Oregon Part III -Friends

We were lucky enough to meet up with some friends who use to be next door neighbors and now are tree huggers. I love that I can see these wonderful people and be able to pick up where we left off. I love you guys!

TUDE

Dont let this smile fool you because this child has major attiTUDE! Where did my sweet-swinging-arms-happy-go-lucky-worships mom-child go?
I do realize that she cannot say any words and her vocab is limited to taradactle- (sp?) like screaming, but give us a break child!
The latest development, besides her deafening screams, are: biting me anywhere she can sink her teeth because she thinks its funny when i tell her NO, pinching me anywhere on my body, chucking food for fun, climbing up the bunkbed ladder, having absolutely NO fear in the swimming pool and last but not least, she lays on the floor (usually in church) on her stomach and kicks and pounds her fists while screaming..usually for no apparent reason.
And this is when she is totally healthy. She has had a cold this week so imagine this behavior while being extra clingy and whiney.
Thank goodness for motherly love that helps me endure through all of the chaos.

I didnt know that I was a Deer Whisperer!

Unfortunately this is the only picture I have from Girls Camp. But it was such a blast.

Just a few more that I love.

Fearless Little Fish

My children are fish. They could swim all day. The other night we were at a friends house and both of them jumped off the high dive. In their clothes. At night. I should mention that Chuck E Cheese was a guarantee for their bravery. And did i mention that Reese was screaming to get into the pool?
So this is Matt jumping off the high dive when he was little and they are proudly following his footsteps.

OUR FAMILY PICTURES!!!!!

If you want to see them click HERE

Does anyone else see the resemblance??

Sunshine After the Rain

I am going to get really personal here and tell you and the world that I have really bad PMS. I will spare you the details of despair but I will tell you that it is not just cramps and mood swings. It is a dark and deep hole that I find myself in that I dont know how to climb out of. It is the scariest place I have been, emotionally, and it makes me wonder how people deal with depression on a daily basis. It makes me have a tremendous amount of compassion for them.
So on a lighter note, I am out of that hole and i am standing in the sunshine. i am content and i feel steady and ready to take on the daily tasks awaiting me. I feel refreshed and my mind is somehow clear even though my eyelids are still very heavy. So i am just going to take time to tell my family what i love about them.
Matt- I dont know why but I never thought i would find myself in my thirties watching the Simpsons with my spouse. Last night you begged me to watch it with you and I am so glad i did. We laughed so much, as we do EVERY DAY..TOGETHER. And i realize that laughter is vital for our love because the world we live in and YOU work in is a serious and scary place. Thank you for that laughter and ALL of the MANY wonferful things about you. I could go on and on about this man...
Hayley- YOU are my beautiful burst of sunshine. I love that we can have conversations now and I am fascinated with your fascination with the world around you. As you get older, I see why Heavenly Father gave you to me first. As you go about dreaming of being a mermaid while you sing Taylor Swift songs, I am terrified you will grow up too fast. I want to protect you and cradle that kindness that is in you but let you experience all of the things in life that will make you better.
Leah- Oh Leah. You are just a bag of skittles. So sweet and colorful. But a sticky, chewy, scattered mess when opened. I cannot believe that a 30 lb being can make me feel all that you do. You make me laugh like crazy but you can make me crazy. I know this is just a chapter in your book of development and i will someday miss your care free way about you..which is commonly expressed through your hair-do. Yesterday you asked me if we could see Michael Jackson in his box (casket). You were bummed when I told you that was not possible and then you went on about something else. You are one of a kind. Stay bright. Stay happy. Stay funny.
Reese- I LOOOVE how you swing your arms now when you walk...like there is a happy tune you hear that no one else can. I think that YOU are MY happy tune. Although you are the constant tug on my leg (and you occasionally pull down my skirt in public)all you want is to have me hold you, be near me, do what i am doing and see what i see. Every morning we lay in bed together while you drink your bottle and you are not content unless our faces are touching and my arm is around you. Then you are my shadow for the remainder of the day. Nothing in this world can produce the feeling a mother has for her child. It is God-given and nothing, nothing compares. I think it is God's way of letting us feel what He feels for us.
Motherhood is ALOT of work. It is hard and it is, I think, the toughest part of this life exam. But how else would i be able to feel this joy ? Especially after feeling moments of darkness. I need my burst of sunshine, my laughter, my skittles and my happy tune. :)

Quite the Party!

For Hayley's 6th b-day we had some neighborhood friends over to celebrate. Hayley's original idea was to have a "Taylor Swift" party and dance around and sing to Taylor Swift with her taylor Swift hairdo. I couldnt really picture 6 year old boys enjoying that, so we went crazy with pizza and ballons and pillowcases and candy. i am continuing the traditional "Tootsie Roll monster" that originated from my dad who kindly passed the torch to Matt to be be the new monster. It just involves 1 "sleeping" adult who can growl at kids and handle being surrounded by gobbs of candy without eating it. And the kids loved it..well, all the kids over 5 years of age. Anyways, Hayley had a very happy birthday.

Mini Palos Verdes Reunion

I was able to have a little reunion at my house with friends from the Palos Verdes stake! One of my favorite things is catching up with people from my childhood. All of these people i dearly love and it was so fun to see them. Hopefully more people will come next time!

HOME

Why, why, WHY is that not me standing on the beach?!!! UGGGHHH. It almost causes me physical pain to even look at the picture. Because you see, i spent many summers on that beach, without a care, without knowing how i was aging myself by just LYING there. My worry then was making sure my tan lines were just right. But soon, I will take my kids to that beach and i will tell them lots of stories as i am smearing SPF all over them. Someday. Hopefully soon.
(Thanks to Jenn who took that picture while in Palos Verdes..she shares this love too.)

THE PRAYER OF ALL PRAYERS

This was Hayley's prayer tonight:
Dear Heavenly Father,
thank you for all of the rain today. It was so beautiful. Please dont let my mom do any more work today or tomorrow. And thank you for all this STUFF you made for us.
Amen.

Love that girl.

I LOVE THESE PEOPLE

It all started about 11 years ago when 5 friends from the BYU dorms moved into a 6 person apartment. Angie, being the bravest, took the risk of sharing a room with the unknown mystery roomate. All kinds of scheming plans were made against this person in case she was a nut. Well that person was ME and here we are 11 years later with several children in tow, and we are the same even though our lives have changed. These reunions dont happen very often and this one was FOR SURE way too short. But I loved the conversations, the laughter and knowing that these people are in my life forever. I love you guys!

Rebecca's Wild Water Party- Part II

I cant get more than 5 pics on 1 post..does anyone know how to fix that?

Rebecca's Wild Water Party

Hayley's cousin Rebecca just turned 6 and had all of her cousins and some friends over to play on one of those big bouncy wet thing-a-ma-jiggers and it was SO FUN. Matt's brother Dan was visiting with his wife and kids and when Matt's family gets together you are guaranteed alot of laughter and good times. Here is the proof..

Remember these three?

Happy Fathers Day Matt!

I love how you love our children.
Whether its holding our newborn or tickling our 4 year old, you are good at it. Whether its catching fish or catching escapee crickets, you have skill.
Whether its taking the the kids to Chuck E Cheese or taking them to the movies, you are always willing.
Whether its making them a shake or making them Top Ramen, its is always just right.
Whether the kids are grumpy or sad you can always make them laugh.
Whether you are sleep deprived or fully rested, you are always the best daddy.
AND THAT IS WHY WE LOVE YOU!

Everett

Lets be honest, babies dont come much cuter than this. And when do thighs look THAT good?

Talk of Heaven and Puppets

First of all, let me say sorry for all of the whining I did in my previous post. Hopefully this post will make you laugh. These have been the latest questions from my girls.
hayley: Mom, were Jesus and Heavenly Father soooo tired after they made this world?
Me: well, i dont think they get tired. Their bodies are not like ours. I am pretty sure that they dont need sleep.
hayley: what?! you mean, they get to stay up all night?!
me: they sure do!

Leah was asking me how puppets work and then asked me if WE have hands inside of us that make us move. I told her that our brains make us move. She looked a little perplexed and since then she has asked me at least 20 times if her brain is making her move. wow, how do you explain the human brain....

What's Worse?

What is worse than getting a flat tire in the 2 lane contruction zone on the freeway when you are on your way to Lagoon with 2 anxious kids and you are already running late?
Its waiting 45 minutes for AAA to come because the mechanism to lower your spare is broken.
Then finding your spare close to flat the next morning when you have a crazy day ahead of you.
And you cant find the keys to your other car because well, you are a scattered mom of 3.
Whats worse is realizing you dont have much faith that day so you tell your kids to ask Heavenly Father where to find the keys.
And even if you do find the keys you cant drive the car anyways because the registration is mucho expired and of course you are putting off your emissions and inspection because of the big old crack in your windshield.
And did i mention getting pulled over for expired registration and the cop threatening to impound your car is really embarassing? Especially when you are a cop's wife?
ANYWAYS, I know all of these glitches are trivial in the grand scheme of things and everything is usually great.
But what is worse is that I HAVE NOTHING BETTER TO BLOG ABOUT. NO PICTURES EVEN.

Update from Justin, husband of our friend Michelle who passed away a few weeks ago..

" Today was a great day with the kids. A friend of ours set up for the kids to go meet and ride a couple of horses up in Bell Canyon. The family was so sweet, the horses were so gentle and the kids had an amazing experience. One very special experience was shortly after we got there a huge yellow monarch butterfly came out of nowhere and almost " kissed " Wyatt on the nose before circling Brooklyn'S head twice and then taking off. The lady that owned the horses said that in the 14 years she had never seen anything like that at her place. We all looked at eachother and all of us agreed that it was likely Michelle that was responsible and in her own little way dropping by to say hello and I love you to the kids." -May 30, 2009

Airplanes, Great Company and SWEEET Hair

Today we went up to Hill Air Force base to see the Air show. I must say I was not sure what to expect, but it was such a blast! I am pretty sure half of Utah's population was there, which made people watching extra fabulous. We met up with Matt's brother Jon and his wife and adorable baby which was great. I have to say that my favorite picture of the day is of Jon in his glasses with Chloe in the reflection. My second favorite is of the sweet mullet sported by a 50 year old lady. Very nice.

Just down the street!

I know many of you will be coming to the Oquirrh Mountain temple open house, so stop by ! I am just a few blocks away! I AM TOTALLY SERIOUS.