Home Sweet Home

She's starting to fit her name in this outfit, Daisy Duke! She is a super tall girl for her age, 99th percentile for height!

The TREK March 13-16th, 2013  Left to Right: Jerry, Keaton, Veronica, Brynn, Zach, Asher, Kim, Justin & Audra It has taken FOREVER to finally get this post ready to go. I've had the pictures uploaded for weeks, but this experience really isn't something I want to rush in describing. I will do the best I can and Justin can add anything he would like later. Back in December, Justin and I were called to be a Ma & Pa for our stake's TREK in March. We were both pretty excited (Justin especially, he had been putting the word out as much as he could that we wanted to do it). I looked forward to getting the chance to experience the TREK again as an adult, and be able to focus more this time on relating to my ancestors and their sacrifices, and truly keeping them in mind through the discomfort. I purchased a CD called "Nashville Tribute to the Pioneers" several years ago and it touched me then, but I also listened to it more and more in my spiritual pre...

In lieu of some of the events this week with the girl being abducted and released by the pervert in Queen Creek, as well as other reports of a man acting suspiciously in his car at an elementary school parking lot in Gilbert today, I took the time to have THAT conversation with my kids again about what to do if approached by a stranger trying to get them to go with them. It went like this: Me: "So what do you do if someone pulls up to you and tells you to get in their car" Kids in unison: "Run away" Me: "That's right. Now what do you do if they point a gun at you and tell you to get in their car?" Brighton: "uh...I don't know" Me: "You STILL run away, scream and yell and run to the school or to the nearest adult with children around. They won't shoot you, they'll probably just try to get away. Now, what do you do if they are grabbing you trying to force you into their car?" Brighton & Adaira: "Y...

Little princess wants to be carried ALL the time, Dale is either breaking things or being super cute and cuddling with his blanket, and Brighton & Adaira took time to play reverse dress up and love one another in-between fist fights. I don't get enough quiet sweet moments with each of these special kids each day, they are too busy swirling around me all at once. I wish I had more time to enjoy each of them.

In lieu of some of the events this week with the girl being abducted and released by the pervert who exposed himself to her in Queen Creek, as well as other reports of a man acting suspiciously in his car at an elementary school parking lot in Gilbert today, I took the time to have THAT conversation with my kids again about what to do if approached by a stranger trying to get them to go with them. It went like this: Me: "So what do you do if someone pulls up to you and tells you to get in their car" Kids in unison: "Run away" Me: "That's right. Now what do you do if they point a gun at you and tell you to get in their car?" Brighton: "uh...I don't know" Me: "You STILL run away, scream and yell and run to the school or to the nearest adult with children around. They won't shoot you, they'll probably just try to get away. Now, what do you do if they are grabbing you trying to force you into their car?" Bri...

Squeezed in one more ski trip in February Near the end of February, the White Mountains got an awesome snow storm, and we worried we wouldn't be able to get the kids out skiing again this season if we didn't go, so Justin watched the younger two at home and I took Brighton and Adaira skiing. We had such a good time, and WOW how easy is it to only have older kids to manage. Haven't experienced that in a long time, maybe ever. So nice and low stress. We had a great trip. They both skied great, were good sports when they fell (poor Adaira had quite a few wipeouts, and after each one she cried that her face was frozen and she wanted to go home, but I got her up again and by the time we were down the mountain she was ready to keep going.) All bundled up! We were ready for anything, turned out to be a pretty mild day. Brighton coming nice and steady. Yeah right, he's a speed demon. He kept pushing Adaira to race him and they would go straight down the hill, no snow...

Some much needed updates These are pictures from February that I saved as a blog draft but haven't gotten around to posting. I've been busy going in several directions lately (let's see, trying to get ready to sell a house, obsessing over a new floor plan that I will love FOREVER, working part time at LDSFS, starting a Skinny Wrap business, and mothering 4 children...doesn't leave me much time or desire to blog!) but I need to catch up. These are just some moments of our lives that are funny and special. At my house this is the kind of stuff you see on a regular basis, and I love it. Who in their right mind would trust Dale at the wheel??? Daisy is always good for a ride, but with Dale driving she needs a seat belt. He loves to swerve side to side violently and she has tumbled out several times. Pretty sure not all of those were accidents on Dale's part either.... One of our lambs gave birth in February. I had been hypothesizing that she was pregnant,...