Happy Halloween!

Cam was a pumpkin, Ava was Snow White for the party and a witch Saturday for trick or treating, and Bennett was an octopus. I couldnt get a great picture of the kids together,but this is what i do have...

Cameron was sooo happy, comfy, and just stinkin' cute (just like his little personality)

I was way bummed when I looked at the pictures of Ava and realized I forgot to untuck her white collar on the dress...dang it! So no pictures with the "full Snow White effect".

 

But She is cute anyway, right?

I definitely got the most complements on Bennetts outfit. I paid a lot for it when Cam was a baby and it is by far the best baby costume ever and I plan to use it with all my kiddos. Bennett was by far the hit of the show.  Sorry, no great pics of him either.  But you know my kids, they are all perfectly adorable!

Thats no pickle...

How many kids do you know that would just grab a cucumber out of the fridge and just start chomping down? Mine would! In fact, Cam ate almost the entire thing by the end of the day. I promise I feed my kids complete meals!

Bennetts 1st birthday

Just a couple of pictures from my baby's first birthday! He didnt do much with his cake, just poked holes in it with his finger.

Snot...It is my favorite accesory

At least it should be since I wear plenty of it. I start with none and by the end on the day my shirt and even pants are lavishly decorated! It use to gross me out big time. I guess as a mom you have an extra capacity to adjust and grow beyond what you ever thought possible.

It wasnt supposed to happen...

at LEAST until she was a teenager!

Today I had a hard-being-mom morning. I just got tired of ALL the cleaning, cooking, dishes, laundry, everything being my responsibility, and my kids are competent children, right? So I told Ava and Cameron that THEY needed to pick up the toys in the living room and put them in the basket. I got lots of protests "NO mom, I don't like that idea!" When it didn't happen, I just told them no more food, friends, bath-time, favorite blankets, TV, anything, until the toys were picked up (as far as I was concerned they could sit there on the floor and cry until they were ready to start). I even told them I would HELP them clean up the toys, but only after they started working first. Then Ava said it...

"MOM, YOU RUINED MY LIFE"

wow, didn't see that one coming my way for at least a couple more years (maybe 10?) I told her "that's OK, I still love you. Now pick up that toy and put it in the basket!" It took about two hours of crying but eventually the half a laundry basket worth of toys were picked up. No one ever told me that everything in life as a mother was going to be a battle. Now I have to get my kids to eat their dinner tonight.... ugh!

Birthday Boy

I cannot believe that it was today (about this time) just one year ago that we welcomed Bennett into the world. He is just the most amazing little boy ever and I cannot even put into words how much I love him or how much he has added to our family!
I knew, even months before I found out I was pregnant, that there was a neat little boy up in heaven waiting to come down to our family. Then when I held him in my arms I knew that he was the missing piece to our family puzzle and that he has a very specific and special mission here on earth. I am so grateful for my little boy. Never has a child been more full of joy! No child has ever been happier and more loving than this little guy. I thank God every morning when Bennett greets me with his toothy grin that God saw fit to allow me to be his mother! He is my miracle.

Birthday Party!!!

My baby i turning 1! I can't believe a year has almost past since I brought this tiny baby home from the hospital. SO it is time to celebrate!

What: Bennetts 1st birthday party/ potluck dinner!
When: Sunday, Oct 24th @ 5:00
Where: Our place!
Other info: Unless you have a better idea we will be eating taco salad. I will provide the meat/chili and also dessert. Please let me what you can bring. This is what we need: chips, lettuce, tomoatoes, cheese, salad dressing, sour cream, guacamole, drinks, or paper goods. Please have it preped and ready to eat, but no birthday presents please (we just want enough good food for a great time instead)!

It is sure to be a blast, hope you can come!

Names?

Name suggestions? This is what I've thought of so far:


Girl:
Chloe
Riley
Vienna
Adelyn
Brooklynn
Aislyn

Boy:
Adrian
Peyton
Preston
Greyson
Christian
Julian

What can I say, I like names that end with the letter "n"

Crockpot Split Pea Soup

Ingredients
16 ounces dried split peas
2 cups diced fully cooked lean ham (I use 1/2 lb. chopped and cooked bacon instead)
1 cup diced carrots (I add a bit more)
1 cup diced celery
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
5 cups boiling water (I use chicken stock, then I add an extra cup or two of water while it is cooking)
1 cup hot milk

Directions
1.In a slow cooker, layer the first nine ingredients in order listed (do not stir). Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours or until vegetables are tender. Stir in milk. Discard bay leaves before serving.


I love it, its easy and yummy!

PS can you see my background, or is it just white? I can see it on my laptop, but not my desktop.

BYU Football

My only regret is that it was so fun, Cameron begs everyday allday to go to another!

7 Years

This comes a few days late, but I still have to mention how grateful I am for this amazing life I have! The last seven years has brought a flood of change in our lives. Getting married, moving 6 times (all within a 30 mile radius mind you), Billy graduating with both bachelors and then his masters, me graduating with my bachelors, growing our family by adding 3 children and another one added soon, purchasing our first home, etc. There has been so much growth and change, it has almost been a constant! Still, with all these changes I sometimes feel that we were married just yesterday.

We celebrated our 7 year mark with a weekend get-away in SLC. We got a room, enjoyed dinner out, stayed up all night watching a movie, playing card games, and well, you can guess what comes next... Breakfast we ate in bed and then we spent the morning in the temple. Lastly, we finished the day by picking up our three kids and enjoyed a family night at the BYU game. It was one awesome day.

Still, the best part of my day was and is waking up every morning with my best friend next to me. I love knowing my kids are happily and safely sleeping in their beds and we have a whole day in front of us to learn and grow (and clean, oh wait, not so much that one). What a life the Lord has given us! My husband is amazing, not perfect but pretty darn close ;-) He loves me, supports me, works harder than I've ever known anyone to (and he doesn't ever complain about it). He is kind, thoughtful, always putting me first, and a wonderful loving father, and has a testimony of the gospel. I know the favorite part of each of our days is when he walks in the door!

If you had told me before I met him that I would be married at 17 I would have thought you belonged in a metal hospital. But when I met him, I knew he was one in a million and I just couldn't pass this guy up! And so we have worked together and laughed together, and created this amazing life for ourselves and for the children that the Lord has blessed us with. As a mom of 3 almost 4 kids ages 4 and under is hard and mundane sometimes, but with the Lord and Billy at my side I find that in the mundane is also the celestial. I am grateful for my life, and especially for my husband. He is my best friend, confidant, and the love of my life. Thank you, Hun. I cant wait to see what the next 70 years will bring to us!

I LOVE YOU!

Ava

Ava is sitting on the floor in her room, playing with her door house furniture
Me: Ava, what are you doing?
Ava: I'm fixing my freezerator!

Most of you know we live in a beautiful townhome.
Me: "Ava, go to the next door neighbors house and ask if they want to come over for lunch. The ones that live right next door, the ones with the big dog."
Ava: "I know mom, the ones with the house glued to our house."

Stephanie mentioned that I need to be writing down and keeping track of funny things that Ava says. She absolutely cracks me up every day! So this is my attempt at starting.