Things that made me smile

Conversation between Halle, Uncle Jimmy, and Grandma Pam:

Jimmy: Halle what did you plant in Grandma's garden?
Halle: (in her speech imediment way): We planted "pot".
Jimmy: You planted POT?
Halle: no, we planted POT!
Jimmy looks and Grandma, increduously? Mom? Pot?
The conversation contiunes this way for about 5 minutes until grandma realizes;
Oh, the plot, we planted on her plot. Too funny.

We're going through security at the airport and JD is barking out orders at everyone. Carson was walking ahead of him. He stops on a dime. Turns around, puts his hand to his head and salutes, saying, Aye, aye Captain.

Same airport, waiting to board plane. Carson leans towards me and says, Mom, I love you more than dad. I say, well we should love daddy too. He says, well I think Easton loves dad more than you......Well at least we're even.

Aren't my kids photogenic???

Summer's starting busy! So, much to do, so little hours. We have swimming, softball, baseball, boutiques and the occasional work trip that seems to be keeping us busy. Here are a few pictures I've captured of the children. Aren't they photogenic?

Here's the kids getting ready for swimming lessons. They grow up so fast. If you look close you can see the girls tan lines from Las Vegas.


Here is Easton sliding into home. Wow, it's like you turn around and they're all grown up. He'll be off to college before we know it. He's loving baseball and is becoming quite the pitcher and hitter.


Here Avery is going for a sliding catch at second base. She has come along way from last year. We decided to play her up this year to really challenge her. It seems to have been the trick.



OK, well, the activities are real but the faces have been change to protect the inocent. The inocent being me. I dropped my camera and broke it. No pictures until I can score another deal like the dishwasher. Only, I know I can't wait 3 months for a new camera, so send in the deals! Until, then I'll see what other wonderful things I can google my chilren doing.

Mother's day trip to Vegas

JD had to be St George at the end of the week, so the kids and I met up with him in Las Vegas on Friday morning. I loaded my 4 kids up in the car at 6 am and off we went. Our good friends the McCurdy's came along and we all met at the JW Marriott in Las Vegas. It's not on the strip, but about 15 miles to the west. It's a gourgeous hotel and the pool is to die for. We had 2 outings on the weekend. The rest of the time was spent at the pool.

Fast Track
Our first outing was to a fast track so the kids could ride the go carts. Turns out not a one of them was tall enough. Instead they had little carnival type rides and a mini cart that they drove. They all seemed to have a blast. Not typical Vegas fun, but the kids don't know better.





The Pool
The pool at this hotel rivals any in Hawaii, complete with waterfall. There is a huge area that is about a foot and a half deep. Perfect for the kids to play in without an adult holding on to them. I could keep my kids out of the water. Did I mention it was 97 degrees everyday!!!! Surprisingly we only had a little sunburn on Easton. I think his medication might have had something to do with it. We had so much fun just relaxing and playing with the family.











Mother's day
On Mother's day we spent about 5 hours in the pool, then got dressed up for a late lunch. JD bought me this cute skirt to match the girls. Believe it or not the boys were not meant to be matchy. I didn't even pick JD's shirt out, but don't we all look cute?!?!







On the strip with the McCurdy's. Las Vegas, the family place, no longer exists (if it ever did). We took the kids down to see the hotels outside shows and the lights. WOW! It's been awhile since I've been there, but, they're taking the line "what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas," to the max. On one corner a hotel had one of those sillouette glasses where a girl that that could only be described as clothing impaired was doing her thing behind the glass. It was like a strip tease, except you couldn't see her actual body. For Easton and Avery it was like a train wreck, they just couldn't look away. And don't get me started on Treasure Island's pirate show. There were no men pirates, they were pirate wenches that step out from the blue boutique. It was a strong PG-13 rating. I'll let Carson sum it up. The scattly dress women came out and Carson said, "these are the pirates from Disneyland". No son, they most defantly aren't.

Friend Bugs

With spring comes bugs. Big bugs, small bugs, cute bugs and creepy bugs. My kids for the most part have been facinated with all of them. So, the other day when Carson ran inside saying, "Mom, come see the friend bugs!" I just did the typical mom thing when it comes to bugs, "That's great sweetey. Just leave them alone." I assumed he was talking about the box elder bugs that swarm our house ever year. The older kids call them "fire bugs." The next day we were outside and there was a box elder bug. I said, "look Carson, there's your fire bugs." He said, "No, that's no them!" Well, we played out this scenario for a few days. After, about 3 days he was annoyed with me. He came inside and made me follow him outside. "Look mom, the friend bugs. They share so good and have sooooo many friends!"

May I now present, the Friend Bugs

11 years can sure change the look of a family.

It has been eleven years today since my mom past away from breast cancer. I was 19, Stefanie was 15, and Stacie was 12. It was very difficult for us to loose our mother at such young ages. We all went through our own struggles in life as a result. Each of us had to over come the fact that we didn't have the love and guidance of our mother to show us the way.

We tried and continue to try to be there for each other in life, to help fulfill that missing part that we each carry around with us everyday. As part of the healing process we started a bi-anual event. On May 3 and October 20 we get together to remember mom. May 3 being the day she died, and October 20 is her birthday. Ironically the dates are 6 months apart, also May is mother's day and the race for the cure always happens the same week and October is breast cancer awareness month. These get together's started so that we could have a day where we could come together with family that understood why these dates were hard for us. As we began to heal, we have kept the tradition. Now it's a day where we can be a family. We remember stories of growing up and share stories of our mom to our husbands and children. I try very hard not to sugar coat my mother. She had faults and I want my kids to know the real her, so they hear the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Through doing this my kids, though never having met my mother, know her. They know her as well as they know their living grandma. They know that she hated when I wrote on myself, that she loved beets, she had the best sugar cookie recipe, she cussed like a sailor, she spanked my naughty sister with a wooden spoon (and broke it on her butt), that she worked very hard, that she loved Christmas and had 3 trees every year. They know that she got sick with cancer and died. They also know that although she is not on earth, they knew her before they came here and that she is with Jesus, and one day we will all be together again.

Life is not always easy. We can let bad things ruin our lives or we can learn from them. It may not be for years down the road, but one day we can all see the purpose for the trials that we have to go through. The hard trials shape us into who we are. The trick is to become a better person because of it, not become bitter because we have suffered. Everyone suffers in his or her own way. I don't know that I would want anyone elses trials. I have my own and deal with them as they come. It is my hope that I can continue to become a better wife, mother, sister and friend.

Rain, rain, go away!!!

Alas, my long awaited boutique has been postponed. It was to be tomorrow, but the rain gods have other plans. So, my skirts are stocked piled with no where to go. I thought I would post some of the ones I have in case any one was planning to come out and buy one :)

They come in sized from 10 yrs to 3 months. I have some shirts that go with them too.
skirts
3 months- 4T = $12.00
4t-10 years = $15.00
Shirts
infant onesies = $5.00
big girls = $7.00

Bows $4.00









If there is anything your interested leave a post or email me. Thanks