4 BOYS PLUS MOM & DAD MAKES 6

Finished Basement!!

2010-05-07T14:31:00.000-07:00

Brayden' camo room

My craft/sewing room

Kids playroom

Tyler's new room. Just for the record he chose the color.

Boy's Bathroom

Together Forever

2010-05-07T14:17:00.000-07:00

No need for any words. Words could not begin to describe this day so I will not even try.

Aren't they cute. I'm not biased or anything.

2010-05-07T14:03:00.000-07:00

This is usually where I find Rylee eating his breakfast, my kitchen window.

Rylee's had to get his tooth pulled. He was so excited for the tooth fairy to come and leave some silver.

Brayden took Hunters Safety this winter. He passed with flying colors. Would you expect any less with him, my little hunter.

2010-05-07T13:56:00.000-07:00

Tyler posing with his blackmail picture.

Can you tell he was excited?

They can't stand the anticipation of Christmas morning.

2010-05-07T13:37:00.000-07:00

2010-05-07T13:26:00.000-07:00

The cat decided he wanted to be a part of the halloween decorations.

For those of you that missed Earl he was at my house for a brief visit.

Overview of the last few months

2010-05-07T10:30:00.000-07:00

OK I know it's been awhile since I last blogged. No there have not been any major accidents just life got a hold and I was trying to keep up.

October brought a great surprise. My brother and his family were able to come visit from Australia. They were here for 3 whole weeks and we loved every minute of it. Since all the family was here we were crazy, or stupid, enough to think we could get all six kids and their spouses, plus my parents and all 19 grand kids to cooperate all at the same time. We ended up creating lots of fun memories instead.
Halloween was as spooky as ever at our house. We all dressed up, got lots of candy plus tummy aches, and was on a sugar high for the next week.

November brought Thanksgiving. It is always a joy to share time with family and once again we are fortunate enough to have our families live around here.

December of course has one of my favorite holidays. If you didn't guess it it is CHRISTMAS. Who doesn't love Christmas. I remember as a child we had two trees. One upstairs was a perfectly composed tree put together by my father and the one downstairs was thrown together, literally, with mismatched ornaments and colored blinking lights by the kids. As I've gotten older I found myself trying to have that perfect tree. I've finally realized that I was taking away memories from my own children by not letting them decorate the tree. Another fond memory is when my Dad would lift me on his shoulders so I could help hang the outside lights. My Dad would also set up the video camera on Christmas Eve telling us it was recording and it would catch us if we snuck down to catch a glimpse of our treasures. Everything about Christmas is divine. The smells, the colors, the songs and many, the memories and many, many more than I could list.

January brings a little sadness with the taking down of all the decorations and realizing how gloomy it looks outside.
Tyler decided he needed a little more attention from everyone and decided to break his wrist in 3 places. After visiting the Instacare, his doctor and a specialist he wore a brace for 3 weeks and everything healed just fine. I was sure glad to get rid of that brace because it smelled like the sewer plant. If you heard a rumor I was involved in breaking his wrist you might want to find out the whole story and by the way I plead the 5th.

February was not eventful and went by way to fast.

March was memorable. My family was able to go o the Mt. Timpanogos Temple and be sealed together forever. It was so sweet to see my 4 boys all dressed in white enter the room so reverently. From the moment we dropped them off at the children's center it was just a different feeling. They ran to play with the toys but the did so quietly. It is amazing what the mood in the temple can do to anyone. When we picked them up they were building temples with white blocks. It will be something we will treasure for the rest of their lives. The week before going to the temple to be sealed we were able to go to the Bountiful Temple to see Joe's niece, Melissa be married to her sweetheart. We learned that day the CTR can also stand for Current Temple Recommend. I thought that was something we should all strive for.

April came and went quickly. We spent spring break down in Fremont. Between hiking, playing games, looking at petroglyphs and laughing we were all worn out.
Tyler received his packet for his Eagle Scout and is now officially an Eagle Scout. I am now in the process of figuring out his court of honor in May.

As you can see we have all been busy and I will post some pictures later of the fun we have been having.

2009-10-02T12:35:00.000-07:00

Rylee loves writing letters and especially his name. When I saw this on the sidewalk I had to take a picture of it. He is growing up so fast and i don't want to miss a minute of it.

Self-portrait of Rylee.

YUM!!

2009-10-02T12:24:00.000-07:00

We love to get our hands dirty and I don't think we are to bad when it comes to gardening. We did take a class a few years back and there is so much to learn. We have been able to use our knowledge from this class and have had better luck at many different plants. One of those would be onions. This year our onions have turned out really nice. There's nothing better than going out to your own yard and picking out fresh vegetables. Now if I could just figure out how to keep those darn squash bugs away from my garden. They give me the Heebie Jeebie's. Maybe next year.

Jackson Reunion in Fremont

2009-10-02T12:05:00.000-07:00

Rylee can fall asleep anywhere.

Brayden with his cousin finally made it to the top!

What can I say my boys love to climb. I think they might be part monkey.

Notice those mischievious grins. How I would like to know what they are thinking. Or maybe not.

Wayne County Days

2009-10-02T11:43:00.000-07:00

Waiting for the candy to come.

Brayden getting the Sheriff to sign his Frisbee.

Our future home!

In August we happen to be down for the Jackson family reunion. There were a lot of fun events going on while we were there. We made it to the parade. You know it is a small town when there are tractors in the parade, candy but the handfuls are thrown and the parade route is to go up the street and turn around and go down the same street. We loved it and want to make it a yearly tradition from now on.

Think Recession

2009-10-02T11:37:00.000-07:00

Ever since we moved into our house I have wanted a shelf above my washer and dryer. Because of the recession I did not have any extra money for anything extra. So that is when a couple pieces of wood, molding & paint came into play. Along with using my chop saw, nail gun, sander and using my router for the first time this is the shelf I came up with. I thought it turned out pretty good and I finally got my shelf that I have wanted for many years.

I'M A BIG KID NOW

2009-10-02T11:20:00.000-07:00

Brayden has been looking forward to this day for a long time. He is no longer a cub scout but a Boy Scout. Although he is only 11 he wants to do everything he can with the older scouts. It has been fun to watch his excitement about everything that goes along with scouting.
Brayden receiving his awards and shooting his Arrow of Light.

Brayden's Birthday Surprise

2009-10-01T16:47:00.001-07:00

Brayden is now 11. Where has the time gone? If you know Brayden you know he loves to fish. For his birthday Joe got him a tackle box filled with fishing gear. When he opened up the box to find his present his jaw dropped and remained in that position for a few minutes. Then I decided to throw him a surprise birthday party. I wish I had his expression on film. He was so excited and it was fun to be a part of. This birthday was one of many surprises. Thanks Brayden for allowing me to be your Mom!

Timberline Scout Camp

2009-10-01T16:39:00.000-07:00

Taking all the gear to the car after everything was over.

At the end of summer Tyler went to a Scout camp for a week for training. We got to go up as a family on Saturday to witnessed the end ceremonies. To our surprise Tyler was announcing the whole thing. He did such a good job and we were so proud of him.

Scofield Traithlon

2009-07-22T15:11:00.000-07:00

My kids love to run in to the finish line with whoever they can.

It was so cold in the morning that the kids wanted to stay in the car.

2009-07-22T15:04:00.000-07:00

2009-07-22T14:59:00.000-07:00

Our friend Bianca had the most beautiful baby I had to show her off. Maizie was born on the 26Th of June. Congrats Bianca!

Happy 7th Birthday Kaleb

2009-07-22T14:52:00.000-07:00

I don't know what I was thinking when I had all 4 of my kids birthdays within a 3 month period. There has been lots of ice cream, cake, presents and party. I guess I am crazy.

I now I am a little late for his birthday wishes but I can't believe 7 years have gone by. I can't imagine my life without him.

50 Miles

2009-07-22T14:45:00.000-07:00

Their pet snake bubbles.

This is Tyler's 2nd time going on a 50 miler with the scouts. I was surprised to hear he wanted to do it again. After the 1st time I found him literally passed out on the front porch. He had a great time and has many stories to tell about his wonderful adventures.

Official Sunscreen Spokesman

2009-07-22T14:40:00.000-07:00

We have decided that Tyler should be the new official sunscreen spokesman. After going with his Teacher's group to Flaming Gorge and thinking you are too cool to wear the sunscreen that your mother packed for you this is what you end up looking like.

He was miserable! These pictures were actually taken days after the sunburn. He had blisters all over his face. This is why you should wear sunscreen. I hope he learned his lesson. For some strange reason I'm thinking he hasn't.

2009-07-22T14:38:00.000-07:00

I would like to introduce you to our new family member. This is chief Rylee. His brother decided it would be funny to use chalk and paint all over his face. Of course Rylee had no objections to it and loved looking like an Indian.

2009-07-22T14:35:00.000-07:00

Why crayons and Rylee don't mix. For his 4Th birthday he received a box of crayons. My tile was lucky enough to be his first recipient.

Who needs color treatments?

2009-07-22T14:32:00.000-07:00

This is what happens when you try yo put back the strawberry quick and the lid is not on tight. Kaleb discovered this the hard way. I will say he did smell good for the rest of the day.

Rock pile

2009-07-22T14:28:00.000-07:00

Every trip down to Fremont we try to stop and place a rock on this rock pile. It was started by Joe's Dad and it has something to do with Mongolia and their traditions.

What a view

2009-07-22T14:24:00.000-07:00

These are pictures taken from the top of the Pig Pen. I was fortunate enough to have my telephoto lens with me and use it to get a picture of the house and store in Fremont. What a view!

Pig Pen

2009-07-22T14:16:00.000-07:00

The pig pen is a little place we like to visit. We have not taken the whole family for awhile since it is a steep hike. You would think Rylee is the energizer bunny, he just kept going. Even Bear came and he surprised me at every rock. We all had a great time and no accidents so it was a very good day.

2009-07-22T14:12:00.000-07:00

New Sheriff in Town

2009-07-22T14:10:00.000-07:00

I'd like you to meet the new Sheriff. Down in southern Utah where we like to visit this is how their officers look. They do move the car frequently around town. My kids got a real kick out of it. Who wouldn't?

Dog Days of Summer

2009-07-22T14:08:00.000-07:00

When the said the Dog Days of Summer I don't think this is what they meant. I guess Kaleb took it literally

Ready, Set, Aim

2009-07-22T14:05:00.000-07:00

How could I resist posting this one. Tyler actually took this picture. While we were out shooting he stole my camera and this is what I later found.

Shootin just for FuN

2009-07-22T13:59:00.000-07:00

One of my boys favorite pastimes is to go shooting. Both Tyler and Brayden have won BB guns from different competitions. Anytime they can convince us to go they try.

Can't get enough TRI

2009-07-22T13:55:00.000-07:00

Chris won 1st place in his age division. If you know Chris this is no surprise.

Annual Salem Tri

2009-07-22T13:38:00.000-07:00

How Tyler spends his day at the triathlon.

Every Year for the last 4 years Joe has competed, or as he would say participated, in the Salem Triathlon. My brother-in-law, Chris, started doing triathlon' s many years ago and he has now put the bug in Joe. I think they are both crazy! We love to go down and cheer them on as a family. Another tradition that has started is that Chris runs back on the course to find Joe and give him some encouragement to finish.

Backpackin

2009-07-22T13:33:00.000-07:00

Tyler received a new backpack for his 14Th birthday and the first item that he packed happened to be a slug, oops I mean his little brother. Rylee that this was great and had the biggest grin on his face.

My little Fighter

2009-07-22T13:09:00.000-07:00

Here we go again. We could not go through the summer without having some sort of accident. Rylee just happened to be the victim this time. Of course Joe was not home as normal. So here is how the story goes. I was home with Kaleb and Rylee getting them dinner so we could go watch Brayden play baseball. Rylee came over to me and I gave him something, I don't remember what it was. While he was running back to the table he tripped and fell. He started crying and I went over and picked him up to comfort him. I saw blood and realized he had bit his tongue. No big deal right. As I was focused on trying to stop his tongue from bleeding he looked up. That's when I noticed that his chin was split open. Needless to say that is when I had Kaleb call Joe. Joe was at scout's and had taken my car which had Rylee's car seat in it. Kaleb told him he needed to come home and his first thought was that something was wrong with me until Kaleb told him Rylee needed stitches. To make a long story shorter we headed to the doctor's with Rylee screaming he did not want stitches and to just put a bandaid on it. It took over an hour to put 7 stitches in because he was quite the fighter. The doctor commented he had met his match and never seen a child with so much energy. While being strapped down to a papoose board, Joe holding his upper body, 2 nurses trying to hold his head and me holding his legs he broke my heart when he started yelling for daddy, mommy, then Kaleb. Anyone that would help him he was calling their name. He also kept screaming "get me outta here, let me go, I wanna go home" and many others I can't recall. He is a fighter and I love that about him. One more set down and hopefully not any more anytime soon.

Swimming Part 2

2009-07-22T13:02:00.000-07:00

SWIMMING LESSONS 2009

2009-07-22T12:54:00.000-07:00

I am not the best swimmer and I have a fear, or should I say respect, of the water. So, I want my boys to be able to swim because I'm not sure I could save them let alone myself. This is Rylee's first year and he is doing awesome. He doesn't seem to have any fear of the water. He sticks his whole face right in the water and is like a little fish. This is Kaleb's 2nd year and he finally feels comfortable enough to be in the deep. He was afraid to jump off the diving board without a noodle until Tyler challenged him. Now I can't keep him off of it. I am so proud of the two of them!

2009-07-22T12:51:00.000-07:00

This is just another example of why I love where I live. This

picture does not do it justice. It was too big to fit in the whole picture and it was a double. All my boys were running down the street trying to find the end of the rainbow. I was later told by a neighbor that the end of the rainbow was at my Bishop's house.

SuMmEr PrEsChOoL

2009-07-22T12:47:00.000-07:00

Rylee on his first day of summer preschool. I can't believe he is old enough to go. He is always asking me to show him how to read. He has the biggest imagination for such a little guy. He is always telling me that his teacher taught him that.

He would not stop posing for me when I went to take his picture. He is quite the HaM!

1.. 2.. 3 Strikes You're Out

2009-07-22T12:23:00.000-07:00

We discovered Kaleb is quite the little runner.

I don't know how some people do it. I only had 2 kids in baseball this year and it seemed that is all I had time for. The season was long but my boys enjoyed it. There was also a plus with it, it wore them out not to mention me too.

Brayden stepping up to the plate ready to make his debut.

Kaleb's version of ABC's

2009-06-29T11:26:00.000-07:00

For Kaleb's 1st Grade Graduation program they sang this song. How as a mother could I not record this and share it with everyone.

Kaleb's 1st Grade Graduation

2009-06-29T11:19:00.001-07:00

This is Kaleb's first grade teacher, Mrs. Lundell. He adored her and loved everything about first grade, well maybe not the spelling tests. I can't believe he is old enough to be graduating from 1st grade. At the end of the year they had a program with all the kids and I wished my camera was working better so I could show more pictures. These are the ones that turned out all right. Congrats Kaleb!

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

2009-06-21T19:26:00.000-07:00

I was told I needed to watch this video. After doing so I knew I needed to post it for all to see. If all people could be like this father the world would be a much better place.

Rylee turns 4

2009-06-12T21:12:00.001-07:00

So I know I am a little behind. According to this it is more like a month. So much has gone on including Rylee turned 4 on May 19Th. I can't believe it has already been 4 years. He acts like he is going on 25. I remember bringing him home from the hospital and not quite sure how to handle him. He was my smallest baby and he was exactly 2 pounds lighter than Kaleb. I was afraid I could brake him because he was so little. I was also so excited because I had a whole new wardrobe for him that my other kids were too big to ever wear any of them. He is still my smallest but that does not slow him down any. I love my conversations with him. For example the other day he told me the water, from the drink he had just received, had swallowed his gum. One day he got mad at me for spying on Tyler and told me he needed his privacy. From the time he was just little he has always loved using big words. One of his first ones was Madagascar. It was quite funny to listen to him say it. Lately it has been words like Teleportation. Where does he come up with these. As you can tell I love this little guy and am grateful to have him in my life.

In desperate need of a Dance Teacher

2009-06-12T20:15:00.000-07:00

After recording Rylee dancing the rest of the boys decided they needed to take a turn. After watching Tyler dance you begin to wonder how it is that Rylee and him are related. I think Tyler gets his moves from his father. If you need a good laugh this is the video to watch.

Kaleb's New Haircut

2009-06-12T20:11:00.000-07:00

Kaleb wanted me to cut his hair like his daddy's. So here is the finished product. A lot of friends and family didn't even recognize him. It has been hard trying to pick him out of the crowd for me also. I like his new haircut but it makes him look so much older and I don't know if I am ready for him to be so grown up.

Where's the Beef?

2009-06-12T20:00:00.000-07:00

My boys and their adopted Grandma Diana.

This baby calf is only a couple of hours old.

I didn't know I would ever say this but I believe the country has gotten to us. Since moving to Salem over 4 years we have witnessed the birth of multiple cows, chased chickens

and loved every minute of it. This spring my dear sweet neighbor invited my boys and I to come and pick out some chickens. Ever since then Brayden now counts her chickens as his own pets. He is constantly digging in my garden looking for worms to feed to the chickens. We also have a cow that we can call our own. We made the mistake of letting Kaleb name it. It's name is FIREBALL as with anything else he names. Soon he will be coming to a dinnertable near you. Hopefully his name does not jynx his flavor.

2009-06-12T19:55:00.000-07:00

I know it has been awhile since I last posted. All of us are OK. I have so much to blog about just not enough time to do it. Between swimming, reading, piano lessons, baseball, scouts and many others I know I forgot to mention I haven't had much time to myself. I'm beginning to understand what a chicken must feel like once it's head is cut off. Please be patient with me and I will try to get it updated soon.

Rylee's Sweet Moves

2009-05-13T11:25:00.000-07:00

Did I mention this little guy makes me laugh all the time. He tells me all sorts of things like the water swallowed his gum.He is always coming up with something. The other day I caught him dancing. At first he did not want me to tape him and then he just went with the beat of the music. I love his Sweet Moves! Of course I think he has talent and it is not because I am his mother. I'm sure you will get a good laugh while watching.

Beautiful Sunrise

2009-05-13T10:02:00.000-07:00

One morning I was up getting Tyler ready for school and I could not help but want to take this picture. I love this time of year when the weather is warming up and your woken up by the birds chirping. We live in such a beautiful place. There is beauty all around us and we need to take the time to enjoy it.

The Quelf EfFeCt

2009-05-13T09:45:00.000-07:00

I discovered a new game around Christmas time. I heard it was a blast but was not able to find it until now. We love to play games and when the opportunity comes to get a big group together we take it. During Spring Break we were able to play with sisters, brothers, nieces, nephews and who ever else would join us. This game is never the same. It has you doing hilarious stunts all along. Some examples are: speaking with a lisp while describing your front yard, sitting under the table till your next turn & many more. n While we were playing I got to wear one of Joe's socks around my neck for a tie, Brayden had to make a fort out of sofa cushions and sit in it till his next turn, Tyler had to fetch a piece of wood and act like a dog while doing it, Joe had to put keys on his head and hold something in one of his hands, one of our nieces had to wrap her hand in tin foil. I think you get the point. It was a lot of fun. Even the smaller kids liked to watch until they fell asleep. I would highly recommend it to anyone.

Spring Break Part 2

2009-05-10T18:04:00.001-07:00

The second day of Spring break we went to Capitol Reef. We had a lot of fun hiking, spending time in the sun and being with one another. We hiked to Hickman's Bridge all the while Brayden was trying to catch little lizards. He was unsuccessful but enjoyed the hunt anyway. My boys found a giant tree and were determined they were going to climb it. Brayden was first up with Tyler soon behind. Rylee wanted to get up but there was no way he could do it by himself and I was not going to put him up there to have him get stuck. After a long day we headed back home to have an enjoyable night.

2009-05-10T17:59:00.000-07:00

Spring Break

2009-05-10T17:40:00.001-07:00

During Spring Break we went down to Fremont to install sprinklers at Joe's parents house. We started out trenching Friday morning in the snow. By the afternoon it was sunny and somewhat warmer. We found many treasures during the time down there. First there was a rock pathway that once led to the front door. After much digging and sweeping we uncovered this magnificent pathway. It was neat to see all the different sizes, color and designs that were in each rock. Brayden loved cleaning out the trenches. While cleaning out he was able to dig out a little syrup bottle in perfect condition. Along with the bottle we were able to find some marbles, an old hair cream tube, spoon, scissors and some really old bricks, we believe that they may have been from an old cellar foundation. After finding all these treasures it was really hard to keep the kids out of the trenches. If we would have let them they would have dug up the whole yard. I have to confess I found it pretty exciting also. It was addicting after finding the first item.

Spring Break Blizzard

2009-05-10T15:43:00.000-07:00

This video is a little long but this was what you get for giving it to a 13 year old boy. At one point you may feel as you are actually in the car on a ride with us. This is what we encountered on our way to Fremont for Spring Break. It was a blizzard for quite a ways. We could barely see the road in front of us. Right before the storm worsened we also saw a huge Elk standing right off the side of the road. It was pretty scary for awhile hoping we would stay on the road without being able to see where the road was.

More Easter Fun

2009-04-12T18:56:00.000-07:00

Easter Pandamonium

2009-04-12T18:24:00.000-07:00

Easter Fun

2009-04-12T17:48:00.000-07:00

We had a family party with my side of the family the Saturday before Easter. Needless to say once you get all of us together something crazy usually happens. The cousins love to spend the time with one another and I love getting together with my family for any occasion. Too bad it usually take some sort of holiday or other celebration to do so.

My brother-in-law Chris decided to make balloon creations for all the kids. They had a lot of fun with them and they couldn't hurt anyone. Except when they took the balloons and started snapping each other. Welts were had by all. It will leave scars and memories for years to come.

HaPpY BiRtHdAy JoE

2009-04-12T17:39:00.000-07:00

Joe's birthday was on April Fools day so we did not do any major pranks. I gave him a watch for his birthday. It took a lot of planning and conniving with my sister to make him think the watch he had ordered was on back order. Little did he know I had it hiding in the house. You would have thought it was snowing in the house when he blew out the candles because there was powdered sugar on top. Happy Birthday Joe. Only 4 more years before your 40 and starting over that hill. Good luck!

Show me the Muscles

2009-04-12T17:29:00.000-07:00

Before you wonder why I was taking this picture you must listen to the story. I hope he does not hate me for this when he gets older. Joe has been doing P90X so, every 30 days he has his picture taken to show the results. This day Rylee decided he needed to have his done also. Look what Joe has started. I would post Joe's but then I would have to find a new home.

Happy Anniversary

2009-04-12T14:32:00.000-07:00

I meant to do this earlier but I have had a major cold and Rylee and Kaleb ended up with ear infections in the same ear on the same week. Between doctors visits, medication and lots of Lysol I'm hoping we are on the road to recovery.

On the 25th of March was our 14th Wedding Anniversary. Some days I can't believe where the time has gone and other days it seems they are never going to end. Still 14 seems like a long time. It all started when I was just 13 years old and Joe's family moved in across the street. At the time Joe was 16 and had a wild streak in him. I remember the joke around our house when we heard loud music coming down the street is we knew Joe was coming home. Unfortunately he still likes his music loud so if you are wondering why you have to repeat yourself around us this may give a little more insight. Anyways time went on and Joe came home from his mission and not long after saw me out in my driveway playing basketball. He sent his little nephew over to play so that he would have to retrieve him later. Later came and he came over and started to talk to me. That night he called me and asked me out on our very first date. Well the rest is history. We were married a little over a year later. Now 14 years & 4 kids later we are still chugging along. He surprised me by standing on the doorstep a day earlier than our anniversary with 2 dozen roses behind his back. I have always loved his surprises whether big or small.

Help with the dishes

2009-04-12T14:29:00.000-07:00

When I say I need help with the dishes this is not what I expected. I couldn't get him out either.

Looks can be Deceiving

2009-03-12T08:18:00.000-07:00

As most of you know my little Rylee is quite a handful. He may look innocent but can't looks be deceiving. He loves to learn and explore. Especially hands on. I love his love for learning but sometimes he can go a little too far. I can't leave him for 5 minutes without him getting into trouble. The other day I went to see if he was ready for lunch and found him in the bathroom with 14, yes I said 14, of my stamp pads. He decided he was going to do some redecorating. I found ink on the toilet, floor, wall, tub and even him. I hate to admit it but the hand prints on the tub were kind of cute. He did not like the fact that he had to sit in his room while I cleaned up his party. I would say I hope he learned his lesson but I know this will not be the last time.

Farewell to Grandma

2009-03-02T08:34:00.000-08:00

Last week Joe's Grandma fell and broke her hip. Although she is 97 years old they decided she was in good enough health to do surgery. We went and saw her Monday night and she seemed to be in good spirits. She has always been such a sweet lady and an example to us all. It was hard to see her in pain. She did not complain at all while we were there. Tuesday morning she had surgery. Her bones were to fragile to put pins in so the did a hip replacement instead. She came out of surgery as well as a 97 year old can. She was a little confused I'm sure and they had to give her something Wednesday night to calm her. She had a very hard time coming out of the medicine. Joe received a call on Thursday saying she was not doing well and they were going to take her off the oxygen. We rushed down to the hospital to spend some time with her. If anything I think all of us there annoyed her. She kept asking why we were all there. At one point she told us all to leave. She also said we were waisting our time and we needed to go home. That is why I love this lady. She has always had such spunk and personality. Maybe it was trying to survive all those siblings growing up. She seemed to perk up and had been doing better for the last few days. Yesterday morning we received a call saying she had passed on in the early hours of the morning. We will sure miss her. It has been hard the last few years to see how frail she has gotten and her eye sight has also left. I remember not so long ago going and staying at her house in Richfield. She loved the company and would make these extravagant meals for you when you came. I remember after Joe installing her sprinkler system she would tell us she would get up early not to water her lawn anymore but to watch the sprinklers. I am glad to know that she is now free from her earthly restrictions and she is now with her husband, children and many more loved ones. I am glad I got the chance to meet this incredible lady. She has taught me so much and inspired me to be a better person.

Toilet talk

2009-03-02T08:17:00.000-08:00

So this is how the story goes. Ever since moving to our new house the boys bathroom toilet would get clogged a lot, usually by Kaleb. It was never unusual items just what is supposed to go down. After plunging the toilet at least once a week I told Joe we needed to purchase a new one. He ended up buying a toilet that would flush golf balls down. YIPPEE no more plunging! At least that is what I thought until last week. Kaleb came running into the kitchen to tell me that we had a problem. He told me water was coming out of the toilet but he had put the lid down to stop it from coming out. Needless to say when I got in the bathroom the water was still flowing out. After turning off the water, cleaning up the floor and, yes, plunging the toilet I thought it was taken care off. For the next week it kept getting plugged. We tried plunging, Drano, a snake, pulling the toilet off and anything else you can think of. Nothing helped. We needed help. This is where the plumber comes in. After a half in hour, a special snake tool and $60 our toilet is now unclogged. What was causing all the problem you ask. Earlier Rylee had told me there was a toothbrush down the toilet and I just blew him off. He was right as usual. There was a toothbrush wedged in the toilet. The plumber told Joe he has only pulled out toothbrushes in 4 toilets like ours. Aren't we one of the lucky ones. We were wondering what had happened to Brayden's toothbrush. We all learned a valuable lesson. Toothbrushes don't flush.

PAY IT FORWARD

2009-02-25T15:50:00.000-08:00

A fun pay it forward activity, who doesn't like free gifts, especially during Mr. Recession?

Here's how it works-
the first 5 people to leave a comment on this post will receive, at some point during the year, a handmade or homemade gift from me. What it will be and when it will arrive is a total surprise!

The catch is that you must participate as well-before you leave your comment here, write up a pay it forward post on your blog to keep the fun going. Then come back, let me know you're going to play, and sit back and anticipate the arrival of your gift!

Remember that only the first 5 comments will receive a gift from me, so be quick! This offer does have some restrictions and limitations:
1. I make no guarantees that you will like what I make!
2. It'll be done this year
3. You will have no clue what it is going to be.

Love is in the Air

2009-02-19T12:51:00.001-08:00

I usually try to do something special for those boys in my life on Valentines day. I had not even thought of what I was going to do this year until Brayden asked me about a week before. He also reminded me that last year they all received treasure maps when they got home from school and they had to search the house until they found their loot. Those maps took a long time to do plus I even burned the edges to make it look old. So not only did it take a lot of time but it also made my house stink. This year I decided to do another treasure hunt. But all of their loot was together and they had puzzle pieces with clues on them. Once they found all the pieces of the puzzle they had to put it together and find where the treasure chest was hiding. I thought it would be a lot of fun and they would have to work together to solve this mystery. Leave it up to my boys to turn it into a competition and start arguing with one another. I quickly reminded them was this whole adventure was about. They started organizing the puzzle pieces together and before no time they had found their treasure. A lot of holidays anymore are about the gifts and how big they are. I want to create memories for my kids where money was not the issue. I don't believe in creating some of these holidays like Christmas and I don't want my kids to either. They loved their adventure and finding their bag of valentines candy. Even Brayden came up and thanked me for everything afterwards, a rare moment I know. But one that I will treasure for many years to come.

Happy Birthday Dad

2009-02-11T21:08:00.000-08:00

Today is my Dad's Birthday! He is on a mission for his church so we were not able to celebrate with him. My Dad is one of my hero's. He has always been able to fix or make anything I can think of. I love him more than words can say. He is such an example to me and my family. I remember when I was younger he was really upset with his boss and the worst name he could come up with for his boss was jerk. I could not ask for a better Dad. I have been told that I am a lot like him. Of course I take that as a compliment. He is never afraid to try new things and when he does he is usually successful. We miss him dearly and can't wait till October when they return home. HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD & GRANDPA!! We Love You!

2009-02-04T11:48:00.000-08:00

So if any of you know Brayden you know that when he sets his mind to something he usually accomplishes it. Our conversation went something like this:

B: Mom I want a baby sister.

Me: You know that there is no guarantee we would have a girl.

B: I know I just want a baby.

Me: You don't help out enough around the house for me to even consider it. I've already got enough on my hands.

B: Just wait till Tyler leaves the house and then have a baby.

Me: You would almost be out of the house then. That wouldn't be very fair to the baby to be all by themselves.

B: OK then wait 2 years.

Kaleb joined the conversation saying he also wants a baby sister. Rylee then came to the rescue and said he doesn't want any baby. Then Brayden proceeding in trying to convince Rylee he does. The rest of the evening Brayden spent cleaning up the house. I like that. Maybe I won't dash his hopes yet so I can get my whole house cleaned. I do love his determination though. They all make me laugh especially with some of our conversations! Never a dull moment.

SUPER BOWL

2009-02-02T11:08:00.000-08:00

As a family we decided we would have a Super Bowl party. I have never really been into the Super Bowl besides the commercials but I heard someone say that as a family you should have parties for many different reasons. So, I decided to start. With the coffee table filled with many fattening snacks and treats we started. Not too soon after most of us had left the room and were not watching the show until halftime. Then again most scattered. For some strange reason the last 5 minutes of the game we all came back to watch. It was a lot of fun to spend those few moments cheering for whatever team you wanted and spending the time together. I used to love the commercials but I was very disappointed to sit there with my husband and 4 boys to see some of the filth. Now I am questioning how can I teach my kids to live in the world but not of the world. I also do not want to put a bubble around them so when they do go out in the real world they have no concept of real life. I know I have a big challenge ahead of me, Bring it on!

I am Normal Again

2009-02-02T11:03:00.000-08:00

After having my blood drawn 4 times, bruises, CT Scan plus dye & months of confusion and wonder I finally got back my last test results. They now say my liver levels are down and we will test in another year. I'm happy at these latest results but still a little confused why they were ever high and I had to go through all of that. My doctor seemed a little baffled through the whole ordeal. Maybe someday I will discover why I had to go through all of that. In the meantime I am delighted that my arms will look normal for awhile.

2009-01-20T14:03:00.000-08:00

Thank you all for enduring through all my photos. There were just so many that I loved and since I don't write in a journal this is like one for me. I hope you enjoyed all the pictures as much as I do.

Old San Juan Fort

I love this picture!

2009-01-20T13:51:00.000-08:00

Standing in front of the entrance at the second fort

I'm thinking of redoing my boys room like this. What do you think?

Second fort in the background

Me standing in one of the many lookout towers

2009-01-20T13:40:00.000-08:00

The Old San Juan Fort. My boys would have loved this.

Joe rock climbing on the ship

Another beautiful sunset

A sand crab Joe caught for everyone to torment

Leaving Barbados

2009-01-20T13:20:00.000-08:00

Crane beach in Barbados

Joe & I at Orient beach. You have to love those finger shots

Sunset at sea

2009-01-20T13:09:00.000-08:00

The Grand Pitons in St. Lucia

Leaving St. Lucia

Looking up 9 stories inside the ship

Looking down 9 stories

The beach at St. Lucia

2009-01-20T12:55:00.000-08:00

St. Lucia
Joe playing with the camera

I couldn't post all my pictures without including one of these

Leaving St. Lucia

2009-01-20T12:42:00.000-08:00

Antigua

Getting ready to board the huge cafeteria.

2009-01-20T12:33:00.000-08:00

Formal night

St. Thomas

Our cruise ship

Joe & I at the overlook on St. Thomas

2009-01-20T12:13:00.000-08:00

Trunk Bay

Water Taxi ride to St. John's

San Juan

CARIBBEAN

2009-01-20T11:17:00.000-08:00

Gotta love those muster drills.
Joe and I just got back from a 7 day Southern Caribbean cruise. We had a blast! It was nice to get away just the two of us and get a break from reality.
On Friday we flew to San Juan, Puerto Rico. After spending the night there we left in the afternoon to catch our boat. Before leaving the Hotel and boarding our shuttle bus the entertainment show started. While waiting to board the bus there was a homeless man, supposedly, that kept approaching people in our group for money or trying to sell other items, if you know what I mean. The Taxi drivers told him to stop hassling us. When he did not and continued to remain there one of the taxi drivers decided to take it into his own hands and punched him. He hit him so hard he fell to the ground.
I thought that would be enough for the man to leave. Whatever he was high on overcame him and he kept trying to go after the taxi driver. Even taking it to the extreme and grabbing a beer bottle out of the garbage can. He then proceeded to go after the taxi driver with the bottle. That is when all the other fellow drivers stepped in to protect the one and the guy decided he had had enough and staggered down the street. It was quite the way to start out our vacation.
Our first stop was St. Thomas where we took a taxi, then a water taxi and last another taxi to get to St. John's. We went to a beach called trunk bay. They have a marked snorkel trail around a little island in the ocean. It was a relaxing day to just snorkel and lay on the beach. There were a few small rain storms and they moved out as quickly as the moved in.
Second was St. Maarten and we took a taxi over to Orient Bayon the French side. You have to understand that there are 3 dress codes on this beach. One end is fully clothed, the middle is partial clothes and the other end is completely naked. Of course we went to the fully clothed side. But, it did not matter there were still lots of topless women and men to be seen. Upon arriving at the beach we witnessed an elderly couple only wearing sandals and thongs. Their thongs were more like strings. When they say you are going sight seeing that is not what I had in mind.
Third day we spent in Antigua. Beautiful island to bad we didn't have more money. We spent the day walking around the island. We even found the Branch office for the church.
Fourth day was St. Lucia. Again beautiful but did not get to see much. We slept in and then took a taxi to a beach. There were lots of sand crabs & garbage to be found. The beach was not very clean so we crossed over some rocks into a cleaner one. To find out it was an exclusive beach for the sandals resort. One of the locals on the beach told us if we wanted to get a drink to go sit at the bar and order. With it being an all inclusive resort they would think you were one of their guests.
Fifth and final island was Barbados. This island was the cleanest of all of them and the beach was amazing. The sand is pink and it is so fine it is like flour. It was my favorite out of all of them. The only downside is that I got a really bad sunburn even though I applied sunscreen. I wasn't the only one. There were a lot of people that got burned that day. We heard someone say that the sun was a lot more intense on that day.
Last day was a day at sea and I spent most of the day recovering from the sun, applying lotion to my sunburn and trying to walk without too much pain.
Saturday we arrived back in San Juan and since our flight did not leave till later that afternoon we went and toured the Old San Juan fort. It was amazing to see how large it was and to think it was built that long ago. I could not imagine those soldiers keeping watch so that pirates would not invade.
After 9 hours in the air we arrived safely home late Saturday night. It was a great week and I miss the warm weather already.

AMERICAN IDOL 2008

2009-01-20T10:50:00.001-08:00

Watch out American Idol I have some of the next winners. Rylee loves to get his microphone, did I mention it doesn't work, and belt out anything he can. He likes to have music playing in the background but he doesn't follow it. I finally caught him with 2 of his brothers singing Sponge Bob. I don't know how they know the song because we don't have cable and never watch the show. It just goes to show you kids will do and say what they want!

HERE COMES SANTA CLAUS

2009-01-20T10:24:00.001-08:00

Christmas morning started around 7:30 for us. My kids have never been ones to get up real early on Christmas and I thank them for that. Santa did come to our house although I think a few of my kids probably deserved coal. I guess all children deserve something.

Tyler had an orange Christmas. He received an orange chair, watch, tie, shirt and even a chocolate orange. Can anyone guess his favorite color?

Brayden received a science kit, Legos, books, rolling pin (yes he loves to help me in the kitchen) & too many others to mention.

Kaleb received a monster bank to store all his many riches in, a blanket & some really cool building magnets.

Last but not least Rylee received blankets, books, trucks (his favorite) & a phone he carries with him everywhere. I think he is trying to be like his Dad.

As for Joe and I we had a great Christmas and tried to keep it simple. We loved seeing the joy and excitement on our kids faces Christmas morning. I hope all of you had a great Christmas as well.

Winter Fun

2008-12-23T15:02:00.001-08:00

Finally we received snow in the valley. Once it started snowing it seems it hasn't stopped. Yesterday we shoveled the walks and as soon as we were done it could have been done again. My boys love the snow and couldn't wait to get out into it. I wished they loved shoveling it as much as playing in it.

Christmas Party

2008-12-13T12:04:00.000-08:00

This morning we had our ward Christmas party. It was a breakfast which is nice because it is in the morning and we have the rest of the day to get things done. Santa came in the end and I wasn't sure how Rylee would react to him. In years past he has screamed and ran the other way. When he saw him he got very excited and disappeared. Before I knew it he had butted in line and was up on Santa's lap with a neighbor girl. He told me a few days ago that Santa was bringing him a Nintendo DS and a little 4- wheeler so he could go hunting with Daddy. I hope he is not to disappointed this year.

Tyler would not go up and see Santa. He thinks he is too old for a lot of things now days.

Brayden was nowhere to be found when Santa came so Tyler went looking for him. Before Tyler could find him we found him sitting on Santa's lap.

Last but not least Kaleb was excited to see Santa. He stood in line patiently the whole time right by my side.

I love Christmas. Most of all to see my kids faces light up. Whether to lights, stories, time with family or ,yes, even to presents.

Christmas Percussion Concert

2008-12-13T11:57:00.000-08:00

Tyler continues to play the drums or percussion. This week we got the opportunity to hear him play at his Christmas concert. In one of the songs he got to play 6 different instruments. We do not have a drum set at home so I look forward to these concerts to hear how he is improving. This is his 3rd year playing. He is doing such an amazing job. I couldn't get very good pictures of him at the concert because he is vertically challenged and he was in the very back. When we got him he wanted me to take pictures of him up close. He is growing up so fast I can't believe he is a teenager.

Wax Museum

2008-12-13T11:46:00.000-08:00

Brayden is in the 5th grade which means he gets to participate in the Wax Museum at school. He transformed into Orville Wright and had a fun time being someone famous. For his display he kept making paper airplanes. I guess that was not enough for him because the last day of the Wax Museum he came upstairs with a remote that had been taken apart and put back on to some pieces of wood with a straw for a propeller. He told me to watch and before I knew it he touched two wires together and made the propeller start spinning. It even moved the plane a little. He was disappointed because he wanted the plane to go faster and fly off the table. He has become quite the inventor and it would not surprise me if someday he became a scientist, inventor or some other career that challenges him.

Rylee

2008-12-13T11:34:00.000-08:00

I think Rylee was born into the wrong family. Somehow he ended up with monkey genes. He is always climbing, swinging from things and loves to make any mess he can find. He is such a cutie it is hard to get mad at him. This picture is when I found him watching TV in my sewing room. You have to understand he is not allowed in that room because of the trouble he gets himself into.

Town Lighting Ceremony

2008-12-13T11:27:00.000-08:00

We are very fortunate to live in a town where they involve the youth with a lot of activities. Last year they involved the elementary school kids to sing for the Town Lighting Ceremony. When the opportunity came this again this year my kids were very excited. It was neat to see all the lights come on together. With lights on the bridge, trees and pond it is an amazing sight to see.

Thanksgiving

2008-12-13T11:04:00.000-08:00

This year for Thanksgiving we celebrated at my house. Both of our parents are on missions so we weren't sure where we would be going. I started talking with my sisters and decided we would get together and do it at my house. It was a lot of fun to get together and spend time with one another. The Sunday before Joe's family all got together for a dinner and games. I forgot to take my camera and get pictures so, these pictures are all from my family. I love spending time with family and look forward to the Holidays every year.

2008-12-10T11:51:00.000-08:00

I know it has been a while since I have posted anything. With the holiday season upon us added to the regular chaos at my house I have not found much time to blog. On top of that I have had to make a few visits to the doctor. This time it hasn't been for my boys. I had a yearly physical in November and some of my lab results came back abnormal. I just went and had my blood taken for the second time this week, and it is only Wednesday. Hopefully they will figure some things out soon and give me some answers. I'm hoping to try to post some new pictures soon. So, keep checking back.

Cat Nap

2008-11-21T08:47:00.000-08:00

Rylee left his dresser drawers open the other day and George decided it looked like a good spot to take a nap. Before I knew it the drawer was closed and to my surprise George was still in it. This poor cat puts up with a lot from 4 boys. Good thing he loves them and is so patient with them.

Artist Premier

2008-11-21T08:38:00.000-08:00

Watch out Picasso I think I have the next world famous artist. He loves to draw. The only problem is he likes to draw everywhere but on paper. Recently when I was repainting the bathroom I left for a few minutes to answer the phone and upon returning I found him with a paintbrush drawing on the tub. My only regret of this incidence was that I did not get a picture off it. I walked into his room the other night to discover he had found some markers. (I don't know where he got them because I thought I had hidden them all from him. He must have a secret hiding place nobody knows about.) He had drawn all over himself, his bed, the mattress, his phone, the walls and I'm sure I will find other places with the days to come. Good thing he is so cute or he may be wearing a sign saying "Will work for Food."

Not your ordinary Cat

2008-11-21T08:32:00.000-08:00

I've been told most cats are afraid of water. Not mine. He loves to play in the water, lick the faucets, tip over cups of water and even get in the shower. He also likes to watch my boys as they take baths. At times he will just lay on the edge of the tub with his paws hanging over into the tub. Every time I have gone to take pictures of this he moves right before I can take the picture. I finally got one of him displaying his weird fascination.

GOOD NEWS

2008-11-11T08:29:00.000-08:00

Joe's cousin, I wrote about previously in a blog, received a new liver yesterday. It has been a long process. They were able to do numerous fundraisers and reach the amount for the insurance to proceed with the surgery if a liver became available. He was contacted on Saturday to say that they may have one for him. Unfortunately it went to the person ahead of him. That then put him as #1 on the list. It sounded like it couldn't have happened at a better time. He was not doing as well as he had been. They received another call about a liver in Idaho and they needed to run a few tests to see if it matched. If so, they would fly it down to the hospital and he could have his surgery. Well it must have matched because he had his surgery yesterday. I hope his body does well with his new liver and they are always in our thoughts and prayers. Good luck Curtis!

Bathroom Makeover- Before

2008-11-10T10:05:00.000-08:00

I know some of you may say why after only 4 years did she decide to repaint her boys bathroom. 4 Years is a long time for me not to paint anything. After living only 7 years in my previous house I had repainted all but my 2 bathrooms. It did help that this house started out with the colors I wanted. So, why for the change. The old bathroom was decorated with frogs and was more childish looking. My boys are getting older and I felt they needed a more sophisticated and grown up look. Plus Joe was away again on one of his many work trips and I needed a distraction. That might start a new hobby for me. Every time Joe leaves I will change something in the house. Maybe not. All my boys seemed to really like the new look.

Bathroom Makeover- After

2008-11-10T10:00:00.000-08:00

This is what the finished project looks like.

CANDY RECALL

2008-11-02T16:57:00.000-08:00

This is a must read for those of you with small children. I thought we had gotten away from any accidents this Halloween. Wishful thinking. On Saturday we were returning from my parents house when Rylee started crying and complaining that something was hurting his nose. He kept putting his finger up his nose to try to get whatever it was out. After pulling over and having him blow his nose we thought that took care of the problem. A little while later he started complaining again. Upon returning home he was still complaining so I had Joe get my hemostats. I found a flashlight and we began the rescue efforts. With Rylee laying on my lap, Joe holding him down & Brayden holding the flashlight so I could see up his nose I finally spotted something. After a few minutes and a couple of tugs I was able to retrieve what was bothering him. He had taken a wrapper from his Halloween candy and shoved it up his nose. I was glad his little fingers were not any longer than they are or we may have had to make a trip to the hospital to pull it out. Here is just another example what everyday life is like for me.

Witchy-Poo

2008-11-01T12:16:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture of Witchy-Poo as I like to call her. She is almost a landmark in my neighborhood. Not only did I give her bloomers but she also received a booty this year. I'm hoping this will help make her long flights on her broom more comfortable.