was huge.



I thought this was a cool stove. It's huge. I can't even imagine having to build a fire inside, just so I could cook. Those women were amazing.



This is the pantry. They went out there to churn their butter, store their food, and much more.



This is Brigham Young's bedroom. It was the biggest in the house. I love the way things were decorated so elegant, although I don't think I could have my own house look that nice.

It was very interesting to go through this house and to hear stories of how he lived. We had a great time, and I'm glad we were able to take the time to go on the tour and to learn more about one of our great church leaders.

Happy Birthday Sister!!

Today is my sisters' birthday! She is a wonderful person and the best sister anyone could ask her. Go wish her a happy day!


Sisters share a closeness no one else can understand. . .
A sister's always there to give a hug or lend a hand.
Sisters are the best friends in the whole wide world, it's true. . . And that friendship is a blessing that lasts a lifetime through.

~Author Unknown