Friday, August 29, 2008

My How You've Grown!!!




Today is my little Jaden's 7th birthday. Her and I love to pull out her photo albums and look at them on her birthday and reminisce. It's crazy how time has flown by! And she is already telling me that she cant wait until 16 to drive and date!!! Date!? What!? I thought that I wouldn't hear that kind of talk until she is at least, well I don't know, but I sure as heck wasn't expecting it NOW!

She is such a big help! Always watching out for her little brothers' and setting a good example for them! I love having her as my daughter! She is a girlie girl whose not afraid to get her hands dirty! She's has a pretty creative mind and she is always asking questions.















She celebrated her birthday over the summer with a couple of her girlfriends! Hannah Montana all the way!! Then had a family party a week ago! So tonight its just dinner where ever she chooses!









She looks forward to next year, because she gets baptized. She has a deep love for the Gospel and she has a pretty strong testimony. Last Sunday at church- we have classes first, then sacrament- we were in the library returning chalk, one minute she was standing right next to me and the next she was gone. I thought that she was out in the hall but she wasn't. It was odd, for her, to just go off and not tell me. After about 10 to 15 minutes of my recruits and myself looking for her we found her on the pulpit waiting to bear her testimony! She has such a warm heart and a sweet spirit.














Happy 7th Birthday! I love you!!!









Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Turning Green!!


I don't know exactly what happened, but what ever it was made Bradley FUMING mad. He started to make growling noises then said, "Now I'm going to turn GREEN!!" I busted up laughing then he started to laugh too! I guess over the summer at Grandma's house he watched the old HULK movie and figured that the Hulk turned green when he was mad, so he must turn green when he gets upset aswell! Makes perfect sence to me!

Monday, August 25, 2008

First Day of School! First Day of School!!!

I woke up this morning with Jaden standing in my door way. As soon as she saw that my eyes were open she shouts, "GOOD MORNING MOMMY!!"

She was so excited for school to start, she was bouncing off the walls this morning. I truly hope that her love for school never fades. I know that it most likely will, but I can still hope right?!

(I guess that I have bad luck when it comes to cameras, I had to send it in to get repaired! I have a picture of Jaden that I would like to post- I'm just trying to get it off of my camcorder)

Friday, August 22, 2008

Ah-Oh

Okay, so tonight the kids had a birthday party to go to at Chuckie Cheese and John had to pick his car up from the auto body shop, (about 2 weeks ago a cement paver backed into his car and put a BIG hole in the door). We split up because the party started at 4 and his car would be done at 4:30. He met me at Chuckie Cheese when he was done so that I could have some help watching the kids. I had our niece Abbi with me, and 4 to 1 isn't a good ratio in a place with lots of strangers and a ton of blind spots! It took him longer at the body shop then he had anticipated, so by the time he had got there, I was ready to go.

He helped me load the kids in the car and we going to met back at home. By this time its about 7 and I still needed to go to the store to get Bradley new church shoes and a new white shirt (that kid is growing like a weed). I decided that because I needed gas I would just go to the Target that was right there as well. I figured it I would just be easier to run this little errand on my way home instead of going home picking up John and then heading back out.

My phone was just about dead at the party, but I had hoped that there would still be enough juice for me to make a quick call to John and let him know what I was up to. No such luck- it was completely dead!! I went ahead and went to Target, but they didn't have any black shoes and the white dress shirts weren't what I was looking for. Mind you, I have all 4 kids with me and of coarse they need to use the restroom. And of coarse its not just a quick pee wash hands and leave. I thought seriously that Bradley had drowned, he was in there for so long.

I get back in the car and look at the clock- CRAP it's just after 8 and John doesn't have a clue where I am. I know that he is probably worried and wondering where I must be.

But I still didn't have what I needed! (You're probably thinking, "Why don't you just go tomorrow?" and the answer is that we are getting family pictures done at 9am and I needed these things for them and I wouldn't have time tomorrow!) So I went to Walmart, which is just down the street from where I live. I figured that I would be in and out. NOPE! Hello! I should know that no matter the time of day, you always run into everyone you know at Walmart!! And I did! It was 9 when I had everything and got back to the car!

All I kept thinking was that, "John's going to kill me!!!" This kind of thing has never happened to him before. I'm an over-communicator! For this reason he always knows where I am and in the rare chance I forget to bring my phone or it dies he always knows where I'm headed! So I can imagine how worried he must be. I start thinking, " I wonder if he has called the police, worried that I might have been in an accident!"

I hurry home, as safely and as fast as I can. When I turn into our neighborhood- there is a car turning very close behind me. I notice that it looks like his car. AH-OH!!!!! I know that I'm in for it now! I had bought him some Now and Laters at the store and I'm trying to think of ways that I can say sorry and be cute and oops about it. It was then that I remember the candy and when he got to my door I held it up and said "If I give you this now, will you forgive me sooner than later?) Totally corny I know, but it was on it's way to working when Bradley, trying to be helpful shuts the garage door. I had opened the trunk door, so John runs to the garage door to stop it before it hits the van. When he did this, he pushed it up a little bit and somehow knocked it of it tracks. That did it! He was irate!!! All of the emotions that he had been feeling, all of the worry, turned to anger. I hurried and got the kids inside, because he started to cussing and hitting the garage door.

After I got the kids settled and ready for bed, I went back out to help him. He had calmed down some. Which I was happy about- I've never seen him that anger before! Luckily he was able to fix the garage door, and he calmed down even more.

All I could do was say sorry. I felt so awful! He asked me why I didn't use a pay phone. To be honest the thought did occur to me, but only when I was almost home, as something I should have done.

And sadly I was right, he had thought that I was in an accident. It went even worse then thinking that I must have been in a little fender bender. He thought that we had been hurt or worse. He had called my Dad and my sister Cassidy to see if they had seen me. He was also wondering how he was going to tell my sister Jami that Abbi may have been hurt or worse.

I feel so incredibly awful for worrying him so much. And I am so incredibly grateful that his worst fears hadn't come true. I think that from now on I will never leave my house without my phone charged and if for some reason I forget it, I put $2.00 in quarters in my car so that I can call him. If I cant get a hold of him, then I'll have enough to call someone else and let them know where I'm at.

One thing is for sure, I never want him to hurt or feel, that way ever again!!!!

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

9 Years

John and I recently celebrated our 9th wedding anniversary. Wow! I cant believe it's been 9 years. It seems like it was just yesterday that we told each other "I love you" for the first time. Now, a million of "I love yous" later, and I still get butterflies in my stomach!

I didn't know that it was possibly to love someone as much as I love him, and to only have that love grow more deeply and profoundly when we had our 3 children. I look forward to our future together and all of the wonderful memories it will bring.

Sunday, August 17, 2008

Better late then never...

Girls camp was such a blast! I don't think I have ever laughed so hard in my life. We have such a great group of girls! It doesn't matter what year they are or who they may hang out with on a regular basis, they all love each other and look out for one another. We had no big issues at camp this year. The only bumps along the way had to do with the weather.



Boy was the weather INSANE!!! It rained everyday but Friday and Saturday and it hailed on us too! Thursday was extreme- tents flooded, sleeping bags got wet, and better trenches needed to be dug. The Amazing McArthur- and I mean AMAZING- during the storm went to get something from our tent and found that a river was created in between the two leader tents. So what does The Amazing McArthur do? Fast as lightening she digs a new trench and saves the day!!


We also had the heroic YCL's that went around to all of the wards in the stake and helped where they were needed. They were much appreciated!!


We did have some tears shed and a lot of "I want to go homes" but after a few prayers the storm moved on and the girls stuck it out. We did need to send a leader down the mountain to retrieve more sleeping bags and blankets, but like I said the girls stuck it out and everyone stayed warm. (FYI- If you put boiling water into water bottles and put them in your sleeping bag you're guaranteed a warm night.)



Stacy Clayton and Lani Nish the masterminds behind our girls camp. They put their blood sweat and tears into every aspect of camp and produced a lot of amazing memories.

I went on the 2nd year 6 mile hike along with our YW President Adrien Simpson, Asst. Camp Director Stacy Clayton, and Laurels Advisor Jeanette McArthur. Hmm what was it that had Adrien sprinting ahead of us? All I can remember is that she kept making an odd sound like- hhhuileh. I'll have to ask her.


Ha ha good times!! Us leaders in the chow line for dinner- Adrien Simpson, me, Stacy Clayton, Bishop in back, Jeanette Mc Arthur, Katie Clark, Bro. Johnson behind Katie giving Mc Arthur the bunnie ears, and Karri Payne.





Of coarse you cant have camp without Secret Sisters! One of our gifts to give was something that made your secret sister feel like a super hero. Oh boy did my secret sister, Stacy ever succeed!


I've NEVER felt more like Wonder Women in my life!!!! Bishop even thought I fit the part!



Speaking of Bishop. We in are ward are so blessed to have such an awesome and loving Bishopric. Bishop Johnson was up at camp every evening and Bro. Leavitt and Bro. Johnson switched off. We were never without! We appreciate them for taking their time to be up at camp and their families sparing them for us.


Went on the zip-line, that was fun and the rope bridge. I had the girls take some pictures of us leaders on the zip-line- bad idea- unless that is you are one of those people who like to see your bum up close with a harness snug around it.

I never heard back from our YW parents to post pictures, so I only posted the one. Which I might have to take off and you'll have to make do with us CRAZY leaders.


Like this picture here, of Karri and her hubby Terrell:)


There are always the ups and the downs, but it's what you walk away with in the end that matters!