It Madders to Us...

Shavon’s Birthday. Number 13.. 13? Really?

2011-06-26T23:53:00.001-07:00

Every other year the kids get a birthday party with friends. This year was family birthday. I actually love family birthdays more. They are quiet and meaningful.

We have some fun traditions for birthdays. The lucky birthday child does “not” have to do their regular jobs that day, and they get to choose their favorite restaurant to eat out at. And they get to pick out which ever birthday cake flavor too. When the presents are just about to be opened, the gifter gets to hide the gift and the birthday boy/girl gets to find it and open it. (Less chaos ). We usually do something fun on that person’s birthday as well. This year Shavon chose a little differently. She wanted mom and dad to make her favorite dinner. Cheesy mashed potatoes, pulled B-B-Q pork, and crispy green beans. And Funfetti cake. However, when we saw the side of the cake box, Shavon wanted to do funfetti cookies instead, using the cake mix. They were sooo good! Then, as a fun activity, Shavon chose pedicures. So mom, Shavon and Morgan all got them! Shavon’s lasted a whole 10 minutes, because Morgan accidently stepped on her while getting into the van. They “were” cute yellow toes. The night before Nathan and I were in Target, looking for possibilities for Shavon’s presents. Nathan asked me what she wanted, and when I told him some ideas, he said, “ I guess we are out of the toy stage, what happened to my little girl?! She is growing so fast!” We both looked at each other and were a little sad at that fact. A teenager. What the heck? I am not old enough to have a teenager! Shavon’s response is classic when I say that…."Mom, you are half way to 70!” Thanks Shavon.

Dallin LOVES to make cookies. I almost have to put duct tape over his mouth to prevent him eating all

the cookie dough. So funny that Morgan and Dallin love to eat the cookie dough, but not the cooked product.

Make a wish lucky number 13!

Drop in for a visit.

2011-06-26T23:17:00.001-07:00

We love it when family comes to stay with us. Since Canada is soo far away and all! Nathan’s Aunt Lori, her daughter, Jenny and her two

adorable kiddos, Bryce and Lora-Loi came for a couple days. Dallin and Bryce are just over a year apart and played star wars the whole time.

We would put them to bed at night in separate rooms, then go downstairs to have “grown up” visit time, and we would hear little foot steps running

back and forth to each other’s bedrooms. They were trying to be quiet…just like an elephant trys to tippy toe! They were so cute. Morgan and

Shavon took 2 year old Lora-Loi under their wing and loved playing with her. One morning as I was getting ready, Lora came into my bathroom,

and just stared at me. I started talking to her and sat her up on the counter and asked if I could paint her toes. She said “yeah”. Every single question

I asked her, she would reply..”yeah”. I had a little fun and asked her all sorts of things like is the sky purple? Yeah. Are you going to be a rock star when

you grow up? Yeah. Do you want to have more brothers? Yeah. Is Daddy really hairy? Yeah. (He’s bald!) So fun to have family around!

New love..

2011-06-22T22:12:00.001-07:00

You may know of her..or not. She is amazing. What’s her name? Delta Goodrem. The lyrics and melodies are inspiring.

Not only is she crazy beautiful, but she is also a cancer survivor with raw talent. I love songs that give me goosebumps and

make me want to stand up and be better

She is 13.

2011-06-15T16:35:00.001-07:00

She is 13 today. She loves music. And playing music like piano, viola and guitar. She loves to play sports like soccer, basketball, golf, and volleyball. She is a great big sister. She is smart, compassionate, caring of others, and has a contagious joy. She is almost as tall as her mom and shares her shoes. She is talented in many ways, but most of all, she is ours. We love you shavonie-bum.

Mule Back Riding

2011-05-31T07:36:00.001-07:00

If anyone knows our Morgan, the word association is … horses. She loves them. She loves them. Her favorite is all the draft horses, especially the Clydesdale, of which, she has yet to see in real life. My good friend, Krissy Gutierrez grew up on a farm not too far from where we live. With a birthday get together, we met Krissy parents, and through conversation, horses were brought up. Krissy’s dad raises mules and told us all about them. He invited us up to ride them, so we did! It was so fun. Morgan loved it. She had no fear getting’ up on that gentle giant (LuLu) and taking the reins and slapping her on the bum with them to get her moving! She is such a natural. Shavon loved it too. Krissy’s dad mentioned that both girls rid the mules well because of good balance. Dallin looked like a bug while riding, he was so small. Dad had to walk the mule… Dallin doesn’t quite get the reins thing yet. We all had a lot of questions about mules, and had a great time!

This is actually a “Morgan” Breed horse. Had to get a picture with Morgan and Morgan! (kind of sounds like the name of a bank!)

Shavon did the corral thing for a while, but wanted to do her own thing and ride around outside more. She did well controlling the mule.

This is Krissy’s dad, Larry. He was very sweet and tender with the kids, and answered all our questions…probably silly questions to him. But here are some random facts about mules, in case you were curious.

1. Mules are a sterile breed. Meaning when you breed a donkey and a horse, you get a mule. End of story. You can’t breed a mule with a mule and get a baby mule. Why? We asked the same thing. It’s just that way. Ask God.

2. Mules are more sure footed and have thicker hooves than horses. Making them easier to ride in the mountains.

3. Mules eyes are positioned differently on the head than horses, allowing them to see what’s behind them and beside them better.

4. Their ears are bigger than a horse, they can hear better. And according to Larry, watching their ears lets us (humans) know what the mule is going to do next.

5. Mules have a less stubborn disposition than horses.. when getting into a difficult or dangerous situation, the mule will always take care of himself, then look after the human. Horses kick and fight and keep at something, perhaps until death.

6.Mules don’t eat as much as horses.

7. Mules take longer to break.

Hello!

Our beautiful little cowgirl.

Flood fears in High River | Alberta | News | Calgary Sun

2011-05-28T20:09:00.000-07:00

Flood fears in High River Alberta News Calgary Sun
This is my home town. Approiately named. Picture 16 is my brother in law! Go greeen.

Half Marathon- 13.1 miles

2011-05-24T13:24:00.001-07:00

Actually running the half marathon was the easy part- it was all the training and commitment through all of kinds of weather was the hardest part. I loved having my family there with me, and of course, my training partner Deanne. I also ran a couple times with Kimberly Price… she is a machine. At mile 6 I wanted to stop, at mile 12 I cried because my feet hurt so bad. But I didn’t stop, because I could feel so many around me unseen, helping me, moving me, encouraging me to keep going. Right when I was emotional, I heard my Grandpa say to me, keep going Jodee, you’ve worked hard, don’t quit. Even with music in my ears, I looked around because he sounded so clear. (He’s dead by the way).But I’d know his voice anywhere. Quite a spiritual experience. Through all of this, I have learned that my mind controls everything. When I control my mind, the body has no choice but to follow. These races are all about discipline- of ourselves. What am I capable of? What am I made of? Now I just need to control what goes in my mouth! Why do humans need to eat so much so often? Why can’t we be like snakes and only eat once every couple weeks?!

My good friend and training partner DeAnne. She is amazing. As I ran with her, I watched her get faster,

stronger, and drop weight at a rapid rate. You are soo inspiring to me, love ya!

A few of our other friends, Wendi Despain, Clay and Shalise Reid completed the full marathon (26.2 miles.) Not only friends, but also awesome coaches and examples to look up to. I was soo excited to see them coming up to the finish line, that I

was snapping shots and cheering at the same time… it’s a wonder these are in focus!

What an amazing experience. The whole day was an emotional rollercoaster ride. I loved it, and loved being around good friends

doing the same thing, and their own experiences were completely different .

RacePhotos.net

2011-05-17T14:27:00.001-07:00

RacePhotos.net

5 days…

2011-05-09T14:11:00.001-07:00

Be afraid each day. Commit to do things even if you are not

sure "how" you will do them. Trust that you will have what you

need right when you need it. Feel the fear and do it anyway – a

magical place to live!

I saw this quote on facebook from one of my friends today and felt it fit perfectly for me this week. 5 days until I run my first half marathon. I've never done anything like this before. I have never pushed myself physically like this before… fear of failure. Yep. Am I going to quit? H-E- double hockey sticks no! I’ve been training since January, and have learned a lot about myself. Emotionally, physically, and what it takes to endure. There are some things in my life that I have not finished, chose out of because it got too hard, or I felt inadequate. This time is different. I am older, wiser and I am not giving up on myself. I can do this even though it’s hard. I can do hard things. I have learned to keep going, keep moving forward, the blessings of accomplishment and joy are beyond measure when I know… I did it. I am a finisher. I choose what I feel. If I quit and feel guilty, (happened way too many times in my life!), then, I created that. When I endure with stamina and finish whatever I am doing, I create trust within myself and others around me. Like the side of the A-1 sauce bottle says, “Yeah, it’s that important.”

Easter eggs and Brian Regan

2011-04-20T07:51:00.000-07:00

We were dying easter eggs last night as a family. I usually take pictures of the kids' creations, but decided not to this year and just enjoy the moment. It turned out to be the best yet. We were all talking and joking around when Shavon transformed into Brian Regan and his "stupid in school" skit. Brian Regan is our favorite comedian because he is always clean. All of us were busting a gut laughing! We had so much fun. I feel some of our best memories are made at the kitchen table. Loved family time last night. Here is the clip we were laughing about.

New friend

2011-04-18T16:25:00.001-07:00

Nathan came home from golfing on the weekend, holding his coat kind of weird. Hmm. After a few

minutes he called over the kids and said he had a surprise for them, but, we could only keep it for a couple weeks.

I’m thinking, hmm, what is he up to now. He then reached into his coat, walked back to the kids and gently opened

his hand to reveal…. a baby turtle! All of us flipped out, including me. How tiny and adorable! Nathan explained that

as he was golfing earlier, he pushed some leaves out of the way to make a putt, and there he was. Hiding. Far…Far away from home. So Nate picked him up and carried him for the next 5 holes and brought him home. His names are, Harry (Morgan) and Phil (the rest of the family). The kids are already begging us to keep him/her forever. We’ll keep you posted. But for now.. he is soo cute and walks like my dad bowls! Waddle waddle waddle.

ABC News - Japan Earthquake: before and after

2011-03-19T09:35:00.000-07:00

ABC News - Japan Earthquake: before and after

What do we have to do to get famous around here?!

2011-03-16T07:46:00.001-07:00

Take a picture of the Alpha male and the dog. We had a New Year’s Ugly sweater party, I set up a photo booth

to take funny, wacky pictures of our friends with these “ugly sweaters”. Out of the blue, Nathan stands in front of

the camera, picks up Yoda, smiles, and puts the dog down. We all had a great laugh about it.(Someone might havepeed their pants a little.) I posted some of the pictures on facebook. Our friend then posted it on this website just for

kicks. Now, it has exploded! The website contacted us with permission to print it in their new book coming out,

the picture is now in their “Hall of Fame”, it has received probably the highest comment page and has been shared

on facebook and tweeted many times.And! It was posted as the main picture on the AOL start up page a couple

weeks ago. Crazy. You have got to check out the comment page, some people wanted to date Nathan! Hey!

Here is the link.

Finally… it’s here!

2011-02-03T22:37:00.001-08:00

For 6 long years, Morgan has been missing her two front teeth, actually 3, due to a nasty fall when she was 1 years old.

Finally, the first front tooth is officially coming down. I don’t remember Morgs with front teeth. This is going to be a

new adventure. She has adjusted well to biting an apple, eating corn on the cob etc. She was so excited the other day when she bit into

an apple and said, “I have grippy teeth now mom.. it stays still when I bite hard things!” How we take for granted the small and simple

things…like teeth.

Next stage of life.

2010-11-14T22:26:00.001-08:00

I came home from some meetings this weekend, tucked the kids in bed. Crawled into bed beside Nathan. He looked at me and said, Don’t cry. Uh oh. These two words open up to all possibilities of questions and conclusions. He told me while I was gone, he took the training wheels off of Morgan and Dallin’s bikes’. Nathan knew what that meant to me. No more diapers. No more potty training. No more naps. No more bottles. No more safety gates. No more sippy cups. Now. No more training wheels. My babies are learning independence every day. They are growing up. Sometimes I am okay with this, somedays not. This is all that’s left of co-dependence on the floor. Morgan said she loves her bike now, she feels much better on it now. The training wheels were holding her back. It shows. She looks like she has been riding for years. Dallin too. What happened to running beside them holding the seat?! Fast learners. . sniff.. sniff..

Summer Vacation 2010- Canada- 2721 miles

2010-09-25T13:05:00.001-07:00

I am finally getting around to catching up on the blog a little. I was called as Young Women President in our ward in August. We have a little over 35 girls (big ward). So I have been busy! Anyway, back to vacation. We left August 6 and hit the road, experiencing all kinds of weather. Thunderstorms at the border crossing, pouring rain to welcome us into “our home and native land”. Speaking of national anthems, every time we cross the border into Canada, it’s tradition for us to roll down all the windows and sing “O Canada” as loud and quirky as we can! Good times. Although, Dallin and Morgan looked at us strangely. They haven’t seen us do this before, they were too young or, not born yet. They are Yankees anyway. Onward to the pictures.

Here is a picture of the miles we covered in 13 days. Crazy!

Dallin loved hangin’ out with Uncle Trent, because he had so many cool toys!

Sterling and Rueger

First stop, Kimberly, British Columbia. We stayed Nathan’s younger brother and wife, Trent and Corinna. This is their new cabin they built on the edge of town. Beautiful. It helps that Trent is a custom wood worker! Where did they get their drinking water? They walked down the street to the waterfall and held out a pitcher! Best tasting water too.

Next day we travelled through the Rocky Mountains and visited Lake Louise, the scenery was beautiful beyond words. Nathan and I took it for granted growing up. We saw the mountains through our children’s eyes for the first time it seemed. We were in awe too.

I LOVE sleeping pictures…so peaceful!

We drive for 8 hours to visit my brother and sister in law in Fort McMurray. The first thing he pulls out when we arrive, is, “his” new toy, the quad. Made all the times “How much more minutes.. Are you there yet?.. When are we getting there?” worth it. Dallin asked every morning and night if we could ride the tractor around the yard. All I’m going to say is, I LOVE my brother! He was so good with all the requests. Thank you!

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Pillow fights with PaPa Gabe, Hmmmm, who won? Or who tuckered out first?!

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Brought out the big bubbles one night, had a blast trying to catch them. This one below is the coolest picture of Nathan almost holding the bubble in his hand! Love it.

Uncle Rick and Aunt Donna brought out these little plastic sachets and threw them in the campfire one night. The minerals inside changed the color of the fire! Straight out of camera, no joke. Sooo beautiful.

My niece Amber and her new puppy Lady came to visit for the day. She is so beautiful and great with her cousins. She was a lot of fun.

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More of Uncle Rick’s toys. How fun is this?!

We drove just north out of town to visit the oil sands. Huge process where they dig out the sand which is concentrated with oil. Then mix it with water to let the sand sink and the oil to rise to the top. Then refine it with other chemicals and ship it all over the world, mostly Texas, to refine it even more for natural gas, plastic products and petroleum jelly. These machines are nothing short of monsters! The pictures don’t do any justice, the reason why they are so enormous is because there is big money in this, and the companies Suncor and Syncrude, need to get as much moved out of the ground as quickly as possible. High demand for this product. So they make everything Swartzinager size to produce more in shorter amounts of time. Crazy.

The next day we headed over to the Oil Sands musueum. We spent the whole day there and didn’t even know it. The kids loved it, very hands on and educational.

See the pink blur at the bottom of the picture? That’s Morgan. These suckers are larger than life.

I saw Morgan walking into the tall grass and couldn’t resist a mini photo shoot! She hammed it up for me!

I talked about Ricky having toys. This is Donna’s new toy. She is the most kind, gentle, genuine, sweet, loving person.. until she gets on her chopper. Now she’s bad to the bone! Love ya sis, it was fun taking pictures of you, now I just need to make the bike purple…hmm.

It was so hard to say good bye after such a great visit. I miss my brother so much, and any time I spend with him is precious to me. But I LOVE the picture just above, he is such a goof nut, and loves to play. While it’s a sweet pose of the girls, Ricky is goofing off to the side with Dallin. I love you bro!

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Just the boys.

Too bad Deanna and Randy weren’t here. It’s long overdue for a family picture.

We had passed too many horses while driving and decided on the way to my parents house, we stopped on a side road, to let the kids out and admire Morgan’s favorite animal closer up. Friendly horses too. One sneezed and Dallin jumped, and fell on his booty. Too funny! Of course it set off a chain reaction and spooked the horse a little!

Stayed the night at grandma and Papa’s house. Got up and went for a walk in their little town called Trochu. Very small farmer’s town. One school going from Kindergarten through grade 12. But, it did have this cool outdoor exercise park. What a great concept! Even Papa showed off for the camera.

We then walked down the street to a community garden santuary. It was beautiful. Lots of trees and demo gardens under different themes. Even had a giant checker outdoor checker board. Soo.. who won?

I love my kids. When I see pictures like this, I get a little sad. They are growing so fast. Perhaps, that’s why I love photography so much, it freezes time and creates gratitude of warm memories.

HOME…to us. It feels different this time. It’s home, but, only where we used to live. Home is Tri-cities. Home is where your heart is. There is beauty all around, when there’s love at home.. I used to think home was where you lived. Now I know it’s my family, where ever they are, my heart is too.

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How could we forget the mountain goats. They rule the road. They form herds and go up onto the highways and lick the salt off the roads. And they ain’t moving for no one. Here you can see, they just kept getting closer and closer to the van. Dummy’s. This yahoo brushed up against the van and started to lick our rear view mirror. Okay, too close. Even honking the horn and yelling didn’t even faze them!

1st day of school 2010

2010-08-30T08:34:00.001-07:00

This summer has gone way too fast for our family! I guess that means we are busy. I also have soo much catching up to do. Somedays I wish I could add more hours to the day. This morning I woke up early to be prepared for the 1st day of school. It went very smoothly, I didn’t cry as much as I thought. Perhaps it’s because the schools are familiar, and we know there are some friends in the classes. Shavon was up and ready quickly, she LOVES school. Her enthusiasm for learning is inspiring. I had to wake Morgs up from our cozy, warm bed. She did great in getting ready for the first day of 1st grade. She would rather stay home though. I walked her to the bus stop and the bus arrived just as we did. As I was walking home, I passed a few children walking to the bus stop, and counted my blessings we didn’t miss it the first day. Just me and Little man all day. I love it. Am I the only mother who doesn’t want my kids to grow up? Just freeze time for a little while.

Shavon- 7th Grade Desert Hills Middle School Morgan- 1st Grade Ridgeview Elementary

Birthday #12.

2010-06-15T12:11:00.001-07:00

12 years ago today I was in horrible pain. 12 years ago today, a bond between husband and wife was created stronger than ever to get through the pain. 12 years ago today I had no idea what I was about to get into, entering motherhood. 12 years ago today, a strength came from deep within both our spirits of mother and daughter to push through the pain and see each other for the first time. Although we’ve already been good friends before. Happy Birthday sweet girl. You have shone such a light, happiness and example to all of us in our family. Dad and I love you soooo much. I wish I could freeze time and hold you in my arms in the still and quiet of the night…just a little longer to feel your chubby little arms around my neck for a big hug…. just a little longer to have you kiss all my face “parts” goodnight. Thank you for teaching me how to live life to the fullest. You are beautiful!

Little boy

2010-05-14T08:08:00.001-07:00

Last night I was cleaning up from supper, and from the other room I hear “OWWWW! Dallin! That hurt!” in the loudest voice from Morgan yet. After a few seconds, thump thump thump someone went running upstairs. I instantly knew it was Dallin. As a mother, I know who is walking anywhere in our home, just by their footsteps. I also know Dallin always goes to the refuge of his room when he feels something wrong has happened. I enter his room and he is sitting on his bed. I sit down beside him and ask what happened. He looked up at me and said plainly, “Well, I went to go sit down on the floor on the blanket. I thought it was empty….but…… it was full of Morgan. She yelled at me mom.” I almost burst out laughing right there. Containing myself, I asked if he said sorry. No. So went both went back downstairs to see Morgan and Shavon sitting on the floor, watching t.v., I asked Morgs what happened, and she immediately told me that Dallin jumped on her tummy and purposefully hurt her! He apologized, and everyone survived. There are three sides to every story, his, hers, and the truth.

HE is all boy, and I love him so much. Look at those adorable little hands.

Ode to my mom, mother, mum,…..

2010-05-08T23:57:00.001-07:00

This is my mom, we don’t look alike that much,she has dark, short hair (for as long as I can remember), I have lighter, longer hair. I am taller than her. Yes… I am mom! We have very different tastes…she likes bright, wild colors…me, I like more earthy calm colors. My mom LOVES surprises. I do NOT. She gets nervous when driving in the bigger cities, I don’t mind swaying in and out of traffic. However, there is ONE gigantic quality we both have in common…something that only a mother can fully instill into her children through nurture sweet. LOVE. She taught me to love. Genuine, pure, unconditional love for children (especially my own), animals and all seasoned elders she lovingly quoted as “recycled teenagers”. Love is what we were created from. It heals. Protects. Comforts. Teaches. Inspires and elevates to higher ground. Even though my mom and I don’t agree on everything, I always know I AM loved. Thank you mom. I love you.

Toyota….thank you thank you thank you.

2010-05-03T01:57:00.001-07:00

A couple weeks ago, I had a very LEARNING day, and was involved in a car accident. I believe there are no

accidents, and since the accident was my fault, it’s difficult to say, “I am accountable. Accountable that my favorite van is now totaled. Accountable that I got a ticket for unsafe driving. (First ticket in my life.) Accountable that I put other’s in danger. “ However, I have learned at a rapid rate many things since this day. I now have a social security number, a WA state license, and a deeper level of love for a heavenly Father who kept me and my family safe and unharmed. Oh, and always keep a current insurance card in the vehicle… the police appreciate that! Crap. Learning… more learning…. learning. And, through it all, yes, the van is totaled, but it did exactly what it was supposed to do…. keep us safe. The outside munched and crumpled, but after examining the frame, it didn’t budge, thank you Toyota. I am an increased loyal customer.

Dallin examining the damage when we went to collect our belongings for the last time. Right after the collision, I looked back at him and Morgan and asked if they were alright, Dallin said it hurt his heart. He was sad our van had a big owwwie. In this picture, he kept saying, “Mom. This is not good. Oh mom. This is not good. We better tell Daddy.” (He already knows, and came the day before us to look at it. When he arrived home, he looked at me and said, “Good job love!”)

These are the three reasons we deserve a safe vehicle, the kids saying good bye. We have had this van for 5 years. Call me crazy, but we got attached to it. It was so good to us. With this van: We brought Dallin home from the hospital as a newborn, drove to California, Disneyland, Sea World and back. Drove to Canada and back a couple of times, drove to Utah in horrible winter conditions a handful of times, drove to Wyoming (Yellowstone National Park) and back. Seattle. Portland. And everywhere in between. The only thing we had done mechanically… were the brakes…. the stinkin’ day before the accident! Good bye van… we miss you. Ok…. let’s go get another Sienna! Or maybe a BMW 650i…..

Movie- How to tame a Dragon

2010-03-27T14:55:00.000-07:00

We went as a family to see the movie How to tame a Dragon today. I have to say we were
so pleased that everyone loved it. Great story, great plot and terrific ending. Thumbs up! Go see it.

5K St. Patrick’s Fun Run

2010-03-17T14:50:00.001-07:00

I had the opportunity to run a 5km (3mile) with a friend on Saturday. It was so fun and, well, I think I could be hooked. The atmosphere was high energy with lots of cheers and encouragement from everyone. And everyone ran at their own pace, even cute little old men wearing toques! It was so inspiring to be running with so many others, including bumping into some friends that I didn’t know were doing the race also. I talked about it with Nathan and Shavon and they both agreed to join me at some point. Yahoo! My running partner DeAnne inspired me too, she just had a baby and was out running already, she did awesome.

We aren’t Aliens anymore!!

2010-03-17T14:27:00.001-07:00

Our green cards arrived on Saturday, March 14. Once the application was accepted, it took speedy record time to complete, make, and send to us. What a blessing it happened so quickly. Nathan is so excited, he has been showing everyone his card and how cool it looks with the holograms and symbols of united states on the back. Watching him makes think of a little boy who just received the greatest Christmas gift ever! I know he has been working extremely hard for this. I am grateful for his patience… even through the moments of hair-pulling frustration of waiting for some kind of response… anything as an update! Now what? Well, know of anybody who wants to hire an amazing dentist? :)

Vancouver Olympic Games Medals Results Sports : Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics

2010-02-12T17:43:00.000-08:00

Vancouver Olympic Games Medals Results Sports : Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics

Keeping Sabbath day holy.

2010-02-12T17:33:00.001-08:00

The Olympics start tomorrow!!! We love the Olympics!

2010-02-11T14:04:00.001-08:00

Everything about the games, click here..

Did I mention they are in Canada?! Yee haw. Go Canada!

Big News...

2010-02-11T13:23:00.000-08:00

We just found out our Green Card application were accepted! This is huge for us and our family. This opens new doors, guarantees permanent residency, a different job, a social security number, a WA state drivers liesence, etc. We have been patiently waiting for this for a looooooong time. I am so grateful for prayer and fasting!

Jon Schmidt Concert…no words to describe.

2010-02-05T17:03:00.001-08:00

Nathan, Shavon and I had the opportunity to attend Jon Schmidt’s concert in the beginning of January. This guy is NOT to be missed! He played this song, among many, (2 1/2 hours worth) and as he was playing this one, the tears were flowing down my cheeks. I looked over at Shavon beside me and I could tell she was teary as well. Jon describes how this song came to be.. and it was so sweet. You have to listen to the whole video. I leaned over to Shavon and told her she could be this great! She got wide eyed, and replied, “Really?!” I looked at her, and said, “Absolutely! I believe in you!” The whole night was …absolutely amazing. Jon is incredibly talented and down to earth with a family of his own. We were sooooo inspired by his humbleness and humor. What a memorable date night with just us three. Oh yeah, did I mention it was a surprise for Shavon? She had been asking me if we could attend the concert. I kept saying.. “Well, I don’t know. I think it’s sold out. (Which was true.) But the tickets were sitting in my wallet!

Madder family photos 2009

2010-01-21T13:10:00.001-08:00

Uh-oh..

2010-01-09T22:16:00.000-08:00

I deserve to update this little madder family's life. I have many requests....threats to do so. A lot has happened in 2009. The good news is that if I don't blog for a long time, we are quite busy!! It weighs heavy on my mind often that I get to "catch up" and do a snot load worth of pictures and journalling .....and.....and....enough. It's a new year, I am committed to blog when time permits and record memories when I can! I am committed to stay better in touch and blog at least once a month. There. I said it. I wrote it down. When I write it down, it solidifies. Cheers! Happy 2010.

From the first moment…

2009-08-12T15:55:00.001-07:00

I saw you, I loved you. Now that I look back, I know that. It was simple.. like looking in a mirror and seeing myself. I knew I had never met you yet, but you looked familiar to me. I couldn’t stop watching you. Once we finally met, We were best friends immediately, spending every possible moment together. We had so much to catch up on, as if we were separated for a long time. As a strong bond was developing, so was the love. 14 short years later, with 3 kids, a doctorate degree, a house, and buckets overflowing with blessings, my love for you has deepened more than words can express. And through everything we have experienced, I know you love me back. Happy anniversary…..love of my life. Brad Paisley had it right in the song, “I thought I loved you then, and how can I possibly love you more.” Lucky number 14 babe. I love you H.U.M.U.T.H.P.

p.s. we deserved better wedding pictures….yikes

Remember your tux was too short?! And I couldn’t wear my

hoop slip because it made my dress too short?! Funny memories… not funny then. Funny now, 14 years later.

Baptism Photo shoot

2009-05-08T19:09:00.001-07:00

I had the opportunity to do a friends’ daughter’s baptism photos. I would like to say, this photo shoot was different. Even though Ashlynne kept running away from me every few pictures to go climb trees, (!) I felt a special reverence radiating from this little girl in her beautiful white dress standing in front of the temple. Every photo was great in some way. Could it be that the temple stands as an amazing backdrop for any photo opportunities?! Thank you for letting me witness something special through my lenses. I loved it.

School Patrol

2009-05-02T19:33:00.001-07:00

We are beginning the first of the lasts this school year. This is Shavon’s last day to do crosswalk duty with her absolute favorite teacher, hand’s down, Mr. Burr. Her 4th grade teacher. They laugh and joke whenever they are together. He is like a big burly grandpa to her and she loves it. He has inspired her to write incredible stories, and believe in herself beyond the classroom walls. The least to say, they are “buds”. As we were driving home after her duty, we talked about the differences between doing patrol here versus when I was her age, doing the same patrol. She was blown away that when I did it, it was military style! Very strict. No talking to students. One whistle meant specific position, two whistle blows meant walking out to the street and turning a certain way and extending out arms out perfectly straight, holding a stop sign while looking both ways for oncoming traffic. Oh yes, we meant business. Shavon is grateful for her school patrol, me on the other hand, kept telling her to put her arms out more straight when holding the sign… funny what memories are triggered when I go back a few years. It also made me a little sad taking these pictures. Knowing that this is almost the completion of her elementary schooling. My baby is growing so fast. Don’t blink…don’t blink.

lemonade makes for a beautiful day

2009-04-23T18:44:00.001-07:00

Morgs decided to have a little lemonade stand yesterday morning. This was her very first, and mine. I assisted her in making the sign…her original sign said 11.00 per cup! It was quite windy, but she was willing to put her coat on and sit and wait. And wait. 10:00 in the morning proves to be pretty quiet in our neighborhood. Almost everyone is working or at school. After a short time, she looked at me and said, “mom. Is anybody out there? Will anyone buy my lemonade?” I replied, “Sweetie, If you build it, they will come” (!) 2 minutes later, this younger gentleman pulls up, gets out and says, “Lemonade for sale? I would love some!” Morgan stuck to me like glue while poured the glass and handed him the drink. He then gave Morgan a dollar bill and I expressed that I would run in the house to get his 75 cents change. He merely looked at me, smiled, and said don’t worry about it. As he drove away, I watched Morgan dance around holding her first earnings in her hands. My heart was swelling so much I could feel it burst any second. This kind act of a perfect stranger made Morgan’s day and mine. It’s the littlest things that are the big things. I will never pass by a lemonade stand again and deny a kind act of service for others. Thank you lemonade guy!

I AM….so blessed

2009-04-17T00:46:00.001-07:00

REWARD! Hear-ye Hear-ye!

2009-04-15T14:19:00.001-07:00

Shavon decided on her own that she would take on the challenge of not eating any sugar for 4 weeks. I know! And guess what? She did it! We are so proud of her. She made it a conscious choice every day about what she ate. She checked every label for sugar content before she ate it. We agreed that fruit and dairy didn’t count. This kid is still growing you know. However. It came with a catch. Sixty bucks for the reward of completing this challenge successfully. Nathan and I were carefully watching….of course! Sixty bucks were on the line! Shavon did awesome. We are so proud of you girl. Dream big. Dream high, and you can accomplish anything! We love you. So. For the reward. Nathan and I wanted to keep our sanity and not just hand over sixty bucks! So I came up with a plan. I wrote out 3 checks with 3 different things she could reward herself with. I put each check, (New clothes, new bedspread, or new books) under a seperate box. Letting her choose the lucky box that rewarded her with her efforts. The pictures tell the story… approximate time choosing…. 15 minutes!! Thank goodness for an amazingly patient mother! You owe me kid.

Week of Easter…

2009-04-15T13:36:00.001-07:00

Our Easter lasted all week long. Each day we pulled out a picture of Christ from the GAK and talked about the events leading up to his crucifixion and resurrection. Followed by an activity or game. I felt our family’s reverence as we talked about the true meaning of Easter, and know that we learned new things that created an increased knowledge about our Savior’s life, and his ministry here on earth. I am so grateful for the gospel in my life, and how it guides and directs us each and every day. We still did all the fun easter things too….. dye eggs, and a visit from the easter bunny on Sunday morning. If you are curious about our week long Easter, click here. This was my inspiration and blueprint for what we did each day.

Having a traditional dinner as done in Jesus’ times. Dressed up too. What did we eat? Whole wheat flat bread, olives, figs (fig newtons), B-B-Q lamb, strawberries, grapes, cheese, etc. It was interesting to see how much the kids liked lamb! Never cooked it before…it was actually good.

BEFORE

AFTER!

Shavon with her crazy easter dying shirt-always remember that, and our little man Dallin. Every 2 minutes he would ask, “Mom. Can I eat a egg now? I colored it…. it is dry. Can I eat it now?” So funny. I explained to him that we wanted to keep all the eggs and show the Easter bunny how pretty we made the eggs. His response? “Oh. Where is he? Can I eat one now and leave the shells for him?” This kid “cracks” me up!

Grandma Shirley

2009-04-03T07:42:00.001-07:00

I received a phone call last Saturday that closed a chapter in our life. Grandma Shirley had passed away. Let me tell you who she is through our eyes of gratitude. Shirley was our next door neighbor in Pittsburgh while we attended Dental School. I know our Father in Heaven placed us together for four years to take care of each other. She was a widow who lived alone, battling Asthma every day of her life. She was passionate with a stubborn streak and a sense of humor to back it up. She hated the squirrels and praised Nathan every time he brought out the be-be gun. She had a compassionate heart the size of Texas and always a consoling shoulder to cry on. And trust me, her shoulder was soaked sometimes. She was incredibly talented with her hands and was creative in making things for Shavon and Morgan as a small baby. I will always remember her beautiful prized possession flowers, and herbs that a chef would covet. I cherish her gardening advice, her warm hugs and a contagious laugh… even when life was at the bottom of the barrel, she without fail, found a way to make light of every situation. Even those damn squirrels eating her flowers! Two weeks after we moved to Pittsburgh from our home in Canada, the attacks of 9-11 happened. I was scared, confused and lonely. Nathan was at school, and I had no way of getting a hold of him, and didn’t know a soul. Shirley knocked on my door and asked if I was ok. She talked to me for a couple minutes and reassured me everything would be fine and answered my questions. I regret now that I didn’t invite her in, because I realize she too was probably a little frightened as well. She always took care of us. I remember sitting with her in patio chairs in our little back yard that we shared on hot, miserable, humid, summer nights. Talking about nothing for hours in the dark, watching Shavon catch fireflies. She was always genuinely interested in our lives, and the second we would ask about hers, she would give short answers and say, “Oh bother, enough about me.” Grandma Shirley, we love you so much. We miss you more than words can express . You left a very large hand print of love on our hearts. Because of you, I made it through some of the hardest times of my existence. I know you are with your loved ones in a much better place, and are able to breathe without restriction, but please know you are missed. I am so grateful to have known you, and how beautiful of a person you were. And you don’t have to worry about any more “damn squirrels!” I know you watch over us.

How well do you know your Mother?

2009-04-02T10:39:00.000-07:00

Some questions that I asked my darling kids. The answers were quite surprising!
S- Shavon (10) M- Morgan(5) D-Dallin(3)

1. What is something mom always says to you?
S-Get your P.J.'s on
M-Be careful of your body
D-Sit on your bum at the table!

2.What makes mom happy?
S-Playing with her kids
M- to obey mom
D-Happy like this mom!, then gives a huge cheesy smile.

3. What makes mom sad?
S-When we don't obey you
M-to not obey mom
D- When I pull on Jackson

4. What does your mom do to make you laugh?
S- She says, "Veet! Veet!"
M-Tickle me
D- Play with me

5. What did mom like as a child?
S-You liked going to your grandpa's farm
M- You liked going to school
D- You liked playing Vrrooom Vrroooom's

6. How old is your mom?
S- 33...right?
M- Ummm 31
D- 2

7. How tall is your mom?
S- 5'6 or something
M-32,ooo feet
D- Mom is tall as a tree!

8. What is her favorite thing to do?
S- Play with her kids
M- Sew
D- Hammer things

9. What does mom do when you aren't around?
S- Spend time with Daddy
M- go into her scrapbook room and make cards
D- She likes to walk in the parking lot (hilarious!)

10. If mom becomes famous, what will it be for?
S- Hairstyling
M- Doing parties, planning parties
D- Guitar dancer

11. What is your mom really good at?
S- Cooking
M- Playing Horsies with me
D- Cutting wood

12. What is your mom not very good at?
S- Finding time to read a book
M- Fishing
D- Spanking my bum

13. What does your mom do for her job?
S- To be a mom
M- To make my bed
D- Digging in the dirt

14. What is mom's favorite food?
S- Chili. Daddy made it for her on their first day together
M- Tomato soup
D- Celery

15. What makes you proud of your mom?
S- She's fun to play with
M- Sewing
D- What? What did you say? I don't know

16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be?
S- Meg. (From Disney's Hercules)
M- Elmo
D- Sally (From Disney's CARS)

17. What do you and mom do together?
S- Shop
M- Draw pictures together
D- Go on a train ride. Play tag

18. How are you and your mom the same?
S- We are both girls. We both like to fiddle with our hair.
M- We have hair like eachother, and we both like peas
D- We have the same color eyes-white

19. How are you and mom different?
S- I am silly. Mom is strict
M- We are not the same size, and we don't have the same name
D-I like to play in the yard

20. How do you know mom loves you?
S- She tucks me in at night and cuddles with me
M- Because we play a lot together
D- Kisses. Lots o' kisses.... on my ear!

21. What does your mom like best about your dad?
S- He's funny and he's a good cook
M- Sleeping in the same bed, mom is always cold
D- ? What? Where's dad? He at work?

22. What is mom's favorite place to go?
S- Home
M- church
D- park with me!

Morgan’s Toothpaste

2009-03-26T23:54:00.001-07:00

I was at a primary presidency meeting the other night and Nathan was at home with the kids. It was bedtime and he asked Shavon, Morgan and Dallin to go upstairs, get their p.j.’s on and brush their teeth. If they did this quickly, they could watch 10 more minutes of T.V. About 3 minutes later, little Morgs comes down the stairs, crying uncontrollably, tears streaming down her little face. Nathan quickly ran to her and asked what was happening. She sobbed that mommy and daddy’s toothpaste was too hot. (We had just ran out of kid toothpaste the day before) So naturally she travelled into the master bathroom to get some of our toothpaste. Nathan didn’t put too much thought into it, and comforted her, but he couldn’t figure why she kept taking her favorite blanket and wiping her tongue. After she calmed down, they all went upstairs and crawled into bed. Nathan walked into our bathroom and turned the light on, and saw Morgan’s toothbrush laying on the counter with an opened tube of ICY-HOT, and some still on her toothbrush! Nathan took one whiff and went running into Morgan’s bedroom holding the tube of ICY-HOT. He asked her if that was what she used. She shyly replied “yes”. Nate sat down on Morgan’s bed and explained to her that’s what daddy used on his back for sore muscles! Nathan felt horrible!! He loved her over and over. He told me later on he wished he knew earlier about the situation, he would’ve given her milk or rinsed her mouth or something!! Poor Morgs, we love you sweet baby, burning mouth and all!

Butt Monster!! Uh oh!

2009-03-06T14:36:00.000-08:00

Morgan and Dallin were finishing up with a bath a couple days ago. Morgan as usual gets
dressed right away and brushes her hair, while Dallin is running the length of the house
back and forth totally naked and feeling free. I let him for a couple minutes, then decide
it's time to get dressed for Morgan's preschool. Like most little boys, especially Nathan's
son, loves to run away laughing (it's a game! Catch Dallin!) the second I pull out clothes
to put on him for the day. Since this happens almost every day, I decided to change it
up a bit, you know, put a spin on his game. Instead of chasing after him, I stayed where
I was and said, "Dallin. You might want to cover your bum up, because I hear the
Butt Monster coming! He especially loves little boy bums to eat up!" He instantly and
immediately stopped running and slowly walked to me, starring me in the eye. He
replied, "Mom, what do the Butt monser do? He eat my bum? Where is he? Wh-at
does he look like?Mom, where is he?" (Now I got him.) I said, "Well, I hear footsteps
getting closer, he likes to munch on bare bums, and yours is perfectly round to take a
bite! Would you like to make him go away and put your clothes on? Because he can't eat
through clothes!" Dallin quickly worked up lots of energy and said, "Mom! Hurrrrry!
Get my pants on, Ah! get my shert on too. He's comin'! I don't want my bum to go
away, I like my bum! Hurrrry!" Record time for getting dressed. Su-weet. So now, every
day since then, he asks me when we get dressed, is the Butt monser coming? I politely say
"No, he ran away crying because he's hungry, no bums here!!" I tell ya, the look on his face
that day was priceless!

Another one bites the dust..two actually

2009-01-29T14:27:00.000-08:00

Morgan has already had 3 upper central teeth pulled due to an accident when she was
19 months old. And now she is reaching the ripe old age where they are coming out on their
own. She came up to me the other night, really excited, showing me what was in her hand, closed
fist of course. I asked to see her mouth and she had lost the lower "2" teeth! She bit into an
apple and felt something hard rolling around. I told her she could put the tooth under her pillow
and the tooth fairy could come and give her a reward for being so brave! She looked at me and
said plainly. "Nah. No thanks. I am going to put it in a special place so Yoda can't eat it." !!!
She is definitely her OWN self. I love that about you m&m. You know what you want.

christmas 2008

2009-01-20T19:27:00.000-08:00

Shavon got an MP3 player from Santa. Lucky!

Christmas Eve night. I found them hanging out at the

top of the stairs, talking about what they would like for

for Christmas. So cute.

Dallin's First light sabre!!

Dusty.........!

2009-01-15T14:37:00.000-08:00

Wow. Is this blog ever dusty!! I feel it could be almost haunted..in a good way. I am, my dear beloved family and friends (loudly hinting!) creating new blog entries. They are in my heart. I just deserve the opportunity soon to get them from my heart to my fingers and onto the computer! Life is beautiful and busy! More to come soon. Love you all!

fall family pictures..

2008-11-07T16:56:00.001-08:00

We had the opportunity (or torturing chore, as Nathan would say it) to do some family pictures.

This time of year is my favorite, everything is touched with color. For the majority of the time, Nathan is gnashing and whaling of the teeth, complaining how much he dislikes pictures, and expressing under his breath to me how much he dislikes pictures (this is a G rated blog), and when is it going to be over?! Yeah, some day, babe, you are going to look back and thank me...over and over. Thank you Jenne for taking great pictures! I love them!

Halloween pictures..

2008-11-06T10:56:00.000-08:00

Last Monday, we carved our pumpkins that we picked from the pumpkin patch. We decided to go smaller this year, to make it more easier for kids... I had to admit, it was cute having 5 little pumpkins on our front porch entryway all lined up. We are so proud of Shavon! This was her very first year to brave sticking her hand into the pumpkin and pull the "guts" out and not freak out, okay, well, a little wincing of the face! Go girl! Still working on her to eat the roasted pumpkin seeds. Morgs and Dallin had no problem squishing the slime between their fingers. Yoda, cleaned up whatever fell on the floor.

Look at Me! I'm THREE! Dallin's 3rd birthday

2008-10-28T07:29:00.000-07:00

Dallin turned three on October 21. When we asked him what he wanted on his cake, he couldn't decide between Clifford or Vroom Vroom's. Since he is Clifford for Halloween, he compromised and happily agreed to rocks and dirt on his cake! He sure loved it. I think daddy enjoyed it just as much making it!

More pumpkin patch pictures...

2008-10-28T07:01:00.001-07:00

Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-21T21:30:00.001-07:00

We had the opportunity to go to Country Merchantile with Grandma Sue and Papa Ted on Saturday. Ah, love this time of year.. hay rides, petting zoo (more like "Looking zoo", the animals were in their pens monopolized by flies!Yuck) corn maze, hay bayle pyramid, and jumpolines! Perfect weather to "FALL" in love with.

Who needs a frog, when you can kiss a catapillar?!

2008-10-13T21:24:00.000-07:00

Morgan has always had a soft spot for bugs and insects. And I must say, she is a "hands on" kind of girl.. I just have politely explained that we DO NOT pick up anything that has more than 6 legs without mom's approval! We found this cute little catapillar strolling across our front door step the other day. Morgan immediately gravitated toward it, and picked it up. She then explored the kitchen looking for the perfect "palace" for him to live in. After finding my glass parmesan cheese shaker, she started up a very comfortable "one sided" conversation with Wilbur. Every once in a while, she would look up at me and say, "mom, his feet are so sticky! It makes me tickle-ly!" You are precious M&M. I savored this moment, watching you so quietly through my memory maker. (camera)

2008-10-07T14:25:00.000-07:00

Just goofin' off at the park, we love this park because it has a huge demonstration garden, library, and fish pond that we HAVE to visit each time as we are leaving

2008-10-01T09:31:00.000-07:00

This is Michelle. She is one of our favorite babysitters, and I had the pleasure of taking her senior photos. She is amazing with kids, and is very talented in many different things such as piano, flute, tennis, and being a great example to our children... and ... she shares the same birthday as Dallin, sweet 18 girl! You are awesome.

Best investment...

2008-09-29T07:37:00.000-07:00

These little scooters are the greatest toy to enter our home. Morgs, Dallin and Shavon love them! As you can see they trade off and race each other up and down the street, and in the house. They drag them up and down the stairs, and when we go to the park, it's mandatory to bring them along. I have to admit, they are so stinkin' cute, especially Dallin when he is going as fast as he can and his little booty is sticking way out, his foot pushing off every couple seconds to launch him forward to win the race against his sister! I wish I had a video camera..

New "Do" !

2008-09-29T07:28:00.001-07:00

Shavon had a great day on Saturday. She scored a goal at her soccer game, and got her hair cut! She has been begging me for the past few weeks to cut it shorter, even holding up her hair with one hand and showing me how cute she would look. It was Dad that she had to convince more than mom. Once it was done, mom and dad loved it, but both agreed that it makes her look older :( We love you babe and you look smashing! Of course she loves it too. She is constantly looking at herself in the mirror or reflection of the window!

Happy Birthday M&M!!

2008-09-24T15:21:00.000-07:00

Oh, my sweet Morgs. I can't believe you are 5 years old. My sweet little pea, I am enjoying you so very much. I would never admit it out loud, but I almost cry everytime I drop you off for preschool. You are my little shadow and give the best hugs and cuddles on demand. I can't but help reflect on your birth this day... You were so tiny weighing only 6 featherlike pounds. I had a hard time dressing and changing you the first few weeks because you were rolled up into a tight ball. But when we did manage to stretch you out, you were this skinny long alien! And so beautiful. I remember being in love with the middle of the night with you. You would stir just enough to feed and I would rock you and watch you fall back asleep. I wouldn't put you back down though, I would rock you for a while.... loving the moment that all was asleep.Dark. Quiet. And I could hold you without distraction from the outside world. You fit perfectly in my arms. Some mornings I would wake up and find that I was still holding you, comfortably molded in the rocking chair. I miss these times and cherish them. Please stay little a longer... I love you M&M.

Hello Cello!

2008-09-19T16:13:00.001-07:00

Shavon came home from school today and brought her cello with her. She is only allowed to bring it home on weekends to practise. She informed us of what she can

and can't do with it. She also has all the parts of the intrument memorized, including how to hold the cello properly when playing. Glad to see she is so excited about learning a new skill! Go girl!

Grandma and Papa visit- hooray!

2008-09-11T06:19:00.000-07:00

Labor day boating with Despains, Kissells, and Szendres

2008-09-11T05:59:00.000-07:00

Nate did awesome wake boarding
show some lovin' baby! Yeah!

How many kids does it take to sink a boat?!

They all fit too, with the dads' great enough to help out.

FHE back to schoool waterslide

2008-09-11T05:43:00.000-07:00

Shavon, Amber, and Alaina

Dad and Morgan

2008-09-09T14:09:00.000-07:00

Behind..behind I know....

2008-09-09T13:16:00.000-07:00

I try to keep up with this blogging thing. But I have fallen behind a bit. Our family has been busy since school started. So the madder blog has taken a big fat back seat.

Some things that have been happening...

*Shavon started 5th grade and loves it, (that's an understatement)

*Morgan started preschool at a Lutheran Church on Tues/Thurs. Loves it also.

*Nathan has taken some time off of work we have ALL appreciated more of him at home
*Had FHE with some friends that were kind enough to build a 100 ft waterslide! Soo fun.

*My mom and dad came to visit for a week from Canada. We showed them a good time, went to

Walla Walla for a picnic, girls had pedicures, walks in the morning, and Nate and I managed

to go to Spokane for the weekend- talk about refreshing!! Thanks mom and dad!

*Went boating with some friends on Labor Day weekend.

*I have had a few photo shoots.

* I am working on preparing the Primary Sacrament program in October, 90+ kids in our primary!

*Shavon started soccer, piano, orchestra, and now wants to do cross walk duty! Busy girl.

*Nathan is getting all the fishing in that he can before the season ends.

*Oh, and Nate and I had our birthdays.... :)

Back to school..grade 5

2008-08-28T07:04:00.000-07:00

Grandpa's farm

2008-08-22T09:56:00.000-07:00

My grandpa Ralph passed away in April. Nathan and I did a cannon ball trip and drove to Northern Alberta (Lloydminster) for his funeral. It was an emotional roller coaster to grieve his death, yet happy to see my extended family. I took many pictures of this place to help my memory remember generations of existence here. It's only now that I can look at and refine the pictures. Even though Grandpa called me a fool for getting married young, I know he loved me! Miss you gramps.

5 things (that aren't things) I am greatful for today...

2008-08-12T08:52:00.000-07:00

1. An incredible, loving husband that I was sealed for eternity to, 13 years ago today.

2. 3 children who are growing too fast, I wish I could freeze time for at least a little while longer.

3. A loving eternal Father in Heaven. Who knows me, better than myself. Who watches over me
and comforts me, concerned and compassionate about me and the eternal perspective of my
family.

4. My health. The ability to be agile and breathe in and out effortlessly.

5. Peace. The quiet, early morning hours in which to reflect and meditate.

Twlight Series by Stephenie Meyer

2008-08-07T00:50:00.000-07:00

Okay, so most of you know I don't read that much. I have kids, a wonderful husband, a house

to keep up, laundry and dishes, a church calling, scrapbooking and photography when I

can squeeze time in. All of these things have been put on hold since I have starting reading

these books! Oh man, I cannot put these books down. What's even better, is that Nate and I

are reading them together. The suspence is killing me! It is a wonderful thing to talk with Nate,

to discuss theories and plots about what we think is going to happen. If you haven't read these

yet... I will send you a copy! I'm hooked. (Thanks Jenne and Kate! :) My house is a mess and my family is neglected, not to mention Nate and I are sleep deprived, reading way too late into the night...He Hee! )

Photo shoot

2008-08-07T00:36:00.000-07:00

I did a photo shoot of a friend's baby about a month ago. Just thought I would post

some of the cuter one's. He is 3 months old, and was so adorable and easy to snap

some shots of.

Pink Eye

2008-08-07T00:15:00.000-07:00

My eyes have been irritating me (understatement) for the past week. The burning, itching,

rubbing driving me crazy, thinking it's allergies. Didn't realize that I had a mild case of Pink

Eye! Unfortuntely our little man got the worst of it. I feel soooo bad for him. I have never

really seen Pink eye before. The whole whites of his eye were swolen, like a opaque water

blister ready to burst out from his eye. Oh, I am grossing you out? Yeah! I was freaking out too.

Thanks to a couple hours at the ER clinic on Saturday,and some eye drops, he is looking back to

normal already. Did I mention how wonderful these eye drops are to put into Dallin's eyes?

Olympic event it is. I have to use most of my physical strength to pin him down and pray that

even half a drop of medicine reaches the vicinity of the infection. All this time, poor little guy

is screaming, squinting his eyes shut, and shaking his head back and forth. But this only comes after I have tried to reason with him for the past 10 minutes. Yikes.

Summer fun

2008-08-06T23:38:00.000-07:00

Since we have purchased our trampoline for the kids' birthdays... I didn't realize how much fun

it really is! And great exercise too. The kids are out on it every day, rain or shine. They will

invite friends over and spray the hose wildly around, making up games. Love it. Love Summer...

P.S. This is shavonie and Morgs goofin' off the other day, singing to ABBA. They are truly best friends. Love you, crazy girls!

Yellowstone National Park

2008-07-25T08:42:00.000-07:00

The cabin we stayed in

These mud pools were literally boiling, bubbling angryily up ward, and the stink was unbearable.

Morgan kept saying, " It's so crunky and stinky mom!"

Mr. Grumpy Pants... wait! He has no pants!

"Old Faithful"

What an adventure in Yellowstone, we loved it. So much to do and see. And so relaxing! The kids were so much fun, since ALL of us were experiencing this for the first time. Our friends, the Stouts. Their extended family has a cabin in Island Park and generously let us stay for a few days. Thank you Stout family! We loved this place,nestled in a heavy wooded, secluded area close to town, it was a charming log cabin with a cool loft upstairs. When we spent the day in the Park, there was a ton of driving. However when we saw something, we would stop and explore. The landscape was constantly changing. Yes, we saw an abundance of wildlife... Elk, buffalo, bald eagles, fox. But the coolest part was our last day. We stayed close to the cabin and rented a canoe and floated down the river with paddles in hand. Well, I paddled for most of it, Nathan and Shavon fished! It was breathtakingly beautiful. Did I bring my camera with us when we saw this amazing scenery? The moose 3 feet away from us? The beavers swimming in front us? The pelican casually floating down the river in front us? The excitement on Nate's face when he caught his first fish, and the 8 in a row after that? NO! I was scared my camera would get wet...which is a valid of course, But I missed soooo many great shots! I am still kicking myself. Oh well, the memories will live on in our minds. However, here are some precious memories from Yellowstone..

Yellowstone National Park

2008-07-25T08:28:00.000-07:00

While in Yellowstone, we turned back time and had our pictures done.... old western time. I have been wanting to do this for years, and what a great opportunity now, after I convinced Nathan with extra time fishing! Dallin refused to put anything on(tired). But as soon as we said he could hold a sharp shooter gun... he was like butter in our fingers. Is this going to be a problem when he gets older??! Oh, and Nate admitted it was fun afterward...maybe due to the fact that the photographer went very fast paced... an unusual opposite from his mom's approach! :)

Madder family reunion

2008-07-22T16:01:00.000-07:00

Uncle Todd and Chase... tubing

Cliff jumping... love this one of Nathan

Madder family #1 and #2

Sorry honey, had to put this one in, you SEXY!

Dallin was way too comfortable going pee anywhere he needed to.......actually kind of nice having a boy... I must admit... :)

Long lake is so beautiful, we all loved taking boat rides in the evening

2008-07-22T15:44:00.000-07:00

We kicked off our vacation by celebrating the 4th with family on the lake just outside of Spokane.
Tons of kids running around, campfire, s'mores, and as it got dark, we lit up some illegal fireworks...well, illegal on our side of the lake. The other side was legal-and what a show all night! It was beautiful, so we HAD to add to the beauty too. However, with all the noise and commotion, we lost Yoda ( our chicken of noises dog). Nathan and I didn't consider this fact. Truthfully, we were watching Morgan and Dallin like hawks-due to being on the dock at nighttime. One of them could've easily fallen off into the water and nobody would see. So when it came time to go home on the boat, Yoda was MIA. We took flashlights and looked everywhere. Our extended family lives on a 4 acre, wooded plot of land. Shavon was very upset and didn't want to leave without him. In the morning though, Nathan's cousin came up to our campsite and informed us that Yoda was well and eating dog food on the doorstep when he woke up. Shavon happpy and relieved?! Mom and dad happy and relieved?!

Madder family reunion- 4th of July on the lake

2008-07-22T15:22:00.000-07:00

Good to be home....

2008-07-18T23:09:00.000-07:00

Ah, the smell and feel of home. Nothing like it. We were on our annual vacation for the past two weeks. We first went to Long lake, ( just north of Spokane) for a week. Went to Silverwood and played on the lake. The next week we travelled southward and stayed in a cabin in Island Park. A hop, skip and jump away from Yellowstone. How amazing this place is! So beautiful. But crunky and stinky.... said the kids! Meaning- smelling the sulfur all the time. Old Faithful was impressive. More details to come. And pictures of course..

Happy Canada Day! To all my cherished canucks

2008-07-01T13:57:00.000-07:00

I feel so homesick on this day, I grew up in my small town going from place to place,

getting maple leaves painted on my cheeks, eating tons of birthday cake, getting anxious about the Calgary Stampede, and sitting with family and friends on the banks of a lake (I don't remember the name..mom, help!) and watching the fireworks at night. O Canada......

Big Bum

2008-06-30T08:16:00.001-07:00

Last night I was laying on my side on Morgan's bed reading to her. In comes Dallin with his Vrooom Vroooom truck and uses my leg as a road, as he approaches my "upper thigh" region, he stops..... pauses..... then taps my bum, and says, "Mom!! Mom!! Big Bum!" I stop reading to look at him, and Morgs says, "Bum, Mom..... that rhymes!" (we have been playing the rhyming game lately.) So I politely say, that's right and try to continue with the story. Then Dallin smacks me on the bum and says again, "big bum mom, Dallin small bum, Morgan small bum, Mommy BIG bum! HAAAA HAAA!" By this time, I just roll onto my back and give Dallin a big loving kiss. I love my kids....no matter how big they think my bum is.. :)

Happy Father's Day and Happy Birthday Shavon!

2008-06-15T19:07:00.000-07:00

Wow, two big events on the same day. I can't believe our Shavonie is 10 years old today. We aren't old enough to have a 10 year old! Yikes. We love you beautiful sweet thing! Nathan is such a great father. I know that he loves his children. He will come to bed some nights and just say over and over how cute the kids are, and how much they are growing. He truly misses them when he has to work long hours, and is the best tag player around. The kids soak him up like a sponge. The bond between a father and his child is priceless. I love you hon, you are a great influence and example to our family. I don't anyone else who works harder, loves more, and gives with all their heart..... with the exception of me of course... :)

Joyschool Graduation

2008-06-11T16:52:00.000-07:00

Morgan, Sadie, Lizzy, Forrest, and Treven

Singing Morgs favorite, "I am a Child of God"

Morgan graduated with flying colors from Joyschool on Monday night. She was adorable and sang all the songs loud and clear. Even adding her own dancing. I wish our video camera wasn't broken!! Going to miss this little group....

Potty trained...

2008-06-11T16:37:00.000-07:00

Dallin amazed us all and basically potty trained himself in about a week. He has only had a couple accidents. He actually seems to enjoy toilet time. His routine is amittingly funny. He sits
backwards on the seat, with a Vroom-Vroom toy perfectly placed in the hinge of the toilet seat while he does his business. Maybe it's a boy thing... doing circles in the water, then waving his finger in and out of the stream. But he does have the cutest Bob the builder bum!!

Father-son campout

2008-06-11T16:28:00.000-07:00

Father and Son's campout

2008-06-11T16:14:00.000-07:00

Playing catch up a little here. A couple weekends ago, Nathan took Dallin camping overnight
for a church activity... I was a little worried, but they had the time of their life! Nate said that
Dallin is loving campfires, a pyro just like daddy. Great. Dallin is also freshly potty trained, and Nate really enjoyed taking advantage of this bonding time....teaching Dallin to pee on trees, writing his name, etc. So when they arrive home, Dallin runs outside to relieve himself! It took a couple days to get him to go on the toilet again! While the boys were out in the wilderness, the girls and I had "Girls night out". I can see this turning into a tradition. We had so much fun! We went to Red Robin's for dinner, then headed to the theatre to see Indiana Jones. After that, we bought some cheap make up and went home. We treated ourselves to s'mores on the gas range and the girls did my make up until midnight. It took me a good 10 minutes to get it off, but well
worth it!

2008-05-22T07:07:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Shavon had a trac meet at Kennewick High School for the 1 mile run.
Every school takes the 2 fastest times for each age group(boy and girl), and they have a competition
at the end of the year. This is shavon's second year competing. Her time was 8:21,
but note the determination on her face! She sprinted the last 100 meters and passed
about 3 girls. Everyone was cheering for her, the people sitting behind me commented
"Wow, she came out of no where!" Great job shavonie-bum, you did awesome!

Determination

2008-05-22T06:48:00.000-07:00

Backyardigans

2008-05-21T15:14:00.000-07:00

The kids were playing in the backyard, and I tried to take some pictures of them without them knowing my presence... but I got caught! Literally! This picture they are fused to my leg! Most turned out cute though

FHE Ice harbor dam

2008-05-17T16:54:00.000-07:00

For a fun activity we went just outside of town and played along the river for Family Home Evening. We had so much fun, and it was so priceless to see how much our kids enjoyed themselves with a little bit of water thrown at them! Dallin, our little man, can't go anywhere without his "dumbtruck", so we brought it too. He trucked up and down the shoreline the whole time and was quite upset when he went out too far and his truck sank down! His panicked voice, "Mom! My dumb truck! My dumb truck!" The girls play so well together, they enjoyed running up the sand dunes, then sliding all the way down on their bums. Nathan, fishing... what else is there to do?! Me, I was the photographer on scene.... live and up close.

FHE Ice harbor dam

2008-05-17T16:41:00.001-07:00

Shavon's soccer game on saturday

2008-04-20T16:58:00.000-07:00

Shavon is doing so well in applying her skills,

she has come a long way in the past year.

I think it helps that she is loving the sport too!

She even bounced the ball off her head a couple

times... you go sista!!

2008-04-18T13:44:00.000-07:00

I have this incredible desire to be great at mastering photography.

So I joined the tri-cities digital photography club with a few of my

friends. I have learned so much in a short period of time. We went

on a macro(using my macro/telephoto lenses) field trip last weekend.

Here are some results.

2008-04-16T08:30:00.001-07:00

Horses. Morgan loves horses right now. She even puts her little fairy wings on her "big horsie". So I dedicate this horse slide show to you... my sweet m&m.

2008-04-16T07:16:00.000-07:00

At the beach in Sunny California... well, not sunny that day. I love this picture because Dallin, ever since a newborn, always holds his hands together, so stinkin' cute and we captured it on film.

2008-04-16T07:11:00.000-07:00

2008-04-16T07:03:00.000-07:00

I have had many many requests to get this up and going, so here we are! Our little family, more to come shortly. These are a couple of our favorite pictures taken last summer, in the majestic Redwoods of California, not to be passed up.