Tween

A baby will make love stronger, days longer, nights shorter, bankroll smaller, home happier, clothes shabbier, the past forgotten, and the future worth living for.

May 24, 1998:

Where has the time gone? 10 years ago Chris and I were poor, starving college students with nothing but hopes for our future. Taylor was born a month before our 1 year anniversary - we were young and excited for life's adventures. Now it's 10 years later and we look back at all we have - and Taylor's at the top of that list! She is such an exceptional child that has made our dreams a reality. She is truly one of my dearest friends and I love the person she is becoming!

Because Taylor was blessed to have a birthday that (most of the time) hits on Memorial Day Weekend, we were gone camping on her actual bday. So, the Thursday before we left camping, we let her open her presents. We did our traditional "hot/cold" hiding game, which all the kids love. She got lots of clothes, some jewelry, and best of all, she got a guitar! She can't wait to start lessons!
She had her birthday party today. They went to get pedicures at a new pedi-spa in town. I didn't get a pedicure, but I sat in one of those AWESOME chairs and got a message! It was amazingly wonderful! I want to stop in there every day and tell them I just need to rest a minute in one of those things! Ahhh!
Kea, McKenzie, Mikal, Hannah and Taylor showing off their new toes!
She got 3 Webkinz:
HAPPY 10th BIRTHDAY, TAYLOR! We love you!

Rain or Shine

We had an awesome Memorial Day Weekend at Camp Zarahemla. We absolutely love this place! We had some rain but we toughed it out and stayed the whole 4 days!

We were packed in tight!!! We took out one of the captain seats, had a car carrier on top of the car, plus we had to put some of our stuff in 2 other people's cars!

Canoeing fun...
Bryson, Ethan and Cooper having a "fire-making" contest:
Crew and Kaden playing in the water:

Bethany, Rachel, Emma and Camri: Kye falling asleep on Dad's (Tim) shoulders:
We love doing dishes!!!
Cooper and Ethan proud of the damage their airsoft guns did to the pop cans!
Taylor and her best friend, McKenzie:

Emmaline Faith:
Getting ready to set off the Diet Coke/Mentos Rocket:

Who's goofy kids are these???

Thanks to the Martells, Andersons, Henrys, Lotts, Manns, and Greens for coming camping with us! We have such awesome friends - we love you!!!

One Year Down....

Emmaline finished her first year of Preschool. She had a great year and learned so much. She made some good friends and especially loved having her friend, Luke, in her class. (When Emma is a mom she wants Luke to be the dad). He is the handsome little devil in the back row, white shirt w/ green stripes.
Her teachers, Miss Kara and Miss Tiffany:
Emma was especially attached to Miss Audrey and was devastated when she left half-way through the year. She screamed a little scream and ran to give her a hug when she saw her!
Beautiful...


Receiving her diploma...

BEWARE.....Brag Post Ahead

Melanie would be so proud. I'm having a deep moment. If you are one of those people who cringe when a mother starts to brag about her children, then consider yourself warned. There is a little button on the top left corner of your screen called the "back" button. Press it if you don't want to hear me gloat. I am feeling awfully proud of my kids lately and becaus this is my blog, I want to brag a bit. Now let me start by stating the obvious....are me kids perfect? H@*# no! But are my kids positively, absolutely, hands-down the best thing that ever happened to Chris and me? You bet! There are days I want to pull my hair out, but there are also days (more than not) that I sit back and watch my kids in amazement. They are total superstars! I am amazed at all the have against them, even at such a young age, and they are becoming the most awesomest of awesome people! (I'll have to remember this post when they are teenagers!). They all try so hard to make good decisions and do their best. I am so proud of them!

I love that they are such good friends. They are so funny together. When one of them starts to giggle, they all join in and can't stop. When Sunny was taking our pictures Emma started to laugh at something. Whenever she laughs, she burps. Which makes the others laugh, which makes her burp even harder/louder/longer, which makes them laugh even harder/louder/longer....you get the vicious cycle.

First burp...ok, that was funny...Oh, another one!Gracious, Emma!Now you guys are starting to scare Kaden!Lately they love to hear Kaden pray. To hear him (attempt) to repeat everything we say for a prayer just gets them rolling. It is totally irreverent (and we'll probably get struck by lightning) but before you know it Chris and I give up from trying to hold back our laughs. Moments like these I want etched in my brain forever. So that when I'm having an "overwhelmed mother of the day" award, a memory like this will come to me.

While I'm in the bragging mode, I have to include this. Kaden just turned 2 and I think he's the smartest little thing! Thanks to Sesame Street, he knows about 1/2 of his ABCs. He's starting to learn his numbers - 8 being his favorite. Whenever he sees it ANYWHERE, he screams it until I say, "Yes, Kaden, an 8. I love 8s." This morning I had a shirt on the that said "1987". He came up and told me all the numbers. Smart little sucker.

This video is a little long and repetitive, but oh so cute!

As I'm having one of those "I'm proud to me a mom to my kids" days, I would like to quote from Sister Tanner's conference talk. She says,

"I take great delight in my role as a nurturer, which allows me to express my deepest identity as a woman. It is part of our individual premortal, mortal and eternal identity and purpose.

I have always felt that. I knew from the time I was a little girl that I wanted to be a mom...that that was my purpose in life. And here I am, blessed to be a mom to the most amazing 5 kids ever!

Daddy's in Charge

This is what happens when you leave the Dads in charge. Holli and I left for an hour and came back to this:

Even Kaden got in on the fun (a little). Emma didn't want anything to do with it (smart girl!)It's all fun and games until you have to get hosed off...

Piano Recital #73

Ok, so Taylor hasn't played in that many piano recitals.....but it sure feels that way. They have about 4-5/year and I get just as nervous as she does so it's not good for our health! Needless to say she did fabulous even playing 100 miles a minute....(the result of being nervous).

And no, I didn't die my hair blond and get lovely extentions - it's her teacher...

For some reason blogger isn't letting me download the other video of her playing her other song. I'll try again later tonight...

1970?

The other night we were out doing yard work. And it occurred to me that we haven't quite caught up with the times. First of all, Taylor BEGGED (ok, I convinced her) to mow the lawn. Now-a-days people hire someone to do their yard work. But why not get free labor, right?

She was so funny! It was going so fast she practically had to run....and I promise she had fun!Here is Chris "edging"....he was so sore after doing this for the 10 hours it took him! Then to top it off, here is our trimmer. Chris justifies the electric trimmer b/c of the cost of gas. And notice our 1920 car in the background....that I must add, also helps with the gas crisis (it gets 40 mpg)

Here's how the other kids "helped"....

Emma leaving Ethan in the dust...go Emma go!

E and M were our distraction so our neighbors would worry about how reckless they were being instead of focusing on our "out of date" machinery and our slave labor!
Kaden throwing rocks in front of what Taylor was trying to mow.... We are a little backwards and out of our time, but hey, we're proud of it!!!