The Eddington Family

Our New Home (for now)

2011-12-29T13:23:00.003-07:00

Just wanted to document the home we are currently renting in Layton, Utah. We are really liking our new ward and friends we have made. I love the kids school and we are very happy to have so much room! Now to save for a home of our own again...someday!

Summer Fun

2011-10-11T14:07:00.006-06:00

Some of the fun we had while living with Grandma & Grandpa Bailey:

Memorial Day~ One of my dad's favorite things to do is visit cemeteries. So thankfully my mom was feeling well and we all piled in the minivan! We were able to spend the day seeing the headstones of several of my family members who have passed. It was fun to show my kids and pick up the tradition of my family in bringing flowers for those special people, some of whom I'd never met in this life but look forward to seeing one day! So grateful that FaMiliEs aRe ForEvER!

This one was taken at my Aunt Linda's. We were able to visit my Aunt Rosie and also my dad's brother, Uncle Bill (and cousin Billy), but I didn't take photos. It was raining earlier!

At my mom's parents, G'ma & G'pa Elkins.

ALSO in May/June:

We got to take the kids to the Museum at Hill AFB. It was fun to see Tyler's reaction to the huge planes up close!

Such a cool place! If you haven't been, GO!

Can't forget the fun in Grandma & Grandpa's back yard with the neighbor kids! They have SO many little kids all around them. They even call my dad Grandpa! It could be because he gives them CapriSuns and Popsicles all the time!!

So just some of the fun we had before moving into our new home! More to come...

♥Quote♥

2011-09-20T16:03:00.001-06:00

Just something I wanted to remember.

Good-bye Colorado

2011-09-19T18:51:00.004-06:00

It was harder than I thought to leave a place we love...

And a little scary to begin again in a place we'd forgotten...

But it will all be worth it...

Moving Day

2011-09-06T14:30:00.004-06:00

MAY 2nd-4th, 2011

As it is well known by now, Jason got a promotion with the Dept. of Air Force and we had to leave our beautiful little home we loved so much in Colorado Springs. It was a great move for his career and so we were very happy about that. AND the fact that it was going to send us back to Utah (near MY family), made the decision much easier. Although, it wasn't made lightly. After MUCH fasting and prayer, we decided it was what the Lord wanted for our family.
Luckily (we think-we'll see once we get all the boxes opened), the job offer came with a full moving expense package. They paid for movers and also the option for them to purchase our house if it didn't sell in X-amount of days. Thankfully, it did sell and we closed on Aug. 12th with the buyers after the headache of having to put on a new roof for them & all that came with that stress.

Here is our home with the busyness of the movers: Tyler loved watching the whole thing, but I will be eternally grateful to those who helped keep him out of the way on those busy days. (You know who you are!)

After they had packed up everything we thought we could live without for a few months, we loaded up the rest of our things into a Uhaul & onto our trailer. We didn't know exactly how long we'd need to stay with my parents (who unselfishly opened their home to us- indefinitely), so we needed to keep a few things with us.

OH how I miss the crisp blue skies of Colorado!! One of MANY things that make me SO homesick as I go back over these photos. I think that might be part of why it has taken me so long to do this. I really miss Colorado. I have had to have the Lord confirm to me (many times!) our decision to move. I know we are where we should be at this point in our lives, but it doesn't make it any easier.

Especially when we had such wonderful neighbors like Rick & Wendy DeMatto. Here are the kids saying goodbye to sweet Wendy.

And we are off to new adventures.

More to come...

Catch Up...

2011-09-03T15:45:00.002-06:00

I know it's been a reeeeally long time since my last blog post, but hang in there. I am going to be playing a little catch-up over this next week. I have a goal of being completely caught up to date by next weekend. So you might see a couple of posts in one day OR you might see nothing. I've never been very good at keeping my goals...

(Insert Giant Smiley Face Here!)

Ha ha!

HaPpY EaSteR!

2011-04-26T12:05:00.001-06:00

Easter Morning Fun

2011-04-26T11:48:00.003-06:00

The kids were up SO early this Easter. We have 8:30am church and they were up, ready to hunt eggs by 6:00am! They had to wait for a little bit & were very patient. Here they are waiting at the top of the stairs.

The Easter Bunny usually brings the kids a new swimming suit, but this year brought the girls a swimsuit cover up because they didn't need a new suit this year. He also brought cute sandals for Tyler and flip flops for the girls. And don't forget about ALL the CaNdY!!
We also got to go to Jason's parents house in Castle Rock that afternoon. G'ma & G'pa had a great egg hunt for them, too! Always fun to be with family. Just wish I would have remembered the camera!
Oh, and we also woke up to this...

HaPpY EaSteR!

2011-04-22T15:08:00.005-06:00

We have made some really great friends here in Colorado. Thought I'd take some pictures to help the kids remember some of these friends we are really going to miss!

Here is Tyler with sweet little Brinley:Morgan loves playing with Ellie & Savannah:
Please ignore the naked Barbies in the background.

They didn't know they'd be on camera.

This sweet family said goodbye to their dad for SIX months today. He has deployed to Baghdad. Thought we would give mom a break for the afternoon and so they all (minus 6 mo. old Lawson) came to play today! The kids had the day off of school, so it's always fun to have friends over.

(l-r) Morgan, Savannah, Ellie (back)

Nicole, Brinley, Jacob, Tyler (front) We are hoping that their next stop on the military ride will be in Utah!!

Spring Break 2011

2011-04-06T10:23:00.010-06:00

A run down of some of the things WE did for Spring Break:

Lots and LOTS of cleaning and organizing to get ready for our upcoming move!

The kids have TWO whole weeks off! The weather this year was a little unpredictable. It was nice enough for the kids to play outside, but when it wasn't... They'd get a little creative and make blanket forts.

We celebrated birthdays with Jason's family. His sister (Sarah) and I both have March birthdays and so we combined the celebration & had dinner at his parents house.

I think that they must have been REALLY bored at one point or another. This was the result of some of that boredom...

I think that Tyler is going to kill me for this one day, but I seriously laughed out loud when I saw this picture! I didn't even know they had done this! Shows what great supervision they had at times! ha ha!

Our sweet little Morgan lost both front teeth in March. Isn't that the cutest little face?

And this kid just cracks me up. A friend (thanks Rachael) handed down this shirt (and much more!) and I swear they made it just for him!

"Every Great Idea I Have Gets Me In Trouble"

(ain't that the truth!)

We had a wonderful General Conference Weekend. The kids all get fun packets with games and things to color while we watch.

Saturday Morning Session

What is it with boys? Can't get a serious picture out of this kid!

Man, I sure love these kidlets!

For the Sunday Afternoon Session Grandma & Grandpa Eddington come down from Castle Rock to watch with us and have dinner. It's been such a fun tradition that we are really going to miss! It was a fun break but I think the kids were ready to get back to school. I was happy and sad at the same time. Happy to be back on a schedule, but sad because I really DO miss them when they're gone!

Tyler-isms:

2011-03-15T20:00:00.002-06:00

Facebook posts:

Yesterday: March 14th, 2011

Out of the blue, Tyler just hollered from the other room: "Mom... How come you know everything?" Yeah... that's right! Keep thinking that!! =)

Tonight: March 15th, 2011

Tyler @ dinner tonight:
"Mom, ya wanna hear something that will change your life?!!"
Me: "Sure!" =D
Then he told me all about his toy cement truck. Yep, that IS a life changer! I sure ♥ that kid!

Leaving Our Comfort Zones

2011-03-10T07:43:00.002-07:00

I have some good news and some bad news.

Good News: Jason got a new job promotion! =)
Bad News: It means we have to leave Colorado. =(
Good News: It's in Utah close to family! =)
Bad News: It's in Utah close to family. =( Totally kidding!

We are excited/sad/thrilled/nervous/ ... basically overwhelmed but know that it is the right move for our family.

We will deeply miss Colorado & our wonderful friends in the Springs. But are so happy to be able to be closer to TONS of family!

Oh the little things...

2011-03-02T18:31:00.003-07:00

There was quite the excitement before school this morning. A hot air balloon hovered and then landed right on the playground! When Nicole was leaving for school with the carpool, we saw it and knew it was really close. Then when she got to school, she texted me that it was directly over the school! Poor Morgan missed it. I kept her home today because of a terrible cough & we were happy that Nicole took a picture of it on her cell phone & sent it to us. Tyler, Morgan & I jumped in the car and drove up to see if we could see it, but it was already down. =( Luckily we live in a perfect place that we see them almost every morning in the spring and summer as they fly over our house. We just aren't usually out early enough to catch them all the time. Jason gives us a report on them because he IS up and out at the crack of dawn!

It really is the little things that make us happy, huh?

♥Valentine's Mystery Dinner♥

2011-02-17T12:43:00.003-07:00

This year for Valentine's Day, Jason & I were able to meet at Olive Garden for a lunch date. Then later that night we had a fun dinner planned for the kids. Jason took them to the park (yes, it was beautiful weather) while I got everything ready for the big surprise!

This is what their plates looked like. Jason had made these little treat crafts at work with his boss who brought them in for everyone to make for their kids. The meal was hidden behind an old science fair board so that they couldn't see what they were getting. They had to choose each course from items named with cute Valentine's themes.
Nicole's first course brought her ice cream (cold shoulder), but she had to eat it with a chopstick (Cupid's arrow) and also had pasta sauce (melted hearts).

Tyler wasn't too thrilled when his first course was jam (love trouble) and a chopstick (Cupid's arrow) and a spoon (kissing & hugging). He didn't like that his sister had ice cream and he didn't. Morgan was a good sport & thought it was pretty fun. She got to eat her applesauce with a fork and laughed the whole time!

Needless to say, we had to rush the courses pretty quickly & it all went well. If you're wanting to try it, here's the link where I got the idea & menu from.

I think that we'll have to do it again next year!

♥Be My Valentine♥

2011-02-14T10:59:00.000-07:00

Super Bowl Sunday

2011-02-10T09:43:00.002-07:00

Growing up, Super Bowl Sunday was all about the party, food, and being together as a family. I wanted to carry that tradition along with me. This year was fun, even though we didn't really care who won (as long as it wasn't the Steelers). =) We had lots of yummy "football food". We all got to choose something we wanted. Jason chose a dip that has sausage/cream cheese/Rotel. I wanted 7-layer dip. Nicole chose Bagel Bites. Morgan asked for Ants-on-a-log (celery with peanut butter & raisins) and Tyler wanted chicken nuggets. So it was kind of a modge-podge of appetizers. The best part was just being together!

Jason and Tyler had to wear their Broncos jerseys! Even if they didn't do so well this season. Here's to next year!
Somehow Tyler always seems to need to make a silly face. Guess that's what goes along with being 4: Nicole, Morgan & Mom:

Nicole wanted to take the picture herself. The result- an extreme close up:

Dad & Nicole:

What fun traditions do you have?

One last December post:

2011-01-17T15:45:00.003-07:00

The Monday after Christmas we took the kids to the park with some friends.

Tyler got a new basketball from Santa: Uncle Braydon & Aunt Angie sent the kids these awesome Wiggle Wheelers: (I think that's what they're called?) They have had a blast with them!

Nicole was just chillin' out with her scooter:

The weather was beautiful and we could not have had a better Christmas! We are so blessed to have such wonderful friends and family!

♥You know who you are!! ♥

Year In Review: 2010

2011-01-04T13:15:00.003-07:00

I got this great idea from a friends blog (thanks Sharlyn) and thought it would be something I'd like to do. I wasn't the greatest at keeping my blog this year and would like to remember a few things:

1. What did you do in 2010 that you'd never done before?
Pulled out all of my eyelashes! Not on purpose!
2. Did you keep your New Year's Resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I honestly didn't really make any last year, but I did this year with the kids for FHE.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Yep! I have a new niece and lots of cousins with new babies!
4. Did anyone close to you die?
Sadly yes. My 2 beautiful aunts, Linda & Rosie. I was very close to them both.
5. What countries did you visit?
None this year. Unless you count the Deep South as another country! ha ha! (MS, LA, TX)
6. What would you like to have in 2011 that you lacked in 2010?
Better financial security with better medical insurance.
7. What dates from 2010 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
January 9-February 14: Missing Jason so badly while he was in Mississippi. Not an easy time.
March 4: Hearing that my Aunt Linda had suddenly passed away.
May 26: Learning that my Aunt Rosie had passed after a long battle with Alzheimer's.
8. What was your biggest personal achievement of the year?
Wow, this is a hard one. Honestly just getting out of bed some days. I think that this is something I might need to focus on for the next year.
9. What was your biggest failure?
Much easier... I think I'm pretty hard on myself as a mother sometimes.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
I've had a hard time with my feet this year.
July/August was pretty rough when we all got sick with the H-flu & had several rounds of antibiotics to get rid of it.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
Our new swing set for the kids! Love it!
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
My mom's decision to fight cancer and get out of the rehab center. It wasn't easy for her!
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Ummm... Not really anyone, I guess. Maybe the kids at times! ha ha! Oh I know! When Tyler flooded my kitchen! Yep... that's it!
14. Where did most of your money go?
Medical bills. Medical bills. And MORE medical bills.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
My mom's remission diagnosis. (Both times!)
Getting to fly down to New Orleans to see Jason after he'd been gone so long!
16. What song (s) will always remind you of 2010?
Sarah Bariellis: King of Anything
Lady Antebellum: Never Alone
Natasha Bettingfield: Unwritten (MY theme song!)
17. Compared to this time last year, are you: a) happier or sadder? b) thinner or fatter? c) richer or poorer?
a) Happier! My mom isn't in the hospital & Jason isn't about to leave for 5 weeks!
b) Yeah, not even going there... ha ha!
c) Poorer, but with hopes of better times ahead.
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Moving/exercising.
More one on one with the kids, too.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Shouting.
Wasted time worrying.
20. Did you fall in love in 2010?
Over and over again!
21. What was your favorite TV program?
The Big Bang Theory and Modern Family
22. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
Nope. What a strange question. Don't really hate anyone. Do "grown-ups" really have someone they hate? I get to choose who I surround myself with, thankfully!
23. What was the best book you read?
I loved the Love Comes Softly Series.
24. What was your greatest musical discovery?
I have loved a CD my sister gave me called Male Voices (I think). It has hymns that are all acapella. I love all kinds of music!
25. What did you want and get?
I wanted to be able to go camping this year. We had a fun time! Look forward to more!
26. What did you want and not get?
The basement finished. *Sigh* Here's to 2011.
27. What was your favorite film of this year?
There really wasn't anything I really loved this year. Maybe Killers? Nothing really.
28. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned (gulp) 35 and Jason took the day off. The kids were off of school, too & we spent the day together. We went swimming @ the YMCA & out for dinner. I just enjoy being together.
29. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Hmmm? Looking back, I wish we'd have made better financial decisions.
I wish we would have changed our medical insurance long before.
I wish my parents could have been well enough to come visit.
30. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2010?
Oh boy... WHAT fashion concept? Anything that fits, pretty much. *sigh*
31. What kept you sane?
Jason. As always.
My faith & family, too. (although they might have caused some of the Insanity, too!) ha ha!

HERE'S TO A FANTASTIC 2011 !!

Christmas 2010

2010-12-30T10:36:00.008-07:00

We had a wonderful Christmas this year! It was so nice to be able to stay home and relax in our jammies all day. On Christmas Eve we had the 3 Sister missionaries to dinner, along with Grandma & Grandpa Eddington. Jason's family was all here (well, most of them) for Thanksgiving and so his parents had a quiet house for Christmas. We're so glad they came down from Castle Rock to spend it with us!

This is the only photo I took on Christmas Eve:
(Notice Tyler by the tree & the girls on the couch.)

*C*h*R*I*s*T*m*A*S*

The kids anxiously waiting to see what Santa brought them:

They must have been good because Santa de-liv-ered! Although there are quite a few from Mom & Dad, too! Not to mention being spoiled by their Grandmas & Grandpas.

Nicole and her "loot":

Tyler was thrilled with it all!

Morgan loved her Pillowpet from Mom & Dad:

And MY personal favorite, Just Dance 2 for the Wii. We've had a blast playing this game & I'm excited to do the "Just Sweat" part for a little exercise! Now if I can just keep up with the kids, I'll one day master this! ha ha!

And finally, I had to throw in a photo of the kids and Santa. We took them to the mall before Christmas and the line was SO long. They didn't want to wait (thank heavens!) and so they settled for seeing him from here. Not too bad, if ya ask me. Santa even said hello to them & they were just as happy!

I can't begin to express how wonderful this Christmas has been. I think it will go down as one of MY favorites for so many reasons...

Merry Christmas!

Not Forgotten - Flashback Fridays

2010-12-10T09:44:00.003-07:00

Flashback to our Christmas visit in 2008:

Here we are at one of my favorite restaurants, Little America.

This was just a few months after my dad had his brain surgery and days before my poor mom's health problems all came crashing down. Jason's being a goof ball...

This was a fun night. It was the last time we were in Utah for Christmas.

So many fun memories.

Ouch!

2010-12-05T19:26:00.002-07:00

For those of you on facebook you've already heard my story. But for those of you who haven't...
I think these photos pretty much say it all.

Yes, I ripped out all of my eyelashes today. And YES, it hurt like a mutha! My stupid eyelash curler somehow "malfunctioned" and when I was closing it, it twisted and this is the result. I was stunned (to say the least) at first and then realized there was nothing I could do about it. (which drives this control freak crazy) and so I decided to laugh about it so that I wouldn't cry! Now I just have to wait up to 70 days for them to grow back. That's according to the Internet which Jason very sweetly googled for me right after it happened.

So until then, I might just be sportin' a new look! ;o)

Random Flashback

2010-11-12T11:05:00.004-07:00

This week I've decided to flashback to a few different events in 2006:

Movie Night with the girls:

Cute little Morgan with her popcorn.Sweet Nicole looks comfy with her yummy popcorn.

I love having Family Movie Night with the kids. It's a fun tradition. The kids favorite part is the popcorn (as you can see) and we have fun just being together.

Next: I just had to throw in a picture of Nicole with Tyler.

Were they ever that little?

This is when I caught Morgan getting into lipstick. She tried to deny it but I think the evidence was incriminating. ;)
And last, but not least... The blizzard of October '06. We actually had a couple big storms that month. I think it snowed more that year than it has in the 7 years we've lived here in Colorado Springs! Crazy weather!

Jason wasn't complaining, though. He got to actually use his snow blower! He LOVES this kind of stuff. Crazy guy!

I love looking back at things we've done. It makes me realize how fast time flies!

Warning: Rambling Post

2010-11-09T09:56:00.002-07:00

Have you ever felt like you needed to prepare yourself for something, but you don't know what it is you're preparing for? I've been feeling like that since about March. Today I'm really feeling it and I can't put my finger on it. The last few weeks I've felt like we really need a change. Something different from whatever road we're on right now. We've almost sold our van, debated getting a dog or some sort of pet. Nope, not the answer... I've almost signed up for college classes. Wrong. I have decided to start a preschool in my home next fall, but that's not it either. I'm feeling today like I've missed something. Some major... "whatever" because I haven't been aware. Does this make ANY sense? I dunno... Just throwing it out there.

Hmmm???

Quick Flashback

2010-11-05T11:08:00.003-06:00

It's that time again...Flashback Friday!

I've decided to flashback to 2007:

Yes, we ARE holding Tyler against his will. =)My sweet kidlets on Thanksgiving Day 2007.
Man, I can't believe how much they've grown!

This is my whole life right here...

I don't have a lot of time today. I need to get ready to take Tyler to preschool and then I am helping in Morgan's class today. I also have a bunch of errands I need to run before tonight! I am so excited to get to spend some ALONE time with Jason for 24 hours!! His mom has asked to watch the kids overnight (who in their right mind would say no to that?) and so we are going out tonight! Tomorrow we're going to SLEEP IN and then head up to the temple. I seriously can't wait!! I will be able to carry on a whole conversation with him - without interruptions!

So until next post...

Halloween Flashback

2010-10-29T10:58:00.004-06:00

I've missed the past two weeks of Flashback Friday's. But to make up for it...here is a post of Halloween Past!

20052006
2007
2008
2009

And tonight we have out Trunk-or-treat at church and I hope to take pictures for a Halloween 2010 post!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

New Pictures!

2010-10-21T11:29:00.011-06:00

We took a last minute trip to Utah this past weekend. My mom found out her cancer has relapsed and began another round of chemo almost immediately. We wanted to visit before she got too sick again. We're hoping that she won't be quite as sick this time, but you never know. We had a wonderful experience with fasting as a family and are very hopeful that she can make a full recovery. I just hate to see her suffer so much.
While we were in Utah, my wonderfully talented sister took our family photos. I've put some on facebook and here around my blog. Check them out. Here are a few more...

Nicole -10-Morgan -6-Tyler -4-

Not sure if this will work...

2010-10-20T17:21:00.002-06:00

Never used this before, but it's worth a try....

Flashback Postponed

2010-10-08T22:16:00.004-06:00

Due to unforeseen circumstances (eh-hem - Tyler)... Flashback Friday has been postponed.

First, I would like to explain these:
No, my kitchen doesn't always look like that.

And no, I don't usually have a bunch of wet towels drying in my back yard.

But thanks to a certain 4 year old (again- Tyler) I had to do some unexpected deep cleaning of my entire kitchen today. Here's the story:

Jason decided to take his first day off in...I don't know HOW long... and we had planned to get a few things done around the house. He was going to stain the swing set and I was going to catch up on some laundry. (you know those extra towels that always seem to be last on the list?) Well, we also thought that with the kids starting their fall break that we could sleep in a little. Oh how wrong we were! Tyler decided NOT to sleep in and instead, filled his "free time" with flooding the ENTIRE kitchen. I'm not kidding when I say entire. Water was everywhere! Inside cabinets and drawers. In fact, there was about an inch and a half of water inside some of the drawers. The floor had about two inches of water that was leaking from the ceiling downstairs. We have one of those faucets that has a sprayer thing on it and he had taken the it and sprayed the ceiling, the counters, clear across the table to the couches! Let's just say that just about everything in sight was WET!

Well, then he came upstairs and whispered to Jason, "Dad, I accidentally sprayed water all over the kitchen." UGH! So I sent him to his room until we could check things out. When we first saw it we had NO idea just how wet everything was.
Let's just say that he's lucky to be alive! ha ha! He was in time-out for pretty much the whole day. He knew he was in trouble and I was surprised how well he stayed in that chair.

So we pretty much spent the entire day cleaning that whole mess up. We even had to bring out the shop-vac and I added a whole lot more towels to the pile of laundry I didn't get done today.

Crazy as it sounds, I really DO love that kid!

Look at that face! How could I NOT?!

Flashback Friday on Thursday:

2010-09-30T18:39:00.006-06:00

Tomorrow is going to be such a crazy day that I thought I'd get Flashback Friday done tonight! Enjoy!

JULY 2006

I'd like to flashback to Morgan's 2nd birthday. She was running in the house with Nicole that morning and somehow fell into the door of her bedroom. We spent most of that morning in the ER getting 6 stitches in her poor little head. She was such a trooper! That night she was still wanting to party so we went to Chuck-E-Cheese with her and Nicole.
Check out the huge bandage on her forehead. She seriously was so good and hardly fussed about the whole ordeal.

Here's a shot of me with her. I am very pregnant with Tyler as you can see.

Our sweet little Morgan.

Then a few days later, Nicole celebrated her 6th birthday!

And a few weeks later, Tyler came into our family!!
I love these kidlets so much! I want to just freeze time! In looking back, I'm realizing how quickly it passes and I am so grateful for these little ones!

Flashback Friday

2010-09-24T16:10:00.005-06:00

I thought I'd try something new. Something that will help me be more consistent with this blog. I am going to be doing a post every Friday that I will call "Flashback Friday". I will be posting pictures and memories of things that I'd like to remember. Maybe things that I've been thinking about. Who knows what I'll come up with, but I'm starting with this:

FALL 2005

My parents came to Colorado for a visit and we went to Royal Gorge. I love this picture of my parents.

This next picture was taken in September 2005 in front of our new house! Look how little the girls are.

So many memories with the excitement of buying our first house. I can't believe how quickly time passes.

I'm really looking forward to my "Flashback Friday" posts and the memories I'll have along with them!

Minute To Win It

2010-09-18T11:40:00.005-06:00

We were invited to a Couples Minute To Win It party/picnic at the park last night. If you've ever seen this game show on TV you'll know how hilarious some of the games can be, especially if you're watching. We even came up with team names & some of us even had "matching" outfits.

I didn't get many pictures but here are just a few I shot:In this game you had to balance pencils on your hand, flip them up & then catch them. Then add 2 more each time. Jason was awesome at this one!

This game was stacking Chapsticks with chopsticks. Harder than you think! And the most hilarious to watch...

You have to get the Oreo from your forehead down to your mouth without using your hands!

Ryan & Kristeen

John & Rachael

Jason & Tara (Yes, I'll even throw one in of us.)

Brandon & Sommar

Justin & Katie

This next game was trying to drop Mentos into a bottle of Diet Coke. As you know from all of your science experiments (or youtube) if you got it in it would fizz up and shoot out of the bottle.

There were several other games but I didn't think to pull out my camera. I'll have to post a link to my friend Rachael's blog when she posts hers. That is IF there aren't any she's using to blackmail me with! ha ha!!

Such a fun night! Thanks guys!

Here it is: Check out my friend Rachael's blog for more!

Totally Random...

2010-09-17T10:59:00.002-06:00

I just have to share my new find. Four years ago Maybellne discontinued my favorite mascara. And now, after 4 years of trying all different kinds of mascara- from Lancome to Este Lauder- Cover Girl to Maybellne- the list goes on and on...
I have FINALLY found one I LOVE! It's only been a week now so we'll see how fresh it stays once opened (I have a habit of using every last bit I can). But I am SO excited about it!
Like I said in my title: Totally random. But I just had to share my excitement! That is until they discontinue it... ha ha!

Father's Day 2010

2010-09-15T11:12:00.004-06:00

The sun was really bright & I think we're all squinting!

Love this little boy and the faces he pulls!

Still trying to catch up. I just wanted to post some photos from Father's Day that we took before we went to church. I wish I had one of us all together. I really need to pull out the tripod!

Camping & Summer Randomness

2010-09-14T09:33:00.006-06:00

HANG ON...This is going to be a long post with lots of pictures!

We took the kids camping at Mueller State Park before school started. This is such a beautiful place to camp. We brought our bikes and went on rides with the kids. They even have a playground for them. I can't wait to camp there again next year. Although I'm going to have to make our reservations in January! It books up quickly for the weekends and I can see why! My favorite part of camping...the campfire and Smores!!

Just down from our campsite, Jason and the kids exploring and looking for firewood.

My beautiful daughter Nicole.

Crazy boy Tyler.

Sweet Morgan with Jason hanging out by the campfire.

They liked having a playground but with so many other things to explore, I think we only went here once.

Now on to some other summer fun...

Jason & Rhett Gasaway (from our ward) took the kids to a Sky Sox game. Between the game and keeping track of six kids, they didn't get many photos. This one I HAD to put in because it's SO Tyler. He's always making funny faces and being a goof! I love this kid!

Then last, but not least...

Just had to throw in a couple of photos that are on my camera but I can't remember why I took them. I just love these kidlets!

Summer 2010 was probably the fastest summer I can remember! Went by waaay too quickly but I'm also ready for fall. I've been so excited to make bread & soup! Yummm!

First Day of School

2010-09-13T09:23:00.003-06:00

Yeah, I know that school started a month ago, but better late than never. Right?

Here are the girls with Tyler. He started preschool a couple of weeks later but wanted to be in the pictures, too.

Morgan started 1st grade this year. For some reason that's always harder for me than kindergarten because they are gone ALL day. I miss them so much! Don't ya love how she posed herself here? I love this girl!

Nicole is in 5th grade and sadly her last year in elementary school. (*sniff sniff*) Not sure how I'm going to handle her going to middle school next year, but we'll cross that bridge when we get there. She has always been so mature for her age but I think I will always see her as my little girl. She might not like that, though. ha ha!

Here is a photo of Tyler's actual first day of pre-K. Jason and I took him out to lunch before school and he chose -gulp- McDonald's. Why do kids like that place? Maybe they think it's good because parents don't like it? Hmmm? Anyway, as you can see on his forehead, he got a massive bonk that morning riding his bike. Like the great mother I am, when he asked me for his helmet and I couldn't immediately find it, I sent him on his way without it thinking, "Oh he'll be fine!" Nope. Crashed hard! Luckily he's a pretty tough kid and won't hold it against me the rest of his life... that is until his therapy bills start adding up for the rest of mom's mistakes! ha ha!!
Well, I'm slowly catching up! I think I've lost most of my blogging friends, but hey - this is more for me anyway. Right? Right?.... Anyone out there? ha ha!

Go Rockies!

2010-09-08T09:01:00.006-06:00

I finally found my camera cord and let's just say- it was right in front of my face the whole time. I won't go into the details of my organized clutter, but all is well and I can now post some pictures of our fun Labor Day weekend!

We got to go to the Rockies game with Jason's family. It was so much fun and the weather couldn't have been better! We were lucky enough to have tickets in the shade the whole time, too.

Tyler had so much fun! I can't wait for him to start T-ball next summer. He's ALL boy and loves anything to do with sports! I think that all of the kids loved the cotton candy & snow cones, too!

We had to park a few blocks away and on the way back after the game, I couldn't help but find this adorable. Tyler doesn't usually like to hold any one's hand and so it didn't last long, but here he is with Grandpa & Grandma Eddington.

Then after the game we went back to Sarah & Garrett's (Jason's sister) and celebrated Jason's mom's birthday. We couldn't find anything to light the candles and so Jason was kind enough to let Garrett use his torch he uses for sprinkler repairs that he happened to have in the car. How utterly "white trash" of us, 'eh? Ha ha!
Happy Birthday Melva! (or as she's lovingly known to many of us ... Melvite!)

More to come.... Now that I can get to my pictures!

Watch for First Day of School - Coming Soon - to a blog post near you!!

May: Part TWO

2010-07-21T17:04:00.003-06:00

Look at this! TWO posts in 2 days! I'm on a roll!!

In May our sweet little Morgan graduated Kindergarten! I can't believe how fast time is flying by and that she will be in first grade. I wish I could keep her home with me forever!

Here she is with her teacher, Mrs. Pharris.
We got to go to the zoo for Tyler's preschool field trip. We pulled the girls out of school and were lucky to have my niece in town, too.

It was a fun year for Tyler because he had family in his preschool class. Here is a picture of Jason's cousin Laurel & her 2 kids. Ethan was in Tyler's class & we got to hang out with them at the zoo.

Nicole, Brinley, Morgan, & Tyler were all ready to hit the hills at the zoo! If you've ever been to the zoo here in Colorado Springs (Cheyenne Mountain Zoo), you'll know what I mean when I say "HILLS"!

Brinley thought it was so cool to see prairie dogs here in Colorado. She'd never seen them before so we stopped & let her take some pictures of the little guys. They all thought this was fun!
Nicole also had her recital. She did such a fantastic job! She played 4 violin pieces (2 with the ensemble, 1 duet, & 1 solo). PLUS, she had 2 piano pieces! She had worked really hard to be ready & we were so proud of her! She really is talented! (Yep, I'm bragging! I'm the Mom & am entitled to, right?)

After the recital we went out to Rizutos for ice cream.

Wow! Looking back, I can't believe how fast time is flying by! Can't I just freeze time right now?

May: Part ONE

2010-07-20T15:27:00.005-06:00

It would be so much easier if I'd just stay caught up on this blog! I've been wanting to sit down to post, but it's been driving me crazy with how far behind I am with it. Sooooo.... I'm just going to try and do a little at a time. Here we go...

In May, we got to go to the Sky Sox game. They are the AAA team that get called up for the Rockies. Their stadium is about a mile from our house & so we get to see the fireworks they have on Friday nights in the summer. The games are really family friendly and SO much fun!

We went with some friends of ours, THE TEEPLES FAMILY! Tyler LOVED the whole experience & was even super excited to see the other team's mascot when he came around.

Nicole might kill me for posting this one, but I LOVE how they were having so much fun!

It rained on us a couple of times, but for the most part it was pretty dry.

Just so much fun!

Can't wait to go again!

Memorial Day 2010

2010-06-11T15:27:00.002-06:00

Just a little photo of us at my grandparents grave. This year brought back so many memories of going from cemetery to cemetery "visiting" ancestors who have passed. My dad LOVES to tell us stories of each one and as a kid, it was torture. We just wanted to get to the good part - going to the park with all the cousins and playing until dark! But as an adult, I really cherish those memories and even had my dad tell MY kids a few of those stories.

Some of those Memorial Day traditions have dwindled off, but it was fun to be in Utah and make some memories of our own.

"To Do list"... BLOG!

2010-06-04T20:17:00.002-06:00

I really haven't fallen off the face of the earth. I promise. I think I might have lost all of my blogging friends, though. If you are still out there, and still want to see what we've been up to...

JUST WAIT!

I have so much to blog about! Ideas (and photos) are spilling outta my ears! SO please be patient. I promise lots of good things are coming. I won't let 'cha down!

Sweet Aunt Rosie

2010-05-26T17:25:00.003-06:00

My Aunt Rosie passed away this morning. I have so many wonderful memories with her. I remember laying across her lap while she'd tickle my back. She was such a wonderful person! I have SO much to do to try and leave tomorrow. We'd really like to be there with family for her funeral in Utah. There is also SO much I want to say about her, but I think that my sister said it beautifully on her blog. Please check it out HERE.

Field Trip

2010-04-28T13:44:00.003-06:00

I think that one of the greatest things about being a stay-at-home mom is that I get to go with my kids on their field trips. Yesterday Morgan's class went to the Bear Creek Nature Center and then to the park for a picnic. It was so fun!

Here she is with some of her classmates. She's kind of hidden, but this was the best I could get. Kindergartners love to have their pictures taken, I found out! One of the guides took us on a little hike and showed us lots of interesting things that are native to Colorado. I certainly learned a lot!

Inside the center they have this really cool beehive that you can watch the bees going in and out. It was very interesting. I think that most of the kids liked this part the best.

They had a puppet show and talked about all of our senses. Then they talked about animals who use these senses and on the hike we got to watch for some of them. They had a whole bunch of animals that were stuffed and we got to touch them and learn more about them.

Morgan & her friend Shannon were so cute. They held hands the entire hike!

I just love this little girl. She is growing up so quickly and it makes me so sad. She is such a little sweetie and just so easy going. I asked her what the best thing about the trip was. Her reply? Riding the school bus!

So happy I got to go with her!

I'm on a ROLL...

2010-04-07T14:00:00.004-06:00

I often find Tyler like this:
Just watching out the window. And what is he watching? This...
We have an empty field behind our house and sometimes people ride 4wheelers and motorcycles back there. Tyler just LOVES to watch them. He gets so excited to see them! He's all BOY!

On another subject...

Does anyone else find things like the following photos on their cameras?

Yes...upside down...

I have a feeling that a certain little boy has gotten a hold of my camera again...

Catch up & everything random...

2010-04-02T13:23:00.006-06:00

Ok- HANG ON! This is gonna be a loooong post:
I'm just trying to play catch up and post some things that I'll wanna see when I make my blog into a book (one of these days).

Jason bought an aerator this year for his business. He already has several people lined up and is really looking forward to the warmer weather! Tyler has been playing "lawn mower" and things just like his dad. It's so cute to see how he gets so excited over tools and gadgets. He's such a boy! The aerator came with an instructional DVD and Tyler wants to watch it over and over and over. It's about driven me batty, but HE loves it.
We have really been looking forward to SPRING! The kids want to be outside as much as possible and I'm right there with 'em!

Spring in Colorado is so unpredictable. We went from THIS:

To THIS:
In one day! 70 degree weather one day and 8 inches of snow the next!

This is my front door.
Just wanted to throw this in of the girls saying goodbye to Tyler one morning before they went off to school. He misses them when they are gone.

We were able to take a quick trip to Utah for my aunts funeral. It was really great to be around family. I neglected to take many pictures (gasp!) but you can see a few on my sister's blog here.

This is the kids in the car with their cousin Brinley. We had a lot of GOOFING OFF:

Morgan, Brinley, Nicole, & Tyler

JUST HANGING OUT:

Danielle, Angie, Natalie, & Braydon. My brother, his wife & 2 of his girls.

AND RELAXING!

My nephew Trevor, (sister) Tiffany, (her hubs) Bryan, Tyler & my niece Brielle.

And something REALLY random...

We had ribs one night and the kids LOVED them. That's gotta become a regular around here. It's rare that all my kids like the same thing lately.

Boy were they messy, though!

And last, but not least:

Here is Nicole with one of her latest projects. Finger weaving! My mother-in-law taught her how to do this and this is what she made. A beautiful scarf! I'm so proud of her!!

So thanks for sticking with me! It's been a while but I am making a commitment to post more often and be better at this blog stuff!

Once again...a call for PRAYERS!

2010-03-25T19:26:00.003-06:00

I'm getting a little tired of that title.

My mom is in the ICU right now getting ready for surgery. She has been in a care center for a couple of months and has been slooooowly getting stronger. She hasn't been able to eat on her own and so they have been feeding her through a tube. She's been extremely nauseous and hasn't kept much down. That's why they're helping her get nutrients.

Up until yesterday, we've had high hopes of her being able to come home in a couple of weeks. The last couple of days she's had a terrible headache and was up all night throwing up last night again. They brought her to the ER today and did a CT scan and MRI and found out she has bleeding on the brain!! I'm having a really hard time wrapping my brain around this...once again. The first ER doctor was NOT hopeful, but the neurologist was a little more optimistic. They are going to preform surgery at 9:00 tonight and will do a biopsy to see if the cancer has spread there. They aren't exactly sure WHY she has bleeding on the brain. The concern right now is getting her blood thick enough to do the surgery. She is on blood thinners because of blood clots she has previously had in her lungs and legs.

It is SO hard to live far away at times like this. I pray that Heavenly Father will comfort us all right now. Especially my kids. They're having a hard time right now. I guess they're taking their cue from me.

So once again...please pray for my sweet parents BOTH!

2010-03-04T15:21:00.003-07:00

My heart is just hurting so much right now. My beautiful Aunt Linda just passed away. I just am aching for her children & grandchildren. I can hardly type through the tears, but I need to release & tell someone! I can't get a hold of Jason right now.

She has been like another mom to me growing up. I think I spent as much time at their house as my own at times. My cousins were always what we called "double cousins" because we are "double related". My Uncle Larry is my mom's brother and Linda is my dad's sister. Make sense? My dad & Larry were on a mission together and came home and married each other's sister. So no matter what side of the family we were with growing up, they were always there! Aunt Linda also worked with Jason when he worked at the Church Office Bldg.

She passed away SO sudden. She had a heart attack just hours ago!

Aunt Linda, YOU WILL BE MISSED DEARLY!!!
I LOVE YOU!!

Snips & snails...

2010-02-24T16:45:00.003-07:00

I am finding great humor in the fact that Tyler has been carrying around the Craftsman Club magazine ALL day! He is obsessed with looking at all of the tools and lawn mowers. He'll point to an air compressor and tell me, "Daddy doesn't have this air-presser, Mom." Or, "This is just like daddy's air-presser!" It's the funniest thing and just makes me smile!

He is definitely his daddy's BOY!!!

And now - the moment you've all been waiting for...

2010-02-19T14:08:00.002-07:00

Ok, so maybe you haven't been holding your breath. But I'm finally sitting down to post about our little adventure last week. As you (may or may not) know, Jason was in Biloxi, MS for five weeks and I got to fly down there and drive home with him. A huge "thanks" goes out to my in-laws for watching the kids so that I could. They were wonderful and so willing to help! Thank you!!
AnyHOO... I flew into New Orleans the same time the city was having the big parade and celebrations for winning the Superbowl. It was kinda fun hearing everyone shouting "WHO DAT" to each other as they passed someone in Saints apparel. The plane was filled with Saints fans and it was crazy!
I had to take a picture of the Louis Armstrong statue thingy in the airport for my dad. This is his favorite thing. Brings back great memories, doesn't it Dad? We then drove to Biloxi, which is about an hour or so from New Orleans and I got to see where Jason had spent the past several weeks. Not the greatest accommodations, but what do you expect with base housing?
Then that next night we went to the famous buffet at the Beau Rivage Hotel/Casino. It is a gorgeous hotel that costs more than a car payment to spend the night. (seriously,who spends like that?) The food was amazing!! I'm not a seafood fan, but Jason had some pretty large crab legs and even some alligator. I tried the alligator (gag) and my first trip to the buffet was so overwhelming! I seriously could NOT decide what to have, there was SO much to choose from. This is what I ended up with:
*Slice of meatloaf * Sauteed mushrooms *Fried zucchini *Hush puppies *Cajun talapia-fish (sp?) *Yummy salad w/ham chuncks *Fried Cod fish *Rice pudding
Yeah, I know...none of it really "goes together" but man was it good!!
This is Jason enjoying his honkin' crab legs. Isn't it a beautiful place?

This is a shot at one of the souvenir shops. This giant "sharks mouth" was in one of the shops before hurricane Katrina. It ended up a couple of miles away in someones yard and is all that was left of that shop. The devastation of that hurricane is incredible. We lived in Biloxi for 3 months when I was pregnant with Morgan (before the hurricane) and it was so sad to see the destruction caused by one storm. We bought a really cool book that has photos of before and after if anyone is interested in seeing some of the amazing things from there.

This is all I have time for right now.

Watch in the coming days for more photos of New Orleans and some of our trip home...

Thinking of You!

2010-02-08T15:05:00.002-07:00

Just thinking about my sweet Mom today. She's been through so much and is still SO strong. Even if SHE doesn't remember it...she IS strong! She's been in the hospital for about a week now and they are helping her get stronger. She wasn't able to keep anything down so they are feeding her through a tube now. She's getting the pain medication she's desperately needed and we're hoping she's on the road to recovery. She got the best news last week...REMISSION!!! So now that she's knocked the C-word outta the picture, let's get the rest taken care of! She will still need two more chemo treatments as soon as they get her feeling better. The surgery they had to do on her biopsy wound last week has really taken it's toll on her. She now has a 9 inch incision in her stomach and they had to remove all of the mesh that was holding her 5 hernias in place (from almost 10 yrs ago). They said that they were infected and that what was causing her reoccurring infections. Her back is still broken and she's in constant pain, poor thing. I think anyone else wouldn't come NEAR handling it like she has. She has been knocked down HARD, but she WILL keep fighting! Even if at times she doesn't want to anymore.

We love you, MOM! You are a shining example to us ALL of true endurance.

You are STRONG!!

2010-01-27T09:55:00.002-07:00

Ok, so I still haven't gotten to my Christmas post. I think I might just have to let that one go. You might be seeing a Christmas post sometime in April--and won't that be a treat?!

SO moving on...

Here's what we've been up to:

*A week of coughs, colds, and fevers for us ALL. Not the best start to Jason being gone...but OH how I'm thankful to have such wonderful friends who brought in delicious meals and medication when we needed!!!

*Playing "catch up" with everything last week after being sick. Funny how far behind you can get on everything when all you do is lay on the couch all day.

*Had a bit of car issues on Friday. Again, SO grateful for friends who were there when I needed! We'd had the brakes done the day before Jason left and apparently they didn't put it all back together correctly. Ended up needing new pads, calibers (sp?), etc... but they paid for it ALL because it was their mistake. Thank heavens!

*Friday night we got to spend time with the adorable Teeples kids while their parents went out. They helped entertain my kids and they all get along so great!

* Saturday, Nicole had a basketball game. They finally won! She was thrilled! My wonderful in-laws watched the kids for a few hours while I spent some much needed time ALONE. I went shopping at the outlets and scored some great deals! It was just nice to be by myself for a little bit.

*Sunday: Not a day I'd like to do over. Poor little Morgan got clocked in the nose when someone at church threw open one of the doors. (not broken-thankfully!) Sweet little thing still went to class while I did Sharing Time. Again, thankful to wonderful friends who supported me and offered encouragement while I had a mini breakdown. =)

*Found out last night that my poor Mom has to have surgery on Friday. Her wound from when they did the biopsy (last August!) STILL hasn't healed and they need to go in to find out why it keeps getting infected. She's extremely nervous about it. She also has her PET scan tomorrow to see if the cancer has gone into remission or not. (don't even want to think about the "not") She will still have to have 2 more chemo treatments, but we're praying it's been helping. She has been pretty miserable (to say the least) trying to deal with all of this AND a broken back!! Please keep her in your prayers!!

This morning I was pretty frustrated because Tyler had "accidentally" missed the toilet AGAIN!! I posted this on facebook:

"ARGH! If I have to wipe up around the toilet ONE more time because a certain little boy gets "distracted", I think I might SCREEEAM!"

Then I felt really bad because while I was cleaning up (big SIGHS and all), Tyler asked me, "Are you mad Mommy?" And I said, "A little bit, but it doesn't mean I don't love you." And he said to me in the sweetest little voice, "You don't LOVE me?"
It broke my heart!! After lots of hugs and kisses (and a brief explanation) I was snapped back to reality and am SO GRATEFUL for a sweet little boy that I can clean up after!!

On that note...

I'm off to climb my mountain of laundry!

2010-01-09T17:32:00.002-07:00

Yep, Jason's gone and I'm (at this point) still holding it together. Staying busy today, trying to get a sharing time planned for tomorrow. So new posts still to come...

Just wanted to let ya know that Nicole has started her very own blog. Right now it's open to everyone, but at some point it WILL be private. I just don't like the whole world reading her thoughts, ya know? So if you'd like to check it out it is: nicole-monkeygirl.blogspot.com

And if you'd like to be able to view it when it goes private, post your email in the comments or email me and we'll send ya an invite when it happens!

Until later...

BIG plans....HUGE!

2010-01-06T10:18:00.002-07:00

Ok, I have huge plans to blog all about our December happenings. Just let me get through these last few days I have with Jason before he has to leave. He has to go to Boloxi, MS for FIVE WEEKS!! Yeah, not sure how I'm gonna handle this either. If you start to see signs of me losing it, please call the authorities. :]

So...just a few more days and you will see all of our Christmas fun!!!

Parenting

2009-12-09T09:31:00.003-07:00

If you know me, you know I like to read parenting books. I'm always open to new ideas about how to raise my kids. Sometimes when I read them, I feel like I've really screwed up. Other times I find I'm doing alright. Right now I'm reading "Love & Logic". I'm sure you've heard of it. It's been out there for a while. Well, I think we've used some of the tactics for a long time and I just didn't realize it. For instance, giving our kids choices. "Do you want to walk to the car or do you want me to carry you?" End result is the same, getting to the car. This just makes them feel like they have a choice. Like they have some sort of control.
Well, this morning Tyler and Morgan are BOTH wanting to vacuum (yea, some fight huh!) and Tyler was using the little vacuum first. Morgan was telling me that she wanted a turn and I told her she needed to wait until he was finished. She then proceeds to give ME a choice.

"Mom, I can either use the vacuum now or I can tease Tyler. Your choice."

Hummm...I think she's somehow caught on.

As promised...

2009-12-08T12:40:00.002-07:00

I have my camera and about 5 minutes to post. SO here I go!

Here is our tree. The kids and I were able to get some of the ornaments on it last night while Jason was working. Now if I can just get them to leave it alone! It's not finished, but I haven't opened the other Christmas boxes yet. Maybe I can get to it this afternoon. I hope! The kids have a snow day today and so we're hanging out here at home. Tyler had preschool, still. It was so COLD out there, I couldn't stand it! 7 degrees with a windchill of -16!! And it's dropping!! Yeah, we'll be staying in tonight. Here is the promised shot of our carpet cleaning Thanksgiving day. ha ha! Read previous post for more info. ;o)

And the 2 cutest little 3 year olds, if I do say so myself! Tyler and "The Artist" himself, Isaac. They are 12 days apart. Cute buddies! Isaac loves his shades!

Here is a shot of the dinner table. Jason's parents, his sister (Sarah) & her husband (Garrett), & the rest of the gang. At least the backs of heads.

Sorry, not the best light in this one. But you get the idea. Here we are getting ready to eat!

And here is a shot of our house outside. (Mostly for my mom. She wanted to see our lights.)

I love Christmas lights!!

There. I got some photos posted. I still need to get some of Nicole's recital, but this will have to do for now. I'm off to decorate some more!

Fa La La La La...

2009-12-07T13:20:00.004-07:00

Is it just me, or have things been really crazy lately? It seems like time is flying by and I'm barely hanging on to my sanity some days. I've sat down to post something several times and then get distracted by an email or facebook and then my short-lived break is over and it's back to the grind. Does anyone else have that problem or is it just A.D.D. for me?
Anyway, I'm going to make an extra effort to document the next few weeks of our lives. Crazy-busy or not. So you might just get a few words (like today, 'cause I left my camera downstairs and I know I'll get distracted if I go get it...and then that would be it for today) OR you might get some great photos of what's going on.

So stay tuned! Here's what you can look forward to:

~Photos of Christmas lights on the house. Thank heavens for the Light Pro thingy that zaps the lights that aren't working and magically fixes the whole strand!
~Photos of our Christmas tree. As soon as I can get it decorated. It's been up since the day after Thanksgiving but haven't put anything on it yet. Luckily it's pre-lit & I can still enjoy the lights.
~Photos of Thanksgiving (maybe). I have some great shots of us all cleaning the carpet after my hilariously funny little nephew (who is Tyler's age) decided to decorate on his own with a yellow highlighter marker all over G'ma & G'pa's carpet. I can think it's funny 'cause it wasn't MY kid!
~ Photos...well, if I hadn't forgotten my camera that night...of Nicole's recital. She had 2 piano pieces and 3 violin pieces with her ensemble and 1 violin duet. She has an amazing talent for music and I am so proud of her! I'll have to see about getting photos from someone who was there that night.
~Ummm....Ok, I know I'm forgetting something else. But I can't think of what so I'll SURPRISE you! Ya can't wait, huh?

SO...Until the next posting....

(I promise it won't be a long wait! I know you're all holding your breath!) ;o)

Fourth Grade Play

2009-11-19T17:09:00.003-07:00

I've really gotta post this right now or I will NEVER get it done. I feel like such a slacker because I haven't posted ANY Halloween photos. I'm doing my best, though! I didn't realize how far behind I've gotten on this blogging stuff. I think that Facebook is quicker and that is where I usually post something. Sad, huh? I am committing to do better right here, right now!

So here we go:

Nicole had her 4th grade play today. They usually put on two performances - one during school and one at night, and since Jason had to work tonight (job#3) we went to the one this afternoon. She has to be there tonight, still. Right after basketball. She's one busy girl these days!

See if you can find her. Hint: she's in red.Here she is with a friend of hers from church.

He's a good kid & we love their family.

Tyler was wanting to be like the big kids.

He was pushing the limits on how far he could get away from us before we'd do anything about it.

My sweet little Morgan stayed by us the whole time. She tried to be a good example to her brother. Too bad he didn't notice.

All in all, it was a fun afternoon. Nicole did a great job and it was fun to see her with her friends.

Wedding Weekend Fun

2009-11-17T10:32:00.008-07:00

Thanks to this cute family: Jason and I were able to go to California to see his brother get married! Doug & Laurel (Jason's cousin) watched the kids from Thursday until LATE Sunday night. (Thanks again, guys!) I also couldn't have done it without the help from all of my sweet friends who carpooled and got my kids where they needed to go. Thanks to you all, too!

On the first night, we all went out to eat at Ruby's on the Pier at Seal Beach. The bride & groom were busy (of course) and so it was just the rest of us. From left to right: Sarah (Jason's sister) & her hubby, Garrett. Elizabeth (Jason's youngest sister) and her soon-to-be-fiance (we hope!), Jeff. Jason & his parents. Then on Friday, the girls went to a shower for Jodi (my new SIL) and some went out for pedicures after. I wanted to spend as much time as I could with Jason because it doesn't happen as often as I'd like it to! We went to Venice Beach.

It was such a cool place, with so many things to see - and smell, I might add. Good and bad. It was fun to walk the boardwalk as the sun was setting.

AMAZING photo opportunities! My brother-in-law came with us and he had a great eye for some cool shots. I'll have to post some of those another time, like in the middle of winter when we all need a pick-me-up! ha ha!

Here is one just to let you see how beautiful it was!

Later that night we went to the Queen Mary for dinner. It's a really cool old ship that is now a hotel and restaurant. I guess it's also haunted, but whatever. It was beautiful. I took some shots of the city, but they turned out really blurry.

Saturday was the BIG DAY in the Los Angeles Temple. It couldn't have been a more beautiful day. The weather was perfect and the ceremony was great! They had an "all white" wedding and it was really neat. Unfortunately Jason had set his temple bag down while we were taking pictures and forgot to pick it back up. I've been trying to call today to see if anyone turned it in but haven't had any luck yet. His sister is flying out this week and we're hoping she can bring it to him. It had all of his temple clothes, Mp3 player, and his keys in it! Luckily I had put my keys in my purse or we'd never had made it home from the airport! ha ha! We also left our coats in the hotel and Elizabeth was able to get those for us. We were having so much fun, I think we forgot just about everything! :o)

Here we are at the temple.

Here is a photo of Jason's brother's and sister's. 3 boys and 2 girls. (and the bride)

Their reception was held at a beautiful house in Naples (near Long Beach) over looking the marina. This is a shot I took from the rooftop deck. Cool 'eh?

And here is a shot of the happy couple resting their feet before the reception.

Congratulations Keith & Jodi!!!

On the morning before we headed back to Colorado we had a little fun.

Here we are at Santa Monica Pier.

(Yeah, eyes are closed but I liked this one with the pier in the background.)It was so beautiful! Hard to believe that it was snowing back home!

I think this is the only photo I got of Jason's brother, Mark & his wife Melinda. They took off once we got to the pier and we didn't see them again.

Garrett, Melinda, Mark, Sarah, & Jason.

I love this photo and I love everyone in it!!

Jeff, Liz, Sarah, Garrett, Melva (my MIL), Me & Jason

We all went on the roller coaster, too! It was such a fun day!

Thanks again to EVERYONE who made this trip possible and so much fun! It's good to be home again, though. I missed my kidlets!

Choose this day...

2009-10-22T18:57:00.000-06:00

My Beautiful Mom

2009-10-21T22:53:00.002-06:00

My cute Mom had her second round of chemo yesterday and had to shave her head today. Her hair has been falling out in clumps and it's been driving her crazy. She said it just felt good to have it gone! She went out and got a couple of cute hats and has been looking at wigs. She joked about going as "Uncle Fester" for Halloween! Isn't she funny? She has been so amazing through this whole thing and I am so grateful to have her example!

Here she is with my gorgeous sister, Tiffany.

She picked this hat out just for the grand kids. Nicole and her cousin Brinley LOVE monkeys! Once again showing how she is ALWAYS thinking of everyone else!I LOVE this one of my parents!

Here she is holding some beautiful flowers that some friends sent today.

Sometimes it's hard when I stop and think, "Wow! My MOM has cancer!" But then I look at the way she is handling things and how positive she & my Dad have been and I can't believe how blessed I am! I am so grateful to have such amazing parents who truly TEACH through their EXAMPLE!!

I LOVE YOU MOM & DAD!!

Food, Friends, & FUN!

2009-10-19T19:51:00.003-06:00

Tonight we had our Family Home Evening at the park with some friends, the Teeples. The weather has been beautiful the last few days and we wanted to take advantage of it while we could. The kids had fun riding their scooters and playing at the park. We had some yummy treats (thanks Kristeen) and the "boys" played with Jason's remote controlled airplane.

The kids did stop long enough to let us take a quick photo.

Are they cute or what?

But it wasn't long before they we're having fun again!
Thanks for the fun night!

Nursery Days

2009-10-11T15:50:00.002-06:00

Tyler came back from nursery with this lovely battle wound today. Ok, so when I say "battle wound", I mean he and the floor had it out. You should see the floor! ha ha!

When I was trying to get a picture of him he was being so goofy! I could only get one shot of him without his tongue sticking out or making some other silly face. He's such a kidder these days. This next shot is blurry, but it's the 2nd best one I could get. That's m'boy!
What "battle wounds" have your kids come home with?

Preschool Field Trip

2009-10-08T18:36:00.002-06:00

Tuesday morning Tyler got to take a field trip with his preschool to the fire station. I was bummed that I couldn't be there (I had an appt. that I had made a month ago). Luckily Jason was able to take an hour and meet them there. He got some cute shots of them, too! They even got to spray the fire hose! Tyler thought this was pretty cool. From what I heard, the hose sprayed a little too much at first and some of the kids got freaked out. NOT Tyler and his cousin, Ethan. They are so lucky to be in the same class! (Technically, their parents are 1st cousins...Jason & Laurel) They have so much fun together. We're so glad they live close!
The whole gang. Tyler wants to go back every day!

I LOVE FALL

2009-10-04T19:05:00.008-06:00

Yesterday we took the kids to a really fun local farm. The following pictures are from our fun day. Enjoy!

Just thought the kids looked cute hangin' out in the car on the way to the farm.

Go Broncos!

Here we are arriving. It was pretty windy so we needed our jackets.

They had all kinds of animals we could pet.

Check out the size of that pig! I think it would be great on my breakfast table.

They even had pony rides! The kids loved this part!

Morgan wanted the white one.

Nicole thought this was "the cool one".

Tyler couldn't care less which one he was on.

They had an area that you could try and lasso something. I think Jason caught something pretty cute in this one! Maybe that's how we can keep Tyler in line!

Notice the barrel train in the back ground. That was cute, too! They also had a hay ride but I didn't get the greatest pictures during that. It was so much fun, though.

This part was fun. They had little rubber duckies that you had to pump the water and race them to the other side. That was so much fun for the kids, too!

The best part for the kids was this 100 foot slide. They had a blast going on it about 20 times each! They might look a little nervous in these shots, but I swear they loved it!

Who wouldn't love this?!

There was a huge hay pyramid. They had fun climbing it to the top and back down.

It doesn't look so big in these photos, though. But it really was!

All in all, it was a great FALL day! If you're local, check it out here. It was worth the money, plus you got to pick your own pumpkin.

Huh???

2009-09-21T13:21:00.002-06:00

I wanna know what goes through the mind of a 3 year old to create this?

Really? Why does he think that Cd's, stuffed animals, cars, race tracks, books, etc. all need to take a bath? He even threw a bath towel in, too. All the things sitting on top of the toilet had already had their turn. Let's just say that some of the stuff didn't survive.

R.I.P. toys.

Pledges and more...

2009-09-18T15:51:00.004-06:00

A couple of weeks ago (yeah, it's taken me that long to post this) Tyler came down the stairs saying the Pledge of Allegiance. I had no idea he even knew it! Apparently he IS learning something at preschool! I really didn't have high hopes that he would this year, but I've been pleasantly surprised! Check it out:

Yes, he desperately needs a haircut here, but I did give him one eventually. Isn't he funny!

Then last Sunday I thought that the kids looked cute in their green and brown and decided to snap a few shots before heading out to church. Here they are "hamming it up". Nicole wanted to take a picture of us. I am really needing a haircut, too! Not the greatest angle, but here ya go.

Nope, I couldn't get one shot of 'em all looking at the camera and we were in a hurry for church.

I still think they're pretty cute!

I guess I've gotta make this a quick post. The kids are going crazy wanting to go out and ride bikes now. It's been a crazy couple of weeks. Jason is working 10-14 hour days at work (not counting his lawn jobs). He's also working weekends until the end of September. It's the end of the fiscal year for the government and he's extremely busy!! On September 30th he's there until 2 or 3 o'clock in the morning! Poor guy. I wish there was something I could do to help... I guess I'll just have to hold down the home front until then!

Warning! Looong post ahead!

2009-09-08T14:36:00.006-06:00

We had a fun-filled weekend with family and "family-to-be"! Jason's brother from CA recently got engaged and brought his cute fiance out to meet the family. I know, brave huh?! She instantly fit right in (not sure that's a compliment - ha ha) and is ALREADY part of the family! So I took a lot of photos this weekend and here are just a "few" that I'll post...

Hang on...it's gonna be a looooong ride!

On Saturday night the "adults" (I'll use that term lightly here - ha ha) all went out to dinner in Manitou Springs at an old stage coach stop. It's one of our favorite restaurants.

We goofed off a little as you can see!
Ate lots of yummy food!

Jason's parents: Sarah (Jason's sister) and her hilarious hubby, Garrett. It's always fun with these two around!
Keith & Jodi...the soon-to-be newlyweds. (Isn't she cute? Nice job, Keith!)Then on Sunday we all got together to celebrate some more.
Keith and Nicole:
Morgan & Isabelle

Jason's cousin (on his mom's side) Jason Michael and his girl friend Jocelyne & their kids.
Grandma & Charlotte: Yes, she LOVES chocolate! She and Morgan are definitely cousins!

Jason and....who is that? Oh yeah, Me!

(I hate seeing pictures of myself!)

Are you still with me? We're ALMOST done...

Then on Monday we went up to the summit of Pikes Peak. We've lived here 6 years and have never gone all the way up to the summit. It was beautiful!!! It was a little hard to catch your breath up there. It was cold, too!

Tyler loved every minute of it!

Keith, Jodi, Garrett, Charlotte & Grandma, Sarah.

Jason & Tyler

It's 14, 110 ft above sea level. It's such a beautiful drive to the top!

Google it...it's awesome!

Poor Garrett had a head cold and the altitude made him so sick that they didn't stay at the summit very long. We met up with them back down a little later. But not before we all tried the "world famous donuts"!! It's some recipe that only works at that altitude.

Then we had to snap some photos halfway down at one of the reservoirs. We got some fun souvenirs, too! Notice my new hat.

Whew!! I'm exhausted just writing about it!!
But...all in all it was a crazy, fun weekend!

Hope yours was, too!

When it rains...

2009-09-04T19:39:00.003-06:00

My poor, poor Mom! Seriously, when it rains - it pours!!! I'm waiting to hear from my dad again. He called a couple of hours ago to tell me that he and my mom are in the emergency room AGAIN!! Apparently when my mom was getting out of the shower her incision (from the biopsy) burst open. He used the word 'burst' because he said that blood was everywhere. She's also on blood thinners because of the clots in her lungs and so it is VERY dangerous to bleed at all. They immediately called her doctor and was told to get to the ER so that they could give her something to help clot the blood. They're are there now and I'm waiting to hear what's going on. I'm sure they are going to have to figure something out to stitch her back up, but how do you do that with someone on blood thinners? I'm really worried about her. I just wish that things didn't have to be so hard for them sometimes!! If you talk to them though, they are ALWAYS positive and feel blessed with each and every day. I need to learn from their example.

Once again...please pray for my mom!!!

Oh to be 5 again...

2009-09-03T12:17:00.003-06:00

Ever have on of those moments when you know you shouldn't laugh, but it's almost too hard NOT to? I had one of those this afternoon when I picked Morgan up from Kindergarten. This is how our conversation went as she was getting her seat belt on:

Me: "So how was your day?"

Morgan: *sigh* "It was the worst day EVER."

Me: "Really? How come?" (concerned, 'cause she's never said this before)

Morgan: "Cause everyone laughed at me when I was coughing and stinkering."

Me: (trying with all my might NOT to giggle) "Ah, I'm sorry honey. What did your teacher say?"

Morgan: "She said, 'People, people...sometimes our bodies make noises.'"

Me: (once again, holding back...about to bust up) "Oh sweetie, I'm sorry. Maybe we should have kept you home again today with your cough, huh?"

Morgan: "Yeah, I'm coughing a lot."

Really, that's the thing that bugs her the most. NOT the fact that she let stinkers in class. She's 5 and that part doesn't even phase her. It's the fact that she's coughing so much that's annoying to her! Oh to be 5 again!! That is one of the things I love about her. Morgan is just so laid back and easy going that she doesn't really even care (or realize) that others have opinions or make judgements about people. She just sees everyone the same and thinks others do too. She's such a loving little girl and I'm so happy and blessed to be her mom!! I hope she NEVER out grows this!

Perfect Weekend~

2009-09-01T15:15:00.004-06:00

~This is my beautiful mom~ I'm missing you already!

She felt well enough on Saturday that we went to Red Robin!

I am so grateful to have such a wonderful husband who held down the home front so that I could go to Utah this past weekend to spend time with my parents. It was so nice to be with them and just hang out! It reminded me of the time I lived with them after my mission when they lived in Louisiana. It was just the 3 of us then, too! Only this time I had a cute family that I was missing at home. When I came home, Jason had cleaned the entire house (bathrooms and all!) and had made me this:

I've been wanting some place to hang backpacks and coats and put all of their winter gear without it all coming inside. He made this for me in the garage by the door coming into the house. Now I won't have to trip over all the junk and they each have their own bins for gloves and stuff! Isn't it great?!! I am one lucky girl!

I also got to go with my beautiful sister to the temple to do inititories. I haven't done them since I was single! Can you believe it? It was a wonderful experience and I'm so blessed to have such a great sister! She is not only my sister but my best friend, too! She has always been my hero and I look up to her in so many ways! I love you, Sis! Thanks for the fabulous lunch at Little America, too! My favorite place!!

And the results are...

2009-08-26T19:09:00.001-06:00

My mom's biopsy showed mantle cell, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma- stage 3. They're going to check her bone marrow to make sure it hasn't spread there and will be starting chemo asap. She's being very positive! Said that it has a 70-80% remission with this kind!

Keep praying!!

2009-08-24T21:51:00.003-06:00

What a crazy weekend!

We were able to go camping with Jason's family (more to come on that later...) and it really helped me to keep my mind occupied. It's so hard living 600 miles away when your family is going through so much. I wish so badly that I could be with my parents this week. My sweet husband has made that possible and I am going to fly out to Utah on Friday to spend some time with my mom before she begins her chemo treatments. We're still waiting for the results of the biopsy they took. Apparently there are several different types of Lymphoma. They just need to determine what type she has so they know how to treat it. They have put in a "port" (near her collar bone) where they'll hook up the meds for the chemo. Now we're just waiting for her incision (from the biopsy) to heal, too. Her levels for the blood clots are better and she'll continue with the medication. She was able to come home from the hospital today! Yea! I'm just so glad that I will be able to be with her for a few days this weekend!

Thank you all for your prayers!

2009-08-19T21:14:00.002-06:00

I can't even think straight right now, so I am going to copy my sister's blog entry. Word for word....

I am still in shock....my cute Mom was just taken to the hospital with lungs full of blood clots....doctors did some tests and think she has LYMPHOMA!!!.....they will do biopsy in the morning.......please tell me that this is a bad dream and I'll wake up soon!!!

Like sands through the hour glass...

2009-08-14T09:25:00.003-06:00

We really haven't fallen off the face of the earth. And I promise I'm not gonna be one of those people who start a blog and then never update it. (That drives me nuts!) Things have just been crazy the last few months.
June: I was pretty much out of commission with the surgery.
July: A bazillion birthdays...vacation...swimming lessons.
Now: School stuff- supplies, open houses, preschool, kindergarten....So much to post later!

It's all a little overwhelming!

But what is consuming my every moment right now is that we "accidentally" sold Jason's truck a little too fast. We have been needing to make a change for a while. With a family of 5, having one vehicle that only holds 2 people isn't very efficient. So we put it up on craigslist with the idea that it would take a few weeks to sell - in the meantime we'd search for some sort of SUV that would work for Jason's business (pull a trailer) and would fit everyone if needed. Well, it sold in less than 24 hours! (Maybe we should have asked more?)

So NOW we're down to ONE car and that's really not helping! I'm driving all over town with preschool, kindergarten, Jason's work...a hundred times a day it seems!

We've looked at several vehicles but can't seem to find "The One". Really, we're not too picky I don't think. (OK...maybe a little) But I didn't think it would be so hard! We've been open to many cars. Honda Passport/Isuzu Rodeo?....not so much anymore. Grand Cherokee/Explorer?...too many miles for what we are wanting. Tahoe/Expedition?...We're really just wanting something that runs well - doesn't have a rebuilt engine - under 150k miles - OK, maybe we are asking too much. We just want to pay cash so it can't be too much.

ANYWAY....enough of the saga of the cars. That's what's been going on with us. When I feel like I can get my head above the water and catch my breath a minute, I have soooo much to post about!

So until later....

Happy Birthday Tyler~

2009-08-06T11:00:00.004-06:00

Yes, I know...these are all from July but I'm catching up as best as I can. I realize I needed to put Jason's birthday in here before Tyler's but it's not going to be in chronological order.

Here is my sweet little boy at 3 days old. Here he is at a month and a half. So cute!
Of course - he's a Broncos fan, too!

And my little smile boy the night after he broke his arm.

Thanksgiving Day 2007

Proof he's not always so sweet.

Here is one of the many times he's unloaded the wipes box.

For this birthday dinner this year we went to one of his favorite places...

COSTCO!

He loves the hot dogs/sprite and churros. I love the $1.50 price tag!

Birthday boy got a new Harley scooter! It even makes motorcycle noises!

Happy 3rd Birthday Tyler!

Happy Birthday Nicole~

2009-08-05T09:22:00.006-06:00

Yes, I'm still trying to catch up...

Nicole turned 9 in July and I can't believe it! This is how I will always see her...My little angel at 5 yrs old!
She is such a good big sister and Tyler & Morgan LOVE her!!

Here she is when she was 4. She's wearing a traditional Korean "outfit" that Laurel sent us when she and Doug were in Korea. (I really should give that back to you...for Madi)
She loves the Broncos...just like daddy!

See what I mean? Her sister adores her!
She LOVES monkeys and the color green! She got some of this bathroom stuff from G'ma & G'Pa Bailey for her birthday! She can't wait to have the basement finished so she can have her own bathroom and bedroom!

Nicole brings so much happiness into our family and we love her so much! She is such a talented little girl who is always sensitive to other peoples feelings. She is always willing to help out with anything we ask her to do! We love you!

Happy Birthday Nicole!

Happy Birthday Morgan~

2009-07-24T11:24:00.005-06:00

I'm going to play "catch up"... Starting with this....

My sweet little Morgan turned 5 earlier this month.
Spaghetti face girl!

Here we are on her 2nd birthday. Notice the bandage on her forehead? She spent the morning getting stitches but was all ready to party that evening!
(Yes, I'm very pregnant with Tyler)
Cute little bug at the Zoo. Isn't she tiny?!

Here she is hiking near Pike's Peak in 2007.

She is such a sweet little thing. She is always willing to share whatever she has and is so tender hearted. We are so blessed to have her in our family! We love you Morgan!!

2009-07-06T20:43:00.002-06:00

I've got to take just a minute to catch up on my blog. We're having a blast here in Utah with my family. I'm feeling pretty well and was so bummed when I couldn't get in the pool with the kids today. (doctors orders...no tub baths either, yet) We're heading to Jason's family reunion tomorrow just past the border into Idaho and are excited to see more family! We celebrated Morgan's birthday (big 5!) on Friday and I'll have lots of photos to post later. Nicole will turn 9 on Wednesday, too so there will be lots to blog about! July is a busy month for us. Jason and Tyler both have birthday's, too! Hope everyone is having a fun summer and check back in a few days for some fun pictures and updates!

You've GOTTA see this!

2009-06-30T13:12:00.004-06:00

My amazingly talented friend (and Nicole's piano teacher) now has a blog where she has posted some of her music. She writes songs for choirs, piano, primary/baptisms, YW/camps, guitar, violin, and much more! She is so talented and I wanted to share that with everyone I know! Please take a minute to check out her blog:

http://kristeenteeplesmusic.blogspot.com/

Way to go Kristeen!

Spread the word everyone!!

It's a good thing he's cute...

2009-06-29T20:06:00.003-06:00

Ok, if I don't post for a while it's because Tyler took an entire can of Febreeze air freshener and sprayed the computer monitor today. Half the screen is darker and it keeps shorting out. We might have to buy another monitor and who knows when that will happen. As I type this, I'm hoping it doesn't shut off again 'cuz I can't see what I'm typing if I don't have a monitor! :) Once again, that kid is up for sale!

My new MD...WebMD

2009-06-23T15:35:00.006-06:00

Umm...I think my girls have Fifth Disease. Morgan started with the rash on Thursday and Nicole started on Sunday. Neither of them had the flu-like symptoms they talk about so I had no idea that they were contagious. Once the rash breaks out, they can no longer spread it. So to those of you who may have been around them lately...I'm SO SORRY!! Apparently it's a virus that causes flu-like symptoms (headache, fever, sore throat) and then develops this rash. I thought that maybe I didn't put sunblock on Morgan very well. She has sensitive skin and so I thought that she was having a reaction to the sunblock or sprinkler water. They have all been living outside with the sprinklers lately. Then when Nicole started on Sunday with the cheeks (they look like they've been slapped) I thought that maybe they had both been exposed to something they were allergic to. I've been racking my brain thinking what it could be! No new soap, the same kind of sunblock as last year, no new foods. So I called my doctor this morning and they said that Fifth Disease is really going around right now. But the fact that they hadn't had any of the other symptoms besides the rash was weird. I then went to the next best doctor (ha ha); WebMD. It looks just like it! So, I have NO CLUE where they could have gotten it from and I hope they haven't spread it to anyone else, but luckily it doesn't bother them and they really haven't even been sick! Luckily Tyler has avoided the whole thing, too! In a few days we should all be in the clear, I hope!
NOTE: I'm not SURE this is what they have. It was kind of a self-diagnosis, but if anyone has any ideas, let me know! I hope they haven't developed new allergies!

It's been a while...

2009-06-22T15:05:00.002-06:00

I know it's been a week since my last post and I was hoping to be feeling better by now so that I have something to write about, but... Let's not dwell on that. (at least I'm not throwing up again)

I am very grateful to have such wonderful friends who have taken my kids outta the house so that they're not stir-crazy. I am so thankful that today, they were gone all morning and came back so worn out that they've been sleeping ever since! Which means I've been able to get a ton of rest today and feel well enough to sit up at the computer right now!

Thank you!

Side note: I'm not doing as well as I'd hoped by now, but I'm doing better than I was a week ago. That's progress, right?

Happy Sunday

2009-06-14T10:48:00.004-06:00

Jason has taken the kids to church and I'm gonna crash for the next few hours. I really wish I felt well enough to go with them today. I'd much sooner be there than feeling wiped out here. It's hard because even the littlest things wear me out right now. I feel I've accomplished something just by getting in the shower! Then I have to take a nap. Also, just sitting here at the computer is going to require a nap in a few minutes. I know it's all temporary and I'll feel better and better every day. I'm just one of those people who want it NOW! Patience is something I need to work on, I know. But for now, here are some photos I shot of my kids before they left out the door this morning. Enjoy!

Beautiful Nicole

Sweet Morgan

Tornado Tyler

I love these kids!!

Is she good or what?

2009-06-14T10:39:00.004-06:00

Ok, so I may be prejudice but I think she's pretty dang good! She's only been taking lessons for a year (minus 3 months when her teacher had a baby)! I'm so jealous of her! I want to learn how to play, too. Maybe once the kids are all in school I can take lessons! I only hope I can do as well as she has done!

Way to go Nicole - my almost 9 year old!

I'm alive!

2009-06-11T14:47:00.005-06:00

I just want to thank everyone for their prayers, phone calls, flowers, meals, and everything else so many of you have done for me and my family over the last few weeks. It's been a rough road, but I feel that I am finally on the mend. I went in on Tuesday (June 2nd) for my hysterectomy. We were hoping to be able to do it laproscopically (sp?), but unfortunately it didn't happen that way. They had to slice me open, which makes for a harder recovery as I am finding. They found that my uterus was the size of a softball on the top and that there was so much scar tissue that the ovaries and part of the uterus had attached to part of the intestines. So, after all that I was in recovery for quite a while because my blood pressure kept dropping as low as 60/35. When they finally were able to get that under control I was moved to a room. Things seemed to go alright - besides the wicked gas pains!!! Apparently during surgery they fill your insides with gas to see around in there and when they close you up, not all of it is released and it can settle in your shoulders and back. THAT, I think, was probably the worst part those first few days..... ANYWAY.... on Friday I was ready to go home. I wasn't feeling well that day but as I got dressed and ready to come home, I began throwing up (a lot) and the nurses were rushing around getting me back in bed as I was puking (not fun on a sliced up gut). They were trying to start an IV on me again but I dehydrated so quickly and my veins kept collapsing. They had to call in the Flight for Life team and it still took 4 of them an hour and a half to finally get an IV going! I can't tell you how many times they poked and dug. I counted 13 holes/bruises on one arm. They were even checking out my neck. Not a fun memory. Needless to say, I didn't get to come home that day. We're not sure what happened but I was feeling better by Saturday afternoon to come home. Thankfully, Jason's parents kept the kids until Sunday afternoon so I had a little time to rest. My parents came Sunday night and have been here all week helping/doing everything. I didn't realize how little I would be able to do. Just sitting up wears me out. That's why this is the first time I've been able to get on the computer. One other set back was that my incisions got infected and on Monday I started on an antibiotic. I had to give it a couple of days before they were able to take the staples out. It was pretty painful to have those infected but I got them out yesterday and I feel much better. I feel like I can move a little more and can be up for longer periods. I have to be careful, though. I'll think that I'm feeling good and then will hit a wall! I'm taking things easy and am so grateful for Jason and my parents helping me heal. I'm thankful for my in-laws who had the kids all week! I'm soooo grateful for all the WONDERFUL meals that have been brought in. But most of all, I'm so thankful for all of you!! It's been so nice knowing that I can call on any of you if I need to!

THANK YOU!

There...I'm exhausted. I'm going back to bed!!

And we wait...

2009-06-01T10:33:00.003-06:00

I've got the kids packed to spend the week at Jason's parents house. My house is some-what clean (as clean as it's gonna get - could stand to be dusted). I'm dressed and ready for the day and so are the kids. Now what? I'm waiting to hear from the hospital about tomorrow. I scheduled for surgery at 10:30am (I think). Not sure what's going to happen or where I'm supposed to go. I wish they'd call me! I'm feeling a little anxious today. Not sure what to expect. The doctor did a biopsy to see if he'd have to take the cervix after all. I had my hopes up that he wouldn't, but still not sure what the outcome of that is. From what I understand, it makes recovery much easier if they can leave it. I'm nervous about the hormones, the pain of recovery, of blood clots. I have always gotten so sick when coming out of the anesthesia. I hope that won't happen if ask them to give me something before I wake up. I also have some anxiety about NOT coming out of it...ya know, just being a little dramatic. I guess I'm thinking these things because I lost one of my best friends to a blood clot after her surgery. I'm hoping that Jason and his dad can give me a blessing tonight when we drop the kids off. Then we plan on going into Denver to Hacienda for dinner. Love that place! Now it's just keeping my mind off things for now...

All before 9:00AM...

2009-05-30T22:27:00.003-06:00

I was looking forward to the first day of summer vacation yesterday. Sleeping in...relaxing...hangin' out with the kids. Basically being lazy. Well, that's not how it went down yesterday. It's taken me a day to post this, partly because I knew at some point I'd find it humorous (just not right away). I've just about gotten to that point, but here's a run-down of my morning:

6:40am - Wake up to Tyler banging on his door telling me he's awake. As I've mentioned in previous posts, we put one of those child-proof doorknob things on so he can't get out.

6:43am - I send him downstairs to watch TV with Nicole & Morgan who have been up since who-knows-when. Then crawl back in bed for 'just a few more minutes'.

7:12am - Hear Nicole yelling at Tyler so I drag myself downstairs to find Tyler has pulled a chair up to the kitchen sink, opened the soap dispenser and poured it down the front of the cabinet.

7:13am - Clean up...then back to my cozy bed once more.

7:25-8:00am - Non-stop fighting, yelling, whining....kids coming in to my bed to tattle on this or that.

8:03am - Phone call from a friend. Chat for a few minutes, all while Tyler writes all over the end of my fleece blanket on my bed with pen. Right in front of me, I might add. He had his back to me and, silly me, I thought he was writing on a notebook. Won't make that mistake again.

8:10am - Take pen away. Discuss ink removal with Kristeen on phone.

8:20am - Still on phone while Tyler heads into my bathroom. Don't think much of it until I hear him fall off the counter and water spilling everywhere! Quickly get off phone...find Tyler has filled the sink and a water bottle (which is now spilling onto the carpet) and had slipped off the sink.

8:21am - Not feeling sorry for him.

8:22am - Clean up. Then put contacts in and throw clothes on.

8: 40am - Head downstairs.

8: 41am - FIND THIS:

8:41am - Hear "Don't spank my bum!" Grab camera. (remember: I'll find this funny later)

8: 42 am - Send ALL kids outside before I kill them.

ALL BEFORE 9:00am. And it didn't get much better as the day went on...

Congrats Nicole!

2009-05-28T12:49:00.002-06:00

Yesterday was the last day of school! Yippy!! Nicole got several awards at the assembly. She got one for Spanish - big surprise, right? Well, I would check her Spanish homework from time to time and she ALWAYS had 100%! Even though both her parents speak Spanish we never once had to help her! We can't even speak in Spanish in front of her anymore without her knowing what we're saying. You know how you start off spelling when you don't want your kids to know what you're talking about? Well, that ended for us when she was in preschool and the last year it's been that way with Spanish, too! She's too smart for her own good! :) Anyway, she also got one for being on student council and one for her science project. She's SO glad to be done!

HAPPY SUMMER!!!

Nicole's Piano Recital

2009-05-27T12:03:00.004-06:00

The whole gang.

We had a fun time at Nicole's piano recital last week. She played 3 songs, all of which she did a fantastic job! This is just a sample of one. She has been taking lessons for almost a year now. Isn't she great? She's learning so much. Thanks Kristeen!

Take #2 outta 5

2009-05-27T11:51:00.003-06:00

Tyler singing his ABC's. Why is it when the camera is on they get silly? I shot this 5 times and this is the best of the bunch. He was laughing, burping, and even had a few stinkers in some. They will be perfect blackmail movies one day! Gotta love this kid!

Translation please?

2009-05-19T22:35:00.004-06:00

Once again, I was in need of a translator. As I was putting Tyler to bed tonight, (Routine when Jason IS home = He does books and songs with Tyler - I get Morgan - Nicole gets reading time) he asked me to sing the "Listen and to pray" song. I once again rack my brain trying to think if those words are in "I am a Child of God" because that's his favorite song. Nope...not part of that song. Then it hits me, "I Love To See the Temple"! I got it!!!

What is it with my kids and titles? Remember Morgan and her "Library Song"? I'm getting better at this, though! It didn't take me long to figure it out! (This time!)

My Brother & Me!

2009-05-13T22:09:00.004-06:00

My big brother (by only 13 months), Brett came to visit tonight. He's only here for 1 day because he has a meeting at the Air Force Academy tomorrow. He owns a computer business that has a contract through the government and this time got to come here for business. We were so happy he was able to come see our house. He hasn't been here since Morgan was blessed and we lived in a different house then. He lives in Utah with his beautiful wife Kim and their two sweet little boys, Easton & Logan. My kids just LOVE Uncle Brett! Our cute neighbor watched the kids for us and we drove him through Garden of the Gods on our way to The Stagecoach Inn. If you haven't eaten there...you've GOT TO! It is so good! Brett even bought our meals! Thanks Brett!! WE LOVE YOU!

2009-05-13T14:34:00.001-06:00

My beautiful kids...on Mother's Day!!Thanks for making it the best one yet guys!!

I love you!

Preschool Princess

2009-05-12T10:31:00.003-06:00

Yesterday was Morgan's preschool program for the parents. She was a little kitty in the Gingerbread Man story. It was fun to see what they had been learning, too! My favorite thing of the day was the booklet she gave me with questions her teacher had asked her about her mom. Questions like: "What is your mom's favorite thing to do at home?" It was so funny to hear what she came up with! Apparently I enjoy doing the dishes waaay too much and I like to watch the news. ???? It's always interesting to see how they see me. I'm 10 or 11 yrs old and I weigh 10 feet and I'm as tall as she is on her tippy toes. :) I makes me smile to know that if I could go on a vacation anywhere I would go up in the air. She's so funny! A couple of shots we got of her that morning.
Here is a quick little video of her class telling us some of the things they learned.
She is the 3rd from the left. Next to the only little boy in the class.

The reason for this day...

2009-05-09T23:29:00.003-06:00

I was looking through some of our old photos and came across some of these:

When did my kids grow up? Man, it's gone so fast! I remember the day each of these were taken like it was yesterday. I can't believe they were two and three years ago! I am so grateful to be a mom! I am so blessed to have such a wonderful mom who was the perfect example to me!

I love you Mom!!!

Happy Mother's Day!

Trouble times 2

2009-05-07T15:12:00.003-06:00

Who would have thought that something so little could cause so much trouble?

Take this: Times this:

And what do you get?

A $90 visit to the doctors office...all before 9am! Yeah, it's been one of those days!

Tyler somehow dropped this tiny little sea shell into Nicole's ear this morning, bright and early. Don't ask me how it happened...I just know when it involves Tyler, ANYTHING can happen! All is well now. I didn't realize yesterday when the necklace my parents brought back from Hawaii for the girls broke that it would be such a problem. I just tied it back together and let the girls keep the few tiny shells I couldn't get back on for their collection. Little did I know that they'd try to hear the ocean (I'm assuming here) and we'd be makin' a quick emergency visit to the doctor. Good thing their doctor has a sense of humor, too. You wouldn't believe the things he told me he's pulled outta kids! He did say that this was the first sea shell he could remember, though. :)

What a day!!

Putting it all out there...

2009-04-30T19:55:00.002-06:00

I'm a little down this week. I probably shouldn't be blogging about this but this blog is pretty much my journal right now. I also thought that maybe some extra prayers and words of encouragement might be the thing I need. I found out on Monday that I am going to have to have a hysterectomy. It's not a huge shock. I've been told by 3 doctors now. It's been a long time coming. I've had a lot of issues for a looong time now and it will hopefully be a relief in some ways. It's just a scary thing to think about. Not just in the surgery itself (blood clots) but the years ahead of hormones. I'm only 34 (and just barely!) and even though we have decided we're done having kids, it's still a hard decision to have to make. They wanted to do it in 2 weeks but I've pushed it off until the kids are out of school so that I won't have to worry about all that goes along with carpool, clean clothes, hair-do mornings, etc. This way if they end up wearing the same thing for 3 days straight, who cares?! It will hopefully be much nicer weather, too and they can play outside a lot. I'm scheduled for June 2nd. I'm hoping to be back on my feet in time for our vacation to Utah to see my family that first week in July!
Anyway...thanks for letting me get it off my chest. I feel much better now!

Catching UP...

2009-04-28T19:08:00.004-06:00

It's been a crazy couple of weeks. My toe is feeling much better. Thanks for all the concerned comments! I'm gonna do a quick update with photos of what's been going on here lately.

Nicole had her 3rd grade Science Fair. She and Jason worked on it together and here is the board they came up with. Way to go guys!!

The weather has been off and on. One day it'll be nice, then snow the next day. The kids have loved playing outside. They pulled the little house the Dickson's (my sister) gave us and waved to all the cars going by on the street behind the house. I put a stop to that real quick...couldn't 'cha just see Tyler goin' over the edge?
We had lots of fun play dates with friends.
Tyler-Morgan-Aspen-Autumn

Jumping!

Tyler-Morgan-Emma

Cute little Morgan at the park.

Abby and Nicole

And to finish 'em off...Tyler climbing at the park.

Gotta love that cute face!

Hope to get some more posts this week. Lots going on! SO...until later...

2009-04-16T22:22:00.003-06:00

Another brilliant moment in the life of Tara Eddington.

I was helping Jason load in a whole bunch of 2 x 4's to the basement tonight. We're finally going to begin the framing! Hooray! Anyway, as I was setting a couple of them down (for about the 40th time I might add) I sorta dropped them a little harder than I intended and one of them bounced back and landed smack dab on my big toe. Right across it! Ooohh it hurt so bad! I seriously thought I was going to black out for a minute...I couldn't even see straight. I have to say, I held my tongue. My kids were right there, but I wanted to screeeeam!!! Anyway, I don't know but I hope it's not broken. I'm hopin' for a miracle and that I'll wake up tomorrow and will be able to walk just fine and will have no pain! I'm doped up on 800mg of ibuprofen right now just to hobble. I've got too much to do tomorrow for this. Did I mention it's my driving foot? We'll see what tomorrow brings...wish me luck!

Photo Tag

2009-04-14T22:26:00.003-06:00

I almost forgot that I was "tagged" by a friend with the following:

Here's how it works:
1) go to your 6th folder
2) go to your 6th picture
3) blog about it
4) tag 6 people

And the result?

Not the most attractive photo of us, but I guess it could be worse. This was taken June 2007 when Jason and I got to go to San Francisco. Jason had to go for business and I tagged along. My sweet parents came out and watched the kids for us. It was wonderful! I got to sleep in while Jason went to meetings. I sat by the pool and read, took all day to get ready if I wanted to and when Jason was finished with meetings (no later than 3:00pm) we'd hit the town! It was so much fun! We also got to see family...Doug & Laurel and kids! (Jason's cousin) Fun memories!!

Now I tag...

Rachael - Jana - Maureen - Tiffany - Gayle - Laurel - OR ANYONE ELSE WHO WANTS TO!

Happy Easter!

2009-04-13T15:00:00.004-06:00

Just a few quick photos of our Easter:

Yes, it snowed most of the day. I think that Winter and Spring got a little mixed up this year. We had 70 degree weather for most of January, but March and April have had many snowy days! I'm ready for Spring!

And just a few more for fun!