Treasure The Little Things

The Annual Model Train Show

2012-01-23T09:46:00.000-07:00

Jared, Johnny and I attended the Annual Model Train Show at Thanksgiving Point on Saturday. We had lots of fun when we went last year, so we couldn't miss out this year. The boys had a great time. They loved all the train displays, from the biggest down to the smallest.

The Boot

2012-01-12T11:10:00.001-07:00

On Sunday Jared smashed his foot into his bed. It hurt for a little while but eventually it felt better and he went on with the evening. All was good until Tuesday morning when his baby toe was so swollen and hurt so bad that he couldn't even put his shoe on.

I took him to the doctor, who thought it could be broken. She set Jared up with this cool "boot" to walk in so his toe would be protcted. We then went to the insta-care to have xrays taken of his foot. He was so good while the radiologist took xrays. He thought it was pretty cool.

Fortunately, Jared's poor little baby toe was not broken. But it's still painful and swollen, so he's been wearing the cool boot this week. I think he likes wearing it though. He wears it all the time- even at home when he doesn't have to.

Farewell Twenty Eleven

2012-01-02T08:00:00.044-07:00

When I look back over that last year it seems like very little has happened,

yet so much has changed.

We started off the year drowning in unemployment, now we are mostly employed and hope that we can continue this good trend.

We got to spend lots of time with our extended families,

both here and in California

We got to go to the beach and Knott's Berry Farm.

We went camping, hiking, fishing, and swimming

We got to visit Thanksgiving Point, Seven Peaks, Trafalga, and the Living Planet Aquarium.

We finished our family reading of the New Testament.

Jacob grew to be 6'1" and started seminary

Ellie entered her teenage years and got the attitude to match.

Joseph entered his last year of elementary school and started 11 year old scouts.

Jared got baptized and confirmed. He started cub scouts.

Johnny left his terrible twos only to enter his terrible threes. He is definitely the baby- he still drinks from a bottle and he is not potty-trained yet. Maybe in this year....

Welcome Twenty Twelve,

Bring It!

New Year's Eve

2012-01-01T12:40:00.022-07:00

Since we were not able to visit Bryan's family in California for Christmas, we made a quick trip for New Year's. We were lucky to have Aunt Annie and Uncle Derek invite us to stay at their house. We have so much fun with them and their kids.

We had a New Year's Eve Party with some of the Medlyn family. We had lots of yummy food and fun times. Grandma even brought a pinata. So the kids ended the year by beating the Lightning McQueen pinata till it bled Tootsie Rolls and Dots.

We welcomed 2012 with the Mountain Time Zone and put everyone to bed.

Christmas Day 2011

2011-12-29T10:15:00.007-07:00

There is nothing more exciting for a kid than Christmas Morning. Since we had church at 9:30 we decided to get up early to open presents and have breakfast before. Here they are, ready to go!

Johnny woke up with severe hives in the middle of the night. His super-sensitive skin did not agree with the detergent Abbie uses. He was feeling much better when he woke up to all his presents. We made them all go in order, youngest to oldest, opening one present at a time.

SO FUN!

We enjoyed a beautiful sacrament meeting filled with music and testimonies. We spent the day hanging out and playing. Later we had a lovely Christmas dinner together.

It was a wonderful Christmas!

Christmas Eve 2011

2011-12-28T10:05:00.000-07:00

All the Christmas fun started on Christmas Eve. We went Abbie and Poppy's house with all the aunts, uncles, and cousins for a yummy dinner. Then the grandkids get to act out the Nativity story while Poppy reads it. Jared got to be "Joseph" this year:

Jacob played the part of "the Shining Star". Joey played a shepherd. They all did great!

Then we all gathered around for an exciting gift game. Aunt Jennie read a story that involved lots of rotating to our left and right. When it was over we all ended up with a cool gift to open.

Then everyone got to open their gifts from Abbie and Poppy. It was very exciting.

Abbie made pajamas for all the grandkids this year. They turned out so cute! Look at all these kids:

I made our kids stick around for more pictures.

I didn't think getting five kids to smile at me at the same time would be so difficult...

We had a great night with Abbie and Poppy!

Then we headed home to get ready for Christmas Morning.

Christmas 2011

2011-12-24T08:54:00.000-07:00

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Choir Concerts

2011-12-19T12:16:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday Bryan, Johnny and I attended the elementary school's annual Christmas Sing. Each grade participates and sings 2 songs. The parental turnout at these things is tremendous. We were lucky to even get a seat. We were way in teh back but made sure Joey and Jared knew we were there when it was their turn to get on stage. Joey and the other sixth graders performed the traditional Dominic the Donkey song and their own rendition of Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer. This year the song was about their poor janitor getting trampled on Christmas Eve. He was a good sport and even walked across the stage during the song with his bandages on. Joey did great! He knew all the words and sang them out!

I didn't know if I would be able to leave work to come see the concert, so Jared didn't think I would be there. He was so excited when he saw that I was there. So excited that he forgot what he was singing. But he stuck to it and did great! The cute little second graders sang O Christmas Tree in Spanish and Here we come a Caroling.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-12-14T09:59:00.000-07:00

Roll Call: Part 4

2011-12-12T09:22:00.000-07:00

Ninth Grade

Then:

Now:

Roll Call: Part 3

2011-12-11T13:11:00.000-07:00

Eight Grade

Then:

Now:

Roll Call: Part 2

2011-12-07T09:09:00.000-07:00

Sixth Grade

Then:

Now:

Roll Call: Part 1

2011-12-06T09:03:00.000-07:00

After Jared's Big Day,

I was looking at pictures of Bryan and me when we were his age.

Here's a little flashback...

Second Grade

Then:

Now:

Abbie's Christmas Cookie Party 2011

2011-12-05T09:46:00.000-07:00

We did a home version of Abbie's Christmas Cookie Party again this year. Abbie brought the cookie bag on Saturday. After decorating the tree, the kids couldn't wait to break out those yummy sugar cookies. Here are some scenes from our Cookie Party.

The cookies were delicious and a perfect treat to a end a perfect day.

Getting Ready for Christmas

2011-12-04T13:00:00.004-07:00

The kids have been wanting to get the Christmas decorations out since Thanksgiving. I told them they had to wait until after Jared's baptism. So, as soon as all the family was gone yesterday, they started begging to get it out. Joey and Jared helped me pull everything out of the crawl space and we got started.

We hung ornaments and unwrapped all the nativities. There was even some dancing!

Here is the pretty little tree, all ready for Christmas!

We are ready for a wonderful December!

Jared's Big Day

2011-12-03T16:27:00.002-07:00

Today was Jared's big day. Here he is all dressed up in his new suit.

What a handsome young man!

Here they are in their whites. Jared was so excited!

Jared and Dad, all ready to go.

Me and my boys

Jared was baptized and confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Bryan confirmed him with a very special blessing.

Everything went so well. The baptism and confirmation were lovely. We had many family members there to share the special day with us. Jared had a great day.

Just look at the shiny newness on this cutie!

We love you, Jared and we are so proud of you for making this important step in your eternal progression.

A Special Day

2011-12-02T11:11:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow will be a very special day for our family.

Jared will be baptized and confirmed.

He is very excited

and I am so proud of him!

Top Ten Tuesday

2011-11-29T11:10:00.000-07:00

I didn't get a chance to make my Thankful List for Thanksgiving last week,

but I have been thinking a lot about the blessings in my life.

I have so much that I am grateful for.

So here is my Top Ten Thankful List:

10. Employment

Making it into this time of year with a job is a huge milestone for us. We have not been employed at this time of year for a few years. Even though my job is not entirely secure right now, I am very grateful for it!

9. Business Opportunity

We have been so blessed by the opportunity to start our own business. Bryan is working hard to make it happen. It is scary and exciting.

8. Health

We are all healthy and since going through Bryan's heart issues a few years ago, we have had no major health problems.

7. Our Home

Our family's sanctuary from the world.

6. The Priesthood

Bryan will be using that priesthood later this week to baptize Jared.

5. The Scriptures

We have been reading the New Testament as a family. I love the time we can spend together as a family each morning learning from the scriptures.

4. Family

Bryan and I both come from fabulous families. I am grateful for the relationships we have with our parents, siblings and their families. It is fun to spend time together, especially this time of year.

3. My Wonderful Children

Is is just me, or do all moms feel like they are the luckiest? I do feel lucky. I have amazing kids. They are beautiful, smart, funny, talented, compassionate, caring, obedient, helpful, hard-working....

{I could go on and on}

I love being a mom to Jacob, Elisabeth, Joseph, Jared, and John!

2. My Man, Bryan

We have been together for 16 years now and I love him more than ever! He is an amazing man. Recently we've been discussing trials and that for us our trials have mostly come in the financial variety. Knowing that we have a strong marital foundation makes bearing those trials together so much easier. In fact, many of our trials have made our marriage stronger and made us more committed to each other.

1. The Gospel of Jesus Christ

It is at the center of all I do and who I am.

I am grateful for a perfect plan to return to our Heavenly Father and the Savior who provided the way.

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-24T10:56:00.000-07:00

Happy Thanksgiving from all our turkies!

Then it was November...

2011-11-21T09:58:00.001-07:00

I can't believe how fast three weeks can go by. I thought that things would slow down once we got through the three October birthdays. But we've been busy. Bryan and I attended an auto auction in Boise and purchased two more vehicles to sell. He is working on getting his business off the ground. It's exciting to get our own business started.

Last night Bryan and I attended Ellie's Young Women Night of Excellence. She is working hard on her Personal Progress. She completed three more of the values over the last several months and recieved the ribbons for them last night. She is working on the last few values and hopes to finish by her birthday.

She also was asked to give a talk at the meeting last night. She did a wonderful job. We are so proud of her!

Ellie and Jacob both completed their first term of the year with excellent grades and both are on the Honor Roll. They got to attend a field trip to celebrate their hard work.

Joey is working hard with school and scouts. Since the swimming stuff has been passed off, he is breezing through on his way to first class. A couple weeks ago he participated in his final Primary Program. He is excited to move on to Young Men next Spring.

Now that Jared is 8, he gets to start Cub Scouts. He is excited to get going with all the fun stuff and be with his friends. He also gets to start the Faith in God program. He reminds me every Sunday that we need to work on his Faith in God. He already has a few things passed off. He loves getting to finally do these things he's watched his older sibs do for so long.

Johnny is talking up a storm now. He is a very opinionated three year old. I guess that comes from being the youngest of five! He is still obsessed with his birthday and everyday tells me, "my birthday is coming". I have given up arguing with him about it, so I just smile and nod.

On the 18th, Bryan and I celebrated our 16th anniversary. 16 years together and still going strong. We've been through so many ups and downs in 16 years together, but it has only made us more commited to each other and our family! I love this man!

Last year for our 15th anniversary we were supposed to take a mini-honeymoon away. I was laid off from my job a few days before, so we had to cancel the whole thing. To make up for it, we went away for a night this weekend. It was heavenly!

Halloween 2011

2011-11-03T13:12:00.000-06:00

Halloween was a success!

Well, if you count success by the amount of candy hauled during Trick-or-Treating.

I think we have enough candy to get us through till next Halloween...

Jared's Halloween Birthday Party

2011-10-30T16:41:00.000-06:00

Since Jared is 8 this year, he gets a big birthday party. He chose to have a Halloween party and invite his neighborhood friends. We set up some games and activities like Mystery Bowls and Pumpkin Bowling.

Jared dressed up as an Army guy.

Johnny dressed up as Thomas:

Jake, Ellie, and Joey helped out with the party. Joey was dressed as Ron from Harry Potter.

The friends started to arrive, ready to partaaay:

They loved the Mystery Bowls filled with Ghost Guts, Witch Eyeballs, Jack-O-Lantern Teetch, Bat Wings and Frankenstien's Brain.

They got really good at bowling down all the Ghosts:

Then we went outside for the Mummy Race:

Then we had lunch with Mummy Dogs and Witch's Brew. Yummy!

We decorated cupcakes and sang Happy Birthday to Jared!

and then, Presents!

We had so much fun celebrating Jared's 8th birthday!

It's Great to be Eight!

2011-10-27T10:08:00.000-06:00

Jared is 8 years old today! What an exciting age! He got a new set of scriptures with his name printed on them. Blue, of course. And a cute scripture bag from Abbie and Poppy. He is ready to be 8 and be baptized!

Happy birthday, Jared! We are so glad you were born into our family!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-10-19T08:32:00.001-06:00

More of the Cuteness

2011-10-13T16:23:00.000-06:00

Johnny had an awesome birthday! He does not quite understand that his birthday only lasts one day. Why can't we shower him with gifts and treats everyday? Until next year...

Wordless Wednesday

2011-10-12T08:30:00.001-06:00

{Utah Autumn Sunset}

Johnny James

2011-10-11T09:01:00.001-06:00

My baby is three years old today.

I can't believe how quickly three years has gone by. Wasn't it just yesterday I was cuddling this sweet little brown-eyed baby?

I am so glad he still cuddles. It makes the growing up a little easier on me. Johnny has been looking forward to his birthday for a while now. Every day he has reminded me that his birthday is coming and that he wants a Thomas pillow pet and cars.

This morning after scripture reading he said, "Sing happy birthday to me?" So we started off the day with lots of singing, kisses and hugs for the birthday boy!

Happy birthday, Johnny James!

We love you!

Saturday is a Special Day

2011-10-10T11:51:00.001-06:00

On Saturday we attended the temple sealing of Emilie and Erik. Here they are with their 7 kids after the sealing. It was a neat experience to be in the temple with them as they made this eternal step for their family.

We went to Abbie and Poppy's house for dinner after. Then came the adventure in family picture taking. We hired a professional photographer to take pictures of the whole grand family and each smaller family. She definitely earned her pay. I hope we get some great pictures out of the ordeal. Here are my kids as they waited for their turn:

Then it was time to celebrate the October birthdays. My three october boys:

More celebration coming...tomorrow Johnny turns 3!

Fifteen

2011-10-04T10:03:00.001-06:00

On Saturday, October 1st, Jacob turned 15. I can hardly belive it. Fifteen?! How did that happen? I swear, just last week he was a tiny baby. The time goes way too fast. Having a child this old makes me feel old.

Jacob had his friends over on Friday night. They stayed up all night playing a new video game. On Saturday, Bryan took them to Boondocks. Then we had big bowls of ice cream and sang a rousing verse of "Happy Birthday".

Happy Birthday Jacob! We love you and we are so glad you were born into our family 15 years ago!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-09-28T09:00:00.000-06:00

{The Popcorn Popper}

Weekend Highlights

2011-09-26T12:58:00.000-06:00

Bryan and I were supposed to go out on Friday night, but because of stuipid BYU football, traffic was a nightmare. I didn't get home until almost 7. Bryan was tired and wanted to go out Saturday instead. So Ellie and I went out for dessert and dishing. I love one-on-one time with her, we have so much fun getting caught up on everything. She is an amazing and bright young woman!

We went to the store for few things and picked up a popcorn popper. Lately we've been making popcorn on the stove- the "old-fashioned way", as Jared calls it. So a popper was totally worth it. Popcorn is a quick, cheap snack. Ellie and I went home,set up the popper, and made lots of popcorn for everyone.

Saturday morning came with the usual big chores. Everyone was assigned a room to deep clean for the week. We got it done quick and the house looked awesome- I love Saturday clean! Bryan and I left the kids at home and went on a lunch date. We also had to run a few errands, but it was so nice to be doing it together.

That night I went out to dinner for a girls' night out with my mom, sisters, sisters-in-law, grandma, cousin, and aunt. Yummy food and fabulous company- we had a great time. We went back to my mom's house for dessert and to watch the general relief society conference. I skipped out on watching the conference though- I was too tired to stay that late. I went home to my family and found them eating popcorn and watching a movie. I got the little boys in the shower and put them all to bed.

Sunday we went to church. Johnny was noisy with whatever he was doing: coloring, looking at books, playing with puzzles. Nothing would keep him quiet. During the quiet time of the Sacrament he said, "Call from my butt." Lovely! (Bryan's phone has a ring tone that just states the name of the person calling. The kids thought it would be so funny to change the names on the phone so when people called it would say stuff like, "Call from Harry Potter" or "Call from Yo Momma" or "Call from my butt". Of course, Johnny repeats everything the other kids say. Too bad it comes out at unfortunate moments...)

Bryan helped me in nursery. We love it there. We have four nurseries in our ward, and still many more kids coming before the end of the year. Rather than make a fifth nursery, they just rearranged the four classes. The kids that got bumped from our class were so sad to be moved, and we missed them! We ended up with the youngest kids. We had seven kids yesterday, three of them had just turned 18 months and were there for the first time. Luckily they were all really good- no criers. But man, we were exhausted by the time we went home! We spent the rest of Sunday at home, relaxing.

Random Stuff from Our House

2011-09-22T12:21:00.000-06:00

School is in full swing for the kids now. We've gotten into a good routine in the morning to get everyone out the door, then in the evening to get homework and everything else done.

Jacob is in 9th grade, which technically is high school. But in Utah it means you are the top dog at junior high. He is at the point where he gets to take a lot of electives and he's found several areas of study that he enjoys. He loves the woodshop-type classes. He is also starting seminary this year. He thinks it is weird that he is being graded here, but he still likes it.

Ellie is in 8th grade now. She is taking a drama class again this year and she loves it. She is such drama queen, she fits right in! She is also trying a dance class. She gets "are you Jacob's sister?" a lot. Both from teachers and other kids. She is trying to make a name for herself too. Although if you ask Joey, she already has...

Joey is in 6th grade. He has the same teacher Ellie had when she was in 6th. She feels really bad for Joey. But so far, Joey is doing ok and likes the teacher. Maybe he isn't as big of a chatter-box as Ellie was. Joey has been taking swimming lessons too. He wants to reach first class in scouts. The one issue for him is the swimming, he has a fear of water. We started off small with basic lessons. Today he is graduating from level 3 and he'll be ready to test his swimming. He's done really well. Bryan thinks it's because he was in a class full of girls, and he tried harder to show off. Whatever works!

Jared is in 2nd grade. He loves it. He has an excellent teacher. He is still young enough that he gets really excited about school and has lots of fun in class. He has been reading chapter books and is so excited that he can read all on his own. He is talking non-stop about his birthday coming up in October. He hates that his birthday is at the end of October, after Jacob and Johnny's birthdays.

Johnny is the lone child at home during the day. He loves having everyone around, and misses us when we are gone. He has a mealtdown every monday morning when me and the kids leave for the day. By the end of the week he kisses me good bye and waves everyone out the door with no problem. We hope the monday morning mealtdown will ease up soon. It makes me feel guilty.

Bryan is the stay-at-home parent right now. He takes care of all of us while building a business. He is my Superman! My job is going great- I love it! It has been a huge blessing for us. The only downside is the commute. I am already tired of it. It is 2 hours a day I would rather spend with my family. We would like to move closer, but haven't found anything yet.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-09-14T08:00:00.004-06:00

September Birthdays

2011-09-13T09:33:00.000-06:00

On Sunday we had our monthly Nunes Family shindig to celebrate the September birthdays. This is the craziness that comes from 22 grandkids going for the best chocolate cake ever:

I think it gets louder every month. But we have so much fun being all together.

This month we celebrated birthdays for Uncle Alex, Poppy, Meme, Mickinley, and Uncle Sean. This year Poppy is 66 and Alex is 33- cool!

We Will Never Forget

2011-09-12T08:26:00.077-06:00

On Friday, Jared and Joey's participated in a 9/11 commemoration at their elementary school. That night they asked me to tell them about 9/11. Joey was only 1 when it happened and Jared wasn't even born yet. Ellie was 3 1/2 and doesn't remember it either. Jacob, on the other hand, has vivid memories of watching this day unfold on television. He was almost 5 years old. For a long time after he would say, "remember when the airplane crashed into the that building and it fell down?" Yes, we do remember.

I sat down with Ellie, Joey and Jared and told them about that day. I pulled out an old newpaper and newsmagazine I had saved from the day after, so they could see pictures. We were living in California and Bryan worked as a manager for a video game store. He was working later that Tuesday afternoon so we were enjoying sleeping in a little. Joey woke me up a little before 7am. I put on a kids show for him while I went to fix him breakfast. I noticed two new messages on the answering machine. The first was from my mom-in-law letting us know that Bryan's cousin, who was living in Manhattan, was safe. The second was from Bryan's sister telling us to turn on the tv. Wondering what the heck was going on, I changed the channel to a news station. I was stunned by what I saw. Both towers of the World Trade Center were engulfed in flames and smoke. The reporter was saying that airplanes crashed into the towers. I rushed to wake up Bryan. We were glued to the tv as we watched replays of the plane smashed into the south tower. Then the south tower collapsed, pushing debris across the city. It looked like a movie, rather than real life.

The mall Bryan worked in was closed down for the day. So,we spent that day watching the chaos of the morning turn to understanding, devastation, and heroism. Though we did not suffer a personal loss on September 11th, we mourned with the nation.

My dad sent an email with this quote from President Hinckley, given only days after the attack: “Dark as is this hour is, there is shining through the heavy overcast of fear and anger, the solemn and wonderful image of the Son of God, the Savior of the World, the Prince of Peace, the exemplar of universal love, and it is to Him that we look in these circumstances. It was he who gave his life that all might enjoy eternal life. ... May the peace of Christ rest upon us and give us comfort and reassurance and, particularly, we plead that he will comfort the hearts of all who mourn.” Present Gordon B. Hinckley, September 2001.

We did find a renewed comfort and peace through the Savior at that time. I hope those that suffered have found peace as well. Even though we find peace and move on in our lives, we will never forget 9/11.

In Memoriam 9-11 from Spencer Bott on Vimeo.

6 Feet Tall

2011-09-09T09:23:00.000-06:00

Jacob grew 1 full inch over the summer, putting him at 6 feet.

My son is 14 and he is 6 feet tall!

He towers over me.

His new height created a problem when it was time to shop for school clothes. Jacob is so dang skinny. We shopped several different stores and could not find pants that would fit his long, skinny legs. Luckily, OldNavy.com sells clothes for tall people. So I bought him some new pants- special order. I was thinking it was totally worth it, because he'd wear them for a long time. He doesn't put holes in the knees anymore. All I'd have to worry about is him growing another two inches.

The kick in the pants came when he wore one pair for the first time to a mutual activity. The young men and young women had a BBQ in American Fork Canyon. Jacob and his friends decided to do some hiking/rock climbing. Somehow he ripped the back of his brand new pants.

I guess some things don't change- whether he's 3 feet tall or 6 feet.

Farewell to Summer

2011-09-05T20:07:00.001-06:00

We decided to end the summer with one last hoorah by camping at Payson Lakes for Labor Day weekend. We haven't been camping as a family in many years, so this was Johnny's first camping trip. The weather was lovely and we had a great time being together in the wilderness. We started off by setting up camp :

During the weekend we enjoyed swimming, fishing and being together:

The kids got really good at finding things to do that didn't involve modern technology.

Bryan taught the kids to fish and they loved it, even though we didn't catch anything.

He also taught the kids to build the best fire. They each took a turn building and starting the fire:

This is Jared's first attempt at building a fire. He is a natural pyro. Each morning he would collect kindling and start a fire out of the warm ashes. He really liked being the fire-master.

Johnny and Jared playing in the dirt. Johnny thought we were crazy for letting him play in the dirt. He thinks camping is so fun, even though every night he asked for his own bed.

We had lots of fun playing in the lake. Johnny only liked the idea of swimming in the lake. He didn't last long in the water.

But Ellie, Jake, Joey, and Jared loved it!

Bryan hitched a rope to a tree, had Jacob and Ellie swim out with it and he'd pull them back.

Then they had to take a turn pulling him in:

We spent the evenings playing games and hanging out around the fire. We told stories and jokes. I taught the kids to play "spoons". After learning how to play, Jared said "Can we play that again? I rock at spoons!"

Our Happy Campers!

This is right before we left. We all look like we could use a long shower! We had a great time and can't wait to go back.

Farewell, Summer- we had so much fun...

Something New

2011-08-31T09:00:00.002-06:00

A few months ago, our dining table broke. It was old and was barely hanging on. All it took was a couple of teenagers rough housing near it to take it down for the last time. Since then, we have been looking around a bit at tables and chairs. We needed a table that could seat eight and eight chairs. Not an easy thing to find without spending a small fortune. So Bryan started checking the classified ads on ksl.com. Last Friday, he came across this beauty:

He sent me the info and I called the advertizer. She was surprised because she had just posted the ad about ten minutes before. I took my lunch break from work and headed to her house to look at the table. It was so pretty and in great condition and it was in our price range! So I took it.

Bryan and Jacob rented a trailer and went to pick it up that afternoon. I met them there after work to see if I could help. The hutch was way to heavy for us, so I called Uncle Alex- he is a rockstar and came right over to help.

We had to do some moving around when we got it home, but we made it work.

I love this table.

I love that it's big enough for us to have family dinner all together.

We love technology...

2011-08-30T10:44:00.000-06:00

Last night after running a couple errands, I sat down on the couch in the family room. Then I noticed how quiet it was. In a house with five children, this kind of quiet doesn't usually happen. So I started looking around to see what everyone was doing.

First I found Joey and Johnny playing games on my laptop:

Then I found Jared playing Starfall on the computer

Then I checked in Jacob and Joey's room and found Jacob. He was playing a racing game on his Xbox, with Bryan....who was upstairs on his Xbox.

Last, but certainly not least, I found Ellie. Tucked in her room on her laptop. She was being a little more productive than all the boys though, because she was typing a story.

We love technology at our house!

The Medlyn Montana Ranch

2011-08-25T10:35:00.000-06:00

Ever since I married Bryan and joined the Medlyn family, I have heard the myth of the Montana Ranch- hundreds of acres in Montana belonging to the greater Medlyn family, rich with oil.

The story goes that Bumpa's granfather homesteaded the land and ran a cattle ranch , he then passed it on to Bumpa's father. Bumpa's father split the land several ways with peices going to his second wife, and to each of his children. The rumor was that the oil had been found and capped, and that each divided section met at the capped oil. This meant that in order to pump the oil, each land owner would have to come together. But Bumpa had a huge falling out with his family years ago- over what, no one knows. So we all figured the land in Montana was a pipe dream. Basically, Bumpa did not talk about his family or his supposed ownership in this land.

When Bumpa passed away last winter, it was left to Jim to find out about this land...

After lots of research by Bryan and Jim, the land has been found. Bumpa's brothers had given their portions to him, so Jim is working on getting this section put into his name. He is also working on finding the family members to contact for the other portions. They might not even know that they have ownership in it.

A couple weeks ago Jim and Linda went to visit the Montana Ranch...

The original home is still standing- Amazing!

Grandpa, standing on the stoop of the Medlyn home, the ranch his father ran as a teenager.

Beautiful!

What an amazing heritage for the Medlyn Family! I just wish Bumpa had shared stories of this land before he passed away.

Back to School 2011

2011-08-23T15:58:00.001-06:00

The time has come to send these guys back to school...

The summer seemed to go way too fast, but we had lots of fun.

Jacob: 9th Grade

Ellie: 8th Grade

Joey: 6th Grade

Jared: 2nd Grade

Johnny: home alone

Joey and Jared went first. They were excited to get started. Jared was really nervous. Johnny wished he could stay with them.

Jacob and Ellie went to school next. They were not so excited, but they went anyway.

After dropping off all the kids, it was just me and Johnny in the car. Johnny asked "where is Jared?"

I told him Jared has to stay at school for a little while. Johnny was so upset he had to go home with no siblings.

It's now 4:00, everyone is home and Johnny has his built in friends home again. They all survived their first day and some even enjoyed it!

Poppy's Hike 2011

2011-08-20T15:00:00.030-06:00

(Look at all these hansome Nunes Family Men! 14 out of the 22 grandkids are boys!)

Today was Poppy's Annual Hike- a day the boys look forward to from the time the girls attend Abbie's Tea Party in the winter. This year the boys hiked the Rocky Mouth Trail. It was a pretty basic 1/2 mile up to a water fall and 1/2 mile back. My boys loved it. This was the first time Johnny was able to go on the hike. He and Jared came back with shoes and socks that were soaking wet from playing in the water. Jacob and Joey said it was too easy, but they had fun with their cousins. Bryan used to take Jacob on this hike a lot when Jacob was just a little guy- that is where is love of hiking began. It was fun for him to go back there since it has been years.

After the men returned from their hike we invaded the local McDonald's for the traditional lunch. It's so fun to have 35 people show up to order lunch together! Thanks to Poppy for a great day!

(everyone is ready for the hike!)

and now...we get ready for Back to School

Fourth of July Fun

2011-08-08T09:00:00.000-06:00

July 4th, 2011.....

After a delicious BBQ dinner, we moved the party outside where the uncles were sling-shotting water balloons down the street. At what you might ask?

Oh, just their children, nieces, and nephews. Poor Anya actually got hit in the hip with one.

Johnny...

Here is Ellie Taking a turn pulling the sling shot.

Joey...

Then it was time for ice cream and fireworks...

Bryan and Jacob

Ellie and Maddie

Collin and Joey

Jared with Ben and Zac

Alex and Sean put on a great show this year. It was extra fun with all the arial fireworks that were made legal this year!

Summer Vacation: Part Four

2011-08-08T08:50:00.000-06:00

The Fourth of July Hike

.....

This year we kept things easy for the traditional 4th of July hike. We were all pretty tired from our trip to Cali, so we headed to Bridal Veil Falls for a walk/hike.

Oh, yeah! That's my man! And just for posing like this when I was trying to get a picture, he deserves to have it posted on the blog.

There was a lot of water and everything was so green!

Our fantastic five!

Summer Vacation: Part 3

2011-08-07T14:36:00.000-06:00

These handsome boys are my nephews. They belong to Bryan's sister, Sarah. The little guy in the middle is Thomas. He was baptized by his Dad on July 2nd. It was an amazing day! We were so happy to be a part of it. Jared will be baptized later this year, so this was a great experience for him.

This wrapped up the California part of our vacation. The next day we headed home for 4th of July festivities.

(I shamelessly stole this photo from Sarah's facebook page)

Summer Vacation : Part 2

2011-08-07T14:30:00.001-06:00

On Day 2 of our vacation we headed out to Knott's Berry Farm with Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt Amy and lots of cousins- 12 kids in all!. Jared, John and I hung out with Aunt Amy and the smaller kids. They had so much fun on all the little rides. Of course, I forgot my camera. Luckily, Grandma had hers, so we still got some pictures.

Bryan hung out with all the taller kids that wanted to ride the big roller coasters. When we met up half way through the day, Jacob and Ellie were in line with some cousins for this big ride. This is Joey watching for them.

Here they are riding with their cousins.

Then we split up again. The little kids wanted to go right back to the kid rides, so we did them all again. It was hot but so much fun!

On the drive home, all those kids were wired! Two cousins went home with their dad while the rest of us all drove home together in Grandma and Grandpa's 15-passenger van. It was a bonding experience for all of us!

.....

While we were at the park my sister, Emilie texted me about something and I told her we were at Knott's. She said to take a picture of her "namesake". The story goes that long, long ago before Emilie and I made our entrance into the Nunes family, my parents were at Knott's Berry Farm. They already had Jennie and Katie, and after seeing the name "Emilie" on the this list of teachers they decided they would use that name, because of the spelling with "ie", which is how we roll in this family. Anyway, we made our way into the little school house to find Aunt Emilie's name on the list but low, and behold...

There is no Emilie on the list! Poor Aunt Emilie, she said it was like finding out she was adopted. There are, however a couple of teachers named "Jennie", so I thought my mom was forgetting this story in her old age. She still swears by her story of finding the name "Emilie"

Summer Vacation

2011-08-05T12:26:00.003-06:00

Since we were headed to California for a cousin's baptism, we decided to make this trip our summer vacation. Our first day in California was spent on the beach. The day was warm, sunny and beautiful. Perfect for playing in the water.

It's been years since we've played at the beach. This was Johnny's first time and he loved it. The kids spent the day playing in the sand, soaking up the sun, and collecting sea shells.

I love this picture- all the kids doing their thing. Johnny is digging in the sand, Jared is looking for shells, Joey is jumping waves, Jacob and Ellie are boogie boarding. They are all happy and having a good time!

Bryan and I had a great time too!

Jacob made sure to bring a boogie board. Here Bryan is telling him how to hit those waves just right for a good ride. He got the hang of it pretty quick.

Then Ellie gave it a try.

Here is Bryan taking his turn. Can't keep this California boy out of the water!

We stayed late and grilled hot dogs for dinner. As we ate we watched dolphins jump in and out of the water. I couldn't get a good picture of them, so here's a fishing boat passing by.

Butterflies and Lemondade

2011-08-05T10:55:00.001-06:00

June brought the official start of summer...

long unscheduled days

butterfly catching

trampoline jumping

and what summer would be complete without a neighborhood lemonade stand

The Month of May

2011-06-11T20:06:00.000-06:00

May brought Joey's birthday. My sweet Joey is 11 years old. He got a Rip Stick and loves riding it. Those things are hard to ride- you have to be very coordinated!

May also brought lots of fun end-of-school activities, including Jared's class puppet show. He did an awesome job playing the mirror and the Jester in All Through The Year.

Memorial Weekend was cold and rainy. But that didn't stop these two from enjoying a Day Out With Thomas as the Heber Valley Railroad.

Jared and Johnny had so much fun riding the train with Thomas leading the way.

and now for some summer fun...

Wordless Wednesday

2011-05-11T20:15:00.003-06:00

{Spring has Sprung in our Front Yard}

Wordless Wednesday

2011-05-04T20:17:00.019-06:00

These Children of Mine:

This Man of Mine:

Hey, That's Jacob

2011-04-29T15:02:00.003-06:00

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

Yup, that's Jacob on the front row. He is famous!
Jacob's English class was featured on KSL news last night.So cool!

Finals and Beginnings

2011-04-25T15:59:00.042-06:00

I am taking finals this week. This semester I took a digital media class. Most of the work was done with Photoshop. I am a Photoshop novice, so this was difficult for me. For my final project I chose to make a mock cover for a novel that Ellie is writing. She is so creative and has so many stories in mind. This story, "Under the Stars" is the first of three stories in a series. called "The Protectors". She hand drew a sample of what she wanted and I asked her opinion at every step, so that it would be what she wanted. We thought it turned out pretty nice!

After being in California for most of the last 2 months, Bryan came home last Thursday. Just in time for me to finish off my classes and start a new job. My sister Emilie worked for Advanced Shoring but was tapering off her hours. After some major changes, the owner (her old neighbor) needed a new office administrator. She recommeded me to him and I will start later this week. I am excited to get started again, although I have loved being home with my kids these last six months.

Spring Break Adventures: Part Four

2011-04-18T08:54:00.000-06:00

On Saturday we went to the Gardens at Thanksgiving Point. They have the Tulip Festival going on right now, but I think the tulips didn't get the invitation- they were mostly still winter-sleeping. It was still beautiful and we had a great time.

Jared thought these flowers looked like popcorn sitting on the ground.

On Sunday we attended the annual Nunes Family Easter Egg Hunt. Kids over 12 years old are no longer allowed to hunt, so it was just Joey, Jared, and John participating. Jacob and Ellie got to help with the hiding.

All those kids!

We had an awesome Spring Break Stay-cation!

Today we are back to school- seven more weeks until summer!

Spring Break Adventures: Part Three

2011-04-15T16:03:00.000-06:00

After a couple nights of sleepovers with cousins and friends, it was time to get out and play again.

Our first stop was Trafalga. Jacob, Ellie, and Joey love the go-carts. Jared can't wait to be tall enough to go on these. The big kids also played mini golf and laser tag.

Meanwhile, Jared and John kept things interesting on the carousel and airplanes.

Later in the day we went to the Living Planet Aquarium. Lots of fun stuff, but no pictures. I only had Ellie's camera with me and it was having issues.

Spring Break Adventures: Part Two

2011-04-14T10:04:00.000-06:00

On Wednesday, I took Jared and Johnny to the Farm at Thanksgiving Point while the other kids stayed home to play with cousins and friends. These two love the farm! Their favorite thing to do is ride ponies.They also really like feeding the animals. The llamas and goats will eat right out of your hand. Johnny asks everyday to go again!

Spring Break Adventures: Part One

2011-04-12T17:51:00.024-06:00

We are enjoying our Spring Break this week. Unfortunately I am finishing the last couple weeks of my semester at school so we are having a stay-cation. We started off the week by visiting the Discovery Gateway in Salt Lake. We had a fun time. Everything is hands on, so Jared and John were in heaven.

Day two consisted of a dental checkup for all the kids. They loved it! Nothing like spending your vacation in the dentist's chair. Our cavity-free streak was broken this time around. A certain someone had two cavities. Bummer!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-04-06T20:07:00.000-06:00

{Digital Media class assignments}

Those Brown Eyes

2011-03-28T15:17:00.000-06:00

I got my camera out and Johnny immediately posed and yelled "cheese!".

I have been really busy lately and really distracted.

The blog has not even been on my list of things to do.

I rarely even take my camera out anymore.

But I have found myself missing it.

It's time to get back to blogging...

Official Teenager

2011-02-26T20:00:00.052-07:00

Today our beautiful daughter turned 13.

She is officially a teenager!

I can hardly believe it!

In honor of the newest teenager in our home, here are 13 things about Ellie:

1. Ellie is a miracle baby- we are blessed to have her in our family! For the miracle that she is, we named her Elisabeth; it means "consecrated to God".

2. After she was born we played with a couple nicknames. Ellie was the one that fit. It wasn't until later that I found the meaning to be "light", which is very appropriate for her.

3. She is so kind and compassionate. I honestly don't know where she gets this- it's not from me! She cares for anyone and everyone.

4. She is the BEST babysitter. Seriously! Just ask all the kids in our neighborhood.

5. Ellie is a friend to all. She makes sure everyone is included where ever she is.

6. She is a creative writer. Again, I don't know where she gets it. She has a million great stories floating around in her head.

7. She also is an artist. She can draw very well.

8. She is so helpful to me and Bryan. She helps around the house and with her brothers. She is a second mom to Johnny.

9. She has a great sense of humor. She says the funniest things and keeps us entertained.

10. She is beautiful- inside and out!

11. She is working so diligently on her Personal Progress. She already has a few values done.

12. She is such a good person. She strives for righteousness.

13. She is my baby girl, turning into the most amazing young woman. I am so proud of her!

Passing of our Patriarch

2011-02-08T15:00:00.001-07:00

Bryan's grandfather passed away yesterday. He has been sick since Christmas. While in the hospital he told my father-in-law, Jim that he wanted to go home. Jim told him that they were working on getting him home. It's not the home he meant, though. He was done with this life and wanted to be with his sweet wife again. We are so grateful for his example to us. He was a great man and we will miss him!

(this is Bumpa on the rare occasion of having his son, 7 grandchildren, and 23 great-grandchildren all together)

February Sunshine

2011-02-05T13:33:00.007-07:00

We are in California right now, visiting Bryan's family. We are loving the time with family and soaking up sunshine, however, this visit is bittersweet. Bryan's grandpa has been sick and is in the hospital. Bryan has taken some time with him to say goodbye. Now we are just waiting to get him home with hospice care.

A Train Show

2011-01-31T20:06:00.010-07:00

Earlier this month I took Jared and Johnny to a model train show at Thanksgiving Point. It was held in their show barn, and it was packed with display after display of model trains of all types and sizes. The boys loved it and had so much fun looking at all the trains. Their favorite was the display with Thomas the Tank Engine pulling Annie and Clarabel. They watched that thing go around the track over and over again.

Johnny can't even look away from the trains long enough to take a picture.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-01-26T20:14:00.000-07:00

January 2011

2011-01-15T16:28:00.001-07:00

2011?!

Where did 2010 go?

Things have been so busy, I haven't even noticed half of January slipping away.

I was laid off from my job at Coldwell Banker in mid-November, due to a reduction in staff. Since then I've been pouring myself into my family, my home, and my school work. Though unemployment is no fun, we were able to spend a lot of time with family over Christmas break. I've been able to spend the time I need to on my classes. I've been able to be home to get kids to school and be here when they get back. And I've been home again with this thing:

Oh, yeah, I can't complain about that!

Welcome, 2011!

Christmas 2010: Part Two

2010-12-29T15:28:00.030-07:00

On Christmas Day we did something I swore we'd never do....We drove. Christmas Day in the car with 7 people and 1 dog for 11 hours. Not really fun, but worth it.

On December 26th we had a Medlyn Christmas Party. The WHOLE family was together! This is a very rare, so we were happy to be there!

Grandma Medlyn put together a treasure hunt for the grandkids:

Getting instructions from Uncle Derek:

Johnny doesn't really care for the specifics of the hunt, he just wants to fill his bag:

Cousins on the trampoline:

Each kid had to make a basket to get the prize on this one:

Here they had to do leap-frog relay races:

Then we took advantage of the group being all together by taking pictures:

Here's the whole family:

Grandma and Grandpa:

Phil, Amy, Jimmy, Mady, and Savannah:

Jennifer, Fred, Jack, and Blake:

US:

Heather, Kerry, Broc, and Miranda:

Cole, Lisa, Tori, Kayla, and Nathan:

Sarah, Mike, Joyceline, Michael, Jason, Allora, and Thomas:

Annie, Derek, Douglas, Brandon, and Hannah:

What a Christmas! We got to visit with ALL of our families!

We are still in California, enjoying the winter sun!

Christmas 2010, Part One

2010-12-27T14:22:00.001-07:00

We did Christmas a little different this year so that we could spend time with the Medlyn side of the family, as well as the Nunes side.

On Dec. 22 we all got to open one gift

Then we did the whole Christmas Morning Shebang on Dec. 23...

It was so thrilling and everyone recieved some really fun stuff!
We had the whole turkey dinner, too- Yum!
Then that evening we took the train to Temple Square...

Very pretty, but very cold. After it got dark we didn't last long. We didn't even get a family picture. Oh well..maybe next year.

Then came Christmas Eve. We went to Abbie and Poppy's house for the traditional dinner, nativity, and gift-giving...

So much fun wrapped up into a few short days.

Part Two coming soon...

Merry Christmas

2010-12-25T16:12:00.005-07:00

Merry Christmas

From our Family to Yours!

Christmas Cookie Party

2010-12-21T10:06:00.001-07:00

We did Abbie's Christmas Cookie Party at home this year. We had lots of fun decorating and eating!

Thanks Abbie!

Snow!

2010-12-21T09:59:00.001-07:00

The first real snow always encourages the kids outside to build a snowman

and here he is...

Christmas Concerts

2010-12-16T13:51:00.005-07:00

Ellie is in a choir class this semester and got to perform in a Christmas Concert. She did so well!

Joey and Jared also performed in a Christmas Concert at their elementary school. Each grad sings 2 songs. They each did great! It's so fun to see my kids perform!

Thank You

2010-11-11T11:29:00.001-07:00

The Home of the Free, Because of the Brave

THANK YOU to those who have served and now serve our county so selflessly.

A special thank you to our very own Poppy who served for two years in the Vietnam War. I grew up hearing only a few stories from his service, times when the Spirit literally guided him away from danger. It wasn't until a few years ago that he wrote a book meant for all his children and grandchildren, chronically his time in the Army that I fully realized what he went through. He and so many others have put their lives on the line, sacrificing to make and keep America the land of liberty.

THANK YOU VETERANS!

Celebrity

2010-11-04T09:27:00.002-06:00

Ellie is the best babysitter.

She is like a rockstar.

We walk in to church and all the little kids squeal, "Ellie! It's Ellie! Hi Ellie!"

Some come up and hug her, others wave shyly from their bench.

In the nursery, I am known as "Ellie's Mom".

There are a couple of kids that are much more willing to stay when their mom tells them of my connection to the Rock Star.

She is awesome!

Voting Day

2010-11-03T08:01:00.000-06:00

My Right,

My Responsibility,

My Privilege.

Even though my pick may not always win,

I'm proud to be an American!

Trick or Treat

2010-11-01T22:08:00.000-06:00

More of Halloween...

Jared carved his pumpkin that he worked so hard to grow over the summer.

The Costumes:

Lots of fun Trick or Treating!

and Lots of Candy!

Halloween at School

2010-10-29T15:28:00.000-06:00

It's a bit awkward when Halloween lands on a Sunday. It makes for many days of celebration and dressing up. Today was the day for school parties and parades. Here is the rundown for this year:

Jared, 7, Soldier

Joey, 10, Cowboy

Ellie, 12, Dead Fairy

Jacob, 14, Not sure what is going on here

What a group!

Happy Halloween, sort of.

More of Jared

2010-10-28T14:35:00.000-06:00

Jared on his seventh birthday. He is missing a tooth, but not his silliness.

A Red Letter Day

2010-10-27T10:57:00.001-06:00

This little guy is 7 years old!

Seven years ago today I went to my regularly-scheduled doctor appointment. I was 39 weeks along. My doctor asked if I would like to be induced that day. I was all for it! I did not want to risk having a Halloween baby and I was so done being pregnant. The doctor wanted to send me right to the hospital but Bryan was at work an hour and a half away. We would be able to check in to the hospital later. So I went home and called him. He was thrilled that the baby would be coming so soon. He left work and headed home. I called my mom to come stay with the other kids. Around 2:00 that afternoon the hospital gave us the clear to come in.

Bryan and I drove anxiously to the hospital and got checked in. I was started on Pitocen and and an epidural at 2:45. This was one of the easiest deliveries for me.

Jared Bryan entered the world at 5:15 pm weighing 7 pounds 12 ounces. He had bright orange hair just like Joey but his eyes were darker than the blue-gray that the other kids had. Eventually he became the first brown-eyed kid in our family.

He was a stinker of a baby but he was so cute, so we kept him around. We are glad we did because he is a sweetheart now! He is caring, compassionate, loving, helpful, and hard-working. And still so cute!

Happy birthday Jared!

{And to top it all off, literally, we got our first snow today. I'm not sure if I am ready for winter again.}

(sort of) Wordless Wednesday

2010-10-20T09:17:00.000-06:00

Just because this is so funny...

This was after the long game night Jacob had for his birthday party when Halo Reach came out. Joey was not going to put that controller down!

October Birthday Celebration

2010-10-17T09:12:00.000-06:00

We started a new tradition with my extended family. Rather than invading Abbie and Poppy's house each month, each of the kids is taking a turn to host a Sunday night get-together. We keep it simple with dessert and snacks to share. We celebrate all the birthdays happening that month, chat and catch up and the cousins have fun together. Last Sunday we took a turn to host since we have three October birthdays.

Each one of the cousins decorated a cupcake. Those with a birthday added a candle.

We sang to them and they blew out their candles.

Jared was so excited, so he went first. He can't wait for his birthday on the 27th.

Then it was Zac's turn. He is turning 6 this month. Look at the eyelashes on this kid! He is so cute!

Then Jacob took his turn.

And finally, Johnny. He tried to blow the candle out, but he had to have a little help.

Then came the presents. Jared has been wanting a Pillow Pet for a long time. He was so excited to get this. Look at the happiness on his face.

Jacob opened a card from Abbie and Poppy with $20 in it. He was excited until Poppy said, "$20! These are hard times, we can't afford $20!" He took the money and replaced it with a one dollar bill. Jacob was miffed and didn't get Poppy's humor. Poppy gave the twenty back and Jacob was relieved.

Johnny loved his new cars and trains.

Happy birthday to the boys of October!

October 11th

2010-10-11T07:20:00.001-06:00

Johnny turns two years old today. He is such a big boy, I can hardly believe it! Wasn't it just yesterday he looked like this?

As big as he is, the deliciousness hasn't change. He still loves to cuddle, whether it's sitting on my lap enjoying a bottle and watching Thomas or wrapped tightly in my arms to fall asleep. He loves cars, trucks, trains, books, coloring, and playing outside. He talks a lot; he's starting to put together short sentences. We all get a kick out of his mimicking. Ellie taught him to say "not cool", so we get him to say it whenever something is "not cool". He is very entertaining, even though the terrible-twos are already starting to show. We love this kid and couldn't imagine our family without him!

Happy birthday, Johnny!

Fall Family Fun

2010-10-04T09:47:00.000-06:00

Ah, the best time of the year. The days are getting shorter and cooler, and the leaves are changing fast. Yesterday we headed up Provo Canyon to take in the beautiful Autumn colors. I think we were a little late this year, but it was still gorgeous! The kids were good sports and allowed us to take lots of pictures.

Jacob's Day

2010-10-01T19:15:00.001-06:00

Jacob is 14 today

Look at this handsome young man!

For his birthday, Jacob got the new Halo Reach and xbox 360.

He had an awesome game night with his friends the week it came out.

Here is the highlight from the business of the last few weeks:

Bryan's parents came for a very quick trip, so that his Dad could ordain him a High Priest.

We were so glad they were able to come so quickly and be a part of it.

Today also begins the best time of the year!

What we are looking forward to this weekend:

General Conference

and a canyon drive to take in the fall colors.

The Aquarium

2010-09-08T20:55:00.001-06:00

As part of our Labor Day fun, we went to the Living Planet Aquarium. It had been a long time since our last visit, so the kids all had a great time seeing all the new animals, especially the penguins! This was Johnny's first visit. He ran from one exhibit to the next yelling, "Fishies!"

And then there was ONE...

2010-08-26T09:33:00.000-06:00

Four kids in school full time leaves just Johnny at home. I stayed home from work yesterday because Johnny had a bad (we think) spider bite on his hand and had to go to the doctor. It was a blessing in disguise because after taking kids to their first day of school, I got to spend the day with just him. We had some serious one-on-one time while Bryan finished a paper for his class. It was much needed for both of us.

The Boys Are Back!

2010-08-25T09:53:00.000-06:00

The boys went back to school today while Ellie enjoys a day off with her 7th grade friends. Jacob is a big 8th grader, Joey is a big 5th grader, and Jared is a big 1st grader. This year we have 2 in middle school and 2 in elementary. They are all very excited to be back in school. Jared is a little nervous about the full day. Joey explained how lunch will work and they found a place to meet after school. They have great teachers. Joey has a rare male teacher that he had for rotations last year, so they already know each other. Jared has a teacher that has taught 1st grade at this school for 4 years and seems excellent. They are set to have a great year! I can't wait to hear about their first day adventures!

Look Out World,

2010-08-24T16:43:00.000-06:00

Here she comes.

Ellie started middle school today!

She loved it!

Learn~Prepare~Live

2010-08-23T17:06:00.002-06:00

Last night began our back-to-school rituals.

We enjoyed the traditional back-to-school feast of corndogs and french fries. I don't do fancy like NieNie. I do basic to prepare them for school lunch. Then my dinners seem oh, so much tastier in the evening.

We gathered for a little FHE lesson to present our family theme for the school year. I chose a talk by President Monson called "In Search of Treasure". You can read the full talk here. From this we got our family theme of :

Learn from the Past
Prepare for the Future
Live in the Present

Then (my favorite part) Bryan gave each one of our children, and me a beautiful Priesthood Blessing. This is the most special part of back-to-school. I have vivid memories of the traditional back-to-school blessings from my Dad, and I hope my kids will always remember their blessings.

Tomorrow... my baby girl starts middle school.

Poppy's Hike

2010-08-22T15:20:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was Poppy's Hike 2010 to Clark's Trial behind the Draper Temple. My boys look forward to this every summer. Abbie and Poppy recently returned from a trip to Europe. Jacob is wearing his new shirt from London.

The boys all had a fun time hiking with Poppy, the uncles and their cousins.

The girls had a fun time hanging out at Abbie's house.

After the hike we all invaded McDonald's for lunch.

Jacob's Court of Honor

2010-08-16T09:44:00.000-06:00

We attended Jacob's Boy Scout Court of Honor last night. He was awarded his First Class, although he is now a Star. He also was awarded the 7 merit badges he earned at scout camp, including pathfinding and tracking-two retro badges they brought back for just this year as they celebrate their 100th anniversary.

I know I've mentioned this before, but I am not a fan of scouts. As far as my boys are concerned Faith in God and Duty to God are required; Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts are optional. I will support and help them as long as they are interested and willing to work on it. Jacob's interest in scouts wained when he was a Webelo. He didn't earn his arrow of light. He attended scout activities and camps but didn't care much about earning his Eagle. He has worked hard at many things that were never recorded and it became very frustrating for him. Last summer when he attended his first scout camp he didn't even earn a merit badge.

Things changed when Bryan was called to be the YM president last year. He made sure things were being done right and Jacob finally had the desire to work toward his eagle. He attends the stake merit badge classes twice a month to earn the 12 required merit badges and he's working hard on his own. We are so proud of Jacob and all his hard work!

Sunday

2010-08-08T16:37:00.000-06:00

AKA: Church Day

The cute kids, all ready to go.

The cute parents, mostly ready to go.

After Church: a Nice Long Nap

What the Hail is Going On?!

2010-08-05T10:24:00.000-06:00

Last night we had a really big storm come through. It brought a down poor, hail, lightning and thunder. Jared and his friend put helmets on to protect their heads from the hail while they played in the rain. Then they collected all the "freakazoids" they could gather.

Johnny watched from the safety of the porch.

The Farm at Thanksgiving Point

2010-08-02T11:13:00.000-06:00

I took the kids to the farm at Thanksgiving point this weekend. Jacob and Bryan stayed home to play video games. They are too cool to hang out with us at the farm. So we took Jared's bestest friend instead. These kids loved it and had tons of fun.

Ellie was a great helper. She watched out for Johnny and stayed with him on his very first pony ride.

Joey has ridden the same pony named "Opie" every time we've visited the farm. Very appropriate since he's been said to look like "opie" by family, friends and complete strangers.

apparently Llamas like to be hand fed leaves. Jared and H loved it.

("A llama?! He's supposed to be dead!"

can you name that movie?)

2010-07-28T16:02:00.000-06:00

I am in a slump.

S-L-U-M-P!

Not sure what the deal is.

I have no will to photograph or blog.

and I am tired.

Last night John went to bed at 9

woke up at 12

~wide awake~

and didn't go back to sleep until 4

4 o'clock in the AM!

Here is some randomness that we've had happening:

Bryan was released as the YM Prez and called to be the ward mission leader

weird! He and Jacob had a blast at scout camp.

Jacob earned 7 merit badges. He wants to earn his Eagle before he turns 15.

Ellie loved girls camp. I am so grateful that is was a positive experience.

Joey and Jared spend their days alternating between roaming the cul-de-sac with their friends and playing games. They are hoping summer will last forever.

I was almost called to be the Bear leader but they wouldn't work around my schedule.

I am still calling-less and sort of inactive because I take Johnny home right after sacrament meeting.

He still refuses to go to nursery. He SCREAMS (even if I am with him) THE.WHOLE.TIME!

does that make me "less-active"

I don't care

see? a slump

Girls Camp

2010-07-23T10:57:00.000-06:00

Ellie got to experience her first ever girls camp last week.

She had so much fun and strengthened her friendships with the girls in the ward. The pre-ward-split leaders were there in full force and made it a great week for the girls.

Wordless Wednesday: Sparks in the Dark

2010-07-21T10:10:00.001-06:00

Thoughts for Thursday

2010-07-15T13:25:00.001-06:00

Just because this is exactly what my wavering faith needed today...

Read the full talk here.

Summer Camp

2010-07-14T17:58:00.001-06:00

Our house is extra quiet this week.

Jacob and Bryan are at scout camp; Ellie is at girls' camp. I am taking the week off from work to be at home with my red heads. We are having lots of fun playing at the park, riding bikes, painting, playing games, reading books, baking cookies, and watching movies. But we miss our other half.

We can't wait for them to come home and hear all about their adventures!