THE JOHNSON FAMILY

2010-07-29T22:35:00.000-07:00

I love these two!

2010-05-06T13:10:00.000-07:00

Nick has always wanted to be Kaden. He even keeps up with his hygiene as well. As you can see, he even checks if he has been brushing properly.What a good brother

2010-04-06T21:50:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter!

I never knew Jesus had a pet...

2010-03-22T21:01:00.000-07:00

I just about died laughing when I saw this. That is one happy Dino. I wonder what his name was?

I'd Just like to take a moment...

2009-12-23T21:05:00.000-08:00

And tell the world that Karl (brother-in-law) is awesome. Yes, I'm sure that if you knew him, you'd know what I'm talking about! It's great having him and his wife in town!!

Happenings

2009-10-27T20:35:00.000-07:00

Look what we woke up to this morning!

Kadens' 3 eyed mullet snowman. He is crying because he took off his gloves and his hands are cold.
after his hands wormed up he is all good.

We took a day/road trip to CO. on Saturday. It was so beautiful. Since it was just my sister and the kids and I, we stopped more that we normally would have. The plant nursery, second hand stores, the stream, lookout points, Walmart, Walgreen's, etc. I learned my sisters view on her childhood and how it was when she was young. The kids did pretty well considering being in the truck most of the day. There is nothing a rolled down window and cold air cant fix. Until one person is frigid.

F
A
L
L

summer fun

2009-09-22T20:48:00.000-07:00

OK, I admit I have become slothful in my blogging. I keep telling my self I am soooo busy, and I am.
Not a good excuse when I am using this blogging thing as a journal. I have never been good at keeping journal... I am telling myself I will do better.

This summer has been an eventful one. We have been in UT. more than at home, Mark has been working like an ox here, and I so love him for that.The kids and I are lucky enough to tag along. We have been here since Aug. 27th. I thought I would never say this... but I am ready to go home, and be there for a while.

My sister and her hubby have been letting us stay here at their house and we love them for their kindness, and their awesome skills in the kitchen. We eat like royalty hear. I love it.
The boys and I have been having tons of fun. With the weather so nice, we spend most of our time outside doing what ever we can think of. Which can get a little crazy sometimes.

Kaden upgraded to a bigger bike and finally a helmet ( because he is a big boy now) and spends most of his time riding and mastering his skills. He plays school with his older cousin every day, and I am sure he is learning more from her than me. She is such a good teacher! He makes me laugh frequently throughout the day at the clever things he says and does, and is a big helper, especially with taking dirty diapers to the outside trash, and washing dishes. He loves me to read to him, and he loves to "read" to me too. I love it! The quiet times I get to spend with him I cherish even more now because they are less frequent. Kadens favorite thing to eat right now is string cheese.

Nick will be 8 months old on the 15th and is pulling himself up to everything. This growing up thing is happening all to fast. He mastered crawling at 5.5 months and since then every mile stone so far has been a blurr. He has 8 teeth now and thinks biting is a game. Not so funny. I think he weighs 21lbs and shows no signs of slowing down. He is so happy all the time, always smiling, laughing, easy going, loves to be outside, easily comforted, strong, smart, and I can tell already he is going to be a lot like his brother. He watches Kaden intently and loves it when they play together. His favorite thing to do right now is follow the vacuum around, also trying to play in the toilet. His favorite thing to eat right now is creamy sweet potatoes , and of coarse... Me.

My sister and I went to visit my brother in Syracuse a few weekends ago. It was really fun, especially since they foster care for two special needs children, and my sister in law had her sister with down syndrome visiting too. Those kids are so special I love to be around them and feel their sweet spirits!

We went to tTemple square and the church museum also. It is so beautiful there!! We all had fun.

I had my sister snap some shots of us while the leaves were changing. It was merely an attempt at an updated family picture. Their is something off in every picture ahhhhh, but hey, we tried. The trees were so vibrant, it was beautiful. We are lucky to be here at this time of year.

Busy...

2009-05-09T12:18:00.000-07:00

That's what we have been.

Here are a few pics along the way!

March 9, 2009 - KADEN 3yr BIRTHDAY!
We took Kaden (and Nick) to the Wildlife World Zoo, he loved it.
One thing we loved about this zoo is how close you can get to all the animals.

This little guy almost took Marks finger off.

Kadens favorite part was feeding the goats and deer.

Cousins came over to celebrate that night. Taco Salad with funfetti cake and ice cream followed.

March 29, 2009
Nick was blessed by his daddy. The spirit was present and strong, family was abundant, it was beautiful.

We had a brunch at Matt and Candees after. Crepes, fresh fruit, bacon and sausage were there to delight out taste buds. Family was there to delight our spirits and souls.

April 12, 2009 Happy Easter...
OR NOT.

Saturday the 11the was spent in Maricopa with the Skousens. Good food and fun.
Egg hunt for the kids. (thx for helping Meagan)
Raw egg toss for the olders. Mark (my hubbie) and Mark Skousen (cousin) won. Shanna and I came in 4th.

Sunday (Easter day) Was with the Johnsons. Egg hunt for the kids. (no camera)Dinner, Yummy Yummy Yummy. All at Tiff and Jasons house.
One BIG announcement, TIFF is PREGNANT. YAY!!! We cant wait to have a new cousin.

April 15, 2009
Nick 2mo Well Check:
Weight - 12lb 8oz
Height - 24in
Head - 15.5
AND GROWING!

April 20, 2009
We are off to UT.
4/23/09 - Karl and Jessica Graduated from BYU!!!

We are so proud of you 2!

This is me and my boys at graduation in the Marriott Center.
Mark and I celebrated our 5yr anniversary on the 23rd as well.
And my 28th. B-day. We Celebrated with dinner at Texas Road House with Karl and Jess and their kids, and Jessica's Mom, and Marks' Parents. They treated us to our yummy steak dinner. Then Mark and I (and Nick) got a little crazy and snuck onto the golf coarse for a short walk and snuggling on the green. I felt like a teenager again doing something we are really not suppose to do. Good thing we didn't get caught. FUN!!

We finally came home on the 27th, and then went back up to Monticello, UT. for Josie's Baptism. We are so proud of you Josie to make this very important decision. Thank you for setting such a good example for your younger cousins.We had lots of fun.
Here are some pics of the kids. Shanna and I let them climb on the rocks while we waited for help to fix the flat tire on the suburban. Turned out to be a lot of fun.

Mark and I stayed another week because Mark was doing some work on my sisters house. So,now that I am home and just getting back into the swing of things. We'll leave again in a week. We are so lucky!!

Life is good!

This is how we feel around here!!

BABY NICK!

2009-02-24T14:19:00.000-08:00

Introducing the newest member of our family,
NICK SHERMAN JOHNSON!

2/15/09
5:29am
7lb 15oz
20in long

He came a little late according to the due date, and a little early by way of the induction time, and in no way did he come anywhere near my time. Oh well... better luck next time!

I was expecting to have a more calming and spiritual experience this time around because I knew I was going to be induced, and deliver without an epidural this time. I had it all planed out. I knew when I wanted a priesthood blessing, I knew how I was going to focus, and what primary songs I was going to sing to take me to "my zone" (in my head of course as not to frighten anybody). I knew what clothes I wanted wear, waterproof mascara, and the red lipstick with leg warmers to match. I even knew how and where I wanted Mark to stand and what I wanted him to do. Yeah, It didn't all work out the way I had imagined.

Now, I will briefly share how it all went down!

Sunday morning at 2:40am something wakes me from my not so deep slumber. I think that was a contraction, I cant quite remember what they feel like. So, I do nothing till I realize that they are occurring every 3-5 min. They don't hurt yet, so I think nothing is happening. I time them in out of a drowsy state and finally at around 3:30am I get up to go to the bathroom to relieve some of the pressure I am feeling, and in the mean while I get a drink and some paper so I can more precisely time what I think are contractions. Yep, approximately every 2-4min now. So I am convinced that what I am feeling must be contractions. Still very bearable pain so I don't think anything needs to be rushed. 4:00am now I go the bathroom again, this time I see something different. So, I wake up Mark and tell him we will need to leave soon, but I want to take a shower first. He says ok, helps Kaden go the bathroom (he has woken up for potty break himself) and falls back to sleep fast. Its about 4:50am now I jump in the shower and start shaving my legs when I was suddenly doubled over by some sort of pain I had never felt before, and all the sudden the "urge to push" was slightly unbearable. I hurried and washed out my hair, got out of the shower and went to wake up Mark to tell him we need to go NOW! At that moment I felt more pain that brought me to my knees this time and I think I may have scared Mark and Kaden both, Mark is calling Matt and Candee at this point (thank goodness they live so close.) Kaden comes over to me and asked if I was ok, gave me kiss and was whisked away to the cousins house. Mark was gone approx. 5 min and in that time I had managed to get my bra and blue house coat on in between two more contractions. I was starting to get worried now, so I had started to pray to ask for help to deal with the pain and stop the urge to push, those of you that have had babies know that that is slightly impossible. The second Mark walked back in, my water broke. I now finally realize just how close things are going to be coming to an end and tell Mark to call 911 because I don't think I can make it to the hospital. ( as you can tell I am slightly starting to panic). Then I change my mind and say lets go. 5:10am Mark didn't let me down! We were going 95 mph the whole way there and I had him call the hospital on our way to let them know we were coming. Don't think we stoped for any stop sign's or the 4 red lights we ran (one infront of a cop, he must not have been paying attention.) I only had 4 contractions in the truck and poor Mark all he heard was me praying, ok pleading and begging intensely with the Lord to not let the baby come yet. This no pushing thing is really hard to control. He was very supportive just telling me to wait (yeah right) and we are almost there. So, we pull into the ER entrance and they are there waiting with a bed, they lay me down and take me in. My doctor had just walked in as well, (he was still in his street clothes). He just looked at me and said "yep you can push." FINALLY!!! 4 min. and 4 pushes later here is this beautiful little baby on my chest crying his little lungs out. And I just fell in LOVE all over again. AMAZING!!!

So we left at 5:10am and I delivered at 5:29am. Mind you, the hospital is usually a 20min drive from our house. GO MARK!

Here is what Kaden has been doing lately! He learned how to ride his bike without training wheels about 3 weeks ago! He is not even 3yrs old yet. He practice in his cousins back yard. Sadee practiced with him for about 30 min. then he had it down. Now we cant seem to get him off and he is is learning new tricks on it every day it seems. This kid amazes me.

Still here...

2009-01-29T13:05:00.000-08:00

I am slightly depressed to be sitting here able to post SOMETHING. I was hoping to be at the hospital or perhaps bringing home new baby Nick by now! I think I may be overly anxious because I had already delivered Kaden at this point. Oh well... maybe he still needs to cook a little longer! Wish us luck.

How's it going? It's going....

2009-01-21T18:01:00.000-08:00

Here are the last few months in a few pictures. I haven’t been diligent in taking very many over the holiday’s even (shame on me), with hosting parties and having company I couldn't’t think past each moment to grab the camera and snap a shot.

For me I think becoming a little loopy during a pregnancy is going to be normal. Or maybe I just get LAZY. Whatever, I feel no guilt as I usually would have going this long without a post. I think that is perk when with child, we have an excuse! RIGHT?

October, halloween, and the cutest darn sheriff you ever did see!

No, Thanksgiving pictures? We were at the dunes the few days before the food festivities. Its all on video.

December...

The treck to Young , we cut our Christmas tree! FUN,(flat tire and all) the weather was beautiful and we sure found a doosy.

Ward Christmas Party. On the same night we lit our front yard.

Brohem Christmas party,best shot at the target got to choose last gift in the gift exchange!

Carl Crandell won!

Girls Christmas Party. We pretty much rock!

Attempt at a fam pic. (not so hot) We did one with all the Johnson's, hopefully that turns out much better.

Along with the holidays comes the coveted time with all the family. We were lucky enough to have both of our families here this year. My fam. was here the week before Christmas and Marks the week after. Fun Fun Fun, no pics to prove it... but it was!

(food, carolling, candy making, food, zipline, shooting, food, hikes, food, movies, TIME TOGETHER, did I mention food?)

Winter in January.... where?

2008-10-30T09:12:00.000-07:00

It's been over a month since my last post, where does the time go? We have been busy somewhat over here. Mark's sister got married in UT. Sept. 27. Her and Jason were married in Lindon at Marks grandparents house. Everything about it was beautiful. The people, weather, ambiance, scenery, everything! I would post pics, but I left my camera in Monticello on our way home, Whoops. Thanks Eric and Alena for letting us stay at your house!!

I just decided that I don't want to play catch-up because their is to many details and it makes me feel like I have been lazy and neglectful. Whatever!

Some of you may have heard about the Police officer that was killed in a car accident last Sat. morning. That is my cousin Shane Figueroa. My heart hurts for his wife and baby, for all our family really. Even when we were kids, he at 2yrs. my younger, I recognized how special he was. Quiet, respect full to everyone, and humble is how I will remember his character. At only 25 yr. old it just doesn't seem fair. We just have to trust the Lord and remember He has a plan for us all.

I am feeling better from being pregnant!! This feeling of not having to throw up every time I move, or smell something, headaches, sour stomach, nausea. You know, the works. Well it has dispersed much sooner than it did with Kaden. What a blessing!!! Mark has been working like crazy, it just makes me love him more!! I swear, I just fall more in love with my two boy's every day. Well, that's it for now.

YEAH, IT"S A BOY!!

2008-09-16T10:59:00.000-07:00

Just what we wanted! Mark and I think Kaden is going to love having a little brother. He on the other hand wants nothing to do with a new sibling. Any time we ask him if he is excited or happy he says "NO", or just walks away. We thought if we took him to the ultrasound yesterday and he had a chance to be a part of what was happening and see the baby, he might get excited, or at least except it. Not the case. He was ok in the room besides tipping over the garbage can, and scooting the chair around the room making all kinds of ruckus. The only thing he said when he saw his new little brother was "look a snake" (referring to the baby's spine). We all had a good laugh at that one.

After Kaden woke up from his nap, he came into the kitchen where I was making lunch and pulled on my leg and said "I want to hold you" (aka, hold me). So, I stop what I was doing, and go sit in the chair to hold him. Then, Kaden climbs in to my lap with a pacifier in his mouth, he has NEVER taken a paci. Believe me, I have tried. He prefers his thumb!! He then tells me to rock and sing to him. Poor guy, I think he thinks he wont be my baby anymore. Maybe that's why he is so against another BABY living in our house!

WOW

2008-08-08T13:12:00.000-07:00

OHH WOW, where do I even start. A lot has happened the past while, I am not going into detail because there is WAY too much! And I have been getting headaches lately when I am on the computer. The BIGGEST and best new thing that has happened is ......

YEP, I am PREGNANT!!

14 weeks right now, and sick as ever. I am not complaining, I am just happy to be pregnant, even with all that comes with it. (lets just hope it doesn't last till 32 weeks this time.)

So, just go over a few things quickly, Kaden has had to become an even bigger big boy now that "mom" just lays down all the time. He has mastered the potty, he washes his own hands, toys and any thing else I will let him get wet. He even try's to feed himself! I am not sure how ok am with that. Sometimes it turns out alright, and sometimes, NOT!! He finished both sessions of swim lessons, and did amazingly well!! He can jump in and swim back to the ledge by himself. GO KADEN!!

We had the Skousen family reunion, FUN! It took place in the white mountains this year, in the BEAUTIFUL Big Lake area. The weather... amazing! (if you like the rain). I feel bad I am not going to tell everything that happened, it will take too long, so enjoy the show! I do want to say I LOVE my family. I am so blessed to have such amazing parents who are still willing to just shake their head and sometimes even participate when we all get crazy! But they always seem to keep things in line. I always cherish the time I get to spend with my siblings, especially the ones that don't live close. I cant say enough good and uplifting things about my brothers and sisters. I love you all!! (sorry, some of the pics in the beginning are fuzzy, they get better though)

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Catch up!! (AGAIN)

2008-06-09T13:23:00.000-07:00

Well, I guess it is time for me to sit down and get back on track. A lot has happened the past couple of weeks, we have been very busy. It all started two weeks ago when we were asked to speak in sacrament meeting. That very second Mark and I were asked, (which was right after Sunday school ended) the stress and panic of the situation hit a high! I tried to think of an excuse to say NO but I couldn't think quick enough before... "sure we would love to" came right out of MY mouth. All within that same second, I was thinking what the heck... did I just say that? To say the least, I was physically and mentally ill all last week! Well, we gave our talks yesterday and I survived. Don't worry about Mark he always does a great job, and never gets quite as nervous as I do. By the way, we spoke on how to recognize and understand the spirit. It went well, (or so people say).

Besides all that, Kaden is in a big boy bed now, and we decided to try what I though was going to be nearly impossible... POTTY TRAIN... all in the same week, I must be CRAZY!! Let me just say, I am amazed at my little man and the things he can accomplish!!

I will admit, the first week when we were at home, he was running around naked. (most of the time) But in one week, he only had 3 accidents, all on different days!! WOW! (I am sure that the frequently reminders, and reward with GUMMY WORMS and OTTER POPS had nothing to do with it... right!!) The next week, (which was this past week) was a little different. He got a stomach bug that was not very nice! So, he had a few more accidents, but he is back on track now and doing even better then before. Good job Kaden! Thank you for making it so easy!

MY BIG BOY!!

Oh, I forgot to mention, Kaden started swim lessons last week to. Poor kid, I think I may be overloading him.

For Memorial day we had a day full of riding, shooting and a fabulous BBQ in Maricopa with my fam. A good time was had by all!

Last weekend we got to go on a serious quad ride!! It has been a long time waiting for me. Box Canyon was beautiful, and our destination, the Coke Ovens. It wasn't easy getting there, we had to go threw a train tunnel and across the bridge then cross a raging river and everything. That was quite the sight. Most people would turn around when they saw the river, (in fact they did, we saw a few people, they dared not take on the obstacle) but oh no... not us. Mark, with some help of some friends decided to carry the quads and bikes across because the water was too deep to ride threw. It was so fun! About half way threw the ride Candee and I had to ride doubles (it was actually quite fun because she gets just as excited over all the bumps and whoops as I do) because one of the other quads Mark friend was riding broke. Or should I say... the tire broke. Really, it just flew off when he was turning. Don't worry, Phill Hurst was inspired to bring zip ties, and we all returned back in one piece.

This is the train tunnel we have to go threw, and then the bridge we have to cross. SCARY!
Coke OvensThe Power of Zip Ties

Another exciting thing that happened was Marks B-Day. Yep, on D-Day. He didn't want to do anything super special, actually he wanted to work... silly boy! So, we started off the day with a peanut butter ice cream cake and presents from Kaden and yours truly. He worked all day, then we got to go on a hot date all by our selves thanks to Grandma!!! I guess that was special because it doesn't happen very often. So, I got to make 2 fun cakes in one week, because we celebrated Marks dad AKA Papa's b-day earlier in the week. It was a good time.

So there we have it, the past two weeks in not so much detail, but you get the idea!

NICE weather!

2008-05-23T13:08:00.000-07:00

I hope every one is having as much fun with this wild and crazy weather in May as we are! No seriously, it's 1:20pm and its 57 degrees outside. NICE!!

Snake Hunt

2008-05-20T19:54:00.001-07:00

So, last week for FHE we went snake hunting with some friends in our ward. YES... snake hunting, the real deal. Lucky us, we still have the undeveloped desert down the street! We went riding that morning and found a big fat 4-5ft. snake, Mark wanted to keep it, but since it was a harmless snake I talked him into letting the poor thing go. Later that evening, Mark is telling his buddy what we found, and all of the sudden without hesitation we are snake hunting for FHE. Of course we have to go find that snake, rite? So, Mark packs a car battery in a pack so we can have a spot light, and I get to pack Kaden in. (Yes, we took Kaden.) Our friends, lucky them had all their kids in bed! Off we go hiking around, Tank (our dog) is with us too. About 45min into the hike/walk, we notice Tank rustling around in a bush and sure enough, we hear a rattle...enjoy!

(sorry the video is so choppy, we only had the phone)

THEN, This week for FHE... You know what they say... Taste like Chicken!!

The Boy and his Dog!!

2008-05-13T21:01:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure how I feel about this. As Kaden is being so sweet sharing his popsicle with Tank, the only thing I can think of is... Dogs mouths are cleaner than ours right, or is that a farce. Oh wait I just saw him lick his you know what (the dog not Kaden)it can't be. Well I guess it never hurt me (because come to find out I shared my snacks with our pets as well when I was little.). So I am just wondering, should I be worried that Kaden willingly swaps slobber with one of his best friends?

Safford

2008-05-13T20:38:00.000-07:00

So a couple of weekends ago I got to go to Safford with Matt and Candee while Mark was at father and sons... without his son. (We decided the kids need to be out of diapers before they can go.) I got to visit my best friend Maranda and be there for her son Dyllans' 4th birthday party. Thanks Randa it was a blast! And while we were there, Candee's mom took some super cute pictures of Kaden and the kids while we were there. Thanks Sherry!!

The kids collecting eggs to eat for breakfast.

Here are some of my favorites!

What a STUD!

Sherry did a great job of capturing Kaden being himself!

Quiet whisperings

2008-04-30T07:25:00.000-07:00

Last night we had the opportunity to go to the temple/ visitor center and see the Reflections of Christ collection, beautiful photography of scenes in Christs life. It is interesting to see the kids go into the visitor center and automatically they have a certain reverence about them. Especially when they are at the feet of the Cristi's. They definitely were not perfect, but there was a change. The photography was beautiful, and the spirit was definitely there. If you haven't seen the pics. here is the link to the reflections web site http://www.reflectionsofchrist.org/, its way better in person.

I wish I had my camera because the reflection pool outside had the fountains going which I haven't seen on since I was a kid. Anyways, I love the feeling and sense of peace we carry with us every time we leave the temple. I am so grateful we have one so close. I am really excited for the temple in Gilbert to be built! I wonder what it will look like?

When we got home Kaden was being rarely quiet, and he was eating his dinner without any fuss, and being ohhhh so sweet. After I gave him a bath I was putting his diaper and jammies on when he became intensly quiet and his eyes started to go side to side, and he started moving his head like he was trying to see something behind him. Here is how our conversation went...
Me: Kaden what do you hear?
Kaden: No response
Me: Kaden what do you hear, is it a cricket? (thinking he heard something outside because the tv was not on)
Kaden: No
Me: Is it a bird?
Kaden: No
Me: Is it a friend?
Kaden: No
Me: Is it an angel?
Kaden:No, its Jesus Mom!!
Wow, that blew me away. I'll admit... I was a little stunned. After that feeling quickly passed, I just laughed and asked what He said. Kaden did not answer me. I do wonder what our precious sweet little children still hear and see?

My silly boy!

Superstition Farm!

2008-04-26T07:20:00.000-07:00

On Tues. for our Achievement Day's activitie we took the girls (and our kids) to the Superstition Farm for a tour of the place. It was totally fun and the girls said they loved it, and I think all the younger kids (Kaden, Emma, Noah, and Neela) seemed to have a super fun time as well. They usually only do tours on Sat. but they made a special exception for us! They started us off with a little lecture about how they started the farm, and of coarse the cow's, how much they eat, what they eat, showed us some of their medicine, the different kinds of milk, blah blah blah. It was cute though because there was some interesting chickens and a dog just roaming around where we were, the kids loved that. Then it was off the petting zoo.

Kaden feeding the goats.

The bunny Peanut.

Loverboy the horse

This is one of the chickens that was roaming around. His name is Einstein, isn't he cute.The donkey from Shrek. Or, that's what I told Kaden anyways. Then they took us on a hay ride around the farm. There is a mister under those shade things that make it 15-20 degrees cooler than it is outside.

This is my fav. cow. She is a jersey cow, we learned that they make a more creamy milk. Good for ice cream, Yummy!

After that they had a milk bar where there was all different kinds of milk you can taste. I had pistachio. It was delicious!

By the way, did you know that their cows, (I don't know if it's all cows) produce 15gal. of milk a day. Wow mama, poor cows, talk about sore, and tender breast!

One week catch up.

2008-04-21T21:02:00.000-07:00

I was trying to remember what we did last week because I didn't post anything. I started to get bummed thinking we were boring because I couldn't think of anything. Then I looked at my camera and decided we did a few fun things, so here they are. Probably boring for you, but hey, this blog really is for me to keep note anyways!
FHE at the park. Mark on the long board, I was rollerblading, and Kaden on his trike (some of the time).

We took the kids to the mall to play on the water pad. They totally loved it, except the wind was blowing so they were shivering and had purple lips the whole time.

On Friday Candee and I took the kids to an open gym at Arizona Olympians. Can I just tell you that Kaden LOVED every second of it!! I will have to say, sO dId I. It is really just for the kids to play, and practice if you have them in gymnastics, but I couldn't help it. I kept finding myself in the foam pit a few times, and running and leaping across the spring floor and the tumbling tramp. Shaking my booty to the beat of the music they had playing, (I hope no one saw) Ohhhh FUN!!! We will definitely be going back there. Too bad I didn't get very many pics. I was to busy enjoying myself.

Interesting.

2008-04-16T15:12:00.000-07:00

I thought this was interesting. Everything is here for a reason right!

- A sliced Carrot : looks like the human eye. The pupil, iris and radiating lines look just like the human eye...and YES science now shows that carrots greatly enhance blood flow to and function of the eyes.
- A Tomato : has four chambers and is red. The heart is red and has four chambers. All of the research shows tomatoes are indeed pure heart and blood food.
- Grapes : hang in a cluster that has the shape of the heart. Each grape looks like a blood cell and all of the research today shows that grapes are also profound heart and blood vitalizing food.
- A Walnut : looks like a little brain, a left and right hemisphere, upper cerebrums and lower cerebellums. Even the wrinkles or folds are on the nut just like the neo-cortex. We now know that walnuts help develop over 3 dozen neuron-transmitters for brain function.
- Kidney Beans : actually heal and help maintain kidney function and yes, they look exactly like the human kidneys.
- Celery, Bok Choy, Rhubarb : and more look just like bones. These foods specifically target bone strength. Bones are 23% sodium and these foods are 23% sodium. If you don't have enough sodium in your diet the body pulls it from the bones, making them weak. Thesefoods replenish the skeletal needs of the body.
- Eggplant, Avocadoes and Pears : target the health and function of the womb and cervix of the female - they look just like these organs. Today's research shows that when a woman eats 1 avocado a week, it balances hormones, sheds unwanted birth weight and prevents cervical cancers. And how profound is this? ... It takes exactly 9 months to grow an avocado from blossom to ripened fruit. There are over 14,000 photolytic chemical constituents of nutrition in each one of these foods (modern science has only studied and named about 141 of them).
- Figs : are full of seeds and hang in twos when they grow. Figs male sterility.
- Sweet Potatoes : look like the pancreas and actually balance the glycemic index of diabetics.
- Olives : assist the health and function of the ovaries
- Grapefruits, oranges, and other Citrus fruits : look just like the mammary glands of the female and actually assist the health of the breasts and the movement of lymph in and out of the breasts.
- Onions : look like body cells. Today's research shows that onions help clear waste materials from all of the body cells. They even produce tears which wash the epithelial layers of the eyes.

2008-04-08T22:10:00.000-07:00

Kaden's new friend Gizmo is growing so fast. I guess it helps that Kaden likes to feed him every chance he can get. We are having so much fun with him, except he keeps escaping from his cage. Then he sneaks to the neighbors house where we have found him on many of occasions hiding under their bushes. (Yes, I am mean... We have the cage outside because I don't like animals living in the house.) So I guess it's not so bad that he over feeds him for now. Today we found Gizmo trying to sneak out of his cage and he got stuck half way through. Keep stuffing him Kaden, soon he'll be so fat there wont even be a chance. One less thing I have to worry about.

Dunes!

2008-04-01T14:00:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we were able to take our last trip to the dunes for this season. ( It's already too hot.) We went with Matt and Candee and their kids, and some friends met us there. Even Chad and Matt H. showed up! What a treat for Mark, he loves having his friends around. This was Candee's first time there, and she did awesome! I wish I had some pics of her riding the huge bowls. Kaden loved the fact that he got to ride his quad literally ALL DAY! I felt bad because every time someone would leave to go on a ride he would try to follow. Those towering sand hills dont even phase him. (what am I in for?) No BIG mishaps, a few falls here and there, and Brik getting ran over by Kaden, total accident,but luckily no real injuries. BIG THANKS to and Joe and Erin for letting us take their trailer. A fun time was had by all.

This is how Birk got ran over. He decided to do a dismount when Kaden was following.
Kaden and Sadee.

Mark Sand boarding

Check this biff out!

The kids having fun!

Easter!

2008-03-26T21:30:00.000-07:00

So, I am a few day's behind it seems. Trying to find time to sit in front of the computer is a joke sometimes. Oh well ,what can ya do? So Easter was super fun this year. I love spending time with the fam. and even better, a special day dedicated to remembering our eldest brother Jesus Christ! I am so grateful to be able to celebrate His life, atonement , and resurrection!

We started off our celebration with the Skousens in Maricopa at the NAU agriculture park. We had a BBQ, volleyball, croquet, and of course, good company and an egg hunt.
Sunday rolls around and the Easter bunny came to Uncle Matt and Aunti Candee's house before church. So, Kaden got to have another egg hunt with his cousins. (Thanks guys)

Then we had the privileged to attend church, and then off to Jason and Tiffany's house for a fabulously delicious dinner, and the final egg hunt. Thanks for good time Tiff and Jason, you guys rock!

Oh, I did fail to mention that we got a new friend! His name is Gizmo!! Isn't he cute, and Kaden just loves him.

Stay in Check!

2008-03-21T11:23:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favorite quotes I found from one of my favorite people. (Marjorie Hinckley) This is how I truly feel, I just need to read it every once in a while to keep myself in check!

"I don't want to drive up to the pearly gates in a shiny sports car, wearing beautifully, tailored clothes, my hair expertly coiffed, and with long, perfectly manicured fingernails. I want to drive up in a station wagon that has mud on the wheels from taking kids to scout camp. I want to be there with grass stains on my shoes from mowing Sister Schenk's lawn. I want to be there with a smudge of peanut butter on my shirt from making sandwiches for a sick neighbor's children. I want to be there with a little dirt under my fingernails from helping to weed someones garden. I want to be there with children's sticky kisses on my cheeks and tears of a friend on my shoulder. I want the Lord to know I was really here and that I really lived."-Marjorie Hinckley

Shooting

2008-03-18T21:58:00.001-07:00

The weather is perfect + the desert is semi green = We need to play outside!!

This past weekend we finally got out to shoot our guns that have been seriously neglected for the past few months. It was totally fun, and surprisingly the desert wasn't as ugly as it usually can be. (sorry to all you desert lovers, brown dirt and cactus just don't cut it for me.) Thanks to Jason who brought out his fun collection as well.
Jason and his fun!

Sniper Candee!The boys and their toys!

By the way, Kaden does have earplugs in. Watch out!

And then later that night... Of course we had to have band practice! Michelle on vocals, Aaron on drums, Mark lead guitar. NICE!!

hApPY B-dAy KADEN!!!

2008-03-10T22:11:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was KADEN'S Birthday!! Yeah for 2 of the best years of our lives. This not so little anymore bundle of energy has made Mark and I sooooo happy. Kaden makes us laugh every day, and always keeps us on our toes! We love to watch his personality develop and I love to see him learn new things. Kaden is talking so well for a 2yr old. Here are 15 of my favorite things Kaden says.

1. I lu lou

2.Sowy Mom

3.Where's Dad

4.I ride quad

5.What? (even though it gets annoying)

6.Pees (please)

7.I kissa you

8.See ya later

9.Hi neighbors

10.I ceen (clean) it

11.GO faster

12.Nuuu nu nuuuu nu (imitating his quad)

13.Dats yummy

14.Read book Mom

15.Jumpa jumpa

Kaden is very active and loves to be outside! He absolutely loves to spend time with Mark and play with all his tools. Riding his bike, scooter and quad is how he spends most of his time, and he likes to have someone with him when he does. So needless to say, we spend a lot of time outside!! He loves anything that moves and is in anyway slightly dangerous. (I wonder where he got that?) So, we have our hand's full, and definitely wouldn't have it any other way!! WE LOVE YOU KADEN!!

SNOW!!

2008-03-06T19:45:00.000-08:00

So, I'm a little behind with this post. I have been trying to put video of our awesome trip on here but I cant figure it out, so maybe later. (If anyone knows how to switch HD into something blogger will accept let me know) We had the opportunity to take a short trip to play in the snow a few weekends ago in Monticello UT. We love to go there no matter what time of year it is. My sister Suzanne and her husband Steve and their children are great entertainers, there is never a dull moment! We always have such a good time there. Kaden was always trying to sneak out of the house to get a feel for that cold, wet stuff, and boy was there plenty of it. There was about 2 feet in their yard not counting the huge mounds the plows make. We couldn't even make it to our favorite sledding spot because there was to much snow. Anyways, it's amazing how the cold never seems to effect kids till their hands and feet are about to fall off. To make a long story short, it was sooooo F U N! We had snowball fights, went sledding, got stuck a few times in random vehicles, pulled the sled, tube, and snow boards behind the truck's (pretty much because we are to lazy now day's to keep walking up the hill), relaxed, ate dang good food, laughed, enjoyed the weather and scenery, and loved every moment of it!

Make a slideshow - it's easy!

HAPPY B-DAY CANDEE!!

2008-03-03T20:23:00.000-08:00

So I'm a few days late, being that Candee's birthday was on Saturday. I haven't had time to post anything, let me show you why...

For her big day, Candee decided she wanted to go riding! (track thirteen at Four Peaks) Watch out, here we come. Our Men came to, but we didn't get any pic's. of them. We took turns with the boy's staying with the kids so us old people could get a good ride. It was a blast!

10 Reasons why we love AUNTI CANDEE...

1. She makes a mean taco soup!

2. She is outgoing.

3. She is strong.

4. She has an infectious smile.

5. What you see, is what you get!!

6. She is a great MOM!

7. She knows how to handle Matt!

8. She is more concerned about other people then herself.

9. She always gives Kaden what he wants. (I'm not sure if that's good, or not)

10. She is one of my Best Friends!!

Mark on a ride threw the river!

Then later that night, we went to the desert to have a dog over the fire and play ROCK BAND as loud as we wanted. We didn't even have to worry about the neighbor's. ROCK ON!!! WE LOVE YOU CANDEE!

The main rockers at their best!
Ignore the vulgar language;)

Fun at the park!

2008-02-29T18:10:00.000-08:00

My friend told me about this really cool park the other day that has ducks the kids can feed, and a bunch of other birds and fish and stuff. So Candee and I decide to pack a lunch and take the kids for a picnic and bird watching. We had lunch by this little stream then the kids fed the ducks and we even dug for dinosaur bones, to make it even better there was no fussing for the 2 hours we were there and the weather was perfect! It was actually really fun until the geese showed up...

The kids were mezmorized, it was awesome!!

This duck has funny hair like feathers. Watch out, MEAN MOTHER COMIN!!

You gotta watch this video, the Geese were not scared of us at all. They were actually coming toward us! They were so loud and freekin the kids out (except Kaden). Notice Candee's shadow on the ground trying to scare them so they would leave. I didn't catch all of her attempts to shew them away, but it was so funny to see her do a little dance, flap her arms and stomp tward them!

Catch up!

2008-02-09T11:55:00.000-08:00

So, I have been a little behind with keeping up on new post's, so here are a few things we have been doing the past couple of weeks.

Finally!! The Skousen Fam. had another addition! JETT Robbie Skousen was born 2 weeks ago. Good job Matt and Candy he is so stinkin CUTE!!

Mark finally finished all of his mom's tables YAH!
(with Kadens help of course)

And some pictures of our DIRTBOARDING adventures! Well, I guess we actually havent been up to much. Or nothing more to take note of anyways.

Hopefully we will have a more eventfull weekend!

Kaden, if you only new!

2008-01-31T14:06:00.000-08:00

Poor Kaden is already getting the birds and the bees lesson (totally kidding). He is learning for him self. He'll get it someday, and when he does, if he is anything like his dad, he is going to hate these pictures!

2008-01-27T19:35:00.000-08:00

The 15th president of the LDS Church, Gordon B. Hinckley, passed away on Jan. 27, 2008 following nearly 13 years as the LDS church prophet. (Photo: LDS Church) SALT LAKE CITY - The president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints died on Sunday at the age of 97.It was announced on Sunday evening that Gordon B. Hinckley, president of the LDS Church since 1995, died from issues related to his age.Born on June 23, 1910, Hinckley ascended to the church presidency on Mar. 12, 1995. For years, Hinckley served as the 15th prophet of the LDS faith as a successor to Howard W. Hunter.Hinckley became the oldest president in LDS Church history on Nov. 2, 2006 -- surpassing David O. McKay.Hinckley might be best known for his aggressive attitude in building LDS temples around the world. As of an. 2008, 124 LDS temples were operating worldwide. Prior to Hinckley's presidency, there were less than 50.

Most of you have probably already heard about the passing away of our Beloved Prophet President Hinckley. My first instinct after my Mother in law called to tell us the news was a little shock, then cry, then call my parents, then cry, then call all my siblings, then cry some more. But as I sit here and think of all the things that He has done for our church and specifically Me, I feel overwhelmed and don't really know what to say, and, I really stink at attempting to explain my feelings. Thank goodness for the plan of Salvation, specifically eternal families. I love President Hinckley! Every time I hear this special, special man speak he always leaves me feeling important and special to him and our Lord and Savior. One thing I really love and he always seems to talk about is being a wife and mother. When I feel overwhelmed with the responsibility of being the best wife for Mark and raising Kaden and our other children righteously, (no, this is not an announcement) He often reminds me of my special calling I have here on the earth as a wife and mother, and how we are not alone in our works. I leave feeling refreshed and strengthened. I think I am babbling and not making any since, so I just want you all to know I know the Church is true, and I know we are lead by a true prophet that lead us by God's direction in righteous works that will lead us back to our Heavenly Father. President Hinckley is an amazing man and I am grateful for him. What great things have come from a great Man. I know he is having an exciting reunion with his sweetheart, it makes me happy to think about that. They are so cute together! I am excited to see what lays ahead in these latter days!

Their warmth is infectious!

My hard working Boy's!

2008-01-15T19:47:00.000-08:00

I love this picture. Kaden is such a smart little boy, sometimes to smart for his own good! He picks up on things so quickly, and understands so much it really amazes me. Thankfully, he has a good role model to look up to. Mark is such a good dad, he is always teaching Kaden new things. I am grateful that Mark grew up with an amazing Father that taught him the importance of focusing and doing your best while working hard, now Mark can pass those skills to our children. I can only hope and pray that when Kaden grows up he will have the same work ethic.

As for now, I have the privilege to see Mark all day, and Kaden gets to help him work... sometimes. In this picture Mark is building tables for his Mom's Nation wide traveling sculpture exhibit. Very cool!! I don't know much about what is going on, and I don't want to start any roomers, so as soon as I get more information I will let you all know. As for now, I can just say Angela is truly an amazing artist! Her depictions of Christ touch my heart, and spirit. Every time I see her work, it helps me remember why I Love my Savior. If you haven't seen any of her work you can look at her web sight http://www.ajsculptures.com/ . There are some other beautiful sculptures that she has completed, they are not shown on the web sight, but will be in the exhibit. Take a look anyways, they are awesome!

Kaden and I a couple of summers ago at the Church Museum in Salt Lake with Angela's Life size of Christ

And of course, you know what they say, WORK HARD, PLAY HARD!! We had a bonfire this past weekend to burn Matt & Candee and our Christmas tree's. Along with some other wood and junk that has been sitting in our dump trailer waiting for the burn. The kids loved it, and Kaden has officially had his first late night out in the desert.

2008 Already?

2008-01-04T19:57:00.000-08:00

While the kids were all nuzzled in bed and dreaming of who knows what, we did bring in the new year with a bang!! And a new ROCK BAND!! Watch out, these guys are HOT!
!

i LOVE this time of year!

2007-12-31T11:38:00.000-08:00

WOW!! I hope everyone had as much fun on their Christmas break as we did! I haven't had time to even look at the computer for the past week, we have been having to much FUN!! We were lucky enough to have all of my siblings here in AZ. this year to celebrate Christmas. Counting my siblings (and spouses) and their children, there is a total of 48 of us plus two that are on missions, and one on the way! Talk about a house full, lucky enough we were all spread out between 5 homes. There has been a grand activity every single day! Sometimes two in one day. Kaden had tons of FUN with all his cousins, and so did I. As it seems, I rarely saw or heard him because he was always to busy following someone else around instead of me! I especially love it when Mark gets to stay home and PLAY to! Seriously I LOVE this time of year when we get to spend time with our family and most importantly get to celebrate the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ. I love him, and it is a huge blessing to me to be able to be on the earth at this time, and in this place, with an amazing family!

From candy making, to caroling, quad riding, zip-line, bird hunting, shopping, hiking, paint ball, clay pigeon shooting, service projects, volley ball, and everything in between!! There are to many details, and I wasn't so good with picture taking (because I was busy playing), so I will just share a few pic's of some of the activities! I Love my FAMILY!! We have so much fun together. Thank you MOM and DAD for having so many kids, and then putting up with all of us!

Christmas Candy!

Christmas play

Family quad trip!

Yes, that is a sling shot.

Wow Mom, That's HOT!Kaden doing what he does best.
This was probably the highlight of the holiday for me. A home maid ZIP-LINE! Probably because this is one thing we don't do often. Mark is so stinkin creative, I love it!!

Skousen family dinner. We had to reserve the church to hold the crowd! This is not everyone, but you get the feel. We also had a few games of some serious volley ball. To bad I don't have any pic's. It was quite the sight!

Bird hunting. Great face Mark!

Gingerbread anyone?

2007-12-19T14:09:00.000-08:00

On Monday, Tiffany and Jason invited us to their house for dinner. Jason made some killer lasagna, and we had all the yummy sides to go with it. Also, we finally had the opportunity to do a gingerbread house!! Because Christmas is just not the same without a half eaten gingerbread man and his house. Kaden had a great time playing with his cousins, and mostly enjoyed the fact that the table was covered with all kinds of sticky, yummy, sugary, stuff, that I could not keep his hands or mouth off of!

YUMMY
the finished product!

Thanks for the good time Tiff and Jason! We had fun!

Good Times!

2007-12-11T13:40:00.000-08:00

The annual Brohem Christmas Party was held this weekend at Aaron and Michelle's house. It was really fun. Good food, good friends, games, lot's of kids, and lots of laughs. Mostly coming from the wheel chair game, (Good idea Aaron Mark really loved that game!) and the maxipad slippers for a gag gift! I wish I had a picture of that. Mark and I have been blessed with some awesome friends! Big THANK YOU to Michelle and Aaron for hosting. You guys Rock!!

New member of the family?

2007-12-10T07:16:00.000-08:00

It's NOT what you are thinking. We are not pregnant yet! We have just decided to upgrade a member of the family. You see, when you have so much FUN with something, and memories GOOD and BAD are made with this something, you develope a relationship, and they become like part of the FAMILY. As much as we love the warrior, he had to go. We have put WAY to many hours on him, and he always needs to have his OWIES (sp?)fixed. Poor guy, we will miss him! So, we are trying something new! From 4 wheels to 2!! We still have the 450 quad so we can RIDE as a family, but Mark will be riding solo for a while (or the next few rides anyways) till he can get a hang of the NEW GUY! His name is YZ450F! Translation, dirt bike with quad engine. Mark promises he is very safe and will always wear protection. Right MARK!

By by Warrior. Kaden and I love this toy!

Hello new friend!

OuR TrEe!!

2007-12-05T06:42:00.000-08:00

We waited till Sunday to decorate our tree, we had a good time! We did it while Kaden was sleeping so he wouldn't think he could touch anything, that's why he is not in any of the pics. One of the reasons I love Mark is because he is so handy, and creative, and he makes everything fun. That's why he prefers "stilts" to help decorate the tree!! For some reason I can't turn these pic's. So turn your head!

Here is the finished project. I waited till now so I could post the tree skirt that my awesome Mom and my awesome Cousin and friend Leila and I made. I wont go into details, but for some reason, probably because I am NOT an avid sewer, and because I have no confidence when it comes to sewing, and we did not have a pattern, this was really hard. Big THX for all the help!! And we moved the tree into the other room, after it was decorated. That was awesome!

HAPPY B-DAY !!

2007-12-04T11:22:00.000-08:00

I am REALLY bad at remembering dates. Today though is a special day for 2 special people who mean so much to me.
FIRST: Happy Birthday to my DAD!! I love you so much! Thank you for all you have done for me. You are such a good example and mentor to me. There are so many things I admire about you and hope to be able to emulate, that the list could go on forever. ONE of the things that I admire is how incredible you can make other people feel. You always know how to make other people feel welcome and very comfortable, and you accept people for who they are. Thank you for that. I LOVE YOU!! This picture is from when we were camping for our fam. reunion a couple yrs ago.
SECOND: MARANDA!! My bestest friend. I luv U girl. When I think of all the memories we have together, I could laugh forever. I traveled so much with you guys. We spent a lot of time together. So, I just want to tell you thank you for being the best friend every one wishes they had, and I still do. I could go on forever about you to, but Kaden is waking up. You were everything in a friend that I needed, and that is a lot. Thank you for always being there. I Love You!!

Rain + Dirt field = Mud + Quads = FUN!!

2007-12-02T11:42:00.000-08:00

While Mark was working Saturday, and the weather was amazing, I needed something to do. (I love rain) Kaden and I were just dying to get out and enjoy the rain, and it's hard for me to pass up begin outside when the weather is so nice and cool. I just don't like to do things alone. So, just as Matt and Candee and I and our children are getting ready to go "chase the rain", and take the dogs for a run, my mom and dad show up. OH yeah!! DAD + RAIN + MUD + QUAD =FUN!! Here are the pics, it was a good time!

WET YOUR SELF FUNNY!!!

2007-11-30T14:59:00.000-08:00

Oh my goodness, I seriously almost wet myself when I saw my friend's elfamorfasis. Ok, so if its not that funny to you, I must be in a really silly mood. THX KETA!!! Click on the link below and get ready to laugh! Watch out, Mark can really move!!! You should have your speakers on its part of the experience!
http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1122793795

Most wonderful time!

2007-11-27T20:01:00.000-08:00

The TRADITION is still going!! Every year growing up we would go up North to cut our Christmas tree (except a couple random years). I am happy to say that that tradition is still going strong. Luckily Mark has agreed and put up with the traveling, so we have adopted this fun activity into our family. My fam. still goes, so it's a big caravan to Young where we cut our tree's, then build a fire, lunch, then it's off for the hunt!!

Mark building the fire for hot chocolate.

The kids admiring his work,they did collect the wood after all.How many monkey's in that tree?

Mark cutting down my parents tree. They found a great tree!The boy's The girls
My stick bug friend that found me!
So I didn't get a pic. of eveybodys tree's but, there was a total of 5 trees we cut down. They were all awesome , It was a good time.

Thanksgiving!!

2007-11-26T20:44:00.000-08:00

We had the opportunity to celebrate Thanksgiving with both of our family's this year. We started off with my family "the Skousen's" with an early feast at 12:00 at my sisters house. We had a lot of fun, lot's of food, and a lot of company. It actually wasn't nearly as big as our usual Skousen Thanksgiving which is normally 60-80 people, but we deemed this year to be the in-law's year. Anyways, it was just my parents, siblings and nephews and nieces that live here in AZ. this year. We had so much fun, BIG THANKS to my sis. Sandy for hosting the fun! By the way, among other things, I did make my first batch of candied yams, and coconut and banana cream pie. I wish I got a pic. but I didn't want the liability in case they turned out disgusting. After I found out they were delish. they got snatched up before I could get to my camera!

We left there to head to the Johnson's feast at 3:30 and tried to stuff our selves more by 4:00. I left my camera at my sister's house and I did not get any pictures of the Johnson's, but It was just as delicious, and we had great company! We also got to take the kids to the park by Mark's parents house.We attempted to fly electric airplanes, but it was to windy. The kids had a great time riding there little tricycles, swinging, and playing on the toys.

I am THANKFUL for...

2007-11-15T13:09:00.000-08:00

FrIEnDs: Where would I be with out good friends and influences in my life? I would rather not think about it. I have been so blessed to have good people surround me, helping me make good choices. Especially in my younger years when I wasn't so head strong about choosing the right. Good friends are so important to me. I can only hope and pray that my children have as good of friends as I do, to help strengthen them, and help them stay on the straight and narrow in these last day's!
gOoD FooD: I grew up with amazing cook's in our house. So I really appreciate delicious food. I'm not a very picky, but when I enjoy something you'll usually know.
BeiNG a MoThEr:It is a pleasure and an amazing opportunity to be a stay at home Mom!! I get to spend all day with a wonderful child who not to long ago was with our Heavenly Father. Even though it's been over a year I still feel that special spirit that so frequently comforts our little ones. Besides that, if I can do as half of a good job that the "Mothers" in my life have done, and I get the same title of Mom that they have, that makes me feel special!
MARK: Thank goodness for a husband who makes being a stay at home Mom possible. I LOVE Mark and am so thankful for all he does for our family. As the main provider and protector of our family, he does an amazing job!! I could go on forever about this MAN that I love, but I dont want to make you to blush with the details!! HAHAHA
ThE ChURcH: WOW, I am so grateful for my knowledge of the gospel and to be a member of our church. I could go forever with a list of things that fall under this category. ie: the priesthood, Temple Ordinance's, covenants, promises, eternal family's, all the help that we have access to, the blessing of the Holy Ghost. I could continue to go on, but you all know! And if you don't, ask me!
BeInG tHe niNtH CHiLd: I am so grateful for my older siblings! You see, I get the opportunity to learn from their mistakes and their accomplishments! I learned not by my own trials, but those older then me. I watched listened and learned very quickly what buttons I could and could not push! It has been so fun for me to be the the baby girl of the family. I have learned so much and continue to do so from my brothers and sisters. So watch out you guys I'm always taking note!!
CoOl wEAthEr:I am thankful it's finally cooling down! I love to be outside and that is hard when it's so stinkin hot out side.

So there you have it. In a very random order some of the things I am thankful for. I could go on forever because we as a family are truly blessed. I hope every one has a fantastic Thanksgiving,and lots of delicious food!!

Tagged - 6 Random Things!

2007-11-14T14:52:00.000-08:00

1. I have issues with letting anyone besides family babysit Kaden. I really got to get over that because there are some really great girls in my ward that ask to do it all the time. The weird thing is, it's not because I don't trust them, it's because I think they will be board at my house. Then if I have two girls come so they wont be board, they will ignore Kaden. It's probably not true, but that is what my mind thinks.
2. I love vegetables! Sauteed, roasted, steamed, fresh, I don't care, I just love them.
3. I love the smell of fresh cut grass! Weird, I know. I think it's because the smell takes me back to my childhood, before I had to start mowing for a chore. You know the good ol days of playing tag, running and sliding and turning your feet and knees green because it's still juicy from the cut:) That's why I do the mowing, and Mark does the trimming.
4. I love my church calling. (Activity Days for the 9-10yr. old girls)You can't beat a calling that you only have to do every 2 weeks, and the girls don't care what the activity is, they make their own fun!
5.My fav. season is fall. To bad we don't really get a beautiful fall here in the valley. I had to go to UT. so I could get a bunch of leaves turning color, I put them in a vase, just so I could have the feel and color of fall in our home.
6. My favorite activity to do (besides spend time with my hubby)is ride quads. I like the adrenaline rush I sometimes get when things get crazy!

Little things make me happy!

2007-11-12T14:09:00.000-08:00

Kaden my little man, he is growing up so fast. I love to see his mind work, and watch him figure things out. Here he is trying to comprehend a caterpillar he found in the flowers.

It was really cute until he squished it in his fist.

Getting ready for FUN!!

2007-11-02T10:36:00.001-07:00

TrICK oR TrEat!!

2007-11-02T10:34:00.001-07:00

For Kaden's first Halloween dressing up, he or should I say WE had a great time! You know we probably enjoy it more then they do. The only thing he was concerned about was his candy. We only hit up a few houses, but he was as happy as can be. Kaden was lucky enough to have his cousins here from UT. to share this experience with, and thank goodness for Uncle Eric to pull the wagon so the Mom's didn't have to!!

Look alike Meter

2007-10-24T22:02:00.000-07:00

So I thought this was so fun! What do you think?

Quail Hunting

2007-10-22T20:45:00.000-07:00

Quail hunting season opened up last week. So, Mark and my bro. Matt, needed something to do one mornig and since they love quading, guns, and hunting just for fun, they decided to get creative and this is what we got! No kill, but they still had fun!!

Boys night out!!

2007-10-22T13:33:00.000-07:00

Ok, So last monday Mark and some friends went to F-1 raceway to race the gocarts, it was for someones b-day or something like that, anyways, Mark came home and showed me this. So I hope I don't get busted for posting this, but it's so funny, especially if you know the person in the video. You know if the wife's were there, they would not be doing this. It's kind of a choppy video, but hey it's only a phn.

Hawaii here we come!!

2007-10-15T22:05:00.000-07:00

Click to play | Make your own Smilebox

Its all about the boy!

2007-10-12T11:08:00.000-07:00

People have been asking me to update pics. of KADEN! These next few are for people that don't have the privilege of being around him much, so hopefully you can get a little feel for his HUGE personality!!

He does clean up well!!

Fav. past time for Kaden and Mommy!

Trip to UT. This says it all!!100% BOY

LIKE FATHER LIKE SON!!

2007-10-11T21:36:00.000-07:00

Wow, do I have my hands full or what. Need I say more?

2007-10-09T21:14:00.001-07:00

So I guess WE have decided to join the blogging world!! Or should I say, I decided. Mark is just along for the ride, and maybe he'll comment every now and then. So Mark and I have been married for 3 and 1/2 yrs. KADEN is 19 mos. old and is the LOVE, LAUGHTER, and everything in between in our lives. Talk about a fireball, this handsome little ANGEL (sometimes), never seems to let life get boring. He loves to jump on his trampoline, play with his tonka truck, and his newest love is his battery powered quad Mark got him! It's not quite as fast or loud as DAD'S big quad, but it will have to do for now. He also loves to play with his cousins, he would rather wrestle, tumble and run with his COUSINS then just about anything else. Thank-goodness for Matt and Candee 2 houses away. Kaden loves to take walks to the Aunt CANDEE SHOP!! I can barley get him to sit still to do anything except to sing songs, and of course they have to have actions to keep him interested, so needless to say, we do a lot of WIGGLING at our house. Every now and then he wants to read a book, and it just so happens to be the same one every time. Oh how we LOVE our little Kaden, he definitely keeps life exciting!! By the way, this is last years fam. pic. I guess I'll have to update that soon!