Lake Powell --- October 2009

The kids and I took off to Lake Powell (AKA... my favorite place on earth) for a little mini vacation. Brian had to work (sniff, sniff). Although we missed him, we still had a great time.

THE FISH

Growing up going to Lake Powell... FISHING WAS NOT ..let me say that again... WAS NOT

allowed. Powell was for skiing and exploring canyons.. that was it!!!

Most of this rule was regulated obnoxiously by me... (I was a skiing freak growin up)... but when you've got cute little kids that LOVE fishing????  Well... all rules null and void

THE COUSINS

  These guys are the best of friends. I am so grateful for my little nieces and nephews.  (Can I note the GORGEOUS water in the back ground?)

   And of course... Cousins always have a great time when grandma and grandpa are around!

MY ADORABLE KIDS

These guys love the boat as much as I do.  They had so much fun! Crazy kids were in the water nearly every morning by 8 am.  Keeping in mind... October LP's are MUCH COLDER than July's LP! All the adults stayed in sweats and blankets and the kids were out playing in the water!

AVERY... 3 GOING ON 13! HER TWO BEST FRIENDS

All I can say is THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU for these two sweet girls who let Avery follow them around all week.  If they wanted to eat, Avery wanted to eat. If they wanted to go in the water, Avery would go in the water.  I heard the phrase, "I going with the girls" about every 10 minutes. My favorite thing Avery did was she came in and asked me if she "could watch a movie with the girls".. I said yes.. then she said, "but it's pg 13".  It was so cute.

THE DARE-DEVILS

yes... this is Avery!

(and of course... "the girls")

MY LIFE IS PRETTY DARN GREAT!

Thank you mom and dad, and the amazing Porters!

We had such a wonderful trip.

The big Day

How did this happen? When did this happen? Wasn't he just born?

It really happened....

I have a kindergartner.


**** Note the high fashion first day of school outfit... I could have been a micro managing mom who wouldn't let her kid wear his FAVORITE new school outfit on the first day of school because it wasn't the stylish, ADORABLE, full on outfit (including matching shoes) that I wanted him to wear... No... I would have never tried to talk him into the outfit just mentioned, or even begged a little...
Instead I realized (OK.. after just a little begging for the other outfit) this is Kaden's big day.. not mine. Does it really matter that he wears the cute graphic tee and button down with cargo shorts and skate shoes? He'll wear it eventually, but today is all about him. If he wants to be a walking advertisement for Mario Brothers... then so be it.. (Ya.. his backpack is also Mario )
He was one happy (and stylish in his own rite) little boy. And I have to admit.. he looked pretty cute.

Kaden's and his best little buddy Josh! We made sure they got on the same track so they could go to school together. They both ride the school bus, sit by eachother in school, and would play 24-7 if we'd let them. I'm so glad he has a friend to go to school with.


THE MUCH ANTICIPATED SCHOOL BUS!!!
I think we've been talking about the school bus for at least a year and a half.. and today Kaden's dream came true. He was so cute. When he saw the bus, his eyes lit up and got in line without a inch of anxiety or nervousness. He waved us goodbye and off he went.
Brian didn't think that was good enough so we followed the bus to the school to watch him get off. (Awwwww.. what a cute daddy) It's pretty crazy to think about how quickly your kids grow up. I feel so blessed.

Long Lost Passion

I have to blog.. I want to blog... I need to blog....

..... when will I have time to blog?

updates coming.... (eventually)

I promise I'm working on it.

It's been a long month.. try and keep up

So, I've decided I just need to post our life this past couple months since I've neglected my poor blog. So, I'm not going to take the time to write witty dialogue great inspirational thought processes because I just need to get all this on here! :)
So here's what we've been up to in a nutshell.

Kaden

Kaden finished up preschool and has had his kindergarten orientation. I can't believe he's old enough to go to school. He's been playing soccer with his cousin Garrett. I don't think he's going to be a soccer nut. He doesn't get into the game all that much. He spends more time posing for the camera (while playing on field) than kicking the ball.

My favorite thing about Kaden right now is his imagination. One day I was in the kitchen (wow.. that's a surpise) and I looked out the window to see him with his Ninja Turtle mask on his eyes, his sword in his back riding his bike. It hit me so hard that these years are priceless. He is always some sort of character.. (ninja turtle, a sonic hedgehog, mario, or the latest... pokemon characters). I love watching him in his make believe worlds.

Avery

Avery's big accomplishment this month is that she learned how to ride her bike. She is so funny. Just like everything else in her life.. she needed to figure it out herself. I tried to help her one day and she just wasn't getting it.. then all of a sudden the next day she was riding the bike everywhere!




























Avery is also very into having friends right now. She LOVES when she gets to have play dates. Especially when it's with girls. This is her friend Hailey. They had so much fun playing princesses, coloring, and helping me make a cake.

Brighton

Could he be any cuter? He's still not walking... ya, I know... he's 17 months old. He can do it.. he's just scared... or lazy... or something.
He's a crack up these days. He's found out it's fun to laugh at his brother and sister.. and he loves his daddy the best.. NO QUESTION ABOUT IT! If Brian has him... he will have nothing to do with me.. except slap my hands away and say NO! (it's pretty cute actually... he's quite the daddy's boy)

Get Me Out of Here

Bright decided to pull a little trick on me the other day and locked himself in the car.... uhhhh... with the keys in the car with him! Ya that was fun! These pictures are priceless.

Uh Ohhh

I went in to get Bright from his nap the other day and this is what I found on the floor......


This can't be good.



Then I saw this.... Man, he's cute.

New York

Happy Anniversary to US!

Brian and I decided to celebrate year 10 in style! We took a long awaited trip to NYC and up to Maine. It was so much fun and great to get away from everyday life for a while. I'm already ready for our next vacation. alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368178359063909314" />
This city is so cool. Amidst, all the buildings.. there are trees and water fountains and parks everywhere! Central Park was a huge highlight.. you would never believe you were in the heart of all the cabs, people, sky scrapers, etc. etc. It's so peaceful there.




Oh my gosh... Wicked was AMAZING! All I have to say is if you haven't seen it... GO GET TICKETS NOW!!! If you have seen it... this post will remind you that you WANT TO GO GET TICKETS AGAIN!!! I LOVED this play!

I'm Not Dead... Just Crazy Busy

I know. I know.... It's been TOO LONG since I've blogged and it's driving me nuts.. If I have anyone who even cares about my blog anymore, I PROMISE this weekend I will try and get caught up on my blogging.
But in the mean time... this is why I haven't blogged for a month. Wedding Cake Season is in full swing. That's all I've done for weeks. If you want to check out the cakes I did in May... log onto my cake blog.

My Kid the Movie Star

Kaden has been in two different commercials the last couple months. Not for any reason, but my friends and family needed kids and he was available. Don't worry.. I'm not adding "stage mom" to my list of to-do's anytime soon.
But he is adorable all the same.

Check out Kaden being the perfect patient at our friends dental office. If you don't have a pediatric dentist.. GO SEE THEM! They are awesome and their office is so cute.

Good Things Utah

Wow... It's hard to believe, but thanks to my dear friends at Swensen Photography and The Bridal Extravaganza, I will be appearing on Good Things Utah on Tuesday March 24th. I'm so excited for this opportunity to show off my cakes and am blown away that I was asked. It's going to be a little nerve racking to watch all the girls from the show eat my cake on live television (ahhhh). I hope they like it! Wouldn't that suck if you were on a food segment and the hosts actually spit your food out? Man.. worst nightmare right there.
Anyway... tune in to Channel 4 news at 10:0-11:00 next Tuesday morning.

My family was teasing me on Sunday saying that all my theatre in college and high school is finally paying off. I'll have my 10 minutes of fame!! Don't worry.. I'll be signing autographs after the show (hee, hee).

Updated Sugar Kisses Blog

Hey if you are interested, I've updated my sugar kisses blog that has a few more cakes on it. I got to make such a fun boat cake this past week. It's always so much fun to look outside the box and do something just fun.

Melt Down

As you can see it's been weeks since I've posted anything. I had a meltdown last week when I finally realized I have too much on my plate. Things aren't getting done... and others things are getting done half hearted due to lack of time.. and things I enjoy doing (like blogging) have gone to the wayside. I know I can do everything I need to do.. I just need to find that balance. I'm having a tough time trying to figure out my role as a mom of three (wow... it's still hard), having my own business, being a friend, doing my calling to the best of my ability, etc. etc. etc. I know everyone deals with this juggling act we as mom's do, and I think that for the most time, we do a dang good job at it, but sometimes... we break. That's what happened to me. I got so overwhelmed that there was nothing else I could do but cry. It's kindof crazy how a good cry session can clear your mind and get you back on track.
I'm not much of a crier... so for me to break down, I think it' frieks Brian out a little bit. He was great to be there for me though. I could talk, he listened. When I began to sob because a cup of crayons fell out of the cupboard, he rushed over and held me as I shook in his arms (seriously.. I'm sure he was thinking ... "What the crap is going on? They were crayons for heavens sakes") Well, those crayons were the last straw of a very long few months. I sometimes wonder why I put so much upon myself. I know part of it is how I was raised, and I think another part is just that feeling of wanting to always move and change and grow. I like to know I'm doing something to help others or improve my talents and especially be there for my kids. I have this need to constantly be moving. I don't know if that's necessarily good. I get to these "Melt Down" moments and realize that down time is HUGE! I don't give myself time just to chill. I don't stop until I've literally crashed on the couch and have to have Brian wake me up to go to bed. Why do I do that? Why is it so hard to find this balance? It's do-able.. I KNOW it is. I just gotta figure it out. For all you moms out there that cram your days, go, go, go and never take time for yourself... STOP! Stop right now or you will soon be crying hysterically over a bunch of crayons on your floor.
We need to have down time. We need to just sit down and reconnect with ourselves. If we don't do that... how in the world will we ever successfully connect with those we love and care about? We can't. At least, I can't. I'm learning that I can't be my best self for my family and friends and my church without making sure I'm OK first. It's a crazy balance.. but we can do it. We just need time to clear the chaos (even if it's just for a minute or two) and have your down time. It makes everything better and nothing seems too overwhelming. I am amazed at how easier it's been to refocus after my crazy "melt down". It cleared my head, it allowed me to see that if I plan a little better and try not to overbook myself.. I can find that balance. I may have to give up a few things here and there.... but that's not such a bad thing, Infact.. it will probably make me a better mom, a better wife, a better friend, a better business owner.. and all the other balls I juggle in my life. I just need to prioritize the most important things and then say goodbye to everything else. (ya.... a lot easier said than done for an overworker like myself)
Balance... I think THAT is going to be my greatest challenge as well as the my greatest strength if I can figure it out.

A Party fit for a Princess

OH MY GOSH!!!!!! Can I tell you how fun it is to have a princess party for a 3 year old? We had such a great time. Avery was hilarious the whole day. She was so darn cute and excited about everything. Here are a few highlights of her special day.
***NOTE*** Notice how many times she changed her clothes? She's too funny.



Here are the adorable princesses after they spent some time at the "Jewlrey Store" making wands and crowns.


The tea party was about the cutest thing I have ever seen. The menu consisted of pink wafer cookies, ham and cheese rolls, fishy crackers, grapes, pink lemonade or strawberry milk and of course... individual princess cakes. The highlight was pouring the drink into the TINY little teacups. The favorite part of the meal was beheading the princess cakes. All the girls had a kick out of eating the heads off their princesses. They may all look dainty.. but this picture proves they can hold their own!
Poor, Poor Princess Cakes.
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What a sweet little girl. She had so much fun today and I had even more fun watching her. I'm so lucky to be her mom. Her favorite gifts were her princess shoes, her magic wand, and her real live fishing pole she got from daddy. She wore her high heels while pretending to catch fish in our family room... she would point her wand at us and say, "I magic you!" Everytime she opened a present she would gasp and yell what the gift was as she was jumping up and down. It was awesome. I love this little girl!

Happy Birthday Avery

It's hard to imagine that it's been 3 years since this little 5 pound baby literally fell out of me. Who would have thought that in that tiny little body would hold such a strong willed, driven girl who has captured our hearts and brought us so much joy.
We love you Aves... thank you for being you. Happy Birthday.

From Scrap To That

Hey, I just wanted to show off my talented brothers work. If anyone is looking for someone who does AMAZING wood work, you need to give him a call. He's been making a ton of custom made kids beds lately that are so awesome. He's also doing custom made picture frames, dressers, etc. etc.

So if you know of anyone who is in the market... get a hold of him! He is so good and does everything custom made. If you have an idea of something you want, he'll be able to make it for you.

Here's his blog.
www.fromscraptothat.blogspot.com

Or Email: fromscraptothat@hotmail.com

"Knock On Wood"

It's been 3 days with NO DIAPERS and better yet.... NO ACCIDENTS!!! Whoo Hooo!!!

I've decided I'm a firm believer on just letting potty training happen on your kids own time table. For months I've been fighting this dumb thing... and all it took was a couple princess stickers and a desire on her part and it was taken care of. Way to go Aves. I'm proud of you!

I think I'm going to go private

I think I've decided to go private now that my name and business name is all over the web.  When I google my name, my blog pops right up...(I don't think I want all these people booking cakes from me to see my whole life story if ya know what I mean) so if you would like be on my blog list, let me know.  

My Kind of Sunday Afternoon

This hardly ever happens at our house, but when it does... there is nothing better.  So this is what makes the best sunday afternoons ever!!       

 Being with my family all day with no where to go                                                             

Kids all go to sleep  

Afternoon naps with Brian

No cleaning allowed!

Cuddling with sleepy kids 

Breakfast for Dinner                                                            

Hubby MAKES dinner

FHE with our kids

and a little bloggin!

Can't get better than that! What a great day!!

                              

Sugar Kisses Blog Updated

I still haven't updated my personal blog from the last month or so, but my business blog is in the process of being updated. I have a couple new cakes up if you want to check them out. If I get a chance, I'll post more in the next few days. You can link here or from my website or just by clicking the Sugar Kisses Blog button on the sidebar.

ALSO....
The offer still stands if you want to join Tidbits. Thank you for those who have posted cute things your kids say. This blog is a great way to keep track of all the funny and priceless words that come out our kids mouths. Check it out.. If you want me to send you an invite so you can post as well, let me know. The more we have.. the more often we can laugh!

The Sweetest Boy I Never Knew

It's been a pretty rough week for our family as well as one that has changed my life. I have been blessed this week by learning to love more, appreciate life's challenges for how they strengthen us and once again realize the importance of family.

Last Wednesday, my sister in law went in for her monthly check up to find out her little baby boy had no heartbeat. Since she was so far along, it was not a miscarriage, but a still birth. My heart ached for her and my brother as I thought of what they were going through. Not knowing how to show my love, concern and sympathy for them... all I could do is pray. What I gained from this experience is an overwhelming feeling of love for a little child that I never even met... one who changed so many lives and so many hearts in a life that never even breathed an ounce of this earth's precious air. His name is Matthew Keith Sohm. A name that stands for friendship and a love for all people. The name alone brings wonderful memories of good people from our past, but the name was not what brought that feeling of love into my heart. The love came from a small little boy.. who's hand didn't even wrap fully around my brothers finger. This little boy... Matthew Keith was not just an unborn fetus.. he is a boy. He is my nephew. He is a grandson, a cousin, a brother and most importantly.. a son. The world may tell us that it is not necessary to bury such a child... since he was never out of the womb alive... or that we he wasn't fully developed. But I am here to say otherwise. This little boy.. who left us before he even was here is a child with arms and legs, fingers and toes, a nose and a chin. His little body may not have been any bigger than a barbie doll, but his little spirit changed the lives of a whole entire family. He taught us how to love deeper and how to hold on to life in a better way. He gave us the desire to be a little better on this earth so that we may be able to be with him again. He taught us how important the gospel of Jesus Christ is in our lives and the knowledge that families are forever is what gives us strength.
I watched my brother and sister in law today at the graveside service we had for this precious little guy and was lifted up by their strength. In their humility and sorrow.. in the most darkest hours of their lives, they have rose above the pain of loss and pulled together in faith. They have been taught in quiet moments the purpose of family and know they have a loving Heavenly Father who is with them. I am comforted by them and realize that God DOES take care of us... especially through our trials. I can't imagine the loss that they have felt, but I know they are strong. I watched them today in awe by their unwaivering faith. They were not complaining.. "why me??" but they were thanking Heavenly Father for what they had learned this past week. I hope I never have to go through a trial like this, but I know I will go through trials of some kind. All I can do is pray that I will be as strong and inspiring as my brother and his family were during the hardest trial of their lives.
I love my family so much. I don't know what I would do without any of them.

To end this post.. I just wanted to remember some of the neat words that were shared by Tyler and Jana's kids this past week. I think they understand death so much better than we do. They never even got to see their brother, but that didn't stop them from loving him and understanding his place in their family.

Riley:
I'm sad too.. but it's a happy sad. Now he gets to go live with Heavenly Father.

(in his prayer the night they found out) "Heavenly Father, please let my baby brother sprit get back to you ok"

I love Matthew because he was the first in our family to die and go back to live with Heavenly Father"

Abby:
I love Matthew because he is the third brother in our family.

A lot of catching up to do

I have so much to catch up on this past month. Life has been a whirlwind of ups and downs that I need to blog about, but of course... I don't have any time just yet.. But first and formost... I gotta give a happy birthday shoutout to my darling little brighton. (see post below)

I'll start updating soon... I promise.

A Year of "Brightness" for our family

Today is Brighton's Birthday. I feel so blessed to have this little guy in our lives. His smile radiates my soul. His huge eyes sparkle and shine. He is a joy and has brought so much love into our home this past year. He worships his brother and sister, and they worship him. Here are some of my favorite things about my little bright.

His high pitched squeal when he doesn't get his way
His smile and his enormous eyes that melt my heart
They way he "army crawled" before he became the speedster he is now with real crawling
His dimple on his right cheek
The way he giggles when Kaden and Avery are around
Cuddles on the couch
The way he grins every time a camera is in his face
That he sucks his thumb and pulls a blanket up to his cheek when he's tired
His midnight play time - when he just wants to be up with us and hang out
His little temper tantrums.... yes.. they've already begun
His chubby little legs.. cheeks... arms... belly
The way I INSTANTLY fell in love with him

It's been an incredible year with this little guy. Wow.. it's hard to imagine that I cried and cried when I found out I was pregnant with him. He's been the greatest little "surprise" I've ever gotten. I love you so much Brighton. Happy Birthday.

ps- Thank you Jen for the AMAZING picture of Bright. (check out www.jenleephoto.com)

Brighton Discovered the Christmas Tree AND that he could GET to the tree!

Brighton doesn't get too many posts that are just dedicated to him. Call me a bad mom. But I have a feeling we'll be seeing a lot more posts on Bright due to the fact that he's figured out how to get where ever he wants and that usually equals into getting into trouble.
So, he's already 11 months old and he's still not crawling, but he has discovered the "army crawl". It is the cutest thing ever! He moves his little arms as he drags his lower body as fast as he can. Today he was in my bedroom and he heard my in Avery's room and pretty soon, he comes crawling in with a huge grin on his face. He thinks he's pretty cool now that he has a little Independence on his side.

Avery's First Day of Skiing

Today was a great day for Avery and Daddy. Avery got her own ski pass this year so Brian took her up for the first time. She was so excited to go "deein wiff daddy". She kept telling me "I doe deein wif daddy and you can't come!". I love that Brian takes the time to make special moments for our kids. I think these little ski days are going to be so much more than skiing in fresh powder, or hitting the jumps (yes... Kaden already loves the jumps)... I think the greatest part will be the memories of being with their dad. And the coolest part is that Brian likes it just as much as they do. They are so blessed to have such an amazing dad. I hope someday they realize how special it is that he takes so much time to hang out with them.
One of my favorite things in the winter is heading up to watch them ski. I'm the cheesy one at the bottom of the hill in my jeans, tennis shoes, a kid attached to the front of me in a carrier, video camera and point and shoot camera in both hands ready to catch the shots of the kids heading down the slope. They are so darn cute!
Avery is going to LOVE skiing. She did AWESOME!!! She didn't want to stop. She kept telling Brian, "lets doe adin! Go deein now!" She couldn't get up on the lift fast enough and then would giggle all the way down. It's going to be fun watching her improve. She had these great little skis that kept her going slow enough she could stop on her own and turn pretty easy. Soon enough I bet she and Kaden will be skiing right along side Brian. That will be a fun day for all of them. But for today, we're just going to enjoy the big smiles, giggles and the excitement of seeing these guys learn to get down the hill by themselves.

The Call of the Christmas Tree

It's that time of year!
Our favorite tradition to start off the holiday season is always heading down south to cut down our Christmas Tree with Brian's family. This is something Brian has done since he was a kid.. and it's something we LOVE to do with our own kids. It is so much fun to go hang out with family.. hike up and down the mountain and watch Brian haul down the perfect tree.
I realized something this year about tree cutting. You can't just find any old tree. The tree has to call to you. It sounds funny... but it's true. You look at so many trees and you always find something wrong with them until you see "the one". Cutting down trees on your own.. you never get the perfect shaped tree... they are all a little charlie brownish in their own way, but they have character. Some are better than others... some take hours to find... others end up being the first one you set your eyes on. It's different every year.. but when you find it... you know it's your tree. It's a lot of fun. We have had a blast the last couple years finding trees that are huge! We usually end up with a 15 footer and it's always an adventure trying to cut it down and/or drag it back down the mountain. This year was no different.. we found a great tree.. a huge tree. Brian marked it on his GPS and headed across the mountain just in case he could find one better. After an hour or so of hiking... he ended up getting the first tree we found. I guess it was the one that called to us this year.
The day is full of fun. We visit, watch the kids play, swing on the huge tree swing, eat sandwiches and treats, blast Christmas music from our car and enjoy the nostalgia of this fun tradition. I don't know a better way to start the season off than by doing this. It's awesome!!!

I am Thankful

This time of year I start reflecting on all the things I'm thankful for and many things I take for grantid. As I get older, it seems as if the months pass by without being able to take a breath. Years go by quickly and I tend to blink and realize another day is gone... my kids are getting older each second and these years I hold so priceless of raising young kids are one more day behind me and I can't slow it down. How can I change this feeling of speed? How can I stop and make life go in slow motion? In reality.. I don't really want life to stop... where's the fun in that? But I do want to take advantage of EVERY MOMENT. I wish I could promise myself that I will NEVER FORGET each and every moment of watching my kids grow up. I find myself praying at night that I will be able to LOVE every stage my children are in as much as the previous. I can't imagine that these years right now.. that I treasure beyond belief... will probably not be the ones I will remember as my kids are adults. How can I REMEMBER? How can I keep in my mind the sweet voice of a 2 year old.. the belly laugh of an infant... or the innocent sparkle in the eyes of a 5 year old? How can I remember that every day I call Brian at work and say, "you'll never believe what Avery did... or Oh my gosh.. Kaden said the cutest thing today.. etc, etc.. Every day we laugh at their innocence and are in awe by their little lives. Even watching Brighton wave to us while he's in his jumper brightens our day. THESE ARE THE THINGS I AM THANKFUL FOR.

Family is everything. My little family... The 5 of us... who would have thought this would be my life 15 years ago? And not just my life... but what makes me whole. Brian and my kids are my center.. they bring me the inner happiness I long for. I look at life differently because I am blessed to be able to see it through my children's eyes and then get to share that with my husband. What a privilege that is! Especially this time of year where magic seems to be around every corner.

So as I think about all the things I am grateful for this time of year... my list could go on and on... but above all.. I am thankful for my life and how it has evolved into my own little piece of heaven.