BTMIN

Squeeze me??

2011-11-14T19:20:00.001-07:00

After disciplining my four year old, my sweet 2 year old marched into the kitchen, hands on hips, and very sternly said, "You don't talk to my Noah yike dat. (Pointing finger at me now) You understand me?" Oy.

A Snuddle...

2011-10-30T20:30:00.000-06:00

There really is nothing better in the world than to snuggle with a little baby. Ever since Ava was born, she hasn't been much for snuggling. About a week ago she wasn't feeling so hot, and she really liked to be comforted. So I'd rock her in her chair in the middle of the night to try and put her back to sleep. It was heaven, I tell you!

Well tonight while I was tucking her in, she gave me a big hug and as I told her I loved her, she whispered, "Mom? Will you snuddle me?" I almost couldn't believe what I heard, so I asked her again, "You want mom to snuggle you?" "Yes." You don't have to ask me twice! I swooped her up and we spent the next 15 minutes rocking in her chair, talking, reading stories and having her lay her head on my shoulder and wrap her tiny little arms around my neck. It was a little piece of heaven on earth. Its tiny little moments like these that melt away the hard days and long nights. I live for my kids and for the moments that take my breathe away!

Halloween!!

2011-10-28T22:50:00.000-06:00

I do believe I have the most adorable trick-or-treaters ever. Of all time. For reals. No really. See?!

This is Link. He's like the best princess saver ever.

Just ask Zelda.

And you all thought Babe Ruth was dead.

Think again.

Ladies? Prepare to swoon.

The most handsome Jack Sparrow ever,

and he's only four. Watch out!

Pony up, cowgirls and boys!

This here's Jessie and she's the rootenest,

tootenest cowgirl around!

Love this little cowgirl! :)

Chemotherapy & a Selfless Six Year Old

2011-10-01T21:32:00.004-06:00

I was recently diagnosed with Actinic Keratosis Lesions, and left untreated AKs may turn into a skin cancer called Squamous Cell Carcinoma. Fun stuff! The treatment for this type of skin lesion is a 4 week regimen of a chemotherapy agent applied topically (its a lotion) that will attack the affected skin cells and kill them. This in turn makes your face oh-so-lovely to look at!! Not. It will cause red, irritated, possibly open lesions on the skin for up to, and possibly longer than, 2 weeks AFTER treatment STOPS!! So I'm looking at up to 6 weeks of beautiful, radiant skin! Grrr.

Anyhoo, the point of this post (other than to warn anyone that may still be reading this blog of my upcoming facial beauty, and tell them it really isn't an elaborate Halloween mask!!), is to relate a story of my most amazing 6 year old son.

Isaac overheard me telling Nana about the treatment that I'm starting and asked me about it while I was putting him to bed tonight. He wanted to know if I was going to be embarrassed about my face. I tried to explain that as you get older, you worry less and less about the things mean people say and how they react to you. I tried to explain that even though people might look at me strangely, or might make hurtful comments, I don't get embarrassed by it. I told him I know who I am, I know my Father in Heaven loves me, I know my family and true friends love me and that's all that really matters. The people I love and who love me are the only ones I care about, and if someone makes a rude comment, they really aren't my friend and it doesn't bother me. He was still very concerned about how I was going to feel, not wanting me to be uncomfortable at all.

He thought about that, asking a few more questions in the mean time, and finally started to get a little teary. He said, "Mom? If you are going to be embarrassed, I'd want to be embarrassed instead of you. I don't want you to feel like that." I almost burst into tears right then and there. I said, "You'd take the embarrassment for me, so I wouldn't have to?" And with more tears welling up in both of our eyes, he quietly nodded his head, reached out for me and gave me the biggest bear hug ever. I am in awe of the magnificence of selflessness. Greater love...

Blug.

2011-05-23T22:45:00.000-06:00

That's a hybrid: Blah and ugh.

Bang Bang!!

2011-04-09T22:38:00.003-06:00

Mike, Debbie and I went to Range Masters to try out a Glock G22 .40 mm semi-automatic. Doesn't it just sound bad?! Here are some sweet shots Mike took with my phone. Sorry they're so small. And listen here kids...

DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME!!

Mike and Deb... The Gun Slingers

mmmm... Nice goggles, chic.

Look at the concentration!!

Wish I'd taken a "kill shot" -- Thank you, Steve Carell!

(Date Night! Anyone? Anyone??)

Not bad for a newbie, eh?!

Please don't judge me because its a lady.

Picture her with an oozy or something...

Deer Creek

2011-04-01T22:34:00.002-06:00

The kids are always asking if we can take a drive up the canyon (mostly because they hope we can gets shakes in Heber!), so when Matthew got home from school we took a little drive. It was absolutely gorgeous today, about 68 degrees when we left!

By the time we got to Deer Creek, Ava was begging to "See water! See water!!" so we drove into one of the little parks and got out for some pictures. The boys took turns seeing if they throw rocks into the lake, contrary to the wishes of their mother... But then, I think that's what boys are for! :) Ava kept trying to climb down the hill to "see da water," which in her mind means touch it! Luckily she didn't go tumbling...

Enjoy some pics from our adventure!

Love the look on Sissy's face! :)

Took a little coaxing to get him to agree to this shot!

Thanks for taking the picture, Nacho... Great job!

How did she get this big so fast?!

How lucky are we to live somewhere so amazing?

The monkeys... Nice pose, Noah!

Thanks Photographer Isaac! :) LOVE YOU!

Santa...??

2011-03-22T00:08:00.000-06:00

Little Missy loves to be a big girl. She loves to drink Propel straight from the bottle, but I do my best to put it in a sippy for her because, well, she's LITTLE!! :) Best efforts aside, one of her darling brothers left his Propel somewhere in reach... You know, top of the fridge, on the roof, dangling from the ceiling... this sweet girl can climb pretty much anywhere! But I digress... She got ahold of one of their bottles, hid in her toys, opened the bottle and promptly spilled it all over herself and her stuffed animals! And I mean everywhere!! Her onesie was wet from top to bottom, FRONT AND BACK, and her pants were about the same. Stinker! So I put her in the bath, which may have been her plot all along - she adores the tub!

Anyway, she always gets bubbles and loves to play around for as long as I'll let her. (Wow, this is a long way to go to get to the Santa part!!) She said I should sit (on the commode) and stay "wif" her, how could I refuse?! So I sat and she played. I watched her splash around and then very pointedly gather a bunch of bubbles and stick them on her face. (Weird... what is she doing?!) "Look, Mom! SANTA!" she says with THE biggest smile ever!! She just thought she was the most clever little thing! So after I stopped giggling, I told her to wait while I got the camera and I would take a picture. Well in the 2.2 seconds it takes to walk from the bathroom to my room, the bubbles were gone. But she agreed to put them back so I could capture the moment, and I did. Immediately after the flash went off, she demanded to "See, Mom! See!!" So I let her look at herself in the camera and she just tilted her sweet little head and said in the most soft, lilting voice her one year old heart could muster, "Awwww, so tute!"

Life is good.

Scarlett Ann Leavitt

2011-03-17T09:00:00.002-06:00

My sweet brother Josh and his amazing wife Brittney had their first baby yesterday. Scarlett Ann joined the family at 6:00 pm weighing in at 8 pounds 6 ounces, 20 inches long with lots of long, dark hair. She's absolutely beautiful! Congratulations J & B!!! We love you all!

Miss Ava

2011-03-15T14:27:00.000-06:00

Could she be more sweet? I adore her!!

Nacho

2011-03-15T14:25:00.000-06:00

The photographer asked him to put his hands in his pockets, but not to let the pockets swallow his thumbs. Hence the thumb sticking straight out! :)

Matthew

2011-03-15T14:23:00.000-06:00

It seems like this picture is a million years old now because he has new glasses, but what a handsome boy!!

Isaac

2011-03-02T22:15:00.000-07:00

Big Girl Bed

2011-03-02T18:34:00.000-07:00

I was able to find some of the bedding I wanted for Miss Ava's new bed, so here are a couple of photos to give you an idea of what it looks like. They really don't do it justice, but that's ok. (And please, pay no attention to the hideous blue safety bar!)

Hello?

2011-02-28T16:36:00.003-07:00

Is anyone out there?

Big Girl Bed...

2011-02-23T22:34:00.000-07:00

A mommy has mixed emotions when her little girl is grown up enough for a Big Girl Bed. There's amazement that the little one is growing up so fast, joy in the little person she's becoming, longing for the itty bitty she once was, and a little sad the cuddle bug has been outgrown. But I must admit I was really excited to find the perfect headboard, go to the hardware store to buy what was needed to convert the very old headboard to the size of a modern twin and drill, bolt and put it all together for my little princess. It took weeks of hunting for the headboard, lots of measuring, planning and shopping for the perfect parts, and even more hours of making it all happen.

So you'll all completely understand how my heart jumped when I found my little princess enjoying the fruits of my labor!

Oh yeah... Big girls can climb out of big girl beds and fall asleep by their door calling for more bottle. Snap.

Kids say the darndest things...

2011-02-22T15:35:00.003-07:00

Isaac and Noah are in the living room. Noah is watching Isaac play Carnival Games on the Wii and this is the conversation I overhear:

Noah: Isaac! You're on FIRE, man!!

Isaac: I know. That's how I roll.

Awesome.

Mommy's Bragging Rights!

2011-02-16T22:22:00.001-07:00

We went to parent teacher conference last week to find out how the boys are doing. We met with Isaac's Kindergarten teacher first. He is doing great! He's reading 21 of the 25 site words, knows all his letters and sounds and is starting math. He's so eager to do his homework and seems to really love learning. He's so determined to get his homework done quickly and is so focused. He can often be heard telling the younger ones to be quiet cause he's working! Too cute!

Then we met with Matthew's 4th grade teacher. Based on past meetings, I was a little nervous for Matthew's appointment. HOWEVER!! His teacher could not have been more positive! He's improved 10 fold in his reading, he's received 100% on his last 6 math assignments, he's paying attention and is less distracting (he LOVES to talk!), he's helpful in class and has just basically come into his own. I ALMOST CRIED!! I am SO proud of him! He's struggled so much lately and I've worried about his confidence. But his teacher, Miss Cluff, seems to be his biggest fan! She said his confidence has improved so much and he seems to really have a new found love of learning.

Needless to say, this mom could not be more proud of her amazing boys!! Way to go, guys! Keep up the good work!!

Quotable Quotes

2011-01-31T21:47:00.000-07:00

I was given a copy of a portion of an article by Elder Holland today that was perfect for me, and for this new year. I'd love to share:

"The start of a new year is the traditional time to take stock of our lives and see where we are going, measured against the backdrop of where we have been. I don't want to talk about New Year's resolutions, but I do want to talk about the past and the future, with an eye toward any time of transition and change in our lives -- and those moments come virtually every day.

As a new year begins and we try to benefit from a proper view of what has gone before, I plead with you not to dwell on days now gone nor to yearn vainly for yesterdays, however good those yesterdays may have been. The past is to be learned from but not lived in. We look back to claim the embers from glowing experiences but not the ashes. And when we have learned what we need to learn and have brought with us the best that we have experienced, then we look ahead and remember that faith is always pointed toward the future. Faith always has to do with blessings and truths and events that will yet be efficacious in our lives.

Forgive and Forget - There is something in many of us that particularly fails to forgive and forget earlier mistakes in life -- either our mistakes or the mistakes of others. It is not good. It is not Christian. It stands in terrible opposition to the grandeur and majesty of the Atonement of Christ. To be tied to earlier mistakes is the worst kind of wallowing in the past from which we are called to cease and desist.

Perhaps at this beginning of a new year there is no greater requirement for us than to do as the Lord Himself said He does: "He who has repented of his sins, the same is forgiven, and I, the Lord, remember them no more" (D&C 58:42).

The Best Is Yet To Be - This is an important matter to consider at the start of a new year -- and every day ought to be the start of a new year and a new life. Such is the wonder of faith, repentance, and the miracle of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Some of you may wonder: Is there any future for me? What does a new year or a new semester, a new major or a new romance, a new job or a new home hold for me? Will I be safe? Will life be sound? Can I trust in the Lord and in the future? Or would it be better to look back, to go back, to stay in the past?

To all such of every generation, I call our, "Remember Lot's wife." Faith is for the future. Faith builds on the past but never longs to stay there. Faith trusts that Gad has great things in store for each of us and that Christ truly is the "high priest of good things to come" (Hebrews 9:11).

Keep your eyes on your dreams, however distant and far away. Live to see the miracles of repentance and forgiveness, of trust and divine love that will transform your life today, tomorrow, and forever. That is a New Year's resolution I ask you to keep."

Now. The trick for me is learning how to do that! :)

Testimony

2010-10-03T15:32:00.005-06:00

Oh to have the faith of a child! Listen to what my sweet, three year old son, Noah, said this afternoon. The kids were all sitting around the kitchen table making a Halloween window scene during conference:

"I believe in Jesus. He is real! And Satan is not nice. If I ever see him I’m gonna say “If you EVER say that again (referring to Jesus not being real, apparently!) I’m gonna karate chop you!” I’m gonna stand up to him and tell him he’s WRONG! Jesus IS real and alive. He is in HEAVEN."

To his sweet, simple testimony, I add my own: Jesus is the Christ, He is my redeemer, my savior, my friend. He is most definitely real and suffered, bled and gave His life for me, that I might be free from my multitude of sins. His Father, our Heavenly Father, is real. He knows me by name and counts me as one of His fold. He sent His beloved son to die for me, a sacrifice and pain so deep, no parent should have to withstand it. But because He knew me and knew of my faults, He allowed the price to be paid, that I might one day regain the gift of His presence. I hope and pray that through my continuing efforts to live the Gospel of Jesus Christ, that my children might grow to know Him. That they may feel His love for them, that they might understand that sacrifice, the atonement, in a way that can never be denied. That they might become disciples of Christ and live their lives in a manner pleasing to the Father, that they too, might return to His presence and live for eternity surrounded by the love and tenderness of their Father in Heaven. I pray for His continued patience with me as I navigate through this life and all it has to offer, both good and bad, that I might strive to be the pillar of light that they will so desperately need to illuminate the darkness and wiles of the Adversary. That they can turn to me in times of trouble, times of despair and feel of their Savior’s love through that which I have taught them. That I can stand strong and fervent in my heart, my mind and my deeds, that they will one day be able to stand on their own, with their own fervent faith and testimony, that they too will be a light to their families, to those around them and all that might look upon them as examples in the Gospel. These things I so desperately pray, in the name of my Savior, even Jesus Christ, Amen.

Noah Isn't Amused

2010-03-11T17:35:00.002-07:00

We decided to take some photos this afternoon after Isaac's cut, and I suggested to Noah that we cut his hair too. He was not amused!!!

Isaac's New Do

2010-03-11T17:32:00.004-07:00

If anyone has seen Matthew and Isaac lately, their hair is shaggeriffic! Yikes! So we decided to give Isaac a little make-over. In comparison to the Heart Pox post, its not much different, but that was an old pic, and his hair these days was out of control!! So check him out... Our new stylin' boy!!

Heart Pox!!

2010-03-10T14:39:00.003-07:00

Imagine my surprise when Isaac came down with a raging case of the Heart Pox!! He came in to me on Valentine's Day, the morning after working on his class valentines, only to exclaim that he'd contracted the HEART POX!! I was mortified! Luckily, they cleared up very nicely on their own and they left few lasting effects and even fewer scars. He is a very lucky boy. Please parents, wash your hands carefully after every Valentine you create. Don't let this happen to someone you love!!

Noah's Sweet-Awesome New Do...

2010-02-05T13:26:00.005-07:00

Addie thought it would be fun to pimp Noah's hair and these were the results! I'd like to introduce you to Coolio Jr.! Too funny!!

A work in progress. Noah actually sat really still for her. What a trooper!

"What are dese fings, Mom?"

The amount of hair this child has is just not fair!

Oh yeah, baby. I'm so cool and I know it!

I can't get enough of this kid! He is SOOO awesome! :) What a lucky mommy I am!

Our growing baby...

2009-05-19T17:10:00.005-06:00

I can't believe Ava is 4 weeks old today! Time has FLOWN by and she is growing by leaps and bounds! She doesn't even seem like new born to me anymore, which is so sad!! She was in the hospital a couple of weeks ago for some emergency testing... More on that later (I even have some sad little pictures...). She is doing great now, no major problems were found, thank goodness! Now we are just trying to keep her away from all 3 of her very sick big brothers! I can't until everyone is healthy!!

I thought I'd just pop in really quickly to show you a more current picture of our sweet babe. This photo was taken by Josh on Mother's Day. It's one of my favorites! Thanks, Josh! :)

Isn't she the sweetest little thing?! I know, I know, I'm biased, but I can't help it! She's my first and only girl and I think she's perfect! :) hehehe!

Baby Ava

2009-05-03T14:25:00.002-06:00

Our sweet Ava Rose joined us on April 21st at 6:45 pm. She weighed 6 pounds, 15 ounces, and was 18.5 inches long. It was a REALLY fast delivery, 2 hours and 45 minutes start to finish, which Mommy was VERY happy about! :)

She is doing really well and her big brothers ADORE her! They wake up every morning wanting to give her hugs and kisses, each of them taking a turn to hold her. I couldn't ask for a better bunch of boys! Noah is so cute, always asking, "Tan I hode her? Just for a setund?" So I'll lay her in his arms and we hold her together for a few seconds and he'll say, "O'tay, I'm done." Such a sweet boy!

It is such a relief to have her here and healthy. The doctor delivered her 2 days before our planned induction because her movements had slowed and he was concerned. So he sent me straight from my regular check up to the hospital and they were going to induce. However, just minutes after they hooked up the fetal monitor, I started having contractions! Talk about good timing! So they only used a minimal amount of pitocin and I flew through labor. In fact, I went from a 5 to 10 in 15 minutes, causing the nurses to rush the doctor from the O.R. (he was about to start a c-section). They JUST had enough time to get the doctor to the room and in a gown before Ava was born. I was so nervous she would come before he could get there. It all happened SO fast. It turned out to be a blessing that the doctor took her early. The cord was wrapped around her neck, so during labor her heart rate kept dropping, and that was also the reason her movements had slowed so much. The Lord was definitely watching over her and guiding the doctor, for which I am eternally grateful.

I can't tell you how humbled I am to have been blessed with this new, amazing spirit. I pray for the Lord's continued blessings to help me guide and direct her in a way pleasing to Him, as I do with all my children. What a gift to be entrusted with, that of sweet, innocent beings to love and cherish throughout my life. I am honored to have been chosen as Mommy for these young souls and hope and pray I can live up to the responsibilities that come with it. Welcome to the family, Ava, we adore you!!

New Page!!

2009-01-13T11:20:00.004-07:00

I can't believe it's actually true, but I finally finished a scrapbook page! Woo hoo!! :) This is from our trip to the "punkin" patch last October. The boys - even Noah! - had a BLAST searching for that perfect pumpkin! It was so fun!!

Full credits HERE.

Drumroll please...

2008-11-25T12:38:00.005-07:00

For those of you who know, we have been incredibly blessed with 3 amazing kids. All of whom are boys. Last summer we found out we were pregnant again! Wow! 4 boys?! 5 if you count Dad... hahaha! How on earth am I gonna handle 5 little men in this tiny little house?! Yikes.

So, to catch up to current day, I had a doctor's appointment yesterday, just the routine monthly checkup. Ben, Isaac and Noah all came (for the first time this pregnancy) so they could hear the little heartbeat. And they heard it! Not for long cause it was moving around, but they heard it and thought it was so cool!! The doctor asked if I had been feeling the baby kick. I said I think so, but that I was a bit nervous because I felt the others much earlier. He then informed me that I was measuring a week or 2 behind my original due date. Shock waves stung my spine. What do you mean?? I measured just fine last month, what's going on? (Of course this was all in my head!) I started freaking out.

The doctor said I was due for my ultrasound, but that the tech wasn't scheduled to come in for another week and a half. So I had the choice to wait for December 4th, or he could call in a prescription so I could go to the hospital. Uh, duh. No brainer, Doc. So they made an appointment for me to have the ultrasound the next day, which is today, in the AF hospital at 2:00 pm. However, Ben was scheduled to work today, so after deliberating, I went back into the doctor's office and very sweetly asked if they wouldn't mind seeing if I could go to UVRMC, where Ben would be today, so he could sneak over and go with me. It took a little time, but they did and I was able to get an appointment for 9:30 today.

So last night rolls around, and wouldn't you know, Ben's supervisor called and informed him that he was being sent to work at the AF hospital today because they were short handed. Are you kidding me?! After I made them switch the appointments?!??! Blah! Needless to say, I wasn't about to ask them to change it again! And at this point I am completely freaked out thinking that something is horribly wrong, that the baby has stopped growing, there wasn't enough amniotic fluid or some other awful thing, and I wasn't about to postpone the ultrasound. I had to know what was wrong, if anything. So my awesome sis-in-law came to stay with the youngest 2 boys and Mom went with me to the hospital.

We checked in and waited. Of course. It actually didn't take too long and we were back in the ultrasound room. I asked if they could record it for me so Ben could see everything too, and she did. In fact, I had taken a tape for her (that's what I'd always taken with the other 3) and she informed me that with their new equipment (3D machines!!) they can make DVD's. Woo hoo! :) So she got that all set up and we started.

She started trying to figure out where the baby was and what position it was in, and briefly scanned the little body. At first I thought it looked small, but then remembered it was about the same as the others. Am I panicky or what!? Then I thought I saw it! Yes, that ever present boy part that seems to be a trend in our family. But it was a quick shot. So I said, "Oh, I have a feeling it's a boy!" And she said, "Really, I was thinking it looked like a girl." My heart stopped. Not possible. After all, when we had the ultrasound with Noah, the tech said the same thing, but he was just basing that on how I was carrying, soon to find out in pictures that um, yeah, he was a boy! :)

Anyway, she found a little shot of the legs and little bum and I turned to Mom and said, "There's nothing there. There's nothing there!!!" I was in shock! How could there not be anything there?!?!?!? We looked and looked and looked and nothing popped out, or came out from behind the cord or anything. Could this really be happening!? Michelle (the ultrasound tech) said, "Yep, looks like a girl to me!" HOLY COW!! HOLY COW!! Are you kidding me?! Nope, folks, it looks like it REALLY is a girl! Wow. Wow. Wow.

She kept checking everything to see if all was well, the brain, all 4 chambers of the heart, the lungs, kidneys, stomach, diaphragm, bladder, spine, head, arms, hands, legs, feet, everything. And all is well so far!! She is measuring at 18 weeks, and I thought I was 19, so we're not too far off. The placenta looks good and in tact, there's enough fluid for the baby and my kidneys look good. (Don't know why she checked them, but she did it deliberately!) We even had time to try and get some 3D shots. This little child didn't really want to cooperate very well, she kept moving all over the place and changing positions like mad, so it was really hard, but we did end up with an adorable 3D image of her (yes, HER! ahhhh!!) hand, and a pretty good one of her leg. It was completely amazing and SUCH a blessing! To be able to see your baby's little fingers at this stage is remarkable. Let alone from inside the womb. It was an experience I will never forget. Wow.

On the way to the car I called Ben. He asked how everything went and I said fine, that everything looked good and we couldn't see any problems. "So, another boy, eh?" "NOPE!" "OH... MY.... GOSH..." He was as shocked as I was! It was too funny! :) He's very excited and, like me, thrilled that there are no apparent problems with this new little baby. Phew!

So there you have it. Baby GIRL Rodriguez is scheduled to make her entrance sometime in April. We'll have to wait and see if the doctor changes her due date based on this new info, but she's coming! That's for sure!

N is Famous!!! Ok, sorta.

2008-11-19T15:12:00.004-07:00

Thanks to the ever talented photographer Nicole Hill, our sweet Noah is on the cover of the new Discovery Toys catalogue!! Woo hoo!! (Click here to see it.) Nicole did a photo shoot with Noah ages ago for RubberBall, the stock photo company she works with. Apparently, Discovery Toys purchased his photo from RubberBall's inventory (I believe this is how it works), and used it for their catalogue. How cool is that!! I can't believe how much he's grown in just over a year. Wow!! (He's the cutie on the left. He's has the biggest photo on the page cause he's just that cute! hehehe!)

Sup.

2008-10-06T22:58:00.005-06:00

Yes, it's been a very long time since my last post. Bad blogger, bad. I really don't mean to neglect it, but when there are only so many things to be done in a day, or month, um, or summer, ugh, then something has to give, and it's been the blog. Sorry! :) I hope you are all well and haven't missed us too much! ha!

Ok, so there have been SOOO many things happen since last time we talked, trips to Texas and Washington, Matthew having his first eye exam and needing some sweet-awesome glasses (photos to come as soon as the glasses do...), babies being conceived, Isaac's traumatic trips to the dentist, Noah learning to talk like a CHAMP!! and on and on! OH! And Ben passing his last national board exam to become an official RRT (registered respiratory therapist) YYYYEEEAAAAHHHH!!!! Holy cow, that was a long time coming and soooo worth it! We're so proud of you, Daddy!!

Anyhoo, I just wanted to drop by and let you know we're all alive and doing well.

Here are a couple of photos from our most recent trip, visiting Natalie, Dan and fam in Washington. Thanks, guys! We had a BLAST!

Dad and boys on the beach... Super cold water,

but that didn't bug the boys!

"Sleep over" with the cousins.

Emma, Isaac, Erika, Noah, Lauren and Matthew.

Discovery Park

2008-07-23T15:46:00.003-06:00

We decided to take a quick trip to Discovery Park this morning (Isaac's been asking to go to the "wood park" for weeks, so I finally gave in!). We got there a bit before 10 and the kids had a BLAST! But by 11 it was getting pretty hot, and all that wood started to heat up and get musty, so we left and bought some Daylight Donuts for breakfast. It was a fun morning!

Here are a few quick shots I snapped. Not the best, but I thought they were kinda cute!

Here is Noah working his way UP the slide!

He actually did it, over and over again! He thought he

was pretty cool!

They have a really awesome "rocket" with 2 "captain's chairs"

so Matthew and Isaac decided to take a trip to outer space! Too fun!

This is Isaac as he's coming into the rocket.

I was able to get Noah to turn around and look down the slide

when he got to the top, and I caught this cute grin!

And I think this might be my favorite shot.

Just playing with the shadows a bit! :)

Hope you are all having a groovy day! Hopefully I'll be back to post more soon! :)

A new page!! Yay!

2008-07-01T22:19:00.003-06:00

There was a fun speed scrap at ScrapMatters.com tonight (where you get rules for your LO, one at a time, every 10 minutes for an hour and then have one additional hour to complete your LO... Fun, fast and furious!!) Anyhoo, this is the page I did. I feel so accomplished!! :)

Happy Father's Day!!

2008-06-30T18:44:00.004-06:00

Ok, I know it's way past Father's Day, but we just celebrated yesterday. Since we've been out of town and Josh & Britt were out of town for a bit, we just decided to wait until everyone could get together. I've been itching to post this photo for SOOOO long! I can't believe I was actually able to wait until yesterday to give this to Ben (it's been ready for almost a month!), but I did it! This is the present that we (we being M, I & N) gave Daddy for Father's Day. Photography and Photoshop genius by the incomparable Brittney! Not to mention that this amazing idea was her brain-child (thanks a billion, Britt!). Isn't she amazing? Anyway, here is the photo. Every time I look at it I just giggle! Ah! I framed it in a simple black frame and I think Ben loved it! Yay!

To check out more of Britt's photography, visit her photo blog here.

I'm really alive, I promise...

2008-06-26T23:00:00.006-06:00

I didn't die in a car crash or fall of the face of the earth, I guess I've just been super busy and felt guilty about not blogging, so I kept putting it off! Well, I'm back and I have SOOOO much to share! I'm not going to try and go back to where I left off, but I'll go back a couple of weeks anyway.

Just before we went to Texas (we just got back from almost 2 weeks in Corpus - more on that later), Kelly and Isabelle came to town. Yeah! :) We were able to visit them at Kelly's uncle's ranch and show the boys horses for the first time. They had such a great time!

Kelly and I were both snapping away and got some fun pics of the kids.

Here is my little cowboy playing stick-em-up with his bros.

The actual horse. Matthew and Isabelle posing, reluctantly to us,
but inside thrilled :)! Aren't they the cutest!?!?

Bell showing us how to feed a horse.
She is very knowledgeable, and a great little rider! :)

Isaac and I gave it a shot. Hey, it worked!
Whaddaya know!?

Just enjoying the incredibly windy day...

We drove to another part of the property to check out the pond.
We snapped this little photo from the car as M & B walked along the path.
Aren't they adorable!? OMGoodness! They aren't really holding hands,
we just snapped at the EXACT moment their hands swung together.
They aren't even walking side by side. But years from now I'll claim differently! :)

M & B in a cool silhouette shot in front of the pond.

Getting into the canoe...

In the canoe! :) Kell, Bell, Isaac and Matthew.

And finally, walking back to the car. Cutie petutie Noah!

Ok, so it's late and I'm tired and Ben has to be at work WAY too early tomorrow, so I'll post more tomorrow - hopefully! :) We'll get into swimming lessons and Texas. Don't go crazy in anticipation now! ;) Ha! Goodnight!

Oooooo Baby!!

2008-05-01T18:57:00.002-06:00

If you've ever thought about getting into digital scrapbooking, NOW is the time!! Check this out! They are going to have all kinds of challenges and FREEBIES!! so don't miss it!

Cute Story...

2008-04-27T21:33:00.004-06:00

I just wanted to pop in to tell you a cute little story that happen with Isaac at church today. They combined our ward with 75% of another ward a while back, so unless you get to Church half an hour early, you don't get a seat. Like that is going to happen with 3 small boys!! So we were sitting in the lobby trying SOOO hard to get the kids sit quietly during Sacrament, in the hopes that not only we would get something out of the talks, but that something would sink in for the kids as well... Well I don't know how much they understood, but Isaac for sure heard something! The speaker was talking about the Holy Ghost and Isaac blurts out, "THE HOLY GHOST!!?! We met him at Disneyland!!!" It was the funniest thing ever! I tried so hard not to laugh! Ben and I just looked at each other and tried to be grown up, but seriously, it was hard! He just seemed so proud to know about something they were saying! Too cute!

The Haircut

2008-04-14T00:56:00.006-06:00

We finally decided it was time to cut some of Noah's gorgeous locks. :( I hated to see them go, but, sadly, it was time. The thing that finally convinced me was the fact that we could put his hair in a pony tail. What? Yes, it's true. Look.

Ok, does this one not look like he's a little

Sumo ready to strike!?! Hehehe!!

So after the impromptu photos on the front lawn, we brought little Noah in for the cut. We started The Bee Movie, of course - he doesn't move a muscle if it's on, and started the cut! Here is one last "before" shot of those amazing curls... Bye, bye, my lovelies.

And on to the chopping. May we have a moment of silence in memoriam? Thank you.

Did you notice that my arm was in direct conflict
to Noah's view of his bees? Note the head lean...

He didn't move while I cut. In fact if I asked him to sit up
or move forward, he just did it! He didn't ever complain!
Little trooper!

Here is the final result... Drum roll please......

Ta da!! What a cutie!!

Genetics, man!

2008-04-14T00:48:00.002-06:00

Have you ever seen Stupid Human Tricks on David Letterman? That's what I felt like we were doing with Noah the other day. Everyone in the fam can roll their tongues, so we were trying to find out if Noah got that gene or not. We all showed him our stupid human trick, and he eventually did it!! I couldn't believe our sweet little 16 month old could do it! I was such a proud mama!

The Bee Movie

2008-04-14T00:34:00.002-06:00

Have you seen it? If you haven't, you should! We love it around here. I think Ben and I laugh harder than the boys!! This is a pic of the boys watching it... Notice that NONE of them are running around screaming? Not even Noah. In fact, Noah will just sit and watch it start to finish without even blinking! And if you get in his way, he'll just lean one way or another until he can see those bees again! :) It's too cute!

First Signs of Spring

2008-04-13T22:57:00.005-06:00

We were finally able to spend a little time outside a while ago! The winter seemed to be over (although 2 days ago we woke up to SNOW!!! AH!) so we let the kids run around in the back for a while. They had a blast!

Yes, Matthew is feeding Noah lunch.
How cute is that!?

Ah, what a good big brother!

Long, Long Ago...

2008-03-28T13:32:00.005-06:00

We went to Disneyland for Matthew's 3rd birthday, way back in 2004. Have I done anything with the pictures yet? Umm..... No. Until now! Britt just came out with a new "Disneyesque" kit that is amazing, so I dug out some of these old pictures to work with... I'm not done yet, it's going to be a 2 page layout, but I thought I'd post it now to show off her fantabulous new kit! :)

You can check out the kit here...

The Canyon

2008-03-26T21:01:00.007-06:00

The boys and I decided to take a drive up the canyon last month to see whether or not the waterfall was frozen. It's had been SOOO cold that of course it was. It was beautiful! And because Ben was working and wasn't going to be home for an hour or so, we kept going up the canyon to check out Deer Creek. I have never seen it completely frozen and covered with snow before. It was stunning! The sun was shining perfectly and I couldn't help but stop to take a picture.

Bridal Veil Falls - Icy, eh?!

If you didn't know this was a lake, wouldn't you think it was
a great big field of snow!? I'm so glad we drove up to see it!

And yes, that is a wild moose. It was trying to reach food
on the other side of the fence. Matthew and I were pretty
excited to see it. First wild moose I've ever seen! :)

On the way home we stopped by Sundance and
found this buried stop sign. Wow!

This is my favorite photo... Ahhh.

Curls Anyone?

2008-03-23T22:19:00.003-06:00

This one is especially for Grandma Texas. She's been asking for us to post pictures of Noah's curls, so this is what I came up with. I don't know if you know this, but curls are really hard to photograph on a moving baby!! This is from a couple of months ago, and if you can imagine, his hair is even longer and more curly now! :) Although, the time is rapidly approaching for us to cut those lovely locks... A little old man thought he was the cutest little girl! As if!!! :)

Laundry Anyone?

2008-03-18T22:33:00.004-06:00

I am extremely relieved to say that the laundry is not only done, but it's actually all put away. Yee haw!! Finally! However, there was a point at which my sweet baby's room looked like this. Can you see children? No? Well they are there, having buried themselves within the black hole that was the laundry pile. Luckily, I was able to grab them just before they were sucked into oblivion. They are doing fine now and healing quickly! :)

Cool Kids!

2008-02-17T23:21:00.004-07:00

How cool is it that I get to be home to take pictures of my kids doing the funniest things? Way cool! Ok, so a couple of weeks ago, the first week I was officially a SAHM, Isaac decided that he would build a fort. My boys LOVE building forts... but most little boys do! Well, Matthew was at school and not around the help lug the big couch cushions around, so Isaac made do on his own! As you can see, he did ok!

He took great pride in arranging that pillow just so, helping Noah in and covering them both with that blanket! I couldn't resist snapping a shot of them. Oh, I'm loving this!! Now, if they had only fallen asleep, this would have been the best fort ever created by man, woman or child. Oh well, they had a blast!

Ok, so basically he just pushed the seat cushion

onto the floor, but it served as a "wall," so
I deem this an official fort! Way to go, buddy!!

It's been too long!

2008-02-12T18:04:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's been so long since my last post! I thought I would have all this extra time to get things organized and projects done and spare time to blog and scrap, but it appears I'm more busy than ever! I can't believe that giving up a full time job outside the home would be replaced by more than a full time job INSIDE the home! I guess what everyone told me was true, you really don't have extra time at all!

Anyhoo, on to better things. I just finished some layouts that I wanted to share. The first is using Britt's newest kit, "Dreams Do Come True." It's definitely my favorite kit of hers so far. It's AMAZING! And if you check out her blog (link to the right), you'll find an A-MA-ZING freebie that coordinates with it! Be SURE to check it out!

Next is a layout for a Challenge I'm hosting at scrapmatters.com. (You should come by and check it out... Play along and you could win FREE stuff!!! SWEET!) Anyway, for the challenge you have to include 2 memorabilia items that AREN'T photos, and 1 photo. This is what I came up with. It's Josh and Britt's first date (we got to double with them.) TOTALLY fun night!

And last, but not least, here are a few photos of my ever growing boys. Aren't they SO cute!? Ok, so maybe I'm a little biased, but STILL! These are from our recent trip to the dinosaur museum. They had a BLAST!

Here is Noah eating a chicken nugget. Very interesting, I'm sure, but it's one of the best of him at the museum. Sad!

This is Matthew and Isaac playing in one of the exhibits.
The kids get to "build" sand banks to bury the dinos.
They have water constantly flowing as well so the banks "erode"
to show the dinos and then they can dig them up.

Yes, it's true. Isaac has tamed that savage beast!

And finally, Matthew narrowly escaping the gaping jaws of
the world's largest shark! It was a close one, but everyone
seem to be doing fine!

Have a wonderful Tuesday!

God Be With You...

2008-01-28T22:16:00.001-07:00

As we gathered as a family last night for dinner, none of us were expecting the phone call that would change the face of our Church today. At about 8:00 pm we received word that our dearly loved Prophet had passed away about an hour before. We were, needless to say, a little stunned. This amazing, gentle, yet powerful man has lead the Church for the past 12 years, and at the age of 97 was finally called home. He was a truly remarkable man. I can only imagine the tender reunion that awaited him, not only with his beloved wife, Marjorie, that he has missed so much, but with our Heavenly Father and Savior, Jesus Christ. I can almost hear the words, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant. Well done." Of all men who walk the earth today, he was most sincerely, the closest to heaven of all I've ever known. We will miss you, President Hinkley, but we're so grateful to know exactly where you are. God be with you until we meet again.

Snow Days

2008-01-23T22:53:00.000-07:00

We spent the morning at Emily's last Saturday and the kids had a BLAST tubing down her deck stairs. They packed the stairs with snow so it was smooth sailing! Emily has an amazing camera and snapped a bunch of pics of the kids. This is one of my favorites, so I scrapped it for a challenge Brittney is having at scrapmatters.com. I wish we had stairs the kids could ride down! :)

Andy and Kelly!

2008-01-18T17:31:00.000-07:00

Andy, Kelly, Bell, Mack and Lola are staying with us this week. Yay! They came up from Mesa for a family wedding and we were lucky enough to have them stay with us. The kids have loved playing in the snow! Matthew and Isaac think they've discovered the world's best friends! We are so sad to see them go, but it's been a great time! Next time it's our turn to visit Arizona! :) We can't wait!

Hey guys... Guess what?!

2008-01-17T22:56:00.000-07:00

Winter Wonderland!!!

2008-01-09T11:05:00.000-07:00

Wow! My Christmas wish is really coming true! I remember winters as a kid having so much snow that we could carve caves out of the mounds of snow created when Dad shoveled the driveway, and I've always wanted that for my kids. So it looks like this is the year!

We woke up this morning to a HUGE snow storm! From the time I went to bed (around 12:30 this morning) and 7:30 when I woke up, we received 6 to 8 inches of snow! And it's still snowing! Yee hah!! I just LOVE this stuff! It took me about 45 minutes to dig out half of the driveway and my car in order to get to work this morning, but it's worth it... And what a great workout! ;) Anyway, here are a few pictures I took at my office. They don't really capture exactly how much snow there really is, but you can get a sense just by what is still on the trees. So for all you Texans, see what you're missing?!? Oooo I'm lovin' this!

Aren't you jealous!??!?

New and Improved!

2008-01-04T23:55:00.000-07:00

Come check out the new and improved ScrapMatters blog. http://scrapmatters.com/wordpress. We're going to be updating it daily with so much! Freebies, instructions, photo challenges, and more! If you're an experienced digital scrapper or a newbie, you'll find something to enjoy!! Check it out!!

Happy New Year!!

2008-01-01T23:30:00.000-07:00

From all of us to all of you (I think there are 3 of you!), HAPPY NEW YEAR! We wish you all the best this coming year. May the peace and love of our Savior permeate every aspect of your lives. We love you!

Our First Carriage Ride!

2007-12-16T23:17:00.000-07:00

Last Friday was such a fun day! We decided to take the boys to Temple Square to see the lights and while we were there decided to go on a horse-drawn carriage ride. Too fun! However, it took us about an hour to find a parking place! We weren't aware that it was the night of the Mormon Tabernacle Christmas concert, but quickly found that every parking place between Sandy and SLC was taken! :) It was crazy busy and EXTREMELY cold (around17 degrees!!), but so much fun. The boys loved the lights but really had a blast with that horse! Our driver's name was Mindy and our horse's name was Bart. The ride lasted about 30 minutes, but after walking outside for so long, Ben and I decided it would be best to get Noah out of the cold. So half way through the ride (as we got close to our parking place) Ben and Noah hopped out and ran for the car. They were very glad to get into a warm car! Matthew, Isaac and I finished our ride, but Isaac was REALLY upset that Dad left. So after about 5 minutes of crying, the carriage that had been following us pulled up to the side. It turned out that Mindy's husband was the driver of that carriage and came up beside us to offer Isaac a candy cane! It was SO sweet! He just said, "It sounds like someone could use a candy cane!" and reached out his hand. I jumped up as quickly as I could to take the candy from his hand as they zoomed past. How nice was that? Then as we road down the street we passed about 5-6 college students all dressed up as Santa. They had stockings full of candy canes and chocolates. As soon as they saw my two boys in the carriage, they ran along side us until they pulled out candy canes for them. Matthew and Isaac were in heaven! As we approached the end of the ride, our carriage drove north on Main Street and we saw the most beautiful view of the Salt Lake Temple. It was the most amazing night... even though it started out so frustrating with the traffic and parking, it really was a great experience to be able to enjoy the holiday season together. How lucky am I to have this sweet family to share it with? As Rev Run would say, "God is good!"

Here are some pictures of Temple Square, and a LO I did for our first carriage ride!

Wow! A photo with the whole fam! Thank you, kind stranger!

Look at that cute little bundle!

I think I took 186 pics just to get ONE where they were both looking at the camera!

This is one of my favorites. It's taken from across the reflecting pool...

Here is the LO I made. Find full credits here.

New LO!

2007-12-10T23:34:00.000-07:00

Ok, so it's been too long, but I do have a new layout! :) It's my first page dedicated just to Ben. Ahhhh... Cute! Anyway, Britt designed this rockin' kit called "Snowbound" and I'm in love with it. This is the first page I created with it... Enjoy!

Credits

What's that? A HUGE Sale at Scrapmatter.com?!

2007-11-21T17:41:00.000-07:00

Grandpa Texas

2007-11-19T23:41:00.000-07:00

Brittney designed a little elements kit called "Thankful for Stamps" that inspired me to do a "Thankful for..." layout. This is the first one of many - Hopefully!! Anyway, I'm grateful for wonderful Grandpas for my kids. I couldn't have picked them better myself! :)

I've Been Tagged - TWICE!

2007-11-19T11:55:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I was hoping to avoid it, but I was DOUBLE TAGGED! Both Megan and Brittney tagged me, so I guess I have to give in. But I'm not doubling my answers!! Ok, here it goes...

1. My favorite thing to do as a kid was play "office." I would gather all the paper I could find, get pens and crayons and note pads, and go into my room to set up my office. I loved pulling my dresser away from the wall so I could have a little area behind it all to myself. I also loved pretending to be a cashier. I loved playing with play money - making change, counting it, pretending to sell things! I've always kind of wanted to be a cashier, if only for one day! So now I really love doing the self-checkout thing! Weirdo, I know.

2. I am SOO happy when my house is clean. It just gives me energy, if you can believe it. I get a little bummed when the house is a mess, and I just can't get motivated for anything. But if the house is clean, I'm a new woman!

3. I love watching movies with Ben. I know it's kind of simple, but it REALLY doesn't happen that often. If you've got kids, you know that your time is no longer your own. So if and when Ben and I are at home at the same time AND the kids are in bed AND there is nothing else pressing that must get done, I LOVE watching movies with him! We watched Ocean's 13 last night and it was so fun just to be with him and do NOTHING! :)

4. My favorite time of year is fall. Not only because of the weather and the leaves changing, but because it means the holidays! I adore Halloween! It's one of my favs. I also like Thanksgiving and who wouldn't LOVE Christmas! I love all the activities that the holidays bring. Trick-or-treating with the kids, building snowmen (when there is snow), seeing the lights at Temple Square, going shopping the day after Thanksgiving, feeling the anticipation of the kids on Christmas Eve... Its all so wonderful!!

I was able to go to The Savior of the World performance at the Conference Center over the weekend and I walked out of it a different person than going in. It was remarkable. If you ever have an opportunity to go see it, PLEASE don't pass it up! I want to try to take Ben with me next time. It puts things into perspective better than anything I've ever experienced. It was amazing!

5. I love rice crispie treats. The store bought kind, not homemade. It is such a guilty pleasure! :) I've gotten over the obession stage. I don't need one after every meal anymore, but I still crave them! Mmmmm.... Wish we had them in the office!!

6. I can't wait until I can be a stay at home mom. I know a lot of people that have been able to stay home with their kids and are now itching to get out for some time on their own! Not me, I want to be at home. I've spent the last 18 years working and now I just want to be home with my kids. It's heartbreaking to hear your 3 year old ask, "Mom, you done wiff work? Can you stay wiff us now?" Can't wait for the day when I can tell him, yes, Isaac, I'm done.

Baby Noah

2007-11-04T00:11:00.001-06:00

I was inspired by a new mini-kit that Brittney designed, so I pulled this favorite picture of Noah and created this new LO. Hope you like it!

TINKERBELL!!!

2007-10-29T20:47:00.000-06:00

Yes, it's true. We actually saw Tink at the castle! Just check out this picture. Matthew was completely amazed when I showed him this picture. "I didn't see here there, Mom!!" Too cute!

More Great Nicole Hill Photos

2007-10-29T12:27:00.001-06:00

Here are some pictures from resent photo shoots with Nicole Hill. Isn't she amazing?!

This is Noah's very first hair cut, ever. They gave him a
sucker to bride him, but he was an angel the entire time even without it!

The gorgeous hair stylist is Nicole's mom, Kathy,
who also happens to be married to my boss! :)

I can't believe how happy he was, and this was at 5:00 pm
after NO afternoon nap! He's the happiest little guy!

How cute is he? Am I biased? No, he's adorable!!

Matthew caught every pass Ben threw, and he'd never
even tried before. My little sports star! And what a nice
little Isaac sandwich! :)

And finally, the entire fam and a candid shot of me with Noah.
After some pictures in the studio, we went to a nearby park.
On the way, Noah fell asleep so I was just holding him while
the boys took pictures.

Seriously?

2007-10-29T12:19:00.001-06:00

How has it possibly been almost a month since my last post? I'm so sorry to the 2 of you that read my blog! :) I promise to do better. I hope to have pictures from Disneyland up in the next day or so, but until then I have a great quote for you from President Eyring:

"To know His will you must be committed to do it.
The words 'Thy will be done,' written in the heart,
are the window to revelation."

Two New Layouts!

2007-10-06T23:41:00.001-06:00

Here are my latest... Enjoy!

You Are My I Love You

2007-10-05T10:09:00.001-06:00

Thanks to brilliant Britt, here is my second layout. Isn't that boy just the cutest little thing!?!? I just love him! :)

My Very First Attempt at Digital - Be Kind!!

2007-09-28T10:23:00.000-06:00

Here is the very first layout I created as a "digi-scrapper." Brittney has been trying to convince me to switch from paper scrapping to digital, and I've been a little hesitant. So after much soul searching and contemplation, I decided to give it a try. This is my first attempt, so please be nice! :) I have a few more things to do (Britt told me about shadowing this morning - never knew you could do that!), so it isn't final yet, but it's a start! :) If you look, PLEASE PLEASE leave a comment on anything you think it needs or changes to make it better. I've never done this so any secrets or tricks-of-the-trade you'd like to impart would be SOOOO appreciated! THANKS! :)

Changing of the Leaves

2007-09-27T14:59:00.000-06:00

Ben's parents were in town last week for Angie and Jeremiah's wedding. So we decided it would be fun to drive the Alpine Loop with Rosalinda to see the changing leaves. It was beautiful!

It was so great to have his parents in town. My boys ADORE them! Grandma was so great to watch the boys so much while I was at work or when Ben and I ran an errand, and she makes the BEST food! And Grandpa is just too much fun! In fact, the night before Ben took Grandpa to the airport, Matthew cried because he didn't want Grandpa to leave. Ben and I both wish they lived a little closer than Texas! But it was great to see them for a while. They've been here 3 times already this year - we feel blessed! So here are a few pictures for you! Enjoy!

I love how dramatic this picture looks.
The canyon was actually gorgeous this day.
I took this picture just by sticking my hand out
the window and pushing the button. Lucky, eh?

Aren't the colors amazing? I LOVE the fall!!

I love the vibrant color of the single red tree.
It's a little blurry, but I still love it!

This is the temple where Angie and Jeremiah
were married. The Manti, Utah temple.
It was the perfect day! Not a cloud in the sky.

If you look closely, you can see one of the
multitude of bees buzzing around these flowers
in front of the temple.

Grandpa and Noah inspecting the flowers...

Three heads are better than one!

We were so lucky to have Grandpa stay with us
for a few nights this trip. The boys had a blast!
I'm not sure what happened to the pics of the boys
and Grandma (she stayed with us too!), but I'll
post them when I find them!! ;)

Bowling with the Fam!

2007-09-19T10:29:00.000-06:00

Ben and I took the boys bowling a few weeks ago. Matthew and Isaac had a BLAST!! It was so cool to see how excited they got when the pins actually fell down! But I will say this, one game is enough when you're bowling with the boys! :)

Come on, knock 'em down!

Nice pose, Dad. At least Noah's
smile is real! :) Cutie!

Matthew learned to pose from Dad, yeah?

Sweet-awesome bowling ally pizza. Yum!

Nice teamwork, boys!

What the?...

2007-09-12T13:53:00.000-06:00

I know what you might be thinking, it looks like my children were in a no-holds-barred brawl in the backyard based on Isaac's mouth. However, this is just Isaac being Isaac. He decided that it would be more fun to fill his mouth with the bright red drink and then slowly let it trickle down his face, than to actually drink it. Why, you ask? That would be a question all mothers of 2 year olds would like the answer to, but alas, you'd have to understand the mind of a 2 year old to figure it out. And of course, that is impossible. So there you have it, folks, my "bloodied" little Isaac.

Our New Car

2007-09-11T10:06:00.000-06:00

Ben and I have been living for over a year with only ONE CAR. Let me tell you, trying to get people to work, school, the babysitter, to big boy school, home from school, from one babysitter to the next, back to work, etc. etc. etc. is no easy task with only one car. So now that Ben is finally done with school (YYYEEEEAAAAHHHH!!!!), we broke down and bought a new one. One that we all actually fit in legally! :) All the kids are in car seats now and they're safe!

Here is a picture of us picking up the new car at the dealership. Ben laughed that I asked them to take our picture, but they said they do it all the time! We LOVE our cute little Pilot!

Not the best picture in the world,
but at least you can tell what it is!

Noah's Photos

2007-09-11T09:57:00.001-06:00

Nicole just gave permission for me to steal Noah's photos from her site to post here. Yeah! So here they are! Aren't you just in love with him?!

Our First Visit from the Tooth Fairy

2007-09-10T17:11:00.000-06:00

August 25th, 2007. This is the day that will go down in big boy history as the day Matthew yoinked out his own loose tooth! Matthew came to us to show us that his front bottom tooth was loose. He worked on it for days! Eventually it was just ridiculously loose, so I thought about the dental floss and the door knob trick, but knew he would never go for it. So I just casually mentioned that if he pulled on it hard enough, it would probably just pop out. By the time I finished explaining that, he'd tried once but the tooth slipped out of his fingers. I started to say that it might bleed a little, thinking I would get him prepared, but it was too late! He had grabbed that baby tooth and pulled it straight out of his mouth. He just looked at me, then looked at the tooth and looked at me again, just a little stunned! He couldn't believe it! He asked if it was bleeding (and at this point I thought he would burst into tears at the thought) and it was a little. No problem! He just went to the bathroom to get some tissue and that was it! Way to go, Matthew! He was spoiled a bit by the Tooth Fairy. He was given $2: One for the tooth and one for pulling it out all by himself! :)

He's so proud!

Sometimes it takes a kid....

2007-09-10T15:17:00.000-06:00

to do a man's job! Isaac has been begging for a lawn mower for weeks, so Ben and I finally got to the store to buy him one. He decided that the MINUTE we walked in the door that he needed to march straight through the house to the back yard, stripping his clothes off as he went (it's hot out there ya know!), in order to get right down to work. Obviously someone had to do it, so why not him! I couldn't resist snapping a few shots of the boy hard at work. Better watch out, Dad! He's coming for your job!

Look at him all hard at work.
Don't get lost in that jungle of a lawn, buddy!

I'd like a drink now, please.
This is hard work!

Sweet-Awesome Photo Shoot

2007-09-07T21:11:00.000-06:00

We were lucky enough to have Noah the subject of a Nicole Hill photo shoot today! (nicolephoto.com.) Nicole is an incredibly talented photographer/chef/designer and she asked if we would let her photograph Noah for her company, Rubberball. Of course I said yes immediately! I have always LOVED the photos she takes, especially of kids. How lucky are we?!? Click here to view a few of the pictures from today. I adore them!

Being Selfless

2007-08-30T11:14:00.000-06:00

"At the heart of the message of the Savior of the world is a single, glorious, wonderful, still largely untried concept. In its simplest terms the message is that we should seek to overcome the selfishness we all seem to be born with, that we should overcome human nature and think of others before self."

--President James E. Faust

My Sweet Noah!

2007-08-28T12:08:00.001-06:00

Ben and I were truly blessed with Noah. He is the sweetest, most mellow child and I adore him! He always has a smile for you and wants to laugh at everything. He is so happy!

I am especially tickled with him today. Why, you ask? Well, from the time he was born, sweet Noah has never slept through the night. However, last night we fell asleep at 11:00 pm and he didn't wake up until AFTER I did at 7:00 AM!! I could not believe it! He actually made it through the night without a bottle, without being burped, without a change of diaper, without any extra help from me! What a blessed event!!

To commemorate this occasion, I have decided to post some cutie petutie pics from his first big boy bath with Matthew and Isaac. What a wonderful day it is today, don't you think?! Could I possibly be in such a great mood simply because I got some sleep? Who knew?!

Seriously, the happiest kid ever!
"Thanks for drying me off, Mom!
For that, you get this humongo smile!"

A little blown out, but check out his eyes.
I still can't decide what color they are -
They're always changing!

Look at those dimples! Ahhh! I could just gobble him up!

Isaac just loves to pull faces. I wonder
where he gets that? (BEN!!)

Am I a lucky mom or what?
I'm probably biased, but I think they
are the cutest boys ever!!

Matthew's First Day of First Grade

2007-08-27T09:48:00.000-06:00

It was a big day for Matthew last Tuesday. It was his first day of First Grade! He has been so excited to ride the school bus TO and FROM school, so he was anxious to get out the door. After taking the required photos (I'm a sucker for pictures!), I walked him to the bus stop. I was "welcomed" to the bus stop by the other moms as we waited. Just before the kids got on the bus, I told Matthew to turn around as he climbed on so I could get a picture, but he didn't and I didn't get the shot in time, so I just climbed on the bus and took one of him on the bus! The bus driver, who lives right across the street from us, offered to let me ride in with him, but I had to get to work. So off he went! I cannot believe he is old enough to go to First Grade! Time is amazingly fast, you know?!

This is Mom, trying too hard to "pose" the shot.
I just told him to turn around and look at me, and this is what I got! :)

Say goodbye, nerdy Daddy! Ben thinks I take too many
pictures, so he thinks it's funny to make weird faces. Goofball!

Walkin' to the bus stop.

All the kids at Matthew's stop.

The "on the bus" shot. Will I stop at nothing
to get a good photo? I might be obsessed.

Bye, Buddy! Have a great first day!!

The Salt Lake Bees!

2007-08-23T11:18:00.000-06:00

Last Friday Ben and I took the boys to a Salt Lake Bees baseball game. It was so much fun! We decided to take the Trax train from Sandy, so we drove up and bought tickets for the train. While we were waiting, Matthew started having a little bit of a panic attack. First he was afraid Ben and I would leave someone behind, then he was afraid the train cars would come apart and leave us stranded in a stopped car. No matter how much Ben and I tried to explain things to calm his nerves, nothing really helped. He just kept crying, saying he was tired and wanted to go home to bed. Never mind the fact that he was SO excited to see the game, he was willing to give that up to just get off that train! Isaac and Noah had a blast. They just watched out the window at everything rushing past.

We eventually got to the game and bought tickets. Even though it was almost sold out, we got great seats down the first base line. (Matthew then decided the train was ok and he was glad to be there!) We went in, bought some food and sat down for a great game! Even though the Bees lost in the end, the boys had a fantastic time! They were SO GOOD the entire time! The game didn't end until after 10, but they never complained, never cried, never even tried to run around. I was astounded!! Even the people sitting behind us commented on how well behaved they were. That never happens! One guy even offered to trade his kids for ours! :) They all loved Noah, who wouldn't!, and were sad when we left. As I was packing up our things, one gentleman commented that Noah had the best disposition of any child he'd ever seen, and he was completely serious! What a wonderful comment. Of course, I agree! Noah is such a happy baby. ALWAYS smiling, that one.

There were supposed to be fireworks at the end of the game, but the fire marshall nixed them because of the wind. I can't say I was too upset, it was, after all, almost 10:30 and we had a train to catch. By the time we bought the boys their "treats" (Matthew and Isaac both got mini Bees bats, and Noah got a soft baseball), got on the train, in the car and home it was after midnight! It was worth it. The boys did great and we had a wonderful family night out.

On the train, tears and all! Noah wasn't quite sure what to make of the tantrum!

At the game, still a little leary of the taking the train home!

Cheesy Isaac and his cheesy burger!

What's a baseball game without a box of Cracker Jacks??

I threw this one in cause you can actually see the field.
I can't believe I forgot to take a picture of the field!

Thunder Stix! What a wonderful sound these make,
especially in our VERY SMALL CAR! Thanks, Bees!

Self portrait. Not bad, eh?

Ahhh. That's better. Thank you lady sitting in front of us!

Look at that cute, tired little guy! This is his new bat.
We signed Matthew and Isaac up for the Knothole Club and they
got their ticket to the game AND these shirts for $0.50 LESS
than the price of the regular ticket! How great is that!?

Matthew is his "Baseball" shirt and his brand new bat.
(He didn't want to wear his Knothole Club shirt home.)
See? On the way home he was fine and dandy riding the train.
I think he just psyched himself out the first time!

My goodness, what handsome guys!
And even cheerful at 11:00 at night!

How are these boys so happy, sooo late!?
Noah is showing the signs, but he still didn't cry even once!
What great kids I have, don't'cha think?!

Off the train, getting in the car and heading home.
It took about 20 minutes, but they all fell asleep
on the way home. Thank goodness!

President Faust on The Price of Everything

2007-08-23T11:07:00.000-06:00

Here is a wonderful quote from President Faust, which was sent to me by a friend. I thought it was more than blog worthy.

"My dear young friends, there is another great truth that you must learn. It is that everything has a price. There is a price to pay for success, fulfillment, accomplishment, and joy. There are no freebies. If you don't pay the price that is needed for success, you will pay the price of failure. Preparation, work, study and service are required to achieve and find happiness. Disobedience and lack of preparation carry a terrible price tag. As members of this Church, part of the price we need to pay is by living differently from the world. We are possessors and custodians of these commanding powers which can and do roll back the power of Satan on the earth. With all my heart I urge you to please help us push back the world. We must stand against the wind. Sometimes we must be unpopular and simply say, "This is not right." - President James E. Faust

What's More Fun Than a Summer Pool Party?

2007-08-15T14:08:00.000-06:00

Last Friday night we all went to my firm's summer party at Riverside Country Club. It was the only thing the boys would talk about ALL DAY LONG! Everytime I talked to Isaac he wanted to know why we weren't going to the pool RIGHT NOW! They were very excited to say the least. And even though it was warm outside, with the wind blowing and the sun going down it was a bit chilly in the water. It didn't bother the boys though! They stayed in the pool THE ENTIRE TIME! Blue lips and all!

To make it even better, Kara, my boss's sweet daughter, got in the pool just to play with the boys. They had the best time. She was fantastic with them. She took Isaac into the "deep" part of the kiddie area and he thought that was the greatest thing ever. Isaac found a water gun and he had fun running around the pool "shooting" Matthew and Kara. What a great time!

Here are a few pics for your viewing enjoyment! :)

Pioneer Day

2007-07-25T10:14:00.000-06:00

In celebration of Pioneer Day, we all gathered at Mom's house for a BBQ and fireworks. Fun! Instead of like in years past, ALL my boys came outside to watch the show. Ben or I have usually had to watch with one or more of them from the couch in Mom's front room, as the fireworks were too loud (very scary!) for the boys. This year they were all so brave! Matthew even held his own sparkler, which was a FIRST! We had a great time. Most of the time anyway. Right at the end of the evening part of Isaac's sparkler dropped and, while still burning, landed between his first two toes. It burned the inside of each toe, but Grandpa bandaged them up and he's now doing great. All in all, a great night!

Summer Time!

2007-07-23T08:27:00.000-06:00

Last Saturday we decided to spend some time in the front yard. I wanted to start my new book, Twilight, (best book I've read in SOOO long! Thanks for the suggestion, Britt! I finished it in one day if that's any indication... If you haven't read it, you should!) and Isaac wanted to run through, or stand rather, in the sprinkler.

Matthew was spending a little quality time with his friend, Addison, across the street (this is them - below - in the Jeep!), so I jumped at the chance to be outdoors! Even though it was over 100 degrees, it was at cooler and kind of nice in the shade.

Anyhoo , Noah and I sat on the blanket and enjoyed the sunshine. I think we only ended up staying outside for about 45 minutes before it was just too hot!

Let Freedom Ring!

2007-07-16T13:18:00.001-06:00

Matthew, Isaac, Noah and I went to the American Fork Steele Days parade last Saturday. It was so much fun! We met Josh and Brittney, had breakfast (hosted by the American Fork High School marching band, and cooked, in part, by Britt's parents - YUM!), then sat and watched the parade. Matthew commented that it was the best parade ever, because almost every float, car, boat, etc. threw candy to the kids. We ended up with quite the haul! No wonder he thought it was the best ever! Here are some of my favorite pics from that morning.

I know... It's about time!

2007-07-09T17:06:00.000-06:00

Welcome to our blog! It's taken me a bit longer than most to catch up with the masses of people now blogging, but here we are! Thanks for taking the time to peek in on our little family. I think I'll mostly use this as a way to share photos of our rapidly growing boys. They are changing so quickly and I cannot get it together well enough to send updated pictures to everyone. This way, hopefully, our friends and family across the country can check in on us from time to time to see how they're growing. Enjoy!