Let the Good Times Roll!

DAY 3-SAILING AND SNORKELING!

2011-05-11T14:37:00.000-07:00

So this was my favorite day. After our breakfast we headed out into the blue waters of Hawaii to go sailing and snorkeling. It was the most perfect day to do this. We sailed out to where we could see whales coming up for air. They would slap their tails on the water as they would dive down, creating a huge splash. That was an amazing sight. The word "peaceful" comes to mind when I think of sailing that day!

When it was time to go snorkeling, the kids could not wait to get in the water. The water was crystal clear. Bob and Ashy were the first ones in. (Notice Bobs pale skin, well, it wasn't pale later on that evening. He was pretty much burnt to the max!)

My Mom was so stinkin cute. This was her first time snorkeling. She was nervous but so excited. It didn't help that the captain of the boat was her age, handsome, and single! As she was getting into the water and he grabbed her foot to put on her flippers and complimented her on her pretty feet. That made her day. I was so proud of her.

We saw the most amazing fish. The turtles would float up right next to us, but we werent allowed to touch them. We could of stayed out there forever.
(That day was April fools day. My sister had called me while were were sailing and I told here Mom was snorkeling and was stung by a jellyfish. Do jellyfish even sting? Anyway she believed me and passed the message on to other family members. Um....problably won't be doing that again. Some of the fam were really concerned. Kinda funny though right?)

Hawaii Day 2 (Pearl Harbor)

2011-04-25T17:09:00.000-07:00

Our second day in Hawaii was amazing! We went to Pearl Harbor. The kids learned so much and it really had an impact on them. I am glad we waited till they were a little older to take them so they could really understand what happened there.

A couple minutes after we walked through the entrance this Pearl Harbor survivor came up to us and started telling us stories of what he went through. Truly Amazing!

We were able to go on a submarine. The kids loved it. I felt a little claustrophobic. (Such tight quarters)

We took a boat ride over the the USS Arizona Memorial. The USS Arizona was never pulled from the water after being hit. The Memorial is right over the ship and you can look over and see it just under the water. (you can actually see parts of it above the water.)

(Standing on the USS Arizona with the USS Missouri behind us)

We took a five minute bus ride over to the USS Missouri. That thing is gigantic! We were able to take a tour that was so informative. The kids got to see the actual Peace Treaty and where it was signed. You could see them trying to visualize what had actually taken place there. They really soaked it all up.

Just up the road from the USS Missouri was this amazing restaurant called Schooners. The view was amazing and the food was scrumptious! Perfect ending to a perfect day.

Hawaii Day 1

2011-04-15T10:08:00.000-07:00

The flight over to Hawaii was beautiful. Ashlyn kept saying,"I just cant believe we are above the clouds."

Just arrived at the Honolulu airport!(lookin alittle tired)

ALOHA!!!!

JW Marriot we stayed at. It was amazing!

We could not get down to the beach fast enough! We arrived at our hotel, put our swimsuits on and booked it to the beach. It was heaven! Ashy had never been to a beach before. She was so happy to bury her little toes in the sand.

This kid just makes you smile. He had a grin from ear to ear the entire trip. I loved watching him play, explore, and just enjoy life!

Bob took the boys snorkeling! It was so stinkin cute to see their three heads boppin up and down.

On this trip, it really hit me how grown up B is getting. He is so amazing with his brother and sister and is so responsible. It is seriously music to my ears to hear all my kids laughing together!(sorry Im so cheesy)

Zachs favorite thing to do was to find seashells. He would search for hours trying to find one prettier than before. We brought a bag full home with us that I will treasure forever!

B and Z said, "Mom, want us to get ya a coconut?" Ya right boys! They ran off and in couple minutes Zach came back with this coconut. (I wouldnt have been surprise if they climbed a tree to get it.) They are hilarious! You gotta love Z's pose!

View from our Hotel room. These boys were sure livin it up!

After a aftenoon at the beach we found this cute little pizza place in Downtown Honolulu. We walked around some shops before we went to the airport to pick up Masan(Grandma Sandra)........

I am in some of the pictures. I was just trying to capture everything and really just enjoying every moment!!!!

SNOW???

2011-02-25T17:02:00.000-08:00

Yesterday morning we woke up to the most beautiful sight. SNOW! Everywhere! In the past, it has not been uncommon that as it would start to snow, the kids would race to get their snow clothes on, step one foot out the door and the snow had stopped. Quite hilarious to watch. Yesterday the snow stuck, and it was awesome! (School was cancelled) The kids literally woke up, put on their snow clothes and headed outside. Bob and I watched them from the window. They could not get enough of it. Snowball fights, snow forts, snowmen, snow angels.
I whipped up some hot cocoa, so they could have something nice and warm to drink when they came in. Well time pasted, no kids. Their hot cocoa had turned cold. I then took my camera out hoping to get some pics. Ashy, was in the backyard making snow angels and writing me messages in the snow. The boys had started a neighborhood snowball fight and I did not dare to walk into the battlefield. (I wished somehow I would of been able to get some pics of that cuz, man were they nailing each other pretty hard.)
I'm so glad we got to enjoy the snow, even if it was for one day. As of today, snow is all melted, kids went back to school, and well......we all go back to livin' in the Northwest weather.

YOU'VE GOT MAIL!

2011-02-15T18:34:00.000-08:00

At the beginning of this month I introduced my family to something we would be trying during the month of February. I found these cute little mail boxes at Target and thought it would be fun to give each other "love mail" during the month. Not just on Valentines Day. It has been the neatest thing to see how much my family has enjoyed this. I just think we may make it our "Valentine tradition." I wasn't quite sure what they would think of this, but the kids light up when the flag on their mailox goes up.(meaning they have mail) I actually find myself checking to see if my flag is up, cuz the messages I have received have been so special. Messages I will treasure. My Sweetie has even been a willing participant, and ooooooh do I love, "love mail" from him.
Happy Valentines Day!

"That There's Funny, I Don't Care Who You Are!"

2011-01-24T14:17:00.000-08:00

Saturday morning was rough for the boys. They had stayed up late the night before, so I kinda think being on the tired side contributed to the whole situation.
After we all had breakfast together Ashy kept asking me to come up to her room to play with her kitchen set. We do that quite often, and this time she had set up a restaurant. She would seat me at her table, take my order and then serve me. Lovely, although she wanted me to do this all morning long and I really need to get a few things done. I signed my bill she wrote out for me and left her restaurant. She didn't like that I had to leave and followed me around asking me to come back and play. In the meantime, I had asked the boys to pick up their rooms and fold the rest of their laundry. Those boys could not get along for nothin! They were at each other all morning long. I tried talking to them. They didn't really seem to listen very well, and the arguing continued. I finally had had enough! I called down to Bob, and told him what was up. Bob lectured them and then gave them a few extra chores. I popped my head into the hallway and said, "Ya, and when your done with your chores you get to go to Ashlyn's restaurant, sit down for a four course meal and YOU WILL LIKE IT!" (You should have seen Ashlyn's face light up. She quickly ran in her room to prepare for her new guests!)
As you can tell from the pictures, things didn't turn out exactly as we had planned, but before you knew it, our whole family was up in Ashy's room just laughing hysterically! I haven't laughed that hard in a long time. A was just so serious, and efficient and the boys were uncomfortable and dying for this to be over. (I loved every minute of it) The boys seriously didn't argue the rest of the day, cuz they knew, if they did, they would be up at Ashys restaurant for every meal!

CHEERS!

STAGES

2011-01-11T13:30:00.000-08:00

The other day Ashlyn mentioned that she hadnt seen me in very many pictures. I am always the one behind the camera(I quite like it that way). Athough, later on down the road I dont want my kids to look back at photos and wonder where I was. Anyway on Sunday I told the kids to come outisde I wanted to get a picture with each one of them. It was hilarious! A was so willing and snuggly, Zach didn't fight it, but gave a quick smile and took off, and Brayden, well, I went to give him a big kiss on the check and, well, you can see his reaction.
I just love being a Mom and being there for all the different stages my kids go through. I truly miss them as babies and needing me for every little thing. Although those days were exhausting, they were so rewarding and worth it. I watch as my kids are getting older, the need for me to do everything diminishes and these little people take off on their own and become these amazing little people. I am still there for guidance, love and support, but it seems strange sometimes that they are so grown up, and it is all happening so fast. I don't really think I was prepared for this stage in my life, where now I get to focus on ME again. I have mixed emotions about it all, but I am Learning, growning and trying new things.(Life is good)

CHRISTMAS 2010

2011-01-04T14:18:00.000-08:00

Real Meaning of Christmas

2010-12-07T09:21:00.000-08:00

THANKSGIVING 2010

2010-11-30T14:48:00.000-08:00

This Thanksgiving was truly amazing! Our family had planned on going to Sunriver, but due to bad weather conditions we made a quick decision to stick around. We were inivited to join my brother and his his wife,(Meredith) at Meredith's parents home. Can I just say we felt so welcome and comfortable there. Bob made found a cozy spot on the couch and enjoyed the football games while the kids played and the girls chatted. The food was absolutely delicious! My brother Nate made the most amazing rolls and mashed potatoes. The boys are the cooks in our family. I need to take a few lessons. As we ate, we went around the table and said what we were thankful for. My heart was so full, so grateful for such a beautiful family and friends, and such comfortable surroundings to enjoy a warm meal. There was a lot of love in that room. I am so blessed!

Fall 2010

2010-11-16T10:07:00.000-08:00

There is just something about leaves and children! The other day Ashlyn asked me if we could make a pile leaves so that she could jump and play in them. You have to know we have only 4 baby trees in our yard. After raking up about fifteen leaves from all 4 trees, Ashy looked at me, and we just started laughing. She mentioned that all she wanted to do was jump in some leaves. A couple of days had passed and Ashlyn, Zach and I took Brayden to YM's. As we were leaving the church parking lot I noticed how many leaves were on the church lawn.... I pulled over, parked and told A and Z to go make a huge pile of leaves and jump in them. Oh my gosh! They had the time of their lives. They would scoop up these huge armfuls of leaves and carefully carry them to their pile. They would lay on their backs and make leaf angels. After 15 mins. their pile was huge. To see the excitement in their faces knowing now they got to jump in them was priceless. "One, two, three", they said, and off they ran full speed ahead, crashing into that monstrous pile of leaves. They were covered! They threw the leaves up over and over again. They were having too much fun so I just had to join in. It honestly was one of the sweetest moments I have had with my kiddos. Their laughter made me giggle, and it truly was a moment I will never forget.
When we got in the car to go home, Zach said, "Mom, that was the best time ever!" (Ya, and it didnt even cost anything) They talked about that moment for days. I am so grateful that my kids appreciate the little things. I love being a mom!

WHAT IS THIS, YOU ASK?

2010-10-22T09:33:00.000-07:00

What is this you ask? Well, when I stop laughing I will try and tell you............When I came down this morning to get the kids breakfast, this is what greeted me. I was a little disoriented for a minute trying to figure out what, and who and how??????? Zach climbed into a pair of Bobs old sweats. They obviously were really big, but Zach figured out how to make them fit and keep him warm. I asked him if he could breathe okay and he told me the little hole in the end was creating just the right amount of air he needed. He walked around the house like this. We could not stop laughing. He looked so weird!!!!! Zach gave us a good laugh which has started this day off awesome! Have a great day everyone!!!!
r>

TIME OUT FOR WOMEN 2010

2010-10-19T10:08:00.001-07:00

I just got back from Arizona where my Mother, sister Krisin, cousins Christine, Julie, Whitney, my Aunt Jeanette, Aunt Liz, Sister in law Erica and her mother Gene, my sister law Savanna and I were able to go to Time Out For Women.
(http://deseretbook.com/timeout/schedule.) I had the most amazing time. It was so much fun being with so many beautiful Women. We laughed, cried and felt every emotion during this weekend. I feel like a new woman ready to take on the world. (We'll see how long that last) I came home to a clean house, laundry and dishes completely done. My husband was amazing while I was gone. He said the kids were angels. (Maybe I should do this sort of thing more often...lol!) I will remember this weekend forever. Thanks everybody for a wonderful time!

BRAYD TURNS 12!

2010-10-05T12:34:00.000-07:00

Yep, He really is 12! As I have said before, I just cant believe Bob and I are parents of a 12 year old. We are so proud of B and his accomplishments. He is an amazing person. We are so blessed to be his parents.

(B received the Priestood on September 26th.)That was an amazing experience!

We let B miss school on his B-day and he was able to go golfing with his Dad. (one of his most favorite things to do.) Lator that evening we went to dinner with Family. On the weekend he had some buddies over for a sleep over.

Z and A made a treasure hunt for Brayd. They came up with some really great clue's with some awesome hiding places. Brayd was happy with his treasures!

You've just gotta love this kid. He brings so much happiness to our Family!

Great Wolf Lodge 2010

2010-09-09T16:44:00.001-07:00

Make your own free scrapbook

We went to Great Wolf Lodge over Labor Day weekend. Wow! talk about a great time. There was so much to do there. We arrived Fri. night. We settled in and then signed the kids up to do Magic Quest. They give the kids these wands and activate them. They have to figure out these mysteries by going up to different objects in the lodge. By pointing the wand at these objects, it would give them their next clue. My kids could not get enough of this. We played until 10:00. We all were tired but anxious for the next day. We woke up had a awesome breakfast and went straight to the indoor water park. We hit the wave pool first. I havent laugh so hard in a long time. To see my kids react to the waves was so funny! Z was fearless and looked like a drunken sailor. A was so amazed at how high the waves got and B just laughed the whole time. It was so fun. We hit some of the waterslides next. To see my kids faces coming down those slides was priceless. They loved going down the slides with Daddy, cuz his "hugeness" made them go faster. There were endless things to do there. We took a short break and ordered pizza and then hit the waterpark till we were wiped! One day was perfect for us. We were exhausted! We had a blast and I would recommend that place to anyone!

First Day of School

2010-09-07T10:41:00.000-07:00

(September 1st 2010)
Last Wednesday the kids started school. B is now in Middle school and it freaks me out. Six periods,lockers, big kids, ahhhhhh! He was so anxious to go to school, but did mention he had butterflies and was alittle nervous. It didn't even phase Z that it was his first day. It was just like any other day to him. When I walked him to class you could see that he was comfortable and happy with his new class. A on the other hand would not let go of me. I walked her to her class and the closer we got the tighter her grip. She doesn't like change much. She got teary eyed and kept asking me to stay, I talked to her and tried to comfort her the best I could. I hugged and kissed her and told her goodbye and tears were just streaming down her face. How could I leave? Her teacher saw her crying and did not do a thing. I knew I was probably making things worse by hanging around, but it broke my heart to leave her that way. I walked out and luckily I saw a teachers aid in the hallway walking to A's class. I stopped her and asked if she could check on A and make sure she was okay. I came home in tears. Not only were all my kids in school but A didnt want to be there. I called my mom. She gave comforting advice. I called my neighbor, she gave comforting advice.... and then I went shopping (it took the edge off the heartache)I ran into some friends at the mall,and we had a wonderful lunch together. We finished up just in time that I could be home for my kiddies. B loved his first day. Z loved his first day and A.................Loved her first day. What a relief!

IT'S A BIRD...IT'S A PLANE.....IT'S..............

2010-09-01T14:31:00.000-07:00

SUPER ZACH

Yes, it's true. This kid can fly. It seems that every time I turn around, Z is suspended in air. I love this about Z. He is full of energy and full of life!

GOLF!

2010-08-26T09:12:00.000-07:00

Zach has been taking golf lessons this summer. He loves the sport and has a natural ability for it. Monday was their last day and the held a little competition. They had longest drive, straightest drive, closest to the pin in chipping, and putting etc. There were about 25 kids in all ranging from 7-12. I was so proud of Zach and how he handled himself under alittle pressure.
They gathered the kids together to announce the winner. "The person with the highest amount of points is.......Zach Butterfield" I wanted to jump up and down and scream but Zach told me that would have been very inapropriate. Instead I did a cute little golf clap. Great job Zachy! We are so proud of you.

LITTLE MISS IS 6!

2010-08-20T13:20:00.000-07:00

Yup, my little girl is six! Why do they have to grow up so fast? Well, anyway as you can see, A had her birthday party last week. A and her friends got to go to build a bear. It was so cute watching the girls pick out their stuffed animals and making sure they were just perfect. We came back to the house and had cupcakes and ice-cream, opened gifts and played a few games. A was just smiles the whole day.

On Sunday we had family over to celebrate Ashy's birthday. My neighbor made the most beautiful cake! We didn't want to cut into it is was so cute!
So the little miss is really 6, and I am wanting time to slow down. Happy Birthday sweet little girl!

Who knows????

2010-08-17T08:21:00.000-07:00

Okay, so my blog is really messed up. When I add a new background this is what it looks like. Anyone know how to fix this?(I have a lot of new updates to post, but cannot with my blog looking such a mess.)

ONE FUN BBQ!

2010-08-01T15:20:00.000-07:00

We sure do have a lot of love in this family! We got together at Uncle Steve's and Aunt Liz this week for a BBQ. Martin was here from Arizona. Spencer, Susie and their beautiful little girls were here from Utah. It was so good to see them. Grandmother and Ron were able to come which topped the evening off. The food was amazing!(as always)This was one fun BBQ!

Notice Mart is flexing in his pictures????????(nothing has changed)

Huge veins...Weird!

You know these guys were soar the next day after playing wiffle ball and football.

The trampoline was a hit. You gotta take pics of your kids while they are jumping. It always is a good laugh!!!

LOVE THE HAIR LO LO!!!

2010-07-28T16:38:00.000-07:00

B played for the Astros this year. He played with the Little League opposed to JBO(Junior Baseball Organization.) The level of play was definitely not as competitive, but Brayden practiced and played very hard. He was chosen to be on the All-Star team. The played tough and finished 3rd place. (main positions...Short stop and pitcher.)

Zach played for the Redsox this year. He originally started out on a different team and they moved him up according to his level of play. He may be small, but has mad skills.
He was also chosen to play for a tournament team called the Shockers. At their last tournament he was voted MVP. (main positions...Short Stop, pitcher, and catcher.)
My boys continue to amaze me. The hard work and dedication they put into their sports inspires me.

SAFETY PRECAUTION!

2010-07-15T12:33:00.000-07:00

So Brayden has been asking Bob and I when he can get a cell phone. The funny thing about it is he never calls anyone. I think it is just the idea of having a phone.

The other day while Bob and I were out we say this group of kids walking outside getting ready to cross a crosswalk. Two of the girls were talking on their phones, one of the guys was listening to his ipod, and another guys looked like he was texting on his phone. (Seriously!) Bob said, "They are probably texting and talking to each other on their phones." It was ridiculous!
I do not want Brayden to have a phone just to have a phone, however he is now going into middle school and that totally freaks me out. I would like to have some kind of contact with him, in different situations. I told Brayden yesterday that if we got him a phone, it would only used as a SAFETY PRECAUTION and would only be used for certain situations. It was so funny! A few minutes later he came up to me and said," Mom could we look into getting that SAFETY PRECAUTION?"(and had this huge grin on his face)Oh my! Am I really old enough to have a child old enough to want a phone! Seems unreal.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ZACH!

2010-06-22T09:19:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to my sweet boy Zach. He woke up at 3:00, came into my bedroom and said, "Mom, I cant sleep. I am to excited for my birthday!" I walked him back to his bed, tucked him in. He woke up when Bob got up to work out, and was ready to open his presents. Zach woke everyone up before the sun was up, and opened his gifts. He was so excited, he was shaking. He is now in lego heaven. The kid is obsessed with legos. (Mainly starwars legos).
We had his party planned for today, but had to cancel it. Zach has had this nasty cold and is still coughing quite a bit. Hopefully we will just have it next week.
I cannot believe my little guy is 9 years old. I am so proud of him. He is becoming such an amazing young person. I love you Zach!

The Battle of Star Wars Lego VS. Army Guys?????????

2010-05-21T17:03:00.000-07:00

Okay, so Zach and I have decided to leave it up to the people..........Star Wars Lego or Army people? Who do you think would win this battle?
Zach set up his forces this morning. I wasn't able to dust, and actually stepped on a few of his legos...I finally decided to retaliate. I found all the army guys in the playroom and built my army. Zach was curious as to how we would battle. Not quite sure I told him, "Lets leave it up to the people." He loved the idea. So please leave your comments. Zach and I will be checking it often. (loser pays for a special treat!)

(RACHELLE'S ROCKIN RAVIN ARMY?)

(ZACHY'S FIERCE FIGHTING FORCES?)

A Mother's Love......

2010-05-07T13:07:00.000-07:00

A Mother's love means so much! My Mother is amazing! I want to be just like her one day. She gets a lot of her qualities from her Mother, my sweet Grandmother. My Grandmother broke her hip yesterday. She is so strong! I took Ashy up to see her yesterday at the hospital and Grandmother just held our hands and cried. There was so much love in that room. I am so thankful that Ashy knows her and has created memories with her. In her prayer this morning she blessed Grandmother to have a good time during her surgery! (How cute!) I can feel the love and concern she has for her Grandmother. This Mother's Day weekend I am just so truly grateful for my Mother and for the opportunity to be a Mother. I feel it is the greatest blessing on earth. HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!!!!!

SPECIAL VISITOR!

2010-04-29T14:48:00.000-07:00

Look who showed up at my door step this afternoon.... A 'little' ray of sunshine! Little 'E' is in my Sunbeam class. I also had him in nursery. This little guy makes me smile. He has the cutest dimples I have ever seen. He has a quiet disposition, with a raspy voice that melts my heart. He brought these beautiful flowers to thank me for being a good teacher. Gosh, ya know, I really needed that. 'E', thank you so much for being so thoughtful and kind. You really made my day!

nutshell

2010-04-20T13:56:00.000-07:00

My last blog post really worried some of you. I'm sorry. That was not my intention. I just wanted to get my feelings out which is somewhat strange for me cuz I am pretty private, especially about my health. So here it is in a "nutshell". About 7 years ago I was in a jetskiing accident where I injured my neck. I went to the E.R, they told me I hurt my neck, gave me pain pills and sent me home. I was sore for a few days and then was good to go. Or so I thought. What has happened is in those injured areas of my neck arthritis set in. (Most of you know I have rhuemetoid arthritis) Over the past 7 years is has attacked those injured areas and now my spinal cord is at risk. Last week I had and MRI and met with the Neurologist. The only way he feels to correct this, is to fuse C1 and C2 of my vertibrates toghether. Between my C4 and C5 has an issue also, and I have a lot of pain in my neck and down my arm. We are looking further into that. We are seeking a second and maybe third opinion. We just want to make sure we have all our questions answered before we move forward.
This has all been somewhat of a shock for me, and that is why I needed to share my feelings. It is real and I need to deal with it.

deep thoughts

2010-04-13T14:42:00.000-07:00

Have you ever had a moment in your life where everything becomes very clear? What I mean is, when you really realize what is truly important? These moments for some seem to come during hard times, tragedies, and trials. Why is it that? Why is it that it sometimes takes these things to wake us up? Well, I know for me sometimes I get clouded with day to day activites, appointments, etc. I know I am so blessed and never want to take that for granite. Here just alittle bit ago I found out some news that will change my life drastically. Although hard to deal with I am trying to find ways to put my energy to possitive thinking instead of being mad and very angry. Its hard, its frustrating, its pure hell, and a very heavy load to bare. When I think of my Savior, and all of my blessings, things become very clear. We will never be given anything we can't handle. I know whats important and I know my Heavenly Father loves me and is watching over me.

Field trip to the Gorge!

2010-04-08T13:14:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I was able to go on a Field trip with B's 5th grade to the Gorge. What a beautiful place. We went on a nice hike, learned about different plants, walked under waterfalls, and were able to go to the fish hatchery and learn the life cycle of a Salmon. It was awesome spending time with B.

Trout

Sturgeon

Messy hair....(And no, B is not almost as tall as me. I'm still growing!)

Spring Break 2010

2010-04-08T10:45:00.000-07:00

Spring Break was alittle different this year. The weather outside was rainy, cloudy and miserable the entire week. We found so many fun indoor activities to do. On one of the days we went to Naydinov gymnasium. The kids had a blast! We went to movies, Kids Club, visited Daddy's work etc. It was definitely different not being able to play outside, but we had so much fun!

SWING ME!

2010-03-11T18:45:00.000-08:00

These 3 little precious angels were so cute! We spent last week in Arizona with lots of family. These girls were bestest cousins. They did everything together. They got matching outfits, shoes, jewelry. We did their hair and put tiny bits of make-up on every day. They definitely thought they were all that. It was so cute to see them play together every day. They got along so well. Ashlyn went through withdrawls when we got home, from not having all of her cousins to play with. Good times!

Valentines Day!

2010-02-15T14:40:00.001-08:00

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

What an awesome Day. Alz I can say is I have an amazing family! My kids collected Valentines from all our family members to make their Grandmother and Uncle Rons Valentines Day very special. I have to say, it was amazing! I felt the love!!!
(Thank you so much to all of you who took the time to make Valentines and send them our way. You all made their day so special.)
(A special thanks goes out to my amazing friends, Heather and Shantell. They took cute little hearts to Grandmother and Rons Ward, and had their dear friends write a special note on them)

MORE, MORE, MORE!

2010-01-12T10:15:00.000-08:00

So here are a few more pics of the eight of us. There are only a few decent shots of me. I just laughed the whole time. We all tried to be serious, but as we would walk or just try and pose someone would make a comment and we would all just bust up laughing. We had the best time together!

WE ARE FAMILY!!!!!

2010-01-08T14:41:00.000-08:00

This is just one of our photos from when we were in Utah for my Dads baptism. We had so much fun! We had pictures blown up for my Mom and Dad for Christmas! I've got lots more to share, but need to know if anyone cares to see them. So comment!!!!! (Does anyone even read my blog? j/k)

(Don't worry, I really did catch some air, the picture was taken as I was on my way down.)uh huh!

The story of this picture!

2010-01-06T09:27:00.000-08:00

I was tagged with, "This Picture Has a Story"
Rules:
*Open your first folder
*Scroll down to the 10th picture in that folder.
(If you dont have 10 pictures in that folder, then go to your next folder)
*Post picture and tell the story behind it.
*Tag 5 friends to do the same!

This is a picture of Ashlyn just after her bath. There is nothing better than a baby after a bath. All lathered up in baby lotion, strapped into a onesie. I used to run my fingers through her thick black hair until it dried standing straight up. Her little binki beside her reminds me of how much she loved that thing. I had to choose between her sucking her thumb or having a binki. Oh how I miss having a baby!!!!!

*I tag, Jill, Heather, Brandy, Misty, and Kara!

SO THANKFUL!

2009-12-09T15:11:00.000-08:00

I am so thankful for my Daddy! He was baptised on November 7, 2009. The weekend in Utah for his baptism has been so hard for me to put into words. It had been 15 years since all of my siblings had been together. We ALL were able to go to Utah and support my Dad. It was so awesome spending time with everyone together. We laughed hard, played hard, cried hard, (and the guys passed gas hard) It was a very emotional trip for me. Our family has been through so much. To see us come together and just love each other was amazing!
I am in awe of my Dad. The light is back in him, and his testimony is so strong. He has been through a lot to get to were he is today. I am proud of him and SO THANKFUL!

(I didnt realize how many bald dudes there were in this pic)

DAILY REMINDER!

2009-10-15T10:09:00.000-07:00

Love this quote. I need this as a daily reminder.

DONT MESS!

2009-10-11T19:22:00.000-07:00

We were in Utah a couple of weeks ago. One morning while the men were golfing my sister and I decided to take the kids to this beautiful park by her house to feed the ducks. The kids decided to feed the ducks their fishy's.

I brought my camera along as I always do. The all were having so much fun throwing their fishys in the water and watching the ducks come so close to eat them.

In the distance we noticed this bigger duck(0kay, I apologize if this is really a goose but I dont know really the difference.)This duck looked very confident, and alittle cocky to say the least.

The duck weasled his way right up to the kids............

and began eating right out of Zachs hand. I thought this was very cool and tried get a close up picture of it...............

The duck quickly turned towards me as if it wanted me to take it's picture.........

It looked me right in the face, or should I say right into the camera lens and started to charge me! I bolted from the edge of the water, up the embankment and onto the grass and the sucker was right on my tail. What the heck! This thing had its beak/bill wide open and was hissing at me! (the kids were laughing at me) (I mean come on what do you do? Its not every day you get charged by a stinkin duck!) I yelled, "Don't mess with me Stupid duck!" It turned and got right back in the water. I looked pretty tough, but it actually scared the crap out of me! (DONT MESS!)

BRAYDEN, OUR FOOTBALL STAR!

2009-09-27T14:14:00.001-07:00

B-kinda surprised us this year when he told us he really wanted to play football. Honestly, I didn't think he was going to like it. HE LOVES IT! On offense he plays quaterback and on defense he plays cornerback. He is loving every minute of it. He seriously comes home every night from practice with a new bruise, cut or scrape, but he does not stop talking about football. Yesterday in his game he made a tackle and the kids cleet went right into his chest. He has a nice shiner from that. He also made his first touchdown! We are so proud of B. He is amazing and has worked so hard. Zach is their ball boy and loves being around all the boys. He wants to play next year. Ahhhh! (Nobody better hurt my boys or their is going to be one upset momma chargin the field)

ASHY TURNS FIVE....PARTIES, PONIES, AND PRESENTS!

2009-09-27T13:35:00.000-07:00

Ashlyn turned 5. Okay so time is flying by way to fast! My baby girl started Kindergarten. She has a fabulous teacher, but is having some seperation anxiety. She goes full day two days a week. If anyone has any suggestions in dealing with this feel free to share.

A- has been was in a dance class over the summer. She absolutely loved it. The dance recital was so cute. I am really working with her on keeping the beat to the music. She is going to continue this class. She loves it!

A- had a pony party with her friends. A has always loved horses, but it is so cute to watch her around them. She feels so comfortable and really cares for the horses.

We actually ended up going to a Yankees game on A's birthday. She did not mind, in fact she was thrilled when we told her that was what we were doing. One of the players threw her a baseball. Braydo caught one too! She loves going to ball games. All in all A's birthday turned into a birth week. She is getting way to big!!!!

1ST DAY OF SCHOOL 2009-10

2009-09-02T10:03:00.000-07:00

I don't like it! Not one little bit. The boys are at school and it is way to quite. Brayd was totally excited this morning and Zach was not. He does not want to go to school. I tried to pump him up, but he just wasnt having it. I just hope that when I pick him up this afternoon that he actually had a great day. Bob keeps reminding me that I am going to have all this free time and to enjoy it. It hasnt been that easy for me. I have spent almost eleven years just 100% dedicated to raising my kids and now all of the sudden BAM!............silence!!!!!Ashy starts kindergarten on Fri. so this will be an adjustment. Dont get me wrong, there is a lot that I will be able to get done and it will be easier with the kids in school, but alz I'm sayin is ITS JUST DIFFERENT!(does anyone feel the same way or am I crazy?)

LISTEN TO THIS!

2009-08-31T08:21:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZIIJ0_R_Ok
This YouTUBE video is INCREDIBLE!.
Ever since my boys were little infants I played a CD for them when they would sleep. The CD was Paul Cardall piano music. If comforted them and when they would hear it it would soothe them and they would drift off to sleep. Paul Cardall is fighting for his life, waiting for a heart transplant. His website is amazing(http://mytricuspidatresia.blogspot.com/) He tells of his life and journey while waiting for a new heart. This man is amazingly strong!!!! His friends Jon Schmidt and Steven Nelson(who he has recorded tons of music with) made this remix which really lifted Pauls spirits while in the hospital.

JUST CUZ.......

2009-08-26T16:38:00.000-07:00

Ashy is so fun to photgraph. I dont have my normal editing program(cuz my computer got wiped out by a virus) but these pictures turned out so cute I just had to share. When the kids go back to school, I am going to take photography classes. I am so excited!!!!!(side note: Those of you who enjoy photography, what editing program do you like?)

JUST CUZ.....CONT'...

2009-08-26T16:35:00.000-07:00

WATER + SUNSHINE = HAPPY KIDS

2009-08-23T17:38:00.000-07:00

The kids had the best time playing in this little water feature. (No huge water park), but the kids had a blast. I am not ready for my kids to go to school. I have enjoyed this summer with them.

ZACH'S BAPTISM

2009-08-03T15:29:00.000-07:00

Zachay was baptised on July 11, 2009! It was so awesome to have so much family with us on Zach's special day. Zach said he felt so loved and couldn't believe everyone was there for him.
Zach is just so amazing. I can't believe he is eight. He is growing so fast, but is growing up to be such a fine young boy. We love you so much Zach!(Thanks to eveyone who came, and made this all so special!)

YEP, I BROKE THE MAN CODE!

2009-07-15T17:12:00.000-07:00

Okay, so you have to understand. There is a unwritten Man Code, when the guys go golfing. "No Girls Allowed!" Well say goodbye to that! You got that straight!!!! I went golfing with the 'Men.' I just took golfing to another level, that's all!!!! I got to see the Man's point of view, out golfing, while us women are home slaving away in the home attending to the children. I was sworn to secrecy as to what goes on out there. (It's actually quite commical to say the least) Alz I know is that I had a blast. Taking pictures, enjoying the peacefullness, giving golf tips, oh and I can haul bootie on those golf carts. Those things rock! I know they just loved having me there, right guys??????? LOL.....

GONE FISHIN!!!!

2009-06-28T17:16:00.000-07:00

(These pics are in a funny order but bare with me)Saturday Bob tooked the boys fishing for Zach's b-day. They got up bright and early and set out for Lake Merwin. I had called the boys a couple time throughout the morning and they were in heaven. Zach caught a fish right when I was talking to him on the phone.
Ashlyn and I had a girls day filled with hair cuts, getting nails and toes painted. Shopping etc. etc. what we came home to seemed like a comedy show.
Just try to imagine this with me.....
Us girls arrived home a few minutes before the boys all dolled up. We heard the truck pull up and ran out to greet our boys. Man did they reik! The boys were sunburned, tired but excited at the same time that their fishing trip had been a success. The boys began to talk about how they caught their fish and pulled the fish out one by one to show us how 'big' they were. Ashyln was kinda grossed out, okay so was I. We took pics as they posed and played with their dead fish. Things from here just kept getting grosser and more discusting. Brayden began to tell me how they got to pee off the side of the boat and that Dad had been gasey all day. They are all such boys!!!!!Bob called for Brayden and Zach to come in the house so they could gut the fish. They did not want anything to do with that part. Bob threatened them with never going fishing again unless they gutted their own fish. (Ashy and I stood off to the side and cringed as the boys began this awful task.) Brayden cut the head off of the fish and man did it reik. I said, "Ew Bob that totally reiks go do that outside!" Bob pipes in and said, "It's not the fish, it's me!" Seriously that was it for me. That was Ashy and my que to leave the room. "Let the boys be boys!"
Ashy and I continued to watch from the other room, cuz it was all kinda funny in a weird sort of way. The boys gagged, laughed and cringed the whole way through the gutting process. When the boys finshed with their fish, Bob would pick it up and slap it on their face. For some reason the boys were pretty okay with that. I pointed the way to the showers as Zach said, "Mom, now we are real men!" I laughed so stinkin hard. (Boy are so greasy!)

ZACH TURNS 8!!!!!!!!

2009-06-28T17:08:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe Zach is 8. Where has time gone?
Zach is the man. He is so funny! This year he wanted to switch things up alittle. Intstead of birthday cake he wanted choc. chip brownies. Instead of eating at a fancy restaurant he wanted Taco Bell. He milked this Birthday for all it was worth. It seems like we had 5 parties.

Things I love about Zach:
-His cowlick!
-His smile!
-The way he dances (he can bust a move)
-The way he makes people laugh!
-Even though he is on the smaller side, he is determined to always do his best!
-He gets along well with others.
-He loves his Heavenly Father.
-The way he loves his Family and Friends.
-His laugh!
Man, I love this boy! Happy Birthday Zach!

GOING PRIVATE!

2009-06-24T08:22:00.000-07:00

I am going private with my blog. PLEASE e-mail me your e-mail address and I will invite you to my blog. Thanks so much! (butter2929@comcast.net)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BOB!

2009-06-18T14:48:00.000-07:00

How could you not love this guy? He is the greatest husband, the Best father, a loyal friend, a loving brother, a kind neighbor, and just an all around great guy. Bob turned a year older today. Dont tell anyone but next year will be his 40th!
The kids and I just finished getting things ready for when Daddy gets home from golfing. We have a few birthday surprises for him. We made strawberry shortcake(his absolute favorite) and decorated the house alittle. I was asking the kids how we could make Daddy's birthday special. Zach piped up and said, "just give him the remote and let him lay on the couch all day." Boy would Bob love that about now. He has been so busy lately. (We did send him out golfing, followed by a massage.) We all hope you have a wonderful Birthday Hon! We love you!

ALL BECAUSE A BALL HIT HIS NOSE!

2009-06-12T14:57:00.000-07:00

This is Brayden just before his nose surgery. I am so proud of how he has handled all of this.

Aren't his jammies cute?

(Brayden waiting for doctors to take him back for surgery) I was able to be with Brayden at this point. I talked to him about what they were going to do. I told him he would drift off to sleep and when he woke up it would be all over with. I told him his Dad and I would be right there when he woke up.

Bob and I waited in the waiting room for about 45 min. The Dr. came out and told us that the procedure was more difficult than he thought. Brayden's nose was broke in a couple of places. He then proceeded to tell us that someone would come and get us in about 5 mins. 5 mins. turned into 45 mins. Bob went and asked when we could see him. The Anesthesiologist came in and told us that Brayden had a really rough time waking up. He was thrashing around, coughing and yelling. They had to put him back to sleep and have him wake up again. We waited 20 more mins. We then were allowed to go back and see him. Oh my GOSH! I was not prepared for what I saw. He looked horrible. He took one look at us and tears came streaming down his face. He was having a breathing treatment and was in so much pain. He just kept whispering to us that he was in so much pain. I had to sit down while Bob reassured him we were there and that everything would be okay. My heart felt sick to see him like this. I prayed that I might be strong for him, but I litteraly had to walk out and take a deep breath. I couldnt take it!

When I was able to come back in, Brayden was still in so much pain. He was not breathing well and his oxygen level was really low. He began to cough and just let out this horrible scream. "My chest hurts, my chest hurts!", he would say. The nurse came up to Brayden and said, "No Brayden, its not your chest that hurts it is your nose. Your just fine." She then proceeded to tell us he was disoriented and confused and that sometimes kids complain because they have had a tube down their throat.

Brayden continued to cough and this time he coughed up so much blood and continued to do so. Again the nurse reassured us that this was normal. Brayden kept complaining about his chest. The nurse told him to stop crying and take some deep breathes. He looks at me so helplessly. He couldn't!!!!!!! Something was not right and Bob and I both knew it. The nurse called the anethesiologist and he thought that Brayden may have pulled a mucsle in his chest. He told them to just give him some tylenol. They gave him tylenol and asked us if we felt comfortable taking him home. I told them no and that I was very concerned about his chest pain. Once again they told us not to worry, and that eveything would be fine. His oxygen levels were still not were they should be and they started to take out Braydens IV and prepared him to leave. Bob and I were very uneasy, but trusted the nurses and took Brayden home.

Does he look well? Not at all! Poor Champ! (Ashy was excited to get her brother home so she could take care of him.)

Brayden slept and slept when we got him home. He woke up in so much pain. I gave him his pain meds. and off to sleep he went. I slept on the couch next to him that night because I was so worried about him. (This was Brayd the next morn. Still not looking well.)He continued to scream out in pain that morning. The Dr. called in the afternoon to check and B and we told him what was going on. He told us to get him the the ER. Quickly! Bob took him up there while I found someone for the kids and I met them up there. They had to give B Morphine he was in so much pain. (He was out of it.) They took x-rays of his chest and within minutes we knew what was going on. He Has Pneumonia!!!!!! He had inhaled so much blood into his lungs it created pneumonia. They admitted him. Bob and I were upset to say the least. Our boy suffered when he came out of surgery. Come to find out when he was waking up, poor little guy was just struggling to breathe because so much blood was going down his throat and out his nose. He inhaled a lot of it and was in instant pain. With severe chest pain and low oxygen levels, the nurses never should have let him go home that night.

This was B after staying the night in the hospital. He looked so good when I saw him that morning.

This was how I found Bob that same morning. He stayed the night with Brayden. What and awesome DAD!

Needless to say his care in his hospital stay was great! He was well taken care of and we were comfortable taking him home when we got his pediatrician's okay.

Brayden is doing much better we are so grateful he is okay. Thank you to those of you who's thoughts and prayers were with Brayden. B is definitely being watched over. Where to go from here, I am not quite sure. The Surgery Center keeps calling, checking up on B and trying to cover their tracks. Although frustrated, I just dont want this to happen to anyone else. It is heartbreaking to see your child in pain. And to think all of this because a ball hit B's nose!

UPDATE ON BRAYDEN!

2009-06-08T18:34:00.000-07:00

Brayden will be having surgery tomorrow at 12:45. He has been so cute throughout all of this. We went to the doctors this morning and spent the day together. We visited his Grandmother and Uncle Ron, went grocery shopping and then I took him to school 15 minutes before school was let out. It was so neat to see all of his classmates run up to him. They surrounded him and you could see their concern. His teacher put a chair at the front of the room and let the kids ask all their questions. His friends had written him letters throughout the day.
Uncle Dave, Aunt Nancy and their whole fam called Brayd today. It was so cool to see his face light up. So many have called and have been praying for a speedy recovery. A girl from Braydens class stopped by the house tonight and dropped off a plate of cookies and a get well card. He made the comment, "Mom, she is so nice." He recognizes the kindness being shown to him, and genuinely appreciates it!
We will keep everyone posted on how he is doing. Thank you all for your kindness!

POOR CHAMP!

2009-06-07T11:54:00.000-07:00

BEFORE..............

AFTER!

Brayden had a tournament this weekend. In warm-ups, one of his coaches hit a line drive to him. It took a bad bounce and then hit straight into his nose. I was at Zach's baseball game when Bob called me to tell me he was on his way to the emergency room with Brayden. He knew it was broken. I could hear Brayden crying in the background. My heart hurt so bad for him. The doc in the ER would not touch his nose. Brayden will have surgery this coming week to fix and reset his nose. (Please say a little prayer for him.) He has been so brave through all of this and is really sad that he will miss out on baseball for awhile. We love you CHAMP!

WAY TO GO BRAYDEN!

2009-05-27T16:07:00.000-07:00

We were able to go to Redding California for Memorial Day weekend. Brayden's baseball team had a tournament there. I wished I would of taken more pics of the facility/fields he played at (BIG LEAGUE DREAMS), but to describe it, they were miniature big league fields. For instance, Brayden played in Yankee Stadium, on Rigley Field and in Cub Stadium(just down sized) They had luxury boxes with A/C just in case the Calif. weather got to ya. Sweet dug-outs with spraying mist inside, a playground for the little ones to enjoy, and a nice resturaunt inside, just awesome!
They played game after game beating almost everyone but the Eagles. They met up again playing the Eagles for the Championship. They beat them 8 to 3. THEY WON THE WHOLE TOURNAMENT! It was so much fun to watch. Brayden did awesome! We are so proud of him. He hit well, fielded well and just had a blast! When Brayden wasnt playing games, we went swimming, drove go carts, went shopping, and ate a whole heck of a lot. Good Times, I tell ya, Good Times!

TO CUT, OR NOT TO CUT???????

2009-05-04T14:58:00.000-07:00

Needing some advice. I am debating on wether or not to cut Ashlyn's hair. It is to her waist. I am seeking opinions, comments, advice, or tips on this topic. I would be really nervous to have it cut, but I do think Ashlyn would look cute with a A-line cut just above her shoulders. Let me know what ya think? Come on friends and Family, help me out here. I need your input!

GOOD TIMES IN ARIZONA!

2009-04-28T19:52:00.000-07:00

Ashy and I were able to go to Arizona for a week. It was amazing! (Making this video on the other hand has been torture! I couldn't quite find the right music and I kept loosing everything I had put together.) So this is what I came up with.

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Our time in Arizona was so wonderful. Seeing family and just spending time together was just what I needed. I laugh so stinkin hard when I am with my family. (Probably because they are a bunch of DC's (if ya know what I mean) I was able to spend a lot of quality time with Ashlyn at the end of our trip. I cannot believe how big she is getting and I just love her to pieces. Mom, Thank you for being such a great Grandma. You are amazing with your Grandchildren. You have created memories that will last forever! I just love my family! Thank you everyone for making our vacation one of the most memorable one's!

EASTER 2009

2009-04-13T15:02:00.000-07:00

Let me just start by saying, "Wow, what a day!" This past weekend Brayden had a baseball tournament in Oregon. His last game was Saturday night at 8:00.(He did awesome by the way). We did not get to bed till very late. Sunday morning came so quickly. I woke in a panic, wanting everyone to be at church one time with everyone looking their Easter best. The kids got to explore their Easter baskets, which put us even more in a rush. Needless to say we made it to Church just in time for Sacrament. My mind was racing. The meeting was really great and the music was amazing! I was then brought back to what that day was all about. My thoughts were turned to the Saviour and his life and Resurrection. I am so truly blessed.
We had family over after church for an Easter egg hunt. We went to dinner at Bob's mom's house. It was a beautiful day!

Spring Break in Sunriver,OR.......(Preview)

2009-04-04T20:01:00.001-07:00

This is just a preview of our wonderful trip to Sunriver. We had the best time! I am putting together a video of all the fun things we did. Man, I love my Family!

MAN COLD (Are you kiddin me?)

2009-03-19T18:01:00.000-07:00

I think it was Nat who shared this with me once, but I had to post it again. Bob came home with the sniffles. Don't worry everyone, he is resting comfortably on the couch watching the NCAA tournament. I am about to make his dinner, followed by a nice little massage. Let's hope he doesn't get any worse. (Ashlyn just watched this video clip with me. She went up to Bob, rubbed his cheek and said, "Poor Little Bunny!") LOL LOL LOL!

HORSIN' AROUND!

2009-03-08T19:54:00.000-07:00

I took Ashlyn and her friend to see this little horse. I was so adorable to listen to them daydream about having a horse of their own one day.

Ashlyn: "Kara, when I get my horse, when I am older, you can come over and we can ride her all day long."

Kara: "I wish I could live with you Ashlyn, when you get your horse, then we could just take turns riding her all day long."

Ashlyn: "Only we can ride her. Not our brother's. They are too heavy!"

They have it all planned out!

WHAT A BEAUTIFUL DAY!

2009-02-26T20:05:00.000-08:00

YOU GOTTA LOVE EM!

2009-02-26T20:01:00.000-08:00

A DAY AT THE PARK WITH MY KIDS!

2009-02-26T19:54:00.000-08:00

The kids had half day at school, so dispite the freezing cold weather we went to the park and had a blast! (I need to get more pics of Brayden. He is alittle camera shy) I am ready for some major sunshine!!!!!

LOVE!

2009-02-25T08:45:00.000-08:00

I was putting Ashlyn to bed last night. We have this thing we always do and we tell each other how much we love each other....
Ashy: "Mom, I love you more than chocolate."
Mom: "Ashy, I love you more than all the horsey's in the world."
Ashy: "Mom, I love you more than all the candy in the world."
Mom: "I love you more than the sky."
Ashylyn paused as if she wanted to one up me and then said,
"Mom, I love you more than 'Arack Obama'."
We started laughing so hard! So much for quieting down for bed time.

LOST A TOOTH!

2009-02-05T18:36:00.000-08:00

Zach has been home sick from school for the last two days with a cough and fever. These pictures look pretty traumatic, but Zach was actually a champ. He remembered when Brayden used the string and door technique to get his tooth out and wanted to give it a shot. I hooked him all up and without hesitation he slammed the door. The floss just came right off his tooth. When I was tying it to his tooth the second time I moved his tooth alittle too much and it hurt him. He started to tear up. I grabbed my camera and he closed the door and his little tooth came flying out. He said that part didnt even hurt. I dont know what it is about kids and loosing their teeth, but it just means they are getting older. I dont like it! My babies are growing up too fast!

GOOFY KIDS!

2009-01-29T15:51:00.000-08:00

I know some of you might say they are too old to bathe together. Well, I dont usually have them bathe together, but it was one of those nights and I threw them all in the bubble bath. They had a blast and they cracked with up with all their bubble faces. Good Times!

Life is so fragile........

2009-01-22T14:10:00.000-08:00

13-year-old bicyclist still critical
Thursday, January 22 | 6:54 a.m.

LAURA MCVICKER, COLUMBIAN STAFF WRITER

A Wy'east Middle School student remained in critical condition this morning, a day after he was hit by an SUV while riding his bicycle along Southeast 136th Avenue in a crosswalk near the school.

Kristopher Miles, 13, who hadn't been wearing a helmet and suffered critical head, shoulder and leg injuries, remained at Legacy Emanuel Hospital in Portland.

Miles was injured after the driver of the Chevrolet Blazer, 28-year-old Andrea Dickinson of Vancouver, stopped at the four-way stop sign, then accelerated across the avenue and hit the boy.

The SUV continued west more than 100 feet, pushing the boy and his bike along with it, before coming to rest with the bike underneath it, police said.

Police are continuing the investigation, and as of late Wednesday, they hadn't determined how the accident happened.

I know this is a depressing entry but I wanted to post my feelings. Ashlyn and I witnessed this accident. The boy was hit on his bike and my world went blank. The lady continued to drive and next thing I new I was looking out my window at a young boy lying in the street covered in blood. His bike remained under the drivers truck. I pulled over to the right of the road and I was in shock. I realized that Ashlyn had not seen the boy yet and was really focused on the bike under the truck. People were getting out of their cars and surrounding the boy. I knew I would be no help that way. The ambulance showed up so quickly and before I new it cars and people were everywhere. Huge traffic jam. There wasnt much I could do and I did not want Ashy to see the boy. I left.
Life is so fragile. I spent the rest of my day and night and am still reflecting on how precious life is. It is so fragile. I am hugging my kids a little tighter and am so grateful for all I have. I am so blessed.
(I have been able to give my statement to the Police Dept. I dont know how much it helped, but I definitely needed them to know what I saw)Pray for this young boy.

ASHLYN'S FASHION!

2009-01-14T16:49:00.000-08:00

Okay, so having a little girl is the best! I get to play dress up every day. I was very much a tomboy back in the day. As long as Ashy will let me, I am going to doll her up baby!

Zach/Cheetah?

2009-01-14T16:25:00.000-08:00

Zach keeps things so interesting around here. His new thing is he runs around the house on all fours. (I think he has forgotten how to just walk)It is the craziest thing I have ever seen. The coordination it takes to run around like that is amazing. I asked him the other day if he was part cheetah? He loved that. He has now lost a couple of teeth and is loving the whole tooth fairy thing. His smile just makes ya want to smile!

Braydo!

2009-01-14T16:17:00.000-08:00

I love this pic of Ashy and Brayden. Brayden is such a good big brother. He is getting excited to start basketball, and already has began batting practice and drills for his select baseball team. I can't believe how much this kid loves sports.

Wonderful Birthday!

2009-01-06T12:36:00.000-08:00

My birthday was awesome! Bob spoiled me. It started with breakfast in bed. I was able to go shopping with no children, I relaxed, and was showered with gifts. What more could a birthday girl ask for. Well there is more! The next day I got to share it with family and friends. Nate and Mere came over, as well as some of Bobs family. We got to play, play, play. Rockband Rocks at our house. I would have to say Tyler, Brayden and Zach make the best band. The adults need alitte work. (Bob gets mad when I want to take a break. He looks at me in all seriousness and says,"Rachelle, we need to practice." (Like were going on tour next week or something!) I dont think I have laughed so hard, as I have watching people play rockband. It is hilarious!
Dont forget to notice the awesome homemade birthday cake made by Bob, Ashlyn and Lo Lo( Lauren) The spiderman thingy really made it special!
I loved my birthday. It has changed a lot since I was a young girl. My brothers used to give me one shoe for Christmas and the other for my birthday. Man I was jipped as a child. (Scarred for life!) Thanks everyone for the birthday wishes! It was a great day!

CHRISTMAS 2008!

2009-01-06T11:14:00.000-08:00

Christmas was amazing this year! Our family had planned to go to Sunriver for Christmas, but due to the weather, on the day we were supposed to leave we found out we would not be able to travel on the roads. We explained to the kids the situation and set out in search for a Christmas tree.( I decorated the house but we were going to have our tree in Sunriver) We went at least 10 tree lots, and all were closed, and the trees were frozen. We had almost given up hope in finding one. We drove past a Home Depot and quickly took a peak. They had one little tree sitting all by itself in corner. "We'll take it!" The kids were so exctied and loved that is was just their size. We took it home and I let the kids decorate it however they wanted. ( I am usually so picky about decorating it) It was so cute to see their faces as they admired the end result. Christmas Eve was alittle different. We are so used to having family around but it was just our little family. We watched Polar Express in the Theatre room, had hot cocoa and popcorn. The kids each bought a gift for each other with their own money and they were able to open those. Brayden read a Christmas story and we read from the scriptures. It was so peaceful. I loved it! We tucked the kids into bed and they were so excited! It was so cute to hear their stories on what they thought Santa was doing, and really wondering if he would come. (Brayden is 10 and has figured things out, but was such a good sport and played along for his brother and sister)They woke up at 6:00 and had a wonderful day! We have been so blessed and I am so grateful for all we have! I love my little family!
Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and we hope this New Year brings lots of joy and happiness your way!

WINTER WONDERLAND!

2008-12-22T19:27:00.000-08:00

A couple days after Thanksgiving, Zach and Ashlyn did the wishbone. They both made a wish and pulled on the wishbone. Zach's end was bigger. He did not tell us what his wish was until a few weeks later he shouted out, "My wish came true!" It was snowing outside. The first day it snowed was so funny. Eveytime it would start snowing my kids would bundle up from head to toe and when they reached the door to go outside the snow had stopped. They did this four times. They barely had enough snow to make a little fort to hide behind. Throughout the day Zach kept saying, "I wish it would snow some more." Well folks it snowed, and snowed, and snowed and hasn't stopped. The snow towered over their little fort. They got to go to snowmobiling and practically live outside. It is beautiful! I love the snow!

Our Little Christmas Angel!

2008-12-22T16:10:00.000-08:00

Ashlyn has especially been excited for Christmas this year. They have done the cutest things in Preschool. She had her Christmas program last week and talk about the cutest thing ever! Miss Cindy told the kids that if they sang the very best they could, maybe Santa would hear them and maybe show up. Ashlyn sang like her life depended on it. Santa did show up. It was so sweet to see her face when Santa really did enter the room. She would not take her eyes off him. I think she was scared and excited at the same time. I almost got teary-eyed watching and listening to her sing. It was so sweet.

WE GOT A DOG...........NOT!

2008-12-10T19:12:00.000-08:00

Okay, so this dog came around over the weekend. My kids brought it into our backyard so we could call the number on the tags. We found the owner,(who actually lives just up our street and around the corner.) The dogs name is Duke. Seriously, the best dog I have ever met. He is awesome with the kids and is extremely well behaved. I actually fell in love with him. The owner came and got him a Saturday night. Well guess who showed up on our door step the next day............ Duke! He loves us. (Bob says he just came back cuz we feed him, he really just loves us so much!) I called the owner once again and she said she works all of the time and she thinks her dog is lonely. WELL DAHHHHH! This is quite the best way to have a dog. He comes around during the day, plays with the kids and poops and sleeps at his home. Anyway I dont know what will come of this. The owner doesn't even really like Duke. (Kinda sad) The kids want a dog, but.............No way Man, Not gonna do it! Aint gonna happen! Dream on kiddies! Think again! (Okay so maybe we will talk to Dad (Bob) about it) NOT!

Happy Hollidays

2008-11-20T15:59:00.001-08:00

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY LO LO!

2008-11-12T15:08:00.000-08:00

Ashlyn wanted me to post some pics of her and her favorite cousin Lauren. They are so stinkin cute and they play so well together! "Happy Birthday Lo Lo", Love Ashlyn!

ELVIS LIVES!!!!!!

2008-11-03T12:46:00.000-08:00

Bob wore this to work all day on Friday. Seriously you had to have seen him. You all would of laughed really super hard.(My Elvis, What a big ear you have!)

PUMPKIN CARVING!

2008-11-03T12:37:00.001-08:00

Brayden gutted and carved his pumpkin all by himself this year. It turned out really cool!

Granny, Wendie and Scott came over and carved pumkins with us. Notice Ashlyn and Brayden have messy hands. They totally got after it, but little Zach didnt want to get his hands dirty.(That surprised me!)

KIDS SAY THE DARNDEST THINGS!

2008-10-26T17:25:00.000-07:00

This morning my little Zachy was so stincking cute! He said, "Mommy, what do flowers and a bicycle have in common?" Ummmm, I dont know Zach, what? "Pedals," "Mommy, what do Brayden and a skunk have in commom?" Ummmm, I dont know. "They are both really stinky," "Mommy, what do Ashy and flowers have in commom?" What Zach? They both smell really nice." I hugged him and told him he was sooooooo sweet! I looked at Zach and asked him what about Mommy? He looked up, and around and thought and thought............It took him a couple of minutes........."Mom, what do you and a horse have in commom?" I could not wait to hear this one. "You both have great hair!" Oh my gosh, I started laughing so hard, I could barely stand. I ran and told Bob they whole story and we just had the best laugh. We then went to church. Just before church started Bob's mom and I were sitting there and I began to tell her this same story. Oh heaven's not the right time to tell that story. Bob's mom was laughing so hard she was making the bench shake and her face was turning purple. We could not stop laughing, I thought I was going to have to bolt out of there. (Nat, bring back memories?) Anyway, Kids say the cutest things and I just love it!

BACKYARD FOOTBALL!!!!!!

2008-10-22T12:50:00.000-07:00

Brayden and Zach's best friends Jake and Robbie Epperson, came into town this last weekend. The boys had a blast! They played and played and played until the very second Jake and Robbie had to leave. They played a game of tackle football. It was a riot to watch. They were running around creaming each other. I was taking pics the whole time and finally realized that Ashlyn was just skipping around singing songs as they would barely miss ripping her head off, or smearing my little princess into the ground. She never once got touched. As I review the pictures I took, man, she is lucky to be alive. She is just randomly in some of the shots.

MY KIDS ARE LEARNING TO FLY!

2008-10-13T11:24:00.000-07:00

What am I Chop Liver?

2008-10-04T18:44:00.000-07:00

Okay, so Ashy is 4 years old. Old enough to go to preschool... Does she gotta forget all about her dear old, sweet mom, who has nurtured her up to this ripe ol' age? (I thought Ashy would struggle going to her first day of preschool, but nope!!!!!Off she went without even such as a slight glance back. She was so confident and ready, but as for me..................Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!) All my kiddies are in school and it is toooooo weird. Ya, it allows time to get lots done and run errands without kids, but I am not liking it so much!

Nice cheesy grin and already to go to her first day of Preschool.(She thinks she's so big)

Proud and confident. Ashy is in the Sunshine class! She absolutely loves it!

BRAYDEN MICHAELS 10TH BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!

2008-10-02T16:22:00.000-07:00

I am having a mother's moment. I am having a very hard time believing Brayden is actually 10 years old. He was just my baby boy the other day.

We were able to celebrate Brayden's birthday with family and friends.

Brayden got Tiger Woods Golf 09' on the WII. Boy did we have some serious tournaments.(Personally I smoked everybody, but they wouldn't let you know that)!

We stuck with the whole golf theme, and Brayden got his Baskin Robin's Ice-cream cake. Yum Yum!!!!
I just have to say how proud I am of Brayden. He is doing so well in school, scouts, piano, and athletic activities. He has accomplished so much already and is becoming quite the young man. I love you so much Brayden!

THE BOYS TRIP TO NEW YORK!

2008-09-23T09:11:00.000-07:00

THE EMPIRE STATE BUILDING

THE STATUE OF LIBERTY

GROUND ZERO-What an eye opener for the boys. They are still talking about what they saw. They kept trying to imagine how tall the Twin Towers were and it was hard for them to comprehend it all.

TIME SQUARE-Brayden and Zach said Time Square was CRAZY. The lights, people, Taxi's.......Just Crazy!!!!!!

YANKEES STADIUM-This was one of Last Yankee Games before the stadium will be torn down. Their is so much history in that Stadium. Bob wanted the boys to see it and experience it before the blessed stadium is no longer. The boys absolutely loved it. It turned out to be an awesome game!

COOPERSTOWN-HALL OF FAME-The boys were able to go to the Hall of Fame and learn about some of their favorite ball players. I am so thankful Bob was able to share this experience with our boys. Brayden and Zach told me this would be a trip they would never forget.

TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALL GAME!

2008-09-09T13:38:00.000-07:00

What a day at Safeco Field! We had the best time. The weather was gorgeous! We arrived to the game early and were able to watch the Yankees warm up. We were so close the players. Brayden and Zach were trying to get their baseball autographed, but no such luck. It was just to awesome to see the players so close up.

ICHIRO

A-ROD

DEREK JETER

BYU VS. WASHINGTON HUSKIES!

Take about an awesome game. You should of seen us! We all lost our voices. (Yes, I I didnt just get a soar throat, I lost my voice!) We were cheering the entire game! It was so cute to watch Brayd, Zach and Ashy get into the game. Bob even cheered for the Cougs! I loved this whole weekend! Good Times, Good Times!!!!!!!!

FIRST DAY BACK AT SCHOOL!

2008-09-03T10:05:00.000-07:00

Look at my boys! They are so grown up. They actually did not want to go back to school. We had one awesome summer! I took them to their classes and it was hard to leave them. I am going to miss them while they are at school. I left little notes in their lunches. Brayden will probably be embarrased but Zach will love it. Man I love my boys!

A DAY TO REMEMBER!

2008-08-25T14:41:00.000-07:00

Ashlyn loves horses!. All she wanted to do on her birthday was ride horses. Well,the day before her birthday she was able to spend the whole day at a ranch with tons of beautiful horses. A friend of mine, spent the day with us letting Ashlyn brush and prepare the horse to saddle up. Ashlyn rode forever. We were able to give 'Smoke' a bath and make her all pretty. Ashy was so serious at first, and then she became very comfortable. Almost too comfortable. She really has a special love for horses. Her birthday was so much fun, she got the bike she had been wanting(she just saw that Stella has the same one, which makes it more special)Her Uncle Scott finished the barn he built for her and she was able to blow the candles out on her horsey cake. She was in heaven. We had family and friends over(which you cannot tell from these pics) but it was a special day. We love our little Ashy!

WE ARE SO PROUD!

2008-08-16T16:27:00.000-07:00

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DO WE HAVE YOUR VOTES?

2008-08-16T16:10:00.000-07:00

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GOING FOR THE GOLD!
(Share your thoughts on our costumes. A lot of hard work and dedication went in to making them. They are quite comfortable)

MY BABY GIRL IS TURNING 4!

2008-08-09T18:06:00.000-07:00

Where has time gone? My little girl is getting so big. She will be 4 this Friday. I will post pics of her party over the weekend. Every day I pretend like I am sad and say to Ashlyn, "Did I say you could get big?" She giggles and says, "I'm getting bigger Mommy, but I will always be you little girl!" She melts my heart. I love her so much! She will be going to Preschool this year. She is so smart and full of personality! Ashy, I love you so much!

Some of my Favorites!

2008-07-29T16:18:00.000-07:00

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

These are a few of my favorite pictures that I have taken lately. Sorry, pretty random. Hope some of you dont mind that I have posted pics of you, but they are just so cute. I am loving photograpy and hope to take some classes here shortly.
We have been so busy lately and enjoying every minute. Brayden's baseball team won districts and state championships. We had family over for the fourth, Tyler was baptised, Bob was called into the Bishopbric again, Zach had his birthday, Natalie and Tatem played with us for a week, I went to Arizona, Dave and Nancy paid us a visit, Scout camp started up, football starts up next week, and, well these are just a few things we have been up to. Life is great!

THE FOURTH OF JULY!!!!!!!

2008-07-14T10:13:00.000-07:00

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

What a great weekend! It was wonderful having so many family and friends here to celebrate! The morning of the fourth we had a wonderful breakfast in the park. The weather was perfect. My family helped me get my house and yard ready for everyone to come over later that evening for a BBQ and Bob's firework show. The day was just perfect! We packed everyone out in the front yard with blankets and chairs. Bob had a huge audience. He started the fireworks off slow making everyone think it was going to be quite boring. The rest of our neighborhood was blowing up. I looked at Teener and could see concern in her eyes that all these people were here, just see sparkler's and little pops. I told her to turn her head and look in the garage. She turned, squinted and slowly read on a box TNT. Her eyes lit up. I was laughing so hard. Bob stole the show as he then blew up our part of the neighborhood. He had a smile from ear to ear. (I was so proud of my husband) All in all it was Good Times! Thanks every one for sharing in such a great day!

'COWGWIRL'

2008-06-06T13:29:00.000-07:00

Ashlyn is my little "cowgwril"(she calls it) She absolutely loves horses! I thought is was a phase she was going through but she truly has a love for horses. She loves to wear her hair in braids. She wants her braids to grow clear down to her bum.

Since Ashlyn and I live at the ball parks Ashlyn has made some really good friends. This is her friend Kaylee. They play so well together. Everytime I look at them they are walking someone elses dog. Good times, Good times!

ROUGH, TOUGH, (and so stinkin cute!)

2008-06-06T13:14:00.000-07:00

Zachary is our little stud muffin. He played catcher in his last game. Seriously the catchers equipment was bigger than he was. He looked so cute!(Bob told me I should'nt say that, but gosh dangit he was!)

Braydo and his team won their tournament in Bend Oregon Memorial Day weekend. They smoked every team. Brayden is becoming such a good ball player. We are so proud of him!!!!

YES WE ARE EXPECTING!!!!

2008-05-06T12:05:00.000-07:00

EXPECTING BOB TO LOOSE A FEW POUNDS AND JULIE TO FINALLY HAVE THAT SWEET BABY!!!!!

Brave little girl!

2008-05-06T11:53:00.000-07:00

Ashlyn had her ears pierced when she was just a few months old. One of the earings fell out when she was 8 months. We left it out seeing as it bothered her when we tried to put it in. I thought I would have her wait until she was a lot older to re-pierce them, but out of the blue the other day, while we were at the mall she saw a five year old get her ears pierced and asked if she could do it. We called Daddy and he was for it. She sat in the chair, while they prepared everything. I told her it was going to hurt. She was amazing! She didn't make a peep. That is until I held her and gave her a huge hug. She mumbled, "Mommy that hurt." I am suprised at how well she has done with having them pierced at this age. I thought she would want to take them out, but she has been great!

Lukers and JohnJohn!

2008-05-06T08:57:00.000-07:00

These are my little buddies Luke and Johnjohn. They are 19 months old. They are my girlfriends little twins. (I know, they look nothing alike) These pics were taken at the end of one baseball games. They are just so stinckin cute I had to share!!!!!