Sad News!

Today I got a call with the news that my friend's husband passed away unexpectedly. He died of a heart attack and he was younger than me! I can not imagine what she is going through. She has five children, the youngest being 2 mo.'s. It makes me realize how fortunate I am to have my husband and children in my life. I often get caught up in the mundane that I forget how truly blessed I am. Experiences like this help me realize that I need to appreciate my loved ones more, serve without complaint, love unconditionally, live in the moment and be grateful for what I have. This earth life is short, yet so important. I want to focus on the things that matter most, that have eternal consequences. My heart goes out to my friend Amy. My thoughts and prayers are with her as she goes through the grieving process. I know she will be lifted up and comforted during her time of loss. The Lord will not leave us comfortless.

KICKED OUT OF NURSERY
Don't let the sweet face fool you! Tyler has been quite the BRUTE lately. He has discovered that he enjoys hitting people, especially helpless kids. Today I was in Sunday School and I heard a little boy screaming at the top of his lungs outside the classroom, the shrill penetrated the halls of our entire church building. It didn't sound like my child so I kept listening to the lesson. I saw a door open and one of my friends pointed to me. I was confused, I knew that was not my little boy's cry. Aw, no, but it was the effects of my little boys punch! I could not believe it! Little Ethan was sobbing because of my little bully! I was so sad. Tyler is really a sweet kid, but he sure does have his moments of craziness! Tyler was kicked out of nursery, so I let his dad handle it while I occupied our youngest little munchkin.

GOT MILK?

Stacy likes to help herself to whatever she can find. Luckily the gallon jug was pretty much empty or else this picture would look a little different and I wouldn't have been laughing. Milk is sooo expensive, it makes me sick! We drink milk like it is water in this house. Stacy is a funny girl. She keeps us on our toes!


Emily likes to dress up and pretend that she is famous. She is our little performer/ drama queen. She keeps us laughing. There is a saying that "Dynamite comes is small packages." That fits Emily perfectly! She's hilarious.

Act of Service

When I was growing up, my mom always made my favorite homemade rolls and occasionally a Cinnamon Ring for Conference. So, I have tried to keep with tradition. This year I had the kids help me. I would prefer to do it myself just because my kitchen is not that big and more importantly, I am picky about how it should be done. I made the first ring and they helped me cut some rolls out. Then, I told Alisha that she got to make a Cinnamon flower (instead of a ring). It was beautiful and she worked so hard on it. She was so excited for it to get done so she could eat it all! When she was done I said, "Alisha, who would you like to give this to?" She looked at me with disbelief. Her mouth was watering with the thoughts of eating this beautiful work of art all by herself. Then she thought of her good friend Lexi whose sister had just gotten Pneumonia. Alisha and the other kids were so excited to give them the flower. They made cards for Lexi and Lizzie and Jason drove Alisha over to their house to deliver it. She was so happy to give it to Lexi, that she had forgotten she had wanted it all to herself. (I wish I would have taken a picture of the flower!) Alisha is a sweetheart, but she tends to be a little selfish. It was great to see her willing to do some service for someone else. Thanks for the yummy roll recipe, mom, it is and always will be our favorite!

Reverence Tent

Jason gave a talk the Sunday before Conference about the important of watching Conference and how we can get our children involved. I was reading in the Friend about a family that was reading in their scriptures about King Benjamin and how the people pitched tents and listened to the words of King Benjamin. So, they decided for Conference they would build a "Reverence Tent." I talked to my kids about it and they were so excited to make our own tent. We put chairs up and put a big blanket draped over the chairs. (Whatever we could throw together minutes before the 1st Sunday Session started.) The kids shouted with glee. They were so excited and could not wait to fill out the Primary worksheets they received in which they were to color in the different ties of the General Authorities. We had high hopes for this "Reverence Tent", thinking our kids would be as wonderful and attentive as the children in the article. No such luck, almost immediately, Emily yells out "Tyler's feet are touching me, EWWW, get him away from me!" Then she yells out "Stacy's BUTT is in my face and she STINKS!" Needless to say, Emily spent some time in her room after her little episode and it was not at all like the story in the Friend. Also, the kids were sad that quite a few of the General Authorities had similar ties- (most popular tie-red with little dots - you can see Lindsay's worksheet at the beginning of Conference in the picture). It is quite the challenge to have 5 little kids sit still for 4 sessions of Conference. Next time we may have to build a tent with more rooms and doors so we avoid any further conflicts. Or, actually dress them in church clothes and watch it on satilite at the church. If anyone has ideas to share, please feel free!!

Youth Temple Trip- Our Young Women

This was a sad week for some of us in our family. We had to sell Lola, our Jack Chi. Turns out Jason and Tyler were allergic to her. So while some of us cried our eyes out, others of us, namely Emily, was doing a happy dance. She could not contain her excitement when she came home and saw that Lola was gone. She is glad that she can walk the floors without hesitation and without fear. Alisha and I took it the hardest. I have never been a "dog person", but I got attached to the little cutie.

We found her a great home with a nice lady and two other dogs. Lola loves other dogs, I think more than children, so it worked out perfectly. The lady called me to let me know that Lola loves it there and is getting along with the other dogs. I know it is the best thing for Lola, even though it was hard to give her up. I did ask the kids if they wanted Daddy or Lola just to see what they would say. Tyler and Emily said "Daddy" , Lindsay said "BOTH" and Alisha was undecided. She's not liking the fact that her dad's allergies prevent us from having pets. It's a bitter topic for her. I told them when Stacy is in school we could maybe get another dog if we could find one that is hypo-allergenic. We will always hold a special place in our hearts for Lola, that is everyone except EMILY!

My parents are serving a public affairs mission for the church in Frankfort Germany. They have been there since the 8th of September. They are loving it there and are meeting some wonderful people. I know they will be a great asset to the church serving in Germany and as they travel to the surrounding areas. We love them and will miss seeing them for 18 months, but we know they are doing important work.

A Resolve to be Better

Me with Hilary Weeks and Emily











Me with Jane Clayson















I went with some friends to Time Out For Women. It was amazing! It was nice to be there in that huge conference room surrounded by so many sisters that have the same religious beliefs as I do. Women who are all striving to be better mothers, wives, friends, etc. The greatest part is that we all struggle, get frustrated, have guilt, yell at our kids more than we should, and probably don't spend enough time with those we love, especially our husbands. What's great is that it is at times like this, you don't feel so alone and you realize you are a part of a much bigger and meaningful plan that our Heavenly Father has for us. I came home feeling uplifted and grateful for the responsibility God has entrusted in me. I was rejuvenated and ready to strive to fulfil my call as wife and mother with a resolve to "try a little harder to be a little better". That feeling lingered for awhile and then reality set in. I wish I could wear the "rose colored glasses" especially as a mother, but unfortunately my kids tend to turn them red!

They talked a lot about finding joy in life and motherhood at the Conference. I want to take time to enjoy the laughs, the smiles, the giggles, and the fun times. I want to stop what I am doing and actually hear the long explanation Lindsay has of her day at school, I want to watch as Emily dances across the room and sings a little tune, I want to see Tyler's face light up when he makes one of his ingenious creations, I want to see Alisha's face light up when she shows me her good grades, and I want to see Stacy walk around like a miniature (skinny) Sumo Wrestler spouting out orders. Everyone of my kids are unigue and each one of them need my individual attention. At Time Out For Women, Hilary Weeks challenged us to "Stop and Listen" to our children. I am striving to do just that. And I am happier. Life is simpler when you take a brake (from the cleaning) and focus on what is most important!

Our new baby LOLA

LOLA the Jack Chi

I did something somewhat impulsive last Saturday. My husband was working and I took all the kids to Petland. Emily is terrified of dogs, so we thought it would be a good idea to help her face her fears by getting her own little dog. (The jury is still out on whether or not it was a good idea.) Anyway, the kids and I fell in love with this little, and I mean little, Jack Chi puppy. She is a "hybrid", between a Jack Russell Terrier and a Chihuahua. She looked at us with those cute little eyes and we were sold. I have never owned a dog in my life, I had no idea what to expect. Wow, it is more work than I thought it would be. But, for a puppy, she's great! She doesn't bark or yap, she is too small to get up on the couches or climb the stairs, she goes potty outside every couple of hours, she eats and poops twice a day, she's fun to play with, and we all love her (including Emily). Emily named her Lola and we all agreed that name fit her. When we got home from the store, I realized that Lola was born on Emily's birthday. It was meant to be!

I should of had a camera!

I have always loved the pictures of kids surrounded in messes and admire the moms that have a camera on hand when such disasters occur. For me, the camera is the last thing on my mind. When a mess is made, my mind imediately goes into clean up mode and I quickly undo the mess as soon as it comes to my attention, before it gets any bigger. But, I do have some regrets! Most disasters are snapshots in my mind rather than in my scrapbook, but I am going to change my ways. The past couple of months I had a couple of " should of had a camera" moments. Hopefully after this point, I will have pictures to share of the crazy moments that occur during my life as a mom.



1. One day I was making cookies and Stacy was on the other side of the island from me as quiet as a mouse and as soon as I realized she was being just a little too quite, I looked over and saw Stacy covered in dark red lipstick . It was everywhere! All over her body, all over my purse (Dawn antibacterial dish soap took it out, great stuff!), all over the kitchen floor, all over my receipts and whatever else was in my purse. It was a huge mess! I didn't waste a second, she was clean along with everything else with in 10 min. I was so mad I did't take a picture, it was incredible what a mess such a little bit of lipstick can make in the hands of a 1 year old.

2. I was talking on the phone to a friend and I saw Lindsay trying to open up a plastic package of graham crackers. I had a feeling that it would end up on the floor. For all those who know Lindsay, it is almost a given that whatever she touches will most likely end up on the floor, but I decided I would give her the benefit of the doubt and maybe she would prove me wrong this time. Lindsay labored to get that package open and finally she did and it exploded all over her, the table, and the kitchen floor. I could not help but laugh because I knew it was going to happen and it was so darn funny to watch. The poor girl!

3. One morning I was working on the Comptuer. Jason was in the shower and I heard a really loud bang. It sounded like my husband fell down the stairs. I paniced and ran up to the main level and yelled Jason's name and headed upstairs. My heart was pounding and Jason wasn't answering. Finally, I got to the top of the stairs and I saw Tyler with this worried look on his face. I looked into his room and saw his huge, heavy chest of drawers laying parallel with the floor with all the drawers underneath. I looked back at Tyler and then back at the five drawers crammed between the dresser and the floor and then looked back at him. He looked up at me and pointed to a little tiny microscopic scratch on his knee and said "I got hurt." Oh my goodness, how did he not die. He was climbing up the drawers to get his clothes and the whole thing came down on him. Thank goodness he is alright, but I would have loved to get that on video to see how he made it out of there before it came crashing down on top of him.

Pictures From UTAH!

Me with the "Sisters" (Lewis, Farnes & Ottley)
It was great to get together with some of the sisters from the mission. So many memories came rushing back into my mind. I am so grateful for the sisters. Our families had fun together and we are looking forward to another reunion with a bigger turnout.

Me with Jen and Mandy (Snyder)
We went to the Annual Snyder 4th of July Celebration. They have a huge family! It was a lot of fun, the kids loved it! It was great to be back with the whole Snyder clan again, especially Mandy and Jen.

Stacy Lynn LaFeber with Stacy Lynn Grant

It was fun seeing Stacy and her family. Her kids are so adorable. My Stacy warmed up to her right away which is unlike her. She must have felt a connection to her!

Trip to Utah!

We just got home from visiting Utah. Amazingly enough it wasn't too bad traveling hundreds of miles with five kids. I drove out with my mother-in-law and in the first couple of hours Lindsay threw up and Emily got her pants wet by peeing on the side of the road (there was no other choice! when you gotta go, you gotta go!!) But other than that things went fine. We went to my sister Jeanette's house in Colorado the first night. The kids had fun playing Rock Band and eating Blue Bell ice cream. They love their Aunt!

We got to Utah late on the 2nd. Jason flew in on the 3rd. We had a great 4th of July. We went to the Snyder Family annual 4th of July celebration. There were waterslides, carnival games, sno cones, prizes. and more kids than you can count! The kids had a blast. We had a great time at the Stadium of Fire. Miley Cyrus performed. Jessica, Joshua, Mike, and Sarah came with me, Jason, Alisha, and Lindsay while my parents watched our little ones. The girls loved it! There were a lot of young screaming girls there that night!! Sat. the 5th, We went to the Peck family reunion and visited with my Aunts and Uncles and my cousins. It was good seeing everyone again. We went to Joshua Farley's Baptism and then to a party at my brother Mike's in-laws. It was a lot of fun. It was good to see my brothers' families again. We had pizza, cake (the MAMMOTH chocolate cake from Costco that I LOVE) and ice cream. We swam, played tennis, and lit off fireworks.

On July 8th I celebrated my 35th birthday. We went to Tucanos in the Riverbottoms. We went for our Anniversary in March and just had to go back. It is good!! My parents also took us to Trafalga and we went miniture golfing in the black lights, it was cool. We went to several parks while we were out there with Grandma and Grandpa. My kids enjoyed picking up trash at the park with Grandpa using trash picker uppers that just happened to be in their trunk. We had a busy week, we saw Stacy Lynn (Temple) Lafeber (who our Stacy Lynn is named after) and her family, we had fun with my missionary companions and their families at the Ottley home, I went out to eat with my school friends Mandy, Jen E., Jen F., and Kris, We visited Jason's friend, Ryan from California and BYU, we went to the CS Alumni Barbeque, we went to several parks with Grandma and Grandpa Oaks, did quite a bit of shopping, and we went to the Serra pool with Jason's mom and sister. While we were there, Tyler was rescued by a lifeguard while his dad was having fun on the water slides and I was dealing with Emily. It was good that the lifeguard was doing her job. I felt like such a bad mom. I couldn't see Tyler and I had my mother-in -law help me look and then I spotted him turned sideways in the arms of a lifeguard. She said he was drowning right where it starts to get deep. I swear that boy is going to give me a heart attack!

The kids loved playing with all of their cousins and all the kids they came in contact with each day. Alisha misses some of the friends she made, especially SamathaBrandow and of course her cousin Jessica Farley. We did the usual things, Cafe Rio, Jamba Juice, SEE's candy, the Cemetary to see Grandpa Farley, attempted to see the Rienwands (which I still have not been able to do), Lehi Roller Mills, and Seagull Book & Tape (where I ran in to my old YW leader, Carolyn Jones, who was there with her youngest who is a Beehive and I am the counselor over the Beehives in my ward. Wow! It made me feel old.) There were a few not so happy moments of our trip like when Tyler got a black eye from his baby sister and when I got clobberd by a flying iron shepherd's hook at Roberts crafts. I have a HUGE bruise to prove it. I would like to say I didn't shed a tear, but it HURT! Of course it didn't look bad until hours later and has continued to look bad
everyday after. I look like I was abused!

We came home Monday morning at 12:20 am. Lindsay did throw up twice while driving through the Rockies, but we got a beautiful rock on the side of the road where we stopped. We stayed in Denver with my sister again Sat. night and we all went to CASA BONITA . The kids loved it. It is a great place to take kids, there are divers, a diving pool, waterfall, skits, pinatas, caves, palm trees, candy, a puppet show, ect... It is the largest indoor restaurant in the world. All in all we had a wonderful trip! We are grateful for the opportunity to go!

Pictures from UTAH

Miley Cyrus at the Freedom Festival

We had a great time. Alisha loved being there with Jessica.

We went to Trafalga for my birthday and this little boy gave the kids stuffed animals he won out of one of those arcade games. It was so nice of him to do that. The kids are holding the animals. We had a lot of fun!

Tyler had a great time with Ryan Christensen's son. Tyler is dressed as a pirate jedi knight. He was in heaven with all the boy toys.

We went up the canyon and walked around Bridal Veil Falls. The kids loved it! It is a beautiful place.

Ali with Sammy at the Ottley home

Trip to Utah!

We are headed out to Utah for a summer vacation. We are going to the Stadium of Fire in Provo. I managed to get tickets online before they sold out in 11 min. It was crazy! We are leaving the 1st and will be back on the 13th. The kids are excited to see their grandparents and cousins. They can't wait to see Miley Cyrus perform.

Dance Recital

Alisha had her Dance Recital the end of June. Her best friend Bailey came to watch her perform. Alisha did a great job and she had a lot of fun.

We attempted to take a family picture at Ryan and Brooke's Reception. Didn't quite work out! Stacy was tired and could not pose another second. And what's up with Tyler? Unfortunately I still use a film camera and accidentally double exposed alot of the wedding pictures, oops! So, this is what we've got!

Ryan's Wedding

Jason's brother, Ryan, was married on March 29th, the day after mine and Jason's 10 year Wedding Anniversary. (Yes, that's right, we made it to the big 10!) It was such a special experience for our family to be able to be there to see Ryan and Brooke and be a part of their special day. Our kids LOVE Ryan and were sooo excited to meet Brooke. We feel blessed to have had the opportunity to be there. Jason and I were also able to go to the Mount Tempanogos Temple together for our Anniversary, thanks to my parents. They were brave enough to watch Stacy. She is a hard one to watch sometimes, but she was good to them and spent most of the time sleeping. We got to see some friends and spend time with family. It was a great trip!