The face of Summer!

I got smore on my cheeks, down to my toes, marshmallows!!!!!!

Smore Happy Dance!

Too Funny!

Shopping a few weeks ago with Aubrey she found a rug that she was pleading with me to buy. "Please, Please...please can we buy it?, I love it, pleeeaase!" I am thinking no way, and why does she want this so bad. So I ask her "What would you do with it?" Her reply...."well whenever I want to pet a cow, it would be right there." Needless to say I didn't buy it. So whenever we want to pet a cow we have to look elsewhere.

Farewell to Clovis 2nd

I've been wanting to blog this for awhile but it is hard to find the words.

Nine years ago we moved from our little apartment to our first house. We didn't have much a few boxes and a one year old. Looking back life seems so much simpler. (Now we are a family of 6 with A LOT more boxes!!!) We moved into the Clovis 2nd ward. We knew very few people and I remember feeling very young. I told Cory one day after church that I felt like we didn't fit in very well because there weren't any young couples in the ward. He told me not to worry that soon we would be middle age and would fit right in, and then we would probably move. (not helpful) I also remember for a few years going up to what I thought were new couples in the ward and being so excited only to my disappointment when the usual response was, "oh no we are just here visiting our parents".

In time SLOWLY younger families moved in. Over the last nine years however it wasn't the move in of similar families that made me really come to love our ward, but service. Service that I was able to do, and the service of others to me and my family. I have come to know that it is through service that we begin to understand and love people. That we don't have to be in the same station of life, have similar backgrounds or common interests. The one commonality that we do have is the love of our Savior, and each of us working diligently to increase our testimonies. Through the nine years I had many opportunities to serve and teach. Three things I have come to realize to a greater extent happen as you serve. 1) you come to love those you serve, 2) you come to love those you serve with, 3)you see the love that our Father in Heaven and the Savior have for all his children. I can reflect back on both happy and sad occasions that there were people to lift me up, and also celebrate with me. The 2nd ward truly became my family.

A Quote I love from Elder Wirthlin sums it up perfectly. . .
"The Church is not a place where perfect people gather together to say perfect things, or have perfect thoughts, or have perfect feelings. The Church is a place where imperfect people gather to provide encouragement, support and service to each other as we progress on in our journey to return to our Heavenly Father." ( The Virtue of Kindness, May 2005)

So Thank you all!!! I have learned much from you, and will miss being together with you on a weekly basis. However we didn't move out of the country, state, or city. Just a few miles! We are even still in the same building. Yet now there are other people to serve, and come to love. In time I know I will.

**ON a Funny note (if you are still with me in this long post)

Aubrey (my five year old) is having a hard time adjusting to her "new church" as she calls it, even though it is the same church. I try to explain that Heavenly Father needs helpers where ever people live and since we moved we need to go at a different time. Her response "what is the PROBLEM just wake up early and go to church".(you really have to hear her say it, but it is with a lot of attitude) If you know her you will get it.

PS don't take me off your blog I like to see what everyone is up to

A whole Decade old!!

May 24, 2009 Kendal Brooke turned 10, what a milestone, a whole decade old. I have been a mother a whole decade! Her birthday was on Sunday so it was pretty low key. Just our family, grandma, grandpa, and Baubles!

When I think of Kendal I think back to when she was 9 months old, one of her first words was, "WOW". She would say it over and over, this little baby "wow, wow, wow". She has and continues to wow us with the things she accomplishes and the person she has become. Most recently she has taught herself the piano, she plays hymns and primary songs that I taught my fourth year piano students. She has never had a B on a report card. She is very involved at school and was one of 2 fourth graders to earn the block W award. Happy Birthday Kendal, we all love you and are so grateful you are in our family.




A self portrait, what an actress




Recieving her block W award!

Happy Birthday!

Make a Wish!

Well loved blankie!!

Brinley has had this blanket since she was born, it is her very favorite!! It was given to her by a good friend of mine. Well has been looking pretty gross for awhile so for about 6 months or longer I have been on the look out for a similar one. I was so excited to find the exact one at Target. I could hardly believe the difference in color. Pink and White vs. Gray and Very faded pink. She was excited at first but will have nothing to do with the beautiful clean new blanket. She just cries for "the udder one blankie", I even tried to give it to her when she was going to bed with the lights down low but it did not fool her. Oh well maybe I will put it in her 72 hour emergency kit.


close up of the old and new (you can not tell how gross the old one is here!)

Oh and special thanks to Gill for getting my last two girls blankies that they just can't live without!!

Bradens Baptism

On May 30th Braden was Baptized! A little earlier than planned because my parents were in town and had to leave back to Utah for the funeral of my cousin. We had a nice baptism with just our family and a few of our close friends. After the baptism our family came over and had a nice lunch and visited. I took a few photos in the morning of Braden, after about the 3rd one he looked at me impatiently. "Thats enough" he said. I told him, hey this is your special day and we are going to be taking lots more pictures of you. We are so proud of you Braden for the choice you made, the person you are becoming, and how your testimony is growing each day. We love you!

carpet angels & port o potties

Well we have been busy getting settled into our new house. We celebrated Bradens 8th birthday just before we moved, then Kendals a few weeks after that. Had my parents in town (our first house guests) for 10 days! Braden was baptized. I will blog later about those events and kids but I just wanted to post these pictures.

The day we got our keys Cory and I took Aubrey and Brinley over, they went running in their room. I asked Aubrey what they were doing, she said "we are making carpet angels".

Aubrey also thought it was very cool that we have a port o potty right across the street from our house. Cool if we ever need to use it, its right there. Well I didn't think she would actually use it. Few weeks later I go outside to find her crying she had fallen out of the port o pot, and scraped her knee on the street. I asked her what she was doing in there. "MOM, I JUST HAD to GO, and I DIDNT have time to go inside!!" hands on hips, saying it so matter of fact.

The crazy thing is that we used to go to a park that had a temporary port o potty while they were finishing constructing the actual bathrooms, and she would always throw a big fit about going in there. Finally I would give in and let her pee on a near by tree.

Tagged by Kim

I am suppose to list six UNimportant things that make me Happy (with photos I think but I am not that blog savvy)

1. Flowers, and first blossoms of spring. I love cottage gardens with lots of varieties of flowers and greenery.

2. Storage containers! Silly I know, I love the aisles of Target with all the organizing bins and stuff to put your stuff in. A place for everything and everything in its place. Oh the JOY!

3. Cookies!!! A nice warm cookie with a glass of ice cold milk.

4. Autumn leaves and crisp autumn air! Favorite fall colors!!

5. Any homemade meal made by someone other than me!!!! Actually it doesn't even have to be homemade.

6. Hot coco with a peppermint stick and lots of whip cream! And looking back on my list exclamation points seem to make me happy, I use them a lot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I tag who ever wants to do this. Whoever is reading this!!!! That is a cop out I know.

kids photos

A friend of mine is starting to get serious about her photography and wanted to practice on my kids. I haven't seen all of them yet but these are some she posted on her blog. I think they turned out really good. So if you need some photos done call her!!!

ode to daddy take 2

video #2

Singing praises to DADDY!!!

It is very exciting to watch your children and all their firsts in life. The first time they roll over, crawl, those precious first steps.....and the first time they take off without their training wheels. With each of my kids I have tried to help them accomplish this new skill. I will work with them several times, running behind them, pushing them giving them encouraging words. But somehow with each of them thus far, Cory comes in and shortly there after they master the task. Daddy gets the credit.


Way back in September before we moved I decided to take off Aubrey's training wheels and start helping her ride her bike. This lasted a few times till she got very frustrated and wanted her training wheels back on. When we moved the bike went into storage. About a month ago I braved the storage unit and got the bike out. The tires were flat, so we (Aubrey and I) went to the bike shop to get them fixed. I found her training wheels and put them back on until Cory decided to take them off and start helping her.



After a few "lessons" as she calls them, we were waiting for Cory to come home from work and she wanted to try again with her bike. She quickly mastered it and was SO EXCITED, she could not wait for Daddy to come home so she could show him. Then she started singing what I will call "Ode to Daddy!" A little song in honor of him who taught her. I asked her "Hey what about me", she says "oh yeah well you did help a little ."



"ode to Daddy"
Daddy teached me so well
he is a good bike rider
I passed the test
he teached me very well

He is the strongest man
He teached me so well
and he's kind and he's loving
even though I suck. . . my thumb (this is my favorite line)

He just teached me so well
He teached me so well to ride my two wheel bike

(I prompt the next part with, how did he teach you?)

I take some lessons with him being as the teacher
He said balance, balance, don't lean to one side,
sit up straight I know you can do it!

Well maybe with Brinley I'll have better luck! In the mean time we will sing praises to DADDY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Beauty in the Morning?

Last week after getting the two older kids off to school I was reading the newspaper before getting ready for the day. Aubrey takes a break from her cartoon watching to glance over at me she says,
"mom I really don't like you in the morning, the way you look, your hair is so crazy and you aren't dressed yet. . . . But after you get all dressed and do your hair, and put your makeup on. . .I like you like that, you look really pretty"

So much for the all natural look! Oh kids they are so humbling!

Aubrey!!!

I put the song Aubrey on my playlist in honor of Aubrey and her birthday February 28th. . ."and Aubrey was her name a not so ordinary girl or name...but whose to blame!" Read her birthday tribute below.

Check it out!

http://vimeo.com/2120177

Awesome video of a 20 year old LDS Harvard student being interviewed about her faith. Here is how you answer tough questions, I wish I could be as elloquent, I guess that is why I didn't go to Harvard.

Happy Birthday Aubrey!!

February 28, 2009

Aubrey turned five on Saturday. As I always do with each birthday of each child I reminisce about the day they were born, reflect upon the last year, and sigh and think of how fast time flies.

When I found out my due date with Aubrey (March 10) I thought it would be cool if she was born on February 29th, I mean what are the odds. Looking back it would totally fit her personality as well!! IHowever she came a day earlier, my easiest delivery by far. I remember thinking right after she was born, wow I can't believe she is here already. So tiny and petite with lots of dark hair.

Some funny things she has said recently. . .

1. As I was trying to wake up and get out of bed at 6:30am (on a Saturday)

Aubrey comes to my side of the bed and proclaims "mom aren't you going to come feed the hungriest kids on earth...or what!!" I'm thinking no because there must be hungrier kids on earth somewhere...and it is 6:30!!

2."Mom, Braden just jumped up and hurt his tenders"

(thanks to Kung Fu Panda for the new terminology)

3. When I couldn't get Brinley's big chucky feet in a pair of shoes at Target.

"Mom you should really only have skinny babies cause they are a lot easier to dress and stuff. But don't weary (worry) Brinley will grow out skinny when she gets big.

4. She had some questions about after Jesus comes again. She says from the way back of the van "You know when the lamb and the lion will be friends and they won't eat each other, and we can play with snakes, when exactly is that going to be, when is Jesus going to come again"

I explained to her that nobody knows only Heavenly Father and that we just have to continue being good, and try to do better each day. That we have to be ready when he comes. So she shouts back "I AM READY right now, Today!!

5. When a man at church was teasing her a little she looked him right in the eye and said with gusto "you are a strange, Man!! . . . .just don't like me so much!"

When I took Aubrey and Brinley with me to Utah last spring and called home to see how Cory and the other two kids were doing I talked to Kendal on the phone. She said "well I have discovered that Aubrey is the one that brings a lot of excitement to our home." So true so true....in so many ways!!!!! WE love you Aubrey and glad you joined our family, we would be so BORING without you. I put the song Aubrey on my playlist...in her honor, but it does need to be jazzed up a bit for her personality and all!!

Dog Pile

On our return home the kids dog pile Cory. They missed us!!!

Birthday Get away

Happy Birthday Cory!! February 16

We were able to get away just the two of us to celebrate this year! Valentines and Cory's Birthday on the sixteenth. It has been way too long since we have been away with no kids. The weather was quite nice the first day, and slowly the clouds came in. When we left on Monday it was pretty stormy, and very windy. We walked out on this pier, I was very apprehensive since I could feel it moving beneath me. I ask Cory, "Can the waves get up this high?" His response "you can swim right".

This trip reminded me of the first time we went to the coast when we were dating. We would be walking along the little shops and Cory would keep switching which side of me he was walking on. I remember asking him why do you keep switching sides of where you are walking? His response was that his mom taught him to always walk between a lady and the traffic, so that he is a barrier between the cars and me. I remember being so impressed by that. So anyway he still does it! What a true gentleman. I have no doubt that if there was a puddle he would gladly throw his cape down for me so that I could get across. Oh wait he doesn't wear a cape.

Puddles of Fun!

Today we woke up to gloomy skies and rain. I was grateful because we really need the rain, we haven't had much this year. I thought we would just hunker in and be inside most of the day. But after awhile the clouds dispersed and out came the sun. I took the girls on a walk, they had to much fun jumping and dancing in all the puddles. Pure Joy!! I saw an old woman walking (hubbling) to her mailbox just staring at them she said "aren't they just precious". I said YES they are. As we made our way back home I was thankful for the reminder that time does not stand still, to strive each day to relish in these joyful moments. Make time for puddles of fun!

Sorry I accidently recorded this sideways with my digital camera, I was caught up in the moment. (Still cute though)

Birthday girl

Yesterday Brinley turned two. We celebrated with Grandma and Grandpa (visiting from St George), and Baubles. When we would ask her what she wanted for her birthday she would say apple, so we wrapped up a couple. She would have been content with just that. As soon as she opened it she just started eating it. Got to love 2 year olds, they love everything. I don't know who ever said terrible twos but I just love this age! We even had Baskin Robbins put some apples on her icecream cake. She did a good job blowing out her candles. She kept saying "one mo time", so we indulged her and let her blow them out 3 times. Brinley is so fun! Things I love about her!!



Her physique. . .chub, chub, chubby cheeks (98 percentile height, and 88 weight)

When I call her instead of answering "what", she says "why", "why mom"

She calls pony tails, "T tails"

When I tell her no more she starts bargaining "one mo time, one, one"
then when I say no again she says "Two, two, two"
She needs to learn you can't bargain up!


She loves to sing and will go through her whole repertoire of songs one after another, after another....


When anyone comes home she announces it "MOMMMEEES HOOOOME"
with her arms outstretched running toward you

Happy Birthday Brinley So glad you joined our family!!!

If Only

Today I was sorting some books and Aubrey comes in and picks up The Girl Friends Guide to Pregnancy and asks me "mom what is this book about?". I replied "Oh it is a book about having babies". Her response "OH did that book come with Brinley!"
Sadly I had to tell her babies don't come with instruction books!