A New Blog

Green Tangerines (my favorite scrapbook store) just launched their new blog this week! Our Digital Director Mer did such an awesome job. You can check out our teacher bio's & a gallery of their work. There is a contest going on right now. If you leave a comment before 11 pm tomorrow night you have a chance to win a prize(must be local to pick up your prize). They will pick their 3 favortie comments that are left in the comment section of the blog. Head over & leave a comment, I dare you!
**You can leave a comment even if you aren't local. Check it out & let them know what you think.
http://greentangerines.typepad.com/scrapbooking_made_fresh/
Feel free to pass the link on to your friends & family that scrapbook. Good luck!

He Will be Missed!

The Prophet of our church(The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints)passed away on Sunday evening (Jan. 27, 2008). When I received the news, I had a lump in my throat & my eyes were wet. He was 97 years old & enjoyed an incredible life. It was full of service & love. President Hinckley was the 15th Prophet of our church. There have been a few prophets during my life span but President Hinckley is the one I remember best. This is the Prophet Tanner & Carter will remember from their childhood. President Hinckley represented all that was good in the world. He was upbeat, funny, happy, full of optimism, & had a twinkle in his eye! I will always remember him as the Prophet who shared the 6 B's(Be Clean, Be Kind, Be Still, Be Smart, Be prayerful, Be Humble). He also introduced the Family Proclamation to the World. I am so grateful for that proclamation & all that it means & helps me to strive for each day as I raise my boys. My boys will remember him as the Temple Prophet. While he was the Prophet, many smaller Temples (& some big ones)were built so more saints around the world could enjoy the blessings of the Temple. President Hinckley even dedicated our Sacramento Temple.

I have had mixed emotions as I have thought about his passing this week. He will be missed here on earth but I am so happy that he has returned to our Heavenly Father & that he is able to be with his Sweet wife again. I have a testimony of the gospel & I am so grateful for this modern day prophet.

We have a WINNER!

Garrett was my helper this morning. My boys love to pull names out of the bowl. Thank you so much for all of your responses/suggestions. I am checking out all of the songs I don't know. Many of the songs listed were ones I love too! The WINNER this morning is Lisa H.. Congrats Lisa! I will be dropping off an Itunes gift card. Again, thanks for playing. I love music & enjoy hearing about what you are listening to! Have a great Tuesday!

Top 5

I have been downloading new songs from itunes today. I have enjoyed spending my itunes gift card from my birthday back in October-thanks Petra. I am in the mood for some more "NEW" music. I know they might not all be "NEW" songs (just released) but they may be new to me. What are your top 5 favorite songs right now? What have you downloaded from itunes this month? Please share! The 5 new songs that I am enjoying today are:

The Way I am - Ingrid Michaelson - I love this song!

Natasha Bedingfield - Pocketful of Sunshine

Natash Bedingfield - Love Like this

Colbie Caillat - Feelings Show

Our Song - Taylor Swift

I think it's time for another fun give away. If you share your top 5 songs, I will put your name into the drawing & I'll mail you something fun. You know how my boys love to pull names from a bowl. Post away & i can't wait to hear what you are listening too!

LOAD CHALLENGE DAY #23

Here is my LO for day #23. I had actually started the LO months ago but never got around to finishing it. Now it is done. One more for Brody's book. The little strips on the left read: SWEET, NEW, CUTE, LITTLE, & PRECIOUS. More amazing photos by Amy!
I am looking forward to the end of this challenge. Don't get me wrong, I am getting so much done for our family albums & for Brody's baby book. I have enjoyed the time I've spent creating & accomplishing things. It is definitely pushing me to get things done. John always teases me that my future daughter in laws are going to die when I pull up in a U-Haul truck just to deliver scrapbooks.
What are you accomplishing & checking off your list this week?

Sleep over

The sleep over with Grandma Sandy & Grandpa Randy was a HUGE success! I think my parents survived! I'll know better by tomorrow! The boys had a great time playing with all of their cousins, a bike ride to the park, playing @ the park, tackle football, basketball, Wii competitions, a camp out on the family room floor, & endless hours of playing in the front yard. Grandma bought them all new matching jammies & I am so glad she took some pictures. I love the one where they are pretending to sleep, silly boys! My parents took all of the boys to church today & Grandma said they did very well. Apparently, Garrett & Jace were the best behaved out of the bunch. The three & four year old, go figure! When church was over, my parents had located all of the grandchildren except for Tanner. Since my parents don't have a big enough car to transport all of the grand kids, they had to take two cars. My Dad took half of the kids home while the other half helped Grandma look for Tanner. They finally found him. He was in the Cultural Hall enjoying the Linger Longer with the rest of the ward. My Mom said she found him with a plate of goodies chatting it up with his new best friends. John & I still are cracking up. This boy can/will make friends anywhere he goes.

They are home & in bed. I am sure we will hear about this adventure for days to come. Thanks Mom & Dad for the fun sleep over.

LOAD #20

Here is my LO for day #20 of the LayOut A Day challenge. I saw this LO on a scrapbook blog. I knew I had the perfect picture of Tanner for this LO. It is a total lift but I love it!

Thank you for all of your kind responses to my last post. It is great to have such wonderful friends & a fabulous support system. I love each of you & appreciate your kind thoughts & insights. Things are fine. Just a rough day & lots to think about!

Other news... our house is very quiet! My parents have all of the grand kids(9) @ their house this weekend for a sleep over. All of them except Brody. They are even taking them all to church this morning! Wish them luck! John, Brody & I enjoyed a nice dinner out last night using a gift card from the soccer team. It was very nice but weird w/out the older boys. When we called last night to say goodnight , all three of them said they were having SO MUCH FUN! My Dad sent us a few pictures through Snapfish. I will share them once he sends them via email.

Enjoy your Sunday!

On My Sleeve

Yep-that's where I wear my emotions! Always have & most likely will for the rest of my life. There are many a times I wish I didn't. It happened this week @ work. The situation left me sad, frustrated & with puffy eyes. I hate getting "all female"(as DF would say- love that term D) in the work place. My whole point in sharing this is that I found a great quote that I really liked today. I thought I would share it.

"There is sacredness in tears. They are not the mark of weakness, but of power. They speak more eloquently than ten thousand tongues. They are messages of overwhelming grief...and unspeakable love".

- Washington Irving

I am human with a good waterworks show!

In his ELEMENT

The title & photos basically sum up our morning :). Garret enjoyed a field trip with his preschool class today! He ran & bounced from slide to bounce house to an obstacle course for an hour & a half straight. I often wonder what I could accomplish in a day if I had a 1/4 of this boys energy!

He had a great time & was totally in his ELEMENT!

I Love Him...

I really do! This was my Layout for yesterdays challenge! I am so grateful for John. So grateful for how hard he works for our family. So grateful that he is my husband. So grateful that he is the father of my children. He is SO good to all of us! I love Him... I really do!

8 Months Old

Another month, Another Brody post. Brody is 8 months old today!

At 8 months:

- he weighs about 22 lbs.

- he wears a size 4 diaper.

- he is wearing 18 month old clothes.

- he loves his rice cereal & green/orange veggies.

- he is drinking 8 oz. of formula every 4 hours.

- he is not too hot about the fruit right now.

- he likes to drink from a sippy cup (especially if it's Garrett's & it has juice)

- he loves to dance. He bops up & down as soon as he hears music- it is so stinkin' cute.

- he like to clap his hands.

- he crawls really fast.

- he pulls up on everything & grabs whatever he can really fast. Many plants have been attacked.

- he had his first bout with stranger anxiety a few weeks ago @ church.

- he loves to look @ books & then clears the shelf of all of them & then smiles.

- he is still sleeping thru the night - WOOT WOOT

- he loves to giggle (especially in church when it's quiet).

- he had his first go @ pink eye this month -YUCK!

- he is finally out of his infant car seat, makes me sad.

- he always sits with one leg (left) tucked up under his tush.

- he doesn't sit still for photos anymore :).

- he loves to yank on the vertical blinds till he can get one off. Again, he smiles while doing so.

- he enjoyed watching the boys play basketball, his head went from left to right the entire time.

A few of his nick names right now are: Baby Moose,Bubba-loo, Little Love, Baby Bug, & sweet pea!

We are still in awe of this sweet boy. He is perfect in every way. He is still very happy, very content, & is just a good natured little baby. So grateful for this Baby Bug!

The second to last photo is Brody clapping & the last photo is of Brody charging the camera. I think I took about 50 photos & got 10 that I liked. Most of them are blurred due to movement. Gotta love digital cameras & the option to delete.

Family Home Evening

We had Family Home evening tonight. It is going to be crazy week for me @ the scrapbook store. We are working on another VIP event. We were able to enjoy F.H.E. tonight. Our Family Home Evening lesson was on Missionaries. We had a little story about Missionaries & the importance of sharing the gospel with our friends & neighbors. Then we all wrote letters to one of our friends serving a mission in Brazil. I was telling my boys that I would write to them @ least once a week (most likely more) when they serve their missions. They smiled. You could see the wheels turning in Carter's head. He turned to John & said "and will you send me $2.00 each week"? John & I were cracking up. We are going to hold Carter to just his $2.00 each week :)! He is too funny!

LOAD #12

Here is my LayOut A Day challenge for day 12. I scrapped the photos (just a few) from my scrapbook weekend @ the beach last year. I am really looking forward to it again this year. Even more so because I am not pregnant this time around. Just about 4 more weeks to go. It is a great escape & is so much fun to hang out & catch up with friends!

Okay, I hope the sale is still on next week since I am posting so late. Old Navy is having a killer sale right now. I went in to our Old Navy tonight not knowing about the sale. The line went all the way to the back of the store. They were taking an additional 50% off the clearanced orange tags. It seemed like the entire store was on sale. I went in to find a church shirt for Brody & walked out with everything but his shirt! I guess I will have to go back on Monday(grin).

Carter had his first basketball game today. They lost by 4 points. They sure played their little hearts out. I am always amazed @ the energy & determination Carter puts into each game. He knows what he is doing & loves the game. We remembered the video camera today but forgot the camera (hence no pictures). He is hoping for a win next week.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

It's Back!

Okay, this is going to be one of those silly posts. Can I just tell you how stinkin' excited I am to have my vacuum back! I had to have it repaired. One week without a vacuum with a house full of boys is H-A-R-D. For those of you who know me really well, you know that my nickname growing up was HOOVERINA! I loved to vacuum & still do just about everyday! ! I am so grateful it's back & that I can vacuum!

This is my layout for the LOAD (LayOut A Day) challenge. Today was hard. I was not in the mood to scrapbook. I am pushing myself to stick with it! I am so far behind with our family books. I want to keep up with the challenge so I can get most of 2007 done by the end of the month. It seems like the only scrapbooking I do these days is for work. Since the Scouts meet once a week & pack meetings are once a month, I have plenty of scout pictures to scrap. I decided I DID NOT want to create 15 Scout layouts for the year. Do you blame me? I created one simple one that highlights Tanner's entire Scouting year.

What are your weekend plans? Is anyone doing anything exciting?

P.S. Basketball season is in full swing for the boys! Tanner's team won 42-24 tonight! Yeah 6th Street Ball-ers! Carter plays tomorrow!

This One Is For John!

So my hubby says I stay up too late! If he falls asleep before I get into bed, he can usually tell what time I've gone to bed by the time stamp on my blog entries! So...it is not even dinner time & my post is complete for the day!

This is another layout for one of my classes @ the scrapbook store! I know, I know... it has pink on it! I figure that I am the Mom & that I am the one creating the pages :). For once I used pink. I don't get to do that very often. Kind of fun! I need to add some journaling & slip it into the green pocket on the bottom right! These are some more pictures that were taken by my talented friend Amy (thanks Amy). It is also one of the layouts I created for my layout a day challenge. I have completed 10 two page layouts & one single page layout! I am on track to be entered into the grand prize drawing @ the end! If anything, I am happy to be getting a ton of pages done for Brody's book.

I'll see you tonight John :)! Love you!

Calm Day At Home

A calm day @ home! John worked, the boys all had school, & Brody & I hung out @ home most of the day.

I spoke too soon! One week into the New Year & we have a sick one on our hands! We took Brody to the Dr. yesterday & the poor little man has pink eye & the start of an ear infection. He didn't nap very much yesterday. For a baby who likes to go-go-go, he just wanted to be held all day. Even though he is sick, he is still happy. He was so cute today. While I was helping the older boys with their homework, we noticed Brody sitting in the Family room with a little board book. He was actually flipping the pages & looking @ the pictures. He looked so cute with his little left leg tucked behind his bottom. I love when he sits like that.

Tanner started Scouts back up today. They have been on break with all of the holidays happening. He will be working out of the BEAR handbook this year. We had to take a picture of him because he no longer wears the yellow kerchief. We are on to the blue one. I love that he enjoys Scouts. It is a wonderful program (gasp... I never imagined saying that in my life time). I better get used to it with a house full of boys. It is a great program that teaches him new things & helps him to set new goals. I am glad he likes to work on the assignments & that it is not a bear to get him to do it!

Have a great day!

2007 In Review

I saw this on another BLOG & thought is was a great way to recap the year & have your year reviewed in one spot. I will go into more detail in my own personal journal. I like the prompts that make you think about the year in general. Let me know if you review your year on your blog! Enjoy!

{2007 in review}

1.What did you do in 2007 that you have never done before? I learned how to download my pictures from my camera to my computer. This is big for a non-computer girl. I also started our blog. I never thought in a million years I would ever maintain a blog. I really enjoy blogging! I also was made the activities chair @ church. I can honestly say I had never planned parties for 200 plus until that calling.


2. Did you keep your New Year's resolutions and will you make more for 2008? I did make a few resolutions in 2007. One that we made as a family was to start & finish the Book of Mormon. I am so proud to say that we achieved that goal in 2007 & made the same goal for 2008. It is not always easy with four boys but we really have enjoyed the time with the boys & the blessings!

3. Did anyone close to you give birth in 2007? Yep…that would be me! We welcomed Baby Brody into our family in May. He is such a blessing & we really can’t imagine our family w/out him! We are so grateful for the addition of boy # 4. We love our Baby Moose.

4. Did anyone close to you die in 2007?
We were fortunate to go all year with out loosing anyone close to us! We are so very grateful for the good health everyone enjoyed in 2007.

5. What countries did you visit this year?
None. We didn’t even travel outside of California. It is hard to get away with the boys in school & family who can’t help out in that way due to health or distance. Maybe when we are empty Nester's ( I sure hope it is sooner than that).

6. What would you like to have in 2008 that you lacked in 2007?
More date nights with John! We are working on this. I am hoping for @ least once a month. We went out to eat last Saturday night, just the two of us & it was great! Yeah- for date nights. I would also like to be more organized in all areas of my life (home, church, work, & play)

7. What date from 2007 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
January 22, 2007 & May 14, 2007. The Jan. 22 date was when I went in for a 3D ultra sound to check on the cysts that they had found on Brody’s brain. These cysts sent up a red flag for the Dr.. If they did not shrink or go away, it was a sign that there were more serious problems. They diagnosed it as Choroid Plexis Cysts. When the Dr. told us that they had totally disappeared, I just wept. It was a huge relief! I felt like I could function again! May, 14, 2007 was the day we welcomed Brody into our family. I remember the nurse wheeling me up to my room while John went with Brody to be cleaned up (his first bath). I remember just sitting in the dark & saying a prayer to Heavenly Father thanking him for the miracle of life & for the safe delivery of this sweet baby. So grateful for his good health. Just writing about it gets me teary eyed. So grateful for the chance to be a Mom. It was a great day, just like the other three births were.

8. What was your biggest achievement this year?
I can’t think of anything big. I do think one thing could be the happiness & well being of our family. I think in this day in age, it takes a lot to have a strong family unit & happy children. I think we are doing well in that area & I hope & pray it continues.

9. What was your biggest struggle this year?
Trying to get myself in gear to loose the baby weight. I had/still have a hard time making time for just ME (to exercise) & I hope to be better about it in 2008.

Watching people you love struggle to over come some major things in their lives.

10. Did you suffer any illness or injury in 2007?
Morning sickness was an on going thing for me during the entire pregnancy. It was hard & draining. Once Brody was born, I was feeling better again. So happy to have that behind me.

11. What was the best thing you bought this year?
I think it was the digital camera for my parents. All of my siblings & I pitched in & bought them the camera for Christmas. Up until then, my Mom was still using a disposable camera. They seemed truly grateful & appreciative.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration? Garrett!
It didn’t take him long to get potty trained this last summer. Yeah for Garrett & the load it took off me. Garrett’s speech has come a long way this year too! I am so proud of him.

13. Whose behavior disappointed you?

14. Where did most of your money go?
Wal*Mart! Man I feel like I lived @ that store ( & still do). Since we have a Super Wal* Mart in town, it is a one stop shopping trip for our family. We are there several times a week. Whether it is for the basics, or toiletries, or photos, or scrapbook adhesive, or the billions of diapers & cans of formula we went thru!

15. What did you get really really excited about this year?
I was able to spend the weekend @ the beach with some girlfriends. We scrapbooked Thursday-Saturday night. It was awesome. One of my best friends Michelle came too so it was great to spend some time with her. I was also very excited about seeing Kenny Chesney in concert.

16. What song will always remind you of 2007?
I fell in love with a million new songs this year. Couldn't really pick out just one.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you: much happier, much nicer or richer?
Not richer…probably poorer with all of these boys & their sports & the formula & diaper thing sure eats ones money! HA! I am much happier (that morning sickness thing makes a big difference in my general attitude). I can always work on being nicer to EVERYONE!

18. What do you wish you had done more of?
I wish I had gone to bed earlier & had more sleep.
More date nights with John for sure!

19. What do you wish you had done less of?
I have allowed other peoples' foolish actions to hurt me and even upset me. I wish I would have just let it go...let them deal with their own actions and avoid the negative feelings those actions aroused in me.

20. Did you fall in love this year?
Not for the first time, but over & over again while watching John hold Brody for the first time. It gave me that happy, flutter in the stomach feeling. He is a great Dad & I love to watch him interact with our boys. I love that each of my boys have a great relationship with John. I instantly fell in love with Brody the minute they placed him in my arms. What an amazing experience.

21. What was your favorite TV Program in 2007?
I am still a BIG Grey’s Anatomy fan. I must say, I did not very much TV last year.

22. What was the best book you read this year?
The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls. It is her Memoir. It is very well written. There is not a day that goes by that I don’t think about that family. It makes me grateful for EVERYTHING that is stable in my life. I also enjoyed the series by Stefanie Myers (Twilight, Eclipse, & New Moon).

23. What was your greatest musical discovery this past year?
Again, I fell in love with a TON of new music this year...but I really like the new Celine Dion CD, My Wish by Rascal Flatts, anything Michael Bubble, & I discovered the Clay Aiken Christmas CD & loved it. Oh, & I like some of Fergie's music, the edited versions of course!I love music & am usually open to anything!

24. What did you want and get this year?
A healthy baby & a safe Labor & Delivery.

25. What was the best movie you saw this year?
I honestly did not see very many movies this year. I did see the Bourne Ultimatum (John’s pick) & really enjoyed it! Not a favorite but is was very good.

26. What did you do on your birthday and how old did you turn?
I turned 33 in 2007. I swear I still think I’m 30. I must have mentally stopped counting @ 30. I feel like I got to celebrate my birthday all week long. My good friend Stephanie planned a fun friend birthday dinner @ Claim Jumpers. It was a fun night & everyone was very generous with gift certificates to my favorite stores (Pier 1, Green Tangerines, & my favorite pedicure place). My parents came up on my actual birthday. We enjoyed the boys soccer games & then we went shopping. I go tot pick out my present & then John & the boys treated me to dinner & cake. It was a great birthday. I felt very loved & remembered with all of the fun mail , visits from friends on my porch & birthday phone calls.

27. What would have made your your year more satisfying?
I say this every year & will say it again…I want to be ready for Christmas by Dec. 1st. That means Christmas cards will be made/purchased, The shopping will be complete, the Grandma calendars will be done, the house (inside & out) will be decked out, & hopefully the ward party will be done by that first weekend so I can REALLY ENJOY my December.

28. How would you describe your personal fashion statement this year?
Can you say Maternity Wear? It was Maternity clothes for the first half of the year. I was very tired of the maternity jeans & same few t shirts that I seemed to wear over & over again. After Brody was born, I prayed each day that more of my clothes would begin to fit.

29. What kept you sane this year?
My Scrapbook weekend @ the beach, scrapbook nights @ the scrapbook store with good friends, Bunko with good friends, & my daily walks with Camie when the weather was good.

30. What celebrity did you fancy the most?
I would have to say Kenny Chesney. I become quite obsessed with his music after I see him in concert. Not having liked country music until about 4 years ago, I am not sure what it is about him. I like his music & he is a great entertainer. Another one of those things I would have never imagined in a million years. John still doesn’t get it :).

31. Who did you miss this past year?
I have missed my family a lot this year. Due to certain circumstances & distance, we don’t get to see each other as often as we would like. I am hoping it is better this year. I miss that my boys don’t live close to their cousins. My cousins were/are some of my very best friends. I wish they could see them more often.

33. Who were the best new people you met this year?
I love & adore all of my friends. All of them hold a special place In my heart for one reason or another. I am grateful for their continued friendships, love, & support. They make this journey that much easier. I am grateful for each & every person I can call a friend. Grateful for the power of example & that I have many wonderful examples in my life. I have loved reconnecting with friends/family thru my blog blog. I have been able to chat with people I have not seen in many years. If you stop by, leave a comment & let me know you are out there! It is so much fun & really allows me to feel connected.

34. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned this year:
I have learned that I am ONLY ONE PERSON! I can not do it all by myself nor am I expected to. I have learned(still working on it every day) that it is okay to say NO when your plate(you know the life obligations/commitments) is too full. I have learned that my family is truly my greatest gift/treasure!

WOW! Have you ever done this Year In Review? Kind of fun & makes you really think about your year. When re-reading my answers, I could definitely tell it was a baby year at our house. I am so thankful for each of my boys & for John. They are my world.
If anything, this post it will be fun to look back on when we ring in 2009.

Making me happy!

A few things that are making me happy today!

- My brown ballet flats with the fun polka dots.

- The boys went back to school today. They were ready & I was ready :).

- It makes me happy that my boys love school.

- The sunshine we had today. It was chilly but there was sun!

- Reading the scriptures together each day. We are still on track -YEAH!

- Wrapping paper that was 75% off @ Longs.

- My family! They are the best! I love the little things the boys do & say.

- I was able to complete two more scrapbook pages during nap time today!

- My scrapbook room is still clean & I've been a mad scrapper lady this last week.

- A productive meeting with my teachers @ the scrapbook store.

- A warm home to come home to.

- Starbucks Carmel Apple Spice.

- Good health. Everyone is fairly healthy-knock on wood!

What is making you happy this week?

A Sunbeam...A Sunbeam

Garrett is officially a Sunbeam (it is the 3-4 year old Sunday School class). He has graduated from the Nursery. It was so cute to see those little 3 year olds in the front row this morning. Garrett's Primary teacher said that he did very well. Garrett was just so proud of himself when we picked him up @ the end of church. His teacher is the sweetest lady. I pray they don't wear her out :). When I picked Garrett up, I asked her if she was ready for a nap. She said "No, but I sure need a shower". I am pretty sure they kept her moving the entire time! I am so thankful for wonderful people who are willing to teach my children.

Something Special

Just thought I'd share one of my layouts for my Sweet Beginnings class this month at Green Tangerines! More pictures of Baby Brody taken by my talented friend Amy (thanks Amy, they are still some of my favorites). Carter was so excited about the birth of baby Brody. He was very tender & sweet with him. If you are around & are in need of some Valentine/Love/Baby pages, COME PLAY. The Sweet Beginnings class is on Jan. 24th (Thurs.) @ 6:30 pm.. All materials are provided (except for basic supplies: adhesive, scissors, trimmer, etc...) for two-2 page layouts! I'd love to have you join me.

P.S. I am still on track with a layout a day for the Big Picture Scrapbooking challenge. I think you can still start if anyone is interested.

It's Raining! It's Pouring!

What a way to kick off the New year! We were hit with HEAVY storms today! We went to sleep last night to the sound of rain falling & the wind howling! The rain was coming down so fast & hard this morning @ 5 am when John

got up for work. He opted to work from home & I'm glad he did. I didn't have to worry about him traveling to & from. When we all finally woke up & started our day, we were surprised to see our neighbors tree, yes their WHOLE tree in our front yard (The picture was taken from our front door). The entire tree was up-rooted & the wind moved it to a new yard. As we made our way to the store tonight, we saw that many of the fences in the neighborhood have been completely blown down. We hope everyone is safe & warm tonight!

Birthday Fun!

It's official! Tanner is 9! He had a great day! Started the morning with Dad running out to get doughnuts. This boy was in our room @ 6 am asking if he could open his presents. I had them on the counter all wrapped last night. Just too hard for this boy to ignore! He enjoyed a play date over @ his best pal Jake's house. Then we picked them up & took our family & Jake to the local pizza joint in town. It is becoming a family favorite. Tanner enjoyed the entire day: the presents(loves the electric Razor scooter), the birthday phone calls from family, the play date, checking the mail box, cake, the birthday wishes via the blog (thank you,he loves to read the posts & comments). Here's a little recap via photos! Happy Birthday Tanner. Here's to a great year!

9 Years ago today (1 hour shy)

Can you guess what I was doing?

I gave birth to our first born! After an all day stay@ the hospital, Tanner decided to wing his way from heaven (mind you, he was 8 days late). He arrived on Jan. 3 @ 12:32 am. He is such a blessing & we are so grateful he is ours.

Tanner is a great kid. You can usually find a smile on his face. He is a helper & a kind big brother. He is an A student & excels in all subjects. He is an awesome athlete. He is very tender hearted & reaches out to those who need a friend. He loves to read, to play soccer, to play video games, & to listen to music. He has a great sense of humor & a laugh that makes us want to laugh & giggle with him. We have so enjoyed this little man in our lives & look forward to many more of his birthdays!

Happy Birthday Dear Tanner! We love you! You better know how much I love you after posting that picture of you & I right after you were born :). So cute of you, not so cute of me-wink! Enjoy your 9th year of life!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! We had a great time last night playing Operation & Chutes & Ladders with

the boys. We rang in the New Year with Ryan Seacrest & Dick Clark via the TV last night. Tanner stayed up till midnight with John & I. We went out front & did our confetti poppers, air horn & watched the crazy neighbors run up & down the street banning their pots & pans. Then we had some Martinelli's & sent tanner to bed. Carter had fallen asleep @ 11 pm. We tried to wake him up & midnight but he wanted nothing to do with the festivities @ that point.

We had a great day today! We were busy taking down Christmas decorations, hitting golf balls (John & the three older boys) @ the golf course, a trip to the scrapbook store (Brody & myself), we kicked off our Book of Mormon reading as a family for the New Year, & made a list of goals to work on in 2008. If all the other days this year are like today, we are set! How was your New Year's Day today?

I committed myself to a scrapbooking challenge. It started today. The end goal is to have completed a layout a day in January. It is thru the website "Big Picture Scrapbooking". There is a gallery where all participants must upload their layouts. There are prizes @ the end. My LO needs to be uploaded everyday by 9pm in order for it to count. It is going to be a challenge but I am excited. I completed two LO's today(See one above). We will see what tomorrow brings!

I hope every one's New Year is off to a great start!