Cute Little Bench...

Isn't this just adorable!

This is a little bench we have in our backyard. I just thought the kids looked so cute on it.

Memories: Sisterly Love...

Since I've never been good at keeping journals I'm going to start posting some of my random memories. This way I will have them written down before I forget them. It already seems like I'm losing my memory and can't remember as much as I think I should be able too. May be someday my kids will enjoy reading these. Heck, may be when I'm old and senile I will enjoy reading them and wonder who this person is that wrote these memories(jk).

I come from a large family with a lot of girls. I'm the oldest of 7 children-5 of which are girls. Not to mention there is only 11 years between me and the baby of the family. So we are all about 1 1/2- 2 years apart. I love having all my siblings close in age and we all get a long wonderfully. However, things weren't always that way...

I remember many times when I was old enough to babysit my younger siblings my parents would leave and we would almost immediately start fighting. My younger sisters claim that I would never take sides and that I just kind of watched them fight which drove them crazy. One day while my parents were away we had a full on water fight INSIDE the house. Not with just small cups of water, we were using juice pitchers. Needless to say when my parents came home and their entire bed was soaking wet we were all in trouble. I was known for locking my siblings out of the house if I was mad at them. On one of these many occasions my sister who is 18 months younger than me(and very stubborn) decided to ride her bike to where my parents were and tattle on me. Not such a big deal except my parents were in the next town at a rental that they owned which was 8 miles away. Those 8 miles were all highway miles too. If I remember correctly she was probably around 8 years old at the time. I couldn't believe she actually rode her bike that far-I just thought she told me she was going to do this to get me to open the door. Needless to say after that incident my parents made a rule that no one could lock anyone out of the house. Many times one of us would get mad at someone else and go in our only bathroom and lock the door. That person would then proceed to empty the other persons "underwear" drawer completely on the floor. In the meantime the siblings locked on the outside would find some kind of instrument to unlock the door and start pushing to get in. The person in the bathroom would open all the drawers so the door wouldn't come far enough open to get in. Needless to say there were doors with holes in them. Once we all became teenagers the fights still happened but they were about things like sneaking each others clothes to wear to school and then making sure you got home first so you could change so the other sister wouldn't find out...they always did though. We only had one bathroom growing up so it was always a battle in the morning for shower time and curling iron time-one curling iron-5 girls...you get the picture. I remember one of us would get in the shower and close the curtain and then holler that everyone else could come in. Once we were ready to get out of the shower we would tell everyone to get out. Once we were dressed(or at least had a towel wrapped around us), the next person would start their shower. This went on until everyone was done getting ready. My parents used to get mad at us because as teenagers we would go running through the house in our towels to get to our rooms and we had big windows that usually had the curtains open. I must admit I was seen running through my kitchen in my towel by some male friends my age. That was pretty embarrassing! Something else that I can remember is pizza nights. My parents would only order 1 large pizza for the whole family. It had 10 pieces and there were 9 of us. As soon as the box was opened we would all start "calling" which slice was ours based on the sizes of the slices. If you do the math there would be one slice left after we each got one. We would fight over it and my parents would end up cutting it into 7 pieces so we all got part of it. Growing up I got used to this and didn't think much of it. When Steve and I were engaged he was having dinner at our house one night. You guessed it we were having pizza. Including him there were 10 of us which was perfect because the pizza had 10 slices. Well he didn't exactly see it that way. He was used to his parents ordering 3 larges for him and his parents. He couldn't believe there was only one pizza for all of us. Of course my mom insisted that we get all our fruits and veggies so it's not that there was a lack of food just a lack of pizza. Everyone knows you can't just have one slice of pizza. Now I think I'm making up for lost time because Steve and I usually order 2 larges so we can have as much as we want. Now all my siblings(including my brothers) love hanging out together and never fight-at least I don't know of any fighting going on. 4 of the 5 girls live within 20 miles and I just love it! We are all trying to convince the other one that she needs to move here too. We usually see her and her family 1-2 times a year. We are all best friends and I love that our kids are growing up together.

Look who's crawling...

Today Avery crawled forward for the first time. I think the Lego's might have given her a little motivation. I almost thought I was seeing things because she has been trying to figure it out for months(going backwards, rotating in and out of sitting, lunging forward and face planting.) Sometimes she lays on her belly and flails her arms and legs like she is swimming. It is the funniest thing, she looks like a beached whale. As exciting as it is I know I'm in trouble now!

This was one of her most recent attempts to move forward-it usually ended with a face plant.

All things "Girlie"...

So I'm just barely starting to have fun dressing Avery. I have really grown to love dressing Maddy although I really have to search for cute boy clothes that aren't too cutesy. I prefer dressing him like a "little man" rather than a "little baby." I'm so used to going straight to the boy section of stores that I have to remind myself I can shop for a girl too. While good finds in the boy section are a rarity, there is so much cute stuff to choose from in the girl section . Due to Avery's lack of hair I also love putting flowers on her head to make her look more "girlie."

I love that the flower is almost as big as her head!

I received this adorable outfit as a gift from my neighbor Wendy at my baby shower before Avery came home from the NICU. I was afraid it was going to be too small for summer so I put it on her yesterday to see if it fit. I just love it and think she looks so cute...

These are the sandals that go with the outfit in the picture above. So cute and small. Her feet are still so small...these are a size 1 and they fit her.

These are all of Avery's new flowers and headbands. They are all interchangeable so I can switch them around to match her clothes. I have to give all the credit to my sister Jamie who made all these for me. We were suppose to do it together but as usual she ended up doing it all herself. Thanks a bunch Jamie, I just love them!

Eventually I'm going to glue ribbon on the back of this and then clip all her flowers on it and hang it in her room.

Closeups of Maddy...

I think Maddy is such a beautiful child. He is as beautiful on the inside as he is on the outside! He has such a sweet little spirit and love for life. I know, all moms feel this way. I just really love, love, love how these pictures turned out!

Simply beautiful!

The picture says it better than I could!

Just for fun...

Doesn't he just look so innocent?

I Love the "growl" and messy hair!

So adorable!

Definitely looks a little mischievous!

I Love how the light coming in from the window reflects off his face.

His smile makes me so happy.

I just love this little boy!

Closeups of Avery...

Avery has such a spunky personality and has added a great dimension to our family. She especially loves Maddy and starts giggling almost immediately when he is around her. The other day Maddy threw his stuffed animal down on the floor really hard and she started laughing hysterically. She would stop laughing and he would throw it down again and she would burst out laughing again. They did this over and over for probably five minutes straight. Some of these pictures aren't real recent but I've been playing around in Photoshop and really liked how they turned out so I decided to post them.

I just love the big open mouth smiles!

This is one of Avery's signature looks...always chewing on her bottom lip.

I just love how cute Avery is in this picture! It is also the picture I have of her in my sidebar.

A sleeping baby is always a good thing...even if it is in the highchair.

Such a sweet little face!

Avery loves sticking out her tongue.

Chasing Bubbles...

Maddy got a bubble wand for Easter so after church we went out in the backyard and let him chase bubbles...he was so dang cute and having so much fun I just had to get some pictures...

I love, love, love this picture...he was reaching as high as he could trying to catch the bubbles...If you look closely you can see bubbles in front of his left hand as well as above him.

He was so excited his little legs just couldn't keep up with him...




Finally...he caught one...


I just love how carefree children are. It makes me wish I could see the world through the eyes of a child and get so much joy from something as simple as bubbles.

Easter Fun...

Egg dye or juice...looks pretty tasty to me! We had a great Easter this year. On Saturday Steve took the day off from work to spend with the family. First we took Maddy to the local Easter Egg hunt. Afterwards we made a stop and got french toast at Kneaders(very yummy.) After the kid's naps we colored Easter eggs. Maddy kept wanting to drink the different colors of juice(egg dye.) We had to keep telling him that it wasn't juice and would make his belly hurt.

We took Maddy to the local Easter Egg Hunt. Of the few eggs that he got 3 of them had papers in them that said he won a prize. The 3 prizes that he got were a squishy soccer ball, play car and a bubble wand. It was a little cold but he had a fun time.

Avery and I at the Easter Egg Hunt.

Maddy and Steve coloring Easter eggs...I think they ate as many as they colored...Maddy loves to eat boiled egg whites. I knew it would probably be messy so I stripped Maddy down to his diaper.

The Easter Bunny brought lots of eggs and candy. Maddy was so excited and running from egg to egg that I couldn't even get a picture of him from the front.

The Easter Bunny also hid eggs in our back yard. Still couldn't get a picture of Maddy from the front.

Maddy and Avery playing with their Easter Eggs...

"MY BIG BROTHER"

I found this picture online and fell in love with it...I also thought it was perfect for the story "My Big Brother" which I posted below.

I came across this story while going through some of my boxes in our basement and thought it was perfect for Easter...

MY BIG BROTHER

When I was a small boy I had a favorite big brother. He would put His big arm around me and we would go scrambling down some cool wood path. At times He made me feel 10 feet tall! He didn't seem to mind me tagging along one bit, and there was nothing I liked better! I was so proud of Him! He was good in everything. I could never match the mountains He made out of sand. Mine would always seem to crumble and sag, but His would stand as firm as the Rocky Mountains. Dad always tried not to show how proud He was of Him, He being the oldest and all; but His smile always seemed a little brighter when my big brother was around. I felt that the world had collapsed when He went on His mission. Dad and Mom both had to fight back the tears. He called Dad regularly to let Him know how much He loved us. He even told us of His mission mother and how great she was, so Mom wouldn't worry. The persecution was really bad there as the church was getting established; but He never seemed to let Himself get down, even when the people didn't accept His message. We always shared in His joy when He would get some new converts. I was scared that the non-believers would do something to Him. It even got to the point where men were plotting to take His life. Dad didn't seem to worry for some reason. Then one day we got word that His mission had ended; but not as most do. I was shocked by the terrifying news: They had finally gotten hold of my big brother. The one that had played ball with me, the one that never seemed capable of doing wrong. My big brother that loved everyone He knew, and that most everyone loved. They beat Him and mocked Him. He suffered all they did without fighting back. Why would anyone want to hurt my big brother? I couldn't understand. The mob took Him to the hill just outside of town, and spitting on Him, they nailed Him alive to a wooden cross. My soul mourned as I heard Him beg Father to forgive them. Racked with unbearable pain, He gave up his life for that which He knew to be true. My big brother, my King, my life! Where was my big brother with whom I had shaped mountains out of sand? Why did He, of all my brothers, have to die like that? I felt Dad's strong arm around my shoulder and heard Him say, "He did it for you, son, and for your brothers and sisters." Time passed by and it was my turn to go on my mission. Sometimes I forget what happened so long ago, but every Sunday, a small piece of bread and a small cup of water remind me of my big brother, and what he did for me, and assures me that He lives.

I think this story is beautiful and really makes me grateful for the atonement and everything that "My Big Brother" has done for me. It really puts things into perspective and makes me realize how much we are loved by our Savior and Heavenly Father. It makes me want to be a better person and try and see things in a more eternal perspective.

"Picture Perfect"

Today I downloaded the free 30 day trial of "Adobe Lightroom" and played around with it a little. I have to say so far I love it! I'm still trying to figure out how to use most of it and think I will probably go through the tutorials and stuff. I'm just worried that I'm going to be hooked by the end of the 30 day trial and it costs $299 to buy which isn't cheap. May be I can convince Steve to get it for me for my birthday. Anyway here are my first pictures...

I think this picture is so sweet. She looks so peaceful and the colors are so beautiful and vibrant. The only thing I did to this picture was put it in the "Tone curve-strong contrast" setting to brighten it up a little.

I love how this picture turned out. I think his facial features are just perfect-especially his eyes, cheeks and pouty lips. I also love the highlights in his hair. I zoomed, cropped and put the picture in the "Sepia" setting.

Couples Tag

What is his name? Steve
How long did you date? Dated 5 months+engaged 6 months=11 months total.
How long have you been married? Almost 12 years.
Who eats more sweets? Probably me-neither of us are big sweet fans-other then the occasional craving.
Who said I love you first? Steve-he said it quite a few times before I said it back.
Who is taller? Steve by 9 inches.
Who is the better singer? Steve-I don't even like to hear myself sing.
Who is smarter? I'm more book smart and he is more street smart.
Who does the laundry? Me
Who pays the bills? Me-he does spending:).
Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? Laying down-Steve is on the right.
Who mows the lawn? Steve used to-I made the mistake of doing it once last summer and I've been stuck mowing it since.
Who cooks dinner? Me
Who drives? Steve-I only drive well when I'm alone in the car-no distractions.
Who is more stubborn? Me for sure!
Who kissed who first? Steve kissed me.
Who asked who out? Steve asked me out.
Who proposed? Steve
Who is more sensitive? Me
Who has more siblings? Me, I'm oldest of 7, he is youngest of 2.
Who wears the pants? Me
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I tag anyone reading this that want's to be tagged and hasn't already done this tag...

Maddy LOVES his Daddy!

Maddy and Daddy washing Daddy's "big truck."

The first thing I hear on the monitor when Maddy wakes up in the morning is "Daddy, Daddy, Daddy." When I go in and get him he either asks "Where's Daddy?" or says "Daddy's at work?" He always wants Daddy's juice(Poweraid), big apples like Daddy or Daddy's oatmeal. He goes into our bathroom and goes straight for Daddy's drawer and tries to put on Daddy's deodarant, Daddy's gel in his hair and gets an old razor(with no blade) and pretends he's cleaning the shower(which is Steve's job.) Every time he sees a black truck outside he says "Daddy's big truck." He also loves dirt bikes-I wonder why? He gets so excited when he gets to watch "Motocross" on tv with Daddy. Several times throughout the day he gets my old cell phone(which is now his because he wasn't having anything to do with the fake ones) and pretends he is calling his Daddy and has a full on conversation with him-talking like Steve does when he's on the phone. He say's things like "ya" which is how Steve answers the phone and "dope" which he also got from Steve. He anxiously waits for Daddy to come home so they can "go fast"(Steve pushes him fast on his bike) or play chase or hide and seek in the house. He also loves to go on walks or do anything outside with Daddy. He also loves to go with Daddy to run errands. Anyways the list goes on and on. He also ends his day making sure Daddy is there to help put him to bed. He says "Come on Daddy, lets go, it's time to go night night." Here are a few of the pictures I took this week of him being "just like Daddy."

Maddy sporting one of Daddy's hats while playing with his toy dirt bikes...

Maddy trying to put Daddy's work shirt on...

Every day Maddy gets on his bike and tells me "Bye mama, I'm going to work to see Daddy."

Maddy having one of his many daily pretend phone calls to Daddy...

Maddy wearing one of Daddy's many pair's of Nike "Shox."

Maddy especially loves his new shoes because they have circles(shox) like Daddy's...he say's they are "dope."

Maddy with Daddy's work glasses-turning the light on and off-we finally had to hide these so he didn't break them-he wasn't very happy about it and still asks for them.

"Hi Daddy...what do'in? Come home..." And yet another call to Daddy...