Memory Tag

Here are the rules:

1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together (or a memory with Cameron, Kendal, Avery, or Drew- any of us!) It doesn't matter if you knew me/us a little or a lot, anything you remember!

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you. If you don't want to play on your blog, or if you don't have a blog, I'll leave my memory of you in my comments.

Thanks, Laura Currey for the great idea!!

JUMP!! The Case Of The Missing Tooth!!

Yesterday morning Kendal told me his lip felt funny, so I looked at his face..."Kendal, YOU ARE MISSING A TOOTH!!!!!!!" I exclaimed in complete shock and amazement! "

"What happened?"

Kendal proceeded to tell me a story of jumping on the trampoline with his cousins and some neighborhood kids and somehow his face collided with somebody's shoulder, and apparently...out popped our son's first tooth. Even with concerted effort, the tooth has still not been recovered, but Kendal did recieve a letter from the Tooth Fairy that she now has it and it is a bright and shiny specimen that will be great for her collection at her castle. The letter went like this:

Dear Kendal,

I was flying around in your neighborhood last night and found a tiny tooth outside your Grandma and Grandpa Bryan’s house. At first, I thought it might be Allyssa’s, but when I checked, she still had all hers. I had a feeling it might be yours, so I came over to your room, and sure enough, you were missing one!

Thank you for the beautiful tooth! I can tell you brush your teeth every day. It was so bright and shiny. You keep up the good work making sure you brush every morning and night, and especially when your mommy or daddy ask you to. If you will keep your teeth clean and white, I will be happy to take them to my castle when you lose them, and leave you a dollar in return.

Now, I don’t usually do this, but I wanted you to know how delighted I am to learn you can write your whole name! You are so smart! I also know you are a great big brother, a great friend, and a great help to your mom and dad! You are one super kid!!

I love to visit such wonderful children just like you! You are kind and loving and so good to your sister. You just remember to do your very best in all you do, believe in yourself, and always choose the right, and I will come again the next time you lose a tooth!!

Oh, and one more thing…Don’t forget to smile!! Your smile is even better with your tooth missing. It shows you are growing. Don’t ever forget how wonderful you are, and thanks again for the tooth!

Your Friend,
Tooth Fairy

We are so glad it is in good hands.

To those of you who have five-year-olds about to lose teeth, let me impart some wisdom: Don't let them jump on the trampoline with the whole neighborhood with shoulders flying and mouths wide open!! They are bound to lose something!! Thank Heavens, for Kendal, it was just his first tooth!!

Time Flies At Almost 6 Months...

I noticed I haven't put a whole lot of Drew on the blog (except for sleeping pictures) because he isn't really in all the action, but he is really growing quickly. He rolled over on Father's Day,
he is sitting up by himself very well, I think, and he says,"Da Da Da" a lot these days.
We can even prop him up against the wall and make it look like he is about to walk. We just love him and can't imagine our family without him. I have to say he is the easiest baby of the lot. I am not sure if it is because he is a really good baby or if I have really lowered my standard of what a good baby is, but I can't help but adore his little personality. He is funny and cuddly, and happy. I just love to hear him laugh. I also get a kick out of the faces he makes when he tries a new pureed food. He loves to slime me acrossed the face with his open-mouthed kisses. And my favorite is when he spots me from acrossed the room and has a smile just for me.

Time goes so fast. Sometimes we don't even realize how quickly it flies.I guess sometimes we just need to leave the dishes in the sink and take more pictures. And right now, I have to go rock my baby to sleep. Good night.

Happy 32nd Birthday, CAMERON!!

Oh, how the years fly by. I met Cameron when he was 19. He was tall, dark, handsome...As a matter of fact, he is STILL tall, dark, and handsome. Actually, there is a whole lot more to him than his dreamy looks, and so, for his 32nd Birthday, I have composed 32 reasons why I love him so. These are not all the reasons, only 32 of them!!Here ya go, Honey!! Happy Birthday!!

32. He loves me. For as much as we have been through, not even debatable.
31. He loves our family. Maybe it is because 2/3 of our children look like him.
30. He is a hard worker. Well, when he does work, he works hard.
29. He can reach just about anything. When he is around, I never need a ladder.
28. The boy will eat anything I put in front of him, and I have really challenged this one. Either he really isn't that picky, or he loves me even more than I think he does sometimes.
27. He makes beautiful babies. Again, not debatable, although, I hope I have something to do with that, too.
26. He has fine taste in jewlery. Cameron can spot a perfect diamond from 30 paces. Then he has them made into earrings and gives them to me.
25. He is organized. Whatever the project, if he can make a spreadsheet, he does.
24. He lets me warm my feet on him. Sounds a little bizarre, but I love him for it.
23. He can fix things. Having a hunky handyman around is never a bad thing.
22. He has never complained that he gets less than half the closet and bathroom cabinets for his personal belongings.
21. He has two different colored eyes. The right one is brown and the left one is blue. Both beautiful. Again, always a hottie!!
20. Have you ever seen his handwriting? It is perfect and legible. Which also reminds me of another one:
19. He is left handed. Not everyone can say that. You should see him bowl or shoot hoopes. It is awesome!!
18. He cares about his parents and siblings. He will never outgrow his roles as son and brother.
17. He loves the Sci-Fi channel. I don't always understand it, but at least he is consistant.
16. He also loves Sports Center. At least he cuddles me while he watches.
15. He loves the Atlanta Braves. I thank him for introducing me to the exciting world of CHIPPER JONES!!
14. He has had a 31 inch waist since I met him. Honestly, it has not changed.
13. He believes in himself. He doesn't understand the meaning of "I can't". He will think things through until he finds a way-Which also goes with:
12. He is a thinker. He can figure out how anything works, what the outcome will be, where the next step will take us. He has a tremendous mind.
11. He is always there to help. If it's holding the baby, folding the laundry, washing the dishes, starting the cold car in the winter, carrying heavy things for me, he is there.
10.He is my best friend. There is nothing we cannot talk about. I tell him everything.
9.He loves candy. He can eat and eat and never gain a pound. Actually, I hate him for this one.
8.He is so supportive. If I feel I need to do something, he never tries to talk me out of it.(I don't know if it would work anyway.)(He probably already knows that, huh?)
7. He has a testimony. He may not bear it all the time, but I know how much he loves the Lord by the way he lives his life.
6. He easily makes friends. We know all our neighbors because he walks over to them and talks to them. He waters their lawn or fixes their fences for them. Which goes to:
5. He always seems to be serving someone. He does the watering lawns and fixing fences, but he also helps with others children, shovels driveways and sidewalks, administers blessings... He is a doer. I just love that!!
4. He can grill a mean hamburger. I mean a seriously out-of-this-world, crazy, yummy, tasty burger!!
3. He lets me cut his hair the way I like it. I know he holds his tongue sometimes when I really cut it short, but he knows I like my boys neat.
2. He has a great heart. Compassion is one of the very first things I saw in him. He has a fierce loyalty to his friends and family, and truly tries to give people the benefit of the doubt, even if it has stung him a few times in the past.
1. He is truly unique. He has always been a one-of-a-kind. There has never been anyone like him, and I doubt anyone will rival him in my eyes. I see him as a brother, son, husband, father, friend, neighbor, teacher, etc. every day. I have to say he doesn't fail at being any of them!!

I LOVE YOU, CAMERON NOEL BRYAN!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

831, Tari

Take Me To The Splash Park!!

Kendal and Ciarra having a picnic!
Becca, Avery, Kendal, Ciarra, and Ginny on the good ole denium blanket!
Drew Baby is always a party animal!
The Splash Park was colorful and clean! Did I also mention it was FREE?
This bucket dumped water on all the kids every minute and a half or so! They could run, but when it tipped, you were gunna get wet!!


Okay... In Idaho, you know it's a heat wave when it is above 85 degrees for over a week! We have had the air conditioner on every day. I may just be a light weight, but I really need my environment to be around 72 degrees. Well yesterday was about 74 degrees by 10 AM, so, some friends and I decided to pack up the kids and travel to Rexburg for the Splash Park.

It was really a great day!! First of all, the park is FREE!! So that offset the gas guzzling to get there. Then, the local schools hand out FREE lunches to children 0-18years old and they BRING IT TO THE PARK!! Everyone knows that when the yellow truck arrives to go stand in line because they have great food!! Yesterday was Little Caesar's Pizza, salad, peaches, and a Ding Dong with chocolate milk. If I was a kid yesterday, I would have been cheering. We didn't get lunches like that when I was a kid.

And the splash park was so cute (see pictures above). We sat in the sunshine and laughed at the kids playing in the water. I have to mention that one of my friends had just had a baby 6 days ago, and she was there enjoying every minute with all five of her clan and her mom (give that girl a standing O).

Then the park opened a building that contained a old time carousel. For a buck you could ride any horse you wanted. Kendal chose the black one, and Avery a white one with pink ribbons. I remember loving that when I was small. It was just a happy day!!

Then we packed up and all the tiny kids were asleep when we got home. And it was only 2PM. We still had time for naps and grocery shopping before the day was done!!
I tell ya... I love days like this!! You just can't beat a great summer outing!!

Celebrating Our Freedom!!

The Fourth of July has taken on a whole meaning for me since our country has been at war with other countries. I remember walking through an airport once with my children and my sweet husband and seeing soldiers dressed in camouflage waiting for their flights. I remember it made me cry to think they may be leaving loved ones and may be looking on those faces for the last time in this life. Those brave men and women were willing to sacrifice for freedom. I didn't know what came over me, but as we walked though that airport, I had to tell each one I saw, "Thank You". It was something I will not forget. Each of them just nodded. There was no fanfare, no applause. They were just off so do whatever it took to keep our country free.

We celebrated our fourth with family. My husband and I took our kids to the zoo. Next, we went to Mom's to eat and play with aunts, uncles, and cousins. Then we watched the fireworks on the greenbelt and even lit a few of our own.

As we watched the fireworks, I couldn't help thinking of those who were far away feeling the shower of real gunfire and hearing the thunder of real bombs. There is no doubt that our freedom has never been free. Our freedom has come with a precious price. I hope if I was ever asked to be away from all I had ever known for the cause of freedom, I would be strong enough. I just think of those who are actually living away from friends and family in a strange and chaotic place full of danger and evil. I hardly think a thank you in an airport is close to enough. May we all try to remember those soldiers and their families in our prayers, and may we thank them wherever we see them. Let them know we support them!!

Yellowstone...We Saw 17 Hours of It!!

Oh, Yellowstone!! Ya gotta go at least once a year!! This year my husband couldn't join us due to work, so, that meant my 3 children ages 5, 2 1/2, and 5 months and I, along with my younger sister, her husband, their three boys ages, 7, 5, and 7 months, and my father all packed up a mini van and our SUV and headed for the hills. It was great!! Lots of togetherness, buffalo, and geysers to entertain one and all. Hours 16 and 17 of the trip (yes, you read correctly) were understandably tough especially on the smallest passengers, but all-in-all a treasure to remember for years to come.

Next time,though, let's take the short way home, okay??

A "Quack- Up" Of A Day

We have a fledgling playgroup for our ward. We have such a great amount of children in our ward, a playgroup is just so much fun!! This was an excursion to the greenbelt to feed the ducks. We fed the ducks, the seagulls, and even ourselves (packed a lunch). Then we took pictures of the kids.

Well, all of the sudden, police appeared... and then a bright orange helicopter. And inside the helicopter, was our very own duck!!

For those of you who may not understand, we have a Duck Race every year in our city. People buy ducks (like the ones you buy for your bathtub)and donate the procedes to keeping up the greenbelt and the grounds. These thousands of numbered ducks are dropped into the Snake River. The first duck that makes it to the finish line wins cash and prizes. The second duck does too and so on. Long story short...We have a life sized mascot. He arrived in fabulous style right in the middle of our playgroup. It was awesome!!

The last picture is one of my all time favorites!! Drew was born on January 29, 2008 early in the morning. Kaiya was also born the same day, just a little later in the day. Our families live a stone's throw from each other. It is so fun to watch these two grow up together!! The are both really great babies. I think they look like they could be twins!! Kaiya has the cutest dimples ever!! It was a good day to be a mom in Idaho Falls!!

Oh, No, Mom... I Have A PIMPLE!!

The other day Avery and I were driving to preschool. I asked her about what she thought she would do today and what she might learn. There wasn't much noise coming from the back seat, so I angled my mirror to see what she could possibly be into and I noticed she was inspecting her leg just near her sandal. I mentioned we were almost at her school and I hear a loud burst coming from her carseat, "Oh, no, mom, I have a pimple". It was almost in the tone of panic. This tiny two year old couldn't possibly be seen walking around pre-school with a pimple. Then it hit me. Two year olds done get pimples. It was a tiny scratch she had found on her leg. Thank heavens we have a few more years before the real pimples start.