BRYNLEE'S DANCE

On Mondays and Wednesdays our afternoons are filled by taking Brynlee to dance. She takes at The Dance Club and is on a competition team called the micro starbursts. She is loving dance and since I am so into dance I love it. She takes jazz, ballet, tap and gymnastics. Her teachers are very strict and they make the girls do pushups if they misbehave. They do great positive reinforcments with stickers, the ballet crown and tutu. Bryn is improving so much and doing so great! It is so much fun for me to watch. She was also chosen out of her team to do a trio for competition. It is coming together so well and it is going to be darling! I remember her coming to drill with me in the mornings when I coached Bingham's Drill Team and she would dance around and loved being with all the girls. She has been around dance every day since she was in the womb. I guess that's why she loves it!! Her are two pictures we took today before we left for dance.

MORE SCHOOL PICTURES

Tuesday was Brynlee's first day on the bus. All of the other kids in the neighborhood are in third grade or older. They were so sweet with Bryn and it made me feel so good. They all told her she could butt in line which is a big deal at the bus stop. They were all so eager to get in a picture. They kept saying come and get in a picture it's brynlee's first day. Two of the sixth graders that tend my kids named Pyper and Sophie helped Bryn get to her class after they got off the bus. What a blessing to live in a neighborhood with such great kids! Bryn refuses to wear any new outfits. She will only wear clothes that barely fit her from last year. Oh well it's not worth the fight. When the bus came she just hurried and got on and I wasn't able to get a picture. So when I walked her to the bus stop today she said, "mom no pictures today okay." Fortunately for me she let me get one anyway.

THE CHILDREN'S MUSEUM

We met Jen and Suzi and their kids at The Childrens Museum on Tuesday after school. The kids just love going their to play they could literally stay an entire day. I took Brynlee's friends with us Aspen and Emily. The girls wanted to sit in the back of the car together so to make it fit I had to take out the stroller. Needless to say it was quite an ordeal parking at gateway and getting five kids all under the age of 5 into the museum without a stroller. When I got home I laid Beckham down for a nap and I fell asleep for an hour an a half. I rarely do that but it sure wore me out. The girls were so funny when I picked them up from school. Either Bryn or Aspen said, "what if you kissed a boy at school" and Emily said, "oh that would be romantic." I can't believe they already talk that way in kindergarten. It cracked me up. The first picture is Aspen, Emily and Brynlee raking up leaves. Second is the girls in the construction part showing me what they built. It was quite a team effort. The third picture is Suzi, Jen and I. Fourth is Caleb and Bryn who are best buddies. Caleb is the sweetest with Brynlee. Fifth is Cam and Stock checking things out at the beach. The last picture is the two cute little guys Beck and Ander crawling around. Thanks for a fun day girls!!

LIFE IS GOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have been thinking about this quote that my mom has in her house for the last few days. It is by President Hinckley, he said, "Life is to be enjoyed not just endured." I feel like I have been on endure mode for the last nine months and just recently in the last month I have felt like I am myself again and I am enjoying and loving life. What a great feeling! I really do have a testimony that Heavenly Father wants us to be happy. I have felt his love for me everyday and I know that he is helping me with all of the things that I stand in need of at this time. It really is true that when life gets too much to bear you must count your blessings. I have done this on a consistent basis and it does make me realize how much I have been blessed with. It may be cheesy but the song is true count your blessings name them one by one, count your blessings see what God has done. I am so thankful for my testimony, the ability and opportunity we have to pray to a loving Heavenly Father who hears and answers our prayers, my amazing family and friends, my three beautiful children, my health, the opportunity I have to stay home and raise my children, my education and the opportunity I had to teach high school and dance. I have met so many wonderful people who I dearly love through teaching. The thing that I am the most thankful for is my Savior. I have learned that the Atonement is not just to be forgiven of our sins but it helps heal our broken hearts and helps us forgive others. This has been a process for me and I am sure it will continue to be, but it is such an amazing blessing. Anyway, for any of my family or friends that read this please know that I appreciate your love and support and I couldn't have made it through this without you. LIFE IS GOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Jen, Suzi and I went to Discovery Gateway (the childrens museum today) and we are going to St. George for a boating trip this weekend so I will post some new pictures next week.

BRYN & STOCKS FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL

Today was Brynlee and Stocktons first day of school!! It started out with drama of course. I knew this would happen and so last night I made Brynlee decide what she wanted to wear and how she wanted her hair so that we wouldn't have to go over the getting ready drama in the morning. She was so excited she had this darling dress picked out that her Grandma Debbie gave her with a matching necklace and she was going to let me curl her hair etc. Anyway when she put on the dress suddenly the neck was too big and it showed her under t-shirt and she hated it and she didn't want her hair the way we had decided etc. Never mind that she had just tried the dress on the night before right before she went to bed and we had painted her nails to match the dress at her request. So she picked out a new outfit and hairdo and we missed the bus. Oh well what can you do? Girl drama with clothes and hair starts young. I just need to start getting her ready earlier tommorrow. Bryn said she loved school and she made two new friends but she couldn't remember their names. She carpools with Aspen and Emily so that will be fun for her to ride home with them from school. There isn't enough kids to have a bus home from kindergarten. Stockton loved his teachers and did great! He is carpooling with Trace and David two of his friends in the neighborhood. So that will be good for him. I was worried because for five months now he has told me that he wants me to go to school with him. I thought there might be some seperation anxiety because he is my little stockie boy and cuddle bug but he was great!! The kids were really excited about picking out their backpacks this year. Bryns was princess and Stockie picked cars! He loves that movie and he has the cd and knows every word to that song. Stockton was sporting his around all morning with his pajamas so proud of it. It was adorable. In the pictures of course Bryn had to do her favorite dance pose! I was really sad sending the kids off especially bryn because she is at the elementary now. It was hard to see her walk away in the line from outside with her teacher. It is only really for three hours a day so it will be great for her. We went straight to dance after lunch and she was quite exhausted after. It has been a full day for her.

SWIM PARTY!!

I wanted to do something fun for my kids before they started school and so we decided to have an end of summer water party. So we invited the kids friends over and they had so much fun. It really doesn't take much to make kids happy. A blow up pool, a nemo sprinkler head attached to the hose, a slip n slide, capri suns, pizza, and otter pops and they are in heaven. Oh and I can't forget the 200 water balloons that my brother filled up (thanks Cam). The kids said they had a blast so I was happy!! We have so many fun friends and I wanted to thank you all for coming. Life is so much better with great friends like you!! (I wish I had gotten better pictures but I forgot to charge my camera and it died. Jen got better pictures than me). Thanks for sending me those Jen. Your the best!

Shades

My kids have loved going to the pool this summer. The gym that I work out at has a nice outdoor pool and the kids beg to go there. We went there on monday and when I told Stockton we were going he said, "mom that is pectacular. It is so cute how he says words. I have no idea where he comes up with these huge words.

Brynlee's orientation for Kindergarten

Brynlee had her orientation meeting with her new kindergarten teacher today Mrs. Miles. She will be going to South Jordan Elementary. She keeps telling me she can't wait for school to start because she is so excited to ride the bus and then at recess to get a big pile of leaves and jump in it. I haven't had the heart to tell her yet that there probably won't be enough leaves to do this. After the meeting with her teacher she was really excited. She told me that she thought she was really nice and was excited for school to start. I just can't believe my baby girl is five and going to kindergarten. Wasn't I just holding her as a new born in my arms. It went by in the blink of an eye. Brynlee is so fun to be with. She is becoming more like a little friend and I love it when we are able to spend one on one time together.

Sunday Best

I love taking my kids pictures on Sunday when they actually stay clean and ready for a few hours. They all looked so cute I just had to get a few shots. Brynlee loves her primary class. She is in the stars now. She told me on Sunday, "mom whenever anyone isn't reverent I move away from them so that I can listen." I was proud of her for that. My mom teaches the sunbeams and always tells me how reverent brynlee is in sharing time and that she is always answering all of the questions. She really wishes that she could do everything in sharing time. She gave a talk a month ago and wondered why she couldn't do the prayer and scripture too. She is my social butterfly and loves to be in the lime light. She is a good friend to everyone. Stockton loves his nursery class. He has the most wonderful teachers. Sister Snow and Sister Winegar. They adore him and are always telling me how sweet his is to all of the kids. There is a severly handicapped little boy who just has to lay there in nursery and Stockton's teachers tell me that he sits by him and hugs him for most of the class. He is definately my little tender hearted guy. I always call him my "Stockie Boy." Whenever I discipline him lately for anything he says, "mom you hurt my heart." Needless to say it is really hard to discipline him. I love to snuggle with him. Every night or morining he says, "mom can we snuggle bug." I love it and I never turn down a good snuggle with him. Beckham is my little ball of energy. He can't sit still for two seconds. He crawls all around the classroom while I teach my class. He hates to be confined and he loves to go up and down the stairs. He fell down the stairs two times which is always so scarey but he was fine. Luckily now he has learned how to turn around and go up and down by himself. He is such a joy and definately keeps me on my toes! Sorry that all of the pictures are turned sideways. I am new to this blogging stuff but hopefully I will figure it out soon.

PICTURES TAKEN IN OCTOBER 2006

My life has been a little crazy the last year and I have meant to start a blog for awhile but I am just barely getting around to doing this. I got my kids pictures taken last October and the girl who took their pictures did a great job. Brynlee is a little poser and she did a great job capturing the boys with their short attention spans. I feel so blessed to be their mom. I thank Heavenly Father every day for giving me the opportunity to be a mother and specificially a mother to these three beautiful, sweet children!! These three make my life so happy and make each day so exciting and wonderful. Our family would not be complete without any one of them. I keep telling them to stop growing up! They laugh and say "no mom." The time goes by too fast. Brynlee is starting kindergarten on Monday and Stockton starts preschool. And my little baby Beckham will be one in a few weeks. Where does the time go? I just want to cherish every minute!!

Lake Powell July 2007

It just isn't summer without getting in a Lake Powell trip! Nothing beats lake powell with it's beautiful scenery, the sun, 85 degree water, wake boarding and not having to get ready. My dad got his new boat and we had a great time breaking it in. We went to Wahweep for the first time in ten years. We have gone to Bullfrog every year but now that my dad sold his houseboat we decided to try something different. The kids are 100% sold on boating. They say it is their favorite thing to do and they are always begging grandpa for a boating trip. They loved tubing and they loved playing on the beach. It was so much fun to have all of our family back together since my brothers are both back from their missions. It is so fun to be with everyone and I will miss them terribly when they move to Provo for school. I'm sure they will be back for Sunday dinners though. The first picture is of me wake boarding. The second picture is of me my dad and Beckham on the beach. I was reading Harry Potter 7 whenever I got a chance. The third picture is Beckham in the tube and Bryn swimming. The fourth is our family on the boat. The fifth picture is Beckham in the buff. He loved being naked while we were in powell. The sixth picture is my brother Marcus with Stockton. I think it's so funny that Stockton is doing a peace sign!