quality

since all the other little people are in school this year all day Ella and I have been spending a lot of time together

and what do you think we have been doing...

Whatever she wants!

she gets to have me all to herself and we are both pretty happy about it!!

LOVE LOVE LOVE your guts ELLA!!!

first day of school!

I think that I have just as much anxiety of the first day of school as the kids do. All the scenarios run through my head and I put on the happy face so that hopefully the kids don't pick up on it:)

The morning went just like this...breakfast, clothes, brush teeth, hair, piano, chores, lunches, and traditional pictures by the front door.

Preston  6th grade

Abbie 4th grade

Mckena 1st grade

Ella and I drove them to the school we walked back to help Mckena find her line.

As soon as the bell rang Mckena whipped right into line and she was on her way. I almost lost it at this point but thankfully I held it together:)

Ella was so sad the rest of the day. She kept asking "where brudder??" 

She did take her little sack lunch back to the school and sat by Mckena in the big lunch room. Then home for a quick nap and then the apron came out.

We made the kids favorite chocolate chip cookies for the after school snack.

After school we ate cookies and they gave me the low down on the day.

When I asked if the 1st day was a thumbs up or a thumbs down this was their response.

It was a good day!

PHEW!!!

hot air balloons:)

Every year on July 4th weekend we wake up at o dark thirty and head to provo to see the hot air balloons. 

we meet up with our fellow balloon lover cousins the kemps and the chrismans

Then run around looking at all the balloons before they take off.

I bet you are wondering which balloon was my favorite huh??

Ella and I couldn't keep our eyes off it;)

The kids loved that the pigs feet were low enough to play around with 

Here's Preston trying to save Abbie's life

Josh and Mckena

and nervous nelly Ella

When the favorites have been seen we find some grass and have a super healthy breakfast of donuts and chocolate milk.

 Super fun cousin time especially for these two

because they LOVE each other:)

summer trip to the ZOO!!

It's not summer until you hit the ZOO!!!

So we packed up our snacks and sunscreen and hit the road.

It was a beautiful day! We had to grab a quick shot before we went in:)

I think every family has stopped for this photo. I know I have a few in my baby book.

I could not get Mckena to look at the camera ALL day. Oh well!

Preston LOVED the monkeys

Abbie LOVED the birds

Mckena LOVED the elephants

and

Ella LOVED the snow cones:)

The train was a hit for everyone but Ella. POOR thing was scared out of her mind. The engineer was a little loud for the sweet thing:(

After a quick potty break and everyone sharing their favorites we hit the road

When the car ride home looks like this...we count the outing as successful!

AWE... SUMMER!!!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY

Dear Rhonda,

How did you get that name anyway?? So tomorrow is our 16th wedding anniversary. Can you believe it?? I can't believe that we have been married for that long. We are just young spring chicks;) Well not really but I feel like it. This anniversary is a little different this year because we are not together. You are away for work and I miss you like crazy. If you were home tonight we would sit on the couch and you would scratch my leg and I would tell you everything about my day. 

I would tell you that Ella said her first prayer today. She actually repeated some of the words at dinner. It was very sweet. I would tell you that Abbie is throwing a fit because Mckena was sneaking juice boxes and hid 2 empty ones under the bed. Abbie is sure that in the few hours they have been there that every spider in a 20 mile radius has migrated to their room. Thus the fit. I would tell you about the guy I saw selling wedding dresses in the back of a trailer on main street. WEIRD HUH? I would tell you that Preston went to play night games tonight and when he came home he stunk like a wet dog. This is disgusting. I made him shower right away. Is this going to pass quickly? When did you stop smelling like a wet dog? I would tell you that I gave Ella root beer in her sippy right before bed because we were out of juice. You would laugh and sing the mom is great song from Bill Cosby. 

This is why I LOVE you.

This is our life and no matter what, we are in this together. All the little things matter and nothing is insignificant. 

You make me feel loved, valued, important, and beautiful.  I feel so blessed that we found each other and that we will be together FOREVER. I couldn't imagine my life with anyone else.

Happy Anniversary! I LOVE YOU!!!

SWEET SIXTEEN!!!

No, I am not referring to Preston turning 16 yrs old (at least not yet).  Today (Thursday, August 19th) is Our Sixteenth Wedding Anniversary.  It seems like it was just yesterday that I was "scoping" Pam out in early morning tardy make-up.  A lot has happened since then.  Numerous moves, several college degrees, 4 beautiful kids, numerous "life's" ups and downs, and some life changing experiences.  We have weathered a lot of different changes and challenges together.  But over the past 16 years, there is only one thing that has been constant... My love for Pam.

This is not an "Ode" to Pam, but it is my attempt to share some of my thoughts and feelings of our life together... so far.  One of Pam's "love languages" is words of appreciation and affection - which at times I forget to do.  This is not an attempt to "score" some major points or an attempt to make anyone that follows Pam's blog feel bad.  Some wives and husbands voice their affection and appreciation from church pulpits, through cards, letters, flowers, etc.  This is my little attempt to do so from our house top.


I am so blessed to have Pam in my life.  She really is my best friend!!!  She not only loves me for who I am but for who I can become.  She has always been my strength and my support - she is the best "sounding board" that I could ask for.  Her honesty is true and helps keep me grounded on some of my craziest ideas.  It is her voice in my head that is always telling me that I can achieve anything.

Her sense of humor is securely founded in her self confidence.  Pam is the first to share an embarrassing story or experience to help others laugh - while many have had the same/similar experience but would rather die than share a little laughter.  Isn't sharing more laughter one of the things this world needs?

She is so genuine.  She will be the first to admit that life is hard and that it "sucks" sometimes.  Kids don't always listen.  Your house will not always stay clean.  Friends are not always nice.  Things don't always work out the way you wanted them to.  Everyone's families have some sense of "dysfunction" in them.  And the majority of the time "we have to fake it, until we make it.

She trusts fully and completely.  Prior to leaving town (Yes, unfortunately I am not in town during our Anniversary), I was talking to Pam about "trust" and how it relates to our family and our relationship.  I was "ahhhed" by her response.  Pam stated that she trusted me and said that she knew that I would never do anything that would hurt or jeopardize our Family.  She said it so firmly... "I know!" Like she didn't need to ever see the sky to know that it is blue.  Or that the grass is green.  But that she "knew."  She is so convicted to her beliefs and trusts in them 100%.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, PJ - I love you.

The TOUR 2010

Create a picture slideshow

We had an awesome experience this year. Thanks to our sponsors:
Dr Glenn
Dr. Gourley
Bike Peddlers
Dr. Crawford/Leishman Dental Group
Nelsons Surveying
Simply Because foundation

thursdays thoughts...

target...this is the place where i can not step foot in for a least 25468952 years and since i have a serious LOVE for target i am going to have to drive myself all the way to orem where i don't have to put a bag on my head. it all stared out when i was looking for a swimsuit. i HATE shopping for swimsuits. lets face it NO ONE likes shopping for the one piece of material that accentuates the parts of our bodies we like to hide! so after i had taken as many hits on my self esteem as i could drove past target. i thought "i am just going to look and if i find something that remotely looks ok i am buying it and ill try it on at home". well i found {1} one piece that had a plunging v neck. really?? i am trying to hide my belly button and lets not even mention where the heck are the upper parts of the body suppose to go?;) so i grab a couple of tankini's that look long enough and throw down the debit card. the next day when i am feel a little more emotionally stable i pull them out grab a pair of undies and head to the bathroom.

I pull the top on and it is long but it flares at the bottom. what the heck?? this is unfortunate because it is a really cute pattern and it has the right amount padding for the before mentioned upper body parts. i pull it off and look at the tag and it says "in due time" I AM AN IDIOT!! i just bought a maternity swimming suit!! as i am pulling off the bottoms i am shaking my head and my stupidity and wondering if i could possibly live through another shopping trip. i throw everything in the bag get dressed and head to target. i give the lady my bag tell her i am returning these and start looking in my wallet for my receipt. then i look up and all the sudden my throat closes off and my eyes zero in on her hands. much to my dismay she is holding between her two hands my UNDER WARE!!! not granny panties but some...small undies.  "these don't have a tag" she says. now this is a critical moment. i kinda feel like i am going to have a seizure. what the heck to i do?? do i run? do i fake a fainting spell??? do i laugh hysterically?? make up some really creative explanation like, my husbands thinks he is so funny"" no.. all i can do is look at the undies. i grab them and say sorry those are mine and shove them in my purse!!!! the look on her face i will never forget. her hands were still in the air like she was still hold the undies. she looks at me like i am such a dirt bag that i actually consider offering her some hand sanitizer but i don't. she recovers and finishes the transactions and i take my money and run. i find Josh and the kids in the toys. by this time i am crying because i am laughing so hard. i tell josh what happens and he starts laughing so hard that i think he might fall on the floor. then he looks at me and says well at least she knows you tried them on with under ware.

no help.

when we walk up to the check stand i PRAYED she was not there but of course while i am swiping the debit card she comes up to ask the manager if she can go on break. i quietly turned around and walked out the doors leaving josh and the kids NEVER to turn again.

PLEASE learn from my example.

the only under ware you should ever take to target should be the ones that you are actually wearing;)

may in a nut shell...

During the last week of school Abbie decided that she was going to perform a song in her class talent show. I couldn't believe she wanted to do this but she did AWESOME!!!

Mckena's class did a concert of their favorite songs from the year. It was so stinkin cute:) After each song Mckena would look over and make this face.

Mckena had the best year. Mrs. Wright was her teacher and I dont know how we lucked out and got her but she was A.MAZING!!!  Totally understood Mckena and LOVED her unique personality.

 

These sweet girls were Mckenas bestest friends,Tegan and Shelby. They LOVED playing together every single day!!

Right after school got out my Aunt Marie came from California to play. She brought her granddaughter Emma with her. To celebrate I made dutch oven peach cobbler at my mom's. Needless to say Emma and Ella really hit it off.

I LOVE these boys!!! My brothers Kenny and Jason. They are not lovers of the camera so I shot this while they were ingrossed in a serious conversation about fishing. I have never seen harder work men than these. I was glad they had some time to come and have some cobbler with us.

What a fun way to start summer vacation!!!