The Burnside's

Alex turns 6

2011-11-02T13:47:00.001-06:00

I can't believe this little man is 6!! Where has the time gone? He is full of spice and vinegar. He is full on boy and loves to do things in his own way and at his own pace. He is definitely his own person and we love him all the more for it. He keeps us on our toes. He loves to do anything that his brothers are doing and pretty much thinks he runs the house. Notice I said "thinks". He is home before his brothers from school so he thinks he has free reign of the house while mom works. He can't wait for the boys to get home so he can have someone to play with, although he is starting to play more and more with the other boys in the neighborhood.
He was so excited for this birthday and wanted to have like 10 parties!! The more presents the better. We sure do love you Alex and are so grateful for all the joy, love and laughter that you bring into our lives.

From 2011-10-13 summer 2011

Can you see the mischievousness in his eyes? I love this smile of his!

From 2011-10-13 summer 2011

Our summer

2011-11-02T13:00:00.003-06:00

I have been slacking when it comes to blogging. I have had great intentions and then another days goes by and nothing happens. So here is a snapshot of our summer. We were busy! We spent the 4th of July with my family down in St George. We had so much fun, spending time with family and hiking and driving. We did lots of driving. We drove through Zion's National Park, Bryce Canyon and the Grand Canyon all in the space of 4 days. We were in the car a ton but it was beautiful and many memories were made. It is always fun to spend time with family. We all stayed in the same house together, that means 25 of us in one house! Don't worry each adult couple had their own room and there was huge basement full of bunkbeds. It was amazing.

From 2011-10-13 summer 2011

No vacation is complete without a water balloon fight!!

From 2011-10-13 summer 2011

We also got to spend time on Grammie and Poppa's boat. The boys loved fishing and catching crawdads. They caught some big ones this year! The big story on the boat this year was getting stuck out in the middle of the lake and waiting through a lightening storm. We were on our way in and it started raining and then we had some lightening and my dad looked at my mom and they knew we needed to get off the water. So we pulled over and climbed off. We sat on the shore and waited out the storm. Meanwhile we were getting soaked and were so cold. The boys were troopers though. We said a little prayer and asked Heavenly Father to keep us safe and for the storm to let up so that we could make it back to the dock. After about 10 more minutes it stopped and we were able to get back on the boat and head in to the dock.

From 2011-10-13 summer 2011

Moab

2011-05-18T14:39:00.003-06:00

We all decided to go down to Moab with Eric while he ran in the Red Rock Relay. We were going to go hiking while he ran. The boys loved it! They could not get enough of all the hikes and they would have kept on hiking but I made them wait for Dad. So we went through Arches National Park on Saturday and then on Sunday we went to Little Wildhorse Canyon and Goblin Valley on Sunday. It was a great time and we are planning on going back later next month.

From 2011-05-16 May2011

Eric's Running

2011-05-18T14:35:00.002-06:00

So Eric has started running and he is doing awesome. He has lost a lot of weight and is looking so good! He ran in the Thanksgiving Point 1/2 marathon and did a great job. He then ran in the Red Rock Relay with two of my brothers and a few of their friends. He had so much fun. He is really into this running. He has just signed up for a triathlon and is now thinking about a full marathon. I say more power to him and I know he can do it!!

From 2011-05-16 May2011

Andrew Turns 11

2011-05-18T14:23:00.002-06:00

I can't believe that we have 11 year old. He has grown up so fast. Somedays I just wish I could slow down time so that they would stop growing. He loves Phineas and Ferb, playing on the computer, Legos, Indiana Jones and Harry Potter. For his birthday this year when we asked him what he wanted he gave us a list of all the Legos he wanted. Of course the most expensive one was over $400. So needless to say he did not get that one. So that is what he got for his birthday, legos, legos and more legos.
We love Andrew and his sweet spirit. He is so sensitive and kind. He still loves to hold my hand and cuddle with me. I hope he never grows out of that. He also knows what he wants and is very determined once he makes it up. I love that he can babysit for us and that he is playing with his brothers and teaching them how to play Little Big Planet.
Andrew, we are so proud of you and of the young man you are becoming. We hope that you continue to make the right choices and stay sweet and kind and loving. We love you so much.

From 2011-05-16 May2011

Easter

2011-05-18T14:10:00.004-06:00

We had a great Easter this year.The boys had fun dying eggs and finding them the next day. We tried really hard to talk to them about the true meaning of Easter and how it is not about all about the candy. It is always so fun to see their joy on their faces when they get up in the morning and see their basket.

From 2011-05-16 May2011

Arrow of Light

2011-05-18T14:09:00.001-06:00

Andrew earned his Arrow of Light in Cub Scouts. It is the highest honor you can earn in Cub Scouting. We were so proud of him! We owe so much of this to his Webelos leader, Bro. Hostetter. He has worked so hard with Andrew for the last two years and Andrew has really enjoyed working with him. He loved it and was very proud to get this award at the Blue and Gold.

From 2011-05-16 May2011

Spring Break

2011-05-18T13:35:00.005-06:00

This year for spring break we stayed home. This is the first time in a very long time that we have stayed home and not gone to either California or Arizona. We had a great time. Each day I let one of the boys choose what they wanted to do for the day and we went and did that. We ended up going to the Discovery Gateway Museum, Hogle Zoo, Farm Country, A Bounce House, and Classic Skate. I only have pictures from the Zoo but they are some really good ones. It was kinda a cold day and the animals were out in force and really acting out. It was great.
These were the craziest animals at the zoo!!

From 2011-04-12 zoo0411

This guy scared Andrew when he jumped up by the window, but it was so cool.

From 2011-04-12 zoo0411

Andrew's School Projects

2011-05-18T13:35:00.001-06:00

For the science fair Andrew decided to see what would happen to cookies if you left out an ingredient. He left out baking soda in one batch, butter in another and I can't remember the 3rd. He then had each of us in the family taste test the cookies. We had to taste them, smell them and look at them to see if they were different. The ones without butter were very crumbly but the ones without baking soda turned out very flat. He had fun

From 2011-03-30 jan 2011

Andrew's fifth grade class had to choose a famous historical figure and write a report about them and then dress up as them and be able to tell parents and others all about them when asked. Andrew chose Walt Disney. He did an awesome job.

From 2011-04-12 zoo0411

Josh turns 7

2011-03-30T20:58:00.004-06:00

I can't believe how fast time flies. Where did all the years go? This sweet, lovable, brown eyed boy of mine is 7! He was so excited for his birthday party with his friend and for his real birthday which we celebrated in California. What can I say about Josh? He is always happy. He has a smile on his face all the time and always tries to do what is right. He loves to help and is my biggest helper. I love it! He is always willing to do whatever is asked of him. He is learning so much this year and his memory is amazing when it comes to places we have been. He can remember anything that has to do with food! He loves to eat and is a great eater.
Josh, I hope you keep your happy personality always and that you always try to do what is right even when others may not. Mom and Dad love you so much and thank Heavenly Father every day for the gift of having you come into our lives. You are a ray of sunshine, that lights up our life each and every day with your infectious smile and laugh. We love you!
Happy Birthday

From March 2011

Birthday cake with friends at Nickelcade

From March 2011

Best picture I could get of 7 boys all together at once

From March 2011

California

2011-03-30T20:58:00.001-06:00

We decided to head down to California for President's weekend. We were going to visit Grammie and Poppa and take the boys whale watching. We were excited, the boys love to go to California. We prayed for good weather and on Saturday the skies were clear. The waves were a little big on the way out of the harbor but the boys had their binoculars and were ready to see some whales and dolphins. All we got were sea lions!! Andrew said it was a rip off! They kept looking and looking but the whales were hiding, I guess. Oh well we got free passes to come back and try again. Hopefully when we go next time, we will see SOMETHING!!

This is how Alex spent most of his time.

From March 2011

Only animal life we saw the entire trip!!

From March 2011

Josh's Basketball Season

2011-03-30T20:43:00.002-06:00

Josh played on a basketball team again this year and Eric got the lucky task of being the coach. Josh had a great time and learned some new skills. It is funny to watch Kindergarteners and 1st graders play, they like to pass to their friends only and of course they always want to shoot! It was good times.

From March 2011

Eric's Birthday

2011-02-01T16:50:00.004-07:00

From 2011-02-01 Thanksgiving christmas10

We got to celebrate Eric's birthday while we were in Arizona. Kati's birthday is on the 29th so we celebrated both of them together. I was glad that I did not have to try and make the lemon meringue pie that Eric loves so much since his mom was there and she happily did it twice for him (can you say spoiled).He also got her to make many of his other favorite foods as well while we were there. We have a tradition that we always have a pinata for birthdays, well Kati found the pinata of all pinatas!! This thing was HUGE and they filled it only halfway with candy and each kid still got a bag full. It was crazy.
So we celebrated their birthdays and then Eric had to leave to come home so he could go back to work. I stayed the rest of the week with the boys and we played in Cave Creek and then we traveled home on the 31st so we could actually be home on Eric's actual birthday with him. It was a fun time and I hope that Eric had a great birthday. I love you babe!

From 2011-02-01 Thanksgiving christmas10

Christmas in Arizona

2011-02-01T16:50:00.001-07:00

We have not traveled for Christmas in several years so this took a lot of planning on our part. Of course both Eric and I ended up sick the week before Christmas so this made things a little more difficult. I was starting to feel better but Eric burst an ear drum and was still going full force with work.
We left for Arizona on the 23rd and drove to Blanding and then drove the rest of the way on Christmas Eve. We made it to Grandma and Grandpa's house by lunch where Eric promptly fell asleep and slept for the rest of the day. I think he thought he was home and his mom could take care of him now so he was good. Cheri and Mark and their kids were already there so the boys were excited to play.
Grandpa told the kids the story of Christ's birth that night and then we tried to put all the kids to sleep so Santa could come. And come he did!!! The kids were up bright and early christmas morning and so excited to see what they got. I love to see the look in their eyes when they see all of their presents. It was so much fun to watch them open their presents.
Pam and Scott and Marc and Janet and their kids all came later that night so we had a full house. Then Kristi and Clayton came on Monday so all of the family was together for the first time in over a year minus Tommy who is on a mission and Janelle who had to work. It was so fun to be with everyone and enjoy the good times and the loudness that goes along with over 30 people in a house. The cousins had so much fun on the rock hill outside.

From 2011-02-01 Thanksgiving christmas10

From 2011-02-01 dec2010

Andrew's Choir

2011-02-01T16:32:00.002-07:00

From 2011-02-01 dec2010

This year Andrew sang in his school choir. He was so proud and did such an awesome job! He even got to sing at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building in Salt Lake. It was a great experience for him and one that I hope he continues to pursue as he gets older. He has an awesome memory and a pretty good voice as well. We were very proud parents.

From 2011-02-01 dec2010

Thanksgiving

2011-02-01T16:31:00.000-07:00

All of the Brown Family got together this year up here in Utah for Thanksgiving. We had a great time. It is always fun to be with family and enjoy the good times. The cousins love playing together and running around. We had our annual Family Jeopardy game and of course the girls won!!! We went to the Riverwoods and rode on the little horse drawn sled and some of the kids even got to talk to Santa as they rode on the sled. We exchanged gifts and all the big boys got their nerf guns. So of course we had to have a nerf gun war. Each year we also try and do a service project, this year we decided to make thank you cards and then we would drop them off at the hospital. The kids did a great job with making cards and had fun.I love being surrounded by family and making memories with them. It is always a good time and this year no one got sick.

From 2011-02-01 Thanksgiving christmas10

YO Gabba Gabba!

2010-11-12T11:38:00.003-07:00

From 2010-11-12 YoGabbaGabba10

We won tickets to see Yo Gabba Gabba Live! I have never won anything so this was quite exciting! The boys have not watched this show in years but were excited to go and see it. Alex kept saying, "we are going to watch this for real not on TV?" It was cute. Andrew on the other hand wanted nothing to do with this baby show. So Eric and Andrew went and saw a movie while I took the younger two to the show.
They put on quite the show. There was a lot of singing and dancing. Josh and Alex really got into and had a blast.Thanks Canlas' for the opportunity to go to this show> The boys still talk about it and Josh said he was going to write all about it in his journal at school.

From 2010-11-12 YoGabbaGabba10

Halloween

2010-11-08T12:38:00.003-07:00

Halloween was rainy this year but the boys still had fun. Alex was spiderman. I have loved that all 3 have been spiderman for at least 2 years. Of course Spiderman came out beginning of October and Alex and his little friend ran the neighborhood. It was very cute. The boys had their annual Halloween parade at school. It was fun to see all the kids dressed up.
Perry the playtpus.

From 2010-11-08 summer_halloween10

Joshy the pirate!!

From 2010-11-08 summer_halloween10

Alex at his school parade

From 2010-11-08 summer_halloween10

Alex and his buddy

From 2010-11-08 summer_halloween10

Every year for the last 3 I have been going to Witches night out with my sister, sister in laws and our moms. This year only one sister in law could come and a good friend. We had fun, good food, good friends what more can you ask for.

From 2010-11-08 halloween10

First Day of School

2010-11-08T12:27:00.002-07:00

The first day of school has come and gone and yes I am behind but better late than never. Andrew is in 5th grade! 5th grade, I can't believe it! When did he get so old. He is definitely coming into his own and wanting more freedom than I am prepared to give and has definite ideas and opinions. I think we are in trouble when he is teenager. Overall, he is a great kid and still loves to come and cuddle with me. Just last night, he came and snuggled with me and I told him I hope he never gets to big for this. He is loving 5th grade and has a wonderful teacher who is helping to expand his mind and teach him many things.

From 2010-11-08 summer_halloween10

Joshy is now a big 1st grader and is so excited to be going to school all day long and of course told me the best part about it is that he gets to eat lunch at school. He is such a social boy and has many friends all around him constantly. He is loving school and has really begun to take off with his reading and writing. I am so proud of him and how hard he is working. He gets so excited when he can read a book without help. It is fun to see that excitement, I hope that he always keeps it. His teacher is really great and really helping him to learn and grow. He is such a sweet, loving boy who always tries his best.

From 2010-11-08 summer_halloween10

Our two oldest trying to be kind and let me get a quick picture but really they just wanted me to hurry up so they could get to the bus

From 2010-11-08 summer_halloween10

Alex also has started preschool at a big school this year. He of course would not let me take a picture of him on his first day so I do not have one. He is doing good once he finally gets there. The first two weeks were awesome. I would take him and drop him off without any problems and then one day he decided going was not going to be easy anymore. So every day since then we struggle to get to preschool but once there he has a blast. He is slowly getting better but it has been a long process. He is learning to write his name which he thinks is awesome. He wants to have homework like his brothers. It is fun to see.

Alex's Birthday Party

2010-11-08T12:17:00.002-07:00

So I finally decided to have a friend birthday party. This is a first for me! Alex got to invite 5 friends and we had a Spiderman themed party. The kids had a great time and I was exhausted by the time it was done. Note to self, next time only plan 1 hour not 1.5!
We played Venom vs.Spidey! Attack with water balloons

From 2010-11-08 summer_halloween10

Pretend you are Spiderman and spin your webs!

From 2010-11-08 summer_halloween10

Of course a Burnside birthday is not complete without a pinata! I know it is not spiderman but hey, it was the best I could do and Alex was happy.

From 2010-11-08 summer_halloween10

These took some work Grammie, Daddy and I all took part in this project

From 2010-11-08 summer_halloween10

Alex had a fun time and keeps talking about what he is going to do for his party next year. Not sure I am going to be ready for that. This may be an every other year thing.

Alex Turns 5

2010-09-15T16:19:00.002-06:00

My baby is 5! I can't believe it! How quickly time flies. He has learned so many things this year and is such the big boy now. I think I am noticing more this year than any other how much he has grown up. He told me one day to take his training wheels off. I did not really think he was ready and I was not ready to listen to him cry when he fell but I took them off and sure enough off he went without needing really any help from me. He learned to swim at his cousins house this summer. He put fins on feet and goggles on his face and that was all it took. Most important, you started preschool at your own school this year and you are going like such a big boy everyday.
Alex you have amazed me this summer with how fast you are growing. I love how you are making friends and love to be outside playing with them all the time. You have an infectious laugh,a beautiful smile and we love you so much. We are so proud of you and all that you are doing and accomplishing. We love you to pieces.
Love
Mom and Dad

From 2010-08-10 AZ July10

From 2010-07-14 summer VaK2010

From 2010-08-10 AZ July10

Andrew Scuba Diving

2010-09-15T16:08:00.003-06:00

I know, I know. Summer is over and school has started but this did happen way back in July and I am just now getting to it. The boys and I took one last road trip to Az. Why did we go to Az in July? That is a question I will continue to ask myself. It was sooooooooooo hot! Andrew has been asking or rather begging for us to take him down ever since he turned 10. Eric and I are both scuba certified and so he wanted to become certified. So we went down so that Uncle Scott and Aunt Pam could help him. He did awesome in the pool. He was like a little fish. He was so brave, taking the regulator out of his mouth underwater and blowing bubbles. I won't even do that. Once that things goes in my mouth, I have a death grip on it. I did try a few times just to show him that I could do it. We tried to go to the lake to do some skills there as well but Andrew was not ready for that. I don't blame him, it was pretty murky and you couldn't see anything. We are just taking our time and letting him get comfortable so that one day in the future when we take him out he will be ready. I was very proud of him

From 2010-08-10 AZ July10

First time underwater with all his gear

From 2010-08-10 AZ July10

Just chillin on the bottom

From 2010-08-10 AZ July10

Rockport

2010-07-14T19:55:00.003-06:00

We ended our trip by spending a few days at Rockport. No one had ever heard of it but it was the only place that had open campsites so we gave it a try. We showed up Friday, tired and ready to get in the water. The kids of course loved playing at the waters edge and of course going on Big Bertha(the big tube). I was shocked and a little nervous at how fast Alex wanted to go. He would stand up and hold his hands in the air as Poppa or Jake spun him around. Josh would go on with Nicole and have a huge grin on his face the entire time. They had so much fun. Camping was another story. It rained Friday night and so that was an adventure. Mom and dad did not set up there tent so they were sleeping under the stars and getting rained on then they got under the little pavilion. There was skunk in the morning snooping around and birds climbing on mom. It made for good times. Of course we had a fun water fight in the afternoon as we were cleaning up. Overall it was a fun time and I love spending time with my family and making memories. I love seeing my kids play with their cousins and laugh.

Yellowstone

2010-07-14T19:50:00.002-06:00

This year for our family get together we all went to Yellowstone. I have to say it is one of the best family vacations we have ever been on. Yes it was a lot of driving but it was awesome! We saw so many animals and it was so beautiful. The boys absolutely loved it! They did not mind being in the car all that time and just kept looking out the window for all the animals. We personally saw tons of bison, elk, deer, a snake, a bald eagle, a black bear, grizzly bear and her two cubs and a beaver. Other family members also saw mountain goats and their babies and a black wolf. It was all around a fantastic trip. I have to give a huge shout out to my parents who made it all possible. Thanks so much for putting it together. We loved it and are already talking about going again next year. I loved the many memories we made and the fun time we had.

Legoland

2010-07-14T19:26:00.003-06:00

We started off our summer whirlwind vacation by taking the boys to Legoland. We had so much fun. We spent two days there and the boys enjoyed every minute of it. They went on every ride that they could and they even tried out the scariest ride there. I was so proud of them. Andrew got to participate in the robot class that they had and he had a blast. We also explored the Legoland waterpark and the SeaLife Aquarium. It was a fun time. We kept Alex happy waiting in the long lines by having lots of treats in our backpack. He was in Heaven

After Legoland we headed to Grammie and Poppa's for a week of fun. The boys had a great time swimming in the pool, playing with the dogs, riding the bikes and just spending time with Grammie and Poppa. The highlight was going to the beach even though it was freezing, and Andrew learning how to catch sandcrabs. They had so much fun that we had to go back another day so that they could catch more. We always have a great time at Grammie and Poppa's. The best part about this trip was at the end Grammie came with us back to Utah for 3 more weeks of fun!

Start of Summer Fun

2010-06-05T13:48:00.003-06:00

So we bought a slip n slide and little did we know how much fun this would be. We set it up the other day and we spent literally all afternoon outside. The kids had a blast. They were slippin and a slidin and having a great time. We moms were sitting out there just chit chatting and watching them and we decided to make it a weekly thing for sure but I think it is going to be a daily thing for my boys. They loved it. It is what summer is all about. I just need to remember to out sunscreen on myself, I got fried. I did remember to put it on the boys though so that was good.!:)

From 2010-06-05 end of school10

Josh Graduates from Kindergarten

2010-06-05T13:47:00.000-06:00

Josh did it! He made it through Kindergarten and is so excited. I am so proud of how hard he has worked this year and how much he has learned. He is starting to read and write. He has made so many friends and is definitely my social child. He makes friends so easily and loves to spend time with them. We are thrilled that he worked so hard this year and know that he will do well in all that he puts his mind too.

From 2010-06-05 end of school10

Dance Festival

2010-06-05T13:33:00.002-06:00

Every year the boys have a Dance Festival at their school where they perform a dance that they have been practicing for months. It is always fun to go and watch them perform. They love it and always have a fun time. I love that they love to have me there and always get excited when they see me in the crowd. They did a great job on their dances this year. Andrew's 4th grade group also put on a "Rock" Concert. They have been studying all about rocks and so they decided to put on a rock concert to teach us about rocks. It was very cute. Andrew even helped me as I was studying for a test, he explained to me about the different types of rocks. So I am glad that he was paying attention
Andrew just saw us come in and is excited to see us here.

From 2010-06-05 may10

One cool kid

From 2010-06-05 may10

What up?

From 2010-06-05 may10

The Turbo Hustle

From 2010-06-05 may10

Splishin and a Splashin

From 2010-06-05 may10

Andrew turns 10

2010-05-09T17:24:00.001-06:00

From 2010-05-09 may10

I can't believe I have a 10 year old. Where has the time gone? It seems like just the other day that we brought you home and were marveling at your tiny toes and little fingers. We are so proud of the young man you are becoming. I love your imagination and your choice of words. You love to read the comics and share the funny ones with us. You love to watch sports with dad and know all the stats for your favorite teams. This makes your dad so proud. I loved listening to you share all about your birthday and how it is like the Fourth of July in Mexico with the people at Petsmart the other day when we were there to pick out your gerbil. You were so grown up and I was such the proud mom as I watched you interact with the sales lady. You were shaking with excitement as we brought Rass home and could not sleep for the next few days as you interacted with him and watched him.
Your brothers look up to you and want to be like you. You have a big responsibilty as the big brother but I know that you are up for the challenge. You have a special spirit. You are kind and loving. You are so smart and you know the scriptures. I hope that you always keep building your testimony and sweet spirit. We are so proud of you. You are our sweet, lovable, kind, son and we thank Heavenly Father that we were blessed to have you in our lives and to call you our son.
Happy Birthday Andrew!!

From 2010-05-09 may10

The Last Month or So

2010-05-09T16:54:00.004-06:00

So I have been really slacking in the blogging department. Here are some pictures of different things we have been up too. We went to the Dinosaur Museum with the cousins and the boys had a blast,Joshy completed his first diorama for Kindergarten, Andrew earned his Bear in Cub Scouts, Alex graduated from preschool(loved it too as you can tell from the picture), Easter came and went and overall we are now just winding down for summer. I can't believe the boys only have 15 days left of school. What am I going to do with them this summer??? I have a few tricks up my sleeve that will have to be revealed later. Enjoy the pictures.

From 2010-05-09 may10

Hot!Hot!Hot!

2010-03-24T14:54:00.003-06:00

From 2010-03-24 Cruise10

We made it! We were actually able to go on our cruise. We were not sure we were going to be able to. Alex was released from the hospital on Wednesday and he was doing awesome and so we decided that it was ok if we left. My mom was here and was on Alex detail and my sister in law and brother were here to take care of everything else. A big thank you to all of them. They deserve it!!
We flew to Miami and spent Thursday night and Friday there. We never made it to the beach because it was a little to cold and rainy. We did go to a Gator park though. It was fun. I even held an alligator!! I only did it for my boys! I hope they were impressed. You will notice by the look on my face I was not thrilled but I can now say I have done it. Oh the things we do for our children.

From 2010-03-24 Cruise10

Eric was more than happy to hold the alligator

From 2010-03-24 Cruise10

We boarded the Carnival Liberty on Saturday and set sail for the Western Caribbean. We were with Eric's sisters, Cheri, and Pam and his brother Scott and our friends Barry and Alicia. It was so much fun. Of course all the boys cared about was all the food. They literally planned their days around the food. I can honestly say I was never hungry. Now for those of you who know me, know how I love all types of food :). So my dinner each night consisted of either steak or chicken. I know there were all these wonderful different foods to try and that is what I had. I was happy though. We had a blast.

From 2010-03-24 Cruise10

Our ports were Cozumel, Caymans and Jamaica. We went scuba diving in Cozumel and Caymans. The water is so beautiful. The colors so bright and we saw so many fun things underwater. Thankfully, no sharks in sight!!! In Jamaica we hiked Dunns Falls. It was so awesome! We had a great time hiking up the falls and our tour guides made it even more fun. We also did the bobsled ride while in Jamaica.
Overall, it was so much fun. I would recommend a cruise to one and all. We did not have to worry about a single thing the entire trip. We were spoiled. Your bed is made each day, food is cooked, bed turned down each night with chocolate mints waiting. We did not have to lift a single finger to do anything. It was heaven!

This fish followed us around at a very close distance. It was a little to close for my comfort.

From 2010-03-24 Cruise10

Gotta love the hair!

From 2010-03-24 Cruise10

Here we are at Dunns Falls!

From 2010-03-24 Cruise10

This was Eric on our last day! He was so tired!

From 2010-03-24 Cruise10

My sweet Alex

2010-03-08T18:30:00.002-07:00

So many emotions are running through my mind and heart right now. I am going to try and get them out. Last week you started not feeling well and we just thought it was a little bug, little did we know that we would end up in the hospital with you. How my heart aches to see you in so much pain and misery. If I could I would take it away in a minute and take your place. If only... When you woke up Wednesday morning in so much pain and the Doctors did not know what to think or do, I just knew something was not right. You were in such agony. It took another day for them to finally decide it would be best for you to be in the hospital. As hard as that was for us we knew you would be well taken care of and this is where you needed to be. Fast forward to today, we thought you were going to get to come home. You were getting better. You weren't running a fever anymore, you were perking up a little and you even painted a picture in the kid zone yesterday. We were so ready to go home and see your brothers and get back to normal. But you woke up in misery again. The doctors were concerned again and decided to have the surgeon look at your back. We decided on surgery and off you went. It was so hard for me to watch them take you away but I knew you were in good hands. Heavenly Father was watching over you. You have so many people who love you and are praying for you.
Alex, your sweet big brother Andrew fasted for you yesterday and did not want to end his fast because he was so worried about you. He loves you, we love you, so many people love you and we want you to get better and get back to your happy, strong willed, self.
You are a special spirit sent here to us and you have so much to teach us still. You have taught me a great deal in the last few days. I love you my sweet, sweet, baby boy. Mommy loves you so much. Hurry and get better so we can go home and play.
Love you bunches
Momma

Joshy is 6

2010-02-22T12:45:00.002-07:00

From 2010-02-22 Joshys 6th bday

I can't believe how time has flown by. You are such a big boy now who loves to run, ride, and just play. You can always be found outside making new friends and having a great time. You have an infectious smile that makes others want to be near you. You light up a room and find joy in everything you do. I am constantly amazed by you and the happiness that you find so easily in life. You make me want to be a better mom and a better person. We love you so much and thank our Heavenly Father for the gift of you in our lives.
You could not wait for your birthday to get here. When I told you it was getting close you told me, "I can't wait to see how big I am when I am 6." That is what I love about you. You are the best Joshy. Never stop smiling and never stop being such a great friend to your brothers and to the kids you meet. You make my heart happy and I love you.
Getting ready to launch his airplane he got for his birhtdya

From 2010-02-22 Joshys 6th bday

Look how much you have grown?

From New Boys

Eric's Birthday

2010-02-17T12:58:00.001-07:00

Okay so I know this is like 2 months late but it is better late than never. Life has been a little crazy around here. I have had strep not once but twice in January. If any of you have had strep you know how it just completely knocks you flat. Andrew also has had it twice. It is been a month of sickness in our home. The other 3 have been healthy thankfully. Eric kept threatening to leave for a short time so that he would not get sick, but he hung in there with us and was a big help.
Eric's birthday falls on New Year's Eve so this year I decided to throw him a little birthday party. Once again we ended up singing the night away. It was so much fun. It was a fun night spent with great friends who also happen to be family. I love that I can call my brothers and sisters my friends. They are the best and I am so thankful that we live close and that they came. my mom and dad also stayed a few extra days so that they could be here for the party.
Cheri and I getting ready to battle it out. Of course Cheri beat me because she has some serious singing skills and I have none!

From 2010-02-16 christmas09

You never know what to expect when these two are together except a good time

From 2010-02-16 christmas09

John is trying to sing a ballad I think!

From 2010-02-16 christmas09

Look at the concentration on our faces.

From 2010-02-16 christmas09

Mom and Dad getting into the groove

From 2010-02-16 christmas09

Christmas Morning

2010-02-17T12:35:00.001-07:00

Christmas morning dawned bright and early. Andrew was up at 5:30. He was so excited this year because he was hoping for an Ipod touch. We told him we were not getting up before 6. But sure enough at 5:30 he was up in our room. Well Eric and I were awake so the 3 of us laid in bed until about 5:50 and then we let Andrew go wake up the other boys. It was so fun to see the look on the boys faces as they raced downstairs to see all the loot. This is what Christmas is all about! Of course we were finished by 6:30 so it was a long morning but so worth it to see the boys open their presents get all wide eyed and excited. I love Christmas!
You could never tell how early it is to see how excited Andrew is!

From 2010-02-16 christmas09

Tradition is the boys always get a nerf gun

From 2010-02-16 christmas09

I don't know where to start

From 2010-02-16 christmas09

Watch out Daddy1 I am going to get you!

From 2010-02-16 christmas09

Happiness!

From 2010-02-16 christmas09

All the "kids" got nerf guns from Grammie and Poppa. It was nerf mania at our house on Christmas. We must have had over 20 nerf guns laying around. Just imagine what it was like with the big boys and little ones running around.

From 2010-02-16 christmas09

Eric's face says it all

From 2010-02-16 christmas09

Christmas Eve

2010-02-17T12:05:00.005-07:00

Christmas has come and gone but we had a great time. Christmas Eve was spent at my brothers house. We had so much fun singing! Now if you know us, we cannot carry a tune but we sure did try. We battled it out and had a blast doing it. We all got into it, even my mom and dad. We made some fun memories. Thanks John and Courtney for the fun night!
Poppa was rockin out! Notice the gloves. We had to give him a hard time about them.

From 2010-02-16 christmas09

I love this picture of Chase and Andrew.

From 2010-02-16 christmas09

John is all that right?

From 2010-02-16 christmas09

Grammie with some of her babies.

From 2010-02-16 christmas09

Jingle Jam

2009-12-21T14:08:00.002-07:00

The boys had their annual Jingle Jam at school. I tried to be in 3 places at one time and it did not work ( I don't know why). Lucky for me they performed again this morning for each other so I was able to go and catch Joshy's singing. We also dressed them up in there handsome Christmas outfits and made them pose for some pictures. Aren't they the cutest or should I say the most handsome boys around? I know I am biased but I am their mom so I have that right.As promised I have also included a picture of the our house all lit up. Eric still thinks we do not have enough lights. I still think it looks good.

From 2009-12-21 dec09

What is the name of Santa's dog?? Santa Paws!! Ha ha

From 2009-12-21 dec09

Santa Came to visit at Alex's preschool. He was so excited

From 2009-12-21 dec09

"I'm getttin nuttin for Christmas"

From 2009-12-21 dec09

"Clap, Clap, Clap, we are Santa's helpers"

From 2009-12-21 dec09

Its beginning To look a lot like...

2009-12-14T13:48:00.003-07:00

Christmas!!! It is our favorite time of year. We love decorating the tree and putting up our lights and everything. Eric started early this year getting the lights up outside. We learned that you put the lights up before it gets cold. We won't turn them on until after Thanksgiving but we had them up well before. He loves to decorate everywhere. Every year he wants more and more lights and decorations for outside and every year there is not enough according to him. He did a great job and I think it looks great. I will have to try and get a picture of it to post.
We also got a real tree this year. I grew up with real trees and Eric grew up with fake. So I always teased him that he never had a "real" Christmas. Of course once we got married and I took over the money we got a fake tree. But I have not liked our tree for years and so Eric said we could get a real tree this year. I looked at prices and was like no way we will just put up our fake one. But Eric talked me into it and I love it. I love the smell of the tree and the fullness of it and everything about it.
This year I gave up trying to make my tree look perfect(it never does) and just let the boys decorate it how they wanted. They loved it and had fun with it and so enjoyed it. That is what it is all about anyways. After looking at some of these pictures I see how big Andrew is getting. He is throwing peace signs and saying "sweet". Oh to be 9 and so cool. he also would not sit on Santa's lap this year. When we asked him why he said, "Didn't you hear the Bishop's story?" He said that he left Santa a note on Christmas Eve and he hadn't told anyone what he wanted for Christmas and he got it. So that is what he is sticking to.

From 2009-12-14 thanksgiving 09

Thanksgiving

2009-12-14T13:37:00.003-07:00

We headed out to California for the first part of our vacation. We enjoyed a few days with Grammie and Poppa. The boys rode bikes, played with the puppies and we just had an all around good time with Grammie and Poppa. We shared a Thanksgiving feast with them on Sunday and my Uncle Mike and Aunt Tammie came over. It was a great time. We love spending time with them.
On Tuesday we headed out to Eric's sisters house in Arizona. The boys love playing with their cousins. Only in Arizona can you go swimming everyday in November. Of course the pool was 60 degrees but that did not stop the boys. As long as the hot tub was on for the boys to warm up in they would jump in the pool and quickly swim across and then get in the hot tub. They had so much fun. Of course us adults were much smarter and only entered the hot tub late at night after all the children were sleeping so there was no splashing or jumping going on. We had a great time hanging out and shopping and spending money. We always love spending time with Pam and Scott and miss them when we leave.
We truly missed Eric's parents this year. They are in China teaching English so they were not with us. We talked to them on Skype every night but it was not the same as seeing them and having them there. Eric especially missed his mom's pies. Marie Calendars pies were good but nothing beats his mom's homemade pies.

From 2009-12-14 thanksgiving 09

Halloween Finally

2009-11-12T11:21:00.002-07:00

I Know! I know! It is only about 3 weeks late. But life has been a little crazy over here. We have been running non stop and finding even a few minutes to just sit and download pictures has not happened. The boys had so much fun and got way to much candy. We stayed home and went around in our own neighborhood. WOW! We ran out of candy there were so many kids.Andrew was Harry Potter, Josh was Batman and Alex of course was Spiderman. He was so funny, as we were walking around he would look at the candy and decide then and there if he liked it. At one point he said out loud,"I Don't want this, why did they give me this? It is not candy." I was so embarrassed. This kid, that is all I can say about him. He is one of a kind.

From 2009-11-12 halloween 09

Doesn't he look so tough?

From 2009-11-12 halloween 09

First Snow

2009-11-12T11:13:00.003-07:00

I know this is late but hey better late than never I say. The boys were so excited when the snow came. But can I just say, I detest having to put on all the snow clothes. It takes Fooooorrrrreeeeevvvveeerrrr!!!! Then they only stay in them for a little while before they get to cold, so you take them all off, get them hot chocolate, then they want to do it all over again. Winter,it is a love hate thing!!. The boys did have so much fun.

From 2009-11-12 halloween 09

Look at the joy on his face!

From 2009-11-12 halloween 09

One of the rare times he will let us take a picture and he has a smile!

Cents of Style Open House

2009-10-26T13:00:00.002-06:00

Calling all women! I am having a Cents of Style open house at my place this Wednesday the 28th. It is from 7-9 pm. We carry, shoes, jewelry, handbags, scarves and hats. everything is under $20 with most items being under $15. So come shop for yourself or come pick out that Christmas gift.
Bring a friend and both of you receive 20% off one regular priced item.
Check us out at www.mycentsofstyle.com

My address is 3502 New Land Loop Lehi, Ut 84043 or you can call me for directions 801-505-3907

See you there!!

Grammie and Poppa's

2009-10-11T16:23:00.002-06:00

The boys all asked in the same week when we were going to go to Grammie and Poppa's so I figured it was time to make a trip to California. Courtney and her kids joined us on the trip. It was a fun time. 5 kids in the car for 10 hours can be long and stops are not short but we made it and had a great weekend. The kids had a blast, riding bikes, playing on the playset,finding peach seeds (Josh and Alex), going to Oak Glen and I think the big hit was the beach. They had so much fun there, running and playing in the waves,finding shells, burying each other in the sand and just having fun. And of course eating! You would think I never fed my kids, they are constantly hungry for junk food of course. Grammie has M&M's and gummy bears on hand so they love it. We had a great time and love to go there to visit. Here are some fun pictures from our weekend

From 2009-10-11 Oct 09

The kids at Oak Glen

From 2009-10-11 Oct 09

The Girls

From 2009-10-11 Oct 09

Two of the most amazing people in my life. I love them so much! I am truly blessed to call them mom and dad!

From 2009-10-11 Oct 09

Andrewski

From 2009-10-11 Oct 09

Andrew and Josh

From 2009-10-11 Oct 09

Poppa gettin a good nap in1 Love ya pops!

From 2009-10-11 Oct 09

Look at this skinny boy! He was trying to get warm.

From 2009-10-11 Oct 09

I can't resist this face. Just wish he always had this face:)

My Big Marathon

2009-09-22T14:55:00.003-06:00

Ok so by many standards this was just a little nothing of a marathon, maybe it can't even be considered one. But for me it was huge. 3K a whole 1.8 miles. This from the girl who just had knee surgery 5 months ago and was told no high impact sports. Running I think is considered high impact and my knee has definitely been complaining everyday since. I was roped into this by my sister in laws and brothers. They know I just can't say no. Peer pressure it gets to me every time and here I am 34 years old.
Anyway, I started running 2 weeks before the big day and about died. It was pathetic.
The day of the race came and we set out. Courtney, who had not trained at all left us in her dust. I was dying but was determined to not walk ran the whole way. Ok maybe I walked for about 30 seconds. I ran the 1.8 in 20.11.
Courtney and Erin placed 2nd and 3rd in their age bracket. John placed 1st in his(he hadn't trained at all either,punk). They got medals. I took 5th in my age bracket, to many of us old ladies out there running.
Andrew, Carter and Josh also ran. They did the 1K. They had fun. It was a fun day all in all. Even though I spent the remainder of the day laying on the couch with ice on my knee. And guess what, I signed up for...the Provo City 1/2 marathon in May. I think I am insane! Peer Pressure again. My knee is still hurting, I think it is trying to tell me no more, just say no.

From 2009-09-21 alex 4th 3k

The boys getting ready for the 6K

From 2009-09-21 alex 4th 3k

Ready for the 3K

From 2009-09-21 alex 4th 3k

I know I look ready to die!

From 2009-09-21 alex 4th 3k

Not even winded!

From 2009-09-21 alex 4th 3k

This kid cracks me up! He wanted to give us high fives!

From 2009-09-21 alex 4th 3k

All of us minus Andrew. We don't know where he was!

My Baby is 4

2009-09-22T14:03:00.002-06:00

Alex is now 4. I can't believe how fast time flies. I must admit though that I have been waiting for him to turn 4 in hopes that it would be an easier age. I love this little boy more than anything and his smile can light up a room but he can test me. He is strong willed and loves to do things on his own and in his own way. These are all traits that will help him in life but right now they test me to my limits on an almost daily basis. Yet, there are those moments when out of the blue he will come up to me and say, "Mama, I love you or Mama you're pretty." and that will just melt me. He has a smile to die for. With two dimples that you just want to squeeze. He loves Spiderman and there for a while he was Spiderman and would talk in the 3rd person. It was funny. He has a great imagination and loves to play outside and of course watch movies.
Alex you are a joy in our life. We love you so much and even on those days when I have reached my limit with you all you have to do is smile and laugh that infectious laugh and I can't stay upset. We waited and prayed and waited and prayed a long time for you you to join our family and we are truly blessed to have you be ours forever. Keep your mighty spirit and let it serve you well. I love you so much snackshack.

From 2009-09-21 alex 4th 3k

From Josh&Alex

Alex starts Preschool

2009-09-07T19:10:00.002-06:00

From Recently Updated

The long awaited day finally arrived. Alex was so excited he could hardly contain himself. We went out the day before and bought Spiderman shoes for him in hopes that he would wear them to school. Anyone who knows sweet Alex knows he does not like to wear socks because they hurt him. The seams bother him. It is a big thing with him and it drives me CRAZY!!! But I thought with Spiderman shoes he would be overjoyed and forget about the seams in the socks. Morning started out so great. he was excited and jumping around and had his backpack on and then came the dreaded words, "Alex go get your shoes and socks on." Well he lost it then and we spent the next 30 minutes listening to him cry. I tried to be patient, I tried to be kind, I tried stern. I tried it all and finally left to walk the other boys to the bus stop while he screamed on the driveway. I know I am a terrible mom. But I had had it. Then while I was waiting for the bus I thought why. Why am I fighting him on it. So I went home and told him to put his flip flops on, and the tears turned off and he was happy again. So if you see him with flip flops in the dead of winter don't judge me please, know that I have tried. He has sensitive skin and the little seams on the socks bother him so. Any suggestions would be welcome!By the way he absolutely loved preschool. Not one tear was shed. This from the kid who still doesn't go to Sunbeams without crying. He had so much fun and loved it. I also loved 2.5 hours all to myself. I think I am going to love this school year especially Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

From Recently Updated

First place he headed as soon as we got there

First Day of Kindergarten

2009-08-31T10:17:00.003-06:00

The long awaited day of Kindergarten Finally arrived. Joshy was up bright and early and could not wait to get on the bus. The bus does not come until 8:45 and Josh had his backpack on at 7:30 ready to go. He kept coming in my room while I was getting ready just checking to see if I was ready to go yet. He was so excited. He said I didn't need to walk him to the bus stop. I walked him to the bus stop and then and I also followed the bus to school. I even got a little choked up as he walked away. I was surprised at that because I thought I was prepared for him to go. He loved school. The only thing negative he said was that the playgroud was to small. However,on Friday he said he liked the playgroud now. He loves it! The pictures didn't turn out the greatest because of the sun. He is not a fan of the sun and pictures. But here they are.

From Recently Updated

Alex has to be in all the pictures too!

From Recently Updated

In line for the bus

From Recently Updated

The walk to the playground. Be good my little man! I love you!

14 Years and Counting

2009-08-25T14:27:00.002-06:00

From 2009-08-25 wedding

I can't believe that it has been 14 years since we were married in the San Diego Temple. We have grown so much and learned so much about each other and about ourselves. We shocked our families when we called to tell them that after knowing each other only 3 weeks we were going to get married. My parents were still recovering from my brothers wedding and now they had to plan mine. Your parents were moving to Texas. But we did it and it was beautiful.
When you think back over what we have gone through in the last 14 years it is amazing. We have both struggled through school, dealt with me being sick the first 3 months of our marriage. Graduated and found jobs, moved, dealt with the heartbreak of not being able to have children. Blessed with the miracle of adoption and our sweet boy Andrew. Moved again. Waited 5 years and again blessed with the miracle of adoption of our babies Josh and Alex. Moved. Started job and then another job. The list could go on and on. Yet through it all the one constant was us. Our love, our faith, our desire, our testimony. We made it. I would not be the person I am today without you by my side. You have picked me up and carried me through my darkest nights. You have laughed with me, cried with me and been there for me. I would not be who I am without you and our boys would not be who they are without you. You are my rock, my love, my life and my world. I love you Eric. I thank my Heavenly Father for you daily. It has been quite a ride and I look forward to even more. I love you always and forever.

From 2009-08-25 snowbird 09

FIrst Day of School and ...

2009-08-20T15:32:00.002-06:00

Well I sent my oldest off to school today. We had a little trauma earlier in the week when he realized he was on the early start track. If you know Andrew you know he likes to sleep. We changed him to the later start time so that he could go on the bus with Josh and help him. I love this boy and I can't believe how big he is getting. He is in 4th grade!! I hope for him this year that he will continue to learn and grow, make new friends and love learning. He is a smart boy and I know that he can do whatever he really puts his mind to. Have a great year Andrew!! I love you!

We are Alive!!!

2009-08-14T15:34:00.003-06:00

I know it has been awhile since our last post. Yes we are still alive and we are finally moved into our house. I love it! Thanks to my mom for helping me get it all decked out. The only thing left to do is find some chairs or love sacs for the theater room. Laying on the floor is okay but not the greatest.
Alex did Itty Bitty Soccer for 6 days and did ok. As long as I was right there and he got a soccer ball all to himself he was happy, otherwise no such luck. So maybe he is not a team player... He is a funny boy and we love him lots. As you can tell from the picture he was thrilled with it. He really was until he walked into the building.
Josh learned how to ride a two wheeler and is so proud of himself. First thing every morning he is out the door riding his bike. He had soccer practice for the first time last night and is excited to see lots of his friends on the team.
Andrew is having a blast playing the WII and hanging out. His friend came over the other day and he was in heaven. He likes to go outside when forced and he will ride his bike.
Eric and I have just been taking care of the boys. Nothing to exciting on our parts.

Building Family Memories

2009-07-19T19:49:00.003-06:00

We headed down to Yuba Lake on Thursday to meet up with all my family for a weekend of camping and fun on the water. The kids had such a great time playing in the water and riding on Poppa's boat. I loved being there with all my brothers and their families. We really missed my sister and her husband. We made lots of memories and I hope my kids remember all the fun we had. I am truly blessed to have such an awesome family. I loved the fun times and laughs we had and of course all the yummy food. It was a great time and I look forward to more fun times in the future. Sorry if there are a lot of pictures but it was hard to decide which ones to put on.

From 2009-07-19 Yuba Lake 09

So John and Joe decided to make the 10 mile ride to Scipio on Bike. It's mostly downhill John said. Pictures say it all

From 2009-07-19 Yuba Lake 09

Joe caught up to John thanks to Jake and the car ride

Lake Part 1

2009-07-12T20:40:00.002-06:00

Yesterday we finally made it out on the boat with Grammie and Poppa. The boys had so much fun in the tube. This coming weekend all my brothers and their families will head out to Yuba lake for a little camping, boating fun. We will miss my sister and Kyle. This is just a preview of what is to come.

From 2009-07-12 July 4th 09

Nothin like a boat ride to lull a baby to sleep.

From 2009-07-12 July 4th 09

Poor Joshy was freezing after Daddy tried jumping into the tube. It flipped over and in Joshy went. Note to self, next time let daddy get in first

4th of July

2009-07-12T20:31:00.003-06:00

So I know this is a little late once again but life is a little crazy here. We are in the midst moving so that has taken over my life. We have been playing with family for the past month and have had lots of fun. So enjoy the pictures.

From 2009-07-12 July 4th 09

Resident pyros for the night!

From 2009-07-12 July 4th 09

Notice my mom. pre broken elbow and sprained wrist. Story for another post.

From 2009-07-12 July 4th 09

Pyro in training

From 2009-07-12 July 4th 09

Look at those sweet innocent faces!!!

From 2009-07-12 July 4th 09

Beach, Disneyland, Family

2009-06-16T12:29:00.004-06:00

I know I am a few weeks late but here it is. We went on our first family vacation and had so much fun together. We decided to take the boys to Disneyland and the beach. We spent the first few days with my family and the boys had fun as always riding the big wheels and taking the dogs for walks. Of course there is always the mandatory trip to Target. Then we headed down to the hotel. We stopped at Newport Beach and let the boys play. Andrew had fun jumping in the waves with Eric. Joshy loved running away from the water. Alex stayed clear of the water. I just took pictures and ventured in once. As I looked through the pictures some are so priceless as I look at the joy on the boys faces. They loved it and loved to have Eric there playing with them.

We then spent 1 day at Disneyland and one at California Adventure. The boys hada great time. We went on the Mattahorn first and I turned around to check on Josh and I have never seen his eyes so big. He looked so scared. I thought uh oh. But we get off the ride and he says, "That was so awesome" He loves rollercoasters. Alex was attached to Eric and wanted absolutely nothing to do with me. Which is fine except when he throws a fit because he has to stay with me while Eric goes on a ride. My sweet lovable 3 year old.
Andrew's Favorite ride: Space Mountain. He also was picked to become a Jedi. He fought Darth Mal and was excited.
Joshy's Favorite ride: Space Mountain, Mattahorn and becoming a Jedi. He fought Darth Mal and Darth Vadar.
Alex: Not sure but he did like Dumbo and the Carousel.

We also hit up California Adventure. This was the first time for all of us. My mom and dad joined us and we had a great time. I don't know what it is about theme parks but I always have to have a pretzel, ice cream, churros, etc. FOOD!FOOD!FOOD!. I even ventured on California Screaming. I was so scared and of course Eric loved every single minute of it. My mom even went on the ride. She can't remember the last time she went on a roller coaster. Eric got some great pictures.
Andrew LOVED the Rapid Ride. It was cold and rainy and Eric and I did not want to get wet so he went by himself twice.
Josh loved: All the rides that he could go on. The faster the better. He wanted to go on California Screaming even. I am glad he was not tall enough.
Alex loved the rocket ride.

We then drove to Arizona to cvisit with Eric's Family. We hada great time all in all and it was so worth it to build those memories with the boys. I can't wait till next vacation

Camping, Soccer, Field Day

2009-05-27T12:51:00.003-06:00

Here are a few slides from our busy week. Soent Friday and Saturday up in the canyon with cousins, hiked Timpagnos (not smart on my part due to knee), Josh graduated from Preschool and Andrew and Josh had their annual dance festival at school.

From 2009-05-27 field day 2009

Random Pics and Thoughts

2009-05-19T18:02:00.003-06:00

Here are random pictures from the last few weeks. Not much has been going on. The boys are playing soccer and have had fun. Alex has become obsessed with Spiderman to the point of only wanting to wear blue and red. He refers to himself in the 3rd person and will tell me that "Peter Parker wants this" I think he has watched Spiderman now over 100 times. Crazy kid! Josh was Star of the Week in his class and loved making a poster with pictures of him. Andrew is star of the week this week and made his poster by himself. It is hard when your kids get old enough to do things on their own. His poster turned out great and he did not want me to give suggestions or help. Eric has been working hard and we love having him around on Saturdays now. It is great! I have been busy winding up the end of my school year and keeping up with everything else in life.

From 2009-05-19 andrew bday 09

I'll help you Andrew!

From 2009-05-19 andrew bday 09

I love this kid!

From 2009-05-19 andrew bday 09

Spiderman aka Peter Parker aka Alex

From 2009-05-19 andrew bday 09

This is his Spiderman mask. You never know what he will be wearing

From 2009-05-19 andrew bday 09

Need I say more? 5 hours of this

From 2009-05-19 andrew bday 09

Kids can only watch not play! They are a bunch of big kids having fun

From 2009-05-19 andrew bday 09

Little action! Go Andrew!

From 2009-05-19 andrew bday 09

I love when kids first start playing. Joshy always looks to us to see where and what he needs to do. So fun!

From 2009-05-19 andrew bday 09

Just try and get past me now!!

From 2009-05-19 andrew bday 09

The shirt says it all! I so love my boys!

9 Years Ago ....

2009-05-05T11:22:00.007-06:00

From 2009-05-05 andrew baby

9 years ago today a sweet, loving, giving young woman gave birth to her first child, a son. She held this baby in her arms and made a phone call to tell us that "our son had been born". Imagine the joy and love we felt that day, knowing that after 5 long years our dream was coming true. We were being blessed with a child. This young woman was so unselfish and so giving and did all in her power to make sure that her little boy was put into a home where he could have a mom and a dad, the gospel in his life and most important love. The day that we went to pick him up, we waited patiently as she said her final goodbye. You can imagine the heartache and loss that she was feeling. She then walked into the room where we were waiting and held him out to me and said,"Here is your son." Words cannot express what we felt that day. Mother to mother we spoke and shared a hug. Her heart breaking but the strength she had to do what she felt and knew was right. Truly a gift from God's arms, to her arms to ours. Andrew McKay what a sweet joy you brought to our lives. We waited and prayed and waited and prayed so long for you. We knew there was a child out there that was meant to be in our family. You grew in our hearts and we are truly blessed to have you in our lives.

From 2009-05-05 andrew baby

You have brought us joy, laughter, love, strength, and so much more. We are truly blessed to be your parents. Heavenly Father has a special mission for you in this life and we are proud that we are the lucky parents blessed to have you. May you always remember where you came from. Your birthmom was and is truly a unselfish, loving person. She wanted only the best for you.
We were able to take you to the Temple and seal you as ours for eternity. That is a day that is burned into my memory forever. Our sweet little boy all dressed in white with big blue eyes and a big blue binky, looking at us as though you had been waiting for this day forever. It still brings tears to my eyes today as I think about it. You were ready and waiting to be ours for eternity.
I can't believe it has been 9 years. You are an amazing boy, a great brother and a wonderful son. You love to help and to please. You are so sweet with your baby cousins and you have a very tender spirit. We hope that you always keep these qualities. We love you Andrew and are so grateful for the boy you are and the young man you are becoming. May your testimony always burn bright within you. We as your parents love you so much and feel truly blessed to have the privilege of raising you.
Love,
Mom and Dad

From 2009-05-04 april 09 soccer

From 2009-03-15 Mar 09

From 2009-04-26 spring break 09

Spring Break

2009-04-26T18:08:00.002-06:00

I know this post is a little late but hey better late than never. I took the boys out of school a few days early and we headed down to Arizona for the first half of Spring Break. Eric's parents just built a house in Snowflake so that was our first stop. On the way there we stopped at one of the arches and hiked up to it. The two older boys thought it was great but Alex was petrified. He did not like climbing up at all. Of course I was the only adult and I did not want Andrew and Josh going on there own nor could I leave Alex. So Alex hiked up most of the way with us. It was a fun spot.
While in Snowflake, the boys searched for old pottery pieces left around, went on easter egg hunts and just enjoyed spending time with Grandma and Grandpa. We then headed down to Cave Creek to see cousins. Of course the boys loved that. We had a great time swimming and playing. Eric and I even got to do a little scuba diving.It was only in a 14ft deep pool but Eric loved ut. He was able to be with us for Easter.
The final leg of our journey was in California. We went to my parents house. The boys love to ride their bikes in the front at Grammie and Poppa's. You would think that they had never done that before. We spent all our time in front watching them ride. They loved it. We did go to Oak Glen on Saturday and got to see some animals and even feed them. Alex who has a thing with shoes was not to keen on being in with the animals because dirt was getting in his shoes. But my Uncle Mike was so good with him and totally helped him. He helped keep the peace. We loved being at Grammie and Poppa's.
My mom then drove back up to Utah with us so that she could see the other grandkids and also be here to help while I had knee surgery. What would I do without my mom? She is the best and she truly was a blessing this last week. She did everything for us and I am so grateful to her. I was sad to see her go but am thanksful she was here. We had a great Spring Break seeing family and being with them

From 2009-04-26 spring break 09

Don't we look like a happy family? Smile everyone!

From 2009-04-26 spring break 09

We thought this was so funny. Andrew was trying to scare us

From 2009-04-26 spring break 09

Alex's new best friend

From 2009-04-26 spring break 09

Finally a picture where they were all happy!!

Andrew Dunkin!

2009-04-08T10:48:00.003-06:00

Last Friday Andrew, Almary and myself headed to the last Flash game of the season that we could attend. Andrew had asked my brother earlier in the week if he could be in the dunk contest and Joe said he would let him. So Andrew was way excited. He did a great job and had fun. Thanks Joe for making it happen. Andrew's teacher was also at the game so that made it even more special for him. Here is the video of him dunkin and some other pictures from the week.

From 2009-04-08 b ball and shower

Click on the picture to see the video

From 2009-04-08 b ball and shower

Cousins playing some Mario Kart. Andrew wanted to play so bad but he was restricted from it so he was trying his hardest to be big about it.

Our week in Review

2009-03-29T14:19:00.003-06:00

No picture moments this week, or if there was I did not have my camera to capture the moment. So here is what we were up to this week:

ANDREW: first soccer practice and game of new season. He was so excited because his team is undefeated and he loves to win. He did win his game on Saturday and he was pretty excited. He finished his report on President Ford and did a good job. Played with his cousins and of course asked everyday to play his DS.

JOSHY: Finally started soccer. He was so excited to be able to play soccer on his own team. Had his first practice on Friday and it was a bit chilly so he didn't want to do much because he was cold, can't say that I blame him. He also got to play at a friends house and had so much fun. Anytime playing is involved Joshy is your guy.

ALEX: What can I say about this kid. He tests me daily and some days I am not sure if we are going to make it through our day. He is strong willed to say the least and WOW he likes things his way or no way. Let me give you a little snippet of what I endure on a daily basis with this one. Friday, Josh and Alex had to come with me to BYU for a field trip with my school. It was at the BYU Planetarium but we parked over by the museum of art. So it was a little walk and we were running a little late. We were walking very fast and he quickly got tired and so I picked him up. Well he did not like the way I was carrying him (on my hip like usual), so he was crying and carrying on. I put him down and he cried harder. I told him I would carry him if he stopped crying, not going to happen. So we walked across campus with him crying and carrying on the whole way. I received quite a few looks from the college students, but he cried if I held him or if he walked. AAAGGHHH! I was a little frustrated to say the least by the time we reached the Planetarium. He didn't stop there, he cried, if he didn't get to touch something or see something that Joshy was looking at. So we staying for 20 minutes and checked students in and then left ( I was not even going to attempt sitting through the 50 minute presentation with him), and he whined the whole way back to the car.

That is just one of my many encounters with my Alex this week. It is an endless journey but there were a few highlights with him that showed his sweeter side. Yesterday, the boys were all outside playing and all of a sudden Alex walks up to me turns my head and gives me a KISS! Then just like that he walked away and said"bye, I am going to work." So sweet. And last night at the Flash game when he wasn't throwing a fit he was sitting on my lap and letting me rub his back and head and just cuddling with me.

ERIC:Church, Work and Church. Oh he did get to go to one Flash Game with us this week. And he made it through his last Saturday of work!!! YEah! He will now be home with us on the weekends

JULIE: went to the doctors to find out about surgery on my knee, had an MRI to find out more, did Cents of Style party, went to RS birthday dinner, went to Dr to get tested for strep again, went to different shoe party at friends house, watched Mark and Cheri's kids so they could celebrate their anniversary. Took 7 kids under 8 to soccer practice, and soccer game. Went to dinner with brother and his family(free Five Guys cause they were training. YUMMY!) and then to a Flash game. Okay, I think that about covers it. So I must apologize to my boys (Eric included) if I was a little inpatient with them, I did not feel the greatest this week and we had a lot going on. I do love them and I will try to be more patient and understanding this week.

So, if you made it through this whole post, welcome to our life. Crazy and hectic but worth it in the end.

This week...

2009-03-20T22:43:00.003-06:00

This week have spent most of our time OUTSIDE! The weather has been beautiful and the boys have loved riding their bikes outside. I have had to force Andrew to go outside but we are enjoying the weather. We had 3 Flash basketball games this week and the boys as always have a good time there. The best part of the whole week was today when Eric sent me a text saying.... he got a new SHIFT. He is going to start a Monday to Friday shift on April 1st. No more Saturdays and no more getting home so late! I am so excited! We have waited so long for this. The best was telling Andrew that his prayers were being answered and Daddy was going to get a better shift. Andrew jumped up in the air and was like "YES! YES!YES" He loves his dad. So we are definitely looking forward to having Eric around more. Prayers are answered and we are so thankful for that knowledge.

Zoo Day

2009-03-15T13:01:00.004-06:00

Eric had another Saturday off yesterday (I could get really used to this) so after I made(persuaded or as Eric would say tricked or deceived by only saying "some" cleaning) them all help me clean the house we decided to take a trip to the Zoo. It was a beautiful day. I think the boys had fun.Andrew was a little grumpy at first and Alex only wanted to eat or else he was not happy. Josh of course was happy and excited to be there and see all the animals. We had a good time seeing all the animals and playing at the Discovery Land. I think playing was their favorite part of the day. Here are some pics of the animals we saw and even some that Eric and I ended up bringing home with us!!

From 2009-03-15 Mar 09

Do we look happy or what?

From 2009-03-15 Mar 09

Am I as big as an ape?

From 2009-03-15 Mar 09

My favorite animal!

From 2009-03-15 Mar 09

Andrew the turtle

From 2009-03-15 Mar 09

I am the spider, but the sun is kinda bright mom.

From 2009-03-15 Mar 09

Doesn't he look so thrilled?

From 2009-03-15 Mar 09

Cute scrunched up face! He is always doing this or putting a hand over his eye when it is sunny. My sweet sensitive boy!To the sun that is:)

From 2009-03-15 Mar 09

HELP ME DAD!

From 2009-03-15 Mar 09

The wild prairie dogs I brought home!!

Life

2009-03-06T15:22:00.002-07:00

So it has been a few weeks since I last posted. Not a whole lot going on. we had our family birthday party for Joshy and he had so much fun. We had a pinata and lots of good candy. Joshy loved all his presents and was so happy. Nothing else big in our lives since then. We are just maintaining and doing what needs to be done. Here is a little update on the boys.
Andrew: Just finished basketball skills and really enjoyed it. He is so into sports and he so he had a great time. He is getting good at making baskets too. His dad also got him a Cardinals jersey and he absolutely 100% loves it!!! He got his report card from school and he got almost all 4's(highest you can get).We are proud of him for working so hard in school. Of course he thinks he deserves something now for his grades. I told him to talk to dad.

Joshy: Loves being 5. We signed him up to play Spring soccer and he is so excited. He loves that the weather has been a little nicer so that he can go outside and ride his bike. He looks forward to preschool everyday and is amazing me with all that he is learning.

Alex: What can I say about this kid. He is so imaginative. I love to go in his room to get him each morning because you never know what he is going to be playing. Yesterday I came downstairs and there was a shoe on the table, when I asked why he said that it was his M&M and that his dancers gave it to him. At the store today he wanted to put his little flash fox in the shopping cart so he could push it (little flash fox is imaginary). He always has something to say and I mean always.

Eric and Julie: Not a whole lot here. We got to spend an evening with my friends from elementary school last week and it was so much fun. We had a blast talking about "back in the day". The boys had to go into the other room and talk about whatever they do because we were too loud and having to much fun. Eric stays busy with work and Church and I keep things going at home.
I will try and get my camera out and post some pictures later.

Joshy Turns 5

2009-02-19T17:39:00.002-07:00

Yesterday, Joshy had his 5th birthday. When I went to get him in the morning he was laying on his bed with his hands behind his head and asked,"mom am I bigger?" He kept thinking and saying that when he turned 5 he would be bigger. He wanted to check his hands and see if they were bigger. So cute. We had a little family party for him in the morning before Andrew went to school so that Eric could be there. So we had presents and cake done by 8:30 am. Crazy I know but we wanted to share it with the whole family. We will have our family come over on Sunday for another party. He loved all his presents and has been so happy playing with them.
Joshy is such a sweet boy. He always has a smile on his face and always want to please. He loves attention and will do almost anything to get it. I love his big brown eyes and long lashes when he looks up at you and just smiles or comes up and says "mommy you look pretty today!" He is the best. Josh came to our family when he was 2. We were so excited when we heard we were going to be getting 2 boys. What joy he has brought to our lives. It was not easy at first, because he was 2 and he was not used to routine but he grabbed onto that and now craves a routine.
I love you Joshy and your sweet spirit. We are so lucky that you are in our family, you bless our lives and we love you!! Always keep your smile and sweetness!

From 2009-02-09 January 09

Joshy now! Look at those eyes!

From Jan 07

Joshy at 4

From Josh's 3rd

Joshy at 3. He still has that same excitement!

From 2007-11-27-1318-08

The day we finalized the adoption in court

From Thanksgiving 06

Alex

2009-02-13T18:16:00.003-07:00

Sweet Alex is so funny. His latest thing to do is pretend he is the Flash Fox from the Utah Flash. He puts on the orange glasses and becomes either the big Flash Fox or the little Flash Fox. He will then pull the pretend silly string can out of his shirt and spray you just like the Fox does at the games. It is so cute. He also loves the Flash Dancers and calls them "his dancers" He carries around the program from the games with it opened to the dancers and will ask, "do you want to see my dancers?" He will then show you which one 'holded" him when he went out to dance. A 3 year old in love with pretty girls already.
Today, Alex and I also got to go to a Valentines skating party for my work. He was so excited because it was his party and he got to give out valentines like his brothers. The pictures say it all. He loves his candy and I think it is all gone already.

From 2009-02-13 alex feb 09

"SSSSSSSHHHHHHH, I spray you! I am the Flash Fox"

From 2009-02-13 alex feb 09

You could ride scooters instead of skate here. It is great!

From 2009-02-13 alex feb 09

AAAHHHH, Candy!!!

From 2009-02-13 alex feb 09

Andrew was such a huge help the other day with Chase. He loved holding him and kept saying how Chase liked him and wanted him to hold him. So sweet.

Look at those moves!

2009-02-09T18:35:00.002-07:00

The boys decided that they wanted to dance. We bought Madagascar 2 and they of course had to watch it several times this weekend. Andrew always likes to look at the extra stuff on the DVD. Well he found all the music videos and was listening to them over and over. So then they decided to dance and bust some moves. It was funny. Of course once they know the video is recording them they get a little goofy. But it was cute to watch them all dance. Alex was rolling his shoulders slowly getting into the groove. Andrew was the breakdancer and Josh was just well doing a little of everything. Click to watch the video.

From 2009-02-09 January 09

Bowling with Dad

2009-02-09T18:28:00.002-07:00

Eric had another Saturday off. I could get used to this. 2 Saturdays in a row. So we decided to do something with the boys. We took them to Brick Oven for lunch and Joshy got his free birthday meal. He was so happy. Then Eric wanted to go over to the BYU Bookstore. We looked around and then we decided to take the boys bowling. We had a good time. Andrew was quite upset in the end though because he was beat by his brothers. although, we tried to tell him that he was bowling without the help of the little stand so that is a lot harder. He didn't buy it and was not happy. You can't always win! It is so hard to teach your kids that though.

From 2009-02-09 January 09

Alex carrying the big ball. He had to do it all by himself! Are you surprised?

From 2009-02-09 January 09

Boys hanging out waiting for their turn.

From 2009-02-09 January 09

Look at that form! Of course the ball would go flying at full speed. He got 3 strikes in a row! Pure luck, I tell you.

From 2009-02-09 January 09

I know it looks like my hand is broken or deformed but I promise it is not. Such form!

From 2009-02-09 January 09

Andrew bowling like a big kid. Way to Go!

Field Trip

2009-02-09T18:24:00.005-07:00

Last Thursday Joshy had a field trip to the Living Planet Aguarium. Alex and I decided to tag along. The kids had a lot of fun. All Joshy could talk about before we went were the sting rays and how you got to touch them. However, when it came time to touch no one wanted to put their hands in the water to touch them. the adults kept showing them how and they did not want to. It was funny. All in all it was a fun day, Alex only had one meltdown, but Joshy had a great time.

From 2009-02-09 January 09

Joshy's little group for the day

From 2009-02-09 January 09

He would touch the starfish. Look at those big brown puppy dog eyes!

From 2009-02-09 January 09

The highlight of the day, seeing the sharks! Yes that is a shark in the darkness.

100th Day of School

2009-02-09T18:14:00.003-07:00

Joshy had his 100th day of school for preschool and he had to put 100 items on the number 100. I had him count out 10 groups of 10 (teacher moment). Then he was gluing and putting the M&M's on. Andrew wanted to help and so I let him take over, he was very kind and helpful. I love it when they all get along

From 2009-02-09 January 09

He was so proud of himself!

Steelers or Cardinals?

2009-02-01T14:07:00.005-07:00

There is a rivalry going on in our house this week. Andrew is a Arizona Cardinals fan and Eric is a true blue Steelers fan. It has been a pretty funny week listening to the 2 of them go at it. They are trash talkin and having a good time. Eric loves the fact that his son is so in to sports. Andrew wrote Eric a note last night about the Cardinals winning and drew a picture of the Steelers logo but said he had to cross it out. It was cute. Eric got out his Pittsburgh jersey and hung it right where Andrew would see. Of course the jersey was a Pittsburgh Penguins jersey but it was the right color and said Pittsburgh. Boys!!! I of course am torn, whose side do I choose? Or do I really care? I am thinking that I don't really care but it is fun to watch Eric and Andrew go at it. We are going to my brothers house to watch it and he is going for the Cardinals so Andrew is happy about that.

Cents of Style

2009-01-30T19:38:00.004-07:00

Many of you know, I am a Cents of Style Stylist. We are all about fashion at an affordable price. Be one of the first 5 to book a party with me and recieve a free necklace and earring set as well as a free $10 pair of shoes. Call me this week and let's set something up! This is a great way to get all your girlfriends together and have some fun.

Promotions going on:

Boots Buy 1 get 1 half off. Yes that's right, 2 pairs of boots for $30!

Our spring line will also be coming out in March so look for all the new styles.

Check us out on the web at www.mycentsofstyle.com

Shout out to Eric

2009-01-28T19:21:00.002-07:00

I wanted to give a little shout out to Eric. He works so hard and does so much for us. I know that his work schedule right now is not conducive to family life and he is missing out on things with the boys. But I want him to know how much we love him and are grateful that he has a job and that he is a worthy proesthood holder. He fufills his callings and does what he needs to do. I don't tell him nearly enough how much I love him and appreciate him. He is my rock and my best friend. I love you babe and I know that you are doing what you need to be doing to take care of us. We love you!!

Finally Pictures

2009-01-25T20:02:00.004-07:00

Well we finally got some pictures this week. Yeah!! On Monday we took the boys to the Draper Temple Open House. It was so neat to watch their faces as we walked through. They were quiet and in awe of all there was. Alex was quiet because Aunt Cheri was holding him. Thanks Cheri. I asked Andrew how he felt and he said that he felt good there. I told him it was the Spirit letting him know he was in the right place. If you get a chance I definitely recommend taking your families.We did not get any pictures from the Temple but it was a great way to start our week.
Other exciting news- we got a new bed!!! Alex's bed was broken over the weekend and we were going to buy him a bed but then thought,"We need a bed so why not spend the money on our bed and pass the beds down." So that is what we did. We found a good deal on a bed and brought it home yesterday. It is not as soft as I thought but I did not wake up with a backache so I figure that is good.

From 2009-01-22 basketball 09

Andrew is taking a basketball fundamental skills course. He loves it and the fact that he has Shaq basketball shoes. He swears he can jump higher with them on.

From 2009-01-22 basketball 09

Look at that air!

From 2009-01-22 basketball 09

Click to watch the crash. Poor Alex's face was torn up!

From 2009-01-22 basketball 09

Click to watch how far this hill goes. It is so much fun! Andrew calls it the Eliminator!

Another Week of No pIctures

2009-01-18T21:10:00.002-07:00

Once again, this week was a no picture week. Nothing to exciting to capture on film. Here are a few highlights:

Monday-school, work and more school

Tuesday-lunch with Eric and a little shopping

Wednesday-babysat my niece

Thursday-Andrew started basketball. Loved it and thought he could jump higher with his new Shaq basketball shoes

Friday-Woke up at 2 am with a toothache. Had a root canal at 1:30 and ended the night with major headache. Not a good day

Saturday- Went and looked at Clayton and Kristi's house, went to the Temple and then took the kids to Kangaroo Zoo for Ty Ty's bday

Sunday-Went to Church. Alex did not have to go out once ( thank you grandma and grandpa for being there to help), Alex went to last hour of primary all by himself. had family over for dinner

Cute Alex saying of the week. Conversation with his Aunt Cheri

Alex: Where does my daddy live?

Cheri: He lives right here with you in your house

Alex: No my daddy lives at the Church.

Sweet Alex is a daddy's boy and always wants to know where Daddy is. The answer is usually at work or church.

Week In Review

2009-01-11T20:55:00.005-07:00

This week has been a little hectic but I don't have any pictures to share. Here are a few highlights of the week:
The boys went back to school (yeah)
I started back to work (uughhh)
Went to 2 basketball games
Tried to clean my house(ran out of energy)
Gave up Dr Pepper (except for the one I had on Tuesday, a moment of weakness)
Tried to get up and work out but it didn't happen (tomorrow I will, I promise)
Boys had a primary activity. Alex would not leave my hip the whole time.
Joshy went to a fun birthday party at Kangaroo Zoo
Went to Costco and spent to much
Only had to take Alex out of Sacrament 2 times (3 if you count the one before Church even started)
Spent the last hour and half of Church trying to convince Alex that Sunbeams is cool (no bribe was good enough not even candy)
Finally got to sit through last 20 minutes of Relief Society without Alex. He finally went. Yeah! 20 minutes is a start. It may be a long year in Sunbeams
Had a Visiting Teaching Meeting. Planned our Visiting Teaching Conference
Had a dry roast because I forgot to turn on the crock pot and decided to cook it in the oven. I give up, the last few times I have made roast it has been dry.
Went to Cheri and Marks for yummy pie and even better company.

That is our week in review. Now I am going to go to bed so that I can drag myself out in the morning to work out. I know I will feel so much better if I just do it.

Christmas, Eric's Bday and New Years

2009-01-02T09:19:00.004-07:00

We had a great Christmas! I used the video camera this yar so I don't have any still shots. The boys were so happy with what they got. Although Santa could have just brought Alex candy and nothing else and he would have been content. I think all of his candy was gone by afternoon.
Christmas Eve was spent with Eric's sisters and their families. We had a fun time and of course we had to open a few gifts from cousins (grandpa wasn't there to tell us no:)). Andrew did not go to sleep until about 1 am on Christmas, that boyy has a hard time sleeping. My parents came uup for Christmas and both my mom and I were up early waiting for the boys to wake up!. Josh finally woke up but 7:30 so we woke everyone else up. My brothers came over for Christmas dinner and a good time was had
Eric's birthday is New Years Eve so we have to celebrate. Unfortunately he had to work until 8:00 pm so we didn't do much. He was not very happy about that. He wanted a lemon meringue pie for his birthday.I attempted one last year but it did not turn out so well. He wanted his mom's pie. So I called and talked to her and got some tips ad tried again. was quite poud of myself and the way it turned out, so I ttok a picture of it. He was happy with and thanks to his mom I was able to make it right this year. We also had to have a chocolate cake for the boys.
It has been busy but fun in our house for the last few weeks. We love spending time with family and missed Eric's family this year. We look forward to seeing grandma and grandpa in a few weeks.

From 2008-12-14 December 08

Christmas picture of the boys. Alex looks like an angel here. Just wait for the next picture

All the cousins on Christmas Eve! Alex in rare form!

My masterpiece! All homemade even the crust!!!

From 2009-01-02 New Years 08

Eric blowing out his candles all 42 of them. The boys got a little carried away putting the candles on so Eric is much older then he should be but of course he blew them all out in one breath!

First Snowman of the Season

2008-12-20T15:36:00.003-07:00

While the little ones were napping, Andrew and I decided to go out and try our hand at making a snowman. Andrew did a great job of making sure the snowman stayed together by adding the ligaments(extra snow so it would not topple over). We used gum for the eyes and mouth and celery for the nose and arms. I offered my cap for its head but Andrew insisted that it was a boy. We had a fun time outside building our little snowman and I am sure the little boys will love it when they wake up.

From 2008-12-20 snowman08

Christmas at School

2008-12-20T12:08:00.004-07:00

This week was a busy one at school for Andrew and Josh. Andrew performed in his 3rd grade play Scrooge. He was a singer and did a great job. Next time I need to get him to try out for a part because he knew many of the parts. He would tell me he was going to give me a preview of the play and then proceed to say the parts. I included the video where he was square dancing. I thought it was so cute that he was dancing with a girl. My little boy all growed up!
Friday both boys participated in the Holiday Sing. Joshy's class performed Rudolph and you can see the pure joy and excitement on his face. Andrew sang "Spirit's Gonna Get ya" and "Grab Your Coat and Mittens"
While we were there listening to them sing a storm rolled in and I had flashbacks to last winters storm. I did not take the boys out of school and of course they were delayed 2 hours in getting home. I almost decided to brave the weather again and head out but was a little scared, I did not want to sit on the road for 6 hours again. My good friend Bobbi Jo's husband Ron was going to go get the boys from me (they were smart and brought their kids home after the play), but alas the bus made it and the boys were home. You would think that I learned my lesson last time but I didn't want Joshy to miss his Christmas party at school. Next time he is going to have to miss it.

From 2008-12-20 Dec.08

Click on the above picture to see the video of Andrew Square Dancing

From 2008-12-20 Dec.08

New Tradition

2008-12-14T20:46:00.003-07:00

So last week the boys decided that they wanted to make a Gingerbread house. I tried to talk them into waiting but they had it in their minds to make it now. Surprisingly I had all the ingredients to make the gingerbread so I attempted. It turned out okay and we just used what we had at home, so the candy you see may not be what you would normally see on a gingerbread house but the boys had such a great time and it was fun. Each year I hope it gets better

From 2008-12-14 December 08

Daddy trying to make Andrew part of the house.

Mouse in the House

2008-12-05T14:44:00.005-07:00

Okay, I just had to share this with you because I have been freaking out. Alex and I were snuggling on the couch (something that Alex rarely allows) watching Dora the Explorer and I see a mouse run across my living room and go behind the couch.AAAAAHHHHHAAAAHHH!! I am one who is scared to death of most things so this is not a good thing. I am like um,um,um that is a mouse. Alex asks what and I tell him it is a mouse and he says, "i kill it mom , I get it" My little 3 year old is going to protect me. I call Eric to tell him and he just laughs at me and tells me to get it, my mom tells me to go get some mouse traps. So after sitting frozen on the couch for a few minutes I get this brilliant idea to sweep it out the front door. Wrong! I sweep it from behind the couch and it runs behind the TV. I am screaming and Alex is screaming and laughing. I am jumping from couch to couch because of course I can't touch the ground. So I decide to run to the store and get the best mouse traps I can. I get there and ask where they are and a lady tells me to get gummy bears, suck on them for a minute and then put them on the trap. OK I will do that. So I got traps, gummy bears and we are good to go. Now that I am home I am to chicken to get them set because that means I will have to put my hand behind the TV and couch. The mouse may still be there. I will wait until the boys come home and let them do it for me, they will think it is cool. So now I am sitting with my feet up and not moving because the mouse may strike!! I know, I know I am a little crazy but that is just me. No more late night wanderings to the kitchen in the dark for me!

Thanksgiving in Sundance

2008-12-03T12:47:00.002-07:00

This Thanksgiving my side of the family all met up in Sundance and stayed in cabin for Thanksgiving. We had so much fun. There was tons of food. We were all supposed to bring snacks and it was funny that we all pretty much brought the same things. We made many memories. We started a tradition last year of playing family Jeporady. Erin and Joe were in charge and they came up with questions from the year. We have a few competitive people in the family (John) but it was all in good fun. The boys won this year and reveled in it. The girls were the winners last year. We have to iron out a few rules but it is something we all looked forward too. Note to self, make sure and read each others blogs carefully before the next game. We mostly stayed inside and the kids played game after game after game. We also decided that this year we would do a service project. We made quilts for the convalescent home that my grandma lived at. For our Christmas present exchange we decided to do family preparedness gifts. our family got the big 50 gallon water barrel, some got sanitation stations and mom and dad got a generator. Of course it would never be a get together if someone didn't get sick. Josy started it off, followed by Andrew, Bella, Carter and Courtney. It was a lot of fun and we loved every minute. I love to spend time with family and make memories. thanks mom and dad for making it all happen, you are the best! Scroll down for more posts from the last few weeks.

From 2008-12-03 Thanksgiving 08

Every year we get pjs from grammie and poppa. They boys loved theirs.

Andrew was the game man. He loved the fact that his dad was sitting and playing with him.

Andrews present from Grammie and Poppa

Poor Jenny and Kyle just wanted a quiet spa experience and this is what they got. Love Ya!

Categories for Jeopardy. Thanks Erin and Joe for doing this for us.

Decorating the lap quilts for the convalescent home.

From 2008-12-03 Thanksgiving 08

Friday we decided to venture out and try to go on a hike. Try being the operative word. No luck and we had a few grumpy kids. But it was nice to be outside

The hill was slick but the kids were determined to get up it and they did pretty good.

No Christmas is complete without nerf guns. These were purchased for the big boys but all the boys and girls loved them. Nothing like watching a bunch of grown boys play shoot im up. Good times!

Meet the Flash

2008-12-03T12:42:00.002-07:00

It is that time of year again when we get to go see the Utah Flash basketball team play. My brother Joe is president of the team and so have season tickets. This is their 2nd year in the d-league. Andrew became a huge basketball fan after watching the flash last year. he knew all the stats and everything about the Flash. Eric loved that fact. He was very excited to be able to go to games again. Last Monday they had a Meet the Flash players night, so off we went. The boys got to get autographs and pictures with the players. They loved it. Go Flash!!

From 2008-12-03 Thanksgiving 08

Alex loves Flash Fox. He talks about him all the time and always says' Flash Fox goes SSSSSSSSHHHHSSSSSHHHHH" He is talking about how Fox sprays fans with silly string. He so wanted to see Fox but wouldn't let him hold him but did sit by him.

Pre Thanksgiving Dinner

2008-12-03T12:39:00.002-07:00

We got together with Eric's sisters and their families for a little pre thanksgiving dinner. It was good food, good company and good times. Eric has not been able to play rockband for a while and he took the opportunity to play it while Mark was there. They wanted to go on tour. All the kids wanted to be in on the action, especially little Ty. He was having so much fun playing the drums. We are so thankful to have family close by where we can build these memories.

From 2008-12-03 Thanksgiving 08

This Week...

2008-11-23T16:44:00.003-07:00

This week has been fairly uneventful. Not a lot going on. Just enjoying the beautiful weather and looking forward to seeing family at Thanksgiving.

My handsome boys!

This is how we found Alex one night after dinner! Don't ask because we don't know

Alex after his nap! He seems to have enjoyed his sleep.

The boys posing for a picture

I am Thankful for...

2008-11-16T20:21:00.003-07:00

I was reading a friends blog and she was writing things that she is thankful for. I thought I would follow her lead and say what I am thankful for.

I am thankful for a beautiful family.
I am thankful for my wonderful husband who works hard and who serves willingly.
I am thankful for my parents and my in laws who strengthen me and uplift me
I am thankful for sister in laws who are so willing and ready to help me when needed
I am thankful that I made it through this last week.
I am thankful for a wonderful home teacher who so willingly helps with Alex during sacrament.
I am thankful for the angels in my life who knowingly and unknowingly help me and make me want to be better
I am thankful for my membership in the Church.
Most importantly I am thankful for my Savior and his atoning sacrifice on my behalf.

Josh's first serious wound

2008-11-07T18:10:00.004-07:00

So I dropped Josh off at the bus stop yesterday and gave him a kiss and a hug as he left thinking I would see him in a few hours. I am home not 30 minutes and I get a call from his aide and a friend of mine Diane. She tells me that Joshy says he fell on the steps on the bus and their is blood all over his shirt. WHAT???? Why didn't the bus driver say anything to any of us? I asked her how bad and she says,"well it won't close up. Why don't you come down and bring him a new shirt and take a look at it." Now me and the sight of blood don't go to well together especially if it is one of my kids. I get to the school and sweet Joshy comes walking up to me and he looks so sad. You can tell he is in pain but he is not crying and he is being so brave. I make myself look at it and think "OW" After some discussion, I decide to take him to the doctor and have him take a look at it and see if he will need stitches. This whole time Joshy is just sitting quietly not really moving or doing anything.
We get to the Doctors office and they take him back and the nurse looks at it and says "Yep he needs stitches, do you want to see it mom?" I shake my head and say, "better if I don't". So they numb him up with numbing gel and then we sit in the room for about 20 minutes waiting for it to get numb. The doctor comes back in and gets everything ready and Joshy is just laying there. From an earlier discussion with the doctor he wants "turtle whiskers". The doctor originally asked him if he wanted wolverine whiskers(that is what Josh was for Halloween). Joshy lays there completely still the entire time he is getting stitches. Not a peep out of the boy. No tears or screaming or squirming. I was quite impressed. Alex saw what they were doing and he said he did not like that. I am with him on that . I can't believe how brave my Joshy was! I am so proud of him.
When he was done he wanted to go back to school. But he stayed home for the rest of the day. needless to say he was the talk of the preschool today when he went back. he got to show off his stitches and he very proudly told me that he got to be the star helper today and share with everyone and show everyone his stitches.

Our Little Family Picnic

2008-11-01T20:31:00.007-06:00

Today, Eric had the day off and so we decided we were going to go on a picnic. We headed up to Bridal Veil in Provo Canyon. The boys had so much fun. They climbed and played in the water. It was great to be able to spend time together. We haven't had a lot of time to do this lately so Eric and I really treasured this day with our boys. The weather was great and the view beautiful. The Fall colors are so amazing. I love to be here in Utah and see all the leaves changing. It was a great day and the boys had tons of fun getting wet and climbing around.
Funny story for the day. As we are driving Alex just keeps saying "hey daddy" and then he just babbles and talks non stop. Well one time he says, "Hey daddy, I got a joke for you." Eric says "okay bud what is it?" Alex says "Why did the cow cross the street?" "Why did the cow cross the street Alex" Alex says "Because he got ranned over and says AAAAAAAHHHHHH!" It was so funny we were all laughing. A 3 year old telling jokes.
On the way home Andrew says out of the blue "You're so sexy" I say "Andrew don't say things like that. You don't even know what it means" Their is a pause and then we hear, "Yes I do it means you're lookin gooooood!" I started busting up and I look over at Eric and he is trying so hard not to laugh because he doesn't want Andrew to see him laughing. BOYS!!

From 2008-11-01 Halloween 08

I don't know what kind of smile I have. Alex was a little scared and Josh was saying cheese I think.

Alex hanging close to dad. Always saying "daddy come on"

My Superheros

2008-11-01T20:20:00.004-06:00

Looks like our theme for this year was superheros. I thought they all looked cute and so strong. They will be my protectors always.The day started out with a Halloween parade at school. They couldn't wear their masks but they had a good time.
After school before we went to my brother Joe's house for trick or treating, I decided to let them go around our neighborhood. Well they were running from house to house and all of a sudden here comes Joshy and BAM! He runs right into the electrical box and hits it hard. He hit his face. I guess his mask was covering his eyes a little too much. Poor guy! He decided after that he did not want to wear his mask anymore.
Alex kept his mask on and had a great time this year. The first house that we went to by my Joe's house, he kept grabbing candy. By the time I realized it he probably had 5 or 6 BIG candies in his bag. Little Snackshack was true to his name this Halloween. Notice his pile of candy compared to everyone else.
Andrew had fun as always. They walked up to one house and there was a guy sitting on a bench on the porch and he looked like a goblin. The boys thought he was fake. Well as they get close to him he snorts at them. Talk about screaming! I was a little ways back with Alex and I heard them loud and clear. It was funny. Andrew could not stop laughing, he thought it was cool but also scary.

All the boys ready to go get some candy.

All the loot has been checked and now it is time to trade.

You want Alex to sit happy and quiet, give him some candy

Pumpkins 101

2008-11-01T20:14:00.002-06:00

Pumpkin carving this year was done by yours truly. I know they are very generic but it was the best I could do. Eric was at work and so the job was left to me. I ended up getting the seeds and goop out of all the pumpkins.Yeah for me! Alex wouldn't touch it. He apparently remembered from last year that it is gooey. He just kept saying "yucky mom" even before I got his cut open. Josh and Andrew helped a tiny bit but you could tell they weren't really in to cleaning the pumpkins out. So the pumpkins are very basic but the boys liked them so that is all that really matters right.

From 2008-11-01 Halloween 08

Who could resist this cute face?

From 2008-11-01 Halloween 08

Can you tell Andrew is caught in the spider web?

Barnyard BOO!

2008-10-27T19:50:00.002-06:00

I have not posted in so long, so scroll down because I have a lot of new posts that I just added today for the month of October. I have been a slacker and was called on it by my sister in law. I always love to look at everyone elses blog and so I have no excuse for not updating mine other then, I have been slacking. Life gets in the way and so I am repenting and I am going to be better. So scroll through and check out the happenings in our house for the last month.

This last weekend my mom and sister flew in to go to Witches Night Out at Gardner Village. My mom and I went last year for the first time with my sister in laws Courtney and Erin. We had a great time,so my mom decided to make it a yearly tradition and brought my sister with her. Of course I did not have my camera so you will have to check out my sister in laws Courtney and Erin's blogs. It was a great time. We went to dinner and then to Gardner Village to shop and see all the witches. And yes we were dressed as witches ourselves. I got the craziest looks from people at dinner but we had fun. Great memories made with all my sisters. Thanks for the fun time.

While my mom and sister were here we all got together on Saturday to take the kids out. We were going to go to Boo at the Zoo but when we got there and saw the mass amount of people we changed our minds. So we met up at Cafe Rio and ate some lunch while the kids played. Then we decided to go to Thanksgiving Point and try out Farm Country. The kids had a great time and were good sports about changing from the Zoo to the farm. We had a lot of fun and here are just a few pictures.

This picture is for documenting purposes only. My mom loves Batman and I found this costume for $10 and thought maybe Andrew would wear it. He wanted no part of it. my mom even tried to bribe him and he told her not even for a million bucks would he wear it. The little stinker. So my mom tried it on. Looks good mom!

Joshy of course tried it on for Grammie. Anything for his Grammie. You are our hero Joshy!

They had face painting at Farm Country. Don't these look great?

Andrew the goat whisperer!

Dig for them bones!

Should we let them out or keep them there?

Playtime with Daddy

2008-10-27T19:45:00.003-06:00

Eric has a new shift and has been working a lot of overtime so the boys and I don't see him very much. It has been and still is an adjustment. Just when I think I am am getting used to it, something happens and I realize I am not adjusting as well as I should. Anyways, the boys were playing with the couch cushions when Eric got home and so he joined in. It was a priceless moment as I watched the boys just eat up having daddy home and playing with them. I don't think I realized or Eric even realized how much they have missed this until this night. Just look at the joy on their faces. Boys need their daddies so much. We are hoping and praying that this shift does not last much longer so the boys can have daddy home more.

Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-27T19:37:00.002-06:00

Over UEA break the boys and I went home to California to visit Grammie and Poppa. The boys always have such a great time playing outside and riding bikes. It is fun to just let them play outside all day. On Saturday, though we decided to go do something. So we headed to the Pumpkin patch. The boys had a good time picking out their pumpkin. Alex wanted a big one but Andrew and Josh of course wanted an even bigger one. It was quite the ordeal to find the right pumpkin.
After we picked out our pumpkins the boys wanted to check out the rides. They each got to go on a few and had so much fun. Alex went in the Spiderman obstacle course and rode a tractor. Alex and Josh went in a bounce house and then did the trampoline. They had so much fun. Thanks Grammie and Poppa for making it all possible. We love you!

I can do it myself! Common phrase heard from Alex on a daily basis.

"Look mom I have a flat head."

I love this face. He is so happy and having so much fun

There is a reason 3 year olds don't have a license!

I think I like this

First big bounce not so sure but he loved it!

Conference Weekend

2008-10-27T19:34:00.001-06:00

Eric decided he wanted to make cookies with the boys between sessions on Sunday. So I made the cookie dough and he helped the boys. The boys love to make cookies but it is so much wokr to let them help. I need to be better at letting them have fun making cookies. Eric and the boys had a good time and that is what matters. I need to not sweat the small stuff.

Caught!

2008-10-27T19:19:00.002-06:00

So now that Alex is potty trained he loves to go to the bathroom in every store or even our backyard. His cousin Bryce taught him this one. Thanks Bryce, we love you. This is for his future wife!

From 2008-10-27 Oct 2008

TAGGED

2008-10-11T18:42:00.002-06:00

So I was tagged by my sister in law last week and have been thinking all week what 6 things I could say about myself. When I stop and think about it, I think I am pretty boring but here goes:

1. I love being with and around family. I love spending time with Eric and our boys and our extended family.

2. I am a Days of Our Lives fan. I know it is so old and nothing ever happens but I must admit, I record it everyday and watch it. It drives Eric crazy but what can I say.

3. I wear several hats in my family, I work from home for the school district and I also am a stylist for Cents of Style, a company my sister in law started. It is lots of fun.

4. Eric and I love to watch and spend all of our time lately watching reruns of NCIS and Las Vegas. In between all of our other shows that we are recording. I am trying to watch previous seasons of The Office so I can catch up with all the hype.

5. I am a scardy cat. I am afraid of most things. I don't like the dark or being home by myself. My imagination gets the best of me and I freak out. I have always been and probably always will be afraid of lots of things.

6. Dr. Pepper and Chocolate are the way to my heart. I have tried and tried to stop drinking DP but just can't give it up. It is my saving grace during the day.

So there you go, my not so interesting life, but it is my life nonetheless and I wouldn't trade it for anything. I now tag Tiff, Nikki, Sarah and all my other friends that have yet to be tagged by me.

Alex turns 3

2008-09-17T13:56:00.003-06:00

My baby is now 3. I can't believe that he has been part of life for 2 1/2 years now. He came to us when he was just 9 months old. He was like a newborn. We were so excited to have him part of our family and yet overwhelmed at the same time. He has grown up so much and we love his adorable smile. He can melt your heart with that little dimpled smile he gives so freely. He can also do a great stare down if he is upset. He is my little buddy. Now that both Josh and Andrew are in school, we get to hangout for a few hours together in the afternoon. I have loved watching his personality develop. He is very strong willed and stubborn but he is also, lovable, adorable and happy. His favorite quote of choice these days is"I DO IT MYSELF!!" I love my little man and thank my Heavenly Father everyday that he is part of our family. I can't imagine life without him in it. Alex I love you so much and love watching you grow and learn each day.

Alex 9 months oldthe first day or so after he joined us. He is bonding with Grammie

Alex at 1!

Alex at 2. Not so sure about everyone else opening his presents

Alex at 3. Loves his tent Grammie and Poppa gave him

"All Hail to King Alex!"

Not so sure he wants to hit his firetruck. Not happy about it at all. He was crying for hisfirst round and why his brothers and cousins took turns.

By his second turn he was in the spirit of hitting the firetruck to get out the candy.