Turning Around In Circles

Fathers and Sons aka "Boy Camp" and Breckan's Birthday

2011-05-29T16:50:00.001-07:00

This year we went to a place called Whitney Pockets for Fathers and Sons. For the last few years my boys have been calling it "Boy Camp." It makes sense, their mom and sister have never gone with us.
No tent camping for us this year. Our awesome neighbors invited us to stay with them in their toy hauler.
Dallin with one of his buddies.
Dallin with more of his buddies.

We went on a tour of the sites on Saturday. We came across this Desert Tortoise. These are the most "valuable citizens" in all of Nevada. I think you get the death penalty if you mess with one. We just let him be.
This is why moms don't attend Fathers and Sons.
The boys love riding around in the desert.
The birthday boy.
It was a pirate themed birthday. We had a pool party, treasure hunt, and of course the piniata (spelling).

Breckan's quote, "Ah, this is the life." He says that when he relaxes in the lounge chair as seen below.

Burnham Family Trip

2011-05-08T09:39:00.000-07:00

For our family trip we went to Island Park Idaho, with the Burnham Family. Thanks to Lance, (the planner) we have gone two years in a row. I think he enjoys all that goes into finding the locations, scheduling, spread sheets, etc. a little too much :)

It just so happened to be Easter weekend so all the kids had a great time coloring eggs and having a hunt with their cousins. Matt's family wasn't able to go and they were missed greatly!

Ellsie LOVED all of her girl cousins! They were so cute. Rick has three girls, two of which are around her age. She was so excited to see Cam and Owen too. It is funny how well she remembers them. She acts like we are still neighbors.

My mom hates this picture, it is really not the best of any of us but I love it because we are laughing and so enjoying each other. Two of my very favorite people!

When us desert folks arrived to our cabin, it was snowing!! The kids would run in the snow and then jump in the hot tub. Uncle Andrew (11) was "supervising" :)

We took the twenty minute drive into Yellowstone and we really enjoyed it. It was beautiful. Breckan and Dallin posing in front of the hot pools.

If you haven't been, the hot pools and geizers smell like rotten eggs. The boys, being boys had many jokes about the pools, the animals and the huge piles of Buffalo poop.

Ryder and Dallin

We were stuck for awhile behind some buffalo. They came right up to our car. It was awesome.

We left on Sunday to go to Lance's parents for Easter dinner. On our way through Rexburg, we stopped to see the new temple. It is absolutely gorgeous!

Just when my kids thought it couldn't get any better, they made it to grandma and grandpa's and saw most of their other cousins. Grandma had a very fun egg hunt and made us a delicious dinner.

Lance is already planning next year. Shocking, I know. But we are grateful that he is on the ball because we look forward to it every year now.

Clark County Fair

2011-04-10T08:49:00.000-07:00

When you go to the fair you have to wear "fair clothes."

Dallin is getting ready to ride the "Kamakaze."

I guess it is that easy to put up a sign and sell your kids.

This girl is going to be in 4-H, she loves the animals. I think she wants to raise a lamb for next year.

Everyone has to take a bath when they get home from the fair.

More Swimming

2011-04-03T12:33:00.001-07:00

Recent Photos

2011-04-03T12:25:00.001-07:00

Dog Sitting

2011-03-20T08:54:00.000-07:00

This weekend we watched "Skippy" for some friends. The boys loved him. Ellsie is not a big fan of dogs.

The Muddy River

2011-03-13T11:28:00.001-07:00

Swimming in March

2011-03-13T11:26:00.001-07:00

Breckan's First Bike Crash

2011-03-13T11:24:00.001-07:00

Our Backyard Valley of Fire

2011-03-13T11:20:00.000-07:00

Valley of Fire

2011-03-13T11:18:00.000-07:00

Spokane

2011-03-13T11:13:00.001-07:00

Always Playing Catch Up....

2010-11-09T20:12:00.000-08:00

OK so I'm a lame blogger. I go months and months with nothin' and then I play catch up. You have to admit that I have my best excuse yet. We have been very displaced. We left AZ the middle of June and have basically been living out of suit cases since. The only one who didn't seem to mind at all was little E. She thought it was an open invitation to play dress up all day.

She is such a girly girl. Who would have thought I would have a total princess who loved clothes
and all the accessories she could get her hands on. I have created a little diva monster.

We had a very long summer since Nevada starts school about a month after Paradise does. Dallin started the 3rd grade this year. Crazy. He was a little anxious about going to a new school and he REALLY missed his old friends but he is such a good boy. He put on a smile (except when I asked him to have his picture taken with his teacher). Look at his face. He is thinking, mom I'm not in pre-school your killin me. :) I love him!

An even harder part to my day was finally sending Ryder to Kindergaten. He was SO ready to go! He watched most his friends start last year (he is an August birthday) and was counting down the days! Ryder is so happy and care free. I wish I was more like him :) He calls everyone he meets his friends. I just love him!

Most of his class is made up of ward members. They look so mischievious! He loves going everyday and I love all the enthusiasm he has when he gets home to tell me about his day.
Breckan also started Pre-school with his new teacher and my friend Miss Kim. He thinks Logandale is the best place on earth and has requested a motorcycle and a pocket knife for Christmas. Good Luck Brecky.

Since this is an "all in one" post- here goes halloween. My favorite part about Logandale is it has a great community with wonderful family activities. On Saturday, the parks and rec put together an awsome trunk or treat complete with haunted house, food and games. Ellsie was in heaven after getting her candy, she parked it on the grass and devoured her candy. I see where she also gets her self control from :)

The boys loved the games and rides. Dallin and Breckan got into these giant air bubbles in a pool of water. D says he felt like a hampster! Ryder didn't take to the idea. It was fun though and everything was free.

The kids made it really easy for me this year and all of them wanted to dress up in something we already had. Ellsie just loves anything frilly and pink. We had a great time with lots of parties, candy, and friends.

Change Me No-Likey

2010-11-09T09:11:00.000-08:00

I come from a long line of movie quoters, so it comes as no surprise to me that my children have now started a little quoting of their own. Dallin's favorite quote of the moment is "me no likey" (The Emperor's New Groove). Those of you that know me well know that I avoid change like it is a plague. My emotions and mood are all over the map when, well I have to move all over the map :) Maybe that is why Heavenly Father blessed me with the most patient and understanding of men for my husband. Let just say poor Lance had to endure a few Oprah "ugly cries" on the way to our new home.

It was very hard to leave my sister and many wonderful friends, but we feel very blessed to be in Logandale Nevada. It is beautiful and clean, fresh air and lots of space.

But I'm begining to see Lance's true motivation-

Maybe because the "recreational vehicles" section is always highlighted in the craigslist listings. The picture is taken on the trails right outside our back door.

Back to change. We have moved into two different rentals, in two different wards and tried to buy three different homes all in the last five months (Hmmm....I wonder if that has anything to do with Ellsie's crazy separation anxiety?!) We are so excited to be moving for the LAST time into our new home. The moving day is the 20th of this month. We wont be living out of boxes! Ryder came home from school yesterday saying all his friends had on sweatshirts but him. I was thinking, Honey if I could find the right box you would have winter clothes too! I will also have all our stuff so I can post ACTUAL family pictures.

I have had some requests for a picture of the new house so here it is, of course it's GREEN!

We love and miss AZ and hope to entice some of you to come visit us! I hope the trail pictures get the job done (at least for the husbands :)

Ellsie's First Year

2010-02-11T14:19:00.000-08:00

I can't believe my baby is one!!! I guess I better start blogging again, at this rate she'll be in kindergarten next year! This won't come as a surprise to most of you, but I have absolutely LOVED being Ellsie's mom/personal stylist this past year. :)

From day one, Ellsie has had dad wrapped around his finger. He dances with her, sings in her ear, and tells her stories of all the daddy daughter dates they will take. I had to include this next picture, because it shows how truly whipped Lance is. He couldn't bear the sounds of her crying so he strapped on the good old sling! He knows at that moment it will end up on the blog!

This is how most their naps go~

Dallin, Ryder and Breckan are the best big brothers. They have always treated Ellsie so kindly and call her the "princess".....Oh boy.

There are many times when the house gets really quiet and I go to find the kids and I find them all together. A lot of times I'll find one of them reading to her or setting up her little people for her to play beside them. Melts my heart.

I used to get really excited with each new stage. Rolling, crawling, getting new teeth and saying new words; but now it makes me a little sad. This year went by so fast and I keep thinking about the milestones she has past and the army crawl I'll never see again. I have enjoyed every minute of this girl.

Happy Birthday Lou! We love you!!

While mom's away, the kids will play

2009-09-17T14:07:00.000-07:00

Lance and I thought little Lou looked so cute in her church clothes that we tried to get a good snap shot in, but she wouldn't cooperate so I put the camera on the bed and finished getting ready.

I think the boys felt a little neglected because when I got home and started looking through the pictures, these are what I found-

They made me laugh out loud. These boys are crazy, sweet and hilarious and I feel so blessed to be their mom.

Brian Head Vacation

2009-08-29T14:38:00.000-07:00

We went to Brian Head which is by Cedar City, UT in July.
There are some great places to hike in the area.

The grandparents had to catch all the action.

Now, those are some cute children.

This is a cute family.

Cedar Breaks National Monument.

Breckan standing by some "warning" sign.

We were at a pretty decent elevation.

When you tie-dye shirts you have to wear a garbage bag.

We did a lot of swimming.

And a lot of playing on the grass and playground.

This was a great vacation. They didn't even have AC at Cedar Breaks Lodge where we stayed. It was 70's during the day and 50's at night. This I believe is how man was intended to live. Anyway, we had a great time and the Turner family is so fantastically awesome. (Posted by Lance)

Say No to Coffee

2009-08-25T21:03:00.000-07:00

The last couple of months we have been reading from the Doctrine and Covenants Stories. They are great for the boys and keep their attention better because of all the pictures. Recently, we had the word of wisdom lesson which is accompanied by a picture of steaming hot coffee. Breckan LOVED this lesson. Talking about any form of food gets him really excited.

The next night, after we read the next chapter, Breckan asked if we could go back and look at the coffee again. This went on every night for weeks.

Recently, Breckan has decided he wanted to say family prayer all by himself, without assistance from Lance or I. I couldn't believe how in depth he got. He was very thoughtful and didn't want to forget anything. Now he wants to say the prayer every night, which sometimes causes the other boys to whine because he is a tad long winded. This was his prayer tonight.

Heavenly Father, please bless Dad.....Mom.....Dallin.....Ryder.....and Ellsie.
Bless the Prophet..........and the bread and water........and Miss Jenna.
Thank you for my house.
Please help us to not drink coffee. Amen.

What a sweet boy he is. A little obsessive/compulsive....maybe. He is very thoughtful and loving, and as I type this at 9:30pm he is sneaking into my bed behind me. I need to go snuggle him now!

Weekend Rituals

2009-08-22T19:12:00.000-07:00

Every weekend after lunch-

Lance: "I'm tired, aren't you guys tired?"

Boys: "No"

Lance: "Let's have quite time for a minute and when we get up we'll do something fun."

Boys: moan, complain, whine etc....

Ten minutes later-

Family Pics

2009-07-22T12:10:00.000-07:00

Shannon Biancamano took these fun pics of our family. Tell me which one you like best!

Thank you Shannon, we love them!

Seriously?!?

2009-07-12T17:36:00.000-07:00

Yes, that does say the temperature is 122. That is due to my car being in the garage, it really is only 116 today. Anyone want to come visit? :0)

Happy 4th of July!

2009-07-04T09:03:00.000-07:00

“I should like to say a few words about America…. No land is without its beauty, no people without their virtues, and I hope that you who come from elsewhere will pardon my saying a few words concerning my own native land, America. I know that she has problems. We have heard so much of them for so long. But surely this is a good land, a choice land, a chosen land. To me it is a miracle, a creation of the Almighty….
“I was stirred in my heart by the words of our late, great President Harold B. Lee, who, speaking to a group such as this, said:
“‘This nation, founded on principles laid down by men whom God raised up, will never fail…. I have faith in America. You and I must have faith in America if we understand the teachings of the gospel of Jesus Christ.’ (Deseret News, 27 October 1973.)
“I doubt not that we shall have days of trial…. But I am certain that if we will emphasize the greater good and turn our time and talents from vituperative criticism, from constantly looking for evil, and lift our sights to what may be done to build strength and goodness in our nation, America will continue to go forward with the blessing of the Almighty and stand as an ensign of strength and peace and generosity to all the world.” [Gordon B. Hinkley,"Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled," BYU Speeches of the Year, October 29, 1974, pp. 267-68]

Spokane

2009-06-29T12:39:00.001-07:00

Family Vacation....my question is this, is it really truly a "vacation" when it includes four children under the age of six. Don't get me wrong, I love my kids and love taking them to see their grandparents, but am I the only one who silently chuckles at the title?

To start off the trip, we flew out of Sky Harbor with the kids and suitcases in tow, and by the looks we were getting at the airport I swear we looked like this-

Lance and I had a few good laughs watching people react to us.

We finally made it Spokane and it was so nice to be home. It is really pretty up there right now. I grew up there and Lance went to law school at Gonzaga so he loves to go back.

My kids LOVE to visit their grandparents. The first night we were there they discovered my mom's jetted tub and had huge bubble baths every night.

We went to visit my Grandma and Grandpa Morrill and introduce Ellsie to the fabulous woman she was named after. My grandparents spoil my kids rotten and we love them dearly!

We also got to go see my cousin, Brandon's new home. My kids loved playing with their nine, yes nine second cousins and were so upset when we had to leave. Did I mention they have a trampoline room? How can I compete with that?

Sheila made us yummy banana splits.

Here are some of their cute kids.

We met up with my brother Matt, and his daughter Ava, the next day and went downtown where we fed ducks, rode the carousel and walked down by the falls.

I love this Ava girl! She is so funny. This is her making her "silly face."

Every trip to Spokane, Lance has to make sure the boys get to "feed the goat." For the 20 years I lived there I didn't know about the goat, but there is a metal goat that has a button you push and then it eats your garbage. Random I know, but that is Spokane.

It was also great to be home with my dad on Father's Day. He made the trip really fun for the boys. He made french fries with them from scratch and they were SO good!

Breckan is hands down grandpa's biggest fan, and not just because he makes the best food, which he does, but also for what he has in the backyard.....

WARNING to Lance's mom, the images you are about to see might be upsetting if not disturbing for you, you can stop reading now.

Dad made Breckan's little dreams come true. On the last day we were there, I told Breckan we were going home soon and he said, "But I not go for a motorcycle ride with Grandpa yet." Who can say no to that? Breckan loved the Harley.

Thanks to Mom and Dad for the wonderful time. We miss you guys already!

Turning in Circles

2009-05-22T16:14:00.001-07:00

This month has gone by so fast, I feel like I am turning around in circles. This was one of my favorite games growing up. Jenny and I would put on some music ( Juice Newton) :) and spin until we fell down.

Well, I really feel like I want to fall down, but there is sooo much to do all the time. I am not complaining, I love being the mom to my four kids. I am also very grateful that I have a partner in crime to spin with. Lance is great at keeping things moving smoothly.

This last month, Lance took the boys on the father-son campout. What this meant for me is a whole weekend at home with Ellsie. It wasn't so relaxing for Lance, but he claims half the time he had no idea where the kids were.........perfect.

They all made it home though and they seemed to find a lot of dirt to bring with them.

Of course they had smores, Breckan's favorite. And since dad was in charge, they had them for breakfast too!

All their best friends were there. This is Ryder with his friend Cody Lunt.

On May 11, it was Lance's birthday. The kids LOVE birthdays of course and wanted to make it very special. They all picked out presents and wanted to make a chocolate cake, dad's favorite. Lance says this really was his best birthday so far because the kids are at such fun ages. Everything is so fun to them.

Ryder graduated from pre-school this past week. Miss Jamie had a very cute ceremony and his friend, Olivia, made adorable cupcakes with graduation hats on top.

He has LOVED going to pre-school. Every night he would ask if "tomorrow is preschool" and if I said yes, his next question always was, "is it show and tell day?" Show and tell was every Thursday and every Thursday for an entire year, he chose to bring the same thing.....Jakey.

Jakey has been Ryder's favorite toy, and a member of our family for four years now. Many of you may recognize this dog because it comes with us wherever we go. Jakey has seen better days....he lost an ear in a battle against the washing machine two years ago but is loved no less.

Ryder will actually add him into everyday conversations or prayers. "Jakey is going to stay home from the splash park because he hates water," or "Please bless mom, dad, Dallin, Breckan, Ellsie and Jakey," but not in that particular order.

So it was no surprise to me to show up on the last day of school to see Ryder with Jakey, and a graduation hat on Jakey! I guess Jakey was there most days!

CONGRATULATIONS RYDER AND JAKEY!!!!! We love you both!!!

And last but not least, Dallin FINALLY lost a tooth! He was soooo excited. He had a very successful visit from the tooth fairy and he couldn't be happier.

Cute little gap, I love it!

Ready for a close up?

2009-05-11T20:15:00.000-07:00

I have some great friends who have recently started to broaden their photography skills and very generously used Ellsie as a model. I am so grateful, because with out them, I would be stuck with a bunch of out of focus pictures with bad lighting.

Shannon Biancamano took these first ones at the park in about two seconds. I am so jealous!

These next ones were taken at my house by Teri Price. Teri is so talented, not only is she pursuing photography, she made Ellsie a beautiful quilt when she was born and teaches pre-school! Talk about your over achiever :-)

Thanks again for the pictures! I love them all!

Apple Doesn't Fall Far From the Tree

2009-04-29T11:46:00.000-07:00

The time is flying by and Ellsie is already three months! I realized (with the help of some family members who will remain nameless) that I haven't posted pictures of Ellsie in a while.

I have had so much fun with this little girl! It is funny to me how different boys and girls are even as babies. I also have come to see many similarities between me and my girl already.

#1. She is happiest when she is eating. Although she falls asleep eating which is a talent I have yet to acquire.

#2 The end of the day is not complete with out a nice warm bath. She loves a good shampooing also.

#3 She loves girl time. She is quite the talker. Her favorite subject? How beautiful she is. :)

Sister Judy Scheindlin?

2009-04-24T12:11:00.000-07:00

During one of my many baby feedings, stuck on the couch, Ryder comes in and looks at Judge Judy on the TV.

Ryder: " Mom, you didn't tell me General Conference was on."

Last time I checked, they don't yell PAY YOUR CHILD SUPPORT AND STOP HAVING KIDS YOU IDIOT!!!! in a talk.

Sisters

2009-04-14T12:07:00.000-07:00

Ever since Lance and I found out we were having a girl, I have been asked many times if Ellsie will be our last child. There is a very tired part of me that screams YES!!! That is, until I think of my sister. What if Ellsie never has that? Here is a little look back on Jenny and I.

This picture makes me laugh because I look like Ryder in a girl clown costume, and poor little Jenny didn't want to be the dog!

Christmas morning 1983

Cross-country meet 1991. Nice knobby knees and Ferra Faucet hair!

This was Jenny's FAVORITE sweater! I'm not bad myself with the blow dryer earrings!

Holy Fro's. Did I mention Spokane is a little more humid than Phoenix?

We had a great time together! I feel very blessed to have her and I am so glad we now live in the same ward. Our kids are best friends and I couldn't ask for a better sister. How can I deprive Ellsie of this? :)

Desert Fun

2009-03-30T21:22:00.001-07:00

Besides Shelby, can you guess who really gets into this stuff?

Our friends invited us out for a barbeque and to ride ATV's. Thanks guys we had a fantastic time.

Zoodona!

2009-03-30T20:38:00.000-07:00

Sedona is amazing, we took a lot of pictures. The highlight of the trip for the boys was swimming in the hotel pool. Sorry, I didn't get any pictures of that.

I think the boys were pretending they were deer or something.

I have a lot of comments about this bear but I won't mention them.

We were hoping to see a Liger, but they didn't have one.

Who doesn't love wildlife?

Everyone got to feed the giraffes some vegetables. I was even brave enough to feed a giraffe out of my mouth. However, Shelby refused to kiss me for the rest of the trip.

A few weeks ago we went up to a zoo in Camp Verde and then to Sedona. We had a great time.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2009-03-17T07:56:00.001-07:00

Ellsie's blessing!

2009-03-13T13:26:00.001-07:00

We had a really fun time with some of our family in town last weekend for Ellsie's blessing. Shelby found a pretty dress for Ellsie and if it was a little bit bigger she might be able to wear it for her wedding. We wish more family could have been here for the blessing. Maybe with the next four we will live closer. Just kidding honey, I know how you love Surprise. (Posted by Lance)

Our little Angel!

2009-03-13T13:18:00.001-07:00

Ellsie certaintly is a sweet baby. She does have a slight problem with thinking that she needs to be held all the time. However, I think she should outgrow that by the time she is 3 or 4.

Harsh Winter!

2009-03-13T13:12:00.001-07:00

I think our boys are looking forward to summer time. If it isn't above 80 degrees, they are freezing.

Sweet Baby Girl

2009-02-14T15:05:00.000-08:00

I know, I've been really slow with getting pictures of Ellsie up on here. Sorry to all our family and friends far away! We have fallen in love with our little girl. She has three very protective brothers and a mom and dad that can't get enough of her!

Here are the pictures of her at one week old.

Two weeks old

Three weeks old

I love technology...but not as much as you, you see

2009-02-13T10:23:00.000-08:00

25 things I love about you:

1. You love your family

2. You find joy in your kids

3. You are the most patient person I've ever met

4. You ask me what you can do to help everyday

5. You think I'm hilarious

6. I love your dry humor

7. You clean, clean, clean...except toilets :)

8. You have a plan, and a back-up plan for everything

9. You love to take long walks

10. You love to SAVE money, but don't get upset if I spend some

11. You are always honest

12. You still check the news in UT everyday

13. You honor your priesthood

14. You love to google

15. You are very non-confrontational, yes dear :)

16. You are happy to use a coupon (refer to #10)

17. You read the travel section of the Sunday paper first, then spend the

rest of the day planning our next adventure.

18. You tell me how good dinner is every night.

19. You work hard to provide for us.

20. You are ALWAYS right

21. You lead us in scripture and prayer every night

22. You pretend you don't see my flaws

23. You let the kids sleep on your side of the bed

24. I still get butterflies when you wear the cologne you wore when we were dating.

25. I love you more now than when we got married almost nine years ago!

Love, your J-bird

We're Home!

2009-01-25T13:00:00.000-08:00

Baby Ellsie, two days old and a little less swollen!

Baby Ellsie!

2009-01-24T06:40:00.001-08:00

It didn't take long before Shelby was primping Ellsie for pictures. I think we will all have a lot of fun with a little girl in the house. We are so blessed to have her safely here and are grateful for the support of friends and family who are helping us.

Ellsie came a few weeks early. She was born 1/23/09 and came in at 7 lbs. 7 oz. and 19 1/2 inches long. We can't get over all of that hair. The boys didn't have hair like that.

Shelby did a great job with decorating the nursery.

Shelby prepared the nursery and made certain everything was in order for Ellsie's arrival.

The Latest!

2009-01-17T07:59:00.000-08:00

Our new nephew, Owen Lloyd!

We had a wonderful Christmas and everything is going great in 2009. Some of us went up to Utah over New Year's as my brother Chad returned from his mission. Unfortunately, I didn't take the camera to catch all the action. Dallin and Ryder and their cousins going off the jump on the tubing hill was one of the highlights. Shelby didn't make the trip as she is in no condition to travel. Hopefully in a few weeks little Ellsie will be here. Baby Owen was born right after Christmas and it is fun to have another nephew around. We will keep you posted on our baby.

Holiday Pictures!

2008-12-20T16:53:00.000-08:00

We had a great time in Utah over Thanksgiving. The boys love being with their grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. They were able to see Santa and a few of his reindeer. Here are the requests for presents:

Dallin- Skateboard

Ryder- Firetruck (which is what he received last year)

Breckan- Motorcycle

I keep asking Breckan what kind of motorcycle he wants and he says, "a big one." That could be a problem.

Hiking at the White Tanks!

2008-12-20T16:45:00.000-08:00

Shelby is just so cute as a pregnant lady.

2008-12-20T16:38:00.000-08:00

On Sunday afternoon we like to go feed the horses. These are not the best pictures, but you get the idea.

We are still alive!

2008-12-20T16:28:00.000-08:00

Shelby said I (Lance) could blog as long as I included some words and not just pictures. Here are some of my favorite pictures from the motorcycle show.

Just a thought...

2008-11-07T12:48:00.000-08:00

I was with a great group of girls last night when our conversation turned to the latest news of the passing of both Proposition 8 in CA and 102 here in AZ. We were all happy with the outcome, but with that came all the back fire towards the church in the form of commercials and protests at temples for supporting these propositions.
My friend found this quote that was given in 1978 by Elder Neal A. Maxwell and when I read it I couldn't help but think how it pertains to our situation today and how blessed we are to have prophets and apostles on this earth to guide us and our families.

""Make no mistake about it, brothers and sisters, in the months and years ahead, events are likely to require each member to decide whether or not he will follow the First Presidency. Members will find it more difficult to halt longer between two opinions.President Marion G. Romney said, many years ago, that he had 'never hesitated to follow the counsel of the Authorities of the Church even though it crossed my social, professional or political life.'This is hard doctrine, but it is particularly vital doctrine in a society which is becoming more wicked. In short, brothers and sisters, not being ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ includes not being ashamed of the prophets of Jesus Christ. . . .Your discipleship may see the time when such religious convictions are discounted. . . Resistance to abortion will be seen as primitive. Concern over the institution of the family will be viewed as untrendy and unenlightened.... Before the ultimate victory of the forces of righteousness, some skirmishes will be lost. Even in these, however, let us leave a record so that the choices are clear, letting others do as they will in the face of prophetic counsel. There will also be times, happily, when a minor defeat seems probable, but others will step forward, having been rallied to rightness by what we do.We will know the joy, on occasion, of having awakened a slumbering majority of the decent people of all races and creeds which was, till then, unconscious of itself. Jesus said that when the fig trees put forth their leaves,'summer is nigh.'Thus warned that summer is upon us, let us not then complain of the heat."Elder Neal A. Maxwell, "Meeting the Challenges of Today," BYU Devotional, October 10, 1978

Moderation in all things?

2008-11-02T17:11:00.000-08:00

There is much to be said for the wise council of moderation in all things, but I am sad to report that this month we chose to learn the hard way, starting with Breckan. Breckan has a slight lotion obsession. He has discovered a new found love of soft and supple skin and decided his after bath application is no longer sufficient.
At least he smelled good! (and so did the carpet :)

Next is my obsession lately.....

I can't get enough of these. Anyone who knows me knows I'm usually a CANDY girl, but now I have a love for all things SALTY! Which leads me to my next problem....
WARNING- This image may be disturbing for all you haters of feet....

The dreaded pregnancy CANKLE.

Next is Lance's obsession which is quickly spreading to our three young boys,

MOTORCYCLES.

Now some of you might be wondering how this can truly be an obsession when he sold the only motorcycle he owned. This is the sad reality when two obsessions collide- His need to have a motorcycle and his internal battle to SAVE every penny that crosses his path. So he is stuck torturing himself by looking but not buying.

Well, this weekend he took the boys to the University of Phoenix Stadium for the big bike show and they LOVED it! Who needs Disney Land?

Making Grandpa Burnham proud!

The boys even got to race bikes on a track. Dallin came home asking if he could take the peddles off his bike too!

Last but not least is Halloween.... no moderation involved.

We had so much fun. We had a potluck, trunk-or-treat, trick-or-treating and a big Halloween Bash (thanks Jessica :) It was busy, but SO fun! I think I have learned my lesson though and will try to follow the wise council....until Thanksgiving!

Say Cheese-y

2008-10-10T12:55:00.000-07:00

Oh Dallin and all his white-boy moves! Dallin has been on a two week fall break from school and I have had many people ask how its been. I have to be honest, after the long summer of hearing "there's nothing to do" I was a little nervous but it has been completely enjoyable. He has been a huge helper and keeps me laughing. Lance asked him what he was going to do for his two week vacation and he said, "All I need is my lawn chair, my sun glasses and a lemonade."

While we were in St. George, we stopped at the temple. Ryder had fallen asleep so I stayed in the car with him while Lance walked the grounds with Dallin and Breckan. Those two boys are like two peas in a pod. Dallin really watches out for Breckan, and Breckan wants to be just like Dallin.

A couple of weeks ago, Lance came in before he left for work to tell me Breckan wasn't in his crib. Before I could panic, he told me he had found him asleep with Dallin. Now this has become an almost nightly ritual. Breckan starts out in his crib and wakes up in Dallins.

I love it.

Are we there YET?!?

2008-10-10T08:31:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, we took a little road trip to a beautiful cabin near St. George UT with my brother Rick and sister Jenny and their families. You know you have been in the desert too long when at the first sight of open valleys and rolling hills you get the uncontrollable urge to re-enact "The Hills Are Alive." We had a wonderful time being outside in the nice weather and enjoying cousins.The kids loved to take hikes up to the lake.

The second day we were there it rained, which didn't stop the kids from wanting to go outside and jump in the mud. Lucky for them the cabin had a washer and dryer.

I love this picture. As you can tell from our last post, Ryder HATES posing for pictures. I love when we can actually prove that he is happy some of the time. :) He loved the rain.

Emma, Ryder, Dallin and Micheal played outside all day long.

As if Breckan didn't get enough smores at the ward camp out!

Second course, hot cocoa.

We had such a great time with my family. My brother Rick is honestly the funniest person I know. He kept things crazy, and taught my boys some new tricks, (BTW, if Dallin asks, don't pull his finger!) Thanks Uncle Rick!

On the way home, we stopped at the Bellagio to check out the gardens. It was all ready for Halloween with pumpkins and fountains. It was beautiful. We did get lots of stares with our three boys and my pregnant belly! The boys loved the water show also. It was a perfect weekend!

Nature Calls

2008-09-21T16:45:00.001-07:00

For those of you that live close enough to have visited, you know that we have a backyard the size of a postage stamp. We are lucky to live by many parks and have the "dad of the year" who spends about an hour a night at those parks with the boys. I told Lance if this baby was another boy, Target or no Target we were moving to the woods. So needless to say we love to camp. We had a great time at our ward campout. Here are the highlights!

- Dallin loved hiking to a stream and throwing rocks in the water.

- Ryder loved climbing the hills and finding "treasure."

- Breckan LOVED making smores. He stood by the fire most of the night roasting marshmellows.

We shared the campsite with a large group of ROTC's. They were great neighbors at night. They went to bed early. Not so great come exercise time at 4:30 am. But we still had a great time.

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

2008-09-21T15:37:00.000-07:00

I promise not to turn this blog into a straight brag book for myself, but I do have to tell you how special Dallin is to me. Since the day Dallin was born, I would get comments from friends with babies Dallin's age; "You don't know how good you have it, he is such a sweet baby," "He is so calm, does he ever cry." Then as they became toddlers, a disapproving look from Lance or I and Dallin would never do that no-no again. He has not changed much in the six years since he was born and his school has quickly noticed he is a good example. His school gives six awards a year in different areas of leadership. In Kindergarten he won the "best citizen" award in his class. This year, Lance and I were already invited to go to another assembly in his honor for a role model of Respect. His teacher said at the assembly, "Dallin demonstrates a respectful attitude in everything he does. He takes care of his belongings, his responsibilities, and is thoughtful to his classmates. He has a caring heart, is honest, polite, and has a GREAT attitude! Awesome Dallin!" We love our Dallin and are very proud of his great example for his brothers!

It's a GIRL!!!!

2008-09-09T21:18:00.000-07:00

We are soooo excited to add a girl to our family! I think Dallin wanted the baby to be a girl even more than mom! I have to say, I had mentally prepared myself to see another boy so even though I thought it was probably a girl, I was still a little stunned. What do I do with a girl?! Lance and I are so excited. Let the shopping begin :0)

My First Post!!! Yay!

2008-09-09T14:59:00.001-07:00

I'm so excited to be starting a blog of my cute little boys and our little family. We don't have any family near by, so we wanted to keep in touch with all of our family and friends. Since I don't scrap book I wanted a way to document all the fun things my kids do and say. So stay tuned for all the excitment to come.