Merry Christmas!!!!

New PJ's

Happy Birthday Jesus!

We had a very Merry Christmas and hope all of you did as well! We celebrated with family, friends, and traditions. On Saturday Mike stuck to his "tradition" of doing all his shopping on Christmas Eve (well, kind of since it was the 23rd, but he didn't want to do it on Sunday). On Christmas Eve we went to church (only Sacrament mtg, 1 hour) and then went home and built and decorated our gingerbread house. Then my siblings (Leah & Nate and their kids, Krista & Kimberly, & Griffin) all came over for pizza, one of our family traditions. We played games, watched movies, and opened presents from each other. It was crazy and fun, the usual when we all get together. After everyone left our kids opened their new p.j.'s, another family tradition. On Christmas morning the boys woke us up and we had to wake the girls to go see if Santa had paid a visit. Of course he had made it and the kids were all very excited. We opened gifts, which were plentiful. Each year I try and cut back and I think I did so good then Christmas comes and we are so blessed. We then ate cinnamon rolls and fruit for breakfast after we sang Happy Birthday to Jesus. Some people I know think this is a little blasphemious or something, but it is another family tradition I loved growing up and isn't the whole reason for celebrating His birth? We spent the rest of the morning and part of the afternoon playing with new toys before we headed down to Mike's parents to spend the rest of the day with his family, another tradition that I guess got started since my parents are so far away. We love spending time with the Martins and Christmas is especially fun! We ate appetizers and opened gifts and then ate dinner and watched movies and just relaxed. The kids all stayed the night at Grandma & Grandpa's so Mike & I got to sleep in the next morning, it was very nice. Overall a wonderful Christmas!

Santa

Lastnight we finally took the kids to see Santa, they have been waiting patiently for weeks. I think the picture turned out pretty good. Jenna was a little nervous, notice her hand hanging on to Rylee.

The Beginning...

Well, Christmas break has officially began. Yesterday the kids had parties at school and exchanged presents with teachers and friends. Now we get them home for the next 2 weeks and I am trying to decide if that is a good thing or a bad thing.... Both, I guess. I am glad to have a break from getting up early and doing homework, and packing lunches, etc. I am also glad to spend some time together as a family with family and friends to celebrate the birth of our Savior. The bad part is keeping them entertained so they are not trying to kill each other. I am lucky because my kids seem to entertain themselves most of the time. This mornig they have already played hide and seek, danced, and right now I hear Rylee reading to the rest of them who seem to be sitting very still and quiet to listen. Later we are going Christmas shopping for them to buy gifts for each other, to visit Santa, and to a movie. Mike will be able to join us for the movie which will be nice.

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

Many of you are familiar with the book "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever," do you know they also have a play based on the book? Well, they do and my neice, Eliza, and 2 nephews, Taylor & McKay are in it this year at the Bountiful Performing Arts. We went lastnight to see it and had a good time. Rylee has been reading the book at school with her class so she especially enjoyed it. Luckily we decided to leave Jenna home with Mike, I was worried she wouldn't sit through it and I know she would have been a disruption. Anyway, all of my siblings (except Sara who lives in Vegas) went together and then went and got ice cream after. Way to go Eliza, Taylor, & McKay!

Jenna's Gymnastic Show!

So lastnight Jenna had her gymnastics show at Flip's and loved it! Her & I went alone while the rest of the fam was at Ry's Choir Concert. Anyway, it was fun to watch Jenna play and have a blast with all her friends and her coach! She loves Flip's and so do I, for her. I am actually thinking of putting Cole & Noah in a tumbling class there as well. Way to go Jenna!

Rylee's Christmas Choir

Rylee has been going to school early 2 days a week for 6 weeks to practice for a Christmas Choir. It was a fun extra activity for those children (about 75) who wanted to participate. Mrs. Hill, the principal, was the director and one of the teachers was the pianist. Rylee had so much fun! They performed for the school yesterday morning and for the parents lastnight. Luckily they did 2 performances because I was able to go to the morning one while Mike attended the evening one at the same time that I had to take Jenna to her gymnastics show. Anyway, it was a great mix of Christmas songs that really got me feeling even more like Christmas! Way to go Ry!

Cole & Noah's New Shirts

I found these shirts at Target last week and had to get them! Cole's says "My brother is the naughty one" and Noah's says "It's my brother's fault" They thought they were pretty funny, but both of them wanted to wear the one Cole has on. I told them they could switch next time they want to wear them.

Rylee, Gymnastics Show

Rylee had her Christmas show for gymnastics on Monday night. Here are some pictures of her getting her ribbon and doing a flip on the trampoline. She loves gymnastics! I took her yesterday to a new gym. They are a little more structured and disciplined than where she is now. Now she will go 2 days a week for 2 hours each time and they think she will move up quickly to the next level which would be 3 hours twice a week. She enjoys it so much and has a lot of potential so we are going to try it for now.

LIGHTS!

So we have never put Christmas lights on our house. We bought some like 5 years ago at an after Christmas sale but have never hung them for one reason or another. Mike decided this year was the year. So the day after Thanksgiving he put all the lights up (as well as my new shutters I've had for months, thank you Mike). Well every time he turned them on they blew a fuse. After trying different things and still blowing fuses, then running out of fuses and finding no replacement fuses at any store he gave up for awhile. Well, yesterday he was able to get more fuses and fix the problem and we now have a home with beautiful Christmas lights. It really makes it feel more like Christmas and tonight it is snowing which makes if feel even more festive!

Cat Bath?

I am so glad I keep my camera in my purse. Jenna & I were leaving yesterday to run some errands and heard Prina (the neighbors cat that likes to come visit us) meowing. We couldn't see her at first, just kept hearing her. Jenna & I were laughing hard when we finally saw where she was hanging out...in our bird bath!

Just Life...

So, I have been slacking again, well in the blog updates department anyway. Rylee and Jenna have been sick, both have strep. Poor girls! Friday was our 11th anniversary, wow! We went to dinner and a movie (Shut Up & Sing, a documentary about the Dixie Chicks and the infamous insult about Pres. Bush).
Mike helped move 2 families in the ward last week. We had our ward Christmas party on Saturday night which was really nice but crazy getting things ready. Monday was Mike's dad's birthday and his mom's is on the 20th. We all went in on a beautiful picture of the whole family at Jacque's wedding for them. Lastnight Rylee & I went to see Unaccompanied Minors (free preview movie that was pretty good). Tonight Mike & I are going to see The Holiday (another free preview movie). Friday night we have a Christmas party and another on Saturday, etc. Tis the season. I also have to finish Christmas shopping (only 3 things left to get), Christmas cards, take the kids to get pictures with Santa, etc etc etc. I love this time of year even though it is so crazy busy because we get to spend time with family and friends and do things for others and focus on Our Savior, I love it! I feel like my life right now is good, crazy, hard...just life!

The 3rd Time...

The 3rd time was the charm for us this year getting our Christmas tree. Our original plan was to go lastnight so we all headed out for the adventure. Our first stop was Shopko so that each of the kids could pick out a new ornament (one of our fun traditions). With that task accomplished we headed outside and found it was lightning, thundering, hailing, snowing, etc. We decided to wait until today. It snowed off and on today but it was ok (just really cold!) this evening so we headed to our usual tree lot. We have gotten our tree at the same lot for the last few years, but this year found their prices were greatly increased. We didn't really want to spend $60, especially for just an ok tree. So we loaded the kids, who were very concerned we were leaving without a tree, into the car and headed to another tree lot. Yeah!!! We found a great tree for a great price! We were all excited to finally have found our tree and to get out of the cold and to go home and start decorating. The decorating is always a bit caotic, but fun. The kids love it! We think the tree turned out perfect!

My Boys

Here is a picture of my crazy boys! They are all into cars and especially Mustangs, like their dad. I found this cool Mustang racing game for the PlayStation2 and I knew they, as well as Mike, would enjoy it. They have never really been into video games which is good, but they do love to play this one! Also, notice their hair. Noah wanted a haircut but Cole didn't. They said that way they look different and people can tell them apart. I don't know how long I will let Cole's get, he says he is not going to cut it until the spring.

My Girls

I haven't posted any pictures recently so I wanted to add some. Here is one of my cute girls in their matching pj's. They love each other so much, I love watching Rylee help Jenna and play with her and make her happy. If Jenna is upset with me and Mike's not home she cries for Rylee. I hope their close relationship continues their whole life. I know it will change and grow, I just hope they continue to appreciate each other and enjoy each other's company. The other picture is one of Jenna having a "few" donut holes, her favorite treat besides chocolate. Every time we go to the grocery store she likes to get some. She usually eats them while we are shopping which is nice for me because she'll sit still in the cart. This night she wanted some for a treat before bed, she assured me she could eat all of these. She took at least one bite out of each one, so I guess she thinks she ate them all.

Another Movie and Aida

It seems that we go in spurts of going to movies or not. We have definitely been on an on spurt lately. Mike & I went to see the premier(yes I got free tickets again) of Dejavu (new movie with Densel Washington) on Monday night with some friends. It was a great movie: good story, intense, sad, funny, it had it all and it was clean. We all enjoyed it.
One of our local high schools, Woods Cross (where our kids will go if we stay here), has an incredible drama department and always puts on wonderful musicals, plays, etc. This year they have been doing Aida and Rylee really wanted to see it. I thought we had missed it but found out yesterday that it was the lastnight. So I took Ry and two of her best friends, Daisy and Mandy, to go. It was amazing! I really enjoyed it and can not believe the voices these kids have. I kept having to remind myself that they are only 16 or 17, amazing! The girls really liked it too. Rylee got really excited when some of the ensemble cast was doing back tucks and back handsprings.

Craft Day

Yesterday I got together with a few of my friends and we crafted! It was so much fun. We all made different projects mostly with vinyl lettering. I got all my neighbor gifts and some other Christmas gifts all done. I can't post any pictures because it would ruin Christmas for some of you. Anyway, it was a blast to hang out all day with friends and do something crafty, which I am not that great at but am trying. Luckily the weather was beautiful, the kids all played together outside most of the day. So they had fun too with their friends. Thanks Katie for letting us invade your home and for the great idea of doing it all together!

Busy Life

Well, the last few days I have been working on putting my blog posts (which I printed a few months ago) into a book as a family journal and have realized it has been a week since I added a new post. Life has just been busy crazy normal life around here.
Last week the kids had their Parent Teacher Conferences. All of their teachers told us they were a joy to have in class, well behaved, great friends to others, and doing well in their learning as well. They all have wonderful teachers which makes it so much easier. I am there once a week for each class which I love. I get to know the teacher and other class members as well as being aware of what is going on. In our school district grades are 4,3,2,or 1 instead of A,B,C,etc. Rylee had all 4's except social behavior which was 2.25. I was not shocked at all when her teachers (she has 2) told me she liked to talk. I wonder where she gets it! ;-) Anyway, I told her if she got it up to 3.5 I would give her $10. They all love school and their teachers and are doing well.
I have been trying for a few months to teach Jenna to spell her name. Everytime I would ask her she would just spew of some letters. I figured I don't need to stress about it and then last week I was scrapbooking a page about her. I showed her her name and now she wants to spellit for everyone. The only letter she can't remember is the "J". As soon as I tell her the "J" she can spell the rest. She is very proud of herself. We have been playing a lot of Dora Candyland lately and Jenna doesn't even get too upset when she loses.
Mike & I have been a couple fun date nights, which we haven't been good about doing on a regular basis until recently. One night we saw the movie The Prestige, which we both loved. One of the best movies we have seen in quite some time. This last Saturday we had a whole day together. We went and had massages, ate some really yummy BBQ (if you want some good, southern BBQ try Sugarhouse BBQ), saw the movie Stranger than Fiction (another good one), and got ice cream at my favorite place, ColdStone. We left at 12:30 in the afternoon and when we got home about 8 p.m. Michelle (babysitter) had the kids all bathed, in pj's, and in a bed made on the floor downstairs (their favorite weekend reward). It was really nice!
Our weather over the last week or so has gone from beautiful to cold! We even had a little dusting of snow on the ground this morning. Of course the kids were excited, Jenna ate snow (gross, dirty snow) everytime we went somewhere today. I just don't think I am ready for the cold and snow, but I will adjust just like every year.
I started a kickboxing class on Monday. I have never done kickboxing and really liked it. A friend of mine is teaching it and other friends are taking the class too. It was hard and I was a little sore today, but not too bad. I am excited to go tomorrow (I never thought I would be excited to excercise). One of my friends had the idea of doing a 10 pound challenge with each other. So we are going to do weigh ins once a week and keep track of what we eat and have our own little support group. The first one to lose 10 pounds gets lunch on the others. I have been so lazy the last few months with excercising and bad eating. I keep putting off trying to get in shape and so was excited to try this.
Well, that is what has been going on around here, besides the normal school, work, gymnastics, piano (I am taking lessons now as well as Ry), church, homework, play, etc.

Industrious Kids

This afternoon the kids wanted to walk down to Grandma and Grandpa's house. I told them they could go but only to stay for a few minutes and then walk home. Awhile later Mike's dad called to tell me he had put them to work. They share their backyard with my friend, Katie, and she has a big chestnut tree that drops a ton of chestnuts. Bob told the kids he would pay them 2 cents for each nut they picked up. Rylee tried to talk him into 5 cents, but he said no deal, 2 cents is it. So about an hour later they called to say they were done and had earned $7.00 between the four of them. They were so excited and so were Grandma and Grandpa to have their yard cleaned up! Then they talked Grandma into making them mac and cheese for dinner, which was nice for Mike & I. We had a quiet dinner just the 2 of us at home before we had to go get the kids. Thanks Grandma and Grandpa!

Funny Kids

Sometimes the kids say the funniest things and crack us up! A lot of times, especially lately, it happens at dinner. We all share our best and worst part of the day and the kids love it. Some days they want to go first because they are so excited to tell, other times they have to really think about what they want to share. The other night Noah was so excited to tell his best part (he didn't have a worst that day). This is what he said was his best part of the day: "Chasing the girls at 2nd and last recess." And he said it with a huge smile on his face. We asked what he did if he caught them and he said nothing. Rylee wanted to know if he kissed them like she use to do when she caught boys at recess. He said no way! Mike keeps telling the boys that girls have cooties and the only way to catch them is to kiss them so I think we are ok with them for now at least. Mike & I were laughing so hard!

Happy Halloween!

Cole, Cooper, Noah, Savannah, & Jenna decorating cookies at Julie & Ava's hallowwen party! Thanks for the fun!

Skeleton (aka Noah), Dead Race Car Driver (aka Cole), Minnie Mouse (aka Jenna), & a Dead Cheerleader (aka Rylee)

We had a fun Halloween this year, as usual. The fun all started on Friday: the boys had a halloween party with their primary class while the girls and I went to a family pumpkin carving party at some friends. Then on Saturday night we went to a halloween party at Julie & Ava's (Julie and Ava live in our basement). Julie made witches brew to drink, jack-o-lantern cheeseburgers to eat, and sugar cookies to decorate. Then today the kids had their harvest parties at school, no costumes or parades this year which was nice, less stress. We went "Trunk or Treating" at our church for an hour and then stopped by to trick or treat at my sister Leah's. Then as we do every Halloween, we went to Mike's sister Wendy's for hot dogs and chilli. They kids did some more trick or treating and plenty of eating their candy as well. We got home and all 4 of them crashed! They had 2 late nights in a row. Lastnight we (all 6 of us, Mike finally got home Sunday morning) went to dinner (Olive Garden, our favorite) and a movie. I won tickets to the premeire of Flushed Away (new Dreamworks movie) and we loved it! It was hilliarious! Anyway, we have defintely had a busy few days and I am looking forward to a little bit of a break. Hope everyone had a fun Halloween!

A Day of S's

Today was a day full of S's for me:

Solo parenting; Mike has been out of town for a few days and I miss him and all the help he is to me with the kids and around the house. I guess it helps me appreciate him more when I do the solo thing for a short time. Thanks, Mike!

Scrapbooking; I spent most of the day scrapbooking with my friends which I haven't done for a while and am realizing how much I need to catch up on.

Snacking; it comes with scrapbooking (of course) and solo parenting. I tend to snack a lot when I am by myself in the evenings watching t.v.

Slacking; in the meal prep. department. Jenna & I went to lunch with friends today and I didn't feel like cooking tonight so I picked up something for the kids and I.

favorite Show; LOST!!! If you don't watch it you can't understand the addiction. I can't miss an episode or I would be LOST!

Snow; yes we got our first snow in the valley today. Mostly just some flurries, but snow is snow. I am not ready for the cold yet even though I know it is coming.

Sleep; I guess I should try and get some sleep to round out my day of S's.

What a Weekend!

Well, my parents arrived late Wed. night/early Thurs. morning and my grandparents, aunt Nancy, and Sara and her kids got here on Thurs. night for our wonderful weekend. It was a quick, crazy trip for everyone, but a great time nonetheless. We ate, we laughed, we cried, and we reminiced. We had lots of family meals together, took some family pictures together, and spent an amazing 5 hours at the temple together. We did sealings for my grandparents and many other family members and of course Devin did Brandon's work. There was a very special feeling there and we all felt Brandon's presence. It was incredible! Thanks to all my awesome family for making this weekend so great!

BRANDON

My brother, Brandon, died 1 year ago today. I can't believe it has been a year, I still miss him so much. I think about him at odd times, you know, when little things remind me of him or something we did together. Sometimes I think "Oh, I have to call B and tell him that" and then it sucks because I remember I can't. Going to San Diego last week was wonderful, but wierd and a litte hard. We were there a year ago the same time to spend time with Brandon and say goodbye to him. My grandparents yard is so beautiful and quiet and it was good to be there again and remember B laying there a year ago looking so content and peaceful. I miss his little girl Kaienta a lot too. So do my kids, a ton! I am looking forward to this weekend when my parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins will all be together. We will be doing B's temple work on Saturday, what a wonderful blessing that will be. I have had a crazy, busy morning and the rest of the day looks the same, but a part of me is glad. It is easier for me to deal with "stuff" if I stay busy and keep living my life. I love Brandon and am so lucky to have him for a brother and I miss him, but I know that someday we will be together again. I love my parents and the rest of my siblings too. I am very blessed!

Bonnie Springs?

While were in Las Vegas we decided to go to this little old mining town Sara had heard about. They have a really nice website and it said they have a petting zoo, a melodrama, a restaurant, a train, etc. It was a little cold and rainy, but we decided to go anyway. The drive there was neat, red rock canyon, but we got there and it was weird, that is the only word I can think to describe it. There were hardly any people there and no workers to be found. It was dirty,old, rundown, and strange, but we had a good time. The kids liked seeing and petting the animals and feeding the ducks. Read the sign and you will get a feel of what it was like there. It was an interesting experience but great just to be with Sara, Nate, Mara, & Wyatt.

Cars

So my 3 boys, yes Mike included, are obsessed with cars. Mostly Mustangs, Corvettes, Ferraris, Lamborghinis, etc. The whole trip they would get so excited about cars they saw driving by, parked in a parking lot, or racing by. When we were in Las Vegas we took them to the Auto Collection at the Imperial Palace. They loved it, even Jenna knows which car is what. It was cool to see some old cars, one of a kinds, etc.

Rylee and Shamu

This had to be the best part of our whole vacation! We were on our way into the Shamu show and they asked us if Ry would like to be in the show. She was so excited, as were we. They put her picture up on the big screen, she got to touch Shamu, and feed him fish. It was awesome!!!! Something she will remember for the rest of her life!

Sea World

My favorite day of our vacation was the day we went to Sea World. I grew up going to Sea World as my Grandpa use to work for them and has had something to do with all the aquariums and exhibits there. I was so excited to take Mike and the kids. It has been years since I have been and it has changed a lot. They have rides now and some really neat new exhibits. My favorite was the Wild Arctic and the baluga whales, they are so beautiful. We saw the dolphin (my favorite) and Shamu (more on this next) shows, rode some rides, touched the star fish and sting rays, and loved it all!

Legoland

One day we went to Legoland, which was a lot of fun. The kids are a perfect age right now for this neat little amusement park. Everything is made out of legos which the boys thought was so cool. They even got to buy legos by the pound, like at a candy store. They have replicas of Washington D.C., New York, New Orleans, San Fransico, etc all made out of legos, they were amazing! They have rides and lots of fun stuff to do. The one picture is of Mike and the 3 older kids after they won the fiefighter race. They had 4 "firetrucks" race and then they had to put out a "fire" and race back. They had to pump this thing up and down to get their firetruck to move and then spray water in a hole to put the fire out. They were so excited they won! It was a fun day!

La Jolla

Here are some pictures of us in La Jolla. It was so beautiful there, as always, but great weather and everything. The kids had fun seeing the harbor seals, finding shells, and running from the waves. Mike's old roommate, Jason, lives there and spent the day with us. It was fun to see him again, too.

Family Vacation!!!

Well, it has been awhile since I posted anything because we have been on a much needed and wonderful family vacation. We left last Friday afternoon and drove to Vegas and stayed with Sara and Nate. Then headed to San Diego on Sat. We stayed with my Uncle Donny (my mom's brother) and Aunt Becky and two of my cousins, Colby and Ryan. They live just a few blocks from my grandparents so we were able to spend time with them as well. We went to the beach at La Jolla, Legoland, Sea World, etc. It was nice to spend so much time together as a family since Mike has been so busy with work and we have all been busy with life. On the way back we stayed with Sara and Nate again and were able to spend more time with them. My cousin Matt and Rachel, his fiance, came over for a couple hours so we could meet her and spend some time together. I am so lucky to have such a wonderful family and extended family. Thanks to my aunt and uncle for their hospitality, to Colby for putting up with my kids ;-), Ryan for letting us have his bedroom, Grandma and Grandpa for dinner, tickets, etc, Sara and Nate for letting us stay, etc. Everyone helped us to have a great family vacation!!!

The Boys

A few weeks ago I was shopping and found these shirts at Old Navy. I had to buy them for Cole and Noah because they fit their personalities so perfectly. I don't know how well you can see them in the picture, but Noah's is a picture of an otter floating on his back and says "Just Chillin". Coles's is a picture of a gorilla and says"What are you lookin' at?"
They are getting big aren't they? They are both really enjoying 2nd grade and doing really well. They crack me up!

Rylee Advancing Again

Rylee came home from gymnastics lastnight so excited. She passed another level! She started in January at Level A and within a month was moved to Level B. A few months later they moved her up to Level C and now she will go to Level 3. She loves gymnastics and is doing so well. She can almost do a back flip just standing on the ground. It's a little scary but amazing at the same time! Way to go Ry, keep it up.

Hiking

Yesterday the kids and I went hiking with my sister, Krista; my brother, Griffin; and my sister, Leah and her 2 boys, Taylor and McKay. It was beautiful! The weather was perfect and the leaves are all changing colors. (Jenna said "Mom, the trees are all colory") It is a fun little hike near the Bountiful Temple and there is a creek/stream and lots of shade. There is one point where you cross the creek and we hung out there for awhile so the kids could play. They were having so much fun they didn't want to leave. We finally convinced them to go and we all went to Spanky's, a yummy local sandwich shop, to eat and hang out some more. I am lucky to have siblings who live nearby and to be able to enjoy time together.


Jenna hiking along through the gorgeous "colory" trees!

Jenna needed a little help on the way back.

Cole, Taylor, Noah, Mckay, Rylee, and Jenna

I Won!

Some of you know that I have pretty good luck winning tickets. Usually it's movie premier passes, but I have won Disneyland Passes, The Fixx Tickets, and this week tickets to see Rain. I wasn't totally sure what it was, but I am so glad I won! Mike and I went to see Rain, The Beatles Experience at Capital Theater on Friday night. They were incredible! They have been together for 20 years and played over 4000 shows. They do all Beatles songs and sound sooooo much like them. I read a review saying these guys are better musicians that the Beatles, they said they would have to be to play the Beatles music so well. I don't know about being better than the Beatles, but they were amazing! And since we never got to see the Beatles live, it was really great for Mike and I to experience (almost) what it would have been like. They played their music chronilogically and dressed like the Beatles. It was a fun show! I am glad Mike was able to come with me. He worked everynight this week until 11 or later, and he barely made it home on Friday so we could go. What a great way to relax after a long hard week!

Gymnastics & Jenna

You all know Rylee loves gymnastics! Well, I decided to put Jenna in a class as well. Today was her first real day and she loves it. Here she is on the bar and jumping over the "moon". They have a different theme each week and this week it is pajama week so they wore their pj's and all their little activities were about nursery rhymes and they even had a bedtime story at the end of class. So cute!

Jenna & Babies

Most of you know how much Jenna loves her dolls, well she loves real babies just as much. Today we were at my friend's brother's who has a 4 month old baby boy and a 2 week old baby boy (both adopted, a long, crazy story) and she loved holding them and then we went to visit our good friends, the Johnsons (Curtis, Kristin, & Cooper) and their new baby girl, Sydney. The picture is of Jenna holding her, which she could not get enough of. (Aren't they both so sweet?!?!) A week or so ago Jenna saw a baby and said "Mom isn't he sooooo cute! We need to get one of those." I just looked at her and then she said, "I have money!" I am not sure why she thought you could buy a baby, but she is ready to go buy herself one.

Jenna's Fun-filled Day!

Today was a very fun and busy day for Jenna and I. First, it's Wednesday and Jenna has her little playgroup in the morning. Then we along with the others in the playgroup and other friends went to see the Elephant Parade. The Circus is in town and they always have a little parade to get everyone excited. They had a marching band, clowns, zebras, prancing horses, Hercules, and of course the elephants! After we all enjoyed the parade and sun (we are having beautiful weather right now), we went to lunch at Carl's Jr and the kids enjoyed playing some more. It was a real fun day and Jenna was definitely tired tonight.

Rylee, The Daredevil

A lot of you know that Rylee's favorite thing to do at recess and any time we are at a playground, is the bars (not monkey bars, but the tricky bars). She was attempting a trick on the bar last year when she broke her wrist. Anyway, she does this new trick called "The Daredevil," which is sort of a flip on off the bar with no hands; whatever it is it scares me everytime I see her do it. Well, today I was at the school volunteering when one of the secretaries, who is also in our ward, was telling me a story. Yesterday when she was doing ground duty they had a sub ground duty there as well. The sub called her over and said, "You have to see this!" Well, what she was so amazed with was Rylee doing "the daredevil" on the high bar. Krista, the secretary from our ward, has seen Ry do it a hundred times and was not surprised. I told her that Ry had come home yesterday with broken glasses (unfixably broken) from doing "the daredevil". Her glasses fell off as she was flipipng and then she landed on them and heard them snap. Luckily she has a second pair. Anyway, I told Krista that I hate watching Ry do the bars and that I am just waiting for the day the school calls to tell me she has broken a bone. We laughed, at least we all know where Rylee gets it from (definitley her mom, haha!). I will try to get a picture of her doing "the daredevil" soon.

My Mom

It has been 11 months since my brother, Brandon, died of cancer. Two years since they first found something on his liver. Last Wednesday my dad called to tell us that my mom had 2 tumors on her liver. What a shock! It was too soon, too close to home after Brandon. They took some blood to determine exactly what kind of cancer or where it started, etc. This last week has been a long one, full of prayers, family, pondering, stressing, worry, love, and many other amazing emotions and experiences. The results from those tests came back today. My mom DOES NOT have cancer. It is blood vessels growing on her liver that will not affect her one way or the other. Prayers are definitley answered! I can't tell you how happy I am and how quickly I thanked my Father in Heaven for this wonderful news. I love you mom and dad! See you in October!

Jenna, the Youngest

I am learning why the youngest child in a family is "spoiled". Jenna is the only one at home with me all day and goes pretty much wherever I go. When you only have 1 child with you and they want something you (or I should say I) think it's only one so it's not too bad and she gets it. Or maybe it's because the others have worn me down. Whatever it is I have been buying her so many little things lately. Most of it is "Dora" stuff, which is her new favorite. Last week it was a Dora "packpack", today it was a Dora book and Dora slippers (which are too big but she "had" to have them and they were only $3). She is so much fun, but a little extra whiny lately. I have to keep reminding myself she is 3 and all my other kids were "terrible" 3 year olds, not terrible 2's. And she does make me smile or laugh more than she frustrates me. Thanks Jenna, I do enjoy our time together, just the 2 of us.

Rylee's New Do!

Rylee got her first perm today. So here are the before and after. She has wanted to get some pink streaks for awhile so she got 3 pink extensionsin as well. I think it looks really good and Ry likes it too.