MARCH: Spring Break!

Ok, so Joe had a medical conference that was scheduled for March. When he booked it he didn't realize it fell smack in the middle of the kids spring break. Being the thinker that I am, I decided that we could make a family trip out of it, so the kids and I met him there for the last couple days of the conference. I know, I know, it sounded good at the time....Las Vegas, Spring Break, cool hotels, plenty to do and see....quality family time right? Well, I sorely underestimated the crap that fills Las Vegas. We spent plenty of time shielding eyes from billboards passing by or saying "don't look at the ground!" My kids even asked, " Why in the world would you take us here?" The only thing we could do was use it as a learning experience and take the opportunity to teach them about the things that the world offers and the difference between us and the world. Overall, we did make it a great trip. We saw many cool things and made happy memories....and hopefully we even strengthened our testimonies a bit! I'm so thankful to be different than the world!

The newest Jedi knights!

Inside the Venetian...COOL!

We visited the temple while Joe was in meetings



The kids loved walking across the Hoover Dam

M & M's Store


The Luxor hotel

Trying to talk him into giving me some of his pirate treasure!

MARCH: Joe turns 40!!!!

The day after Colten turned 16 Joe turned 40! 40....I remember when both of my parents were 40 and I thought they were old...well, oldeerrrr. Now that Joe's there and I'm just around the corner I realize it's not old at all! (Remember that kids!) Anyway, we didn't do anything too exciting for his birthday (we were hoping to be in Hawaii), but we did decorate the house with black streamers, balloons, and signs and had a special dinner. Happy Birthday, Babe! I love you so much and I'm so thankful that Heavenly Father blessed my life with you! I look forward to all the wonderful years ahead of us!



40 candles.....smoke alarms beware

MARCH: Happy 16th Birthday, Colten!

I seriously can't believe that my firstborn is 16! Am I really old enough to have a driving, dating, high school going child? It happens almost overnight....birth, baptism, dating and then a mission! I remind him daily that his mission is just around the corner. He reminds me that he still has two whole years of high school and one of college before that can happen. I say, good! Keep having fun and doing what's right! Happy Birthday, Colt!

Fancy cake I made huh?

Two pies for two fruitcakes!

He chose Cheesecake Factory for his birthday dinner! I'm not sure why Crew got to come when everyone else had to stay home

FEBRUARY: Happy 13th Birthday, TY!

Ty turned 13 on Feruary 12 and is now officially a teenager-although, he's been taking on the characteristics and attitudes of one for some time now! :) He is excited about life and what lies ahead for him and so are we! Happy Birthday, Ty! We love you soooo much!

PICS TO FOLLOW

JANUARY: Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow

For New Years we rented a house in Munds Park with our good friends, the Wrights. We played in the snow, tubed, watched movies, played games and ate lots of yummy food. Jill is one of the best cooks I know so anything she makes I eat! What a great way to start a new year!

STEELE

Recently I've been eating my words in regards to my sweet baby Steele (maybe that's why I can't seem to lose any pounds!) I have a good friend who has pretty intense kids. We used to go places together and her little ones would crawl out of the cart, cry if they were buckled into a stroller, get into things and just overall be high maintenance. At the time Crew was my baby and he was an angel. I could take him anywhere. I had just never had a child like hers and didn't "get" it.....that is, until Steele came along! Boy, do I get it now! This sweet caboose of ours is into everything! He CLIMBS, UNLOCKS, ESCAPES, UNDOES, GETS INTO, MESSES UP, POURS OUT, UNLOADS, DESTROYS, UNWRAPS, and DUMPS OVER everything and anything he can get his hands on! I seriously can't believe it. I would need 5 of me to keep up with him and his busy-ness (did I make that word up too?) Thank goodness the other kids are all old enough to help out and it helps that he's so dang cute! P.S. My friends' kids are now older and she is loving this! :)

Climbed up on the island and unpeeled 7 bananas-notice how many more he didn't get to!

Dirt!

Steele and Kinlee eating otter pops

Marker?

Mascara

CREW

Crew has probably changed the most to me in the last six months! He LOVED preschool and is now looking forward to going to the "big" school with Gunner. He always has something to tell us or a question to ask! He still talks with a little lisp and sometimes the kids try to correct him. I never let them though, because I LOVE how he talks and I'm not ready for him to be all grown up. He shows me at least 50 magic tricks a day all created from his own imagination! He is silly, crazy, nutty and goofy! In fact, we have a whole file of pictures under the category "Crazy Crew"! See if you can tell which pic below comes from that file. Crazy Crew, we love you!

Preschool graduation...so proud!

Let me tell you...finding all the bases in the right order was no easy task!

Yep, you guessed it!

Crew and cousin, Teagan.

Scary or crazy??? Not sure

GUNNER

Gunner-number 4 in the family and for sure a middle child in many ways. He is obedient, kind, tender hearted and usually goes with the flow of what everyone else wants to do. He is a super hard worker and usually the first one done with his chores. He loves basketball, scouts, swimming and reading anything he can get his hands on! These days he can be seen walking around the house listening to an iPod that he saved up his own money to buy!

Last day of second grade!

Gunner and Easton played against eachother in baseball. Who won? They both say they did!

Awards assembly on pajama day (who planned that one?)

Whoop! Whoop!

BRENLYN

Brenlyn, oh my sweet Brenlyn! The wonderful girl sandwiched between 5 brothers and she is the perfect girl for it! She isn't bothered at all by being surrounded by dirty, loud stinky-ness (is that a word?). In fact she is pretty loud herself and slightly messy! She inherited the loudness from her mother and the messiness from her dad! Jk, Joe. She is a motivated student (straight A's all year!), a caring babysitter, and a loyal friend. What would I do without her?!?!






10th Birthday
Celebration!


Joe got free tickets to the Jonas Brothers concert, including meet and greet passes! Bren and her cousins had a blast!

TY

Ty,Ty, Ty.......Ty makes 2 teenagers in our house now and boy, is he ready for everything that comes along with it! He loves to be social and hang out with friends, stay up all hours of the night and sleep all day, and complain that "there is never anything to eat in this house!" He is hilarious and loves to laugh! He is a favorite babysitter to all of his younger cousins (Bren wins out for favorite among younger siblings though)

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Gila Valley Temple Open House Look at that boy!

Family pics Fall '09

Acting excited about finding rocks for a school geology project
(I wanted to hurt his teacher after this one!)

Pretty much positive between Colten and Ty there is no memory left on photobooth!

Ty is always coming up with crazy contraptions, usually in the late hours of the day, and this one was no exception. He took a Nerf dart and stuck a straight pin in the end and then asked me to shoot it at his back. This I did without almost any hesitation! (Bren didn't have the stomach!)

This is what the future holds for my Ty, he's going to be an AMAZING missionary someday!

COLTEN

My first born, baby #1, Mr. "lookin good", I need my sleep, has had a great year so far, mainly due to the fact that he turned 16 in March. I know, I don't look old enough to have a 16 year old! I am and getting older by the minute. He just finished his Sophomore year at Queen Creek High School. He had a good dive season (which is shown in an earlier post-shocking!) and a good baseball season as well. Now he's enjoying lazy summer days and looking forward to EFY in Flagstaff! Whoohoo!

Looking smooth at the Gila Valley Temple open house
Playing on photobooth-one of his favorite pastimes
Happy Easter! I found my money egg!
HAPPY 16th BIRTHDAY, Colten! (And 40 for Joe!)