Father and Son campout

This weekend was Liam's first Father/Son campout. He was so excited to go with his daddy and his best buds from church. The best part was "NO GIRLS ALLOWED!" he was very quick to tell Avery and I that all week long!

Liam and Noah

rock climbing

cute, dirty boys

Cody said they had to wake him up for breakfast. He's somewhat of a night owl. He was up lots later than most of the little kids and he loves to sleep in!


camp fire fun. he told me he burned his marshmallows but liked them anyway.

I think he's telling spooky stories

This is how you set up a tent with a three year old...it looks like his daddy was very patient.

Avery, Emrie and I had a fun weekend too. On Friday night we went and met some friends for Ice Cream. Then had a girls movie night with some other friends. Avery got to stay up really late and have lots of junk food! Then on Saturday, we went to see the new Night at the Museum movie with just us girls. So, it was a fun weekend all around!

Liam Preschool Graduation..

Tis the season of end of year parties and graduations. Liam had a graduation party at Ms. Candace's. It was the night after Avery's Kindergarten one and he thought it was sooo cool that he had a graduation too!

Liam and best buddy Noah enjoying their cupcakes!

School's Out!!

Avery just finished her first year of school! I can't believe I have a FIRST GRADER! She has had a great Kindergarten year, with a wonderful teacher. She has learned so much and has made tons of great friends. I'm kind of sad to see it end. Now I have to entertain her all summer!

We curled her hair all pretty. I think she looks so grown up!

Some of the cute friends she met this year

Her Fabulous teacher. We were really lucky to have her.

The three A's

Autumn, Avery and Ainsley

her daddy brought her flowers, she felt very special

Emrie

Here are few cute pictures of Emrie. She is getting too grown up...way too fast. She's really close to crawling. She can scoot forward to get what she wants, and sits up perfectly. She's getting very loud and loves the sound of her own voice. Which makes church or any other quiet place interesting!! She is so sweet and fun!

This is how I found her sleeping the other day during her nap. I thought it was funny. She was so wedged in there, but still sleeping soundly.

She didn't even know she was stuck. I had to leave to go somewhere, so I gently pulled her out. She probably would have wigged if she woke up like that! I don't think she could have gotten herself out.

we were swimming at Cody's aunt's house and didn't want Em to get too much sun!

she looks a little scared!

Avery's Tea Party

Here are some cute pictures from Avery's "Tea Party" birthday. We took a few best friends and a few cousins to a fancy Tea House in Carefree. (the drive was a little more than I bargained for, but worth it over all) These girls were so PROPER, and FANCY, and well behaved. They took this tea party business very seriously. Pinkies out while sipping their hot chocolate and everything. There was a big old trunk full of fun, old hats to try on and wear. They were cute, and lots of fun.

The Birthday Girl

Some of the fancy decorations

Cute cousin Kendi with her fancy flower hat

The different looks of Miss Ainsley

I think Avery picked the biggest hat they had

They had a cute little store next door, which happened to be closed by the time we were done (thank goodness!!) Here they are dreaming of everything they could buy...

Autumn and McKenna

cousins Macy and Addi

McKenna

The entire princess gang with their goodie bags

Gammy Jane, Avery and Me

Mothers Day continued...

So...after the sweet, motherly, loving post below (which was all true by the way). My actual Mother's Day was just another crazy day in my life. We woke up to get ready for church, my husband did bring me breakfast in bed (raisin bran) and he actually wrote me the sweetest letter which I will treasure. I got the HUGE mothers day macaroni/foam bead/pictures/tissue paper flower necklace that my children and husband enjoy making so much. It was sweet as always and bigger than ever. We actually had our primary class (12 year olds) make one for their mothers after our short lesson. They loved it. Then it was off to church with whiny, crazy kids, who did not behave very well for the ENTIRE day. After church it was more fits, then two stops around town to see the other great mothers in our lives. Then leaving grandmas at 8pm (more fits) and by the time we got home I was ready for that Mothers Day to END!!!

So, I put my sweet Emrie in bed around 9pm and she decided to give me the BEST MOTHERS DAY GIFT EVER!!! I didn't touch her again until she woke up at 7:45 this morning. It was the first time she really and truly slept through the night! It was a beautiful thing and I really, really hope it wasn't a Mothers Day fluke!

Before I was a Mom

Before I was a Mom, I never tripped over toys or forgot words to a lullaby.
I didn't worry whether or not my plants were poisonous.
I never thought about immunizations.
Before I was a Mom, I had never been puked on.
Pooped on.
Chewed on.
Peed on.
I had complete control of my mind and my thoughts.
I slept all night.

Before I was a Mom, I never held down a screaming child so doctors could do tests.
Or give shots.
I never looked into teary eyes and cried.
I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin. I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a Mom, I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to put her down.
I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn't stop the hurt.
I never knew that something so small could affect my life so much.
I never knew that I could love someone so much.
I never knew I would love being a Mom.

Before I was a Mom, I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body..
I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby.
I didn't know that bond between a mother and her child.
I didn't know that something so small could make me feel so important and happy.

Before I was a Mom, I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay.
I had never known the warmth, the joy, the love, the heartache, the wonderment or the satisfaction of being a Mom.
I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much, before I was a Mom .


This kind of sums up how I'm feeling right now. I feel so blessed to be a mom. I am also blessed to be surrounded by so many other wonderful mothers.

My mom, who I know loves me no matter what. Who is a wonderful grandma.Who has always been my best example of right and wrong. I have been so blessed to have such a great mom. She raised 7 children, and did a great job. We're definately not perfect kids, but we all know how lucky we are to have her! I love you mom.

My amazing mother in law. Who raised my husband and taught him to be the man he is. Who taught him how to love and communicate and how to treat me as the mother of his children. Who is also one of my very best friends and one of the most fun people I know.

My sister and sister in laws. I have learned something about being a mom from each of them.

My wonderful friends. I have learned that nobody's life is perfect, no matter how it looks from the outside. I have so many talented, beautiful friends who are all examples to me.

It truly is an amazing gift to be a mother. I love my kids more than anything. It's not always pretty, but it's definately all worth it.

Happy Mothers Day to all the mommies out there.

six months and six years...

My girls are both growing up...EMRIE is six months today. I really don't know where the time has gone. Here are some things about Emrie, and some of her new skills...

- In the past few days she has started sitting up. She's pretty stable and getting better everyday. She'll even lean over to pick up a toy now and then.

-she's been rolling for a little while, she's pretty good at getting where she wants to go. I often find her stuck under furniture...definately can't leave her anywhere alone right now.

- she's starting to get up on her hands and knees (or hands and toes).

-she LOVES her brother and sister. She really thinks Liam is hilarious. He can always get a smile out of her, which he thinks is very cool

-her eyes are turning brown, and her eyebrows look really red in the sunlight. I can't wait to see what she's going to look like as she gets bigger

- she likes her bed(FINALLY) she didn't start out being a good sleeper, but she is so much better now.

-she has rolls for days!! I think they may rival Avery's when she was this age. She is sosoft and fun to squeeze!

-she is happy and usually really quick to smile at anyone who stops to give her attention.

We love her so much..she gets probably one MILLION kisses a day, and deserves every one!

And my AVERY...she turned six on April 20th. I can't believe she is that old either. It feels like yesterday that she looked just like Emrie!! Here are some of my favorite things about Avery

- she is so sweet and kind. She worries about everyone and wants everyone to be happy

- she is a wonderful big sister. She helps so much with Emrie, and she has fun with Liam

-she still lets me call her my baby! she's sweet to me and admits that she always wants to be my baby

-she is so smart. she's almost done with Kindergarten. She reads everything! She's been reading books to Liam lately which I love and so does he

-she's always writing little books, complete with illustrations. she writes cards to her teacher and friends, and loves to write letters to her cousin Caleb in Texas

-she's got a very creative imagination

-she's such an artist, she's constantly drawing things too

-she's very sensitive, which can be hard sometimes but is nice too. she asks very grown up questions, and usually understands the answers. I've learned I just have to tell her the truth. She remembers everything. You can't tell her something if you don't mean it because she'll definately call you out on it.

-she loves to sing

-She has the cutest cheeks all covered in freckles. (not sure she'll always love the freckles, but I do right now!)

-her sweet smile, and how she looks just like her daddy when she smiles at me

I feel so blessed to be the mother to such sweet kids. They are all so different and smart in their own ways. I learn from them and have fun with them everyday!

Utah

This is my Aunt Denise. She passed away on April 16th from Ovarian Cancer. This picture was taken last summer at our family reunion. We were in Utah for her funeral. It was a great time spent with our family remembering her, celebrating her life, and realizing how important family relationships are. We love her and will miss her.

As always...when the boys get together, there is some nonsense going on. The town I grew up in is a dot in the middle of the nowhere desert in southern Utah. You can still shoot anywhere you want, or drive around town like this...

My uncle Pete had this old blazer that he traded or bought from someone. His lovely son in laws comandeered it and turned it into their very own desert romping machine. They painted on it and everything.



This is Cody and "Digger" (my cousins husband) riding in the super safe back seats!!

This is what happens when you go up too many hills, too fast. Something comes loose and the truck stops working.

This lovely desert is what the entire town looks like.




These are just some pictures of the kids playing in the mud at the dam in town. We used to spend hours playing here as kids.

They love anywhere they can play in the mud.