AZ SMITHS

Happy Birthday Alyssa!

2012-01-22T12:35:00.000-08:00

This past week we celebrated Alyssa's birthday...If it seems like I've posted a lot about birthdays lately it's because I HAVE! Fall and Winter are the seasons of our family birthday craze!

This year Alyssa's birthday fell on Martin Luther King Day and so the kids had the day off of school. For an activity, Alyssa decided she wanted to have a picnic at the park and have a play date with her friend Ashlyn.

Here she is opening her present from Ashlyn. They both love anything Monster High.

She got a Monster High pet, and a Monster High bag that Ashlyn sewed for her.

Alyssa and Ashlyn are cute friends. They love to be together and they look so much alike.

In the evening Charlene and her family came over to celebrate. Alyssa decided that she wanted Chinese Food for her birthday dinner.

Jason showing off his dinner.

Here's the Birthday Girl with her new boots. She has been asking for months for boots. I guess they're the rage now. She loves them and wears them everywhere she goes.

Here's another shot of Alyssa's dinner. We tried a recipe for Panda Express Orange Chicken in the crock pot that I found on Pintrest. Eh--it was okay--not quite the same as going to Panda. Aunt Char made the ham fried rice and egg rolls. Those were a hit!

Alyssa wanted a chocolate ipod cake with purple frosting (all of her favorite things). :)

Here's Alyssa with her finished product.

Everyone is ready for cake and ice cream.

Lighting the candles.

Blowing out the candles.

Alyssa with her stash of presents.

Opening presents.

Seriously, why this is sideways I have NO idea!! Anyway, she got a Batman and Catwoman Lego set from Grandma and Grandpa Smith. She loved putting the Lego set together and loves the little Lego Batman and Catwoman.

I think the little ones are even more excited than Alyssa.

From Grandma and Grandpa Wheeler, Alyssa got a Littlest Pet Shop set with 10 Little pets. Her favorite is the dog with the purple sparkly ears. Luckily Alyssa is great at sharing because her siblings were dying to get a hold of these.

One cool story about her birthday (and this shows a little about Alyssa's personality) is that she really wanted a Monster High Clawdeen Wolf doll for her birthday. But all the stores were sold out (I mean every store in the Metro-Phoenix area). We tried online and they were going for $50-60. There was no way we could get one for her. Even though that was on the top of her list, Alyssa decided to be grateful and enjoy the presents that she did get. She was patient, did not throw a fit and was grateful for what she had. We really feel privileged to have her as a daughter.

Anyway, Jason stopped by Walmart to get a few things (the one right by our house) and decided to check the toy section. They had 2 Clawdeen Wolf dolls (they were all out just a couple days prior) so Jason was able to surprise Alyssa with a Clawdeen Wolf (about a week after her birthday). She was

so excited!!

Alyssa really had a great birthday full of friends and family. We really hope that Alyssa could feel special and know that she is loved.

Here are some fun facts about Alyssa

Favorite Food

Pizza

Favorite Color

Red

Favorite Movie

Megamind

Favorite TV Show

Teen Titans

Favorite Book

Mermaid Sister

Favorite Scripture Story

Nephi and the Brass Plates

Favorite Song

Primary: Pioneer Children

Other: Love Story -Taylor Swift and Love Song- Selena Gomez

Favorite Thing about School

Recess and Math

Favorite Activities

Make Cookies, Play with Barbies and Monster High dolls, Draw, Watch TV, Play Wii, Play with Friends

Special Things About Alyssa

*Alyssa is a night owl. She loves to go to bed late and likes to read in bed.

*Alyssa is probably the easiest one to get along with in the family.

*Alyssa is very content and grateful for what she has.

*Alyssa is constantly getting dirty- whether it's a milk mustache or dirty fingers--she must have a lot of fun.

*Alyssa has a very sweet spirit. There is just something endearing about her--I can't quite put my finger on it, but if Alyssa is sad it breaks our hearts.

*Alyssa is pretty quiet but you get her alone and she'll talk your ear off.

*Alyssa is playful and loves to tease.

We love Alyssa and are so happy to have her in our family. Truly without her, it wouldn't be the same.

Family Visits

2012-01-22T11:20:00.000-08:00

Jason's cousin Lana and Kurt White came into town to attend a wedding. We were able to meet them at the Mesa LDS Temple and catch up a little.

Alyssa is our tree climber. If there is a tree to climb, she'll be in it.

Lauren and Brynlie are trying to climb trees too.

I love this shot of Alyssa.

After visiting at the temple, we went out for lunch. It was so much fun to catch up and visit together.

After visiting with Lana and Kurt, we headed over to the park to enjoy the beautiful afternoon weather.

Kamary, Alyssa and Lauren love playing in the sand. Hanna and Kohler played baseball and threw around Kohler's football.

Brynlie conquered the slide--it truly is a feat!

Kamary buried waist deep in sand.

It really was a great winter day in Arizona. Time together as family with plenty of sunshine and places to roam and explore.

Random Pics for the New Year!

2012-01-15T10:48:00.000-08:00

Here are some random pics and things that we've been up to.

First the dogs. We have a huge English Mastiff named Minnie and a Chihuahua/Maltese mix named Little Smokie. We love having opposite dogs. The little one is feisty, the big one is a gentle giant and they are best friends. They love to cuddle. Every time we try to take pictures they move. So here's our attempt at capturing our sweet puppies.

Smokie loves to lay on top of Minnie. This is a common sight. (Yes, I know my floor needs to be vacuumed).

Here they are on the couch.

Sweet Minnie. She really is such a sweetheart. I don't remember when it became okay to lay on our couch, but somewhere along the line we gave in.

Minnie often sleeps with her tongue sticking out-- silly dog.

Another shot of Smokie and Minnie. It's really funny because Smokie freezes in the Winter so we have to keep her warm and Minnie gets too hot in the Summer so we have to keep her cool. I guess it goes with the polar opposites of size.

Charlene came over for the New Year and gave us all new looks-- Yay for Char. She is a total sweetheart!

Brynlie got her first hair cut ever.

She looks so cute! More like a little girl instead of a toddler- sniff, sniff.

Another shot of Brynlie.

I decided to put some strawberry highlights in my hair. We knew that my hair pulled red, so we chose a really light color that hardly had any red in it. Here's the result. I really like it though. It's fun and has personality.

Another shot.

Here's the back.

Lauren got a trim.

Alyssa got bangs again.

Here are Lauren and Alyssa together. Kohler also got a hair cut and looks like a handsome little boy (instead of a scraggly one)-- I didn't get a picture though.

Here's another random picture...

Who needs a swimming pool? My kids love to take baths everyday. Instead of struggling to get them in the bath, I struggle to get them out!

Brynlie loves the movie Tangled and loves to pretend that she's Rapunzel. She uses a hooded towel for her long hair. If we brush her towel (or even her real hair) she'll sing Rapunzel's special song. Too bad it doesn't really make me younger (or at least give me more energy).

Here's her "hair" from the back. Kamary actually made Rapunzel hair for Brynlie out of yarn. I'm going to have to snag a picture of it and post later on.

Even though life is crazy and often chaotic, I love my kids. They bring so much personality, fun and entertainment into our home. They all have great spirits and really try their best to do what they know is right. I am blessed to be their mother.

Christmas 2011

2012-01-15T10:11:00.000-08:00

For Christmas this year we had the pleasure of spending several days with Jason's parents and his sister Charlene and her family. It was a fun-filled 4 days and although we were all exhausted afterward, we sure did enjoy being with family.

We left our camera over at a friend's house and so we didn't get that many pictures. We took some with Hanna's old camera, but a lot of them are blurry.

The first day we spent making gingerbread houses. I made real gingerbread for the adults and my house smelled fabulous!

Putting together our houses with all the fixings. The adults got real gingerbread and the kids got graham crackers.

Char decorating her house. She put cereal on the roof. It looked like a country cottage--so cute.

Kamary and Alyssa

Jason, Brianna and Sam

Kohler and Alyssa

The kids loved being creative and decorating their houses.

The house was full of activity, which made things really fun.

Brynlie preferred just eating the candy.

Alyssa's finished product.

Sam went all out.

Now there's one decked out gingerbread house!

Kohler's didn't last very long.

Wesley and his finished house.

On Christmas Eve we headed over to Charlene's house and had a grand buffet. Jason made Buffalo Chicken dip-- a new favorite. We had Ham, Potatoes, Buffalo Dip, Crab Rangoon Dip, Slushy Punch, Deviled Eggs, Avocado Bean Dip, Piggies in a Blanket, Sugar Cookies, Fudge, Pretzel Turtles and of course to be healthy--a Green Salad.

It was a great feast and just fun to be together. Grandpa read the Christmas Story out of Luke Chapter 2. We didn't get home until midnight. It's a good thing the kids were crashed so we could just put them to bed before Santa got there.

It was funny, on Christmas morning, my kids slept in. We didn't even get up until 8:00 am. We even had to wake some of the kids up. Hanna and Alyssa had woken up earlier and were watching a show while waiting for us to wake up--seriously? Funny kids.

After opening presents we got ready for church. I feel bad that I didn't get any pictures of their new Church clothes or Christmas PJs.

Grandma and Grandpa had taken some of the kids to church before us. As soon as we walked into church, we found out that Hanna had thrown up all over the chapel (luckily it was on the gym floor instead of the carpet). I took her home and she slept for a couple of hours. After that she was fine and had a great rest of the day. She was so embarrassed--I'm sure this Christmas will burn in her memory.

After church we all got together and had a Mexican Fiesta! We had a Nacho Bar with chicken, beef and all the fixings. We also had Chili Rellenos, Enchiladas, Spanish Rice and Apricot Empanadas for dessert. It was quite the feast. After dinner we opened the presents from Grandma and Grandpa and each other.

It truly was a weekend full of celebration and we were sad to see it end (even though we were all so tired).

Here are some other pictures we took of our Christmas Season celebrations.

We went to see the Mesa Temple Christmas Lights with Charlene and her family. Here is Brianna, Kamary and Alyssa.

Kohler, Brynlie, Alyssa and Lauren. It was really nice to be there at the temple. Earlier that day, I had been a little of a Scrooge and in a grumpy mood. Going to the temple and seeing the lights really helped bring back the Spirit of Christmas.

Kohler (I tried taking a picture without the flash).

Here's a picture of our Christmas tree. I wanted a red and white tree this year. Most of the ornaments are homemade. Every year we have a mini forest with our three trees. We love it--especially when the trees are lit.

We let the kids decorate our old tree. They actually put it together, put on the lights and decorated it all themselves. Pretty good for a 5, 7 & 8 year old. :)

This Christmas was very nice because even though it was busy (like normal), I didn't feel stressed. I was able to enjoy the season and being with my family. I was filled with peace and really enjoyed making crafts, being with my family and listening to my Christmas music. This year, I was kind of sad to see it go.

Happy Birthday Kohler!

2012-01-11T15:26:00.000-08:00

Kohler celebrated his birthday over a month ago (I've been kind of a slacker in the blog department)! He's now 7 years old! I remember when he was a baby and I couldn't imagine having a little boy running through the house...look at him now!

For his birthday dinner he wanted Taco Bell...I know, Gourmet.

Kohler LOVED the carousel card that Grandma Smith made him.

He got Nerf guns and bullets from Dad and Grandma and Grandpa Smith. Dad has so much fun shopping for Kohler...sometimes too much fun. :)

Kohler also got an electronic lightsaber.

He got a giant search and find book from Grandma and Grandpa Wheeler.

The highlight of his night was the hour long Nerf gun war he had with Dad. They had a blast together.

"You'll shoot your eye out!" It's a good thing Hanna had protection.

Kohler wanted a treasure chest cake. It didn't turn out very well. It pretty much fell apart. Good thing Kohler is so easy going. We decided he'd have an old, weathered, broken up treasure chest...even better, right?

Here's a view from the side.

And another view from the back.

Dad's lighting the candles.

Blowing out the candles.

It was a fun evening and Kohler was so excited to turn 7. It's funny how overnight someone can become so big.

Here's some fun facts about Kohler.

Favorite Food:

If he eats (he's a picky one)...Homemade Macaroni and Cheese

Favorite Movie:

Cars2

Favorite TV Show:

Teen Titans

Favorite Song:

Harry Potter Music

Favorite Book:

Maybe a Bear Ate It

Favorite thing about School:

Receiving "Game Balls" from the teacher (it's all about football in his 1st grade class). He's a very smart boy and a great student.

Favorite Scripture Story:

Shadrack, Meshach and Abendigo (please don't ask me to spell those).

Favorite Things to Do:

Play Wii, Play Outside, Do crafts, Build things, Draw, Destroy things and take them apart, Collect things like rocks and stuff found at the playground (hey, one man's junk is Kohler's treasure).

Something special about Kohler:

He is a human beat boxing machine. He is constantly beat boxing while doing other things. He's also the dancing man and has some serious dance moves (think Michael Jackson). Kohler is super easy going and although he gets grumpy towards his sisters, he lets almost everything else slide right on by.

Kohler might be outnumbered in this family, but we love him and are glad he's in our family!

Happy Thanksgiving/ Happy Birthday Lauren

2011-11-27T14:46:00.000-08:00

This Thanksgiving was a double hitter. Lauren's birthday fell on the same day. We had a great time celebrating.

During the month of November we created a "Thankful Tree". We'd write what we were thankful for on leaves and by the end of the month, our tree had full foliage.

Our Thankful Tree

In Lauren's preschool they held a "mock" Thanksgiving. Lauren was so excited that she asked for her birthday dinner to be a Thanksgiving dinner! No problem!

For Thanksgiving we were invited to a friend's house. At first, I was hesitant because she asked me to bring dishes I don't normally make on Thanksgiving, but it turned out to be a huge feast and we had a great time!

The Thanksgiving table...not quite finished. We had turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, yams, ham, funeral potatoes, macaroni & cheese, deviled eggs, rolls, pickles and olives, green bean casserole, salad and corn.

The Dessert Table! For dessert we had apple pie, pumpkin pie, banana cream pie, peach pie, baklava, some Brazilian dish that I have no clue what it's called, chocolate cream pie, Jello, caramel apple cheesecake, sweet potato pie and a pumpkin roll (thanks to Lauren--at preschool they had a pumpkin roll and Lauren insisted that we have one too).

Brynlie and Kamary hanging out.

Hanna had fun talking to the missionaries-- at an appropriate distance. :) The missionaries ended up having 5 eating appointments that day. I don't know how they survived.

Dishing up.

Everyone eating dinner.

Lauren the Birthday Girl.

Yummy!

Even the cat had a feast! She loved the shrimp.

After dinner some of the kids put on a Thanksgiving play. They wrote it themselves. Kamary was a servant.

Here they are performing a song in the play.

Asking the Native Americans (Kohler) for help.

Kohler played the part of the Native American. I'm not sure what his name was...Myexo. We might just start calling him that from now on.

Here is Kohler and Alyssa playing the game Mousetrap. There were a lot of things to do and the kids had a great time playing while the adults talked.

We ended up getting home at 9:30 at night. Since we didn't have time to throw our regular birthday party for Lauren (although she did open some presents on her birthday), we decided to celebrate the next day as well. Lauren was all for that.

So Friday she opened her presents from her Grandparents.

She was so happy and really content on her birthday. She didn't whine or complain about anything. She really is a sweetie.

From Grandma and Grandpa Wheeler, she got a princess painting set and a giant Tinkerbell coloring book. From Grandma and Grandpa Smith she got a Lalaloopsy bus. She loved her presents.

For her birthday she wanted chocolate cake. That's it--nothing special--just chocolate cake.

Lighting the candles.

Blowing out the candles.

The kids got silly straws to drink from. They liked that. We also had peppermint ice cream (since pink is Lauren's favorite color).

After cake and ice cream, Lauren got right into playing with her toys. Here she is coloring her giant picture. :)

Fun Facts about Lauren

Favorite Food:

Pumpkin Roll & Chocolate Cake and Chocolate Pie

Favorite Color:

Pink

Favorite TV Show:

Go Diego Go

Favorite Movie:

Tangled

Favorite Song:

Year Without Rain-- Selena Gomez

Favorite Scripture Story:

Where Jesus Dies on the Cross

Favorite Church Song:

Heavenly Father Loves Me

(She says that whenever she hears that song she just feels that Heavenly Father really does love her)

Favorite Thing About Preschool:

Having Snack

Favorite Thing to Do:

Dancing, Color, Draw, Sing, Play with her siblings, sing, listen to her MP3 player

Special Things About Lauren:

Lauren is very loving...sometimes smothering, but she just loves and accepts everyone. One time in preschool when one child was picking on another--making her sad, Lauren helped her feel better and was her special friend the entire day. She really cares about others and is compassionate. Often if someone is sad she'll try to help them feel better, even if it means giving up something she likes. She gives the sweetest hugs.

We love Lauren and are so happy that she's part of our family.

Stake Service Day

2011-11-20T08:09:00.000-08:00

In commemoration of the 75th Anniversary of the welfare program of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints our Stake held a day of service. We traveled to the little city of Ajo, AZ, less than an hour from the US Border. We spent the day pulling weeds and grooming the grounds of their local cemetery.

Alyssa's plugged in and ready to go.

Poor puppy. She wants to go too.

Sorry about the sideways picture. It's straight on my computer. Anyway, here's Dad and Hanna working.

Kamary and Hanna. The kids were really good. They all had great attitudes and helped out without complaining. I wish we could get them to do that at home with their regular chores. ;)

Dad and Alyssa. You would think that I didn't do anything but take pictures, but that's not true. :)

In the morning, the little kiddos were at the church doing some activities while the 3 older girls helped us in the cemetery.

Here we are at the church having lunch.

Dad helping Kamary over the fence. I think it was the first time our kids have ever jumped a fence-- pathetic.

After lunch the littlies came out and helped us work. Here's Lauren using the hoe.

Kohler tried out the rake.

Even Brynlie wanted to help out.

Pulling weeds out of a grave.

We were satisfied to see that the little bit we did, made a difference.

Brynlie loved all of the colorful rocks.

One of the caretakers (not really a caretaker but she maps out the cemetery and records who is buried there) took the kids around and told them about the people that were buried there. It was a great experience for them and it made it even more personal for us to be helping. There were a lot of babies there. It was sad. She told us that in the 1920s the infant mortality rate was really high. There was no refrigeration and because of the Arizona heat, the food would get spoiled and the babies and children would get sick and die. So sad.

Jason teaching the kids the "proper" way to jump a fence.

On the way home, tired but happy after a day's work! :)

It was a great experience. My kids asked me if we could do that every Saturday! I don't know about that-- but we did enjoy working together as a family.

Happy Birthday Brynlie!

2011-11-13T21:50:00.000-08:00

This past week we celebrated Brynlie's 3rd birthday! I can't believe that my baby is 3 years old! She sure has been changing. She talks all the time and has really gotten into imaginative play. She's now potty trained and wants to do everything herself. She is a joy to have in our home!

Here is a "twirly skirt" I made for her birthday.

Brynlie is obsessed with Scooby Doo and wanted a Scooby Doo cake. Here is my attempt. Luckily she's only 3 and didn't care if the decorating wasn't perfect.

A close up of the cake.

For dinner we had homemade chicken nuggets (Chick-Fil-A style) and french fries.

Lighting the candles.

Blowing out the candles. (Luckily she didn't catch her hair on fire!)

We got some Scooby Doo party blowers. Brynlie liked those more than the cake.

They look like little puppies! :0

Opening presents. Her siblings had a hard time not helping her, but really--she's 3-- she's got the opening presents thing down!

She got Strawberry Shortcake Dolls from Grandma & Grandpa Smith

Here is everyone playing with her toys. It's a good thing Brynlie likes to share.

Kamary and Brynlie are best friends. Here they are playing together.

Brynlie will walk up to you and say "Play with me?" How can anyone resist?

Here is the big teddy bear Brynlie got from Grandma and Grandpa Wheeler. She loves stuffed animals and likes to sleep with it at night.

Fun Facts about Brynlie

Favorite Color:

Pink

Favorite Movie:

Scooby Doo, Diego and Dora (going back and forth from one to the other, several times a day)

Favorite Food:

Chicken Nuggets, Fries and Mac & Cheese

Favorite Song:

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, How Much is that Doggie in the Window

Favorite Story:

Anything Princess

Favorite Activities:

Drawing on herself, Dressing up like a princess, making messes, watching TV, singing songs, playing with toys.

Favorite Friend:

Kendra (her cousin)

Kamary (her sister)

Fun Story:

Brynlie likes to wear a hooded towel and pretend she's rapunzel. She'll sing the song from Tangled while Kamary pretends to comb her "hair". It is so cute!

Other fun facts:

Brynlie always refers to herself in 3rd person. "Brynlie wants a drink."

Brynlie is extremely independant. Most of my kids are, but Brynlie is by far the most. She HAS to do everything herself. From unbuckling in the car, getting dressed, putting on her shoes, turning on the light, lifting up the potty seat, going potty, etc. Sometimes it drives Mom crazy, but she's really getting to be a big girl.

We love Brynlie so much and are so happy she's in our Family!

Happy Halloween!!

2011-11-06T16:12:00.000-08:00

We celebrated Halloween with a BANG this year.

Instead of having birthday parties this year we decided to throw a huge Halloween party for everyone. In case you're wondering-- yes we are crazy.

It was so much fun though!

We had Kohler and Lauren's party together. Here's a picture of the boys.

Here are the girls. I tried everything to get this picture to face the right way-- not happening.

I think we had a total of 24 kids at our house that night.

We split them up into groups and had different stations.

Cookie Decorating.

Pin the nose on the pumpkin.

Freeze Dance

Watching Scooby Doo.

For dinner we had mummy dogs, ranch dip in a pumpkin (pumpkin brains) and goblin fingers and toes (veggies).

To drink we had swamp water, Mary's blood and polyjuice potion.

We handed out ghost pops at the end.

We threw a separate party for the older girls.

Alyssa and some of her friends.

The big girls party. We had around 20 tweeners at our house. It was crazy loud! People said they could hear us all the way down the street. They had a lot of fun though.

Cookie Decorating

For dinner we had bloodied bats, bat droppings (chocolate fondue) and goblin fingers and toes, witches wands, fingernails of a hag and ghost droppings (stuff to dip in the fondue). We also had spider ice cubes where I froze spider rings in the ice.

Kamary and some of her friends

Playing murder in the dark. I loved this as a teenager.

We were going to have a separate movie night for Hanna and her friends, but she ended up getting really sick and we had to cancel it. :( We'll have to reschedule sometime, maybe for Christmas.

Jason was a great husband and help during the parties. I could feel myself getting tense during the big kids party and Jason would be there to help me chill out. Then he would get tense at the little kids party and I would help him chill out. Together we made it possible without going insane.

After that the kids had a Halloween party at school and we had a Halloween party at our church.

This year Alyssa was a Karate Kid. Lauren was Rapunzel from Tangled, but she didn't want the long hair (less work for me) and Kohler was Batman. I really like how Lauren's costume turned out. I did eyelets for the first time. I was pretty nervous but they're easy. I think it added to her costume.

Hanna was Draculaura (from Monster High) and Kamary was a spy. Kamary came up with her own costume and her own props. I had no part in it-- very nice.

Brynlie was our cute little witch and stole the hearts of all who saw her.

This year at our church instead of doing a trunk-or-treat, everyone decorated rooms and the kids went trick-or-treating inside the building. It was a lot of fun.

I went a long time without dressing up, but the past couple of years I've wanted to dress up. This year I was a pirate (in honor of my pirate novel I'm writing).

I'm trying to give an evil eye. It's not working out too well.

On Halloween night we watched a scary movie. I thought everyone looked so cute lined up on the couch.

More movie watching

Usually Kohler and Lauren fight like crazy. I thought this was so cute with them cuddled up to each other. I guess they do love each other--sometimes.

Again with the side pictures-- grr. Here is everyone carving pumpkins. It's kind of nice because my older kids could help the younger ones and it was very low maintainance for me.

more carving

The finished product. Some were pretty massacred.

I love Halloween in Arizona. The weather is always perfect and people really get into it. Houses are decorated and people are out in their driveways with a firepit and their candy. It's a very social thing going trick-or-treating in AZ. This year I took Hanna, Alyssa, Lauren and Brynlie. Kamary was "too big" to go this year and Kohler got in trouble earlier in the day. :( I really don't feel bad for him missing out because he's been to so many parties. It was good though for him and the others to see that I follow through on my threats.

Here was a particularly creepy house and its owner (behind us).

One house built a pirate ship in their driveway-- so fun! They had a cannon that shot out tootsie rolls, sound effects and fireworks. They were all dressed like pirates. I felt like I fit right in! :)

The kids had to "Walk the Plank" to get their candy out of the treasure chest. Hanna was the only one that braved it. The rest of the kids just gathered tootsie rolls after the cannon shot them out.

After trick-or-treating we came home and had our tradition of Soup in a Pumpkin. Yummy.

To top off the night we had carmel apples.

It was a crazy busy month but we had a great time celebrating.

Now to welcome November!!

Girls Day Out and other Randomness

2011-08-21T07:58:00.000-07:00

Right before school started, I took the girls to the Hale Centre Theater's production of Pinocchio. It's become a yearly tradition for us. We left in plenty of time to get there, but we got caught in some traffic due to construction. It seemed like every turn I tried to make, to avoid traffic just ended up taking us further from our destination.

We ended up getting to the theater 20 minutes late. I was so mad! That is a big pet peeve of mine, probably from all my years of performing. It is rude to be late! Anyway, the usher led us to our seats. As we were walking down the hallway, Hanna had a seizure. The usher took the other kids to their seats and Hanna and I stayed in the lobby while she slept. By intermission, she was feeling better and was able to catch the last part of the show.

Although we were disappointed that we missed so much of the play, I feel like it was a blessing that we were late. If we had arrived even one minute before, Hanna would have had a seizure right in the middle of the theater. The theater is in-the-round and very cozy. Her seizure would have made a major interruption.

After the show, we can meet and talk with the cast. Here are some pictures...(Kamary was "too old" to get her picture taken with the cast). :)

After the play, I took the kids out to lunch at Neilson's Frozen Custard. It has a great 50's diner feel and some seriously yummy food, including Fry Sauce!

We also did a little school shopping. Hanna had another seizure in Target, so we ended up going home. Even with her seizure's I think she and the others enjoyed themselves for our last Summer Girls Day Out.

Now to some randomness...

One morning, the girls were playing dress up. I thought they made quite a sight (somehow having underwear on your head gives you extra super powers--in case you didn't know)!

One day I was cooking in the crock pot. I stuck the crock pot on the stove and instead of plugging it in, I accidently turned the stove on (I really don't know what I was thinking). It melted all the plastic off the chord and started a fire. We got the fire out quickly but the house smelled like burned plastic. Yuck! We opened all of the windows to air it out, but the kids walked around like this for a while! Woops.

Double Posts!

2011-08-07T20:22:00.000-07:00

I wrote 2 posts today. One about our trip to California and one about Kamary's birthday. My blog is only showing the CA one (probably because I had so many pictures) so to read about Kamary's birthday go to the blog archive for August. It's called 11 going on 15! Enjoy!

CALIFORNIA, HERE WE COME!

2011-08-07T20:16:00.000-07:00

For our summer vacation, we headed down to San Diego. One of the biggest perks is that it's only 5 hours away! :) This blog is full of pictures (because I like pictures). Some are sideways though and I can't figure out why or how to change it. Sorry. It bugs me when people's pictures are sideways, but....hope you enjoy anyway!

We have a favorite campground in Escondido called Woods Valley Kampground which is 20 miles or so north of San Diego. This campground is in the mountains, but still close to everything. It has a pool, showers, farm, duck pond with fishing, play areas and lots of places to explore. This is the third time we've been there and it lets us enjoy not only camping but San Diego without expensive hotels.

Tree Huggers!

Brynlie just chillin'.

Hanna just chillin'. This is her camping fashion (wearing the hat backwards).

There were lots of climbing trees around.

My little monkey.

Here's our 3 bedroom tent. It had room for all of us plus some! Loved it!

Hanging at the campsite.

This is what we call the "River Bottoms". A nickname Hanna gave it the first time we were here. There's a lot of woods and places to explore. The kids can wander all around without us having to worry about them.

Another monkey!

Getting ready for a swim!

Getting a little crazy with the roasting sticks!

We forgot our camp stove so we ended up cooking over the fire. It actually was a lot of fun!

Kamary is the queen roaster. If there is something to roast over the fire, she'll do it! This is some roasted turkey lunch meat.

We brought our walkie talkies. Lauren and Kohler are trying to figure it out.

Playing in the dirt. A must when you're camping.

He figured it out! 10-4!

We went to the beach while we were there. It was windy and overcast, but the water felt nice and we had a great time.

My kids were not afraid of the water!

Lauren playing in the waves.

Sideways picture- grr. Alyssa boogie boarding!

More boogie boarding!

Brynlie decided to take a nap.

Sweet girl.

It's a little blurry but I love the look on Alyssa's face!

Look what washed into shore.

Playing in the sand.

Counting seashells.

Searching for seashells.

Alyssa took a nap too.

These are sideways, but I love these pictures so I had to include them.

While we were in San Diego we went to the Maritime Museum on Harbour Blvd. The museum is on several historical ships. I love old sail boats so I was just as giddy as the kids.

Another sideways picture, grrr. Here we are on the Star of India. It was built during the civil war and is the oldest ship that still holds a regular sailing schedule. VERY COOL!

Hanna on the Star of India's deck, looking out at the other ships.

Lauren is swabbing the deck.

Brynlie and Alyssa waiting to go to the upper deck.

I love this picture!! Kohler looking at a submarine out the ship's window.

Trying to steer the ship.

This is a different ship. It was used in the movie Master and Commander with Russell Crowe and it was also used in the latest Pirates of the Caribbean movie (On Stranger Tides).

This was an old Russian submarine. Both Kamary and I decided we could never live in one of these. Talk about claustrophobia!

Brynlie watching the ships go by.

Looking through the telescope or periscope or whatever they call it. You can see Harbour Blvd.

Here are the kids in front of the Star of India.

Of course after exploring sailing ships, you have to have seafood! Here are the kids waiting for lunch.

After going to the museum we headed over to the new Mormon Battalion Visitor Center.

Where did these crazy kids come from?

They took us on a tour of the Visitor Center. It was so much fun! It was interactive with different scenic rooms-- all geared toward kids.

In this room the kids got to dress up like Battalion members. The kids were entertained the entire time and we learned things about the Mormon Battalion we never knew. It was a great experience.

Panning for gold.

Lauren is doing some laundry. I'm very grateful for my washing machine.

Hanna's building a pyramid with the bricks.

This is one of the sister missionaries that took us through the tour. It turns out her uncle is the Mission President in Toronto Canada where my parents are serving their mission. It really is a small world.

They took our family picture with an "old fashioned" camera. They also had a lot of interactive games and stuff. It was a great visit!!

We had a great vacation and of course the best thing was spending time together. After four fun filled days we headed back to the heat of Arizona and our doggies. We missed our doggies, not so much the heat.

Back to real life.

11 going on 15!

2011-08-07T19:08:00.000-07:00

Kamary celebrated her birthday a few weeks ago. Even though she turned 11, she says that she's mature for her age and feels like she's 15. She's too old for Disney shows, too old for Primary, too cool for anything that might seem cheesy or childish and she is the queen of rolling her eyes. Luckily for me, she still thinks I'm cool (although all I have to do is start to dance and she hides in embarrassment).

Kamary planned her birthday party. She was very particular about everything. This by far was the longest birthday party we've ever had (4 hours) but for Kamary it wasn't long enough. She loves getting together with her friends.

We had pizza for dinner. Little Caesar's is Kamary's favorite.

We painted nails and beaded bookmarks.

Here is Kamary opening presents. She got some good stuff including a fashion sketch book, art supplies, a stuffed animal, fingernail polish, a gift certificate to Claire's and Barbies. Her friends know her well.

Kamary was so excited for her friends to meet Minnie. She had been telling them all about her at school.

For cake, they decorated their own cupcakes with food color pens. I'm not sure it turned out that well, but they look like they're having fun.

Crazy Kids!

Here's the group: Emily, Kylee, Hailey, Sarah, Kamary and Brianna. Of course one of the best activities was just sitting in Kamary's room listening to music. Can you say tween?

For her actual birthday we had cheesecake and Dad's BBQ Chicken. We also played games together. For her birthday she got a gift card to Hobby Lobby, clothes, a CD, and a small video camera.

Blowing out the Candles.

Kamary is extremely unique. There really is no one like her! She thinks outside the box and we are so glad she's in our family.

Fun Facts

Favorite Color: White (because it encompasses all of the colors)

Favorite Food: Dad's Marinated BBQ Chicken

Favorite Singer: Selena Gomez

Favorite Song: Outlaw (by Selena Gomez)

Favorite Movie: Couldn't say

Favorite TV Show: She loves Disney sitcoms like Sonny with a Chance

Favorite School Subject: Art

What she wants to be when she grows up: A Modest Fashion Designer

Talents: Playing with her younger siblings--she is a great babysitter! Kamary can take a person's junk and turn it into a treasure! She's the family police and makes sure that everyone is doing what they should. She's really good at fashion design and is an amazing creative thinker!

Favorite activities: Listening to music, playing with the dogs, designing fashion and make-up/hair for Barbies, Writing Agent Sam stories, Being with friends.

Something Special: Kamary really tries to obey the commandments and do what is right. When she got her Selena Gomez CD, she went through all the lyrics and made sure they were appropriate. There were 3 songs she didn't put on her MP3 player because they used the "d" word. I'm really proud of Kamary for making such good choices on her own.

ANWA Retreat!

2011-07-17T14:23:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone, I made a post about my experience at the ANWA writer's retreat this past week. It's on my other blog... http://myliteraryescape.blogspot.com/

Check it out!

Jason rolls down the hill!

2011-07-10T22:20:00.000-07:00

Well, Jason is now over the hill and rolling downward as we celebrated his 41st birthday a few weeks ago.

Here are some fun pics.

Getting ready for the party.

Jason the King!

Lighting the candles.

Even after these years, he still blew them out in one try.

For dinner we had a full blown turkey dinner with all the fixings. Instead of pumpkin pie though, we had cheesecake (a birthday tradition).

For his birthday he got money (with which he bought drum accessories), a book on tape, the game Taboo and a CD (he teased me...saying that I really got the CD for me--which might be true, but in my defense I really did think he'd like it).

I usually spotlight my kids for their birthdays so I'll do the same for Jason

Fun Facts

Favorite Food: Lobster and King Crab

Favorite Color: Green

Favorite Activity: Drumming

Favorite Movie: What About Bob

Favorite TV Show: Whose Line is it Anyway (when it's clean)

Favorite Band: Chick Corea Electric Band

What He Does in His Spare Time: Nap, Watch Movies

When He Grows Up, He Wants To Be: A Studio Drummer

A Special Talent: Working with people, playing complex rhythms with his teeth, and making people laugh

If He Could Live Anywhere: His very own Island

4th of July!

2011-07-10T21:46:00.000-07:00

We love the 4th of July! We celebrated by listening to patriotic music, watching documentaries and movies about America, making sugar cookies, having a BBQ and of course...fireworks! This year was really fun because Kamary learned about the Revolutionary War in school this year so celebrating July 4th took on a whole new meaning for her.

Here are some of our patriotic cookies.

More patriotic cookies.

We started our morning with a pancake breakfast at the church.

They had water games outside to keep nice and cool.

Here are Lauren, Brynlie, Alyssa & Kohler playing outside.

The kids are lining up for the parade. Kamary was a candy thrower.

Lauren carried the flag during the parade.

Even though the water games were for the kids, the "big boys" had the most fun, starting a huge water fight.

Alyssa, my tree climber.

Here is a game we played with the guys on one side...

...and the kids on the other.

The kids had to transfer water from a cup on their head to a water bottle on the adult's head. Most of the water ran down their faces instead of reaching the water bottle.

The end result of the water fight. I even got wet (a little).

These were our 4th of July cupcakes we made.

After the pancake breakfast we went swimming with Jason's sister, Charlene and her family and then had a BBQ. At night we went to the park and watched the fireworks. There were some fireworks that exploded into smiley faces. It was a fun day.

This is a random picture but I thought it worked well here. Over the summer, Kamary wanted to have fun with her hair so we gave her a blue stripe in. It should wash out by the time school starts.

She really likes it. She thinks it makes her look like a rockstar! :)

Happy Father's Day!

2011-06-19T15:30:00.000-07:00

I was blessed to have a wonderful father. So, since it's 2011, I thought I'd share 11 reasons why my dad is great!

1- My dad is a great example of learning. He finds something he's interested in and learns all about it.

2- My dad is a people person. He's not afraid to walk up to a complete stranger and start talking to them.

3- My dad is a righteous man. He is such a great example of one who serves the Lord.

4- My dad is a funny man. He is the world's best punster and although I roll my eyes, it's endearing.

5- My dad loves the outdoors. I love camping and hiking with him.

6- My dad loves children. My kids feel his love for them whenever we're together.

7- My dad is a hard worker. He spends many hours helping my mom around the house.

8- My dad is an explorer. He loves to travel and experience the world around him.

9- My dad is a peacemaker. He tries to keep family relations close.

10- My dad is a worthy priesthood holder. I have benifited from many father's blessings.

11- My dad is insightful. He always seem to know what's best for me.

As you can see, I have the most wonderful father EVER! I love you Dad!!

14 years to forever!

2011-06-12T17:16:00.000-07:00

Today, Jason and I are celebrating our 14 year anniversary.

In some ways I feel like I've been married forever. In other ways the time has completely flown. I look back at our pictures and think, "We were so young...and naive." We really didn't know each other at all! Now here we are 14 years later...with 6 kids, 2 dogs, a lot of bills and even more love. It's been a crazy roller coaster ride with lots of ups and downs. Of course no one wants to focus on the downs, so...I'm going to write a favorite memory from each year that we've been married. Warning: this could get kind of sappy. : )

1- The look! You know...the look that Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy gives to Elizabeth Bennett. The look that makes women swoon...Well, I remember getting ready for the reception on our wedding day by playing the piano and I turned around to see Jason, giving me "the look". That moment is burned into my memory.

2- This was the year that our roles were reversed. Jason played Mr. Mom, while I went to work at my internship all day. I was thankful that he gave up that year of his education so I could finish and graduate. It's one of many times that he has given up his time so that I could pursue my hobbies and ambitions. Not all men would do that!

3-This is when Jason and I started reading the Harry Potter books together. It was a journey that we shared together for many years...all the way until the end of book 7.

4- This year, we would take off for a weekend and go to New York City, or Washington DC. It was a very free and spontaneous time in our lives and we had a lot of adventures. This is when we took our two kids and climbed the spiral staircase of the Statue of Liberty to her crown at the very top. We shed some serious sweat and prayers, hoping we would get back down in one piece (terrifying). Now...it's a great memory.

5-This year we had our own little vacation, just the two of us. We left the kids with Grandma and went to the Nauvoo, Illinois temple dedication. We also wandered around Hannibal, MO (Mark Twain's hometown). It was great to have time with just the two of us.

6-This year, our daughter Alyssa was born. We were both very emotional during this time and whenever the song "Arms Wide Open" from Creed came on, we'd both get teary eyed.

7- This year, we played in a garage band together...well more like a living room band. Jason played drums, I played bass and friends from our ward played guitar and keyboard. It was a fun thing to do together.

8- This was the year that we moved into our very own home (still a rental, but not an apartment). We made so many great friends in this ward and I felt like we grew closer together as a couple.

9- This year, Jason sang to me on Valentine's Day. He sang "Now and Forever" by Richard Marx. That is now our official song and I will never hear that song again without thinking about Jason. His singing makes me melt (especially when he's singing to me).

10-This is the year that we got our first dog. Jason had a friend from work giving away free puppies. We went over there and picked out Rosie. She only stayed with us for a year and a half but even now, Lauren (who was just a baby at the time) talks about Rosie and how much she misses her.

11- This is the year we moved to Maricopa (and we're still here which is amazing). Soon after we moved here, Jason got called to be the Elders Quorum President in our ward. I was so proud of him that his life was worthy to hold the priesthood and serve the Lord in this calling.

12- We bought our very first home! It was an amazing accomplishment, something we had looked forward to for so long. I love when Jason comes home from work and gives me a big hug. It makes all the stress from the day just slip away.

13- One night, after the kids went to bed, we headed outside and looked at the stars. Jason showed me several star constellations and we looked through our telescope. It was one of the best dates ever.

14- We went out on the town one night (it doesn't happen very often) to a Pat Metheny concert. I didn't even know who he was. But being together just the two of us and having Jason hold my hand or rub my back during the concert...I felt like we were falling in love all over again (sappy maybe, but true).

As I look into the future to the next 14 years, I wonder what our life will be like. Hanna will be 27, Kamary 24, Alyssa 22, Kohler 20, Lauren 18 and Brynlie 16. Yikes! I could be a Grandma! If it goes as fast as these past 14 years did...I better brace myself!

Happy Anniversary, Jason! I love you!!

New Addition!

2011-06-05T15:08:00.000-07:00

We have a new addition to our family!

She's a Chiuaua/Maltese mix. Her owners gave her the name of Jessica but we'll probably change it. We just can't agree on the name. So far we have Jesse, Jessita, Daisy, Droplet, Blossom, Little Smokie....

She's pretty feisty and holds her own with Minnie. (Sorry about the blurry picture. It's hard to get 2 dogs to hold still for a picture).

They actually have a lot of fun together and Minnie is very gentle with her.

Just because of her size she gets privledges that poor Minnie doesn't. I mean a 120 lb. dog just can't fit into our bed or laps.

She's full of energy and snuggles. We love to having her in our family!

Kamary's Got Talent!

2011-06-05T10:20:00.000-07:00

This past week Kamary participated in the school talent show. I was very proud of her for facing her fears by trying out and then following through by performing in the talent show, even though she felt a little insecure and nervous about singing in front of people. She did a great job and I think it was a positive experience for her.

There was a technical difficulty and I couldn't upload the video of Kamary singing. I'm going to try again later...so stay tuned.

Elder and Sister Wheeler

2011-05-29T09:52:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I went to Utah to see my parents off on their mission to Toronto Canada, Portuguese Speaking. It was a great and spiritual weekend-- not just because I left my kids home in AZ. ;)

On Saturday we were able to go to the temple together. That was a neat experience to be there with them. Then Saturday evening they took me to the Gaucho Grill-- a Brazilian restaurant. It was a lot of fun to try all the different roasted meats and my dad was able to speak Portuguese with the waitress.

On Sunday my parents spoke in Sacrament Meeting. I surprised them with a special musical number. I arranged a piano solo of 2 of their favorite hymns-- "More Holiness Give Me and How Great Thou Art"-- and "I'll Go Where You Want Me to Go". My mom spoke about how the Lord has guided her life and love of music. I really enjoyed hearing about her life experiences and it made me think about how the Lord has guided me in my life. My dad spoke about what makes my mom the perfect missionary companion. It was a great tribute to her. I've really been blessed with such great parents. They are such wonderful examples of true Latter Day Saints. I hope that I can be like them someday.

Here we are after church. It was very strange to be in my home ward again, but it was fun to see everyone.

A lady in the ward made my parents these beautiful leis.

After church we came home for a luncheon. It was fun to chat with my Aunts and Cousins. The Stake President came over to set them apart as missionaries. We had a great meeting where we sang "Called to Serve" and had a testimony meeting. They were given some amazing blessings as they were set apart as missionaries. The Spirit was so strong and I know that the Lord wants them in Canada right now. A special thanks to Jason for handling the kids for 3 1/2 days so that I could be there with them. I am grateful for the experience and it has strengthened my resolve to grow closer to the Savior.

Here is a picture of my parents in the MTC as official missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I'm so proud of them!

Kindergarten Graduation!

2011-05-29T09:02:00.000-07:00

This past week we celebrated Kohler's Kindergarten Graduation. We were able to use the school's brand new Multipurpose room! We are so excited for the new building!

The kids were so cute. I really love Kindergarten age. They are so excited about life and learning.

Here are Lauren and Brynlie waiting for the ceremony to start

Kohler in his seat. He's such a Ham!

Waiting to get his diploma

Kohler and Ashlyn Sneider. He claims adamantly that she is NOT his girlfriend. :)

Kohler and Brynlie

Getting his diploma. I was bummed because I had the camera ready to get the perfect shot of the hand shake with the principal but the flash caused a delay, so this is the shot I got.

Hail the conquering graduate

The after graduation class party!

Here is Kohler with his teacher, Ms. Sermeno. She is so great! This year Kohler learned to be a leader and has discovered several talents. He's also a good reader.

Kohler, Alyssa, Brynlie and Lauren outside of the school. Next year they get to be in the new building! Yipee!

Hiking South Mountain

2011-05-22T16:13:00.000-07:00

While my parents were here in February we decided to hike South Mountain. It's not quite like hiking in Utah. It's actually very hot, sunny and dusty. But I guess hiking in Arizona can be an interesting experience. The scenery is different anyway.

Here we are at the trailhead

Grandma, Brynlie & Lauren on the trail

Hiking up the hill

Here we are at a rest stop

Lauren taking a rest

Brynlie had some help but did really well for a 2 year old

Lauren & Grandma

Brynlie and Lauren posing on a rock

We climbed up the top of the mountain (more like a large hill)

I was really suprised at how well the kids did. We hiked for about 2 hours.

My dad reminded me of Gandalf with his tall walking stick

I love this picture. Jason's looking out on the Phoenix Valley trying to see if he can spot his work. Brynlie makes this cute face a lot.

Resting again

Having a little snack

Brynlie didn't like the pretzels.

We had a fun time. It was nice to get out and enjoy nature, even if it is dry and dusty nature. :)

Bowling

2011-05-22T15:48:00.000-07:00

I'm a little behind on my blogging and I'm waiting to get pictures before I blog about me weekend in Utah. So, in the meantime I thought I'd post about some fun things that we did when my parents came to visit last February for Alyssa's baptism and Hanna's birthday.

Hanna wanted to go bowling for her birthday. It was most of the kids' first time. At first they were not quite sure about it, but in the end I think they all had a good time.

More Pics.for Mother's Day!

2011-05-08T22:54:00.000-07:00

Since it's mother's day, I thought I'd post some more pics of my cuties!

Kamary...

Hanna...

Alyssa...

We're getting Lauren & Kohler's done this month so I'll post them when we get them.

Being a mother is very challenging, but I am so blessed to have such wonderful children. They really have the most unique personalities and it is so fun to watch them learn and grow. They are all very sweet and good kids, trying their best to do what's right. I love my kids-- truly they are a great treasure!

Happy Birthday to Me!

2011-05-01T19:41:00.000-07:00

Since we have a big family we try to make birthdays a special day where that family member feels special and loved. And Mother is no different! I woke up to sweet Happy Birthday wishes. I received a lot of drawn pictures, homemade jewelry and hugs. Too bad my kids didn't get the memo--no fighting or whining on Mom's birthday. But they were very thoughtful and sweet (for the most part).

I had my daughters take a birthday picture of me. Not the best quality or the best picture of me, but here it is...

My kids helped me make German Pancakes with strawberries and vanilla pudding for breakfast and my hubby has been SO good to me. He made my birthday Black Forest Cherry Pie. Yum.

He also made Chicken Parmigiana for dinner. On Friday for my present he took me to the Sea Life Aquarium here in Tempe and then I went to see The King's Speech with my Sister-in-law. It really was a great day. My parents gave me some money and so I'm getting a Kindle (one that really works). I'm excited about that!

I usually spotlight my kids on their Birthday so they can see how they've changed. I'm probably set in my ways by now, but I thought I'd do the same thing. So here goes...

Fun Facts

Favorite Color

Blue

Favorite Book

Harry Potter Series is my ultimate fav but I also love a good clean romance

Favorite Movie

Pride & Prejudice (with Colin Firth--I'm not ashamed)

Favorite Food

Hmmm...that's a hard one. Probably a good old fashioned Thanksgiving dinner

Favorite Sport

Figure Skating

Favorite Scripture Story

Joseph in Egypt

Favorite Song

I have too many to choose a favorite, but right now I'm on a Mozart kick-- he composed some of the most beautiful melodies.

Favorite Band

Rascal Flatts

Favorite TV Show

American Idol. It's really the only show I watch.

Hobbies

Reading, Writing, Reading some more, sewing, and music.

Dreams

I still have a list of places I'd like to visit: China, Hawaii, Egypt, Greece, Portugal to name a few. I love the ocean. I'd like to learn how to scuba dive and explore the Cayman Islands, Florida Keyes and anywhere else that marine life are found. I'd love a Victorian Cottage along the beach...Cape May, New Jersey comes to mind. Or maybe a house in the country where I walk outside and take in the beautiful nature scene of green trees, wildflowers and maybe a mountain spring nearby. Ahhhh.

What I want to be when I grow up

Besides my main job of being a mother, I'd like to teach Preschool or Kindergarten, get a MFA (Masters of Fine Arts) in music composition and creative writing.

The thing I love most (besides my family of course)

Silence (probably because I don't get much of it) :)

Trading Perks.

2011-05-01T18:54:00.000-07:00

I love trading services. It's a great way to provide things for your family, even during tough financial times. For the past several years I've been trading clarinet lessons for family pictures with my friend Beth. Her photography blog is photosbyejrussell.blogspot.com (hint hint).

Anyway, each year she takes portraits of the kids. Here are some of the latest ones of Brynlie...

She is definitely our little angel (when she's not acting like a 2 year old)!

Happy Easter!

2011-05-01T17:40:00.000-07:00

We had a nice Easter just being together as a family. We had a nice dinner, an egg hunt and dyed hard boiled eggs. It was a busy day, but nice. Since Easter was so late this year, I decided to sew dresses for all the girls.

The weather was mild but very windy.

Here is a picture inside the house (it was hard to get the kids to hold still-- probably because they were hopped up on so much sugar).

We had a little Easter miracle this year. We visited the Easter Pageant at the Mesa LDS Temple and while we were waiting for the production to start, Brynlie wandered off. There were hundreds, maybe a few thousand people in attendance. We had no idea where to find her. So I said a prayer and started walking around, trying to follow my heart of where I should go. I didn't know that the flagpole was the "designated" spot to find lost children, but that's where I ended up walking. An Usher had Brynlie and as I walked by, Brynlie saw me and started calling out to me. Soon the Usher caught up with me and Brynlie was back in my arms! The whole thing took about 5 minutes. I'm very thankful for prayer, the Holy Ghost and our Easter miracle.

Alyssa becomes perfect!

2011-04-10T16:26:00.000-07:00

Alyssa got baptized a couple of months ago. I love to see my children grow in their testimonies of the gospel. We've had a lot of great spiritual discussions with Alyssa. She was a little nervous that Dad would drop her, so we had some practice sessions just in case. Of course everything went great-- he didn't drop her and she didn't drown. She just came up out of the water, perfect. :)

Here is Dad & Alyssa, all dressed and ready to go.

When this picture was taken, Alyssa was one of the most perfect people on earth! Not a single blemish!

Some kids after they are baptized try super hard to stay perfect and then are devastated when they make a mistake. Not Alyssa, later on during the day she happily informed me that she hadn't had to repent very much that day (just a little)! :) Way to go, Alyssa!

Here is everyone at the baptism. It was a great service and I really felt the spirit. Alyssa is a special daughter and she has a special spirit about her. She was so happy to get baptized she wanted to go and do it again!

Here we are with Alyssa. Grandma & Grandpa Wheeler gave her the beautiful white dress. Grandma & Grandpa Smith gave her a new set of scriptures with her name on it! She treasures both!

Here we are...the whole clan. I can't believe how fast time flies. It's pretty cliche, but I really feel like my kids are growing up right before my eyes. The years just fly by so fast and before I know it, they will be gone. :(

Here's Alyssa with both sets of Grandparents. They sure love her and we do too!

Happy Birthday Hanna!

2011-04-10T15:53:00.000-07:00

Well, it's official...I'm the parent of a teenager. Hanna turned 13 a couple of months ago. It's actually a strange feeling because I remember turning 13 and telling myself, "Yeah, I'm finally a teenager!"

She's definitely excited about being a teenager and has this strange notion that she can do whatever she wants. Little does she know...;)

We had a birthday party for Hanna this year. She wanted to have a movie night. I was kind of stressing about it because I wanted it to be fun and appropriate without being childish. I think it turned out great.

Here's Hanna getting the snack table ready. She chose all the snacks herself. She had popcorn (of course), wedding punch, hot lime cheetos, potato chips with onion dip, snack size candy bars and chips and salsa. It was a hit! The girls plowed through them pretty quickly.

When the kids arrived we played a celebrity game where I placed stars on their back with movie character's names (like Harry Potter) and they had to guess who they were.

Watching the movie-- Galaxy Quest

Party Favors. Inside was microwave popcorn and a box of movie theater candy.

After the movie we had Hanna open her presents. It was really late at night and it took a LONG time because Hanna was so tired, but her friends knew her well and gave her some great stuff. She really liked it.

Having cake and ice cream at 10:00 pm. You can only get away with that as a teenager right? ;)

The Girls (from L to R): Hannah, Hope, McKenna, Marie, Sierra, Kassandra & Hanna. I'm really glad that Hanna goes to school with such a great group of girls.

While waiting for parents to arrive, they played Apples to Apples, one of Hanna's favorite games.

I felt like the party went really well (I worried for nothing) and Hanna had a great time. Even Kamary gave her stamp of approval saying that it was a cool party.

Grandma & Grandpa Wheeler were able to come down and be with us for Hanna's actual birthday! She was happy that they could celebrate this milestone with her-- after all, you don't become a teenager every day!

Look at all those candles! She chose to have cheesecake because she's too old for cutsie cakes.

She didn't quite get them in all one breath-- she must be getting old!

Here she is opening presents. She got an MP3 player, some CDs, bath & body stuff, a Build-a-Bear and some puzzles. She also found roses and balloons in her room when she got home from school.

Hanna keeps asking us why we're not as excited as she is at becoming a teenager. Well, we have our reasons...but Hanna is a great kid and makes a lot of great choices. We're really happy that she is in our family...teenager or not. :)

Fun Facts

Favorite Color

It was red for years and years. Now it depends on the day. Right now she likes purple and black.

Favorite Food

Right now she's on a jalepeno and Hot Lime Cheeto kick, she also likes KFC

Favorite Movie

Her all time favorite is the Incredible Hulk, although she likes a lot of different movies

Favorite Book

She just finished Peter Pan and the Shadowthieves and is reading Guardians of Gahoole. She's likes books full of adventure.

Favorite Activity

Art and Painting. She's always looking at pictures and things that she can paint. She has to earn money for her church's Girls Camp this year and has decided to paint pictures and have a fundraiser art show. It should be great!

Favorite Sport

Soccer

Favorite Song

Breakaway by Kelly Clarkson. She also likes movie sountracks.

Favorite School Subject

Art & Reading

Other activities

Going to the Zoo, Watching movies, Playing the flute. She loves to try new things. She's always looking for an adventure.

What she wants to be when she grows up

A Zookeeper or an Explorer that travels the world observing and painting animals.

Something Special about Hanna

Hanna has read the entire Book of Mormon by herself, just finished the Doctrine and Covenants and is half way through the Pearl of Great Price. She just reads a little each night and pretty soon she's read the entire thing. She's a great example. Also, as she tries to deal with her seizures she has increased her testimony in prayer, faith and patience. We sure love Hanna for all the wonderful things she brings to our family.

The Adventures of Kohler the Shark Boy

2011-04-03T11:57:00.000-07:00

Kohler came running up and enthusiastically showed us his first loose teeth! Woo Hoo. When we looked in his mouth, we got a surprise.

He had 2 rows of teeth! His bottom teeth were very impatient and decided to come in behind. The crazy thing is that he had seen the dentist 3 times in the past 3 weeks for check-ups and to fill cavities. They never said a word. I've brushed his teeth so many times and never even noticed. What a crazy surprise! So we've been calling him Shark Boy ever since.

I'm guessing this one will need braces.

Spring Break

2011-04-03T11:37:00.000-07:00

We headed up north to the cold Utah weather for spring break. It had been at least 8 months since we visited family in Utah so we were very excited. It was also exciting to pull out our long sleeved shirts and pants. We're not quite ready for the Arizona summer heat and the kids were very excited to see snow.

I'm thankful for Netflix for helping to entertain the kids while I finished packing.

On our way to Grandma & Grandpa's we stopped at Temple Square in Salt Lake City. We saw a miniature replica of the Salt Lake Temple. Jason and Kamary were in heaven! They both love miniatures. The kids loved the fountains.

Here is proof-- Hanna and Kamary do love each other (at least sometimes).

Brynlie loved the water and the fountain.

It was fun to see the spring flowers just starting to peek up out of the ground.

It was such a beautiful day and the kids really loved Temple Square. In fact Kohler announced to everyone that he loved Sundays and Temple Square. He wants to live there.

Smelling the spring flowers.

Hanna thought this flower smelled like Root Beer. Weird.

After Temple Square we headed to the Museum of Church History where they had a great hands on exhibit for the kids.

Brynlie is planting a garden.

Kohler and Lauren are preparing a huge feast to feed the missionaries.

Hanna loved looking at the artifacts from previous prophets. The museum had things like a lock of Brigham Young's hair, eyeglasses and special mementos.

She really loved the replica of the angel Moroni found on top of the LDS Temples.

Brynlie got to dress up and dance a Mexican dance.

I've been doing a fitness challenge the past several weeks and the last week of the challenge landed during Spring Break. My final challenge was to walk a 10K. My parents were very supportive. My dad mapped it out and they both walked it with me. It ended up being 10.5K and it was a beautiful morning. I loved walking along the mountains. Thanks Mom & Dad.

After playing hard, Brynlie fell asleep.

This is my "after" picture having finished the challenge. Overall I lost 15 lbs and these clothes I'm wearing were too tight to wear before. Even though I have more to lose, it feels good and motivates me that it can be done.

During our stay, we went to the Hill Air Force Base Museum. Here Brynlie is trying out an ejection seat from a plane.

Pilot in training.

Here is true science at work.

Alyssa looks great in her pilot hat.

Alyssa & Lauren are trying their hand at flying a plane. It's a flight simulator so if they look out the window, they really feel like they're flying.

Here are the kids in front of a replica of the Wright Brothers' first plane. Everyone was getting pretty grumpy so here is our grumpy picture.

And then this is supposed to be our happy picture.

I thought it was a lot of fun looking at all the planes and helicopters, although Kamary felt it was wrong for us to enjoy the museum because all of the planes were used in war. Kamary is our little tree hugger.

Here's Hanna in front of some missiles. I got this shot because now she's a teenager and emotionally like a missile (she could blow at anytime). Really, Hanna is a good teenager and pretty cooperative. She has her moments, but don't we all?

It was a great Spring Break. We all had a great time visiting family and just being together without the stresses of life.

New Blog!

2011-02-02T13:58:00.000-08:00

I just started a new reading/writing blog. I'll review books I've read and blog about my writing journey. My first real post is a review of 2 books I just finished.

Check it out- http://myliteraryescape.blogspot.com/

Total Randomness!

2011-01-30T19:24:00.000-08:00

Here are some pictures of random happenings in the Smith household.

My neighbors and I just started a preschool co-op where each woman takes turns holding preschool in their home. Last week we took a field trip to the fire station. It was a lot of fun.

The firefighter was showing the kids what he looks like with his gear so they won't be afraid.

Then they got to try on his hat.

It was pretty heavy. Brynlie started swaying a little. :)

Here is everyone in front of the fire truck.

The kids got to try working out like a firefighter, except in this case I think he got more of a workout than they did!

Here's Brynlie's try at pull ups.

Lauren wanted to listen to my ipod. This is how I found her. :)

This is a common occurrence on Sundays. We have church right in the middle of the day so Brynlie misses her nap.

Alyssa had this loose tooth that she couldn't or a least didn't dare to pull out. One day her and Kamary were fighting and she tried to bite Kamary! Pop-out went the tooth!

Here is a sweet picture of Lauren and Minnie.

Life is crazy, but we love to catch these special moments! :)

Happy Birthday Alyssa!

2011-01-23T16:48:00.000-08:00

Last week we celebrated Alyssa's 8th birthday! I know I say this all the time, but I really can't believe that she is already that old! Those 8 years flew by!!

Alyssa wanted a pirate ship cake for her birthday this year.

Ready to open presents

Alyssa loved all of her presents. She got a zhu zhu pet and legos from Grandma & Grandpa Smith. She also got a game and bath set.

Unfortunately her cake got shipwrecked and broke in half.

She still blew out the cannon candles

Cake & Ice Cream

Brynlie sure had a good time

Grandma & Grandpa Wheeler gave Alyssa a gift card to Build-a-Bear Workshop. This is what she got. Her puppy's name is Fluffy.

Alyssa loves to play games and have races, so we thought a Minute to Win It birthday party was the perfect fit.

The girls had to stack 5 apples. That's a lot harder than it looks. I think the highest tower was 4 apples.

We used the air from balloons to knock over empty soda cans

We also knocked over a pyramid of soda cans with rubber bands.

We bounced ping pong balls trying to stick it onto the bread with peanut butter.

This is called the baby rattle. The kids had to get the Gobstoppers from one bottle to the other. It didn't work too well because the bottles still had a little bit of water in them and the Gobstoppers got gooey and sticky. Woops.

We did the cup stacking race

And the kids had to keep a balloon in the air for a minute.

Here are all the kiddos. I think they had a good time.

We also made personal pizzas and had cupcakes and ice cream

Opening presents

It was a weekend full of celebration because we also had Martin Luther King day off, so we took the family to see Megamind. I actually really liked it. It had some funny parts that made me laugh out loud (that's a rare occurrence). It was a great weekend!

Fun Facts about Alyssa

Favorite Color: Red

Favorite Food: Crab

Favorite Book: Magic Treehouse

Favorite Movie: Scooby Doo

Favorite TV Show: Clifford

Favorite Song: A Year Without Rain

Favorite Scripture Story: The Birth of Jesus

Favorite Thing About School: (besides recess and lunch) Reading. She's also a member of the Running Club.

Fun Things to Do: Play with Barbies, Hang out with Mom, Play with Legos, Take a Bath, Play Games, Make Crafts, and Playing Piano

Talents: Alyssa is a very sweet girl and a good friend. She is really easy going and enjoys playing with others. She's a peacemaker in the home. She is good at doing her own hair and puts together interesting outfits. Sometimes she has a talent for being sneaky. :)

We sure love Alyssa. She holds a special place in the hearts of those she meets and we are so happy she's a part of our family.

Happy Holidays!

2011-01-09T15:23:00.000-08:00

This holiday season was filled with a lot of fun and peace. For some reason, I really enjoyed this Christmas Season--stress free. I was busy with projects and things, but I enjoyed it. I didn't get caught up in the hustle and bustle. I enjoyed listening to my Christmas music, being with my family and friends and truly feeling the Spirit of the season.

We start off the season by seeing the Christmas Lights at the Mesa, Arizona LDS Temple. There is such a special feeling there and it really gets me in the Christmas Spirit.

Kohler and Alyssa sang in a Christmas concert at their school.

All ready to sing.

It's hard to see, but Kohler is in there somewhere.

Kohler with his teacher Ms. Sermeno

Alyssa and her teacher, Mrs. Nordoff

Each year we celebrate Advent, which is the 4 Sundays before Christmas. We try to do something fun every Advent.

Here is our Advent wreath on 3rd Advent (we light a candle each Advent Sunday)

One of our favorite Advent activities is making gingerbread houses.

Kamary's house even came with a big dog in the backyard, just like Minnie. The green specks are grass and I'll leave it to your imagination as to what the brown spots are. :)

The kids had fun sculpting with Starburst candies. Here are some characters from Homestar Runner.

The finished products. Hanna's house fell down before we got a picture.

Over Christmas break we had a baking day with our friends Amanda Konrad, The Tukes and The Becksteads. It was so much fun and really got us in the Holiday Spirit.

Making Stained Glass Cookies

We also made Candy Cane cookies and Peanut Butter Blossoms

We decorated Snowmen cupcakes

Ready for the oven

The aftermath

Decorating our Candy Wreaths

Ashley Tuke and Kamary had fun making volcanoes with vinegar and baking soda

Something new we did this year was Christmas Caroling to our neighbors on our street. It's really pathetic that we've lived here over 2 years and only know a few of our neighbors. So we went out and sang a Christmas song at each house and gave them some frozen cookie dough. We were warmly recieved and some even said that we helped them feel the Christmas Spirit. We truly felt the Spirit as well. I think it was the highlight of the season. The Spirit of giving and sharing continued when we found large gift baskets on our door from our neighbors, giving back to us. We felt connected to them and now wave or talk to them when we see them. It's a good thing.

The 4th Advent is our spiritual Sunday. We talk about the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ and focus on the true meaning of Christmas. This year we acted out the Christmas Story. It was pretty chaotic. The baby angel (Brynlie) kept stealing the baby Jesus from the manger and the donkey (Minnie) just wouldn't hold still. Our Shepherd (Hanna) looked like Darth Maul with her lightsaber staff and black cape. But hey, that's how we make memories!

On Christmas Eve we have a buffet dinner of appetizers and watch a Christmas movie together. This year we watched Miracle on 49th street.

Here's our yummy buffet.

Here is everyone tracking Santa on the Internet. We had to make sure we were in bed when he got close to Arizona.

Of course one of our Christmas Eve traditions includes new jammies.

Here we are in our new Christmas jammies, even Jason and I got some.

One tradition that we didn't really mean to start, is that after the kids go to bed, Jason and I wrap presents while watching It's a Wonderful Life. It is one my favorite parts of Christmas Eve.

Here's the tree. We never put presents under the tree before Christmas, mostly because we know kiddos or the pooch will open them early. I don't know how other families get their kids to leave the presents alone, but we can't. It is fun though to go from no presents to all of this. :)

We had some blessings this Christmas. Jason and I got done with everything about 2:30 am. About that time, Brynlie started throwing up. Also, earlier in the evening, Lauren had a fever and didn't feel well. Jason gave both girls priesthood blessings. After that they were able to sleep and enjoy Christmas, not getting sick again. I know that it's because of the priesthood blessings that they felt better. I am very grateful for the priesthood and for my husband who keeps himself worthy to give blessings on the spur of the moment, even at 2:30 am.

Minnie (aka Pooch) got a nice pillow for Christmas. Jason actually got the fabric and sewed it himself on my machine. He didn't even have to ask me how to do it. I have to say I'm impressed. I asked him how he learned to sew and he said just from watching his mom and me. Hmmm. Who'd of thunk.

Minnie thinks her set up is pretty nice. At times she actually prefers sleeping in her "den" than being inside with us.

I think it's safe to say that Brynlie likes her new Pillow Pet.

Santa brought Hanna an aquarium so we went to the pet store to pick out a fish. She chose a fat goldfish and named him Chubby. When he first came home he got quite a shock. Hanna had barely brought Chubby home, when Brynlie got the bag and dropped it on the floor. The bag broke open and Chubby ended up flopping all over the carpet. Then Hanna grabbed him and threw him in the bathtub with warm water. I told her that he needed to be in colder water so we put him in a new baggie. By that time he was floating on his side, struggling to breathe. We threw him in the tank and hoped that he wouldn't go belly up. He did float upside down for about 5 minutes, but then recovered. Whew! Now Chubby is doing great!

For New Years we went to the zoo with some friends, The Tukes. It was fun but FREEZING! The wind was blowing and it cut right through us. But we made some memories and had a great time.

This is the closest we've ever been to the Giraffes.

Kohler, feeding the birds.

Again the Giraffes (Alyssa and I)

Here we are, waiting for the train ride.

Kamary, listening to her mp3 player.

There was a peacock roaming around. It followed us for a bit.

On New Year's Eve we had the missionaries over for dinner. Then we played games. In the end, Kamary was the only kid that made it until midnight. We lit a few fireworks and made some noise. We did the rest of the fireworks the next day so the other kids could take part.

This is our New Years Day Brunch. Yummy! We ate and watched the parade. A great tradition!

Watching a movie in Mom & Dad's room.

We had a great Holiday Season! I've really felt at peace this year and am grateful for all my blessings-- they are many.

Happy Birthday Kohler!

2011-01-02T15:51:00.000-08:00

Kohler turned 6 at the beginning of December. When he was a baby I couldn't even imagine him being a big boy. Now look at him! He was so excited that it was his birthday. He had a countdown going on and brought treats to his class. Birthdays in Kindergarten are a big deal and the class was just as excited as Kohler.

Here is Kohler waiting for his birthday dinner. With some coercion from his older sister, he chose to have chicken, broccoli and rice.

Kohler had a bug cake. This was one of the easiest cakes to put together.

Blowing out the candle.

Opening presents.

He loved the Legos he got from Grandma & Grandpa Wheeler although his older sister confiscated it from him and put it together. We had to take it apart again so he could build with it. He also loved Toothless (from How to Train Your Dragon) from Grandma & Grandpa Smith.

Cake & Ice Cream

This year we had a party for Kohler. He decided to have a Hot Wheels Party.

Everyone is coloring Hot Wheels pages.

Sometimes just free playtime is fun.

We made tires out of cardboard and threw bean bags through them.

Go, Kohler Go!

We made streetlights out of graham crackers and M&Ms.

Cannon Jones is showing his finished product.

We had a balloon pop game where they had to pop the balloons and find the checkered flag which they could trade in for a real Hot Wheels car.

Some balloons were hard to pop.

Of course, what is a Hot Wheels party without some racing?

Just playing with the cars is fun too.

Then we had cupcakes and ice cream.

Yummy.

Time to open presents.

Here's everyone!

Kohler had a great time and loved playing with his friends.

All about Kohler

Favorite Food: Corn on the cob

Favorite Color: Black

Favorite Movie: Bolt

Favorite Song: I Love to See the Temple

Favorite Scripture Story: Shadrac, Meshack and Abendigo

Favorite Book: Lift the flap books

Favorite Thing About School: Making puppets (he's really good at crafts & building things)

Favorite Activity: Playing video games, Riding his new bike and Destroying things

Least Favorite Activity: Cleaning

Something Special: Kohler is an affectionate boy. He loves hugs and still sits in Mom's lap. He loves his hair stroked or his back scratched. He's a super fun boy and we love him!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-12-05T09:34:00.001-08:00

We had so much fun this Thanksgiving! Our city has had a 5K and 1 mile family fun run for the past 3 years on Thanksgiving morning. So this year we decided to go and do the 1 mile fun run. We walked most of the time but it was a great way to start the day!

It was a pretty chilly morning. Even Lauren & Brynlie got their own racing numbers.

Alyssa and Kohler waiting for the race to start.

Here we are. Kohler's missing from the photo, he's actually standing next to Alyssa (oops).

Here we come, crossing the finish line. We sprinted the last stretch. It was fun because everyone was cheering us on (even though we were almost last place)!

Kohler, coming across the finish line.

Hanna found an injured Monarch Butterfly and decided to bring it home to live in her fairy garden.

This year we had Thanskgiving with our good friends, The Becksteads and Tukes. It was so much fun. It was also really nice to split up the meal 3 ways. It didn't seem like such a chore.

Getting ready to eat, Kohler, Christian Beckstead, Bryson Tuke & Alyssa.

Trevor Beckstead & Lauren.

Jaden Tuke, Kamary, Ashley Tuke & Kevan Beckstead.

Brynlie's yummy Thanksgiving dinner!

Silly boys!

Everything tasted great!

We did a Thanksgiving craft for the kids.

After dinner we just hung out and talked. We went through all of the Black Friday ads--so fun.

Here are our hosts, Wade & Jen Beckstead! They are the best friends ever!

This Thanksgiving we had so much to be thankful for. We have been incredibly blessed. I love my family, my husband, my kids and my friends. I am so thankful for the gospel of Jesus Christ that has brought so much peace and joy into my life. I am very blessed indeed!

Happy Birthday Lauren!

2010-12-05T08:46:00.000-08:00

This year Lauren turned 4 and had her very first birthday party. She was so excited about her birthday. Every time we went to the store she'd add things to her "birthday list". It was nice because all I had to say was "put it on your list" and then she'd put it back and we could keep walking. By the time it was her birthday, her list was miles long!

She was so excited to have a party and have her friends come to play. We had a princess party. We started by making crowns. Then we pulled out the balloons. It's amazing what entertainment a package of balloons can bring!

Playing with balloons.

Then we made candy necklaces and dressed up like princesses.

Here is everyone dressed up.

Of course princesses need to go to the ball! So we did a little dancing. We also tried to walk with a book balanced on our head. We had some pretty graceful princesses there.

Here's the princess cupcakes.

Yummy!

Opening presents! Lauren had a great time and now she has her own Barbies and Polly Pockets to play with (much to Kamary's relief).

The kids had the day off from school and so we went to the park for a picnic. Hanna is so funny. She has true Arizona blood and wears her coat everywhere.

We were having a great picnic and then the sprinklers turned on! We had to run for it!

Lauren playing at the playground. Then we went to the movie theater and watched Indespicable Me.

Here we are ready for the evening family party.

Blowing out the candles.

Grandma & Grandpa Smith gave Lauren this Strawberry Shortcake doll. Grandma & Grandpa Wheeler gave her a Littlest Pet Shop doll. She loved them both!

Opening presents.

It was two days full of celebration and fun! She was very happy and feels like such a big girl.

Here is our sweet 4 year old, Lauren!

Fun Facts

Favorite Color: Pink, Pink, Pink

Favorite TV Show: Dora the Explorer

Favorite Movie: My Little Pony

Favorite Food: Anything with noodles

Favorite Song: Anything High School Musical

Favorite Book: Pinkalicious

Favorite Primary Song: I Love to See the Temple

Favorite Scripture Story: Adam

Fun Activities: Lauren loves music. She'll sit in her bed and listen to my ipod for hours. In order to keep her buckled up in the car, I play her favorite songs. It means that we listen to a lot of Hannah Montana and High School Musical. She also loves to dress up, paint nails, play with Barbies, Polly Pockets and little figurines. She is an energetic child full of life and personality.

We love you, Lauren and are so happy you're in our family.

Veterans Day at the Zoo

2010-11-14T07:49:00.001-08:00

For Veterans Day we decided to go to the Zoo-- us and everyone else in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area! It was very crowded and we had to park about a mile away but we still had a great time.

Brynlie & Kohler outside the new Koala exhibit. They were really cute, they looked like stuffed animals.

Looking at the Wallabies.

Climbing trees.

I love this picture!

Sweet Lauren.

Resting in the stroller.

The Zoo has a carousel and every time we go, the kids want to ride it. So this time I FINALLY let them.

Kohler

Brynlie. She wasn't sure about the ride. As soon as it started, she said, "Down."

Alyssa.

Lauren was so happy! She's so cute.

It was a tiring but fun day out with the kids.

Brynlie is 2!!

2010-11-14T06:20:00.000-08:00

This month starts our crazy holiday season where we celebrate three birthdays, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years all within two months!

This past week was Brynlie's birthday! She's the baby of the family and I can't believe she's already 2! When she was born I thought, "When she's 2, Hanna will be 12, Kamary will be 10 and Alyssa will be getting ready to be baptized, Kohler will be in school and Lauren will be 4!" I couldn't imagine it...and now here we are. It's crazy how fast time flies and how quickly they grow up. We love Brynlie and enjoy her fun personality every day!

She finally has the present unwrapping thing down. She didn't need any help from siblings this year and she let them know it!

Grandma & Grandpa Wheeler gave her a stuffed monkey. She really loved it. She calls every mammal a monkey. She has started calling the dog "pooch-monkey". It's really cute.

Cuddling with the monkey.

Opening more presents.

Siblings kept trying to help and Brynlie told them "Mine," all day. I don't know where she learned it, I think it's an inherent two year old thing because she had never said it until her birthday.

Hanna worked really hard painting this picture for Brynlie. We're going to hang it on her wall.

Brynlie got a pull dog toy for her birthday. She really likes it.

Brynlie's favorite song is "Lollipop". Every time we're in the car she wants me to play it, so naturally, we made her a lollipop cake!

I think she approves.

Yummy cake.

She also got a baby stroller for her birthday. She's waiting for Dad to put it all together.

Here's our sweet Brynlie. Such a big girl. Of course, she wouldn't be two without throwing a tantrum and she rose to the task, several times, actually.

With the stroller done, she zoomed around the house.

Here she is with her stroller, bear and new birthday princess jammies.

She got this bear from Grandma & Grandpa Smith. She loved it!

Mommy in training.

Against my better judgement, she also got bubbles for her birthday.

Here is a cute video of Brynlie blowing out the candles!

Spotlight

Favorite Song: Lollipop

Favorite Movie: Baby Einstein (especially the animal ones)

Favorite Story: Little Lamb

Favorite Food: Bananas (if I let her, she'd eat them all day)

Favorite Activity: She loves to sing and dance. She loves listening to music, playing with her big sisters and she loves to get "pretty"--painting nails and dressing up.

Favorite Color: Pink

Funny Sayings: She's talking so much now. She says no, which means yes. Says Mom for both Mom & Dad, calls every mammal a monkey, she can sing Hannah Montana, High School Musical and more. When we're in the car and listening to music she says, "Turn it up."

Nicknames: Binnie, Brynners, B

Other fun things: She loves to go out. She'll get her shoes on and wants to "go". She loves going to the store and being outside. She loves to say her prayers, playing with Dad, and she loves to jump, jump, jump. She is such a fun little girl and we all love her to pieces. We're so glad she's part of our family.

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T21:33:00.001-07:00

I'm a lover of holidays. They add some excitement to the droll of every day life and it gives a great excuse to spend time together and create family traditions.

Halloween was on a Sunday this year and I'm glad because we actually spread out our festivities over the entire weekend. It was nice, because sometimes it's a lot to pack into one day.

Usually I'm lazy and just make sliced apples and caramel dip, but this year we made real caramel apples with nuts, drizzled chocolate and sprinkles. As you can tell by this picture-- it was very yummy.

Carving pumpkins. This year I got one for each kid (the younger ones got the small pie pumpkins). That worked out great because they could all be creative and there was no fighting! :) I'll be doing that every year.

Here is Lauren's hair. She was Cinderella this year and so we made her hair so "pretty". She loved it!

From the back.

Here she is in her costume.

And another back shot.

Kohler wanted to be a skeleton.

He thought it was cool that we painted his face white.

Alyssa was a Musketeer this year.

A very cute Musketeer.

We always call Brynlie, "B". So it's only fitting that she is a "B"for Halloween. :)

I was going to make black antennas to put on her headband, but I put two piggies in her hair and thought it looked so cute, I just left it that way.

Kamary is a funny girl. She has made an alter ego for herself. She is Kamary Smith, but also Gaine (pronounced Jane) Smith-- rock star (kind of like Hannah Montana vs. Miley Cyrus). So this year, she dressed up as Gaine Smith. She's even written a song called "We Will Survive". It actually is catchy and I find myself singing it during the day. Lauren sings it all the time. She's Gaine Smith's first and biggest fan!

A close up.

I haven't dressed up in years and decided that this year I would be Jane Austen's, Emma. It was a lot of fun.

Another back shot.

Jason did Hanna's makeup.

He did a GREAT job! Hanna went as Darth Maul this year. They made her lightsaber out of PVC pipe. She was pretty excited about it.

Close up. Some people had a hard time recognizing her.

All my cute kiddos together.

In the car, after the trunk or treat party.

On Halloween we have a tradition of eating Taco Soup out of a pumpkin. Yummy!

Here's our spooky Jack-o-lanterns.

We made Mummy cupcakes for dessert (out of devils food cake, of course).

Here are our spider web decorations. The kids look forward to Halloween each year and this year we really had a great time!!

Mogollon Rim

2010-10-17T19:22:00.000-07:00

We had Fall Break this week and the kids begged us to go camping. So Jason took a couple of days off and we headed north to the Mogollon Rim near Payson, AZ.

It was so beautiful. Even though I live in the desert and long to be in greener pastures, I am glad that Arizona has places that I can visit and get respite from the sagebrush and saguaro cactus (unlike other states I could mention but won't).

Here are some pics of our fun camping trip!

We found a great campsite at the Christopher Creek campground.

Yo dude! This place rocks!

Alyssa is making a bed for her barbie.

Setting up the tent. Alas, it fell apart after this trip, but it has served us well and has given us many wonderful camping memories.

This is how my husband starts a fire. How about yours?

Saying "Good Morning" to the pooch.

Just waking up.

The mornings were pretty cold, but we had hot cocoa and a morning fire to warm us up.

Hanging by the fire.

Getting hugs from Daddy.

What a dirty face!

Here is a shot of our campsite. What you don't see is the mountainside across the street that is filled with many fun places to explore.

Love this dirty smile!

Kamary loves to create and pretend. The kids actually made a huge shrine, but I didn't get a picture. :(

Relaxing with Minnie.

During the day we headed to Woods Canyon Lake. It was so beautiful. There was a trail that went all the way around the lake. We only took it part of the way, but loved it! We even got a little taste of Autumn.

Here's a shot with the lake and a fisherman. They rent fishing boats for $45 for 4 hours. That's going on our "things to do" list!

Lauren & Alyssa.

At the lake.

Lauren's dipping her feet in the lake-- giving the "princess" pose.

Roasting hot dogs over the fire. My kids love roasting things. They keep coming up to me and asking, "Now what can I roast?" This time we did the normal hot dogs and marshmallows but also added shrimp and mushrooms. Yummy.

Alyssa found a secret hideout.

Her hideout was only a few feet from our campsite.

Getting ready to pack up the car. It looks empty now, but we packed that thing full, using up every available space!

Another Brynlie smile-- can't get enough of them.

Hanna's roasting one more hot dog before we douse the fire and head home.

Minnie found a comfy place to rest under the picnic table.

We really enjoyed our trip. It was kind of hard coming back to the desert. At least we have pictures and memories that can tide us over until next time!

Random Cuteness!

2010-10-10T17:52:00.001-07:00

Even though we've been pretty busy lately, nothing of note has happened. Usually it's just the daily grind of school, chores, sewing, writing, mutual, activity days...and so on.

But here are some fun pictures of our mundane but busy life.

I just took this picture today after church. Poor Brynlie was so hungry too.

A girl at my kids' school passed away suddenly so they had a crazy hair day to raise money for funeral expenses. Hanna's idea of crazy hair was to just not comb it that morning. :)

They love dress down day when they don't have to wear uniforms. They always get dressed and ready for school so quickly.

Brynlie is sporting her own fashion statement.

Brynlie loves when Kamary makes her "pretty".

Love that smile!

Chocolate pudding! Surprisingly, that shirt came out clean in the wash!

Chilling with Minnie!

Hope you enjoyed some of our random cuteness!

2010-09-26T16:12:00.000-07:00

This is the best show! It was nominated for 15 Emmy Awards and won 7!

Here is the synopsis from imdb.com:

"A young, autistic woman sees the world like no other, taking snapshots of the world in her mind, and recalling them without thought. She substitutes human contact for a life of caring for animals, developing humane methods of taking care of livestock destined for the slaughterhouse. Her peculiar communication skills and intelligence shed new light on pre-conceived norms of autism. Misunderstood her entire life, by her peers, her parents, and her teachers, she manages to teach them all new lessons in life. She excels at all levels of school, and eventually becomes a college valedictorian, and even manages to earn her doctorate. Her 'squeeze' machine, hugs her giving her comfort and the love that she is incapable of receiving from human contact. Despite challenges from everyone she meets, she overcomes their fear and loathing of her, and wins them over, throughout her difficult life. She goes on to change an industry - fighting the man's world of the cattle industry as she creates new and humane ways for dealing with cattle, treating them with respect and even saving the cattle industry money."

It really showed how Temple sees the world and it gave a glimpse into her mind. I saw a lot of Hanna in this film and found myself blubbering several times (I'm not usually blubbery, but this topic is pretty dear to my heart). Also, the real Temple Grandin was one of the people on the commentary. It was interesting to hear her comments about the film.

One of the lines I loved best is, "Different, not less." Really it's true. Temple turned her Autism and the things that made her "different" into huge strengths that allowed her to accomplish things that "typical" people never would have even thought to do. I think Hanna is that way. She may be strange and quirky, but she has gifts that she can use to help others in a way no one else can. Who knows, maybe instead of a trial--Autism might just be a blessing.

I give it 2 thumbs up and 5 stars! If you feel like being inspired and uplifted, check out Temple Grandin-- you won't be sorry.

Boys vs. Girls

2010-09-26T15:05:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, Jason and Kohler went on a Father & Sons camping trip.

This time instead of going to Mt. Lemmon near Tuscon, they headed north to the White Mountains.

Jason swore he found "God's Thumb" from the movie Holes.

Kohler at the Lake

They spent their time catching Crawdads.

Jason said they were all over in the water

Looks beautiful. They had great weather, a big bonfire and a lot of fun.

While the boys were gone...we had a Girl Party.

We had pizza for dinner and watched Tinkerbell and the Great Fairy Rescue.

Then we did hair, makeup and nails. I'm so jealous-- all of my girls have the thickest and longest eyelashes. They definitely didn't get that from me. They all looked so pretty-- the camera doesn't do them justice.

Brynlie-- it was hard to get a shot of her because she kept moving around.

Lauren

Kamary

Alyssa

Because of the flash, it was hard to see Alyssa's hair. Here's the back.

Even Hanna our self-proclaimed "Tom Boy" joined in and let me put make up on and curl her hair.

Pretty Nails

Even our dog Minnie got a turn

My sweet girls

We ended the night by decorating mini cupcakes

We had blue, pink & chocolate frosting

Adding the sprinkles

The finished product

We had a lot of fun together and the boys did too.

Minnie

2010-09-05T08:43:00.001-07:00

So this past Wednesday, Jason calls me as he's coming home from work and tells me to park the van in the driveway and get the kids gathered together because he has a surprise for us.

He gets out of the car with a huge dog that looks more like a horse (unless you're Brynlie of course, then it's a "monkey").

"Meet our new pet," he says.

What?!

I guess the story is that 3 college roommates wanted a dog so they paid $1800 for her. After they got her, they neglected her. When they sold their house and moved out, the realtor found the pooch in the backyard, abandoned. She took it home and rescued it, but couldn't keep it. Jason found out about it through work and went to check it out.

As soon as Jason saw said pooch, he fell in love. I can say that I've been officially replaced. I swear, he gives that dog more kisses than me!

Anyway, her name is Minnie (the irony is intentional), and she's an 8 month old, purebred Old English Mastiff.

She's HUGE!! But really sweet and very good with the kids. She learned very quickly to go potty outside. In fact (knock on wood) she hasn't had an accident in the house, which makes me very happy.

The kids were afraid at first, because of her size, but now even Brynlie loves the " big monkey". The good thing about her size is that the kids can love her and climb all over her without any effect. The bad thing about her size is that she doesn't realize she's huge and can knock down the kids on accident.

I did tell Jason, however, that this is his dog and I will not be responsible for "pick up".

Everyone loves having Minnie in our home and she hasn't been too high maintenance, so for now she's a keeper.

Here are some pictures of our new addition.

Meeting Minnie

Jason and Minnie

The Princesses and the Frog

2010-08-29T14:18:00.000-07:00

It's been raining a lot the past couple of days here in AZ. We have loved the wet weather.

It brought an unusual visitor to our front door.

A big toad.

Taking turns holding the toad.

Chasing the toad around the backyard. It's in front of Lauren, camouflaged by the grass.

Here is a video of the kids playing with the toad. I love all of the girly screams! :)

Fly

2010-08-23T12:12:00.001-07:00

A friend posted this on facebook. I don't even know who said the quote, but I loved it so I thought I'd put it here.

"When you come to the end of all the light you know, and it's time to step into the darkness of the unknown, faith is knowing that one of two things shall happen. Either you will be given something solid to stand on or you will be taught to fly."

I've had to practice faith lately.

I started working last April doing Music Therapy. At the time I felt strongly that I needed to go back to work. So, Jason would come home from work and I would go in the evening and work with kids with special needs. Within the past couple of weeks, however, I have been feeling that I need to quit. It's been a hard decision because we could use the money and I didn't want to disappoint all the people that I've just started working with.

Even though I only work a few hours a week, I've realized that I really need to be home with my kids. Motherhood is my first priority and I can't be the kind of mother my kids need and be working too.

I know a lot of great mothers who work. I'm not going to get into that debate. I just know that my family needs me home.

So I prayed about it and really feel that this is the right direction for me. It's taken a lot of faith and trust that everything will be okay. Like the quote says, I'm hoping that I will either be given solid ground to stand on or I'll learn how to fly. Either way, I feel like this is what I should do and that everything will work out in the end.

I still think that I was inspired to go back to work, even though it was for a short duration. I've learned a lot of things, re-gained some self confidence and have realized the importance that I have in my home. Not that I do anything extraordinary. But however strange it seems, just having my presence at home-- just being there, helps my kids. It gives them comfort and security.

So I will trust in my feelings and have faith as I embark on this new path.