Grant Greetings

2010-04-05T12:38:00.000-07:00

2010-04-05T11:47:00.000-07:00

Ali's Competition

2010-04-05T11:33:00.000-07:00

Alisha had her first Dance Competition this year the weekend my parents were in town. What a stress, I'm glad my parents and Jason were there with me. Alisha did great. She had a lot of fun.

Ali's Art

2010-04-05T11:20:00.000-07:00

Ali's art was displayed at the Art Foundry in St. Charles. We went down there with my parents. It is right off the Missouri River. We got to walk over to the Louis and Clark statues while we were there.

2010-04-05T10:47:00.000-07:00

THE SCIENCE CENTER

My Parents came into town the beginning of March. We took the kids out of school and went to the Science Center with them. It was a lot fun! It was so fun having grandma and grandpa here!!!

Alisha's Horizons Group

2010-04-05T10:42:00.000-07:00

This was their Destination Imagination Competition. This year they held it at the school because they weren't able to go the weekend that D.I. was scheduled this year. Ali and two of her classmates did a puppet show. They got second place. It was cute.

A Night Out

2010-04-05T07:24:00.000-07:00

Leah and Lynn had birthdays a couple days apart, so we went out to dinner to celebrate both. We went to the Cheesecake Factory. The food was so good! We had a lot of fun.

Stacy with Nikki and Rebecca

2010-02-15T19:59:00.000-08:00

The kids had Stacy and their American Girl dolls on the couch saying how cute she was and that she could be a doll. So, She sat there and posed for me. I love the first picture because Stacy's two front teeth are showing American Girl style. She cracks me up. The bottom picture was her having her arms to her side like the dolls were sitting. We were all laughing at her and her many poses during her "photo shoot." I narrowed it down to three.

Glad to be back

2010-02-10T10:20:00.001-08:00

I think sometimes it is good to get away. Partly for your own sanity and partly for the fact that when you are separated from those you love, you tend to appreciate them a lot more. I think kids tend to take their mom's for granted and do not realize how much they love and appreciate them, until they are gone. I wasn't gone very long, but it was nice that my family missed me. I love my kids, I missed them when I was gone, but I LOVED traveling without them. I am glad to be back. I have the best family and I feel very grateful to have them in my life!

First Day in Utah

2010-02-09T20:13:00.000-08:00

It was awesome flying over the mountains, they are beautiful. Utah is a very beautiful state. My parents just came home from serving an 18 month mission in Germany, so my sister and I decided to fly out for their homecoming. It was an awesome trip, I'm glad I went.

After we got off the plane and was greeted by our parents and our brother, Steve, we went up to our brother's restaurant. The food was great! I have been dying to have some of his BBQ ever since he opened last June. It was so fun to see him and his partner and long-time friend, Eric, at work. Greg's wife and kids came to the restaurant after we ate. It was so good to see all of them, they are such cuties!

Trip to Utah

2010-02-05T11:17:00.001-08:00

I went out to lunch with some of my friends from Timpview High. We try to get together when I come to Utah.

We went up to the Cemetery where my dad is buried

We had a Welcome Home Party for my parents at my brother's Restaurant. There were so many people that came. Unfortunately I was so busy that I didn't take any pictures of anybody. It was a lot of fun seeing everyone that came. The food was delicious too. I'm glad I got to be a part of it!

There is ice skating across from the Restaurant at the park. The kids loved it.

My parents gave an excellent report. My mom didn't use any notes. We were all impressed. She had a perfect recollection. Even Elder Dallin H. Oaks was shocked that she didn't use note cards. It was neat having so much family in the congregation. After the meeting, there was a crowd waiting to shake Elder Oaks' hand. It was crazy!

We went to visit my brother David and his family. I installed a sticker on the back of Jamie's car that matches her snowboard. She loves to snowboard. It was fun seeing them again. We also got to go to the county jail where my brother works. He took us on tour and introduced us to his deputies. It was cool to see, but I would never want to live there!!!

We went to BYU and got some stuff for Jason and the kids.

I visited with Tiffany Coon, who use to be my neighbor in Missouri. They moved to Utah a couple of years ago and we try and visit them when we head out there. It was fun to catch up! Her baby, Beckam, is such a cutie.

I loved looking out the window during this flight. The mountains are beautiful and the sheets of clouds are awesome. I had a great trip, but I am glad to be home.

Lindsay's Haircut

2010-02-03T21:20:00.000-08:00

Lindsay has been wanting to have her hair cut for a long time. She loves it short. I gave in and let her get it cut a couple of weeks ago. She looks cute with this cut and the girl did a good job. Emily really wants the same cut, but there is no way that's going to happen. Emily has paper thin hair and it would not look the same. Alisha, on the other hand, needs some kind of cut!

Tyler's Birthday

2010-02-03T18:29:00.000-08:00

Tyler had his first real Birthday Party this year. He turned 5 on Jan. 6th. He invited some friends, sisters and his cousins to JUMP 4 FUN. They all had so much fun. At the beginning, the guy tells them all the rules and it may look like the children are all listening and absorbing all that he says, but their actions would prove otherwise. They slid down the STAIRS, went down head first, did NOT wait for the kids to move before they slid and plowed into them, pulled each other down the slide, etc. Other than one of the boys falling on his head climbing over the WALL of the blow up castle rather than exiting out of the door conveniently placed in the middle of the structure, there were no injuries. Boys will be Boys! There is so much energy in those little bodies, so Jump 4 Fun was the perfect place to go. I made Tyler a F-15 Eagle cake. It didn't turn out exactly how I expected it to because the frosting kept getting soft. I'm just glad I got it done. Tyler loved it! He had a fun time with everyone, I'm glad we had a party.

City Museum

2010-02-03T17:36:00.000-08:00

On NEW YEARS we went downtown to the City Museum. We have wanted to go for a long time and we finally had the opportunity to go. We went with Jason's Sisters' and their families and also his mom. All the kids had so much fun. It was an incredible place. The kids could just run wild and explore all their surroundings. Their are slides that are several stories high, caves, a train, magic acts, ball pits, and so much more. I was a wreck half the time making sure I had all five kids. It is so hard to keep track of all the kids in there. I'm glad we went, it was a lot of fun. Weprobably won't go back until the kids get a little older though.

Cute Hat

2010-01-27T08:22:00.000-08:00

This is a Lollitops Hat. The lady who came up with the ides actually lives in the St. Louis Area. I saw a little girl in the mall with one on and I asked her mom where she got it. I think it is so cute and it fits all the girls. Stacy LOVES it!

2010-01-22T13:53:00.000-08:00

Our 2009 Christmas Picture. We took it with our little digital camera that has a timer. The kids loved using the timer and that is the only reason we got all of them smiling at once!

2010-01-22T13:41:00.000-08:00

The annual ORNAMENT EXCHANGE this year was at the Clarkes' home. Everyone brings something to eat and we hang out for the evening. It is fun to see the different ornaments people bring and some of us have strategies on how to get the one we want. It is always a lot of fun! This year we had about 20 people.

2010-01-22T12:31:00.000-08:00

We had a fun Christmas Season. The kids saw "Santa" at our Subdivision Party, their school and at our church Christmas Party. The Santa at the Subdivision Party must have just gotten back from a Tropical Vacation because he was freakishly tan for this time of year! The kids were excited to see Rudolph for the first time. It was so fun having Jeanette here for the beginning of Dec. She even made my kids pancakes in the shape of a Christmas tree, Santa, Gingerbread Man and a Snowman (Picture Below). It was incredible! That girl has skills! I have tried since to duplicate her craftiness, but I failed. I can do their initials and simple shapes, but nothing like the Frosty that she created! The kids love her and miss having her around to talk to and play with.

2010-01-22T12:09:00.000-08:00

While Jeanette was here, we look her to a small local airport to see the Air Force jet that is across the street. Tyler LOVES to visit the jet and also see the planes take off and land. It's a fun place for us to go. Who knows, maybe when he grows up he may actually fly one...

Aunt Jeanette in Missouri

2010-01-10T07:50:00.000-08:00

My sister Jeanette came to town for Lindsay's Baptism. She stayed for 10 days. I was so nice having her here. The kids LOVE her and have so much fun with her. We went to the Annual Creches and Carols exhibit in St. Louis. It was really neat, but you can't take picture except for back in the children section. They got to dress up and have their own Nativity. It was cool. Stacy LOVED being the sheep and threw a fit when we tried to take the costume off. The kids loved going there and we are planning to make it a family tradition.

Lindsay's Baptism

2009-12-20T07:37:00.000-08:00

Lindsay turned 8 this year. She decided to wait a couple of weeks to be baptized so that she could be baptized with her best friend Brianna. It was a special day for them and it was neat for them to share that day with each other. It was great having my sister here to share in the special day! Thanks for coming Jeanette. It meant a lot to Lindsay to have you there. It was a wonderful evening. It was neat to share the night with our friends the Blakemore's.

Tree Farm

2009-12-20T07:06:00.000-08:00

It is a tradition each year to go to the local tree farm and cut down our own tree for our foyer. We love going and searching for the perfect tree. This year it was pretty warm when we went. It didn't seem right. Nobody was complaining that they couldn't feel their feet any more and that their hands were frozen. Oh well, there is always next year!! The kids loved running free amongst the trees and we did find the perfect tree!! Jason's family all came too. The kids had fun with their cousins.

Ali's Party

2009-11-19T11:00:00.001-08:00

I let Alisha have a small party this year. She invited the girls from her church class. The girls all get along really well and had so much fun. They ate pizza, did Karoke and watched the new Tinkerbell Movie. We got a cake from DQ this year. It was sooo good!! I made Tinkerbell sugar cookies for all the girls and they had popcorn and candy during the movie. We definately filled them up on junk food!!

Lindsay with friends

2009-11-19T08:37:00.000-08:00

Lindsay and her friends played dress up. They put on Ali and Lindsay's dance recital costumes. They had so much fun!

Halloween 2009

2009-11-03T21:26:00.000-08:00

So this year we split up. The two older girls went together trick -or-treating with their friends Jana and Makayla Bowman. They had a great time. The three younger ones and Jason and I went out to Stone Meadows to his sister's house. All the Grant cousins (minus my older two) were there. They all had a lot fun collecting candy. Stacy did not want to give up, when we said we were going back to the house, she said "more Tick-or-Teating." It was so cute! She LOVED it. I had Jason carry her to a couple more houses and then we went back to the Mitchell's house and popped popcorn and watched a movie together. Alisha and Lindsay got to come for half of the movie. They got tons of candy, I couldn't believe it. Alisha is donating most of hers to the troops. The craziest part of the night was a haunted house that we went through in some one's driveway. It was amazing, only really scary for little kids. I thought my kids would freak out, but strangely enough none of them shed a tear. Tyler even went through twice!! I think the full size candy bar at the end was a great incentive! We had a lot of fun and are glad we spent the night with family.
Stacy asks everyday if we can go trick-or-treating. The girl loves candy!!

A visit from LOLA

2009-11-01T05:27:00.000-08:00

Lola is a dog that we bought a year ago. We had her for a little over a month and we had to sell her. Emily would not set foot on the ground when Lola was running around in the house. We had to keep Lola in the Laundry room a lot when Emily was home from school. It was crazy. She is basically terrified of dogs after being "attacked" by one of her friend's dog. Jason also seemed to be allergic to little Lola. So, we decided it was the best for our family for us to sell Lola. We found her a really good home, A home with 2 other dogs. Lola LOVES other dogs. She is the smallest of the three, but we hear that she rules the house! She is adorable and we all miss her, except Emliy of course. I did manage to get Emily downstairs and make her pet Lola before Joanna took her back home. We loved having Lola for a visit.

The Concert

2009-10-29T07:04:00.000-07:00

Natalie and I took Lindsay and Brianna to the MIley Cyrus Concert for their Birthdays. They didn't really like her brother's group Metro Station that opened for her. They were just about wanting to leave, but luckily Miley came out and the girls loved singing and dancing to the songs they knew. Their favorite was "Party in the USA." Miley does put on a good show. Her shorts were way short, but we warned the girls about that. It's too bad that pop stars go that route. She did some fun stuff like fly through the air and she also flew around on a motorcycle over the crowd singing "I Love Rock 'N Roll." The girls had a great time, we are glad we got to go.

Lindsay's Birthday

2009-10-27T17:10:00.000-07:00

Today is LINDSAY'S BIRTHDAY. She turned 8 today! We aren't really having a birthday party for her since she and her best friend are going to the Miley Cyrus Concert tomorrow night. I just decied to have some treats and decorate the house a little for when she got off the bus. She was so excited. She is getting baptized on Nov. 29th with her best friend Brianna, who turns 8 on that day. It should be a neat experience for the two of them.

The kids at Jump 4 Fun

2009-10-27T16:53:00.000-07:00

Playgroup was at Jump 4 Fun today. Tyler and Stacy had so much fun! The boys all liked going down the slide together even though it was against the rules. Boys will be Boys!

Horizons Paper and Project

2009-10-27T16:33:00.000-07:00

She did her report on the F-15E Strike Eagle because Jason is a Software Engineer and that is the plane he writes software for. It was a fun project, but took a lot of hours, more hours than we really wanted to spend, but I think in the end it was all worth it. Alisha's plane has been the talk of the school. Everyone loves it. GOOD JOB Jason and Ali (and MOMMY)!! It's fun doing projects together.

Lowe's Saturday Crafts

2009-10-27T16:16:00.000-07:00

My kids LOVE the Sat. crafts at Lowes. It is their fun thing to do with their dad. This past Sat., they just had time to get the crafts and bring them home. It was a Magic Frankenstein Box. The kids had fun putting the stickers on the box and apparently other places and people as well...

The School Halloween Parties

2009-10-27T15:37:00.000-07:00

The school does a parade around the outside of the school and some of the local shops. It is fun to see the different costumes. There were some real creative ones this year. Some parents put a lot of time into the costumes this year. Every one loved the Rubik's Cube. I thought the Redbox and Snack Machine were neat. That is real candy in there! The girls had fun at their parties. Emily just about drove me insane with her wig. She was Hannah Montana (although her personality is closer to Sharpay Evans from HS Musical.) The wig itched her so much that she could not give me one smile and half of the pictures I took have her itching her head. I think she is going to have to pick something else to be for Halloween!! By the time she went through the parade, her wig was falling off. She pulled that thing off and shoved it in her bag when she got back to the classroom. My in-laws watched the kids for me so that I could go. I am so glad I got to go and travel back and forth between the classrooms by myself. Emily was Hannah Montana, Lindsay was a 50's girl (she called it an 80's girl) and Alisha was Little Red Riding Hood (except I forgot her basket, oops!)

Carson and Tyler

2009-10-27T15:12:00.000-07:00

What do you do when your friend drives Emily's pretty pink Barbie Jeep into big bush?

You get out and back it up and then you take over the wheel

With a little luck and a whole lot of concentration you can make it around the bush

Then you can have tons of fun in that cute Barbie Jeep and hope that your Dad's will never know!

Then after all the fun and draining of the battery, make your friend push you through the grass...

They were so funny to watch! They were like mini teen-agers out for a joyride

2009-10-27T15:04:00.000-07:00

At the Elementary School, the kids have a Red Ribbon Week and they get to dress in something different each day. The first day was "Dress like a Rockstar." They wore their dance recital costumes from this year. One of the boys in Lindsay's class said she looked freaky. Boys! My girls have pretty thick skin, so they let dumb comments roll right off.

Rita's Farm

2009-10-20T20:34:00.001-07:00

Today I took the three younger kids to Rita's Farm. It's pretty close to our house. I had never been there before. I needed some corn stalks for my fall decorations, so I decided to stop. Stepping foot on that soil and smelling the smell of fresh manure and straw brought so many memories of my Grandpa's Farm. I loved going to visit Grandma and Grandpa every summer. I never quite got used to the smell of the farm, but I loved escaping city life and enjoying the farm life for a little bit. My Grandpa was a dairy farmer. He was a hard worker and an incredible man. His farm no longer exists. There is a subdivision where it used to be. It makes me sad that my kids don't get to visit Grandpa Peck's Farm. He passed away while I was pregnant with Alisha. I am so grateful that today my little ones were able to walk through the farm and see all the animals- chickens, roosters, cats, cows, horses, ducks, dogs, etc... There seems to be very few farms left in our area. What a treasure for my kids to have a farm so close. It is a great place to take the kids for them to get a little taste of farm life.

P.S. Stacy did have a skirt on, it just wouldn't stay on, it was too big- so, she rid herself of it and ran free... (just in case you were wondering why she is sporting a diaper in some of the pictures)

The Zoo with the Farley's

2009-10-20T19:48:00.001-07:00

The Arch

2009-10-20T19:43:00.000-07:00

Silverleaf Timber Creek Resort

2009-10-14T10:10:00.000-07:00

The View at Silverleaf Timber Creek Resort

THE FARLEY FAMILY

My brother David and his wife and kids came to a resort in Missouri a little over an hour from here. They stayed at the Silverleaf Timber Creek Resort. We headed down there on Monday. The whole hour down there, three of my children kept asking "Are we there yet?" An HOUR, seriously, where is the patience? They even watched a movie on the way down. When I was little I had to drive in a station wagon without rear AC and no entertainment center and we traveled for days. This little experience gave us another glimpse of what the long trip out to Utah next summer will be like. I love being in Utah, I just don't like how long and crazy the car ride is out there and back. Anyway, we had so much fun with the Farley's. We went miniture golfing, golfing, paddle boating, and played volleyball on the beach volleyball court. The sand was white like you would see on a tropical beach. It was fun, but a little chilly. The kids were making sand angels and Tyler was making a sand castle (it actually looked like a mountain.) We had a great time. The kids love their cousins. We are glad they are here and that we were able to spend time with them. I took lots of pictures, of course!

2009-10-06T16:04:00.000-07:00

So, today we were out and Tyler said he wanted to go to "the chicken place with the fun play area and the chicken in a box." That would be Chick-Fil-A. I normally wouldn't go just because he asked, but today I did. We ordered and as we were sitting there eating Tyler said, "I love this place, it's my new favorite place to eat." After we ate, the kids played in the play area. When we were leaving, we saw a plane coming in to land at the local airport in Chesterfield. It is a small little airport that only small planes fly into. Tyler LOVES planes. We drove around to get closer to the runway. We drove right up to the gate where the planes come to turn around and then take off. It was so fun. We drove a little closer to the airport and we came across "Boeing Park." There is a jet right there that you can walk up to and touch. Stacy and Tyler loved being so close to the plane. What a fun day, and it wasn't even planned!!

2009-10-03T16:38:00.000-07:00

This morning I had Conference turned on and Tyler, Emily and Lindsay went up stairs and got dressed in church clothes. What?? Why would Tyler voluntarily get dressed in dress clothes? EVERY Sunday it is a fight to get him in those darn clothes. "I hate church," he says, and "I'm not going to church!!" Today he went up, got his dress shirt, pants, vest and a TIE- just because he wanted to. I couldn't believe it! He even got his Sunday shoes on. Wow, it was nice to have him so willing to get dressed up. Too bad it's not Sunday!!! I'm sure it will be business as usual when Sunday rolls around next week. It was nice while it lasted...

Stacy barely keeps clothes on. I'm going to have to glue clothes on her!!

Super Marble Galaxy

2009-09-29T10:15:00.001-07:00

UPDATE:Alisha got 3rd place out of 25 Marble Mazes!! Way to go Ali and Jason!!

So, Alisha had a Marble Maze Project that she had to do with a parent. So, of course I let Jason head up the project with her. They put together the maze which is basically some funnels and some wooden tracks. I painted it, cut out the vinyl and applied it to the board. They wanted it to look a little like Super Mario Galaxy. So, we called it SUPER MARBLE GALAXY and this is what we came up with (if it works right, the marble will run the coarse in 43 sec.'s) It was a fun project, but we spent way too much time on it. We were up until 3:30 am finishing it. Put two procrastinators together and that is what you get!! Well, the Marble Maze was done, it just need to be painted last night. Needless to say, I am a walking Zombie today and have a headache from inhaling spray paint. That stuff is awful!! I noticed this morning that I painted some of my grass black. Oops! That's what you get when you paint a big board on your lawn at 2:00 in the morning... Maybe it will motivate Jason to mow it!

Alisha Got Braces!!

2009-09-29T09:59:00.001-07:00

Wow, I can't believe my oldest is in braces! We went to three different Orthodontists and all three told us they wanted to do something different with her mouth. It was stressful for me, but ultimately I let Alisha decide. We prayed about it and she made her decision. I hope it all goes well. It is interesting how different each child's mouth can be. Alisha's teeth are so crowded and a little crooked and Lindsay's look straight. Jason and I both had braces, so I'm pretty sure we have many years of braces ahead with our five kids. Alisha got her braces a week ago yesterday. It has been a long week... spacers gave her alot of greif and she barely ate anything all week. She got her brackets put on last week (they are in the shape of stars) and today they finally put the bands on. Hopefully now she will beable to eat without pain...

Aebleskivers

2009-09-29T09:43:00.000-07:00

One tradition that we LOVE from the Grant side is Aebleskivers. Jason's sister Sharman and her husband Joe gave us an Aebleskiver pan for our wedding and we have enjoyed it through the years. Our kids love when we have Aebleskivers. This weekend is Conference weekend, which means I will be doing a lot of baking. In the Farley family, we have a tradition that we have homemade rolls and Cinnamon Rings every Holiday and Confernce weekend. So, this weekend I will make the rolls, the cinnamon ring and the ableskivers. It is a fun tradition that I hope we continue to keep throughout the years...

My new bag

2009-09-16T20:35:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I am just crazy enough to make another bag for church! I'm not sure how I find time to do extra stuff like make bags, since I barely have time to do all the cleaning and cooking I have to do. I think it's because when it's done, it's really done. Cooking, cleaning and laundry is an ongoing process that is never DONE. There is always tomorrow... Anyway, I guess that is why I put the other things aside for a little while and take the time to make a bag or work on Vinyl orders. I like to check things off my list. It's a mental list, I hate making written lists! I do like the way this bag turned out and there is pleanty of room for all my church essentials. I really enjoy creating things...

And NO I'm not pregnant, thanks to Alisha's hand positioning I look like I'm 5 months or something!! Nope, I'm not- at least I better not be!! Just need to loose weight!

O' Fallon Ward Camping Trip

2009-09-13T21:24:00.001-07:00

We got to go on a campout with our Ward on September 11th. We went to Sioux Passage Park near the Missouri River. The campsite was a HUGE open field. Plenty of room for the kids to play. There were around 70 of us that came.

Jason did a great job setting up the tent (with helpers) and getting everything loaded in was Emily's self- designated job...

Lindsay and Brianna

Laura Lewis

Seralyn Morgan, Laura Lewis and Stacy

Me and Laura

Laura and her Dad, President Brad Lewis

The Kerns

Jen Wright and Jonah

We tried to get a family picture, but it turned out blurry. so, this is all we've got- thanks Laura!!

The Bowman Family

The Justus Family

Jason and Jen Wooley (their kids were running around at the time I took the picture.) Jason served in the same mission as me, but left before I went out there. He served under President Gottfredson.

The girls had so much fun with their friends. They loved the glow necklaces they got.

Tyler loves to make things. He loved watching Mike Benne build our fire. The pictures really don't do the fire justice, it was huge and really HOT. I mean retina burning, hair singeing Hot!! I had to wear sunglasses just to be able to get in close enough to roast my marshmallows for smores. Notice how close Tyler is to that flamin' hot fire. He wasn't phased at all! He even made his own mock fire by stacking up small logs. He's just kickin' back drinking a Capri Sun and enjoying the heat...

Look at the size of the log Thomm is putting on the fire, it's taller than him!

Todd and Natalie brought their kids up for a little while, but did not stay the night. They went to Chicago the next day.

The Missouri river was within walking distance of our camp site.

We woke up to a wonderful morning haze that provided dew all over our tents. When people (lets just say KIDS) found out that when you shake the tents, water droplets would fall down on unsuspecting victims, they went around waking people up with a morning "shower." Let's just say it isn't a pleasant way to wake up... It was pretty cool to see the haze surrounding the tents even though it made everything soggy!!

It was a long night. There was a lot of drama in our tent! Stacy and Emily had a hard time falling asleep and they both wanted me to themselves. It was crazy. Emily sounded like she was in labor (you would have to be there to actually understand what I'm saying, but if you have ever witnessed someone giving birth- the crying,screaming or wailling is quite similar to what Emily was acting like that night) and Stacy was crying at the top of her lungs while trying to pry "my mommy" away from Emily. Jason has it sooo easy... Jason and I were laughing so hard while it was all taking place ( it was either that or CRY!) We have a few Drama Queens in our midst.

Chance Marrasso made the hugest pancake for himself. It took three people to flip it...

The kids had such a great time with all their friends, we are glad we went. We would definitely do it again!

Weird Bug

2009-09-13T21:05:00.000-07:00

I have never seen anything like this before and I have lived on the earth for 36 years. This thing is just wierd. We all watched it creep across the branch and were intrigued by it. It had such unique markings. To get a feel for its size, look at the the little spider next to him. I am amazed at the sizes and variety of all the little bugs and insects that exist on this earth. (Tyler points them out to me on a regular basis.) God has created an amazing earth for us to live on.

Family Pictures

2009-08-24T12:48:00.001-07:00

Pictures in the flowers

2009-08-15T22:13:00.000-07:00

She looks so worried, but she was just looking up at her sister who has holding a flower in her hands.

MY SCHOOL GIRLS

Emily

Lindsay

Alisha

Back to School- Open House

2009-08-13T22:33:00.000-07:00

Alisha and Lindsay both had the teacher Emily's has this year. We love her, she's great!

I designed the shirts for the reading program at the Elementary school. I loved the way they turned out. The theme this year is Reading Rocks!

My Glamour Girl

2009-08-13T22:07:00.000-07:00

Stacy LOVES makeup, especially lipstick! She has ruined several of my lipsticks, even a few of my expensive ones. Not sure why she is so fascinated, but she loves puckering up and gliding the lipstick across her lips. It's not good enough to just do one coat either, she has to pack it on! If she would just keep it on her lips I wouldn't have a problem with it, but unfortunately it has turned into body paint a couple of times and my purse has been a victim as well. I have 4 girls and this is the first time I have had to deal with this. Hopefully Stacy will grow out of this phase soon! Today Stacy got into Alisha's lip gloss and managed to get it all over her leg, her hands and her lips. I'm not sure how it gets so out of control. That girl is pretty good at making messes!
This picture cracks me up! Stacy had gotten into the lipstick I use for the girls when they do recitals and she was applying it when I yelled out "Stacy!" She was doing an ok job until I said that. I watched it happen. As soon as I said her name, she was startled and her hand went up her face with the lipstick . We all laughed at her. The kids thought she looked like a clown! Twice in one day!! Note to self - PUT ALL LIPSTICK UP REALLY HIGH!

A Call from Aiden

2009-08-13T21:54:00.000-07:00

Tyler's BEST FRIEND called from California and Tyler was so excited to talk to him. Tyler is not great with phone etiquette and doesn't really listen to what the other person is saying and usually holds the phone the wrong way. He started off talking normal and then he started saying random thoughts and making weird noises. I'm not sure what Aiden thought, but Tyler was just happy just to have him on the phone with him. He asks me every week when we are going to go visit him. The darn USA seems so huge sometimes! California seems so far away! One day we hope to get out to see the Shiley's.

Crazy Girl!

2009-08-13T21:30:00.000-07:00

Emily is a character! She has so many funny faces and always makes us laugh.

But this is downright SCARY!!!

The Pool

2009-08-07T20:55:00.001-07:00

We went to My In-Laws pool today and when we got there, the band from West High School was there. There were teen-agers everywhere! I actually should have taken a picture of the pool with all the teen agers, but we were chillin' eating snow cones and popcorn (one of the bonus's of showing up during a pool party.) The kids had a lot of fun. The teen- agers left about 30 min.'s after we got there and then it was just us in the huge pool. It was nice. Tyler was so enthralled in his popcorn he didn't even enter the pool until we had been there for an hour. Finally, he came in the pool, but he put his popcorn bag by the pool ladder and would periodically get out and eat a couple handfuls. I think he had four bags of popcorn! He is a funny guy and apparently LOVES popcorn.

Pet Turtle

2009-08-07T20:29:00.000-07:00

So this morning before Jason and I headed off to apply lettering at a school, he came across this little turtle in our yard. We decided to let the kids have him for a pet, at least for the day. We will take him somewhere tomorrow hopefully. It's funny to watch him move around and stick out his neck. Alisha researched online what Turtles eat. When we came home, they had put a paper plate, some fruit, lettuce and other things he might like. I don't know why, but I'm not really a pet lover. I don't really like cleaning up poop. Everything has to poop and I don't have time on top of Everything else I have to do - feeding and cleaning up after a little creature. Sorry, maybe when the kids are grown I may have a change of heart. As for now, grasshoppers, rollie pollies, and fireflies are the only "pets" they are allowed to have. They must stay outside! Tyler is so cute, he tries to keep grasshoppers in bowls and jars and they usually die. I try to explain to him that they like their environment and they would much rather stay in the grass rather than suffocate in a jar. He has chilled out a little and has gone two days without catching them. He loves to be outside and enjoys nature. Sweaty dirty boy smell, you gotta love it!!

The obituary for Jana's son- his funeral is today

2009-08-06T08:31:00.000-07:00

(Cooper is Stephanie and Steve's Nephew)

Cooper Hamblin Kofford (a.k.a. “Coop”) was born October 4, 2004 and returned to heavenly surroundings on July 31, 2009. Quinn Macdonald Kofford and Jana Lynn Worsley Kofford (Orem, Utah. Married 23 years) are blessed to have been Cooper’s earthly dad and mom. Cooper is the fifth of six children. He is one of four boys and two girls. Cooper loved his sisters and brothers. He loved climbing into bed and snuggling with his sister, Hunter (13), and loved “playing house” with Kennedy (9). His oldest brother, Carson (12) taught Cooper about baseball. Duncan (7) loved playing legos and swimming with Coop. Lincoln (2) was Coops wrestling mate, car seat buddy, and “partner-in-crime.”

As his earthly family we are amazed at the depth of our love and respect for Cooper and his impact on our family. We will miss him very much. We have been and will continue to be enveloped by overwhelming feelings of love and gratitude. We are at peace—including an absolute blameless recollection of the circumstances surrounding Cooper’s last day on this earth. As a family, we have felt the love and support of our extended families, neighbors, friends and the community-at-large, and express our thanks. We have been blessed with clarity of mind and peace of heart and soul which stems from our faith in and knowledge of our Heavenly Father’s plan for all mankind and of Cooper’s progression in that plan . . . and its eternal significance for our little family.

We are certainly biased toward our son and brother and cannot say enough positive about him or his influence on everyone who knew him or came in contact with him. He was always on the go. At home, he was most comfortable outside . . .usually barefoot and in shorts (or a swimsuit)—sometimes even in the winter. He had soft, sun-bleached-blond hair that framed his perfect face and little body and accentuated his amazing deep blue eyes. His two huge dimples (one in each cheek), tan complexion, perfect annunciation of every word and syllable, and his sweet voice (combined with his unique twang) are part of what made him Cooper. He loved to giggle and to make others giggle with him. He loved swimming, riding his bike (training wheels triumphantly removed in May), going to Navajo Lake and Kanab, Utah, and eating otter pops like they were going out of style. He loved taking his brothers for self-made adventures into “Randy’s field” or to Betty Jo’s “bumpy road.” He loved chewing gum—which usually only further accentuated his perfect little teeth, ear to ear smile and deep Hamblin dimples. He loved to snow ski, going “faster” in the water tube at Lake Powell, and sleeping wherever and whenever he chose.

He loved all of his friends, cousins, aunts and uncles and would interact and immediately engage anyone. He also loved both sets of grandparents (Cree-L and Ila Jean Kofford of Bountiful, Utah, and Steven and Cheryl Worsley of Provo, Utah) and the horses, kisses, Christmas treats and unconditional love they showered on him. We will miss such things as hearing him yell-back “I Love You” as he ran off to play. We will also miss kissing his soft puckered lips, his refusal to eat anything healthy, and his causing havoc in church. We will miss holding his hands (even though the rest of him wouldn’t hold still), riding bikes to go get snow cone treats, and just playing and laughing together. If you knew Cooper, you experienced a bit of heaven on earth. As parents and as his family, we are grateful to have been blessed with Cooper. Because of our convictions toward Jesus Christ, we absolutely know—with no doubt whatsoever--that we will be reunited with him someday.

Emily and Stacy at the Meadows Mall

2009-07-31T19:16:00.000-07:00

Our Garden Part 2

2009-07-31T18:55:00.000-07:00

This a picture of our first big tomatoes

The Sunset

2009-07-24T22:41:00.000-07:00

Our house sits on a bit of a ridge that it is considered the highest point in the Subdivision. The back of our house faces the west. One of the downers of the back of your house facing west, is the hot summer days (the sun sets in the west- remember). The Summer sun beats down and stretches it's warmth so lovingly into the interior of my house. Not always an invited guest, especially when I'm cooking over the stove. But, having the sun set in the back of my house also means we get to enjoy some beautiful sunsets. I have discovered that I rarely take the time to look up and take in the beauty around me. I think the sky is beautiful. The cloud formations, the variation in color of the clouds and the vibrant colors in the sunset each night. We were outside the other day and I looked up and saw the sun disappearing into a cloud. It was BEAUTIFUL! I ran and got my camera. Unfortunately, I am an amateur photographer so the images arn't probably as beautiful as I witnessed, but I love them anyway. We really do live in an amazing world. Not one detail was left undone when God created it!

Our Garden

2009-07-21T12:24:00.000-07:00

My mom grew up on a dairy farm. They had fresh produce and fresh milk every day. I loved going to the farm almost every year. I have fond memories of my time on the farm. I grew up in Austin, TX. I was a city girl. When I went to the farm, I would kick back and just enjoy farm life. We would run through the corn stalks, sleep in the haystacks, milk the cows with our cousins, play in the reservoir, and feed the baby calves. I loved it there. The smell was always something I had to get used to, but I loved being on Grandpa's Farm. My Grandma had a pretty good sized garden and she would have us pick some of her fruits and vegetables for her. I remember the summer my brother Greg asked if he could grow a garden in our backyard. Of course my parents agreed, so from that time on, we had our own garden. My brother and my mom cultivated and pruned the garden. I liked watching things grow. While we have lived here, in Missouri, I have wanted to grow a garden. Finally, after the convincing of a persistant sister-in-law, Cammy, we have our very first Garden. It has been fun planting things and watching them grow. The kids love to pick the tomatoes. (The picture posted is of the VERY FIRST TOMATO from our tomato plants.) It is one of their chores that they actually enjoy doing. We don't have a very big garden, we started small and hope to expand next year. It takes work to have a successful garden and I'm not sure I'm really good at it, but I do love reaping the rewards! Thank goodness for my 5 little helpers who help water garden and pick the vegetables. Having my little garden has helped me appreciate the farm that my Grandpa had and for the gardens we had in Texas and Utah. I admire their hard work and willingness to cultivate the land and tend to their crops. I had this salad this week. I used the tomatoes we grew and a cucumber from my mother-in-laws garden. It was delicious! Well worth the work that takes to grow it! I also make my Zucchini dish at least once a week with the zucchini's, tomatoes, and basil from the garden. Yummy!

My Church Bag

2009-07-19T20:28:00.000-07:00

So, I'm not sure why, but I decided to start a project this week. I decided to make a bag for church. Something that would fit diapers, coloring books, crayons and snacks for the kids. I kind of made it up as I went along. I love how it turned out! I can't wait to make more. We all wore hot pink, black and white to match my bag. I spent so much time on it, we had to match it!!

July 8th -My Birthday

2009-07-15T12:57:00.000-07:00

So, I turned 36 this year!! I had a great B-day week. Jason was so nice to let me go out with my friends, go to movies, and go shopping. He also helped clean my craft room which gets so out of control- it is like the catch all room for everyone's stuff. Not anymore, I'm claiming it back!! I had a great birthday on Wed. My friend, Natalie, made me a strawberry pie. She came over and we had some together. I'm bummed I didn't take a picture of it! Cammy, my sister-in-law, came over too and she ordered pizza for all of us. It was so nice. Our babysitter was sick, so Jason and I didn't get to go out that night. It was a great day and amazingly enough, I dont' feel any older!! The day after, Jason's parents brought me a yummy White Mouse Strawberry Cake from a French Bakery. It was soooo good. They really do an amazing job. I don't even want to know how many calories are in a slice of that cake!!

Going Stainless

2009-07-15T12:34:00.000-07:00

After a MONTH of trying to fix our old fridge, we got a new one. We had a repair man come out 3 times to "fix" our fridge and before we poured any more money into the old one, we decided to get a new one. We went stainless this time. I was really nervous about the fingerprints and anyone scratching it or denting it, but it actually hasn't been too bad. I love it! We got an incredible deal on it too. It is cool, when we open the doors, the LCD lights come on and it looks like heavenly light shining on the food. When we first got it, we used to sing as the Angels (although we don't actually sound like a chorus of angels!!) as soon as we opened the doors and saw the light. It was funny (I guess you'd have to be there!) Anyway, we are glad that we have a working fridge again!!

4th of JULY

2009-07-15T11:43:00.001-07:00

We had a very interesting 4th this year. I made sugar cookies and chocolate chip cookies for two get togethers that night. Jason went golfing with his dad during the afternoon and then we went to his parent's house for dinner. We had filet mignon and it was mouth watering good ( if you're a meat lover and I AM!) While we were sitting there enjoying our mouth watering filets, the hugest raindrops came pouring out of the sky and pelting everything below. Luckily we were inside, but it did make us question whether or not we would attend our friends' pool party that night. Not to mention the lighting and thunder (not a great thing to have while swimming in a pool.) So, we let the rain pass and then we rushed out to the car and headed to the Clarke's house. They just got a pool in their backyard this summer. It was a lot of fun being there. Their pool is awesome. Jason had kids hanging on him and playing with him the whole time. He is a big kid, so it doesn't surprise me that he is a magnet for little kids. The weather was beautiful at that point until we got out of the pool and started watching the fireworks. I have never, in the 8 years we've lived here, experienced a forth like this! It started pouring again, so we went under cover and watched the fireworks explode in front of us. While the fireworks are going off around us, the lightning lit up the sky and the thunder rumbled through the air. It was incredible. I didn't even know you could light fireworks in the rain. Emily was freaking out. Fireworks aren't her favorite, but topping that with lightning and thunder- she just about lost it!!! She was in the Clarke's house screaming while we were outside watching the show. After a while, we decided to take her home. On the way back to the house, Jason's mom told us to come check out the fireworks at the Falls Golf Course (where they live). Although Emily was being freaky, we decided to go ahead and go to that firework show. It was great! I got totally drenched, but it was fun. The weather was crazy, but it was still a fun 4th!

St. Louis Cardinals Game

2009-07-03T21:19:00.000-07:00

Every year Jason sings at the Cardinals game with a group from Boeing. They call themselves The Boeing Balladeers. They sing throughout the year at different events and places, but Jason only sings at the ball game because he thinks it is cool to be there on the field singing the National Athem. I would prefer to hear him sing a solo, but I'll take what I can get! I have never gone with him (he's done it for 5 years), so this year he wanted me to go and watch. They get free tickets to go, so that's cool. It's hard to turn down free tickets! We decided to take Tyler with us. We thought he would LOVE it! I was a little concerned that he might whine about being hot, hungry or tired 10 minutes after sitting in our seats (but I tried to be optimistic and tried to give him the benefit of the doubt. He's a boy, he's got to like it, RIGHT?? ) We got to ride the St. Louis Metrolink. Tyler thought it was cool. Jason bought him a ball cap when we got to the Stadium and he looked so darn cute in it! He did an excellent job walking throughout the HUGE stadium and was patient as I searched for our seats (Jason was on the field). Finally, after sitting in the wrong seats and getting kicked out of them, we found our wonderful seats in the nose-bleed section. "Tyler, see daddy, he's the ant in the red shirt!" (Ok, it wasn't that bad- but it was pretty far up.) At least I had the video camera and could zoom in on Jason and his group. They did awesome! Tyler was anxious wondering when in the world the players were gonna start hitting the ball. Then, when they started the game, Tyler didn't seem the least bit interested. It was hard for him to focus being up so high and all. And of course not even 10 minutes after the game started, Tyler said, "I'm hungry and tired, I want to go home" (Did I not think that's how it would play out? A mother always knows!) Of course Fred Bird (the Cardinals Mascot), Albert Pujols, the other players, all the chanting and fun music, the Jumbotron, and the beautiful St. Louis Arch you could see from our seats meant nothing to the boy. He just wanted to go home. I think he was just board. Jason and I were starving, so I got us some food. The Hardee's Burgers were HUGE. I got Tyler Dip 'n Dots. He loved them, it was probably the highlight of his night. During the 6th inning, we, and five other members of the singing group, got a tour of the FOX sports network broadcast room. That was COOL. We got to sit there and look out and actually see the baseball diamond out in front of us and the commentators were doing their commentating right in front of us. A guy showed Tyler how to adjust the camera angle and stuff. They were really nice to us and we got FREE bottled water while we were in there. The vendors at the Stadium charge $5.00 for bottled water. It's highway robbery! The bottle is just like any other bottled water, nothing special about it other than the fact that it is within the walls of the St. Louis Cardinal's Stadium. $5.00 are you kidding me? Anyway, after we spent some time in the Broadcast room, we decided to head out. Tyler was hungry and tired of walking, so we left during the 7 inning. We had to get back to all our other kids who were at three different houses. We rode the Metrolink back to our car. While we were on the Metro, We heard Tyler say, "Bratwurst." Jason and I looked at each other wondering if he said what we thought he said and then he said it again. We just started laughing! (Apparently he heard that word on Phineas and Ferb.) How random!! Tyler is the king of random thoughts. He is a parrot. He repeats what he hears and sometimes it will be days or weeks later. (He has an incredible memory, that should come in very handy when he starts going to school.) Curious to see what Tyler's take on the evening was, while we were in the car I said, "Tyler, did you have fun?" He looked at me and said, "It was AWESOME!" So, at least he had a fun time with mommy and daddy and he has fond memories of the evening, that's what we were hoping for! As for me , I loved being with my boys!!!

Jason and Tyler on the Metrolink.

Zucchini!!!

2009-06-29T20:04:00.000-07:00

I love Zucchini, mainly mixed with some ingredients in the form of Bread. My mom makes the best Zucchini bread! We have a Garden this year thanks to my sister-in-law's persistence and I am loving the Zucchini we have grown. I have not made bread yet, that's on my list! The kids love picking the zucchini's. I have discovered that I like zucchini sauteed in olive oil, seasoned with garlic salt, freshly ground pepper, lemon basil (home grown), lime basil (also home grown) and grated Parmesan. This evening, I made a pasta dish including my Zucchini we picked from the garden today(this is our sixth one so far). I made some of my seasoned breaded chicken. I sauteed the zucchini with the seasonings I listed above and threw in some tomatoes (I only had two little ones, so that is all I used- I wanted more). I added the noodles at the end and slid it onto my plate, topped it with chicken and I garnished it with a sprig of parsley and Voila!! It was delicious! Jason loved it and so did Lindsay and Stacy. I love having a Vegetable garden. I can't wait for my tomatoes to finally ripen!

Best Friends

2009-06-29T19:45:00.000-07:00

Tyler and Aiden are BEST FRIENDS. I love Tyler, but he is not always the nicest boy to those around him, especially to boys that are younger than him. He can be down right mean sometimes! Not with Aiden, he loves Aiden. Aiden is a little older than Tyler. They play really well together and are so funny. They are very kind and they love each other. I feel he is Tyler's only true friend and it makes me so sad that he is moving this Wednesday. I think sometimes it is harder on me when one of their good friends move away. I know that most likely they will never see them again. It breaks my heart to see Tyler's Best Friend leave because I know Tyler will miss his friendship. He's been good for Tyler. I hope that someday we can go and visit Aiden and his family in California. We miss them already!!!

My Girls

2009-06-28T20:52:00.000-07:00

Lindsay got to go to a My Girls party for her friend Emily, complete with a Hot Pink Limo ride. The Limo takes them to the My Girls store and they get all glammed up- they get their hair, nails and make-up done. Tons of hair and body glitter. They get to pick a favorite dress to wear and then they have a fashion show at the end where the parents can come and take pictures. I had ALL the kids with me, so I was actually 10 mintues late. I missed the fashion show, but I managed to get a picture of Lindsay and her friends that were still there. Lindsay had a great time and loved being with her school friends again. It's a cute place. The cake frosting was even lime green and hot pink. This is Lindsay's second party to go to there. I'm not sure why people spend sooo much on parties, but it's fun to participate!

Father's Day

2009-06-22T14:19:00.001-07:00

So, Father's Day wasn't exactly what I would have imagined. Jason woke up on the wrong side of the bed and was on edge during most of the morning. It couldn't possibly be that he stays up until 2:30-3:30 watching his shows that he DVR's during the week, could it? What do I know, I'm just the wife. Although, thanks to my constant nagging and usually wise counsel, I think he is starting to realize that maybe, just maybe, staying up late isn't agreeing with his 34 year old body. Anyway, we spent the afternoon at church and instead of the King Size Candy Bar the Fathers have gotten every year for the past 4 years (thanks to my friend and former YW President, Natalie) this time they got a Sprite. A pop for "Pop." Cute idea, but not what he or the kids were expecting. I guess it got the kids off his back! Usually they are swarming around the candy begging for "just a piece!" The Primary sent the kids home with bags of Hershey kisses, and with four Primary aged kids, that's a lot of kisses. So, he did get his chocolate sweet after all (that is whatever was left for him after they dug into "his" treat). Anyway, then we came home and I wanted a picture of the two of us and one with him and the kids on Father's Day, but he took off upstairs and changed his clothes (I guess that's my fault for not verbalizing my plan.) So, I had Ali take one of just me. The girls did not want a picture together in their matching dresses, so I took one of my camera lovin' DIVA, Emily. Not sure what pose she is doing, but she looks like she's 2 ft. tall.

Stacy was so proud of her money she made daddy in Nursery and decided to keep it for herself.

After church I spent the next couple of hours getting ready to receive Jason's family over for Father's Day dinner. I made a Reese's Peanut Butter Cake. I spent time on it and it looked dang good. I love Reese's Peanut Butter Cups in anything. I love them in cookies, brownies, cake, cupcakes, in a blizzard from DQ, in the from of an egg, tree, pumpkin. No matter what the form, I LOVE IT! I know Jason loves it to, or so I thought! Apparently he was looking forward to a Strawberry Pie (that would explain the HUGE Costco size carton of Strawberries he brought home Friday.) A part of me knew that is what he would want, but I wanted to make something new. We ate dinner and they went outside and hit the volleyball around for awhile and then we all came in and had my huge chocolate lovers dream of a cake. And my husband thought it looked amazing, but said after eating a few bites, " This would taste good as a brownie, then you could control your portion." This is coming from a man that shovels the sweets into his mouth without a thought in his mind about "portion control." What honey, you are suddenly on a diet??

Now, to his defense, the cake is pretty much Death on a Platter- the cake has Reese's P B cups chopped up and mixed in and then there is PB frosting in between the two chocolate cakes and and more chopped Reese's PB cups on top of that. Then to top it off, I covered the top and sides of the cake with the peanut butter frosting and topped that with a chocolate fudge frosting and then more cut up Reese's PB cups. There could possibly be 1000 calories per slice. (J/K- I HOPE!!!) Anyway, despite the insane amount of calories lingering in this Chocolate Dream, it was SENSATIONAL! I thought it was amazing. Apparently they all thought it was good, but a "little rich." I tried not to let it spoil my night. Sorry Jason, maybe next time you can have that Strawberry Pie! Overall, I think the day ended ok.

I sure am lucky to have such an amazing man in my life. He is my best friend and I am grateful for every day I have with him. He is a great father and has done so much for all of us. He is very talented and extremely handy. He is also a man of integrity, which I love. He never ceases to amaze me. He reminds me of my father who I feel was an amazing man. I miss my dad. It has been over 13 years since he passed away and tears still come to my eyes when I think of him. I wish Jason and the kids' could know him. He was incredibly talented and had such a love for life, especially for his wife, my incredible mom! They had something rare, he had such a love for her that anyone in their presence could feel. He was a good man and a great father. I feel blessed to have had him in my life for 22 years.

I am also grateful for my Step-father, Harold Oaks. He is an amazing man as well. He is so good to my mom and I am grateful that they have each other. He is the only Grandpa on my side that my kids know and they love him so much. I am so glad that they have connected with him. He is great with kids.

I can't forget Jason's dad. He set an example for Jason and taught him to be a hard worker. Dennis has always been a great mentor for Jason. He is a hard worker and has done an amazing job providing for his family. We feel fortunate to have his parents close by. They have been great at helping out when needed.

I feel very blessed to have such wonderful examples of father's in my life and my list could go on to grandpas as well. How grateful that such wonderful people paved the way before me. I hope I can effectively teach my children of their great heritage. We are truly blessed!

Dance Recital

2009-06-21T21:15:00.000-07:00

They did it! Alisha and Lindsay performed this weekend and I am glad that is over with. This dance recital stuff is crazy. The Dance Rehearsal was 5.5 hours long and then we had to be back a couple of hours later for the recital that lasted 3.5 hours. And then had to do it all over again the next day. I love watching them dance, but 3.5 hours is way too long for a program. I am in search for a new studio, but that is another story! I thought the girls were amazing. They loved it and are very comfortable on the stage. I love the shimmer that comes along with Recitals. The eyes, the hair, the body- GLITTER everywhere! The more the better. There was glitter swirling around me when I was in the dressing room. Anything to help your daughter "SHINE" up on that stage. This one girl was covered and I mean COVERED in glitter! I loved watching all the numbers and seeing the different costumes. Lindsay was only in the Friday night performance. She had three dances and Ali was in a total of 6, three each night.

Is it just me or does it look like Lindsay is the only one doing the right move?

Daddy got them flowers. It is a tradition!

Subdivision BBQ

2009-06-16T10:18:00.001-07:00

This Sat. we went to the clubhouse for the Annual BBQ and Pool Party for the Subdivision. The kids love going. they have a huge bounce house, Spunky Beans- the balloon lady, lots of food and tons of give-aways. When you have 7 people in your family, the likelihood that you will take home a prize is very likely. We didn't realize we would win 4 door prizes. The kids were so excited! They are all got fun stuff to play with. But, the thing they loved the most was Spunky Beans. She is amazing! She can make anything you want Alien, baby rattle, fish on a fishing pole, princess wand, hat with a baseball coming off the front and a bat, a sword, a flower bracelet, a butterfly, the list just keeps going on... Anyway, the kids love watching her make these balloon creations. This year, the older girls wanted palm trees. She can even do that! Tyler actually went fishing with the Blakemore's and we had their daughter Brianna. Since he was not there, Alisha got him a fish on a fishing pole. It was perfect because he didn't catch a fish that day and was sad about it. He was so excited to see the balloon. The girls set up a chair and made him cast his line and pull the fish out of the "water." It was so cute. We will have to take Tyler fishing again and hopefully he will catch a real fish.

Little Aspiring Photographer

2009-06-16T10:02:00.001-07:00

We rarely take pictures together since I am usually the one behind the camera. Alisha, our little aspiring photographer, took these pictures of us. I do let the other kids attempt to take pictures, but they usually end up really crooked and almost always blurry. Alisha is the only child, at this time, that is capable of taking pretty good pictures and actually making sure we are in the shot! Good job Ali!

Saint Louis Zoo

2009-06-09T20:35:00.000-07:00

We went to the Saint Louis Zoo for playgroup last Thursday. It was a beautiful day, a perfect day for the Zoo. For all those who follow my blog, you know that over a year ago I lost my one and only son. It was a terrifying experience. Something I would never want to relive or wish upon anyone else. To venture to the zoo now, causes me a little anxiety. Jason said he would come with us this time, so we went. What a treat! It has been a long time since he has come with us. We showed him the land marker where Alisha and Brianna found Tyler the time he got lost. We had a great time. All the kids were really good and had fun together. I love watching my kids have fun with their friends. After reviewing these pictures, I think Lindsay may have a crush on a certain young boy. How funny! She just started thinking boys are kind of cute! Alisha still thinks they are gross and I'm fine with that. Boys stare at her and it annoys her. Girls are so funny. Anyway, we all left the zoo with the same amount of children we came with, so that's good! The Saint Louis Zoo is free, it is beautiful, and there are tons of animals. What more could you ask for?

The Lion was up in a tree. I have never seen that! I hope she wasn't stuck cause that's what it looked like.

Could we all look the same direction PLEASE! Where's Lindsay? Seriously, why does it have to be sooo hard to get a family picture??

"Twinners"- so that if I lost Tyler and they asked me what he was wearing, I could point to Jason and say, "He looks like him!"

Does Lindsay have a CRUSH?? How cute! Notice in both pictures they are doing the same thing.

This is the closest we have ever gotten to the Giraffes. The kids loved watching him eat right in front of them.

Wow, that can't feel good to bend that way!

The Penguin exhibit was closed when we finally made it over there. The kids were bummed. We look pictures outside the exhibit and hopefully they will have fond memories as they look back at the pictures and forget that they didn't get to go in. It's not like they haven't been every other time we have gone to the zoo. They were so tired after all the walking around we had to carry Tyler and Stacy part of the way back to the van. It was fun, I'm glad we went!

Zachary's Playground

2009-06-08T19:53:00.001-07:00

We went to Zachary's Playground last week with Zachary and his mom and Sisters. I love going with them because I enjoy seeing the JOY on Zach's face every time he is there and can move freely about the playground. Zach has Pelizaeus Merzbacher Disease (PMD). Around six years ago, Natalie (Zach's mom) and I were sitting in my basement talking while our kids played and she had just returned home from her sister-in-law's house on the east coast and said they went to an accessible playground there. She said, "I'm going to build one here." Chills went up my spine and I knew she was going to make it happen. She started a non-profit organization called Unlimited Play in 2003. It was an uphill battle. I saw her cry, listened to her frustrations, watched for years as she did fundraising, was amazed at her strength, and I tried to help out mainly by watching her kids and being a "sounding board" when needed. Finally, in April of 2007, it was completed. They had a ribbon cutting ceremony. The kids crowded around and as soon as the ribbon was cut, the kids flooded on to the playground. It was incredible! I will never forget the feelings I had that day. (I was 8 months pregnant and sweating profusely, but more than that, I was overcome with joy that it was done and everyone loved it! Natalie and Todd's dream of having an accessible playground for their son became a reality! All their hard work year after year finally paid off. There were tons of kids there and many of them had disabilities. What a great place to break down the barriers that society tends to put up. We are all God's children and each one of us is here for a purpose. Children need to be accepting and respectful of each other's differences and also see that they all have similarities as well. Zachary's Playground is the busiest playground in the area. The kids love it. There is so much room to run around and there is so much to do. It is truly a remarkable playground. I am so proud of Natalie and am amazed at what she has accomplished over the years. I am grateful to have her for my friend. I also feel very honored to know and associate with Zach. He is truly one of God's choice spirits. You can't help but feel the spirit when in his presence. He has such a love for life and all of God's creations. He brings JOY into every situation. I also love his sisters, Brianna and Cassi. Brianna and Lindsay have been best friends since they have been in diapers. We feel blessed to know the Blakemore's. I have put a link to a video about the playground. Hopefully they will be able to build more playgrounds throughout the area. http://www.unlimitedplay.org/Video.html

The Waterplay Section

SWAY FUN

Garage Sales!!!

2009-06-08T19:19:00.000-07:00

There is nothing more gratifying than finding something really cool at a garage sale for a fraction of the price. You often leave with your purchase and wonder why anyone would pay full price for anything when you can get such a steal at a garage sale. Granted, you do have to search through a lot of junk to find the treasure. But many times it is worth the time searching. Some men have to deal with their wives going out garage sale hunting every Sat. Not mine, HE is actually the one who finds a way to slip in a couple garage sales almost every Sat. He goes to get his car washed, comes back with toys... goes to get milk, comes back with toys...goes golfing with his dad, comes back with toys... I can't take it any more, WE HAVE TOO MANY TOYS!!! It is a bit much, although I do like a good deal. I think the boy is addicted to garage sales!!! I thought these were pretty good finds though! He also got Stacy a huge doll house. It definately beats full price!

My Little Two Year Old

2009-06-04T20:09:00.000-07:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

That's right, Stacy is Two!! She turned on June 1st. We really didn't do much for her birthday because she is so young and really could care less what we do as long as cake is involved. It was just fun making cupcakes and watching her blow out her candles and eat it! We all love watching Stacy, she is very entertaining. I am very grateful to have her even if having her permantly altered my body- darn C-section!!! Anyway, I love her and am so glad she is a part of our family. She has been a delight to have around. Happy Birthday my little Tater Tot!!

2009-06-01T12:21:00.000-07:00

After school on Friday, the LAST day of school, we went TO THE POOL! The kids were sooo excited to finally go to the pool. We were there for a couple of hours. Luckily some mom's, who were better prepared, brought some pool toys. My kids enjoyed playing with any toy that was around. We did bring Barbies. Tyler liked throwing them and then rescuing them. I called him Lifeguard Ty. Stacy liked filling the red bucket and dumping it out, over and over again. Emily liked modeling for me even though I never asked her to. She LOVES having her picture taken. Lindsay and Alisha swam in the big pool the whole time. They had so much fun and we are looking forward to spending many days at the pool this summer. We are all so glad school it out!!

She did have a suit on, I promise!!! She just found it to be too constricting and after many attempts at taking it off and having me quickly put it back on, she finally succeeded and took it off. You gotta choose your battles. I was tired of fighting this one.

The Talent Show

2009-05-30T09:27:00.000-07:00

Alisha and her friend Jana take dance together. They performed for the Crossroads Talent Show. They did a great job!

Emily's Graduation

2009-05-30T08:40:00.000-07:00

All three of my girls have had Mrs. Meek for their Kindergarten year. They love her! Alisha would not give up her 3rd grade party to see her sister Graduate, so she is not in the picture. I wanted a picture of all three of them with her, but oh well! The Graduation was really cute. The kids sang three songs ending with "The future's so bright, I've gotta wear shades" It was really cute and Emily was really soaking up all the attention. She loves to perform. She definately isn't afraid to show her fun personality on the stage. I loved watching her enjoy herself up there. She's a natural! We are so proud of her making it through the EASIEST year of her schooling career. Not sure why they make a big production out of it, but it was cute!

My little graduate with the Principle Mr. B

Emily's Class

Alisha graced us with her presence for one photo opp.

Grandpa trying to help Emily keep that darn hat on her head after she took the pins out. We just wanted it on for some of the pictures! You'd think after the MANY years of people graduating, they would have come up with a better design! What is the point of a large square on your head anyway??

Jason's B-day

2009-05-24T23:31:00.001-07:00

Jason is 34! Which means in a couple of months I will be turning 36. Not a pleasent thought! We go out to dinner with his family for every birthday. So, we went to Outback. I had Ribs and Jason had a big tender filet. It was sooo good. I just started getting Ribs there since I tasted his mom's ribs the last time we went there. YUMMY! Finger Licken' Good. We ate and then we all went to a movie. We went to Star Treck. I'm not a "Trekkie" but I thought the movie was good. It was Jason's night, so we went to a movie he wanted to see. If it was my b-day, we would have watched a sappy love story! We had a great time and were thankful that Laura could babysit for us. Love the kids, but it's always nice to get a night away!!

Last YW Activity

2009-05-24T23:30:00.000-07:00

I was incharge of the activity Wed. night. I just got released from YW's on Sunday. We made frames. The girls did a great job and all the frames turned out so cute. I will miss the girls. I hope they can stay unified and continue to grow strong in the gospel. They are all so wonderful and we have had a lot of fun together. They have been amazing examples for me and I loved seeing their bright smiling faces each week. We've got the best YW.

Laura got her braces OFF!! She looks so grown up.

Emily's Birthday

2009-05-24T23:18:00.000-07:00

Thank goodness for COSTCO!!!

Mother's Day

2009-05-24T23:06:00.000-07:00

My mom is serving a mission in Germany. This year I decided to make her a gift and send her a picture of it. She can have it when she returns home from the mission. I have an amazing mom. She is a woman of faith, a woman of courage, a woman of virtue, a woman of compassion, a woman of strenth. She has always been an amazing example to me while growing up and also since I have married and had my own family. I draw strength from her. She brightens my day anytime she calls and I hear her special, "Hello" that only she can deliver. I think there is sunshine that comes through her greeting, it instantly makes you feel better. My kids even notice it. When she leaves a message on our machine and they hear her say "Hello," it's as if they were all shot with a happy drug and a smile instantly appears on their faces. She has a gift, a special gift that only she possesses. I wish I had it. People are drawn to her, she radiates the spirit and lifts those around her. She can mend someone's broken heart, lift someone's burden, help a fallen soul, just by talking with them and letting them know what their Savior feels for them. She is and has always been a Christlike person. She has a gift that allows people to feel their Savior's love for them while being in her presence. I love my mom and am grateful for her example for me. I wish I could be even half the woman she is. Unfortunately, it is an uphill battle for me. I feel very blessed to have been raised and loved by a very special woman. I LOVE YOU MOM!