The Watson Family

eight is great!

2011-04-26T13:47:00.001-07:00

Dylan turned 8 on January 20th and was baptized with much celebration on February 19th. How special it was to be surrounded by family and friends - many who traveled crazy far!!

Dylan was so excited to be baptized and had been talking about this day for a long time.
My favorite thing he said was to his Grandma Motley as they were writing down some memories of his baptism day in his new journal. When asked to describe what it felt like to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, he said "it felt tingly in my body."

Dad also had to put him under the water twice because he forgot to say "amen" the first time.

My three handsomes

We were thrilled to have Grandma and Grandpa Burnett come from Seattle.

Motley's and Burnett's after the baptism. I love our crazy family!!

And in case you were wondering how we fit everyone in our house for lunch when the weather was rainy and crummy. Thanks to Peg's fab idea, we created a kid/man cave where everyone could eat.

Things we love about Dylan at 8:

How he wakes up happy every morning

His caring heart and how looks out for younger friends and cousins

His awesome baseball and football skills

How he's such a great reader even though he doesn't really like it yet

He's fearless!!!

How he tries so hard to do what's right

Such a good sport and has such a good attitude

He's agreeable and helpful

How free he is with compliments

How he makes everything fun

How lucky we are that Dylan is ours!! We love you, Dyl. Congratulations on your decision to be baptized!

the hostess with the mostess

2010-12-12T09:26:00.000-08:00

put together a great adult Christmas dinner this year

with the fanciest table around! I love the cranberries and ornaments in pretty dishes.

A few of us ladies where we hung out all night, around the island where all Jamie's tasty apps and Riley's top-notch selection of bevs were. Dunno what those boys were thinking chilling on the couch.

Dinner was delish - Sarah's awesome brisket, Paige's tasty salad, Camie's bacon-y potatoes and rolls and Brooke's yummy pasta salad.

We had an fabulous white elephant exchange too. Camie got Jamie's infamous sweater from last year's Christmas sweater party. I can't wait to see her rock it at church - she'll be $60 richer from all the bets!!

Jeromy and Matt sharing a good laugh over a coupon book. Don't think I've ever seem Jeromy quite so red!!

And evidently Camie and Jamie love each other.

More highlights:

Paige's gorgeous gold ensemble; Jamie V's "kid" dinner plate; reading Brooke's text at the dinner table about her plumbing fiasco; covering up Matt in the picture with all my vainness; not doing such a good job of hiding that my secret scratcher present was a good one and then working to get it stolen away from Jamie when she stole it away from me; Brad's outfit change after ping pong; Jeromy's Big Hunk; me and Patrick thinking a Michael Bolton CD was way funnier than anyone else did

california part 3: lake tahoe

2010-09-17T08:00:00.000-07:00

It had been a few years since we'd been to Lake Tahoe - how could I have forgotten how beautiful it is!! My dad had a friend that let us stay in his cabin for the weekend and what a treat! We went up on a Friday night and went hiking the next day.

Crazy cousins climbing every boulder in sight!

All the hikers minus Grandpa. He had us all posed on these cool stumps.

The end of the hike had this great little waterfall. Of course all shoes must be removed and all heads must be dunked in the freezing water!

The boys found a patch of snow that was still there. And here are the girls.

Nearly finished with cold IBC rootbeer waiting, a hiking tradition. What a gorgeous view!

Some hot tub fun! This picture captures them all so well. What is Kyle doing?

We took our time after dinner and wish we didn't because we went down to the park by the beach and it was a blast! The crazy boys went into the freezing water and swam all the way to the buoys - even Carter! Then of course there was playing catch until it was too dark to see.

Me and my dudes as the sun is getting ready to set. The following day we hit church then had a tasty Sunday dinner before we went home. My dad and brother took the boys to play baseball on a ball field they found and I might've gotten to read on the sunny porch for a couple of hours. Heaven!

Another fun highlight was taking the boys on a little walk while the cars were getting loaded up. I bonded with my nephews and had fun carrying Kyle who thinks that getting carried constitutes a walk. I love the way he says Aunt Nikki. Little boys (and girls, for that matter) melt my heart!

My parents always show us an awesome time. What a great weekend!

california part 2: other fun stuff

2010-09-16T22:00:00.000-07:00

When we go to Granite Bay, we pack it all in! This year was no different, although with the shorter time spent there were a few "usuals" that didn't get done. I think I was most sad about not getting to go to San Francisco. Of course, the favorite is lots and lots of pool time. I think the thing they like best is waking up to swim first thing so they can forgo a shower. It counts in the summertime, right?

I don't think my brother and I have enough boys between us. And this picture is even missing Kyle and their new baby on his way!

One fun highlight was getting to go to the California State fair. We hadn't been able to go in forever because they kept holding it in September. They held it early this year and my mom took us on the one ticket per ride day! What a blast!

Cute grandma and the boys

Jake riding the scariest ride known to man, by himself because I'm a wuss! Grandma had this great idea to help them earn ride tickets by how many pages of school work they did and they sure took that seriously! Earned themselves lots and lots of tickets.

Dylan and Carter waiting for their ride to start

3 boys waiting for the swings to start - they loved this ride!

I was able to meet my highschool friend Mimi and her family for yogurt one evening. We hadn't seen each other in years! It was so fun to catch up and her husband and family were so sweet.

One evening Scott and Carrie treated us to a park barbecue and cousing playdate. It's always so fun to get the boys together. They had fun eating hot dogs, playing on the splash pad and getting soccer pointers from Uncle Scott.

Aiming for the impossible - 6 boys looking at the camera!

My dad always has fun taking the boys to the golf course. He took them one afternoon and they got to spend the whole day with Grandpa while my mom and I got some hanging out in. They had a great day! One of the highlights was getting to ride in my dad's friend's Ferrari. My boys have gotten really obsessed with cars lately and when they found out my dad's friend had a Ferrari, they about died! Imagine their surprise when they were able to get a ride! Honestly I think that this is what they talked about most out of all the things they did in California.

What a treat!

california part 1: kayaking at lake natoma

2010-09-16T10:45:00.001-07:00

Hurray for California time! We weren't able to visit my parents quite as long this summer but we were still able to manage a good two and half weeks. We always enjoy some one-on-one time with Grandma and Grandpa Motley and to play with our cousin buddies. On our first Saturday there, we took my parent's new kayak to Lake Natoma (which really feels like a river) and had a fun picnic and turns on the kayak.

Dylan and Ryan

Jake's taking a break from the freezing water

Grandma taking a turn with the boys. It turns out Jake and Dylan are both really good paddlers! My kids are getting big.

Kyle is helping Carrie to paddle. I thought that was so adorable! Carrie might be the most fun pregnant mom I've ever seen - she's like 8 weeks from her due date here (I hope I got that right)! Maybe Scott is doing all the work?

Messy face Kyle taking a break from throwing rocks in the water. It was great getting to know
his funny personality better since he was so much younger the last time we saw each other. He is an absolute riot!

My dad snuck one of me! I wish there was one of me taking all my little boys for a kayak ride - Carter on my lap, Dylan in the middle, and Jake helping to paddle up front. Pretty funny! No hubby this day. Patrick was traveling for work, again.

Carter and Sean

How lucky my kids are to have such fun cousins - and ones so close in age!

My dad taking Carter and Jake for a spin.

What a great day! Me and the boys love kayaking! We need to get ourselves one, I think.

high desert all stars tops team

2010-09-12T12:00:00.000-07:00

At the end of spring baseball, Jake was nominated to play on the second of 2 All Star teams for the 9-10 year olds. Since Little League limited our district to only one team this year, the second team played in the TOPS tournament against some other All Star teams. It was a good experience for Jake - getting to practice a lot and play some fun games against other kids in the valley.

I am annoyed by the fact that in all of these Jake has sunflower seed cheeks.

This is the team lined up for the national anthem. I loved their uniforms and how this picture looked with all their names on the back. It was definitely a fun part for the kids - before the first game they announced the team one by one and called out their numbers. When I asked him, Jake said his best memories of the tournament was a tough catch playing center and hitting his stand-up triple!

carter is 5 - what the heck?!

2010-09-11T16:00:00.000-07:00

Carter was able to celebrate his 5th birthday while we were in Seattle. He had so much fun planning his Star Wars themed party with Grandma Burnett. All the family was able to come. We had a delicious BBQ that Peg prepared as well as birthday cake and brownies.

My little buddy was big time spoiled with presents but was a little bummed to find out that he had to wait for them to get shipped to us in Arizona.

Here's a cute picture of Carter after he hit the pinata and also of him blowing out the candles with Pa.

I'm so happy to have Carter as a part of our family. He is so happy and mellow and easy. I love how he is still so snuggly and still likes to sit with me. I know that it is fading fast so I am soaking in every moment. I can't believe how fast 5 years old came for this little boy!

hawaii

2010-08-19T14:43:00.001-07:00

In June, our friends Aaron and Laura Johnson invited Patrick and I to tag along on their couples only vacation to Oahu, Hawaii!! We got to stay at their time-share at the Ko' Olina resort. We took the kids to Grandma and Grandpa Burnett's in Seattle where they got to play with family and have their own little vacation. We so appreciate them being willing to have the boys - they had such a good time having one on one with G & G!

Patrick and I had taken a night or two away from the kids quite a few times before but never 6 whole days. We missed them like crazy but it was so fun to have Patrick all to myself for so long!! We will forever after take a trip away like that when we get the chance.

The Johnson's were great travel companions - we had the perfect mix of lazy and busy. Thanks so much for inviting us!

Celebrating Laura's birthday at Roy's in Waikiki

The view from our room! So gorgeous! ~ Our fab hosts, Aaron and Laura

Patrick taking a turn driving the convertible ~ our snorkeling spot on the North Shore

Some highlights:

Sleeping in

Steaks grilled to perfection by the men

Kayaking in the ocean and Patrick riding me to paddle faster so we could beat Aaron and Laura (which never happened - I was on vacation!)

The guys wounding each other in a mean game of swimming pool basketball

Reading tons of books and mags

Patrick and Aaron navigating us to Waikiki

Getting rained on with the car's convertible top down

Shrimp from the shrimp shack and shave ice from Matusmoto's

Morning walks on the beach with Dub

Laura trying to snorkel without a mask since we were missing one

Driving around North Shore looking for our house to retire in!

school's out!

2010-06-04T09:03:00.001-07:00

School's out?! I'm mean, seriously. Where did this year go? I can't believe how fast it all went. Of course we had to celebrate a great year and we joined Dad in Tempe at one of our favorites, Oregano's.

This is Dylan with his awesome first grade teacher Mrs. Davis. I love this teacher and so does he! He has turned into a such good little reader, which has been fun to see. It was sad to say good-bye but we might not have to. Mrs. Davis is moving up to 2nd grade! Cross your fingers!

Dylan's enjoying his ice cream sundae at his party. It is so fun to see him in his classroom - he is such a great friend. And what is up with all the girl's grabbing their chairs and sitting right by him?! I also got to hear him read his report on diamonback rattlesnakes to the class. He loved being the center of attention and did a great job.

This is Jake with his 4th grade teacher Mrs. Hunt who usually doesn't wear her pajamas. They were having a pajama party. This year ended up being a good one for Jake and he learned lots of great things. I think my favorite is hearing all the stuff he knows about Arizona from social studies. He knows all the counties in Arizona and can label them on a map!

Jake and his good buddy Nick are seeing who can eat a piece of pizza the fastest. Jake and his friends are always all about the competition - what is it about boys? It's also fun to see him at school with his friends. He is a huge goofball when he's around them!

This is Carter on his last day with Miss Mechelle. I was feeling seriously teary - first, because my baby is done with preschool and second, because Miss Mechelle has been part of our lives for four years! First with Dylan and then with Carter. It is weird to think I won't be going there next year. Carter loves her so much and she loves him right back.

Carter with his classmates Kate, Lauren and Ethan. Haley wasn't there on the last day. I loved how his class was so small and they got lots of individual attention. Carter has made a lot of progress this year, especially in the last month. I'm feeling good about him going off to kindergarten.

Even if I'm oh so sad to see him getting so big.

We had a great year, my boys! Happy summer!

P.S. Carrie, maybe some baseball pics and posts are coming soon?

memorial day staycation with the motley's

2010-05-31T19:59:00.001-07:00

We invited the Motley's to come spend Memorial Weekend with us at one of our favorite spots in the Valley - Sheraton Wild Horse Pass. It was a little more crowded than we remembered but we had a great time soaking in the sun and getting to know this little Georgia peach, who was teeny-tiny the last time we saw her. Chris and Lindsay were awesome to make the trip down - we had a blast!

Hudson's cousins were thoroughly enamored with him and loved to obey his commands to "flip" and go down to the bottom. He is quite the pro at swimming in his muscles and loved playing in the water and going down the "whee" or the water-slide. He and Georgia are such fun, happy little guys and we loved getting some one-on-one time with them.

We really did nothing more than swim, relax. eat and chat. Is there anything better than that, really? My idea of a perfect weekend.

ma and pa

2010-05-03T09:35:00.000-07:00

Look at my cute parents who came to visit!! It had been such a long time since they had been to our house and we had a great time hosting them. It was a quick weekend trip but we packed it in.

We made time on Saturday evening for an adventure in Old Town Scottsdale and a little Mexican food al fresco.

Couldn't resist this picture of Carter who might be the best "playing-while-sick" soccer player we know. He could not be encouraged to sit and simply cheer on his team. And even a goal to show for it! You could tell by his face he didn't feel great but it was so cute to see him play.

Grandpa knows how to get those boys giggling! I love how they always just pick up where they left off with Grandma and Grandpa - like they see them every week. Oh how I wish we did!

Dylan in all his darling freckle face glory. Grandpa has all his baseball pictures in his camera - hopefully I'll steal a few here soon. G and G were impressed with this boy's focus while playing in his game. He even got himself an awesome scraped elbow diving for a ball. He was disappointed he didn't get to show them a dive catch, his favorite thing to do.

I don't know if my parents had ever gotten the chance to see my kids play in some games so it was the main reason for them coming out for a visit. Here are a couple of pics of Jake's game. Can you see the ball going out towards short-stop?

Jake looking focused out in center field. Definitely a disappointing game (seriously the toughest one his team had played all season) with no action for Jake in the field but G and G got to see him lead off, even if his 3 hits didn't get him on base (it's a bummer when the other team plays good D).

On Friday while the kids were at school we enjoyed my Dad's best lunch ever at P.F. Chang's and they picked us up some fun stuff at Lowe's for the house (thanks guys!)

And no weekend would be complete without some Sunday scripture stories with Grandma...

...and a homemade backyard pinata with Grandpa.

It was such a treat to have you, we all love you so much. See you this summer!

burnett's/moore's to arizona

2010-03-29T09:04:00.001-07:00

The Burnett's and the Moore's came to Arizona during our spring break to enjoy the sunshine, family time, and some Mariner's spring training games! We descended on the Embassy Suites in Phoenix and had a great long weekend.

The first day, the girls enjoyed a day at the Arizona Biltmore Spa. It was absolutely heavenly! We had lunch out on the patio at Frank & Albert's.

The boys went to In & Out, went golfing and then back to the hotel for swimming. I think we got the better end of the deal but they might not agree.

Then it was on to 2 spring training games, lots of yummy food and tons of swimming in the pool.

Some other favorites:

Kim's sneak attack for picking up the lunch tab

Watching the cousins play catch while waiting for the game to start

Kettle corn and nachos

Carter always asking where is "friend" Austin was

Jake and D.J. getting foul balls from the Reds - and then D.J. giving his to Andrew

Trying to drag the kids out of the pool when it was time to go on to our next fun thing

Andrew's dance moves

Who thinks this kids might turn into a little slugger?

Autographed hats

Dave embarrassing us by yelling weird things in the middle of the game ("Go Huskies!")

Scoping out which players were wearing Cutters

Being grateful for shady seats but then taking breaks to go stand in the back and soak up the sun

Crazy Uncle Patrick terrorizing kids in the pool

"Well, it's in the genes!"

Letting the kids swim until 10:30 p.m.

Birthday cupcakes and fabulous gifts for the March birthday boys

Dave falling asleep at the table

Sara having the "in" with the Happy Hour lady so we could get 6 Shirley Temples

It's always over way too soon when we have our family into town.

Thanks for everything! We had a wonderful time being together. How we wish we lived closer!!

Thanks for coming to our neck of the woods! Not much better than springtime in Arizona.

easter-ness

2010-03-28T17:56:00.001-07:00

a week early....

a nephew and some smarts

2010-03-21T19:22:00.000-07:00

Could someone please teach me how to love my blog?! I swear I can't. I've been trying and trying and when my dad told me I was getting written out of his will, I thought I better try and put some posts together for him. We had some fun family visits in January and February. Chris and Lindsay came to a wedding in Phoenix in January and we said we would love to keep Hudson for the weekend while Georgia stayed with Grandma and Grandpa in Las Vegas. My kids were beside themselves.

This picture was taken right after his parents had to rush out the door. He was a little sad and nervous until we put a ball in his hands. What is it about little boys? That always solves everything.

I love this picture because this is all Hudson wanted to do for two days at our house. Dumped out all the cars and raced them down the skate ramp, over and over and over. Perfectly content!

I haven't gotten to spend a lot of one on one time with Hudson and I fell in love with him over this weekend. He quickly figured out I was the caretaker in the family and wanted me to do everything for him. And he called me "Nini" which just melted my heart.

Of course all the cousins had to have a bath together!! He was an angel all weekend and we didn't even think he missed his parents. But that was all over when Chris came to pick him up and then he wouldn't let his dad put him down! We're so glad that they let us keep him. It was a great time for me and my kids.

Then the Smart's came for a visit a few weeks later. They got to spend a really long time with us and it was great to get to be with just their little family. I fell all in love with Camryn too - she is fully of personality and super funny! My favorite is her "wow!"

We did lots of fun things - went to Desert Ridge, hiked Camelback, ate at In N Out and did some requisite hanging out. Uncle Ryan and Carter did a lot of this.

Camryn bunked in with Dylan and Carter a few nights. One morning I heard Dylan and was trying to keep him from waking her and this is what I found.

He said she was fussing so he was reading her a story. In her bed.

Erica was also able to do a shoe party at my house. She has a great set-up for her parties and it was a treat trying on loads of shoes. Anyone who is thinking of hosting needs to set one up!

Erica and I also met up at the McCormick-Stillman railroad park when she was staying down in Tempe for a few days. Camryn didn't know if she liked riding the train much but she learned to love the park and now likes digging in the dirt.

A little close-up of her enjoying the birds which she calls "caa-caa."

My brother's and sister's kids are angels (my siblings are pretty nice too) and it was fun to get to spend a little quality time with a couple of them. Please come and visit all the time!

jake's day

2010-03-12T14:50:00.000-08:00

A little miniature golf air guitar is always awesome.

This year, we are skipping out on the friend birthday's and I am loving our family nights. Jake chose to go to Chipotle and miniature golfing. As you can tell, our boys had a great time.

Jake was the winner, Dylan and Carter tied at 2nd, I was third and DAD was last!! Any time I can come in ahead of Patrick makes me do a little happy dance.

The way to Jake's heart is money! We celebrated on Sunday night since Patrick had to travel on Monday, Jake's real birthday day. We had a lasagna dinner and opened presents. Jake requested brownies and ice cream this year instead of cake.

Some new studly golfing duds from Grandma and Grandpa Motley. Excuse Carter's after-church attire. When your church gets out at 5, you come straight home to jammies.

This boy that made me a mother first is 10 years old! It's just way too weird. We are so lucky to have Jake in our family. He is a great mellowing influence on all of us - I appreciate how he takes everything in stride. Jake is such a good big brother to Dylan and Carter. He always helps them feel included and makes sure they have fun. The last couple of months with him have been so great. He has been so agreeable, talkative and fun to be around. I know this will be a fun year for Jake.

Happy birthday Jake-man! I love you!

dylan's day

2010-01-25T08:12:00.000-08:00

My Dylan dude is 7! How crazy is that?! We had a busy birthday day. I took him McDonald's for lunch at school and he requested doughnuts for his classroom treat. Patrick was able to leave work early and we went to Panda Express for orange chicken (Dylan's favorite!) and to see a movie. It was fun to be able to be together as a family. I am hoping to skip out on a friend party this year - no offense to his friends.

I made the cake and Patrick frosted and decorated. We got trick candles but they didn't work because you have to leave them lit for 1 minute before you blow them out.

This has been such a fun year with my Dyls. He has really grown up and matured a lot. What a fun boy he is and I love how he is caring and loving to his family and friends. He and Carter have turned into such good buddies and it is fun to see them play together more. I used to really worry about them and wonder if they would ever be friends! I love how he looks up to Jake and that they look out for each other at school. He has a great sense of humor and can always get us laughing. Our family would not be nearly as fun if not for our Dylan.
He fills my life with fun and happiness.

I love you buddy! Hope you have a great year!

birthday girl

2010-01-18T09:06:00.000-08:00

I'm not one to always love my birthday but how can you not have a good time when your hubby plans such a fun party?!

And have fabulous friends that come from near and far?

It was a really fun night - yummy Mexican food and chips and salsa galore. Yes, we did have a boy's table and a girl's table.
The boys started it so you can't blame it on us. Still curious as to what they talked about. Probably just sports. I think the ladies might have had more fun at our table. We finished with some cake and a classical guitar serenade - well, I guess not really, because he didn't sing. But I might have had a little slow dance with my hubby.

Thank you Patrick and thank you everyone who came! I had an amazing night and love you all!!!

Can't wait to see what fun things this year brings!

my blog is lame

2010-01-15T18:06:00.001-08:00

There are never any new posts on it. So here in January I would like to tell you about Christmas in case you still care.

Here are pictures and some highlights:

Fun Christmas Eve Mexican fiesta with fabulous friends

5:45 wake-up on Christmas morning

Sweet bed head and great gifts from Santa, Mom and Dad and family far away

Motley Family Ski/Snowboard day proved Dylan had skills,

and Carter had skills, and that they must both stick out their tongues to have their skills.

Jake still has snowboarding skills even though it has been a year or so since he got up on a board.

New Year's Eve game playing. Yummy Round Table pizza. My kids made it until midnight, crazy! I was hoping to go to bed earlier. Not feeling well this day, can you tell by my happy face?

Lots of baby-holding and (3) cute toddlers to follow around, mainly by Dylan but a lot by me!

Other not pictured highlights:

Trying to get Hudson to call me "Nini"
Cooking a pheasant (that my brothers and dad killed) and chicken feast with my brother Chris

Eating at Fat's with Scott, Carrie, Erica and my hubby

Ryan and Dylan - Sean and Carter--the best of cousin buddies

Saying "hi!!!!" to Camryn

Everyone sleeping in until 9 every day

Shopping with my sis and mom

Cuddling Georgia

Seeing Jake and my mom coming down the mountain together

DC's with Erica and Ryan

Boudin's
Seeing Scott and Carrie's cute new house - congrats!

The whole crew at the train museum and Chevy's on the river

Dylan reading stories to Camryn on his lap

Jake and my dad making up an fight song for Anthem school

Trying to help Lindsay with her kids who wanted nothing to do with me

Having my mom bring me cranberry juice while I lay on the couch in her cozy Uggs, when I was sick with a ridiculous UTI

Watching Kyle dance

Dad's crazy treat bag for my kids for the long drive home

And I will leave you with this beaut. The day we went to the snow we all ended the day with a dance contest. The kids went first to hilarious results. Chris tried to rally the ladies - Linds was up for it, I think, but I felt like crap. So it was the men with the finale. Scott had the sweet moves, we're still waiting on Chris. But I think my Patrick was the winner.

You spin a little "Paperboy" and my baby still can bust a move.

carter hates winter clothes

2009-12-12T08:43:00.000-08:00

and picked out and put on this winner of an outfit instead of what I laid out for him.

fancy date

2009-12-10T08:26:00.000-08:00

Cutters bought a table at a charity event being hosted by one of the player's for the Arizona Cardinals so we got an invite and a chance to play dress up!! Doesn't my hubby look so handsome? It was fun to feel like we had a real grown-up date and socialize with the great people Patrick works with.

This picture is for my mother-in-law, Peg so she can see how that outfit she and I chose turned out. Thank you so much - totally beyond generous!

It was a great night - hopefully we can go again next year!

glendale glitters

2009-12-09T08:07:00.000-08:00

After our Camelback hike, we had a sweet invite to have dinner at the Stanley's and then go see the lights (Glendale Glitters) in the historical district of Glendale. We enjoyed some tortilla soup and salad (that Paige is a good cooker - ya know?!) and then piled into our cars to head out to the lights. We thought the drizzle would put a damper on things but it stopped just in time. Too bad Elle had a wardrobe malfunction (ie: puke) and had to spend the evening wrapped in a sweatshirt. It was crowded but fun. Once we solved our bathroom issues, we enjoyed looking at lights, listening to music and telling the kids no we're not gonna buy that.

See that $2 snow? Sorry boys. Just ask someone to throw some out to you.

The boys got delish churros and rootbeer. But that funnel cake Justin and Paige shared with me? I'm glad you bought that.

camelback mountain 2.0

2009-12-03T07:30:00.000-08:00

We made it to the top this year!! We decided to walk off some Thanksgiving dinner on Saturday afternoon and hike busy Camelback Mountain. It was a fun time and our kids are serious troopers.

Carter's doing the "monkey walk." So much of this hike is doing just this. Next time, I may bring gloves because you use your hands a ton and they get all ouchy from the rock.

The mountain has all sorts of cool caves and outcroppings. Dad lifted Dylan into this one.

Of course all the boys had to do the scary walk of death that freaks the crap out of me. And all the people walking by me were wondering out loud what kind of parents would let their kids go off the trail like this. Patrick says it's no big deal but as you can see, I passed it up. Look at the valley on the other side of the mountain!

We made it! Gorgeous views and a gorgeous day.

Enjoying some pb&j and BBQ chips at the top for lunch.

Dad took the big boys up to a cool cave on the way down that was a little too dangerous for Carter. I sat with him while he cried about it.

Loved hiking the day away! See ya next year, Camelback.

giving thanks

2009-12-02T15:20:00.000-08:00

The Watson's had a wonderful, quiet Thanksgiving at home this year. We were lonely for our extended family but really enjoyed sharing this tradition with just our party of five. Patrick and I had planned on going out for the feast but the boys begged and pleaded for dinner at home. I actually really enjoyed cooking it and was pleased with my turkey and stuffing, the most important parts for me! The best move of the day was leaving the dishes in the sink and on the table for an hour while Patrick and I took a nap on the couch and the kids watched "Home Alone" on T.V. A new tradition for sure.

We have much to be thankful for. And are unbelievably grateful.

a wonderful visit

2009-11-25T10:18:00.000-08:00

We had a great visit with Grandma and Grandpa Burnett and are so happy they came to visit. We love it and the boys love it! When Dylan woke up on the morning Peg was to arrive, he said, "I want my Grandma right now!" We were happy to have lots of time with them.

I snapped this cute pic of the grandparents and kids family game night they had when Patrick and I got to out on a date. And we were so busy with games and activities and shopping and and eating and such that it's the only one I have!

Grandpa and Carter were able to continue the tradition of visiting the Harley Davidson store while the big boys were at school. Carter also took him over to the outlets to show him the big tree and weasel up some frozen yogurt with way too many toppings.

The kids showed them their sports skills - Jake had 3 games (with football and baseball), Dylan and Carter both had 1. It's fun that Grandpa and Grandma Burnett are such sports fans because there definitely is lots of it around here right now.

It was a great week and we love when they come to visit and we can have them all to ourselves.. We love you!!

fall sports

2009-11-08T17:10:00.001-08:00

I never pictured myself as a "boy" mom. I always thought I'd be at the ballet studio with my daughters, buying tights and pointe shoes. But here I am, me and my sons - and I gotta tell you, being a boy mom suits me just fine! I love going out to the baseball and soccer fields and watching my kids have the time of their lives. My boys just go for it and give it their all - I learn a lot from their confidence and ability to have fun.

Carter is old enough for soccer this year and he is thrilled. I wouldn't have put him in normally (our schedule is crazy enough) but he totally begged. No lie, he asks every day if it is soccer practice.

Carter loves to run! And he always says he scored 5 goals, no matter if he did or didn't.

Who knew Dylan would wear his hat like Papa? I get a kick out of seeing it. I like his "ready position" too. He does such a good job of paying attention when he's on the field.

It's his first season of coach-pitch and he has a pretty good little swing. He is having a lot of fun and learning more about the game.

Waiting to run after a great base hit. Love that cute little face!

Jake is on the mound! I have got to say it is the most nerve-racking thing in the world. Makes me have a stomachache. With fall baseball, it is more of an instructional league so the kids get more of an opportunity to try new positions and learn new skills. We lucked out and got the same coach as spring and he is learning lots. He is also playing short stop which is his absolute fave.

Jake in motion! I thought this picture was cool.

Jake is also playing flag football and having fun at that. I will try to get some pictures this week so you can see what that looks like.

Yep, I am one proud mama and I'm loving this sport stuff all the way!

halloweenishness

2009-11-01T18:37:00.001-08:00

Totally loved the idea our boys had of dressing up this year as Mario, Luigi and Toad from Super Mario Bros.!

We had a great Halloween this year. A fun ward activity, a preschool and school party, a couple's Halloween party and a great neighborhood block party (not our neighborhood, sadly) complete with a bounce house and yummy fall food. Maybe some day I'll put something together, party-wise, instead of mooching off my friends. We sure had fun though!

Happy Halloween!

strange, strange sleeper

2009-10-28T09:47:00.001-07:00

This boy is having trouble falling asleep lately. Consequently, we have been finding him in all sorts of places as he attempts to get cozy.

(Finally finding him under his bed was a relief - we looked in all the usual spots and weren't finding him anywhere!)

Here he's in a plastic toy box - made himself a great little nest out of pillows and blankets. Right by the toys that didn't get cleaned up before bed.

brothers

2009-10-20T09:16:00.000-07:00

It was a magical morning.

One of those times where I hated to stop their playing to have them get ready for school.

And so I let them play at least 10 minutes longer than they should have.

I woke to giggles.

I could hear them in their room concocting stories and laughing.

When I entered their room to say good morning I found them both sitting in a big, empty plastic bin. I think it was their space ship. Carter had ditched his pull-up and was completely naked. I suggested he get dressed so that Dylan wouldn't have to sit next to naked-man, which of course he protested.

Then Dylan said, "It's okay, buddy. I'll save your spot for you while you get dressed."

Truly magical.

esta completa

2009-10-12T19:46:00.001-07:00

Before:

After:

progress

2009-10-08T09:23:00.000-07:00

Today was the first day of painting our humble abode. I am loving it and wishing we did it about six years ago.

domesticity

2009-10-06T16:13:00.000-07:00

Thirteen jars of pretty peaches that my family can eat.

Thank you Eileen for teaching me something new! And for letting me dirty up your gorgeous kitchen.

We had a fun morning talking about heavenly things - the Gospel and food. Definitely two of my favorite subjects.

watson lake

2009-09-27T09:32:00.000-07:00

Our Saturday's are mellow for only a few more weeks before all our sports and activities get in gear. We decided to take advantage of it. We packed a picnic and set out for one of our favorite spots in Prescott.

We didn't quite get the cooler weather we had hoped for and had to contend with some weird "spirit festival" they were holding there but it was a great day.

The granite dells are so fun to climb - the boys love to go exploring and check out the lizards and caves and such.

I love the men in my life!

how it works

2009-09-25T16:19:00.000-07:00

When the weather dips below 100 degrees, it is now cool enough to wear your new boyfriend jeans.

I'm likin' em.

don't you love finding random stuff on your camera?

2009-09-22T16:28:00.000-07:00

I did not take this photograph. But I know who did.

Run, Indy, run!!

db game

2009-09-21T16:08:00.001-07:00

Saturday was a fun family day at the Diamondbacks game. We were able to hit up Le Grand Orange for a late lunch which was exciting - I have been wanting to go there for a long time. Totally delicious! We got to the game early for batting practice so the kids could try to get some home run balls. Dylan and Jake both got one. But a certain pair of children probably could have used a little less time sitting at the stadium. By 7:30, they were done sitting. Jake has turned into a serious fan - he could have stayed there all day.

Me and my D-back's (or baseball in general) fan!

Brad Hawpe on the Rockies in his custom Cutters. I promise every post is not about my family's favorite product.

This is the boys during batting practice which scared the living daylights out of me. All these crazy home-run balls crashing into the stands right by your head and people running all over trying to get them. Next time we'll go with catcher's masks and I'll feel better. Love this stadium and thank goodness they can close the roof to make it all indoors!

We had a great baseball day - even if my kids bugged my for treats the entire game!

sunday night football at the watson's

2009-09-06T19:11:00.001-07:00

As Great Grandma Watson would say, tonight our boys needed to get the "stink off of them." Dad is always good for a game of catch. Of course wearing their Cutters is absolutely necessary.

Then we went inside and had homemade pizzookies.

And died and went to dessert heaven.

bath time

2009-08-28T09:22:00.000-07:00

I love me a four year old in a towel skirt.

carpet craziness

2009-08-27T08:00:00.000-07:00

We got new carpet the Friday before school started. Hurray!! We had been wanting to do it for a couple of years and finally got the opportunity. It was fairly painless even though this picture of our master bedroom might lead you to believe otherwise.

This is the hallway mid-project. It took 3 guys 5 hours to complete.
Dylan and Carter's room

This is what our playroom looks like post-carpet. After having to take everything out, we decided to make some changes and get rid of some things. The kids are getting bigger and the playroom needed to serve different purposes. So we got rid of the big old couch and got these cute chairs.

We also re-configured the cabinets. I like how it looks more open and spacious and there is still lots of room to play.

Yep that's Carter's blond head playing the Wii. We were worried about only 2 chairs but they are big enough that 2 kids can sit on one easily.

I am crazy in love with this carpet. I love the color, I love the softness, I love how it's a little shaggier. I love how when you vacuum it, it actually looks like you did something. And it makes our whole house look fresher. Ah - that new carpet smell!

12 years with my baby

2009-08-26T08:00:00.000-07:00

Our 12th anniversary was on Saturday, August 22. I have been thinking a lot about how cool it is to be married and how it continues to get better with every year that passes. I love making memories together. I love taking care of each other. I love that we are better about letting the things that aren't important go. I love the man that he is and feel so lucky to share my life and my eternity with him.

I love being married to him.

school time!

2009-08-25T09:17:00.000-07:00

Our first morning back to school was a relaxing one - Dad went to work late so we could take the kids to school as a family. The morning goes so smoothly with us running tag team! These are my handsome's in their back-to-school gear.
Jake is in 4th grade in Mrs. Hunt's class. 4th grade just feels like the big time. He really likes his teacher and knows some kids in his class. Mostly girls though, not his buddies. But that's okay - there's not really time for hanging out in class anyway. He will get to rotate through all the 4th grade teachers every day for math, writing and science. He is excited to learn science from Mrs. Hunt - his favorite subject!

Dylan's a first grader in Mrs. Davis' class. Initially we were a little disappointed that he didn't have Jake's old teacher but I am so happy with Mrs. Davis. Her teaching style is a great fit for us. Last night we did our first homework which was going over spelling words and reading for 10 minutes. This is the kind of homework I like - I am not a huge fan of busy work stuff .

Carter is back at Ms. Mechelle's this year and is so happy. He loves preschool so much and loves to learn and play there. Here he has taken ownership over his friend Kate who we go to church with. It was her first day of preschool and he was excited to show her the ropes. I am excited to see what new things he learns this year and can't believe we will shortly be on our way to kindergarten. Holy cow!

I'm excited for a new school year - I always feel like it such an fun time with all the possibilities for the upcoming year. It has been nice to get back to our routine, although I am missing the lazy days of summer. I'm sure when everything else gets added in (sports, Scouts, piano, etc.) I might be losing my mind but for now, it is so fun to welcome them back from school and to get to spend the afternoon together.

I miss summer but here's to a great year!

cardinals training camp

2009-08-13T12:06:00.000-07:00

We had the fun idea to go up to Flagstaff on Saturday to beat the heat and watch our very own Arizona Cardinals at training camp. Patrick also had the side job of delivering gloves and treats to some Cutter's sponsored players. It was so nice and cool up there. But definitely crowded! Lots and lots of fans - we'll plan better next time and get there early to stake out a better spot for watching practice.

My cute boys in the crazy crowd! Next time I will not wear sandals (dirty feet!) and we'll bring chairs to sit in.
After getting a little frustrated about not being able to see well, we wiggled our way in to a good spot. There were some big dudes out there - so different when you see them in person!

Then Patrick called the equipment manager (he's worked for the Cardinals for 30 yrs. - isn't that cool?) and we were able to meet up with him and his family and go into the stadium where the locker rooms are to wait for the players Patrick needed to talk to. It was really cool sitting there watching the players come through and getting a chance to meet those that Cutters supplies gloves to. We were a little starstruck but everyone was so nice and normal.

The boys had fun racing on the artifical turf and tossing the football around. We ended the day with a relaxing visit to a nearby park and walking around downtown Flagstaff. We had a yummy burger dinner at a local place and then headed home. It was fun to have an all-day adventure like this - once sports start, it's really hard to take a whole Saturday away. We had a good family day!

we're ready for school and have the haircuts to prove it

2009-08-11T18:11:00.000-07:00

The boys have gone all summer without a haircut. Well, that's not entirely true - my mom gave them a little trimmer when we were visiting. Which was good because otherwise they would have been completely unrecognizable. I think they liked their surfer/skater hair but it was time to clean up for back to school. Jake was the one that was the most sad about his long hair being gone. Dylan wished his bangs were still long enough to flip. Carter was happy immediately with the results. He kept telling me, "Mom, I look different." He was saying the same thing when he was watching Jake and Dylan get their cuts. "Mom, my brother's look different."

They look super handsome to me. And I like that I don't have to fight over getting it brushed.

a week in seattle (with basically no pics)

2009-08-10T11:35:00.000-07:00

So this is the saddest post ever. Me and the boys went to Seattle a few days ahead of Patrick and I forgot the camera. He did a stellar job of remembering it for me and brought it when he joined us Thursday night. However, he didn't check to see if the battery was charged. There really was only enough juice for the pictures you see here.

Above is Jake, Patrick and Carter off Peg and Steve's deck at their new, stunning home in Redmond. They have a beautiful view of the trees and mountains and we spend a lot of time out here.

I don't have any pictures of our trip to Great Wolf Lodge which is a great family-friendly resort outside Seattle that has an indoor water park. A perfect place to ride out the record-breaking heat Seattle was experiencing. We didn't bring it, I swear. It was pretty crazy to experience 100 degree heat with most of the city not enjoying air conditioning. We thank Grandma and Grandpa for installing some in their house when they built it. So Great Wolf was a great place to hang out with Kim and the boys and Grandma. We got lots of water play time (and saw Austin turn into a swimmer boy before our very eyes), arcade time, buffet grub time and fun Magicquest game playing time. Kim and I enjoyed sleeping in while Grandma wrangled the boys in their room. Seriously - isn't that the nicest thing?

I don't have pictures of our fun BBQ at Aunt Kim's and Uncle Dave's where we informally celebrated Uncle Jim's retirement from Boeing. But you can visit Ashley's blog to see a little bit of our fun. Carter, Austin and Ava were adorable as all the uncles got them going with obstacles coarses, baseball and blanket pulling.

I don't have pictures of our day out on the lake for Seafair. We spent the day with Grandpa, Aunt Sara and her friend Ramey. The Moore's were busy at baseball (which we enjoyed the day before and would later that night) - Andrew had such a fun tournament team! The day on the lake was a great one. The weather was so warm that we all spent time in the lake - although I got teased for not going in farther than I had to to pee! What?! The water was still pretty darn cold in this girl's opinion. We had a great lunch out on the water and the Blue Angels were so awesome! So many times the planes were just right over our heads. Really a great show. Other than Patrick's back getting sunburned like crazy, it was a perfect day.

I do have pictures of our BBQ that night. We enjoyed a delicious dinner and then we fired up the fireplace to make s'mores. And then as only little boys can do, the whole got turned into this crazy Lord of the Flies-esque fire dance party! It was all over who was going to sacrifice the marshmallow.

Austin, D.J. and Andrew

Such great cousins and good friends to our boys. We miss them already!

Uncle Dave, Aunt Kim and Patrick wondering what the heck these crazy boys are up to.

Grandma, Grandpa, Uncle Dave and Aunt Kim enjoying the grub.

Seattle in the summer is always the best. We love getting to be with family and enjoying each other. Grandpa and Grandma's house was so beautiful, comfortable and fun - they have a great loft upstairs for the kids to play games and do their thing. Grandpa even taught them how to play his Harley Davidson pinball. We loved staying with them. We love to visit the Burnett's and Moore's!! Thank you!! We love you!!

our favorite way to spend a summer day

2009-08-07T10:09:00.001-07:00

How else would we survive the Arizona heat?! The funny thing is - we go so much, they actually start to get tired of it. Weird, right?

It always helps to bring Kameron along. She is way more fun than boring ole mom.

Only 9 more days of every day loungin'. Where did the time go?

june in california

2009-07-13T08:45:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I know I need to do better at this blogging thing. It would be way better to do a post like every week or so and just give you a little tidbit of what we're up to instead of an annoying marathon post.

Here's your annoying post about all the great things we did at Grandpa and Grandma Motley's.

We went to Granite Bay, CA in June this year. We usually escape Arizona in July (for obvious reasons) but this year Patrick had a month long business trip to Sri Lanka planned (a month without my hubby - yuck!!) and my sis Amy was going to be spending 5 weeks there while her hubby was in officer's training in the Navy (he's a dentist). I really wanted to visit when she was there. Erica also came out for a week and Chris and Lindsay came for a long weekend. So while we had everyone together, we tortured the cousins with a picture in matchy-matchy cuteness.

Owen, Dylan, Ryan, Jake and Emma, Sean, Carter

Camryn, Hudson, Kyle

We did get a better one than this, I promise. One of my favorite things about this trip was getting to know my nieces and nephews better. They are seriously the best kids - my brothers and sisters (and their other half's) are amazing parents.

So we had lots to do and went on field-trips and such. But we also had a lot of down time - just hanging out at home and enjoying each other. It was a perfect mix of activity.

.
On this day, we went to Coloma which is a little city outside Sacramento where gold was first discovered.

Carter, Jake, Owen and Dylan enjoy their picnic rock.

Jake and Dylan looking SO grown-up. This is taken at the monument at the top of our little hike in Coloma.

Such cute girls!! Just enjoying the American River and watching the boys throw rocks.

My dad had the cute idea of doing a little campfire FHE so we went to Folsom Lake one night to make s'mores and hang out. Gorgeous outside - I totally wanted to spend the night. This little activity is a perfect example of what I love about visiting my parents. They have this great ability to make every day just a little bit special and fun.

The weather was so pleasant that for the first 2 weeks or so, we didn't swim a lot. But as it started to heat up, we sure made up for lost time. It was sooo nice to have all my boy's be able to swim on their own this year. It meant lots of lounging time for me.

These were taken when Uncle Mike got back from the Navy. He "helped" the kids jump into the pool and they got some serious air.

This is my cute dad watching the swimming. He is a great grandpa and the kids love him. He took the boys golfing, taught them how to skip rocks and to get ice cream at McDonald's. We also got to go shopping on his dime (thanks Daddy!!) while he kept the kids.

We celebrated Carter's 4th birthday at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom. (More to come on the birthday later - can you believe my baby is 4?!)

My parents also kept the boys so I could go to Girl's Camp. I was a YCL mom this year and it was an absolute blast. I loved being back with the YW, if even for a little bit.

The boys did great in my absence and even got to have a sleepover at their Motley cousins house - which was a highlight of their vacation I think.

Another highlight was finally getting to pick up Patrick in San Francisco after many, many days apart. We stayed with the boys at the Westin St. Francis in Union Square and rode cable cars, ate food, got Boudin's and went to the Wharf. The next day we went to the de Young Museum to see King Tutankaman's exhibit which was seriously cool. We drove home the Golden Gate Bridge way and showed Jake the apartment we brought him home to when he was a baby.

I know I'm gonna forget everything we did. There was too much!! We went to the railroad museum, did yoga with my sisters, went to the movies, went to the park, went to Golfland Sunsplash, played catch out front, watched fireworks, went on a 7.5 mile 4th of July hike to Loch Leaven Lakes (yes - Carter too! without any help!!), watched SYTYCD and tried to re-create some dances, and just had some great together time.

The boys playing miniature golf - or should I say air guitar? On side note, I beat my husband at golf which is the first time that's ever happened. Ever.

We were sad to go. I don't know when I'll see Amy and her family again (they're in SC now - everyone else is at least a little closer). But I think I've shown Amy and Erica how fun summer in GB can be and hopefully, from now on, we'll always have summer.

And on our way home the odometer did this. Should we be nervous?

SYTYCD

2009-07-10T22:15:00.000-07:00

Is it twisted and strange that this is probably my favorite piece thus far in this amazing season? It was dark and scary but I thought the choreography was amazing and really moving. I got all teary even. They did such a good job with the execution and bringing this struggle to life. I think the caliber of dancers this season is really high and that the choreography has been entertaining and thought-provoking. My favorite girl is obviously Melissa (the ballerina who does everything well) but now that Caitlin is gone, I love everyone who is left. It will be hard to choose.

P.S. Summer updates will being coming soon!

take me out to the ballgame

2009-05-28T11:44:00.000-07:00

With the last game of the season happening tonight, I thought it was finally time to post some of the pictures I've been taking of Jake playing baseball this year. He's had such a great season that it's hard to know where to begin. First and foremost, he has had so much fun, learned a lot and turned into a full-fledged baseball fan. Every time we turn around, he's watching baseball on T.V. and he is always wanting to go play catch or hit when he has free time. Coach Brown has been a great coach for Jake and the Phillies. He finds a great balance of being serious and competitve while also having fun and being positive with the kids. Jake has worked hard this year and has seemed to thrive on being pushed a little harder than he has been in the past. And of course, it's always fun to be on a team that wins more than they lose.

Jake has been their lead-off hitter for the second half of the season. Before that, he usually batted 5th. Lead-off has been a good spot for him - he seems to be good at getting his team started off with some hits. He has seen a lot of improvements in his batting. Last game he hit his first home run! And the game before that he had a 3 hits - one of which was a triple. It has been exciting for us to watch. Lots of embarrassing screaming and jumping up and down.

He also plays second base pretty much exclusively. He doesn't always see a lot of action there but he's made several great pop fly catches and is a great cut-off for the outfield when they're trying to get the ball home. We are really excited for Jake - it is fun to see him really enjoying himself! And can I just tell you how nice it is for me to have Dylan and Carter a little older this year so that I can actually watch a game?

Grandma Burnett

2009-04-29T11:45:00.000-07:00

Not too many pictures of our fun visit from Grandma - she doesn't cooperate with them all that well. Wouldn't you think I would get my kids haircuts before she came?

It had been way too long since she has been able to come out our way for a visit. We are so glad that our family is in better shape this year. We felt really bad that the weather heated up just in time for her visit (and cooled back down after she left) but I think she managed okay (and was probably super glad to return home to much milder temps in Seattle).

The boys and I loved having Grandma all too ourselves. We ate way too much food (at P.F. Chang's specifically but that was just me and Peg!) and had lots of good talks. Peg was able to see 2 of Jake's games and go to his science fair. We took Carter to the splash pad (a whole other set of photos to follow) and when he got the shirt he was wearing wet, he was thrilled when Grandma bought him a new yellow shirt. His favorite color!! Dylan had fun making Grandma nervous with his trampoline skills - he has perfected his back flip and his basketball hoop hang.

We love our grandma. She is so generous and kind. And my goodness did she raise an amazing man! We cannot wait for our visit this summer.

Lost

2009-04-20T08:47:00.000-07:00

We discovered it was wiggly when we were on vacation. Even after finding out his cousin pulled out his own tooth, he let nature take it's course. We were having a lazy Sunday morning in bed when Dylan came tearing upstairs tooth in hand. He was excited and proud - ready to be on the tooth chart at school and to get some money from the tooth fairy.

We had a near tragedy when the tooth was dropped in the carpet. Which happens to be kind of tooth colored.

Somehow we found it and today Dylan is $2 richer and a whole lot more grown-up.

The Aftermath

2009-04-14T11:49:00.001-07:00

It's so depressing to unpack after vacation, don't you think? Especially five people's stuff. I'm taking my sweet time. Maybe the longer I take to unpack, the less real it is that we're home already. We're all still in vacation mode. Patrick didn't make it to the gym this morning and I think the boys woke up 20 minutes before we had to leave for school.

Hawaii this year was very relaxing. In trip's past, we've ventured out a little more - seen some sights, hiked some trails. We had so much family there, family we don't get to see very often, so we stuck close and enjoyed each other's company instead. It was perfect. We spent one afternoon at the beach and a day at the Hilton resort where you could swim in the many pools or rent a kayak and snorkels for the ocean lagoon. Jake and his cousin D.J. followed a honu (turtle in Hawaiian) around until he got tired of being followed.

We took lots of beautiful walks along the ocean checking out tidepools and looking for turtles or whales. This is the cousins and Pa at Buddha Point which is a great spot to watch for whales or see the sunset.

There was lots of golf for the boys and a spa day at the Mauna Lani for the girls. Best massage of my life - all by myself, outside in a little grass hut feeling the wind and hearing the birds. And an shower outside? Heavenly. After massages, it was lunch at the Tommy Bahama restaurant. The food is delicious and I'm totally excited there's a restaurant here in Scottsdale. I can go get me an island fix.

We also had a girl's only shopping trip and I got some lovely things that will remind me of Hawaii every time I wear them. And of course, lots and lots of pool time, pina colada smoothies (way too many!!) and staying up late talking and laughing.

Kim, Austin and Andrew are enjoying the pool at the Hilton. Our kids get along with their cousins so well and I loved seeing them together. They are old enough now that they really can do a lot of fun things together. I got a kick out of watching their games in the pool and seeing their impromtu football or baseball games they put together outside on the grass in back of our condo. It was also so nice to see Fay and Vince (Peg's cousins) and their daughter Tiffany and her family. We hadn't seen Tiffany and Arusha since their wedding and it was fun to get to know them better and play with their kids. My boys had fun playing nanny to their little "Reid-y" who is 18 months.

No trip to Hawaii would be complete without a luau. I love this picture of Patrick with his sisters Kim and Sara. Great food and great entertainment. And absolutely wonderful to take boys who are old enough to enjoy the food and entertainment as much as the grown-ups. Also, is it weird that I totally want to learn to do the hulu?

Grandma and Grandpa, thanks so much for everything. We had a wonderful vacation and so much wonderful together time. You are so generous and we love getting to go to Hawaii together. Until next time, we have lots of great memories to tide us over.

Aloha

2009-04-13T09:39:00.000-07:00

There is too much to say about our amazing vacation to the Big Island with Patrick's family. It was also our first experience with our new camera. Enjoy!

Jake is 9!

2009-03-07T19:14:00.001-08:00

Seriously. It should be against the law for a child of mine to get this old. Look how quickly he changed in the four short years between said pictures!

It would be a complete travesty if he wasn't such an awesome kid. Nine years old looks good on him. I couldn't ask for a better one to live in my house.

Jake had a great birthday but one that was extremely difficult to document (due to lack of a camera) and extremely difficult to schedule (due to the craziness that is life.) We had a family birthday party (and celebrated at school) on the Friday before his birthday. Jake requested doughnuts in class just like his brother Dylan. They were a hit again! I don't think I will ever feel pressure to buy expensive store-bought cupcakes again. If I could make them at home, that would be one thing but since you can't... I think doughnuts are a delicious birthday treat. He requested Taco Bell for his lunch and was the talk of the lunch table who all wished for a bite.

After basketball practice, we came home for presents and cake. Jake got a Sports Chalet gift card, birthday money, a digital video camera and some Bakugan stuff from his brothers. Then he had a treasure hunt to find his present from mom and dad. A set of real golf clubs - some Ping Moxies!!

Then on to cake and ice cream. I believe he forgot to make a wish which Dylan found absolutely unacceptable.Dad was off to Sri Lanka the next day so we had to wait 2 weeks to do his birthday party. We probably couldn't have done it any sooner even still what with all the sports and other activities Jake has had going on. He decided he wanted to take 4 of his closest friends golfing and then come back to our house for pizza and hanging out.

Jake McGee, Caleb Mumford, Brandon Bouchard, Connor Lunsford and our own Jake Watson

Carter loves to be out there with the big boys!!

The boys did really well and had a lot of fun. Patrick had them play best ball so that each shot was taken off of that team's best ball - rather than having the kids running all over trying to hit from their own ball. Todd McGee was able to come help out the second threesome which was awesome. That way I was free to watch Carter and dole out water bottles - a la cart girl style. Both teams shot a 40 on the 9-hole course. Jake made 2 par's off of his "best ball" so we think his clubs work. They are quite a bit longer than his old clubs so they will take some getting used to.

Brandon, Jake and Connor enjoying strawberry cupcakes and mocha chocka latta lah ice cream. That's neopolitan for those of you not familiar with Grandpa Motley-ese.
Present time! Legos and more Bakugan. What more could a 9-yr. old want?!

I am so happy to have Jake as my eldest son. It's funny how the oldest can set the tone for the family - if Jake is having fun, then everyone else is too. I couldn't have asked for a more easy-going guy to be my family's peace keeper. So many days I thank my lucky stars that he has so much of his dad's temperment. He keeps us on an even keel, is patient with me and his brothers and is always ready to invite anyone into the fun. As he gets older, I worry a little about putting too much pressure on him or that he has emotions that he is holding close that he won't let me see. Patrick assures me that he is fine - I suppose like father, like son.

Jake is one of those kids that is good at everything - smart as a whip, physically coordinated, a great friend, lots of fun to be around - and yet he is nothing but humble and kind. I enjoy watching him try new things - he has a healthy self-confidence and knows that if he goes for it, he can do it. He actually said this just the other day when we were at Legoland and he was trying to decide if he was going to ride this one roller coaster. He watched it a few times and said, "It looks kinda crazy but I'm going for it!" That was something I would have never said at his age and I am glad that he is different than me in this way. I can't wait to watch him "go for it" so many times throughout his life.

My reflections of Jake feel so different this year. It's almost as if he's crossed the threshold and I can see him on his way out of his childhood, almost a "tween". Jake has taught me so many things on my motherhood journey. He was the one that started us on the road to being a family, my first born. When I look back to that time, Patrick and I were so giddy and happy. We had this beautiful new baby and a glimpse of what our future as parents would be like. So much of the time we felt like we were playing house and we would look at each other and exclaim, "Can you believe he's ours?" He is not a baby anymore but I still can't believe he's ours. I love you Jake-man! Happy Birthday babe!

Dylan's Week

2009-02-26T11:28:00.001-08:00

This week was all about Dyls! It started out with him being the student of the week. The Friday before their week they bring home a backpack with Corduroy the bear, a story and a journal page to write things about what they do with Corduroy. Dylan took this part of the assighment very seriously and Corduroy literally went everywhere with us for an entire week. It was fun but I was a little worried he was going to get lost! Then they give you a poster to fill out. I am not that creative so I was totally glad that I didn't have to come up with my own. In case you were wondering, Dylan's favorite food is spaghetti, favorite color is red, favorite thing to do is do backflips on the trampoline (yes - he can really do them!), and favorite place is Disneyland. He wants to be an author when he grows up and if he could have one wish it would be to have a pet. Uh-oh.

Then on Friday he was the Big Bad Wolf! At our school the 4 kindergarten teachers rotate all the kids through their own specials (our school doesn't start specials until 1st grade so the kindies do their own) and Mrs. Stone is in charge of music and drama. Every couple of months or so they put on a little show for the parents during class time. Dylan was one of the big bad wolf's! He had the last part of the lines when he couldn't blow the brick house down. I was so impressed with his delivery - very loud and clear and didn't seem at all nervous!
Here he is delivering his lines. Another kindergarten class is the audience.

Dylan and his best buddy Griffin. And yes he got a haircut a few days later!

Then all the Kindergarteners participated in a patriotic parade through the halls of all the grades. It was in celebration of the President's Day holiday they had on Monday. Two classes of kids had Abraham Lincoln hats and the other two had George Washington hats, like Dylan's class. Here they are reciting the pledge before they go. They also sang our National Anthem.

I just love kindergarten - it is so stinking adorable!! And I love seeing Dylan grow and thrive and love every minute of it!! I love my happy boy!

Get your eat on!

2009-02-12T18:06:00.000-08:00

So I've finally started my recipe blog which I know I've talked to some of you about. I thought it would be something fun to do to keep track of the recipes that I try and delicious stuff that I get from cooks I like. In no way do I profess to be an amazing cook (or baker-girl) but I do enjoy it and like trying new things.

My camera is broken which explains my lack of posts. I know - excuses, excuses, but it's really hard to blog without pictures if you're not an great writer. But I just figured out how to get pictures from my phone to my computer so my new blog actually has pictures on it!

So get your eat on here!

Dylan is 6!

2009-01-20T14:12:00.001-08:00

Six years ago today, this sweetheart entered my life! He had a great birthday and I had a fun day reminiscing. He decided that a fun treat would be for me to bring McDonald's to lunch at school. So spoiled!

Dylan's kindergarten class at lunch. Going to visit him at school is my favorite! It is seriously so cute.

I got in trouble for trying to take pictures of the birthday boy at recess (parents aren't allowed on the playground) so I convinced him to come and sit at his desk for a quick photo. He requested doughnuts for his classroom treat which he said all the kids declared awesome.

Totally wicked! My own Wii controller! We had a nice little family party tonight. We grilled for dinner then Dylan opened his presents. He was super excited about the money he got in the mail and Life game he opened. He also got a Wii controller, nunchuk and Shaun White snowboarding game. Then it was time for cupcakes and ice cream.

Here Dylan is making the best wish ever - or so he says. He'll have his friend party on Saturday which of course I will also post about.
So here's where I get to reminisce. This is about as far back as the pictures on my computer go - I know, I need to get the older ones on here. Look at those eyes! I swear he looks exactly the same today, just in a bigger package. I wish I could climb in this picture and give this two year- old a squeeze. Those cheeks are begging to be kissed!

Dylan was easy from the beginning. He was my easiest labor - not the shortest - but the easiest. I was relaxed and ready to meet this boy. There is never a dull moment with Dylan around. He is curious about everything and always talking. He loves life and finds fun in every little thing. He is sensitive and kind. His kindergarten teacher says the girl he marries will be one lucky woman - according to Mrs. Hummel, she will definitely be treated like a princess! I couldn't agree more.
Dylan taught me a lot about being a mom - most importantly, that it was possible to take care of more than one child (I was nervous!) and possible that your heart would nearly explode with love. I was so much calmer the second time around and found myself enjoying more of the little moments. When I think back to the baby he was, I can remember quiet times when we sat nursing or lying next to him on the floor while he practiced his airplanes. The toddler that he was in these pictures was silly, busy and always laughing. Dylan is to this day, never quiet!! And never, ever still!! But truthfully, I wouldn't want it any other way. I love my crazy, happy, funny little (big!) boy. Happy Birthday Dyls!

Camelback Mountain

2009-01-20T13:03:00.000-08:00

Here's the rest of our pics from our Christmas visit from Grandpa and Grandma Motley. We decided to do a little hiking the afternoon of the freezing morning of golf. So after a little Bajio in our tummies, we decided to tackle Camelback Mountain. Be forewarned - this is picture heavy! But the combination of gorgeous red rock and gorgeous blue skies made for some great photos.

For you non-Arizonians, Camelback Mountain is a camel shaped mountain that sits in the middle of Phoenix - with amazing views of downtown, Scottsdale, Tempe, Paradise Valley - truthfully, you feel like you can see everything. I've seen it a million times and always wanted to hike it. Patrick found us a good route and decided we'd take the easy hike around the mountain. But once the boys saw the trail leading to the "tippy top," there was no stopping us. Thank goodness Grandma and Grandpa were troopers! They didn't let a cold or an ouchy foot or a fear of going straight up hold them back.

Watson boys in the house!! They have gotten to be such a fun age to take on adventures like this. Jake and Dylan don't need help and don't get tired at all. Carter is right in on the action and the help he needs isn't much. He usually poops out only right at the very end.

Help! Let us up! Save us!! My siblings of course know who orchestrated this shot. It is Grandpa all the way.
The little blond cutey bug having a rest on a rock just his size. I could not believe how well he hiked - the trail is pretty much straight uphill! And very rocky. There are parts where they have metal railing nailed into the rock to help you make your way.

Jake and Dylan on top of the world! The rock and the sky could not be more beautiful. I have turned into such an Arizona girl - parts of the desert are just gorgeous!

Yeah, I know. I totally told them they could not do this and they totally disobeyed. Do you think the reason my kids disobey me is because my hubby does too? Hmm...

Anyway, Patrick and Jake saw some other people doing this and decided they had to do it too. Patrick said it was not nearly as bad as it looked. I'm not sure if you can get the full perspective but it was enough for me that they were not on the trail but instead on the rock face. P said Jake enjoyed hearing comments from people on the trail down that were all, "Hey that's the kid that was climbing up there!"

Playing around on the rocks while waiting for Dad and Jake to stop being crazy.

Carter loves his grandma! We were resting here and decided we weren't going to go any farther. Grandpa had a cold and the rest of the hike was even more steep than before. We felt satisfied because the view from where we stopped was amazing!! So we pooped out with about a half a mile to go but decided we would definitely come back and finish it another time. We live here, after all!

Dylan's chillin' like a villian. I think Uncle Chris made that one up!

I love my hubby!! He takes us on such awesome adventures and is so easy-going about everything that we all can't help but have fun!
Fresh off his rock climb, studly Jake takes in the view. Is he starting to look super grown-up or what?!

I absolutely love this picture of my parents!! I love how they were totally up for the hike. They are so great with the boys - always having fun and never losing their patience, which is amazing. They are such great examples to me and I am so lucky that they are my parents!! Christmas with them was so nice and we just loved the attention. Can't wait until summer!

Christmas '08

2009-01-16T08:31:00.000-08:00

Please don't mistake my lack of blogging for a lack of fun things to blog about! We had such a wonderful holiday - so wonderful that I can't seem to get my groove back. But really, you bloggers all know how daunting it all gets when there is so much to post about. I really didn't know where to begin! I should have sorted through it all a long time ago but truthfully, I was too busy enjoying it.

This picture is for Carrie. She did a cute tag about taking a picture of your tree and then one of your favorite ornament and then posting it. I love our tree this year! I may try to see if I can convince the Mr. to put more lights on next year. These fake trees in all their "pre-litness" really put ours to shame! But I love my real tree.

Choosing a favorite ornmanent is tricky. I have a lot of favorites! I love all my ballet ones - it doesn't feel like Christmas without some Nutcracker memories. I also love my Waterford crystal ornament that Peg gave me the year before Patrick and I were married. It made me feel like I was part of the family even though we weren't engaged just yet.
My new stockings! In my family, the siblings draw names (spouses included) and my SIL Carrie made these stockings for me since she and Scott had us this year. Are they not awesome?! And no, she will not make any for you. She said they were a true labor of love. And she does not love you. Okay, well some of you readers she might but you'll just have to wait your turn!

So our Christmas was so fabulous! We stayed home and didn't go anywhere for the first time ever. The best part was Grandpa and Grandma Motley deciding they would spend Christmas with us. So they drove/flew to Arizona and helped us create the best Christmas ever! We had so much fun. There was lots of cooking, playing, talking, golfing in the freezing cold (not the girls, thank goodness), eating, hiking and just plain hanging out. It could not have been better, except maybe for the freezing cold. We did a Christmas Eve nativity which was narrated by Grandma and photographed by Grandpa.
I hadn't gotten to be Mary in I don't know how long. Do you love that the closest thing we had to a doll was Woody?

My favorite was that our 3 shepherds then magically turned into 3 wise men. Worked out good, didn't it?

Could my wise man be any cuter?! I could eat him. Seriously.

On Christmas morning, the kids got us up at a very sensible 7:30 a.m. They were excited and adorable and I will never forget Carter's face as I carried him down the stairs to see his full stocking. It was like he realized the magic for the first time. The older boys were totally into the magic and I loved seeing them excited about what Santa brought them.

Tearing into gifts from Santa.

What is in this ginormous present for all three of us? A new T.V. for the loft!!

And in this one? Guitar Hero for the Wii!! But where is the Wii? We quickly opened a present from Grandma and Grandpa Burnett and there it was!!

Our new sweet set-up! You can totally come over and play if you want. The boys got some great games - from G and G Motley and Aunt Sara - and they set out to play them as soon as Patrick could get it set up. They played so much that first day it was ridiculous!!

Jake had played before so he was a pro. Very serious Guitar Hero face.

A little tricky for Dylan and his smaller hands but he had the sweet moves for sure. He definitely moved like a Guitar Hero! He has since gotten a lot better and has beaten three songs as of yesterday.

A lot of our grandparent fun wasn't documented. We were just having fun being in the moment. We were all majorly spoiled and received so many wonderful things for Christmas. Grandpa and Grandma Motley are just so much fun to be with and my kids love playing with them. I love having good talks with my mom and dad and just getting a chance to be together. It was special to be with them and to enjoy the magic, while also reflecting on our many blessings that we have because our Savior was born so long ago. We were grateful for the time to slow down and savor these moments together.

Back to the blogging world with exciting news...

2009-01-04T21:26:00.000-08:00

Welcome Emma Suzanne Atherly - my newest niece! Born on December 30th, she is the wonderful ending to a stressful time for my sister Amy and her family. Amy had to be induced nearly four weeks early as it was discovered that Emma was not growing well in her uterus any more. Her doctor and a specialist decided she would do better "on the outside" and she was quickly induced. We were all a little nervous but felt confident all would be well.
My little sis - the proud new mama!! Emma was perfect and all went smoothly, save for Amy's wonky epidural that only took on one side. Ugh. But all worth it for this sweet little babe! They don't really know how much she weighs which is super funny. She was measured at 5 lbs. the night she was born; the next day on a different scale said 5 lbs. 12 oz; and when she was weighed again to go home, the scale said 5 lbs. 6 oz. Let's just say she is a sweet, perfect little peanut.
I love this picture of her new little family. She says she got choked up right before her husband took the picture as she realized these were her two children. I got choked up too. I have had similar experiences with the births of my children - it is so wonderful, amazing and overwhelming to bring children into this world and see them so fresh from Heavenly Father. And then to know that they are entrusted to your care. Little Emma and Owen are so lucky to have Amy and Mike as their parents. Congratulations!!

P.S. I promise I will have Christmas posts coming soon. I have enjoyed my blogging hiatus during the busy month of December but am anxious to show you what we've been up to!

Back among the living...

2008-12-01T15:55:00.000-08:00

How to do this without whining? I am feeling almost all the way back to normal after what I think I would call the worst illness of my life. Not totally sure what kind of virus I had but the doctor thinks it was possibly viral meningitis. Isn't that a scary sounding word? Basically, it boils down to that it felt like a horrible flu that wouldn't go away. I think I spent 10 days in bed which is hard when you're the mom. My hubby and my kids rock - they helped so much. I really appreciate every one's love and concern and it really did help to know there were family and friends thinking of me and praying for me.

The kicker of it all was that we didn't get to go to CA for Thanksgiving. No visiting my mom and dad's remodeled house, no new niece snuggling, no Amy belly seeing, no game playing and eating, no laughing and hanging out with my wonderful fam. At first, I was too sick to think about it. Now I'm so sad. I am glad that we get to go to Camryn's blessing this weekend and see part of my family. I am missing Mike and Amy and Owen and Chris and Lindsay and Hudson (Thanks so much guys for all you did for my kids while I was sick. They loved coming to visit). I hope to see you all as soon as I can.

Our Thanksgiving wasn't bad though. How lucky are we to have such great friends that have us to dinner and don't mind when I spend the day on the couch. The food was great and the company even better. I stole this cute pic from Riley's blog.

We enjoyed a lot of Watson family time as well. It is always great when Patrick has time off. He works so hard and it's so fun to have him home. I am grateful for many things this time of year but right now I am super grateful that I am back among the living! Hope your Thanksgiving was wonderful!

2008-11-12T08:57:00.000-08:00

What did you do on your Veteran's Day?

Does it get any better than this? It was an amazingly gorgeous day.

I have been thinking a lot lately about how lucky I am to have great friends and how much I love our ward.

I'm also so grateful for the blessing of staying home with my kids and my husband who helps me do that by working so hard. It is beautiful days like this that make it worth every hard day I have.

Tagged!

2008-11-10T09:50:00.000-08:00

I sorta got tagged by Lynette and thought I'd participate. Enjoy! (or not.)

8 favorite TV shows

1. Jon and Kate plus 8

2. Project Runway

3. So You Think You Can Dance

4. The Rachel Zoe Project

5. What Not to Wear

6. Um, that’s it because I just usually watch whatever is on since I’m the only person in the world without DVR and also I’m boring.

8 Things I did yesterday

1. Cleaned up after the kids left for school and did laundry.

2. Had a headache most of the morning – I think I’m trying to get sick.

3. Went to Target and to lunch with Kameron.

4. Got the kids from school and enjoyed the gorgeous weather as I walked.

5. Finished helping to decorate the ward’s Veteran’s day parade float.

6. The kids were at Parent’s Night Out for preschool (thanks Mechelle!) so Patrick and I got to get some dinner and ice cream by our own selves.

7. Picked up the house because friends are coming to watch the parade.

8. Read Real Simple before I went to sleep.

8 Things I Look Forward To

1. Veteran’s Day – school’s out!

2. Thanksgiving trip home to CA to see my family – yay!!

3. Christmas.

4. All the holiday food and get-togethers.

5. Getting to wear jeans.

6. Watching Dylan’s kindergarten program on Friday.

7. Going to lunch with friends on Wednesday.

8. Hawaii in April.

8 Favorite Restaurants

1. Ruth’s Chris

2. Chipotle

3. Boudin Bakery/Panera Bread

4. Chili’s

5. Round Table Pizza

6. P.F. Chang’s/Pei Wei

7. Togo’s

8. Macaroni Grill

Wait, I’m not even close to being done!

8 Things on my wish list

1. A pool.

2. Fresh paint for the inside and outside of my house.

3. More vacations – I would love to travel lots.

4. More time with my husband!

5. Yoga class every day.

6. All my siblings and parents to live closer to me.

7. Someone to clean toilets.

8. More shoes.

I'm supposed to tag 8 people but I won't be grumpy if you don't play along. This is the first tag I've ever completed! However, I would love to hear from Riley (newbie blogger!), Camie, Kameron, Jessica, Cortney, Julee, Maryann and Erica - and anyone else who wants to give us a little peek at your day!

Happy Monday!

Our W.T. Backyard

2008-11-08T15:12:00.000-08:00

You will be happy to know that it has since been cleaned up so that we could overseed and put cow poop on our grass, as the boys say. For all you non-Arizonian's out there - I know you're so confused. We are going to be building a real half-pipe at some point when our dad and their dad have some spare time which is never.

What's going on at your house?

2008-11-04T21:06:00.000-08:00

Happy Halloween!

We had a great day (or should I say days) and hope you did too.

We had parties o'plenty. Each of the boys had one at school that I was able to go to.

Jake is the mummy! The moms helping in the classroom got to vote - Jake's group was the funniest.
Dylan and I made a toliet paper pumpkin. They are really easy and cute. He thought it was super cozy and so he's giving it a hug.

Carter and Miss Mechelle. Yes - I know I did his mustache better for his party day than for trick or treating. I'm a dork.

And for the biggest surprise of the year...

The boys actually touched pumpkin guts and helped carve their own pumpkins!

This must mean my kids are getting big. Weird.
Jake making his "whack o'lantern" with golf tees and a hammer.

And last but not least - our trick or treating crew! Thanks Riley and Jon for hosting again!

The kids were totally into it this year and didn't get tired out until we were way loaded down with candy. They are so nice to work so hard to get me treats. What?! I promise I share.

We sure had a fun holiday - can't wait until next year!

2008-11-04T19:57:00.000-08:00

What a nice visit we had with Patrick's dad and his wife, Sun! It was a quick weekend but we packed it with all sorts of fun things. First on the agenda was a belated birthday party for Grandpa Watson. The kids had fun signing the Happy Birthday song for Grandpa and he got a kick out of it as well.
Saturday, Dylan had a soccer game and then we headed over to the community park for Anthem's Autumnfest. We enjoyed some fun activities and vendors' booths, had some tasty lemonade and watched the boys jump in the bounce houses. Jake also got to try the bungee trampoline jump that he has always wanted to do. We had lunch at Sonic (gotta love their yummy drinks!) and spent lots of time coloring with the cool markers Grandpa brought. Later we went to the carnival that is part of the Autumnfest. We hadn't taken the kids for a couple of years (can you say rip-off!) but we thought it would be a fun thing to do with Grandpa and Sun. Little did we know....

Carter enjoying the car race. You know you wish you had an orange mustache too.

Dylan did the big, giant slide all by himself!

And this is what Jake wanted to do. He managed to convince his very motion-sickness-prone dad to ride with him. After all, you can't ride alone. And really, how bad could it be?

Let's just say that Jake loved it. His dad - not so much. Patrick was too sick to continue on with the carnival so we went home with the kids only riding one ride each. I was really proud of Jake - I think it was worth a couple of pukes from Dad, don't you?

We finished the weekend with a relaxing Sunday - the best part was our BBQ dinner that we ate outside. It was such a beautiful evening and we talked and talked while the kids played ever so nicely. It's so great when that happens.

We had such an awesome time with our family and are so happy they took the time to come and visit us!

I not lub you...

2008-10-22T17:06:00.000-07:00

I promise he does. He started this little comedy act yesterday - probably in protest of how many times a day I tell him I love him!

A 50's Dance for Kindergarten

2008-10-21T16:49:00.000-07:00

Is this not the best way to celebrate the 50th day of kindergarten?! Dylan was all into making sure he was dressed up like the perfect "greaser" - down to the rolled-up jeans and slicked back hair. All the kindergartners got together the last half hour of school for their 50's dance.

Dylan waiting for instructions. Why doesn't he sit this quietly at home?Come on, baby! Let's do the twist! This was my favorite dance - he was so into it. He said his favorite was the stroll. That's the one where you dance slowly down the aisle of kids with a girl! Is this an indication of what's to come in the future? Oh my.
Dylan with his best buddy Griffin. These two are so funny! They are so similar in personality - sometimes I wonder how they get along so well but they sure have fun together. They just take turns being in charge. Kindergarten at Anthem is seriously awesome and I love how much Dylan loves it!

Jake's First Golf Tournament

2008-10-21T16:12:00.001-07:00

Jake had his first golf tournament on Saturday. Except for the fact that it was waaay too hot (it had been cooler but jumped up to 95 degrees just for our golfing day) and that we have a lot to learn, Jake had a great time.
Jake and Patrick getting checked in. Patrick got to be his caddy - he had to take a test and everything! Serious business. We couldn't watch him play (you have to be over 5 to be in the gallery) but Patrick reported that Jake did really well for it being his first tournament. He says he definitely no Earl Woods and hinted that maybe some of the rest of the dad's might have been.
Here is Jake warming up. I think he looks just adorable - a little golfer! Patrick said his drive is beautiful but needs to work some on his chipping and putting. There are some unbelievably talented kids here in the Phoenix area. But Jake was the only one in his flight who had never competed before and was one of the youngest too.
A picture by Dylan of the family waiting to hear the standings. I took the little boys to Fashion Square and got out of the heat and got some new make-up. So it was a good, busy day all around!

Introducing my niece...

2008-10-17T08:54:00.000-07:00

Camryn Renee Smart
October 15, 2008
6 lbs 15 oz
20 inches

My first niece! Who knew such a thing could happen?! It's been all about the boys so far. Thank goodness Amy is due to have a girl in January - Camryn would be sooo outnumbered!She looks so tiny and precious in this picture. I can't wait to meet her! I'm not sure if I can hold out all the way until Thanksgiving - they change so much in the first month and I need a newborn snuggle!
Erica and Ryan said they were totally blown away by all her hair. I am loving it! Congratulations Erica and Ryan! My sister did great and I am so excited for them to begin the awesome adventure of being a family.

Chris, Lindsay and the Hudson

2008-10-12T19:11:00.000-07:00

We had a fun Sunday afternoon with my brother and his family. They were in Phoenix for the weekend to do some work and were able to stop by on their way home to Vegas.My nephew Hudson! So adorable, mellow and good-natured. The boys thought he was awesome too and pestered him way too much. He tolerated them pretty well. Dylan loved that Hudson had on an undershirt and promptly went upstairs to put on an undershirt of his own so that they could be twins.
I got to hold Hudson lots which was my favorite. Carter brought "nay-nay" downstairs for Hudson to cuddle with. I thought it was nice that he decided to share. He did not appreciate the suggestion from Chris, however, that Hudson take nay-nay home with him.
Look at this cutie! We had so much fun with them. Aunt Lindsey even jumped on the tramp with the boys and completely solidified her coolness. When Dylan came in, he asked if I could do a back flip. When I said no," he replied, "Well, Aunt Lindsey can!" He was in fine funny form today.
The proud boys with their cousin. We were so glad that they took the time to stop in and see us. Can't wait to see you for Thanksgiving!

boarding...

2008-10-07T16:41:00.000-07:00

Thanks to awesome Ashley, I don't gotta blog! Go here and see a little about what we did the rest of the time Patrick was out of town. Do we not have the best friends?!! This is their families' "little slice of heaven" and I heartily agree. Just what me and the kids needed when our patience for being "dad-less" was wearing thin! Thanks, you guys!

2008-09-20T19:12:00.000-07:00

Letter to Patrick: Scorching Saturday

I woke this morning to the sound of three boys with armfuls of books coming into our room. We read and read and read - all three of their heads fit on your pillow.

They love Saturday morning cartoon veg-fest, don't they? We saw a commercial for "Igor" and decided that we would go to see that instead of swimming. Did I mention it was stinkin' hot today?
We headed out to the movies. Did you know that the boys say the driver's seat in the van is daddy's seat, even though I drive them more? We heard "Apologize" and we all sang along.
I think they were more excited about the ginormous vat of popcorn we were going to get than going to the movie. Movie popcorn always reminds me of our Provo dates to the dollar theatre and how you were repulsed by my need to get popcorn, even if we had already eaten dinner.

We got Dippin' Dots after. I spoil them when you're gone! I know you think that Dots are weird, but they are good.
Jake went to a community theater show for Cub Scouts and Dylan went to a birthday party. He was so excited to make this card. His writing is unbelievably adorable. I thought you should see.
He came home looking like this. Many arguments ensued over the introduction of a brand-new lightsaber. I put it on top of the fridge. He's thinking this might be a good look for Halloween.
I don't like pasta. I hate it, he said. His brother's and I said it was good but we could not convince him otherwise.
Jake got invited to the skate park with Brandon and had so much fun. This is him after he got back. I cannot believe how sweaty he gets - oh right, I forgot. Still so hot.
My pretty purple toes for your viewing pleasure. I love them! My gimpy toenail doesn't look half bad.
For some strange reason, the lid to my soda would not twist off for anything today. It was weird that you weren't here to help me open it. When you're gone, I realize the ways you make my life easier that I otherwise don't notice. I'm sorry for that.
Love you,
Nikki

A little backtracking...

2008-09-12T10:13:00.000-07:00

So this stuff has all come and gone, but I really wanted to share the rest of our summer. Our vacation sort of squished up really close to when school started - we actually got home only 3 days before! We had such a great summer (I'm missing it already!) so I wanted to make sure to share.We spent about a month at my mom and dad's in Sacramento and it was just so relaxing and fun. We had a lot of mellow days spent just like this - crazy kids by the pool! Yes they are superheroes, thanks to crafty Aunt Carrie who made them!! Carter got the Batman one for his birthday, such a great idea! Dylan borrowed Sean's Superman and we had cute caped crusaders.
Carter's infamous belly-flop! I love Dylan's face in the background too. Carter did this over and over until he finally hurt his belly one day. Then he wouldn't jump off the waterfall at all. He got his courage back before we went home to Arizona, though. We discovered the muscles this year. None of the other boys had worn them before because I was always worried they wouldn't learn to swim and only rely on them. Well, we may have made that mistake a little with Carter because he loved the freedom of being able to go wherever he wanted!! He loves them! We have been working hard on his skills here at home so hopefully we won't have to big a set back! Before Amy and Owen had to go back to Pittsburg, we were able to spend a fun day with them at the zoo, Fairytale Town and Funderland. Such great childhood memories and so fun to share them with my own kids!! Here's Carter in the train at Fairytale Town. I don't have any others because Jake and Dylan were running around like crazy with Patrick. I think they ran the Crooked Mile a million times!
Jake and Dylan - cute brother buddies at the zoo!
All my boys on the roller coaster at Funderland. It was fun to have Patrick with us because we were apart so much this summer, what with us playing in CA and him having to work. I love how Jake is bored with the too-easy ride.
Cute cousin Owen loving the fishies. He looks very serious but cried when he had to get off - a true test of how fun it was!
Thumbs up, dude!
Of course, no trip to Sacramento is complete without a day in San Francisco. Here's 3 cold boys at Pier 39 while we were waiting for our ferry. My mom and I decided to be a little adventurous and take them to Angel Island, where I hadn't gone since a field trip in 4th grade. Our idea was to hike around a bit and have a picnic. Grandma and Carter hiking Angel Island. The island is beautiful and not crowded at all. It has great views of the bay and the weather was amazing!My handsome guys in front of an old army hospital. Angel Island was an army base.
A gorgeous view of the Golden Gate Bridge. I looove S.F.!
These are the barracks my class stayed in when we had our field trip. Can you believe the view?! I don't remember much about this trip - really only have memories of being cold and sleeping on the hard ground. But I do remember having to do the night watch (we were soldiers, after all) and seeing the beautiful view of the city at night.
Jake and Grandma on the ferry ride back to the city. Once we got back, we headed over for a mandatory stop at Boudin Bakery. I singlehandedly bought out the store's supply of sourdough bread. Okay, that's exaggerating but I think my mom and I brought home about 10 loaves. Best bread ever!!! And when you freeze it, it tastes just like the day you bought it. Delicious!
This is a sourdough crocodile. Of course, the boys wanted to buy it but I didn't know how to get it in the freezer.
I haven't ridden a cable car in years so I was so excited that it wasn't too crowded to wait to ride on this day. I have wanted the kids to ride for a long time. We rode from the wharf to Union Square then went back again. We attempted a couple of stores in Union Square but shopping with 3 boys is not fun so we gave up. The ride back to the wharf was eventful, to say the least. Our cable car basically barrelled through an intersection that cab was dashing through. I'm sure the cable cars and cabbies play chicken all the time - I just didn't appreciate them doing it when my family was sitting in the front of the cable car in question! A little scary, to say the least.
In our family, no visit to S.F. is complete without a little Blondie's pizza. Here's Jake enjoying the goodness.
Grandpa and Carter at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo. I was so glad my dad played hooky from work one day and we were all able to go down. My mom and I were grateful to have him come along and accompany the kids on all the spin-y rides that you couldn't pay us money to ride on! Thanks Dad!
Dylan and Jake enjoying the swings. We had such a fun and busy day that I don't really have any pictures. It is such a great park - kind of a combination of Sea World and Six Flags because it has the animal shows and the rides. It's a really great balance. My kids are so fun at amusement parks - not really very nervous and excited to try lots of rides. Jake was especially gutsy and a good height too. He tried his first 2 upside-down roller coasters and loved them both! Here's Grandpa and Jake on the Boomerang. I tried to zoom in the picture as far as I could but no luck.
My dad is wearing the white shirt close to the top and Jake is on his left. The highlight of the day was probably the last ride that Dylan, Jake, Grandpa and I took called Tony Hawk's Big Spin. The boys loved the skateboarding angle and it was a fun ride - a roller coaster that also spins! Grandma and Carter were patient as it was really cold by this time and the ride broke down with us sitting right there after our turn was over. Good thing it didn't happen while we were on it!!!

The first week in August, we flew from Sacramento to Seattle to visit our family up there. Patrick came and met us a few days later and it was so fun to be together again - we had been missing our daddy! Seattle is so beautiful in the summer and we had not been up to visit in such a long time. We were able to stay with Kim and Dave, as Grandma and Grandpa had their house on the market.
Look at all these handsome boys! I love getting them all together - they play soooo well, it's almost freaky. This is the day that we went to Remlinger Farm, which was a farm, an amusement park etc. all rolled into one. It was a great day with great weather, except that after the first half-hour or so, Andrew didn't feel well. So he had to go take a nap in the car which was a bummer.
Playing on top of the fire truck. The kids could get in and pretend to drive it or just climb all over it. Perfect for a bunch of boys but it was hard for Carter and Austin to decide who's turn it was to drive!!
Snack time on the choo-choo train.

Pumpkin time! The other favorites of the day were the little roller coaster for the big kids and the merry-go-round for the little ones.

We were able to have a lot of fun family time while we were in Seattle, especially with the boys out in the garage play room playing Guitar Hero. I swear, when we were at the house, we didn't even see Jake, Andrew, D.J. or Dylan unless it was time to eat! We were supposed to have the chance to see Andrew and D.J. play in their baseball games but Andrew was too sick to play in his and D.J.'s game was too rainy. He played but we were not going to sit in the rain to watch!! Too bad - we would have loved to have seen our studly nephews play!

Probably the highlight of the trip was the day we spent on Lake Washington for Sea Fair. Grandpa rented a boat that the whole family could fit on and we spent the day cruising the water. We got the see the Blue Angels practice, eat lots of yummy food and get in water fights with other boats. There were so many people on the water! Not warm enough to swim but such a nice relaxing day.

Uncle P and the boyz!

Carter eating probably his 500th Rice Krispy treat of the day.

Jake, Dylan, Andrew and D.J. chilling on the bow. Note the Space Needle in the background. So pretty!

We had such a nice trip and it is always so sad to leave. We don't see nearly enough of our Seattle family for our liking. We always have such a good time when we get together - can't wait for April, guys! Hawaii, here we come!

I already know this post is really random so I might as well post a few more random shots. I took Jake and Dylan roller-skating when we were visiting my mom. Can I just tell you how fun it was?! I forgot how much I loved to roller-skate! Girl's night anyone? They did such a good job and we had a good day. Too bad we didn't get better shots of the actual skating - it was kinda dark.

Cute skating boys!!

Is this not the nastiest thing you've ever seen?! It's a tomato worm from my dad's garden. The boys and Sean and Ryan were completely obsessed with it. Then they had to take it out and smush it to death.

We also had the chance to go to the Sacramento Temple - so beautiful and so fun to get to go with my hubby and sister Amy.

Me and my pretty sis Ames. She's prego here but you can't tell because she's annoying like that. She's having a little girl!

Ahh, summer. It's so hard to say good-bye! We had the best time spending it with our families and it just flew by. Can't wait to see you again!

11 years ago today...

2008-08-22T11:49:00.000-07:00

I'm so happy to be your bride! Happy Anniversary to my sweet hubby! I love our life and am so grateful to walk through it by your side. You are so patient and loving (not to mention hot!) and you help bring out the best in me because I want to be better when I'm around you. Watching you as a father every day has made me love you all the more. Among my greatest blessings are the children we have and I love being a family. You are a wonderful man - I am lucky to have you - and my fondest wish would be that our sons would turn out just like you!! I love you more each year and I love you so much more than you know.

baby carter at...preschool?!

2008-08-18T14:44:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's true! The baby of the Watson family is off to preschool! I apologize in advance for the lack of good pictures of Carter-y. It is seriously impossible to take a good picture of a 3 yr. old. Too wiggly and too silly - his brother's have taught him to make faces for the camera! Here's Carter walking up to Ms. Mechelle's front door and is an example of a wiggly picture since he was so anxious to go inside! Ms. Mechelle was Dylan's preschool teacher and Carter is so excited that it is finally his turn! Such an easy transition when your teacher already knows your kids and your family.
Sorry for the poor quality but I'm hoping you can see his cute little smile. His favorite thing to play is with the tools or the kitchen
Carter and Ms. Mechelle - an example of a silly picture! But I love how he just climbs right in his teacher's lap already!! I love Mechelle and her preschool and I'm so excited for Carter to learn and try new things. And I'm not gonna lie - I'm a little excited about having 9 hours a week to myself! I've been busy already, cleaning out and organizing all the kids' rooms, the office, etc. I will miss him but we are both enjoying having the rest of the time to play together. I have so enjoyed having him home by himself while his brother's are at school - we've never had that kind of alone time before! I think he's also secretly enjoying having no one home to tell him what to do - well, except me, of course! I love my easy-going baby guy and can't believe how fast this day has come!

Hooray for School!

2008-08-12T09:43:00.000-07:00

I still have tons of vacation stuff to post but I thought I'd put up my kids' first day of school first. We got back to Arizona in just in time for Meet the Teacher night and to grab school supplies. What a great summer vacation! The boys were so excited to start school and I was excited for them too, especially Dylan. He has been talking about kindergarten all summer. The morning went off without a hitch, except for Carter who didn't understand that his preschool didn't start until Wednesday and cried about it all morning. Patrick went to work a little late and was able to walk over with us.
A third grader! I can hardly believe it! I am excited for his first year of letter grades and hope he learns a lot - and has fun too!

Our kindergartner! He looks so grown-up in this picture!

Some of the neighborhood crew. We all walk over together - that's Chase and Conner in the middle. They are our good buddies. Jake is a little bummed he's not in class with Conner this year. They've been in the same class for 2 years. And Carter insisted on a backpack too.

Jake at his desk. His teacher is Mrs. Huemoeller and while I don't know her yet, she seems really organized and also really friendly and fun. Jake got a kick out of the fact that she said they were old enough to choose their own desks! Dylan posing with his big brother!

Dylan at his desk. He looks so pleased with himself! I missed him yesterday but it was hard to be too sad because he was so excited to go! He is so ready to be at kindergarten and I'm excited for him to learn lots of things this year. His teacher is Mrs. Hummel who was also Jake's kindergarten teacher. It is so awesome to have a teacher that already knows your family!

Dylan and his class attempting line-up at the bell. That's his neighbor and friend Meredith on his left. Look at all the cute little kids! Four classes of kindergarteners - wow!

The first day of school is so exciting! I can't believe that I have 2 kids in school all day and that Carter will be in preschool. Time goes by just way too fast! I know that they will have a great year and I'm just so excited for them.

Pioneer Trek

2008-07-26T08:37:00.000-07:00

Thanks to my awesome parents, Patrick and I had the opportunity to be "Ma" and "Pa" Watson on our Stake's Pioneer Trek that we did for youth conference this year. It was hard to leave the kids that long but we knew they'd be in good hands with my parents and weren't worried about them, just missed them lots! This is what we look like as pioneers - when we're still clean! And yes, it's still dark because we started at 5 am! The first day was definitely a long one!Gavilan Peak Ward YW (and YM!) rule! Here's Kathryn, Alexus, Veronica, Kameron, Jed and Karlee all ready to go! They make cute pioneers, don't they?

We all met at the Stake Center on Wednesday morning and had a short devotional from President Gaisford. Then it was time to load up on our buses that would take us north about 2 and 1/2 hours, where we were set to trek. We were on the buses as wards, which was fun because we knew we were all going to split up in our various families soon. We got a little lost getting there, but once we did we unloaded all our gear. We all gathered in a big group and the Ma's and Pa's took turns introducing themselves (with a cheer!) to all the youth and then President Scott Smith read off the kids that would join each Ma and Pa. It definitely shook things up a bit because most of the kids didn't know anyone in their family, or if they did, they didn't know them well. We spent some time introducing ourselves and setting goals for the day, then loaded up our cart. This photo was taken just after the Watson family loaded up and was set to go!Dani (Moon Valley); Kayla (North Canyon); Summer (Campobello); Joel (North Valley); Jake (Country Gables); Bubba (North Canyon); Aaron (Country Gables); Tyler (Deer Valley 1st); Amanda (Daisy Mountain); me and Patrick
This is our family right after we set off for the day. We were excited about our family right away. Everyone had a really positive attitude and seemed really ready to work. We discovered early on that we had a really quick pace and named our family the "Super Speeders." Our family bonded really fast and soon we started calling ourselves simply "The Best" because we were having so much fun and doing so well that we were clearly the best!! We did end up having to re-pack our cart once that day (it was too heavy - all the weight was in the front!) and Jake had an old ankle injury that was bothering him so he didn't walk the whole day but other than that, everything went smoothly!

Amanda, Kayla and Summer taking a break on the trail. Notice our sweet trail bosses behind them on horseback!
An entire group break. Look at all these people! We're listening to the trail bosses telling us what to expect next. The morning was slow going for the entire group and we were encouraged to pick up the pace or we weren't going to get in to camp until 1 am! That freaked us out enough to get everyone going and when we all rolled into camp that night, we were told that we got there 2 hours and 15 minutes before any stake that had trekked that year! Go Deer Valley Stake! In all, we did about 10 miles this day.
The Watson family getting dinner ready. We did it all over the fire but it was easy - chicken soup with vegetables.
Setting up camp for the evening. This photo looks almost authentic, doesn't it?
Yep, this is our awesome sleeping arrangements! It was actually way better than I thought it was going to be - the boys made us a good tarp tent that even kept out rain the second and third nights! We slept in families with the girl tents on one side of camp and the boys on the other. After a short fireside from President Sherm Smith, we headed to bed. We slept pretty good because we were so tired but had to get up way too early!

This is us heading out on the second day. Notice my makeshift front pack for our sandbaby who we named Travis. We liked him on the first day but by the second not so much. He was so stinkin' heavy! We found out later that he was only 9 pounds but we swore he was more like 15! The experience of carrying the sandbaby for a good part of the day was one of the first things about the trek that really impacted me. I felt like I gained a little more first-hand knowledge about what it would be like to walk as a pioneer with small children. So many pioneer women walked with babies and toddlers that would need to be helped and carried! I can't even imagine how difficult that would be.
About an hour after we started walking on the second day, our stake staff reenacted a Mormon Battlion. A general from the army read a document from the government and one from Brigham Young that asked for all able men to serve. Yep, that's right! Time for the women to pull all by themselves! We were feeling confident until we saw that the next mile of the trail was basically completely uphill. We later would learn that this was the steepest and most difficult part of the entire trail - and we did it ourselves! The men walked off the trail beside us but they couldn't help and they couldn't talk to us either.
On the trail, we were organized into companies. Our company had three wagons in it and we were able to help the women in each family. Our three families pretty much did the first 2 big hills by ourselves, with a few sisters from the stake staff helping. But when it came to the last hill and we saw how hard it was for the first family (they did so awesome though - without much help from the others in our company!), we did a better job of pitching in on our next 2 wagons.

This is the last hill of the women's pull. I'm not sure if I like this picture because it doesn't look hard or even look like it's a hill! All I can say was that it was one of the hardest things I've done in a really, really long time! All the girls were amazing! They had such confidence in themselves and knew that it was going to be hard, but also knew that they could do it. I think it was a great lesson for all of us - that we can do hard things, just like our stake YW president Sister Edwards says! I also really loved hearing the comments from the boys afterwards and the complements they paid the girls. I think it was a great experience for them to witness the strength of women in action. How grateful I am to be a woman in the Church!
This is me after the women's pull. Let's just say I was glad to have a little break.

Each family's cart had a name tag and this is ours. By the second day, we had also named ourselves "Orange Crush, " which was Patrick's good idea for a name - due to the fact that our family's bandannas were orange! So on our tag is Orange Crush and also the fact that we rule! On the bottom, it says "Where's Joel?" because we said this a lot through the course of the trek. He liked to disappear but when we needed him he was always there! After more waiting for more companies to finish the women's pull, we then got on our way to the Salt Lake Valley. Hooray! We got in to camp a couple of hours before dinnertime and had a little free time before we started on our stew. Patrick took the kids off to play stick ball while I started peeling vegetables with some of the girls. It's really interesting cooking that primitively - I haven't camped that way in a long time. But it was made pretty easy by all the great preparations from the stake staff. All week long, I was so impressed by the organization of the trek and all the meticulous planning that was involved. There were so many people behind the scenes that I don't think we were even aware of and I was just so grateful for all the hard work that was put in so the youth could have such life-changing experience. The boys made us another good tent (I think theirs was good too) and then had a great fireside from Sister Sawtelle who is a seminary teacher in our stake. Every night, after the fireside we have family time where we have a devotional and talk about the days events before family prayer. I loved having a chance to hear what the youth had to say and feeling their testimonies. We had so many great talks!
Friday was a more mellow day with some free time and the youth having an opportunity to have an hour of solo time where they got to study their scriptures and read a letter that their parents had written them ahead of time. Then they had time to write themselves a letter that they would have mailed to them in 6 months. We also had a bunch of games that we played as a family that were called "life-skills" games. They were kind-of problem solving type games that you had to figure out as a family and they were a lot of fun!

This is everyone figuring out "Prisoner." We had to figure out how to get everyone over the rope without touching it - and the area was boxed out so that you couldn't run and jump over it.
This one is called Centipede. You can't touch the ground at all and you have to move each board together - way harder than it looks! You gotta love our 2 tough guys, Bubba and Joel, who were at the front and back. They were always so much help! That night we also had square dancing and then a little bit of a dance afterwards. It was super fun - I think my favorite was watching Bishop and Patti Christison dancing! He does a great robot and a Riverdance impression! The stake cooked for us that night and that was a real treat. It was fun to have a little bit of free time because the girls in our ward had time to come over and hang with us and our family. That night President Scott Smith talked to us and then we had a testimony meeting. After that, we had a walking activity where we followed glowlights around the camp area which likened us to following the Spirit. Every day had a theme: the 1st day we focused on the way God strengthens us; the 2nd day we focused on the ways God strengthens us through other people; and the 3rd day we focused on the way God send us light through the Holy Ghost. It was really awesome to be able to focus on these really important concepts each day. Then we came back to the fire and we put in our hands the ration of flour that we had carried in our pouches all week. All of us threw it in together and when you do, the whole fire explodes and sparkles! It was really cool! We spent some time hanging out by the fire and roasting marshmallows since we couldn't do it the night before (it was raining!) and had a family testimony meeting, then we called it a night. The next morning we were all pretty ready to go. I don't think any of us have ever gone that long without a shower! So we got packed up and then we heard from President Gaisford and Sister Edwards and President Winters before we left.

This is our family before we left to walk that last day. We are so much dirtier and scrubbier - but I love the body language in this one. We were totally family by now. I really grew to love these kids - they were so good to each other and they worked so hard together. There was never a time when they said a negative thing to one another. I was really impressed! I'm really glad that I'll still be able to see them when we have stake activities. Such a neat group of youth! I ran around this morning getting pictures of the youth in our ward - I tried, but some kids didn't cooperate!
Ma Polly and Karlee

Kathryn

Kameron

Christian

I like this picture because you can really get a perspective on how many people were trekking. 19 Ma's and Pa's and about 9 or 10 kids a family and then all the stake staff. Really unbelievable especially because it was so well organized!

My cute but scruffy hubby helping unload the handcart for the last time. It was so fun to share this experience with him! He is such a good example and easy to be around. He has a great way with youth - he likes to hang out and have fun with them but also can have the greatest spiritual talks with them too. He has a really approachable way of teaching the gospel. I love him!

The Gavilan Peak Ma's and Pa's - holla! It was so much fun having everyone from our ward to do the trek with, Bishop Johnson included. From the left, it's me and Patrick; Ben and Polly Moore, Ben and Brielle Gundersen; and Bryan and Katie Knueppel.

When we got back to where the buses were to pick us up, we had fun doing pioneer games and activities then had a trek photo. I can't believe we got all of us in there! Then our Subway sandwiches were delievered! I don't think a sandwich and chips ever tasted so good! We rode back to the Stake Center in wards again and the kids slept while we talked about our experiences. We had a chance to say goodbye to our families and the girls in our ward and then it was home to shower - but not before we stopped at 7-Eleven!!!

I know it's been a really long post but it was a really important experience for me and I wanted to make sure that I "journaled" it so that I wouldn't forget! I was so grateful for the opportunity to have this experience and I feel like I learned a lot of important things. I know that I have a greater appreciation for my pioneer heritage. I always knew it was hard to do what they did but having just the tiniest taste of it made it that more real. We only walked about 20 miles but by the end, I was bone-tired and had a couple bruised toenails to boot! I can't even wrap my head around the experience our pioneer ancestors had. I am forever grateful for their sacrifice. One of the main goals that the organizers of the trek had was that the youth would be able to apply this particular "wilderness experience" to other wildernesses they will experience in their lives. I certainly understood better the way that the Lord works in my life to strengthen me when things are hard and I feel like I can better see the hand of the Lord in my life. I know the youth gained an understanding of that as well. We have to do hard things in our lives but not by ourselves. I love being with the youth! Despite all the pressures and temptations in this world, they try so hard and want so badly to do the right thing. More than ever, I know that the youth of this Church are wonderful, good people and I feel how much the Lord loves them when I'm with them. I feel of their potential and of their divine nature. The trek took them out of their comfort zones but they were kind to each other, they helped each other and they lifted each other up. I saw the YW in my ward grow and I saw the youth in my family grow. It was truly beautiful to witness. I am so grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ and the plan of happiness. I know that we can succeed in our earthly life, through the atonement, and return to live with our Heavenly Father and our brother Jesus Christ. I know we have a prophet who leads us today and am grateful for the guidelines he gives us. I'm thankful for Joseph Smith who restored the church in the latter-days. I'm thankful for the Book of Mormon and all the truths that it contains. I'm thankful for temple blessings that allow me to keep my family with me forever. I can't picture my life without the knowledge of all these many blessings that I have.

I am so thankful for my membership in this church and that I'm privileged to have experiences such as this pioneer trek that strengthen me and cause me to want to be better. I love the youth of this church and am so grateful for my calling that allows me to be with them!!

The Motley Family Beach Vacation

2008-07-22T21:53:00.001-07:00

Look at my cute huge fam on our fabulous beach vacation! I know many of you probably have bigger families than this but I'm just getting a kick of how big we're getting! 8 grandson's and 2 fetuses on the way! Hooray! That's right - Amy had the fun announcement that she's expecting her 2nd child.

So, the Motley parents rented this great beach house in Pajaro Dunes, CA and all my siblings and their families converged en masse for the Fourth of July. It was a great set-up with 6 bedrooms so everyone got their own - so comfortable and just steps away from the beach! We had lots of great food and fun together time. Us Arizonians were just dying at the gorgeous weather. I don't think it cracked 75 degrees the entire time and I think we were the only ones who didn't care about the overcast, foggy mornings that are the norm in the Santa Cruz area. Can I just tell you how much fun we had?! I just love my family - they are seriously so fun and I love hanging out with them! We had a couple of relaxing days on the beach, some tennis playing and such. We even got a little bit of firework action - cool illegal ones that our neighbors set off! Hey, it was better than nothing - we were too far from everything else and weren't in the mood to shlepp everyone to go see them. Perfect set-up! Then we had the first Motley Family Olympics! I was skeptical at first - worried that it would be too competitive for my taste :) - but it was a blast! These pics are from when we went down the night before for our torch relay and opening ceremonies.

Me and my littlest sis Erica with her cute baby bump that you can't even see! I know, right?

The Watson Family!
Cousins!
Sean, Jake, Dylan, Ryan, Carter (missing Owen, baby Hudson, baby Kyle)
Notice the fun sand pit that Grandpa dug for his grandson's every day. Quite the project but worth it. I don't think Owen ever left it!

This is a family shot before we started the Olympics. I didn't include the team shots but they're pretty fun too. If you're curious - Amy, Erica and Carrie all have them on their blogs, I think. The day before Grandpa assigned teams - which were quite fair if I do say so myself. No spouses played together and we mixed up the kids too. The kids chose the countries - we ended up with China, Greece and Japan. Then we decorated shirts according to our country and team. Very creative shirts - not mine though. Patrick wouldn't do mine for me, rude! We had some cool events like a bubblegum bubble blowing contest, Mormon Bridge (card game), home run derby, long jump, frisbee throw, golf putting contest, a relay race and tug-o-war, which had to be thrown out when we broke the hose we were using as our rope. All in all, an absolute blast! China was the winner (Dad, Chris, Amy, Carrie, Ryan M. and Carter); Greece came in second (Mike, Ryan S., Lindsay, Nikki, Dylan and Owen); and Japan was third (Patrick, Scott, Mom, Erica, Jake, Sean).

Here's some other great shots from the week.

I love this picture of Carter having a great time in the sand!

Jake is getting ready to catch a frisbee.

Owen and Dylan sharing a laugh. Dylan adores his little cousin Owen!

Thanks Mom and Dad for an awesome vacation! I'm so happy everyone got to come and I love you guys tons.

Lots of summer fun...

2008-07-01T07:38:00.000-07:00

Happy summer to you all! It's stinkin' hot here but we're doing our best to keep cool and have fun. It's really hard to blog when you're at the community pool for 4 hours a day - so now you know where I've been! Here's Jake, Dylan and Carter in our backyard with Jake's new awesome skimboard slip-n-slide (birthday money still!). So much cooler than a regular slip-n-slide...you can see Jake has mastered it.Yeah baby!

Dylan and Carter prefer the old way of sliding on your belly... Jake was super nice to share his toy. Dad, on the other hand, is not enjoying the way the grass looks now.
This is Dylan's first high dive jump of the year! He does not love it but will do it for candy.

I debated about posting these next pictures since this incident is not the highlight of my summer. But I thought, if anything - it will make you feel better about the kind of day you're having. You would think that having three boys would make messes like these a regular occurance. Thank heavens they're not! Carter took it upon himself to deliver us our first mess of this caliber. I was upstairs getting ready for the day when Jake and Dylan ran upstairs and told me that Carter decided he needed more syrup on his waffle. The syrup was in the pantry with the lid on it, in case you think that my negligence caused this mess.

This is what an entire Costco-sized bottle of syrup looks like on Carter and on my table and floor.
He looks proud of himself, doesn't he?
This picture gives you a great idea of how thick the layer of syrup was.

Ah joy. I was so glad I hadn't taken a shower yet because an hour later, after the mess was cleaned up (sort of - I probably mopped the floor every day for a week trying to get rid of the residual stickiness) - my hair was all coated with syrup. See, I had to get under the table and pull apart the leaves to get all in the table and stuff. Sigh.

We've done some other fun stuff though, thank goodness. Patrick's work took all the employees to a Diamondback's game and we had a blast. Maybe it was all that free food but it definitely was one of the most fun times I've had at the baseball game. All the kids got to wear Bell Automotive shirts that his company provided. I thought they looked super cute.

Cutey bug Carter
Take me out to the ball game!
Patrick and the boys and a couple of Shannon Wilson's girl's (Patrick's friend and coworker), being silly as usual.

Carter was so cute that night - I think he was trying to make up for the syrup fiasco.

I love this picture of my boys in the hats they gave us at the game that night. They were way ahead of me (as usual) but seeing them all together like this just made my heart melt.

And finally, Carter-y had his 3rd birthday! I know, I can't believe it either. All he wanted for his birthday was cake. I feel bad that it wasn't more special looking but it sure was tasty. We had the Mumford's and the Smith's over for a BBQ and a little party.

See how excited he is?!
He did a great job of blowing out his candles but I think sitting on the island was his favorite part.
Yum! He ate two pieces and made a huge mess. He's getting really good at that.

Here he is opening some presents. His friends were so sweet!

Okay, a golf set is cool! Maybe I don't only want cake.

I found this adorable picture of Carter at about 4 months old. I can't believe how big he is already and I miss this little baby guy. He was such a good baby and was so easy and sweet. Despite the mischief he sometimes gets himself into, he is still so easy and sweet. He is always happy and just loves his big brothers. He is also daddy's boy and you can count on him to bowl Patrick over when he comes in the door from work. He is still a little cuddle bug and I love that he'll still let me hold him sometimes. I love you, Carter Cutey Bug, and can't wait to see what this year brings!

My Grandpa

2008-06-12T15:48:00.000-07:00

Those of you who read my blog might have been wondering about my lack of posts lately. On June 5, my grandpa passed away and my family and I traveled to California to participate in his services and to be with family and friends. I've been back for about a week now but have been struggling as to how to approach this on my blog. I think, more than anything, I've been too sad to want to write about it.

It was a good weekend but also very hard. It was good to share my grief with my family and for us to be together to share fond memories of a great man. It is always hard to say goodbye to a special family member but I think it was made all the more difficult by the unexpectedness of his passing. Yes, he was very sick and we all knew his time on earth was growing shorter but I don't think anyone knew it would be this soon. I wish I could have seen him one more time and told him how much I love him. I'm so grateful for the plan of happiness that will allow me to see him again. I take comfort in knowing he is now at peace.

Isn't he a handsome man? He was such a special grandpa - so present in my life at all the little and big moments. Ballet recitals, family birthday parties, Halloween, Christmas day, our temple sealing...the list could go on and on because he was always there. It's been harder since we moved to Arizona but we tried to see each other when we could. Grandpa and Marilyn even took a fun trip here in 2004 and we got a chance to go to the Grand Canyon together. I really treasured that alone time with my grandparents.

One of my grandpa's greatest qualities was his kindness. He loved his family so much and always had us in mind. He loved other people too and went out of his way to treat everyone kindly. My dad told a story at his funeral about taking the clothes he was to be buried in to the cleaners and how the owners of the store were so saddened to hear of his passing. They said every time he came in he talked to them for a half hour! That was just my grandpa. He did this at work too. He was a dentist for 51 years and loved his job and the people he helped. There wasn't one day that he was ever on schedule because he spent so much time with each of his patients. Every time he worked on my teeth, he would always call that night to see how I was doing. He loved life and was a happy person and he always making jokes and making us laugh. I miss you, Grandpa and hope you know how much I love you.

On left: Patrick, my brother Scott, cousin John, cousin Kevin On right: Cousin Sean, my brother Chris, BIL Ryan, cousin Matthew

My Grandpa's "tooth" flowers - from the Kiwanis Club he was active in.

Kindergarten...here we come!!

2008-06-03T17:57:00.000-07:00

It's official! Dylan has graduated from preschool and we had a cute evening "ceremony" to celebrate it. Here's Dylan and Miss Mechelle. She is just the best preschool teacher and Dylan has had a great 2 years with her. She declared these boys most definitely ready for kindergarten!That's right - just boys! These four boys are the first graduating class for Serendipity Preschool. Mia and Mandy, the other students in their class, have another year before they head off to kindergarten. We presented this photo to Mechelle so she can hang it up at school. It's so adorable! Will, Dylan, Tyler and Adam
This is the cute backdrop Lisa made that the boys sat in front of during the program. Lisa McGee, Tyler's mom, hosted the ceremony at her home, and of course she did it up "Lisa-style" as only she can! I love the serious picture followed by the crazy one. Could he be any cuter, holy cow! Dylan is waiting to lead the processional.
Such serious boys. Mechelle said she was worried they would be crazy because she said they were so silly when they practiced the program at school. Dylan didn't even crack a smile - he takes this graduation stuff seriously!
Miss Mechelle had a lot of really great things to say about our kids and I loved how you could tell how much she enjoyed teaching these boys. She said their finest quality was that they all really knew how to be true friends and were so good to each other. What more could a parent ask for? She presented them with a diploma, their classes' favorite book, and a slide show DVD of pictures from the past 2 years. Priceless! I couldn't help missing Cole Monsen, Dylan's good buddy who moved just a couple of months ago. I wish he could have been there but it was so fun to see all the sweet pictures of these good friends. Donette and Tyler - we'll have to burn you a copy!
Dylan, Adam and Tyler - such good buddies.

Lisa's cake talents! She also put together a gift bag for the boys that had kindergarten school supplies, a sweet treat and this awesome shirt!Needless to say, they loved it and put it on right away for a really nice picture.

And...then a picture that captures their true selves!!

Thanks for a great party, Lisa!

Thanks so much for a great 2 years, Miss Mechelle! We're so happy you were able to help Dylan learn so many things and he loved preschool so much. Thanks for helping to instill in him what is hopefully a lifetime of loving to learn!

Memorial Weekend

2008-05-28T17:09:00.001-07:00

We decided to spend the weekend in Las Vegas visiting my brother Chris and sister-in-law Lindsay and new nephew/cousin Hudson. My sister Erica and her husband Ryan also came so it was a fun family affair. I'm so glad we decided to go - we almost wussed out what with the traffic and all. Thank goodness traffic cooperated since the weather didn't! On Saturday, we went downtown to the Mandalay Bay to visit the Shark Reef Aquarium. Erica and Ryan met us there (they were staying with friends) and we got to witness the teeny tiny belly bump firsthand. So cute!Hudson, Jake, Dylan and Carter getting ready to go in the the Aquarium. What?! We couldn't leave him out of the hat-wearing fun just because he's a baby!!

Do you like my hat? I do, I like that Shark Reef hat! Jake and Dylan in the aquarium - I think they're checking out the yellow crocodile from Thailand. He was creepy and cool.

Uncle Ryan and Carter looking at the big "bish".

Me and Patrick with sharks behind us! I did a bad job of getting any pictures of Chris and Lindsay this weekend. My camera didn't cooperate once it got dark in the aquarium (still learning how to use it) and we were having too much fun the rest of the weekend to take many others. Let's just let it be known, however, that Lindsay looks amazing! No one would believe she had a baby in her belly just 4 short weeks ago!!Dylan and Hudson. Dylan was so sweet to him and Hudson is just the sweetest baby! Such a pleasant temperment and it's cute to see Chris and Lindsay being parents. Very relaxed and enjoying every minute.
The cold weather can't stop these guys! Their pool heats up so it was fairly comfortable. The weather was very unMemorial Weekend-like but for people from Arizona and people from Vegas, any time that it's not scorching hot already is very welcome! So they swam in here a lot and Uncle Chris even got Jake to jump off the roof into the pool with him the first night we were there! Crazy boys - must run in the family. On Sunday, we had a chance to see our good friends the Pettingill's, who moved to Las Vegas from Anthem about 2 years ago. It was so good to see them - their kids have gotten so big and both Melissa and Chad look great. It was awesome to catch up. We have always had so much fun with them and being together made it all the worse that we never see them anymore. We miss you guys! Thanks for having us over!

Our Crew

Jaxon, Kenady, Tanner, Jake, Landon

Carter, Dylan

Monday shaped up to have some nice weather (of course!) so we pushed our departure time back a few hours. We enjoyed getting some sun and having a nice BBQ. Chris and Lindsay are amazing hosts - their home is gorgeous and they have a way of making anyone who comes over feel welcome. We had such a nice time and the boys were sooo good. We loved getting the chance to spend a long weekend with family! Love you guys!

Goodbye to Second Grade and Dylan's Lemonade Stand

2008-05-21T16:32:00.000-07:00

Only one half of a day of second grade left. Can you believe it?! This year has flown by and I know they're only going to go faster as this little boy continues to get older.

This is Jake in his desk during his end of the year class party that Carter and I went to today. I took one of him here the first day of school too and boy, he looks older!
Jake and his awesome teacher, Mrs. Downey. He enjoyed her so much and she told me the feeling was mutual. He's learned a lot of really great things from her this year and he is more than ready for the big 3rd grade.
Mrs. Downey and her Downtown Downey Doers. They all gave her one stem of flowers while she sat and held the vase. She loves flowers and was touched, even though one of the boys blurted out the surprise. They also gave her a wall hanging that had a sweet saying about teachers on the front and the kids had all signed the back.

We are so proud of Jake and all his hard work - especially the great example he is to his friends and to his little brothers. Hard to believe we'll have another kindergartener at Anthem School come August and thanks to Jake, he is nothing but excited about school. Now Jake's headed for the big-time - letter grades and all!

Yesterday, Dylan the business man decided he wanted to do a lemonade stand. He got the idea early in the morning but I convinced him that we should wait until after school so we could have more customers. Here he is waiting patiently for school to get out.

Ugh, it's a little hot out. But it is worth it!! On top of the cooler, we had a sign that said "Lemonade 25 cents" and inside is the pitcher of lemonade, ice and plastic cups. He dutifully asked everyone who walked by, "Hi there! Would you like to buy some lemonade?"

Carter sampling the goods and proclaiming it tasty!

Dylan made a not-too-shabby $2.75 but promptly spent $1 of it when the ice cream truck came down our street. I'm sorry, Dyl but I think you inherited your inability to save from me.

Fun moments from this week...

2008-05-16T09:50:00.000-07:00

This week was Spirit Week at Anthem Elementary School and Jake has had a ton of fun dressing up. I didn't get a picture of pajama day or mix-n-match day (wear crazy clothes that don't match - Jake looked so funny!) but I took some pictures of the other days. Jake and Connor had the same shirts for Twin Day (one was Connor's brother's) and looked super cute.Jake and Crazy Hair Day! This is at the end of the day and it actually stayed pretty good. This was accomplished with gel, pomade, the blow-dryer AND hairspray.
This is Sports and Hat Day, which is fun for the kids since they can't usually wear hats in class. Jake decided to break out of the mold and dress as a golfer, not a baseball or basketball player like his other friends. Carter was confused all morning and wanted to know when they were going to play golf.
Patrick is in Seattle this weekend visiting his family so we were on our own yesterday. It was gorgeous out last night so we decided to take a walk/bike ride. Look at this beautiful Arizona sky!
Here are my munchkins, each on his vehicle of choice.

Dylan decided to ride his old bike - I think he is still adjusting to his bigger bike and when we ride far, he likes the comfort of the little one. Jake is adjusting well to his new bike. Carter rides his Hot Wheel trike, aided by me and the stroller. He picks his feet up while I push the back of the trike with the stroller. It's a good little system (I have to give Patrick the credit here since it was his invention) and usually Carter steers really well. Last night was a major exception, however. He was all over the place! We enjoyed being outside - the breeze felt wonderful and all the spring smells were heavenly. We even got to see a roadrunner. We miss you Dad, but we're keeping busy and having fun too! Give everyone hugs for us!

Happy Mother's Day!

2008-05-12T09:25:00.001-07:00

I hope all you awesome mothers out there had a great day! Mom's are truly awesome (I know because I have the very best one) and I hope you know how much I appreciate all that you do - you all are great examples to me! My kids were so cute to me that I wanted to share and mostly journal about it so I wouldn't forget. My day started on Friday when Dylan brought his gift home from school. They had painted flowerpots and put ladybug thumbprints all over them. The finishing touch was some darling yellow flowers.

Dylan and Mom - sorry if the picture looks weird, I took it myself.
Dylan and his flowers - he was so proud!

But my favorite part of my gift from Dylan was that his teacher, Miss Mechelle, asked them questions about their moms and wrote down their answers.

What's your mom's name? Nikki

What does she do? Yoga

How old is she? 33

How does daddy call mom? Honey

What is her favorite color? Red

What is her favorite food? Strawberries

What is her favorite movie? Hannah Montana

How many brothers and sisters does she have? Five brothers and five sisters

Where does she like to take you for fun? The park, Sport Chalet, Walmart

What message do you want to send her for Mother's Day? I love you!
I got a kick out of his answers - some for their accuracy (yes, I am 33) and some because they weren't (I think Hannah Montana is the only "girly" movie he could think of and I don't have quite that many siblings). I love you too Dylan!

Sunday morning was great - mostly for the sleeping in until 8 am and that breakfast was french toast with strawberries on top. Yummy! The kids woke me up with Mother's Day wishes and cute homemade cards.

Here's me and Jake with the stuff he made me at school. In the middle is a bouquet of his hands which have coupons in them for things he wants to help me do. The blue book is kind of a poem book with some different things about mothers. Here are some highlights:

Dear Mom,

I love you. I like when you cook dinner. You are the best mom in the world. I do not want another mom.

Love, Jake

Some things I love about my mom:

Loves
Cares
Cooks
Helps
Keeps me safe
Has fun
Gave me my name
Cleans up the house

But the best thing about my mom is she encourages me.
I love you too, Jake!

Here's me and silly Carter who was almost too busy to sit still. He ran around all day saying, "Happy Mother's Day!" every time he saw me. Adorableness. I so appreciate the joy he brings to my life with all his happiness and I can't wait to hear what he would say about me!

Thanks to my great hubby I had a very relaxing day and went out with a girlfriend on Saturday night while he shopped with the boys for Sunday dinner (which he pretty much prepared all by himself).

Most of all, I am so glad I get to be a mother and despite the tedious, messy, and frazzled times, there is absolutely nothing else I would rather do. Thanks for tolerating me, guys - because I'm happiest when I'm with you! I love you!

Cinco de Mayo!

2008-05-07T09:37:00.000-07:00

Here's an inside look at our Cinco de Mayo family night we had on Monday. Patrick had the fun idea that we could have a fiesta night for FHE and I'm always up for Mexican food. So, I made Dandelion Mama's sour cream enchiladas, Peg's tomato guacamole, black beans and pina colada smoothies. Yummy! The enchiladas were fabulous - kind of a mix of my usual sour cream enchiladas and red sauce enchiladas. We put meat in ours (the recipe called for black beans) but I think they would be awesome vegetarian style too.

Carter and his smoothie. He actually ended up not liking it and asked for juice. What?! Anyone who knows me knows that I looove pina colada smoothies and I spend entire vacations by the pool consuming them. Ah, good Hawaii memories. Oh well, more for me!
Dylan and his dinnerJake and his tasty smoothie The boys getting ready to have a toast!
Ay caramba! Of course, no evening would be complete without a major wrestling match with Dad! Yep, Carter has on a pillowcase cape. He's Xander, the green Power Ranger! FYI, we've had a much better week. We have the old Carter back, I think. At least until the next phase rolls through...
Oh my, how I love these four boys! Thanks for a fun night.

Jake the Snake and other Scout stuff

2008-05-07T09:19:00.000-07:00

I'll just pause for a minute and allow the full effect of this picture to sink in. This would be my very worst nightmare - you would have to pay me sooo much money to sit in a tub and put snakes on me. But Jake the Snake loved this, even though his face looks a little concerned. The Cub Scouts were able to have a fun "Fear Factor" type party by Deb's Dragons and Other Misunderstood Creatures. They got to have a tarantula sit on their head, scorpions crawl up their arms, and do a relay race with Madagascar hissing cockroaches. The kids had a blast - we have the best Scout leaders! Not all of the kids in our family are such animal lovers though. When we went to pick Jake up, I brought Carter in with me. Brittany Roberts (one of my Beehives) came up to say hi while holding a snake and Carter ran away and hid behind me as fast as he could!! I can't blame him though. I had pretty much the same reaction and told Brittany she couldn't come close to me with that snake! Sorry Brittany, I'm a total wuss - but I'll take a "snakeless" hug any day!This is Jake getting his Bobcat at our last pack meeting. I think we're doing the cheer that he chose - which would explain the awesome faces we both have.
Getting my first of many pins - Dylan's getting a good look!
Jake doing a magic trick with Brother Sheppard, our Cub Master.

Our Pack Meetings are so cute - the theme this time was a magic show. Each boy that received an award got to go up and do a magic trick with Brother Sheppard. Jake is loving Scouts! Thanks for the pictures, Michelle!

A bunch of random stuff...

2008-04-29T21:20:00.000-07:00

So first off, the YW don't usually cooperate well enough for me to take pictures but on this night they did! Here are the Mia Maids and Laurels in our ward at my house last Wednesday night working on making aprons for the Pioneer Trek that we're doing for Youth Conference this July. They are doing a really great job and are perfecting their sewing skills.

Veronica (in kitchen), Karlee, Xauntal, Kameron (stealing a hug from Dylan) and Kathryn

Kelsie - showing us her strawberry shortcake!

Ashley
Xauntal

On Saturday, after t-ball game rushing craziness, our ward had a Primary activity. It was a missionary day where the kids not only did things for the missionaries (they colored pictures and decorated an apron that said "Called to Serve) but they learned about what it's like to be a missionary. When they got there, they received their badges and then went to the chapel to be "trained." They were put into different groups and went to four different stations. In two of the stations, they learned from Brother Clegg who served in Italy and Brother Andersen who went to Russia. They taught the kids what is was like to serve a mission in that particular area. The third station was for coloring and apron decorating. The fourth station was in the kitchen where the kids prepared their own peanut butter and jelly sandwiches - a mission staple, I'm sure!
It was such a great activity - our Primary presidency rocks!

Jake trying out some Italian words
Dylan and Hayden coloring apronsSuch a grumpy missionary!

Dylan's obsessed with taking pictures right now so we let him snap this one of the parentals at the end of the activity. Say cheese Mom and Dad!

So then I decided to post these way cute pics of Carter because we are NOT having a way cute week. This child refuses to nap right now (I know, I'm not giving up, I try every day, blah, blah, blah) and he is utterly grouchy. He is crying and whining over every little thing. Anyone want to borrow an almost 3 year old? Come on, just for one day.
Oh, I know I would miss him terribly. Just look at this cute guy nearly all the way submerged in the bath. I was putting on my make-up and not paying a lot of attention and when I looked at him, here he was with his legs up and only a tiny bit of his face sticking out of the water. He was singing a little song and dumping water from a cup onto his legs. Funny little water baby!

We call this Nay Nay head. He's not playing peek-a-boo with me or anything like that. He just does this sometimes - plays with toys or looks at a book with his Nay Nay on his head.

Also introducing...

2008-04-25T13:52:00.000-07:00

My other newest nephew!!
Kyle Reese Motley
Born to my brother Scott and his wife Carrie on April 24, 2008
Weighing in at 9 lbs. 12 oz.Look at those cheeks! Must squish now.
Carrie and Kyle are doing awesome and my mom tells me that big brothers Ryan and Sean are so excited about their new little brother. They are both being so gentle and quiet around him and Ryan was awfully upset at the nurse that came to take Kyle's blood when they were visiting. Can't wait to meet him!

Isn't our family so lucky? Two beautiful boys within two days of each other. Which brings the kid tally on the Motley side to...
Boys: 8
Girls:0
Any bets on what my sister Erica is having? She finds out soon...

Introducing...

2008-04-23T22:02:00.000-07:00

My newest nephew!!

Hudson Robert Motley

Born to my brother Chris and his wife Lindsay on April 22, 2008

Weighing in at 5 lbs. 14 oz.

Isn't he so gorgeous?! I can hardly stand it. Look - Chris is a natural!

Congratulations, you guys! We're so happy that Hudson and Lindsay are both doing well. He is precious and we can't wait to meet him.

The joys of food you don't have to cook...

2008-04-17T16:28:00.000-07:00

Look at all this frozen yumminess! I am so happy to have these meals to pull out of the freezer and cook at a moment's notice. Well, I know you have to thaw them first!
The Cooking Club Girls!

Ashley (w/Payson), Allison (w/Jonathon), Mary (w/Ella), Nikki

Missing: Sally and Julee (who's out on maternity leave!)

Mary snapped another photo that had a better close-up of all the food.

So what our group does is make six of the same meal (1 of those is for your family) and then we meet at my house to make the exchange. I know other group's that have met to actually do the cooking together but we do our meals on our own. This is the third time we have exchanged meals and the variety this time is so awesome - beef strogonaff; chili lime chicken; meatball subs; slow-cooker orange chicken and lasagna!

Me and a group of friends were going to this great place called My Girlfriend's Kitchen where you go to their store and assemble all the meals you've selected. All the prep work was done by the staff and the food was wonderful! We loved it for quite a few months and then it just stopped working out as well. They raised their prices, changed their ordering system, and changed the way you received perks for hosting a party. I got frustrated and stopped going. Thanks to cute Sierra's good idea (who has since moved to California), we get to kind of have our own My Girlfriend's Kitchen experience! We miss you, Sierra and you too, Jewly!

Thanks girls, for all the great food - can't wait to try it!!

Will we make it to Kindergarten with this adorable face intact?

2008-04-10T14:31:00.001-07:00

It's a good thing you can't see inside this child's mouth because it's just that nasty. I even took a picture of the injury so I could post it but I decided I wouldn't do that to you nice people.
This is Dylan not putting the ice on his mouth, like the doctor told him.

Oh look - there he goes!

So anyways, Dylan took a tumble at the park - fell on the stairs going up the play equipment, to be exact, and we had to make a little trip to urgent care. He shredded the inside of his lip pretty good and while I was fairly sure it wasn't bad enough to warrant stitches, he had a pretty good chunk out of the inside of his lip and really long hangy piece of lip skin that I thought the doctor should look at. Me and all my friends at the park weighed in with our thoughts and I decided to err on the side of caution and go to urgent care. He was super nervous but I told him not to worry until we knew what we were dealing with. Besides, at this point it had pretty much stopped bleeding so I was crossing my fingers for no stitches.

We had the best urgent care experience ever - even better than the time Jake had to get stitches and that experience was pretty quick and painless. The front desk lady took one look at the cutie with the mouth injury and bloody wipes pressed to it and whisked us right to a room. Dr. Foy came right in and after he looked at it said he did good, it wasn't too bad - he was only going to have to numb it up a little with some cream and then he was going to snip off the skin that was hanging down. The cream worked great, the snipping didn't hurt at all, we got our prescription for our antibiotic and we were on our way. We were so fast, the front desk lady was still checking on our insurance when I got out there. In and out in 15 minutes! I love Anthem Urgent Care!

So major trauma avoided, thank goodness. He has hamburger for a lip and doesn't want to eat but it could be sooo much worse. So I'm relieved. But the real question remains, when is he going to stop hitting his mouth? He has had at least 5 bleeding lip/teeth episodes in the last year. Thankfully, we just went to the dentist 2 weeks ago and his teeth look okay. But that was before this time! Ugh. Seriously, I'm beginning to think he needs to start going everywhere with a mouthguard.