Goin Shishin with my Daddy

Avery was so excited to spend a day out with dad last week. She has been asking to go "shishing" (fishing) and was thrilled that today was the day! She was running around the house collecting different things that she and Brian would need. She would have nothing to do with me because she thought I'd make her stay home I guess. They had a great time catching worms, going to the pond and then out to lunch just the two of them. When Avery got home, she said, "the shishies ate all my worms!'. She hasn't stopped talking about shishing with her daddy since.
As I look at this little moment in time, it makes me realize the power of a few moments. The hour and a half Brian took out of his day was the highlight of a two years olds day, week.. even month! So little time out of our busy schedule to make time for a child can be life changing. They sense when we are "too busy"... but do they really understand that? What does too busy mean? Looking at it right now (when I'm not stressing out about all the zillion things I have to do today) I ask myself... WHY are we too busy for a few moments with our kids? NOTHING is more important than giving them our time. They should NEVER have to hear, "I'm too busy to come out and play right now". What in our homes is so important that we can't take 10 minutes to go throw a ball around? The dishes? The vacumming? Laundry? Phone Calls? The computer? All those things can wait. But the way our kids see how we manage our time with them will not. They quickly learn where our priorities lie, and I hope with me...I can show them my priority is with them.
I am lucky to have such a great example of this quality in my husband. Brian is so good about making special time with each kid. Our family is so blessed that he sees the importance in making these "special moments" count. My kids have such a wonderful relationship with their dad because he spends time with them. I hope moments like this will be something that they will continue to do into adulthood.

A birthday Note to Kaden

Dear Kaden,
Today you turned 5 years old. I can't believe you are so grown up! You are the sweetest little boy I know. Your smile and sparkle in your eyes makes me the happiest mom in the world.
This year you LOVE many things that are all "BOY". You love rockets more than anything else. This past year you have learned how to build model rockets with your daddy and that is your FAVORITE past time. You enjoy building them, but you enjoy launching them even more. You know eery engine and which one to use for each rocket. You are still a little afraid of the noise when they blast off, so your dad always plugs your ears while you count down.
You are in your last year of preschool and are learning so much. You are a hero to your little sister Avery. She wants to do everything you do. Even though she is a "princess" in a lot of ways, she'd rather be shooting guns and playing swords and rockets with you. She looks up to you so much and you are a great example to her. I hope you will always be great friends. You also love spending time with baby Brighton. You are my BEST helper with him! You love to crawl in his crib and try to make him laugh when you are suppose to be asleep in bed. I'm sure this is only the beginning of many late nights having fun with your brother. Little Brighton laughs for you more than anyone else in the family.
As for me, I am so happy to be your mom. You brighten my day and help me with so much. I am so proud of the little boy you are becoming and sometimes find it hard to believe that my little baby Kaden that we waited so long to get to us is now 5 years old. You have the most special, tender personality of anyone I know. You always make people feel happy because of your kindness and your ability to talk with others. You are kind and loving, and I especially love that you still want to sit and cuddle on the couch with me every once in a while.
Your daddy also loves you so much. You get to do a lot of fun things with him all the time. You love to have "boys only" adventures where there are "No Girls Allowed!". You are so blessed to have a father who spends so much time with you. I hope you become just like him when you grow up.
You are the greatest little dude I know! Happy Birthday Kade!!!

First Day of Preschool

Kaden started preschool today. He gets to go with his cousin so it makes it even better. When we got into his class, he said to his teacher, "Hey Miss LaDawn.. I haven't seen you in a long time". I'm sure he's going to have a great year, he couldn't wait for school to start. Now if I could only bottle that and save it for when he's going into 8th grade and not excited anymore!

Rocket Party

While I was at girls camp, my dad had a "rocket party" for all the grandkids over the age of 4. Kaden (a little obsessed with rockets right now) was in charge of "teaching" everyone how to launch a rocket. They had a wonderful night full of rockets, awards, treats and prizes!!
I am so grateful to have such a great family who makes special time to participate in my kids interests. Brian's parents do this all the time as well. I am very blessed.

Girls Camp - Bluffdale Idols.. Rockstars for Truth

A day and a half after our St. George trip, off I was to Girls Camp... (whew!! What a busy month!).
Girls camp, as always was awesome!! We had an amazing time at the Heber Valley Camp that is designed for LDS young women in mind. We slept in cabins, had running water, refrigerators, running water, showers, and a covered pavillion... ya... I know, it was rough!, but SO MUCH FUN!!
As I've been thinking about girls camp, I thought it would be entertaining to point out why girls camp is SO MUCH COOLER than scout camp.

#1- We have a camp theme! (This year we based our camp on American Idol- each group of girls were broken up into different music genre's.)

#2- We do crafts... ok.. usually, I think this is a little cheesy, but hey, it's part of girls camp. We made "Rock Stars" (people out of rocks) but I spiced things up a little bit and made a rock princess and a "rock"et for my kids.

#3- Skit night... (Always a highlight) Instead of skits this year, we put on our own "Bluffdale Idol" night. We even had our own Ryan Seacrest, Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul, and Simon Cowell. They did their parts perfectly! The girls and leaders needed to re-write a song from their given genre and sing it at our Bluffdale Idol competition.
This was a highlight of the whole camp. My stomach was sore from laughing so hard.

#4- No peeing in the fire

#5- Girls stay up late, paint nails, braid eachothers hair and sleep as many as they can in a twin size bunk just for the fun of it!

#6- Gotta have the secret sister gifts!! This year the leaders were getting mysterious "gifts" on our beds. When we opened them, they were random feminine hygene products. We kept blaming a couple of the "wilder" leaders, but to no avail.. they'd never give in. Later we found out that one of the girls had given us the gifts. It was pretty funny.

#7- Faith promoting hikes and other experiences-
We went on an incredible hike (which I'll share in a later post)

#8- Awesome food... So this camp was a little different than most. The food was great and healthy as well. We snacked on chocolate of course, but we also had tortilla's and hummas, fruit, veggies, and all sorts of hidden healthy foods in all our meals.

#9- The leaders are just as goofy as the kids (who knows... maybe scout camp is the same on this one)

#10- Girls can't go to girls camp without decorating their sleeping quarters and their tables for dinner time. It's always very festive.

Here are just a few of the fun things that took place. It was a great week.

St. George

A few days after we got home from Bear Lake, we dropped the kids off at Grandma's house and headed down for a much anticipated weekend with my family. The best part... NO KIDS ALLOWED!! For Christmas last year, my parents gave us a "Christmas in July". They got all 6 of us kids, our spouses and themselves a weekend away to St. George including tickets to Tuachan to see Les Miserables.. (Incredible production by the way), we chilled at the Marriott for three days and had fun shopping, eating, going to a movie, golfing, and hanging by the pool. It was such a fun weekend. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!!
I hope this becomes a yearly tradition.

A Life Lesson on Judging Others

An interesting thing happened yesterday while I was at the grocery store with my kids. Avery wanted to go on the little rides outside the front of the building, so we headed over there for a quick "horsee" ride. I rummaged through my wallet to find the 50 cents it required and found I only had a quarter. As I was telling my kids that we'd have to ride it after our grocery shopping was done so I could get some change, a man came up to me and asked how much the ride was. I told him it was a 50 cents and he bent down into his backpack, fished around for a minute as gave me 4 quarters and exclaimed, "Good for two rides!".
I thanked him and tried to give him the cash I had, but he wouldn't take it. I sat there in awe of my own "judgemental attitude" I could have had toward this man. He was a man in his 60's I suppose with several earrings in his ear, a dirty old tank top, several gold chains, teeth missing and a prosthetic leg. He carried around a dirty backpack. Upon first glance, I would "assume" he would be coming up to me to ask for money, but instead, he wanted to make a little kids day by letting them go on a silly ride.
I used his quarter and the ride started. The kids were giggling, the man was saying how he loves kids and he doesn't ever get to do things like this for anyone. I was so touched by his kindness. As I tried to give him money, he acted as if it was an insult, because all he wanted to do was do a good deed. As I stood there and watched my kids, the man was about to leave and he bent down again in his backpack and handed me 8 more quarters! He said, "Let your kids have a good time" and he walked off. I watched this man walk away and I had a sense of gratitude for the goodness in people. I tend to dwell on all the evil in the world a lot of times and forget that there are still SO MANY good people here as well. So, I say to myself as the hymn goes, "Have I done any good in the world today? Have I helped anyone in need? Have I cheered up the sad, or made someone feel glad, if not, I have failed indeed!". So the next time I have the opportunity to do a good deed, I need to make sure I do it. Don't be afraid to help a stranger or someone in need. It' amazing what a little act of kindness can do to your soul.

Tradition

There is one thing I have learned from being a "Larsen" for the past several years. They do many things in the name of "TRADITION". The 24th of July holiday is no different. For the past 30+ years they have been going to Bear Lake as a family. It's one of Brian's favorite summer memories, and I'm sure it's going to become one of our own kids favorite memories with their grandparents.
Over the past 15 years or so, I too have been apart of this "TRADITION". Nothing much changes. Ever since I've been going with them, we camp in the same place and if possible.. the exact same camp site, we eat the same meals, we play on the same beach, grandpa makes the same sand castles with the grandkids and grandma sits in the same spot cuddling the little babies under the canopy. The adults play the same games in the water, the kids get the same dirt in their diapers. We go to the same shake joint and we order the same flavors. Nothing much changes from year to year. Maybe a few extra kids running around, but for the most part, it remains the same because it's... "TRADITION".
As I thought about this as we were here this year, it made me appreciate Brian's parents for their ability to keep "TRADITION" alive. I am one who likes change and always seems to want to do something different, but I discovered something within myself this trip... there is a sense of comfort in things that are the "SAME". Our very "same" Bear Lake trip doesn't ever result in un- necessary stresses that planning and going on vacation sometimes brings. There is nothing to be expected, except what we've always done. There are no rules, no plans... just a set of imaginary guidelines of years past that lead us to our next activity.
I have come to love this "TRADITION" and it's "SAME-NESS". I have come to love and appreciate my in-laws for who they are and how they work to bring their family together. For them.. it is the "SAME-NESS" that works. "TRADITION" is everything. I'm sure my kids will look back on these trips and have the exact same memories as their dad had when he was a kid. How cool is that? So THANK YOU, Larsens...for giving us wonderful memories.

Lake Powell Bliss

I think of all the places I've been in my life, and my all time FAVORITE place in all the world is Lake Powell. I'm sure part of it is the nostalgia of my growing up years, but it's mostly just the pure beauty of the place. I can't think of a better place for me to "become one with nature" than boating down small canyons and looking up at the monstrous cliffs surrounding me. In years past, it was a time when I'd sit in the nose of the boat, soaking in the sun for a killer tan, listening to the "Nylons" or "Deep Breakfast".. the typical Lake Powell Canyon tunes and bask in the beauty. Today.. it's not much different, but instead of getting the killer tan, I'm content with my kids sitting on my lap as we look up at the beauty surrounding us. I didn't get the great tan of yester- year... but I DID get hours on end of intimate, priceless moments with my children cuddled around their mom in pure bliss. All of this added to the majesty of this remarkable place. The time with family, the beauty surrounding us, the water, clear as glass and the rum of the boat as it speeds out of a canyon at dusk all together makes Lake Powell my FAVORITE place on earth.
Growing up I wanted to work down at the marina store JUST so I could spend the summer on the lake. I never did that. I wish I had. As I'm taking a look down memory lane, it used to be that all I cared about was getting that killer tan and spending as much time as I could improving my form on the ski. I would spend every moment I could out on the water jumping the wakes, making big sprays, and going fast. I'd get frustrated when I wasn't doing as well as I wanted to and as my family still teases me.. would "smack" the water as if it was the waters fault.
I haven't done much skiing for the past few years and it disappoints me a little bit that I've allowed myself to give up something that I enjoy doing more than any other sport. But I do find that I enjoy just the sheer joy of being on the boat with the wind blowing in my hair and watching my kids enjoy something that I love to do. It's pretty cool.
In saying that, I'm not about to say I'm never going to ski again. I've made a personal goal. By next year's Lake Powell trip, I'm going to be much more fit. I'm going to get out and ski my heart out and let my kids (and my brothers) see that I can still rip it out there on the water!
Hope you enjoy some of our Lake Powell Adventures!

Serious Questions from your 4 year Old

Kaden and I were in the car last night and he started talking about being together forever. He started asking me a lot of questions that blew me away that a 4 year old would ask. I think it all stemmed back to this morning when we woke up to find one of our little goldfish down at the bottom of the tank. (good bye little goldfish)
Don't feel too bad for my kids. They didn't seem to mind so much. Avery called Brian and said, "Shisshee die, I go store, more shisshee". Kaden didn't mind so much either, but I think it did spark a conversation later in the day.
So we are driving and Kaden asks, "Mom, when are we going to Heaven?". I proceeded to tell him that we don't know when it's our time to die. He then started asking a series of questions, that for a mom... got really hard to answer. Some of his questions were these:
"Mom, when are we going to heaven?"
"I DON'T KNOW, BUD, WE ALL DIE AT DIFFERENT TIMES"
"But how old are you when you die?"
"Will we go to heaven at the same time"
"PROBABLY NOT KADE, IF MOMMY GOES TO HEAVEN FIRST, THEN YOU WILL WOULD COME TO HEAVEN LATER"
"Who would watch me?" (me thinking he's in Heaven, I said "Heavenly Father would take care of you"
"No, mom, if you were in heaven and Daddy had to go to work, would would be here with me? (Ahhh, OK, tears start swelling at this point and getting a little nervous why we are talking about this... he better not have kid intuition or something)
"WELL, BUD, THERE WOULD BE LOTS OF PEOPLE THAT WOULD TAKE CARE OF YOU. YOUR GRANDPARENTS, YOUR AUNTS & UNCLES, EVEN MOMMIES FRIENDS WOULD WATCH YOU"
"When would you come back?"
" I WOULDN'T COME BACK. I'D WAIT UP IN HEAVEN UNTIL YOU GOT THERE"
"Will we all be together?"
"WE SURE WILL BUDDY." (Then I was able to talk about the temple and how families are forever... you know.. take advantage of the teaching moment and all)

It was a touching conversation with your son. One's that depth far exceeded my expectations coming from a little 4 year old. A mix of emotions flooded my mind as I reflected back on the conversation I had just been apart of. My little guy is growing up so quickly. He is capable of understanding things that are so hard for us as adults to even talk about. I am so grateful I had the answers for him. I feel incredibly blessed to KNOW that my family WILL be together after we all die. That this earth life isn't the end. It would have broken my heart if I had to tell him something different. It was a small testimony builder to me to be able to explain to my son a simple truth the gospel brings us. I hope I have more of these tender, thoughtful moments as my kids grow up.

Summer Harvest

I've never been much of a gardener. When we lived in Arizona we bought a goofy little cactus to fell more like Arizionians.. and well... I killed it. Ya.. I killed a freikin cactus. Since then, I have not been allowed to have plants. Last year I thought I'd give it another chance with a hanging basket in our front yard.... well, it died too. I'm just no good taking care of them. I've got way too many other things in my life to worry about keeping a plant alive.
Brian on the other hand LOVES gardening. He's pretty darn good at it as well. He enjoys working outside which I despise. Luckily, he has taken full responsibility of our yard and I don't have to worry about it. (Don't look at it at this very moment... it's been a little neglected due to crazy schedules) I think my distaste for yardwork stems back from the daily yard work chores I had as a kid. Grantid.. my mom worked harder than all the kids combined, but I still hated it.
So, thanks to my hubby, I get to reap the benefits of fresh grown peas, carrots, radishes, tomatoes, raspberries, strawberries, peppers, and hopefully some apples soon. It's pretty cool to go out into your garden and pick some veggies for your dinner.

Kaden the Ring Bearer

We had a blast this weekend. It was jam packed with fun! First and most important, it was my mom's birthday. Happy Birthday Mom. I love you!
On Saturday, Kaden participated in my good friend Idaliz's daughters wedding. Kaden was the cutest little ring bearer you've ever seen! Not only did he do a great job, he LOVED every second of it! He was great at posing for the camera, holding the rings, and just looking plain old cute! The reception was a blast. It was a great Puerto Rican wedding reception. Great food, a ton of dancing, lots of fun for hours. Kaden was a riot the whole night. He ran around like he was the reason for the party. He flirted and talked to everyone. He danced almost every song and even went up to my friend Jackie while we were talking and said, "Will you dance with me?" What???? a four year old asking someone to dance? Can it get any cuter? He was so much fun to watch. Of all his dancing adventures, my favorite was when he and Avery started to dance together. It always ended up in wrestling on the grass, but it was still adorable.
I'm so excited for Linda and Jose. I hope they are enjoying their honeymoon. Linda and her family have been through a lot this year and it was really great to see them have a good time.

Is there any thing better than S'mores and Hot Dogs??

In answer to that question, I would have to say.. on a taste stand point... Ya... just about EVERYTHING! I'm not a terrible fan of either of those summer staples. But if you look at those food items as an excuse to sieze the moment and spend time with your family... ya just can't beat the taste.
Brian was off yesterday and we decided to ditch our everyday lives and take the kids up to the mountains for dinner. This is about our favorite place to be in the summer. We are mountain people. We try and take any opportunity to get up there and yesterday just happened to work out for us. We stopped and got some dogs and the ever popular treat involving chocolate, graham crackers and a toasted marshmallow. The next 2 hours were pure bliss. Avery and Kaden excited to go "rock climbing" on the boulders near our table, Brighton kicking his feet because he was so happy to be outside, Brian building a fire and taking the kids to find "caves" and me being the family photographer trying to capture the moment as I think about how great life is. These precious "adventures" are what life is all about for me. Life shouldn't be about filling up our lives second by second with places to go, things to do... we need to take time to just stop and enjoy the moment. So next time you feel stressed... get in your car, head east and roast a hot dog, a marshmallow and enjoy watching your kids love life. They can teach you alot if you just sit back and watch.

I vacuumed today

I used to tease my mom because she vacuums her house JUST to have the nice lines in the carpet the vacuum leaves. You can tell she is now an empty nester... I'm lucky to get the vacuum out to get the Cheerios off the carpet! Well, I will no longer tease her for this because I have CRAVED a nice vacuumed clean home for the past week and it has not been in the cards for me this week. Vacumming, may not seem like such a difficult task, but I tell you.. it's been one of those weeks. Since last Monday.. (yes a week ago) I have had the lofty goal of staying home, cleaning my house, doing laundry, paying bills, you know... typical mom stuff. Uhhh, ya... never happened. Every day this past week has been packed full of adventures. From swimming pools to hospitals (not related incidents by the way), we have been doing about everything BUT cleaning my house.
Weeks like this make for happy (and tired) children, but it also leads to frustrated and stressed mom. I don't know if any of you get this way, but are you more stressed when your house is a mess? Oh my gosh! I could not get caught up this week. It's been nuts! If I could just have a few hours alone to get my house in order, I may get back to some sort of normalcy. So, I began while the kids were napping. I didn't have much time so I turned on some tunes, gave myself a time limit and there I went. First to the bathrooms, then separate the laundry, start the laundry, clean the kitchen, pick up all sorts of junk off the floors that I hadn't gotten to in a week, dusted.... (OK.. didn't really dust, but realized I needed to-- that happened with the ironing as well!). Fed the fish, swept the floor, thought about mopping the floor, but that's going to have to wait, de-cluttered my computer area. clean my room, think about going to the play room (yep.. that's going to have to wait as well) then looked at the clock and it was almost time for the kids to wake up. I figured I had just enough time to do what I'd been looking forward to doing for a week... Putting deodorizer on the carpet and turning on the good ol Kirby. Ahhh the sound of the motor running,the smell of the deodorizer, the lines in the carpet (they are pretty cool I must say. Is this the first clue that I'm becoming my mother?) It was wonderful! I finished, put the vacuum away, sat down to enjoy the moment, JUST in time for the kids to wake up and mess it all up again. Ahhhh that 5 minutes was heaven!!
So to any of you who are able to keep a clean house, I envy you, I want to be you and I hate you! :)

Introducing Tidbits

I decided to start a new blog dedicated to all the funny stuff my kids say. I've only got a couple posts up right now because it's late and I'm tired, but check it out. If you want to join in the fun, just let me know! You can either put your email and name here, or just your name if you don't want your email out there for all to see. If I know you, I've probably got your email anyway!
Hope you enjoy Tidbits!

Happy Fathers Day

I am very lucky to have three great fathers in my life. The first of course is my own dad. He is the greatest man. Most of my memories in life stem from something he has taught me. I truly believe that most of who I am is because of him. I wish I had all his qualities, but I hope to gain a few of them. If there were ever a more Christlike, service oriented, kind, generous, humble man... it would be my dad. He never complains, never talks about himself, never puts others down. He makes everyone around him feel loved and important. I love you so much dad. Thank you for being there for me, for teaching me kindness, service, and to have fun. Now that summer is finally headed our way, I'm so excited to spend most Saturdays on the boat with you. That is what family time is all about for me. I'm so glad we've been able to share that for so many years. I love you!!

I'm also lucky to have a great father in law. Brian's dad set such a good example for Brian to always find time to enjoy life and nature. He makes sure that he spends time with his sons even in adulthood. I know that Brian is the type of father he is because of the way he was raised as a child. John is kind, loving, and is there when you need him. I am so blessed to be in your family. Happy Fathers Day!!

And last but surely not least... my own husband. Wow... I tear up thinking about how blessed I am to have you as my partner, best friend and father to our kids. You too remind me that life is to be enjoyed as much as it is to "get things done". You are so patient and giving of your time. I am amazed at the amount of time you spend with our kids and enjoy doing so. They look up to you as their hero... and in my eyes.. you are their hero and mine. Thank you for becoming the man you are today. Thank you for your love for me, and Thank you for being the dad you are to our kids. I love you so much.

3 2 1 Blast those devils away!!!

Here's a beautiful picture of the size the 3 kidney stones that were in me. It may not look like much, but this guy needs to go through a space that is about the width of a craft wire. It's been a long month, but I think I'm finally Kidney Stone free! I started having kidney pain in January about a week before Brighton was born. I've had stones before, so I knew what was happening... believe me.. if any of you have had stones before, they HURT! I would rather give birth.. literally.
Anyway, the pain would come and go until a couple months ago and the pain was coming more than going. After several tests, they found 3 large kidney stones. One already moving down (the culprit that was really hurting) and two more buggers in my kidney's that were too big to pass without surgery.
So.. about 5 weeks ago I went into surgery. The doctor blasted the two in my kidneys so they turned into small pieces and put a stint in me which is a covered wire that is supposed to open up the ureter (the space your pee goes through... sorry for the graphic detail) so the stones could pass through without pain. He also took the one out of the ureter with a scope. Well, it sounds like all was going well, but when I went back for my two week check up, they found out that the stones didn't break up the way they liked. I needed to keep the stint in another 3 weeks and go into surgery again. Can I tell you how bad that dumb stint hurt??? Somedays I could barely walk. It was a wire poking at me in all sorts of places. YUCK! I was so sad I had to go back into surgery, but I hoped this time it would work.
So, this past Tuesday, I went back in. To my delight, they took the stent out (finally) and re-blasted the stones in my kidneys. The past few days I've been passing miniature stones like crazy so I hope it actually worked this time! I'm so appreciative of all the people who have helped with my kids, brought me dinner, and just tried to cheer me up. Thank you everyone! I've got the best friends and family ever!

Blog Stalkers

I was reading an email from my friend the other day and she told me she was a blog stalker. So.... it gave me an idea. This post is dedicated to all the blog stalkers out there reading this. I am curious to see who you are, what's going on in your life and why you never post anything. The best part about blogging is reading other people's responses ya know!

So.... If you read this post, make a comment... even if it's just your name. I think this will be fun.

Stalkers and regulars... enjoy my blog but stop in and say hi every once in a while.

The Lemonade Stand

In the eyes of a child, summers are full of fun, sun, water, bike rides, later bed times and.... LEMONADE STANDS!
Kaden participated in his very first business venture yesterday afternoon as he and our neighbor kids decided to have a lemonade stand. Everyday I am a little overwhelmed at the speed that he is growing up.
So here is how the scene played:
Kade comes running in asking me if we had any cups and lemonade because they were going to have a lemonade stand. I got him some cups and then started making the punch as he watched with excited anticipation. I couldn't get the water in the jug fast enough I guess because he told me he was going to run out and tell his friend that it was almost done!
I went out to help him get the punch on the stand and the other kids were bringing out some chairs. Kaden needed his own chair so he goes in his room and picks up his little chair. As we are going back to the sidewalk, he yells, "I'm almost there guys, don't start without me!" (Oh my gosh! How cute is he? I didn't have the heart to tell him he probably would be sitting there for the next hour or two with a full jug of punch and no takers)
So we got him and the other two kids situated and I went back in the house. Soon Kaden came running in the house to tell me they were waiting for "customers". WHAT??? Do you realize how cute it is to hear a 4 year old say customers? I decided to go out and give them some business. You can never get too much to drink on a summer day you know! As I went out, I realized that their little Lemonade Stand was on prime business property. We are right at the bottom of an area in our neighborhood that has a lot of construction. So many people came and stopped to buy a glass of punch or they just donated $1.00 to the cause. I was so overwhelmed by the generosity of others. It made their day to have people stop. They even had the garbage man stop in for a glass! I would normally just drive past without another glance, but to see the excitement on these little guys faces to sell their little glasses of punch is worth the 10 seconds of my time to make some other kids day when I happen to come across a lemonade stand.
Needless to say, they went through a whole gallon of punch in an hour or so. They made a good 5 bucks at least. And they had so much fun. So maybe this summer on a day where it's hot and you are out for a stroll... support your local small business beverage owners... the drinks may be a little watery, the quality not the best, the portion size smaller than you are used to and the prices pretty high.. but it's worth every penny to see the exictement of those little guys selling their product!

Memorial Day

Since Memorial Day is usually reserved for the first boating trip of the season (didn't happen this year) We visit graves on Sunday. This year we went to visit my grandpa's grave and Brian's grandparents grave. It's a neat thing for us to do each year mostly because it gives us a chance to talk to our kids about the neat people that they were. I was advised once that I should teach my children of my parents and grandparents because they will be a great influence in their lives. I hope that is true because my grandparents have played a HUGE part in my life. I am blessed to still have 3 of my four grandparents alive, but it's always a treasure to stop and look back on the awesome example my Grandpa Kieth was and still is after his death.
I never got to know Brian's grandparents, but I sure wish I could have. It's fun to listen to what he remembers about them and the things they went through in their lives.
I'm really grateful that we have families and have the opportunity to carry on their lives through stories and memories.

What do you say when something is in between ALOT and A LITTLE BIT??

Kaden made up a new work today that was so cute.
We've been having a little trouble lately with him paying attention in preschool so he needs to give me an update on how he did when I pick him up.
Today I asked him how he did in preschool. Here's our conversation:
Turia: "Kaden, how were in in preschool today?"
Kaden: "mom.. I kindof don't remember" (ya right!)
Turia: "Did you have to get moved alot or just a little bit?"
Kaden: (after thinking for a second).... "Just "ALOT-A-BIT"

So there you have it... if something is in-between "alot" and "a little bit" all you have to say is "ALOT- A- BIT".

Brighton's Growing Up

HERE WE GO.....

FIRST BITE.....

HMMMMM.... DO I LIKE THIS OR NOT?

THAT WAS YUMMY!!! GIVE ME MORE!!


Bright is now 4 months old and is by far my biggest baby so far. He's in the 60% in his weight (he's a tank).. he's still a shrimp like my other two kids though... he's only in the 1% in length. The doctor said he was ready for cereal.. WHAT???? He can't possibly be big enough to do that yet! He's growing up so fast. I can hardly believe it...
So here was our first attempt with cereal... He did very well

Creativity at it's Best

Since the weather here in Utah is never predictable (Last week it was in the 90's, now it's in the 60's) My kids got creative today. Since Avery was already in her suit from her photo shoot this morning, Kaden wanted in on the fun. Pretty soon I have both kids in swimming suits, Kaden's bed sheets (used as "water" for the swimming pool) and the backs of puzzles laying in my front room. I come in to check on my two giggling children to see them "swimming" , going on "waterslides" with their sleeping bags off the couch into the "water" and having a blast!! You would have thought they really believed they were swimming.
My favorite was when Kaden said, "Look Mom.... I'm surfing!!" What??? How does he even know what surfing is? All the same, it was so cute watching him slide around on a puzzle into his make believe water.

Deal of the Month

We had a little photo shoot this morning as we tried on the new swimming suits I got for Avery... if you can believe it... each one of these suits were only $1.00. You can't get much better than that! The only problem was she didn't want to take the suit off. All morning long Avery stayed in her "simming shoot" which led to Kaden wanting to be in his (see blog entry below for details). It was a fun morning.

Fun in the Sun

The kids took advantage of the warm weather today and grabbed their suits and played out in the sprinklers for several hours with the neighbor kids.

GNO

We had a great time this past weekend. My mom, sister and sister in laws and I all took my mom out for a Girls Night Out for mothers day. We ate dinner and then headed over to get pedicures. I have the greatest family in the world. I feel so grateful that I have such a great relationship my mom and sister as well as all my brothers wives. They are some of my greatest friends.
It was so nice to get a little relaxation away from kids for a couple hours!

Deep Thoughts by My Dad

My dad is so cute. He never remembers to read my blog, so I have it automatically set up to email him whenever I make a new post. He always emails me with sweet comments about what was written.

Anyway, he emailed me his comments on "Avery's Artwork" and what he said made me thing a little deeper than what he intended it to mean, I'm sure.
He wrote:
You have a wonderful daughter with budding talent. SHE IS BOUND TO DEVELOP HER TALENTS IN WONDERFUL WAYS... THE CHALLENGE WILL BE IN THE JOURNEY ALONG THE WAY.
I am glad that you never lose sight of who she really is. What a wonderful gift this little girl is to our family and to the rest of the world.

I know he was talking about her "poop art", but I actually thought of it in a different light. I just loved how he said:
"she is bound to develop her talents, the challenge will be in the journey along the way... "
Isn't that right about all of us? I think about my life and the things I've accomplished and still want to accomplish in my life. There have been many challenges that have come with defining my talents. We are all so talented in different ways and when we look back on how we've gotten to where we are today, what has our journey been like? (hmmmmm, it's a thinker isn't it?)

Then my dad said, "I'm glad you never lose sight of who she really is"... That is the real challenge in life I think... remember who we are and not straying from the true "you" as you change and grow into the new talented you. I hope that I as a mom can NEVER, EVER, EVER lose sight of who my kids really are. I want to be there to give them the freedoms to make their own choices and be proud of whatever they decide to do in their lives. It's going to be tricky, but it's part of the journey!

So THANK YOU dad for a small little comment that somehow turned into something very meaningful to me! I learned a great lesson today.

The Artist Has Created Again

I will spare you all the details on Avery's last "Masterpiece"..... but here's what happened.
She was her room having a "nap" (or so I thought). She'd been in there about 1 1/2 hours and I could hear her just playing in there. I figured she wasn't going to go to sleep so she could get up. I was actually laying in my bed during naptime
(note to self... don't take a nap if your kids could for ANY reason still be awake)
So I was laying in my bed and I called for her to come in my room.. I hear her say.. OK mommy in her cute little voice, then one of my "favorite things about being a mom" moments was about to happen... you know, when she opens my door with wide open arms and says "hi mommy!"... This time is was not so much a favorite moment.
She opens my door and says "what mommy?" as cute as she possibly could. I look at her and see she had taken her pants off, and then I noticed the "Artwork... Series 1"... She had POOP, yes POOP all over her arms and legs. I jumped out of bed to go to her room to the pleasant aroma that was sure to be there. I couldn't see any poop anywhere, but I knew better than that. I said, "Avery, is there any poop in your room?" She points to her wall by her flower box and says, "wall mommy". Sure enough, there it was in all it's glory... "Artwork.. Series 2". As gross as it was, how can you get mad? She was so cute and completely naive that what she just did was about the most disgusting thing imaginable. So, I just gave her a rag and had her help me clean it up. When the wall was all clean and she was sortof washed off, I said, "Avery, do you want to get in the tub?" In her sweet little voice, she said, "K mommy" and ran to my room ready for tub time. In the tub, I was trying to see if she understood what had happened, and all she could say was, "Avee do it".
So, Yes, once again... "Avee do it" is yet another fun post to add to my blog!

WHY I LOVE BEING A MOM

As you read in my last post, my mom hated mothers day growing up... I am not to that point in my life with my kids just yet (Thank Goodness... I am DREADING the day I realize my kids are no longer those cute, innocent little sweethearts they are now)

So, since I am very optimistic that my mothers day will be pretty darn good (knock on wood), I want to write down some of the reasons I love being a mom in 2008.
#1- Those awesome people in the picture above!
#2- Avery coming in every morning with out stretched arms saying "mommy!!!!!"
#3- Brighton's smile
#4- Kaden's never ending compassion
#5- Staying home to be with my kids and watch them learn
#6- (Brian allowing me to do so)
#7- Sitting in bed at night at staring our conversations with.., "you'll never believe what the kids did/said today"
#8- Their innocence
#9- Their Spirits
#10- The funny things they say
#11- How Kaden and Avery play hide and seek
#12- How they get excited when Brighton wakes up from his nap or how they run to tell me he's crying
#13- Avery's laugh and huge smile
#14- Kadens amazing eyes
#15- Brighton's funny cough when he is trying to let out a fake cry
#16- How excited they get when they see their grandparents
#17- When Brian comes home and Avery says, "DADDY'S HOME!"
#18- Because I have an incredible husband to share this time with... who's even a better dad
#19- Cuddle Time
#20- Watching the kids conduct FHE
#21- Avery's Mischief (yes... I really just said that!)
#22- Kaden's obsessions to all things "boy" (rockets,trains,cars)
#23- That I have girlfriends that are going through all this with me
#24-The spontaneous hugs, kisses, and I love you's from my kids
#25- Every day I get to wake up and know I will learn something from them that will make me see life just a little bit better.

Happy Mothers Day Mom

Growing up my mom HATED mothers day. She always went to church with 6 roudy kids just to listen to speakers talk about how wonderful their lives were as mothers. In the mean time, my poor mother was trying desperatly to keep us from fighting, pinching, pulling hair, screaming or laughing too hard at our ward chorister (who was always made us laugh for some reason). All while my dad was up on the stand trying not to look down at us because he would get the "look of death" from my mom having to deal with all our "perfectness" by herself. Mothers day was no vacation - just another day to be a mom.
Now that all 6 of those kids are grown, I hope my mom finally gets a chance to sit and listen to the Mothers Day talks and do a few things:
1) Sit back and smile a little when it's other mom's children causing irreverance (ya... those would be my kids)
2) Still sitting alone... (dad's on the stand as always) but I hope she can listen to the thoughts being shared
3) Most importantly, I hope she can see that all those years of hard work, struggle, elastic flips, and snaps that took away our dessert for bad behavior has molded her children BECAUSE SHE IS A GREAT MOM! I hope she listens to the speakers and can say... "you know what? Being a mom is awesome! I did the best I could and I am proud of who my kids have become".

I hope she says that because she played a HUGE part in how each one of my siblings and myself became who we are today. I don't think she gets the credit she deserves for the hard work she has done and continues to do each day to try and keep our family close as friends, as well as continue to strive to continue to grow and be better individuals. She is the most determined, focused individual I have ever met! She works hard, she touches so many lives and she always is doing something to better herself and bring her closer to the Savior.
There's never a holiday, birthday, anniversary that she doesn't forget. We still get Lucky Charms on our door step on St. Patricks Day because that was one of the only sugar cereals we got growing up because it was a holiday. She worries and prays for us, hugs her grand children, and is ALWAYS there to serve. Even when I don't ask, she's at my door with open arms. She is my best friend, my mentor, my example.
If I am any kind of a good mom it's because of her. I hope that I can be even 1/2 the mom she's been to me.
Happy Mothers Day Mom... I love you.

Concerned Big Brother

So, I had a little surgery this week... nothing serious, but it still was no fun all the same. I had 3 kidney stones removed. For some dumb reason, my body keeps producing these things. I tell you what.. I'd SO MUCH rather give birth than pass stones. They hurt really bad.
Anyway, so I went in for surgery on Tuesday and they told me I couldn't breast feed for a few sessions because of the anesthesia. So, I got up yesterday and I was giving Brighton a bottle. Kaden came in and said, "Mom, why aren't you feeding Brighton from your boob?". I proceeded to tell him that I had some medicine in me that Brighton would drink if I fed him (from my boob). He was happy with that answer. Then later on, I was nursing Bright and Kaden came in and looked frantic.. he said, (almost yelling), "Mom.... what about the medicine???" He was so concerned that Brighton was going to drink it.
Then later last night, I was taking some pain pills and I had them on the counter. Kaden once again saw the pills and said, "mom... what are those?" I told him, and he got a worried look and said, "but mom, if you take the medicine, Brighton won't be able to eat from your boob"!
Oh my gosh! It was so cute how concerned he was for his brother and at the same time hilarious that he kept saying "your boob". Kids are too sweet! I just love them to death!

Life Lessons from the Book of Mormon

It's amazing how much you can learn in church when you actually listen! My usual Sunday is filled with chasing children down the hall, hushing them while in class, or in the mothers room nursing my baby. Unfortunatly, it's usually far from spiritual and uplifting. But today, I got a break.
I was in Sunday School and we were talking about King Benjamin in the Book of Mormon. King Benjamin was an incredible king who served his people faithfully and righteously. In the book of Mosiah, King Benjamin is teaching his sons about the God, religion and prophesies that had been given.
Anyway, our Sunday School Teacher (the best one I've ever had by the way), started talking about the importance of being parents. How we need to raise our children and teach them the words of Christ. Then he read a passage of scripture that gave me one of those "ah ha" moments. He read in Mosiah Chapter 1 vs. 3

"And it came to pass that he had three sons; and he called their names Mosiah, and Helorum, and Helaman. And he caused that they should be taught in all the language of his fathers, that thereby they "MIGHT BECOME MEN OF UNDERSTANDING"; and that they might know concerning the prophecies which had been spoken by the mouths of their fathers, which delivered them by the hand of the Lord"....

So anyway, the teacher then asked how we as parents could raise our children to become men/women of understanding. Answers followed such as the teaching by example, honesty, love of others, humility, to love the Savior (and so forth)
As we read this scripture and I listened to the suggestions people were giving, I looked deeply into my own life. Am I teaching my children to become men/women of understanding? How am I accomplising this? Am I doing enough? Am I, myself becoming a women of understanding?
(So many questions and thoughts- and then the light clicked on in my head)

I think the reason this verse hit me so hard is because my VERY FAVORITE verse of scripture in the Book of Mormon is in
Alma 17:2-3
Part of it reads: "Now the sons of Mosiah were with Alma at the time the angel first appeared unto him; therefore Alma did rejoice exceedingly to see his brethren; and what added more to his joy, that they were still his brethren in the Lord; yea, they had waxed strong in the knowledge of the truth; for they WERE MEN OF A SOUND UNDERSTANDING, and they had searched the scriptures diligently, that they might know the word of God.

Years ago after returning from my mission, I made that verse of scripture my life long goal. By the time I leave this earth, I want to have the SOUND UNDERSTANDING that these men have. I've tried hard in my life to continue to learn and do good so that I can have this perfect understanding of the gospel and our purposes on earth. At times (especially now as a mom with 3 little guys) I haven't taken as much time and thought into studying and focusing on the Lord as much as I should, and I get frustrated.
But today, I had a sense of energy. A desire to work harder... not just for myself, but for my family. (Here's the ah ha moment of this long story)
So it hit me as we had just read the scripture of King Benjamin wanting to teach his sons so that they "MIGHT become men of understanding"... Benjamin... as a father, wanted to teach his sons so they had a path to follow. So that they would love and serve the Lord. That is exactly what we are trying to do everyday with our own children. We are teaching them so they "MIGHT become men/women of understanding". In order to teach them, we need to be living in such a way that we too "MIGHT have sound understanding.
Then it hit me.. my favorite verse reads, "for they WERE men of sound understanding"! OH MY GOSH!!! A light bulb went off in my head. The teachings of King Benjamin to his sons (Mosiah in particular) had paid off. Mosiah had become an amazing prophet, and his son had served the Lord as one of the greatest missionaries in the book of mormon. It was no longer the word "MIGHT have understanding" but now is "they WERE men of sound understanding"! All of this because of the righteous teachings of a loving dad who knew how to teach his children in the way of the Lord.
I was so touched by this little bit of insight today. Something that I needed to hear to remind me of my own personal goal and to remember that I have an incredible responsibility to teach my children about our Savior and the life He lead in order for us to return to Him someday as a family. I have been so blessed in my life to have parents who have "sound understanding". They have always and continue to work to teach us. They live their lives in a way that make me and my siblings want to be better... even in adulthood. Because of their teachings, I believe we are all striving for "sound understanding" and in return, are teaching our own children what is right. I am blown away and humbled by the power I have as a parent to teach my kids what is right. It is by my own understanding that they will be taught. What a challenge and blessing it is to be a mom. I realize how much I still have to do for myself to be the good example I want to be for my kids so that they will become men/women of sound understanding.
Ahhh!! I love this life! I love "ah ha" moments that make me want to be better. I hope that I can be that great example I want to be for my amazing kids even when they have families of their own.

The Best Medicine is Great Girlfriends

Last weekend I went down to St. George with a few girlfriends. What a blast we had!! I've never been one to take time out for myself and head out of town with just the girls, but Oh my Gosh!! It is just what the doctor ordered!!

It was so nice just to lay out by the pool for 3 days, read (well sortof), shop, laugh, and laugh some more, eat out, and smile when we heard kids crying and got to joyfully lay back in our chairs knowing they weren't our kids! There were moments I felt as if I was a crazy high school girl again, and then there were moments that I was so happy to be who I am at this time in my life and the experiences I've had that have gotten me this far. It's amazing how a bunch of friends can bring out the best, the wildest, the crazy and fun sides out in you as well as help you remember who you are as a mother, wife, church member, and friend.

I am SO GRATEFUL for my girlfriends. Not very many times in my life have I felt such a NEED for them. As I get older and am in the heart of raising my kids, I realize how much I VALUE my friends, how much I LOVE them, and how GRATEFUL I am for their wisdom and life experiences. I hope in 30 years from now, we will still have the opportunity to laugh, act like high school girls, lay out by the pool and spend a little time away... just the girls.

Avery's Funny Sleep Positions

Avery got a new toddler bed and I think she has enjoyed her new found freedom. In a matter of a few days, I found her in several different spots sound asleep. I think she just played and played until she couldn't take it anymore. One place I found her a couple different times was right behind her bedroom door. I wish I could have found a way to get into her room to take those pictures.

Follow up on Avery's Artwork

So, as you all saw, Avery did beautiful artwork on my couches. The video didn't do it justice. It was a lot worse than it looked. Not to mention it was Red, Blue and Green PERMANENT marker! My brother used to work for Chem Dry, so when it happened, I called him and he said that I'd probably make it worse if I tried to fix it myself so just call someone to get it out... so $120 later, I now have a semi clean couch. They could get the green and red out, but for some reason, the blue wouldn't come out. It's faded a ton, but you can still see it. That's one expensive piece of artwork! One thing I forgot to mention, when I saw the marker, I went over to the couch and gasped (of course). Then I started calling for Avery. I think she knew she wasn't supposed to do that because she was hiding under our kitchen table not making a sound! It was pretty funny actually. The best thing about it is that Kaden ratted her out. Kaden found her and said, "MOM, she's under the table!" (So much for having a protective brother!)

So, I've decided to start a "destruction" list of all the things AVery gets into. Just last week she drew on my couch (as you all saw), rolled out two different rolls of toilet paper all over the house, got into a bag of tiny rocks that were supposed to go in her fish tank and "played" in them all over her carpet, spilled a box of Cheerios, and dumped out a whole container of conditioner in the bathtub for "bubbles". She's just so curious right now. Good thing she is so cute!

We'll see what next week brings.

This needs no explanation